AIBU to ask you to tell me things that you learned way too late in life *lighthearted*.

[Tinkofhousepan]

I started talking with a friend who emigrated to the states a few years ago for work. He lives in New York. We were discussing me going over for a holiday as I've never 'done' NYC. Started discussing the time difference between there and here 5 hours which surprised me as when I went to California the difference was larger 8 hours I think.

This lead to me being informed that the two states are on totally opposite ends of the country.

This is my thing I learned late, ive gone 26 years assuming florida and California were next to each other, And i have learned today that Florida is on the same side as NYC. AND IS AS FAR SOUTH AS TEXAS??? I also learnt that Washington is the most northern state on the side of California, where as Washington DC is just below Maryland and right next to Virginia, which is not at all in the middle part of America where I assumed it to be . I didn't learn USA geography at school, but surely I should have picked this up before now, especially considering I have been to both California and Florida!

Anyone else never realised this? Or is it just Me!

Stumped to think of anything light-hearted but I'd say listen to your inner voice, that gut feeling or instinct. There are times to ask advice but sometimes you must be your own counsel - the trick is to tell the difference.

I checked the petrol gauge thing in DW car - was disappointed to find no little arrow!

Couldn't really point to many US states, and didn't realise Alaska didn't join till over 30.

I knew Durham was a place in England but thought County Durham was in Ireland.

I think I'm acceptably intelligent; having the odd lapse of reality is what makes this thread lighthearted and funny!

I thought a bowling club was a club for ten pin bowling. I didn't realise there was another type of bowling and they played outside.

My car (not exactly new) has an arrow on the fuel gauge.

Ilearned on here that car fuel gauges have a little arrow pointing to the fuel cap side. At my age, it's good to have a reminder.

Myth unfortunately.

I wonder where the myth came from?
The main measurement that people associate with the Great Wall of China is that it's almost 22 000 km long. They see that as a huge number, therefore it must be visible from space. They forget that it's only a few metres wide and looks like a river from space. In 1754, William Stukeley wrote, "This mighty wall of four score miles [130 km] in length is only exceeded by the Chinese Wall, which makes a considerable figure upon the terrestrial globe, and may be discerned at the Moon."
Even from low earth orbit it's almost invisible. You would need to have eyesight several times better than normal and perfect weather conditions to see it from low earth orbit.

1754?! Well I never.

So the assumption that it would be visible from the moon came well before our capacity to check

The petrol gauge thing is like the numbers on toaster (them being minutes). It comes on everytime on these threads. Neither is a universal truth (Or my toast would take AGES).

I'm 26 and was just thinking about this today. Things I've learnt so far:

1- Take care of myself first. I was a huge people pleaser. It was always about other people and being the best I could for them and doing things they wanted to because I couldn't say no.
2-don't settle for flaky friends. don't make others a priority for people who see you as an option.

3.from Maya Angelou: "when someone shows you who they are believe them the first time.". No second or 4th chances

1. love is not enough if he does not respect you. real men don't play abusive mind games or ghost you.

4- Save, save and save- I'm trying to save for my first flat/house deposit and the amount of money I've spent in the past on make up and clothes makes me cringe. I haven't bought any new clothes since october. 5- do small things that make you feel good- scented candles and soft blankets.

1. I have severe depression- it's okay that the dishes haven't been washed yet or if the clean washing hasn't been folded away and are still up 3 days later.
2. read more.

Nothing to add, just bookmarking! Love this thread!

Wolverines are real.

The petrol gauge thing has been true on every car I've ever driven (10?).

The toast thing, I don't reckon it's always minutes but I do think it's related to time. So if yours goes 1-10 it won't be 10 minutes, but maybe every number adds half a minute or something? Mine definitely takes longer on a higher setting but I have never timed it to see if it's in whole minutes (it goes 1-5).

Boule thankyou! My friend gave me the wrong info on marrowfat peas. We shall be having words!

@thUnderdog I always thought the toast thing was how powerful you wanted to set the toaster, as in how intense you wanted the lights inside to be

The petrol thing is true, but not fitted on all cars. Also some cars do not have an arrow but a petrol pump symbol. The petrol pump symbol doesn't help.

That you can take a selfie by pressing the volume buttons on your phone -found that out recently and when I told DD aged 12 she was like duh!

You can change the volume (or mute) self-service checkouts.

change the volume on*

Didn't know that ZenaThor!

That babygrows and vests with foldy necks are designed to come down in a poonami! Only took 4 kids and mumsnet to learn that one

orangecake I wish I learnt what you have at your age.

I had to laugh about the USA states thing, as I lived in Washington State, the pacific north west for three years in the 70 era, people used to write to me from home here, and say, oh, must be nice having the president, and the white house down the road ! Nobody seemed to have looked at an atlas and maps etc.

The more you try to people-please, the more people hate you!!

Some penises don't have a 'side'. Centralised danglers. What does the tailor do then?
Some things are never known. Life is mysterious.