the day that snowboarding finally clicked in my head
my week of snowboarding lessons were demoralising - after spunking all my money on flights to switzerland; after blowing a fortune on a board and all the gear; after bruising my entire body in lesson-induced falls - i was still a complete phlid, unable to stand up or turn. i was very upset.

in a last ditch attempt, i dragged my arse up the tallest mountain and launched myself down the hill.

and i didnt fall. i fucking soared. i tore down the deserted piste, and no bugger got in my way.

serendipity.

i got back to the top, and i was so excited, i had to sit down. and i'm not making this up - as i gazed in happiness over the vast snowfields - the clouds broke and the sun shone on me. and bittersweet symphony came on over the bar stereo.

i wept like an injured child. i was THAT happy.
(big fat lazy man on a sofa is giving his piles a bloody good clawing, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 16:17, Reply)

I agree with AmazonGirl... Zelda64 was beautiful.

( Naive Amoeba Bored Cig, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 16:12, Reply)

LSD and Ecstacy
At the same time. Sod meditation, take medication - the fast track to Nirvana*.

(Mind you it was less of a 'moment', more of a cracking 8 hours - oh to be young and wasted again...)

*The Buddhist version of deep and soulful inner peace, not the baggy-topped teenager wannabe grunge-worshipper's idea, where happiness means blowing your brains out because you're terminally depressed as you married a crack whore - and a rough one at that.
(incrediblemonkeydoctor www.rantatsomeone.com - go on, have a rant, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:56, Reply)

Sitting in Canada Square Park
Listening to the Glen Miller Band that was playing, sitting on a rug with a load of other people around all drinking wine and eating, everyone enjoying themselves and the summer sun glinting off the towers. Perfect.
Then he asked me to marry him. Awwwwwwww

Said no mind. total wanker.
(smartcat, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:54, Reply)

Mono Sex
The day I realised that my piss stick was not just for pissing.
(mrdiddle, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:37, Reply)

The first time I heard
my daughter, aged about 13 months, fart and then laugh at herself made me smile like a loon.

Pretty much everything she does makes my life worth living....

Edit : Just remembered the fact that I changed a shitty nappy at 5am this morning which sort of makes a mockery of my second sentence....
( Goatworrier had your mum and she was shit, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:36, Reply)

well..
moments are what makes life, snapshots mixed into a whole load of boring crap (usually spent earning the right to have the special moments)

some of mine:
getting the keys to my first proper sportscar and driving it out of the showroom to a cd of "seek and destroy" by metallica loudly.
scuba diving with a whale shark
paragliding totally on my own the first time (first flight after getting license)
dinner in the jules verne restaurant in the eiffel tower with a girl that i love

discovering B3TA
( pregnantfridge, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:34, Reply)

Muvva
Most recently and the one that stands above all the rest is my mum getting the all clear from having been diagnosed with and having intrusive surgery to treat breast cancer. I've never understood the term "weight off your shoulders" properly until that point.

Another is pretty much identical to Albert the Fish's (let's hope it wasn't the same women). The first kiss with a married women which led to a complicated affair afterwards. I've never experienced anything like it before or since. I'd like to think if it does happen again with someone else someday she i) won't be married and ii) won't later discover she's got her twunt of a husband's bun in her oven :)

What a cheerful qotw for a Friday afternoon!
( dan j the filthy bastard, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:34, Reply)

Can I just say.....
....I have to confess that when I saw what this weeks QOTW was, I was disappointed and thought it was going to be a non-starter, but having read other's posts and giving my own some serious thought, I suddenly feel very privileged to be able to share with you all.

Isn't life wonderful?!! People, go out and make nice memories.....
(Desolation Angel, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:32, Reply)

First love
Ah, first love.
After a long day at college, me and my (unfortunately ex) girlfriend were feeling a bit tired. After getting cozy in the bed, we both fell asleep.

The moment when we both woke up in a happy sleepy haze at exactly the same time, looking right into each other's big brown eyes, was a beautiful thing.

Bless.
(HobbitNobbit, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:26, Reply)

the REAL ibiza
Sat on beach-like cove with me three best mates in the world.
Few beers, chillout blasting out, watching the sun set. Then we watched the moon rise...and the moon set.
Great mates, great scenery, great beer and great booze.
(Milkmelikeacow, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:25, Reply)

that slow deep burn of pride in your stomach and chest.
happened about 3 times so far...

one time much like the chaps further down at the last brass concert I performed at (had to quit because of capita problems) I was called up for a solo, The Ploughboy (I was an Eb Bass player) I play it without a fault and decidedly take the octave higher route at the end, once again flawless. I take my bow and head for my seat when my condctor comes over to me and passes me a moleste award trophy, and then listened to ten minutes of why people are going to miss me.

another time waking up in a moors with the warm sun heating my face, on a slab of warming limestone, and watching a incredibly hot lady pass by on a horse me being about 30 ft above on this slab of limestone, and walking with her to her stables. Never saw her again unfortunately.

oh and when climbing... hanging on an overhand on one arm and realising all my pro had fallen out otehr than a cam/friend near the base. When I made the manouvre and missed the moment of realisation and panic as my arm found a pocket and kept me hanging. Phew.

Apologies for length/sexiness
( GrandmaOfShoes, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:24, Reply)

When I was in the middle of doing my GCSE's
The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of time came out.

Everything about it calmed me down for the exams, and everything about it was beautiful (except the bastard zombies!).

Will always stay with me.
( Blobcat Less Jaffacakes this year, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:22, Reply)

Recognition Day
[if it seems all I post is military college tales, I apologize]

The Citadel was a grueling place (I assume it still is, I just know what it was like when I was there...before women). As a Freshman, you are under the "Fourth Class System" for the ENTIRE year. Until, 3 days before the graduation of the Seniors. It’s crap. The whole year is pretty much people shitting on you and making you hurt. Think fraternity hazing 24/7.

That is, until 3 days before graduation. They have a "P.T. Run" and that run is about 15 miles, with breaks here and there to abuse you with calisthenics...push-ups, flutter-kicks, grass drills (running in place and then diving onto the ground) etc. At the end of the run the following is the list of injuries in my Company of perhaps 19 cadets:
1 broken ankle
3 sprained ankles
1 broken wrist
2 chipped teeth (the cadet/freshman in question passed out, mid-stride, on the run)
Abrasions too numerous to count
And just about every freshman in Bravo Company had a shredded PT T-shirt

We were covered in dirt, scrapes, bruises and soaked in sweat, mud and swamp water. Sucking air, some of us unable to stand for the formation.

And then, one of the upperclassmen, my Squad Sergeant (a Junior), walked over to me and he held out his hand for me to shake and he said "My name is Jim." It’s the first time an upperclassman cadet tells you his first name. You are "Recognized" as worth knowing.

I cried like a baby because it was all over. Every single drop of blood, every single bruise, scrape, twisted ankle(in my case - every broken rib)...suddenly it was all worth it. I had survived the crucible and had emerged a "Citadel Man".

That was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful moments of my life.

Apologies for length...

Semper Fi,

Sean
edit: sometimes, when you look back, you realize how overly serious we took ourselves at that school. Still, it made it all worth it. :)
( Citadel Because the world needs less morons, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:22, Reply)

I hate flying
Everytime the aeroplane lands safely is the most beautiful moment of my life so far.
(ottaky, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:21, Reply)

Summer holidays last year
A tent pitched in a field or round someone's house, beer, great friends, long summer evenings and conversations running through to the dawn. Pack up, move on next day in our mate's clapped out Seat Ibiza playing songs that remind me of last summer. Repeat.

Those were the days.
(mister_charlie, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:21, Reply)

Laugh
After the meal, after the port, and the cigars, the cabin of our little yacht on the river started to warm up. And the stories and reminiscences and jokes began. Then, when we were laughing so hard it hurt, my mate found one more pun to add on to the end. And I laughed harder. Unable to breathe, or think, or move I slumped forward into the table, weeping, drooling and shaking.

I think I laughed as hard as it's possible to laugh without losing consciousness. For those 20 seconds I was just a little ball of human happiness with no beginning or end or reason to it.
(steer, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:16, Reply)

ooh, and the first time
I played diarrhea dan.

spesh shul.
(Drunkendragon, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:16, Reply)

The birth of my daughter
will always be the most incredible moment of my life, I was choked with emotion and giddy for weeks. Nearly four years down the line I still can't get over how beautiful she is.
2nd is the moment I first kissed a married woman I had an affair with years ago, the whole world stopped completely, nothing else existed, she was perfect and so was the moment. Til she went back to her husband...
3rd I was cycling down a dark country lane at night, middle of nowhere, no street lights, coming down a hill when I saw a car heading toward me, it's headlights on full beam. The explosion of light from beneath the canopy of trees blinded me temporarily, everything was bursting with light like the image of heaven we get from hollywood films like Ghost or whatever. I couldn't see jack but I felt like I was flying through this endless white expanse. Like a good shag it only lasted about thirty seconds and this description in no way does the experience any justice but it was awesome, impossible to explain....
(Jam Mister Geordie wants to build bridges, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:12, Reply)

It's all lovely
1 Getting the right balance of cheese and chips at the pub when I went for lunch today - then swamping the lot with vinegar. Yum. I'm easily pleased.
2 Watching Mrs Bacon when she gets back from work and crashes out on the sofa [she works too hard for too little money]. If she could smile like that when she was awake the fluffiness would be unbearable. But that's what happens when you work too hard for too little. Her bosses don't even pay her for half of it, even though they promised to last year. Twunts.

Jeez - just realised that if stuff like that makes me happy my life must be somewhat lacking. Who'd be a freelance...

Edit: Late night Syd Barrett sessions should also get a mention. Every time a joy.
(Chris P Bacon, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:05, Reply)

I don''t know if there really is one.
stand here in the silence
listen to the buzz
watch the hours rattle by
feel your heart beat numb

shake away the silence
shake away the tears

footsteps echo in the hall
they're not for you
some one in the back room
watching what you do

shake away the silence
shake away the tears

in your dying moment you are
born again
in a world you left you send
your healed soul
into all men

but there again you'll wake up
and pound against the shore
all the lives you've made up
find your current, find your door

shake away the silence
shake away the tears.
(Drunkendragon, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 15:04, Reply)

West Virginia stars.
Spent a summer teaching horse riding at a camp for girls in West Virginia, a truly awesome time all round. The most beautiful moment was taking my group of kids down to the main field and forcing them to lay quietly and look at the stars. No light pollution as we were in the middle of nowhere so I spent a good half hour staring at the brightest stars I have ever seen, the only sound was the buzz of crickets and I was completely absorbed by this one really bright star winking at me in the dark, velvety sky- absolute bliss.
(tears_of_joy., Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:41, Reply)

Those profound moments...
when the world just... makes sense. I have these beautiful moments of understanding where everything is clear and perfect. They only finish when I suddenly realise I'm going to forget this moment yet again and this profound... bliss/knowledge is going to slip away again.

It's the only possible 'argument' for some kind of soul, what else can contain all that joy? Completely irrational of course and there are no souls but sometimes I can hope.

Sorry for seriousness. [edit] and pretention? If it helps I had a really satisfying piss earlier [/Edit]
(CMEast, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:39, Reply)

Kremlin, Amsterdam
A few years back when I lived in Amsterdam. I’d been watching footie & drinking all afternoon, got home and had a few more beers, decided it’d be a good idea to accept an invitation to go to a club with the beautiful Finnish girl I’d been obsessed with for the previous 12 months and would have been quite happy to marry on the spot had she asked.

Mmmm...we danced a bit, I was drinking straight JD’s for some reason (I NEVER drink spirits when out), we went to the chill out bit, she sat on a circular bench type thing, there was no more room so I sat on the floor, in between her legs, she was stroking my head...mmmmmm. I could quite happily have stayed there for the rest of my life. I still have the entrance ticket stub, no. 11927.


Nothing happened later though.


She was a right cocktease :-(
(ryry, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:23, Reply)

Norway and Thailand
1. Spent a few days at friends in Norway for new years in 2003, while we were there the fjord their house overlooks froze over.

On New Years Day, a few of us went for a walk on the ice, amazing view standing out in the middle of this frozen fjord.

2. Stayed in a hotel in the golden triangle area of Thailand, waking up one morning, walking out onto the balcony, there was low lying mist from the mekong river over the grass. Add to this we were in Thailand and could see Laos and Myanmar(Burma)
(loquis, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:18, Reply)

Smile, your on camera
Holding my brothers new born, premature, IVF prompted baby for the first time.
And I dont care if the uninformed people say it was just gas, He did smile at me!
(gristy Twice as a rabbit, but oh, how a reputation sticks, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:13, Reply)

Hedehogs.
Fell asleep with a mate (Jason) in a field in Glyn Cerriog once. We were totally wankered, and it was a full moon: we'd been watching for shooting stars.
I woke up with a VERY wierd noise in my ear.
Snuffling around my semi-comatose self was a hedehog. With Jase still out cold, I picked up Mrs Tiggywinkle, (who showed her objection by curling up into an ikkle ball) and put her on Jase's chest.

I then sat back and waited. Jase screamed for two reasons. 1, when Mrs Tiggy woke up, she pottered aruond JAse's chest fora bit, then investigated his face. Just as Jase was becoming aware of a wierd animal walking all over him, Tiggy licked the inside of his nose! Then, 2, Jase tried to brush Tiggy off, adn got a little spike under his fingernail. The 'pain' and 'Horror' Screams Combined to make a rather funny squeal.
Beautiful moment.
( Humpty Dumpty was Pushed Is unaware of having any limits., Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:02, Reply)

In the meadow at dusk
It's beautiful, believe me.
( krang, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:01, Reply)

Last year
whent camping with some of my closest mates...
(somewhere in wales)
Got trollied on various drugs and alcohol and spent the days staring at the river and the mountains in the gorgeous sunshine...

Beautiful...
(Kayozz, Fri 11 Mar 2005, 14:00, Reply)