More Isle of Wight photos

Rob has got his pics from the Isle of Wight developed. You can find them here.In the mean time here's me having a brew with my much missed long hair:

Another week gone by

I have been lax, I fully admit it. I've gone and not updated the Blog in over a week again! Well, sorry, I've been busy. Kinda. So whats happened in the last week?

Work. I have been to work, like every other week. This week has been rubbish, not particualy hard but its been one of those weeks where nothing really seems to happen and I realise that I'm not overly stimulated in the job. This has been happening more and more lately, I'm thinking of "looking at my options". I've started actually reading the Top Job email alerts that I recieve, I've even had a sneaky peak at the immigration laws of New Zealand, its another option after all!
Whe nnot in work this week I've been watching Pete and Pete- the greatest kids program america ever made- think Malcolm in the Middle but more surreal and clever all bedecked in early ninities guitar music and you've nearly got the picture. This is a picture of Big Pete and Little Pete:



My sister has all the episodes ona dodgy DVD that she got online and I've borrowed it for a bit. It really is fantastic.

I also saw Crash at the cinema on Saturday,I didn't know that mucg about it apart from having it highly recommanded and I must say that its a right good'un. Racial dramas aren't exactly my usual fodder but it was very good and made you think about the owrld we live in and I'm in danger of going being supercillious suffice to say its a good film.

At the Sunflower Lounge quiz on Monday, the team - Too Orangey for Crows - came a disappointing 4th, but Rob won 20 quid (just) so its wasn't all bad. i was heavily knackered and wasn't really in the mood for it but hadn't been out for a couple of weeks - saving the money for Prague - so made the effort. Andy I found out had passed his driving test - well done you!

Training last week was also rigourous. 3 good outdoor runs totalling 18 miles! No gym visits but its the running outdoors which needs to be concentrated on now! Only 24 days to go!!!! And i guess thats about it, apart from a drink out of Friday night, (not a meal as previously planned- oh well, never mind) thats the sum total of my week really.

A Proper Run

Yesterday I ran outdoors for 8 miles! 8 miles! It took an hour and a quarter and now my legs hurt! Particularly my left leg, its the same that ached after the 13 mile trek,I hope its not a recurring problem. But still, 8 miles! i am very proud of myself today, and am having a day off (obviously).


Smethwick Locks, part of the running route

A Bit Of A Do

It was Mree's mate Anne Marie's wedding on Saturday, and it was a very nice evening, once we got there. You see the problem was going to the wrong Golf Club! It was a bit like the sort of thing that happens in stuff on TV, the tiny 'village' of Little Aston, two golf clubs- Little Aston Golf Club (where we went) and Aston Woods Golf Club (where we should have gone!). We means me and the missus' sister, the missus already being at said Golf Club wondering where we are, walking miles unneccesarily. Combine that with a poorly planned journey there anyway meant a total journey time of 3 hours! Meant to arrive at 7.30, actually arrival time - 9.45! Poor Helen, her feet were ripped to shreds. But after all of that, buffet and drinking fun was had. So, the tally:

6 pints of Carlsberg. Simple.
The Do itself was the usual fayre- cheesy dj (a bit blue tho), drunken people falling into bushes, a blushing bride, forgotten gifts and a taxi home.

They take care of the greens at Aston Wood Golf Club, or is that Little Aston Golf Club?

Friday night was a quiet one, Mree wanted to stay in before the big day, she was chief bridesmaid afterall, so both ladies came around and wine was drunk whilst watching the Big Brother finale on the tele. Thankfully, Makosi and Kinga went out straight away.

Sunday was spent chilling out and recovering from the night before (but not hangover related) and consisted of mooching about town, eating noodles and drinking coffees. And then watching 2 and a bit episodes of Lost on E4. Nice, relatively quiet weekend really.

A quick RGIS

Conference and Return:

Self Image

There's a great website where you can Make Your Own South Park Character. I had a go about a year ago and promptly forgot about it. I then had another go this week because there was an email at work doing the rounds so we all knocked one up. I then realised that i'd got two, each about a year apart. So what could this show us about self image and the change of perception over time? Well, you decide:

Last Year

Note: the beard; short scruffy hair; erm... the knife.

This Year

Note: longer, scruffy hair; stubble; stripey jumper; trendy little walkman.

A Wedding Day

Tomorrow I am going to a wedding, well, not the ceremony but the do afterwards. Its a friend of the missus's and have only met her a couple of times so am not sure what to expect, in fact, I'm only going to know 2 other people there: the missus, and the missus's sister. And the missus is a bridesmaid so will be off doing bridesmaidy type things.

So how will the evening plan out? I don't know, but should be good fun, both of them are staying over at mine for the weekend, it make the logistics of the whole weekend much easier so the flat is going to seem rather full. Note to self- buy some food!

A weekend Away

Its Sunday afternoon as I write this and I'm a bit bored. I got home a couple of hours ago from an unexpected weekend away. I had forgotton that an old friend of mine, Hayley, had invited me to a BBQ, or more accurately a Ska-BQ (which is basically a BBQ with the promise of Ska music being played).
I'd forgotton all about it because she sent an email about it a couple of weeks ago and I have a short attention span and promptly forgot about it. So, yesterday afternoon whilst wondering what to do it popped back into my head and plans to get there were arranged, well I skanked a lift of Emma and Mike.

Hayley lives in Wirksworth at the moment which is a small village on the edge of the Peak District and is a lovely little town. She and her fella are renting a literally tumbledown cottage which seems to have come straight out of Postman Pat and is absolutely beautiful (as is the rest of the town). Also there was a good crowd of people there, some real good friends I haven't seen for a good while, and new people who we'd never met but made good drinking companions.

picture postcard country- Wirksworth

Highlights include: funny looking dogs in a pub; a man having a very public dispute about the colour of his shop on the High Street, complete with bright yellow petition in the window; blooming gorgeous weather; Hayley's lovely spread; having a slightly drunken singalong complete with guitars; trying to play the bagpipes; Ped's toy guitar (as ever); a number of funny hats; Camping, Camping, Camping!; Kate falling over a wall while she says "I'll probably fall over this wall"; the coldest tent in the world at night; the hottest tent in the world by daylight; silky football skills; "Gateau at the Chateau" and England beating the Aussies at Cricket.
Despite the promise of Ska, we actually got 'Rave 92' and 'Rap to the Max' on the stereo but it was OK because of the irony of it all and the fact our drunken singalong was a bit louder than the stereo. Some pics were taken by members of the group sio hopefully I'll be able to get some up here at a later date.

Quiz Time!

Today I recieved an email from Becca asking me to take a quiz she had devised which was all about her. Also Bob has put on his Blog a link to a quiz he has devised which is all about him. It's obviously a craze that is sweeping the net, so not to feel left out I've gont and done one which is all about me. So, Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Also check out Becca's quiz and Bob's quiz.
My scores were: 70% for Becca's and 80% for Bob's.

Walk Walk

Sunday saw a very long walk take place. How long? Well, 13 miles to be precise, as preparation for the Great north Run, me and my fellow Team Tiger Teammates (minus Dan) did a 13 mile walk down the canals of Warwickshire. And very good it was too, despite the twinge I've acquired in a muscle in my thigh. Rob gives a good account of the days events, along with photos, at the TEOTT blog here.

But some other facts of interest include: seeing an old man with the highest waistband in the world on a bench; a woman who found a bridge too steep to walk down until the promise of being caught by her husband if she fell down it; assorted dead animals in the canal; a cracking pub lunch (steak pie and chips) at The Black Boy in Knowle (SG's dinner - sausage, beans and yorkshire pudding looked rubbish mind you); conveniently timed rainfall; a village shop with a staggerlingly large supply of alcohol and pornography; hot(ish) girls with bikes; The Boot Inn; The Boat Inn; a new Bentley parked up with its windows left open and 2 large bottles of expensive champagne within knabbing distance on the seat (idiot); saying hello to passers by; and some lovely scenery. Not to mention a good team bonding session. Needless to say I felt a bit tired when I got home 10 hours after setting out.