[Closed] how you doing thread...

Ahh I see. Cheers TJ.

The name seems to change the more north you go. Only recently found out Sheffield dwellers call it a pot.

Shit.

Shit.

🙁

A pot?

Have only ever called it a "cast".

This is no thread for schadenfreude. To be fair, I'd guessed it wouldn't be.

Shit.

What's up love?

For me, I seem to be coming to the end of a really shitty 6 months. Only a couple more months before everything will be hunky-dory again. 😀 Got to be positive...

I tell u wot. You don't know shit and deprerssing and a real black hole 'till you are in one. get a grip and carry on. To those in one- *hugs*

The downs:

- still struggling with the end of a 16 yr relationship (was hoping that after 10 months I would have WTFU and dealt with it, but emotions don't seem to want to listen to reason..)
- currently back in my 'old home' (now where my ex lives) looking after the dog while he's on holiday
- house sale falling though so still need to try and sell it in order to move on
- an unbelievably heavy workload

The ups:
- biking, hiking, and generally playing outdoors more
- family and friends all rallying round - seeing more of them than I have for years
- meeting new people and making new friends (hi kev - sorry I've not been in touch recently - had taken up temporary residence in the black hole)
- despite the best efforts of the condems I still have my job, and although it's pretty stressful I do think it has some value to society

Things that make me smile:
- snow wave sculptures on the beach
- watching the sun set over Anglesey from the top of the mountains
- following a low flying buzzard along the lane
- friends' bad jokes and good company

Things I have learnt:
- people are more important than anything else
- to enjoy the good moments
- make the effort to create my own good times, opportunities and adventures
- believe that the future will be positive - don't know what it will bring but I will make the most of it 🙂

Sue. It takes as long as it takes i'm afraid, bear with it(with claws).

Stick with enjoying all that the outdoors has to offer in all the ways you can possibly enjoy it out there and keep your friends near.

That's all i need and it certainly helps me a lot so can see it working for a lot o people like us.

good things at the moment are that life is pretty chilled since i became single (6mths ago) my kids are behaving, most of the time. nothing major to complain about.
i am really trying to focus on the positive things in my life, take it easy and not get stressed (can be hard though)!

bad bits at the moment are our february half term holiday to Tunisia has been cancelled 🙁

Sue - emotions have no concept of time! But you do have lots of positives in your list as you proceed through another chapter of life. Good luck. 🙂

Hi Sue hugsXX I know the black hole. 🙁 I'm up for a spin about, I am off work 'till wed :). life and winter can be a bit rubbish, hope u are ok 🙂 maybe just go for a pint and try not to get too bothered by it all? Like your style. I have jelly babies!

Sharki and C-G : you're right, thanks 🙂

Kev - cheers! I'm still at my old house in the mountains at the moment (getting batteringfrom the wind tonight!) - will give you a shout when I return to the balmy coastal shores.

it's a crazy night down here as well sue. you take care. just wait for some nice weather and it'll all be good. you're buying the capuchinos right?

Wow. Wild weather tonight and just seen next doors wheelie bin flying down the road just missing my car 😯

Otherwise pretty good. Finally appear to be getting rid of a chesty cough thing, start new job role tomorrow, daughter fine (1 month before she goes to Londinium for the forseeable), no partner at the moment (excellent), sad because dogs have been returned to the ex tonight for 4 days but otherwise feeling very chipper 🙂

Edit: nearly forgot - Phil's boarding vid cheered me up but at the same time made me realise what I've missed the last couple of years.

If karma exists i'm due a shit load
Thanks for asking

I'm alright. Getting pretty sick of having nothing to do though, not much freelance work coming in at the minute. Keep applying for jobs and hearing nothing back which is disheartening. I've only ridden my mtb about 2-3 times this year as well, can't really afford the petrol 🙁

reading back, I am constantly impressed by Sharki's honesty. but Prince is saying Go Crazy.

Good thanks, for the majority.

New business turned over 80% more than projected in 1st year.
Beautiful daughter.
Beautiful wife.
Beautiful (but a little bit of a bugger) dog.
Not wanting for anything (hmm, bigger house mebbe).
Have good health for the majority (touches wood).

Not so good - biking has taken a major hit over the last year to the point of being almost non-existant (this, after building up a carbon S-Works Enduro) and the lads annual trip this year is to the Pyrenees, which with no biking fitness is out of the window for me.

Me.. well 2010 pretty shit year for me (the other years have been pretty close too) Lost my Dad in March (he was 63) to a horrible untreatable cancer. Had to watch him over 2 and half years deteriorate to a frail old man. This man taught me a lot about life without actually realising it (only regret was not actually telling him this but i think he knew). Not once did he ever complain.

I've really thrown myself into training since December as i want to enter some road races. My experience last year has given me loads of mental strength. Job is okay but a bit boring a times.

I said 2011 is going to be a lot better for me this year

Still have ideas of taking 3 months off and going travelling

Sharki's adventures has certainly made me think.

Plus side is i've met a lot of people from here over the years who have been amazing

If karma exists i'm due a shit load
Thanks for asking

If I had some good karma I'd donate it. I think I may have already been given some.

_tom_ i hope you're working on various little video/music projects to keep busy? might create something stupendous to boost up that show-reel 🙂 (still in awe of the mobilephone in it btw)

Cheers Kevev's, if i've open and honest about things i can't hide from then so easily.

Diane. Youthfulness is were all your karma gets used up..All that being lovely to others means you get to stay fitter than most people in their 20's.

I put a hairline crack in my shoulder in November falling off on the Kinder Circuit.
I then spent all of December ill then it moved onto my chest. Ontop of that I had to visit A&E again with hora junior (twice).

I've lost over a stone- not by choice or eating less. Just the stress of it.

Then my Dad died living his entire estate to someone else.

Then I fell off my bike landing on my knee - still recovering.

I also live in a house that is basically a building site.

My mum is ill but always smiling.

Life throws you a curve-ball, its how you deal with it. You can always think 'its out to get you'. Its not.

One thing I have done though is minimise alcohol consumption. THat coupled with the above would equal depression.

You make your own luck. If you think life is bleak then you need to re-evaluate and change things.

Things are not too great at the moment.
Work = nightmare, looking at 30% redundancies at the moment.
House is a total disaster, I should never have thought that I could renovate a house on my own. The past year has shown me that I cant.
Having spent the afternoon in A&E I have realised that sometimes it sucks being single - would have been nice to have some hugs!
On the plus side, I have a job, and I have some good friends, and its getting closer to spring every day. More sunshine, long bike rides in the evenings, bring it on...

Oh and I just looked out of my front window to see a bit more of the wall has fallen down in the wind. 😥

Having spent the afternoon in A&E I have realised that sometimes it sucks being single - would have been nice to have some hugs!

Just think of all the money you are going to save not buying Valentines day rubbish 😀

...but as a singleton myself I do find myself spooning random strangers from time to time.

*stops spooning jamie*

Hug anyone?

I'm slightly annoyed about the weather tomorrow!

I'm slightly annoyed about the weather tomorrow!

And Jamie, you have a very good point. Although obviously I will be (anonymously) buying myself a valentines day card. So that when people ask I can legitimately say that I received one...

Yeah I think I'm going to go next week instead now. Was going to do W2 + July Trail... on my tod in crazy winds... balls to it. I'm going to sit in eating lardy cake instead... la vida loca!

Thumb alright btw?

You were going to do both those in one day? Blimey. I nearly died doing W2 the other day...

Happy? Yes, very
Work? Very good, very lucky to be doing what I do
Partner? Stunning redhead 🙂
Life in general? Can't complain
Riding? More than ever with three lovely bikes to choose from

Having spent the afternoon in A&E

Not related to yesterday's which-red-wine? thread, I hope... 🙂

Just think of all the money you are going to save not buying Valentines day rubbish

This is what I say to myself each christmas and valentines day 😆

_tom_ i hope you're working on various little video/music projects to keep busy? might create something stupendous to boost up that show-reel (still in awe of the mobilephone in it btw)

ta 🙂 That was actually the first 3D thing I ever made when I was learning 3dsmax. Not much other work going on as I find it hard to get started on a project if it has no purpose, and I don't ride with anyone so nobody to film doing that! I was going to experiment with some super-slow motion stuff I've read about but I was hoping for dusty weather so I can do a typical slow motion of my bike tyre kicking up dust 😛

I will be doing a bit of unpaid motion graphics stuff for a friends website soon though 🙂 I have thought about doing a 3d animated short, just need to get back into the swing of using maya again! In fact I may install it this afternoon and get working on something.

I don't ride with anyone so nobody to film doing that!

You want to come to the next Peaks Pootle Tom. Drove up to the last one and was a good crack. Plenty of chances to see people riding very slowly at any rate 😉

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/peaks-pootle-feb-19th-white-peak

Not related to yesterday's which-red-wine? thread, I hope...

Nope - x-rays on my hand which I hurt last week at Forest of Dean. Its been hurting all week and went a funny shade of green this morning, so work made me go to the hospital to get it checked. The red wine was to dull the pain!

Niced to be asked Phil, thanks.

Up to today was doing bloody marvellous, but today had a meeting with my boss, I thought it was to review & close my rather protracted return to work programme that has been ongoing since October. Instead it became a bit of a kick Jonathan session, nicely, I'll hasten to add, and TBH many of the concerns raised are genuine and I personally need to sharpen up and address them.

But still feeling a bit shitty about it. Never mind, weekend off, and we'll start next week afresh. Next review 3 weeks, I'll stay off the unemplyment line so long as nothing else goes onto the list between now & then.

Family well, I'm anxiously waiting to see if MFL Jr has ****ed the little shoite who "nipplegrippled" him in school yesterday leaving a big bruise on his chest.

The red wine was to dull the pain!

Ouch - hope it eases up.

DEY DOOK ARE JAWBS!!

You want to come to the next Peaks Pootle Tom.

When is it? I've still never got round to riding in the Peaks.

I’m hugely lucky.

I’m well, thanks for enquiring. I no longer drink on school nights, and have replaced the glass of wine with an endlessly refulled tea mug. OK, this means that I pee like a horse, but it’s a damn sight better for me. Could do with being a stone lighter, and the reduced booze will probably help.

Kids are great. Our daughter’s 13 and so far is not a hideous bag of emo nerviness. She’s still talking to my wife and I, which is a big improvement on the relationship I had with my father at that age. Our son is 10 and a good laugh, though on the Xbox a bit too much for my liking.

Wife and I are fine. After our appalling 2007/8, things are solid, if a little frantic. Jobs mean we don’t do as many things together as we’d like, though we’ll be out to do Passportes again this year, and we’re off skiing in 2 weeks as well. Her job’s been looking rather doubtful for a year or so, but the company's in no worse a shape than it was 12 months ago, so her job's probably safe for at least the nest 12 months.

Best thing of all is that I now have two beautiful (well, to me at least) dogs. They're annoying at times, and I have to be up at 5am to walk them, but they've improved the family life in general by a huge amount.

Life's been good to me so far.

Next peaks pootle I think is the 19th? Will check with pook

Wow what a nice thread amongst al the bollox! Well since you ask:

Bad
Hate the stress of my job which has been horrendous over the last 12 months and failed a new job interview miserably today.
Very little cycling recently.
I really hate winter!

Good
Job stress is reducing massively as project moves to completion. Really love all the people I work with. Everyone is so caring and sweet.
My dog; Beautiful Grey Sky (to use her posh name) has now been with me 6 months and is doing great. Really settled well and is becoming legend. She couldn't run more than 200 yards without limping at first and now happily runs behind my bike for 8-10 miles.
Oh and I've just built a new singlespeed (thanks ir bandito).
And have booked a 4 week road trip in my campervan in the summer.
Think its going to be a great year!

Nice to be asked Philconsequence, thank you.

#1 son fine, goes mountain biking with his mates whenever he can YAY
#1 daughter doing fine at university YAY

Wife found to be having affair with 'friend' last november BOO 🙁 so I'm now single at 48 yrs old...

What am I going to do next? Who knows? Is there an STW approved dating site?

Jeez, about to pick up adult son from station and, guess what, he's pished. Told him to walk up and down platform, not to sit down and fall asleep. He's acting like a teenager again. 🙄

Oh and then he's claiming hunger and, boy, can this guy eat!

Waves to Andy. 😀

bassspine - you need to speak to my buddy TheSouthernYeti. He's the STW dating expert. 🙂

On a deep dark friday night, reading the positive posts here really do help guys.

I WILL post something positive in 6 months. Or I'll die trying!

Next peaks pootle I think is the 19th? Will check with pook

Nice one, I'll keep an eye out for it 🙂

When is it? I've still never got round to riding in the Peaks.

@ Tom.....there was a clue to time and date in my post....see if you can spot it 😉

You want to come to the next Peaks Pootle Tom. Drove up to the last one and was a good crack. Plenty of chances to see people riding very slowly at any rate

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/peaks-pootle-feb-19th-white-peak

oops 😆

Wave right back atcha c_g 😆 We need to catch up soon!

Lowey I used two of the Lakes routes on your Flickr site a couple of years ago and they were two of the best days riding I have ever done! Thankyou very much for that.

i'm glad this thread is still going 8)

Thanks for asking Phil.

Good: Got a £1k bonus from work last week - whoop! Not had a rise for two years so better than nowt.

Bad: You know that jippy back I was winging about before the [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/roll-call-for-the-stw-swinley-sexy-party-this-sunday#post-2065989 ]STW Swinley Sexy Party[/url]? Well it turns out I've herniated the disc at the bottom of my spine so I've got sciatica in my left arse muscles and leg. Typing this lying on my back on the lounge floor as sitting is ****in agony. Doc says 3-6 months before it's better. Got physio appointment on Wednesday so hope that helps. Its more annoying than anything.

Wife: She's alright. Signed herself up for another half marathon in the summer but is having some issues with her knee, IT band we think.

Band: We're in the studio in a couple of weeks for a long weekend to record four new tracks. Should be fun.

Positive vibes and hugs to everyone who's having a hard time.