When I write emails I occasionally use completely nonsensical or random headings: a habit that gets some people trying to work out what went on in my head at that moment. The answer of course is usually 'very little'. Sometimes, like the above heading, the reason is obvious although completely untruthful. Today I have a whole day with no need to go out so that I can catch up with some things and prepare tonight's family dinner which is a special one: The Family's Son One, Jamie, leaves on Sunday for his gap year. His first stop will be Scotland to see family and then to work in Switzerland for the ski season before going to China to stay with his aunt who teaches there and take a Chinese language course. Chinese is considered an important language to learn in this part of the world.
Actually this week has been so busy I've not blogged (yesterday's Thankful Thursday was done a while ago) and I've only played one croquet match. It was an exciting one though. It was a handicap match with me giving the other played 7 free turns (called bisques). At the 3 hour time limit I was in turn with three hoops needed to win. I broke down after two hoops leaving the game level pegging (I wonder if that's where the term came from because pegs are used to mark hoops made in croquet). That means that you play on until someone makes a hoop. I eventually had an opportunity to fire at the hoop with a shot from a few metres away which, if I had missed, would have given my opponent an almost certain win. My ball hit the hoop quite hard, rattled around and just trickled through ending up where you see it in the photo. Results don't come much narrower than that.
Yesterday I went to a fitness studio (a gym by any other name) where they tailor a course for you and then monitor you right through the session (a sort of poor person's personal trainer). The purpose is to strengthen my leg muscles so that they are fitter when I get my knee replaced and also to do some cardiac work. I haven't been to a gym since the cardiac sessions after heart attack 12 years ago. I was fully expecting to ache all over this morning but I don't. That presumably means that either I'm fitter than I thought or that the initial workout was not challenging or both. Next session could well be a different matter!
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We lived in India for 5 years and everyone was playing croquet, I always wondered what it was, I had not ever heard of that sport until we went there. I would love to visit New Zealand, British friends of ours were posted there and they showed us pictures and a video, what a lovely place. Too bad it's so far away from Sicily. I am following you from Trapani.
ReplyDeleteBenvenuti nel mio blog Francesca. I wasn't aware that croquet was played in India. It's a very important sport in Egypt and played in other countries where there has been an English influence. New Zealand is a truly amazing country and I hope you eventually get to visit. I popped over to your blog. I shall be back.
DeleteI don't know croquet from crochet but I am glad you are exercising!
ReplyDeleteCroquet's the outdoor one Kay! Proper exercise seems to have taken a back seat during the summer in Europe and I have to remedy that.
DeleteThis sounds a bit ominous. Have you got all the bright and stretchy clothes? Fitter and thinner than a racing snake you'll be!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new knee.
Come on Adrian can you imagine me in bright and stretch clothes? The mind would boggle not to mention many other parts no doubt.
DeleteI imagine you're much more fit than you think, Graham. You walk a lot! I think your recovery from knee replacement will go very well, especially because you are preparing your body now. I like that days when we get to stay home, catch up....although, you are much more disciplined than I am {I just know this as a fact}. I get distracted from one room to another, unless I force myself to do otherwise, which is about as good as me forcing anyone else to do something ;)
ReplyDeleteYou may be right Heather. I suppose walking over 10k a day when playing in a croquet tournament is reasonable cardiac exercise and helps get rid of some of the spare tyre caused by the red wine. The ARADD also helps with the exercise walking from room to room even if it is frustrating mentally.
DeleteWell done on the croquet win and double well done with the gym. I'll remember Adrian's description of the new you, as it sounds like something my grandfather would have said.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pauline. The occasional win is good for morale. I have a feeling that my 'success' at the gym will be quickly rewarded with harder routines.
DeleteGo on, post photos of you in Lycra. That'll ensure the blog goes viral !
ReplyDeleteNae chance Marcel, nae chance at all.
DeleteThat hoop looks too narrow for the ball - are you using magic? ;) I'm sure you're fitter than you think, you never seem to sit down except maybe to do a blogpost now and then...
ReplyDeleteThere is about 1mm clearance between the ball and the hoop Monica. I don't sit down very often but I'm not sure that keeps me very fit but probably explains why I work off the red wine I drink.
DeleteDitto Dawn T. I want to reach into the image and move one of the legs out to make it easier. But I am unable to even get a basketball in a hoop unless I'm standing on a ladder... Never did have good aim.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried a basketball Katherine and today I could have done with wider hoops and a straighter eye too.
DeleteWow, that space between the croquet hoop is smaller than I realised. It must take a keen eye and a steady hand to get the ball exactly between the hoop. I have even more admiration for you now GB.
ReplyDeleteMe, I can barely get around a game of BOCCE with my head held high.
If you'd seen me this morning Virginia you';d have thought that I'd never played the game before.
DeleteI should add that, until I started playing both types of croquet and ran out of time I used to play boules (like BOCCE) here in New Zealand. Now I just play occasionally when I'm in France.
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