The Brick Testament is a piece of Lego genius. One of the challenges is to see if you can identify which kits have been used. So far i've spotted Harry Potter, lots from Star Wars and Professor Quirrell.
A selection of my favourites to follow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunrise on a run
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
Commuters.
I spend too much time on the train but it's an occupational hazard at the moment, it's part of the career choice I made. I have yet to read the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, it's on our bookshelf. Anyway, here is the commuters' edition.
Habit no.1: Effective Listening
Many people choose to listen to music during the journey, or watch films or play games. Travelling home the other day I was ired by the inability on the part of one of my fellow travellers to deploy headphones. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd had good taste in music. I say he, there were four other people in my carriage. The elderly lady next to me, i don't think it was her. The lady in front of me, a young lad in the same set of seats as her and pen other who I didn't notice.
It's very telling that instead of trying to work out who it was and asking them to turn their music down, I said (quite loudly) "what's wrong with headphones". Some things are not worth making that much of a fuss about so I deployed my own and settled down to the sounds of a Divine Comedy album.
A few days later I had the misfortune to be travelling on the London Underground during rush hour. I spent ten years working in London and only sporadically used the Tube. I preferred to walk, run or get the bus. I stood at the tube station, and had to wait three trains before I could get on. Once on, I was standing next to a fan of the White Stripes. How did I know? Well, he had headphones but his music was so loud that everyone else could hear it. It would have been less noisy if he'd just unplugged the headphones and had it on speaker!
So, the final reason why listening is one of the most important skills you can have as a commuter? If you don't listen, you end up on the wrong train. Having schooled DH in the art of overland commuting (he grew up near the end of a tube line so had never had to memorise a timetable in his life), he has become quite adept at this. However, running to a particular platform because the train always goes from that platform is not an effective habit. Not unless you listen once on the train and get off as soon as you realise your mistake.
Must go before I miss my stop!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I spend too much time on the train but it's an occupational hazard at the moment, it's part of the career choice I made. I have yet to read the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, it's on our bookshelf. Anyway, here is the commuters' edition.
Habit no.1: Effective Listening
Many people choose to listen to music during the journey, or watch films or play games. Travelling home the other day I was ired by the inability on the part of one of my fellow travellers to deploy headphones. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd had good taste in music. I say he, there were four other people in my carriage. The elderly lady next to me, i don't think it was her. The lady in front of me, a young lad in the same set of seats as her and pen other who I didn't notice.
It's very telling that instead of trying to work out who it was and asking them to turn their music down, I said (quite loudly) "what's wrong with headphones". Some things are not worth making that much of a fuss about so I deployed my own and settled down to the sounds of a Divine Comedy album.
A few days later I had the misfortune to be travelling on the London Underground during rush hour. I spent ten years working in London and only sporadically used the Tube. I preferred to walk, run or get the bus. I stood at the tube station, and had to wait three trains before I could get on. Once on, I was standing next to a fan of the White Stripes. How did I know? Well, he had headphones but his music was so loud that everyone else could hear it. It would have been less noisy if he'd just unplugged the headphones and had it on speaker!
So, the final reason why listening is one of the most important skills you can have as a commuter? If you don't listen, you end up on the wrong train. Having schooled DH in the art of overland commuting (he grew up near the end of a tube line so had never had to memorise a timetable in his life), he has become quite adept at this. However, running to a particular platform because the train always goes from that platform is not an effective habit. Not unless you listen once on the train and get off as soon as you realise your mistake.
Must go before I miss my stop!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Buying a castle!
Not really, but this would be a amazing - owning a piece of history, albeit a derelict crumbling piece of history that would require a lottery rollover win to be able to fund the restoration.
Ruperra restoration
http://ruperracastle.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html
Ruperra restoration
http://ruperracastle.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New app
I've invested in a new app: Blogpress. The latest version had patchy reviews but it was priced below £2, meaning that if it's no good, I've not wasted too many iTunes vouchers on it.
I thought it would be appt devoting today's post to my favourite apps so far. There are so many out there and many different categories (including, in my case, apps DH has loaded on here) so I will focus on "productivity" apps. These are largely the ones you use to justify owning an iPad, because you will able to work and plan things.
So, in no particular order, my favourites are:
Popplet
DocsToGo
Readdle
Docstogo does what it says. You can generate docs, on the go. I have only used it to generate word docs but there are PowerPoint and excel options too.
It's quite basic, no fancy formatting for example, but it works.
Readdle is a document reader. I can use it to open a PDF and then add bookmarks and annotations. This is actually v useful. Bear in mind that I spend a lot of my waking hours looking at lengthy documents, cases, legislation and regulatory guidance. Having a PDF reader that enables annotation and bookmarking means that I don't have to print and carry reams of paper everywhere, one of the points to having the iPad.
Finally, Popplet, for people who like spider diagrams and mind maps. I think this is my favourite. Great for brainstorming and planning. My latest popplet sets down various ideas for blog topics.
The site I've linked to looks like it might be quite useful in app hunting. I'll let you know what I find.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I thought it would be appt devoting today's post to my favourite apps so far. There are so many out there and many different categories (including, in my case, apps DH has loaded on here) so I will focus on "productivity" apps. These are largely the ones you use to justify owning an iPad, because you will able to work and plan things.
So, in no particular order, my favourites are:
Popplet
DocsToGo
Readdle
Docstogo does what it says. You can generate docs, on the go. I have only used it to generate word docs but there are PowerPoint and excel options too.
It's quite basic, no fancy formatting for example, but it works.
Readdle is a document reader. I can use it to open a PDF and then add bookmarks and annotations. This is actually v useful. Bear in mind that I spend a lot of my waking hours looking at lengthy documents, cases, legislation and regulatory guidance. Having a PDF reader that enables annotation and bookmarking means that I don't have to print and carry reams of paper everywhere, one of the points to having the iPad.
Finally, Popplet, for people who like spider diagrams and mind maps. I think this is my favourite. Great for brainstorming and planning. My latest popplet sets down various ideas for blog topics.
The site I've linked to looks like it might be quite useful in app hunting. I'll let you know what I find.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, September 20, 2010
Guest Post
Courtesy of Boo. She spent a very industrious hour typing the following story. A variation on the traditional story of the Gingerbread Man. I've opted not to correct her spelling or punctuation. It's part of the charm.
Onec upon a time there was a little old woman and little old man. The little old woman
decided to make a gingerbreadboy. She made its buttons out of smarties two different colours red and green.
Its coat is made of icing sugar. The littl old laday said lets put him in the ovun so the little old laday put the gingerbreadboy in the ovun.A few minits later the ovun went beeeeeep beeeeeeeep the little old laday rushed to the ovun she oponed the ovuntheand out popted the gingerbreadboy.As fast as a fox eting him of cours not what will happun he ran away so the poor little old laday said what can we eat now said the little old man whiye dont you make 2 gingerbredpeople or 4 lets make 4 or 6 said the little old laday so they did and when the ovun went beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep they both rushed over to the ovun and oponed it up and there was a nice flat pile of gingerbreadmen.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
It's a funny old game
This is the cake I made yesterday. As it was for DH's birthday, albeit a week early, I decided that getting some football players and a football to go on the top would be a great idea. DH supports Spurs so I decided that it would be a really good idea to get the football players in Spurs' colours. On presenting the cake to DH he asked: "do you know why Spurs are call the Lilywhites?". I paused, thought for a moment and remembered that they play in a white strip....
Earlier in the day, while heading into North London, I spotted a billboard with the new season's spurs strip being advertised. This was after I'd bought the cake decorations but I didn't really notice the colour of the strip as I looked at the poster. Anyway, the poster has three chaps in a "come on you Spurs" pose - huddled together, fists clenched. I commented on this to DH and suggested they should have got man at C&A to model the strip. DH pointed out that the models were in fact, Jermaine Defoe, Luka Modric and another...
This early on in the season, I'm sure there will be more demonstrations of footballing ignorance to come....
Baking Frenzy
The photo below is from yesterday's baking frenzy. On arriving back from the morning gymastics visit (Pip's first class and a great success), i realised that I need to get to work baking if I was going to have a cake ready to take to Barnet. DH's birthday is a week away but we'd arranged with T that we'd go up this weekend as she was hosting a gathering.
The secret to all good birthday cakes is to keep the cake simple. I opted for a basic sponge recipe from the Bamix recipe book. This was very quick and easy to do, especially with the trusty hand held blender for the mixing. Onto the next cake. This Friday sees a cake sale at school for the Macmillan event: the world's greatest coffee morning. Rather than outsourcing my cake making to L to do on Thursday morning, inspiration struck, I would make the sticky gingerbread recipe. It's still waiting to bake as I need to mix in the missing two ingredients.
While the birthday cake was baking, I decided to get the buttercream icing ready. In my hunt for a list of the correct proportion of butter to icing sugar, I stumbled on a flapjack recipe. It seemed a shame not to give it a whirl.
I'll post a picture of the cake with my second post for the weekend. In the meantime, here is a picture of the kitchen in action. I'm a big fan of kitchen gadgets and firmly believe that it's worth paying for a good quality item over a cheaper counterpart.
The secret to all good birthday cakes is to keep the cake simple. I opted for a basic sponge recipe from the Bamix recipe book. This was very quick and easy to do, especially with the trusty hand held blender for the mixing. Onto the next cake. This Friday sees a cake sale at school for the Macmillan event: the world's greatest coffee morning. Rather than outsourcing my cake making to L to do on Thursday morning, inspiration struck, I would make the sticky gingerbread recipe. It's still waiting to bake as I need to mix in the missing two ingredients.
While the birthday cake was baking, I decided to get the buttercream icing ready. In my hunt for a list of the correct proportion of butter to icing sugar, I stumbled on a flapjack recipe. It seemed a shame not to give it a whirl.
I'll post a picture of the cake with my second post for the weekend. In the meantime, here is a picture of the kitchen in action. I'm a big fan of kitchen gadgets and firmly believe that it's worth paying for a good quality item over a cheaper counterpart.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sweeeeet
Mmmmm, honey. I harbour an ambition to keep bees. Partially inspired by Pushing Daisies. We have some flat roofs on our house which would lend themselves perfectly to an apiary. I came one step closer to my ambition last weekend when we went to the local beekeeping association open day.
They run an introduction to bee keeping course. I'm tempted to try and fit it during the first part of 2011. We will see.
It's a long term ambition.
I have just one question. Bees aren't native to the US. Where else in the world are they not native? Wheremare they native to? Why is it that they never waggle danced their way across to the US?
Hmmm. Honey.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Happy Birthday Agatha
(Thanks to google for today's image)
I first read Agatha Christie around the age of 10 or 11. At that age I had a voracious appetite for books, I would wolf down several a week but I'm not sure how fully they were digested. At school we had to write a book, this was in year 4 (now called year 6) and I wrote an attempt at a murder mystery. I no longer have a copy but it was a poor imitation (although bear in mind I was 11 at the time) of an amalgam of Miss Marples, complete with house in the country, a glamorous actress with a vendetta to pursue and probably a secret passage or two behind the wood panelling.
Back in 1997, a university friend compiled a list of his top ten Christie's:
Crooked house
Towards Zero
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Endless Night
Death on the Nile
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Cards on the Table
Peril at End House
The Hollow
When discussing this last year, a further two were added:
Then There Were None
Murder on the Orient Express.
Thirteen years' later, I have yet to work through the list. Once I do, that's 12 posts for here...
Found! Mr Thorne
Now, everyone receives those "viral" emails (please bear with me while I get with the Web2.0 lingo). Now, a couple of years ago, there was one doing the rounds involving a drawing of a spider
As these things go, it was quite amusing and very memorable. I was recently sent Mr Thorne's artwork for a missing kitty. If ever one of the cats go missing, I will be asking Mr Thorne to help produce the posters.
Now, we have a friend who's name is very similar to Mr Thorne's. Around Christmas time a couple of years ago, I was trying to organise a gift for a friend who was a going skiing for a while. We decided that some hollow ski poles would do just the job (it probably needs no explanation that she was off to spend a ski season in the mountains). Hollow, so that they could be filled with a tipple of choice, or indeed different one in each pole. I only hope she didn't try using them to mix martinis, but that's another story.
So, in sending an email to solicit donations from mutual friends of my travelling, drinking, skier, I managed to email Mr Thorne. Here is a copy of the email exchange (edited so as not to splatter names and email addresses all over the place:
My Original Email:
>
> On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 7:32 PM, S S wrote:
>>
>> I am thinking about a gift for Clare for her skiing adventure - my sister in law finds the following indispensible:
>> http://www.liquorsnob.com/archives/2005/10/coldpole_liquor_reservoir_ski_poles.php
>> These are US based - I need to find out where Tina got them from but here's my idea (above)
>> Anyway, what do you think - anyone want to come in on this with me?
>> S
Mr Thorne's reply:
Hey guys,
I'd love to go in on the ski poles but unfortunantley I don't have much money at the moment. I have attached a picture of a spider that I value at around $250. I hope that this will cover my share of the present.
Say hi to everyone for me.
Love David xoxoxoxo
My Reply:
S to show details 11/24/08
https://www.theski-shop.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=395&category_id=47&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1
£90 so will order and split cost among those who have contributed.
Dave - the spider only as 7 legs so I can't accept him as payment. Please offer other legal tender.
N - I will invoice your Dad!
S
Mr Thorne's Reply:
David Thorne to me
show details 11/25/08
You're so hard to please, Suzie. :)
I've reattached the spider with eight legs. Can't believe I stuffed it up.
- Dave.
Observations from the namesake and others:
Hmmm there appears to be an usurper in our midst with an additional "e".
I wonder if this is the same guy who made enquiries about a Chevy truck a few months ago that caused a series of ever more desperate emails from a dealership thinking they were about to make their first sale of the month in a credit crunch...
-
Reply N G
show details 11/25/08
Sod the Chevy truck, what he really wants is a villa in St Lucia! And boy have I got a deal for him ;-) Not many 7 legged spiders, though, cockroaches and geckos are more the thing out here!
Reply Reply to all Forward
Reply D T
show details 11/25/08
Hang on, this guy is an internet phenomena:
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=4031496
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=667093
My final observations although we concluded that it was the real Mr Thorne.
S S
show details 11/26/08
Are you sure he's not just impersonating an internet phenomenon? Al
posted that spide story on facebook. He probably kidnapped the spider
for his own financial gain. Mr Thorne that is not al.
Just goes to show that getting the correct email address is a thorny problem.
As these things go, it was quite amusing and very memorable. I was recently sent Mr Thorne's artwork for a missing kitty. If ever one of the cats go missing, I will be asking Mr Thorne to help produce the posters.
Now, we have a friend who's name is very similar to Mr Thorne's. Around Christmas time a couple of years ago, I was trying to organise a gift for a friend who was a going skiing for a while. We decided that some hollow ski poles would do just the job (it probably needs no explanation that she was off to spend a ski season in the mountains). Hollow, so that they could be filled with a tipple of choice, or indeed different one in each pole. I only hope she didn't try using them to mix martinis, but that's another story.
So, in sending an email to solicit donations from mutual friends of my travelling, drinking, skier, I managed to email Mr Thorne. Here is a copy of the email exchange (edited so as not to splatter names and email addresses all over the place:
My Original Email:
>
> On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 7:32 PM, S S wrote:
>>
>> I am thinking about a gift for Clare for her skiing adventure - my sister in law finds the following indispensible:
>> http://www.liquorsnob.com/archives/2005/10/coldpole_liquor_reservoir_ski_poles.php
>> These are US based - I need to find out where Tina got them from but here's my idea (above)
>> Anyway, what do you think - anyone want to come in on this with me?
>> S
Mr Thorne's reply:
Hey guys,
I'd love to go in on the ski poles but unfortunantley I don't have much money at the moment. I have attached a picture of a spider that I value at around $250. I hope that this will cover my share of the present.
Say hi to everyone for me.
Love David xoxoxoxo
My Reply:
S to show details 11/24/08
https://www.theski-shop.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=395&category_id=47&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1
£90 so will order and split cost among those who have contributed.
Dave - the spider only as 7 legs so I can't accept him as payment. Please offer other legal tender.
N - I will invoice your Dad!
S
Mr Thorne's Reply:
David Thorne to me
show details 11/25/08
You're so hard to please, Suzie. :)
I've reattached the spider with eight legs. Can't believe I stuffed it up.
- Dave.
Observations from the namesake and others:
Hmmm there appears to be an usurper in our midst with an additional "e".
I wonder if this is the same guy who made enquiries about a Chevy truck a few months ago that caused a series of ever more desperate emails from a dealership thinking they were about to make their first sale of the month in a credit crunch...
-
Reply N G
show details 11/25/08
Sod the Chevy truck, what he really wants is a villa in St Lucia! And boy have I got a deal for him ;-) Not many 7 legged spiders, though, cockroaches and geckos are more the thing out here!
Reply Reply to all Forward
Reply D T
show details 11/25/08
Hang on, this guy is an internet phenomena:
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=4031496
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=667093
My final observations although we concluded that it was the real Mr Thorne.
S S
show details 11/26/08
Are you sure he's not just impersonating an internet phenomenon? Al
posted that spide story on facebook. He probably kidnapped the spider
for his own financial gain. Mr Thorne that is not al.
Just goes to show that getting the correct email address is a thorny problem.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Post race musing
This year's splits:
10k Run1 00:57:58 - ave 5.8 min per km
20kBike 01:00:26 - ave 3 min per km
5k Run2 00:32:49 - ave 6.6 min per km
Total 02:35:32.
Last year's splits:
9k Run1 00:49:07 - ave 5.4 min per km
20k Bike 01:20:08 - ave 4 min per km
5k Run2 00:31:37 - ave 6.3 min per km
Total 02:45:20.
Thoughts on the above:
ten minutes faster than last year with an extra km on the first run
in both years I have power walked round the second run. Improving my speed here would be an easy win in terms of getting my time under 2 and a half hours
slower pace in the first run this year. I suspect this is partially down to the extra km, I took a slower pace
VERY pleased to see I've shaved a whole minute off my ave time per km on the bike ride.
So, did I learn from last year's experiences, which can be found here: http://suzesblither.blogspot.com/2009/09/duathlon-success.html ?
Looking back on last year's post race analysis, yes I did, particularly on the cycle stretch.. I was less of a big girls blouse on the downhill stretch and I had treated myself to a new bike which also helped.
What have I learned from this year?
I think the slower run partially reflects that I didn't maintain my running training in the last two weeks before the race. This is partly because I had swapped my run for spinning classes and partly inertia.
I need some longer or at least more intense training runs and a 10K at the start of the summer as a pace setter. I had completed a 10k in April at a time of about an hour (check)
Start my cycling training sooner. I did more than last year but it was all in the last month
Invest in cycle shoes or at least some of those toe straps
A link to the photographer's website to follow....
10k Run1 00:57:58 - ave 5.8 min per km
20kBike 01:00:26 - ave 3 min per km
5k Run2 00:32:49 - ave 6.6 min per km
Total 02:35:32.
Last year's splits:
9k Run1 00:49:07 - ave 5.4 min per km
20k Bike 01:20:08 - ave 4 min per km
5k Run2 00:31:37 - ave 6.3 min per km
Total 02:45:20.
Thoughts on the above:
ten minutes faster than last year with an extra km on the first run
in both years I have power walked round the second run. Improving my speed here would be an easy win in terms of getting my time under 2 and a half hours
slower pace in the first run this year. I suspect this is partially down to the extra km, I took a slower pace
VERY pleased to see I've shaved a whole minute off my ave time per km on the bike ride.
So, did I learn from last year's experiences, which can be found here: http://suzesblither.blogspot.com/2009/09/duathlon-success.html ?
Looking back on last year's post race analysis, yes I did, particularly on the cycle stretch.. I was less of a big girls blouse on the downhill stretch and I had treated myself to a new bike which also helped.
What have I learned from this year?
I think the slower run partially reflects that I didn't maintain my running training in the last two weeks before the race. This is partly because I had swapped my run for spinning classes and partly inertia.
I need some longer or at least more intense training runs and a 10K at the start of the summer as a pace setter. I had completed a 10k in April at a time of about an hour (check)
Start my cycling training sooner. I did more than last year but it was all in the last month
Invest in cycle shoes or at least some of those toe straps
A link to the photographer's website to follow....
Monday, September 13, 2010
Two in one day
I'm not using this as a loophole, i don't get to build up post-credit simply by posting an addendum. Text arrived this morning:
"Well done for completing the London Duathlon. Run1 00:57:58, Bike 01:00:26, Run2 00:32:49, Total 02:35:32. Congratulations"
I am however going to save my post race analysis for another day....
"Well done for completing the London Duathlon. Run1 00:57:58, Bike 01:00:26, Run2 00:32:49, Total 02:35:32. Congratulations"
I am however going to save my post race analysis for another day....
Remember me?
Annual posts about duathlons? Well, it's that time of year again so here goes...
Actually, I haven't got my results yet so the duathlon post will come later.
A few of my friends are engaging in the following project: 365 days - capturing life Once their albums are more established, I'll see if they're happy to share their albums on my blog, I suspect that it's good netiquette to ask...
I thought about setting up my own 365 album, but decided that it would be opportune to engage in my own project 365: a post a day. Starting with today. I've always found the blog a curious creature and I'm often surprised by how much people share on their blogs. I suppose some people are more open than others. So that's my first challenge in a post a day: given I am not inclined to reveal the innee workings of my life, neither personal nor professional, how do I make this engaging?
I'm tempted to answer, "I don't". The challenge here is for me to post once a day, i'm not overly interested in the feedback or comments I get. I may add a blog ticker again as it's always interesting to see where my hits are from. One thing I am going to do is true and refresh the design.
I'll be back tomorrow with my duathlon times.
Actually, I haven't got my results yet so the duathlon post will come later.
A few of my friends are engaging in the following project: 365 days - capturing life Once their albums are more established, I'll see if they're happy to share their albums on my blog, I suspect that it's good netiquette to ask...
I thought about setting up my own 365 album, but decided that it would be opportune to engage in my own project 365: a post a day. Starting with today. I've always found the blog a curious creature and I'm often surprised by how much people share on their blogs. I suppose some people are more open than others. So that's my first challenge in a post a day: given I am not inclined to reveal the innee workings of my life, neither personal nor professional, how do I make this engaging?
I'm tempted to answer, "I don't". The challenge here is for me to post once a day, i'm not overly interested in the feedback or comments I get. I may add a blog ticker again as it's always interesting to see where my hits are from. One thing I am going to do is true and refresh the design.
I'll be back tomorrow with my duathlon times.
Monday, May 31, 2010
What's new?
Tapping away on my new toy - that's new. iPad arrived on Friday and so far so good. In the last forty eight hours I have used it for:
Reading the paper (guardian.co.uk and independent.co.uk)
Reading the following books: Winnie the Pooh, Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland. The latter via the "app" - which effectively renders the classic as an e-pop-up. Boo and I had great fun reading the first couple of chapters and engaging the original illustrations (I wonder what the original illustrator and Lewis Carroll would make of it)
Facebooking and emailing (of course)
Perusing Marvel Comics
Playing Harbourmaster and Trivial Pursuit
Watching Alan Partridge Christmas Special.
All that in a neatly little slimline and portable device. Of course being able to do all those things and the novelty factor threatens my concentration span as I start up one app and then decide to move onto another.
I have yet to use tithes for work related matters but i have some slides to work on for a couple of presentations so I will see how they go. Now, off to the app store to see what I can find. Perhaps via Facebook....
Reading the paper (guardian.co.uk and independent.co.uk)
Reading the following books: Winnie the Pooh, Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland. The latter via the "app" - which effectively renders the classic as an e-pop-up. Boo and I had great fun reading the first couple of chapters and engaging the original illustrations (I wonder what the original illustrator and Lewis Carroll would make of it)
Facebooking and emailing (of course)
Perusing Marvel Comics
Playing Harbourmaster and Trivial Pursuit
Watching Alan Partridge Christmas Special.
All that in a neatly little slimline and portable device. Of course being able to do all those things and the novelty factor threatens my concentration span as I start up one app and then decide to move onto another.
I have yet to use tithes for work related matters but i have some slides to work on for a couple of presentations so I will see how they go. Now, off to the app store to see what I can find. Perhaps via Facebook....
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Photos
interesting statistic: the first elite runner over the finish line made it round the entire course in 50 minutes. I had completed the first run and was collecting my bike by 50mins!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Duathlon success
Well done Suzanne for completing the Chelsea & Westminster Health Charity London Duathlon
9k Run1 00:49:07,
20k Bike 01:20:08,
5k Run2 00:31:37,
Total 02:45:20.
On the whole pleased with this result. Training plan comprised running to the office two to three times a week. This is around ten miles a week. No training schedule and somehow moving house and never quite working out an ideal bike training plan meant that I was dependent on the conclusion that if I could cycle over the downs for a day with two ish stone of toddler I could complete 20k of cycling.
Lessons learned for next time:
do more cycle training
service bike properly. Liberally spraying the chain with muc off lube does not equate to a bike service. At least I didn't get a blow out in the rear tyre. At least I assume that's why I heard an almighty pop and some guy swearing
don't be afraid of the downhill stretch. It's your friend not your enemy
do more cycle training
Secrets of my success this time round:
carb load: pasta n veggy mince the night before, porridge for breakfast, 1-2 bananas pre race
energy drink for the cycle ride
use different running techniques for the climbs n descents
power walk part of the last run
know that there's people waiting at the finish to cheer me over the line!
Yoga as part of pre race warm up. Stretches muscles, focusses mind and steadies breathing
smile for the cameras
So any suggestions for my next race gratefully received...
9k Run1 00:49:07,
20k Bike 01:20:08,
5k Run2 00:31:37,
Total 02:45:20.
On the whole pleased with this result. Training plan comprised running to the office two to three times a week. This is around ten miles a week. No training schedule and somehow moving house and never quite working out an ideal bike training plan meant that I was dependent on the conclusion that if I could cycle over the downs for a day with two ish stone of toddler I could complete 20k of cycling.
Lessons learned for next time:
do more cycle training
service bike properly. Liberally spraying the chain with muc off lube does not equate to a bike service. At least I didn't get a blow out in the rear tyre. At least I assume that's why I heard an almighty pop and some guy swearing
don't be afraid of the downhill stretch. It's your friend not your enemy
do more cycle training
Secrets of my success this time round:
carb load: pasta n veggy mince the night before, porridge for breakfast, 1-2 bananas pre race
energy drink for the cycle ride
use different running techniques for the climbs n descents
power walk part of the last run
know that there's people waiting at the finish to cheer me over the line!
Yoga as part of pre race warm up. Stretches muscles, focusses mind and steadies breathing
smile for the cameras
So any suggestions for my next race gratefully received...
Friday, June 19, 2009
Ways to communicate
There are so many ways to communicate with the world at large. But who has any more to say? Empty vessels sound the loudest...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Five months for the first post
and five days until the next? Not quite. Interesting reading back on last year's highlights. Easy option for another post is to list this years' pluses and minuses:
Minuses:
spending a month at risk of redundancy while firm went through collective consultation process.
Missing out on dream house that we'd been eyeing up for the past six months
Plusses
No longer being at risk of redundancy and still employed
Mr S going back to work having had a lovely time off with the girls
Selling our house and finding THE house of our dreams
Fingers crossed on last one anyway!
Minuses:
spending a month at risk of redundancy while firm went through collective consultation process.
Missing out on dream house that we'd been eyeing up for the past six months
Plusses
No longer being at risk of redundancy and still employed
Mr S going back to work having had a lovely time off with the girls
Selling our house and finding THE house of our dreams
Fingers crossed on last one anyway!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
New phone
So now I have a new phone and can browse and post on the move, will this increase my post rate? We will see. I'm not one for broadcasting every last detail about my life to the world at large. How do you reconcile a right to privacy with the right/ ability/ need to publicise every waking move with the world at large?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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