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A Busy Week

Pic of the week 19/2/23

Its been a busy, but enjoyable, (half term) week.

On Wednesday, Becky & I went to Clevedon for the morning, It was a beautiful day (well, the morning was – we left at lunchtime under gathering grey skies) and we watched the swimmers emerge, very pink, from the marine lake. We ambled along the seafront enjoying the big blue sky and then sauntered up and down the pier. We sat outside for coffee and felt a million miles from home. A very pretty seaside town that hasn’t declined like so many have.

On Thursday we went to Cardiff to visit the children.  A cold, damp day (I had misjudged the weather and found myself shivering in my lightweight spring coat, wishing I’d worn my puffa) As always, lovely to see the bambinos, we went for lunch, and then ice cream (ice cream! in the cold!?) Both seem well, and Sam appears to be doing some work for his course. I spent a small fortune on footwear – I’ve entered the “Sketchers ” phase of my life where function triumphs form as a I battle with the pain that is plantar fasciitis. On the whole my foot is getting better, but its still “there”, and still a constant thought on my mind as well as pain in my foot.

The Corsa passed its MOT, the 205 neither passed nor failed its MOT – it was “abandoned” as they couldn’t open the boot. An annoying occasional problem that I have now (hopefully) permanently fixed.

And I’ve been back in the pool. Twice. Unable to run, I thought I’d try swimming again (although I shall leave the frigid waters of Clevedon marine lake to warm up considerably before dipping a toe in there!) and swam a couple of times at Strode. Was pleasantly surprised how quickly I got back in the groove, and on both occasions completed 40 lengths. As running is still very much off limits, I can see an increasing number of visits to the pool in my near future.

And Saturday (18 Feb) saw our first daffodil of the year in flower, one of the ones I planted in the lawn in September.  We’ve had a lovely day today, and one gets the sense that before too long we’ll have a whole load more in flower, although it does seem like everything is a bit late this year. Oh well, good things come to those that wait …

Back to school tomorrow, but with the days staying lighter longer, the first flowers of spring and (hopefully) the odd day of lovely weather one hopes that the worst of winter is behind us.

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Injury!

Pic of the week 21/11/21

On Wednesday I pinged a muscle.

I was doing the line for the U15 ISFA cup game and, about 5 mins in, set off at a sprint to follow play. I felt something “go” at the top of my left calf. I hobbled on and it seemed to get better, by then another quick turn of pace, and another stabbing pain. By the end of the game I could walk with a heavy limp, but I couldn’t run. It hurt.

Wednesday night is yoga night and I wasn’t sure if I should go or not, but I did go and I’m glad I did. You can tell when a stretch is  a good stretch or a bad stretch, and I pushed the former hard, and relaxed when I felt the latter. By the next day, my leg was much better (although it may just have been all my other muscles aching, post yoga, and masking the pain of my pulled muscle.)

On Saturday I refereed our U18 girls – I couldn’t run quickly, but ambled my way through 80 minutes, but it did tell me I shouldn’t run today, so I didn’t. Instead I swam, swimming 50 lengths. Wasn’t really looking forward to it as I walked down to the pool, but really enjoyed it once I was in. Come the Christmas holidays I must look to increase my swimming.  (I hope to be back running again next week)

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Corfu ’21

This is what a holiday can do for you …

Two weeks in Corfu was wonderful, it was perfect. Deciding to go was the best decision I have made in years. Two weeks, just me & Becky, in beautiful country, blue skies, crystal clear waters. It has left me rejuvenated, re-energised and with a headful of wonderful memories.

I’ve been a bit remis: its been nearly two weeks since we returned and I’m only just writing about it now. On my future travels, I shall endeavour to write a daily blog to capture my thoughts as they happen.  Becky has written four excellent blogs, you can see them here:

Corfu Town

Kalami

Kassiopi

Photos

and they do the trip justice far better than I could.

Picking a highlight for me? Not easy. The sight and sound of the swifts swopping overhead in Corfu Town was an unexpected delight and surprise, but I think top spot must go to swimming of Galiskari beach, an almost deserted beech a ten minute walk from Kalami, with the most wonderful water for swimming in: perfect colour, clarity and temperature.  The sea gets deep quickly, and I’ve realised I like this.

The water off Kassiopi, particularly fairly early in the morning before the wind got up and the hordes arrived, was also divine:

My love affair with Greece was rekindled. The sun, the sea, the food, the slightly chaotic nature reminded what I’ve been missing, and we’ll be back.

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Swimming, mice and flower beds

Pic of the week 9/5/21

On Monday I swam, for the first time since August. Given the extra long term, we were given Monday off as a “duvet day” and I took the opportunity to book myself in for a swim up at school.

I ended up doing 40 lengths – 2Km – in 47 minutes and 57 seconds. I actually felt quite fit in the pool, I was able to do that distance without too much difficulty, but I was then knackered for the rest of the day. Amazing how much it took out of me. However, come the holidays (both half-term and summer) I really ought to make swimming more of a regular thing.

Mice: we’ve been plagued by mice, fortunately only in the garden, who have enjoyed foraging on the bird food we put out. The fear is is that they start to stray inside, so this week traps have been laid.  We’ve snared three so far, with cheese being the bait of choice.

Today I planted out my sunflower seedlings into the new bed, along with geranium and lobelia plants. Hope they take to life outdoors and grow into big strong plants.

And this week we bought a rowing machine for the whole family to use. I don’t think anyone’s done a full session on it yet (to be fair, I only put it together yesterday).  I just hope it gets used, and gets us all trim and fighting fit.

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Burton Bradstock

Pic of the week 12/7/20

We should have been waking up today in our Majorcan villa, the first day of a week of sun, sea and sangria (and me attempting to speak Spanish.)

But, due to coronavirus, it was not to be, so Becky & I had a day trip to Burton Bradstock.

After some pretty “meh” weather of late, yesterday and today have seen the sun shine and it was blue skys all day. The sea was an inviting aqua-marine, with oh so gentle breakers lapping the shore. But slipping beneath the waves, one was not greeted with the warm bath embrace of the Mediterranean sea, but the frigid, icy sting that brutally reminds you that you are swimming in the English Channel.

But once you got used it, it was wonderful. Just slowly ambling my way through the water along the beach was – quite possibly – the best thing I have done since March. It was certainly the most novel experience I have had since lockdown began, and I drank in the sights, sounds and sensations that only swimming in the sea can provide.

I don’t know how long I was in for – perhaps 20 minutes – before getting out to warm my now frozen bones in the glorious sunshine.

Initially, the beach wasn’t too busy, but enough people to provide interest. As the day wore on, it got busier, but not crowded. We sat in the sun, read, ate lunch and felt a sense of normality had returned to our bizarre, Covid dominated world.

Of course, I’d prefer to be writing this  from a Spanish villa, but today was a special day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Lawn, swimming and Corvid-19

Pic of the week 8/3/20

We live in unsettling times.

But the weather is trying to improve and we’ve had a couple of spring like days this week, days to lift the soul and lighten one’s load, although they have been the juicy filling between the limp, stale white bread that is the sandwich of the current weather. Still too much rain, still to chilly (not crisp cold, just a cold dampness that permeates to ones bones.)  But today, there where bright spells and I even managed to give the lawn a mow, the first of the season.

It was needed. The lawn is not currently in a healthy state, it seems to be as much moss as grass. And (I think) nesting blackbirds are busy plucking the moss to make their nests, leaving, well, just mud. Anyway, having mowed and raked, hopefully the grass can begin to out-compete the moss and we’ll be rewarded with a beautiful sward come those long summer days …

This morning was a first for me, my first swim in the school pool. I was taking part in a sponsored swim organised by the Lions and my team of 4 had 25 minutes in the pool to swim as much as possible. I must confess I was a little disappointed to find that the pool was split in half – we would be swimming 25m lengths rather than the full 50m, but I’m pleased with the 50 lengths (= 1.25 Km) I managed in the allotted 25 mins.

Becky went to see Sophie in Reading yesterday (hence the pic), Sam continues with his new found work ethic. I head off to Milton Keynes tomorrow to watch the 1st XI in the ISFA Final.

But we live under the question mark of Corvid 19, or the Corona virus. At the moment, nothing tangible has happened – these are teh figures as I write (8 March 20) from the Government’s website:

As of 9am on 8 March 2020, 23,513 people have been tested in the UK, of which 23,240 were confirmed negative and 273 were confirmed as positive. Two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.

So, not sure where and how this is going to end. Will we end up in lock down – or even just more “minor” restrictions such as school closures, or will this all just be yesterday’s news in a few weeks time? I don’t know. I suspect we (the UK) will ride it out for a few weeks and then life will continue as normal.

But I’ve been known to be wrong before …

 

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Passed!

Pic of the week 9/2/20

He passed!

On Friday, Sam successfully passed his driving test. Today he has proudly pootled off to work, behind the wheel on his own for the first time, ever.

Very proud of him and, unsurprisingly, he’s as pleased as punch.

Not the best day today for driving though: we’ve been battered by Storm Ciara and the wind and rain has – at times – been pretty immense although (touch wood) we’ve escaped anything more damaging than our garden furniture being blown about a bit on the deck. My game today was a victim of the weather, so, after receiving the cancellation text at 8.05 am, I headed down to the pool and swam 50 lengths. I’m enjoying swimming again, and will do more of it this year, but this week I have signed up for the Glastonbury 10K in May, so can’t abandon the running entirely!  But with half term now just five short days away, I’m looking forward to being able to do a bit of both.

The original flower from my cactus (blog-post of a couple of weeks ago) didn’t last, but has now been replaced by three new flowers, with more on the way. Outside, too, there is plant life beginning to emerge from the winter slumber. In the front corner of the drive, a number of daffodils, buffeted in the gale force winds, bravely sport their yellow flowers and in the back garden, the peony roots I planted last autumn are now poking through, suggesting the promising of a summer yet to come, and a self-seeded sweet-pea plant has hung on over the cold, wet winter and is now beginning to put on a growth spurt.

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Frosty

Pic of the week 19/1/20

After seemingly endless wet, occasionally winding, and unseasonably warm weather, the last two days have been cold. Crisp, clear, cold, and its been wonderful.

This morning we woke to a thick covering of white frost, offset by the clean sharpness of blue skies. Definitely a day to lift the spirits.

I was due to referee today, but the game was called off before the end of the week due to the pitch being too wet. I do enjoy refereeing, but it did feel like a bonus  to have the morning off. I was going to go for a run, but I picked up a niggling calf injury last week and I was still noticing when refereeing yesterday’s 5th XI* game v Sherborne, so I decided to go for a swim instead.

And I’m so glad I did.

I didn’t swim much last year, I think I just fell out of the habit of going to the pool, and there was/is a danger that that would continue into this year.

It was a lot less busy than I’d feared this morning – a good handful in the water, but for most of the time I was able to have a lane to myself.  Was originally only going to do 30 lengths, then thought I could add another six. Then, if doing 36, you may as well do 40. Anyway, I ended up doing 50 lengths, really enjoyed it, it was quite calming and therapeutic – certainly more so than running seven or ten K.

Anyway, I’ve determined to swim more this year than last.

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1,000th length

Swam my 1,000th length of the year so far today, 1/5/18.

1002 lengths, 33.4 Km, in 12 hours 36 mins 9 secs.

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Maximum Jeff

Same T-shirt, two Jeff’s

Pic of the week 22/4/18

I had plenty to write about today, but (probably I’ve got plenty to write about because I’ve been busy) today’s post will be reduced to a series of bullet points for brevity.

  • What a difference a day five years makes!  Same T-shirt, two different me’s. The first picture was taken in the summer of 2013, the right hand shot yesterday. Becky & I went to see “The Band” at the Bristol Hippodrome and the pic was taken after lunch, en-route to the show, which included my favourite line:
  • “You are looking at maximum Jeff.”  Show was great, but it did continue the tendency to stereotype “Jeff’s” as middle aged, boring, old men. Couldn’t be further from the truth!
  • As this post is, in part, dedicated to my vanity, it is only appropriate that I record my first “waxing” – on Thursday I had my back done, not as painful as I feared!
  • The weather has, at last, been fantastic. From Tuesday we’ve had wall to wall sunshine and, apparently, the hottest April day since the ’70s. After the cold wet Spring we’ve had, the good weather was long overdue.
  • Garden notes: planted up some lobelia, geraniums, hostas.  Gave everywhere a good tidy.  Over seeded the (barren looking) lawn.
  • Boiler – on Friday the boiler annoyingly started playing up, only giving hot water intermittently.  Can trick it into action (turn hot tap on, turn boiler off and then on) and it will (usually) stabilise and maintain hot water. But a pain. My money is on the PCB …
  • My knee continues to improve, but still not able to walk normally.  A lot less painful than it was and I have been able to swim on Friday and today.  Not sure if I’ve just forgotten how to walk!
  • Back to school tomorrow, holidays are over.  Still, the summer term is always the best (and the shortest. Are the two related, I wonder?)