… my musings on, er, "stuff"
Pic of the week 26/3/17
She’s only gone and done it!
On Monday (20/3/17) Sophie passed her driving test at the first time of asking – an impressive achievement of which we are very proud.
My pocket has taken a hit – to add her to our insurance for next 7 months is costing an additional £620, plus we have to have a tracker fitted, much to Becky’s chagrin. (As a super safe driver already, it doesn’t bother me …!)
Pic of the week 5/2/17 – Sophie passed her driving test theory yesterday.
I’m Jeff, and I’m an addict.
I’ve suspected for a while, but confirmed my suspicions on Friday.
Late January/early February. Dark, gloomy days of the year. Through in a bit of man flu, still a couple of weeks to half term. Tough times.
Having not been the previous week (due to aforementioned man flu) I trudged down the hill on Friday evening for my spinning class. I worked hard, I sweated, my legs ached, but I came back buzzing. The endorphins were flowing, my mojo was back with a vengeance.
And then I realised – I’m an addict, an exercise addict. And that’s not a bad thing.
Today I’ve run 7K (set new PB for the year) and swam a Km this afternoon and I feel a whole lot better for it.
Exercise and music, the elixir of life.
Its been a tough week.
This time last week, I was buzzing on the endorphins of an afternoon spent out in the sun. As I tucked myself up in bed at the end of a busy weekend I uttered a couple of little coughs. “Uh, oh” I thought. Sam had been ill all weekend – I hoped that this wasn’t the harbinger of illness to come for me.
It was.
Monday I felt awful. Could not get warm at all, sore throat & ears, feeling miserable. And I was on duty, working ’till 10 pm. Tuesday didn’t dawn much brighter and I came home at 3 o’clock (free period) and went to bed for an hour and half, got up, pottered and went back to bed a t nine.
It did me the world of good – by Wednesday I was beginning to feel human again. But I overestimated myself – refereed a game I shouldn’t have: 5 mins in and I realised it was going to be a struggle.
Skipped spinning on Friday – a real indicater of how bad I’ve been. Feel I’m gradually on the mend, but still have a wracking cough. One of the (to me) most noticable aspects of the illness, in addition to the physical symptons, has been the slowing of my thoughts and actions. It’s almost as if I’ve been enveloped in slurry of syrup that has just made everything that much harder.
Need to get my mojo back next week, I don’t like being ill.
Pic of the week 8/1/17
OK – so a bit of a cop out for pic of the week, 2017 is now fully up and running, yet I’m posting a pic of 2016 pics. That’s because I couldn’t find a good pic to summarise the week just gone – S & S have gone back to school, Becky’s been madly fulfilling sales orders, I’ve run, swum, spun, ref-ed and endured a day’s INSET. Back to school for me too tomorrow, a short five week sprint ’till half term and the weather starts to improve …!
With 2017 up and running, its time to write down (and commit to) my goals, aims and targets for the year ahead. Looks like its going to be a physical year!
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 …
On the whole, a successful year. Now time to start pondering the goals, aims and targets for next (2017) year.
The year began with us living on a building site – although the main structure was up at the start of the year, there was still much to be done:
I would say it was the start of the Easter holidays that the build was finished – although there was still much to do. If 2015 was characterised by the build, 2016 will be remembered for re-structuring the garden. I built the deck:
I removed the side panel, took out a lot of bushes and built a shed:
I tackled the front hedge (in several goes!)
… and took down the old summerhouse:
Sophie took, and passed (and excelled) in her GCSEs
I did, and passed, my referee’s course, and “caught the bug”
Sam continued to grow. And grow. And grow.
We “did” the sitting room – I laid the floor, Becky painted & styled everything:
I swam a lot, I ran a lot and I took up spinning. All this led to me being the fittest I’ve been for years, and also the leanest I’ve been for years:
And Christmas came around – fun family time, gathering of the clans before Christmas, just the four of us on the big day itself:
Despite all the turmoil in the wider world (Brexit, Trump, seemingly endless celebrate deaths) 2016 was a good year in Peabody Towers, who knows what 2017 will bring?
Pic of the week 25/12/16
It’s Christmas …!
Pic of the week 18/12/16
Last night, Saturday 17 December 16, we descended, en masse, to Ask in Wells to gather together and celebrate Christmas.
It was a lovely evening of great food, fine wine (or so I’m told – my Diet Coke certainly passed the taste test) and fab company.
Sam was delighted to get confirmation that he is now officially the second tallest in the family and he is eagerly eyeing up my crown – still a couple of centimeters to go, but maybe this time next year …
Pic of the week 11/12/16
Christmas is coming! Still seems some time away to me, but is a mere two weeks away.
The house is in a very different state from this time last year, looking forward to our first proper Christmas in #79.