Inside [this house] Beats the Heart of my Madness.

I have reached the point where I've become frustrated with the building. The hostel is older and often Things patched along as it goes. Sometimes further back then I know. Then those things, having spent a long time doing what their supposed to be doing (i.e., being walls or toilets), decide it would be way cooler not to be those things.

Usually I can put my Predator face on and be happy.

Screen Cap. Predator movie, 

But yesterday it was madness.

In a matter of 5 hours, the radiator collapsed off the wall, pumping black radiator fluid, which I'm not certain is the same fluid that makes Guinness. After finally stopping it, we had to disconnect it from the pipe and the room was out of commission. The wall behind in ruins, and filled with horse hair (yes horse hair, I guess they used to plaster walls with it as a binding agent), I realized I'm fully booked for tomorrow. Calling a good friend/joiner/construction dude over, the patch of wall was torn away, leaving the lath exposed. It needs to be plaster boarded, smoothed and painted all in 24 hours. The carpet is trashed, which is most annoying to me.

An hour after this happened the leaky toilet turned non functional as the parts that were not mean for each other came apart, thus rendering one of the main toilets useless.

Quickly after, more minor, but the vacuum bag inside the vacuum exploded blasting dust all over one of the cleaners and the kitchen. Luckily no Henry was harmed in the process and we re bagged it.

Then last, but not least. A guest left the taps running upstairs and flooded the upstairs bathroom, pouring down into the other bathroom through the light fixture. This last act really brought home the phrase, "when it rains it pours."

The wall was repaired this morning, needing one more coat of paint after the putty has dried. The water has been moped, the sink unplugged, the sparky/electrician called and the toilet parts on the way. Henry is alive and well.

I'm usually good at compartmentalizing my work and not getting frustrated with hostel build/structure problems. But I was nearly at the end of my rope this morning. Its such a lovely, cosy hostel and it does my head in when I find half done and half shot work crumbling around me, its upsetting, not for the fact that its broken, but someone didn't take the time or the money to do a proper job of it in a place that takes so much wear and tear, and someone like me, who's really left with an unsure budget and unreliable company builders. I do the best with what I am given.

So I'm left with a mess and an option. Crumple and give up or roar in the face of it. I choose roaring every time.

Roar

Passion of Motion

Wind. (Also you can see the first bird I tried to draw silhouetted on the other side of the page)

There is passion in motion, the act of going or the look in the eyes of something ready to move. Go!

Some Garden Update: I've Murdered.

Peas, Beans and Tomatoes. Here's some gardening updates

I started the peas and beans from scratch. They're up fine, though I almost over watered them to death. At this point, I've put the beans in the garden and waiting to see if they make it through Scottish weather and Kelsey's fire hands.

Second! Tomatoes! I don't have the confidence, and I don't think Scotland is good for heat needing plants, but I'll do my best for the little devils. I'm going to indoor pot two of them, and the other 4 are going outside in the garden when they're a little sturdier.

They're a bit wilted now, but it means that I've over watered and not used the right soil. If they make it past this time of wilting then hopefully I'll get the right container mix and grow some tomatoes. I did get the right tomato mix, a good potting soil and some mild fertilizer. This plant was a lot stronger looking, started locally and sold by a local business, which made me feel a we bit better about my purchase.

Peas

Tomato 1

How to Make Anchovy Paste

Scotland is shite for salad. I've yet to have a good one, at least. The locals can certainly cook them well and yet the menus are saturated in "Salad cream", Code for mayo with a fancy hat.

I've bought salad dressings, french and the like but in the end, I'm hunting for the classic Caesar.

In the end I had to make it.

I've made a Caesar before. It was a quick make for a big family dinner, after I've done a  heavy dessert earlier in the day. So I thought to make it again. Here is the recipe. Now, try to do the salad justice with the mayo and oil, but the rest can be worked with and tweeked.

It has anchovy paste in it, and the supermarket/grocery store didn't have any. So I made it. Couldn't be that hard? It was nice to make something from scrap.

Salad Dressing

So Anchovy paste, like I promised

Get some anchovies.

Slice them.

Chop them.

Mash with  a fork until pasty

A dash of olive oil.

Mash again.

Done.

Salad. Eat. Smiles.

Happy and easy. 

I've Been Impersonating a Beanbag Chair

Holy Shit. I walked up a hill today and just about pitched back down it. Why? Because I'm arse lazy these days.

I've not been walking too much, nor even jogging. I've been sitting, and lazing. I've been leaned back, eyes glued to a book, a commuter screen, or TV. The book isn't a bad thing, it was a good read! Its been so busy two, most of my post work victory dances have resulted in a make-out session with my pillow with my drooling soars as the theme song.

My Usual Victory Dance

I've never been a gym junky or a addict, but I have lots of energy and I enjoy a healthy body, so I've always been minimally active at some point or another. Even in University, I created a stair work out where I'd climb ever flight of steps on campus I could access. If I wasn't working out, I was working, which often had me on my feet and running about. So panting wildly at this wee hill just broke my heart, nearly literally as it did figuratively.

Since a rather vicious fall ripped both my palms open, I've not done much exercise. I've indulged my Tae Bo videos a couple of times, but not in a manner that would develop into anything. So I plan to start again. My own personal DIY for me!

The plan is 40 minutes of brusque walking every day!

That's it for now. It seems rather less productive then most who realize they've been impersonating a beanbag chair, but you'd be surprised to learn that its a good way to start. If I force myself into that habit, then I can add to it. But if I over load myself, then I'm not going to appreciate and feel bogged down. I can fit in 40 minutes in my sometimes crazy scheduled and with the coming good weather (Good is optimistic for Scotland).

I'm going to add in things like push ups, rowing sit ups and even jogging. I like a good yoga stretch in there as well, to keep my old bones limber rather than like moist crackers.

Its the source too, of a sudden lack of energy. It was dulling my mind and lowering my endurance, which has always been a source of pride. I'm hoping to see some improvements.

I have a trip coming up where I have to walk two hours wearing at least twenty pounds of equipment on my back. Not light. I don't want to be Rocky. I don't need buns of steel or washboard abs. I want to be me, happy and reasonably healthy.

Reusing paper, and my adventure clothes!

Want to walk with me?

Today's Drawing

Roots

A New Phone: Welcome to the 21st Century

I got a new phone. its a smart phone. My 20th century ape hands clearly were not meant for this device. This is how I feel now and I will never mock my father's tech skills again.

I feel the olds. 

Android.