In the canal boat just before departure on a tour of Den Bosch's canals.
polydigm - 4-8-2025 at 16:29
Turbulator plays the Stage Tent, Zappanale #34. That's the Arf Shop's T-Shirt stall at the back.
Plook - 4-8-2025 at 18:32
Great photos Poly thanks for posting...Plook - 4-8-2025 at 18:32
BBP - 4-8-2025 at 21:25
Lovely! Thanks for the photos!Eddie RUKidding - 4-8-2025 at 23:17
cool polyBBP - 6-8-2025 at 20:19
Visited the funfair and was a wee bit shocked at the prices.BBP - 9-8-2025 at 16:46
Today started off poorly in the house, when I came down, found the audio on my laptop not working, found the oven not working and on a massive batch
of spam on the Cluedo forum I moderate at theartofmurder.com leaving that site beyond functionality -
luckily when I went to the other forum I visit, it turns out that Ninezyme are working to get another Gabriel Knight game pitched - and a friend there
found that the game's author wrote another Gabriel Knight story.
Saved the day!Plook - 11-8-2025 at 18:14
The daughter Plook the Elder, her husband and brood are coming into town today they live in Rohde Island and they were in San Diego last week visiting
friends and their Uncle, Terri's brother...very exciting...Eddie RUKidding - 11-8-2025 at 23:22
have fun Plookpolydigm - 15-8-2025 at 21:50
I've posted a video of a song from my performance at Zappanale on my YouTube channel.
My apologies for my quietness - this weekend I had arranged for my free day to be on Friday and spend a long weekend at BF's, as he was
house-siting for his sister (the one with 4 bunnies at the moment). On Thursday at work, for some reason, everybody at the office - including me -
were sniffing and coughing. Cold coming up, annoying but no biggie. Thursday evening I arrive at my boyfriend, we have a cosy evening, I say hello to
the bunnies...
Friday morning it turns out my cold had caused me to snore intensely - we made the tough decision to sleep in separate bedrooms. We plan to visit the
Seal Centre again and the Theefabriek (Tea Factory) which is a tea museum/café/tea shop in one where they serve and sell 700+ blends of tea, so
obvious place for us tea-heads.
As we drive to the supermarket we see a cute little squirrel come down the tree we drive by - it starts to cross the road in front of the car before
us - as we reach the same spot - the little squirrel is dead on the road.
We buy our food, have a lovely pancake at the local pancake restaurant, make the most of the evening and go to our separate beds. In bed I'm
freezing cold - alone and with just the duvet cover, no duvet as it's the summer cool-off bed. In an unknown house I don't know where any of
the warmer things on and I didn't want to soil my clothes further - so I fell asleep and woke up cold, and with a worsening cold.
Worsening to a degree that I become feverish and dizzy, and I have to resort to nasal sprays and paracetamols.
Saturday morning is an emergency search for tissue boxes as we're in the middle of no-where and my nose is very runny. We called off the tea/seal
outing
We also receive the horrible news that one of BF's aunts had a haemorrhage and will likely pass away that day. BF takes the car to his parents,
who drive all the way to her hospital but didn't make it in time.
We cleaned the bunny toilets. The bunnies are now on a straw and veg diets, and for some reason they have 7 toilets for 4 bunnies. Doesn't stop
them from producing poopie marbles all over the cage and in their sandbox. They're re cute - but gross. But cute. Of course we had to make photos
of them every day to satisfy the holiday going inlaws.
The bug got me to the point where I am on the couch with a blanket several times, slight fever and very faint. The next day it doesn't improve
and we decide I don't go home.
Unfortunately for us there is a yearly event, a communal week where the entire village celebrates, which means there's the World Championship
Scythe Sharpening, a foam party, old-timer rally, a music bingo and all sorts of other events - among them each house places a light ornament in their
front yard and of course there's the Home Exterior Decorating Contest where you do a theme with your street and the winning street gets a prize.
Inlaws did most of the work but we had to do all the wrap-up of it - hang up the decorations, the flags, the banner and the light ornament with the
big pole in the ground - that took all of what was left of my stamina.
Monday nose is no longer runny, but I get diarrhoea and tummy malady thrown into the mix.
Just got home today. We've had a good time under the circumstances - one of my favourite times came this morning. Yesterday, by my BF's
request, as I am the local travel expert, I checked if the plane that would take the inlaws back home was stilll coming at the correct time. They were
set to come back on the 20th, but my BF had somehow had Tuesday night in the back of his head and we only found that out this morning, after we packed
all his things including his mattress topping. As he only lives 3km from his sister he's still going home and will cycle back for the bunnies
tomorrow, but I thought that was funny. My chaos is extending.
polydigm - 26-8-2025 at 16:53
That’s a Bonny story alright. I hope you’re feeling better.polydigm - 26-8-2025 at 16:55
Thanks for the feedback guys.BBP - 26-8-2025 at 19:39
A least the street won 1st place with their decorations, nice to have played a tiny part in their glory. But I am going to have a stern talking to my
sister-in-law about her booking a return flight just hours before work, which is a recipe for disaster.
BF and I are fortunately better, and Dad, who caught the bug as well, didn't even remotely get as sick as I was, so it didn't end too badly
even. Im back rejecting complaints about TVs being too small and there not being any Coke Zero at the hotel in Tunisia.BBP - 27-8-2025 at 20:35
This Sunday is the annual Brabantsedag theatre parade, and I'll be visiting again as a big fan... unfortunately the weather forecast doesn't
promise much good...BBP - 31-8-2025 at 20:09
For Punky if he's still around: the Brabantsedag theatre parade was today. I went there and had a great time and got sunburnt and am exhausted
but it was another amazing event.
I got a cold call out of the blue from a gal I went to Catholic grade school with for 8 years they are trying to get a reunion for late October...
It was a complete mind blower when she was naming off people I went to school for 8 years with over 50 years ago, I remembered most of them as she
said the names it was frankly a little over whelming because I never did Face Book that was Terri's thing keeping in touch with our past in So
Cal...
I want to go but I will need to get a real ID real quick to be able to fly since I do not have a passport, which probably sounds ridiculous to most of
you...Eddie RUKidding - 7-9-2025 at 08:07
is ridiculous, don't end up in Gitmo or somewhere BBP - 7-9-2025 at 09:15
hahaha cool! There goes to show that what you learn in school is remembered for many more years to come - even if it's the names of people you
never see again.
I don't have a passport, but an EU ID card. Unlike a passport it's bank card sized and fits in your wallet, so it's easier for me to
bring around. An EU ID gets me in the EU countries and Turkey at least so unless the boss plans me a study trip to Egypt I should be fine.
Had a pig of a night today as there was an alarm going off in the middle of the night, got out of bed to find it wasn't the fire alarm but a car
alarm of someone outside. It was too loud to continue sleeping so I tried to shut the ventilation holes, but as I was fumbling with them the noise
finally stopped (it had been going on for a good 10 minutes).
That was at about 3:30. And then, at 6:45 another alarm went off. I had set my alarm by accident.
I got up at 9-ish, same time as Dad as he's obsessed with having worstenbroodjes on weekend mornings (you'll remember them Poly...) off to a
busy day of flea market and the flower parade of Zundert, the largest of its kind in the world. You can see the parade live at 13:30 Dutch time at
omroepbrabant.nl . I recommend it!
Eddie RUKidding - 15-9-2025 at 23:19
Rereading Barry Miles Zappa biography 2004- it been ay least 10 years since I last read it, jezz it is warts and all with some of it looking dated
now.BBP - 16-9-2025 at 15:48
Didn't burn it then? I did.
(oh no wait I gave it to Sebastiaan. I wonder how he is.)Eddie RUKidding - 16-9-2025 at 23:21
No I didn't durn it lol, it does have some good insightsBBP - 25-9-2025 at 20:05
It's Emergency Phone time again, that dreaded moment where you have to be on call duty after closing hours in case of emergency. Usually
it's either something you can't solve on a whim, or something the client could solve on his own. Like, checking his travel documents.
We currently have 2 phones and laptops, so we can help each other out if things get busy on the line but usually there's only one of us on call
duty.
Today it should've been mine - except the colleague who was supposed to hand in the phone, got sick and wasn't able to return it. With no
phone I spent over half an hour on my own time trying to install the calling app on my own phone so someone at least could answer the clients.
Didn't work and now I'm off the hook for tonight. I'll probably have to do it Saturday though.BBP - 27-9-2025 at 15:11
First night I was called 4 times, once at 3AM. Grump... Eddie RUKidding - 27-9-2025 at 23:59
NastyPlook - 28-9-2025 at 00:39
ouch...polydigm - 29-9-2025 at 16:57
I hope this finds everyone well. I've been buried building my new studio, so haven't had much time spare to socialise. I've revamped my
web site, which now has a photo gallery. My web site is linked in my signature below.polydigm - 29-9-2025 at 17:28
Hey Bonny, why can't I change my avatar? It keeps saying Invalid. In the process I lost my old one. The new one is:
BBP - 29-9-2025 at 21:13
I set a max width for avatars to 250 pixels (due to someone having such a huge picture it screwed up the layout).polydigm - 29-9-2025 at 21:48
I tried an 80x80 version of this and it still wouldn't let me do it. I tried my old one which was 80x80 and it won't let me put that back
either.BBP - 29-9-2025 at 22:16
I handed in the emergency phone, and I have never been happier. It was a particular nightmare this time around. Well, I wish it was a nightmare,
because I would actually get some sleep. Basically a lot of things came together - storm in Zakynthos and a luckless few people with issues - that
meant I was awoken at 3AM twice and on the night from Saturday to Sunday I basically worked from 3AM to 9:30AMBBP - 7-10-2025 at 09:19
Had an exhausting week followed by a kind of weekend where I did as little as possible. Complaints are running sky high at the moment. We have to try
our best to keep up.
This week is annoying as my trains aren't running as they should, so basically I lose an hour and a half each working day in extra commuting
time. Luckily I went out to treat myself to something I'm enjoying a lot more than I anticipated: Blue
Prince.https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/apr/11/blue-prince-review-exploring-this-game-may-become-your-new-obsessionBBP - 11-10-2025 at 09:49
Am off to see a football match. (for our US friends, soccer). polydigm - 11-10-2025 at 12:04
Bonny, is my avatar plight not worthy of attention?BBP - 12-10-2025 at 21:28
I've checked and am absolutely stumped. Main conditions are there's a max width set to 250, plus as you may be using an external link
whatever website it's on needs to allow deeplinking.
(peels the resident techxpert from a Die Another Day rerun to check it out)
It appears there's something about rights and viewing rights setting that may have gotten misaligned recently. I've asked DED to look into
it a bit deeper. Fingers crossed we can fix it - this software is 15 years old and updating it to PHPBB is going to be a nightmare.polydigm - 12-10-2025 at 21:41
Cheers, Bonny. I can live without an avatar in the mean time. It was weird when it wouldn't even let me have my old one back. Does the software
download the avatar and then keep a copy? If so, my old one could have just been a copy and the problem might have been there for a long time.Plook - 13-10-2025 at 20:46
It looks like the Great Avatar mystery has been solved...
Myself had a dust up with Photobucket and lost my hosting rights therefore all my images have watermarks and they canceled my bucket so no more photo
from me unless someone knows another way to host that doesn't cost an outrageous amount?Plook - 13-10-2025 at 20:46
It looks like the Great Avatar mystery has been solved...
Myself had a dust up with Photobucket and lost my hosting rights therefore all my images have watermarks and they canceled my bucket so no more photo
from me unless someone knows another way to host that doesn't cost an outrageous amount?BBP - 13-10-2025 at 20:51
I use Imgbb nowadays. BBP - 13-10-2025 at 21:21
There you are Poly!
Although I'll admit I kinda like your sliding puzzle avatar you used to have.It's weird how you come to associate people with their avatar.
Whenever I see CP3's cover, just for a second, I'll think: "Hey, it's Gojira!"
Yesterday was the first football match I ever saw. It's very different. We were in the Feyenoord stadium. I expected a lot of things, but not
that it would have decent acoustics. polydigm - 14-10-2025 at 10:03
I suppose you had to go under the hood to fix that? It still doesn't work in the user control panel, saying invalid image whatever I try.
I saw how big my avatar was, so I uploaded a smaller one at 125 x 125, with the same file name, but it hasn't changed here.
This is what it should look like at that size:
BBP - 14-10-2025 at 19:26
DED went under the hood.
Thanks DED!polydigm - 15-10-2025 at 05:28
Can he swap it for that smaller one?BBP - 15-10-2025 at 21:33
DED recommends that if you want to change your avatar, you upload it to the same link you're using now. polydigm - 15-10-2025 at 22:19
I did try that and it didn’t seem to work.Plook - 16-10-2025 at 22:57
Bonny can you give me a step by step to add the avatar and remember it needs to be written for a dummy...Plook - 16-10-2025 at 22:57
Bonny can you give me a step by step to add the avatar and remember it needs to be written for a dummy...BBP - 17-10-2025 at 20:19
hahaha no it's not, you just need a link. There are some other parameters, like a max width of 250.
I just tried it with a picture - aside from the size restriction I think there's an image type restriction too - maybe PNG doesn't work. My
picture's a Jpeg and I think gif works too.BBP - 17-10-2025 at 20:26
OMG it's really confusing to tell who posted what now BBP - 17-10-2025 at 20:32
haha no you're not a dummy, there's apparently some difficulty with the forum. This software is 15 years old. polydigm - 17-10-2025 at 21:58
Being Bonny Malkovich.DED - 19-10-2025 at 16:39
At the moment we have some difficulties. First of all I'm not the man I used to be. Physical, but also there is a lack in internet routine. The
software is old ( There is however since sept 2025 a new version (1.10). But we are hosted at Godaddy and they change their website for Filemanager
and database exploring regularly, so when I log in there, it is an adventure to find my way in there.
Most problems on the goose file is Http versus Https. Hen you type in packardgoos.com you get the non existing https//packardgoose.com. If you delete
the s or type in the complete URL Yoy get what you want. An extra problem with that is the mask we use. You don't see the URL but
packardgoose.com mask. Then it is impossible to correct. I couldnot login and Bonny on her computer have no problems. But she uses an old version of
IE. Now I can login. using Microsoft Edge in the Internet Explore Mode and using the direct login to the forum. http://packardgoose.ploeg.ws/interactive/forums/Files/....
My never ending to do list is now added with Upgrading the forum, but first find my way in Godaddy.com and a work around for everyone on the HTTPS
issue. But remember we dont want to be forced to buy the secure forms for all our domains.BBP - 19-10-2025 at 16:40
I asked DED who managed to log in (he's busy typing something on the Goose now) and he said it had to do with https, which the board doesn't
recognise apparently.
To my surprise I found a circus en route to the supermarket - they had the Watusi-cows, camels and dromedaries grazing outside, which was great to
behold.
In the database there is only a link to your avatar on your site. So if you change the pic but hold the same filename it MUST work. Maybe after
refreshing the site but it must work. polydigm - 19-10-2025 at 22:58
Good to hear from you DED. I will try that thing again soon.DED - 20-10-2025 at 21:53
yeah I'm still around BBP - 22-10-2025 at 20:06
He just smells funny.BBP - 25-10-2025 at 21:47
Bought the audio book and hardcover verions of Tim Curry's autobiography, Vagabond. It's interesting, if a little heartbreaking to hear him
sound so frail.Plook - 26-10-2025 at 23:46
I saw a really good in depth interview with him, although his physical state was shocking, he is still sharp as a tackEddie RUKidding - 27-10-2025 at 00:13
I had to look twice - is this Plook Jenner Plook - 27-10-2025 at 16:30
What the heck...Plook - 27-10-2025 at 16:31
When did a turn into a beautiful Dutch girl, I need to buy some wooden shoes...😹😹😹Eddie RUKidding - 27-10-2025 at 22:18
LOLPlook - 31-10-2025 at 17:06
Happy Halloween everyone...polydigm - 31-10-2025 at 17:23
Please get Plook his own picture.Plook - 1-11-2025 at 14:30
I think my removal of her pic workedEddie RUKidding - 1-11-2025 at 22:47
haha yes but I cannot see whatever image you are using now. Issue is it has to be on an http site (not https) which is now "rare and
undesirable".Plook - 5-11-2025 at 17:41
The US had some elections yesterday and in many places the vote reflected the unpopularity of Mango Mussolini, the vote mirrored his unpopularity
rating those that were fooled by his claims are coming back to their senses but there is still a lot of work to do, it reminds me of a Lord of the
Rings Trilogy and we are just starting Episode III where evil is sent back to the abyss from whence it came...BBP - 5-11-2025 at 20:24
Good to hear!
I spent last weekend at BF's and went to the seal centre again. This week is now hard to get through for me. Work's exhausting as there is
so much of it - our work load pretty much doubled when they decided to bundle the flight and parking complaints back with the accommodation
complaints. It's endless and a lot of it is serious.BBP - 12-11-2025 at 19:57
Tonight should be a good night for Northern Lights - except there's the friendly neighborhood light festival to contend with.Plook - 14-11-2025 at 22:39
The Northern Lights were really banging here on Tuesday, my sister in Wyoming got some spectacular pictures at her place.BBP - 17-11-2025 at 18:17
Sounds great! I'd love to see them some day.
Just got back from my BF's who is in a more quiet area of the world, where it gets dark at night. It always takes me by surprise how much lighter
it is when the sun is full.BBP - 26-11-2025 at 19:43
Nowaays, on work days I commute by train, usually knitting while listening to Tim Curry reading Vagabond (hopes to get his other audio books someday).
Today I was doing that - wired earbuds and phone on the table - when in the middle of a needle, my ball of yarn escaped and rolled all the way through
the wagon, halting underneath a bench. Much to the hysterics of a doped-up girl there.
Complaints are still largely hilarious. One was a client who complained the receptionist was at his desk all evening in a Spiderman suit.
Plook - 27-11-2025 at 00:50
Now that I am semi-retired I have been golfing 3 days a week and my game has come down from the mid-80's (84 to 87) to the low 80's (81 to
83) with occasionally lower rounds, but for some reason the last 4 rounds have been 80, 80, 79, & 78...
What makes this unusual is we are getting into winter weather and it tends to be extremely cold and wet mornings with muddy ground under the grass
which effects the shots, as well as the cold air with cold equipment tends to under perform (including my broken down old man body... )
We have had some pretty early tule fog the last week which really makes that cold dam air seep in (wish I could figure out how to post pictures
again...).
Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving (Harvest Festival for some), I am pretty Bonny has something like thanksgiving in her neck of the woods but it
is church related rather than a family meal...although the information we get in the US is unreliable these days...Eddie RUKidding - 27-11-2025 at 02:12
good to hear you are enjoying your golf
the only thing we get here Thanksgiving related is news clips of Trump sparing the Turkeys- at least he didn't give them a blow job Plook - 27-11-2025 at 17:58
He has been pardoning a lot of turkeys since he got re-elected...Eddie RUKidding - 28-11-2025 at 06:32
Bird of a feather........... i guess Plook - 28-11-2025 at 22:03
This mother fucker cheato is fucking losing it fast, I am extremely concerned...Eddie RUKidding - 28-11-2025 at 23:07
Yep, now the third world but he forgot about the 4th world and kerosene record players BBP - 30-11-2025 at 11:34
looks like I got a bug...
St Nick is closing in and I have 2 days left to shop - not to mention the verses and the gift wrapping, so I'm not happy about that.BBP - 1-12-2025 at 20:25
Took BHV Training. which means I now have a certificate and am a member of the team that helps colleagues in case of emergency. Training consisted of
fire safety and first aid.BBP - 3-12-2025 at 20:57
Every year I try to join, at least in spirit, Whamageddon. The event where you go as long as possible without hearing Last Christmas.
2 December I lost. Eddie RUKidding - 3-12-2025 at 22:17
you got Georged polydigm - 6-12-2025 at 22:37
Two weeks ago Julie and I both came down with a really bad gastro after a three day visit to London.
I could have done without it because I've been in the middle of preparing for a gig in London called Zappadan Zappajam.
The gig is on tomorrow.
I'm on solo the first half hour, so I'm the support act, doing two alto sax pieces, five guitar instrumentals and two extended
songs/instrumentals with guitar. Later on the London Zappa Collective plays and I'm guesting on alto sax on Duodenum and Cosmik Debris. A band
called Gabba Zappa is playing as well, that does Ramones style Zappa covers.
All this coincides with picking our eldest son and his partner up from Heathrow tomorrow morning before heading off to meet family for lunch around
the corner from the gig. They're coming on an extended holiday to UK/Europe.
PS: My own set will be half and half my stuff and Zappa. I did three rehearsals with the band as well in the lead up. The last one went pretty well.polydigm - 6-12-2025 at 22:59
I was on the radio in Vienna on Monday (Dec 1st).
This guy interviewed me at Zappanale and he's finally put a show together about the festival.
You'll obviously understand the interview, because he did that in English, but I've pasted in a translation of the parts that are about me:
At the beginning (after a segment of me singing some of "Turn Around" live@Zappanale):
"Welcome to this edition of "Music Across" with the very first tones from the warm-up party of Zappanale #34 taking place in Bad
Doberan on the Baltic Sea from July 17 to 20, 2025. You have heard the British composer and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Pointer, alias Turbulator, who
was getting the first visitors, who already dared to enter the festival area during pouring rain in the morning, in the festival mood......"
After the start of "Delusions of Grandeur" from my CD:
"Delusions of Grandeur," the second movement from the first act of an opera in two acts by Geoff Pointer, aka Turbulator, released on CD in
2024. All parts and instruments on this recording were played by Geoff Pointer himself. And next up is an interview with ...."
Nice one Poly, not so good the Gastro
PS you sound more Oz than English lolpolydigm - 7-12-2025 at 00:03
I'm probably too old to lose the Aussie accent. That's why some are calling me Aussie Geoff.Eddie RUKidding - 7-12-2025 at 00:25
understood, my wife is from Hampshire (New Forest) originally and been in OZ 30 years but sounds Oz to Brits and British to Aussies lolBBP - 7-12-2025 at 20:34
Sorry to hear about the gastro Poly! How did the gig go?polydigm - 9-12-2025 at 06:35
There were some issues with the gig, but overall I held my own. I’m on a steep learning curve and I guess that must be how I like it. The opposite
of Wallace “I don’t think life on the edge agrees with me!”. The band I played with has asked if I want to do some more in January next year.Plook - 9-12-2025 at 22:30
I too have been fighting a stomach bug for 3 weeks today, my blood work last week showed high white blood cell counts which was either cancer or
viral infection which was ruled out no fever or other symptoms, the remaining options were bacterial or parasite.
It is looking like bacterial thank god a parasite didn't sound like something I wanted to deal with, I was very concerned but made a turn around
a couple of days ago.
I am getting my blood work done again tomorrow, I also see a sports doctor for my ligament issue in my left arm, it has not hindered my golf swing but
I cannot lift anything underhand with my left arm.
I have been shooting around 80 to 83 even though it is very cold and wet on the course (I am wearing double under armor under my cloths) but today I
shot 79.
If I knew I would play this good I would have quit my job years ago...Plook - 9-12-2025 at 22:31
Good deal Poly maybe you can tour with Taylor Swift!...BBP - 9-12-2025 at 23:27
I heard Linda Ronstadt is looking for a guitarist Nice going Poly!
Sorry to hear about your health Plook, but glad it seems like it's the least bad of the four. Get well soon!polydigm - 9-12-2025 at 23:45
Hope your health is back on track soon, Plook.
I hope you two are joking.Plook - 10-12-2025 at 00:34
Real question Poly; If Taylor Swift offered you spot in her touring band would you take it?Plook - 10-12-2025 at 00:35
