OK, I'm going to try to put on record, as faithfully as I remember it, my mum's life story, leaving out things to protect the innocent (OK this does sound like she's on witness protection) but keeping to the facts as I know them, so expect a lot of artistic license.
She was born in a Nottinghamshire mining village. She had 3 brothers and two sisters and the boys were expected to go down the mines and the girls into service. First though, she had to get school, over with. The school she went to was split, the boys one side of a fenced wall and the girls on the other. The teaching was basic, (The 3 R's). They had a teacher called Miss Bottomly and Mum said that she had a nickname. The used to call her "big" as she had a very large bottom.
Mum wasn't the ideal student, she used to get into fights. The sisters had a enemy. Her name was Gerty Grice and her nickname was "Gobby". Mum and her would fall out. Mum told me that once, Gobby Grice was slagging her sisters off, so she laid into her. She got her on the ground and was punching her, when one of her sisters saw the fight, and shot off. When mum got home, her mum confronted her. "N said you were fighting with Gerty Grice again!", she said. Mum turned round and said, "Yes, and I'll punch her again to, if she calls my family". She got slippered for fighting.
The funny thing about Mum and "Gobby" was that they became good friends when they left school. They'd chat and talk and one day, "Gobby was coming up the road and she looked lik she was packing a little weight. Mum asked her about it and "Gobby" told her that she'd been to the doctors and he'd told her she had a very large "tumour" and she'd have to go away and have it removed. She didn't see "Gobby" for months and the next time she saw her, she was pushing a pram. Mum stopped her, looked at the baby, and said, "That a lovely "tumour" you've got there". "Gobby" had the grace to go red.
As I've said before, Mum and her sisters were expected to go into service. What happen was, her mum, (My Grandma) trained them. What would happen was that they had to clean a room each, and it had to be spotless. Grandma would go round every work surface, every door frame, with a white glove. If there was one speck of dirt or dust, she'd make them do it again. She was harsh but she wanted her girls to be the best.
They applied for jobs and Mum got one, in the wilds of the Yorkshire moors...
Saturday 29 March 2014
Sunday 23 March 2014
"Hudson, Apone... That's it, we're screwed" - Memories of a cyber nerd.
I made friends with a geek. I'd say that this goes back ages, and being as it's another memory, it goes back years but last night, the geek and I (Fellow geek, that I am) wallowed in nostalgia. I say "wallowed", in reality, we soaked it into our pores and let it refresh our little cells and braincells. It must have been a good thing as I didn't get to bed till 3am.
My friend is into board games and he took me onto a world tour of some really obscure ones, I saw "Rebound, Tilt, Police Alarm!and then we went through old TV and movies. This is where things got interesting (not that they wasn't before) but it bought back really pleasant memories... To get you in the mood, I'll have to tell you how me and my geek friend met. So fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy ride back to the 80s.
I had a job. I worked in a warehouse (No, not "Warehouse 13", I wish (and yeah there will be geek references all the way through this) and it was part of the textile industry
Anyway, due to cheap imports, the factory closed down and I was made redundant,. (but I wasn't in the factory at the time, I was in hospital having tumours removed from my arm pits). When I came out I sign on the dole. This was the first time ever I'd been unemployed and anyway, they placed me on a work program. This was a interesting thing (I didn't realise it at the time) building duck ponds (SORRY Natural environmental habitats) a farmer would donate part of his land and we'd move in and build a pond. I now like to think that we were the "A team of "Duck Pond" builders but I think we just used to arse around.
Anyway, we were a motley crew, I was like the middle of the group age wise, and what used to happen, Mum would bake cakes and pastries and I'd take them in for the group. This of course, made me popular (The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all) and (I'll probably do more about this motley crew at a later date). There was one guy there I got on well with (No it's not the geek). His name was Barry and he had bright pink hair. As you can see from the picture, my hair was fairly normal, so this friendship was strange to say the least. The thing was though, the van used to drop us off at the same spot and we got to talking. He'd recently been bought a Spectrum 48k computer and he wondered if I wanted to see it. I of course, was polite and vaguely interested, said "Yes".
When I arrived, I was taken into the living room and Barry and his brother were playing "3D Death Chase" . This sounds more lethal than it was and as you can see, from the link, it wasn't pretty. I watched, and showed of my skills as a player (basically played like an epileptic amoeba) and it was a joyous few hours. Barry's sister turned up, and trailing behind her, was her boyfriend.(OK you can applause now, the geek has entered the room). His eyes lit up when he saw the game, and like every typical male, he wanted to play and Barry's sister was relegated to observer. (Don't worry she dumped him later (or he dumped her)).
The weeks/months went by and Jonathan (formerly known as Geek (I felt like calling "Geek" all the while, suggested that he belonged to an "S&M" Rubber club) became a friend. I managed to obtain a "Spectrum 128k" computer and had purchased the game "Aliens". Now the game, with it's limited graphics managed to recreate the scene where you're controlling the Colonial Marines. (Are you bored yet, it gets worse (or better if you're a geek)) and I invited Jonathan round. He knew what we were playing and bought the soundtrack album round and so, with all the lights off and just by the light of the TV screen, we'd try to kill the queen.
OK this sounds, totally boring BUT there were two things going for it; the soundtrack and Jonathan. He did drama as a hobby and we'd sit there, he'd be doing all the voices, and physically shouting at the screen as each marine was taken by an alien. The atmosphere was ripe with tension (and it wasn't because of the "Red Hot" Crisps we'd been munching)
So Jon, I dedicate this blog to you... and the late Hudson, Apone ,Vasquez and all the other dead marines we left behind.
My friend is into board games and he took me onto a world tour of some really obscure ones, I saw "Rebound, Tilt, Police Alarm!and then we went through old TV and movies. This is where things got interesting (not that they wasn't before) but it bought back really pleasant memories... To get you in the mood, I'll have to tell you how me and my geek friend met. So fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy ride back to the 80s.
I had a job. I worked in a warehouse (No, not "Warehouse 13", I wish (and yeah there will be geek references all the way through this) and it was part of the textile industry
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| Me outside the textile mill |
Anyway, we were a motley crew, I was like the middle of the group age wise, and what used to happen, Mum would bake cakes and pastries and I'd take them in for the group. This of course, made me popular (The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all) and (I'll probably do more about this motley crew at a later date). There was one guy there I got on well with (No it's not the geek). His name was Barry and he had bright pink hair. As you can see from the picture, my hair was fairly normal, so this friendship was strange to say the least. The thing was though, the van used to drop us off at the same spot and we got to talking. He'd recently been bought a Spectrum 48k computer and he wondered if I wanted to see it. I of course, was polite and vaguely interested, said "Yes".
When I arrived, I was taken into the living room and Barry and his brother were playing "3D Death Chase" . This sounds more lethal than it was and as you can see, from the link, it wasn't pretty. I watched, and showed of my skills as a player (basically played like an epileptic amoeba) and it was a joyous few hours. Barry's sister turned up, and trailing behind her, was her boyfriend.(OK you can applause now, the geek has entered the room). His eyes lit up when he saw the game, and like every typical male, he wanted to play and Barry's sister was relegated to observer. (Don't worry she dumped him later (or he dumped her)).
The weeks/months went by and Jonathan (formerly known as Geek (I felt like calling "Geek" all the while, suggested that he belonged to an "S&M" Rubber club) became a friend. I managed to obtain a "Spectrum 128k" computer and had purchased the game "Aliens". Now the game, with it's limited graphics managed to recreate the scene where you're controlling the Colonial Marines. (Are you bored yet, it gets worse (or better if you're a geek)) and I invited Jonathan round. He knew what we were playing and bought the soundtrack album round and so, with all the lights off and just by the light of the TV screen, we'd try to kill the queen.
OK this sounds, totally boring BUT there were two things going for it; the soundtrack and Jonathan. He did drama as a hobby and we'd sit there, he'd be doing all the voices, and physically shouting at the screen as each marine was taken by an alien. The atmosphere was ripe with tension (and it wasn't because of the "Red Hot" Crisps we'd been munching)
So Jon, I dedicate this blog to you... and the late Hudson, Apone ,Vasquez and all the other dead marines we left behind.
Thursday 20 March 2014
Childhood Memories
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| The Bradford lot |
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| C, Aunty M's Son and my Mate |
Ok the next tale might seem offensive to my "aunt" but the shop and her were immaculately clean and so what comes next as a surprise. On the first morning there, I'd slept in C's bedroom, with C and he told me we should go down the stairs and open the curtains, to let the morning sunlight into the house. I went down the stairs and C followed but paused on the bottom step. I thought it strange but went down and went to the curtains. I was 3 steps into the room and all I could hear was "Crunch, Crunch" like I was walking on cornflakes. I looked down and the carpet seemed to be moving. (I tell you now, I'd be on a chair if it happened here) I made it to the curtains and pulled them open. The floor was covered in cockroaches and as the light hit them, they disappeared and after 15 seconds, the room looked immaculate. This became a holiday treat for me and C, we'd come down each moring and stomp arround that floor like Godzilla invading Tokyo..
C and I used to play games outside the shop that would have shock the parents. I'm not going to go into the games, as it'd be, I wonder about his gene pool??? If the kids play things like that now, it'd scare the crap of everyone, it scares me now.
The great thing about the people of Bradford, they were so friendly and open. C's sister, had a great Dane. A dog so lovely and affectionate. The thing loved kids. We went to visit her once, and she told Mum to beware of the dog as it was affectionate. When we came into the house, there was this horse like creature. I looked at it and my first thought was, "Can I ride it" (I was only 8) and my second, "Boy that's BIG". The third thought came when the Dane let out "WUFF", and charged towards us. I thought, "oh well, Mum's screwed" but to my surprise, he took one look at mum (Who in a really stern voice said "NO!") and veered around her to me. He looked into my eyes, as the drool and tongue dropped towards the floor, and very gently placed one paw on one shoulder, and the other paw on the other. He then proceeded to lick my hair. I was mortified, but it got worse. He walked forward. the weight of this monster took me and him to the ground. He loved this. He saw it as a way of cleaning all the dirt and grime off my face. I was his puppy, and be darned if I wasn't going to be a dirty one.
To finish, I'll tell of the perils of drink. It was a time of celebration and both families went out for a drink or two at the local pub. My Auntie M's husband was lovely and he was the designated driver. Anyway, the beer and the shorts flowed and the night dragged on. We got back to the shop and and it got to the stage where Aunty M's husband told her that he'd sleep on his own, and left his drunken wife to it.
The next morning was punctuated by screaming. We all rushed around to find out were it was coming from. Mum was there first and it was Aunty M. She was in tears. She turned to my mum and Cried, "OH Rhoda, OH Rhoda, It's finally happened. I've had a stroke and I can't move me legs". Mum being the practical person she was, said "let's have a look". With that, she pulled the blankets back and burst into giggles. "You daft bitch, she said. "You've got your roll on half way down your legs, no wonder you couldn't move..."
Anyway, I'm going to close, as I'm tired and I want to go to bed.
I'll publish this and if I can find the CD, I'll tell you mum's story in her own words
Night
Boundaries...
I've been gnomed... You probably thinking, "What the hell is he on about?". Well, I know a gnome, who in reality, is a good friend, who happens to be a gnome. I can hear the sounds of people, going, "He's certainly committed (OR HE SHOULD BE committed). HANG ON.
The thing in life as you get older, you loose the sense of magic, you had as a child. Sometimes you can get it back, with TV shows, movies and books but it's not the same as each one provides boundaries. It could be the screen (As in Films, TV), or paper as in books. My friend the gnome, happens to be an old friend is trying to alter that. He started gnoming ages ago, it wasn't a big thing, the whole idea was to make someone smile. He took it to the next step, probably because, not only he made that person smile, he got a kick out of giving.
Well it's moved on, the gnome has a family, he has friends and a Facebook page. He's extending the joy out to people in the world. I'm a bit of a cynic at times, but I love what he's doing. I know this gnome, I'm privileged to call him friend. He'd tell me about his gnoming, I'd grin, and think it was great.
The thing is though, I'm 58 years old, and tonight, the boundaries fell down, there was magic in my world and I remembered the power of being a child, all through the power of a little ceramic gnome. Thank you Freddie Finwick Fisher and long may you reign...
The thing in life as you get older, you loose the sense of magic, you had as a child. Sometimes you can get it back, with TV shows, movies and books but it's not the same as each one provides boundaries. It could be the screen (As in Films, TV), or paper as in books. My friend the gnome, happens to be an old friend is trying to alter that. He started gnoming ages ago, it wasn't a big thing, the whole idea was to make someone smile. He took it to the next step, probably because, not only he made that person smile, he got a kick out of giving.
Well it's moved on, the gnome has a family, he has friends and a Facebook page. He's extending the joy out to people in the world. I'm a bit of a cynic at times, but I love what he's doing. I know this gnome, I'm privileged to call him friend. He'd tell me about his gnoming, I'd grin, and think it was great.
The thing is though, I'm 58 years old, and tonight, the boundaries fell down, there was magic in my world and I remembered the power of being a child, all through the power of a little ceramic gnome. Thank you Freddie Finwick Fisher and long may you reign...
Thursday 13 March 2014
Heading for the Abyss
I am getting over a problem with the pipes, and while I'm also playing an online game (I may or may not blog about that... If I get desperate for ideas) I didn't want to go to far from home in case I got caught short. I decided to watch "Wuthering Heights" ((A TV Version) and I highly recommend it).
It was scary, I could see Heathcliff and Cathy skidding towards the abyss, and I was so stressed. I sat there, dismayed as their story played out, I'd seen so many versions of this, I knew the ending BUT I Still screamed "NOOOOO!". It's a bizarre thing. but I actually hoped for a happy end. I was exhausted by the whole thing.
I've not been through anything like this since the great films of the 60's and 70's. "The Haunting" pulled me in, and not using any CGI scared the crap out of me. I watched it recently and it still scares me, and leaves me with dread. "The Exorcist", while weakened by spoofs, still frightens me, and there's the fear of things unknown, the travel through the dark, to pray on the innocent.
This is turning into a supernatural thing, and I didn't particularly want to head in that direction. There are so many films out there, that can drag you into the abyss. I'm going to talk about one. It's a film that doesn't telegraph the abyss, and when it finally comes, it comes like a runaway train. It's a powerful film and I can honestly say, you want to see a masterclass in acting, it's so worth watching. Saying that, you'd have to stop me from plucking out my eyes, to get me to watch it again.
The Film's "Jude"(1996) starring Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet. and it's a romance. It's based on a Thomas Hardy Novel and I went to see it with a good friend. So here's the tale.
It was a cool winter's day and myself and my friend, Linda, were doing what we'd do once a week. There was two cinema's fairly close together and what we'd do, is pick a film in one and then go on to the second and watch a film there. I don't know who chose "Jude" but we both enjoyed the classics (TV not Books). We got our tickets and sat through the previews. I was expecting a good film and wasn't disappointed as the lights went down and the film started. (I'm not going to give any of the story away, as I may have flashbacks and I don't particularly want them. Even though it's a POWERFUL love story, it has an ending, where you not only stare into the abyss (It's behind a curtain) you almost cheerfully leap into the bugger. I was going to string it out, make a proper tale of it) It was beautifully filmed and it's one of those romances (Like "Romeo and Juliet") that goes against society's moral stance. They take everything that society throws against them. You cheer them on, you admire them and you rage against their society that abandons them. Just as you feel
things may turn, the abyss turns up. You find yourself being hit by a sledgehammer of grief and remorse as you, Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead fall into that black darkness.
Well we left that cinema, and I turned to Linda and said "FUCK!" she replied with the heartfelt words, "FUCKITY FUCK FUCK" and I tell you now, if the wasn't railings outside that cinema we'd have been tempted to walk out under a bus. (Tempted but I doubt if we'd have done it). It was one of the most powerful films I'd ever seen. We laugh about it now, but that film broke my heart.
Anyway What's "Tess of the Dubervilles" like?
It was scary, I could see Heathcliff and Cathy skidding towards the abyss, and I was so stressed. I sat there, dismayed as their story played out, I'd seen so many versions of this, I knew the ending BUT I Still screamed "NOOOOO!". It's a bizarre thing. but I actually hoped for a happy end. I was exhausted by the whole thing.
I've not been through anything like this since the great films of the 60's and 70's. "The Haunting" pulled me in, and not using any CGI scared the crap out of me. I watched it recently and it still scares me, and leaves me with dread. "The Exorcist", while weakened by spoofs, still frightens me, and there's the fear of things unknown, the travel through the dark, to pray on the innocent.
This is turning into a supernatural thing, and I didn't particularly want to head in that direction. There are so many films out there, that can drag you into the abyss. I'm going to talk about one. It's a film that doesn't telegraph the abyss, and when it finally comes, it comes like a runaway train. It's a powerful film and I can honestly say, you want to see a masterclass in acting, it's so worth watching. Saying that, you'd have to stop me from plucking out my eyes, to get me to watch it again.
The Film's "Jude"(1996) starring Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet. and it's a romance. It's based on a Thomas Hardy Novel and I went to see it with a good friend. So here's the tale.
It was a cool winter's day and myself and my friend, Linda, were doing what we'd do once a week. There was two cinema's fairly close together and what we'd do, is pick a film in one and then go on to the second and watch a film there. I don't know who chose "Jude" but we both enjoyed the classics (TV not Books). We got our tickets and sat through the previews. I was expecting a good film and wasn't disappointed as the lights went down and the film started. (I'm not going to give any of the story away, as I may have flashbacks and I don't particularly want them. Even though it's a POWERFUL love story, it has an ending, where you not only stare into the abyss (It's behind a curtain) you almost cheerfully leap into the bugger. I was going to string it out, make a proper tale of it) It was beautifully filmed and it's one of those romances (Like "Romeo and Juliet") that goes against society's moral stance. They take everything that society throws against them. You cheer them on, you admire them and you rage against their society that abandons them. Just as you feel
things may turn, the abyss turns up. You find yourself being hit by a sledgehammer of grief and remorse as you, Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead fall into that black darkness.
Well we left that cinema, and I turned to Linda and said "FUCK!" she replied with the heartfelt words, "FUCKITY FUCK FUCK" and I tell you now, if the wasn't railings outside that cinema we'd have been tempted to walk out under a bus. (Tempted but I doubt if we'd have done it). It was one of the most powerful films I'd ever seen. We laugh about it now, but that film broke my heart.
Anyway What's "Tess of the Dubervilles" like?
Friday 7 March 2014
Devious - A cat's skill set.
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| Selly Doing her "Rockstar" and "Meep Meop" (reconstruction) |
Attention - This is the obvious. It starts with the meowing, that usually fails as I'm deaf (But being as, I've had my hearing aids fixed, I now can hear every meow).
She has variations on the meow.
There's the "Meep". The "meep" lets me know she's looking particularly cute or gorgeous, and to show this, she'll stretch out on the floor, doing her rock guitarist Pete Townsend stance.
There's the "Meep Meop" OK this is a variation on the "meep" but this is done on the bed, and it means "I'm cute and beautiful, I will allow you to stroke me"
Then there's the "Meow meeop", which is given in the kitchen. This is the "Yeah Bitch, I'm getting my food... I'm getting my FOOOD!..."
Getting Her Way -
This is one of the nicest things about her. I have in my living room; a number of chairs and a couch. Two of the chairs are wooden and not particularly comfortable and the couch is a pull out bed. She normally lies on that but she's not happy. She wants the most comfy chair in the flat. She does this in a way, you can almost forgive her for her deviousness. First, she leaps onto the arm of the chair. She then stares at you. (Has everyone seen the cat in "Shrek"?. The one with the BIG eyes? ) Well, Selly has those eyes, and she looks at you with pure love. She'll pause a little and then she starts to purr. At this stage, you're saying, "I love you, you little shit", and she makes her next move.
She reaches out with a paw, (all the while looking at you) and she places it on your chest. Then, realising there's no objection to this, she'll follow up with the other three, and then, looking at you, she'll rest her head on your shoulder and start purring (This is the only cat I've known, who can purr loud enough, that I can hear her without my hearing aids). She lays there, content. You stroke her and all is right with the world.
She then makes the next move. She half gets off your chest, and lies with half her body across you, and the other half across the corner of the chair. This is okay and you carry on stroking her, and carry on getting her purrs. Then, the master stroke. she starts to wave her tail across your face. You're mildly irritated at first but you think It'll stop in a minute. She then increases the wave of the tail. You feel the urge to push her off and then she then stops and leaps off. After a predetermined time, she returns and follows the same routine... and repeats until you move... SUCCESS...
Getting food
This one doesn't always work and it doesn't happen often but it is irritating. I go to bed, she spends time on the bed and when I go to sleep, (She knows this, cause I put my book down, put my glasses down) she leaves the bedroom.
I'm now off in dreamland, and she's peckish. She sneaks in, works her way around the bed, jumps up on the chest of drawers and leaps off onto me. I imagine a flow chart in her head.
- Any reaction? -No? - Repeat.
2. Lie on passage floor and do the "Meep" routine... "It wasn't me"
3. Go into the kitchen and meow "While You're up... I don't suppose..."
Sometimes I feed her and other times it's... "ARGH I'm not feeding you, feck off!!"... She then retreats to the other bedroom.
It just depends on what kind of day I've had... and she'll return to my bedroom after all this and "Meep Meop" me into submission... and we end up as friends
There you go, her schemes so far... I wonder if birds or other animals have routines?
Monday 3 March 2014
Selly Kitten/Cat... Love Catz part 3 - Final Cat/Part
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| Selly Cat in Smug Mode |
Since we'd lost Loki, (despite a more extensive search, better organised, we never saw him again) we thought it'd be good for Push Cat to have a friend. She was a little monster. Do you know that Warner Brothers cartoon, with the kitten and the bulldog? Well, that was how Push Cat and Selly Kitten's relationship was like. She'd walk all over him and he'd allow her to do so.
Around 14 weeks of her life, Selly Kitten's life changed for the worst. She used to try and sneak out of the flat. If I'd gone to take out the trash, she'd come too. One day, i came home from shopping and I had 3 heavy bags. I opened the door and left it open while I took the bags up. She got out. Now, here's the thing, my next door neighbour had 6 cats, and they were all weird. They'd come up to you, hissing away and expect to be stroked. I used to, as a joke, call them the local mafia and when I heard the screams and fighting outside, I realised what had happened, Selly Kitten was no where to be seen. I was frantic with guilt.
I wandered the street in the pouring rain, calling out her name. Mum looked out of our front window and when I came home, without her, we didn't know what to do. I went out again and there was no sign. The next day, started off the same way as before... POURING RAIN. I looked out the window, and I could just make out a shape behind an large ornamental plant pot. Could it be Selly? I got my coat on and rushed down the stairs. I crossed the street and sure enough, looking like a drowned rat, there she was. I picked her up, she was shaking. I don't know whether it was with fear, or cold but I had to get her warm. I placed her in my coat and through her damp fur, I could feel the start of a purr. I bought her home and mum had the fire on at full blast. She knew she was home.
She still tried to get out, but the difference was this time was, when I was closing the door, she'd break her neck to get in before the door was closed. She's been out several times now, the only problem is, she never returns to our door step. It's now the right side, but a different door. She also developed some really strange quirks. There's a small part of brickwork between Mum's bedroom and the living room,(What is now mine). Well she'd wait until she knew someone was going to walk by, and then run up that wall, and you'd be surprised to see a cat staring you in the face... from face height. That wall could never be decorated, as she'd just do the same. It looks like a child's measurement chart, except where there would be pencil marks, there are claw marks.
She'd run up curtains, just to stare at you. She loved my Mum and I only got the affection when it was feeding time, and then she's lay it on really thick. Selly Kitten loved Push Cat. They'd lay together and she'd try and get him to play. He was a devious old soul. He'd wait until she'd leapt around for an hour, getting closer and xloser to him, and then he'd strike. He'd strike with the scratching of the back leg, you could see he'd not got his claws extended and then he'd play. Five minutes later, after all of this, he'd lay down and relax. Meanwhile, peaking around the corner of the couch, was Selly Kitten.
Selly never really got over Push's death but what she did do was adopt me. It's funny, I feel like I'm the Alpha cat. I'll put down her breakfast, and I'll get mine and then she'll go out into the passage and wait for me start eating. Then she comes in and finishes hers. She gets upset of I'm not in bed at a certain time. I have to groom her and she favours me with the loudest purr. She then lies down on the bed and looks at me. When I put my book down, she leaves the bedroom. I then shut my eyes and go to sleep. When I wake up in the night, I can feel this warm shape against my back. It's Selly, and she's sharing.
I'm typing this now and because of health problems, I can't sit on a comfy chair, but Selly Cat, (For she's a Cat now...) leaps behind me and just PURRS...
Her life is good
There be Treasure in your street...
Last year, or maybe the year before that, my nephew told me about a way to get fit. Now, I'm not a big fitness fanatic but, I listened politely ready to dismiss and then, when he said "treasure hunting" (NOT his exact words, but this is known as "artistic license"). I was about to dismiss it as silly... but the word he actually said was, "geocaching".
What this means is that all over the world, are little pieces of treasure. Now there are strict rules to this thing. first you find out where the caches are on a map. Then you record the co-ordinates in your mobile/tablet and off you go. There can be clues (like a pirates treasure map) and when you're looking, you must be discrete... as everybody else in your vicinity are "Muggles" and can't be made aware of the treasure.
You can, if you want, take a piece of the treasure, BUT you always should replace it with something else. You then record your name in a log book. (That's in the Cache). You must replace the cache where you've found it, (Without the "muggles" noticing) and then go look for another OK that's the basics. My nephew said, that basically you have to get to a cache site, so that involves walking. Then the cache is not in plain site, so it may mean, bending, crawling through undergrowth... (though the author of the cache, actually tells you what may be involved and how difficult it may be to find on the website, so you can actually choose which cache you want to find).
The caches vary, from magnetic, to plastic and the contents may vary as well. There maybe a small gift, or just a log book. There maybe something a little special. Sometimes. a cache may have a clue, leading to another cache... Some may even be a history of the town or village where the cache have been hidden.
Anyway, my nephew came to visit last year and he asked me if I wanted to geocache. I was quite excited, as while I'm no Jack Sparrow, it appealed to me, searching for hidden treasure. So he got out his fancy phone, with GPS and I got on the website. To my surprise, there was one, just around the corner. In fact, every morning when I'm having my juice and toast, I was looking at its location. I was gobsmacked. There were loads. I was really surprised, as I thought, little town and there wouldn't be two many people into it.
He said to me, "You pick" and being as we needed to go to the local shop, (and while it wasn't a strenuous walk, it WAS a walk). It was a magnetic cache (This meant it would be stuck to something magnetic) and he programmed his phone, and we were off. I'd looked at the map and had a good idea exactly where the thing was. It was halfway to it's location when we ran into trouble. The app on his phone, faded out and he swore. He then realised that his network probably wasn't working around here. I told him that it wasn't a complete bust, as I knew the street where it was on.
Now the street, was off a main road and had a steady row of traffic, and there was few pedestrians (Sorry, Muggles) and so, it became "Story time". I turned to my nephew, "Are you sure you lost it round here?" and we turned quickly and started to peruse the hedge rows. He marched on, and I got it my head, that he was trying to beat me to it, (He was) and I found myself looking a metallic bolts and also wire... He then looked at me and said very quietly, "I've found it". It was just like "Carter at the tomb" and he said to me, "Can you see it?" I stared at where he was standing, and all I could see was.... (not going to tell you as, maybe someone might read this). We opened the "tomb"... (okay, it was really a tin sweet box) and inside was a small figure, a jack and a logbook). He then asked for a pen. To my horror, I realised we'd not bought one, and then he asked for the small figurine (It was a pot dog curled up asleep) and I'd forgot to pick it up... BUT as we replaced it... (Making sure there was no muggles around) he asked me if I'd "enjoyed it". To my surprise, I'd loved it.
If you just want to see what it's all about
http://www.geocaching.com/
What this means is that all over the world, are little pieces of treasure. Now there are strict rules to this thing. first you find out where the caches are on a map. Then you record the co-ordinates in your mobile/tablet and off you go. There can be clues (like a pirates treasure map) and when you're looking, you must be discrete... as everybody else in your vicinity are "Muggles" and can't be made aware of the treasure.
You can, if you want, take a piece of the treasure, BUT you always should replace it with something else. You then record your name in a log book. (That's in the Cache). You must replace the cache where you've found it, (Without the "muggles" noticing) and then go look for another OK that's the basics. My nephew said, that basically you have to get to a cache site, so that involves walking. Then the cache is not in plain site, so it may mean, bending, crawling through undergrowth... (though the author of the cache, actually tells you what may be involved and how difficult it may be to find on the website, so you can actually choose which cache you want to find).
The caches vary, from magnetic, to plastic and the contents may vary as well. There maybe a small gift, or just a log book. There maybe something a little special. Sometimes. a cache may have a clue, leading to another cache... Some may even be a history of the town or village where the cache have been hidden.
Anyway, my nephew came to visit last year and he asked me if I wanted to geocache. I was quite excited, as while I'm no Jack Sparrow, it appealed to me, searching for hidden treasure. So he got out his fancy phone, with GPS and I got on the website. To my surprise, there was one, just around the corner. In fact, every morning when I'm having my juice and toast, I was looking at its location. I was gobsmacked. There were loads. I was really surprised, as I thought, little town and there wouldn't be two many people into it.
He said to me, "You pick" and being as we needed to go to the local shop, (and while it wasn't a strenuous walk, it WAS a walk). It was a magnetic cache (This meant it would be stuck to something magnetic) and he programmed his phone, and we were off. I'd looked at the map and had a good idea exactly where the thing was. It was halfway to it's location when we ran into trouble. The app on his phone, faded out and he swore. He then realised that his network probably wasn't working around here. I told him that it wasn't a complete bust, as I knew the street where it was on.
Now the street, was off a main road and had a steady row of traffic, and there was few pedestrians (Sorry, Muggles) and so, it became "Story time". I turned to my nephew, "Are you sure you lost it round here?" and we turned quickly and started to peruse the hedge rows. He marched on, and I got it my head, that he was trying to beat me to it, (He was) and I found myself looking a metallic bolts and also wire... He then looked at me and said very quietly, "I've found it". It was just like "Carter at the tomb" and he said to me, "Can you see it?" I stared at where he was standing, and all I could see was.... (not going to tell you as, maybe someone might read this). We opened the "tomb"... (okay, it was really a tin sweet box) and inside was a small figure, a jack and a logbook). He then asked for a pen. To my horror, I realised we'd not bought one, and then he asked for the small figurine (It was a pot dog curled up asleep) and I'd forgot to pick it up... BUT as we replaced it... (Making sure there was no muggles around) he asked me if I'd "enjoyed it". To my surprise, I'd loved it.
If you just want to see what it's all about
http://www.geocaching.com/
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