Thread 17 - TalkLair: "Okay, first of all, what's with the outfit? Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge."

[RasaSayangEh]

(Previous thread 16).

Spring is springing, daffodils blooming all over our LairGarden, which have not all been picked by a neighbour's kid...

In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, cosy rugs are down on the floors looking a bit stained by cat hairball regurgitation. The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics. We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I've just seen the BBC headline "Richard Chamberlain, Shogun star, dies aged 90" and thought what? Dr Kildare star, surely! And now I feel OLD!

Thought the same! That, and, WTF is Shogun.

I've just looked it up and it appears to have been a (very mini) mini-series from about 1980 based on a James Clavell novel, which also passed me by.

I've just shown MrBint that exchange, and now need to find the smelling salts.

I always think of The Thorn Birds first. I think that was on while we were still at the convent school so it was all a bit "why can't we have a hot priest to fall in love with!" We did meet one on a retreat - one where I rubbed Cardinal Hume's belly - who was about to take final orders and we were all these fifteen or sixteen year old balls of hormones begging with him to think about it because he was so hot that surely god must want him to be with a woman. Or something.

It's been lovely seeing you all write about how much you love the Simon and the Garfunkel in their various ways. The Boy in the Bubble thing. I know there was also a film made of that, probably straight to TV, late 70s, I think and am I also right/wrong in thinking that the boy in the bubble was played by John Travolta? If so that's a blast so far from the past that I fear that Musk creature hearing about it because he might take my blast and see if he can use it to launch me to Mars where I do not want to go thank you very much for asking even though nobody did!

Today's weather was glorious! It was actual t-shirt weather in that I had to tie my hoodie around my waist because I was too hot with it on. I had a wander around town chatted briefly to a very handsome man while we both just closed our eyes and looked up at the sky loving the warmth all around us. Then I sat on a bench for a while and was joined by a woman. Our conversation - these are limited thinkgs for me where there is any noise because of the whisper thing and certain words disappearing into the whisper - got onto the fact that she had long COVID. I almost moved away and then realised it's not something she could infect me with, plus I'm vaccinated. Anyway, five years ago she was going through it big time, induced coma for six weeks, cardiac arrests, ICU, nearly dead time and time again and she's still left with all the awfulness of long COVID which I'm guessing is along the lines of fibro and ME and all those things that "don't exist" but exist. Anyway, then she saw my tattoo which is a lot clearer when I'm wearing a t-shirt, what a surprise and I had to tell her that I wasn't winning that particular battle but she should get a Fuck COVID tattoo. It all got a bit emotional, she was waiting for two of her children to do some mothering Sunday stuff. So we stood and hugged and agreed that our meeting meant something very real and deep to both of us and I did my first ever public crying. Great thing was my shades are good at hiding stuff so only she and I knew I was crying and the tears were sad but also sad at the beauty of it all, that there still is beauty and happiness and thank goodness this isn't all happening in the deep midwinter.

I'm missing Francis but I'm delighted to report he's rubbish at hiding, is eating well, has licked Mr Imp's finger and is doing me proud. I've decided he knows it will make me happy to know that he's safe and happy and so he's doing it for me. Which is a nonsense, but it comforts me like the rainbow bridge bollocks sometimes can so there's no harm in it. One of the boys from upstairs wandered briefly into mine and let me cuddle him earlier, so I'm definitely being looked after. It was Gus who's generally stand-offish but has decided he'll let me have some affection during this difficult times!

That sounds like a very touching meeting, Fags.

Someone I know on another forum (yes Virginia, there are other forums, or fora, whatever) has long COVID and it’s basically made him an invalid. This happened only a year or so after he’d slogged through a degree and a PhD as a middle-aged student.

i also still think of Richard Chamberlain as Dr Kildare.

That sounds like a lovely and very timely meeting, Fags. It sounds like you both got a lot out of it.

Good to hear that Francis is settling in.

What a lovely chance meeting @FagsMagsandBags.

We were in London over the weekend and walked DDs all over places where we used to hang out as a couple and then as a family, but they had been too young to remember when we moved away. It was such glorious weather and wonderfully warm.

I kept saying that I really miss London and all the memories, then DH would remind me that the reality was daily horrendous commutes with Tube delays and terrible traffic and crazy London drivers and mad people fighting on the bus (W4), and living in a tiny flat in Haringey surrounded by antisocial neighbours.

But I'm going to think fondly of stunning views from Primrose Hill and gorgeous blossom in Hampstead. So ner.

That sounds like a lovely interaction @FagsMagsandBags - chance encounters be they happy or sad can mean a lot.

@RasaSayangEh I think if anything London is worse than ever now. This is my city, I was born here and have lived here almost all my life but it feels kind of broken now. There’s still loads to see and do of course but as the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer it feels more polarised.

And today I had an actual real life hospital appointment with an X ray. It seems my fracture is mending but it’ll be another few weeks before I have another appointment and then I’ll start physio sometime after that. In the meanwhile I have very colourful bruises and a painful toe. Boo to that!

Glad to hear you're on the mend, artant, but sorry it's so slow. There's something awful about accidents, where you think if only that five seconds had gone differently, life wouldn't be like this. Of course, you may have fallen in an even worse way in the next minute!

Yeah, that’s the thing. It was so bloody stupid. I shouldn’t have fallen at all but, given that I did, it could have been a lot worse. Next appointment has now come through and it’s in four weeks time. Three weeks is Easter Monday which is why it’s not for four weeks, I think.

I was down not far from you today, Kuc I drove my friend down to Huddersfield and it was 18° - phew! Just home a few minutes ago, I'm a bit tired from driving since 9:30 am. He got me a half bottle of Wray and Nephew white rum.

Sloth update.

From Spain, Snoop has somehow managed to get me a sloth experience - booked until September - happening on my actual birthday, next Monday and I'm as giddy as the giddiest baby goat who's just won the giddiest goat that ever did live competition. And having to calm down because I need to have the energy to enjoy what will probably be a lot of weeping as I feed because the joy of it, oh my days! I do have some emergency low does Valium which I will use if it becomes clear that I'm more tachy than usual because I'm about to be 60 going on 6!

And we all got another day of sunshine - well I hope you all did too. Spring has come early to my part of the south coast and it really cannot last but how happy we are to enjoy it while it's here

Birthday sloths! Wonderful.

Oh how brilliant Fags! Lovely Snoop and lovely sloths ❤️ Take lots of photos ❤️

Snoop sounds like such a star. What a friend to have! Birthday sloths sounds perfect @FagsMagsandBags - we will definitely need pictures!

Birthday sloths! How brilliant!

Well, I hope your birthday will be all you wish. Please let us know if they really do smell as awful as they are reputed to!

Wow, that sounds wonderful, FMB!

I keep seeing ChatGPT-generated Studio Ghibli versions of photos, so I just tried it for myself. Very charming, I must say!

Sloths on your birthday, @FagsMagsandBags! That will be fabulous. Looking forward to hearing all about it.

Oh my gosh, I love Studio Ghibli versions of photos!

I'm very excited about next week. @SinnerBoy my understanding is that they are quite rank but I'm not allowed to touch them because they don't really like being touched, but I'm thinking they'll touch the food we're holding for them with their big long claws. I'm just so happy about it. I never thought I'd meet them in the flesh and now it's all going to happen and all I had to do was get terminally ill to make it happen! 😆

Capybaras are bad ass. How can they tell when it's okay to practically sit on a crocodile's head and give it a quick hoof?

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