It's beginning....

... to look a lot like Christmas!

I'm back after another break from blogging. (Unenforced, just busy!)
The tree is up, and Carla is busy making the place look and smell so Christmasy! She has been baking her bits off, creating some works of art in the kitchen. this is her very first gingerbread house built from scratch. I'm SO impressed.

If it tastes as good as it looks it'll be a knock out! Ad to this a whole family of gingerbread men too! I'm not quite sure what happened to the hard nosed banker I married. I'm sure she's in there nestled up with the baker!

Knowledge update: There is no update. I'm a bit disappointed with myself, but work has taken over for the time being. I finish here on December 23rd, then work from home for a month, then possibly I'm back reinstated as C/S manager once again... As a result, I havent done any runs or call overs for nearly two weeks. To be honest, it's bloody freezing here and currently sleeting so I'm not sure I would have been out anyway!

Frankie update: She has had her check up and unfortunately hasn't gained any weight for 3 weeks. It appears she has a dairy intolerance so we are monitoring her as she needs to plump up! she's happy in herself (Bar the teething!) so it's not a massive worry yet. Heres a picture of her in her Tottenham outfit. (Carla isn't too impressed I bought it...!)

*Proud Dad alert* I'm sure you'll agree she looks amazing! : )

The worst kept blog of the year!

Well here I am finally updating my blog. It's been a while, purely as I haven't had a second to myself...
Knowledge/job first.
The Knowledge is going well. Fifty runs left until I start pointing. Unfortunately, I haven't been calling over as much as I should due to me being so busy with other stuff. It'll be a slow and arduous task, but I'll get there I'm sure.
Job next. I have been approached by my board to take on my previous role as C/S manager as the incumbent just isn't cutting the mustard. This is all well and good, but as blogged previously, I had advised them I would be leaving on December 23rd as Carla is going back to work. So in the season of miracles, it has been agreed that I can work from home for a month until something is arranged. SUPERB! One whole month PAID whilst I look after Frankie. Of course, it means the Knowledge wil slow down, but beggars can't be choosers!

Frankie next. We took her to her physio last week and were told she IS making good progress but she may well need a splint to sleep in until the tendons stretch in her thumb. Next update is December 23rd. She's doing well though. She cut her first tooth yesterday (Dec 6th) on St Nicholas' day!
Here's a little pic to whet your appetite. As you can see, her cheeks are red due to the amount of teething going on!

and finally, I'm off to The Savoy tonight on a client do. I'll be sure to let you know what the new hotel is like!

Catch up

Firstly apolgies for my tardiness in writing on the blog. "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" wrote John Lennon. And never a truer word was penned! It's been a difficult week or two (Carla claims I'm on my cycle. I tend to agree.) The Knowledge still holds it's attraction, I just seem to have hit a writers block on the call overs. Imagine forgetting a road name you lived on for 20 years. That's what I have been doing lately. I guess my mind is absent for one reason or another. I'm sure it'll come good and I just have to go with the flow.

Frankie update: We went to hospital for her physio yesterday and the doctor isn't very happy with her thumb position. She likes to hold it inside her fist so she wants a second opinion on why this is happening and what can be done to sort it out. Of course this then leads to a mega session of Googling which leads me to think the worst etc etc. I have to be patient and let it follow it's own course.

Of course, this means I HAVE to show you a picture of my angel!

"Ah, Mr Brennan. about your pay rise...!"

One more thing. whilst on my way for a haircut on Saturday, I literally snapped this on the iPhone through the car window. The most amazing sunset was just falling back over the horizon. It wasn't until I looked closely I saw the aeroplane trail too. In my opinion it sums up how small and insignifcant we are in relation to Mother Nature.

A tiny update

On what's been happening.

Firstly the knowledge. Things are cracking on at a pace now. I hope to complete all 320 runs by end of December. This may well mean popping out during the Christmas period. Dedicated or mad? you decide!

Carla and Frankie update. Both are looking amazing:

Frankie is in her guise as ballerina extraordinaire!

Frankie is definitely starting to get bigger. She is loving her new pureed fruit and veggie mixes. So much so that she gets ratty if you're a minute late feeding her!

Work-wise, I'm all set to finish here on December 23rd. To be frank, it can't come quickly enough. It seems that some people/organisations want to have they're cake AND eat it when it comes to me.

I'll update with some pictures of my travels around London soon

Another small but significant landmark

Yesterday I completed book 3 of my runs. This means I have now completed 240 runs and have 80 left before I start pointing. Another way of looking at it is I have memorised around 2,500 roads. Written down like that it makes me realise what I have achieved so far! Tomorrow will see the start of the final set of runs. I'm getting excited by the prospect of finally getting to grips with the knowledge. As it is looking increasingly likely that I will be a Daddy-Mum next year, it will give me more time to knuckle down and try and push through it as quickly as I can. I'm also starting to notice a definite improvement in my memory banks. I seem to remember runs for longer now.

Whilst out yesterday I came across this statue (Which is actually a drinking fountain) at one of the entrancies to Regents Park. I thought it was lovely and took this picture:

This is all I could really discover about it on the net:


The Milkmaid

By sculptor Joseph Durham (1814-1877), this lovely lass was ‘presented to the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association to honour Matilda, wife of Richard Kent Esq, Junior Churchwarden 1878’. It is therefore often called the ‘Matilda’ fountain
Another one of London's interesting facts!

Frankie is coming along nicely. As I said previously, we are weaning her slowly and she is taking to solids (Well mushy stuff) like a fish to water. Here's a picture Carla talk mid feed:

She certainly looks like she's enjoying herself!!

One omission I always seem to make is Carla's update. She's doing really well and has lost 3.5 stones since having Frankie. She looks amazing! I'll try and get her to pose for a picture later today!

Slippery when wet

Yesterday was a confusing day for me. I had a coffee meeting with my largest client and my friend who also happens to be my director came with me. The meeting passed off uneventfully and I also managed to possibly sell some more services to the client. This will generate an estimated 200k of additional revenue per annum. It was after the meeting on the way back to the office that my director started waxing lyrically about how important I was to the company and how 2012 was looking good for us both..blah bla blah etc. He knows I'll be leaving this December! I didn't bother asking him the why's and wherefores. I just smiled and agreed. I'm getting a little tired of the toing and froing. I'm just going to keep my head down and concentrate on the knowledge and TWC can sort itself out! Speaking of which, the weather here is atrocious. I took this picture at 5.45 this morning:

As you can see, its torrential rain. As I type its still pouring down. And the forecast is for lots more over the next few days so no runs for me until it slows down. To be honest, it's a blessing in disguise as it gives me a chance to catch up on some call overs! Finally a Frankie update. She now weighs 13LBS! Wonders will never cease! She is also 26 1/2 inches long which makes her officially tall too!

End of an era.

Again! Today I was told that my services won't be needed at TWC after all. Not a great shock to be honest, but a small slap around the back of the knees nonetheless. It looks like I'll be seeing the year out here then I become "Daddy-Mum" in January. A task I am relishing. I do think this will be my last stint here though so that's kind of sad. But hey ho onward and upwards as they say! Tomorrow should see me completing the 3rd book of runs. Only 80 to go now. I'm finding it slightly difficult retaining the routes as there are quite a few already in there and it can get a bit confusing when calling them over. Carla has been an angel in helping me though. Just need a bit more concistency with the times i.e more runs called within a specific time frame. but all in all it's coming along nicely. I start pointing soon too which is finding the points of interest and memorising where they are. No mean feat I can tell you! Frankie is coming along nicely. We have started the process of weaning her from milk to solids. Something I'm told will take a while, up to a year in fact. She loves mango and banana though! Here she is doing her impression of a hoody:

Hopefully this blog will last a bit longer than the other two!

Well look who's back!

After a brief and unsuccesful flirt with another blogging site (Tumblr) I have decided to follow Mark http://tulstig.blogspot.com/ back to here. I shall be putting in some changes over the next few days so watch this space... again..!

Final post...

... On here!
My new home can be found at http://nicktb1.wordpress.com/

See you there!

Halfway today

And I'm celebrating with a pictureriffic post!

So today I reached my second milestone. Run 160 High Street Stratford to Balls Pond Road. Exactly halfway through my 320 runs. Who'd have thunk it? it seems like only yesterday (In fact it was 98 days ago!) that I reached my first 80 and moaned my arse off about doing The Knowledge..! I'm still moaning but I'm a tad more optimistic now..

A couple of pictures taken over the last couple of days:

Amy Winehouse' house in Camden Square. I actually passed this twice this week:

Firstly the tragic (IMO) death of Amy Winehouse. I'm firmly in the camp that consists of upset fans. Not the camp of "She's a scumbag who deserved it". My thoughts on addiction are quite well known. In that yes, there are some scumbag addicts out there who would no doubt be scumbags with or without the drugs. IMO Amy Winehouse was a victim of an over zealous record company who were making millions off the back of her talent and should that talent come from drug use then hey, lets finance it. I could go on and on, but it's probably prudent that I leave it there. Suffice to say RIP and hopefully you ARE at peace.

Secondly, I went to Alexandra Palace today. Somewhere I'd never been and know little about. What an awesome building. I definitely need to read up about it's history in more detail.
Here's the mast that sends out TV pictures across one half of London:

And the view from underneath it:

To the left is Canary Wharf, and to the right, the city. You can just make out the shard going up. I love Looking at London like this. Just don't really care for it when I'm IN it!

Lastly, and certainly by no means least, a Frankie update.

She hit seven weeks last Friday and as you can see, she's growing well!

We are having some issues with her feeds, but fingers crossed, these will resolve themselves over time and the nappy count will go down!

All in all I'm pleased with my progress so far, and in time I hope to speed up with the runs. My target is to finish them by December. We shall see!

Changes

Time for an update methinks. My bloggage (!) has been erratic to say the least, but I'm sure I can be forgiven due to the amount of changes going on!
Frankie update:
She's found her voice well and truly... She likes to sing and snuffle especially for her Mum and Dad at around 2 in the morning. Now as much as I appreciate her entertaining me, some sleep woldn't go amiss! As for Carla, I actually think she's forgotten what a full night's sleep is. Her last one was circa 6 months ago! We have a small worry in that Frankie's right hand is clenched up a lot leading the doctor to recommend a visit to the physiotherapist. Of course I'M worried and Carla is taking it all in her stride as per normal.. No update pictures yet as I'm at work blogging this!

Knmowledge update:
I went for my self assesment exam at the Public Carriage Office yesterday. It was an eye opener... I was led to believe it would consist of 5 runs (which it did) and multiple choice questions (Which it didn't!) it actually consisted of 10 blank maps (See below) on which I had to find two points of interest and a road... Not an easy task! This is what the blank map looks like:

You then need to find the location of the two points and mark them on the map as well as a designated street.... No mean feat! I also managed to misinterpret the instructions form the examiner... So I "only" scored 20 % on the map test. Add this to the runs and I managed a pass of 60%. Not bad for a complete shocker of a start!
It does mean I need to reasses my thinking re The Knowledge though. I will be making some important descisions in the coming days.
No music today as my employers frown upon Youtube!

You may also see I have changed the layout of this blog. I'm currently looking at purchasing some webspace to fully customise my blog and to give me a decent domaib name (NickTB@) watch this space!

Time for an update

There's been a bit going on!
Ok, Knowledge update. I have managed 6 runs in the last couple of weeks. Not much, but given the changes we have been undertaking acceptible I think. My only problem has been the calling over. When I get home, either I'm too tired or Carla is or Frankie is hungry.. I'm sure you get the picture! So I'm making a concerted effort to retain a semblance of normality to my life (And knowledge)
To this end I have taken the decision to leave TWC in the very near future. As it stands I would have left in January anyway to take care of Frankie while Carla returns to work, and I want to complete all 320 runs by January 2012 if possible. That way when the time comes, I will be pointing (Finding all of the points of interest and learning there whereabouts and committing that to memory. All 32,000 of them...!) 3 days per week and that in turn will see me start my appearances some time mid 2012. Currently I feel I will have wasted this summer by staying at TWC and working on the knowledge. All this is of course open to interpretation until I actually hand in my notice!

I also have my self assessment test booked with the public carriage office on July 22nd. This is purely a way to find out how the systenm works at the PCO and in no way has a bearing on my appearances or schedule on the knowledge. As it's a self assessment, you mark yourself, but it IS a good indicator as to how you're progressing.

So all in all a pretty busy time of upheaval (But in a good way)

Lastly, a couple of pictures of my girls. Well I couldn't really miss an opportunity could I??

Looking like Hitler's son!

A day out in Lakeside.. The only way is Essex stele!

It's been a while....

... But with good reason. At 10.47 on June 3rd, my life changed forever. I don't type those words lightly believe me! Francesca Olivia Brennan made her rather dramatic entrance (wonder where she gets that from??)

But I digress! Carla had her first contractions on Wednesday 1st which lasted around 12 hours then stopped. We had been told that Carla would be induced on Monday 6th but it looked like she was going to ignore that! The contractions started again on Thursday evening becoming strong enough for Carla to wake me up at 3am (!)

We went to the hospital at 4, and Carla was an absolute star. Handling the contractions like a pro. The midwife was a bit blasé about Carla's claims of Frankie's imminent arrival. That is unti she examined her and she was 3cm dilated! A bath and some morphine didn't really help Carla much, but an epidural later and she was set up to welcome Francesca!

Another check at 9am showed Carla as fully dilated. Even he midwife had a minor panic and pressed the emergency button to get some instruments bought in! An amazing hour or so followed with Carla pushing as she needed and at 10.47 frankie arrived. First thing that we noticed was her size 5.4lb. This was not expected! I cut her cord and things sort of went into a blur at that point. Frankie was given to Carla but hadn't taken a proper breath and she was slowly going blue, then purple. The midwife whisked her away to give her oxygen and over the next couple of minutes her pinky colour returned. A paediatrician was called in and we were given the all clear.

It was in the next couple of hours that it was noticed that she wasn't feeding to well and her blood sugar was not regulating and had in fact dropped considerably. We were told we couldn't go home that night and that frankie was to be monitored overnight. Next day no improvement meant a transfer to a midwife unit for Frankie's feeding to be monitored along with her bloods. 3 days later she had only lost 3 ounces meaning she was ok to go home. What a strange feeling taking a baby home with you!

As of yesterday (14th) she had put on on over half a pound so she has clearly inherited our fat genes!! Ayway as I type, all is well with her and Carla, and here are a couple of pictures to show you how she's grown in the last 12 days:

15 minutes old!

11 days old

As for the Knowledge, I hope to get started again next week. But watch this space for some interesting developments on the work front...

Birthdays, cabs and gore!

It was my birthday on Friday, and a parcel arrives. It's addressed to me, but has no other markings... Upon opening it, I discover a black taxi money box! Happy birthday to me! but no clue as to who it came from! A bit later in the day I receive a text from Mark cryptically asking if I had a cab yet or was I saving for one? Cryptic clue solved! Thanks so much Messrs TulStig! Here it is in it's new home next to another iconic feature of London, a pillarbox:

Whilst out on one of my runs today, I came across one of London's grislier sights. 97 Evering Road, the basement flat here is the site of the Krays murder of JAck "The Hat" McVitie. Not pleasant I know, but a historic site nonetheless. You can just about make out the flat on the right in this photo:

More interesting sights to come, I'm sure!

Reiki update: My neighbour texted Carla claiming I had magic hands and that she wants another session this week as her back has rarely felt better. I'm super chuffed to hear this, as I have also been administering Reiki to Carla, who is now sleeping better as a result. Awesome!

As for today's song, this came to me whilst zooming about on the bike Crazy

KRAYzy..... Sorry....

A long one!

Fnaaaar...

Went out and did a couple of runs today. One was average (About 12 roads) but the other, well it was huge!
The run consisted of 39 roads from The London School of Music SW7 to Crouch Hill station NW6. 39 roads.. count 'em! it was ok though as I knew a large piece of the run from previous ones. This will now be called the criss cross effect from this point on!

One interesting thing I saw was this piece of art on Park Lane opposite the Hilton hotel:

Researching it back home, it appears it was designed and made by Lorenzo Quinn I've seen it previously but could never park to get a shot of it. It was designed and made by the Italian artist and son of Anthony Quinn. This is the part of the knowledge I love. Discovering interesting facts about London. It makes things so much more exciting.

On to Reiki matters. After administering Reiki to my neighbour for her bad back, I have left her to her own devices since she came back from holiday. I decided not to mention it, after initially asking how her back was with the intention of seeing how she got on. I'm pleased to say I have just received a text from her asking for another session. This has really pleased me as it proves to me that it did do something (Not that proof were needed, but you get my drift) as she came back to me off her own back (Pardon the pun!) so a further session has been organised for tomorrow night.

Talking of tomorrow, it's my birthday and Carla has just bought me this:

an iPad 2 so I can be connected even MORE than I am now (If that's even possible!)

Today's tune? A take on my long run today!

Going over old ground

Today I went over a run that has eluded me sinceI started doing the knowledge. Around run 20 I had a major wobble and had to make a decision as to whether I continued or not. As a result, that particular run was never completed. When call over time arrives, we skip over it. I always knew I would have to redo it, but I waited until I was back in that part of London again. (The knowledge works like concentric circles around the 6 mile radius of Charing Cross, working from farthest out to nearest in) So today I tackled my nemesis... And you know what? It was ok! I ran it once and called it back. It shows how my learning is changing from being wary and unsure to actually realising I can learn it!

No pictures today as Putney has very few quirky things to photograph!

Todays song is one that has been floating around my head for a while now. The Who

I wish I had known Keith Moon!

It's all about the music...

.... and it's been all around me lately. Last night, much banter and merriment ensued with Mark and I exchanging a number of texts whilst watching the Eurovision song contest. After saying I would never watch such a boring show, Mark suggested I should watch it and to my surprise it was actually rather good (In an ironic way!) I was most impressed with the Ukraine entry and also Spain's (For reasons other than musical!!) and I was actually quite sad Blue finished below Jedwood! So a big thanks to messrs TulStig for the recommendation

On to todays runs. I found myself in NW8 and Abbey Road, home of the Beatles Abbey Road studios and the famous Zebra crossing. An enterprising photographer has set himself up to precariously tale photos of tourists recreating the famous Abbey Road album cover while they dodge modern day traffic!

I'm parked on the reverse of the original photo looking at it from The Beatles point of view. That completed 108 runs (I think) so slowly chipping away at them!

Today's song can only really be a Beatles song
And this one is taken completely at random as asking me to choose my favourite Beatles song is like asking me to choose between Tottenham and Carla. Impossible!

Added two more runs

To my expanding list. That's 105 now, and my call overs are becoming more fluent. Still getting interrupted by all things baby though! Was at the midwife on Monday where all was reported as going well (Touch wood!) and as I type she's in her 37th week which means technically the baby could arrive any time.

On to Reiki. Practiced on Carla on Tuesday after seeking some guidance from Mark, as I wasn't too sure if it was advisable to offer Reiki to a pregnant person. As per Mark, if it feels odd for either of you, stop immediately. with that in mid, I proceeded to administer the Reiki, paying attention to Carla's hip and pelvis as she had been experiencing twinges there. I'm happy to report she didn't go into labour and her hip pain settled considerably. Add to that a good night's sleep, and I think it was rather succesful!

Todays musical treat?Not so much musical as hilarious

Morecambe And Wise
As it's my favourite comedy clip ever!

Not so much...

... On the runs front as Carla and I have been firmly ensconsed at the hospital. She has been suffering from dizzy spells and slight swelling of the feet. On our midwife visit on Monday high blood pressure was discovered so a trip to the hospital was in order. Upon reaching the hospital the next day her blood pressure was normal. The baby was fine too. So we sat there for 3 hours or so monitoring everything and all was fine. Until we were ready to leave and one more check on her blood pressure showed it had gone up higher than the day previously! so another trip back on Thursday for more tests. Fortunately everything was fine this time.

So, fingers crossed all will remain well for the next few weeks so I can get on with the knowledge!

Busy busy busy!

Well what a few days! On Thursday after completing some more runs Carla and I went to Costco to stock up on a few bits. On the way out we popped into TGI Fridays. Never again! As much as Carla enjoyed her "Filth Food" It was indeed that. Filthy. Greasy sickly Nachos and cheese.. Won't be back there in a rush!

On Friday we spent the day at a friends who hosted a garden party for the royal wedding. I saw about 20 minutes and that was enough. (Although I did watch the highlights and thoroughly enjoyed them!) Friday evening was spent relaxing and watching TV.

On Saturday I drove in to London to collect Tony and Sean who I recruited to help with decorating the nursery. It cost me a BBQ, but it was worth it as they did a great job.

On Sunday my brother and his wife came over for lunch. He produced some great photos of his recent trip to Cuba. Not much jealousy from us two!

On Monday I drove into London again to complete 3 more runs which took me to 99. Saw an interesting sight in Champion Park. This prowling wolf:

After some investigation, it appears that there is a series of public art sculptures in and around the borough. I'll be keeping an eye out for more quirky sights whilst on my travels.

Edging closer..

.... TO the 100 run mark. Hit 96 today. Unfortunately no pictures as the only thing worth photographing were the thousands of people gathered around Buckingham Palace/Mall and Parliament Square for the wedding tomorrow. And you try stopping and photographing with the police presence that was there today!!

Can you believe there are people that have been camping out since yesterday? Personally I don't care about the wedding but each to there own I suppose!

So it looks like a busy weekend of parties and visits for Carla and I then back on the bike on Monday.

Can't wait!

Today's song is appropriate I suppose

Updates on the weekends events to follow

Just remembered...

.... That I have to send off for my written test before July end. So I shall do that tomorrow as I have completed the first blue book of 80 runs. Even though the Public Carriage Office freely admit the test is pointless and self scored! I suppose I will get a feel of what the place is like though. More to come on that when I get my date.

On to todays runs. I only managed two and they were Canonbury Lane to St Johns Wood and St Johns Wood to Victoria coach station. On my way through I came across this familiar address:

221b Baker Street home of Sherlock Holmes. Interestingly enough, This address didn't actually exist until 1989 when planning permission was granted for the museum. In the picture you can just see a "policeman" he's an actor and during the winter months he can be found in his tunic and cape. Much more atmospheric! All that's needed is some fog!

Today's song is by The Police

(See what I did there??) :D

A trip down memory lane...

Today I came across two areas of London that had massive input into my (And other's) life.
Firstly, whilst on run 5 of list 6 Myddleton Square to Golden Square, I headed down Berwick Street. As some of you may know and others definitely don't, my Dad owned a cinema there called Spartacus. This just happened to be where Mark and Tony met. True to my promise, I took a photo:

As it was market day, I couldn't ride down there. But when I get a chance next, I'll show you where the cinema was. I say "Where" as it has been knocked down and flats built. The march of time I suppose? No more romantic liaisons there then!
It appears the planets collided when Carla and I met! we have a lot of mutual stuff in common. Talking of us meeting, I slide swiftly on to my next area. Beak Street W1. Home of The Tatty Bogle club (Which I'm sure is still going, but could be wrong!) this is where Carla and I met one fateful evening, and where she snogged my face off in a drunken slurpy kiss fest. Below is Kingly Court, and Tatty Bogle is up the end on the left:

Who'd have thought we'd be where we are now after that one night?

And to add to my day, I got home tonight and the postman had delivered this:

So thanks to Mark for organising the Reiki weekend, and thanks to Jane for sending me the certificate!
All I need now is a decent frame.

So with all this in mind, it has to be THIS

Still gives me goosebumps as it was at Tatty's on THAT night I first heard THIS!

Out with the old

On Wednesday last week I part exchanged my bike for a bigger one. One which will hopefully see me through the K. It's massive and seriously comfortable, so I don't mind spending 4-5 hours in the saddle (So to speak!) Here's a pic:

Also I think I may try and take an interesting picture around London whilst I'm on my runs. (Ala Mark's blog)and post them up here.
Of course, I may well forget, so don't hold me to it to strongly! Here's one to be getting on with, taken on Saturday:

As for the runs, I'm now on 86, and trying my best to get a minimum of 3 done per day, 5 days a week. (Royal weddings and bank holidays permitting!)

Also joned a new gym this week and had a good workout this morning. After turning up at 7.15 this morning and then realising it was not open, I Googled the clubs opening times and came across this!!
Of course I had a peek in the sauna and they are right! LOL

Today's tune? Ghetto Child by The Detroit Spinners A summer tune if ever there was one!

So there we have it

Completed my first Blue Book of 80 runs today. Bearing in mind my reluctance at the beginning, I think I have done well to get to this point. I need to be calling over more though. At the moment my call over rate is abysmal so more application there methinks!

For those who are interested, here's what 80 runs look like:

So today starts part two of my epic journey. Aldwych WC2 to Gloucester Road station SW7. A mere 14 roads to learn! although I must say with the weather as it is, even riding the bike is fairly pleasant!

Today's song is a bit of fun from the eighties

Makes me feel old!

The struggle.

Went out on my 76th run yesterday. It was not a good day! only 10 roads to remember, could I get them to sink in? could I buggery. It was like my brain was conspiring against me to stop me from remembering. The worrying thing is, I was easily hitting 3 runs per day and now it seems I can only get one run before I meltdown. I'm getting good encouragement on a number of fronts to continue which I will, but I feel I need to find a balance between work and The K.

Onto Reiki matters.
My neighbour got in contact with me last night to request some more Reiki after her hoilday next week.
I have also noticed whilst udergoing my 21 day cleansing that my hands are extremly hot in an almost perfect circle on the palms of each one. I find this comforting. It's like proof positive of the energy in my hands. (Not that proof was necessary).

Today's music is something that I have been meaning to blog for a while. The Floaters with Float On

Back to the runs

Completed my 74th run yesterday. Currently meandering around North London again. Only 6 more until the first book is completed which will be a massive achievment in my eyes. Bearing in mind I didn't think I'd get to 8 leave alone 80!

On Tuesday evening I gave some Reiki to my neighbour who has a bad back. at the time I had no idea she wore a back brace. During the Reiki I experienced extremes of heat and cold in my hands, and my neighbour was contemplating asking me to stop as she was getting uncomfortably hot. The next day she called to say her back felt much free-er and less stiff than it had been in years. I plan to give her two more sessions to see how it pans out.

Song for today? a nice piece of soothing jazz

enjoy!

Wakey wakey Reiki!

This weekend saw Carla and I head off to the delightful seaside resort of Brighton (Delightful? more like frightful) to meet up with Mark who had flown over to give a much needed course in Reiki Seichem. We met up at Jane's house in Smalldole (Which IS delightful!) with Kerry and Pauline. The four of us were in for an eye opening weekend of Reiki training. I think it's safe to say we were all surprised that it worked for each of us (even though we knew it worked and had all experienced a session with Mark in the past) (Fnaar) To feel energey in the palms of your hands is indeed special and is a gift that I will treasure and hopefully use in the future.

We started on Saturday morning with a gentle introduction to Reiki with Mark attuning us to a greater energy whilst opening up our Chakras. Within minutes we were practicing (and feeling) Reiki. It was an awesome moment for me and I'm sure the others too.

After a lunch break (Mark cooked a lovely veggie lunch) we were back in the living room practicing various posistions (Oh the double entendres!)  I left around 4 pm to catch the train back to Brighton where Kelly and Ruby had joined Carla for a day out.

On Sunday I woke up feeling like I had been working out all night. I hadn't been! I caught the train back up to Smalldole where we practiced sending Reiki to each other and also to Tony in spain. Hopefully this worked and didn't energise him too much! Further attunements followed and we also learned about the various Reiki symbols.

To say I have benefited from this is an understatement. I feel calmer today but still incredibly achey. Mark did advise us that whilst we are undergoing our 21 day cleansing we may experience upset stomachs or colds or both and more and yup I have the sniffles and upset stomach as well as aches. Ah well, not like me to not get a bit of everything!

Photo's will follow, but I'm not at my PC so it will have to be later today.

All that remains to say is a BIG thanks to Mark for coming over and a big thanks to Jane and Andrew for letting us take over their house for the weekend!

Work and work?

Today I hit the 61 run mark. I'm currently experiencing the delights of north London, starting at Highgate, up to Golders Green and beyond to Turnpike Lane. The houses in these areas are something else. Have a look here to give you an idea of the kind of place I'm referring to. I mean 14 million??

Anyway, the runs are coming along nicely, with the occasional blip when calling back. Carla is doing her best to placate my nerves when I call back and it's working to an extent! Plus they are definitely starting to overlap each other which is a bonus.

And in more news, I have been offered and accepted a consultancy role back at TWC. One of my oldest accounts has been whinging over they're lack of cuddles since I left, and have been threatening to take their business elsewhere.. enter super Brennan! I will be taking on the role on a part time basis 7.30-11.30 daily which means I can carry on with my runs in the afternoons. I will only have the one client, but they are TWC's largest.

It seems it's all just a little bit of history repeating.....

The good and the not so good

Yesterday I hit 55 runs. I'm in a kind of comfort zone doing the runs as mentioned earlier they are currently all round where I used to live. I thought I'd show you what 55 runs looks like on the map:

As you can see, it's kind of following a circular route, criss crossing through London. Imagine what it would look like with 320 runs on it! One big black blob! After each 80 runs I'll wipe the map and start again.

On to the not so good. I find I'm struggling with the call overs. I know the runs, but come call over time, I fluff the easiest ones. It's weird. It started on Sunday, and seems to have got worse. Hopefully it'll sort itself out over time. Especially as at the moment I know the roads through East London!

anyway, today's soundtrack is a bit of Masters at work a nice hark back to the summer of 2007. and a nice way to welcome spring back!

Nifty fifty!

Well today I hit 51 runs. Never thought I'd get this far to be honest and I know there's more to do than done, but 50 is a nice number. Looking forward to my 80 runs and the first of the 4 blue books done!
It was nice today as out of 55 roads I knew 52 of them and the next 10 or so runs are all around East London where I grew up. So something to look forward to then!
Having said that the cold is getting worse. I literally had to keep stopping to put my gloves on the exhaust pipe to warm them up! Hopefully the coming weeks will be a little warmer.

As it was sunny this afternoon I decided to mow the grass, but forgot to rake it beforehand... I now have thousands of bits of leaf littering the place! Ah well at least it's done for now and looks a tad tidier!

Todays offering from the tube of you is Sade by your side one of those summery songs that comes to mind when the sun is out and the flowers are springing up. Enjoy!

Back to the future

Today saw me heading to the lovely hamlet that is Catford....
A very short (5 road) run, and then it was off to Brockley again. A quick text to Mark confirmed I was indeed a couple of roads from Ex casa TulStig. So I dutifully grabbed a photo of number 124 Foxberry Road:

After taking the above photo I redid the run ( Lee Bridge to Pepys Rd) to cement it in my head. It was at the end of this run I had a mad moment. As I was making a u-turn, my hand slipped on the accelerator and I came THIS close to hitting a double parked school bus. Only the look on the drivers face and my long John's will tell the real tale!! Note to self: alway throttle back when in those situations!! So those 3 put me nicely on track for my 50 on Thursday. I'm pleased with that I must say.

At this juncture I must add a massive thank you to Mark for supporting me during my various wobbles. I'm sure there are more to come, but. Thanks mate!

Today music is a song that's been spinning round my head for a while now Fonda Rae One from the eighties. Get the shoulder pads out and roll up those sleeves!

I heart the doctors!

No runs today as I was at the docs getting the results of my heart checks last week and Carla had the midwife.
Went to the docs and was told my ECG had come back ok, but my cholesterol was high (7) this compared to two weeks before my wedding in 2009 when it was 3! so been put on a low fat diet as of today... She also recommended an ultra scan of the heart to eliminate any physical problems, Carla (and the doc) are leaning toward stress. Me? a Stressy Jessy? Apparently so!

The midwife went well, listened to her heart beat and took various measurements etc, and touch wood all is ok. Carla is getting huge!

Today's song is an ode to my stress. Under pressure!

More runs and a trip down memory lane

Today saw me complete two more runs, taking me to 47. Three short of the magic 50! Whilst out and about, one of the runs finished on Brockley Road. I thought I'd take a picture for posterity as I'm sure Mark will remember:

Things are sloooooowly starting to make sense now as the runs start to overlap each other. I'm thinking by around 100 runs, things should start to get easier. Hopefully the weather holds as there is a small possibility of snow next week. It was definitely cold enough to snow today. I went out sans long Johns as I was fooled by the bright day. BIG mistake!!

Also found out on Friday that my compulsory self assessment is no longer compulsory! This means I only have to apply for my map test in about a year then I start my appearance in about 18 months. Confused? you will be! The Carriage Office certainly seem to make things as difficult as possible!

Todays song is in tribute to Billy Ocean who we bumped into down the flower market this morning. What a nice fella! Anyway I have now been singing this song all day. Enjoy!

Level 42

Completed two more runs today. It's amazing how bad London's roads are and how you REALLY notice on a bike!
It's also geographically divided too. Dulwich village and Hampstead are like riding on carpet. Peckham and Bethnal Green are like riding over a coal face. Under ground. I have no idea what the local councils in those areas are doing with the taxes they collect, but they aint going on the roads!

So. 42 runs, 42 blogs. Unintentional definitely, but a nice figure none the less. Now past half way to where I need to be in June, which is good.

Today's music is varied to say the least. For blog authenticity and to continue the theme we have a bit of Level 42

For sheer comedic value, we have I wanna be a polar bear. Awesome and just slightly catchy. I take no responsibility if you click on the link and are humming this tune for the rest of the day!

Tooth Hurty

No, not a Chinese dentist, but a trip to my new dentist today saw me getting a filling. And even funnier, I need dentures!! I lost some bottom back teeth when I was a teenager and as my top teeth are now starting to fill the gap, a plate has been advised (Fnaaar)
Carla has threatened to dump me as she can't stand the though of false teeth! Personally i'm not to bothered as it won't show and it'll help my top teeth in the long run.

No runs yesterday as the bike was in the shop. Turns out the number plate and L plate had twisted causing the noise, so no charge and no problem. Phew!

Back out tomorrow as rain is forecast from Saturday until at least Tuesday. nice!

No songs as such, but in keeping with the dentistry theme, this is hilarious!!

Diesel/rain and bikes..

... Do not good bed fellows make.
I was pootling along on Saturday when I hit a patch of diesel. I cannot describe the feeling of doing 25 miles per hour sideways... Scary doesn't come into it! Luckily, I'm a bit too tall for the bike, so I kinda leapfrogged it and grabbed it between my knees whiles hanging on for dear life. No damage was done to me thankfully, but after doing some more runs (Tentatively) today there is a problem with the back wheel. I think I may have bent something or other. This means a trip to the garage on Wednesday as the car is in for a service tomorrow.

On a brighter note, I am now exactly halfway through my first 80 runs. This means I have 2 1/2 months to complete the next 40 before my self assessment. As long as the bike is ok, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. (Fingers crossed!)

Music for today is another blast from my eighties past Mr Blue Sky And how I wish it was!!

Crack on!

Been a few changes to the routine since my last blog.
I now keep the bike at my old company in London which means I'm so much closer to the runs now. This means in the last two weeks I have managed to do exactly double what I did in 12 weeks!! so I'm now making a small dent in the whole thing.

I have to think of it in terms of one run at a time or the enormity of it all scares the bejesus out of me.

I now go out 3 times per week, which coincides with me dropping Carla into work so at least she doesn't have to get the train every day.

I have to complete 80 runs before June in order for me to attend a self assessment test at the Public Carriage Office.

Fingers crossed for the spring huh? The sooner the warmer weather gets here the better!

Music for today is something I find really uplifting. The them from Elizabeth: The Golden Age Doesn't last that long, but it is inspiring!

TatTwo

 Had part two of the sleeve completed today. Not too painful, but enough for a few flinches! Continuing the religious theme, I had a wingless angel, surrounded by a couple of cherubs. Add some clouds, and it's starting to take shape. Pictures aren't he best as I'm not double jointed enough to get the whole thing in! I'll get Carla to take a couple tonight.

Really looking forward to the finished article,which should be finished in the summer.

More runs tomorrow or Thursday depending on the weather and the healing process of the tattoo. 

I was listening to Pink Floyd live during the process. The first five minutes of this video are in my opinion, the finest live performance I have ever seen. The guitar just cries. Awesome!

Acton. GRRRRRRRRRRR!

Can I state publicly that if I ever pass out as a cabbie, I will NOT take anyone to Acton. ever! I haven't been to the home of the BBC and White City for years and today I realised why. What an armpit of a place! It's grey(er) and cold(er) than London in general. The people are depressing and the roads are like a 4x4 course. All in all not a happy time doing my runs there today. Wednesday will se me in the more genteel neighbourhood of Putney. Managed 4 runs today and  about two hours, and a bath later my fingers are finally thawed enough to write this!

Today song sums up Action nicely. read the lyrics to The Jam's That's entertainment That should show you what I think of Acton!!

life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

As per the title, not a lot has been happening lately. Life I suppose. No runs since Monday 17th due to a combination of bad weather and midwife appointments. All is good in that department. Carla is getting bigger by the day!

Went out and bought a new car this week as a two door would be inappropriate for the baby so we have gone the whole hog and bought an estate!

Other than that, not a whole lot of stuff going on. Plans for some runs tomorrow weather permitting.

Today's song? as per the title which I shamelessly stole form the legend that was John Lennon, Beautiful boy a really lovely touching song he wrote for his son shortly before he was killed.

here we go (again)

So yesterday saw me back on the bike after an absence of what seems like eons. Managed one huge run and some revision of a couple. Onward and upward. My problem now is the weather again. The forecast is for heavy rain. Again.

 So in order to make me feel a bit better I started work on my new tattoo. A full sleeve no less. It's something  have been promising myself for years and thanks to a good friend of mine I was put onto an artist called Tim. He works from home, but his artwork is pretty exceptional. and he's like the budgie. Cheap!

It will follow a religious theme of angels, cherubs, clouds praying hands etc and is very much a work in progress.
So on with the pictures:

2 1/2 hours in total. It's a bit dark as it's a cover up of two tattoo's. The rest will be more of a grey/light black colour. Part two is pencilled in for February 1st. Watch this space!!

And today's listening pleasure is Bruce Springsteen it's an uplifting song, and it's easily one of the best live performances I've seen.

Judge for yourself!