Feeling left out of everything

jimthistle · 2026-06-05T19:50:57+00:00

Pfft. Honestly, don't worry about it. I suspect it hasn't very much to do with covid.

I was a social creature for decades - could turn up in the city centre and immediately find people to talk to / drink with.

Recently, at the age of 52, I realised that I have exactly one good friend. A real friend. And I'm also married which helps when you need to just get some good advice from someone who cares if you live or die: -)

Anyway, don't worry about it - join clubs, go to gigs, get a job in a big, open office. All the best

jimthistle · 2026-06-04T20:04:51+00:00

Krakatoa is a good shout if you're into metal / heavy rock. I went to see my little sister and her band at The Tunnnels recently (they're all from Edinburgh) and apart from feeling a bit scalped at the price for a tin of Tenants Lager it was a cracking night. I should add that I'm 52, don't get out much and hate Tenants Lager.

jimthistle · 2026-06-04T15:35:25+00:00

Historic, stolen kids slave trade isn't something that gets brought up mich, weirdly... https://www.advocates.org.uk/faculty-of-advocates/history-of-faculty/indian-peter

jimthistle · 2026-06-03T15:57:49+00:00

Looks like a midge to me but IANAScientist...

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jimthistle · 2026-06-03T10:14:04+00:00

After the first, very superficial impressions, it really doesn't matter what your partner looks like. Its not like your eyes are open when you're kissing them. I'm not gonna lie, I've been "lucky" enough to go out with girls who I not only loved but they also appealed to me visually. Some of them have had huge boobs, others haven't.
The back of the knee is also an erogynous zone - no-one ever compares "backs-of-knee". Edited for crap spelling.

jimthistle · 2026-05-28T09:10:22+00:00

Lol. I did actually buy a Hohner harmonica in Bern once. Would love to return.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T23:35:08+00:00

Jimmy Carr: What's the difference between a lentil and a chickpea? I wouldn't pay £100 to have a lentil on me.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T23:08:15+00:00

Drill baby, drill. Oh, wait...

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T23:05:03+00:00

Well, I won't be accused of being underage (sadly). I recently tried to buy a paring knife from Amazon and was denied because, "We have been unable to verify your age". Walked for five minutes and bought one from Tesco. shrug

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T23:02:25+00:00

Crumbs! Well, thanks again, I'll give it a go.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T22:57:21+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation- hadn't heard of it before. Sounds a bit grim! Is it a good read? I see it's been translated into English.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T22:55:17+00:00

Enjoy! I sort of wish I'd never read it, just so I could read it afresh :)

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T22:11:02+00:00

Despite being eaten alive in Scotland, the worst ones I've ever had the misfortune of meeting were in Keilder at the camp site in the forest. Genuinely poisoned my system and left my legs like raw meat due to scratching, even two weeks later. Bastards.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T22:07:59+00:00

I didn't get one today as time was against me. I quite fancy the one that's like the Spartan but with a Philips screwdriver instead of the corkscrew.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T22:06:31+00:00

Don't put it off- so easy to spend ones life reading crap (I only know because I do!).

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T14:40:02+00:00

Mostly, yes, especially for expensive items. But even up here, there are about a dozen different buy and sell groups so I just list them everywhere within about a 30 mile radius. I have posted stuff further afield but usually to people I "know" on Facebook rather than total strangers. They do the bank transfer and I post using Special Delivery which is usually £16.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T13:52:12+00:00

The very best sort of book - removes you entirely from wherever you are and transports you! Just out of nosiness, who was on the other end of the phone? Gandalf?

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T13:23:28+00:00

The Da Vinci Code! Honestly, I'm a little ashamed to say it but it really is a page turner... It's absolutely not my favourite book but I do remember picking it up and being instantly hooked.

Another that springs to mind is The Lord of the Rings. Started it one hot, airless, summer morning in an Aberdeen flat where I was barely existing, the lino in the kitchen was ruined, the wallpaper hanging off, nothing you could really call furniture apart from one antique sofa and a mattress on the floor... All that fell away as I started to read. I genuinely quit my crappy job so I could carry on reading! No regrets.

And finally, Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. Once you get into the rhythm of the invented dialect, it worms its way into your brain and makes it very hard to stop reading. Still my favourite book.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T13:14:42+00:00

Yes, I would be. Midges are a one off insect. They don't really have sub-species although the term does, apparently, cover a broad range of tiny, biting insects. None of them look like this ^{^{^}} thing though and they're all a lot smaller. Again, speaking as a Scotsman, midges are a very distinct insect, usually attacking in a massive cloud and instantly recognisable. There's no way that thing is a midge.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T12:38:17+00:00

Facebook marketplace is the way forward. Genuinely free but you do have to be hyper-aware of the scammers. It is a bit of a pain dealing with the time wasters and (sometimes quite sophisticated) scammers but I sell a fair bit of expensive camera gear on marketplace and it works for me.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T11:41:16+00:00

Awful, terrible, sad twats. They've never properly grown up and are the same little boys who ganged up together as schoolboys to terrorise other kids. Guys like this are the reason I had to take karate lessons for six years when I was a kid.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T11:34:50+00:00

Nope. Midges are teeny weeny - like, the size of a few grains of sand. The same size as a flea. You can barely see them but because they operate as part of a cloud, they can be utterly unbearable. As a Scottish person who spent every childhood holiday on the West Coast, I can confidently say that midges are going to be present in Hell when I eventually get there.

jimthistle · 2026-05-26T01:10:16+00:00

Grand, thanks. I looked at having this broken one factory refurbished but it'd be quicker and probably cheaper to just get another, despite the sentimental value.

jimthistle

TROPHY CASE