[Closed] The tiny, or big "life's little positives" thread.🌈

bikes.

And the littler of my boys, nearly 2, who's at home with "chicken pops", being an absolute trooper, spent 2 hours on his balance bike this afternoon, up the road, down the road, round the park, past the shops, round the pump track - made it both ways round on his own for the first time. Little champ. He's sleeping well tonight.

My local riding park was way too wet to ride today, meaning no Friday morning pre-work ride with mates for me. But, I went for a 10km run there instead, had a ball and did it 5 mins quicker than last time and (touch wood) don't yet have crippling DOMS.

And my wife, post 2 kids, bit of cajoling, she's found a local group to ride with, few rides with them later and she's properly excited about going out again tomorrow morning. 😀

nedrapier
Full Member
bikes.

And the littler of my boys, nearly 2, who’s at home with “chicken pops”, being an absolute trooper, spent 2 hours on his balance bike this afternoon, up the road, down the road, round the park, past the shops, round the pump track – made it both ways round on his own for the first time. Little champ. He’s sleeping well tonight.

Excellent stuff! I've had a balance bike sat here for a year I think, for my grandson who will be 2 in March. Can't wait to see him on it soon.

Last night I was co-opted onto the trustee board of a charity working addressing homelessness in the city where I live. A very small action to try and make some difference in the current crazy situation in our country.

I'm back working in the office, and today all but one of my team were in. We had a brew and a natter.

It was ace.

Excellent stuff! I’ve had a balance bike sat here for a year I think, for my grandson who will be 2 in March. Can’t wait to see him on it soon.

Balance bikes for the win!!! Just the best thing ever.

A very small action to try and make some difference in the current crazy situation in our country.

Its a big action - you can't change The World but you can change someone's world and its the whole world for them.

I fixed the lock on my front door after 15 years of problems. Turns out it was poorly fitted by me. Still pleased, but a little annoyed I didn’t sort it earlier.

He’s sleeping well tonight.

Sleeping the sleep of the athlete.

Excellent stuff! I’ve had a balance bike sat here for a year I think, for my grandson who will be 2 in March. Can’t wait to see him on it soon.

😀 Just get it to him. It needs to be there in the right place at the right time. For our oldest, it was when another boy went whizzing past our house on his. He "got it" and just wanted to be out on his, immediately! I don't know what your situation is, but it's hard to craft that sort of "right time, right place" inspiration even when your a keen parent, let alone a grandparent!

Mrs A can return to full time work now that the work at the food is slowly diminishing.

😀 Just get it to him. It needs to be there in the right place at the right time. For our oldest, it was when another boy went whizzing past our house on his. He “got it” and just wanted to be out on his, immediately! I don’t know what your situation is, but it’s hard to craft that sort of “right time, right place” inspiration even when your a keen parent, let alone a grandparent!

I think you are right, I might be playing a visit to them next weekend.😁

 

I gots books! 🙂

My employer posted notice that they are going into administration last weekend and sent us all home. Its been a great week riding every day on summer-dry trails* in the daylight.

*not entirely muddy.

It's raining !!!!!

The roads will be cleared of salt... i can motorbike properly again.... well, when it dries up 😀

Lying in bed and a heron has just flown past the bedroom window. Took me a moment to figure out wtf it was.

Still pleased, but a little annoyed I didn’t sort it earlier.

Same thing when I fixed the toilet that was continuously leaking water from the cistern into the bowl. Very satisfying to get it done, and irritating I didn't bother to properly Youtube it earlier!

Anyway it's Friday, dryjanuary ends today so I'll be having a nice Belgian beer to celebrate, and I get to celebrate passing (an admittedly easy) IT certification exam last Monday and also losing all my Christmas lard 🙂

I have a wonderful girlfriend that greeted me this morning, like almost every morning, with a kiss and a hug, even though I had been awake most of the night thinking about work and, for some reason, how to launder ten million USD.

I don't have 10 mil, but for some reason my brain wanted me to think about it, so woke me up early and kept me awake. I need coffee.

I thought i would post a little positive then i saw the OP posted about a dog and did not provide a picture.

I shall return to my general malaise

Last 2 weeks lost over 5lb

Just a lot more to go...

Lockdowns not been kind

i deleted Instagram, my last bit of social media (well apart from this forum, if you class it as that). Feels really good. One less distraction in life!

Let the good times roll!

i deleted Instagram, my last bit of social media (well apart from this forum, if you class it as that). Feels really good. One less distraction in life!

i threw my phone in a river during an anxiety driven melt down. I got myself a dumb phone* its great.

*it actually has whatsapp and maps and 4g but you'd have to REALLY want to use it!

At the bottom of our street there was a house that hadn't been used for ages so it has now turned into a food bank to redistribute unsold food from local stores/cafes.  The place looks beautiful, has a steady stream of customers and seems to be completely run by young people.  It's a little moment of happiness each time I walk by seeing that people still give a shit and are willing to do something about it where they are rather than getting hung up on the big picture.

I bought a Garmin Edge 530 at a substantial discount from Halfords by price matching the in-store price (against their own website on a click and collect price!) then stacking two sets of discounts. It has loooads more stats available which pleases me, even if they are of dubious quality, and hopefully my used power meter arrives soon so I can see how many extra watts I gain by riding outside. Probably none... 🙂

In other news I was given an actual programming task to do at work, which I eventually started and it seems to have eased the mental blockage I was having rendering me almost unable to work.

Last night I added "Killing Me Softly" to my 'songs I can murder on the guitar' repertoire.

It didn't rain on my ride to work.

I started swimming again.
Its not a pastime I like or am good at, but it feels like a bit of normality.

My mum was given an, extravagant as always, secret escapes voucher for her birthday and she's decided she's going to spend it on a South Africa safari trip. My dad doesn't want to go so she's been given permission by the gifter to take me! I'm over the moon as it was a bucket list wish that I thought would take many years to achieve.

I handed my notice in, after 14 years with current employer I will be leaving behind the sinking ship of social care and going off to work on projects that will be interesting and deliverable.

I also had a dream that I had hired Danny DeVito to assassinate Liz Truss. He had tried taking her out with a sniper rifle and missed. We were sat on the bench at the top of Spooky Wood in GT and I was trying to get a refund from him and was threatening to take in to the small aims court.

Watching my GF get a boot fitting and purchase in George Fishers (Keswick) - excellent (old fashoined?) customer service does still exist!

A First Direct Savings account matured today, and we are going to treat ourselves with the massive £36 interest earned by trying out the new Big Mac Chicken for lunch. The kids will get the remaining £13 each for their savings.

No doubt we are in for an afternoon of McFarts but it feels like a win to me.

Unexpected nipple flash.

Only 7 days until our 5 month old kitten arrives from the rescue center. 15yo daughter very excited and despite not really being a cat fan (more of a dog person) I'm also looking forward to the new arrival. Wife, who also isn't really a cat person, who's prerequisites were to not get a black cat and not to get an injured cat is also looking forward to the arrival of our black with half tail missing kitten 🙂

I don’t have 10 mil, but for some reason my brain wanted me to think about it, so woke me up early and kept me awake. I need coffee.

I'd suggest switching to decaff maybe, and **** knows what franksinatra has been taking before bedtime.

My gentle gravel pootle has led me to a farmshop cafe I haven't been to in years, since my now 18 year old was young enough to go there to feed the lambs and play on the old tractor.

They still do great quality breakfasts, served by attractive young ladies and they accept cash, so as far as MrsMC is concerned I've only had a coffee and a piece of flapjack.

I may be very glad I only had the small breakfast as I tackle the hills between here and home.

@alpin - tell us more! 😀

Switching on the Nuuk airport webcam and seeing something happen. 🙂

I don’t have 10 mil, but for some reason my brain wanted me to think about it, so woke me up early and kept me awake. I need coffee.

I’d suggest switching to decaff maybe

And stop watching Ozark 🙂

I was trying to get a refund from him and was threatening to take in to the small aims court

Boom, tisch

Reading the daily updates on my Grandson's online nursery diary - and watching the short vid clips they post.
As for balance bike - Grandson uses one and a scooter at nursery but has no interest in the one he has at home; one of these days...

Only 7 days until our 5 month old kitten arrives from the rescue center.

We need photos when the kitten arrives 🙂

Off to Old Trafford tonight with Binnerette number 1 for our first post-covid match, FA Cup fourth round against Middlesborough. I love an evening game under the lights, and its the first time daughter 1 will be old enough for the full ritual of the pre-match pint in the Quad on the way to the ground. Can't wait!

I think @GolfChick is definitely winning the thread so far

New Rolo Tomassi album today!

Became a grandad for the first time. What balance bike for a one week old?

Just booked tickets for my 15 year old daughter to go to her first gig. Bloody hell she deserves it with what young people have been through the last couple of years.

I think @GolfChick is definitely winning the thread so far

Reckon @ian-r might have just stolen that lead 🙂

Our dog is 8 next week and every time she sees me since she has been a puppy has been with a smile and a wagging tail.
Youngest daughter broke her leg last September and has persevered to get her fitness back and also the confidence on the bike to compete again.
Last weekend whilst we were away she went to Farmer Johns with her mates, she wasn't going to ride.
She sent me an Instagram link of her hitting the jumps and back to clipped in. Brings a tear when I watch it

Congratulations @ian-r!

ian-r, congratulations!
Grandaddery is great!

Good lunch, finished work for the day off to Spain tomorrow for weeks riding.

Back in the office properly next week. Moving floors to an office where there are 'people' our massive office has been more or less empty since covid - be nice to go in and actually see people, rather than rattling round a room full of empty desks.

Only down side, no space for my sweaty bike gear - but we'll solve that !!

I went back to my swimming club last week after 3 months off and I wasn't demoted a lane. It didn't feel like a positive during last night's session, but I'd expected to lose a lot more fitness.

Puppy dog makes me smile everyday

Obligatory photo, helping out with the big garden birdwatch last weekend

https://flic.kr/p/2n1R5fg

Having watched the Nuuk webcam yesterday, I phoned a colleague in Tromsø to ask what the aurora was like. He said he didn’t know as he’d been chained to his desk all day, but he’d go and take a look. Half an hour later he messaged me back to say it was fantastic and to thank me for prompting him to go and take a look. Hopefully I’ll get to go back for a week soon.

After being on hold with Virgin Media for 2 hours+ I finally got our package cancelled/ amended to just keep the 100mb BB.

Initially they wouldn't go below £35 for that (annoying as new customers get £27.99😐) but managed to haggle it to £28.45 so that difference pays the Britbox sub.👍

A small win.😁

ian-r
Full Member
Became a grandad for the first time. What balance bike for a one week old?

Missed that, congratulations.👍

Ms Efg is doing great after a bowel cancer surgery cock up a few years ago. I do 3 days a week taking disabled kids to a SEN school.
Biking. Fishing. Holidaying. Summer BBQ’s round the corner.

Opened an email
"Thanks for showing interest in the position . Really like to hear more about you , can you send through an up to date CV ?"

Hell yes I can .

Rediscovered night riding is hilarious fun when the local tracks are on the grippy side of tacky.

Wife is away this weekend, so just myself and our 6 month old daughter. Managed to sneak out fishing for a couple of hours prior to her leaving. Caught naff all but weather was glorious.

I've been left with a checklist and notes. But....got a few nice things planned. Really looking forward to proper daddy daughter time, breakfast in Honiton to start the day then a nice shortish walk...obvs to coincide with her naps 🙂

esselgruntfuttock
Free Member
Ms Efg is doing great after a bowel cancer surgery cock up a few years ago. I do 3 days a week taking disabled kids to a SEN school.
Biking. Fishing. Holidaying. Summer BBQ’s round the corner.

That's definitely towards the bigger end of the positives you can have. 👍

This thread has to count as a big positive

keep it coming

Had a lovely walk around Great Wanney crags on my lonesome yesterday.
Love being out in the winter light.
First time out with my Singletrack Kleen Canteen with a nice coffee in hand 🙂
Without wanting to sound smug, it really is the simple pleasures in life that we sometimes forget about.

Caught up with my friends last night for dinner, was great to catch up. One friend just passed her MA, other is finally on the mend from long COVID. we also had a lot of cake.

Then we watched a movie, The Nightingale, which was amazing but pretty horrific. We were all traumatized afterwards. Good company and power of film ☺️

Leaving work at 5.30 last night there was a bit of brightness left in the Western sky. First time I've seen that for a few months.

Tested positive for covid on Thursday (bear with me here), and with no taste I’ve avoided pretty much all snacks, and really focused on eating well for a few days.

Also tried an easy zwift today and felt really good (like better than normal!) for a few days of rest and good food!

Tested +ve for covid on Monday and still testing +ve, so no early release so far.

On the plus side, symptoms have been mild, and more importantly my new BMX has arrived ready for when I'm allowed out (our 7 year old has started BMXing so I "needed" one), the weather is minging today, so training is cancelled and I'm not missing out 🤣

I'm going to see Echo and the Bunnymen in concert here in Cardiff tonight. A friend bought me a ticket!

Met my daughter's partner's children for the first time today. Step grandad stuff is great with a 2 year-old girl and a 4 year old SEN boy.

The dog also coped with them and their noise, though he's now crashed out at my feet in a stress induced coma.

Went out for a wind blasted ride this morning and there were a couple setting up for some sort of a "we are expecting a baby/bump reveal" photo.

While I've got no time time for that sort of twaddle, their obvious love and happiness made me smile.