Project Tokyo

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After successfully attending the London Olympics in 2012 we were inspired to visit Sochi for the 2014 Winter ones. After which we prevaricated badly over Rio and PyeongChang and ended up not going to either. So we decided that Tokyo 2020 was a must but then I missed the initial ticket ballot. 

Luckily the remaining tickets went on sale this week on a ‘first come first served’ basis and I quickly dived in to snag tickets for the Women’s Cycling Road Race as well as some for Taekwondo and Archery. Project Tokyo is go.

Then after catching my breath I went back to get some more for Weightlifting and Rugby Sevens. That was when I realised that the Cycling and possibly the Taekwondo clashes with next year’s dog show. It might not be popular if one of the chief organisers fails to turn up for that. So I probably have tickets to sell, which shouldn't be a problem.

I manage two days dog training this week, Monday and Wednesday, going to my Club’s session both days, rather than Monday's at Codnor, to sort out the errant payers in the Beginners Classes. I cycle twice, Wednesday and Thursday, but there is no tennis. There are no courts available as there is a Junior Tournament on.

On Saturday we are again at Alvaston parkrun, my new favourite. I feel that if I’m going break my PB with the Lad it’s going to be there.

In the evening, L has another run as her new running club has asked for volunteers to participate in a dress rehearsal of the 5 Mile race they hope to put on from next year. The race starts near Smalley and covers a lot of the area around Shipley Park. It’s largely off road, so I opt to hold her coat and the dogs while she does it along with Daughter.

On Sunday I am at a Crufts Team Qualifier which is my first visit to the new venue at Royle Farm near Drakelow. The event is run by Rugby Dog Training Club and yes, it is still nowhere near Rugby. I don’t have a dog in the event, or even in any class at the show, MD is no longer up to the jump height and the Lad simply isn’t ‘up to it’ no matter what he thinks. Our two teams give their all but we won’t be going to Crufts next year. 

It is all over very quickly and I am home for lunch.

(Sunday 14^th July)

A Torturous Journey

Dogging tonight may take place amidst thunder and lightning according to the forecast, interspersed with sunny spells. Sounds entertaining. I will pack a sun hat and some rubber soled wellies along with my new Sochi 2014 t-shirt which has finally arrived.

It was a torturous journey. It’s taken months. Then last week the shirts got seized at customs as they arrived from Moscow. Seized that is by people intent on making even more money out of us. The delivery cost from Russia had doubled the price of the shirts as it was. Now they were asking for £42 to release them from customs. This apparently is made up of search fees, admin charges and forward postage. I refused to pay and the company ‘contracted’ by customs instead said they’d email the Sochi Shop to see if they’d pay. Good luck with that I thought, response time there is about a month per email.

However the next day the package was mysteriously paid for and released to us, so I can ‘dog’ tonight in my new shirt.

(Monday 9^th June)

Acclimatisation For Sochi

We have some very brief snow flurries today, probably the first of the winter? In what has been a very poor winter so far. Hopefully we’ll find some snow in Sochi. It’ll be a very strange Winter Olympics if we don’t.

I’m on the bike today but we’re back to almost tropical e.g. it turns to rain, before I come to ride home. I should be well acclimatised for Sochi, with its palm trees, when we get there.

In fact we’re back to normal (very wet) before I head out for a pub lunch.

I’m never at my best at squash after cycling and I don’t win any games tonight. At the Navigation afterwards there’s no need for any candles this week, as they’ve fixed the electricity, sadly.

(Thursday 30^th January)

Somewhere A Bit Iffy

Near perfect cycling conditions today and I'm on the bus. Ho hum. As ever it’s the BBC’s fault for an over pessimistic weather forecast, although it does hail for a short while in the afternoon, but I’m a wimp for ducking out. The traffic is terrible, so at least it’s a good decision to not drive.

I see they have put out terrorist warnings for Sochi. Well that’s what the BBC say, so it’s sensationalised obviously but not as much as it will be in the Daily Mail which my Mum will be reading this morning. She won't be happy. Well actually I’m not happy but I have always wanted to go somewhere a bit ‘iffy’ before I die... I would just like to do the dying bit much later.

Such as in 33 years time. My life expectancy is 79.48 years apparently, although I would not expect that to be on this set of knees.

L is a bit miffed at that, hers is 89 and she won’t let me go before her. Can’t see why not, she’d get a few years peace in dotage.

Committee meeting tonight. No blood spilt. 

(Monday 27^th January)

Resignations And Sackings

I come in the car today, on the off chance that dog training is on. Another light dusting of snow results in a longer than usual hour and fifteen minutes journey along the 15 miles to work. Sadly, that is only slightly slower than usual. Average speed - 12mph. Usual average speed on the bike - 14mph.

Resignations and sacking are rife as the managerial merry-go-round continues. Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Blackpool, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield. The list is endless, now Pope Benedict XVI has quit. Is he off to Huddersfield?

Sochi 2014 tickets go on general sale today, so I have a punt at biathlon tickets, which we didn’t get in the ballot and get some. Success. Tickets for the mixed relay, which sounds intriguing. It’s all a lot easier than London 2012. I think the absence of Ticketmaster helps.

I still can’t get any Short Track Speed Skating tickets though, might have to have Curling instead, just to be inside one of the arenas. I can’t get any skiing tickets either but perhaps we’ll be able to blag ourselves a view somewhere up the mountain. 

Dog training is, predictably, off, which at least means I can pick L up from her night out in Derby later. She has spent the day reading up on a chap who is due in her clinic tomorrow. He was knocked off his bike and his notes make gruesome reading. She says she’ll be leaping on me to stop me cycling tomorrow.

I’ve spent lunch time with my physio for another massage, more ultrasound and more of the same exercises. Only this time rather dangerously off the edge of a step. That could really do my knee in. I’ve also been told to run 5k this week gently (whatever that means) and she said something about swimming but I didn’t quite catch it.

L catches it for me and threatens to take me there at 7am tomorrow but won’t she be too busy leaping on me?

(Monday 11th February)

Olympics Tickets

Wow. I have secured Olympics tickets. A bit late you say? Ah but not if you’re talking next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia .

I entered the ticket ballot and unlike London 2012 where I originally got zilch, I was offered tickets for two Bobsleigh sessions and three Skeleton sessions.

I part with the cash, although they are quite a bit cheaper than those for London. So Sochi here we come, if we can get a hotel and a flight. Most of which, don’t seem to be built yet. 

I suppose we’ll get there somehow, even if we have to go there via somewhere boring like St Petersburg or Moscow. I wonder if we can camp... It’s not that cold in Russia in February is it?

I buy tickets for the two Bobsleigh sessions covering all four runs of the two-man bob and one of the Skeleton sessions covering men’s qualifying and the finals of the women’s event. It’ll all be a bit zoomy and fast but L will love that.

Of course GB’s Amy Williams is the reigning Olympic Skeleton champion. She's since retired but Shelley Rudman, who got silver back in 2006, is the current World Cup champion and now World Champion after winning gold a few weeks ago in St Moritz.

Tickets go on general sale on Monday, so I’ll see if I can get any others then.

In what is a busy day, the Kendal house purchase also goes through. I arrange for a letting agent to collect the keys, so we don’t need to hot foot it up there just yet but will need to drop in and see him at some point.

Squash ends in a close 2-3 defeat and a heated debate about ‘lets’. I was pleased with my game. I always target games 1 and 4. Game 1 before he’s warmed up and Game 4 when he’s knackered but I don’t usually get them both though. Result.

L walks the dogs from the leisure centre to her work, from where I collect them all along with a load of old computer gear that if we don’t want will go to the tip.

Basically it amounts to a couple of dead printers, a third one that works and a pre-historic computer which turns out to be a Tandon which is the first PC I ever had at work. Oh the memories.

(Thursday 7^th February)