Sunday 26 September 2010

The Autumn Project

Never a one to shy away from a tough task, Wavey decided that the greenhouse in the big big garden needed to be moved from where it currently lives (under a giant tree and not getting any light) to a new very sunny location. This way we can actually use it rather than say, hmmm, we have a greenhouse. But it's battered and therefore useless. As per usual we've been super busy but we decided that it would be our Autumn Project. Actually we have several projects planned for Autumn and they're either outdoor (said greenhouse) or indoor (painting our bedroom and the kitchen, and possibly building some shelves in the study for our growing library). Today was the start. Below you'll see a pic of said battered greenhouse.



Our only plan for today was to remove all the glazing and pile it up into: keep, discard, and keep for roof. I hadn't realised that Wavey had thought this task was going to be, in his words, a total bugger. Me, I was all excited as I can't wait to be able to grow from seed and get some really yummy veg for next year. We set to and within no time at all we were down to the bare frame:

Success!

I have no idea how long it will take us to actually complete, but it's always good to have a challenge.

I hope you all had a lovely summer. Our's seemed to utterly fly by and it really wasn't all that. Work is rubbish for both of us and it's just beyond dreary reading about other people's work woes. And we had Wavey's sis stay with us for 6 weeks (6!) which was often trying times. But as we approach the new season and head into brrrr shivery Winter I'm hoping for better times for all. And a promise to try and blog more!

See you soon!



Tuesday 7 September 2010

Outdoor pursuits

Last week it was T's birthday and she decided that what she really really wanted to do was to go to the outdoor activity centre where her hubby works, invite all of us and let us 'play' around on all the stuff. I don't know what's wrong with a nice meal and a few drinks, but hey, when it's someone's birthday they get to decide. Them's the rules and they must be obeyed.

The very idea of this whole thing filled me with absolute horror. The centre where G (the hubby) works was one where all children who grew up round where I did had to go when they were 9 and 10. Some of those kids absolutely loved it. But not me. I had the worst time ever. I was one of those kids who never went anywhere without my teddy so he came to camp with me. And someone thought it would be really funny to steal him away from me. I was utterly traumatised. I remember lots of tears and even more lots of wishing desperately that I could just go home to my mam and dad. By breakfast the next day I'd just got over one trauma and I had to endure another. We were heading out on this big walk so we had to eat all our breakfast and weren't allowed to leave the table until we had. Including sloppy slurpy grilled tomato which nearly made me sick. So grand experience for me there then...

Driving there on Sunday all was well until we reached the drive. As we headed down there I started feeling sick and my legs were shaking with fear. I kid you not. I was utterly crapping myself at the whole thing. I was so far out of my comfort zone that I needed a whole new zone. Standing at the bottom of the climbing wall watching everyone else just buzz up there, seemingly without fear...I was nearly crying with terror. I felt like such an idiot. But a determined one. Cos no matter how scared I was, I was bloody determined that I was going up that wall, even if I did fall off and make myself look like a total eejit. Luckily I have very understanding peeps, so when I begged that they all go away so that there was only me, and T&G, they were brilliant and left us to it.

And so it was. I was harnessed and roped. And facing the wall like it was a death squad wall! Deep breath, big gulp, approach wall. One foot off the ground. Two feet off the ground. Arms moving up. Feet moving up. I was there! I was on the wall! And I wasn't falling. I wasn't crying. I was actually...could it be...was this really enjoyment? Legs quaking like jelly, I proceeded my way up, with very supportive shouts and placement hints all my way up two thirds of the wall. I didn't quite get to the top like I'd wanted to. But I did it. And I was so proud of myself! Big beaming smile of pride. Here's a pic of me in action:




As I was brought down by G and touched ground I whooped with joy! T rushed over to give me a big hug and my pride literally (this sounds so cheesy) but it surged out of me in total joy! I never thought I'd do it, I couldn't believe I had done it. I was shaking like a leaf and my heart was pounding, but by golly she did it chaps!

From that point on there was no stopping me. Abseiling was next. LOVED it! Had to go twice in fact cos I liked it so much and actually stopped halfway down and asked how to bounce. Another action shot below:



There's another shot of me below doing archery too:



All in all it was a really great day. I texted T&G when I got home to thank them so much. Especially as they were so very kind to me, knowing how scared I was, they were really brilliant and helped me overcome all that fear. It's been a couple of days now and I know you shouldn't indulge too much, but I'm still so proud of myself. I'd packed into my bag, my book and a picnic blanket and secretly thought that all I'd be doing was watching from the ground whilst everyone got on with the fun stuff. It's good to surprise yourself sometimes...

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Party virgin

A few weeks ago Wavey and I were all snuggled up on the sofa chitting the chat, pondering this, thinking about that, when all of a sudden, TING! Why don't we have us a party! Well that was it, once the idea was set in motion I was all happy excited land as I truly do love a party.

Growing up in my parentals' very sociable house, we were the party kings of our street. Over the years the tales have become legendary and much excitement was always abound when party plans were made. I think one of the most memorable for me was my ma and pa's silver wedding anniversary bash. The drink was a-flowing, peeps were very drunk, what's that I see out the corner of my eye...is that actually my mother doing a wheelbarrow with our neighbour over the road...oh my lordy-lou she really is doing that - yikes! Hee! It was family tradition that we'd stagger down the stairs the following morning and eat left over sausage rolls. Why are there always sausage rolls left over? Hmmmm.

When I got my own place it was always my intention to carry on the tradition and I did just that. I had my first party 10 days after moving in. And thus it followed, that my house too became the party house. So really, to wait 8 months after moving in with Wavey to have a party was really rather a long time.

Preparations were going well. We'd made a list, done the shopping, there was enough booze and food to sink a ship and its small army. Wavey and I were chatting in bed the night before when he admitted something to me. Something really really serious. That at his grand old (hehe) age he had never had a party. Yep, NEVER. I was aghast! How could this be? I asked him again, just to make sure, but he reassured me that he was indeed a party virgin. Wowsers! So not only was this 'our' first party as a couple, it was also his very first party ever ever ever! Not too much pressure there then...

Luckily Wavey picked me as the first person to have a party with as clearly I am well qualified. It all went extremely well. We had a couple of family peeps coming, which was incredibly nice of them as they effectively did a 400 mile round trip in order to come and play. They turned up at 1pm. The last people drunkenly staggered out of our house just after midnight. Safe to say, that at 11 hours, Wavey's first party experience as host was a good'un! But you know what? Someone ate all the sausage rolls so there was none left for breakfast! It just wasn't the same eating a nice toasted bagel...