Mishaps and the Big Cornish Write Up Part 3

The forecast for the weekend just gone was warm, dry and most of all sunny...whoopee I thought, since the winter is fast approaching this may be the last time I can get 'out and about' and planned a walk to Kingley Vale on the Sunday with my Pa....I went to work on Saturday as per and about two hours in was unloading the delivery (the first shift in the last 5 I've not been on the poxy till I might add) and picked up a pack of dried milks....soon after I was frozen in place by a dozen red hot pokers stabbing into my lower back....I'd pulled a muscle, apparently quite an important one as it was around 6 or 7 minutes before I could even hobble out the back to sit. I left work early and have since been signed off for the week (today being the first day I can sit for a length of time to make an entry....couldn't even put on a pair of socks until yesterday)....and needless to say I didn't get to go on the walk over the Downs of which I was really looking forward to....oh well, at least I have some DVDs for company.

Anyway since I have some time, how about some more holiday write up:

Day 3

Forecast....rain, hmmmm, no surprise there....but anyway I had factored in some wet weather activities and so ambled away from town (down a bloody great hill) and through a picturesque park under an amazing viaduct (that's the train kind not the water kind....and yes I did have to look it up the make sure) to the local zoo. I'd figured if the weather was to be miserable what better way to spend the day than with a bunch of cute and equally bedraggled looking critters.

I somehow managed to time my ambling with several of the feeding times, including the otters, penguins (one of whom appeared to have a cold) and the lioness which was cool....I wiled away a few hours before heading back to base....skipping the ludicrously twisty, turney hill for for steep steps which I happened upon in the park.

Meerkat plus baby Meerkat....can I get an awww.

Ten points if you can you spot the critter in this photo

In the evening I went with Natty to the harbour to watch the rowing practice and instead spent much of the time watching the wild seal with was floating about.Day 4

The only problem with holidaying with oneself and using the power of foot is that it can become quite a mission, indeed of military precision and organisation, to get to where one wants to go and see all which one wants to see.

Today was two trains and a bus (with 2 buses on the return journey) to do the Bodmin and Wenford Steam railway (too much to ask that the national rail service would arrive to Bodmin Parkway station in conjunction with the steam railway timetable which is part of the steam railway route...oh no)....Still I managed to find the main station in town and relaxed for the 40 or so, chuff chuff, minutes journey through the outskirts of Bodmin and into the country...listening, as always, to the intellectual and observational conversation of the couple sitting opposite me which included 'Ooo, look at the trees, they're just like the ones at Centre Parks' and ' how about fish and chips with mushy peas for dinner tonight....there's protein in mushy peas' and also 'they must be goats, they can't be sheep, sheep have black heads and feet' (while looking a field of sheep....the dear lady, who I think was from London, apparently using the image of Wallace and Gromit's Shaun the sheep as a template for all sheep).....meh, provides entertainment for others I spose.It was a nice enough, although a budget stretching, outing but I actually found the mainline train route into Bodmin more scenic than the steam railway route also, and I know I've mentioned it previously but still, if you're ever in the Padstow/Newquay area make sure you take the 556 bus, preferably from the top of a double decker.....a thrill ride which will literally turn your knuckles white....the roads aren't really designed for the buses and incorporate blind corners, ridiculously steep hills and have a tendency to meet 4x4s at break neck speed which involve both vehicles having to 'hedge' as I have termed it.....the whole process is actually 'hope the breaks work...the standoff....the 4x4 back off and the hold ya breath 'hedge' maneuver'

After the immensely enjoyable bus ride I had just about enough time to get fed and watered before us ladies (Natty, her housemate and friends) set out in some truly gnarly weather (the remnants of one of the hurricanes from across the pond) for a movie night in Truro.....the Movie Mamma Mia (which we only realised was the sing-a-long version when we got inside).....this can only be described as the most surreal experience I think I've ever had...the film itself is borderline crazy, funny in a 'what the?' kinda way mix that with the all singing, all dancing audience....pass me the booze please somebody...did I partake in proceedings.....well, when in Rome......

After the viewing we left the theatre slightly gayer than we entered.

Over the Hill and Far Away....

Another gorgeous day...and on my day off too, for a change, and so today I caught the train to Arundel, a local village which has some great views, a Catherdral, boating lake and Castle...the only problem is that considering it's proximity to Worthing it's apparently incredibly difficult to get to....I wanted to walk round Arundel Park and have been trying to get there all summer...there is no bus at the weekends (ridiculous considering the places' popularity) and due to 'works on the line' there are no trains either....and all summer long, when it reached my day off during the week....it rained.

So, anyway, like I said today was a cloudless and positively balmy at 19 degrees so complete with picnic off I trotted....I've been to Arundel and the lovely Swanbourne Lake (which during much of my childhood was devoid of water due to some suspect water board activities) dozens of times in my lifetime...not once however have I been into the adjacent park...which is possibly why shortly after I set off i got a little lost....walked a good mile out of my way, couldn't figure out where the main path was so back tracked and when I finally completed my figure 8 walk (which should have been circular) I realised had I taken a left turn at one point I would have picked up my original path without any trouble what-so-ever...oh well, good for the fitness I guess, since it was up and down, thigh busting goodiness......Oh, and I took some pics too, natch.

What was your view when you had lunch today? Mine was this......

Ooooh, pruddtee

Swanbourne Lake...complete with.....er, lake (which went missing for much of the 80s)

I walked up a track next to the treeline on the left...and shortly after got a bit lost.

Holiday Write up Part 2

Hey ho, a phenomenally crap last couple of days...busy, understaffed, muggin's constantly on till.....the usual....even Green-Eyed Guy couldn't cheer me up yesterday...though I was on my break the time he came in and watched him stroll round the shop via the CCTV....not at all stalkish.

To change the subject completely...figured I'd give the holiday write up another go. So, without further ado:

Day 2
Another gloriously overcast day, I suppose more than one sunny day a month is too much to ask for....anyhoo, overcast but not raining.....so I opted for one of my must do's which would not be enjoyable in drizzle.....The Camel Trail. This is an old railway line between Padstow to Bodmin, via wadebridge...which is now a foot/cycle path.

Due to my non keeness to cycle the round trip, which stands at a thigh busting 23 miles, I figured a sedate one way trip would be the best option....the bike hire company at Padstow had other ideas however, a one way cycle not an option...I was determined to get to Bodmin and I figured if you could hire bikes in Padstow you could in Wadebridge also....so off I trundled....5 and a half miles by the power of foot.

It certainly is scenic, the Camel River a mere stones throw (true indeed, I checked, much to the annoyance of a passing duck) for the duration. I would hate to see the trail during the height of the summer (a word I use loosely) season though as it was busy enough for me on an overcast day in September....the tranquility of my walk spoiled every few minutes by townies, chavs and cotton tops determined to incorporate some 'healthy' into their busy schedule of car/coach touring and fish and chip eating.....Still, I ventured on, safe in the knowledge that in their steadfast concentration in maneuvering their mode of transportation, I was actually observing the countryside and wildlife.

I arrived in Wadebridge a respectable 1 1/2 hours after I had set off and was left with a conundrum....do i risk another 6-7 mile on foot to Bodmin which could mean cutting the catching of two buses back to newquay a little fine or hire a bike to Bodmin and back...equally as risky at 12/13 miles. I opted for B (even though the helpful gent in the cycle shop did say they offered a drop off service in Bodmin) and decided to put my faith in my thighs.

This part of the journey was much more enjoyable....it was much less busy and the river had shrunken to a picturesque and leafy lined body of water rather than the massive expanse between padstow and wadebridge. Another benefit of being on a bike, i soon found, was that the woodland route had yet to dissipate the puddles from previous days....making it much easier to pass than on foot...though in retrospect I'm thinking I should have passed through the largest puddle (which covered the entire width of the path and was several feet long) with a slow approach and an air of caution than with the 'bat out of hell' and 'feet in the air' approach which sprayed water everywhere and left my jeans from the shins down feeling a tad soggy (jolly good fun though). By the time I reached the outskirts of Bodmin, and baring in mind I had a 2 1/2 hour bus journey, I opted to turn round and hoof it back to Wadebridge.

Speaking of bus journeys, the one from Newquay to Padstow is definately worth while. I made sure I sat on the coastal side and the top deck of the double decker and immersed myself in the outstanding views...the journey though perhaps not for the faint of heart due to the narrow lanes, sharp bends and steep declines into the beach resort areas. Not without its hiccups either as the bus was nearly a half hour late leaving (due to a breakdown) which meant some passengers were less than chirpy....shortly after leaving Newquay the bus was held up first by a learner driver and then a street cleaner and the passengers chuckled at the situation....all except a lady positioned behind me who asked her husband, in a less than impressed tone, why everyone else was laughing...to which he answered wearily 'they find it funny dear....something you wouldn't know about' (the golden years indeed)

Back to Reality and Part 1 of the Big Cornish Trip Write Up

Cooeee, yeah yeah I know I've been back from hols for nearly two weeks now and not a single tale of my exploits...thing is, I wrote everything down while I was away and took plenty of pictures for those who freak out at large bodies of text on a page (you know who you are Josh)....but I've been tardy and trying to settle back into my vacuous routine at work...and the weather on my days off has been so nice I've been attempting to make the most of it by getting out and about locally before autumn temps and 4.00pm sunsets set in....Last Sunday for example I took myself off to Cissbury Ring (An Iron age fort) which sports some great views of the surrounding villages and Downland and is a healthy 7 mile round trip.




So that was the weekend...this week has seen an increase in the population of West Worthing/Goring....which is the only conclusion I can drawn as to the immense popularity of Co-op and a constant stream of customers who seem to have a problem with the current speed of the Earths' revolution....then again of course there is Green-Eyed-Guy who has graced the shop floor with his presence during my shift twice this week, but as always led to nothing more than wistful looks and slightly cringe worthy conversation on my part and probably a desire to find a new place to food shop on his.....

But anyway....Cornwall, I fear this may have to continue over a few entries as I was super busy and wandered far and wide covering at least 45 miles on foot...over hills and cliffs....I now have thigh muscles rather than something usually found in the bottom of a bucket of KFC.

The train journey was long and arduous...having to go north to London before being able to get a direct train to Cornwall instead of a day of changing trains and dragging luggage which is the coastal route....and the day before my travels the country was quite literally drowned after a months worth of rain in a day particularly in the region in which I was now traveling....the train at one point slowing to a crawl to negotiate a particularly water logged area where cattle were huddled pathetically on the only dry patch under a tree, a farmer was pondering the best course of action from the opposite side of the field and the train line was mere inches from becoming swamped somewhere in the middle....still we did make it through and I arrived in Newquay late afternoon....my very good friend and lifeguard extraordinaire Natty met me and I was given a whistle stop tour of the area after dumping my stuff....her house share is amazing by the way with an actual kitchen with an actual oven and a lounge/dinner area complete with an open fire....not that I'm at all jealous, nothing at all attractive about an open log fire in a snuggly lounge on a cold autumn evening...nope, not at all.

In the evening we wandered down to the harbour and the rowing club, of which Nat's a member, for some drinks and catching up....it's safe to say i truly miss my ex flatmates company and wish it wasn't quite such mission to get over to see her...it's also safe to say the alcohol on an empty stomach is a less than wise idea....as is the shortcut through the ever-so-creepy graveyard we took on the way back home.....Travelling took it's toll and I was 'Z' bound before 11pm.

Natty's part of a rowing team (using the pilot gig boats, what was the old lifeboat back in the day) and it just so happened I had arrived on a competition weekend....so on the first sunny day in over a month I wandered down to the harbour, met Natty, and was hustled on board a fishing boat to watch one of the races out on the route itself....now I'd like to say I took loads of pictures but the boat was rolling around a fair bit and I choose to cling onto the rigging rather than fall arse over tit...and possibly overboard. It was great fun....and unlike young Natalie, by her own admission prefers to be in the water rather than on it, I maintained a pink rather than a green complexion.

Back in the harbour, and with the races continuing, I bade Natty fairly well as I was keen for some exploring...she pointed out a nearby coastal path overlooking the harbour and off I trotted. Cornwall really is a fantastic place for views and I wandered past the Headland Hotel (which those who recall the film the Witches may recognise) along the sand dunes parallel to the popular Fistral Beach and out to Pentire Point, where I watched the waves before walking back to the house.

Well there you go, that's about as much as I can manage for now...enjoy the pretty pics...and in the words of SGA (of which I have just about caught up with) To Be Continued.....

In Brief

Hidey Ho There, and guess who's back from holiday...just a short entry as I'm tired and working my way through two if not three loads of washing....bah humbug...oh well...I had an amazing time in Cornwall and then this last weekend in London; visiting friends, hanging out and exploring on foot like the the worldwas about to be sucked into some kind of Black Hole void due to an crazy experiment by a group of mad scientists ;-)

So, I will write up everything, with pictures, just as soon as I get my own computer back, which has been rather poorly and decided to wipe everything from my hard drive and go completely kaput....dunno went I'll be able to get it sorted, or afford to get it sorted, so I may be absent from cyberspace for a little while....unless my lovely housemate Clogs lets me use her laptop for a while...I can pay in party rings?....

So anyway, watch this space.

Weird Weather and Other Gumpf

Just thought I'd share these images taken by my very good self after a recent storm which had the audacity to wake me from my slumber last Sunday at 7.20am (a time which I am very rarely accustomed too...unless still awake from the night before)....so anyway these are called Mammatus clouds and are an apparent rarity, especially for West Worthing...and for extra me kudos the word is derived from the Latin word for 'breast' because of the clouds hanging down appearance from the main cloud (happens to the best of us ;-) )

So, there you go...learn summit new everyday dontcha...well I'm off to pack and hopefully I shall return in a couple of weeks with a fixed computer, lots of holiday pics (hopefully less of the above stormy variety) and at last something of interest to Blog about, which doesn't involve me dealing with condescending imbeciles who can't find eggs less than 4 feet in front of them.

Freaky Friday's and Holiday Plans

I'm officially counting down the days until my holiday to visit friends for some serious catching up, exploring and walking (weather permitting) and possibly some surfing down on the Cornish coast....There's a possibility I may even spark off some inspiration since my love of all things literary has taken a severe decline in recent days/weeks/months....Cornwall, for those who've never set foot in the general direction, harks back to the stormy days of smuggling/wrecking and the general debauchery of treasure seeking and unruly pirateness (a little less Disney-fied and ever-so-slightly Rummed-up Johnny Depp and a little more 'luring boats onto rocks, slitting the throats of unsuspecting sailors and making off with the illicit spoils')...something which entices a morbid fascination with my good self and was the theme of many Tom-boy adventures of my childhood.

So, yup, basically I cant wait and considering the continuation of freakishly disturbed clientele in the good ship Co-op (one of whom took umbrage to the entire shops staff and repeatedly threw obscenities at all after being asked to leave before maturely throwing his shopping at a supervisor....who wisely and sprightly side stepped the Pizza and Vodka missile)....This is, of course, after the altercation of a previous week which started with impatient, moronic, middle-aged and balding male exaggerating the diminishing lifespan of his chosen food stuffs whilst waiting for a pensioner to count out 15 pence worth of change, and ended with my ever patient-self spewing forth with the highly educated and intellectual descriptive of his character as a complete 'Tit' and vacating the till point mid transaction.....Urgh, I growl at my own red-misted inability to retort with something more satisfying and contemptuous toward the ingrate than average playground banter....but then at the time it was the only PG phrase which jumped out in my mind!

And to make matters worse, there has been a severe Green-Eyed drought in recent days...now merging into weeks...my shift patterns seemingly working against any chance of Cupid working his magic....though my in house spies have managed to deduce that Green-Eyed Guy also goes by the name of 'Rob' and likes a bacon brekkie when nursing the post Bank Holiday hang over.

My Post About Nothing Excting

My life has taken a turn for the inane and boring and the current weather is even worse...gone are the shorts and out come the thermals...in the five minutes it took me to cycle home from work this afternoon I ended up being as drippy as Drippy McDripperson from Dripperton on the Dripshire coast....bah!!

Work continues to kill off brain cells at a steady rate and I have even started to dream about the place....which usually involves me being completely stressed out and yelling at stupid customers...especially the ones on their mobile phones....grrrr, one day I will write the idiots guide to shop etiquette, since it is so obviously needed...it will also come with a step-by-step guide on how to open plastic carrier bags since 99.9% of people seem complete incapable of doing so, even when I have partially opened the bag for them...a few others include:

8am-10pm means 8am-10pm….we don’t open at 7am the sign says 8am…we don’t close at 11pm…the sign says 10pm…geddit

Freaky staring children...Oi, parental unit...please remove the freaky staring child who is disturbing my scanning fungshui

customer ‘can I have cashback?’ me ‘yep’….long pause….me ‘ and how much would you like’ (since my mind reading abilities seem to have taken the day off.)

and

I finished scanning items…me ‘do you have a co-op card’….customer ‘and 20richmondsuperkingmenthol’ I get cigarettes ‘and do you have a co-op card….customer ‘and a pack of green rizzlas’….i get the rizzlas ‘and do you have a co-op card?’ customer ‘and a bottle of London gin’…I get the gin ‘is there anything else?...ignored ‘how much is that’ ‘£XX.XX’ I take the money and give the receipt ‘oh I have a co-op card…is it too late to use it’…me ‘If I kill you now I will be doing a great service world’s retail assistants’

On the plus side there is the green-eyed guy who, although only putting in an appearance but once a week, brightens up my day no end....since I initiated conversation some weeks ago we have had many pleasant conversations about the weather and...er...well just the weather...I really need to get some new material...something which has a beginning, middle and end, displays my discerning wit and brilliant personality and fills the 15-30 seconds it takes to serve the guy....oh, which reminds me, whilst watching a recent episode of SGA I realised that Ronan (aka Jason Momoa) has the same luscious green eyes and after some scouting found this:


Which is actually a pretty good likeness to my own Green-Eyed Guy...seriously, it's uncanny...though my Green-Eyed Guy does smiley rather than mean and moody and forms whole words rather than growls.

Okay...enough perving....seriously enough.....don't make make get a bucket of cold water....thank you....the weekend just gone played an important role in my 'doing absolutely nothing constructive Sunday' which involved staying in my PJ's and watching 5....yes, that was 5....dvds in a row....and these were simple, no cognitive effort needed dvds, namely...ahem...D.A.R.Y.L (kudos to those who can tell me the meaning behind the acronym), Flight of the Navigator, SpaceCamp, E.T. and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen....Ooo, and for extra kudos if anyone knows the connection between the first three (it's tenuous, but there is one).

So there you go, that's me...I promise to come up with something insightful and exciting soon...like when I win the lotto and can blow this joint (hopefully with green-eyed guy)

My Precious

Ugh, another year closer to being officially old...so how come I still get all excited when I see Party Rings huh?........Whatever....Ooo, and lookit my Precious:

Right well I'm off to spend some quality time with Jesen and Jared ;-)