BS: skills i wish i'd acquired

Subject: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 08:51 AM

I wish I'd learned to cut up onions with dazzling speed, like the chefs do on telly.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 09:03 AM

soldering and valve amp repair, driving, Krav Maga...

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 09:10 AM

reading music
speaking/reading/writing Mandarin
crocheting
dancing the Mapouka

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 09:31 AM

I'd love be a little less humble.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 09:32 AM

And I'd love to not leave words out sentences.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:08 PM

I just can't get the knack of plastering.

I have never tried welding but would like to have a go.

Would like to more about stone carving.

As for social skills......

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:13 PM

Guitar...

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Jos
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:15 PM

I believe you can learn stone carving on Portland (Portland near Weymouth in Dorset, not Portland ,Oregon).

As for me, I never did learn to ride a bike. I think I've left it a bit late now.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: JennieG
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:38 PM

Clicking my fingers. I just can't do it.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Raggytash
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:44 PM

Al, chopping onions quickly can be learnt fairly easily.

Firstly you need a very, very sharp knife, without that you are on a loser.

Secondly you need to learn to fold your fingers to create a vertical surface for the knife to slide up and down on.

Thirdly you need to practice, practice and practice

and finally you need to learn not to cut yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 04:52 PM

Luthiery, a few years back we had a world class luthier living in these parts who has since relocated a few hundred miles north and he kept my instruments in fine working order. Since then I've been accumulating tools and slowly learning the basics and doing okay with it.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 05:33 PM

The Vulcan Mind-Meld.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 11:42 AM

Playing French horn. (Parents said no!)
Ski-ing. (tried twice, got injured both times)
Flying planes.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 12:44 PM

Ha Tattie, I made enquiries about flying lessons some years ago at Norwich Airport. They have little two-seater planes there for this. But the price for lessons was astronomical (understandably I suppose)
I tend to think of all the things I HAVE learned to do over the years:-

swimming
riding a bike
roller-skating and ice-skating
walking on stilts
horse-riding
knitting and sewing, embroidery and dressmaking
cookery, especially baking (cake-decorating etc)
speaking a few foreign languages
decorating the house (wallpapering, painting with emulsion and gloss)
playing piano by ear (!)
gardening and growing vegetables
driving a car

I ought to make a list of things to start learning, but I get rather tired now, and lessons cost money.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 12:53 PM

I can't stick wallpaper up round corners. It kind of rules me out of sticking any wallpaper up at all when you think about it.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 01:01 PM

It is tricky I know Steve. When I lived alone, I had a go and did the whole of my quite large house all by myself. I gained in skill the more I did. Those decorative borders were all the rage, and I did them too. I also put up cove moulding (that Gyproc stuff) using a mitring block to cut the angles.
I have to thank my father for that, as he taught me how to use tools, do papering and gloss doors without having 'paint slip'.

But I couldn't do any of that now of course. I'm not very strong and start puffing and panting just doing a bit of dusting!

Another thing I wish I'd learned is car maintenance. Our neighbour and his son are agricultural mechanics, among many other things. They can turn their hands to anything!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 08:46 PM

I could do almost anything mechanically with a Morris Minor as there was so much room under the bonnet that you could almost climb in and sit next to tbe engine. I open the bonnet of a modern car and I haven't a clue what I'm looking at. It took me five minutes to find the dipstick in Mrs Steve's car.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 09:12 PM

Bringing down a mastodon with a spear and an atl-atl.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 03:51 AM

Our village garage has been there forever. The father, Dennis, is about eighty, and still tinkers about, while his son, Richard, does most of the actual work with one apprentice.

Richard was telling me he has now bought a diagnostic computer thing which one plugs into a 'port' on a modern car and it tells you what and where the problem is!

I'm addicted to that 'Wheeler Dealers' programme. The 'Dealer' finds and purchases old clapped-out cars and his partner the Wheeler, who seems to be an absolute ace mechanic, puts right all the faults and replaces parts etc. The car is then given a respray and sold on.
They work in California and the UK (they're Brits)

That's a skill I wish I'd acquired for sure!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 06:47 AM

My son had a flying lesson for his 21st birthday (one hour, cost an arm and a leg!)
Flew from Tayside airport in a 2-seater Cessna: the instructor was only a few years older than him, and had learned to fly in Canada. They flew over Edinburgh and up and down the River Forth. Jealous or what? Funds wouldn't run to any more lessons!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 08:17 AM

I'm extremely jealous Tattie!

When we fly to Edinburgh from Norwich Airport, we go with Flybe in a little Dornier plane with tiny black propellers.There are only about fifteen seats on board, and the flight attendant is usually Emma, lovely lady. She brings Tunnocks cakes and a nice cup of tea.

It's sadly only an hour's flight, but when we get near to Edinburgh, we fly over the Pentlands, Arthur's Seat and the Crags, and can see the Forth, the Castle and everything. Magical.

At Norwich, there's often a private jet or two sitting on the tarmac, and we wish we were millionaires so we could fly ourselves to Edinburgh or West Africa whenever we so desired!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 02:47 PM

Yes, it's great flying up from "dahn sahf" on a clear day and taking in all those views! The flight path varies from day to day, as can be seen from the Silverknowes to Cramond walk: some days all coming in from the East, others all taking off eastwards! There us now a lovely cafe at Silverknowes, the Boardwalk Cafe, where you can watch all the planes: and they are also going to start cricket on the beach at low tide, as at Elie in Fife! (Apols for thread drift!)

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 04:27 PM

being a trapeze artist

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Senoufou
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 04:55 PM

I'll never forget the first time we flew up to Edinburgh so that my husband could meet my sister. He'd flown over the Alps on his way to the UK, but at quite an altitude. Norfolk is very flat, as is Abidjan, so he'd never seen any hills up close.

The plane sort of banked, and Arthur's Seat looked enormous from our window. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Later we walked down to Holyrood and stood almost at the foot of the Crags. He nearly broke his neck looking up at the sight of some people who were walking up to the top (something I'd done loads of times when I was very young) I think those hills (and Edinburgh Castle) had a huge effect on him.
On another note, the riding stables in our village is having an Open Day for charity on Sunday, and they give short horse-rides for a few quid. I'm hoping I can be hoisted aboard a sturdy steed to show off my riding skills, and that husband can be persuaded to get on a horse too.
He'll be terrified, but I want a photo to send to his mum in Africa.
'Votre fils monte a cheval!'

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: JennieG
Date: 05 Sep 18 - 01:37 AM

Sandman - my husband's ancestors had a circus. His paternal grandmother was bareback rider "Mademoiselle Eugenie".....real name Emily Perry of Perry's Circus. It toured Oz for over 100 years.

Perhaps you could have found a job with them.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Acorn4
Date: 05 Sep 18 - 01:51 AM

Sight reading piano.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 05 Sep 18 - 02:22 AM

How to pass my Chartered Accountants' final exam, then my boss would have to pay me a decent salary instead of the pitance I get now!!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: olddude
Date: 05 Sep 18 - 02:32 AM

All of the above

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Sep 18 - 07:11 PM

i wish i'd learned to read booklets about how things work. i tend to undo the packaging and plug things in , press the start button...sort of let the the situation develop.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: BobL
Date: 06 Sep 18 - 04:07 AM

Al, I wouldn't recommend that with anything sharp. Or anything that (like my new coffee machine) can squirt steam and boiling water.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: olddude
Date: 06 Sep 18 - 04:34 PM

Does porn star count

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Sep 18 - 05:04 PM

porn star counts as two....
very imaginative!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: olddude
Date: 07 Sep 18 - 12:14 AM

Circus acrobat and porn star combo
Deep sea diver porn star
Walmart greeter

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: olddude
Date: 07 Sep 18 - 12:16 AM

President of the US and small hands?

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 04:55 AM

Whistling properly and tunefully with trills
Electricianship
Carpentry
Plumbing (these last three, and maybe also the first, should definitely be taught in school, along with cooking and sewing and basic knitting and crochet)
Roller-skating (used to be good at this as a kid, but can't work those new single-line skates, and have never found a hall with a lunge so I could be harnessed in and saved from falling while I learn the trick of balancing again)
Gardening - or rather, controlling the garden, which has bullied me into leaving it almost completely wild
Playing the fiddle, or indeed having enough rhythm to play any instrument
Dancing, ditto; I not only have two left feet but appear to have a third and fourth that tangle them
Navigation - having a proper sense of direction
Recognising faces, and instantly being able to recognise and remember someone I've met years ago (or even days ago)

As for riding a bike, it's easy enough to learn as an adult; it should only take half a day, if that. You get a bicycle that's a little too small for you, and lower the saddle so your feet are touching the ground when you sit on it, then you scoot along. Keep doing that, try raising the saddle a little bit so your toes are touching the ground and keep scooting; when you're confident in this, try using the pedals for a stroke or two, then pedalling steadily. Then move up to a proper-sized bike, and by the end of the day you should be pedalling along properly and enjoying it.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 06:41 AM

I can never remember the way to anywhere after only a few days. All I have to say is, it it left or right here, and I get screamed at for being an idiot...

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 07:48 AM

I have actually got lost in a train corridor within the last year.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 09:26 AM

I lost my car in a hospital car park* last week. After wandering around like a headless chicken for ten minutes, I suddenly remembered that we'd gone in Mrs Steve's car, not mine, and that I'd been looking for the wrong car.

*I was only getting my hearing aid mended!

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: gillymor
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 09:44 AM

Hard to calculate the amount of time I've spent wandering around the parking lot of Home Depot looking for my truck before realizing I'm driving wife's car. Good exercise, I suppose, and I'm not in too much of a hurry these days.

Subject: RE: BS: skills i wish i'd acquired
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 02:47 PM

I'd also like to be able to (accurately) use one of those throwing slings that Palestinian boys use for throwing stones. Tried making one and using it for throwing tennis balls for my dog, but the ball would go anywhere.