tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372550382024-03-05T18:14:42.417+00:00Kay's BlogKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-29553390720777230752016-04-24T11:15:00.001+00:002016-04-24T11:15:44.176+00:00Shoplifting Friday was an exciting day for many reasons, with reason to celebrate. One thing that happened at about 8.45pm when the day was nearly over and I didn't think it could get any better was my contribution to the apprehending of a shoplifter in Tescos. Idling by the tills, whilst my family hunted for bison and boar, I noticed a lady with a large and unusually highly situated pregnancy bump. She would have been carry triplets for sure. She was walking very fast towards the exit, whilst also carrying a large bag. Pregnant women do not walk like that. I told the man on the tills about her and he rushed after her, and outside the store he managed to retrieve a variety of items from her. I have no idea what happened next except that the young man came and found us as we were leaving and suggested I head back to the wine aisle and choose a bottle on them to say thankyou. Wahoo! OK then, if I must! Well done Tesco. We finished the evening with Prosecco, nachos and two episodes of Fawlty Towers. You don't often get a finer evening than that!<br />
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Today whilst walking in the fine neighbourhood within which I reside, I walked along a road where the neighbours had all clearly got together and decided to have a homage to IKEA and B and Q in their front gardens. I counted a computer desk, a microwave, two sofas and three arm chairs, a shed roof, a fridge and a boat all carefully displayed in front gardens. It was quite a treat. We have been adding to the ambience of the area ourselves lately (no boats at the moment) with lots of full garden refuse bags, as we are employing a local gent to try to make something decent of our sadly neglected garden. He is working hard on reducing the brambles, general weeds and so on, It is a huge task but he is dauntless.<br />
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In other news, I have done an immense amount of laundry this weekend, blessed by sunny and windy weather ( I know it would suggest sailing is the thing) I have washed and dried and even ironed almost every item made of fabric in the house. I took the duvet off Rob in bed to get going on washing it - which reminded me of the week I started Brownies aged 7. I had to do a good turn every day, and decided on the Sunday I would change my mum and dad's bed. However, I started the job before they had got up.<br />
<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-40377549891727699302016-01-09T20:18:00.002+00:002016-01-09T20:18:51.292+00:00Chemistry lecture and Physics A - university and inspirationToday I returned to a large lecture theatre that I had not visited in half of my life. Half of my life. I was last there when I was 21. You can figure out my age now for yourself! Physics A is a big lecture theatre, and in my first year at Southampton Uni I had to take 'Ocean Science and Man's Use of the Seas', course code OC104. Yep! I hear you cry. I did it too! It seemed to be a compulsory module for all students. Regardless of whether you were at uni studying physiology, computer science or cupcaking making, you were on that course. The other big one was Ecology - in a huge lecture theatre with Rory Puttman a memorable, scary lecturer. Anyhow, you will note the 'man's' use of the seas - this was in 1991, and clearly feminism had not reached the Oceanography department at Southampton. <br />
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So - how did I come to be in Physics A today? I saw an event on eventbrite, whilst booking a vegan feast evening for a group of friends (another story) and ordered 3 free tickets for A, myself and a friend of A's. A bit of a scurry round for her to find a friend suitably interested. We thought the lecture was about astronomy, so her friend came along on that premise. However the friend, whose parents were at uni at the same time as me, incidentally, her mum studying chemistry, was eminently perfect for coming to what turned out to be a chemistry lecture. The visiting lecturer, Nick Barker, works at the Uni of Warwick as a scientist who goes out to schools to inspire children to do sciences, so far as I can tell from his humble introduction. He spent 12 years teaching Science in secondary schools so is well qualified to do so. And he was great! Funny, chatty, emotionally vulnerable (I always worry that this experiment might go wrong...) able to explain oxygen, combustion, fuel cells, burning hydrogen, how to make liquid oxygen, and along the way answering the question why does the flame of a candle look yellow? I enjoyed learning stuff that I already had learned a long time ago when I wasn't really interested. It was a little electrical jolt for the memory - half my life to jolt back through, remember - and it did the job well. He was passionate about Science, an effective communicator and teacher and I would have loved to be in his class at school. <br />
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For a few years, a few years ago, we took our girls along to the annual Uni open day. It is great, and is coming up in March and you should go, even if you don't live in Southampton and don't have children. It is full of interesting and hands on Science, and passionate people telling you what they are studying, researching, teaching. I think it is great and am currently conjuring up a selection of children to take along myself. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing inspiring people inspiring children. What a joy! That is what made today so good - the joy of being inspired. <br />
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Thinking back to OC104 - there were some inspiring bits - and some awful bits. There were a series of lecturers from a variety of disciplines. I remember learning about El Nino - and remember what I learned. I remember learning about deepwater ocean life. I remember learning about the deepwater current systems and how Antarctic ocean swirls made the rest of the world go round. I have not had much use for this learning in my life - I knew what a tsunami was when one was reported on the news - but I haven't used that learning a whole load in this last half of my life. <br />
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I don't think I had been to a university until I went to look around on Open days. To be honest, I don't think I knew there were any other than Oxford or Cambridge until I was in 6th form. I had no idea what they did or what they were for. I have been blessed to bring my children up in a university city, with a really good, research based university a few miles away. H has been to a few events there during her time at secondary school. I have dragged them along to the family days a good few times. They both swim at the pool there with their school. I have taken H to see Shakespeare in the uni theatre. We went to a fair few children's plays and such like at the theatre when they were younger. We went to a schools music festival in the concert hall there. We did swimming lessons there. University has been normalised for my children in a way that it wasn't for me - different time, different place, different life. I find it inspirational every time I walk onto the campus. I envy the academics who get to do that every day! What a joy - to be inspired, to work in a place of discovery and see people inspiring others every day! <br />
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I guess that is a bit of my dream of my ideal school too - on a mini scale - but that sense of purpose, of study, of finding out new things, of sharing that learning with others. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-73668778141386401212015-12-09T20:09:00.000+00:002015-12-09T20:09:55.224+00:00Warmth and belonging plus gelatine bunsAfter the wasteland, tundra existence we were suddenly transported to tropical climes when the gas engineer came and fitted the part to the boiler. Without a care, coats were cast into the cupboard and normal garb was resumed. It were right good. And for a very reasonable price of just £54. Talking reasonable, R has found a new garage to pal up with, called Hutfields of Botley. He likes making new garage friends. I think they are most reasonable, and the Volvo has been there today for new brakes, after new tyres last week, it will be feeling spoilt. <br />
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I had a significant spiritual experience on Sunday as I joined a new religious order. I know it sounds like a band from the 80s, it is actually Hopeweavers, where I have been spending many a quiet day (some people think that me and a quiet day is a paradox) for the last 6 or so years. I love going there and the ethos and it seemed quite a straightforward decision to write my rule of life and try to abide by it, so I went along to be sworn in on Sunday at St Luke's in Hedge End. the bishop came and seemed overjoyed with the whole thing, and it was really moving to stand up and declare my allegiance and oath of fealty etc. I very nearly cried.<br />
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In fat club news, since getting to my target (again) I have been weighed weekly, not always at my regular class, sometimes I have had to dot around to other classes to fit in with crazy work schedule. Anyhow, this week, I stayed for a bit at the late version of my normal class. Well, I lost 0.5lb but am over my target zone so had to pay. The stand in compere asked me what I needed help with and I said biscuits. She suggested I try fat and sugar free rich tea. There can not be anything left in a rich tea apart from flour. So, in effect, a kind of dried mouthful of flour seems to be suggested fare. Have not tracked them down (they sell them in Veals) and am not planning on doing so anytime soon.<br />
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Reading - I have been reading about my Antarctic hero, Tom Crean, again, in the book about him, Unlikely hero. I am utterly besotted with him. He escaped from so many icy disasters whilst looking after puppies and saving the lives of all around him, I really find it hard to believe no one has made a film about him. I am now reading Auggie and me, a follow on book from Wonder, which is an amazing children's book which everyone should read, possibly starting with Donald 'Trump'. Such a good surname. Wonder is about a boy with a facial abnormality. How he is treated at school. How bullies bully him and friends stick up for him. How he is a friend. It is a top read and I recommend it utterly to you all. Along with Tom Crean the hero of the ice.<br />
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A has to put a gelatine bun in her hair on Sunday - can't wait for the putrid fat smell of hot gelatine as we smear it on to her glistening hair. The things people do for sport! I don't know why synchro swimmers can't wear swim hats for convenience, instead of dripping pig fat over their heads. We are looking forward to seeing a spectacle in the water, and I believe at least one granny is attending which is great - who knows, they might be inspired to take up the hot dripping sport for themselves!<br />
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Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-41445482878492986902015-11-23T21:56:00.000+00:002015-11-23T21:56:00.267+00:00Coldness immersion heaters and devils<span style="font-size: x-large;">We are living in a post apocalyptic state, something akin to the Hunger Games, in a house with no heating. Yesterday, with a rather sore head and sides, I spent more time than usual in an arm chair, next to the coal and wood fire, burning the old piano rather like Billy Elliott's dad had to during their apocalypse (AKA the Thatcher years).</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last night the girls slept in the same bed with one electric radiator keeping their room warm. I slept with the electric clothes airer. Which is a line usually only found in those rather cheap Sunday papers. This 1970s style of life has been inflicted upon us by the chilly northern wind of late, and serves me right for being smug and not turning the heating on earlier, as we may have then found out it was broken before we needed it. We do have something called an immersion heater, I had no idea we did but apparently in 2004 when our gas system was cranked up the plumber suggested it was a good idea. I now agree with him. Immersion heaters are somehow a object of the past, known in my world only in how they belong to my parents and mother in law, and back in the day, my granny. She has a great airing cupboard in her flat, with a really interesting shaped lock opening thingy (clasp?). She used to 'put the immersion on' and I had no idea what that involved. Still don't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> My granny's flat was great for playing hide and seek with my brother and cousins. We used to hide on the balcony (which was maybe a couple of feet wide and 6 feet long. A challenge to hide on. My cousin tried to hide my brother in the oven. There was a food cupboard for hiding, a big bath, the airing cupboard, her bedroom wardrobe (don't lock it!) two big double beds in the spare room, and a cot (it was like a dormitory in there - my cousins' whole family could sleep in there and there were 6 of them - and a dog. And in the big lounge, a kind of put you up bed you could hide behind, plus arm chairs and sofas to hide behind. It was a modest 2 bedroom council flat but the way I describe it you probably have IKEA in mind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Other good things about my granny were: in no particular order:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">her generosity with sugar in tea</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her generosity with cake, all Mr Kipling's finest</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her generosity with time, life and fun</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her child centredness, always happy to play</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her sense of humour and of joining in</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her complete love for all 6 of her grandchildren</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her card games and horse betting</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">her fun</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tomorrow is her birthday. She would have been 114 so probably best she left this earth a while back as the world gets too full if everyone lives to 114. She would have been 100 when H was born. H today is the age that she was when she was living and working in a big house in London, as a betweensmaid I believe. That was 1915, in London, a 14 year old girl from Lingfield near Haywards Heath, living and working in Egerton Gardens. A couple of years back H and I went and found the house. Which is now converted to flats. But seeing that door and that stone step which she scrubbed was powerful and meaningful. We didn't need to go inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The possibilities and opportunities available to my daughter, born 100 years on, are inconceivably vast compared to those open to a country girl born in 1901 into a large working class family. The freedoms H has to choose her own way of life and to be able to achieve are so much greater. We are not there yet. Still some way to go to reach equality of freedom and opportunity for women, but we keep chipping away. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">My mum has virtually the same qualities as my granny, as a granny to my girls. She only has 5 grandchildren, mind. I hope I have grandchildren and that list lives on for them too. It is a good list of noble qualities, especially the generosity of cake. I am not so good at that yet. Will work on it. I think I am doing ok on the other things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy birthday. A Mr Kipling cake is well deserved and best shared. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">In other news, interested today to hear the amazing news from Sep Blatter (is that really his name) that he has seen the devil and the angels singing, and that the angels singing won over the devil, so far as I can make out, and he came back to this earth after this near death experience. I believe in angels ( and Abba) and I guess I believe in the spirit of evil, not sure he is personified with red eyes and a pitchfork, and not entirely sure he pops up along with the angels singing in some kind of karaoke contest, but who am I to argue with something about which I know nothing? OK, OK, doesn't usually stop me. So top marks to Sep or whatever he is called for detracting from people nosing around in his bank account by distracting with talk of angels and demons. Top job, he should be in marketing! </span><br />
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Good to be back for you Barrs, tell your friends I am still here, the original blogger since 2006. <br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-69011273835478745032015-11-22T00:43:00.002+00:002015-11-22T00:43:52.341+00:00 Netley I loveSo tonight I heard my blog is still read by the Barr family in bed. Hearing about the options that Duncan Barr has in his suit pockets I am surprised, even awed that my blog gets a look in during bedtime routine in the Barr house. Netley, and Netley sailing club in particular is one of my passions, here is why :<br />
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Because sailing levels everyone to a basic elemental fight to stay upright.<br />
Because people are kind and generous even if you sail a cat and they really think therefore you are an idiot.<br />
Because there is the opportunity for children to live safe and free, managing risks and climbing trees.<br />
Because all sorts of people learn to get along despite differences.<br />
Because the sunset is awesome.<br />
Because sailing has taught me to be braver and calmer and laugh in the face of peril.<br />
Because my girls have been growing up with the sea air in their lungs and camping as normal.<br />
Because starting to sail was the beginning of my life part 2.<br />
Because rob cackling maniacally when it's really windy reminds me of lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump.<br />
Because I feel accepted and able to be my slightly over the top and wonky self at Netley.<br />
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Thank you if you are part of it. Heaven is hard to create on earth. X<br />
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<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-24320294742341022842015-01-18T20:50:00.002+00:002015-01-18T20:50:55.379+00:00January and the NHSMy family have been doing some consumer testing of the NHS, with a new nephew born in Redhill hospital (exciting) and another 999 call for my dad and a night in St Peter's hospital for my mum. We are very committed to ensuring this exacting testing, with Rob's mum checking out A and E in QA, Cosham, with a broken arm after Christmas, and a visit this week to the General in Southampton for H's knee (and the rest of her). <br />
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I have found all this medical related chasing about quite exhausting, and that was without making it to see the new baby!<br />
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Anyhow, I am inspired to write more to you all as I found an old post from 2008, of Hannah's first ever sail, with Rob in the Mirror, Ariel. Since then, we seem to have acquired and sold more boats than was strictly necessary, mainly due to people giving us old ones they don't want. We currently have just the three, and are hoping to get to sail the new (to us) one this summer. It is called a Buzz. I have no idea whether a Buzz is good or bad, I think it is just old. <br />
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As well as doing medical research across Surrey and Hampshire, I have passed my NPQSL this week and also updated my Child Protection Officer training, with an up to date knowledge of FGM and sexual exploitation of children in the UK. <br />
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Other things going on: A is taking part in a Shakespeare project at school and is investigating joining an acting club; she is also learning swing dance at school. R is doing his NPQSL and getting fed up of all the reading you have to do for it. H has almost done her physics homework. <br />
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And that is all for now, but now I have found out how to log on to my blog I will try again more often, promise! Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-11380595420202660842014-04-12T22:11:00.003+00:002014-04-12T22:11:57.631+00:00Chased by horses and popcornThis sounds like the title of a novel. It is however just a normal day in the life of my beloved dog, who is eating a bone known as a 'postman's leg'. I am reassured by A that it is not a real postman's leg. H suggested it was actually the dog's own missing leg, preserved by the vet who sawed it off and then recycled into the food chain a year or so later. <br />
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Today, the poor dog got chased by popcorn, as I was making some, in our electric popcorn maker, won in Wrap the Crap circa 2009 and much appreciated after the early Sunday morning episode with H putting golden syrup in the last one and us smelling smoke. So, the popcorn machine has a sort of chute for the popped corn to come out of, but it has a hole in the top of it so half of it pings out of the top and then chases poor Lacey and her postman's leg around the kitchen floor. <br />
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Yesterday, much worse than popcorn straying was the evil predatory attack of 5 horses. R had L on the lead and we walked over a stile, following a footpath sign and a track through a field which contained horses. After making it three quarters of the way across the field, the horses took an interest and came over, blocking our way and whenever we moved, making a counter move to prevent us going forward. H and I were out of the melee, as H had no shoes on and was slower in progressing through the mud than the other 2. A and R were so brave, as one horse repeatedly went for the dog, trying to trample her. It was like the beginning of a nightmare movie with the four horses of the apocalypse (sp?) except there were 5, but one was only a pony. We are now thoroughly put off horses and the magazine Horse and Hound has not got any new readers in this house.<br />
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Today I have attempted to cash in some Tesco vouchers for Pizza Express vouchers, but it has been beyond my understanding how to remember /reset my password and access the account. I did win £15 of restaurant vouchers earlier this week, which the girls and I spent having lunch at ASK in Fareham. The girls had their hair cut, in adjacent salons at slightly different times, which was a challenge for me, but we did it. I had my hair cut in Wickham, and the very pleasant haircutter was leaving and heading for Winchester. Great! Wickham is so handy on my way home from work... unlike Winchester. I made the most of Wickham last week with a beauty appointment, a curry and having my tyres changed as well as a hair cut. I had my hair straightened too. But before I got to the car, in the rain, it was curly again. <br />
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Tomorrow everyone except me is doing a triathlon. Don't panic! not you! my family! Tonight, the girls were practising their transition and getting it down below 13 seconds for putting on belt, trainers and helmet. Unfortunately all the speed in the world at getting dressed might be against H as she has troubled knees, with a diagnosis from Sarah the osteopath of cruciate ligament damage, and advice to go to our GP. We don't have one, the new one who I have yet to meet Dr Qamar, is off having a baby, which is great, I hope she found the midwifery service as good as it should be. <br />
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Somehow I have found myself taking on responsibility for menu and food procurement for the sailing club galley. The good thing about this is that I can make sure there is lots on the menu I like. The bad thing is that I have to go to Makro, which is too big and confusing for me. Some marvellously good news is that LIDL are opening a store in Thornhill, near the Range, ie within walking distance, as is our handy Costa. We now will have no reason to ever leave the estate. Apart from to go on bike rides, although I suppose we could do laps. I did a good ride today over to Newton Soberton, Droxford and back via Dundridge, I was without my cycling pal Josh as he is in Australia, and could not be bothered to make the trip back to keep our Saturday morning expeditions alive! I found a new cycling pal last weekend too, Kate, mum of Millie, who seemed to be super fit on the bike and has previously set up an ex pats ladies cycling club in China. I feel so parochial compared to these far flung cycling heroes!<br />
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I am reading The Chimp Paradox and enjoying it a lot. I am working hard on school related stuff at the moment, enjoying it though, so doesn't feel like work. I also have had a restful few days with mum and dad and girls, with a sunny visit to Kew, and also a chilled out spa day with Ange, which was my Christmas present to her. I did gym workout, pilates class, swim and then a massage. She just did the massage! <br />
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Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-76723733261709413752014-03-13T23:09:00.000+00:002014-03-13T23:16:44.742+00:00inspiration inspiration inspiration3 things inspired me today. All people. First Dr Steve Peters at primary heads conference speaking about the Chi, p Paradox. I was already a groupie with the book but what a fantastic acco, plished humble man. Then after lunch Alison Peacock from Hertfordshire who was interesting and engaging and a shame people left and missed her. Cycled home in the sun to a not so inspirational flood of the washimg machine and a dog watching murder she wrote on the sofa. Lovely time with h and awesome evening at st annes school watching hairspray. Intending to reinvet my blog in light of my Twitter passion and because its fun, disciplines my thoights and I hope makes yoi grin.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-88191019589486716442013-07-29T21:23:00.001+00:002013-07-29T21:23:28.783+00:00Competing in competitionsYou can tell it is the holidays, as I have entered a raft of competitions tonight! An old and profitable hobby of mine, which landed me in the past with a garden makeover, a year's sponsorship by Cyling Plus, a weird kaftan, a cleaning cloth, a trip to Exbury gardens, several trips to Paultons Park, night at the something hotel in Knightsbridge (can't recall which one), Large Family books and CD, and who knows what else I won but can not even remember now. I am sure you will remind me if it was you. <br />
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So, after tonight I will be winning a year's supply of washing up liquid (R gets through a lot with bike grease) a romantic break in Yorkshire (with up to 2 dogs allowed per room, they know how to do romance in Yorkshire), a wine tasting class, a trip up the cathedral tower in Winchester and a cream tea, a glamping trip to the Netherlands, £500 of Tesco school wear, a meat barbecue hamper for 20, a jam making session and hotel stay in Winchester, a bee hotel, a flight to Jersey... should keep me busy for the rest of the summer holiday.<br />
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Today I heard the bad news that my lovely friend and fellow Dart sailor Rosie has broken her ankle and will be out of action for 12 weeks at least. This was a sailing related injury, do not know the details yet but trust she is in safe hands. We too had a sailing trouble yesterday, we were winning in beautiful style and then our mast fell down, mercifully away from us (which I guess it would as the wind is pushing it that way, the shroud broke and the mast just fell down. After a lot of effort to get the sail rolled up and so on we were towed back to the beach, and now have a little light repairing to do to the rigging and sail has gone to the menders too. I had two glasses of wine, two chocolate biscuits and a twix to recover! No harm done to us, just the boat, so a blessing and we felt that we had bowed out to give someone else a chance to win for once!!!! <br />
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Today we are officially on holiday. Last week I carried on going to work after the children had left, combining short days at work with the dentist and the hair dresser (have pink hair for the holidays) and other such tasks, like taking dry cleaning, picking up prescriptions, things I NEVER get time to do in term time and skip with joy about doing! We went into town today to hunt for rhinos. All over Southampton there are model rhinos, decorated by artists and schools etc, and you can get an app and hunt for them. So we wandered the length of the city and found over half of them. This was an entirely free pastime, as we parked at the Quays, which is free parking for me as I am a member. We are going in for very very low cost holidays this year, our trip away camping is to Netley! We have gone through our finances with a nit comb and tracked down every spare penny ( found one today on the road) and are trying to get into a more solvent position than we have been in the last few months. The other day I cleaned our drawers etc (oh the joy, its the holidays!) and found £3.50, which was wisely reinvested as pocket money arrears. Even H has tidied her bedroom as one of the holiday projects. <br />
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The dog is learning not to be scared of the hall floor. R is going for a tough love approach and dragging her across it and she is getting much better - in fact, although she moans and fusses when we want to take her for a walk, and stays in the kitchen at all times, she can mysteriously make her way across the hall to go up the stairs when we are out! Last week was the Claygate Flower Show, and we proudly brought home a dog with two rosettes - first in the rescue dog category, and fourth in the sausage catching. And that was up against able bodied contestants, no t4 Paralympic amputee catergory to be seen. We were very proud of her, and it was worth the £1 a class to enter her in those two classes and see the rosettes of glory! <br />
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The girls were glorious the next day at Andover tri, coming in 6th and 7th places, which is truly awesome in terms of the progress they have made this season. A is really into her fitness programme and is not letting the long break from tri stop her - she swam a set of her own design tonight whilst R did his bit with the Southampton tri club, I spent the time in the gym downstairs and H was at a different pool doing her 2 hour stint! I forgot how much I like the gym, and am going to make a bit of effort to make most of it this next few weeks. I have entered another sprint tri in September, and also have a 50 mile sportive on the September diary, and R has entered a half marathon for next spring and is thinking about another half ironman- I guess two halves make a whole... <br />
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The bike business does not stop for the holidays, seems a really busy period and R is working every afternoon or evening at least on bikes. He made H a beautiful new cross bike for her birthday, which she tends to leave not locked up, and we try not to nag too much, as will already have spent time nagging for losing her goggles, swim hat, trainers, coat, wetsuit, sailing boots... no wonder we have no cash! <br />
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Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-62972844339138080762013-07-13T07:18:00.001+00:002013-07-13T07:18:38.736+00:00Sun sea cycleThe isle of wight is there to be conquered, so last Saturday, with the evil sorceress Emma in tow we took to our steady and pedalled out from the wilds of Brokenhurst, across flat lands to a crossing point, where we hailed a boatman and paid in gold dust to cross. Managing an on pedal average of 12.5 mph, which makes Chris Froome look like a tardy paper boy, we toiled the length and breadth of the isle, no stone left unturned, no beach unpaddled, no rugby club toilet facility unchecked. Emma seemed to think that a bike ride with thousands of men was an opportunity to seek out a toyboy. Having been on many of these invasions before I know that all the soldiers are focused on one thing... The finish line.<br />
I even got my medal putting on at the finish ceremony onto the official video!Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-43734941372001115412013-04-19T21:20:00.001+00:002013-04-19T21:20:46.082+00:00Re - cyclingI just found out that my daughter can swim 400m in 6mins 14 sec. I can not do that. She can, because she practises more than me. I have started my spring cycling training though, ie this week I cycled home from work twice. It is exactly 17 miles, 14 of them uphill, I am convinced. I would cycle there but would arrive sweaty and without a shower handy it would be just wrong. Cycling home is odd, it feels different to 'going out for a bike ride' even though it is across similar country to where I would just go out riding. It feels less fun and more like a chore. I need to vary my route for two reasons ; 1, to make it fun, and 2, to avoid stalkers. Desperate to get at least a reasonable ride time on my tri I cycled home from Winchester on Saturday to count towards the hours of training. It was really wet, the kind of weather you do not see anyone else cycling in. Really grim. Hardly anyone out in a car. <br />
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I have recently joined Linked In, after finding out there was another Kay Bowen I needed to let her know she can't have it all her way. I do not think I am the kind of person they are aiming at because I am just not going to list my CPD for all to see. It would just not make sense to anyone other than teachers and even then might not. <br />
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On Wednesday I found R in Hanble school and whisked him off to have dinner at the Bugle. I really wanted to see the sea. I see it on my way to work every day, which is a blessing, in fact this is my third school out of 4 where I got to see the sea or be very near it and could have popped to see it in 5 minutes. I am very grateful for that fact. If you do not live near the sea I guess you get used to that but you are missing a trick. It is instantly calming and healing. And that is before you get in/on it. Speaking of which, R and I have new boat hulls and they seem to be winning for us, as in we won a sailing race - such a rare event it deserves national press coverage, however Margaret Thatcher seemed to be hogging the news rather churlishly. We only did one race as it got really windy and we had a bad start (over the line - or were we?) and I lost my concentration and then had a bit of a panic moment and forgot what to do. However, it was really windy so I can be forgiven, I think, for retreating early. <br />
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I was glad to fit in a dinner date as every night this week I have been working, mainly marking and planning maths lesson for the next day. As I am teaching pretty much full time at the moment I have been trying to make the classroom a more lived in space in terms of using the walls for display, getting the children to interact more with the displays, that kind of thing. Maybe I should put that on my Linked In as an interest - staple gunning. And maths planning. <br />
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We have a lot of dog news. On Monday she slipped in the garden and yelped, I carried her indoors ( quite impressive if you saw her size) and then R found a wound about a cm wide on her leg. She does not have too many spare legs, you may recall. R trotted her off to the Out of Hours vet for a stitch. We have pet insurance, and as the paperwork had come through we were delighted that we would just pay the £60 excess. Until we found out that as it was within 14 days of the policy starting, we were not allowed to claim the £334 it cost for a stitch. Coincidentally, the next day, the credit card company sent a letter telling us they were upping our monthly limit by a grand. Might as well get the dog her own credit card. Ouch. I have never understood people spending money on their guinea pig to treat its stomach cancer, or for a rabbit to be brough round from liver failure. Now I understand. These animals draw you into loving them and then you would pay anything for them. Bah. Tonight A R and I were dancing in a comedy fashion and Lacey wanted to join in, she got very excited and had a dance with R. She loved it, but did not know what to make of our dancing. Which is a fair point. <br />
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As well as cycling I am doing a bit more running - did two laps of the woods last night, which is highly unusual, I did not have too much trouble with my left side, after Sarah Zaki the osteopath genius had done her magic on me. So that is two runs in 2 days! Wow. Get me... <br />
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Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-19177700501740423472013-04-12T21:44:00.001+00:002013-04-12T21:44:56.468+00:00wetter washing Now the washing is all done and dry I can talk Devon. It has been a bit of a trauma but we cope. We were not sure whether to go as the weather looked bad, but decided we would make the best of it etc etc and on Monday we packed up the camper van with bikes and headed west. We were aiming for Salcombe, last visited by R and K in 1993, in a hot and sunny summer trip around the west country. Famed for big argument on long walk to Hope Cove. I recall the argument was about sailing, or more precisely it was about R's assumption that a sailor, seen for a cliff top, was male, and my not letting it lie that his assumption showed his implicit sex discrimination. We have had similar arguments many times since, as R does not think that it matters if you use 'he' to talk about a person whose gender is unknown. I think it does matter, and even struggle with God being a he. Anyway, I digress, and luckily for R, we do too and are not continually stuck in this argument. Phew. Anyhow, I decided it would be lovely to go down to Salcombe, or more specifically, Hope Cove, for a few days in the balmy april weather. It would have been, wouldn't it, last year or the year before. But not this year, with no green shoots to be seen, nervous daffodils bobbing in the wind and wishing they hadn't bothered. So, all was going well until the brakes failed near Dorchester. R was driving, thank you God, and nursed campo on to the town centre where we found a garage and left her in good hands. It was an overnight stay, so the girls went to the cinema while we drank coffee. Then we found a hotel, then we found a very authentic Italian restaurant. The wine drinking started. After a busy night in a huge bed ( Amy was sharing too and I woke up feeling like I had been kicked all night - oh - I had) I went for a quick jog around the town. After reading the paper and doing the crossword, sitting in a coffee shop, buying lunch, playing games in all the shops in town and A and R visiting Tutankhamun's burial lair (which is bizarrely situated in Dorset, methinks?) we had almost done all there was to do. True, we did not do the teddy bear museum, the Chinese Warriors (what is it with Dorset that all the wonders of the ancient world are there?) or the dinosaur museum. Sometimes you can't keep me down from museumtastic life, but I was not feeling the love, it was raining, we had spent £650 unintended pounds on brakes, plus the various costs of hotels and coffees and I was tempted to join H and call for a turning for home. <br />
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A hauled me back from the brink of giving up with a quote from Reepicheep ' There is no honour in turning away from adventure'. On we grimly drove, into a danker and damper west of England. The roads past Bournemouth west are nothing more than cart tracks. Luckily for us our campo has a top speed of 66 mph so it copes well with carts. Once I had to overtake someone (in a sports car!) and had to psych myself ( and the van) up for it. Karageen is a lovely campsite in a pretty spot and should be enjoyed in the sunshine. We are 4 other campervan/caravan owners were enduring it in the rain. And the wind. We cycled into Salcombe and ate an award winning pub lunch, Then cycled home in the rain. We played games invented by A, including the homonym game and hunt the finger ( it is quite easy to find a finger as it is attached to your hand). We watched a couple of DVDs as R had brought a TV (I had ridiculed the idea initially but was glad to have a few hours of watching Swallows and Amazons in my sleeping bag in the end). We watched Arthur and the Invisibles, which is better than I imagined it would be. Perhaps helped by the wine. After a few hours of this warmth and toasty campo time the wind got up and along with the rain battered the awning on campo to such an extent that we had to take it down and stow it in the toilet. We decided to go home in the morning. So, to summarise:<br />
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Do turn away from adventure sometimes if it is raining.<br />
Do not accidentally stay in Dorchester unless you are on some weird quest to spot the most wonders of the ancient world in the wrong places.<br />
Do draw a line on a map (about next to Swanage) which says 'Here are no further!' when it comes to planning camper van holidays. <br />
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We are NOT going to Scotland in the camper van. R is talking about selling our share and getting a folding tent thing. I am not selling my share yet, I love waking up in my camper van more than waking up anywhere else. But I have to say that I love waking up in my camper van in Netley more than waking up in it anywhere else in the world. 3 miles from home strikes me as the perfect driving distance to avoid brake trouble and cart tracks. I am not saying no entirely to R's folding tent on wheels but I will need a lot of persuading that it is cuter and more funky than campo. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-71515435459229567032013-04-12T21:21:00.001+00:002013-04-12T21:21:18.851+00:00an old but favourite photo<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2qiYgasX6RWqrnlHBMsHFQrv1Ynh9gh0d_nawGxY6xhxWYrFItEiHJDJbQ9B2j5CQZY4DNBrSXPvAp_-V35uewFTVI_zgqwM7U9hkDBmxV-G1C0NO0kO4dTzFEmwolSF5qmR/s1600/DSC04635.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2qiYgasX6RWqrnlHBMsHFQrv1Ynh9gh0d_nawGxY6xhxWYrFItEiHJDJbQ9B2j5CQZY4DNBrSXPvAp_-V35uewFTVI_zgqwM7U9hkDBmxV-G1C0NO0kO4dTzFEmwolSF5qmR/s320/DSC04635.JPG" /></a>When we were at Winchester museum a few years back the other people looking round thought I worked there. Can not think why. When I retire ( if I get to such an old age) I am going to be one of those people who dress up in museums and educate children. I have my eye on being Mrs Earwicker at Manor Farm but need to pile on the pounds between now and then to achieve that particular ambition. </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-52311725827526393252013-04-11T21:02:00.001+00:002013-04-11T21:02:38.622+00:00Dog still happyThe dog experiment is going well. I am still in love. R is even more in love. She is still good. She has been spayed, and was a minor celeb at the Blue Cross when I took her in for the op. She has been on her first holiday, to Surrey, to stay with Aunty A and cousins A and N, and their cat, who I doubt was impressed. She really is as good as it says on the tin, and when she is not around I miss her. Can you believe that I am saying that about a dog? Me - the least dog loving person known to dog kind! I have had a road to Damascus conversion to dog life. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-71342901028239323542013-04-11T20:56:00.002+00:002013-04-11T20:56:16.791+00:00Birthday completedI mentioned that my birthday would go on and on. I think it has ceased. Before I go there, I must mention a comment made on my last post. It said that my Christian values were strongly apparent in my blog ( REALLY? I always feel they are too well tucked away) and did I feel that they were compromised in my job. In a Catholic school? Who's asking? It would be a very worrying indictment of my school/faith/church if I said yes! The short answer is no.<br />
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Now, the last two weeks have been Easter holidays. I know that teachers get too much time off blah blah blah so won't tell you how hard I have been working - I enjoy it and do it every weekend as well and like working hard at what I do so don't mind if you think I am a workaholic - one great thing about the holidays is being able to read about education etc a bit more thoroughly. I bought and read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, an astonishing and interesting book that I could not put down. I was bough a novel for my birthday, which is novel, and have started it and found that interesting so far although out of my normal reading comfort zone. <br />
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Our Easter holidays started worryingly with mum having a stroke and being admitted to St Peters Hospital, Chertsey. This is conveniently situated just off the M25 between J8 (M3) and J10 (A3) so well done mum for choosing the easy to get to hospital. Not knowing much about strokes we all feared the worst but mum has been working hard on recovering and was home within a week and came to some of my birthday weekend! Ta da! She is magic! The bit she came to was very popular, the cream tea. It was at the sailing club on Sunday. It was really windy and so not sitting outdoors weather, instead the bar was crammed full and cakes were provided by two Anges and a Mary ( bit religious sounding when you put them toegether!). The cakes/scones were extrememly popular and I did my best social butterflying. That was part 4 of the birthday weekend. <br />
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Part 1 on Saturday morning was not so popular. A bike ride at 8am. I think 8 of us started and 7 finished ( H gave up at Upham pond and daddy rescued her). The weather was gloriously cycle perfect sunshine and I felt very blessed to be out there on my bike on some of my favourite roads, albeit not at the level of cycle fitness I have enjoyed in previous years. Loved being there anyway, my usual group position of fast downhills and then overtaken by everyone up hills. Very nice bunch of cyclists who were quite well matched (or the good ones were polite). Back at Bowen HQ R was on fierce pancake duty and doled out pancakes to several families who turned up on the premise that their dad had been on the bike ride. <br />
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After lunch and scone making (ACTUALLY it was mainly granny Mary who did that) and a nap in the sun it was time for the party evening. R was now furiously on singing duty, it was amazing for me to watch the band set up from nothing to ready in 40 mins. They did a great job and lots and lots of people said 'Iddidn't know Rob sang/played guitar -a man of many talents! After that initial 'Oh no no one is going to turn up' moment of course heaps of people did turn up and I was a social butterfly and still didn't get to talk to everyone. But loved it. I should have parties more often, I love everyone I love being in one place at once. Hopefully that is what heaven is like. Or should I say that for me, a party where everyone I know and love is there (or invited, anyway, even if they couldn't be there) is heavenly. That is what we always say is wrong with Netley Heaven - not everyone we love is a member! Lots of people had gamely worn sports wear as requested, and Bradley Wiggins made an appearance, along with a Grand National jockey and horse, and all sorts of other sportss people. I felt very loved and valued, I have heaps of bottles of champagne to drink so might have to invite some more friends round to help. <br />
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After finally getting to sleep (was having a finance panic, R laughed in the morning and told me not to worry about money - I will go with that) it was time to get up to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for sailing at 10. Weather was perfect, sun and wind, and R and I were in the zone. We were second Dart in both races, and in the second race third overall. This result is nothing short of a miracle. I have found the secret to success was to talk R up all the time and tell him how he has made good calls, is thinking ahead strategically etc etc. Which was all mostly true. We need to work on our stamina to race back to back in longer races for nationals. Oh and not to mess up my little contribution at tacking time. After saying last week that we did not like sailing the cat and were going to sell, we are thinking again. <br />
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So, birthday is now finally officially over apart from the champagne to consume. It is a bit weird to have a big 41st birthday so very glad I made the most of this one. I have so many people in my life who I like so much but don't get to see too much, that it was really really great to have some of them all hanging out together. With me. Even if we didn't get to talk much. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-2050838601913894932013-03-05T22:18:00.001+00:002013-03-05T22:18:49.977+00:00birthday dogMy birthday started early this year and is ending late. A week ago I was at a concert in the Guildhall, a Jake Bugg gig to be precise. I had not gone out to a gig since I was about 20 and this was entirely inititated by me on the back of Chris Evans' recommendation, I bought the tickets having heard one song. Anyhow, live music is up R's street so I took him along. It was great! I was not the oldest person there, neither was R, there was a real mixture of people who admired this hardworking and talented guitarist and singer, he is 19 I think, and a real story of hard graft, practising and gigging and then being spotted. He has a huge voice and is better on the guitar than me. So, that was a great evening. Then my actual real bday involved a bring and share lunch for all the February birthday girls, with a big bouquet for me, then a bouquet arrived from R in the afternoon. Then a normal evening. But more was to come! <br />
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On Friday I was whisked away from school at 3.40 by my family, we headed to Guildford and then swapped to train for the journey to Waterloo. We walked to our centrally located and fab modern hotel, the Park Plaza Westminster bridge. After a quick taxi ride we were eating Mexican (food not people) in Leicester Square, then on to watch Matilda. Wow. Tears rolling off my cheeks - a completely awesome musical which makes me want to cry right now. Joy and sorrow mixed together are the perfect combination. It is up there with Blood Brothers and Chicago in my all time greats. Always a sucker for good triumphing over evil and a story about a teacher's passion for education always going to get me... After a very good night's sleep and a tasty breakfast we had a quick dip /steam/ sauna and then headed to the dinghy show, before remembering why we didn't go last year - it is too expensive, boring for the girls and basically a trade show. However we met a pirate who we knew (Rob G's brother) and were videoed saying how much we liked the show for next year's promo. We lied. On our return we made a brief appearance at a wedding party, then home to find that R had bought us a new TV! And its bigger than our old one.<br />
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The giving goes on and on, as R has acquired himself a dog. I do love her already, but she is his dog. She is adorable. She has 3 legs, and seems to be well trained and as good as gold so far despite being a rescue dog. She is 3 years old. She has to go back to be spayed (ouch) next month. She is called Lacey. She has a stump where her leg was which takes some getting used to. She has a big smile and floppy ears. She is brindle and white. I will attempt to upload a photo sometime soon. <br />
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Our 'playroom' aka bike storage facility has 6 bikes, a sail and a rudder and a bike rack in it. There is no room for my bike in it. That is in the lounge. I always suggested that my bike be kept on the wall in the lounge. However, the walls of the lounge are now adorned with BIG TV and guitars x 3 and a mandolin. I like them being up on the walls. I think they are pretty. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-82730184941245410642013-02-28T19:51:00.001+00:002013-02-28T19:51:10.929+00:00I just love this picture<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMtg2ch5rd2YhG6hXrHEHp-MbJp8y28XzO_3YigLzalEZLavU19wShFTjIin6V0ZP_by0fi6Nm1ktLZurLaAixXv-ZKmHYtWxFk_Kt6LsbvsoWMOq4yXGjnu6SbhLUjoraFPN/s1600/DSC_0104.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMtg2ch5rd2YhG6hXrHEHp-MbJp8y28XzO_3YigLzalEZLavU19wShFTjIin6V0ZP_by0fi6Nm1ktLZurLaAixXv-ZKmHYtWxFk_Kt6LsbvsoWMOq4yXGjnu6SbhLUjoraFPN/s320/DSC_0104.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-79728746483937495842013-02-25T19:13:00.002+00:002013-02-25T19:13:50.435+00:00cakes for orphansMy daughter number 2 is planning a trip to India to see Pastor Sam and his huge family of adopted children in orphanages when she is 12. She is 9 now, and is saving up and fundraising already. To which end, yesterday afternoon was spent shopping and baking, and I find myself now perched at the end of the kitchen table as it is covered in fairy cakes, with icing of varying shades of blue, yellow and green. After writing a proposal and getting agreement from the management, she and her dear friend Beth are selling said cupcakes after school to raise the money for the trip. They have reesearched it and are aiming for £1200, so far I think they have about £37 - but still have time on their side. <br />
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Today was a work day. I tend not to dwell on work here, for fear of libel suits from those high up in the Catholic church, but I will give you a rough idea of the highlights of a normal day as an Assistant Headteacher.<br />
1. Drive camper van to work and unload enormous boxes.<br />
2. Take whole school worship - its about the Pope who is retiring, I know all about that because I am forever hopeful that I will be considered for the job every time it comes around. We prayed for the Pope who is departing, and also for the people choosing the new one ( please consider me! - I would be just what you need - a new broom). <br />
3. Cover the office for an hour while the staff have a meeting ( this is the first time I have done this and I had back up, and luckily no tricky questions). During this time, talk maths data and children's progress with my colleague and Assistant Head extraordinaire. <br />
4. Leadership team meeting about various things to do with leading a school, some of which you would not believe if I told you, so I won't. <br />
5. Eat<br />
6. Dress in my pyjamas and pretend to be sleeping in my camper van, answer questions from 60 Year 1 children about camper van life and let them all have a good poke around in it.<br />
7. Email and admin stuff, including organising a e safety evening and a Easter Egg competition among the more interesting, get out of pyjamas back into normal clothes<br />
8. Lead a team meeting for my KS1 and Early Years teachers including wandering around the school looking at interesting places to learn and talking about what we could do in these interesting places.<br />
9. Sort through a huge pile of books and make a 'throwing away' pile of those books that are older than me. <br />
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Just a normal day in the office. Loving it!<br />
Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-66261791032495086222013-02-24T19:46:00.003+00:002013-02-24T19:46:45.337+00:00Harry Potter and the Freecyclers of delightI am a bit slow to the party with Harry, my children have only just discovered the delights of HP and his mates. I have no strong feelings about wizard stories, just never got around to watching /reading. Confess we are watching first, but I think Hannah will be up for a read if you have the books lyging around spare. <br />
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Another party I have recently got back into is the Freecycle gang. The wanted posts are priceless - one guy wants some axle stands, a wardrobe (double please but anything will help) and someone else wants a 16gb memory stick! One that amused me was the one asking for a fridge freezer 'for my pregnant sister' - like she is going to get in it for the labour? Another one said 'breast pads' then in the detail 'unopened and unused' - like you would be giving away used ones. Another wanted item was 'garden ornaments( I quite like gnomes)'. Well, for heavens sake, do you like them or not? Because if you only quite like them, and get inundated with them from all four corners of Southampton, with people only too happy to send them to you, you had better like them, not just QUITE like them. Or else you will end up hating them pretty quick. I notice that the area of Southampton Freecycle seems to have expanded to take in Bishops Waltham and West Wellow, so hopefully there will be some higher standard gnomes on their way to the gnome liker. <br />
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As my faithful one follower will know, winter sports are one of my passions, and I like to spend the two years immediately after the summer Olympics fine honing my skills for the Winter event. I never know whether to really go for it with the ski jump or the slalom, and end up doing neither, but having a lovely time in the Alps nonetheless. Just yesterday I got back from an intensive training week in Austria. I took my family along so they could see how skiing is done by a real professional (shame wit did not spot any). We also took the Whitmore family along for their second ever family ski holiday - the first was taken when the eldest children were 3,2 and 1 and Matthew was the size of a cake crumb, so all of them had been practising at the dry ski slope for months in anticpation. The snow conditions were perfect in Loser and Tauplitz, the two small and secret ski areas we returned to after a lovely time there two years ago. We stayed once again in Haus Gisela, all ten of us taking up the 2 apartments and the b and b room. I can highly recommend the accomodation for skiing or for a summer holiday, within a five minute walk you are on the shore of a beautiful lake, and it is a perfect place for walking, biking, eating apple strudel and other delights of Austria. <br />
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It snowed every night, and was already deep, so the pistes were perfect. Never content on the piste, A decided on day 1 to head off through the trees at the side - children often do this thing where they follow tracks along the side behind a few trees then come hurtling back on. Except she did not do the hurtling bit. And did not shout back when we shouted. So I stayed around and prayed and shouted, and R headed back down to the bottom and got a rescue team out to her - by which time she had got herself out of the hole she was in and back onto the piste. Bless her, she didn't cry but did panic a bit. R and I did more than panic. Tried not to be too cross with her, just pleased she in one piece. Kept her on a much tighter rein from then on. A has two skiing styles, a controlled snow plough descent, or an uncontrolled paralled descent. Either seem to work for her and she seems to be blessed with a low centre of gravity. H just makes it look easy and is great at picking out routes for less experienced skiers (aka Whitmores) to follow. The Whitmores are such a gung ho gang they were bound to have a good time and on the last day Joe nearly beat R in a race down. R enjoyed using his speedo app (NOT to be confused with Speedos - bad ski wear) to find out his top speed - he managed over 40mph top speed, although I challenged him to make that his average speed he was not quite there yet, I am sure he will be by the time the Olympics come around. <br />
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R did excel at high speed driving yesterday, as heavy snow fall and an early start for the 180 mile drive back to Vienna for the flight worked together with 3 sets of snow ploughs on the main road to make our average speed less than it needed to be. We arrived with forty minutes before the flight, and took the decision to attempt to get me and the girls on the flight, while R dealt with the hire car return and missed the flight. So after an adrenalin fuelled risky drive on snow and ice that would not have looked out of place on Top Gear ( nice car, I drove it and enjoyed it! Skodia Estate 4x4), he threw us out at departures and we sprinted to the check in to find that the flight was delayed due to the ...snow. Of course. So, we all made the flight which was two hours late, with time to enjoy one of those random 'meals' which cost you more than the rest of the holiday put together, because you are enjoying said 'meal' in an airport - meal consisting of drinks drunk very slowly so you can justify sitting on the only seats around, which are in the cafe, and a croissant shared one between two because they are so expensive you don't think there are enough Euros in the universe, let alone in the random remainder of cents you are scraping together to pay for said items. <br />
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I had a couple of one to one skiing lessons, which are expensive but worth it if you ski at the level I do (intermediate is I think the polite term). The teacher, Sarah, was an excellent teacher, telling me one thing to change to improve my style and confidence to turn at greater speeds and in tighter confines, so I can develop feeling a bit more happy on any kind of slope. It made me think about what makes a good teacher, and praise and one point at a time to develop seem to be the secrets of success - not really very secret either. <br />
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Not content with spending today resting our aching limbs, we had already scheduled a meeting with a man about a dog. All my married life, I have told my husband that he may own a dog when I die. Even up until a month ago, then we met George, rescue dog living a happy life with our good friends, the Gales. George is such a nice polite dog, and we have had him to hang out at our house for a couple of Tuesdays lately without disaster. R has wanted a dog since he was born, almost, and spent his childhood dreaming of having a dog. The girls are keen on dogs, and I came to the conclusion that there were three of them, and one of me, and I am at work all the time anyway, so who am I to stand in the way of the doggy happiness of my family? No sooner had I relented, or even slightly mentioned considering relenting, that the Lurcher website was consulted ( I do not know why he wants a Lurcher, it was that or a Greyhound) and a suitable four legged friend was found at the local Blue Cross centre. Except she is not four legged, but three legged. R and A met her last week and H and I went along as well today for the family meeting and interview. Well, I was so nervous, but she (the dog) seemed to like me, and even did some of the things we asked her to. Despite only having 3 legs, and having lost the 4th one recently, she hurtles around at speed, and the staff member we talked to thinks she still has enough speed to catch a rabbit. So that is dinner sorted on a daily basis - until next door's rabbits are all gone. She is a very friendly and sociable dog, and despite being a bit bigger then I had in mind for a dog, is pretty and smiley and when she wags her tail her whole body wags. So she is coming to live with us, her forever family, next week. She can not come earlier as it is my birthday and there is a secret planned. <br />
Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-89460186066607275312013-01-05T20:14:00.004+00:002013-01-05T20:14:40.877+00:00blogSPORTSee what I did there? Have decided to go back to basics and use this blog as a weapon in my fight for fitness and world domination in sport. So, after so long not telling you anything, I will try to keep you up to date with my fitness campaign so you can vicariously feel fit, just by reading along and being a couch training buddy.<br />
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So, I got up early to go swimming with R, but A was feeling a bit lonesome so I stayed home and did some gardening instead - well, I pulled up dandelions and brambles, which is what counts for gardening around here. A and I cycled to and from her swimming lesson, 15 minutes each way, and while she swam, I ran. It is very hilly around Bursledon, so more of an amble. My troubled left hip/knee/ankle combo has reared its evil head, I blame the gardening. <br />
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Yesterday went a bit better, after cycling to see my spiritual director on Hill Lane, I cycled into town and swam for nearly an hour at the Quays, with R, doing a set which he has memorised from his tri training. It's like this if you want to have a go:<br />
200 swim, 200 pull, 100 swim ( that is the warm up)<br />
4 x 50 slow there, fast back<br />
4x 75 right arm, left arm, both arms<br />
4x25 kick<br />
200 pull<br />
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Then you do the set that I have not yet got very far into, essentially its something like this;<br />
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swim 400<br />
swim 200<br />
swim 100<br />
swim 50 <br />
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I only got up to the first bit of that last bit. And wearing flippers. So, I have someway to go there.<br />
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Then cool down (I do 100 breaststroke for that)<br />
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Tomorrow - who knows - maybe a bike ride or a run? <br />
Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-87003922905939522672013-01-01T20:38:00.001+00:002013-01-01T20:38:07.004+00:00Seas the dayOne of my favourite mottos, saw it today on a little sign spelled that way and like it even more.<br />
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Today R and I had our best sail of the year. Seeing as the year was not even 12 hours old as we sailed, it would have had to be bad not to have been the best. It was sunny and perfect wind conditions, a good crowd and we were sailing a boat new to us both. A slow and secure boat, a dinghy built for stability rather than speed. It had a spinnaker, and as R had never sailed with an asymmetric before I had the mantle of expert, which is a bit of a worry. And would possibly explain that we could not get it down again after a trial hoist, I had to do a bit of meddling in a tricky position to rectify the situation. That led to us being very late to the start line, but we made up some ground and were not last! I REALLY enjoyed it, and flying a kite in a nice non tippy boat was a great place to learn - made me realise how ridiculously steep my learning curve has been this year in sailing. <br />
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We slept in the camper van for New Year's Eve. It was not too cold,thankyou, and meant we were on the site for the first sailing club NYE party. Which was great! It was really lovely, random mix of people, with assorted extra teenagers to get drunk and dance. Enjoyed my stint in the bar with R, time flew by and the pound a pint prices meant maths not too much of a challenge. Felt very special and lucky to be a part of such a lovely family of people from all walks of life. <br />
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Today we enjoyed a walk along the beach to Hamble with the lovely Sanderson Taylor family. A beautiful sunny day, sea looking as blue as the sky, bumped into the lovely Powell family to make it even better! Felt very blessed to have friends today. Am trying to convince some of them to do a triathlon with me in May - have booked my space! Winchester, 7 May. Interested? Also booked on a sportive on Isle of Wight. The post Christmas week makes me a bit miserable, and when it rains its even worse, so booking in some sporty events for the summer gives me hope that the sun will come again. Yesterday I did a tough swim session with R, did not manage to finish it (2k altogether) as felt dizzy and sick after 1 mile. But felt good to work so hard and R was a good training partner. Whole family did a bike ride the day before, we managed 13 miles, really proud of A keeping on going. I did a few extra hills on my own after and have a bike ride planned for tomorrow. It is clearly the season to get training! <br />
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I find the holidays quite tricky, making the adjustment to being part of our family rather than out of work, I get a bit stressy and miserable. Had a chat with R about it, who said that the feelings I describe are those of a husband! e.g. out at work, don't have a role in the family day to day life, feel like a spare part and that everyone would do better without me. He said that for ten years when he went out to work full time he had to remember when he got home that for you it is the end of the day, for your family it is the start of their time with you. Likewise for holidays. Really helped to know I am only suffering from husbanditis and it has a solution. Glad he explained it to me and it made sense.<br />
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I just made H watch Dambusters, told her it was essential viewing. She seemed to enjoy it and asked relevant questions. R's compulsory watching is World's strongest man - so girls are being initiated into that right now. Amazing and utterly ridiculous. But what Christmas is all about, surely? Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-26787652451116131242012-12-24T17:53:00.001+00:002015-11-22T00:49:03.963+00:00Christ alive in Bookham, Bounce 10 000 hoursAs usual, I am amazed by the popularity of Jesus in Surrey. We visited the church of St Nicolas in Bookham, and it was in one door, out the other, into a church heaving with humanity. They have four services this afternoon. H was disappointed to not be at the usual Christingle at Holy Trinity Clayage (HTC) and get the orange, so she and R have just shot off up the road to make the last of the 3 services for the day at HTC. It seems that the wealthy bankers of Surrey and their associates have plenty of space in their lives on Christmas eve for the ridiculous story of a teenage couple with nowhere to stay, the birth in a barn and the obscure guests at the baby shower. I wonder how good we are at opening our doors to real pregnant teenagers with nowhere to live today? I attended HTC for a holy communion yesterday, was a peaceful contemporary service that was easy to use as a time to reflect. <br />
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Our time with mum and dad has so far involved lots of laughter and playing cards. I have brought nothing with me to do, no work, not even a book to read, although I notice R has brought 'The Element' which I started and then he swiped. As well as Bounce I am reading Bear Grylls' autobiography. Bounce suggests that if you do anything for 10 000 hours over 10 years you can be world class. Does reading count? I notice that I am feeling a bit bereft without some work to do. If I do 3 hours a day of conscious practice at being an assisant head, for ten years, I should get to world class, according to Bounce by Syed. <br />
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R and I had another go at sailing on Sunday. Every hour we put in we are getting worse, I am sure. We came in a dismal second to last, miles behind the other Darts. We were in a good place at the start, and then R very nicely let someone young do something they should not have done, and from then on we were in their wake and everyone else's. He is extremely nice and always tries not to steal other people's wind, etc etc. We had quite an enjoyable time despite being really really bad. I can understand his niceness, and it tempers my competitiveness, and we end up nearly last. I am sure there is a bible verse in there somewhere - the meek shall inherit the earth - and the competitive shall come last, despite wanting to come first.<br />
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Saturday was the Tri club parent and kid swimming gala. R gallantly took part, beating H in the one length free style, and being anchorman for the parents in the parents vs kids relays. I was very impressed with his butterfly! I had no idea he could do it with such style. You could tell he has swum in his youth. H is thinking about taking up swimming seriously, we have told her about the early mornings, 5 days a week, and how she would have to give up other things. It is a huge commitment of time and money, if she wants to do it we will support her, however I am hoping she will settle for being a triathlete, much more sociable hours and less training commitment at the club. And time for other pasttimes and sports. Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-7943463831964478852012-12-20T21:19:00.001+00:002012-12-20T21:52:16.129+00:00Olympics secret of eternal youthHave a new best mate. A mum who came in to see me could not believe I had children, she said I did not look old enough! she then followed it up with a comment that she thought I was just out of college. Oh happy day. This week I have been to two senior school carol concerts. one two many, but both lovely. And tomorrow is the end of a very long term. Am writing this as do not have the mental energy to do school work that needs doing. managed some ironing . Am reading Bounce by Matt Syed. And heaps of other books including Leadership with moral purpose. which is a kind of step by step guide to being a brilliant head teacher. I realised, dear reader, how neglected you have been but think you will understand that Olympic hopefuls spend time training, not writing. And people like me, learning on a curve close to vertical, not sleeping enough and frankly, not putting in the hours. To become world class as a sailor. Rob is building the boat that has been on the drive all summer, it has a mast now. We are selling a boat to pay for skiing habit. And buying new better hulls for the boat we are keeping as the ones we have are held together with gaffer tape. R and I sailed together for first time in ages and only 4 boats out meant it was boring. Despite the crazy weather, which meant it was crazy, not having much competition made it dull. I felt awful afterwards. How could I find sailing in force 5 6 dull. As a crew you look out for other boats. Without any I nearly nodded off on the beats. Rob is determined that the new renovated dinghy is going to be ready for Jan 1 racing. Then I am hanging up my rubber boots for the winter and starting ballroom dancing.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-42091505252538337952012-07-29T21:01:00.001+00:002013-04-12T21:45:50.071+00:00Olympic starsToday we watched the excitements of 30 seconds of ladies cycling in either direction at Hampton Court. Build up was fab fun, more police motorbikes in the entourage than cyclists in the race. Family Powell came with us and camped in granny mary s garden. we have come up with the idea of camp in my garden.co.uk which we need to check no one already thought of. It's such a great idea I do not mind if anyone already has done it!
H had an amazing week at international Guide camp this week in the sun. For the sum of £50 she took part in a vast range of activities including rafting, camp fire making, bell ringing for Olympics, It's a knockout, so many crafts I lost count, trip to Paulton's park, camp fire singing, zorbing, magic tricks, and all in the company of 350 girls, including visitors from ten international countries. The weather played ball and she came home smelly and dirty and browner than she went.
Having had lots of opportunities myself lthrough guides I am delighted she gets to enjoy better activities than I did. I did caving and abseiling as a Ranger, not done either since but glad I had a go. When I was a guide I did canoeing on the Thames on Monday nights, the weather was always sunny and it was a great experience. Apart from capsize drill. That reminds me that at uni I joined the canoe club briefly but did not enjoy capsize by then. Also learned to play squash and did a sailing course at uni. This was all free, along with pottery. I think you need to pay now. You did not have not capsize in pottery but most of my pots lookekld like they had. I did pottery club at junior school, I made a pot that sank and turned into a Head of a scarecrow. my mum kept it by the front door and once almost used it in self defence when she suspected an intruder. You get a feeling of the quality of my pottery if you know people want to throw it around.
Watching the backstroke tonight, I commented 'where would I be now in that race' e.g. Thinking, I would have covered a quarter of a length by the time they finished. However, H knows me better and suggested I would still be fiddling with my leaking goggles.See? it is my equipment that fails me, not my body. Looking at the physiques and ages of lithe Olympic teams, I believe there is still hope, but in the shooting. Or the Greco roman wrestling. That seems to be an inclusive sport, with rolls of flab welcomed with open arms.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37255038.post-67317878722326021062012-07-09T18:38:00.001+00:002012-07-09T18:38:40.040+00:00Domestic goddess. That's me! Today I swept the floor downstairs, put out the washing twice and sprayed a drysuit wet. I also did some ironing ( shock!) and threw some clothes into the bedrooms of my babies. This academic year, my idea of cooking a family meal has devolved ( opposite of evolved?) to the following checklist:<br />
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1. open and close fridge and freezer several times.<br />
2. eat a packet of olives ( not pickled onions, I have 4 jars of those to consume, and I am the only consumer in the house).<br />
3. open freezer again and find several items covered in breadcrumbs.<br />
4. put them in the oven.<br />
5. open freezer again and find a packet of suspiciously bright vegetables, find a pan and unite them, add water.<br />
6... spray everything in gravy or ketchup to enable digestion.<br />
7. snarl off in a huff as forgot to cook anything vegetarian for myself. <br />
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Balanced meal - two tins of soup.<br />
Healthy eating - only one takeaway a day.<br />
5 fruit a day - or garlic and a soggy banana in the fruit bowl.<br />
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We need a butler, chauffer, au pair, nutritionist....<br />
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Previous applicants need not apply. Meanwhile, away from the trauma of domestic challenge, I continue my personal count down to the Olympics with a little mixed cat sailing, ready for the next Olympics (got to plan ahead!). In exciting but not death defying windy conditions on a Dart 18 with posh Nick from Whitstable, I managed to stay reasonably well mannered for 6 races, with us consistently scoring mid fleet results until some brilliance in Nick's experienced wind reading mind on the last race managed to score us an 8th place. This was all out of 40, before you ask, not my usual 8th out of 8. Now Nick is a national treasure in the cat sailing world, owning more boats that us and being on the committees of all sorts of sailing related bodies. He is reknowned for turning up late. Even when we gave ourselves plenty of time for rigging and changing, we were still the last boat off the shore. Why? What did he spend all that time in the changing room doing? Determined not to be accused of being a girl who spends too long in the changing room I storm into my wetsuit and bound off down the beach, to find myself pulling up sails etc etc on my own, while, I assume, Nick takes a powernap on the bench in the changing room. I have been in that changing room and I would not hang about a minute longer than vital, for fear of picking up veruccas or worse. There are serious plans to renovate the green shed at the sailing club into a changing village. I have suggested a massage/therapy room ( complementary service - perhaps a duty?), outdoor hot tubs and steam room. I suspect we will get a heated towel rail and veruccas. <br />
<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430162317920474043noreply@blogger.com0