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Tag: Politics

Asexuality & Queerness

#ThisGuyCan – A Challenge to Toxic Masculinity

2019-01-20
barefoot-backpacker

This post, about toxic masculinity, is one of the first of a new section of my…

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barefoot_backpacker

Asexual/Aro. Podcaster/Writer. World traveller. Gen-X. Quirkyalone. ADHD. Dyspraxic. Cynical hippie. Other adjectives & verbed nouns. Enby/demiboy.

The Barefoot 👣 Backpacker
Achievement Unlocked: 50 Parkruns! I've been stuc Achievement Unlocked: 50 Parkruns!

I've been stuck on 49 for over a month. I wanted to get my 50th at my local course, but because of weather and seasonal cancellations, then my volunteering due to unfitness, it's been a while since I've been able to do a Parkrun here.

Even this morning I was still wary as it's been icy all this week, but we had confirmation it was on, and I didn't feel I could put it off any longer.

Weather was a bit damp, slightly chilly, but probably not deserving of both the skort and the leggings; I think I was being a bit too careful. That said, damp weather means minimalist running socks for me rather than bare feet.

The lady on the first pic is called Kate and it was her 50th Parkrun too so she said we should pose together near the finish line. I ran with her for a lap before she burnt me off on the last lap. The pic was taken by, I think, her son (or her son-in-law), who'd also taken part in the run.

The volunteers knew it was my 50th and gave me the official Parkrun '50' badge, which, when I was looking at it in the parkrun cafe afterwards; it doesn't have "Parkrun" on it so if I wore it on my bag people would think I was 50 years old or something. (They'd be wrong, but not by as much as I'd care to admit.) But that's another angst.

It was an average time for me today, which I was expecting; annoyingly I sprint-finished and as it turns out, was about 5 or 6 seconds too fast to get a 50.0% Age Grading, which is one of those geeky Parkrun stats that's hard to explain but it'd basically mean I'm bang-average for my demographic.

I've recently uploaded to the blog a Guide To Queen's Parkrun, but I'll talk more about that in my next IG post.

Did anyone else do a Parkrun today? And was it just as damp?
Happy holidays and Season's Greetings! I've never Happy holidays and Season's Greetings!

I've never really been one to celebrate at this time of year - partly through a lack of religious upbringing and partly due to having a very small family, so it never really felt that special a time. For me, Christmas Day is generally just "like a Sunday, but less interesting". That it fell *on* a Sunday this year merely served to confuse me!

Anyway. For the second year in a row, my friend @bouridiop came a-visiting for the period, and we went for a walk around a couple of the parks close to where my flat is. This time we didn't pass any highland cows, for shame, but it was a nicely chill walk, past lots of dogs.

She also took this pic of me, which despite being highly off-brand (I am neither barefoot nor wearing any kind of backpack!) is, I feel, a good representation of who I am and feel right now. It's rare for me to like pics of myself, but this one I do.

Anyway. Hope you're all having a good few days, in whatever way you're choosing to celebrate this holiday season. And I hope 2023 brings you joy and confidence.
Happy December! This month up here in Glasgow we' Happy December!

This month up here in Glasgow we've had two weeks of bright sunshine and dry weather, coupled with temperatures reaching the dizzy depths of -8°C. This led to a lot of frost, cancelled Parkruns, and the reapparance of my very long scarf.

Partway through these Antarctic Desert conditions, I had a wander around Queen's Park, seeing the part-frozen ponds, trying not to slip on the icy paths, and taking preliminary ASMR type video for my new YouTube Shorts channel. Go check it out - it's more identity-focussed rather than travel-focussed right now but there'll be something for everyone over time.

There's a good view from the flagpole at the top of the main hill; it looks reasonably due North so you get to see not just the cityscape of Glasgow, but the hills beyond looking towards The Trossachs and points east of Loch Lomond.

I was more content to have a wander closer to home, amongst the pigeons and the bare trees. They match my bare feet on the frosty ground, but I didn't go anywhere near the edge of the pond, for obvious reasons. And don't worry mother, I was mostly wearing sandals on this walk; that was for the YouTube. Honest.

The church spire at the edge of the park is the Baptist church where the post-Parkrun drinks and cake are to be found. The other spire, visible on the fourth picture, is now a residential building. I think it'd be kind of cool to say you lived at the top of an old church spire.

The wooden-plank thing in the middle of the pond in the second pic btw is a piece of sculpture/art who was based locally (though originally I think American) (or possibly the other way round); anyway they're now dead and that's a symbolic memorial to them.

Are you fond of clear skies and frosty grass? Or do you prefer your days to be warm and/or wet?
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