Square Eyes

[Sutti's big hair]

Has anyone heard of or been to "Go Ape"? There's a few of them around the country.

It's a kind of adventure assault course thing in a forest...rope bridges, zip slides etc.
A few of us from work are going in a couple of weeks...should be good fun, so long as I don't fall out of a tree or anything...

I'll be waiting by the 'random acts of clumsiness' thread!

Good luck, Maria! I'm sure you'll have a brilliant time

[Maria]

^ Well, I'm back in one piece after my day out at Go Ape with 4 of my friends from work!

It was a brilliant day...I'm really pleased with myself that I completed the course and got my certificate

It was a bit scarier than I had imagined it would be...first we had to get harnessed up and have a half-hour safety talk and be instructed on how all the equipment worked before we could start...then it was off up wobbly rope ladders high up into the trees to start the course...if you have a fear of heights you wouldn't be able to do it at all!
It really was pretty scary at times, but it was such good fun...I've never laughed so much as I did when one of my friends came down one of the zip slides backwards and landed in a crumpled heap at the bottom in a pile of bark chippings...which she was still finding in various places a few hours later
I nearly pulled my arm out of its socket at one point as I swung down on a huge tarzan rope swing and crash landed into a cargo net which you have to grab and hang on to or else you swing backwards again!...apart from that, I survived with a few aching muscles and a slighty sore throat from the occasional scream

It really was a great day out...I'd recommend it..the only thing I regret is that we weren't allowed to take the camera we'd taken with us as it didn't have a strap to attach it to anything, so for health and safety reasons we couldn't take it...I'd have loved to have got some pictures to remind us what we did and how brave we all were!!

[Sutti's big hair]

Well done, Maria! Glad you survived! Shame about the camera, but i'm sure it's not something you'll forget in a hurry!


Last weekend, I made it past the first round in a national bowls pairs competition for the first time. I don't think we'll get any further but I'm well chuffed!

[Hughesy]

It really was a great day out...I'd recommend it..the only thing I regret is that we weren't allowed to take the camera we'd taken with us as it didn't have a strap to attach it to anything, so for health and safety reasons we couldn't take it...I'd have loved to have got some pictures to remind us what we did and how brave we all were!!

Brave's the right word! You'd never catch me going up one of those rope ladder things. Or any ladder at all, really. Terrible head for heights, me

Nice to know the Health & Safety people are so concerned about the welfare of people's cameras as well

Last weekend, I made it past the first round in a national bowls pairs competition for the first time. I don't think we'll get any further but I'm well chuffed!

And so you should be! You're far too modest about your bowling ability anyway. All those trophies you won last year prove you've got what it takes

Today I used the self-service checkout in the supermarket for the first time. Well, I did after a fashion anyway. I got a bit flummoxed when I realised that it's hard to find a bar code to swipe on a bunch of bananas! Luckily though a nice helpful member of staff was hovering nearby and she answered my distress call, and now I'm fully conversant in the dark arts of serving myself in Tesco's!

I did feel a bit sorry for that woman who helped me though, as once they've trained enough members of the public up to process our own groceries it'll mean that the checkout workers will gradually find themselves out of a job, and it'll just be the shelf-stackers, security staff and a huge bank of these electronic checkout gizmos left in the whole place. All very futuristic and frankly a bit unnerving!

[savage sounds]

Last weekend me and my homeboys were kicking it in Newquay on a stag weekend. Of course the name Newquay is synonymous with one thing: surfing!!

Thats right, I made my surfing debut dudes! I was stoked!

We had like a world surfing competitor teaching us, it was awesome! Every time he gave me a bit of one on one tuition I improved. Sadly when he wasnt around I was rubbish and unable to ride any gnarly waves!

Also my ear has been blocked since returning on sunday night and still is, surf injuries are bogus man! Maybe I should like ask David Mitchell's Mum what I should do about it?!

[Hughesy]

Last weekend me and my homeboys were kicking it in Newquay on a stag weekend. Of course the name Newquay is synonymous with one thing: surfing!!

Thats right, I made my surfing debut dudes! I was stoked!

We had like a world surfing competitor teaching us, it was awesome! Every time he gave me a bit of one on one tuition I improved. Sadly when he wasnt around I was rubbish and unable to ride any gnarly waves!

Also my ear has been blocked since returning on sunday night and still is, surf injuries are bogus man! Maybe I should like ask David Mitchell's Mum what I should do about it?!

Never mind your ear, I'm just worried that this excursion has turned you into either Bill or Ted or possibly both!

Surfing's one of the many things I've never tried, but unlike hang-gliding, bungee jumping, deep sea diving or whatever, it's actually something that even a big girl's blouse like me could probably have a try at. How big - umm, gnarly - do the waves get in the UK anyway?

[Hughesy]

By the way, I always thought Newquay was Roger De Coursey's bear.

[savage sounds]

Never mind your ear, I'm just worried that this excursion has turned you into either Bill or Ted or possibly both!

Thats just the surf lingo Hughesy, shoobies like you can't hang ten with us surf dudes unless you learn it.

Surfing's one of the many things I've never tried, but unlike hang-gliding, bungee jumping, deep sea diving or whatever, it's actually something that even a big girl's blouse like me could probably have a try at. How big - umm, gnarly - do the waves get in the UK anyway?

Some of the sets were pretty big dude, I was psyched!

It was a calmish day and I did hear one of the real life surfers saying it was too calm. But there were some biggish waves, big enough for us to practice on anyway. Nothing like the ones you see on tv. The next beach up the road was the main surf one, infact there was a national competition on this week.

By the way, I always thought Newquay was Roger De Coursey's bear.

The only "bearness" that went on was the debauched stag antics that prevailed through out the weekend. And the only nookie was that which went on after hours! A few of the guys were stoked when they returned to the hostel we were staying in to discover a babeliscious aussie surf babe had moved in to their bedroom. They were beaming ear to ear when they recounted her introduction to her new room mates: "can you guys pass me my towel!"

[Maria]

Following on from the evening classes I did a few months back, I've recently started on an ITEC Diploma course in Holistic Massage.
It's only one day a week so I can fit it in around work.
We spend the mornings learning anatomy and physiology, and spend the afternoons practising massage on each other!
Last week we just learnt how to put the massage tables up safely etc, so yesterday was our first proper practical session of actually massaging someone, which was a bit daunting, especially as I got partnered with one of only 2 men on the course, lol
But actually it was fine...I quite enjoyed it!
We learnt the first massage stroke (effleurage) and practised on each other's backs...not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon

[Hughesy]

After six and a half years of trying I finally managed to reach the 5000 feedback mark on eBay a couple of weeks ago, and thus the red star that I'd had since reaching 1000 feedbacks finally turned green. Hooray for me! I'll have to wait even longer for the next star though as it doesn't kick in till you reach the 10000 mark, so at the current rate I can probably expect to achieve it in around the year 2015. Swizz!

[David Mitchell's Mom]

I had my first Wii!

Yes. I didn't think I would ever indulge but I must say it was kind of fun, aided by a couple of glass' of wine

I tried my hand at bowling (three strikes ) the shooting range, ping pong, and, the funniest of all, cow racing

I found it quite addictive. I was even thinking of buying one myself, looked up the cost but, decided I'd just play on other peoples Well, I could be spending all day on it couldn't I if I had my own.

Happy New Year

[Hughesy]

I had my first Wii!

Yes. I didn't think I would ever indulge but I must say it was kind of fun, aided by a couple of glass' of wine

I tried my hand at bowling (three strikes ) the shooting range, ping pong, and, the funniest of all, cow racing

I found it quite addictive. I was even thinking of buying one myself, looked up the cost but, decided I'd just play on other peoples Well, I could be spending all day on it couldn't I if I had my own.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you too Ma'am!

Sutti's been playing with someone's Wii recently too, and she's been enjoying it I think. I've still not tried my hand at it though. The last computer game I played was probably Super Mario on my old Nintendo in about 1992!

[Sutti's big hair]

Sutti's been playing with someone's Wii recently too, and she's been enjoying it I think.

I have! I was quite good at bowling and pretty mediocre at the rest! Good fun though. The first time I did Wii fit my age was 68, the next day i did it and I was 26. Obviously I must have slept well!


On Wednesday I advised all my loved ones to stay indoors on the 1st floor of a building. I had my first ever driving lesson. Terrifying! Why do they let people like me on the road?! No, actually I was bad, but not awful and I even got into 4th gear. Admittedly I was aiming for 2nd at the time, but nevermind...
My next lesson is on Friday morning. The previous day has sleet forecast and the Friday has snow set to arrive. God help us all!

[Hughesy]

Sutti's been playing with someone's Wii recently too, and she's been enjoying it I think.

I have! I was quite good at bowling and pretty mediocre at the rest! Good fun though. The first time I did Wii fit my age was 68, the next day i did it and I was 26. Obviously I must have slept well!


On Wednesday I advised all my loved ones to stay indoors on the 1st floor of a building. I had my first ever driving lesson. Terrifying! Why do they let people like me on the road?! No, actually I was bad, but not awful and I even got into 4th gear. Admittedly I was aiming for 2nd at the time, but nevermind...
My next lesson is on Friday morning. The previous day has sleet forecast and the Friday has snow set to arrive. God help us all!

Keep it up Sutts! (chances of precipitation for tomorrow's driving lesson: small(ish))

[David Mitchell's Mom]

I used a Tesco's self service checkout for the first time while I was on holiday in Cornwall.

It was a little embarressing. One of my items wouldn't scan and an assisstant came to the rescue ofter the alarm went off about 10 times. I don't have a Tesco near to where I live so it was a new experience shopping at Tesco.