Post by: gunug on March 18, 2008, 01:53:43 PM
QUOTE
But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled the balloon from his hand and he watched the ring -- and quite possibly the affections of his girlfriend -- sailing away over the rooftops.
"I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.
"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.
"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."
Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.
-- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/od_nm/...XbD5oE72mMDW7oF
"I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.
"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.
"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."
Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.
-- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/od_nm/...XbD5oE72mMDW7oF
I don't know for sure what a "plonker" is but the context is clear!
Post by: kimmer on March 18, 2008, 02:02:58 PM
QUOTE
"But I had to tell her the story -- she went absolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to me until I get her a new ring."
Dare I say she's not worth it? Maybe his idea wasn't the smartest, but his heart was in the right place; and a ring isn't a lifetime, it doesn't have feelings, it CAN be replaced and the whole story should have given them something special to laugh about over the years.
QUOTE
"It would be amazing if someone found it," he added.
It would be more amazing if they actually returned it to him. Not that I'm cynical. 
Post by: Gregg on March 18, 2008, 08:32:00 PM
QUOTE(kimmer @ Mar 18 2008, 02:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Maybe his idea wasn't the smartest,
Or maybe just plain stupid! My jaw literally dropped when I first read "tied to helium balloons". Bad idea!!!
Post by: gunug on March 19, 2008, 03:56:45 AM
I've often appreciated the patience of my wife when I pull a rant or a no-brainer!
Post by: sandyman on March 19, 2008, 08:26:06 AM
QUOTE(gunug @ Mar 18 2008, 06:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Maybe some marriages weren't meant to be. There is this 28 year old "floor fitter" (flooring installer?) in London who presumably saved up and bought a great engagement ring for the equivalent of $12,000 and then decided the cute thing would be to tie it onto some helium balloons to give it to her:
I don't know for sure what a "plonker" is but the context is clear!
QUOTE
But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled the balloon from his hand and he watched the ring -- and quite possibly the affections of his girlfriend -- sailing away over the rooftops.
"I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.
"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.
"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."
Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.
-- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/od_nm/...XbD5oE72mMDW7oF
"I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.
"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.
"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."
Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.
-- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/od_nm/...XbD5oE72mMDW7oF
I don't know for sure what a "plonker" is but the context is clear!
Plonker originally had a sexual meaning/connotation.
Nowadays it is taken to mean a fool or an idiot. It was popularised by the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses and in this case it definitely has this meaning. I wonder if Hajji is the Urdu or Hindi equivalent of Rodney?
Sandy
Post by: Highmac on March 19, 2008, 11:22:08 AM
Post by: sandyman on March 19, 2008, 01:18:54 PM
QUOTE(Highmac @ Mar 19 2008, 04:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Not that I'm a cynic either.... but as soon as I see a reference to The Sun, I find it more difficult to take the story seriously
Neil
Don't get me started
I always thought that "The Sun Newspaper" was an oxymoron
Sandy
Post by: Xairbusdriver on March 19, 2008, 04:39:51 PM
Not quite as expensive and a more successful ending:
Maybe early High School years, I'm watching my Dad and a friend prepare to launch a free-flight model aircraft. Note: Before the days of reliable radio control, modelers often competed in tests of 'length of airborne time.' Everyone used a fairly large (4 to 5 foot wingspan) non-realistic model with a particular size engine that had a timer that would pinch the fuel line at a prescribed time. Obviously, the higher one could climb and the better the glide ratio, the longer one could remain airborne. Large, open spaces were also helpful!
Well, back to my Dad's friend and his scratch-built aircraft. He wasn't competing with anyone, he was simply testing and tweaking. After about 30 seconds, it was apparent that the timer had either failed to start, failed to work or someone failed to trigger it before launching the plane skyward.
Let's just say that there was enough fuel in the tank to take the plane high enough that we could no longer even hear it running! The guy had basically launched a low altitude 'weather' ship, at least a wind indicating one.
While My Dad and his friend packed up, I took off in my '51 Ford chase car. I'd drive about a half mile in the last direction I had seen the plane floating and try to find it again. Drive, stop, search. Drive stop, search. Drive, stop, search. This trip started on the southeast side of town and I was now miles from the northwest corner and becoming concerned that I would not rendevous with the aircraft which was getting lower and lower and thus harder to see from the tree-lined country roads.
I had now switched the routine to drive, search, avoid the ditch, drive, search, avoid the car, etc. 
But I finally made the last turn and stopped with the plane only 50 feet above me and drifting to the west toward some trees about 100' off the road. I would never be able to drive to the other side of those trees, assuming I could even find a road going in that direction, and spot the plane before it 'landed.' So, I just got out and waited and watched what would happen.
Fortunately, being late Winter, there were no leaves to block ones view. However, these being 'wild' trees, they were very densely packed with limbs. This made it impossible to actually see the plane from the road but I felt sure it was in those trees.
Unbelievably, without cell phones or radios, my Dad and the 'pilot' managed to find me just about the time the Sun started to sink below the treetops. We all ran across the field, hoping there were no bulls around, and into the underbrush below the trees. We searched until our necks were sore from looking skyward for so long but we never could find that plane!
As we slowly walked back to the cars. I turned and looked back and said, "I'm sure that it glided down right there! And sure enough, there it was! It was severely damaged by the tree climbing but the engine, tank and timer were still usable. And never again did anyone forget to trip the timer on these free-flights!
