STW POSITIVITY THREAD!!

Coffee in bed listening to a Four Tet mix after a glorious sleep. Cycling into town shortly with my other half to go skating and have a laugh with friends. Coffee and falafel afterwards and a cycle home. Sundays are great.

-4, blue skies and bright sunshine rising. 😎

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.

Sunday roast plus beer. Invoicing. Home to put out the recycling, shower, make coffee, play guitar and then fall asleep watching a movie* before work tomorrow.

*3 Days of the Condor. Not seen it for 30 years probably…

Sat reading this thread after an utterly shit weekend and trying to think of a positive. Looked up and the sky above the carpark I’m sulking in is full of mummerating/mummering/dancing birds! It’s awesome – I’ve never been so close to one before!

Brilliant, that’s what I’m trying to inspire in these difficult times. I think if it’s starlings it’s a murmeration but if other birds something else. However, stunning and uplifting. Keep looking up @ spud-face

My positive thoughts for the day. Me and my mate, three dogs, walking to the Bentley Brook Brewery in Matlock through a new housing estate. A mole had followed the exact line of the path, 100 metres popping up every 1.5 with it’s mounds. Don’t know why this amused me but it was a bit of a **** you!

Took my mate on a 50 mile ride to Cafe Velo Verde, first time he’s been. Was a (calorie) positive day for both of us!

Took my boy for a practise on his bike at the bike park, then had Thai food and went for a walk (cleared some of the fallen trees from the recent storms so night riding this week will be clearer)

I sold my alloy wheels, which is good because they an unusual fit for a fairly uncommon car. Not the best price but not too bad.

I am sat 300 miles from home with my wife and 2 3/4yr old, 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.

@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 😀

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.

Winning at life there @lunge 😀

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!

#bemoregeoff

Its National Pie Week so I’ll be christening my new book that Mrs Binners got me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I’ve just been perusing it while sat in the sunshine with a coffee 😀

Hmmmmmmm…. decisions, decisions