Closest I've had to a holiday in the last 4 years was a quick two day trip back home to Guildford to see my old granny last year.
I was hoping this was gonna be about Floyd

I visited Ireland for two weeks last year. Beautiful place. I thought where I lived was green (and it is compared to the CA desert where I grew up) but Ireland is *green*. I found them surprisingly fond of Americans (which I didn't get in my visits to England or Holland) and they even have monuments to Americans - like JFK! I visited New Grange - and I must say I *felt* it was sacred ground, but couldn't figure out why - but my friend (who's rather agnostic) couldn't help but admitting she felt the same.

Okay - if you ever want to visit Texas come during the rodeo. There is nothing like a *live* rodeo (and the Livestock show is surprisingly unsmelly!). If you have seen roping or bronco busting on t.v. and didn't like it, yyou are just like me! But once I went to the Rodeo, all that changed! We make a Pilgrimage every year - it is fabulous. And there's no where better to see a Rodeo than Houston! (BTW, we say Styx in concert at out last Rodeo and they were *FABULOUS* - wish I had seen them 20 years ago! Last year Duran Duran started their tour at the Houston Rodeo - does seem a little odd, but... they too were fabulous - still look pretty good for geezers!)[Edited on 5/3/2002 by swampfaye]

Styx were fabulous? Now there's a turn up for the books....
"I'm Sailing away........"

I thought the Port Arthur Massacre would have made the international papers.

About 5 (?) years ago now, a very disturbed man called Martin Bryant went bezerk with shot gun at the tourist attraction of Port Arthur.

He killed a lot of people. A memorial has been erected for them, and some people ask if it is a war memorial, because so many names are listed.

Bryant marched into the Cafe at the attraction and just blew almost everyone away. He even shot people groaning on the ground, to make sure they were dead.

At the entrance, a mother and her three little girls were just arriving. Bryant shot the mother and two of the girls dead on the spot. The youngest (about 6 I think) ran and hid behind a tree, so Bryant chased her and shot her where she was hiding.

A bus full of tourists was terrorised, I think some of them lived.

Some people survived by hiding inside one of the historic buildings. Others were lucky to be on a boat tour and were safe.

When horror like this happens in your own country, it remains engraved upon your soul. There may not have been as many deaths as in New York more recently, but imagining the terror those victims (especially the children) must have experienced always brings tears to my eyes. I think the mention of Port Arthur to any Australian will always trigger pangs of deep sorrow.

Sorry if this has put a dampener on your otherwise cheerful thread. Perhaps Grondy would like to move it to somewhere he feels more appropriate?

The Port Arthur Massacre was a very sad event due to the loss of life. And because of it, the Australians have lost a little more of their freedom, as all their long guns have now been outlawed, just like their handguns were before. We in America are also loosing some of our freedoms, due to September 11, these having to due with privacy and civil rights.

On a happier note, a weekend spent in Ronda (about 50 k. north of Marbella) in the mountains of southern Spain was much fun. I have visited there on three occasions each separated by about five years. The neatest attraction was the old Roman bridge which spaned the deep gorge and still remained strong enough for traffic. The last time I was there the gaol inside the upper part of the bridge had been converted to a restaurant. They also have a working bullfight arena dating back to the time of Columbus, and a magnificent cathedral. I also noticed the people of Spain were happier on my last trip (1977), as old wozzname had died, and they no longer were subject to his dictatorship. Sangaree (Sangria) anyone?

So you liked Ronda, Grondy? Me too! And the sight of the Mediterranean Sea from the mountains on the road from Marbella to Ronda! It seemed so small, like a deep blue pool and these high snow-clad Atlas mountains on the African side... and the Rock of Gibraltar like a small pebble down there...

No way, I got attacked by a dog by that very bridge in Ronda when I was 9. Very pretty place though.
And owning a gun should definitely NOT be a constitutional right for anyone, okay?

Because guns are designed for just one thing, killing people, whatever any tosser claims about using them for sport etc. You can have just as good sport with a BB gun, and it don't kill nothing. If no-one had a gun, then none of these massacres would take place, so things would be better, yeah?
Thus, you would not need guns for self defence either if nobody else could happily have one as part of the constitution. Take self-defence classes if you need to feel safe, don't go shooting people, it's not clever.
(I probably could have made a more coherent argument but I'm in a hurry)

Eryan and Ungoliant, can I come too? Always wanted to visit France. Will have to get a bike with two kiddie seats on the back though.....

Grondy - I do completely agree that since Sept 11 our civil rights and human rights will be more and more trampled upon. But I don't think owning a gun has much to do with it.

Anyway, back to what Golly was on about, my fondest holiday memory right at the moment is sitting in a bar on the beach in Paphos (Cyprus) sucking back a whole load of local lager and tequila sunrises, smoking many packets of local (chest rippingly strong) ciggies, and watching the sun go down (and then come back up again) and leaving my then girlfriend back at the villa to whinge at someone else. way back in 1993, the last foreign holiday I ever managed.

Hey Gang! Sound the Trumpets. Pound the Timbrels. One of Tommie's posts today really had some content rather than just tag-a-longs to increase her stats. :rolleyes :grin

(I don't really mind having to read through all of them, sometimes its fun, and I really like Tommy, so when Plastic and I take jabs at her, it is all in the spirit of friendship.) :wink

I know.
Aren't they great, people?

[Edited on 20/4/2002 by TomBombadillo]

I never get to do anything interesting over the summer. Every summer, for one week, my sisters and I go to our grandparents house for a week. The week of July 4th to be specific. Okay, so that can be interesting, but I have to go with my siblings. Also, we sometimes go to the beach. When we go to the beach, we sometimes go with my granny and all my aunts and uncles on my mom's side.

Hey Taz, sorry to hear that.
If there is anything we can do for you, just let us know.

Thanks, am meeting her tonight to see if we can resolve this. *Fingers crossed*.

To be read by anyone except Plastic
That is such a despicable, chauvinistic attitude. I am shocked anyone can say such things this day and age. He wants burning!

For Plastic's eyes only
Yer, agree totally with you there, mate.

Very sorry to hear that Taz, hope things look better for you soon.
And you Plastic.

Alright, I apologise for my comment, not ALL women are evil, just those who choose to take out huge amounts of credit in my name. I did try to get on with this one, but after only 3 days I am forced to admit that I have nothing in common with her and she bores me to death.
I'm sure somewhere out there there is a woman with a brain, I just have yet to find one.
Good luck Taz.

Taz,
I havent been in here for a while, so I had no idea. I am so sorry. ditto on gnampie's comment, even if we are of the female gender. We are not all bad, really!

It does, however, seem to me that all the nice men end up with the unpleasant women and the nice women fall for the looser b****ds. For example, I am nice but I always seem to attract the wrong men - my ex being a prime example



And as for you Plastic! And Valed..whatever! Yet to meet a woman with a brain?!!! You had better exclude the present company !!!!
*tapping foot expectantly

And to both of you - ditto Jehanne's advice!

My apologies Jehanne and Allyssa. Just ribbing. Didn't mean to cause any offence.
To be honest, my life seems to be a string of failed relationships, but that's not something that really bothers me anymore. I can look back and admit most of the problems have been through my own doing (spending too much time either Roleplaying, on PCs, at work, down the pub etc etc...) It doesn't bother me because I have managed to stay friends with most of my ex-girlfriends (and wife) and have a lovely son plus a number of step-children. A lot of people become bitter when their relationships fail (and I suppose I did too once), but having found each split easier to deal with than the previous one, and knowing a lot of the blame falls on my own shoulders, I try to deal with the problem more positively.
Like Jehanne says, there are a lot of lovely single girls out there. Why stay with the same one forever?
When I was young I thought I would get married, have 2.2 kids and live happily ever after. I accept my life isn't going to be like that now, and to be honest I do quite like a change every few years (sorry if that comment has upset anyone - it's just the way I am).
I am currently seeing a beautiful girl who loves me to bits, and though I've no intention of splitting up with her, I have no illusions about the relationship lasting forever. I think I'm just a bachelor who happens to love women.


Sorry everyone, this is supposed to be a Tolkien site. Don't know where all of that lot came from.

As for you, Taz. I've read your link and can understand your pain and bitterness. I really hope what I've just said hasn't upset you, but without trying to jump on the cliche-wagon, things do get better. It is hard, and I think I've left a little bit of me with everyone I've been out with, but you must be positive. I know what you mean about your girlfriend's mother though; I've been in that situation too. I really hope your girl sees the light and things work out for you.

Again, I apologise if I've upset anyone with what I've said in the last few paragraphs. No offence meant.

Wouldn't that be if the shoe *doesn't* fit?

Come on guys, cheer up! Things have to look better at some point, and if they don't you must be looking in the wrong direction. I read your link Taz and hope you feel alot better as soon as possible.

Okay, once again I haven't made myself terribly clear have I? Technically, I haven't "met" any of you lovely women on here have I? So you are indeed the right sort of intelligent decent females that I would quite like to meet. However, living down here in deepest darkest Devon with all it's inbreeding and dark stupidity, any women who happen to show the least sign of intelligence tend to move away very quickly having got fed up of being accosted by equally stupid men. Hence I keep meeting braindead women who's idea of culture stretches as far as soap operas and no further, and who's idea of reading gos no further than the TV guide and those terrible women's magazines. I hope that makes things a little clearer and I'll get forgiven now?
And Taz mate, I haven't read your bit yet, but I'm going ot in a minute, however, you have my deepest sympathies I know how tough these things can be.

Sorry Alyssa, to spoil your try to lighten things up but I've been out for a couple of days and I just want to add something.

Taz, have you tried to talk to her mother? I seems to me she is the problem. This will not be very easy, but if you and her mother don't solve your problem she will keep standing between you and Clair, even if Clair decides not to listen to her mother. If you talk to her mother, try to stay calm. This will be difficult because you both will be emotional, but try to understand her. She is probably panicking because of all the hurt is has herself. This does not justify her behaviour, but probably all this hurt made her bitter. Try to convince her you love Clair.

Alyssa, the effect a mother can have on her daughter can be very big. The only love you are ever sure of to get (normaly, but there are exceptions) is the love you get from your parents. Mostly parents mean support, comfort, safety. When they threaten to take that away from you, I can imagine you will do anything to prevent that. Emotional blackmail is a very powerfull thing, especially when it's been going on for some time.

Valed, what did you say? Why stay with the same one forever? Why not! It's not impossible. A relationship is something special between two people. Both have to believe in it, both have to work on it. When both decide to make it work no matter what, it can last a very very long time.

Love is something that just happens, you can't look for it. Don't look for certain characteristics in a person, like they have to be tall or muscled, good looking, tainted skin, good dancers or writers, ... After a failed relationship of four years, I said to myself my next boyfriend had to be at least two years older than myself and a good dancer. Well, my next boyfriend was almost four years younger, doesn't like dancing and I married him. After some months of grieve, I started looking for a next love at parties, pubs, trying new sports and even a French course. Do you know where I met my husband? In the computer room of university, where I was checking my mail and not at all looking for love. The most important thing is that you feel good with that person and that you can be yourself.
So good luck for all of you looking for the love of your live! It's not impossible, believe me. Just enjoy life as it comes and be yourself.

Taz, this will be a difficult time for you, no matter how things will turn out. I wish you a lot of strength and support from friends and family. All the best Taz!

I will update you all soon on what has happened since. However talking to her Mother just isn't an option as Claire doesn't want me to.

Claire sent me an email telling me she still loved me and wanted to be with me, yet she won't answer my txt postBodys or phone calls.

However bad this sounds, I am going to give up as this is really starting to effect my mentle state and attitude on life.

Thanks all for your support, it is much apreciated.