gavinf1980

From thefridayfive

1. Have you ever been to summer camp?

I've been out camping with the Scouts in the summer before, but never an American-type summer camp. As a kid I'd get homesick really easy and I can't imagine spending that much time away from home. A week away was about all I could manage, just occasionally going out with other kids, and we had one biking adventure.

Oh, and Christian camp a couple of times as an adult, volunteering and helping with the upkeep.

2. Have you ever made a s'more?

I remember doing this, or something similar, on a church weekend away probably last year. My only attempt at this.

3. Have you ever slept under the stars (no tent/tarp)?

Not slept, but on Christian camp I remember a group of us went into a treehouse one night and four of us guys just lay down together on the floor and looked up at the Perseid meteor shower, before retiring to our sleeping bags.

4. Have you ever had a member of the opposite sex sleep over at your house?

Only my Nan and Grandma when I was a kid and we had a family gathering for Christmas.

5. What type of bed do you have (queen, twin, bunk, etc.)?

Just a single bed, and it's lasted me since I was ten years old.

So, I need to do a Doctor Who reaction post.


[Ham and cheese toastie and a pumpkin latte - Spoiler (click to open)]Okay, first off, a few conspicuous plot holes; the Doctor even points out that there was no way he could have got that code without hearing from his future self what it was.

Also, I didn't quite understand how Joy being made angry stopped her from being disintegrated when she put down the briefcase.

Apart from that, and the complicated McGuffin (the briefcase), I liked the concept of the Time Hotel, even though it raised a bunch of questions about who the people who the Doctor met through those other doors were; were they people who just got intruded upon by the doors, or other hotel guests (like the mountain climbers were maybe just a bunch of people from the 43rd Century who wanted to climb Everest?). Sort of like a more complicated exploration of the Ray Bradury ideas of changing the past/stamping on a butterfly. I liked how Steven Moffat had a plan for some of what seemed like throwaway moments, like what the Doctor used the train for later on in the episode.

With all the character-based storyline, I forgot that there was barely a monster in this one, apart from the Dinosaur who showed up in one scene. It seemed unfortunate that Joy was only around for one episode before she turned into a star, but really good that the show acknowledged Coronavirus with that stuff involving her mother (a recurring theme for the Doctor's compantions, it seems), and I liked the twist with Joy being the star that appeared above Bethlehem to show where Jesus was. I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up at some point in Series 15, probably as some way of guiding the Doctor.

Ruby Sunday appeared again, and was in the trailer for Series 15, which is good. The one unanswered question about her is about the whole turning into an alien thing in "Space Babies"; I refuse to believe that was just a throwaway joke by Russell T. Davies, and there is of course the identity of Mrs. Flood (the obvious would be the Master, maybe she's someone else, like the Master's mother?)

If the Doctor does need a new companion though, I'd love to see more of that hotel manager from this episode.

Here's one of my best shots from yesterday's tour.



I managed to get another shot of the Hunter's Super Moon last night on my way home.

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On Strava, I have:
* Completed the Altra x Smartwool Run the Cold Challenge;
* Climbed 1,098m for the October Running Elevation Challenge; and
* Logged 4 of 8 days for the Forestry England Step into Nature challenge.

The latest photo_scavenger is "stick" or "sticking".

I met a friend for lunch yesterday; we queued for Porterford Butcher; I can hardly believe this was my first visit there; they do very good deli style food as well as operate as a regular butcher.



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On Strava, I have:
* Completed Get Active & Get Therapy with BetterHelp and the October Ten Days Active Challenge;
* Logged 43 minutes for Shokz: Run with Kipchoge Challenge and The Colombia Hike Society: Get Outdoors; and
* Climbed 667m for the October Run Climbing Challenge.

1. Have you seen a solar eclipse? Total, Partial, Annular? When and where?

Not that I can remember.

2. Have you seen a lunar eclipse? Full? Partial? When and where?

I believe I have - it was years ago (I was a kid) and at home here in the UK.

3. Have you seen a comet? Which one? When and where?

4. Have you seen a nova or supernova? When and where?

Unfortunately, no to both of these.

5. Have you seen a meteor shower? Which one, when and where?

Oh, this is a good memory. So, on camp in Sussex during summer years ago, a group of us went up into a treehouse, during the Perseid Meteor Shower. It was amazing to watch; some of us guys were just lying on our backs together, looking up at the shooting stars. It was quite a sight to see!

To finish the night, when I got back to the room we were sharing, we found one of our roommates was fast asleep. One of the other guys felt the need to fart on the sleeping guy's head - it was all part of a revenge plan, but that's a longer story.

Blurry shot of the super blue moon outside the flats last night.



About this time this year, I always share the Action for Happiness website with others; the happiness calendars are a good source of ideas for how to brighten your day, and others' too. Why not try it today?

I know I can often beat myself up when I make a mistake; it often feels like I'm the only one who messes up, and that I'm a bit incompetent.

I'm trying to think of things to be thankful for today:
1) Jesus
2) A relaxing time over Christmas
3) My loving family
4) My friends
5) Being able to be part of a walking group
6) Having a nice choice of coffee shops in town to choose from when out and about, and
7) Whenever a driver has the decency to stop at a zebra crossing.

I walked into town today to so some shopping; there was a woman with strange facepaint on singing in town, who no one was really paying much attention to. I walked to the escape room to ask about booking for a Stag Walkers social, but it seems that you can't exactly ask in person, and they prefer you to call or book online.

Today's Photo a Day prompt is "new"; so here's the sort of new chair out in the communal garden where I live.



I'm still trying to find a good word for the year; the newspaper I bought today just seems to have negative words in the headlines.

On Strava, I've logged:
*28km for the January Walking Distance Challenge; and
*Nearly 7 hours for Fresh Start.

1. How many stars can you see in the sky at night where you live? (Not looking for an exact number here, just a general description.)

I'd say a moderate number - not hardly any, not lots and lots, just an average (I expect) amount.

2. What is your favorite constellation?

I enjoy spotting Orion where I live, so I'll say that one.

3. Are you able to see and identify any planets in the sky? Which ones?

I think I may have had Venus pointed out to me, but I probably mistake them for stars.

4. Have you ever seen a satellite orbiting above the earth?

Nope, not to my knowledge.

5. Have you ever seen a rocket blasted off into space?

I recall being on holiday in Florida on the day when a shuttle was blasting off from Kennedy Space Centre, but I don't think I was that near when it blasted off. I think I may have just about seen it in the distance.

The moon looked amazing this morning, particularly considering that this picture was taken around sunrise - a full (complete) moon, for the latest photo_scavenger prompt.

Edit: Their new prompt is the opposite (in a way): empty.

I also remembered that today is Brew Monday!

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I've been trying to avoid blaming myself today, which can be a challenge, particularly on a day when I managed to delete an e-mail draft without saving it, and close a document without saving my changes, forcing me to re-do them.

I do blame myself too much at times, and I don't know if it's just because I'm too used to people blaming me for mishaps.

I had a nice walk with Mum today; there were works going to the nice post box near to where I live; hopefully just restoration works, rather than it being replaced - it's a rare one with Edward VII's insignia! We talked a bit about getting new furniture for my room, and redecorating; it's something that we've finally gotten back on track with.

I've started a new Strava Challenge; "Together We Move" by Sweaty Betty, and have logged 1 hour and 21 minutes of four hours.

I've also logged one day this week for two challenges: Joy of Winter and Laird Superfood 2022 January Streak.

This evening, we did a spooky guided evening walk - it was quite atmospheric, though also muddy.

The guides did a good job of keeping us entertained, although a kid behind us started getting fed up.



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We also took a look at some of the scarecrows being displayed outside houses in our hometown earlier; it wasn't as good as last year, with fewer households taking part, but we managed a two hour long walk anyway.

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Despite some of what is going on, including the annoyance of not being able to procure a lift to the start of tomorrow's walk (I'm never sure if that's unwillingness on other peoples' parts or the right people not seeing my requests) I'm trying to stay optimistic about the future:
1) The vaccine rollout going well, avoidance of a huge coronavirus spike, and no need for another lockdown.
2) That Christmas will be better than last year, with no rash promises from Boris.
3) The holiday we have planned for next Spring.