Yes Man....

I love reading. Admittedly what I read the most of is usually shit. I confess that I am a reader of utter shit. I like crap romantic fiction, I like to escape into a little bit of soppy erotica and I have no shame in doing so. However, I also like to read some other stuff that some people regard as shit and some don't..

For instance anyone remember when "The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time" was a huge best seller. I do, I read that book in 24 hours on my flight to Australia. Couldn't put the book frigging down.

How I love "Neither here nor there" by Bill Bryson and in fact I enjoy most Bill Bryson books.. Period. He makes me laugh.

I do tend to go with the fads though, if there is a book every man and his dog is reading, then I to want to join in. You rememember men are from mars women are from venus? Course you do haven't we all read it because of it's hugity - is hugity a word? Who cares I like the sound.

So, when I read a review about a book called "Yes Man" and his writing style was compared to Bill Bryson's I ordered it.

However, I hadn't prepared myself for something that may result from reading this book.

I don't want to give the whole plot away, just in case anyone wants to read the book (which by the way has caused me to laugh out loud on several occasion). Yet this book does one simple thing, it encourages you to say yes more to make your life more... I want to say exciting but the right work is probably eventful!

I was reading a chapter of this book, wasn't feeling particularly inspired, but in mid chapter my phone rings *que tacky Sony Ericcson tune*

CD: Hey Babe

Gretta: Hey

CD: So, I'm taking a guy from work and his 2 boys (age 11 and age 12) wild camping. You want to come?

Gretta: Is it just a boys weekend?

CD: Well, not if you come, you gona come?

Gretta: Yes

What the crap did I just agree too. I hate camping!

Gretta: What is wild camping?

CD: Well, we sleep under the stars and we do some bush craft, we'll do a little canoeing.

Gretta: In the UK??????

This sounded ludicrous to me, ok sleep under the stars in the South of France, in West Virginia, in Australia, in anywhere frigging hot. But the UK??????

CD: Yeah, but I've already figured you wont want to do that so I'm going to take a tent for you. But there are no toilet facilities, or showers, but we can boil up some river water for washing in.

OH MY FRIGGING GOD. WHAT THE CRAP HAVE I AGREED TO.

Gretta: Right

CD: I'll email you a kitlist later - see you tomorrow.

And here is the email with that kitlist

"the wild weekend will consist of open canoeing down the river a distance of 19.5 miles over two days with a night camping at farm. Two canadian style open boats will be used, we will keep all our gear dry in big water tight barrels, we will camp out around a camp fire and perhaps have a splash of single malt.

Kit List

sleeping bag and mat bivy bag/ground sheet and tarp or tent
clothing appropriate to weather conditions
water bottle and lunch for sat and sunday
we'll buy stuff to cook on fire or stove for sat night
sun cream/mosquito repellent
old trainers and clothes to wear on river,
dry clothes and dry shoes to change into for night.
tooth brush and paste
soap
survival equipment i.e. knife
matches
firelighters
head torch
loo paper
old anorak and waterfproof trousers to wear on river and if windy and rainy
marshmallows
aged single malt
guitar
cheerfulsinging voices

have this stuff in bags to pack into barrels clean clothes to change when back to car "

SINCE WHEN WAS "A LITTLE CANOEING" 19.5 MILES????

There was I thinking a nice little paddle down a river and there is he thinking 19.5 miles!

So this saying yes more thing, I'll let you know how enjoyable it is on Monday 28th July after my "WILD WEEKEND".

The plus side is he's given me a week to prepare. I don't even own half the stuff on the kitlist!