L saves me this morning by making me late enough to miss the bus and therefore I don't get soaked in another of those drought inducing thunderstorms but I'm still in plenty of time to drive. In theory. The traffic is horrendous. I can’t even get on the A52 at Bramcote. Diverted through Stapleford nothing is moving there either, so I end up doing a u-turn and going through Ilkeston. I’m sure it’s only this bad when I elect to drive.
At least I’ve chucked some kit in the car and I head to John Carroll Leisure Centre after work. Although I’m not a great fan of the gym.
They only have two bikes in their gym and one of them has a sign on it, saying out of order. They do have two other bikes but they don’t have their pedals in the right place, they’re a bit like those pedal go-carts that some folk had as a kid but which seemed far too much effort to be of any use.
On the one unbroken (almost) proper bike is a chap in a woolly hat who seems to be in for the long haul. Thirty minutes later he’s still there. Which is perfectly fine. I wanted at least thirty minutes myself. It’s not really worth putting your leg over for less.
Unfortunately this leaves me with the dreadmill for company, which wasn’t what I had planned at all and this keeps cutting out every ten minutes telling me my session has ended, which obviously it hasn’t because I’m still here and having to restart it all over again. Stupid thing. After the thing cuts out for a third time I give up and go for a swim. I’m not a great fan of the gym.
I’m also not a great fan of the pool. I get into lowly lane four because it looks quietest. In it are just two other people and they aren’t doing much swimming. I assume they know each other because they stop for a grope and a snog after every length, not that they do many. This is good actually as it means they don’t get in my way.
Sadly after a while they get out, presumably to continue their performance elsewhere, and three lads replace them. The lads dawdle in the shallow end making it very difficult for me to actually touch the side to turn. They don’t show much sign of doing any swimming, perhaps as they’re teenagers they’ve forgotten how or simply CBA. I conclude they’re probably just ‘hanging out’, trying to look cool, trying to pull the chicks etc. In which case they’re wasting their time, she’s just pulled and got out. When one of them does finally remember how to swim, I duck out of the way of his flailing arms and decide it’s time to call it a day. I must have done at least thirty lengths anyway.
I get home in time to take the boys out but it’s still too wet to walk or train the dogs, so we'll just have to chuck hot dogs instead.
(Wednesday 18th April)
Showing posts with label u-turn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label u-turn. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Just For Effect
I bike again as my calf still twangs a bit when I walk, so I don’t feel it’s ready for another run just yet but I may have to try one tomorrow.
On the ride in, I get overtaken by one of those fast old gits. Who having overtaken me heads off in a different direction, only to overtake me again a few miles down the road. Clearly just for effect. Either he went the long way around or u-turned as soon as I was out of sight. I’d prefer it to be the latter but I suspect it was the former.
L reckons she could be detained at work until about midnight and asks me to chill some wine for drinking in the garden for when she gets home. What at midnight? It could be a bit nippy outdoors by then and it is a AF Wednesday.
I have my swimming kit with me just in case I was tempted to pedal straight to the pool after work but the boys had such a good time on the park last night, as did I, that I decide to repeat that instead. It will insure a more peaceful second part to the evening because they'll both crash asleep.
As it happens L escapes well before midnight and we again amble up towards her, this time in search of a pub in which to have that outdoor glass of beverage, despite it being a Wednesday. The problem is that they’ve closed practically every pub between our house and town, so really there isn’t anywhere palatable to drop in to. Not that any of the ones that have closed were any good in the first place. That’s a bit of a gap in the market, just asking to be filled, you would think.
We pop into the Three Wheatsheaves which has shown potential at times in the past, only to quickly cast such potential swiftly aside. Outside it advertises real ale and delivers, although Courage Best isn’t what I had in mind and would probably not be what anybody else had in mind either. This may account for part of the reason the place is so quiet. Still we do stop for another, two drinks for a fiver isn’t bad.
(Wednesday 28th March)
On the ride in, I get overtaken by one of those fast old gits. Who having overtaken me heads off in a different direction, only to overtake me again a few miles down the road. Clearly just for effect. Either he went the long way around or u-turned as soon as I was out of sight. I’d prefer it to be the latter but I suspect it was the former.
L reckons she could be detained at work until about midnight and asks me to chill some wine for drinking in the garden for when she gets home. What at midnight? It could be a bit nippy outdoors by then and it is a AF Wednesday.
I have my swimming kit with me just in case I was tempted to pedal straight to the pool after work but the boys had such a good time on the park last night, as did I, that I decide to repeat that instead. It will insure a more peaceful second part to the evening because they'll both crash asleep.
As it happens L escapes well before midnight and we again amble up towards her, this time in search of a pub in which to have that outdoor glass of beverage, despite it being a Wednesday. The problem is that they’ve closed practically every pub between our house and town, so really there isn’t anywhere palatable to drop in to. Not that any of the ones that have closed were any good in the first place. That’s a bit of a gap in the market, just asking to be filled, you would think.
We pop into the Three Wheatsheaves which has shown potential at times in the past, only to quickly cast such potential swiftly aside. Outside it advertises real ale and delivers, although Courage Best isn’t what I had in mind and would probably not be what anybody else had in mind either. This may account for part of the reason the place is so quiet. Still we do stop for another, two drinks for a fiver isn’t bad.
(Wednesday 28th March)
Thursday, 2 June 2011
The End For Our Squash Games?
I wake up with an incredibly sore shoulder. I was possibly too overzealous with the tug toy and MD last night. Still I grit my teeth and cycle. Will do it good I say. L doesn’t look convinced.
The shoulder IS improving. Slowly. I think exercising it on the bike this morning did it good. L still seems sceptical and thinks I should cancel squash. Which is a bit of an overreaction I think.
I remembered to avoid the loose chippings this morning but forget on the way home and have to u-turn but it proves to be well worth it when I get to slipstream a couple of girlies on road bikes. Briefly. My God they were fast women. Out of my league, that being the veterans league of course.
It’s good that my shoulder didn’t cause me to cancel squash because it’s a good game, very close and I even win a game. Although I think my necks gone now. Also because we might not be getting many more games in, as we find that the courts are being demolished next Friday. Ah. Nice of them to tell us. We book a final farewell game for next Thursday and considering camping out in the courts afterwards to stop their demolition.
The courts are closing because the council line is that no one uses them. I pointed out to the staff that both courts were almost always booked at 6.15 before we play, at 7.00 when we play and at 7.45 afterwards, on whichever day we play but apparently this isn’t classed as busy because people aren’t skipping work to play in the afternoons.
So the gym is going to be extended over the squash courts instead. There have been rumours about this for years but I felt confident that this wouldn’t happen without consultation with centre users, what with us being regulars. Got that one wrong didn’t I.
Problem is where will we play now? A year ago two courts in the east of the city were demolished, then with these in Clifton gone that leaves just four. Two of those are at Beechdale Swimming Centre but that entire centre is scheduled for demolition sometime in the not so distant future. I’m guessing here but I bet Beechdale’s courts won’t be replaced either. Which leaves out old favourite Portland but Portland is popular, in the evenings anyway, and is almost impossible to get into, which is why we usually play at Clifton.
Nottingham City Council has been running down its squash provision for years, saying that squash is in decline, whilst offering facilities in such a state that they actively encourage a decline by driving customers away. All the courts are in an appalling state without exception. Peeling paint, uneven floors, uneven walls and rails broken. I am also not aware of a single council court that has a working ventilation system; all are broken and have been for as long as I can remember. Some of the doors don’t shut properly. One at Clifton, when shut, could often only be opened from the outside. Then some weeks we have been unable to play because the squash court has been booked for Pilates! So it's no wonder they can't attract enough people to play on their courts.
L runs to us, goes in the soon to be expanded gym and meets us afterwards. Hopefully they’ll be some good beers on at the pub tonight, I need a strong one. As its the Ruddington Beer Fest starting this evening we should be in luck. The festival runs across three pubs of which our usual the ‘Three Crowns’ is one. Titanic Stout and Batemans Victory. Shame I'm driving.
There’s always tomorrow.
(Thursday 2nd June)
The shoulder IS improving. Slowly. I think exercising it on the bike this morning did it good. L still seems sceptical and thinks I should cancel squash. Which is a bit of an overreaction I think.
I remembered to avoid the loose chippings this morning but forget on the way home and have to u-turn but it proves to be well worth it when I get to slipstream a couple of girlies on road bikes. Briefly. My God they were fast women. Out of my league, that being the veterans league of course.
It’s good that my shoulder didn’t cause me to cancel squash because it’s a good game, very close and I even win a game. Although I think my necks gone now. Also because we might not be getting many more games in, as we find that the courts are being demolished next Friday. Ah. Nice of them to tell us. We book a final farewell game for next Thursday and considering camping out in the courts afterwards to stop their demolition.
The courts are closing because the council line is that no one uses them. I pointed out to the staff that both courts were almost always booked at 6.15 before we play, at 7.00 when we play and at 7.45 afterwards, on whichever day we play but apparently this isn’t classed as busy because people aren’t skipping work to play in the afternoons.
So the gym is going to be extended over the squash courts instead. There have been rumours about this for years but I felt confident that this wouldn’t happen without consultation with centre users, what with us being regulars. Got that one wrong didn’t I.
Problem is where will we play now? A year ago two courts in the east of the city were demolished, then with these in Clifton gone that leaves just four. Two of those are at Beechdale Swimming Centre but that entire centre is scheduled for demolition sometime in the not so distant future. I’m guessing here but I bet Beechdale’s courts won’t be replaced either. Which leaves out old favourite Portland but Portland is popular, in the evenings anyway, and is almost impossible to get into, which is why we usually play at Clifton.
Nottingham City Council has been running down its squash provision for years, saying that squash is in decline, whilst offering facilities in such a state that they actively encourage a decline by driving customers away. All the courts are in an appalling state without exception. Peeling paint, uneven floors, uneven walls and rails broken. I am also not aware of a single council court that has a working ventilation system; all are broken and have been for as long as I can remember. Some of the doors don’t shut properly. One at Clifton, when shut, could often only be opened from the outside. Then some weeks we have been unable to play because the squash court has been booked for Pilates! So it's no wonder they can't attract enough people to play on their courts.
L runs to us, goes in the soon to be expanded gym and meets us afterwards. Hopefully they’ll be some good beers on at the pub tonight, I need a strong one. As its the Ruddington Beer Fest starting this evening we should be in luck. The festival runs across three pubs of which our usual the ‘Three Crowns’ is one. Titanic Stout and Batemans Victory. Shame I'm driving.
There’s always tomorrow.
(Thursday 2nd June)
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