Oh, I forgot to blog again!

So, I'll do a big catch up post one of these days. Until then, just letting you know I am still here, currently sitting in McDonalds with a hot chocolate, watching the rain getting heavier and heavier...

Gardening

I've never been much of a gardener. Both houses I've lived in by myself have got small gardens and I only really wanted a garden for the dogs. So over the years my garden has been very neglected and has accumulated a lot of junk where I have dumped stuff to 'sort out later'. 

Well, over the last few weeks I've been working on sorting out my garden. All the 'stuff' has been sorted, 3 car loads went to the tip! I've cut the grass a few times now which means its looking a bit more like a lawn. I've also placed some tree trunk slices and put some pots on them with plants in. The tree pieces and plants have come from work. I have lopped the overgrown trees back as much as I can and I've cleared the patio and have got furniture so I can sit outside. 

It actually looks really nice out there now and I'm enjoying my garden a lot more. 

Pic: one corner of my garden. I couldn't photograph any more because the washing was in the way! 

Windsor trail half marathon

I've just got back from completing the Windsor trail half marathon. It was off road, mainly along riverside footpaths though so not like a major cross country run! Also not too hilly. The views and scenery were lovely but it did get quite warm as the sun was out. I struggled with the last 3 miles but completed it in around 2:05 so not my best time, but I'm happy with that! 

R.I.P Lee Rigby

I don't normally write about politics or current affairs, this blog is more of a personal diary and a way for people who know me to keep up with my life. 

However I can't watch this incident pass without saying one thing. No matter what your religion, beliefs, politics or orientation, violence and aggression are not the answer. No one deserves to die the way that Lee Rigby did. No one. 

The weather.

Not the most exciting topic, but what the heck is the weather doing at the moment? Today is cold, raining and we've just had a hail storm. In Scotland roads are closed due to snow! It's 23rd May for goodness sake!! I suppose I at least picked a good day to go home early and curl up on the sofa with a migraine. 

Anyway, last weekend was much nicer, it was dry and a little bit sunny. I took advantage on Saturday and got the grass cut front and back, including trimming the edges (by hand with shears, I 'killed' my last two strimmers so not buying another one). It's starting to look a lot nicer outside. Clearing the patio has made a huge difference and I'm quite enjoying sitting out there now. I've had several meals on the patio despite the weather not being very good! Ahh, the benefits of a covered patio! I will take some photos at some point. 

I've also got a few plants out there now as well. There are a lot of plants at work that will just get bulldozed when the land is re-developed later in the year, so we've got permission to take what we want. I've taken a few small things to put in pots and a couple of roses that I've planted out. I'm wary of planting too much as I really don't want a high maintenance garden, but roses don't need constant care. 

In other news.... I've now had a water meter fitted. It took one phone call and a twenty minute visit and will save me a lot of money I think. I should have done it a long time ago. I've been meaning to!! 

I'm running another half marathon on Sunday, the Royal Windsor trail half marathon. I'm not pushing for a time, it's my first off road half (although its not like proper cross country stuff, more like foot paths along the river) and I am always slower off road. I've also gained weight over the last few weeks and haven't run much this week so I'm aiming for a finish, with no other goals in mind. I think it will be quite a scenic route so I am looking forward to it from that point of view. 

May.

May is over half way through. Summer should be on its way but its not looking very promising. Today has been the first time in about 3 weeks it has been dry enough at the weekend to cut the grass! I have spent a couple of hours this afternoon doing just that, and some general garden tidying too. In about a week it will look like I never did it. 

May Day was fun. We went to the local May Fayre and looked at all the stalls and the car boot sale. I bought a few bits but not much. 

Next weekend I'm hoping to do the Royal Windsor Trail Half Marathon. It'll be my first off road half, but since I run about ten miles mainly off road most Sunday mornings, I'm not too worried. It's footpaths along the river mostly, not major cross country running! 

Tonight is the Eurovision Song Contest. I'll be watching at home and chatting with friends online. I've got dinner in the slow cooker, and popcorn and beer ready. I might walk up to the fair at the park and see how expensive the candy floss is, just for a treat!! 

Canterbury

Today I went with my brother to visit both my nieces in Canterbury. They're both at university there, one at Canterbury university and one at University of Kent. Total coincidence led them to end up on opposite sides of the same city, it could so easily have been opposite ends of the country!

Today we had some of niece #2's things to deliver that she wasn't able to take when she went back after Easter. We did that first, she showed me her room in halls and did a tour of the campus for me.

Next we went across town to niece #1's house which I also hadn't seen before. Then the four of us went out for lunch, did a bit of food shopping for the girls before dropping them each back 'home' and driving the couple of hours back. It was a lovely day.

I'd left my dog with my sister-in-law so I picked her up and went home, then later I went out to an ice hockey match. It was a really good game and the team I was supporting won, 6-5.

Pic: view of Canterbury from UoK, in the gloomy weather we had when we arrived!

Another half marathon.

Last Sunday I ran my second half marathon. It is known to be a tough course with an incline that goes on for almost 3 miles at one point. It's my local half marathon though so I felt that I should do it at least once.

I took is a bit slower than my first one, and have to say I enjoyed it a lot more. The weather was great, bright and sunny but not too hot. Being local, I saw a few people I know along the route supporting the runners (thanks guys!) and some of my running club friends came to watch too. There were about half a dozen from my club running it which was nice.

I finished in a respectable 2:02:12 which I was very happy with since I was deliberately taking things slower.

Going mobile!

I've just downloaded the mobile app for blogger. Don't know why it didn't occur to me to do this before, I've had this phone about 3 months now! Anyway it means I can update my blog more regularly now because I don't switch the desktop on very often any more and I couldn't post on my phone before.

This week I've been on annual leave from work. I've been keeping busy, I've had an eye test, a manicure, 2 doctors appointments (migraines) and have cleared my patio of rubbish. (That may not sound like much but there was a lot of rubbish!) Today I have to take the caging out the car and take all the rubbish to the tip. I have also done some dog walks and been to the gym a few times.

I was supposed to have a health/lifestyle assessment today but its been postponed as their spinal analysis machine is away for repair.

So, since this is my first post typed while still in bed I shall sign off, hit 'publish', hope it works and go get on with my day!

Quarterly report!

Yes, it's almost a quarter of the way through the year and I haven't blogged anything yet!!

Well that's probably because there is very little to blog sadly.

Life itself is pretty much unchanged. I had some really lovely time off work over Christmas and into January which was just what I needed. I had a lovely birthday, over the course of a week I went out for lunch with a friend, lunch with family and an ice hockey match with friends.

Work is unchanged. I am now on the 3rd intake of dogs since I started my current project and the project itself is halfway through. I have no idea how it will go long term, other areas have had some issues with the project but it's working well for me.

Running is going well. I gained weight over Christmas and that slowed me down, along with lack of training. I have now lost the weight and put in some proper training, and am pleased to say I completed my first half marathon in dreadful weather last weekend, in 1 hour, 58 mins and 58 secs. I was very pleased to get sub two hours as I knew it was going to be close, and I ran my socks off for it!!

The Friday before the half marathon we had the running club end of year dinner dance/ball. I bought a lovely long strapless blue dress, which I got in a charity shop for £8!!

I knew I would get an award for completing all of the cross country races in the league which the club enters, but I had no idea I would also be presented with the trophy for 'Most Improved New Runner'!!! I'm still convinced they've got me mixed up with someone else....

Tarka is doing really well. She has been diagnosed with early stage kidney disease but you wouldn't know it, and she's just had a good set of test results which have shown minimal/no changes in the last 3 months. She's 13 years old about now and you'd never know from watching her run round the woods!

So that it really, three months in words and pictures. If I think of anything else I'll come back and edit it, and I will try and keep a bit more up to date for the rest of the year.....