@dyna-ti, thanks for that, it is one of those songs that lifts my mood 🙂
@northshoreniall, a tip of the hat in your direction, restores my faith in human nature 🙂
@northshoreniall an exceptional upgrade on my plan for conquering STW with love and positivity. Good luck! Keep us posted, a positive experience a day can be possible.
We don't think it that special and feel most of us would do similar in same situation, but it's great give our son a sibling and keep wee one in the family - win win. Been a long road and can't wait start writing our epic complaint to social service 😁
Had a lie in today, couldn't really sleep last night, worried that the procrastination and negativity might take hold.
But then I took a significant positive step and decided to go out on my Gravel bike and gave my mate a call, and thankfully he was up for it too.
Given I'm still recovering from serious knee problems, any unassisted riding (MTB is eBike only for the forseeable) can be quite difficult, but my knee felt like it is getting a lot better. Chose a very flat route, and the small climbs I was still straight down to bottom gear, but 25 miles mostly off road in the sun (an added bonus!) with my mate, a stop for a pint at a pub on the way home, some exercise and the feeling that my knee is really starting to improve has given me a pretty decent lift! 😁👍🏻
Got second place album of the year (2021) on a community radio rock show, announced last night. Previous record was also placed second (2018). It's the taking part that matters, which I'd had no idea we had done.
#almostwinning
Helped neighbour on my road who I’d never met before unloading a heavy chest of drawers from her car and just planted my seed potatoes.
Not a euphemism?
Met friends we haven’t seen for 2.5 years - had a blast round Hamsterley, ate more calories than I burnt and had a good natter whilst watching their kids play in the sun. Definitely a positive day.
about to start the transition week for adoption an 18mth old relative. It has been a shockingly terrible experience with social services driving us to near pulling out several times, but finally we are here and it’s happening, think I class that as a positive.
MrsMC has been at the pointy end of child protection for 25 years but is now in the adoption team. She's an amazing woman but you are bloody amazing for battling through the system to make it happen for a child.
Spent the whole weekend on an RYA course to teach windsurfing, something I've wanted to do for years. Could forget about world events for a few hours and focus on something else.
I made a rather nice coffee this morning……without breaking the bank 🥳🥳
Well I got a verbal confirmation on Friday afternoon of getting a new job in a field I've been wanting to get into for years. Spent the weekend pottering about in the sunshine and feeling the first warmth of the sun of the year. Had a really good catch up with my dad over a bottle of Wine on Saturday night and should my formal offer come through this week, I'll get to hand my notice in to my current employer which will be a significant weight off my shoulders!
Spent the weekend in London went to see the Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum. It's quite conservatively curated, and they let too many folk in at a time, but still an impressive exhibition. And then for something completely different went to see the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Heyward. Which was also excellent, mesmerising and thought provoking.
Spent the entire weekend in a news free zone, which was a blessed relief
For the first time in what feels like an eternity me and a mate went out for a 'couple of pints' on Friday, after work and ended up 'out, out!'
Dad-dancing at 1 in the morning, waking up with UDI's (unidentified drinking injuries) and everything 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jP_brwVyvc
Had a few friends round for dinner on Saturday night for a gathering that had originally been planned over 2 years ago
I also had a complete news blackout all weekend as I'd got to the point where I was finding it all a bit overwhelming
On my bike cycling to work this am i caught glimpse of my daughter in the Ex's car heading to school...gave a manic wave, THINK she saw me..
But seeing her and thinking of her (the daughter, not the ex!) makes me beam!
Kids were with their mum this weekend, and I won't see them till wednesday, so every contact counts!
DrP
Went on a 10mile walk around the Chilterns with Mrs db Saturday morning then demolished a couple of steaks in the evening as we were home alone 😜
Friday I had a "self care day".
Booked day of work.
Ran 8 miles over my favourite trails in the morning sun.
Train into Birmingham.
Breakfast of a bacon naan and an espresso martini.
Strolled around a few shops.
Got my Barnet cut at a posher barbers than normal and felt a bit pampered.
Art gallery where I saw a lovely exhibition by Britta Marakatt-Labba.
Took a few pictures.
Lovely lunch at a restaurant I haven't been to for ages.
Picked up for lovely cakes and bread from the bakery.
Home via the pub for a couple of pints.
Immense day.
I told my wife if a young fit attractive woman showed interest in me i would definitely be too weak to resist, but i would fess up after the fact.
I was commended for my honesty, has put a little spring in my step, here's hoping.
We spent the weekend in the Lakes and had glorious weather! No bikes but we did a couple of really nice walks, stayed in a great B&B and had a few beers. It was such a nice break away from work/Ukraine/Covid/stuff etc.
My wife even bought a new HT on the way home 😎
Went to see my 93 year old Dad today and worked through the list of jobs I’d been putting off doing. Completed them, and he found me some more!
Went skiing today for the first time in 103 weeks. Had a glorious bluebird day at Glenshee on really good snow.
I'm now very broken, but very happy 😁
Went to pay £20 for a fundraiser for some local Scouts going to the next World Scout Jamboree in Korea, but made a slight error in PayPal and sent it to a random but similar WSJ fundraiser.
Got a message back to say I'd sent it to the wrong place and they would refund me - asked them to keep it anyway. The last WSJ was life changing for my lad and if my error helps them raise the £4k they need, I'm happy.
I had a dream about the various members of the last STW quiz performing an impromptu gig in the open space by my house, playing improvised instruments like plastic tubs and other banging things. While being led by Cougar playing the concertina. It was the most positive thing I've seen from the forum for a while!
Also, I got a few powder turns in yesterday while skiing, and I have decided to start applying for a less toxic job.
MCTD - if you PM a link to me for the WSJ fundraiser you intended to support I'll make a donation.
All for a good cause.
Went for a walk after work with a new friend. Lady who is similar age to me, without kids, but with a van and lots of bikes 🙂
The big lights are off the commuting bike! It's light by 06:30 and still light at 18:30 (on a clear day) which means I can commute in DAYLIGHT! Sooo much nicer after 4 months of commuting in the dark. I am admittedly setting off an hour later in the morning to take advantage of this, but still!
In a similar vein, last night I stuck my lights on the race MTB, and did my vo2max intervals on the nearest hill in the dark. So good to get away from the turbo, and I felt exhilarated by the cold clear air and after I returned, a real boost. I slept for 7 straight hours too, the first time for a few weeks.
Went walking with my new rescue dog Geoff. He's exceptional happy!
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#bemoregeoff
Went to see some puppies last night, put deposit on a beautiful little 4wk old collie lab cross to be picked up in April. Awesome little dude and can't wait
It was sunny when I went to work this morning and after coming back from great Enduro weeek in Spain I’ve signed up to some of the Welsh Enduro Series, forgot how much I love downhilling after you know what. Old and slow races again!
The big lights are off the commuting bike! It’s light by 06:30 and still light at 18:30 (on a clear day) which means I can commute in DAYLIGHT!
Always a huge psychological boost when I was commuting.
@frankconway will pm you the details later.
We’ve just taken our one week old, first grandchild out in the pushchair for a walk in the sunshine. Aaah!
i have booked an actually biking holiday to the Alps, with friends, for the first time in 7 years!
Last week of June and off to Chatel - and the numbers of particiapnts are increasing - it will also be my birthday when out there... woop woop..
McVities have righted their wrong; 12 Jaffa Cakes in a pack again
We’ve just taken our one week old, first grandchild out in the pushchair for a walk in the sunshine. Aaah!
McVities have righted their wrong; 12 Jaffa Cakes in a pack again
Don't make me choose!
You see, I don’t like Jaffa cakes, however, as that’s quite negative I’ll say each to their own and you enjoy them, all 12!
I've managed to bring in a couple of doozy projects at work, and in doing so halve our predicted end of year deficit at work... 😎
The husband of the lady who commissioned me for a £1,000 painting turned up to collect it and was absolutely delighted. Babbling on his phone to his wife how lovely the painting was and how wrong he was to ever doubt her judgement when she first asked me to do it.
This was after he had driven all the way down from Leicestershire to collect it.
Not surprised he was happy, that picture looks great
I got an unexpected annual bonus - I can buy some pickled onion monster munch now
😎
I've got the week off. Spent Monday and Tuesday on chores, went for a ride today in the sunshine. Lots of bulbs out and had a large deer cross in front of me.
Up at me Dad’s this morning with my sister waiting for a telephone call from a consultant. Knock on the door and the lady from across the road with a stew and three pieces of cake, she’s well into her eighties and not very well. Wonderfull!
While out riding today a skylark took off close by and started singing. Kept going upwards until it was just a dot in the very blue sky, still singing loudly. Vaughan Williams would have been proud. Then a passing woodpigeon took a detour to fly straight at the skylark, causing it to stop singing. Quick recovery and it cracked on with its song. Uplifting it was. 😁
Now the big picture is out of the way I have managed to compete another one. I didn't like the fact the horizon was exactly half way up the painting so added some foreground which corrected the proportions of the composition. Much happier with it now.
Was sent out for a ride by MrsMC and saw a barn owl
Finally had the news we've been waiting for, our new house is legally binding to complete on Friday. And on the 5pm women only tour de watopia ride I managed a 3rd outta 200 after an accidentally unheard of two days off in a row.
Go go GC!
I lost a free lesson today to supervise a Yr11 class who I've not worked with for a couple of years. We worked on 'Skeletons' and it was a blast.
Had an encounter with a dog walker yesterday while i was out re routing a trail and clearing fallen trees.
Really thought it was going to go the way these things often do.
Instead he thanked me for clearing the trees on the fireroad and said he thought it was great that folks were now riding in the woods.
The trails there are less than a year old so still fairly undiscovered for how close they are to a huge riding area.
After seeing our government’s approach to helping people fleeing from war I am very down. However, supposed to be a positive thread.
I worked in the garden in the sunshine, my neighbour’s, daughter’s dog had made a hole in the hedge and my terriers had a face to face meeting after months of barking at an unseen presence. A quick “hello” and it was ball time, I could relax. The dog (a black Labrador) then spent a good white whining at me as I worked. A quick tickle every now and then on her nose through the fence sent her into raptures. Simple pleasures- the best sort?
*edit, while, not white!