Spring weather has seen the table tennis table un-covered and Matt wasted no time in re-asserting his supremacy. My best chance was in the first game, when we were both rusty. 21-15 defeat was a respectable effort on my part. 21-13, 21-9 and 21-5 were the subsequent results, and I think I can be resigned to certain defeat for the remainder of the year.
Meanwhile, Harry was able to beat me 7-6, 7-5 at tennis without the application of any of the special rules that were in use last year.
Harry also has found an interest in badminton. We've played 4 times. The match score is now 2 - 2, Harry having won the last two encounters by an increasing margin.
Harry won 24-22, 21-13 today. That battle seems to have been lost as well !
I can just about beat Matt's split time on the ergo - as a result of sheer weight advantage, really.
This will not last long as he is definitely benefitting from relentless training for J14 rowing. When we watched the boat race on Sunday, he did so with an expert eye. He said he favoured the approach of the current Oxford coach who is of the "crush the opposition" school of thought.
Matt's training also put him in good stead for the final school steeplechase. There was some hope of a podium but - possibly because he ran into a wooden post and cut his leg before the start - he had to settle for 5th (82 started). Still very impressive. The most amazing thing about the race is the huge distance that develops between the front runners and the also-rans.
As far as home sports contests go, I have now become officially "also ran".
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Monday, 23 March 2009
Year'll Be Alright
I had a feeling that it must be about the one year mark since I left Bear Stearns although I didn't remember the exact date.
I knew it was certainly more than a year since I gave in my notice (that was at the end of January 2008). And, of course, it was a little longer than that since I actually made my decision to resign (although not too much longer - I acted pretty quickly once I had made up my mind).
I remembered that my official leaving date was supposed to be sometime in April. Originally, I was working my entire 3-month notice period but the sudden collapse and dramatic "rescue" of the firm around Easter 2008 made that moot, and I left within a couple of days of the event.
So, it was still less than a year since my employment strictly ended.
I had a look for the email I sent out letting people know about my last day. It turned out that it was exactly one year ago on Friday (20th March), which is when I checked.
There are still a couple of anniversaries to come. The one year anniversary of the date on my P45 is 29th April. In the meantime, 17th April would have been my last day without the intervention of the US Government and JP Morgan.
17th April was also the date of "BSPT8" - this was the eighth and last of the Bear Stearns poker tournaments. I had been planning it before I left, and it went ahead after I left in a dual role as my leaving drinks.
I'm going to celebrate that anniversary, I think, with a re-union tournament. It can't be on 17th April itself due to the Easter holidays, but it appears that it can be scheduled for 27th April which would also be exactly three years since "BSPT1".
A year seems to have passed by very quickly, although at the same time it all feels like a long time ago.
I knew it was certainly more than a year since I gave in my notice (that was at the end of January 2008). And, of course, it was a little longer than that since I actually made my decision to resign (although not too much longer - I acted pretty quickly once I had made up my mind).
I remembered that my official leaving date was supposed to be sometime in April. Originally, I was working my entire 3-month notice period but the sudden collapse and dramatic "rescue" of the firm around Easter 2008 made that moot, and I left within a couple of days of the event.
So, it was still less than a year since my employment strictly ended.
I had a look for the email I sent out letting people know about my last day. It turned out that it was exactly one year ago on Friday (20th March), which is when I checked.
There are still a couple of anniversaries to come. The one year anniversary of the date on my P45 is 29th April. In the meantime, 17th April would have been my last day without the intervention of the US Government and JP Morgan.
17th April was also the date of "BSPT8" - this was the eighth and last of the Bear Stearns poker tournaments. I had been planning it before I left, and it went ahead after I left in a dual role as my leaving drinks.
I'm going to celebrate that anniversary, I think, with a re-union tournament. It can't be on 17th April itself due to the Easter holidays, but it appears that it can be scheduled for 27th April which would also be exactly three years since "BSPT1".
A year seems to have passed by very quickly, although at the same time it all feels like a long time ago.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
A Month in Pictures - Part3
3. Fifteen Minutes of Flame
We have seen the dangers of cycling. Skiing - the boys are going next week - can be dangerous as well. Even snowballing is dangerous apparently.
However, I wasn't aware that Sudoku was also problematic. Yet, it was whilst concentrating hard on a particular grid that I failed to notice a few warning signs as this happened on the hob:
Proving that TV is a death-trap as well, Harry similarly failed to notice until the tea-towel was nicely ablaze. Meanwhile The Simpsons held his full attention. Mind you, that is excellent TV and usually more interesting than a watched pot.
We have seen the dangers of cycling. Skiing - the boys are going next week - can be dangerous as well. Even snowballing is dangerous apparently.
However, I wasn't aware that Sudoku was also problematic. Yet, it was whilst concentrating hard on a particular grid that I failed to notice a few warning signs as this happened on the hob:
Proving that TV is a death-trap as well, Harry similarly failed to notice until the tea-towel was nicely ablaze. Meanwhile The Simpsons held his full attention. Mind you, that is excellent TV and usually more interesting than a watched pot.
A Month in Pictures - Part2
The snow meant a break in the cycling routine, but brought other activities.
The snow was perfect for building - it formed so perfectly into large balls by the rolling method.
I then built this one by the "disc" method, although it too was destroyed within hours - this time by Harry !
2. Snow Way
Chief amongst these was "not going to school". The boys had 3.5 days out of 5 with no school in the main week of snow.
We had a snowball Olympics in the back garden, and also produced a couple of snowmen. Harry & I built one on Park Avenue which was recorded in this shot before it was sadly murdered by a person or persons unknown.
The snow was perfect for building - it formed so perfectly into large balls by the rolling method.
I then built this one by the "disc" method, although it too was destroyed within hours - this time by Harry !
A Month in Pictures - Part1
In January, I started with the intention of updating my blogs regularly and that lasted about 10 days it seems ! Other resolutions lasted longer. I did go for a cycle (nearly) every day for example.
But, a month seems to have whizzed by without any of my bloggable thoughts reaching the virtual page. Let's take a look back at some of the highlights:
1. Wheely Wonky
A few days after the hole-in-the-shoe, I found myself once again dodging pedestrians. This time I had diverted through the car park to avoid some throng of amblers, when I clipped the kerb and fell off in a rather low-speed and (it felt) low-impact.
However, when I picked the bike up, the brakes were sticking. I detached the brakes so I could sort them out later and then I noticed that the wheel was behaving very strangely. I thought it had been knocked off the axle but in fact it had been bent into the most intriguing 3d-shape. Not good !
It's very difficult to capture the wonkiness of this wheel in a photo, so you may have to take my word for it - it was very seriously bent !
In the short-term I did a wheel-transplant from one of the boys' bikes. In due course I had a new wheel fitted and at the same time cashed in the "We Owe You A Bike" voucher that Karen and the boys gave me last year - so I now have a brand new "fitness hybrid" as well as the trusty old new-wheeled mountain bike.
Coincident with all this new cycling equipment, of course, I virtually stopped riding (snow being the short-term excuse)!
But, a month seems to have whizzed by without any of my bloggable thoughts reaching the virtual page. Let's take a look back at some of the highlights:
1. Wheely Wonky
A few days after the hole-in-the-shoe, I found myself once again dodging pedestrians. This time I had diverted through the car park to avoid some throng of amblers, when I clipped the kerb and fell off in a rather low-speed and (it felt) low-impact.
However, when I picked the bike up, the brakes were sticking. I detached the brakes so I could sort them out later and then I noticed that the wheel was behaving very strangely. I thought it had been knocked off the axle but in fact it had been bent into the most intriguing 3d-shape. Not good !
It's very difficult to capture the wonkiness of this wheel in a photo, so you may have to take my word for it - it was very seriously bent !
In the short-term I did a wheel-transplant from one of the boys' bikes. In due course I had a new wheel fitted and at the same time cashed in the "We Owe You A Bike" voucher that Karen and the boys gave me last year - so I now have a brand new "fitness hybrid" as well as the trusty old new-wheeled mountain bike.
Coincident with all this new cycling equipment, of course, I virtually stopped riding (snow being the short-term excuse)!
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Hole in My Shoe
I've been doing so much cycling lately that I have worn a hole in my shoe. Not quite in the way you would hope for.
On Sunday, I went out for the obligatory park & ride - I'm trying to build up slowly, so I am doing about 5 laps of the park at the moment which is about 6 miles.
Obviously the park is incredibly convenient - close, and entirely off-road.
However, there are other perils. It was post-lunch and the park was full of mobile obstacles - some travelling in packs, creating a 100% blockage. I am not exactly power-cycling, so I didn't mind the enforced slowing-down.
After a few laps, I got the hang of the distances and was able to negotiate around most of the walkers, push-chairs and dogs. The small dogs are the worst - they cannot be trusted to get out of the way, or stay put.
On lap 5, I encountered a triple-threat - pushchairs, dogs and 2-way pedestrians. I opted to pass on the left of the pushchair, slightly on the grass.
Or mud, I should say. My back wheel lost grip and slid beyond what I could correct. Then I lost the front as well and the bike slid along the tarmac with me under it. Luckily, the bike itself seemed to take most of the impact (and left some light scoring marks on the tarmac).
However. I saw that part of my shoe had gone red - that was where my shoe was on the ground and the abrasion went through the trainer, through Maxine's Xmas socks and took off a thin layer of skin which was now poking through.
Dangerous things, pushchairs.
On Sunday, I went out for the obligatory park & ride - I'm trying to build up slowly, so I am doing about 5 laps of the park at the moment which is about 6 miles.
Obviously the park is incredibly convenient - close, and entirely off-road.
However, there are other perils. It was post-lunch and the park was full of mobile obstacles - some travelling in packs, creating a 100% blockage. I am not exactly power-cycling, so I didn't mind the enforced slowing-down.
After a few laps, I got the hang of the distances and was able to negotiate around most of the walkers, push-chairs and dogs. The small dogs are the worst - they cannot be trusted to get out of the way, or stay put.
On lap 5, I encountered a triple-threat - pushchairs, dogs and 2-way pedestrians. I opted to pass on the left of the pushchair, slightly on the grass.
Or mud, I should say. My back wheel lost grip and slid beyond what I could correct. Then I lost the front as well and the bike slid along the tarmac with me under it. Luckily, the bike itself seemed to take most of the impact (and left some light scoring marks on the tarmac).
However. I saw that part of my shoe had gone red - that was where my shoe was on the ground and the abrasion went through the trainer, through Maxine's Xmas socks and took off a thin layer of skin which was now poking through.
Dangerous things, pushchairs.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Tuned Up
I spent a solid 2 days importing all my CDs into my iTunes/iPod.
That was well over 2,000 songs, and apparently enough music to play for 39 days continuously !
Then, I spent today actually removing some songs.
The problem is that you don't want to keep stuff that you don't really want to listen to. It's not about the space (that is effectively unlimited), but time is of the essence - it would take at least 3months to play everything as it is, without having to listen to nonsense.
Having removed duplicates and rubbish albums/songs, and done some other housekeeping, I then went to the trouble of downloading any missing album covers, so I now have a really "clean" 1,700 song set.
I have found there is one problem using the iPod on the daily cycle - I only get to listen to a few songs, which means I can't avoid realising that my sessions are actually quite short !
That was well over 2,000 songs, and apparently enough music to play for 39 days continuously !
Then, I spent today actually removing some songs.
The problem is that you don't want to keep stuff that you don't really want to listen to. It's not about the space (that is effectively unlimited), but time is of the essence - it would take at least 3months to play everything as it is, without having to listen to nonsense.
Having removed duplicates and rubbish albums/songs, and done some other housekeeping, I then went to the trouble of downloading any missing album covers, so I now have a really "clean" 1,700 song set.
I have found there is one problem using the iPod on the daily cycle - I only get to listen to a few songs, which means I can't avoid realising that my sessions are actually quite short !
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