Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 27, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 A couple of weeks ago, something unexpected happened. My dad had been clearing out the clutter in a cupboard, and he'd come to me with a small bundle wrapped in paper, and what I found in it lifted my spirits no end. My maternal grandad, whom I never got to meet as he died a few years before I was born, used to play an unusual instrument: around that part of Yorkshire (at the very least), they were known as "the knackers". From what I understand, others call them "the Irish bones" or simply "the bones". Essentially, pairs of sheep's ribs that had been kept from the knacker's yard, which you played by putting them between your fingers and clacking them. I didn't even know that my grandma had kept them after he died, let alone that my parents had brought them down to our house when she passed, so I was overjoyed - I went on Youtube to find some tutorials, and have been practising ever since - still not great, they're surprisingly complex given their sheer simplicity, but then I guess the simpler the instrument, the more involvement from the body, which is pretty complex. But I'm now playing the bones my grandad used to play; I now have a living, working connection back to him. It's been a difficult time for all of us, beset on all sides by Covid, Tories, anti-immigrant/foreigner rhetoric, etc., so I'm glad to finally be able to talk about something positive, even if it's trivial. How about yourselves? Is there anything that takes the edge off the misery, or raises the mood, or makes you outright happy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 Remembering Thatchers still dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 27, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 2 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said: Remembering Thatchers still dead. I should compose a bones-based tune to that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Wretch Posted January 27, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 This has been cracking me up for three years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamaras-Tash Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 Alcohol usually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ReturnOfTheMack Posted January 27, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 I don't want to be that guy, but my wife makes me happy, or at least a lot less sad, every single day. Everything about that wonderful, dopey-smart, funny woman makes me feel better by more than I can ever say. Â That aside. The book 'The Humans' by Matt Haig always makes me happy, or uplifted. And this makes me smile no matter my mood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 36 minutes ago, Carbomb said: I should compose a bones-based tune to that Back when I was drinking, I found this in my notes. I have no recollection of writing it.  YES I have such an uncomfortable bed YES I have said things I shouldn't have said. YES I laugh at Kompanys forehead YES I don't buy whole meal bread Chorus At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted January 27, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 How Bizarre by OMC. As soon as that opening Spanish Guitar riff comes in, I'm grinning like Willem Dafoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 27, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 6 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said: Back when I was drinking, I found this in my notes. I have no recollection of writing it.  YES I have such an uncomfortable bed YES I have said things I shouldn't have said. YES I laugh at Kompanys forehead YES I don't buy whole meal bread Chorus At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead At least thatchers still dead Right. Going to work on that. Will let you know how I get on. Or not, depending on how shit I am at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members stumobir Posted January 27, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 The sea. I grew up on the west coast of Scotland and my childhood summers were filled with camping on the beach, jumping off piers and generally being by the sea and then as I’ve mentioned before I went to work at sea, which gave me the opportunity to travel to places that I didn’t know existed let alone imagined visiting.  The beach is my favourite place to take the dog now, doesn’t matter the weather, in fact some days I actually enjoy it more when it’s a bit wild as I tend to be the only one there. Equally love walking along a busy promenade and grabbing a bag of chips and a cone in the middle of summer.  I’ve thought about it before but I’m still not sure what it is about it that tends to calm me down and make be a bit happier. Possibly the vastness of it and how insignificant it makes my problems feel. I also love how drastically it changes, serene and millpond like one day and harsh and unforgiving the next.  All sounds a bit daft but yeah, I love the sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted January 27, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted January 27, 2022 1 minute ago, stumobir said: The sea. I grew up on the west coast of Scotland and my childhood summers were filled with camping on the beach, jumping off piers and generally being by the sea and then as I’ve mentioned before I went to work at sea, which gave me the opportunity to travel to places that I didn’t know existed let alone imagined visiting.  The beach is my favourite place to take the dog now, doesn’t matter the weather, in fact some days I actually enjoy it more when it’s a bit wild as I tend to be the only one there. Equally love walking along a busy promenade and grabbing a bag of chips and a cone in the middle of summer.  I’ve thought about it before but I’m still not sure what it is about it that tends to calm me down and make be a bit happier. Possibly the vastness of it and how insignificant it makes my problems feel. I also love how drastically it changes, serene and millpond like one day and harsh and unforgiving the next.  All sounds a bit daft but yeah, I love the sea. One of my favourite parts of the world. When I was at secondary school, I was in Navy cadets (long story short, it was compulsory to join a cadet branch), and one of the things we had to do was a certain number of "training camps" per year, of which, for RN branch, the best was the Clyde Fleet. In the summer, for a week, we'd go up to Faslane, where we'd get on an auxiliary-service fleet tender (a small supply boat), and sail around the western islands, learning about navigation and running a ship, stopping at various port towns and villages, and sleeping in harbour. We'd go to places like Tarbert and Gourock. In summer, these were amongst the most beautiful places I'd ever laid eyes on. Sun beating down on the lochs, on occasion having lunch barbeques on the beaches of small, deserted islands, waking up to the sound of waves and seabirds, a wonderful time. Not to mention that a bunch of teenage lads were a novelty to the girls of a lot of these remote places - will always have a fond memory of Rothesay on the isle of Bute, when I was for the first (and only) time in my life wolf-whistled at by girls. Been a long time since I went up to Scotland. When all this shite ends, and provided the Scots haven't ditched us yet, I've got to get back up there. Loved Stirling too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jazzy G Posted January 28, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 28, 2022 Maximillian's pure joy at seeing Cloud getting announced for Smash Brothers.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonworden Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Today I managed to pop to the bank and pick up my new debit card 1 day early by chance which cheered me right up as it's a week long public holiday from today and I didn't think they would be arsed to sort it out before. Then heading to work all the traffic lights went green for me and the food court at the university had freshly fried up spring rolls. This has put me in a brilliant mood which my students are sure to break in about 40 minutes. Generally when I'm feeling really downtrodden a good ride on the motorbike (scooter) out of the city and into the mountains cheers me right up. Having a coffee and a smoke on a mountain side with nobody around is perfection to me. I've managed to convince the wife to let me go off for a couple of days as a mental health break in a weeks time and I can't wait.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Healys Chutney Spoon Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Just the simplicity of rolling around the floor playing with the kids and the sound of my 18month old daughter laughing and giggling at the silliest of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members waters44 Posted January 28, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 28, 2022 Easy one for me - I load up YouTube and click on one of my most watched clips which starts…. ”Following advice from Chris Rea, I always crack an egg into my bath” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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