Return to the Clocktower...

It all goes quiet of a sudden... the Captains and the Kings depart, as it were. Well, let me put the barkeep back in the closet, damp the fire, put away the crystal and the cigars... I presume that the gents at the billiards table and at the chessboard will keep an eye on things? Ah, good.

Last look around for stray dodos and llamas - ah, Panshin - time to go back to the llamasery. Yes, you can leave through the window, but don't forget to... duck, yes.

Well, until we need this place again, turning down the lights and saying goodnight.



Chas.

Yes, and good evening again!

Well, I hope everyone can find their way back again. It has been a while, but it seems like the trusty old lifeboat is needed yet again. Wind up the barkeep, set out the glasses, pour meself three fingers of something amber and rather peaty, set up the fire in the fireplace (where ever this club is located, it certainly does keep just a touch of chill in the air) and wait to see who stumbles in from the cold.


Cheers!

Chas.

Ha! No sooner was the fire lit than BG was on line and humming again. Figures!

*jabs at still smoldering ash in fire grate, adds more coal*


So..... anyone up for a drink? Looks like the bar well stocked!

MMmmm.... yesss.

Irish Coffee, I think, or "speedball" as it is known in the vernacular. I need something to keep me awaszigdm ib';bb

One strong Irish coming up....with or without sugar?

Hmmm...think I'll have a nice cup of strong tea, with more than a hint of wiskey in it...

Thanks, old bean.

How's things in your corner of the world? I am rather chuffed - and it's a little embarrassing, as it is one of those 'material goods' things, when I don't like to be thought of as that much of a materialist. But I finally got the "Touring Gear" package I should have received with my automobile. It is the fitted luggage set - and if you've seen how small the boot is on that thing, you will know that the luggage needs to be fitted.

But the set really is nice, with styling cues from the trademark bonnet grooves on the car, and the SRT-6 badge on each piece. The rolling Pullman bag even has wheels that match those on the car - brilliant! I have had the car for six years now, and finally I get the package... amazing.


Cheers!


Chas.

Things are slow in this part of the globe. Mostly trying to spark a little life into an old IBM Netfinity server, need it to test some stuff. This old iron is fighting me all the way, but I'm gaining ground. Half a TB of drive space isn't much these days, but this old lump was only desgned to cope with 96Gb... Didn't have enough hot-swap drive caddies, so drives are currently wedged in with foam rubber strips.  

Once I've tested all the spare SCSI drives, They are to be sold on ebay and the cash used to buy a couple of 1Tb hard disks and donate them to the local maker space. Server class hard disks are still fetching good money, even for the small 73Gb ones!

Time for another drink...

A cage, then a lift, drops miraculously from the ceiling, stopping in the corner of the common room. MW opens the gate, steps out, closes the gate, twirls a curiously-wrought brass dial on the outside of the cage, and the entire affair slides back up into the ceiling, leaving no trace of itself behind*

Milk stout, please. Just give me a smooth variety, if you will.

Don't know how long we'll be staying, better fire up the furnaces for the kettle and the coffee pot. Could be a long one, just can't say.

While that's warming up, I think I will toddle down to the workshop, see if I can't bang something together to make the day productive.


Chas.

Mind the third step down, Cap'n, it's a little loose.

Barkeep! Another milk stout! And somebody find that Dodo and get him to play the piano, we meed some music in here!

La Contessa's Infernal Machine has picked up a nasty virus somewhere - when downloading anything, go slowly, go carefully, and un-click any and all "extras" offered. If I knew where the headquarters of mysearchdial dot com were, I would be there kneecapping everybody from the CEO down to the janitors until they fixed it. Shooting them in the patellas. With a small-caliber handgun, so I could take my time and do it right.

So I am a leetle distracted right now.



Chas.

*Unlocks the door, forcibly pushes it open and enters. Looks around and notices flickering shades of humanoid outlines, well...mostly humanoid   . Trips over a big pile of post thinks to self:- "deal with that later"

Turn the lights on and they flicker for a while, so I thump the switch and the place lights up (slightly more than a Z-Celebs' IQ). The place is mess then realises it has always been like this Cleans up, lights fire, pours self a healthy restorative cup of Tea and sits in a nice comfy wing-back chair sorting out the post*.

And these have only made 2 more moves

chops the remaining posts to fireplace size, sets a logpile in the fireplace and lights the fire.

Anyone seen the key for the clockwork barman?...

*helps self to a quality looking bottle of brandy from behind the bar*

I think there is a dodo roaming around here still. He's a temporal twin with another from a parallel universe - doesn't say much, but plays a mean game of darts! And I mean MEAN - he hospitalised several of the regulars for distracting him, and it takes quite some force to get a dart to penatrate the skull like that...

*wanders over to bookshelf*

Hmmm...  Now why is is it every pub I visit has a section of "farmasutra"??  Never been the same since the pubs became part of a big brand chain. *sigh*  As for the number of 'one-arm bandit' machines to be found in every pub, ready to take you money, it really is shocking. I just wish they wouldn't stand behind the front door and thump you on the head to steal your wallet, that's just not sporting!

*mutters to self*

*suddenly appears out of the shadows near the grandfather clock*
Opens a large bag, rummages around and...holds up a large key and a can of oil.
Winds up the clock and the barman.
Barman still does not move.
*rises can of oil*
Anyone here with a 9BA spanner to open the barman´s maintenance flap?

(Not my art, I'm afraid It's the kinda thing that I would draw, if I could though)

I got one somewhere about here *suit hand flips through attachments until it reaches a 13 and a half sided spanner* Let's just twiddle the fizgubbit, and give the ol' thingamummy here a smack.

*Barkeep slowly creaks to life*

Well, this was bound to happen.

Where did we leave the key to the storage room?  I left a trunk in there, winter wardrobe, you know.  Just got out of Atlantis by the skin of my teeth, and had to abandon luggage and all.  Again.  

Oh, and I'll have a Guinness.  Thanks.



Cheers!

Chas.

Key? what key?
*kicks the wainscoting about three inches from the left doorjamb, four inches from the floor. The store room door creaks open*

There you go.

Well, yes - I do like going through the motions, but thanks for getting it open for me.

Let's see, what did I leave in here? Ah, yes. Fall and winter wardrobe, along with some leftover bits and souvenirs from that Martian deployment... Did I ever tell you about the time when we were at the top of that dune under Mons Olympus, the Martians had us outnumbered hundreds to one, we were running out of oxygen and ammunition, and I decided to... Oh. I guess I have told that one a few times around here; sorry about that.

Right. I will be in the changing rooms back by the pool and the sauna room if needed.


Cheers!

Chas.

Ohh! I forgot we had a pool (just hope it hasn't turned up in the library again.)

I would be wary of the sauna though, I just came in through there and it's got a very large mind-eating labyrinthian plant growing out of the drain. I'm not sure it's been properly socialized to humanoids.

*takes a seat and sips at a seasonal gourd-flavored drink*

Good idea!
I´ll pop down into the engine room and fire up the boiler for the heating. The pool and sauna should be at operating temperature in no time.
(The heat will also take care of that plant).
Let´s see if my new telescopic shovel works as good as it did on the test run....

*disappears downstairs*

(Excuse my out of characterness) Looks like it was short but sweet chaps. We can leave the place open, as a precaution until (or if, I suppose) .co.uk is restored, but if you didn't know, BG is back, but at brassgoggles.org rather than .co.uk.

Starting to like this.
Can we move this thread over to BG?

Isn't there one over there?

Haven´t seen it yet.

*tries to clean goggles*