Life is a roller coaster

Stealth - great roller coaster and pic

Wish I had taken this photo

I had a 'Kevin and Perry' experience today. Where they went up the stairs all sweetness and light and lovely young boys only to descend as moody teenagers full of angst and attitude. Except it's not a person I am referring to but Thorpe Park of all places.  


I remember Thorpe Park when it had the Mississippi Riverboat to the farm with the petting zoo, a miniature world full of miniature world landmarks, sedate swan rides and when the log flume and raging rapids were the star rides. Having had investment over the last few years, its all grown up! Now, its mad rides and rollercoasters, loud music and even louder people. And that's where I spent most of today :-)


Mat and I had been wanting to go to Thorpe Park since our visit to Chessington World of Adventures last year but given the queues and wanting to avoid annoying teenagers, crowds and ridiculous entrance prices, we hadn't got around to it until today. Thanks to our Tesco Clubcard points the tickets were cheap as chips and today was as good as any for a day off. I did worry about the weather this morning as it was quite rainy but fortunately the sun came out which was fantastic. A mini Indian summer. 


And the verdict on Thorpe Park? Fantastic but I don't think I will be making it a regular trip. It really did make a difference going outside the school holidays as we avoided all the youngsters although there were a few kids wandering around. Be interested to hear what excuse they had for not being in school. Most of the other folk there were young adults and people like Mat and I on a jolly.  And less people resulted in very short queues for the rides and so we managed to ride on all the good ones. 


We loved Stealth so much we rode on it 3 times! I was happy with going on it twice but Mat couldn't get enough.  The above pic makes it look scary but it's not that bad at all - it only lasts about 20 seconds and it's a massive adrenaline rush. Loved Rush (a ginormous swing), Nemesis Inferno gave me a headache, Tidal Wave made us laugh and very wet, Detonator was literally heart in mouth, Colossus made me scream like a demented girl and I really didn't like the Saw ride. Part of it was in the dark and not seeing the sheer drop really unnerved me. I also felt uncomfortable about a whole theme park ride for kids based on a rather sick horror film.  And don't get me started on the premise of the 'Saw Live' experience...  A little bit sick and morbid if you ask me but each to their own.


I'm off to catch some zeds but I'm still musing about a few things. Who needs to eat a whole bucket of sweets when you already look like you ate the sweets and the bucket too? When did elasticated ankles on trousers become fashionable for men? And with neon ankle boots too? How much money does Thorpe Park make each year especially when they charge £3 to park in their grounds and their 'on the day' ticket is £40.80 per adult AND adults are classed as aged 12 and over!!!!!!!! I know most people would pay the £25.52 online price or use offers like we did but seriously?! I suppose the millions that it costs to make a rollercoaster needs to be paid for...


I'm off to plot working for a theme park or becoming a rollercoaster maker.  See you on the other side.

Partying on...

Luggage racks - old school...

I found out earlier why footballers wear shin pads. In fact, I have a golf ball sized lump on my shin as proof. Having spent a couple of hours climbing earlier at Craggy, one of the routes I was doing involved a strange angle as you go up and I mis-timed my left leg going up and ended up bashing it against a hold. Ouch!  

My climbing is definitely getting better. I'm getting fitter for a start which always helps. I am nowhere near the fitness levels or size of some of the bright young things nimbling up the walls but it's good to use them as inspiration and incentive. Incentive to do better rather than look like as I have no way of ever looking like that again as I am at least 20 years older than some of them!

Speaking of which, I am busy party planning for my 'landmark birthday' next month. I think people are coming...and in costume too :-) This pleases me as I will be in full Dorothy Wizard of Oz get up. 

The theme is 'Heroes - 10 years on' and I have left it for folk to interpret this however they want. The main thing is to come as a 'Hero' whether it be a superhero, a personal film/music/sporting hero or everyday heroes such as doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen.  As per my last 'heroes' party ten years ago, I am hoping that this gives people the opportunity to dress up or down however much they want without the pressure of being in 'fancy dress' and to actually enjoy the party.  I always try to celebrate my birthday in some way and since my whole cancer experience, I am going to celebrate each one as it could literally be my last one.

On a more cheerful note, Friday night saw me enjoying London at it's best - loud, brash and full of fun. London that is and not me although admittedly I came a close second to that description! A group of us were out celebrating Ann's birthday at Byron's Burgers followed by more drinks at the The Marquess of Anglesey in Covent Garden. A good time was had by all and the comment of the night for me was from Laura who, when we were talking about mushrooms stated, "how can anyone not like something that grows into a perfect circle?" Quality!

The other highlight of the night was on the last train home where a young guy asked me and the girl sat next to me if he could use the edge of our seats. She looked at me, I looked at her, he looked ok and not some serial-killer and so we said yes. She scooched up towards me thinking he wanted to perch next to her as it was a packed train. 

However, instead of perching, said young guy stood on the edge of our seats and basically used the vertical hand-holds on either side of him to hoik himself up climbing stylee and lie down on the luggage rack above my head. Yep. Probably the most random thing I have seen this year! I did try taking a photo but it didn't come out. He lay up there quite happily for four stops and when it was time for him to get off the train, he jumped down and said to a rather stunned carriage that 'they do this all the time in China".  Do they?! Anyone been to China? Can you confirm this?! Isn't a luggage rack for luggage?! I'm still thinking about this as it amused me that much.

Anyway, time to go. I had meant to blog earlier but X-Factor distracted me. Or rather Gary Barlow did - what a handsome man. Like fine wine, he gets better with age. I'm loving the new judges this year! Right now 'How Things Are Made' is playing on Quest and Mat is suitability transfixed. I'm off to find out how an ice rink is made.

Laters!

Image from sarahseesart.com 

 

“Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickenson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity
It asked a crumb of me.

Ten years ago today, on the 5th September I met Mat as he started his first day at where we used to work. 

Here's to another ten years. And then some. 

Goodbye Harry Potter

I finally got to see the final Harry Potter film and what an emotional roller coaster it was.  Not the film mind, just the fact that it's the final one and I got to see it with Mat having seen every single one with him from the start.  And finally saying goodbye to all the characters and actors having watched them all grow up on screen. It was all quite sad.


The film itself I found a tad slow and overly long. I think I enjoyed watching it more because I got to see the end of an era rather than because it was a good film. I enjoyed watching it but at times it did feel like one of those 'Potions' lessons Harry and Ron found so tedious. I did think however that Alan Rickman was incredibly moving as Severus Snape. He is such a bloody good actor though that he could be reciting the back of a packet of tights and I would still be mesmerised by him. That voice as well. What a legend.


Anyway, apart from Harry P this weekend, there was also a trip to Bowles, East Sussex for more climbing, this time on sandstone.  Didn't enjoy it as much as the peak district as sandstone is less 'grippy' than grit stone and I got all scared and was frankly rubbish!  Given that you have to be more of a technical climber climbing on sandstone and I am not, it wasn't a great display of climbing technique!  I got to see and enjoy another beautiful part of the country so the afternoon wasn't wasted.


Spent part of today snipping up and drying out some of the lavender from our front garden so as not to waste them as they are due to die off soon.  There is still so much left!  Anyway, the house smells gorgeous and hopefully I will get a chance to do something crafty with the flowers over the coming months.

A little bit of Provence in the spare bedroom

Feeling a little Peak-y - photos!

All photos belong to She With A Capital V