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Not bad for a 48 year old

Pic of the week 2/4/17

So Tuesday was my (48th) birthday. I had a great day and I’ve been a busy boy since.

Over the last year it has dawned on me that my mid-life crisis is manifesting itself in the need to do as much exercise as possible.  Perhaps its some subconscious realisation that this body of mine has a finite life and I need to extract every last scrap of usage out of it? Who knows, but it’s got to be better than buying a motorbike, squeezing into some ill fitting leathers and roaring down the road is some forlorn hope to try and recapture ones youth.

I celebrated the day by sneaking off early at 3.15 (free lesson P5!) and heading down to the pool to swim 48 lengths for my 48th birthday – a mile to mark the milestone of another passing year. And then it was home for pressies & my birthday tea of curry, followed by lime jelly and ice cream – a menu not enjoyed or shared by any member of my family.

I was already tee-ed up to referee the girls football tournament on the next day (Wednesday 29th) when I got a phone call asking me to referee Wessex U14s in a game the same evening, 6.30 kick off. I agreed – come 8.30pm on Wednesday I gratefully hopped  (no, not hopped, stumbled perhaps) into the shower, realising I had just refereed for 3 hours!

On Thursday I played for the staff v the U6th leavers – was pleasantly surprised how my legs coped with another onslaught of physical activity. A great game, great fun, and great to come out 3-2 winners.

Friday was, of course, spinning night – with the added euphoria of the end of term. Saturday – a day of rest, before Sunday, more football, this time a Legends game v Castle Cary.

A beautiful Spring day, we took the lead and for a good ten minutes basked in the glory of being ahead as well as the April sunshine. But, alas, it was not to last. A very off-side goal and a missed penalty saw us ultimately lose 3-1, but a great game to end a great season veterans football (all of 4 games!)

And now the holidays begin in earnest, I need the rest, but I’m sure I’ll find the time for a little bit (more) exercise.

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We’ve got tonight – Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton


Track of the week 26/3/17

A slice of pure cheese on toast this week.

Not sure why its been in my head this week, but it has. Am absolute belter!

The comments on YouTube are worth reading, too.  I think this is my favourite:

Who dressed this girl? Those clothes look like a cross between a garage mechanic and Marty McFly!

 

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Passed!


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 …!)

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New England – Kirsty McColl


Track of the week 19/3/17
Heard this on the radio today – what a great song.
First encountered it on Billy Bragg’s Life’s a Riot with Spy v Spy album, but I do think that this is a better version. (I think Billy agrees, too!)

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Blast from the past

Pic of the week 19/3/17

A few weeks ago I rocked up to ref an U15 game between Wessex Youth and Wells City.  The Wells City manager was Mark Cornish, who I used to play with many years ago, as boy. Barry Dickens, who also played in the team, is the Wessex manager.

This week, Mark sent me the above photo. Not sure how old we were then, I’m going to guess U14 or U13.  A few I can name, but too many I can’t.

A great pic.

 

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Burning Bridges – Mike Curb Congregation


Track of the week 12/3/17

Bit of a left field choice for TotW the week, but I do like this track, and the film.

Haven’t watched the film for many years, but I do like the story and I like the sentiment of the lyrics of the song. Probably burnt a few bridges myself down the years, but I’ve always had a tendency to look forward rather than back, and I think that that is a good thing.

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First XI and the first buds of Spring


Pic of the week

The weather is turning, it is definitely starting to feel a little warmer and one gets the wonderful sense that Spring is just around the corner. The pic above is the Magnolia tree in our front garden taken today (12/3/17) – just about to flower and blossom can be seen on some other trees, the hydrangea plants leaf buds are turning into to leaves.

Yesterday I made my debut in the middle of a 1st XI game. Wasn’t meant to be – I was supposed to be running the line but Paul, who was to be the man in the middle, hurt his toe and by kick off time could barely walk, so it was my time to step up to the mark.

Really enjoyed the game, v Weston FC U18s, think I handled it well (am looking forward to getting my hands on the video so I can analyse fully my performance – I few possible fouls I may have missed at the start of the second half. Gave a pen in the first half, stonewall, good decision.  It probably helped that our 1st XI ran out 9 – 0 victors in a friendly game, making it easy to officiate. Am surprised how much physically harder it was than any other games I’ve done – I had the fitness, but knew about it at the end of the game.  A significant (and surprising) step up from the 2nd XI.

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Under Lights

Pic of the week 26/2/17

Wednesday evening, 7.30pm kick off, and I did my first game under lights, at the Abbey Moor Stadium, Glastonbury.

Wessex Youth U16 v Stallbridge in the Yeovil & District Youth League. Pitch was heavy, and the lights not brilliant – certainly some areas a little gloomy forcing you to get up close to have a good look, but I really enjoyed the experience.

For a while I thought it was going to turn into that elusive beast – a 0-0 drawer – but with 20 minutes to go I awarded the home side a penalty (stone wall) which they dispatched with vigour.  10 mins later, another penalty, this time to the away side, but blasted over the bar and the game finished 1 – 0 to Wessex.

A fast paced game, really enjoyed it. The lights made it a bit different and a bit special. As I trooped off the pitch at the end of the game I overheard a spectator saying to a coach: “A great game to watch” and I think it was. Glad to be a part of it.

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Half Term

Pic of the week 19/2/17

So half term has been and gone. A contradictory week full of exercise and rest, of freezing cold and warm sunshine. The need for sleep was satiated, with lovely lie ins until at least 8.00 am each day.  Not sure how I’ll cope again with the 6.40 rises that start tomorrow.

And I’ve been active, doing something everyday:

Friday spinning, Saturday refereeing, Sunday playing football & swimming, Monday: run & swim, Tuesday spinning, Wednesday, a long swim (72 lengths, 1.5 miles), Thursday swim, 28 lengths (1 mile), Friday refereed at Yeovil Town U16 trial games & spinning, Saturday refereeing (OA), Sunday refereeing (U15)

In amongst all of that, on Thursday I found the time to do some tree surgery, taking a couple of high branches down from the tree by our compost bins.  I was at the full reach of my ladders and used a pole to strap a hand saw to to get extra reach for the upper most branch. A bit brutal, but needed doing.  Will be interesting to see the difference once we start getting some long sunny days.

Six weeks and counting ’til the next hols …