If I Had a Time Machine....

I'd go back to the eighties most definitely.....I had my best times in the 80's and the summers were all long and hot (rose tinted my ass). Also I turned 10 years old in 1989 so I spent my most adventurous and inquisitive years in the 80's. The TV wasn't half bad either; The A-team, MacGyver, Airwolf, Magnum P.I., Knight Rider (though looking back The Hoff's acting ability was more stolic than the cars). So it is with much distained that I had comply with the rigors of time and 'celebrate' my 27th....yes 27th birthday, even if I still feel around 10 on the inside.

I wasn't a total loss my flatmates from uni came for a visit, no small journey for either since Nat's from Cornwall and Ally lives in N. Ireland. The weather held for some pleasant, though nowhere near as hot, sunny days and I gave the girls a whirlwind tour of the local areas. This didn't take long but a highlight must be the 'rowing' trip on Swanbourne Lake in Arundel.

For many years the lake has had little to no water in it as the local water company 'borrowed' drinking water in the times of drought. With this year being one of the hottest on record I was expecting the lake to be a desert but was pleasantly surprised when it was as healthy as it had been when I was a kid. Natty treated me and Ally to a rowing session and I took a seat to relax and enjoy the ride.....10 minutes later we hadn't even managed to leave the jetty area, even though the chap running things had kicked us out so many times I actually lost count! Poor Ally just doesn't seem to have the co-ordination for the complex equation of oars in water equals forward motion.

Oh well, it was highly entertaining and we even gathered a crowd....should have made a collection for the entertainment. When we eventually made it further than a few feet away from the jetty, as Nat took sole responsibility of the rowing, Ally decided she'd figured it out and had another go.....we spent the next five minutes going in circles! Finally, after nearly getting sandbanked on the island in the middle of the lake, we got back to the jetty. The poor guy who owned the boats couldn't believe that the three of us were not only University students (well let's face it they take just about anybody these days) but that one of us had just graduated in Marine Biology and was a lifeguard and representative of the RNLI....neh, you win some you lose some.