A break...

In 1995 Ali and I were married and we went to the Isle of Wight for our honeymoon. It's a mere 12 and a bit years later and we've just been away together on our own AGAIN! This time we went to Bournemouth to a hotel for two nights and it was marvellous! Big thanks to the Frames for moving into our house and sorting seven kids in our absence...

I must recommend The Starlight curry house to both of you. Faultless! The service was actually fast!* I thought something must be wrong - we ordered, and the food arrived within a few minutes :-O The Chicken Tikka Madras I had was spectacular as well; just shy of my pain threshold, yum.

Who knows, in 2020 we may go somewhere again...

*At the other extreme was the IaMT curry in Southampton recently. I arrived about an hour late, but we were still waiting another hour later for the food to arrive. There were mumblings about going to the Chippy next door for sustenance while we waited. At one point some of the assembled stood up to change places (I think they were actually checking their legs still worked after being motionless for so long...) and the owner burst from the kitchen waving his arms thinking we were leaving having simply given up in despair...

Two of my favourite subjects...

Just saw this headline and thought, "Well, here two of my worlds collide!": "Obesity as big a threat as Climate Change"

"Conscious control" definitely describes me and Mr Winner!

I agree that small changes will not be sufficient to affect your weight and shape - a change of lifestyle is needed, albeit exercise, in my case, was not found to be necessary. I have now, however, started swimming and running again (I used to do short triathlons; I am thinking about doing them again...).

And on the subject of Climate Change, I hope you had a look at http://climatedebatedaily.com/ - read it with an open mind.

Obesity is not up for question but Anthropogenic Climate Change most certainly is.

Packhorses...

Just got in from the school run (non-uniform day for the girls, oops, will go back shortly with other clothes for them...). I saw a Mum heavy-laden with bags whilst her two boys happily walked alongside her. Why do most Mums do this?? One of our boys went to a friend's house after school yesterday and that Mum even offered to carry his stuff for him! Why?? Make the kids carry their own stuff. It's their stuff and they get used to it quite happily.

Will it be these Mum's who later can't understand why their kids don't do anything for themselves? "Why do I have to do everything around here?" they will cry, "Because you always did!" could be the response...

Pretentious? moi??

I just need to say that I had to Google Beethoven to find out who Orpheus actually is.

Phenominal...

Just watching "The South Bank Show" - they are profiling an extremely gifted pianist called Lang Lang and, I kid you not, he is one of the most amazing musicians I have ever seen. But, what's struck me is his emotional connection with the music he's playing (let alone his technical brilliance) - he demonstrates Orpheus' pain so very clearly (in the Beethoven) as he plays the notes. He is physically expressing the emotions as he plays. Such a very deep understanding here, quite sublime.

You think the debate is over? Think again...

Check out this site: http://climatedebatedaily.com/

I am firmly on the right hand side.

It's official...

...I am officially no longer OBESE!
Even the extremely unfair BMI chart confirms that I am now only OVERWEIGHT.
That's good then...

What's in a name...?

I was playing golf today with an extremely good friend today at Chilworth. I shall disguise his name, let's call him Dim Sendy (not his real name...). It was his birthday today and in honour of this great day I was enjoying a half corona cigar (Henry Winterman) on the 13th fairway. He looked across at me from the rough before taking his sixth (or so...) shot and said, "You remind me of Hannibal Lecter..." Well, I was taken aback - that's a bit harsh, I thought, "No, hang on", he said, "I mean Hannibal from the A-team!"

What's in a name, eh? Small difference...