Beetroot, Kettle Bells & Nights Out

I seem to keep having some real clumsy mishaps of late.  If spilling a whole tub of paint in the back of my car wasn’t bad enough, last week I dropped a full jar of beetroot in the kitchen.  I was putting it on the shelf in the fridge and somehow I missed and it smashed on the floor and went everywhere.  Phil took one look, swore at me and then scarpered off to the conservatory leaving me to clean up the mess.  And what a mess it made. I cleaned up as much of the glass and the slices of beetroot with kitchen roll and then swept with the dustpan and brush. Smithereens of glass were everywhere so I had to get out the hover.  I also had to get the fridge right out to the middle of the kitchen because the beetroot juice had gone underneath.  It was a right mess and took me a whole hour of scrubbing.   I was so cross with myself, won’t be doing that again in a hurry!

I don’t if I have mentioned that we fell out with our gym, David Lloyd before going away to Australia?   We phoned to tell them that we wanted to freeze our membership while we were away and they said that’s fine but they would charge us £70 for each month we were in Australia.  Of course, Phil said sod that and immediately stopped the standing order.  He then wrote a long letter cancelling our membership enclosing our cut up membership cards.   They didn’t reply before we flew away so we assumed, that was that.   Anyway we got back, there were a few letters to and fro and some nasty phone calls but in the end Phil got so fed up that the matter couldn’t be resolved that he wrote a letter to the MD.   This worked and within a couple of days, the general manager called to say that they wouldn’t charge us for the time that we were away as long as we paid up 2 months as a notice period.  Phil agreed to this on the provision that we could use the club in the 2 month notice period.  He went into the club to pay and they gave him 2 letters (one for me and one for him) signed the GM giving us temporary membership.    So for the first time yesterday, we went to use the club which was the first time in 7 months.  Of course we still have membership at DW but Phil hasn’t been for weeks and whilst I have been going daily, I find it a real pain driving all the way to Bletchley.

It felt strange at first going back in to the club but as soon as I got my kit on, I felt like I’d never been away.  I know I may come across as a snob but there is definitely a better class of clientele at David Lloyd, not many beer bellies (bar Phil’s) and no tattoos, well at least not any on show.   Phil managed a fairly good workout which was surprising seeing as he hadn’t been for weeks but I on the other hand, was not in such great shape.  On Tuesday I did some time on the bike, went to do 20 minutes on the cross trainer but had to get off because my ankle was really hurting.  This is an old injury which I think has flared up because all of the walking I’ve been doing lately.  Anyway, I decided to try out the kettle bells, I heard Jonathan Ross say on the radio that his personal trainer said that you can burn 400 calories in 20 minutes.   I didn’t really know how to use them properly and this was evident because one of the personal trainers came up and told me to stop because if I carried on doing it ‘my way’ then I’d hurt my back.  She said I needed a lighter bell and brought me an 8kg bell and showed me some moves.   Sam offered me a free training session and I booked my slot.  I used the bells for only a couple of minutes after she left and then gave up.

When I got up on Wednesday morning I could hardly move.  My ankle was still hurting and I was barely able to get out of the car let along manage a workout.  I had a rather pathetic attempt on a few machines and we finished our workout with a steam.  So, my first visit wasn’t a great success but it felt good to be back and I shall be making the most of it for the next 2 months.

On Wednesday night Phil & I walked to the pub Ship Ashore in Willen. It was only a 10 minute walk but I really struggled as I was in agony from the kettle bells.  We met up with Chris & Vanessa & Jim, Shirley & Tom.   It was a change for the girlies to go out on a Wednesday night but George is still away and Alfie is in hospital recovering from his operation.  Jim says he phoned the ward and the nurse said Alfie was sitting up in bed having his lunch, so fingers crossed the operation was a success and that he makes a full and speedy recovery. 

It was good seeing everyone especially Vanessa & Shirley.  Shirley has lost 2 stone and is looking really good for it, as is Vanessa, who has lost a stone and a half from all her training.  I wish the same could be said for me.  Phil was good and just had some nachos but I had steak & chips and a gallon of wine so bang goes my diet once again.  I’m going to have to rethink strategy because I’m not getting anywhere.  I think a complete abstinence from alcohol is probably the only answer.  Water instead of wine, that’s the key. Unfortunately we are away for the weekend so my new regime will have to start on Monday.  Why do we always start diets on a Monday????

I had booked my free training on session on Thursday morning but had the sense to cancel on Wednesday afternoon a) because I was going out in the evening and b) I ached so badly from my Tuesday session, there was no way I could face picking up a kettle bell.  This turned out to be a wise move because on Thursday I had a real thick head and didn’t get out of bed until half nine.  I pondered whether to go to the gym but decided to give my old body a rest and tackle the housework instead.  I have been a bit lax with the cleaning so the house needed a really good going over.  I was slow to start but once I got going there was no stopping me.   I cleaned all the windows inside out and even got the hover in the garage which I have been meaning to do for ages.  Whilst I was out clearing the leaves in the front drive, actually I was taking a break and chatting to Emma, I spotted Phil on a ladder.  Emma asked me what him what he was doing; he shouted back that he was filling the holes in the conservatory roof.  After lunch, chicken on the BBQ and salad, Phil worked out how to take down the blinds in the conservatory and for first time ever, we were able to clear out the dead leaves.  These have been bugging me for 2 years so I felt really happy.  I did contemplate getting the hose on the conservatory but then realised this would mess up my newly cleaned windows.  In the afternoon I changed the bed & all the towels and emptied the ironing basket.  A very productive day even if it did start a little late.

I managed to force myself to sit and fill in 2 job applications, a very long, laborious and tedious task.  Phil said he applied for a few jobs but I don’t know any details.  I also filled a rather long online application to appear on the next serious of Channel 4’s ‘Coach Trip’.  We first started watching this when we got back from Oz and were hooked.  I told Jim that we’d applied & he said that we would be good contestant but that we’d either be booted off on the first day or would stay until the end.  I this is right but I don’t think they we stand much chance of getting on. Applications had to be in by the 24^th and even if you’re considered then you have to go to an interval panel.  On the first I had to fill out there were lots of questions about what countries we’d visited.  Obviously we’ve been to a quite a few so they may think that we’re too well travelled.   I was scant in answering some of the questions and in the end I put  a link to the Oz blog which may, or may not go in our favour.  We shall just have to wait and see.

The weather has been fairly good this week and the forecast is hot and sunny for the weekend.   I was wondering whether to get out our posh garden furniture but you can bet if I do, then it will rain.   I must apologise for the lack of photographs, as you can tell, I have had to improvise!   The good news is that my muscles don’t hurt anymore, so I am going to post this blog and get going.  Places to go and people to see! 

Have a good weekend everyone and make the most of the sunshine………