Festina Lente

Fascinating stuff as to what type of people with which character traits are more prone to gamble. Used to manage a residential unit for teens in a special ed school before my gambling kicked in and would love to have done research there on this topic. Just think if you could identify why some can stop and walk away how many it would help.

Just as random thought, there was a girl there who was a brilliant artist who was autistic, can't explain but she painted everything from a strange overhead perspective so they looked flat, she gave me a framed picture when she left and her art was one of the only things she ever showed emotion about.

People are such a complex mix and I'm talking too much, just called in to say thanks for responding in my diary.

xxx

Sorry wasn't meaning what I said about my childhood as a criticism just often think in my work with young people about how we often see such a short snapshot of people's lives.

Had to smile about straight roads though, I live on the Thames, don't think my funds will reach to transatlantic bike haulage. Used to ride pillion in the sixties as my ex had a monkey hanger bike, some scary memories, no crash hats in those days and lost several friends so stay safe.

xxx

Got a lot of work done in the last few days. With Maisie tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that. I'm taking her out into the countryside to collect slate from a ruined house that was demolished 60 years ago. I need them for a future project. I can just see her disappointed and tutting face now but nonetheless it's these mundane experiences which may not enrich her life but at least give her something to look back upon and moan about when I'm dead and gone. Mundane is good, too much stimulation doesn't put anyone in good stead.

There is water bubbling up from the garden so it must be a burst or blocked pipe. The house insurance doesn't cover it and it looks like an expensive job for a professional. After all I can't be sunbathing (that's a joke, the coats back on) in my garden surrounded by faeces and floating toilet paper. In a crisis like this, my 'past' mind would have tried to gamble the costs of a visit from 'Dynorod.' Yet those deceiving thoughts are now gone, for through experience and reading other people's similar tales, I now know you can't gamble money in the hope of paying debts. Yet being a 'tight ar*e' I've came up with a better solution. Just one anominous phone call to the police saying that there's a serial killer residing at my home, meaning me and that bodies have been routinely flushed down the toilet should guarantee action. Before you know it the garden will be dug up, the pipes unblocked and probably the attic tidied as well. So if you see on the news in the next week or so a house in Liverpool surrounded by yellow tape with people coming and going in white paper suits and me, smiling into the camera, don't worry it's just a false alarm. Nothing bad happens like that around here or at least not in the last 30 years when I bought the property off someone called D. Nielsson. Wondered what happened to him, strange bloke. Anyway it's foolproof. Better get to sleep now, open some windows first, house stinks of glue again, busy day tomorrow.

If you never gambled today well done, if you don't gamble tomorrow, even better.

Steve Shawshank

Sir.

I was not referring to the perigrine lol. I was thinking you would see that rock dove and want it lightly smoked next to the wood pigoen!!!!

glad to see the call of the cheap ale did not stop you from working, me I may have been tempted lol.

I am saving my beer tokens for the great dorset steam fair in august were me and eldest are off for a few days r&r, well I have to come home for that, a few days real ale and snoring a camp site out.

Hope you enjoy a day with yours, keep up the great work.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

A nice, bet free day yesterday. Started with a swim early. Met Frank in the pool, a retired gentleman who couldn't swim a stroke 12 months ago and was anxious in the water, now he's up and down the pool like johnny Weissmuller. Just shows what you can achieve with belief, determination and perseverance. Picked up Maise, my nephew and his dog and went in the 'country,' they played and had a good time whilst I rummaged around in nettles looking for slate. I managed to collect about 40kg so job done on that.

Came home and decided to unblock two drains myself, I managed to scoop out a huge amount of decaying, ultra foul smelling, sh*te. Up to my neck in it, if I had arms like 'mr. Tickle' I would have done a better job. I found a few crisp packets from the '70's' 'football crazy' so it turned out in some respects fun. Maisie enjoyed hosing me down before playing a game in the garden called 'farm.'

I'm taking her to one of my lessons today, I like it when I can do this because it's rare she sees me doing what 'grown ups' have to do. I wish I could take her into schools were she could see that I'm strict and professional, she wouldn't recognise me.

Over ten years she's been part of my life and I still pinch myself.

I may go to the fishing competition tonight, I'll see how I feel and if I can squeeze another night out of having Maisie stop over. No feeling of wanting a bet at all at the moment, the idea still happily makes me nauseous, no salvation there only ruin and misery. This is the longest In my life I haven't gambled, even as a child I'd help my Dad pick his ITV 7 horses or put the crosses on the pools coupon.

Have a bet free day all

Steve

Steve

morning fella.

i woke up at three this morning, or rather my back woke me at three!! two tramadol, diazapam later I am prostrate on the floor!! I have work later of which i may not remember much of lol.

the result of a wonderful days company with the wife yesterday, we cycled about ten miles after doing the garden and shopping!!

Still no pain no gain!! lol.

hope all is well in your world, i thought of you yesterday when the twitcher explained the pair of rock doves are no longer a pair!!!!!

enjoy the sun.

duncs stepping forward never back.

Mornin Steve

So enjoy reading ur posts its a reminder of what life is all bout , a clear head positive thinking spending quality time with maise , I think is great how u can separate work with home dont know how u quite manage goin from zany to serious there must be so much temptation there to av a laugh with the kids but u r a professional and full of admiration for u

Fully agree with u on maise growing up quick jess is now 9 and its just flown by , a few more years and we will be hitting the dreaded teens goin from I love u daddy to I hate u dad ! Lol , I will be calling on u for advice with u having a year start !

Castle2

Used to live in a big old house in the country before I moved to my houseboat a couple of years ago and your drains episode brought back many cherished memories. Had mains installed but they had left a cess pit under the willow tree on the front lawn which we didn't know about that was still joined to the mains, so once every year we would wake to a wonderful pond of poo covering the entire garden. Had to invest in drain rods in the end but boy did the rhodies grow well and the family album enjoys some lovely shots of my ex knee deep in excrement ( some might say that was where he belongs but he's lovely really).

Still I guess while your occupied picking up poo there's no chance of wasting the wonga.

xxx

The honourable Mr. Steve.

Fella i have never noticed before, but under the influence of the tramadol i have become a great big itch lol.

If i could pull out next doors palm tree and do a balloo bear from the jungle book i would !!!! Sleep evades me tonight.

My friend thanks for planting the seed!! Lol.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hi Steve,

Just wanted 2 say a huge thank u 4 all ur support. It means a lot 2 me 🙂

Have a gr8 day xx

Hiya Steve

Thanks for the post and the continued support u av always offered me solid advice its helped me along the way and getting me where I want to be , inspired by ur own recovery couldn't be happier for u

Enjoy the sun ideal for fishing !

Castle2

Cheers Rainbow, Duncs, Char and Castle, how you're all good. Weather is still glorious and I've reached 430 not out. No urge to gamble, that part of my brain is thankfully quiet. Still adjusting from being a full time gambler to a life without it yet I'm getting there. Off to the gym this morning then to mass to see Maisie. Very busy week in work this week so I'll send the rest of Sunday preparing for it, enjoy the weather, it costs nothing.

Steve

Steve

they say the best things in life are free!!

without doubt our lives are all the better free of gambling.

hope your week is not so busy you miss out on some of that sun!! as we know it will most probably offski before long lol!!!!

No thoughts of destructive gambling fantastic.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Busy week, all finished now. It was really good until this morning. I've never felt so embarrassed in all my life. Demonstrating art to a class of ten year olds and their teacher. All was going swimmingly until I inadvertently pressed the voice control on my iPod. It randomly selected a song from my music list. It could have chosen any from many thousands from Beethoven to Glen Campbell but instead it chose 'Me so h***y' from 2 live crew. Me and the teacher just looked at each other as a Vietnamese woman declared I'll do anything for ten dollar from my trouser pocket before descending into a cacophony of sexual panting and moans. I frantically tried to turn it off as I pleaded to the teacher 'its not what you think.' Kids being what they are, and sensing vulnerability put the boot in for the rest of the morning by singing, humming, whistling 'me so h***y, I love you long time.' I try to laugh at anything and everything but this was a difficult one, just bad luck I guess, nobody suffered only I and my reputation, never mind. At least I never gambled. I intend to retrain as a plumber.

Me no gamble, me me no gamble, me no gamble, no gamble long time

Steve.

I salute you my man!!!!

My kitchens have for the last ten yrs suffered my great tastes in music lol!!

I went through a classic fm stage, cooking up a storm is most entertaining.

As you can imagine the colourful languge that sometimes comes out compliments any symthony!!!

Thanks for again making me smile.

Duncs stepping forward never back.