Easter holidays have commenced (well Ryan is now off school anyway - think the rest of the world don't break up till Friday?).
Strange day weather wise, had most of the options at one point or another, although managed to sneak out for a 2hr stint whilst it was dry but still windy - just shy of 39 miles clocked up.
Then off out for coffee with my extremely beautiful wife, to the newly re-opened "The Tea House", just off Elm Hill, a friend has just taken it over with his brother-in-law.
After our bargain dining room table purchase at Next at the weekend (£83 for a £335 table - they were selling off all shop stock due to a re-fit) we managed to sell our sdeboard on Gumtree, and are hoping to sell some other furniture too, including our existing dining room table and chairs.
Lazy evening, bit of ironing, concluding part of Waking the Dead, folowed by Twenty Twelve, BBC4's very funny poke at the olympics, and off to bed...
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Monday, 4 April 2011
Sabbatical Days 11-14 Long Ride, 2 Short Rides, Gardening, Quiz, First Taste and zzzzz
Thursday dawned and with it wet roads and drizzle - yuck! Wind was also blowy from the South West. So being a fickle so and so, thought i'd wait till it dried before departing, so mid morning off i went, very quick first hour, but then paid the price for the blustery conditions - 70miles in around 4 hours.
Friday and Saturday saw the start of both 30 days of biking and the peoples grand tour (2 online "events" to get people to ride every day in April) so 2 identical rides, albeit Saturday faster than Friday - both 37miles, just over 2 hours for both, and then plenty of pottering about in the garden thereafter. Singlespeed project gathers pace as bar tape now fitted, freewheel off and single speed cog on, single chain ring bolts arrived so chainring secured and new skewers bought and fitted, slightly miffed as chain i had was about 2 inches short - grrr! Found another chain though so just need to shorten it (next week's job) and brakes need overhaul me thinks.
Saturday night was quiz night - we were "Pinky and the Brains" and attained 2nd place overall, a good night other than the dubious noise imposed on us by the band during the interval.
Sunday, was Mother's Day and being the 1st sunday of the month meant it was also First Taste so for one morning only I relaxed my sabbatical and attended church - a good morning, really buzzing - well done all!
What's that song? - Lazy Sunday Afternoon - precisely! No ride, so have already failed in riding every day in April, but thought that the pressure is now off, but on the upside I am confident that i can achieve a minimum of 30 rides before the end of April -not quite in the spirit of things but I am sure the pro's have rest days - don't they?
Sunday also saw the Tour of Flanders - what a race! Spartacus appeared beaten, then made a late surge, but was eventually pipped on the line by Nuyens and Chavanel - Roll on Roubaix (next weekend)
Friday and Saturday saw the start of both 30 days of biking and the peoples grand tour (2 online "events" to get people to ride every day in April) so 2 identical rides, albeit Saturday faster than Friday - both 37miles, just over 2 hours for both, and then plenty of pottering about in the garden thereafter. Singlespeed project gathers pace as bar tape now fitted, freewheel off and single speed cog on, single chain ring bolts arrived so chainring secured and new skewers bought and fitted, slightly miffed as chain i had was about 2 inches short - grrr! Found another chain though so just need to shorten it (next week's job) and brakes need overhaul me thinks.
Saturday night was quiz night - we were "Pinky and the Brains" and attained 2nd place overall, a good night other than the dubious noise imposed on us by the band during the interval.
Sunday, was Mother's Day and being the 1st sunday of the month meant it was also First Taste so for one morning only I relaxed my sabbatical and attended church - a good morning, really buzzing - well done all!
What's that song? - Lazy Sunday Afternoon - precisely! No ride, so have already failed in riding every day in April, but thought that the pressure is now off, but on the upside I am confident that i can achieve a minimum of 30 rides before the end of April -not quite in the spirit of things but I am sure the pro's have rest days - don't they?
Sunday also saw the Tour of Flanders - what a race! Spartacus appeared beaten, then made a late surge, but was eventually pipped on the line by Nuyens and Chavanel - Roll on Roubaix (next weekend)
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Sabbatical Days 8-10 Riding, Gardening, Woodbridge, Wymondham and Haverhill
Monday (week 2) and amidst the dawn chorus, I went out for a swift 42 miles, darkened morning and fog, plus a tad chilly again so skull cap and sleeves re-instated - grrr! The remainder of the day was an outdoor workout in the garden, emptying rotted compost bin, refilling rotted compost bin from part rotted compost bin, digging over back corner of garden, planting raspberries / strawberries - potting up runners from both to sell plus general tidy up all round.
Tuesday, getting into the habit now - walk to station, head off to destination (Woodbridge) then return to Norwich and walk home. Had a good meeting with Tracey Fearn of St John's in Woodbridge learning about their gap year programme - Form. Once home it was out on the bike for a quick round the block spin (18 miles) in contrast to yesterday, the legs,arms and fingers were all exposed for the first time this year! Then another quick change before out to Wymondham to see an after school club in action - Awesome!
Wednesday - earlier start but same routine walk/train/walk this time destination was Cambridge, before being onwardly transported to Haverhill. Cambridge station is like a bike graveyard - approx 500 bikes "abandoned" by their owners in the cycle racks outside. Spent day looking at Reach a community outreach project headed up by River of Life Church (Henry Wilson) - Foodbank, Furniture Bank, CAP, Drop in Cafe and more... - so inspiring, a great day even though the weather was miserable. Home for tea then First Taste small group - phew!
Tuesday, getting into the habit now - walk to station, head off to destination (Woodbridge) then return to Norwich and walk home. Had a good meeting with Tracey Fearn of St John's in Woodbridge learning about their gap year programme - Form. Once home it was out on the bike for a quick round the block spin (18 miles) in contrast to yesterday, the legs,arms and fingers were all exposed for the first time this year! Then another quick change before out to Wymondham to see an after school club in action - Awesome!
Wednesday - earlier start but same routine walk/train/walk this time destination was Cambridge, before being onwardly transported to Haverhill. Cambridge station is like a bike graveyard - approx 500 bikes "abandoned" by their owners in the cycle racks outside. Spent day looking at Reach a community outreach project headed up by River of Life Church (Henry Wilson) - Foodbank, Furniture Bank, CAP, Drop in Cafe and more... - so inspiring, a great day even though the weather was miserable. Home for tea then First Taste small group - phew!
Monday, 28 March 2011
Sabbatical Days 5-7 Christology, Hermeneutics and an evening in Diss!
Twas LT Foundations for a couple of days, so head down, ears back and brain engaged for study.
Almost a full house in terms of attendees this time, we had Mick Taylor for both days - very engaging to listen to, and he probably presented the most interactive sessions yet. It was Goff's birthday too
Friday night it was off to Diss to deliver the kids for the youth weekend and then back to Norwich to collect two others whose car had broken down, before returning as far as Long Stratton to hand them on.
Out Saturday night for take away at Simon and Sian's - nice relaxing evening, in great company.
Simon and I now have our rider packs for Norwich 100, and we are...wait for it...numbers 1 & 2 or as our respective partners have taken to caling us Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Clocks forward overnight, which meant lie-in on Sunday (obviously!) lazy day with my beautiful wife, before the kids returned around 5ish.
1st week already over - eeek!
Almost a full house in terms of attendees this time, we had Mick Taylor for both days - very engaging to listen to, and he probably presented the most interactive sessions yet. It was Goff's birthday too
Friday night it was off to Diss to deliver the kids for the youth weekend and then back to Norwich to collect two others whose car had broken down, before returning as far as Long Stratton to hand them on.
Out Saturday night for take away at Simon and Sian's - nice relaxing evening, in great company.
Simon and I now have our rider packs for Norwich 100, and we are...wait for it...numbers 1 & 2 or as our respective partners have taken to caling us Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Clocks forward overnight, which meant lie-in on Sunday (obviously!) lazy day with my beautiful wife, before the kids returned around 5ish.
1st week already over - eeek!
Friday, 25 March 2011
Sabbatical Day 4 - Of Trains and Brains
Trains, Brains, training, brain training - busy day today!
So it was off to Bury St Edmunds (BSE!) on the train. Seemedd simple, Norwich to Stowmarket CHANGE then Stowmarket to BSE. Only snag was at Stowmarket, the sheer volume of comuters getting on, prevented my leaving so it wa on to Ipswich and then back - nice and scenic but obviously killed the time schedule.
Arrived at BSE and got to venue for Re-thinking Evangelism seminar/forum thing - quite varied and informative, and also presented in a relaxed way. Speakers included Andrew Buttress (Spectrum), Krish Kandiah (The EA), Dave Gardner (Vicar of Woodbridge) and others.
Returned by train (no mishaps this time) , and managed to finish reading my first book - "Brothers we are not professionals" by John Piper (only 4 more to go!).
Evening in, on my own so cracked on with my LT foundations assignment (and completed it) due in tomorrow whilst watching the World Track Cycling on the Red Button - British Girls got Team Pursuit Gold and Sprint Silver, Hoy and Kenny through to Semi's (unfortunately against each other) in men's sprint.
LT Foundations for the next two days, and that will be the first week over - phew! Out Saturday night with friends. Might squeeze in a ride on Sunday...
So it was off to Bury St Edmunds (BSE!) on the train. Seemedd simple, Norwich to Stowmarket CHANGE then Stowmarket to BSE. Only snag was at Stowmarket, the sheer volume of comuters getting on, prevented my leaving so it wa on to Ipswich and then back - nice and scenic but obviously killed the time schedule.
Arrived at BSE and got to venue for Re-thinking Evangelism seminar/forum thing - quite varied and informative, and also presented in a relaxed way. Speakers included Andrew Buttress (Spectrum), Krish Kandiah (The EA), Dave Gardner (Vicar of Woodbridge) and others.
Returned by train (no mishaps this time) , and managed to finish reading my first book - "Brothers we are not professionals" by John Piper (only 4 more to go!).
Evening in, on my own so cracked on with my LT foundations assignment (and completed it) due in tomorrow whilst watching the World Track Cycling on the Red Button - British Girls got Team Pursuit Gold and Sprint Silver, Hoy and Kenny through to Semi's (unfortunately against each other) in men's sprint.
LT Foundations for the next two days, and that will be the first week over - phew! Out Saturday night with friends. Might squeeze in a ride on Sunday...
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Sabbatical Day 3 - Fast speed & single speed
A new day, and more sun, so the proposed ride with Mark was on...
In all 56 miles at an 18.2mph average - good ride! Funniest things was that we went out to the coast - Sheringham and Cromer, but other than a few miles, it ws all back roads and most of the time although generally aware of location, specifically had no idea where we were! - No punctures today - hoorah!
Practical project no.1 kicked of - The Singlespeed conversion of my Trek, both derailleur's, chain, large (outer) chainring and cables removed. Next job is to beg,borrow or otherwise obtain a chain whip, to remove the cassette from the rear wheel, then it is the fun job of putting it all back together again!
KK meeting last night (slight hiccup in sabbatical plans) - good meeting though, lots sorted, and some great ideas.
Off to Bury St Edmunds tomorrow...
In all 56 miles at an 18.2mph average - good ride! Funniest things was that we went out to the coast - Sheringham and Cromer, but other than a few miles, it ws all back roads and most of the time although generally aware of location, specifically had no idea where we were! - No punctures today - hoorah!
Practical project no.1 kicked of - The Singlespeed conversion of my Trek, both derailleur's, chain, large (outer) chainring and cables removed. Next job is to beg,borrow or otherwise obtain a chain whip, to remove the cassette from the rear wheel, then it is the fun job of putting it all back together again!
KK meeting last night (slight hiccup in sabbatical plans) - good meeting though, lots sorted, and some great ideas.
Off to Bury St Edmunds tomorrow...
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Sabbatical Day 2 - Sun, Cycling, Shorts
What a beautiful day - sun and plenty of it, barely a breath of wind, and the temperature was good and high too. Just gotta ride don't cha?
So inevitably the posh bike was wheeled out and I set out with the goal of acheiving my first metric century for 2011. [Mid route, another achievement with my 2nd puncture of the year - changed tube and continued, later discovered that my previous fix (yep same tube/tyre combo) had failed!] Glorious cycle, shorts for all (?) and target achieved with an eventual mileage of 67miles, breaking my "records" for 20miles and 50 miles in the process - update on all of these figures at end of week.
Thinking of subtitling this sabbatical as a Sub-Fat-ical as a motivator - Whlst I don't necessarily need to lose weight I wouldn't mind re-distributing it! So Wii fit was dusted off and the scary moment of a weigh-in - a pleasing BMI of 24.39, and corresponding weight of 11 stone 11. No logic to this but I like the sound of 11.5 stone and/or a BMI of 23.80 - something to work at then... 50 minutes of exercise ensued - more to come...
Invited out on a ride tomorrow with a guy training for London to Paris in the summer, looking like it will be another great day - got to be done then innit?
Mowed lawn, and cleaned kitchen plus washing / ironing - domesticity rocks!
Lazy evening but well deserved - well i think so anyway.
So inevitably the posh bike was wheeled out and I set out with the goal of acheiving my first metric century for 2011. [Mid route, another achievement with my 2nd puncture of the year - changed tube and continued, later discovered that my previous fix (yep same tube/tyre combo) had failed!] Glorious cycle, shorts for all (?) and target achieved with an eventual mileage of 67miles, breaking my "records" for 20miles and 50 miles in the process - update on all of these figures at end of week.
Thinking of subtitling this sabbatical as a Sub-Fat-ical as a motivator - Whlst I don't necessarily need to lose weight I wouldn't mind re-distributing it! So Wii fit was dusted off and the scary moment of a weigh-in - a pleasing BMI of 24.39, and corresponding weight of 11 stone 11. No logic to this but I like the sound of 11.5 stone and/or a BMI of 23.80 - something to work at then... 50 minutes of exercise ensued - more to come...
Invited out on a ride tomorrow with a guy training for London to Paris in the summer, looking like it will be another great day - got to be done then innit?
Mowed lawn, and cleaned kitchen plus washing / ironing - domesticity rocks!
Lazy evening but well deserved - well i think so anyway.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Sabbatical Day 1 - Lazy days
Hello, good morning and welcome to my sabbatical.
A what you say? A sabbatical - According to Wikipedia Sabbatical stems from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing" - it is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year.
In my case it is a month now up to and including 20th April and then a couple of months in the summer. Being an erstwhile blogger anyway I thought why not share my thoughts and musings eac day from my sabbatical and see what happens.
Ok, I have 3 focuses (or is that foci) for my sabbatical - Rest, See, Think - pretty straightforward huh?
Rest, I reckon stands for Ride, Eat, Sleep, repeaT, so there will be some cycling going on, but it is essentially a break from the norm, so rather than lie still for a month I will be keeping myself busy in other ways, doing chores & oddjobs, might even cook a meal or three! Generally spoiling my wife as much as possible and trying to be a decent husband and dad.
See, is all about looking at what is going on in other churches/organisations, and as such i have a few visits planned, so will report on those as and when
Think, is having time to read, study and ponder about stuff, about my role, about the wider work that OG is involved in, or could be...
So intro over, day 1 report:
As the title suggests a lazy day - i did put in a 42miler on the posh bike, which was all very good and to keep the totals updated - did 235 miles last week all in too. Other than that, we did a dump run with bottles and hedge trimmings, went to Aylsham sales then had lunch at Greens, before coming home and watching a pre-recorded police drama on TV, then received a Tesco grocery delivery, had tea and watched TV some more during the evening, with a little bit of ironing thrown into the mix - A lazy day.
A what you say? A sabbatical - According to Wikipedia Sabbatical stems from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing" - it is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year.
In my case it is a month now up to and including 20th April and then a couple of months in the summer. Being an erstwhile blogger anyway I thought why not share my thoughts and musings eac day from my sabbatical and see what happens.
Ok, I have 3 focuses (or is that foci) for my sabbatical - Rest, See, Think - pretty straightforward huh?
Rest, I reckon stands for Ride, Eat, Sleep, repeaT, so there will be some cycling going on, but it is essentially a break from the norm, so rather than lie still for a month I will be keeping myself busy in other ways, doing chores & oddjobs, might even cook a meal or three! Generally spoiling my wife as much as possible and trying to be a decent husband and dad.
See, is all about looking at what is going on in other churches/organisations, and as such i have a few visits planned, so will report on those as and when
Think, is having time to read, study and ponder about stuff, about my role, about the wider work that OG is involved in, or could be...
So intro over, day 1 report:
As the title suggests a lazy day - i did put in a 42miler on the posh bike, which was all very good and to keep the totals updated - did 235 miles last week all in too. Other than that, we did a dump run with bottles and hedge trimmings, went to Aylsham sales then had lunch at Greens, before coming home and watching a pre-recorded police drama on TV, then received a Tesco grocery delivery, had tea and watched TV some more during the evening, with a little bit of ironing thrown into the mix - A lazy day.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
30 days of biking - yes please!
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| Why are you riding? |
Quite simple - just ride your bike every day for 30 days (During April) and blog / tweet etc as you go - I'm in!
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Give Cyclists Space!
Got the T-shirt yet? - No - get one - they do car stickers too!!!
Spread the word
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