#TOTW Positivity thread – 3 things that were good about 2021!

@mrwhyte

Great pic.

3)…lemme get back to you

Aha, this’ll do:

Yesterday I finally managed to do 100 boulder problems in a session at the local Depot

I’m trying to think of highlights. The general political and pandemic malaise aside, it has been a fairly average year. So I’ll go with:

1. Daughter’s first school holidays. Taking time off to just hang out with my girl in hot sunny weather – just like summer holidays should be.

2. Outdoor swimming. Always liked a dip outdoors – got to it a bit more this year and its great for the soul.

3. Work. Yes, work. Not for work as such, but I’ve made myself a bit of a gameshow host personality at times of online Covid socials. Has been fun and good to come out of my shell in front of hundreds of colleagues.

After losing our 18 year old Springer Spaniel in 2019, and being stymied in our search of dog rescue establishments by the arrival of COVID, we were lucky enough to be tipped off about a soon-to-be-retired working Cocker Spaniel, in December 2020.

After quite a bit of head scratching about how to relocate him from the shooting estate, in Scotland, to his new home in Sussex, a mid-way meet was organised, and he finally arrived in April 2021.

He’s adapted very well, considering that he lived in outside kennels before, and now has a nice sofa to snooze on, and 2 different local woods to run loose in.

He has even turned out to be a decent trail dog for a bimbling MTBer fast approaching 60

Happy days!

For some reason, Flickr only allows bbcode links to be generated via the website, when you force your phone’s browser into ‘desktop’ mode.
Even the Flickr app seems to be devoid of bbcode abilities.

Anyway, this link should work…

Jay the cocker by belugabob[/url], on Flickr

Some great stuff from lots of you, really good to read lots of upbeat things for a change.

Those of you who are struggling to think of anything: doesn’t have to be big things. Can be something simple and mundane. The idea is to stimulate happy thoughts so that it encourages more. For example I saw a little kid at the FOD grinning like mad as he was covered in mud from riding, that brought a smile to may face and others around me.

Oh and TOTW! That’s a surprise but in a good way.

1.Spending a weekend riding in wales with my best mate instead of a week in morzine.

2. Spending 3 weeks with my family in the Uk doing things locally that we would not normally do when lying on a sunny beach.

3. Winning a 8th consecutive constructors championship.

RB fans, don’t bother because I don’t bite x

1. DNF on the mountain trail race I did in Switzerland, but still managed over 260km of running/walking in the Alps, non-stop.

2. My sister changed jobs and I’m now looking after her dog for a couple of years.

3. Lots of biking and running and swimming and general exercise, which is great as I turned 50 this year.

Despite my best efforts I failed to die.

Played a lot of guitar.

Found my niche working in the COVID business helping folk. Felt useful for the first time in years.

1. I finally got my motorbike licence and bought a bike

2. Err

3. Erm

2021 was generally shit for me, but I survived so could certainly have been worse.

1, got a new opportunity at work which really suits me well,

2, won the Magura brakes in the Megasack comp, the bike I’m bringing back from the dead will be very grateful for these.

3, had a Turkish breakfast the other day, which was delicious.

1. Had more time to ride during the lockdown in February.

2. Got engaged.

3. Started running.

1. Watched my brother buy a flat with his bf, and finally seem happy and contented in himself after years of mental health issues;
2. After a huge amount of work and frustrations, @p20 qualified as an advanced driving instructor the week before Christmas – super proud;
3. Despite starting 2021 with awful long covid, I finished the year with 1000+ miles on my bikes including my wonderful new Niner gravel bike and Stanton Sherpa which I have really enjoyed riding.

1) Our wildlife garden has been reaping rewards after 14 years, as a hedgehog started visiting regularly.

2) I’m only just managing to still mtb as an old lady. (need to get some confidence back as I have had a few weeks off and ride the tandem more now).

3) Through making scrubs in a voluntary local group, the organiser started giving me paid work (I’m a professional curtain maker and she’s an interior designer), serendipity. The extra money is useful as our house needs a lot doing to it.