» Stuff I've found

Battlecat!
Almost seven years ago now, my then gf ( and right nutter) wanted to have a look at the animals at the SPCA. Fair enough, i agreed, and off we went.

The first room was full of yer bunnies/rodents/small stinky things, neh, no thanks. About as fun as watching paint dry.

I lasted about 3 minutes in the dog kennels, leaving with tears in my eyes, feeling my resolve weakening with every yelp and ruffruff.

To the kittehs! The room was stacked floor to ceiling with all types of kittehs in cages, and in the corner was a "time-out room" where you and your pick of the litter could spend some quiet time, seeing how you both git along like. Unfortunately 2 cats were being mauled by 2 young children in said room, so it wasn't an option.
Perusing the cages i come by thgis little guy, calm as a cucumber, laying near the back of his cage. The sign said he was a four month old stray, and was VERY VOCAL! For shits and giggles i ask to see the kitteh, sat in a chair in the corner of the room with him, the attendants camouflage us behind some fake rubber trees. He lays across my shoulders, looking at me all matter-of-factly.

"fuck me!" methinks, 'I'll take him says I!"

His name is battlecat and i don't even know where i'd be without him, the old prick.
(Sun 9th Nov 2008, 3:56, More)

» Tightwads

Moosies
Miggyman's story reminds me of a far off time, when i would work the summers to bugger off and live in the mountains for the winter, fornicating, drinking and snowboarding.

This being the early nineties, the resort printed the same ticket for every day of the week - the only thing that changed was the dates (obviously), and there were no bar codes or scanners on the hill, ergo it was almost impossible to discern a valid ticket from the next, regardless what day of the week it was. It mostly fell to the liftie's eyeballs to bust you or not, and they being usually as hungover as we were or annoyed at watching everyone else steal all the fresh, didn't give a rat's ass anyhow.

With this in mind, I neglected to buy a season's pass when I arrived, and dutifully collected all the spent passes I could find, from friends, people leaving for the day, or just in the parking lot where most of them would end up. I would then proceed home, and with my trusty scalpel doctor a pass with the extra numbers and the like to make a pass with the applicable date. Result!

This went on for weeks, and I soon had an illicit business in doctoring passes for others ( covering the bills for alcohol and fornication... er wait). The snow gods were pleased and and life was good until....

...near the end of a great day, almost the last run, a liftie asks to see my pass whilst on the top chair and I am promptly busted and asked to leave. In good humor I comply ( was amazed it took so long to be busted in the first place), riding down to the middle chair, where I was chased by some twat on a snowmobile who stopped me and told me I was to walk to the bottom ( insurance, liability etc). A little miffed but in no position to argue i trudge off, following a cat track where i become hopelessly lost. It was getting dark. People were going home. I started to think I might have to hole up for the night...

...when through the forest I see some fresh prints on a path that turns ninety degrees from my vision. Wooyay saved! methinks, hop on the trail, turn the turn, and end up face to face with a male moose, no farther than a couple of feet away from my nose, a good six and a half feet tall, staring at me and huffing, stance a tad to aggressive for my liking. Behind Moosie was his wife and kid, browsing by a nearby stream. As slowly and non threateningly as i could, I backtracked and crouched under a bush while Moosie followed me and stared at me for about an hour before wandering off. Needless to say I was scared shitless, survived to tell the tale, and buy my passes to this day. Don't be a tightwad or think you're clever whilst doing so or a moose will eat your face.

Apols for length but it was bloody cold after a while.
(Wed 29th Oct 2008, 21:32, More)

» The nicest thing someone's ever done for me

Life is Good
This last March I was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. Before my diagnosis I was in a pretty shabby state of mind, and felt trapped and unmotivated by the direction my life was taking. All in all in a rather dismal place, which I think contributed to my diagnoses. I had basically exiled myself to a small mountain town, felt very alone, and was depressed enough to bar any thought of improving my situation.

The diagnosis came as quite a shock, as you can well imagine, but there was hope through an intense six months of chemotherapy and the like to prepare for a possible cure - a stem cell transplant. As odd as it sounds, I look at my diagnosis of cancer as a blessing in disguise, a boon that has shown me the innate kindness in every living soul.

Every person of the hospital staff ( of which I spent long stints in) have been absolutely amazing in their dedication and sacrifice in helping others in pain and in need. Friends that i hadn't seen or talked to in a long while teemed around me, helping in any way possible to see me through. It has brought my family closer together as a whole, and for this I am eternally grateful.

Through a life threatening (and indeed life-altering) disease, I have found love, hope, giving and sharing, and a new outlook and direction on life. Inspired from all of this, I am finally going to what I had meant to do years ago - get my bloody masters degree, although not in what I had originally planned.

I look forward to a future where I can help others around the world who are in need, to give back some of the kindness that has carried me through, to try and inspire others as I have been inspired. Sure, I can still be a cynical cnut sometimes, but I have to admit, it could be a hell of a lot worse.

Edit - my transplant is at the end of the month and I am in full remission ( effectively cancer free!) wooyay!

I cannot thank enough all of those around me. I quite literally owe them my life *sniff*


Length - looking forward to another good 60 years or thereabouts!
(Thu 2nd Oct 2008, 21:46, More)

» Turning into your parents

this
was a reply to an earlier post but i felt that it would stand alone as it's own post (though slightly out of context but i'm sure you'll get the gist)

Some people coming from an abusive relationship with their parent(s) may not have the emotional, physical or intellectual capacity or fortitude to distinguish (and therefore make an effort to eradicate) "bad" behavior that they know is "bad". it's a herculean task for most to come to terms and make an effort to be "good", despite all they have been told or experienced.in my opinion,to attain (and maintain) a healthy sexual, emotional and intellectual disposition takes a hell of a lot of work, regardless of your past circumstances, especially in times like these ( is there any other kind?)

the hardest thing for me was to forgive. i'll never forget, but when i truly forgave (not to sound like a twat but i probably do) the scales fell from my eyes, and i could breath and live again.

i burnt her up 8 years ago now. for a time i hated her more than i thought it possible to hate another human being. the only person i have ever really hated, actually. hated her the only way a son could hate his mother, for i loved her as much. still do ( love her).

i'm not a "hard" man, nor do i wish to be. by all accounts, and judging by your logic i should fucking well be, and have every right to be.but it's hard to be hard. too much energy spent for no beneficial end. it's so exhausting being angry ad nauseum. it's just not my bag (or rather it's no longer my bag). i want (and will) to love my wife and kids when the time comes.to give them what i didn't have at the time. but the only way to do that is to love yourself first, which sometimes seems impossible.

for the record i know my mother loved me to the ends of the earth. she was the most intelligent, empathetic, stubborn and vital person i have ever known. but she didn't love herself.she was a star. and then she was a supernova. i reel in her wake, eat her dust, and still roil from her energy. she drank herself to death.

the greatest contradiction in my life is how she was such an epic fail, yet she infused within my brother and i the tools and temperance to be compassionate, understanding, and tough as nails =)

live and let live (within reason - personally not down with paedos, thieves and the like)

let sleeping dogs lie

forgive, but never forget

i'd do anything to hear her voice again. i see her in dreams, and for that i am blessed.

R.I.P mom, because i know you never had peace in your waking life.

that being said, this is my post, really not meaning to come off as a righteous twat. it's late, and this QOTW has obviously cut me to the quick.

there are no things - only possibilities
UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

edit - to be fair, i am very much my mother's son. i just intend to go about parenthood the other way around =) i'm 33 ><
(Mon 4th May 2009, 7:19, More)

» Nativity Plays

worst
QOTA everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
(Sat 28th Mar 2009, 14:47, More)