Monday 7 June 2010

Ship's Spanker

Good weekend again and I hope you all had the same, pity the weather ran out on Sunday, did anyone else get that thunderstorm and torrential downpour in other UK parts? It was like being in the tropics, it flattened loads of my summer plants and splattered white ash all over the lawn from the previous night's barbecue which I hadn't cleared away (P won't use gas, he insists on lump wood the 'real' thing as he puts it, flavours the food better but a bit messy). The storm came about 5am, it woke me and I heard our son get up, it was to look out the window at the sheer power of it, P didn't get up or give any indication he was even awake although he said later he certainly had been.

P gave me a hand clearing up some of the mess in the garden, we were chatting, he said I'd been neglectful not emptying the barbecue ash, I told him 'Oh yeah, why didn't you clear it away then, you were the one who cooked on it', he just laughed and said 'Exactly, I do the creative stuff but all good chefs need a commis to clear away after them' .....and then he added.... 'and it's not at all unusual for a temperamental but, ahem, talented chef to spank a commis who falls short of the mark.' Well that was a double-edged invitation if ever I'd heard one, I mean so if I help out but botch a few meals or make a mess I get spanked sounds okay at first but then of course I have to eat the meals and clear up so I don't want to botch them too much. I'll work on that.

I didn't get spanked as it happens so I was wondering what to post this morning. The Sunday papers didn't help, at least not the ones we have but I did find this little cartoon which I liked.


Actually it's slightly relevant to our weekend as P's mom told us about her sister in law going on an ocean cruise later this year for her 80th birthday, never fancied it myself and nor has P, but the thought of a ship's spanker got my attention. I googled it and it's apparently a term used for the fifth mast on an old sailing rig type vessel.

Ronnie
xx

8 comments:

Florida Dom said...

Ronnie: So that's what a ship's spanker is.

But it got me thinking, they have cruises for all sorts of groups so why not a cruise for spankos.

They could even have a spanking room and that at night when they play games, the woman with the reddest bottom gets a prize. Oh, such possibilities.

And I guess the weather in early June across the pond can be like that. Remember, D-Day was originally scheduled for June 5 but was postponed a day because of the weather.

And it's been said that Americans during the war in Britain were called ovderpaid, ovdersexed and over here. LOL. And the women who sleptt with them were called Americianized as in the Julie Andrews movie, "the Americanization of Emily.''


FD

Hermione said...

Yes, I've heard that term, but never knew exactly which bit of the ship it was. Loved the poem!

Hugs,
Hermione

Katia said...

I never knew what that was either. Hmmm, a cruise for spankers. We just started hurricane season in Florida, so I am sure we will be getting some nasty weather here as well. Have a great week.

Katia

Our Bottoms Burn said...

Lashed to the mast, her tresses wind blown, the ship's spanker flogged her bare nates while the crew witnessed punishment.

Today's entry in worst prose.

Sara said...

Nice poem Ronnie. Grant insists on cooking with wood too...primal urges?

Anonymous said...

I loved the downpour- it had seemed the sky was getting heavy waiting for it and when it broke it make everything fresh again.
A very pretty cartoon.

ronnie said...

FD - What fun a cruise like that would be. They have spanking parties so why not have one on a cruise but one on of the old ships where they have the brigs, oh the possibilities.
June is a funny month for weather in the UK, pouring here right now and apparently will be all week. Yes your right, they did say that about the American servicemen. I didn't know some of the girls were called Americianized though.

Hermione - Thank you. We learn something new everyday, not heard it before.

Katia - Thanks. I didn't realise Florida had a hurricane season. Enjoy your week.

OBB - I like that, very good, thank you.

Sara - Thanks. P said he's happy to hear someone else knows how to BBQ properly :)

Poppy - Thanks. I nearly went outside, I do love thunderstorms.

Thanks all, appreciate your comments. Have a good week.

Anonymous said...

funny...fifth ship's mast is the spanker... wonder why it got the name.
Red