random thoughts?

[Quincy]

Some unrelated drivel for anyone passing by. Tonight I probably looked as though I had taken leave of my senses at the poker table. A complete grind for six hours and no reward. I started saying "tweet tweet" and "gobble gobble" and looked like I was going insane due to being card dead. I probably am insane, but at least I have a reason.

Recently I reared a young blackbird of only a few days old, after it's nest had been predated, and released it after five weeks. There was a bang on my back door at around 2am and there it was sitting. I don't know how it got there because it could hardly fly. Neighbours found several dead young blackbirds around the area. My partner and I kept saying "tweet tweet" to it. It walked all over the place and sounded as though it was answering us. It sang along to Lana Del Rey, and Emily Sande, and even got used to Rush. From it's tweets it sounded like it was asking questions about everything it found in the room. On day of release it sat on the chair beside me even though I had opened the door. It closed it's eyes on occasions, then opened them and sat there looking at me. Finally after an hour or two it hopped along the floor and flew into the garden. Success. It seems to have adapted well.

My partner said no matter how bad things are at the poker table, don't forget the tweet, because sitting there with it on its day of release, as though it was saying goodbye to us, was a very special experience, and that's what life is all about. For the final week or two, it looked as though it was getting too tame and too attached to me, as it used to follow me about the place and that wasn't good. The whole point was to raise it so it could be released into the wild, where it belongs. A success. Sometimes life is good - although mostly it isn't!

Probably 10-12 years ago-ish, we did something similar, but this was a Thrush, not a Blackbird. Every year it came back begging for food, sometimes brining it's chicks with it to be fed. This was the same time every night, Last year we didn't get any visits at all, and so far this year we haven't seen any signs of it's offspring.

You've started something now!!

Q

[Quincy]

I'm having a bit of a hard time these days. I'll try to explain it with my forever-bad English!

This morning, I had "the" talk with my boyfriend and I told him that it was over. Our relation was really complicated: we met in 2008 in France and in August 2010, he flight back to his native country to get a job in his field of study so he could apply for canadien immigration. In 2011, he sent his form to the Canadian office in charge of people from his country and at the beginning of 2012, he received his acknowledgment of receipt. Since then, we didn't get any news from the immigration office.
I'm doing my PhD, he's working as a teacher and we never had the possibility to be together since he left: visa, plane tickets...: it's complicated, expensive and we don't have time to travel for many weeks.
Everything was going well for the first 2 years (I can be very patient!), but the last 5-6 months were really tough. Our conversations on Skype became less frequent and we began suffering the inevitable effects of time and distance. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about breaking up with him and today, I decided to tell him.
He told me he felt that we were not as close as we used to be, but still, he was shocked, sad and a bit angry at me.
We will talk about it again soon, so after the shock, he will be able to share his thoughts with me.
It's weird, like if our conversation was unreal... I think reality will hit me in the next few days.

I know this is an old thread, but I hope that you're OK now. You have my sympathy. I'm lucky that I found my much better half quite young (I was 22 when I got married), and despite our many quarrels, spats and ups/downs, I know that I'd be the BIG loser if anything happened to her.
My son is still trying to find "the right one" and I know it's getting to him (Despite him strenuously denying this!,) it's not that he's an ugly little bugger (He's a good looking lad, much like his father!) but there's much more pressure on the young to achieve at all cost. This is wrong on so many levels.
There are many more social pressures on younger people these days than when I was a lad, (Yes, I can remember that era!!) and despite what the media tells you, life can be simpler.
I hope the Phd goes well, sort that out first, then take the next step.
Talking of Phd, I'm now going to listen to "I won't let you down" Good song!!

Q

[TheSquirrel]

Probably 10-12 years ago-ish, we did something similar, but this was a Thrush, not a Blackbird. Every year it came back begging for food, sometimes brining it's chicks with it to be fed. This was the same time every night, Last year we didn't get any visits at all, and so far this year we haven't seen any signs of it's offspring.

You've started something now!!

Q

Respect - the wildlife expert near me says thrushes are very hard to rear and quite often die. I had one that got tame and flew past the window so I would throw something for the newly born chicks. It wasn't hand reared though, it just got tame. Sadly thrushes are getting rarer and rarer. The worst thing about hand rearing is getting up at 5am or 6am to feed then dragging yourself back to bed.

I agree with your comments about pressure on the young. Is it worse now though? I thought it was always bad.
When I was young I tried to divorce myself from what was expected of me, which made me quite perverse and maybe could have pushed me over the edge. Was it me reacting or being stupid? I don't know. All I know is I lived life quite fully for a while, and they were possibly the best years of my life, but I could easily have killed myself with excess, and nearly did.

I agree about those pressures having a negative effect though, and it takes an iron will to follow your own path. Life is supposed to be fun, especially when you're young, and that's what I would say to anyone who is young (or even old), life is short, enjoy it as much as you can, while you still can. That probably sounds ridiculous coming from a deeply cynical miserable bugger.

[Karine]

I know this is an old thread, but I hope that you're OK now. You have my sympathy. I'm lucky that I found my much better half quite young (I was 22 when I got married), and despite our many quarrels, spats and ups/downs, I know that I'd be the BIG loser if anything happened to her.
My son is still trying to find "the right one" and I know it's getting to him (Despite him strenuously denying this!,) it's not that he's an ugly little bugger (He's a good looking lad, much like his father!) but there's much more pressure on the young to achieve at all cost. This is wrong on so many levels.
There are many more social pressures on younger people these days than when I was a lad, (Yes, I can remember that era!!) and despite what the media tells you, life can be simpler.
I hope the Phd goes well, sort that out first, then take the next step.
Talking of Phd, I'm now going to listen to "I won't let you down" Good song!!

Q

I feel much better now, thank you for asking! I'm fine with my decision and I think my ex-boyfriend is okay with it too. My PhD goes very well: it's my last year, I can't wait to finish it!

[Quincy]

And finally.....

After 2 1/2 years of hospitals, surgery, been prodded and poked by every man and his dog.............I've been finally discharged after my accident in April 2011. My eyesight is as good as it was prior to the accident, no more headaches either!! This is a big, big bonus because I was told at one point that I was likely to be totally blind in one eye and limited vision in the other. I was cleared by my consultant to fly in August and I finally, finally, got off to New York in September for a holiday. On the last 2 occasions I was to fly to the US I had to cancel (On one occasion being "Deplaned" as a result of food poisoning).

On the dark side,this accident cost me dear financially. I've lost approx. £20k in wages, solicitors, court fees, private investigators etc. I was pursued through the courts for compensation for personal injury to a fellow bus passenger!! I was robbed by a "Good Samaritan" on the bus!! I can go on and on but I won't, life is once again great. I can see

Q

[Karine]

And finally.....

After 2 1/2 years of hospitals, surgery, been prodded and poked by every man and his dog.............I've been finally discharged after my accident in April 2011. My eyesight is as good as it was prior to the accident, no more headaches either!! This is a big, big bonus because I was told at one point that I was likely to be totally blind in one eye and limited vision in the other. I was cleared by my consultant to fly in August and I finally, finally, got off to New York in September for a holiday. On the last 2 occasions I was to fly to the US I had to cancel (On one occasion being "Deplaned" as a result of food poisoning).

On the dark side,this accident cost me dear financially. I've lost approx. £20k in wages, solicitors, court fees, private investigators etc. I was pursued through the courts for compensation for personal injury to a fellow bus passenger!! I was robbed by a "Good Samaritan" on the bus!! I can go on and on but I won't, life is once again great. I can see

Q

That's wonderful! I'm really happy for you!
I hope the great joy that you feel will help you to forget the bad memories related to the accident (or at least, to live more peacefully with it).

[Karine]

Hello all!

I hope you're having a great time. In four days, we'll be in 2014! I wish you a very happy New Year and all the best: happiness, health and lots of love! (and new songs from Sarah!)

Here are my resolutions and my wishes for 2014:
- To work hard on my thesis. I only have 4 months left to finish it, so I will stay focus!
- To take more care of my health: eat well (less meat and sugar; more veggies and fruits) and do more exercise
- I wish to have a great thesis defense, without to much critics from the jury
- I wish to finally get my doctorate degree
- Last but not least, I wish to find a job that I'll like

What about you?

[CarolCiola]

Hi Karine!

You're very studious! You'll certainly do it all, you seem very determined, that's good

This year I've learned to let things happen (didn't mean to cross the arms, but taking the opportunities), this way many good things happend in my life. So that's why I don't do much plans anymore, but here are some things I hope to do in 2014:

- Make another trip by cruising at the end of the year (this year I realized this dream, and wish a second round!)
- Take my international passport
- Take practice on driving ('cause I have the license about 3 years and never drove (shame on me)
- Back to study some course related of my profession (I work with Informatics), even if it is a recycling course
- Finish my practice classes of drums
- Like you Karine, I need to do some exercises and eat more healthy things
- And.. I am really decided saving some coins and see some Sarah's show in 2014, if she doesn't come to Brazil, I'll have to go to Canada or something. I've been practicing my English and want to be in some place that I can work on it 24 hours. See Sarah live wolud be a good bonus ^^

[Karine]

Driving, great resolution!
The last time I drove a car was in 2010, so I will have to practice when I'll come back home.

I hope you'll be able to do all this in 2014 Carol!

[Islandflyer]

Driving, great resolution!
The last time I drove a car was in 2010, so I will have to practice when I'll come back home.

I hope you'll be able to do all this in 2014 Carol!

Wow, Karine. No driving in 4 years. That will be fun. Can I watch? HaHa! Go for it, Carol!

Happy New Year, all!

Ed