Oh the joys of womanhood! I had to go for my breast screening mammogram today. I should be used to it by now, it's my third one plus an extra last time when they found an anomaly and I had to go to the hospital for further boob squashing.
For those of you yet to enjoy such delights, imagine catching your boobs, one at a time in a printing press, then because you enjoyed it so much, you shut them in the door - one at a time again.
Yeah, the anniversary of me popping into the world. Last year I was on sick leave and did three episodes of Bike. Who would have thought a year later I'd still be writing the bloody thing! I suppose a handful of you like it, so I'll continue a bit longer - but there'll only be one episode today - I'm working all day - actually it feels a bit flat.
Better get off to work (said with unbridled enthusiasm) :(
In many cultures transgendered individuals are reviled, as are those with different sexual orientations to the majority. On the whole, I suspect most of us are more danger to ourselves than to others. I saw a paper which suggests mental illness and self harming, including suicide is higher amongst GLB individuals. It didn't mention transgendered, but I should imagine it's similar for the same reasons, pressures and stresses from the majority to either conform or be persecuted.
I don't generally scare easily, within the bounds of realistic need to take threats seriously. However, last night gave me a sinking feeling. I hoped that the threat to BC was a temporary one, because the trauma to me personally, would be enormous, were it to close.
I am astonished - well all right then, surprised, that there are some hardy souls who are prepared to start with episode one of bike. I read it through just under a year ago, which means there's about three hundred more episodes than there was then. It took me a couple of days or more. To read 463 episodes, is a major undertaking. I wish them luck, when I was last informed it was about 600,000 words and longer than Tolkien or Tolstoy.
90 years ago today the Armistice was signed, ending the Great War. It was carnage on a scale not known before, where over a million British Servicemen and women perished, many in the mud of the Somme. It is perhaps beyond our imaginations to realise how awful this must have been, dealing with daily shelling, the cold or heat, constant sniper fire, poor food, lice, disease and boredom. Then if you cracked under the stress of it all, your own side would shoot you as a coward.
Have you noticed that the list of users now includes everyone? It's a much better idea than the previous shorter list, although I'm not sure about being called a user--it implies some sort of addiction. Oh, maybe it isn't so inappropriate.
Angharad (as an author does that make me a pusher, as well?)
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this column. Julie has an unfortunate habit of upsetting transsexuals, and I'm not sure she breaks it with this one. See link below:
For those interested in my ramblings elsewhere, Maddy Bell has just posted Whatever Next part 19, of my Gaby fanfic. I think it's quite good, but then I wrote it.(Some days my modesty is overwhelming)8)
This has nothing whatsoever to do with transgenderism, but if you click on the link below, hopefully you'll learn about one of the mysteries of the human body.
Whilst I accept I might well have post holiday blues, I have suspected that my stories are not being as well received as they were, despite that fact that I believe the quality of my writing has been fairly constant.
I am therefore seriously thinking I will stop posting.
Goodness, some of you missed me, I'm overwhelmed. I had a nice week away, and although the weather could have been better - one day was a wash out - I enjoyed myself. I walked miles bird watching, and was reasonably rewarded. I teamed up with a couple who hadn't hired a car, so we went off most days looking for spots to watch for new species of birds. Andy was better at it than I was - I haven't done much of it for years, so didn't get my eye in, until the end of the week.
Has anyone noticed the hits counter at the bottom of the page? It's now over 4 million. I think that congratulations are in order for our super web mistress and her team of elves, I mean helpers.
Congratulations Erin, I look forward to the next million.
For those of you who like to read my serial concerning the life and times of Kylie Mosse, I have some bad news. The next one will appear sometime in the next few days, once it's been proofed and I re-edit it.
I thought I'd better warn you, in case you wish to leave the country, now.
Just to give some advance warning, I'm away for a week from monday 20th October. I'm going to Menorca where I hope to do lots of walking and birdwatching (as in ornithology!). It's a favourite place of mine, although I'm going on my own this year - it does mean I can do what I want every day.
In an amazing finish, Cooke outsprinted Vos and Arndt to take the Women's Elite Road Race World Championship in the same year as she won the Olympic gold. What an athlete, what a woman!
In writing Bike and Bonkers, plus a few other bits and pieces Charlotte has been a little neglected. I plan on remedying that as soon as possible - it might also get one or two of you off my back. So please don't start on about Snafu, I'm well aware I haven't done any of it for ages, but I can only do so much at once and I have worked 12 hour days for the last few, so be thankful that Bonzi has been able to help me write what we have between us. He's the hardest working cat in Christendom (so he tells me).
For those of you who didn't see the draft copy, Maddy has posted the latest episode of this, my take on the Gabyverse switched to Dorset. The link below should take you to it or to her site.
Well I've done my bit for another year. The weather driving from Dorchester to Tiverton was awful. It absolutely chucked it down. This stage of the race started at Chard, in Somerset and went on to Burnham on Sea in Devon. I was marshalling at Tiverton.
I'm sure I'm boring you all stiff, but I have just completed another ride up the ridgeway, this time on my race bike - something a few days ago, I wouldn't have believed I could do. This bike is higher geared than the others, with only a compact chainset instead of the triple. It goes faster but takes more effort.
Sorry, can't do an episode tonight - too tired, just had a friend on the phone for an hour and am absolutely knackered. Discovered I can't save the universe and write at the same time. Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow.
Apologies,
Angharad & >^^< (the one who kept me awake last night!)
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
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Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
