Interlude – Text Art: Radiotelephony

atoz [2014] - BANNER - 910

To continue the A to Z theme, I will render the blog title in various alphabets over the four Sundays in April

International Radiotelephone Spelling Alphabet

Romeo
Oscar
Delta
November
Echo
Yankee
Sierra

Sierra
Alfa
Golf
Alfa

Courtesy of the International Civil Aviation Organization website. I had always thought of this as the NATO phonetic alphabet. According to Wiki, it is neither:

“Spelling alphabets are unassociated with such phonetic transcription systems as the International Phonetic Alphabet; instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet so assigned code words acrophonically to the letters of the English alphabet that critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood despite language barriers or transmission static.

“A common name for this spelling alphabet, “NATO phonetic alphabet,” exists because it appears in Allied Tactical Publication ATP-1, Volume II: Allied Maritime Signal and Maneuvering Book used by all allied navies of NATO, which adopted a modified form of the International Code of Signals. Because the latter allows messages to be spelled via flags or Morse code, it naturally named the code words used to spell out messages by voice its “phonetic alphabet”.

Wiki: NATO phonetic alphabet

Other Spelling Alphabets
scphillips.com: Phonetic Alphabets
NATO, British (historic & current), NY Police, French, German, Italian, & Spanish

osric.com:Phonetic Alphabet Tables
NATO, Western Union

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts

Quietude

Q

Or Qompeting against the Qids

The barn is at a show this weekend. I am much less stressed than the last time. [Show Pix]

Due to the byzantine nature of the points system [The Point Is], this show would garner the lowest, non-zero number of points, regardless of how well I did. If I can’t go to them all, this is a good one to skip. (Of course, I WANT to go to them all. Time, money, and common sense have prevailed.)

Plus, I have taken an unreasonable dislike to this show. In a flat class, an arena is an arena. Given a minimum standard of facilities, there is no logical reason to prefer one show over another. Yet I do. Perhaps it’s the atmosphere. Perhaps it’s the route to the show. It requires travel on an Interstate to which I have also taken an unreasonable dislike: long, boring, isolated, yawn.

Plus, plus, there is only one set of Walk/Trot/Canter classes for all ages. I’ve said previously that I don’t mind competing against kids [Show Report Chattanooga]. Turns out, that holds true for Championship classes when all the divisions are lumped together. I get squicky when I think about taking regular-class ribbons from munchkins. I’ll do it [Show Report: ProAm], and fight like demon to win, but part of me doesn’t like it [Programming]. Also, the feeling has increased now that I am cantering. More on this once I figure out why.

Of course, I am making the condescending assumption that the ribbons mean more to the munchkin than to me. For all I know she – usually it’s she – is a jaded show veteran who has been showing in Academy since she was 5, is moving to suit at the next show, and is just as happy to let the old lady have a few moments of glory before they prying the reins from her arthritic paws.

Still, given the choice, I’ll pick shows that have Adult-only WTC.

Photo by Courtney Huguley
Photo by Courtney Huguley

Names

N

I will not remember your name.

I will vaguely remember your face, in an I-really-ought-know-this-person sense. If were in politics or sales, I would live or die by my Farley File. This is not unusual. Many people have trouble with names.

hello badge

However. I will remember the name of your pet. First time you tell me and forever after, particularly if said pet is a horse or a cat.

In high school, I made a new friend at the barn. I could not for the life of me retain her name, even though it was the same name as my father’s live-in girlfriend (No issues here!). Instead, I called her by her horse’s stable name. Normally, this would not bother a horse person. Unfortunately, her horse was a stoutly-built Quarter Horse. For the first few months, I called her “Tubs”.

Inspired by Whatever: A Series of Tweets Regarding My Own Personal Sexism, in which the author talks about his tendency to remember attractive women more so than others. Nope. Not I. Male. Female. Attractive. Unattractive. I am an equal-opportunity forgetter.

(Base image from the online catalogue of Staples, my favorite of the office supply stores. Yes, I have a favorite office supply store. Pens, paper, boxes, mmmmmm.) (Later, the store I like is Office Depot. Know where it is; forgot which one it was. KTW)

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts

Motivation

M

My paternal family has a history of adult-onset diabetes.
I really should not drink as much soda as I do.

At my last blood test, my sugar numbers where a trifle high.
I really should not drink as much soda as I do.

I’ve been having insomnia recently.
I really should not drink as much soda as I do.

Only my lack of trendy jeans keeps me from sporting a muffin top.
I really should not drink as much soda as I do.

The scale at the Y has topped 161 pounds.
I really should not drink as much soda as I do.

I can’t fasten the waistband of my show jodhpurs.
WHAT?!? Little red can, you are dead to me.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
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Gratuitous Dog Picture

Dash Dog of Destruction
Dash
Dog of Destruction

Lessons

L

One nice part of a lesson program is riding different horses.

At boarding barns, there was always a horse or two to ride in addition to my own. When we moved the horses into the backyard, I lost access to those casual rides. I love having the horses at home, but the variety is undeniably less.

Stepping Stone has a range of horses. On one hand, young Trump needs to be both soothed and bolstered. On the other hand, Sam is older and knows it all. Just ask him.

Of course, if one gets too big for one’s jodhpurs, one gets put up on a performance horse to demonstrate how much one still has to learn.

That’s why the plan (HA!) is to continue with saddle seat lessons even when I am happily galloping (double HA!) about on my hunter/jumper/event horse (I say unto you HA!).

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”
goodreads: Woody Allen

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts
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Gratuitous Cat Picture

Ghost Jan 2 2014 wm