Last weekend a bunch of us went driving in the desert.
It was a nice little drive with great scenery as Jebel Hafeet loomed in front of us and the plants were about as green as they ever get. We went over dunes, one or the other of us getting stuck now and then and having to be pulled out by the rest. Lots of joking around and cheering each other when we did something a bit challenging. Pretty normal stuff for the most part.

Then our marshal (the person in the lead, scouting the way) broadcast over the radio, "Okay, please don't follow me. Go about thirty meters to my right and don't laugh as you go by."

As I passed I saw why- she was halfway over the crest of a dune, and directly in front of her was a small jungle of scrubby plants about as tall as her vehicle. She was committed and had no choice but to drive through it.

I got to the bottom of the dune and called out "Now we get to see Marina diving into a nice thick bush."

When she got to the bottom and got out of her car to check for damage she said something in her thick Scottish burr that I couldn't quite catch. (Probably for the best.) Then she giggled and commented, "A good thing me husband wasna here. Me diving into a bush would hae been more than he could stand."

I'm not sure she'll ever let me live that one down.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 17:40, 13 replies)

Women drivers eh?

( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 17:43, closed)

Actually, she's one of the best drivers I've ever seen when it comes to offroad stuff.
She has done a lot of rally driving in Oman and has taught me a lot about desert driving. But even she needs to be pulled out now and then when she finds something unexpected on the other side of a dune.

That said, I'll always treasure the sight of her Patrol bursting out with a load of branches on the grill like a special ed Christmas wreath.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 17:54, closed)

I bet when you were pulling her out you said,
"Women drivers eh?"
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:08, closed)

Regardless
of one's opinion of genuine misogyny, it'd be rude not to.
(eViLegion Chief Commissioner of the Scottish Lunacy Board, Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:39, closed)

Might have to, next time. She'd probably laugh like hell.

( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:46, closed)

And here we go
I don't know why you bother TRL. Shirley you understand that you're just setting yourself up for a tirade of abuse from the usual suspects.

We all saw what happened with S0ckpuppet.

Everyone decent has left this place to the scavengers.
(The Magic Number is neither magic nor a number, Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:03, closed)

Not quite sure where you think you fit in.

( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:10, closed)

Boredom, mainly.
These days I rarely take the time to write anymore. Making little vignettes on here keeps me thinking about how to be reasonably concise and how to construct a story. Not that I always do well with it, but what the hell.

As for the trolls... kinda hard to take them seriously, ya know? Ever seen "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"? Ben Affleck's reply when Jay asked "What the fuck's the internet?" kinda sums it up pretty nicely.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:50, closed)

Poor s0ckpuppet wiv da angles now :'(

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Tue 28 Jan 2014, 9:19, closed)

Haha, I get it, 'Jabal Hafeet'. lol

( 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Mon 27 Jan 2014, 18:16, closed)

Cool story
Cool story
( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Mon 27 Jan 2014, 21:56, closed)

I've been up Jebel Hafeet as well, we drove up there and saw a bunch of Arabs dancing with their swords
(Avnas dosh!, Wed 29 Jan 2014, 11:57, closed)