Well it's a week on and training has stalled somewhat. After my epic run last Sunday my legs weren't functional till oh about Wednesday. The following few days involved a night of swing dancing, a hatha yoga class but no running.
I went for a short run through a rain-sodden Phoenix park on Friday after work (when you have ducks keeping you company on a jog you know you're in Ireland) but have failed to don my running gear since then. Tut tut.
I did make the ostentatious purchase of a bicycle yesterday which, I think, indicates my commitment to this 'getting fit' lark. I got a helmet, lights and a florescent strappy thing to wear so I'm visible at night. I mean business.
Of course the forecast is for non-stop torrential rain tomorrow so I may not abandon my beloved Fiat Brava just yet. The new Eco-friendly, healthy Ms Bones is on her way though.
Really.
I mean it!
You readers know me too well.....
Anyway the reason I didn't get out for another long run this weekend (aside from the miserable weather) was that I my hosting duties for my long awaited Blues night occupied so much of my time. Extensive cleaning of Phoenix Manor was needed, as was shopping for a mountain of food and booze. Hours were spent making playlists of Blues music (of which I had almost none before Peter burned some MP3s for me - thanks Pete).....and a good 40 minutes was spent trying to wrestle a table out of the kitchen to make room for dancing.
Sadly despite Ciara and my mammoth efforts the table was not willing to be evicted. We managed to get it into the hallway but further than that it would not budge. Towards the living room it got jammed on the doorway and towards the front door the hall narrows. I was fully prepared to chop 4 inches of each of the table's legs (I really don't like that table) but Ciara counseled forbearance. Instead we moved the table from the living room (I table I quite like) into the back garden (there's no justice for decent hard-working tables in this world) where it got rained on the entire night. When I went to take it in this morning it was covered in white patches where water had sat on it. I was full sure I had ruined the table but now that it's dried the patches have disappeared. Anyone know what phenomenon this is?
The party itself was great -we stuck to dim lighting using only a few strings of fairy lights, candles and a red lamp shade for effect. With Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, BB King, Ella Fitzgerald (only the mournful songs) and Tom Waits on the stereo it made for a very mellow, speakeasy style atmosphere. Too mellow really--the dancing didn't start till 1am cos everyone was happy chatting away. In attendance were a random mix of dancing and non-dancing buddies who all got on remarkably well (some of them a little too well- you know who you are). I had never really seen the effects of vast gin-consumption before....
And what did we learn?
No 1. no house is too small for dancing,
No 2. blues dancing is for doing not for watching...and
No 3. gin is not our friend, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time.
Du jour:
Song: Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley
Book: Wuthering Heights (Confession: I've never read it before.....That's bad. I mean I have a degree in English and was teaching literature to teenagers without having read it. If the teaching council ever find out......)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
A Half Marathon? Does that mean I can do it half-arsed?
I’m normally good at keeping my head down for January as diets and gym memberships start flying about ready to hit vulnerable people in their post-Christmas sluggishness. I haven’t escaped this time, however. It appears that I’ve signed up to do a half-marathon in April.
No, not a 5 or 10 km fun run on city streets; a half-marathon – that’s 13 miles or 20 kilometres and it’s part of the Connemarathon which involves hills ie running up hills. Feel free to commit me to an online mental institution.
It’s all the fault of my do-gooder, go-getter co-workers here at Habitat for Humanity. They’re all tall with perfect teeth and enjoy mountain climbing while wearing ethically manufactured boots and when they reach the top eat organic lentil soup. First one signed up for the Connemarathon, then another and suddenly I was the only one in the office who hadn’t signed up. Well I couldn’t be Johnny-no-mates for 3 months left out of all the planning and training talk – and I couldn’t miss a weekend of craic in Connemara. So what if I’ve to run 20 kilometres – I’ll manage.
At least that’s what went through my head when I filled in the online application – that’s the problem with the internet – everything’s so easy – spend 50 quid on a book – just one easy click....spend 120 quid on a flight to Rome – simple....suddenly your buying antique furniture on ebay and gambling thousands away playing poker with random Russians. Money doesn’t feel real when it’s just a number on a screen and marathons don’t seem difficult when they’re just words on a screen.
One good thing about it is that it will help me do my fundraising for the trips to New Orleans and Ghana building houses that I intend to do this summer. Doing two Habitat trips in one year is another good reason to reclassify me as mentally unhinged, considering the amount of planning, fundraising and preparation that goes into a volunteer trip abroad. I really want to do both the Jimmy Carter blitz build in May and go on an Open Team Build to Ghana in August though. Sure I’ll give it a go anyway.
I started my training yesterday with a run in Phoenix Park. Whenever I’ve gone jogging in the past I’ve been easy on myself- 10 minutes of running earns 5 minutes walking. So whenever I’ve gotten out of breath or the lungs start to hurt I’ve eased up and taken a break. I can’t afford to do that if I’m going to complete this half-marathon in less than 8 hours however, so yesterday I pushed it.
I went all the way from my home in Stoneybatter to the Chapelizod gate (via Corkscrew Road as opposed to straight road) and back only stopping after particularly tough hills or when my knees felt weird (I’m worried about damaging my knees – what if I couldn’t swing dance?! It’s a thought to unbearable to consider). By my reckoning (measuring on google maps) that was 8-9 kilometres so it was a good start. Admittedly I can barely walk today and it’s evident that I’ve awoken quite a few muscles that have been enjoying dormancy for about a decade but surely that’s the worst over with now? Surely it gets easier from here on in?
I’ll keep you posted throughout my training and should you want to donate to the worthy cause of Habitat for Humanity and support my lunatic bid to become a long-distance runner click here:
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/elaine_dobbyns_event
Remember money is smaller on the internet so give big!
No, not a 5 or 10 km fun run on city streets; a half-marathon – that’s 13 miles or 20 kilometres and it’s part of the Connemarathon which involves hills ie running up hills. Feel free to commit me to an online mental institution.
It’s all the fault of my do-gooder, go-getter co-workers here at Habitat for Humanity. They’re all tall with perfect teeth and enjoy mountain climbing while wearing ethically manufactured boots and when they reach the top eat organic lentil soup. First one signed up for the Connemarathon, then another and suddenly I was the only one in the office who hadn’t signed up. Well I couldn’t be Johnny-no-mates for 3 months left out of all the planning and training talk – and I couldn’t miss a weekend of craic in Connemara. So what if I’ve to run 20 kilometres – I’ll manage.
At least that’s what went through my head when I filled in the online application – that’s the problem with the internet – everything’s so easy – spend 50 quid on a book – just one easy click....spend 120 quid on a flight to Rome – simple....suddenly your buying antique furniture on ebay and gambling thousands away playing poker with random Russians. Money doesn’t feel real when it’s just a number on a screen and marathons don’t seem difficult when they’re just words on a screen.
One good thing about it is that it will help me do my fundraising for the trips to New Orleans and Ghana building houses that I intend to do this summer. Doing two Habitat trips in one year is another good reason to reclassify me as mentally unhinged, considering the amount of planning, fundraising and preparation that goes into a volunteer trip abroad. I really want to do both the Jimmy Carter blitz build in May and go on an Open Team Build to Ghana in August though. Sure I’ll give it a go anyway.
I started my training yesterday with a run in Phoenix Park. Whenever I’ve gone jogging in the past I’ve been easy on myself- 10 minutes of running earns 5 minutes walking. So whenever I’ve gotten out of breath or the lungs start to hurt I’ve eased up and taken a break. I can’t afford to do that if I’m going to complete this half-marathon in less than 8 hours however, so yesterday I pushed it.
I went all the way from my home in Stoneybatter to the Chapelizod gate (via Corkscrew Road as opposed to straight road) and back only stopping after particularly tough hills or when my knees felt weird (I’m worried about damaging my knees – what if I couldn’t swing dance?! It’s a thought to unbearable to consider). By my reckoning (measuring on google maps) that was 8-9 kilometres so it was a good start. Admittedly I can barely walk today and it’s evident that I’ve awoken quite a few muscles that have been enjoying dormancy for about a decade but surely that’s the worst over with now? Surely it gets easier from here on in?
I’ll keep you posted throughout my training and should you want to donate to the worthy cause of Habitat for Humanity and support my lunatic bid to become a long-distance runner click here:
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/elaine_dobbyns_event
Remember money is smaller on the internet so give big!
Friday, January 4, 2008
2008 - Not a Minute Too Late
The new year is off to a fairly good start for me. Well I'm not terminally depressed even though I've no money, it's dark, wet and freezing out and I've no holidays in the next few months....I'm not considering painless methods of self-annihilation and I think that's achievement enough.
It's also Friday afternoon and I've survived the first week back at work (well 3 days); a week that I've basically never had to work before because I always had teaching or college holidays. I don't see what all the fuss was about - there's been hardly any traffic, we've eased ourselves into work gently and next Monday will not be as traumatic for me as it will for every teacher and school kid in the country...mwhahahaha.
My resolutions to eat more healthily and get more exercise (I'm terribly imaginative) haven't amounted to much as yet. The workplace is my major downfall; we make tea every hour or so and there are always chocolate biscuits on offer. My willpower does not extend to the refusal of chocolate in any form. I'll just have to start skipping dinner....
The weather has precluded exercise in any form apart from running from the car to the front door. Really not sufficient if I'm going to do a mini-marathon this year. Having a car really makes you lazy. Bicycle purchase necessary soon.
I did manage to drag some non-dancers to a Salsa class last night and it was a lot of fun. Some of the guys who swing dance were there - in fact there were loads of guys there....as in more than girls in some of the classes. Wow.
Michelle and Martina were naturals at it, Declan, being both male and Irish, struggled but he did have a wicked 'salsa face' that was most entertaining. It's not unlike his 'I've a bottle of buckfast and am happy face'.
Personally I found it tricky to get the hang of the different rhythms but because I'm able to follow I could blag my way through even with some good dancers. Will hit an Improvers class next time- I learn faster with guys who know what they're doing (wink wink). Hopefully the other three will stick with it too. Dance is fun, cool and basically more people should do it.
A night of lying prone on the couch under a duvet is on the cards for me tonight *bliss* It's less a matter of laziness than sheer poverty - it's still the only thing I want to do tonight. Apparently French peasants in the nineteenth century hibernated for 6 months of the year; as in literally sleeping round the clock, only rising to eat some stale bread and stoke the fire. Sounds fantastic.
Where has humanity gone wrong that we now have to work all year round? I'll be getting on to my union about this....
It's also Friday afternoon and I've survived the first week back at work (well 3 days); a week that I've basically never had to work before because I always had teaching or college holidays. I don't see what all the fuss was about - there's been hardly any traffic, we've eased ourselves into work gently and next Monday will not be as traumatic for me as it will for every teacher and school kid in the country...mwhahahaha.
My resolutions to eat more healthily and get more exercise (I'm terribly imaginative) haven't amounted to much as yet. The workplace is my major downfall; we make tea every hour or so and there are always chocolate biscuits on offer. My willpower does not extend to the refusal of chocolate in any form. I'll just have to start skipping dinner....
The weather has precluded exercise in any form apart from running from the car to the front door. Really not sufficient if I'm going to do a mini-marathon this year. Having a car really makes you lazy. Bicycle purchase necessary soon.
I did manage to drag some non-dancers to a Salsa class last night and it was a lot of fun. Some of the guys who swing dance were there - in fact there were loads of guys there....as in more than girls in some of the classes. Wow.
Michelle and Martina were naturals at it, Declan, being both male and Irish, struggled but he did have a wicked 'salsa face' that was most entertaining. It's not unlike his 'I've a bottle of buckfast and am happy face'.
Personally I found it tricky to get the hang of the different rhythms but because I'm able to follow I could blag my way through even with some good dancers. Will hit an Improvers class next time- I learn faster with guys who know what they're doing (wink wink). Hopefully the other three will stick with it too. Dance is fun, cool and basically more people should do it.
A night of lying prone on the couch under a duvet is on the cards for me tonight *bliss* It's less a matter of laziness than sheer poverty - it's still the only thing I want to do tonight. Apparently French peasants in the nineteenth century hibernated for 6 months of the year; as in literally sleeping round the clock, only rising to eat some stale bread and stoke the fire. Sounds fantastic.
Where has humanity gone wrong that we now have to work all year round? I'll be getting on to my union about this....
Saturday, December 22, 2007
It's a Wonderful Life
Finally! Access to the internet in a non-work environment!
My deepest apologies for woeful upkeep of the blog - I'm intending to do some catch up over the holidays so stay tuned :)
It's the final night of Strictly Come Dancing - once this last show is over I will be liberated from this albatross of an addiction - I want to live again!
Gethin was shafted by the judges in the semi-final who chose to save Matt Di Angelo over him. In my opinion (and not only because I'm love with him) Gethin was a far more graceful and proficient dancer. Matt actually blanked on whole chunks of two dances one week - how can someone like that make it to the final?
*Bitter*
Anyway if you haven't noticed Christmas has hit--and with it falling on a Tuesday this year most people have a nice few days off beforehand. The anticipation of Christmas is the best part of it all so I'm glad it's prolonged this time around.
I finished work yesterday and had the obligatory drunken session with co-workers last night - quite strange when there are only 8 of us in the office. They're a good bunch of people though so we had fun nonetheless - silly dancing, shot drinking and a nightlink home - It's a wonderful life :)
Today I drove the siblings home from Dublin - we're all so grown up and independent now and since we're all living separately get on swimmingly well. I have a feeling this could be quite a nice Christmas.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed that not a single channel is screening It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Day. I love that movie and it's become part of the Christmas tradition over the past few years for me.
Oh well - will just have to watch some clips on youtube so...
My deepest apologies for woeful upkeep of the blog - I'm intending to do some catch up over the holidays so stay tuned :)
It's the final night of Strictly Come Dancing - once this last show is over I will be liberated from this albatross of an addiction - I want to live again!
Gethin was shafted by the judges in the semi-final who chose to save Matt Di Angelo over him. In my opinion (and not only because I'm love with him) Gethin was a far more graceful and proficient dancer. Matt actually blanked on whole chunks of two dances one week - how can someone like that make it to the final?
*Bitter*
Anyway if you haven't noticed Christmas has hit--and with it falling on a Tuesday this year most people have a nice few days off beforehand. The anticipation of Christmas is the best part of it all so I'm glad it's prolonged this time around.
I finished work yesterday and had the obligatory drunken session with co-workers last night - quite strange when there are only 8 of us in the office. They're a good bunch of people though so we had fun nonetheless - silly dancing, shot drinking and a nightlink home - It's a wonderful life :)
Today I drove the siblings home from Dublin - we're all so grown up and independent now and since we're all living separately get on swimmingly well. I have a feeling this could be quite a nice Christmas.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed that not a single channel is screening It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Day. I love that movie and it's become part of the Christmas tradition over the past few years for me.
Oh well - will just have to watch some clips on youtube so...
Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Salsa Starts Here
Gethin got three 10s for his waltz on Sat :)
and he did the sexiest Salsa ever :D
I'm ruined for other, normal, men ---he's just so perfect!
Watch his Salsa vid if you don't believe me.
My swing teacher is taking a break from teaching in the New Year--finally I have a chance to try another type of dancing--I'm pretty sure it'll be salsa cos there's a lively scene in Dublin but I'm open to suggestions....
and he did the sexiest Salsa ever :D
I'm ruined for other, normal, men ---he's just so perfect!
Watch his Salsa vid if you don't believe me.
My swing teacher is taking a break from teaching in the New Year--finally I have a chance to try another type of dancing--I'm pretty sure it'll be salsa cos there's a lively scene in Dublin but I'm open to suggestions....
Friday, November 23, 2007
Strictly Addicted
Ok so I have to come out of the closet.
The truth is that for some time now I've been living a lie.
On the surface I've been living like a normal person; going to work, drinking with friends, going to see movies etc but at night, behind closed curtains I've been hiding a shameful secret.
It involves strange costumes, unusual positions and a bizarre mix of partners. Yes, the truth is, I've embraced the lifestyle of a gay man.
I love Strictly Come Dancing.
Oh it feels so good to say it out in the open! Nobody understands my compulsion to watch this show. Saturday evening prime-time on BBC1 is normally for grannies and kids; not for young, single people with exciting social lives (ahem...).
I mean - it's hosted by Bruce Forsythe for God's sake!
I didn't mean to get hooked. It started off casually; I'd watch the odd Saturday show not knowing my quickstep from my samba. But after a while I stopped missing shows on any day; the weekend performances and results show would fuel my hunger and suddenly I was watching the commentary show "It Takes Two" every night of the week.
From Brendan's illegal use of extra lifts to Kate's hopeless stomping, Kenny's kilted Paso Doble to Barnes' wicked salsa--I love it all. I spending significant quantities of work time surfing youtube for videos of interviews or performances and I'm even keeping an eye on the online forums where fans discuss the show (quite a few of them out there Ill tell you...)
I'm a SCD nerd.
How did this happen?
Well truthfully Strictly Come Dancing has something this year it had no other year: Gethin Jones.
This beautiful Welsh hunk of a Blue Peter presenter is by far the most attractive person to grace my television in years. And more than just a fit body he has a soft Welsh accent, excessive modesty, excellent manners, the ability to dance and he's wonderful with kids. Women everywhere will understand the rarity of a package like this.
His switch from kids programming to Strictly has earned him many, many new female admirers. I swear - I haven't had a crush on a TV personality like this since the age of 14.
I need help....or at least some friends to join me in my madness. Take a look at the videos and tell me Gethin's not beautiful--go on - I dare ya.
Another month of this and I'm going cold turkey I promise - I'll have to - the show only goes on till Christmas :(
In the meantime - keep dancing!
The truth is that for some time now I've been living a lie.
On the surface I've been living like a normal person; going to work, drinking with friends, going to see movies etc but at night, behind closed curtains I've been hiding a shameful secret.
It involves strange costumes, unusual positions and a bizarre mix of partners. Yes, the truth is, I've embraced the lifestyle of a gay man.
I love Strictly Come Dancing.
Oh it feels so good to say it out in the open! Nobody understands my compulsion to watch this show. Saturday evening prime-time on BBC1 is normally for grannies and kids; not for young, single people with exciting social lives (ahem...).
I mean - it's hosted by Bruce Forsythe for God's sake!
I didn't mean to get hooked. It started off casually; I'd watch the odd Saturday show not knowing my quickstep from my samba. But after a while I stopped missing shows on any day; the weekend performances and results show would fuel my hunger and suddenly I was watching the commentary show "It Takes Two" every night of the week.
From Brendan's illegal use of extra lifts to Kate's hopeless stomping, Kenny's kilted Paso Doble to Barnes' wicked salsa--I love it all. I spending significant quantities of work time surfing youtube for videos of interviews or performances and I'm even keeping an eye on the online forums where fans discuss the show (quite a few of them out there Ill tell you...)
I'm a SCD nerd.
How did this happen?
Well truthfully Strictly Come Dancing has something this year it had no other year: Gethin Jones.
This beautiful Welsh hunk of a Blue Peter presenter is by far the most attractive person to grace my television in years. And more than just a fit body he has a soft Welsh accent, excessive modesty, excellent manners, the ability to dance and he's wonderful with kids. Women everywhere will understand the rarity of a package like this.
His switch from kids programming to Strictly has earned him many, many new female admirers. I swear - I haven't had a crush on a TV personality like this since the age of 14.
I need help....or at least some friends to join me in my madness. Take a look at the videos and tell me Gethin's not beautiful--go on - I dare ya.
Another month of this and I'm going cold turkey I promise - I'll have to - the show only goes on till Christmas :(
In the meantime - keep dancing!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Corked
Look I have a job now...I have no time for this silly blog writing.
Don't look at me like that!
I'm sorry alright?
SORRY!
Won't leave it so long between blogs again I promise.
Who am I promising anyway?
It's not like I have readers anymore....sniff, sniff.
Disloyal, fickle gadabouts!
Ok enough of a rant...do I have any news?
Well the job's going well--still learning lots and the pay isn't as bad as I'd expected. That's as much as you can ask for really.
Outside of work I've been socialising quite a bit (the main reason for the paucity of blogs) and the debauchery climaxed at the annual Inniscarra Cork Jazz Festival Bank Holiday weekend.
After last year I swore never again. Never again would I grace the O'Brien Den of Inequity where the souls of the departed walk freely among the living (and that's before the Halloween costume party begins), never again the excesses which make Nero's Rome look like a kid's birthday party, never again the week of illness afterwards when your body sues your brain for damages--I couldn't this year--no mid-term in which to recover!
And yet I found myself there among the spider webs and pumpkins, in a silly outfit, consuming any liquid offered me (two words: Buck fast), visiting the Inniscarra Bar, sampling the 'special' flapjacks, jiving to the bands and DJs, checking out many of the pubs in Cork that begin with 'C', bopping to Rob Strong's band at Scott's...........and finally leaving, a shell of my former self on Bank Holiday Monday.
Suffice to say I didn't make into work will 2pm on Tuesday and had the least productive week's work since my last week at the Grammar School....
Cork-- I shake my fist at thee. I lost the battle but, mark my words, I will the war.......
Don't look at me like that!
I'm sorry alright?
SORRY!
Won't leave it so long between blogs again I promise.
Who am I promising anyway?
It's not like I have readers anymore....sniff, sniff.
Disloyal, fickle gadabouts!
Ok enough of a rant...do I have any news?
Well the job's going well--still learning lots and the pay isn't as bad as I'd expected. That's as much as you can ask for really.
Outside of work I've been socialising quite a bit (the main reason for the paucity of blogs) and the debauchery climaxed at the annual Inniscarra Cork Jazz Festival Bank Holiday weekend.
After last year I swore never again. Never again would I grace the O'Brien Den of Inequity where the souls of the departed walk freely among the living (and that's before the Halloween costume party begins), never again the excesses which make Nero's Rome look like a kid's birthday party, never again the week of illness afterwards when your body sues your brain for damages--I couldn't this year--no mid-term in which to recover!
And yet I found myself there among the spider webs and pumpkins, in a silly outfit, consuming any liquid offered me (two words: Buck fast), visiting the Inniscarra Bar, sampling the 'special' flapjacks, jiving to the bands and DJs, checking out many of the pubs in Cork that begin with 'C', bopping to Rob Strong's band at Scott's...........and finally leaving, a shell of my former self on Bank Holiday Monday.
Suffice to say I didn't make into work will 2pm on Tuesday and had the least productive week's work since my last week at the Grammar School....
Cork-- I shake my fist at thee. I lost the battle but, mark my words, I will the war.......
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