Negative Nap

The title means I didn't have a nap, not that it was negative.  It's a military expression, mostly used by the Navy.  For example, in the RAF it might be "shirtsleeve order" when people don't wear jumpers - in the Navy, it's "negative jackets".  The Navy don't get permission to grow beards, they get permission to discontinue shaving.  In the Army, you wear what you like - every regiment has a different order of dress.  So it was negative nap this afternoon.  I'm so tired.

Managed to eat some lasagne tonight - the last helping.  I don't think there's much on the TV tonight, so I shall channel hop until I go to bed and watch QI on Dave - a repeat, of course, but I find that quite comforting.  I might watch University Challenge, just to increase my demoralisation - I'm usually quite good at it, but not at the moment.

I found a photo of me in flying kit by a Lightning aircraft.  I was really lucky during my service - I had some fantastic flying experiences, despite being a ground bird.  While I was at Coningsby, I went up in both a Lightning and a Phantom.  They were both air defence aircraft, designed to intercept Warsaw Pact intruders.  In the Lightning we went out over the North Sea to pester oil rigs, and the pilot let me take the stick to fly back to the airfield.  Considering I'd written off any number of cars, this was quite brave of him.  When I went in the Phantom, the pilot asked me if I wanted to go low level or very fast.  I said I wanted to go very fast.  I was in the navigator's seat behind the pilot, and there was a speedometer facing me - -as we accelerated, there was a slight push, and we went through the sound barrier, reaching 1000mph.  Absolutely amazing.  I also flew in light aircraft - when there was a pilot changeover at another unit, I often wangled a trip there and back.  I guess I was one lucky person.  Now I just have a fast car, which I'm not allowed to drive at the moment.  Pity.