World Cup Semi Final

I finally get to a Monday night dog training session up at Codnor and it goes well for the Lad, who has a blast. Less so for MD, who doesn’t seem that bothered, but it’s really good for the Lad up there, loads of space to run around in and for me to do some training with him. It will be good for him.

I then train at Hilton on Tuesday rather than Wednesday, as Wednesday is the England v Croatia World Cup Semi Final. I meet L in the Nags Head after training.

Come the day of the big game, L and Daughter claim not to be interested but then appear to sneak off to secretly watch it at the gym. Daughter then comes round for tea which I warn her might not be served until after the conclusion of penalties but it seems she’s up for the whole thing anyway. Sadly, it doesn’t come to penalties. England take the lead but Croatia hit back to take it to Extra Time, where they sneak the winner.

I bike on Tuesday and Wednesday but I don’t play tennis on Thursday, in a bid to be fighting fit for next weekend’s Thunder Run. Instead the Lad and I go stalk L who is on a night out in Derby at the Exeter where there is talk of Ice Cream Porter. Although I’m not sure if that is on the dessert menu or the drinks menu. Still we drown our respective sorrows having not got (as expected) London Landmarks places.

On Friday, I’m in London for work again and then Saturday it’s two days at Rugby’s Agility Show, which isn’t in Rugby. Saturday we’re running a ring and Sunday it’s the Crufts Team Qualifier.

It is unbearably hot both days. In fact it’s so hot the agility equipment starts melting. It’s too much for MD but the Lad has a great time.

On Sunday, the equipment problem delay the team runs so much that our run arrives about 5:30pm by which time some of our team members have thrown the towel in and gone home. Meaning our three teams are amalgamated down to two and the two that do run don’t pull up any trees.

Saturday is also England’s 3rd Place Play Off against Belgium which, sadly, they also lose. 

(Sunday 15^th July)

Gold Dust

Turkey Trot entries open today. Great, this means I can again log on too late and find the race has been filled hours ago. Places are like gold dust and some say this race is harder to get in to than Glastonbury. Consequently I have never ran the Turkey Trot but I have been to Glastonbury.

I’m in! Would you believe it, I’ve even had the confirmation email. Although I now feel guilty for doing L out of the Bolsover 10k which is on the same day and is where she has a reputation to keep up after I piloted her race number to 2^nd Over 50s Lady last year.

Did you see the Brownlees and their brotherly love? Although I’m not sure Alistair would have been so helpful if he’d had a chance of the World Title himself.

MD is at the vets tonight for his annual booster. He hates this once a year visit with a vengeance and is a quivering wreck in the waiting room. The vet has bad news for him, it’s no longer once a year. The new improved vaccine that they are introducing requires two visits exactly four weeks apart. This is progress? Doesn’t sound very ‘improved’ to me.

Luckily, afterwards we have dog training up at Codnor to take his mind off it. Then we head over to Mickelover to collect L from her parents where her brother is now at home.

(Monday 19^th September)

The Extortionate Cost Of Air

I seem to have a slow puncture on the car, not the bike for once. This would not be a great problem, as topping it up occasionally with air works. Of course putting the spare on or getting it fixed would be even better. 

The problem is, that I didn’t know that even a minute amount of air costs 50p these days. Extortionate. I am now an air line expert and now know that Sainsbury’s do not charge but all the big fuel companies do. So that’s another thing that supermarkets have cornered the market on.

I’m sure there was no wind this morning but by mid-afternoon it’s winding itself up and will no doubt be nudging up towards gale force by 7pm tonight when I’m up on Codnor hill doing a bit of dogging.

(Monday 22^nd April)