Running is back!

Fastest 10k recorded on Garmin on Tuesday with Barrow Runners felt easy (well, quads ached by the end but that was the fault of the Tough 10k) and I hatched a Ponyta!!

Friday night did the best 15kph run since Feb/March.. 12, 7, 1. and Saturday got a year's best Parkrun at Braunstone (21:57). Could it be that I've finally sorted whatever was wrong? Blooming hope so, its been a hard depressing slog to get back to baseline. 

Now need to find the next challenge.

Meeting S

Catching up.. great weekend. Chris getting Gold Friday night. On Saturday I got Gladis fixed (recall) to meet Emma’s awesome kid at Worcester Country Park, owned a Pokegym with a fellow “harley”, got two more RBR landmarks on the way home and danced the night away at Louise’s 40th.
Sunday I got bargains then Naomi, Isabel and I finished our Lego movie and found Pokemon. Then I went home for a sleep before finding my bedroom carpet again.

Interesting travelling companions.

Babysitting on Saturday and Sunday. Loads of fun at Conkers in the rain, then takeout, then Harry Potter Scene It. Made a trampoline once they surfaced Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon parents came up. Went out to an event I found online near Melton. A vintage car and bike meet at the Old Brickyard Tea Garden. Turns out we should have gone in Bumble and raised the number of vintage vehicles by 20%!!

Got accosted by the slightly crazy owner of a LHD T4 Hi top. Pops got dragged in for a sit down. Opposite the armless and legless mannequin she had in there as a travelling companion! Made me feel slightly less of a weirdo roaming the country in Bumble with Chewbacca as my Co-Pilot!

Attention to detail!

Despite the very full car park we seemed to arrive as most things were winding down. Did meet a nice guy who promised to draw my Harley when I get it. Managed to leave without Ma buying any plants. And couldn't face the non moving queue for tea, so went off in search of an ice cream and a loo.

Oh and decided I must have one of these at my house when I finally...

Ended up at Melton Country Park. Strolled over to the visitor centre for our hard earned (hmm) ice cream and much needed pee. Only to find that they had decided to close up half an hour early. So, malnourished and desperate (until I went off into the bushes after a close call on the zip wire) we went off in search of geocaches and pokemon instead. Hatched a 1k plus Lapras and found 3 caches.

Packe Arms on the way home for tea as we weren't too wet. Note to self, don't trust Tom Tom with that place. Nice meal. Hilarious Heads Up. Dad's person to guess was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Mum said "Oxygene" and mimed piano playing. Thought I was gonna get thrown out for how bad my Aspie laugh was.

Spider Harley

Brilliant day. Jon's great news, plus a good run, plus an absolutely brilliant day climbing at The Pinnacle with two great people. And an awesome birthday present, with superpowers... Spider Harley, Spider Harley..

Mostly shooting things

Holiday so far.

Thursday 14th Dowloaded Pokemon Go. That could turn out to be the most significant event of the holidays!

Friday 15th. Finished school. Managed not to cry. Hard when delivering a certain child to his bus, knowing I will hardly see him next year. Off to Rock and Bike Fest. Not put on a shift, so chatted to Kathy and nested in Bumble.

Sat 16th. Parkrun at Poolsbrook. Not a great time, but 3rd female. Found lots of Pokemon, hatched an egg and had a good chat with Pete. Late for shift, but no-one cared. Mooched around the van in the middle of the day, no Robin Hood HD stand, so bank balance safe! Cooked my Bumble speciality then on the 10-2 shift again. Almost asleep by the end of the shift.. then wide awake as soon as settled in sleeping bag!

Sun 17th. Up fairly early to make EEBs for the gang.. made LOTS as Ian had got supplies. Dropped knife and hoped it wasn't a premonition for later..

Tried to be helpful with the packing up. Had to leave early to make it to Abi's birthday party. Somewhere in a forest was the Adrenaline Jungle. First up was archery. The others insisted on having a competition... and I kicked their asses!!! Couldn't turn off teacher mode and tried to help Abi, but she still made a massive purple mess of her arm. All went downhill after the archery. I am completely useless at knife and axe throwing. Rather too scared of hacking into my own head I think. Ah well. Last was the Hunter Games bit. A little disappointed that it wasn't more realistic, out in the forest, running and chasing and taking out.. but was ok.. in a little area with inflatables to hide behind and weird arrows with huge blobs on the end that just fell out of the bow before you could draw properly. But, great fun. I wasn't completely useless. Martin got me out first round, but I did hit someone before that. I could hit targets quick enough in last 2 games. My team lost all three, but everyone had a laugh.

Back to their 'cabin' (actually a mansion, with attached tree house) after. Becky and Sarah had to go, so I was left with a load of strangers. Braved it out, and had an interesting time breaking out of prison camp to go find geocaches.

Struggle to do that and PG at same time! Especially when the P Go servers are down... grrr. Made it back alive and in time, had nice chilli for tea then played Pandemic with Martin and Matt and Ian. The first game Martin didn't even get a go, due to his crap shuffling, so we drew all three Epidemic cards within 6 draws. We did better in the second game, we would have won it had I not drawn a fourth Epidemic card that was not supposed to be in the deck. Made good my escape and drove home. Tired bunny wishing I could have a lie in on Monday.

Mon 18th. Play scheme at Ashmount. Very freaked out not knowing any kids and few of the staff. Soon into it.. board games with one kid, then swimming, then lunch (tidying 1B playground and finding out I can't get on with the scanning job this week) then water fight outside as it was boiling, some craft, hide and seek in soft play then more board games. V quick nap after work as no time to run (and getting a cold again) then dentist. CMA meeting was good. Caught a Pokemon sitting on my iPad! Caught a couple after too, and had a chat with a kid about being Uncle Bob!



 ADD Photosgf;osage;rognaer;ognaerg;oiaehrg

Return of the Ewok

Sponsored canoe thing cancelled and Youth Bike moved.. so game on for the Space Centre hehe. Last minute arranging meant that Mart joined me. Nice to not be alone for a change.

Guy with freaky eyes led a light sabre demo.. we got to do the workshop later on, which was cool but far too short. Would go to the classes if I had the money and the time.

Costume advice

Warwick and Julian Glover (sadly didn't have 25 quid for an autograph :-( ) Julian was General Veers who drove the AT-AT, and Grand Maester Pycelle in GoT, as well as Donovan in Indiana Jones. Bit of a 'character' shall we say. Warwick is just brilliant.. totally hilarious and just cool and down to earth.

Flashback to the amusements at Hemsby thirty years ago..

Decided on a housewarming present when it finally happens..

ROTG did their usual parade at the end. I don't think I will ever stop being more than a little scared..

Now that is bloody good cosplay...

Was very brave today and went up to an attractive lady and tried to talk to her. Didn't go very well, but I know more about joining 501st. Did better at chatting to Harrison Davis about his Kylo Ren lightsabre. No shock there.

yup, still scared..

Highlight of the day for me was the screening of Return of the Ewok.. only 2 copies exist and its not really finished but it was hilarious. Warwick is always amazing at Q+As too.

Back to the flat for pizza and Harry Potter (Warwick and the Hogwarts Express.. perfect) then a bit of xbox. Funniest moment was when the popcorn maker exploded one in my face. Adele at Glasto made then journey to drop off Mart pretty great.. couldn't leave the car till I'd finished sobbing to Make you Feel my Love.

Round Britain Rally

Yep. Start of yet another obsession. All the fault of chatting to Rob at a CMA meeting. It's like geocaching on a bike. Well thats me sold then! So today he took me out for a short easy ride (!) after the CMA breakfast run. Normally the breakfast run is enough for me.

Planning the route was a pain in the arse. When I managed to find co-ordinates they were in three different formats. And they don't all work in google maps, or in the crap from crap land Tom Tom app. And then it was all pointless. Because I made a route and transferred it to the Tom Tom.. after 12 hours of updates. And then.... it tried to send me home all day. AARRGGGHHHHH. I started it up at the Tesco petrol station, rather than at home. And all day long it had a hissy fit.

Still, good to get the rookie error out of the way when it was possible (and far easier) to just follow someone else. Way prefer following anyway.. I go faster as i have to keep up, rather than being away with the fairies and pooling!

Also good to learn was that you don't absolutely have to have the bike and the landmark in the same shot. Sometimes its not possible to park bike safely AT the landmark. And thats ok. Just try, and then get proof you got as close as possible. That said I will still get more than one disallowed or marked down for getting something wrong with the 'flag' and the bike and the landmark.. most probably forgetting the flag and then realising when I get home.

Anyways. Not allowed to post photos. So today I went to..

Donington services to meet CMA
The Limes Cafe for breakfast.

35 - Nottinghamshire: The murder stone
11 - Derbyshire: Foolow Village Cross and bull ring
06 - Cheshire: The Shroppie Fly (which I learned is a crane, not just the name of the pub)
39 - Stafforshire: James Brindley Statue
25 - Leicestershire: Sky Ladder

Hopefully thats enough to get me a finishers certificate.. but I want to aim for 'Standard'. So more miles required.. this time just me and Gladis! Hmm....

Well done Gladis.. 221 miles. Think it equals our previous best.. the ride down to Swansea for last year's CMA fellowship weekend was about that. This time was so much nicer though... NO RAIN!!!!

Massive thanks to Rob for letting me be his Padawan. Really enjoyed it and its a great reason to get out and explore. And to properly ride Gladis. There is no way I'm joining the ranks of Iron Butt though.. I'm more of a Bony Ass.

A train room for my castle

Another change of plan saturday afternoon led me to Go then to Outwoods with Becky and Sarah, this then led to change of plan on Sunday too.. an invitation to go to their caravan to play board games.

Car boot a bit of a disaster on the clearout ready to move front!

Lovely setting and lovely sunshine for games afternoon..

There would have been full Aspie meltdown if I hadn't got this..

CMA train geek ready to go. ..