Feeling a little Peak-y

I'm full of good food and a little tired after a great Bank Holiday weekend in the Peak District.  Mat and I came home to no sustenance in the house earlier and so thought we would end the long weekend with some nice pub food and beer from our local. Yum!

We drove up on Friday night in torrential rain and was fully prepared to spend most of the weekend visiting stately homes as I wasn't entirely convinced the weather was going to hold out for all the activities we had planned for the weekend - specifically cycling and rock climbing. Mat and I are lucky enough to have mountain bikes that fold in half (similar to this one) so they were packed or rather folded into the car in anticipation.

The weather wasn't great at the start of Saturday morning (rainy) but as we spent most of the morning in Hathersage bimbling about and doing a spot of shopping we didn't mind so much.  Fortunately, by lunch time, the weather had brightened up so we did the 'Tissington Trail' on our bikes. The Tissington Trail runs from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay along the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway line. It's around 13 miles long and although most of it was relatively flat, there were parts of it where my legs did feel it! However, I did it and I was really pleased with myself. I didn't have enough energy left in me to cycle back the 13 miles to the car in Ashbourne so Mat did the honours while I waited at Parsley Hay cycle station for him to pick me up.

We were hoping to eat at a traditional country pub in the evening but it all turned into a bit of a palaver looking for it.  It either had closed down or our sat-nav directed us the wrong route but we couldn't find it so we ended up eating in Chesterfield at an Indian restaurant in the city centre.  The food was very nice and service great but Chesterfield town on a Saturday night was, shall we say, 'interesting'.  With lots of 'interesting' people.  Don't think we will be going back.....it felt a little bit like we were in Dodge at times!

Sunday started off much better weather wise so we ventured over to Stanage to do some climbing.  I wasn't entirely convinced about Stanage as the approach to the rock involved clambering over a bunch of slippery boulders.  And when it absolutely poured down with rain coupled with 60mph winds, I wasn't having any more of it!  I know Stanage is the mecca of trad climbing but to be stuck half way up the rock when four seasons in one day was taking place around me, I wasn't happy. And because Mat was so high up belaying me and the wind blowing so hard we couldn't hear each other so I was getting stressed by that too.  


We decided to go over to Lawrence Field which was a little smaller climbing area and more sheltered and where we had much more fun.  I managed to do a 'Vdiff' (Very Difficult) climb!  I must have looked like a baby hippo climbing up the rock but I did it :-)  I was a little overwhelmed at the top as I had never completed an outdoor climb let alone a 10 metre one.  


We finished the day by going to the cinema where we saw 'Cowboys and Aliens' which although a little cheesy and formulaic at times, Mat and I thoroughly enjoyed.  Come on, its got cowboys AND aliens - a great recipe for a film and you can't really go wrong with Daniel Craig (I had forgotten how handsome he is!) and the legend that is Harrison Ford.  

Today bank holiday Monday was spent doing more climbing at Lawrence Field where I managed to do another 'Vdiff' climb but this time one at 15 metres!  I was absolutely spent by the time I got to the top but I was so pleased I had done it.  I think if I was fitter I could have completed another 'Vdiff' climb but I had to bail out three quarters of the way up as I just had no strength left.

All in all, a great activity weekend and one that this time last year I just couldn't even think about let alone do. I know the climbs I did were easy compared to what other climbers were doing and Mat was very patient with me but I was just concentrating on me and what I could do.  Mat as always was great and I couldn't wish for a better climbing partner - in more ways that one :-)


I just want to get fitter and stronger and my aim is that by the end of the year, I want to be up a climbing grade and a lot lighter and more toned.  Crap, it's in writing so I've got to go for it now!


Pictures to follow...

Big box, little box.....modified ecstasy 'attacks blood cancers'

I just hope that I will be around to see all this research come into fruition. And possibly be part of the research. It's amazing what all these clever scientists and medical researchers are discovering. May the funding for this continue.  Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14572284


Had another busy weekend.  Friday afternoon saw me and Mat at UCH where I saw my consultant and received a dose of pamidronate (bone strengthener).  Pretty dull as I was on my own for most of receiving my dose (through very s-l-o-w IV drip) but I was pleased that all is OK regarding my tests and progress. I don't need to see my consultant again for another 3 months which is good.  


Yesterday was spent having fun with Amy and Fraser by way of visiting Japanese garden stockists, drinking at The Wiremill which was very nice and going fruit and veg picking at 'Garsons' in Esher.  It was very cool visiting each field of crops and deciding whether to pick or not but not so cool towards the exit where they had the 'fruit and veg gestapo' in force.  


I know they may have had a few problems with dishonest folk taking more than their fair share of fruit and veg and not paying for it, but to do car boot and bag searches was a little OTT!  It wouldn't surprise me if they introduced one of those mirror contraptions to search underneath cars and do full body searches in the future... 


Dinner was at Simply Thai restaurant in Teddington where the food was yet again delicious but they could really do with one more waiter working.  Less stress for everyone!  Patria are you listening?!


Today was spent at Scott and Lucy's where we had a delicious lunch in the sun and it was good to catch up with them and the adorable Alex. A great end to the weekend.  


Why are weekends so short and the week so long?

London-Surrey Cycle Classic - Olympic 2012 test event

Talking of cycling.

The 'warm-up' or test race to next year's Olympic 2012 cycle road race took place this morning.  As part of the route goes past just 2 miles from where we live, it would have been rude not to cycle over and cheer on the riders.

A little bit more nervousness on my part as getting to our viewing point involved cycling on the road with cars, vans and lorries zooming past me. It was all good though and I was pleased we did it.  

I have to say that it was very much blink and you'll miss them! Still exciting stuff though and it was good to see so many people out cheering. And it made a change to see the police doing something positive rather than having to deal with looters and vandals. 

A few pics below:

Waiting for Mark Cavendish and others to arrive

The first two cyclists arrive (not quite sure who they are)

The peloton - eventual winner Mark Cavendish is the one 

wearing the lime green cycle helmet (5th rider from the right)

Cheering on the peloton

Photographing the peloton

Positive policing - makes a change 

after last weekend

All photos belong to She With A Capital V

Back in the saddle again - blackberrying in the woods

Washed and ready to eat

After being a bit out of sorts yesterday and not feeling a hundred percent, today was spent taking it easy.  The two acer trees delivered a couple of days ago had to be moved from our front to back garden so the palaver of doing that took up an hour or so. Thank god for our trolley and Mat's strong climbing arms.  I provided 'manoeuvres' strategy with my "left a bit, right a bit and the whoah, wait mind the branch" comments.  It felt good to have the trees out back. They look beautiful and it was good to prove the delivery man wrong as he told Mat that there was "no way those trees were going through there." Clearly doesn't know us that well!


The afternoon was spent bimbling about and then to clear the cobwebs, a leisurely cycle in the woods near to our house.  We are lucky enough to have some lovely countryside near us and now that I have resumed cycling again this week, it was good to get more in to get my confidence up again.  


I hadn't cycled since just before my cancer diagnosis last year and it may have been a nothing event in the great scheme of things, but to be able to cycle to the station to catch the train in to work was a real elation for me.  I had been really scared of falling off and hurting my cancer ravaged bones and even though I was considered well enough to ride a bike a few weeks back, the mental block was still there. Until last Tuesday morning that is. Go me!  Not quite Lance Armstrong standard but I think he would have been pleased for me.

Me cycling under an interesting tree
that's apparently between 300 - 400 years old

Anyway, our leisurely cycle ride through the woods was as per past visits fantastic.  I absolutely love it here - it is so interesting and wild and full of things to see. And yet so peaceful for somewhere so near to London. We even got to see a snake!  Or rather a slow worm.  Not as exciting but it looked liked a snake as it slithered in front of us.  It's a limbless lizard that likes basking in the sun hence us seeing it doing a bit of sunbathing.

The helmet is for cycling not blackberrying. I think.

We also indulged in rather a lot of blackberry picking. The bushes are teeming with them right now and they are absolutely delicious.  We had some with ice-cream earlier and I am hoping to make a crumble tomorrow with the rest. Organic food at it's finest :-)

Missed one

And so time for bed. There's nothing like freshly laundered sheets to sink in is there. I'm off to indulge. Good night!

Let's hope the sheets mat-ch...

Illegitimi non carborundum*

As it was the second Tuesday of the month, I went to 

Liars' League earlier this evening.  There's more info on their website so click on the link above but in a nutshell, it is a 'live fiction night' where a bunch of actors read short stories from various writers, in a pub behind John Lewis in Oxford Street.  Sounds random but having gone for the first time last month and having enjoyed it then, I thought I would go again this month. It is actually very cool and a little different.

I ended up going on my own because unfortunately, the person who I was going with wanted to go home as they felt unsafe following last night's riots. Understandable given all the terrible images being relayed and discussed. However, from my point of view, my risk assessment of the situation figured that London is probably the safest place right now. My rationale being;

- 16,000 beefy policemen milling about compared to 6,000 last night is a good thing

- thieving scumbag vandal cowards are not likely to go anywhere where said beefy policemen are and there was vans full of them in Oxford Street

- I'm a stubborn cow and refuse to be put off by said thieving scumbag vandal cowards

I know some of you are probably thinking that I was a bit of an idiot for putting myself in possible danger but I genuinely believed that I was going to be ok tonight.  And you know what, I was right.  

Liars' League was shorter but no less fun. There was no interval (the pub was short-staffed) and there were four stories read out instead of five due to actors not being able to get to the pub because of the riots. There was a real Blitz spirit about the fact that the organisers still held the event even though they knew the audience would be noticeably smaller this evening.  It didn't diminish our enjoyment and made for a more intimate evening. 

Ironically, given the number of people staying away from London tonight, the tubes, trains, buses etc were all running like clockwork and all the extra police presence made me feel so much safer than usual! I was home with no incident in no time.  I would ask can it be like this all the time but all these riot vans isn't really a look for London is it?! 

Onwards and upwards.

Illegitimi non carborundum*

* Don't let the bastards grind you down

London's Burning

I could cry from watching the news tonight. From the sheer frustration of it all.  From the anger that rises inside me when I see all the selfish, mindless, idiotic rioting, looting and arson happening in London.  Beautiful London town. London 2012. The Olympic city.

Shop windows smashed, burnt, looted, cars set on fire, people's livelihoods destroyed.  How much of a scumbag do you have to be to do something like that?

Thankfully, friends and family are safe although I did hear of someone that had their flat completely burnt down from the Tottenham riots and who sadly lost their pet cat in the fire.

See, they don't think about any of this. About the families who have worked hard to furnish their home, to buy that car, to have a good and decent life. Only to watch their hard work go up in flames and destroyed.   They are too busy thieving, robbing, vandalising and mugging.  I read today that some people were actually mugged whilst fleeing their burning homes. Unbelieveable.

Right now, on the tv I'm seeing a line of police with nothing more than a police hat and a baton to protect them whilst hoping to stop any more trouble in Camden. I don't know any of them, but I am scared for them. It's obvious they are not equipped for this.

And just how old are some of these thugs? Where are their parents? Do they realise they are raising a bunch of hooligans? Why are they even out so late at night? Are there so many of them who just don't care?  I know a lot of it is because it is the school holidays, the weather is good and disaffected youth are bored. I ask you, why?

There are people protesting in Syria right now for basic freedoms and they are getting shot at for it. There are people in Japan who are getting on with their lives with dignity after the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. There are soldiers in Afghanistan fighting a war they don't fully understand.  And what are these scumbags fighting for? A pair of trainers and a flat screen TV.

They are so brave that they have to cover their face with a balaclava whilst carrying out their mindless acts of violence and thuggery. They don't know the meaning of the word brave. Moronic cowards.

I am beyond words.

If I could turn back time...

Had a fairly chilled weekend. Having had Dan and his family over from Norway last week and all the fun and laughter they brought with them, the house has been very quiet these last few days now they are gone. It's amazing how much noise children make although we loved having Mia and Bo over. They were such enjoyable children to have around - what an absolute pleasure. Dan and Anja - do come again, we think you are great!  :-)

Not a long post this one but having watched the news over the last couple of days, I feel like I have gone back in time. Economic meltdown, unemployment on the increase, rioting and looting in Tottenham, a government that is verging on indifference, acid-colours in fashion and my hair looking like a perm - have I just regressed back into the 1980s?!?!

Good old Cher. She always did know how to sing a good tune. And fill a leotard like no other woman can...

Now, where did I put my dental floss?

 

 Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time