By: Blonde One
The two Blondes, you may have noticed, are particularly good at inventing new words. I would like to introduce you to a Blonde One family invented word: lendies. This word describes the act of lending something. Here’s how to use it … ‘I’ve forgotten my gloves, can we do lendies’. Last weekend lendies was happening in abundance.
The Dartmoor weather was at its most horrid and our Ten Tors teams put their own kit thoroughly through their paces. Unfortunately some kit proved not to be up to the job. In steps Blonde One to do lendies. Here’s the list of the lendies: gloves, socks, waterproof trousers, second pair of gloves, coat, fleece, Jet boil, thermarest and second pair of socks. There is one last item of lendies that I can hardly bear to recollect. I have one piece of walking kit that I am very attached to and that are a happy reminder of expeditions near and far. I can’t believe I actually did it but I ended up lending my boots! They came back wet through and covered in Dartmoor’s most smelly bog. It is a measure of how I feel about the recipient of this particular lendie; I definitely wouldn’t lend my boots to just anyone!
The result of me doing all these lendies of spare kit was that when we finally settled into the Blonde tent for the night, Blonde Two had to do lendies as I found that I was a bit chilly without all my spare kit!
Have amassed a specific bag of lendyable kit in my leader sack – a good thing!
I once lendied my gloves to a cold Gold Air Cadet that I was assessing who was later airlifted with hypothermia and I never saw them again 🙁
I also did lendies of my own Trangia last weekend as we did not have enough for all our Bronzes. Was then accused of favouritism (amongst other things) by a parent of someone in another team. Who had also been ‘lendied’ their kit, from the store like everyone else. *sigh*.
It’s a common leader thing: lendies! Parents can be annoying sometimes. Shame your one parent didn’t appreciate all that you do.
Once stopped my van on a one-track road to help an old chap sitting right in the middle of it with blood down his face and a big bruise on his head. Couldn’t put him in the van – no passenger seat and in any case, K9 expressed his disapproval – so dug out my camping chair for him and we awaited an ambulance. When it came, he went – and so did my chair. Hey ho!