For 30-somethings and those around that age

[catsaregood]

Lovely, MT! Snakeskin Fritilliary, or something else? I've tried growing them here, but they just don't seem to like our place :( Very jealous!

[test account]

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[iff]

Good luck with the speech, Iff, I don't envy you.

it is not a speech, it is just the book that they send round for signature, that i was talking about :)

[DexM]

I agree with your thoughts. And I had to add a few amendments:

Be sure to get washed before meeting up if you aren't already in the habit of showering daily. However, as honesty is the best policy, it would be better in the long run to let your body odour waft freely.

Never tell your date that they are boring unless they are.

Clean your teeth with a wire brush and antiseptic gel.

Dress smartly, or, if you are not smart, dress stupidly. Stupid can be passed off as creative in certain social circles.

Make sure you have enough money to pay for a meal. Or at least take some money out so you can offer to pay and then say "Oh, I only have $10 and my credit card. Can I owe you?" And then never answer their calls.

Never swear and never use offensive jokes unless they are genuinely funny. They may not be to everyone's tastes, and that being the case, you will quickly discover whether you should bother meeting up again.

My thoughts? If you really need to be told any of those, especially the smelly & boring examples, then things are really bad :lol:

You may come to regret these........these, twists.

Say, for example, we had our table at The Black Bull, booked. Lovely, helpful staff member, Jill, has poured us some Rioja. And you're sitting next to a guy who has decided to attend, dressed, like this:

Hawaiian shirt.

Bow tie.

Shell suit bottoms. Pink.

Wellington boots.

Pom pom hat.

Braces.

But not quite in the typical style of wearing them. And my gums are shredded due to my over indulgent barbed wire, cleaning. I smell like a rabbit hutch. On a warm day. And my joke repertoire consists of every offensive joke, going. I do, however, have $134 in my wallet and I eat with my mouth closed.

@iff- Weddings are hard! So bloody hard. And yeah, never ending. I had to take a month to recover after my brother's wedding. He got married in 2010. I managed to nab him in one the quieter moments. We'd gone for the obligatory cigars. I just said to him "Congratulations, bro. It's been a great day, I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy everything that comes after it." And I shook his hand. I think that was the last time we had a nice moment together :lol: But your's is much nicer, far more memorable and I hope it all goes well. For them and for you :)

I do think Hollywood have ruined weddings. And hen/stag do's, receptions etc. People now wait two years to get married. And put themselves under immense financial pressure.

@vervain- I think you approach travel with a much more relaxed view. None of this whizzing about taking in all the sights, eating at all the places, touching this statue, seeing this show and looking at this tree. Just a casual approach and one that doesn't cost hundreds of £'s every day.

[Myssterry]

Lovely, MT! Snakeskin Fritilliary, or something else? I've tried growing them here, but they just don't seem to like our place :( Very jealous!

Yes, with white wood anemones and grape hyacinths. My photo, but not my garden. It was taken at a NT garden not far away. :)

Good luck with the speech, Iff, I don't envy you.

it is not a speech, it is just the book that they send round for signature, that i was talking about :)

They make you sign a book? :o I will do anything to avoid going to weddings, so have never heard of that. :) I should practise an illegible scrawl - it will be fun for them trying to work out what it says.

[NicBell]

so i have a wedding to go to on saturday (don't like weddings. i think the writers of how i met your mother in the final season are geniuses, so far on e4 it seems like the wedding is never ending which perfectly capsulates it in my view)

anyway, i can not use my usual "congratulations on getting the married persons tax credit" as i used it last time and the groom is a brother of the groom of the last wedding.

so i guess some romantic sentiment i have to go for if there is a signing book. they met while travelling (she's from hong kong)

how about

"congratulations on getting married. that the only compass you will need is the one that leads back to each other"

the person is one of my best friends so i don't want to go for something bland..

what do you think?

yes, i took it from song lyrics, "compass" by jamie lidell.

This might be a bit late, but I think writing: "The Only Compass you will need is the one that leads back to each other." would probably be seen as a rather sweet thing to write. I know the book thing you're talking about, my older sister had one at her wedding. I couldn't think of what to write, so I just wrote something along the lines of: "Congrats. May your marriage be long and happy. - Nichole." She wasn't happy.

[njosnavelin]

so i have a wedding to go to on saturday (don't like weddings. i think the writers of how i met your mother in the final season are geniuses, so far on e4 it seems like the wedding is never ending which perfectly capsulates it in my view)

anyway, i can not use my usual "congratulations on getting the married persons tax credit" as i used it last time and the groom is a brother of the groom of the last wedding.

so i guess some romantic sentiment i have to go for if there is a signing book. they met while travelling (she's from hong kong)

how about

"congratulations on getting married. that the only compass you will need is the one that leads back to each other"

the person is one of my best friends so i don't want to go for something bland..

what do you think?

yes, i took it from song lyrics, "compass" by jamie lidell.

This might be a bit late, but I think writing: "The Only Compass you will need is the one that leads back to each other." would probably be seen as a rather sweet thing to write. I know the book thing you're talking about, my older sister had one at her wedding. I couldn't think of what to write, so I just wrote something along the lines of: "Congrats. May your marriage be long and happy. - Nichole." She wasn't happy.

At my brother’s wedding I was the best man and knowing nothing about my job everyone kept asking me about the toast and I had no idea. I eventually grappled with a poem I came up with that morning and a quote at the beginning of the music video "Stand Inside Your Love" by the Smashing Pumpkins. Everyone loved it. To this day (10 years later), my sister in law will say how good of a speech that was. I have no idea what the poem I wrote was.

Three years ago I signed the guest book of my good friend’s wedding. No one had wrote in it yet and I decided to write something to get it started. The next day there was a brunch and everyone came up to me saying what a powerful entry to start off the book. Everyone felt intimidate to be the successor of my note.

When it comes to an emotional moment, I want to make sure I pin the moment perfectly for them. The moment isn’t about me it’s about them and life.

[vervain]

@ iff > hope you survived the weekend ok.

@ NicBell > I'm still puzzled why someone would be upset about such a kind, sincere thing to write.

I was inspired by Miss T's spring flowers to go and have a walk in the park. They had the other kind of fritillary, the very flashy one like a ring of bells on a long stem with spiky leaves. Also a nestbox marked "blue tits only". There were blue tits nesting in it, though I don't know if they came before or after the sign !

[korik]

Last Sunday, I went to my first SUP (stand up paddleboard) race. After only SUPing 4 times in my life.

It was sooo much fun. Though I was unable to finish the recreational (4-something mile) course. (They had a 6+ mile course for the Pros.!)

We had too much rain the week leading up to the race and the river was really high and Really fast!! I opted to quit early, rather than get too tired and get swept down river. (the course is designed so the start/finish is in the middle of the course, so people like me can bail out if needed.)

Anyway, My goal was to meet people, have fun, and Not fall in. I accomplished all of that! So, I say I win. Especially considering how much of a challenge it is for me to go to strange places and meet/talk to strangers. I totally won!!! \o/

Everyone was really nice, helpful, and encouraged me. Even the serious Pros supported my decision to stop early and know my limits.

It was rough out there. Some people had to be towed in.

I even won a hoody and a board leash in the raffle during lunch and the award ceremony. =)

And, I've already registered for a second race. On June 8th. (the weather and river conditions will be better by then!) =)

I need to get out and practice!!!

[Tanwen]

Have you taken a look at the support thread in Off-A? I'm sure others would be very interested to read of this sport :)

[korik]

oh, no. I didn't know about that thread. thanks.

[AWhiteGyrfalcon]

Hi and kia ora to my fellow "older" Aces!!

Im 30 but in reality swing between a mental age of 8 and 104 dpending on my mood, day of the week, company im with, daily experiences and environment lol. Im based in New zealand and look forward too chatting more!! :-)

Hi and kia ora to my fellow "older" Aces!!

Im 30 but in reality swing between a mental age of 8 and 104 dpending on my mood, day of the week, company im with, daily experiences and environment lol. Im based in New zealand and look forward too chatting more!! :-)

[iff]

welcome alice :)

is kia ora maori greeting?

[vervain]

E Alice, kia ora ! :)

I've yet to make it over to NZ but hope to go and live there some day (and settle in just like in England and Finland, for a good long haul). Everything I've heard, seen and read so far is positive ; besides, it's hard to get Maori classes over here !

How is everyone on this nice sunny bank holiday ?

[Spotastic]

We've been dealing with some really bad allergies lately. My wife is pretty sick now, but at least she's got some medicine and can get some sleep again. We're hoping it doesn't get any worse, since going to the ER is not my favorite thing to do on the weekend...

[Myssterry]

I hope all is well with Spotastic and his wife.

E Alice, kia ora ! :)

I've yet to make it over to NZ but hope to go and live there some day (and settle in just like in England and Finland, for a good long haul). Everything I've heard, seen and read so far is positive ; besides, it's hard to get Maori classes over here !

How is everyone on this nice sunny bank holiday ?

I went bird watching. There were nightingales singing in the woods along with blackcaps and garden warblers. :)

Gem of the day was a male black redstart singing near the power station. They like industrial landscapes.

Not my picture, as I can't do bird photography.

[Spotastic]

Thanks Miss Terry. My wife's doing much better now. We went to minor emergency care and she got some steroids and a breath treatment. It looks like she might have some minor asthma that we're going to have to check up with her primary care doctor to talk about. At least she can breathe now.

[A Taste of Harmony]

for Spotastic and his wife..

[iff]

i saw two small birds playing in a puddle today. it was beautiful to watch.

unfortunately, they flew away before i could get a picture.

[njosnavelin]

i saw two small birds playing in a puddle today. it was beautiful to watch.

unfortunately, they flew away before i could get a picture.

Don’t worry sometimes the memory alone is better

[ily]

Woohoo, other bird-watchers! I don't know many young people who are into it! (I think anyone under 50 is young when it comes to birding.) I'm taking a class right now on bird song identification. *nerds quietly away*

[DexM]

I was a keen bird watcher when I was younger. I was able to recognise a lot of the birds through song/call alone. Whenever my family went on hoilday/vacation I would make a little diary of all the birds I had seen. I even had a "to-see" list. I was out with my nephew a few weeks back. We were playing with sticks. There's a copse at the back of my house. He was trying to tell me something, and as I looked up, I saw a great spotted woodpecker. He was pulling on my trousers, telling me to "come on" and even started to wander off and I'm transfixed by this beautiful bird ^_^

@Spotastic- I'm glad you and your wife have been able to get your health issues sorted. Asthma, out of all the horrific ailments that my body has/has had, is a real pain in the rear and it effects me so much.

My dad is in hospital. It got to the stage last week, where we decided that it might be best to sort out his personal belongings and get things in order. He is, in an unofficial, undiagnosed kind of way, a hoarder and we knew that certain "spots" were going to be worse than others to sort out. My mum tackled the garden, me, his computer room/study. My mum has been wanting to trim the bush (read, jungle) at the bottom of the garden for a while now. He just doesn't like anyone interfering. It took her two hours to hack, slash and trim the branches and leaves. Eventually she came to a point that she could see the earth below this monstrosity. And there, among the undergrowth, lay a sink. The sink from our downstairs bathroom that is now a shower room. And has been a shower room ever since 1991 when my dad took out the sink. And seemingly placed it underneath the newly planted shrub. I was able to find a sky satellite reciever. One that became obsolete in 2008 and I also unearthed half of a book shelf that I dismantled about 8 years ago. All of them, and lots more, stuffed underneath, behind and inside his desk and in boxes that we thought were full of c.d.'s (he sings in a choir and sells c.d.'s to the public) It was quite scary. It took me 4 hours just to sort through the (no exaggeration) 3 foot high pile of papers.

[Oneness]

Hi all! Havent followed your conversation (yet) because just registered in. But Im in my early 30's asexual or between asexual/demisexual or something like that .

Just wanted to stop by to say hi

[catsaregood]

Hi Oneness! Welcome to AVEN! Have some mmmmmm cake...

[Oneness]

Thank you Catsaregood! :)

[Myssterry]

@Dex When a neighbour of mine moved out, the new people found an entire bath he had hidden in the garden under a shrub. :)

[kiaroskuro]

Hi everyone! I'm an androyd from an obscure place in Central Europe, new to these forums and to the world of thirtysomethings.

Haven't outed myself to anyone in real life (yet); but who knows - I think discussing all kinds of identity-related issues here will help me be more confident in future.

Looking forward to getting to know you all :)

[DexM]

Good day to you Oneness and androyd :) Hi there. Welcome to the thread. Feel free to chat about what ever you like. Tell us about your woes, your happiness and anything else. It is a very relaxed thread and we hope you both enjoy it

@Miss Terry- I think we have found an entire garden hidden beneath a wild jungle :P

I can't believe the NHS charges car park fees. It's costing a fortune. And the bus "service" is just as costly. I managed to pack in two other appointments this afternoon :lol: Killed three birds with one bus ticket.

And, we also have some sunshine. The little fella has been in the garden this afternoon. Idiot here, has been leaping around all over the place. I have to remember: I am not in my 20's anymore.

[vervain]

MissTerry > what a lovely redstart. They're probably the bird I see most of at home (in, indeed, an industrial landscape). Whereas I very rarely encounter a chaffinch and here they are singing their heads off in the beech tree outside my block of flats. It's a really magnificent ancient tree, but so high I have no chance of seeing what's in the top of it even if I can recognise the song !

ily > this thread only needs a tiny push to veer off into all types of nature-admiring ;)

iff > I feel your pain. This exact thing happened to me last spring when I saw a pair of house martins gathering mud from a puddle for nest-building. I'd always read about this, never seen it, then there they were, really sweet, could I get a picture, no way, pesky little things grr.

spotastic > thinking of you both, hope all continues well.

Dex > thinking of you too, this is a salutary reminder to get my piles of paper in order !

new people > welcome ! :)

It's the busy time at work here, with exams looming large. But I have a new dance teacher who is much better, and nicer, than the old one, and I have moved up a level ! :o :D what a joyful surprise, I never thought that I would be able to dance much, let alone quite well.

[Spotastic]

Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone! We seem to be pretty much out of the sick zone now. My wife's primary care doctor gave her an antibiotic that helped clear things up even better, and while he says she might have COPD, it seems he's not too concerned about it right now. On to business as usual!