Sunday, June 18, 2017

under the weather





I mentioned the fact that I'm not feeling so well to an English friend who replied, "Sorry you're feeling 'under the weather' as we say here..."

And that's a common phrase here as well. I'd never wondered about the derivation of the phrase before, but the notion that 'furriners' say the same thing prompted me to investigate. One explanation from the interwebz claims that the term refers to mal de mer, or seasickness. This makes some sense, as a ships motion increases when navigating more dynamic sea states, and weather (though not always local weather) generally causes the waves and chop associated with "stormy" seas.

When the deck under your feet moves around, you also move around, as does the fluid in your inner ear. The inner ear is part of the mechanism that helps you balance and stay upright. Humans are land creatures and unaccustomed to the movement of the sea. For many people the movement of a ship is just an interesting and even enjoyable experience. For some though it causes the misery of seasickness.

I never came close to suffering mal de mer on a ship, and that includes a few days here and there on destroyers and frigates in some pretty rough weather.

I did, however, find a couple of flight regimes which could cause airsickness. With the SAS switched off the Sea King wallowed around the sky like a drunken pig (Dutch roll) and my tummy never liked that, although it never caused real nausea. Just an unsettled feeling.

The one thing that would cause nausea was to enter an aileron roll with my head turned 180 degrees to the roll vector. Yeah, that would do it.

Anyway, I've been fighting a "something" ever since returning from the west coast. I think it's only a mild head cold. Symptoms are nothing more than a stuffed-up head, a bit of a dry cough, tiredness and some aches and pains.

It's miserable, really.

But it's not seasickness, nor does it include nausea. So am I under the weather?

There's magic going on in my body, however, as my immune system attacks and destroys the pathogenic invaders. Without orders, without permission, without government blessing, without tee-vee reporters weighing in, without any 'merkins being viciously attacked and victimized.

Of course now that I've written this my unfair privilege is sure to spark an incipient protest alight in Portland, and some window-licking lunatic will stab a nun with an AR-15.

Butt I digress.

##########

How do you move heavy poles?







10 comments:

  1. Sorry hear that you're feeling a bit peaked today.

    Log dragging will be in the next Olympics from what I understand. (And I understand so little...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good thing i'm in training! I've only got 10-15 more good chances to win olympical gold!

      Delete
  2. The longevity of those power line poles would make Cameron Swayze proud.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. The best, longest lasting poles come from trees.

      Delete
  3. "Of course now that I've written this my unfair privilege is sure to spark an incipient protest alight in Portland..."

    Boy, I'm glad that we moved away from Portland. Of course, I'm glad to be further away from Portland for more reasons than just that.

    Paul L. Quandt

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only thing I saw on television during the trip were the riots on Portland.

      Delete
  4. Sorry your feel'n punky, your laugh sounds health though.

    Caber toss contest in your future? Can't wait to see you in a kilt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've thought about trying a kilt. But not often. :)

      Delete
  5. Generally, I tell him ," Get a move on Waldemar ".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought about going there when I wrote that line. We seem to think alike.

      Delete