October Meme, Days 4 to 8

[thismaz]

Some time last year I speculated about the value of buying a litter picker and what a difference it would make to occasionally just go out with a bag and pick up litter in the street. The other day I bought one from the local pound shop and on the way home did pick up all the litter in my own street. It was very satisfying. I just have to

Comments

[trepkos]

"Basically, I wanted to be a boy, because boys had all the adventures, while the girls just got to tag along and sprain their ankles at a critical moment."

Yes! I so wanted to play football! And when I was 40, I had 10 years of playing with the guys from work, and found I was a good defender, so it wasn't just a fantasy. But, because so many things were not allowed to women, it was hard to know whether I REALLY wanted to be a boy, or whether it was just that I wanted to do all the things.

"Later, when I realised I couldn't be a boy, I decided to be a solitary, self-sufficient woman with a horse-drawn caravan full of herbal remedies, a bow and arrows (which I would be expert with) and a hawk."

That sounds so cool!

[thismaz]

Yeah, I don't think I ever really wanted to be a boy, but I was certainly a flag waving, card carrying member of the Tomboy set. Good for you for actually playing football with the 'boys'.

It was a nice fantasy story that I could tell myself in bed before going to sleep.

[tabaqui]

I carry a knife, too - you never know! Mine is a stainless steel 'butterfly' knife - had it for decades.
I thought heights didn't bother me, but one of the firefighters took me up in the basket on the big ladder truck - about 100 feet up - and i did feel a little...woozy or something. I wasn't *scared*, but it was odd. I took a ton of pictures - one looking down the ladder! It was a lot of fun, but a little strange. At least I know I can do it if I need to.

No natural disasters here, either, unless horrifically bad ice storms count. We have those from time to time, but on about 20 years ago was the worst - standing outside that night, we could hear the trees shattering and falling in the woods behind our house, crack crack crack, like gunshots. It was insane. We had no power for three or four days, and there were trees and lines down for a huge swath of the state. More rural places had no power for weeks. In the bitter cold winter - what fun!

[thismaz]

A Swiss Army knife is not much use as a weapon *g* But really useful if you need a pair of scissors, a screw driver, or a can or bottle opener in an emergency *g*

I can imagine going up to the top of a fire fighter's ladder would be a bit woozy-making - it's the lack of any solid looking support that would get me.

I remember hearing about the last huge ice storm that extended all the way down to the Carolinas (?) on the news. Sounds horrible.

[tabaqui]

My dad said it looked like a battlefield (and he would know - wwii). The ice had just ripped trees apart.
A huge section of one came down on our carport (just missing the house, and about an hour ahead of the time my ex-SO got home - it would have been right on his truck, otherwise).

It was a huge mess, for weeks. Sadly, ice storms are something that we just *get* in this area (among others) - but that one was something 'special'.

[kazzy_cee]

I used to carry around folding scissors but I kept getting stopped and having to leave them for collection in museums etc. So I gave up and now they stay at home :(

You’ve retired! How are you finding retirement?

[thismaz]

I am finding retirement remarkable like a long holiday at the moment. No doubt it will gradually transform into being 'life' *g*

[sparrow2000]

Good for you with the litter picking, that's brilliant.

My phobia is heights. It's weird because I wasn't bothered by heights as a child but now I get really freaked.

As for the natural disaster - well with where we live it's always a possibility.

Hmm, I feel like I'm being very quiet on LJ at the moment. I think I might do this meme, and just do a couple of days of catch up posts. Prepare to be bombarded! :)

[thismaz]

I thought it was a good idea. But I have to act upon it and actually take it outside and use it *g*

Please, bombard away. I'll look forward to it.

[brutti_ma_buoni]

I really like that litterpicker idea. It might get me out of the house on Tuesdays in winter, in fact. (I have no shopping/family/exercise thing scheduled on Tuesdays and it's least easy to get myself out then. Litter probably happens on other days too.)

[thismaz]

But you need to allow it time to build up, or it really isn't worth it *g*