More luck, than brains……

[beGi]

I just had to share this with you. There’s a saying in Croatian that could be translated as More luck, than brains, and today I recognized myself in it….

Morning started with rain that dropped like there’s no tomorrow. Bad luck, I said to myself, and went outside to wait for a bus that takes to my campus on other side of town, where I’m conducting my research. It was a productive day; I managed to perform my experiment on 15 new subjects. Then, I saw it was 4 pm, and decided to take a break, and my mentor and I went to grab a beer and relax a bit.

I grabbed in my pocket to take key so I can lock laboratory, took it out, but then I realized that my apartment key is missing. OH NO, THIS CAN’T BE TRUE, I said out loud. Checked everywhere on campus where I was, no key. The worst case scenario went through my mind: I left it in my apartments lock. Suddenly, I was sweating like I ran a 100 miles, I could feel rush of blood in my head. My credit card, my money, my ThinkPad with all the work, my belongings that have more sentimental than real value, it could all be gone because more than 8 hours have already passed. I immediately, left all my work, and went on bus, straight home. Normally it takes about 40 min to get from campus to my apartment. But today bus ran into traffic jam (how surprising), it took about two hour to get home, I started to hope that I just dropped it somewhere, and lost it, everything would be good than I’ve left it in a lock, so anyone can see it (it has little Swiss army knife and shiny piece of metal, so it’s pretty noticeable). The real trouble is that neighborhood that I’m in is not “user-friendly”, all kind of people move around here, and my apartment is in house on first floor with doors looking directly at streets. Finally, I got off the bus, and rushed towards my apartment. My heart started pounding and all I had was hope.

Finally, I came to the house and saw a key hanging from outside, OH NO said again (real expression was jebem ti mater, but I won’t translate that). Took the key, doors was unlocked, image of empty apartment rushed through my head. I raided in with my fist prepared…….and found everything like I left it. I was (am) happy like a little child, and almost like when I survived car crash. Two things I said to myself: What’s the chance for this (not) to happen, and that I have more luck, than brains….. I locked myself and went for cold shower…..

I just had to get this out of myself. Now, I’m happy and drink cold beer and waiting for my girlfriend to get here, life is good again….. Maybe someone else has another example that fits in so I can comfort myself a bit

Maybe the real message is: If you’re not sure, double check it……

[ajkula66]

Vise srece nego pameti...right.....

You've done well...

Several years ago when we still lived in Brooklyn, we left to attend a Holy Communion of a friend's daughter (family's from Nerezine, believe it or not) and left the front door to our house wide open......since it was being performed on Long Island, we were gone for well over eight hours...

Nothing happened...it was one of the Brooklyn's last good neighbourhoods, most of the population being cops and firemen...

I was never big on beer, but you can have a glass of good Dalmatian red wine for me while you read this story... and no, I won't translate "JTM" to anyone who doesn't know the language(s)...

[beGi]

Vise srece nego pameti...right.....

Yes, that's the one.... Your mishap sound similar, I bet you've searched whole house, but who will harm you when you have Holy Communion, cops and firemen to guard your back

Regarding wine and beer, I ate cevape (remember that ) today and nothing goes better with them than cold beer.... Wine is mine first choice also, white though, but I'll do you a "favour" and drink glass for you tomorow...

[goofyGAguy]

(real expression was jebem ti mater, but I won’t translate that).

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

[beGi]

Well, if you know how to translate that, then you know (or should know) it's almost like folklore where I live, and I believe I'm old enough to say something like that in very tense situation... Second part of your thread is not nice, think a bit before you write something like that......

[Harryc]

Second part of your thread is not nice, think a bit before you write something like that......

It's a joke, and I'm sure goofyGAguy meant nothing by it. Local jokes are probably not a good idea on an international forum though because many will not understand it. A sly insult in the US takes on a whole new meaning elsewhere.

[goofyGAguy]

Second part of your thread is not nice, think a bit before you write something like that......

WTF?

Did you not see the ?

[ajkula66]

Harryc wrote:

Local jokes are probably not a good idea on an international forum though because many will not understand it. A sly insult in the US takes on a whole new meaning elsewhere.

Agreed, and I take my share of responsibility here...but let me chime in real quick, so we hopefully all get to understand each other slightly better:

a) What beGi wrote, although not translatable into English (trust me, I've been trying to explain what this should be taken as for 25 years now, and no native English speaker can really relate to it) has a reference to "mother" in it. Now, when you read what goofyGAguy wrote in his initial response, you might take it out of contest or as an offense if you are familiar with the language that OP was using.

b) Mostly anywhere in Europe the type of comment that goofyGAguy wrote would get one a smack across the head. However, having lived in this culture for almost a decade now, as well as being familiar with his posts, I'm absolutely positive that he meant no harm, let alone an insult to a fellow forum member. It just so happened that the different expressions and cultural backgrounds collided in this thread.

Now, who's next with a comparable story?

[skitty4gzus]

crazy story for sure. I got a good one for you as well. It was 2 winters ago during the Christmas season. I had just got my Christmas bonus cashed and i had the envelope in the pocket of my fleece pullover. I went into Meijer and did my shopping paid for my goods and left. I got home and emptied pockets and what not and kind of looked around with a kind of "OH NO" feeling. I searched my car and to no avail, I flew back to Meijer to where I parked. Laying in the snow and wet parking lot was my bank envelope tucked nicely behind the tire of this ladies car. All almost $200 dollars still in the envelope!!!!! You say luck, I say thank God.

[beGi]

Local jokes are probably not a good idea on an international forum though because many will not understand it. A sly insult in the US takes on a whole new meaning elsewhere.

Yes, I concluded the same after some time, it wasn't a good idea.....

goofyGAguy, maybe you didn't understand (or translated right) my "joke", I certainly didn't understand yours, inspite of ..... Hope that no harm was done ....

.....I say thank God.

I've said thanks also, just as you did.....

[k2jsv]

A good friend of mine has a saying....

"I would rather be lucky than good any day of the week."

That being said... I like living in the "sticks" as city people call it. If I forget to lock my house, I don't worry about it. And if I get robbed, so be it, anything of true value is locked in a safe drilled into the foundation of the house.

But God help the poor sap that tries to burglarize my house if I come home while they are still inside. I generally carry a Glock 27 with a spare mag just for good measure.

[goofyGAguy]

goofyGAguy, maybe you didn't understand (or translated right) my "joke"

I was just going by what a few online translation sites said, and it wasn't pleasant. No harm done.

[beGi]

I was just going by what a few online translation sites said....

Croatian language is very complex, I don't know for any online translator that work acceptable (yet) for common words and phrases, relations and semantics are mixed up and not accurate...they are miles away....

I generally carry a Glock 27 with a spare mag just for good measure.

Don't get me wrong, that is your right to carry it (i guess), but do you know that if you carry a gun you increase chances to get hurt by one (phisically or any other way)....

[Harryc]

Guys, lets get back on track with this thread. Ok I have one. Back in the early 80's I was an IBM Field Technician. I went from customer site to site every day all day. Often we'd have to carry parts caddy's in huge brown or black cases, because in those days the architecture of replacement cards was large(SLT). Anyway, one day I get a page from my manager. It said, "go back to your last job and see the building manager, he has your parts caddy which you left in the parking lot". Mind you the thing was probably worth $100K in then dollars. Wow, I thought to myself, luck is on my side. Then I see the next part of the message, "oh by the way the bomb squad was there also and said to say hello" . No I did not get fired...

[skitty4gzus]

actually proven statistics show states and areas with concealed and carry went down in crime as opposed to states or areas without concealed and carry. that stat was true for ohio anyways because we didnt have CC now they do and that was one of the big pushes to get it. and what other ways could somebody hurt me with my gun if not physically?

[beGi]

And what other ways could somebody hurt me with my gun if not physically?

It's not just your about your gun, it's about the possibility that person that you point your gun to also has gun and probably will shoot when he/she have seen you... That's real danger when there are lots of guns on the streets.

Regarding (non)physical hurting; when you shoot someone and go to jail; living with that consequence; when someone you care gets shot; what if your kid finds your gun?

[Harryc]

Ok, I tried to get the thread back on topic, it didn't work Before we all go off on some gun tirade, it's locked.