On Thursday - I was invited up to London to the press review of two shows destined for the Edinburgh Fringe, at the soon to be re-opened Arts Theatre, off-West End.
Alvin Ungloved and Tossers: More Balls Than Most. If you happen to be up at the festival then get along to see one or other.
Alvin started the evening off and I'm glad I got there for his show. Although he's billed as the godfather of rock and roll, he's closer to the grandfather but that didn't stop him giving a great performance and yes, he even did Coo Coo but not before he'd given us a guided tour of rock and roll with an original version of Hounddog, Rock around the clock and other great hits from the 50's and 60's. Look out for the look-a-likes in the supporting band - bearing a vague resemblance to Ian Hislop and Vin Diesel.
I'm obviously biased as Joe Hague (my Prince's Trust business) is in Tossers - although I have to say, it doesn't show the full extent of his juggling talents. However, having eight international jugglers on stage juggling anything from the more traditional oranges to plates, knives, champagne bottles, tables and chairs is quite a feat and the interwoven storyline and comedy makes it good, all round fun. West Side Story with balls.
Just to show that it's a small world, one of the people I met up there used to go to a school near where I went, which turned into our sister school later on in it's history. Both have now shut down! See you never know who you might get talking to.
Time management solutions for busy people - organise your business, your life and have fun.
Do You Squidoo?
I've just created my first Squidoo Lens - "What on earth is that?" I hear you ask. Well, it's just a way to create a specific page with information on a particular topic which could be anything under the sun. I've created one on Time Tips - so take a look and see what's there.
I will be updating it each week with a new Time Tip and once a month or so with a new Poll and reading recommendations, as well as adding additional resources once in a while.
Of course if you'd like to be kept informed, you can subscribe to a free weekly Time Tip directly to your inbox when you subscribe to my monthly newsletter - just register through my website.
I will be updating it each week with a new Time Tip and once a month or so with a new Poll and reading recommendations, as well as adding additional resources once in a while.
Of course if you'd like to be kept informed, you can subscribe to a free weekly Time Tip directly to your inbox when you subscribe to my monthly newsletter - just register through my website.
What am I reading?
Back in May I picked up some more reading material from the book stall at my parents annual village fete, which I am slowly working my way through. I also picked up a huge quantity of coaching related books from a fellow coach, so I have enough to keep me going for the rest of the year - which is just as well as one of my goals this year is to increase my reading. I'm aiming to read at least one fiction and one non-fiction book every month.
One of the books I picked up is The Life of Pi by Yann Martel and it's a wonderful book - far better than Ian McEwan's Saturday which I was reading earlier. I started off the month by finishing Kate Mosse's Labyrinth which has been compared to the Da Vinci Code - better written but not quite such a page-turner. I took a long break from Labyrinth having started it earlier this year but finally finished it at the beginning of the month. It's one of those very thick books - good for a holiday.
The Life of Pi is absolutely readable and beautifully written and has some wonderful observations on life which I'm going to pull out and use as the basis for a future blog or maybe even an article. I'm off into the garden to take a break from work, have some lunch and read some more of it.
One of the books I picked up is The Life of Pi by Yann Martel and it's a wonderful book - far better than Ian McEwan's Saturday which I was reading earlier. I started off the month by finishing Kate Mosse's Labyrinth which has been compared to the Da Vinci Code - better written but not quite such a page-turner. I took a long break from Labyrinth having started it earlier this year but finally finished it at the beginning of the month. It's one of those very thick books - good for a holiday.
The Life of Pi is absolutely readable and beautifully written and has some wonderful observations on life which I'm going to pull out and use as the basis for a future blog or maybe even an article. I'm off into the garden to take a break from work, have some lunch and read some more of it.
The English Weather
We're having a heatwave!!
People are complaining about the heat - it's been hot for a few days and yesterday was the hottest day so far. While I'm glad I'm not sitting in a stuffy office anymore and at least I can cool down, take a break and enjoy the sunshine in the garden when I want to. I know that soon enough we'll be complaining that it's cold, damp and miserable. Make the most of the summer but be sensible about what you do out and about in the heat.
Unfortunately although we get a lot of it (weather that is) - we're just not able to cope with it.
A few hot days and we're having a heatwave, the roads are melting, schools shut down because it's too hot, trains have speed restrictions and the roads are jam-packed with cars heading down to the coast. Further up north they had to restrict water after people selfishly using their sprinklers drained reservoirs so there was no clean water! Who really needs a green lawn in this weather - at least not to the detriment of other more important needs.
Autumn and it's the wrong sort of leaves on the line, too much rain and flooding causes major problems - although some of that is due to overdevelopment, building on floodplains and increase in run-off as the countryside gets concreted, tarmaced or paved over.
In Winter - a little snow and the country grinds to a halt because we can't drive in snow, the gritters never get out in time and people are so reliant on their cars.
In Spring it will be the floods and wind that disrupt us.
Ah, the English weather - at least it gives us something to talk about. :)
People are complaining about the heat - it's been hot for a few days and yesterday was the hottest day so far. While I'm glad I'm not sitting in a stuffy office anymore and at least I can cool down, take a break and enjoy the sunshine in the garden when I want to. I know that soon enough we'll be complaining that it's cold, damp and miserable. Make the most of the summer but be sensible about what you do out and about in the heat.
Unfortunately although we get a lot of it (weather that is) - we're just not able to cope with it.
A few hot days and we're having a heatwave, the roads are melting, schools shut down because it's too hot, trains have speed restrictions and the roads are jam-packed with cars heading down to the coast. Further up north they had to restrict water after people selfishly using their sprinklers drained reservoirs so there was no clean water! Who really needs a green lawn in this weather - at least not to the detriment of other more important needs.
Autumn and it's the wrong sort of leaves on the line, too much rain and flooding causes major problems - although some of that is due to overdevelopment, building on floodplains and increase in run-off as the countryside gets concreted, tarmaced or paved over.
In Winter - a little snow and the country grinds to a halt because we can't drive in snow, the gritters never get out in time and people are so reliant on their cars.
In Spring it will be the floods and wind that disrupt us.
Ah, the English weather - at least it gives us something to talk about. :)
Evening Cycle Ride - South Downs
I had a great bike ride on Sunday evening. It was too hot to do much during the day and I'd wanted to go out for a run or a long walk but waited until it had cooled down and decided to take the bike out and up onto the Downs. It's typical downland - rolling hills - mostly farmed with either crops or sheep and even a few cattle. Although it's close to Brighton and much of the built-up areas all along the coast are only a short distance away, once up on the farm tracks and into the valleys you wouldn't know.
It's a route I haven't done since last year and it's a shame really ... I should get out more! It did take a lot longer than it should have done, as I kept stopping to have a look around but I did manage to make it up most of the hills in between the pauses and I had a good nature ramble. You can read more about what I saw on my Sussex Nature Notes blog.
Make the most of the light summer evenings - while they're here. While it's too hot in the day to do much the evenings are cooler and it's still light until at least 9.00.
It's a route I haven't done since last year and it's a shame really ... I should get out more! It did take a lot longer than it should have done, as I kept stopping to have a look around but I did manage to make it up most of the hills in between the pauses and I had a good nature ramble. You can read more about what I saw on my Sussex Nature Notes blog.
Make the most of the light summer evenings - while they're here. While it's too hot in the day to do much the evenings are cooler and it's still light until at least 9.00.
Listening To The Radio Again!
I'm down in Somerset for the weekend. It's a beautiful part of the country here and I love coming down. Once off the main roads - it's a lovely drive and makes me smile as I leave the bustle and summer busyness of Brighton behind.
Fortunately my car radio is finally working again - Hurrah! It's been locked since I had my car serviced and they disconnected the battery. I've been driving around in silence for the last two weeks having been initially given the wrong code, which resulted in disabling the radio completely. Unfortunately it needed an hour to reset itself and I hadn't driven anywhere for long enough to clear it. Even disconnecting the battery again didn't work but finally driving over to my parents on the way down to Somerset was long enough and this time I had the right code.
I had ColdPlay on the CD, once I'd tired of Radio 4 - it was the only CD I had in the car having got used to no music for a while, I'd taken the others indoors. Great lyrics, very appropriate to my current thoughts and I could finally listen to them again. Another reminder that music is a great mood changer for when you're feeling sad or when you need a lift and especially on a sunny day with the top down driving through the English countryside on a summer's day.
Fortunately my car radio is finally working again - Hurrah! It's been locked since I had my car serviced and they disconnected the battery. I've been driving around in silence for the last two weeks having been initially given the wrong code, which resulted in disabling the radio completely. Unfortunately it needed an hour to reset itself and I hadn't driven anywhere for long enough to clear it. Even disconnecting the battery again didn't work but finally driving over to my parents on the way down to Somerset was long enough and this time I had the right code.
I had ColdPlay on the CD, once I'd tired of Radio 4 - it was the only CD I had in the car having got used to no music for a while, I'd taken the others indoors. Great lyrics, very appropriate to my current thoughts and I could finally listen to them again. Another reminder that music is a great mood changer for when you're feeling sad or when you need a lift and especially on a sunny day with the top down driving through the English countryside on a summer's day.
War Wounds
It's been a long while since I went out at the weekend and came back with war wounds! It used to happen quite regularly when I was climbing and diving (not necessarily at the same time) - I'd come back into work on a Monday morning with cuts and bruises from a weekend spent scrabbling up rock - yes, I know you're meant to use your hands and feet but when I was learning I found elbows and shins quite useful. Or bruised shins and arms from heaving a cylinder onto my back or from the weight belt.
This weekend I went out on Sunday for a ride in Alfriston Forest - just a few miles down the road to escape the heat of the afternoon under the trees. I came off twice. First time straight into a bed of nettles having failed to change gear quick enough going uphill. Of course it then took ages to find a suitable patch of dock with which to sooth the stings up my leg and arm.
Second time - I was going along on the flat, not paying enough attention and fell sideways the other way this time, resulting in a couple of gouges to my left knee which then bleed profusely.
Interestingly enough - I felt no pain at the time and only a few minutes later, once I'd rinsed off the worst of the blood and dirt (those of a delicate nature - look away now), did it start to hurt. Some powerful, instantaneous reaction by the body to an injury, which stops you feeling the pain
immediately. When it wears off - that's when shock sets in, I'm guessing. I've heard of this happening when people suffer severe injury or lose a limb or are involved in an accident. It's to do with beta-endorphins being released.
Anyway - it was hardly a severe injury and got cleaned up and doused with lavender (my answer to most injuries) when I got home. I'll just keep an eye out for gangrene.
This weekend I went out on Sunday for a ride in Alfriston Forest - just a few miles down the road to escape the heat of the afternoon under the trees. I came off twice. First time straight into a bed of nettles having failed to change gear quick enough going uphill. Of course it then took ages to find a suitable patch of dock with which to sooth the stings up my leg and arm.
Second time - I was going along on the flat, not paying enough attention and fell sideways the other way this time, resulting in a couple of gouges to my left knee which then bleed profusely.
Interestingly enough - I felt no pain at the time and only a few minutes later, once I'd rinsed off the worst of the blood and dirt (those of a delicate nature - look away now), did it start to hurt. Some powerful, instantaneous reaction by the body to an injury, which stops you feeling the pain
immediately. When it wears off - that's when shock sets in, I'm guessing. I've heard of this happening when people suffer severe injury or lose a limb or are involved in an accident. It's to do with beta-endorphins being released.
Anyway - it was hardly a severe injury and got cleaned up and doused with lavender (my answer to most injuries) when I got home. I'll just keep an eye out for gangrene.
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