Chocolate Beaches, Dim Students and Witch Hunting

More classic eyebrow raising conversations whilst drinking my beer in the Hollin Bush….

A: I got offered work in Brazil once but I turned it down

B: What and miss the Cocoa Cobana?

and later in the same conversation….

A: There are a lot of slums in Brazil. They call them Gavelas you know.

(Favelas – good try though)

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I do wonder if it’s just me being over read in trivia or whether education has really plummeted. I watched University Challenge last night on television. With ten minutes to go, Bangor were leading University College, London by 100 points to zero but still managed to lose. I felt sorry for mature student, Tomlinson, in the Bangor team for having to put up with his other team members being so dim. I answered more questions correctly than the lot of them, screaming the answers at the tv.  Yes I know the Italian origins of the word “madrigal”, characters in operas such as Dido, and that Triton is a moon of Neptune. So why don’t you?

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I’ve been doing some long distance training in the pool, 2km stretches, to build my endurance. I’m disappointed that my first Aquathlon of the year in Halesowen has been cancelled due to lack of numbers though. I may do a 10km road race instead that day. Still no opportunity due to the snow and ice to get on my bike for a good ride either.

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Rehearsals start again tomorrow for my contribution to the live set up of Tokyo Witch Hunt. We have a gig at the beginning of March in Leeds and no doubt Izzie will be plugging the album.

Better go find my guitar…and cables… and amp and…

Kicking Up A Stink

Down at the local pool....not!

I got asked to a jam night at The Springvale Pub. The fact that I got blisters playing proves how long it is since I picked up a guitar. Anyway, it’s always nice to play with a live band. There were five of us who had never played together, nor even met each other before the night. However, we rocked out to Roll Over Beethoven, I Saw Here Standing There and, of course, Johnny B Goode. Made a nice change.

Sticking with music, I called Sheffield Arena Box Office to get tickets to see The Who. All were gone within an hour of going on sale except the crappy seats. Would have been nice to see them again but I’m not that desperate. Another time, maybe.

After a pool workout the other day, a young chap came up to me in the Reception area and asked me if I swam every day and if I did triathlons. He was impressed with my swimming. This was quite an ego boost for me. I’m far from the finished article but the compliment was a good feeling.

I managed 25:18 at the 5km Park Run. This was the 100^th at Concord. It was quite windy and cold. I was trying to go sub 25 mins but I went off too hard at the start and flagged a little towards the end. Next week!

Back in the pool on Sunday morning, I managed 2km amidst the bingo-winged chatterboxes doing breadths whilst navigating beach balls and such like. However, it was the first time I had ever smelt someone’s perfume whilst having my head under water. The smell was pungent enough to be so noticeable under 6 feet of chlorinated water. That’s what I call strong perfume! Why do women wear perfume and makeup to go swimming?  

 Bizarre.