Adz And Excavators - Friday 22/10/10

There are two reasons why i skip recording my days. 1. If i feel i have not done or witnessed anything particularly noteworthy, 2. If i am too involved in noteworthy happenings am left too pooped or time strapped. Thankfully, in this case, it is the second of the two scenarios responsible for Thursdays disappearance.
Thursday the 21st of October now seems a blur of distant memories, the most prominent of which I shall now do my best to relate to you.
I believe the day started with a breakfast bowl containing the last of the Weetos purchased during our visit to Stroud. This was followed some time later by the departure of our host family as they themselves visit the town in which they previously resided for the next seven days.
Up until 15:55 i was employed in the service of Kit. My duties included preparation for the digging of the foundations of his build, transportation of timber out of the barn and upto his plot, and very much later, assisting with the marking of the proposed trenches set to be dug at 10:00 Friday morning.
Before his departure Ayres had requested i attend an auction of tools, set to take place in the barn at 16:00, in his stead. The tool he had his eye on and wished for me to bid on in his place, was a fine looking Adz.
Quite what this tool is intended for, i do not at this moment in time know, but Simon obviously did and outbid me. The irony is, Ayres will inevitably end up borrowing it! Over the course of the next hour and a half i got embroiled in numerous bidding wars and came away substantially poorer and the owner of various tools i do not yet have a need for. Delivered a keg of homebrewed bitter to Melissa in lieu of her birthday party on Saturday, then it was up to Kits plot to mark his building pad by the light of my trucks headlights.
Another restless night which forced me to Ayres' static caravan for some midnight green building research.
Friday morning i met Kit on his plot at the arranged time of 09:30. A few cigarettes and two coffees later the excavator arrived. Not at 10:00 but more like 11:00. Once we got started and stuck in, we worked hard until we broke for lunch at 13:00. Justin, a volunteer on Nigels plot and yesterdays auctioneer, borrowed my truck to tow a trailer to carry sand. Due to odd jobs springing up, they had not finished with it at 15:00 as agreed. This made me late leaving for Cardigan and cost me brownie points with my dear Lady Love.
Film night tonight. 'A Series Of Unfortunate Events', then bed. God Bless it.

M Jones

Psychotropic qualities - Monday 23/08/10

Beer recipe research. Am keen to find homebrew recipes that don't require ingredients i don't have to hand i.e malt extract, hops, barley etc. To that end most of the morning and early afternoon was spent on the internet in the 'clamp'.
The only distraction came in the form of two boys who'd found a jar of vintage 2007 sauerkraut and were eager to make a stinkbomb using that and a crisp packet...
The only promising lead with recipes came from herbalbeers.com but aside from yarrow, i have no idea where to find mugwort or wormwood. Wormwood has psychotropic qualities so am most excited to hunt that badboy down!
Am on taxiing duties so off to Whitland to collect Ayres after his business trip.
Was rather intrigued by what had to say. How he's recently come to realise how in conversation, we all speak half truths. Not that we're dishonest but its also down to the questions we ask and are asked. One of these i personally have always had trouble with is "How are you?" And this is Ayres's point. Relative to what? "How are you?" - Well i'm not dead, so yes i might be considered medically sound. So the answer "I'm well" could be considered truthful...
Ayres's analogy was along the lines of observations or statements such as "It's cold isn't it" You might agree even though you perceive it to be warm. Again this can be measured but the question "Relative to what?" The Arctic? Hawaii? The Sun?!
That conversation has stuck with me and made me think.

I like that.

M Jones

Manly - Friday 30/07/10

Replaced a leg of the shower as one was too long and bent meaning it was nigh on impossible to wrap a tarp around. Hit upon a small idea. Remove the hose of the solar shower. Its about half a metre long and if you bend it, it forms a kink and stops the flow. It also means that to have the nozzle above your head, is to no longer be able to reach the tap...

Went to Kits plot to grab my machete as it was piddling down for most of the day and got sidetracked helping with his wedding preparations. Started off hammering in pegs for the walls of the marquee, and eventually ended up riding the dumper truck truck to collect the LPG  converted generator.

Have been invited, along with other men folk, to Kits this evening for a manly evening. Basically drinking my homebrew beer selection and various whiskeys. Was good to meet and chat, but didn't get to bed until 09:30 might not seem too late to some but in this physical lifestyle, it takes its toll.

M Jones