Bowery Mural

Pokerface

Wednesday 3 March 2010

Well here's a thing.  I wonder if there will ever come a time when i can buy my own home.  I am in a quandary.  Places are so expensive or they are in the dog-bottom-never-go-near-it place that you couldn't really see yourself having a home there.  In my mind I've already decorated my living room and kitchen and I have a haven as my bedroom in this make-believe home of mine.  So now i am trying to save like I don't-know-what but that's in vain cos by the time I've saved enough for a decent deposit it'll be time for me to go into the retirement home (not really but you get the drift).  


Things are so expensive these days.  Everyday things not just new homes or new cars or new devices with that are prefixed with an 'i'.  My humble administrators job just doesn't allow me to buy all the things that I want and so here is another quandary.  I'm toying with the idea of making things and selling them but really that would bring in mere buttons and I did try eBaying stuff but no-one's really in the market for Friends' series 1-8 on VHS tape!  Now I know a lot of people may thing I buy all the time but what i buy is actually not worth that much.  I did buy 6 t-shirts during the pay month of February but 2 were £3.99 from H&M, 2 were $10 each from Threadless, 1 was £4.99 from Primark and 1 was £8.99 from River Island.  All in all not that much compared to someone spending £45 for a top from USC or somewhere like that.  By the way I'm not buying any more clothes - FACT.  Slap me if I do.


This leads nicely onto my lack of outings to the 'moutins' (as Ryan calls them).  You see there is much snow on them hills just now and I'm not totally equipped for it.  First I'd need an ice axe, then (depending on who you talk to) I'd need crampons of some sort and perhaps even new shoes/boots.  All other clothing I've pretty much got sorted but those axes, crampons, boots/shoes would cost a pretty penny and honestly I cannot totally justify it just now.  I mean I've now started paying for a bike that STILL HAS NOT BEEN DELIVERED YET!! (but I am assured it'll be only another 2 weeks).  So I decided a wee while ago that full-on winter walking would not be happening for me this year as it would cost too much.  I'll get sorted with the bike and stuff and then for next year I'll get the walking equipment sorted - for real.  Despite my great big childhood belief, I've found that money just doesn't grow on trees.  Anyway  I can always check here and here to see some great photos and read good stories about what is happening out there in the snowy mountains.




Here's another great big slice of honesty.  As well as being totally under-equipped for winter walking I'm also really scared to go for a serious walk up a hill because of these sore knees.  I've started to roll with the TP Therapy rollers again but I'm so impatient and want things to happen NOW.  Of course I know it will take time but it's so rubbish when you are scared to do anything because you are scared of the pain and the disappointment of the problem that's plagued me for about 2 years now still hasn't gone away or even eased up.  I've said this before but i think people think I'm making it up or exaggerating it but if you've ever had it then you'll know.  The spin bikes are the only form of exercise (and yoga) that I can do without it being painful.  I so want to run cos I know I'd be good at it - seriously I would!  Back in another post I spoke about deciding whether or not to join the gym at The Peak and I've decided i am going to do that.  It makes sense since the monthly membership is virtually the same cost as I'm paying to go to the spin bikes classes.  And this way I can go to any other exercise class I want to.  So I'm gonna do that on my day off on Monday.


Which brings me onto another thing... it's my birthday on Saturday.  I'll be ever closer to nearly being half way to 40 but thank god i'm not! (33! and how did that happen!!)  I never really mark my birthday with a grand party or such things so if you see me around just wish me happy birthday.  And leave my present at the front door ha ha.


In all that anxiety and worryness above there are a few things that are almost certain to bring a smile to my face.  Ryan.  He's just pure dead brilliant.  And is totally nagging me about when we're going up the moutins.  He comes to us for his dinner on Saturdays and last Saturday he shouted up the stairs, here's how the conversation went...
"Angie, come here... Angie... Come here" he shouts up the stairs
"What?"  i go to the top of the stairs
"you take me up the moutins?"
"not today, it's too cold"
"aye today" he says
"no, it's too cold and getting dark soon and we're going to have dinner"
"no, we're going to get dinner.  Granda says you take me up moutins".
"Aye but not today, next week, when the snow goes away"
"no next week, we go sleep on moutins"
"No, no, no, it's far too cold for that"                           
He stands there for a few minutes with a sad face and resigns himself to the fact we are not going up the moutins at 5pm on a Saturday evening!  I end up having to bribe him with a trip to the shop in the car and we come home and have our dinner.


I'll say this again too.  I like the Twitter community.  Where else could you immediately find out about things that are happening around the world and around your own town in one home page?  (maybe there is somewhere else that you can) but I like Twitter.  I'm not shying away from saying that.  I've been having late nights recently what with watching Winter Olympics and all that and work has been very busy and kinda stressy too and through it all there's been a few peeps on the Twitter machine that have brought a smile to my face.  And I thank you all.  It's also a great way to communicate with all manner of people you probably otherwise would never have heard of or be connected with.  Plus it's a bonus when they answer you back I mean how else would I have @edithbowman telling me she might be Banksy (she's not i don't think but that's not the point i'm trying to make here).  Anyway Twitter is great and it's always fun reminiscing with @markofrespect about the 80's and 90's.  This one is for you...


Now the Winter Olympics.  I really got into the Curling and watched virtually all of the Team GB women's and mens matches (except the early ones that might have been on at 4am GMT).  I totally get the Curling now and it also helped that the GB mens skip, Dave Murdoch was very easy on the eye!  Skiing is another sport i've always watched on a Sunday afternoon for years so knew all the major players that were taking part but nothing pleased me more that seeing Bode Miller mature into an Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medallist.  Totally deserved in my opinion.  Skier cross became kind of a cult sport and we were sat around the tv oohing and ahing at the mens and women's competitions.  Legs and arms and ski poles flying all over the place.  Plus Ed Leigh's enthusiastic commentary was funny.  Talking of which the two programmes Ed Leigh and  Graham bell did that was repeated on Saturday were just stunning.  Arctic Man and British Columbia.  The latter was an especially good programme about people who live in the wilderness in British Columbia.  The places were stunning and i'll admit at times there might have been some wetness around my eye areas.  Perhaps i should just give everything up here and move to the simple life.  It would be less stressy.


This is me, last day of trekking back to Lukla, run down cold sore on the side of my lip, nose end red raw with wiping and ribs sore under that Marie Curie tshirt.  Everest's dark profile high n the background.


We were talking in the office today (me, Linda and Brigitte), and Brigitte was saying that it's almost a year since I was getting ready to go away to Nepal.  It is too!  2nd April was D-Day last year.  I have very fond memories of that year of discovery and the journey i had.  And I'm missing the always having something else to think about and the planning and the listing of various articles and clothing and the countdown and even the teary eyed goodbyes to people before i went away.  I'm missing it a lot.  I don't know what to do next.  I'd really like to do something else but unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to raise funds for charity, I couldn't ask you all to sponsor me again... could I?  There are a couple of little things I have ideas of flying around my head but no details will be released just yet.  




Sewing, embroidery and cross-stitching.  I had to go and buy myself a thimble though, my finger tips were sore!  I'm finding my feet with the embroidery just now but i'm a whizz with the cross-stitching and am talking requests!  Here's one I made earlier (Bobinson!)...




I'm excited for my new bike being delivered.  I cannot wait to get onto it and finally have my maiden voyage with the wind rushing through my hair and making my eyes water its that cold.


Ryan is really coming into his own and his personality is developing ini a great way.  I think it's due to the nursery he goes to.  We made some chocolate Rice Krispie cakes last week and he was so excited and told me about him making shortbread at nursery when it was 'Robert Burns Day', not Rabbie Burns.  He loved that day a nursery, singing songs and poems and baking.  Brilliant!  And... i cannot express how great he is with his baby brother.  There's no jealousy nor is there any hitting or any of that stuff and he is a credit to us.


Music.  Loads of different people I listen to.  But just now I love Florence and the Machine - Dog Days full blast on the radio driving to work.  Just a brilliant song.  And there's the usual Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Foo Fighters, Paolo Nutini, Muse, Jay-Z plus more.  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TwqE2X55Wg  (sorry couldn't figure out how to add the video in!)





Spin Bikes.  Monday night classes by Angela and Thursday night classes by Jamie, Andy & Malky.  They are very tough but when I'm done I really feel like I've done something for the good of my health.  Plus the bike computer says 22.3km done and 475 calories burned! and that's great cos my aim is to be on a one way ticket to size-10-ville and I ain't going back baby!!


Well this has been a marathon post.  It wasn't as moany-faced as I'd predicted in an earlier post.  And there are topics and stuff that i'd like to write about but it's best that i don't mention them in text on the internet.  Let's just say this past wee while has been a busy and a times really stressful so much so that i'm starting to get this ugly rash type thing on my right wrist that I get when I'm running at full pelt.  Any tips for not worrying, being less stressy and general well-being would be gratefully accepted.  But i'll get there.  Head down, keep going, it's the only way sometimes.


Thanks for reading people and for those who visit (from USA, Australia, Holland and all over the UK - stats say so!) and don't comment, go on leave me a comment, you know you want to (give me something to read).


Ange xx  


PS apologies on a second reading I've noticed I say things and stuff a lot.  But that's just me and i'm not changing it.


PPS i'll be starting a new project soon.  It's been done over and over again but not by me so I'm doing it.  It'll be called Year 33 and begins on Saturday 6th March...

5 comments:

  1. Hey Angie,

    that was a really interesting and enjoyable post. I'm always impressed with the honesty of your posts - it's not something I ever really do with my blog.

    As to the subject of winter hillwalking, I wouldn't get too caught up with it. You can have some perfectly great days on the smaller hills which don't require anything more than a sturdy pair of boots (you might want to have a look at a set of microspikes for getting along icy paths, but no more than this would be required).

    If you do want to do bigger things than maybe see if you can borrow some equipment, or check out ebay for some reasonably priced second-hand kit? I would have thought that an axe and crampons could be obtained this way, though I would recommend heading to a 'proper' shop for winter boot fitting.

    I've been doing much more winter hillwalking this season and it has been great but it may just be an anomaly in the weather and perhaps next winter will be back to the more miserable type!

    Anyway, thanks for sharing. Your numerous projects and hobbies, and your enthusiastic updates about them, always motivate me to check I'm still filling up life with plenty of things!

    Have fun with the bike when it eventually arrives, enjoy the gym, and here's hoping that spring and a decent thaw are just around the corner :)

    P.S. It also sounds like you've got a natural Wild Camper for company there!

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  2. Hey Angie,

    I just read your post along with a cup of tea. I think I will have a biscuit with the next one too as I really enjoyed reading it!
    As for the money worries, I can relate to that too. There just seems to be so much to pay for! I am very lucky and have alot of things that other people don't but its hard with all the bills coming in :)
    Keep working at it though (although maybe not the Friends VHS!)

    Laura (Fennel Design)

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  3. Aye get oot there and enjoy it !
    Take the wee man out to Dumyat with his welly boots on and play in the snow !
    Like Nick says borrow gear ! PTC is loaded with it (he he !)
    Keep up the good work and gees a shout when you finally get the bike !

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  4. Hey guys.
    Thanks for the comments. I know that people read here regularly (stats!) but its much better when there are a few comments.
    Nick - glad you like the posts. Sometimes perhaps i'm a bit too honest though?!
    Yeah i could get stuff off eBay but I prefer to buy my own things. I'll see what happens but i'm thinking it'll be next year right enough. What with the bike equipment i'll need and that...
    My numerous hobbies - well I do little bits and bobs here and there, i'm currently loving making things for people.
    And yes Ryan asked me again tonight if we were going up the mountains but then it was still too snowy so he's learning.

    Laura - hey! welcome!
    yeah money eh, makes the world go round (even if it's in very unequal shares). I'll just keep trying to save my pennies but i ain't denying myself simple pleasures. Dinner & cinema night with friend next week, so looking forward to it. So you're not in the market for Friends on VHS tape then? :)

    Ange

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  5. ah Bobinson, missed you there.
    Aye we're going out on Sunday but not his wellies, his wee feeties will be freezing. He's got wee boots. I'll test him and see how fit he is but i suspect he'll be fine as he does A LOT of running about. My only concern is i'll need to get a leash on him in case he races away! And I couldn't ask for any kit, I'm not that forward :o)

    Ah the bike, for a while there I thought i'd dreamt i ordered a bike! But not long now, I'm hoping to get a phone call during next week and don't worry, when it is finally in my hands i will be shouting from the rooftops :)

    Now tell me, is life good in your mid 30's? hee hee - sorry! but as the day approaches I'm getting delirious.

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