Andrew's blog
28 August 2010
Taxi!
Otherwise known as 'Things You Couldn't Make Up' # 34...
We are returning from holiday. Arriving at Gatwick we collect our luggage and after moaning about the oil that has been deposited on the beige-oloured pram, we proceed through customs (always scary for some reason) and into the arrivals hall.
Fortunately we have pre-ordered our taxi, and I am very relieved to see a chap holding a sign saying "MR AND MRS JEFFREY."
I introduce myself to him, and we start to follow him towards the car park. As we go I think to myself how smart he looks - more of a chauffeur than a Saltdean Cabbie (no offence, lads).
Suddenly I am called back. The others have spotted a man who fits the profile far better holding a sign with the same name! It's definitely our cabbie (as his sign also has 'SALTDEAN' written on.
I stop, and ask the man I was following where we were going.
"Chelsea" he says, and we both wonder how far we would have got before realising the mistake. We pile into the correct taxi and are soon home.
All's well that ends well, but honestly, what are the chances?! It's not as though my name is Smith, after all.
| |
Posted by Andrew at 10:44
Comments (2)
|
10 August 2010
FAT or FIT?
So it starts today.
I am feeling grumpy about having put on almost a stone since April. I realise that this is due to a lack of exercise, motivation having dropped after the Brighton Marathon. And an increase in hops and grape intake.
But once CMJ informed me that 80% of people who complete a marathon never even attempt a second one, that was like a red rag to a bull, so ‘do one in under four hours’ became a new goal. I signed up straight away for next year’s race.
Also, I have long been frustrated by not being able to swim, particularly the front crawl, so the obvious solution was to put the completion of a triathlon on the list.
Oh dear, now I need swimming lessons. And a bike.
Over-rated, this goal-setting stuff.
I decided that our holiday in Menorca would be the start of the new regime. So on Saturday I had my first swimming lesson. Very scary, but it gave me some pointers and enough confidence to plan to spend the next couple of weeks building up stamina and technique in the pool (and both need quite a lot of building up, believe me).
I was baffled to discover that swimming a single length is just as tiring as running a mile.
Apparently, as Michelle-Swimming-Teacher tells me, it requires a totally different type of fitness than running– bad news but an interesting challenge.
This morning I kicked off with a 3 mile run, and even that was a struggle for the first mile or so. Later, a visit to the pool I think. That should be interesting.
So it starts today.
| |
Posted by Andrew at 14:12
Comments (1)
|
31 July 2010
What Are You Reading At The Moment?
This is quite a common question, and with our Menorcan holiday coming up I was giving some thought to which books I would like to take away with me.
Reading is one of the most pleasurable parts of my holiday as I love to catch up, and always take at least one book from my collection of magic books and try to master some new (or old) magic tricks.
But I also usually take the book I am reading to finish off, so I had a think and realised that I am currently juggling an absurd number of books all at the same time. On the go in various rooms of my home and office are no less than five books.
The ELephant in the Classroom, Jo Boaler
Thinking as Communicating, Anna Sfard
Psycho Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz
All My Sons, Arthur Miller
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Joanne Rowling
How stupid is that? I'm sure my brain can't cope with all the switching around and I'll probably have to read them all again. Truth to tell this is the second time I am reading the Harry Potter book but it is brilliant.
To make it worse, this is on top of the book I am halfway through writing called 'Maths at the Drop of a Hat', and the one going to the printer next week called 'Cool, Calm and Calculators'. So in a way I suppose I am reading those as well but they don't count.
I'm not kidding myself that this could in any way described as multi-tasking though, as I know men can't do that. It's more like a carousel of curiosity, and impatient interchanging. And with CMJ and our oldest son both voracious readers, and especially now that our 6 year old has suddenly taken off with his reading skills, maybe we should not now go to Menorca, but spend our holidays in the library instead.
Now there's a thought...I wonder if there's a good book I could read that shows camp-sites near libraries?
| |
Posted by Andrew at 7:50
Comments (7)
|
14 July 2010
Seagulls
Now here's one you just couldn't make up.
I have dropped my son off at Beavers and nipped to my office to await the end. As I enter a big grumpy seagull screams at me from the roof and if not actually frightened, I am at the very least nervous in an Alfred Hitchcock kind of way.
I get inside, and after a few moments become aware of somone moving around upstairs. This is unusual at 6pm so I go up to investigate.
And there stands, half dressed, none other than Gully himself! On the floor beside him lies a giant seagull head.
(Anyone living outside of Brighton and Hove will probably not have the faintest idea who he is, so think pre-match giant mascot for football teams and you will be in the right ball-park/stadium.)
I tell him that he's Gully (he looks simultaneously pleased and embarrassed that I know this) and he explains that his best mate's girlfriend is running Rainbows, the girls' equivalent of Beavers, in the church hall and as a favour he had just come in for half an hour with them. He had finished and was halfway through changing when I arrived.
No wonder the little seagull was screaming at me earlier - he was trying to warn me not to go in and face the scary giant. Bless him.
I was so amused I forgot to ask for free tickets to Brighton's pre-season friendlies. Bummer.
Still - at least he didn't poo on my car.
 Gully is the one in the middle...
| |
Posted by Andrew at 18:17
Comments (2)
|
7 July 2010
That's What Friends Are For
So yesterday afternoon I came back from the hospital feeling invincible.
All new fathers will understand that euphoric feeling - I felt I could run for hours and hours (actually I tried today and realised how wrong I was - I went far too fast and burnt out after pounding just two miles in 15 minutes - my heart monitor showed 194 at one point - how wrong can one man be!)
So I sat on the sofa to watch the first of the World Cup semi-finals and was just about to drop off when the doorbell rings.
It's my neighbour, with two glasses and a bottle of champagne that his wife had said they should save for a special occasion but had said he should bring round as the birth of Benedict fits the bill. Bless her! (She did get to write her essay in peace as well!)
What a pair of stars! We sunk the champagne, and a bottle of red from some other lovely friends who had looked after son 2 yesterday morning, as well as having gone out of their way to find bolts for our changing table, feed us a roast the night before etc. We are so grateful to have so many good friends.
So the two of us watched the second half of Uruguay v Holland, as we solved the problems of the world.
Which is amazing, since neither of us are taxi drivers or hairdressers. (Though come to think of it, he used to be a hairdresser.)
| |
Posted by Andrew at 22:00
Comments (0)
|
Page 1 of 40 (200 records)
<< First Page | < Prev Page | Next Page > | Last Page >>
|