Category: Family

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Beast from the East

Pic of the week 4/3/18

Wednesday – the last day of February was cold, very cold, but it was not until after lunch on Thursday 1st March that the snow began to fall, heralding the arrival of the Beast from the East.

And that evening and night, it dumped a whole lot of snow.  The first significant snowfall for 5 years. Enough snowfall to result in a snow day (or two) but not for me, being but a five minute walk to school.  (For the first time in over two years I regretted moving from Shepton!)

Snow is dispruptingly exciting and fun, beautiful, and blessedly rare. A rather cool drift was sculptured in our back garden; it was quite interesting to see how the snow swirled and illuminated the eddies and gusts.

Two days on, the beast is now slain. Its cold, white, wet entrails still lie strewn across some patches of ground, but the thaw has been swift. The temperature has risen, the sun has shone, rain has fallen to wash it away. It’ll soon fade into a dim memory as the warm spring sun shines through, announcing the end of winter and the promise of hot days to come.

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Imagine Dragons

Pic of the week 25/2/18

On Saturday we went, en famile , to see Imagine Dragons at the Genting Arena, Birmingham.

Great show, both visually and musically, and we all had a great time

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Hols End

Pic of the week 7/1/18

And so the Christmas hols draw to a conclusion.

It seems a long time since we broke up in December (that’s a good thing!) and I’ve enjoyed four weeks of family time. Nothing major to write about – no trips up the Nile, no major milestones, but also no calamities or catastrophes, just plenty of time at home with the three most important people in my life.

A week ago – new year’s eve – we settled down for a game of monopoly, great fun and no (major) fallings out!

Back to school tomorrow and I’m quite looking forward to it.  Would quite happily have another week or seven of holiday, but knowing that I’ve got to go back to work holds no dread or fear for me – I shall embrace it and enjoy it, after all, in five weeks time it’ll be February half term …

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Goals, aims and targets – 2018

2018 has arrived, so now it’s time set my goals, aims and targets for the next twelve months.

  • Run 10 Km in fewer minutes than my age in years. This one is my “biggie” for the year. Its doable, but by no means a given. Am targeting the Glastonbury 10K – conveniently after my birthday – but there are other events if I fail first time round. Will need to average 4 min 53 sec per Km – achievable on the flat, but on in an incline …
  • Run 400 Km. Nearly hit that total in 2017, should be able to do so on 2018, particularly given the goal above.
  • Swim 100 Km (3,000 lengths). An achievable, but not a given. If I swim regularly should be no problem. Swim at least once a week.
  • Spinning. Spin for a total of 2 days (48 hours)
  • Weight. I finished 2017 with a long term established weight of 12 stone 9, and I have allowed it to creep up over the Christmas period into the 13 stone bracket. Need to get that down. 12 stone 6 as my long term established weight is the goal.
  • Garden. Enjoy it! Less construction and landscaping required this year (but some still needed) Grow sunflowers and sweat peas (in addition to some basic veg)
  • My maths blog – keep blogging. Write a new post at least once per month, and write a minimum of 15 posts over the course of the year.
  • Sleep. A somewhat nebulous aim, but when I think about it, sleep – or perhaps I should say tiredness – is the thing I’d like to change most about my life this year. No target, but I shall aim to think about my sleep, my patterns and routines and what I can do to improve it/get more of it/reduce/manage my tiredness.
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2017 – A year in pictures

Some of my favourite pictures from the year just gone, in vague chronological order.

Sophie passed her driving test

I built a new deck

The Nissan Almera died, so we replaced it with a convertible mini. Practical? No. Cool? Yes.

dots and spots closed

I took up yoga (loving it)

Finished fourth in my predictor league

The weather wasn’t always wonderful, but the garden grew

That was then …

Love this picture – but from ’87 not 2017, but came bout because of …

… our 30 year reunion.

A day in the sun at Burton Bradstock with Becky

… and a few days en-famile in Cornwall.

The birthday boy (age 15) is now taller than me

My Legends team finally won a game (and drew another!)

Sophie turned 18

Hard to remember them both as young as this

A warm, dry, colourful autumn …

… and I discovered napping as a new hobby.

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2017 – How did I do?

So how did I do?

At the start of the year, here, I listed my goals, aims and targets for the year. 2016 now draws to a close – time to review how I did …

  • Run 300Km – a much lower target than I set myself last year, but not a target I met, completing 296 Km in 2016.  Should be do-able despite the demands on my time from other physical pursuits (swimming, spinning, referee-ing and who knows what for 2017) Smashed it. Ran 390 Km, running for 1 day 7 hours and 15 minutes. My only disappointment was I didn’t break the 400K mark. Was all set to do so, when on the Friday before Christmas, I tore/pulled/tweaked my hamstring refereeing and I haven’t been able to run since.
  • Run up the Tor. In the summer of 2016, when I was regularly running, I set myself this goal for 2017: to run from home to the tor, run all the way up the tor, and then run back again. This is a tough ask, particularly as I am not running as much as I did last year. Would be a real achievement to do so. If I don’t write it down, it wont happen.  Think I’ll have to target the summer hols to do it, if I’m going to do it. Not even close. Didn’t even contemplate this once during the year. Perhaps a goal to keep on the back burner?
  • Swim 150Km (4,500) lengths.  Toyed with putting in a higher total – I did 200Km, 6000 lengths in 2016, but don’t think I’ll be swimming as much this year as last, so have given myself a very achievable target to ensure that I do make it. Swam much less this year, probably falling into fourth place as activity of choice, after referring, running, and spinning. However, still managed to swim 2244 lengths – 74.8Km – over the course of 1 day, 4 hours and 15 mins.
  • Gardening: 2016 was all about the structure of the garden, this year I hope to focus more on the planting. So this year I want to: plant raspberry canes & rhubarb, grow and eat runner beans, peas, courgette and onions and grow some sweet peas and sunflowers. Raspberry canes and rhubarb planted, along with beans, peas & courgettes which were all grown and eaten. No sweet peas or sunflowers, though.  Need to make them a target for next year. Built the deck where the old summer house was, really enjoyed the garden this year: creating it, tending it and just sitting in it.
  • Refereeing – enter the promotion programme from Level 7 to Level 6.  Promotion year runs from March to Feb so won’t be able to clinch promotion in 2017, but hopefully will be a significant way down the track. Decided against entering the promotion scheme, it would have been difficult to have got in the required 20 Open Age games as I’m not normally available on Saturdays.  Refereed circa 60 games and 7 as Assistant Referee. Did a couple of cup finals.  Have continued to enjoy it, but not so sure I want to give up every term time Sunday to the whistle, have started to limit my availability.
  • Weight: before the Christmas excesses, I would say that my “normal” weight was 12 stone 7 (today its up around 12 stone 12).  I aim to be back at 12 stone 7 within 3 weeks and establish 12 stone 6 as my “normal” weight (normal weight: allows a swing of 3 lbs each way, so range between 12 3 and 12 9 following a festival of feasting) Weight has crept up, and needs to be kept in check.  Quoting my TwiXmas weight as 13 stone 0 and my long term weight in the last few months of the year was 12 stone 9.
  • My maths blog: this was an aim I failed last year, and want to rectify again.  Write at least twice a month on my maths blog – A Maths Teacher Writes Not bad – 15 posts this year, so not twice a month, but a good healthy number of posts.

Another successful year. Other key highlights from 2017 include:

  • Attending school reunion. Hard to believe it was 30 years since we left, was great to reconnect with so many from my formative years. A highlight of the year. Blogged about it here.
  • Sophie passed her driving test in March
  • Becky shut up shop, closing her dots and spots business in April
  • The silver Nissan Almera died, and we replaced it with the soft top Mini – our mid-life crisis car.
  • No mention of spinning in my targets for 2017, but I pushed the pedals for just shy of two days: 1 day 23 hours and 15 mins in the saddle, burning a total of 38,901 calories.
  • YOGA – took up yoga this year. One of the best things I have done in a long while. I’m far more supple than I was this time last year and, despite being a big cynic when I first took to the mat, I’m beginning to see the benefits of its relaxation and mindfulness. Meditate on that!
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Merry Christmas!

Pic of the week 24/12/17

And here it is, Merry Christmas, …

Christmas eve 2017.

Just the four of us at home for Christmas this year which, I must admit, I’m looking forward to – a calm, chilled bit of family time with no dramas (one hopes!) and no disagreements.  (After all, the family all know that I Becky has the final say!)

As I write, I’ve just spent a contented hour so prepping veg whilst listening to Absolute ’80s, Becky’s busy manning the tills at Sainsburys, Sophie’s curled up on the sofa having woken up and been sick a couple of times (hopefully just a passing bug) and Sam is up in his room waging virtual war across the net with pals.

Last Saturday, Becky’s side of the family all came to lunch, yesterday Dad & June popped in for coffee, but no big meeting of my side of the clan this Christmas.

Weather is benign – mild and grey, typical Christmas weather actually.

Family video this evening – Top Gun has made the cut, will be a big improvement on last year’s “Meet the Coopers” which was dire. I think Christmas is now the only time we all join together to watch the same thing at the same time in the same space.

Happy Christmas!

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Discombobulation

The Cupboard of Doom

Pic of the week 26/11/17

When the family rock wobbles, the impact is felt throughout the household.

Last Sunday, all was well with the world. Becky was busy (as ever), and was putting things away in the cupboard in our room.

She stood up, and the world started spinning.

She was sick. Twice. And then slept for the rest of the day. And the next day. Vertigo, or Labyrinthitis , was the diagnosis of Dr Google. By Tuesday she was back at work, although worrying about moving her head to rapidly to cause a repeat.

And with Becky ill, the household didn’t quite fall apart, but it didn’t run with its normal smooth efficiency, particularly in the kitchen, although Sophie did a sterling job in taking over the catering responsibilities.

As Joni Mitchell sang in “Big Yellow Taxi”

That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone

Fortunately our rock didn’t roll away, and the wobble has stopped, earthquake avoided and life has returned to normal (aka wonderful.)

 

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Nothing to report

Pic of the week

And so we’re now in the thick of it, routine rumbles on.  The weather is starting to turn colder, the nights are darker, a lull between the “two birthdays.”

Options evening at The Blue last Thursday for Sam – that is still to be decided: Blue or Strode. Looks like Maths & Chemistry are penciled in, to be joined by Physics if he stays at the Blue, Physics and Computer Science if its Strode.

Refereed a lot over the weekend – 110 minutes yesterday in a “three-way” between Millfield U16s, Newport County & Yeovil U15s; and Wessex and Wells City U15s today.  Really enjoyed all of them (although if I’m honest, the last 30 mins on Saturday was for me, perhaps, a physical mile too many).  Have a niggling tweak on my hamstring – did it last Sunday playing for the vets, aggrivated it playing 5-a-side on Tuesday, all good yesterday, but twinged it again in the first 5 mins of today’s game.  A little sore and irritating.

Nice pick above from our bedroom window of the Tor and a rainbow.

Not a lot else to say, the routine rumbles on …

 

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18!

Pic of the week 5/11/17

It is hard to believe, but Sophie turned 18 yesterday.

Where did the years go?

For eighteen years she has brought us joy, happiness, pride, occasional worry(!), more joy and love.  I knew the day she was born that life would never be the same. I wasn’t wrong. The world was enriched on the 4th November 1999 when our little bundle of love arrived.

I can’t find the words to do her justice.  I’ll let the pictures do the talking.