Winter Wear

I am wearing jeans – it must be winter.

My sad abandonment of shorts is a reflection of the reality of the falling temperatures and a reaction to some funny looks that I was getting.  Now, much to Toni’s disgust, I am only continuing to wear my sandals as a nod in the direction of hotter weather.

We have had a radiator on for the last few days in the living room and the bed has steadily increased its weighting by having Nana’s embroidered quilt and the winter duvet added to the summer duvet.  No doubt the central heating will be the next thing to go on – though the ancient and rundown system that hasn’t been renewed for umpteen years is hardly the most efficient way of heating a home that is built for the summer.  Which seems unending months of coldness away.

My swim this morning was in a crowded pool, which for swimmers means that all the lanes were taken, though the right hand side of the pool is un-laned and therefore available for general frisking.  This is the first time that the pool has been so ‘full’ since I started swimming.  I have previously had to share an extended lane which means that swimmers have to keep to one side or the other or alternatively adopt a clockwise or anti-clockwise system to keep everyone happy.  I am invariably not happy with this arrangement because it means that there is a greater risk of hitting your hand on the ropes (which are surprisingly unyielding to my lane just for me, and usually that is what I get.

I am certainly swimming for longer and adopting a stronger stroke and of course the moral worth that you get from exercising like that is considerable.  As always the fact that a school in which I have taught being adjacent to the pool and clearly visible at one end while swimming is a constant source of delight for me.  There is nothing quite so stimulating as taking exercise when you can relate the time being thus spent to an old timetable.  It allows one to savour every moment and every bubble.

Having my cup of tea outside after my swim was an act of defiance rather than pleasure.  Whereas dinner this evening, in the pitch black of a night where 8 pm seems like midnight, was delightful.  We had it inside our favourite (soon to lose that appellation) restaurant La Fusta.  The meal was frankly disappointing; every aspect of it can be bettered elsewhere.  Though the Sangria was excellent and will have to be put down to the 20% leeway that my diet can take each week!

And now back to the forums to find out if anyone has responded to my latest piece of writing. 

It’s all go in the OU!