Category Archives: mish-mash

degrees, bikes, bags and kerbals

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I have been a little ill over the last few days, either as a result of or in addition to a tooth infection. Either way, Wednesday night I ended up with a bit of a fever (I don’t remember much about the evening) and continued to feel rotten for the rest of the week. I still don’t feel particularly great but the antibiotics the dentist gave me on Wednesday seem to have kicked the infection’s ass, so all good. The tooth will still have to come out, but that particular joy isn’t happening for another month. So… a (small) yay, of sorts.

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Yesterday EF and I popped out into town to buy her a daysack for cycling and walking. A quick expedition that toured most of the outdoors shops in Broadmead and Cabot Circus… and we found the perfect bag for her in the excellent Oswald Bailey (the chap who helped her was brilliant). I was pretty much wiped out by the end of it

I might have also bought *cough* another bag for myself… which brings me up to… um, twenty-six?

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One of the things I have very recently gotten addicted to is the superb Kerbal Space Program… it is still in development but is great fun to play with and has potential for a lot silly, mayhemesque experimentation in the journey to set up a space program for the planet Kerbal. The fact you can build rockets, space planes, mun-landers (yes, mun), satellites and space stations is just awesome. Even if getting them off the ground and into space is a little trickier than you’d expect.

Below is the control module for the snappily named jk5e rocket, with Bill Kerman piloting, currently in orbit around Kerbal. That is him, there, in the bottom right hand corner.

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Unfortunately, due to a small design flaw on my part… I don’t have a way of getting him back. Yet.

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My second expedition from the house this week was to the Bespoked Bristol show, which is a custom/hand built/bespoke bike show. This is the third year it has run in Bristol and it seemed as popular as ever. The bikes themselves were glorious in their variety, colour, design and inspiration. Pictures below.

Mocha

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I am in a coffee shop, sipping a mocha and eating a cinnamon swirl. I am reading blogs, and an excellent book sits ready. There are only two other people in here, quietly chatting. The blues are playing, soft and muted. People pass by outside, the day ebbs into evening.

I need this moment away from work and home and grrr-aarrr-urggh! I need it a lot.

I could do with a week of this.

 

 

 

Can’t

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At the moment I am struggling with a few things. To put it simply; I can’t write, I can’t run and I sure as hell can’t {insert whatever here}.

And it is frustrating the hell out of me.

A familiar refrain, yes?

Fuckit.

just more stuff

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I went for a four mile recovery run this evening, and it felt good. It was much quicker than most of my runs have been of late – I actually had to consciously hold myself back. Even though it wasn’t ‘easy’ it was really quite comfortable and thoroughly enjoyable.

Oddly, I feel more confident about Loch Ness after tonight’s run than after Sunday’s half-marathon. Go figure.

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My lovely sister-in-law Sarah has just posted a picture of my nephew Hugo in his school uniform… and he looks magnificent. I’m a bit teary just thinking about it, he looks so proud and confident and… HE’S AT SCHOOL – when did that happen?!

Hugo

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Back to the running. I have booked the Forest of Dean Half for next year (April 1st – whoop!), my friend Sian is attempting to persuade me to do the Merthyr Marathon in November, and Paul is trying to get me to do the Bristol Marathon at the end of November. I am going to book the Mull of Kintyre Half (June 2012) when it opens, as that looks a fabulous run to be part of.

In fact next year is looking rather busy; I am off to Gambia to photograph the wedding of my friend and work colleague Eli, then to the US to celebrate my mother’s 70th (and my 40th) with the whole clan, plus all the runs above. I am also looking to do a sprint triathlon later in the year, and my friend Jo (whom I used to work with) has mooted something about running a marathon together.

I have also booked my first 1-2-1 swimming lesson, because I’d like to do something more varied than just running and cycling, and I understand a certain level of proficiency at all three is essential…

Oh, I have a strong idea for my NaNoWriMo novel in November. I have even plotted out (mostly) the main three plotlines and have started building rough character sketches. I can’t wait.

 

so…

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…I am now committed. I have booked flights to Edinburgh and train tickets to Inverness. I have booked a b&b in Inverness and a travelodge and b&b in Edinburgh. The Loch Ness Marathon beckons, as does a (hopefully) well-deserved sojourn in Edinburgh.

In other words, the easy stuff.

As an aside, I love train travel (I’ve spoken about it before) and would happily catch the train up to Inverness. Except my total travel costs for flights and trains is still less than half the price of the return train journey from Bristol to said city. Which is oddly ridiculous. And somewhat saddening.

 

just… stuff

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I’ve been asleep most of today, which follows on from sleeping most of yesterday and pretty much all of last night. I think I both overdid it last week, and pushed too hard in yesterday’s long run on what was an expectedly hot day. Suffice to say I think a little dehydration/heat stroke set in, having run out of water by mile 11 of my planned 17 mile run. As it happened my body crashed to a halt not much later, and it was all I could do to push on to half-marathon distance before calling it a day. Unfortunately that left me with a painful and tiring 4 mile walk home.

Lesson 1: Plan a route of known doable distance and add loops in at the end to expand to the planned length.

Lesson 2: Take money (unfortunately I swapped my pack from my usual to the one that has a waterbottle, and left my money and card in the former).

Lesson 3: Take more water than you think.

Thankfully I am feeling much better tonight, the headache is all but gone, as is the nausea and the lethargy seems be on the ebb.

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This evening I watched Monsters and found it thoroughly enjoyable and lovely. It is a very low-key science-fiction film, and the two leads are superb. I really, really liked it.

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I have just been looking at photos of my brother, sister-in-law, nephews and niece on that facebook thingymujiggy and I suddenly realised how much I miss them. There is a particularly beautiful/cute one of the three kids sprawled on the bed, the boys grinning and Coco giving one of her mad scientist stares.

My brother also rang me earlier (waking me up) to let me know that Mum was moving in with them to help look after the children and that it was his idea. A double whammy of surprises, although it is a good idea, as it gives my mum company and allows her time to spend time with them all. Plus she gets to cook for lots of people, which is just about one of her favourite things in the world.

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It is nine (nine!) weeks until the Loch Ness Marathon and I am not feeling at all confident that I will be ready in time. It is my own fault, I had a major dip in my running mojo recently, brought on by feeling physically and mentally worn out, and the resurgence hasn’t happened quickly enough.

I’m not sure I am going to be ready and, to be honest, I am a little bit scared by that.

Oh well, onwards and upwards and who dares wins, etc.

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I am going back to sleep now. Writing this has brought back my headache and I am once again feeling quite tired. I think I have spent something like 20 of the last 29 hours asleep.

Goodnight.