Things that ur happy about

[grumpyhack]

Got my festival caravan today. Managed to tow it up my 1 in 4 hill and park it outside the house.

Now playing house and loading it with plates, cutlery etc

Already cooking on electric and gas and starting to stock the fridge with goodies to take to Wychwood on Friday.

I'm as excited as a two year old again.

[feral chile]

Got my festival caravan today. Managed to tow it up my 1 in 4 hill and park it outside the house.

Now playing house and loading it with plates, cutlery etc

Already cooking on electric and gas and starting to stock the fridge with goodies to take to Wychwood on Friday.

I'm as excited as a two year old again.

Nice one!

[Ed209]

Just done a 5 day road trip from Dallas to Vegas followed by 4 nights in Vegas with 16 awesome mates. Seen and done some incredible things. Totally tore it up - trip of a lifetime

I'm a broken man though

[Purple Monkey]

Moving to the countryside!

[grumpyhack]

Moving to the countryside!

Having lived in the country for more than 30 years - though only a 20 minute drive from Cardiff city centre - I can't imagine living in a town or city again. For me happiness is related to the distance you can see, so if you can stand on the top of a hill and see for miles you feel great. I hope you enjoy the country life.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Sligo is a GREAT town to go out in. Longford and Skerries not so much.

Glendalough (pronounced Glen-da-lock) in Wicklow is beautiful if you go down there. Would highly recommend that.

Managed to get to Galway via a short stop in Longford. Then went back to Skerries after the weekend. Should have gone to Dublin instead as Skerries was very quiet. Went to Dublin yesterday afternoon and sank a few while waiting for the evening flight home. Apart from Skerries being too quiet it was a great trip. I hadn't been over for a year or so, so it was good to see the place again.

I'll look up Sligo next time I'm over.

Edited June 7, 2012 by Yoghurt on a Stick

[The Nal]

I'll look up Sligo next time I'm over.

Sorry, I meant Galway was a great town. Sligo is alright

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Sorry, I meant Galway was a great town. Sligo is alright

Galway is a fab place. I've been there a few times now but think I enjoyed it more last weekend than any other time. Three of us walked into a hotel early on Saturday evening to find that we were the only blokes in there (apart from bar staff). We asked what on earth was going on and it appeared that there were 4 different hen do's in there and easily about 150 women there in total. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

[feral chile]

Having lived in the country for more than 30 years - though only a 20 minute drive from Cardiff city centre - I can't imagine living in a town or city again. For me happiness is related to the distance you can see, so if you can stand on the top of a hill and see for miles you feel great. I hope you enjoy the country life.

That's one thing I miss about moving from the Valleys. A lot of my dreams still have valley landscape in them - you could walk along one part of the valley, and running alongside but separated by the dip between, there'd be another village. There's something about that connectedness yet separate that really gets into my subconscious.

My husband's from Cardiff, and he seems to like rooting about in muddy woods, because that's what he used to explore as a child. I feel claustrophobic in them. But walks along the Valley hills give me such an amazing feeling of expansion and freedom - I think I'm going to have to drag him up there for a nice long walk, haven't been back for years.

Edited June 7, 2012 by feral chile

[grumpyhack]

Try taking him to Cwmcarn Forest Drive near Risca. http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/cwmcarnforest/

A lovely day out with some good picnic spots.

I'm a happy bunny because at 10.30 tomorrow all being well I'll be setting off with my caravan to my first fest of the season at Wychwood, where I may even meet Neil.

[eFestivals]

at Wychwood, where I may even meet Neil.

hope so, be good to meet you.

And despite the impression you might have from here, I don't bite.

I'll try and spot the windsock - if you're able to get it up in this wind that is. I'm not sure about flags, this will be the first time I'll be trying to fly one.

I'm guessing I'll be there from around 1pm, dependent on the girlies' getting-ready time.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I heard today that a very dear friend had a great wedding. For many reasons he and his new wife didn't invite friends so I couldn't be there personally. Instead they are having a wedding bash for friends later next month. If you knew them you'd understand why the two had to be seperated ie keep the family and friends well away from each other! lol

Anyway, I'm very happy that the wedding and family wedding celebration went well.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

About an hour ago I managed to talk my doctor into prescribing me some valium. They are so yummy!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I've finally got a show down with senior management this week on a pay re-grade. Looking forward to the battle immenselly. Really quite excited as I like this kind of confrontation - it stires the juices and keeps you on your toes. Have already been planning and realise the worst that can happen is I get a pay rise anyway. It's the degree of bastardry I'm going to invoke which I don't know about yet. Still, it's all fun.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Well tonight I'm on some valium, red wine and fags. Lovely combo that can't help put one in a good mood.

[Ed209]

and so begins the ramblings of a man on a downward spiral into a valium binge. Should be entertaining

[kaosmark2]

Completed my planned period of abstinence successfully (in fact ran longer than intended), and came off the wagon the proper way, with several days at a festival.

Passed my driving test just before going, as a fun extra reason to get on it, bastard thing took about a year to get.

Chilling out with a couple of beers with having tomorrow off.

Since finishing today, I've managed to get a few of my creative writing projects going again.

Got myself some good deals on 2nd hand kitesurfing equipment, and am off camping with some friends next week to get out on the water with it.

All in all, these last few days have been grand.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

and so begins the ramblings of a man on a downward spiral into a valium binge. Should be entertaining

Does a valium binge make you ramble? Unfortunately they are only low strength ones (so I've had to take a few!). Just felling mellow really. That said, I come out with a load of shite at the best of times so you're going to find it hard to differentiate I'd say.

[grumpyhack]

The caravan worked out well for its first outing at Wychwood.

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/gallery/image/3686-bild0068/

And my Isle of Wight wristband has arrived.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

The caravan worked out well for its first outing at Wychwood.

http://www.efestival.../3686-bild0068/

And my Isle of Wight wristband has arrived.

Caravan and awning looking good. Did you get to meet up with Neil in the end?

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Got a significant pay rise today which has been backdated to last year. The hard negotiations took place while I was off my rocker on something. lol

[feral chile]

I'm feeling very proud of myself this morning, because I've dealt with not one, but two spiders myself. First I found one in my laundry basket when I was hanging out the washing, and I ignored it until the basket was empty, and then tipped it out onto the grass. Then I found a fair sized one in my bathroom, and took it out with a glass and a piece of card. I even had a mishap when it escaped and fell on the stairs, but I caught it again and released it in the garden. This will seem a tiny achievement for non-arachnophobes, but for me this was a big deal.

I was shaking for about 5 minutes afterwards, mind. But confronting my phobia's been incredibly empowering.

[grumpyhack]

Caravan and awning looking good. Did you get to meet up with Neil in the end?

Yep, enjoyed a few beers with him and his missus. It turned out that Wychwood was where they first met so he'll always have a soft spot for that fest.

It was a delightful festival and one that will probably become a regular fixture for me too.

Also now starting to get into the caravan thing. I've discovered a socket inside that connects to the 12 volt feed from the leisure battery to which you can attach an inverter to turn it into a 240 volt feed. So it gives me a socket into which I can then plug my mobile phone charger, or a CD player, run fairy lights up the flagpole etc.

Think I may start a new thread on caravan porn.

Edited June 15, 2012 by grumpyhack

[grumpyhack]

I'm feeling very proud of myself this morning, because I've dealt with not one, but two spiders myself. First I found one in my laundry basket when I was hanging out the washing, and I ignored it until the basket was empty, and then tipped it out onto the grass. Then I found a fair sized one in my bathroom, and took it out with a glass and a piece of card. I even had a mishap when it escaped and fell on the stairs, but I caught it again and released it in the garden. This will seem a tiny achievement for non-arachnophobes, but for me this was a big deal.

I was shaking for about 5 minutes afterwards, mind. But confronting my phobia's been incredibly empowering.

My next door neighbour's sister house sat for us when we went on one holiday and it turned out that she had a huge spider phobia and came across four or five spiders around the house. We'd never noticed any before but maybe for those people with a phobia they are more noticeable. She told us afterwards that placing conkers around the house gives off an odour that discourages spiders.

I don't know if it's an old wives tale but we got in a plentiful collection of conkers before her next stay and she didn't spot a spider. Maybe worth trying.

I also remember many years ago my younger daughter Lizzie (then about eight) screamed when she found a daddy longlegs in the bath. "Oh that's OK, he's my pet Boris," I explained as I gently lifted him out of the window.

Ever since then spiders have been known as Boris in our house and Lizzie now thinks of them as fun.

Edited June 15, 2012 by grumpyhack

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I'm feeling very proud of myself this morning, because I've dealt with not one, but two spiders myself. First I found one in my laundry basket when I was hanging out the washing, and I ignored it until the basket was empty, and then tipped it out onto the grass. Then I found a fair sized one in my bathroom, and took it out with a glass and a piece of card. I even had a mishap when it escaped and fell on the stairs, but I caught it again and released it in the garden. This will seem a tiny achievement for non-arachnophobes, but for me this was a big deal.

I was shaking for about 5 minutes afterwards, mind. But confronting my phobia's been incredibly empowering.

lol. You have just reminded me of a story. When I was at nursing school at an old style mental hospital most of the students lived on site. The women lived in halls and the blokes had house shares. I was 18, a virgin, and incredibly shy. I had gone out a couple of times with a 3rd year student and one night we went for a drink at the hospital club and then I have her a peck on the cheek as a night night. I went home and about am hour later got a phonecall. It was the lass calling from her halls saying there was a spider in her room and could I come and remote it. I ran up to the halls, stepped over the spider, to see this lady scantily dressed on the bed. Anyway I grabbed the spider, threw it you of the window and them said my goodbyes. On the walk back to my house I realised that she would have had to step over the spider to get to the phone so she was not that scared. When I got in I told the story to a housemate and got a slap across the face. I was too embaressed to in back. :-(