Slightly Monotonous

We return to Clumber Park on Sunday to run another Trust 10k, mainly because it’s the only option. This is the third time I’ve run this and I record my fastest time yet but with a still not impressive 48:00. I’m finding the course rather monotonous now but clearly I wanted to get it over with a bit more quickly today.

Afterwards we go for a coffee with one of L’s other men aka running acquaintance. This is in Central Bark, their dog friendly café, although our dogs are not particularly people friendly in it nor really are anyone else’s. To be fair to them all the layout isn’t that great for dogs with the one entrance at one end, counter at the other and everyone else to pass in between.

It’s also apparent that I’m on the naughty step for something that I didn't know I'd done but I don’t find out what it is I didn’t know I’d done until L points this out with a bit of a telling off later. Oops. Halo repair required.

This comes after our night out. We had attempted to revisit the Millipede but we could not get in. There was a band on and it was packed. We go to the old faithful Horse & Jockey instead which is a lot busier than normal for a Sunday. Must be Christmas or something.

They have a good range of beers on, better than for some time and it's an excellent night out. It also turns out that post-pub curries are still delivered to the naughty step.

(Sunday 23^rd December)

Halo

L gets up early and goes for a run with MD, then fits in a swim and all before 9am. She arrives at work with a shiny halo.

So I’m feeling seriously outdone as I get on the bus because even MD’s been for a run. Doggo and I had to console each other.

Tonight at least it's back to normal as regards Friday nights with me not being out on the tiles this evening. Finally we can start Top Of The Pops 1980.

(Friday 16^th January)

Magic Dust

For the first time in about three years I'm actually looking forward to the match tonight but what a letdown it is, at least at first. Caretaker Darren Wassall picks the team and picks a side that is very light in central midfield. Ipswich quickly exploit this and Derby’s well known deficiency in dealing with set pieces enabling them to storm in to a 4-1 half time lead. Not good. Not good at all.

However, the second half is totally different. The team put in a performance full of passion and enthusiasm that gets the crowd going to an extent I’ve not seen in years. Derby storm back to clinch a 4-4 draw with the best 45 minutes of football we’ve seen in a long long time. Although I actual left feeling slightly gutted as I was convinced we were going to win.

Afterwards everyone is full of praise for Wassall’s half time team talk and substitutions. The substitutions in particular shocked us because we hadn't made a tactical change before the 70th minute in the last five years.

However Wassall drops his halo in his post-match interview and rather sheepishly admits that well, actually, Steve McClaren came into the dressing room and sprinkled some magic dust. Now that does bode well for the future, which is also known as Leeds on Saturday.

(Tuesday 1^st October)

The World’s Eldest Puppy

Collies...

Someone from the dog club has had one of her two collies run into her little non-collie dog and break its leg in two places. OMG.

Meanwhile Doggo has destroyed L’s jeans. OMG. He's the world’s eldest puppy and he’s not popular, in the slightest. MD is though, he’s been basking in being the most popular dog in the house for a few weeks now and his halo has just got even brighter by proxy.

Total traffic chaos on way home. I get home at 6.30 and I’m due at squash at 6.45. I quickly pat the boys and then after a whirlwind superhero style change of clothes, I join a massive and unexplained queue along Queens Drive. Then of course the Embankment is shut, as I already knew, for tram works. I rush on to court 25 minutes late.

So it’s a very short match in which we manage to cram three very fast games. Speed squash anyone? I hope L’s exercise schedule went better than mine today.

(Thursday 6th December)