3rd annual Twoism meet - Sat 4th July 2015 - Dorset, UK

[arvy]

If anyone is welcome so maybe i can make it from not very near lithuania, my sister just moved to london for study, so I guess it would be a great excuse to meet her, or to be here, or both anyway it would great to meet so many boc fans at one place, also strange

[Mexicola]

All Twoismers welcome Arvy!

Remember though people, you need to PM me for details.

[arvy]

All Twoismers welcome Arvy!

Remember though people, you need to PM me for details.

That's right, if anything for goes by the plan, I'll contact you

[Negamuse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-LBI4wUA8k

[Mexicola]

^^^ so you spotted THAT reference in the video too??

[Mexicola]

I just saw where Techboy has in mind for the Scotland legof next Summer's meet. You should all be very, very excited. Wow!

[irv]

Ha, I know precisely where that is in the video - was there the other week!

Won't be able to make it but have a blast...

[Jonse]

I'm waiting right now for a response from the friend I've planned to travel with. If their plans have changed then I need to re-arrange some things immediately and find another friendly twoismer in England who might do me two or three little (inexpensive) favors. I will go or figuratively die trying (if I screw up, I don't think chairs near terminals at LHR are as comfortable as BA first class - thank you whoever gave that up at the last second). I assume everything is still set with said friend so I'm trying not to fret. This meetup has become less of just a thing to go to for me. It's now what I want to be that one thing you think of when you look back at what defined a particular year.

This may sound stupid but Twoist's post on the first page set off a chain of events that changed my life. It was "yes" on whether or not to go. That combined with something else (anecdotal, possibly long depending on reader):

Two months ago I went to eat lunch with my 60 year old mother. Afterwards, her vision in her only good eye started failing. She has been blind in the other since she was born. I thought due to its rapid onset it was an ocular headache, but it didn't go away. The next morning, I drove her to an Optometrist, after a sleepless night tending to her. He deduced that it was a form of macular degeneration. If you don't know anything about this, it means either get it treated immediately or say goodnight to your vision forever. The medicine (an injection into the eye) was what would be about 1250 quid over there. Per dose. Insurance would not cover it on such short notice but if we waited the week that it would have taken, she would have been left with any of the degeneration that occured during that time and it was happening rapidly. We made a judgement call and went along with the procedure and it halted the degeneration. A month later after getting the next injection, my mother's vision has improved a bit, and though she will live with a bit of distortion forever, it won't get any worse as long as she maintains treatment and the insurance is now covering it.

With this came a determination within myself that spread out from helping her and to everything else. It's where the "yes" comment factors in. I had been overly concerned with risks in life and had forgotten to live it, made worse by the fact that I acknowledge that I will die someday every day of my life and yet act like I'm risking something. She's seeing now (but I still can't help from ending any calls with "drive safe" or calling to ask if she needs a ride). She's fine. I'm not. I know now that dedicating yourself to selflessness because you're fucked does not mean you shouldn't take care of yourself and pursue what makes you at the very least content, "happiness" being a rare treat and I'm okay with that.

I'll start with seasides, tape decks, stars that can actually be seen at night and killer midges.

[Mexicola]

Fuck man!! I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum. Bless you both, I sincerely hope she's ok and you too.

[Jonse]

Fuck man!! I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum. Bless you both, I sincerely hope she's ok and you too.

Thanks man, it means a lot. She's okay right now, but she's just a constant concern. She drives and hits medians with the crash varying from a dent in her car to a near-death situation. She'll take an Ambien, stay up too long and then fall. I'll find out about it and I can't stop thinking about what might have happened if it had been her head and not her arms. She's at risk for so many disorders and diseases in our family. Her mother died of Parkinson's accompanied with bad dementia. Her father died of skin cancer. At her age, she's lucky that the most she suffers from on a regular basis is arthritis.

It's just one of those things where though everything seems fine, I can't help but imagine something terrible will happen. There is nothing right now that would stop her from living to 100. I feel like I'm going to get the call that she's died the next day every day.

[Aerial Boundaries]

Sorry to hear Rodheh. I was wondering why you haven't been gracing us with your presence much lately.

We have a strong history of cancer on both sides in my family. Grandparents, aunts etc. My dad has had it twice, the second time recently though luckily there is no trace left. Every few months he gets his regular scan and I silently freak out. Still smokes as well, the arse. It took my mum when I was 7 so that has made me fairly paranoid about it.

[IanRedpoint]

For anyone flying over for this... I live really close to London Heathrow airport and there is floor / sofa space for a couple of people here. I've cleared it with my better half, Tina, and she's cool with putting people up.

At a push I might be able to take one other person down to Dorset. I only have a 2-seater car though (MX-5) so space is understandably tight.

[Negamuse]

As before, I'm coming over from the direction of Southampton, so if anyone needs a lift... my driving only really gets truly shocking the day AFTER.

[fujee]

Hmm I might take you up on that offer Messiah. Seeing as I am coming from Brighton, it probably makes sense to get the train to Southampton then grab a lift, as opposed to going to London to grab one with Twoist like last year (this is presuming he is driving down again, and is cool with giving me a lift again ha). Seems counterproductive to go to London first if I can just go along the coast, if that is cool with you, of course I will front some petrol money and beers for you No worries if not though!

edit: if you're close enough to Southampton station that is.

[Negamuse]

Yeah thats fine! I'm actually a few mins outside Soton center but I have to make my way up to the M27 anyway so its practically on my way. Shoot me a PM nearer the time and let me know times and stuff.

[fujee]

Nice one mate, will do

[Cupz]

Shouldn't we have like a countdown counter thing somewhere?

This is going to change my life, I feel it in my stomach.

[Aerial Boundaries]

As before, I'm coming over from the direction of Southampton, so if anyone needs a lift... my driving only really gets truly shocking the day AFTER.

Haha. We were so missing that morning.

[Mexicola]

Loving how people are so eager already!

[Jonse]

So I guess everything is now more than official. Cupz, his girlfriend and I will arrive a day or so before the meetup (might have to find a place to stay somewhere around London for a night - maybe IanRedpoint is cool with that) and will take a bus to Dorset. We might take a ride from someone here if they aren't stuck taking too many people already (so in other words, someone with a van) and would be so kind as to offer that.

In the meantime, I need to find us a place to stay after Dorset either up in Scotland or somewhere between where the bus reservations he's making work out. I have no idea whether it'll be a cottage like I'd originally planned, a cheap hotel worst case scenario or someone's house willing to put up with our presence. We will both have money (I believe he is covering transportation and I am covering shelter) but we'd obviously like to minimize the cost of the trip as much as possible by working with others, provided it doesn't bother them.

On an unrelated note, before the 11th Cupz and I will go to the Pentland Hills. He wants to "find the Hexagon Sun".