yak yak yak

was on an item seeking mission to Belfast a couple of weeks ago. A mission to find a replacement strap for my trusty rucksack.The first shop I went to was a lovely little shop that was well hidden,off the beaten track and all that. I told the sales person what I was looking for and even had the aforesaid rucksack with me. The guy shook his head and said

“Nobody buys replacements anymore-everything is so affordable theses days,people just get a new one.” Hmmp-true a new rucksack won’t break me,but why should I spend my cash on something I don’t really need? This is why there is so much landfill out there. True, I can be wasteful sometimes-for example when I go on holidays I have a use it and lose it system with undies,socks and one T-shirt. Because it’s too much like hard work separating stuff in my ever so light carrier bag (the t-shirt I wear in bed all week).

Now I DID get a replacement strap in the end-it’s not perfect,but it’ll do until I save up some cash for a new rucksack-and then the old one is off to the charity shop-unless I can get a seamstress to do a more lasting job on it. Also discovered that my boots do not have much life left –but then when that time comes I will NEED to change them

And another thing, I HATE getting my photo taken-that whole “smile to order thing”-I just can’t do it.People as me why I look so miserable in photos and I tell them I AM smiling. Allow me to something daft and that’s ok –but that sensible pose with a photo smile-nope just can’t do it. Now I love looking at photos of people-but myself-ugh! I am famous for avoiding being in photographs and some people thing they have achieved a lifelong goal if they get a photo of me.

There is a photo of me and a woman I met on holiday once (the famous Connie) Now I was totally infatuated with her,and we got on great-on a couple of days she asked me to break away from the group and just cycle with her. She left the holiday early-2 days before end as she wanted to go to see her family-as she was over from America.On her last night she asked me to go off for a quiet drink or two before we met up with rest of group for dinner. We had  a great chat and she told me her current relationship problems-and later by email she sent me an email thanking for me for being such a good listener-and that I was the first person she told about the beak up.The next morning at breakfast another woman in group (who did not know that Connie left early) asked me to cycle with her instead of Connie that morning. ANY WAY I digress. On her last night I had a photo taken of the two of us together and you can see for yourself I could not even get a proper smile here.

Don’t know how this copies over-but see what I mean-if she had asked me to pack in holiday and head off to Cavan to see the family –I would have gone, ok I was curious to see if she had any sisters (well New York is too far away).  But as I said,someone gets out a camera and I either sneak away or hide behind someone taller/broader than me.
Incidentally I lost contact with Connie-but via the power of facebook and google i tracked her down-I sent her a couple of messages but got no reply-so for all you romantics there's no happy ending here....sorry