An Unfit Person’s Thighs

I was late this morning because for some reason I had a problem getting out of bed. Then I was even later because the traffic was terrible even at that time. Borrowash, bizarrely, was totally gridlocked. So I ended parked up at my Mum’s at 8.05, due at work at 8.45 and it takes 40 minutes to do the run, for a fit person.

This was my first run for five weeks and the knee throbbed at first but then seemed to settle down ok. It probably helped that I stopped a couple of times for a good cough. Then there was the bit where I had to ease up and teeter along the river bank where it was flooded. So quite eventful really, although I was late for work. L has offered to shove me out of bed next time but that won’t be necessary.

The nominations for Sports Personality of the Year have been announced and why you can’t argue (much) with who’s been included, one can ask where’s Laura Trott’s name? Not only double Olympic champion but also double world champion in the same year, which is a better CV this year than most of the nominees including a certain Mr Hoy. No Alistair Brownlee either, ok so he was injured most of the year and didn’t bag the world title but it was some comeback to win the Olympic medal instead.

The run in this morning was from my parents’ house with the problem being I’ve now got to get back there. So another five miles in the opposite direction, after which my knee is still fine but I’m coughing well and my thighs hurt like an unfit person’s thighs.

There’s a match tonight against league leaders Cardiff which finishes 1-1. Cardiff were poor, which shows what a poor league this is. They seemed to come for a point and were only intent on stopping us playing by whatever means. I felt a bit sorry for the player they had sent off because they had two or three who deserved to go and to be honest, he wasn’t one of them. Cardiff may well go up, they are well organised side and that might be enough this year.

I head home, after a pint with my folks, keeping an eye out for Doggo. Whom L has said she will be tying to a lamppost at the end of our street. I take it he’s been a bit of a pain tonight.

(Tuesday 27th November)

A Druid On A Hill

There was a druid with a drum on the hill in Wollaton Park this morning welcoming in the Winter Solstice. Today is the shortest day, the first day of the winter solstice, druids delight. I hope MD saw her off. It was a girl apparently, a druidess.

As I head off to work, L heads off for coffee and mince pies with the Nuns... Not that she claims to even like mince pies and then, of course, she’ll be claiming she’s fat and unfit...

But not as unfit as the people I’ve just had to queue behind at the sandwich van.

Typical conversation –
“Oh no, you’ve got no bacon and oh no was that the last of the sausages you’ve just sold. Oh well it’ll have to a sausage roll and a bag of crisps instead then. Hang on as its Christmas I’ll make that two bags of crisps.”

...and I get the impression this is just to keep them going until lunch. Then one of them asks if the van could park a bit nearer their office as it was too far to walk. This is three doors down, about 50 metres.

The final game of squash for the year is a close one, 3-2. Followed by the end of season curry, for which we go to the Trent Bridge Inn, which is now a Wetherspoons. We’ve done their Thursday curry nights before and always been mildy impressed. Not so tonight, everyone’s curry is very bland or in the case of L’s painfully hot as well as bland. Won’t be going back there.

We get home to a house full of teenagers pre-drinking away time that in my student days we would have put to much more productive use in various bars around town. Still it leaves such bars freer for us to enjoy so I guess we shouldn't object. It also wasn't actually a house full, it sounded like a house full but in the end turned out to only be five, just a very noisy five. Pre-drinking was allegedly born out of a cost saving measure but they go out just before 11pm for the fag end of the night and still end up spending an astronomical amount. As they say, a drunk and their money are more easily parted...

Its Sports Personality Of The Year tonight, sadly on a Thursday this year as its usual Sunday slot would have meant it being aired on Christmas Day. Sports Personality Of The Year is hardly the most riveting of shows but looking at the schedule for Christmas Day, it would certainly have been an improvement even if they’d had pre-recorded it.

I imagine Mark Cavendish would have turned up even if they’d done it live on Christmas Day. He looked absolutely thrilled with his win. A win gained with nearly half of the entire vote. Thoroughly deserved.

(Thursday 22nd December)