Category: Pic of the week

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Pipped at the post

Pic of the week 13/5/18

Going in to the final day of the season I was sat in fourth place in the predictor league, with a slim 35 point lead over 5th place.

As the games unfolded I looked in a strong position, until about 10 mins from time Palace got a second goal to beat WBA 2-0 giving “Beanabennet” a  90 pointer as he had that exact score on his banker, and pipping me to the money places at the death.

Not sure I shall “stat” next season – do get the sense I’ve just been going through the motions a bit.  Who knows, maybe come August …

Anyway, on a more positive note, the better weather has returned, had some lovely red skies last night, enjoy the pics below.

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Where did that go?

Pic of the week 29/4/18

Well, where did that week go?

It seems like only moments that I was sat here writing last week’s blog post.

So this week, I have gone back to school, the weather has gone from hot, hot, hot to chuffing cold, my knee has made a slow improvement – still not full working order yet, but now walking with a “just” a limp and not the full Herr Flick (as I was described by a colleague on Monday.)  Went spinning on Friday and today – great to do some exercise and also felt good for the knee , “loosening” it up. It also felt a lot better after yoga on Wednesday. Have a physio appointment on Tuesday.

Boiler gave up the ghost on Friday evening, now producing no hot water, no matter what you do. Have a man coming on Tuesday to install and fit a new boiler.

In fact, now I think of it, Tuesday should be an important day, the start of a new era: new boiler, new mortgage (Yorkshire bank offset) and new me (I hope!) after the physio sorts out my knee.

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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?)
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49!

Pic of the week 1/4/18

Turned 49 on Wednesday!

A big day, had a lovely cake, lots of presents and played football (staff v leavers 4 – 4), before staggering through to the start of the Easter holidays.

Age is taking its toll – hurt my right knee (twisted? swollen) playing football on Wednesday, was hobbling badly on Thursday.  Managed to go swimming today (Sunday) 48 lengths (on mile) first exercise for sum time (other than playing football). Still conscious of my tooth – not really hurting, but I think its a bit of fear that the pain could return.  Am having it out a week tomorrow, not looking forward to the procedure and pain, but am looking forward to it all being sorted.

Had a big family gathering last night at Ask, lovely to see everyone again.

Weather is rubbish – Friday was wet, wet, wet and tomorrow promises more rain. Its cold. A few green shoots on plants but we haven’t had any springlike weather. One begins to doubt that summer will ever come …

 

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Tooth part II

Pic of the week 25/3/18

So, a week ago I was in pain. Mind bending, throbbing pain. I woke on Monday morning and I was no better.  I couldn’t go on like that.

Phoned “my” dentist – nothing they could do for me until my appointment on 26th (tomorrow!) Given the number for Somerset emergency dental, called them up and they got me an appointment for that afternoon (Monday 19th March)

Dentist had a look, took an x-ray and diagnosed an abscess.  Gave me a big injection and my face froze. The dentist began her work – not exactly sure what she did, but I was euphoric – no pain for the first time in days, combined with whatever was in the anesthetic, combined with the knowledge it was going to be sorted. Bliss.

A mini vacuum hoovered around in my mouth, I was bashed & beaten – apparently the abscess was drained, packed with antibiotics and fillings placed over my teeth.  I picked up a prescription of antibiotics and headed home, happy as Larry.

A few hours later, the anesthetic wore off and the pain returned, I was worried that the problem hadn’t been sorted.  But as the days moved on, so the pain became less – today is my first pain-relief free day.

Back to the dentist tomorrow for my scheduled appointment, to find out what my dental future holds.

In other news – clocks went forward today, accompanied by sun & blue skies, the first hint of spring, although its due to leave us again next week for more rain & cold.  And I booked two tickets for Deacon Blue in Portsmouth in November – something to look forward, other than the absence of dental pain and the warm weather that must, surely, just be round the corner.

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Mother’s Day

Pic of the week 11/3/18

Mother’s Day.

I’m struggling for words, other than I have the best mum possible for my two wonderful children.

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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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Target met!

Pic of the week 17/2/18

I’ve only bloomin’ well gone an done it!

Ran 10K today in 46 mins 41 secs, thereby completing my target of running of running 10K in fewer minutes than my age in years – and I didn’t even need to wait until after my birthday in March, when I gain an extra minute!

Wasn’t sure how far I was going to run today as I set off on my six K route, legs a bit heavy after last night’s spinning, but splits were good and as I approached the leisure centre at around the 6K mark I was feeling good, so I thought I’d try a new “extra” loop by running up to the lights, straight on, and then right into Portway, right again and then back via the High Street.

Did mean a bit of a punishing climb from Strode ’till beyond The Elms, but kept on going.  Had to do a little extra loop at the end to take it to 10K.

Chuffed with the time and distance. Job Done!

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Derry Girls

Pic of the week 11/2/18

For the last six weeks, I’ve been watching Derry Girls – a “sitcom” about a group schoolgirls (& James) in Derry in circa late eighties, early nineties. I’ve enjoyed it, its been funny with a hefty dollop of nostalgia lumped in (although it has, on occasion, niggled a little, when some period details were wrong.) It was recommended to me (via the radio) as the best thing since the Inbetweeners.  I can see why the comparison is made, but they are really apples & oranges: The Inbetweeners was/is laugh out loud funny, interlaced with painful cringing, Derry Girls was a little be lighter, a little bit softer, but still funny, still worth watching and still worth immortalising on this blog!

The pic of the week this week has nothing to do with Derry Girls.  Yesterday we (Becky, Sophie & I) went to Reading University for an applicant’s day.  Up far too early, the sun began to rise as we headed for the A303, but later on it just rained, cold, cold grey rain.  Anyway, a useful day – looks like Sophie will make Reading her firm choice, to read BSc Economics, therefore needing ABB.  Also, very impressed by the prospect of a year “out” working in industry in her 3rd year. Another chapter in all our lives will soon open.