Thursday 6 January 2011

More swimming

Yes, we have been swimming again! After work today I went to visit my parents as usual, and then went home, got changed, and Sally & I went swimming.
Ten minutes in the steam room, an hour in the pool and ten minutes in the sauna, and we both felt great.
Sally did around 30 lengths (she lost count!), and I did a fair few widths, mostly totally on my own while she was doing her lengths. I also did a few lengths with her in front of me, much like Sue does with me during my lessons. I am still finding standing up really hard to do - I know that it is a mental thing rather than anything else, and once I have got the confidence to do it totally unaided, I will be fine.
I feel tired now, but very satisfied with what I managed to do. I have to be a bit proud of myself, as it is not that long ago that I was terrified of the water, not looking forward to spending an hour in it. I owe a huge debt of thanks to both Sue and Sally for their help, encouragement and patience!
Can't wait to get in the water again......

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Well that didn't quite go to plan!

Today was my day off, so I was able to have a nice lie in before heading off to the Windmill for my swimming lesson. It went quite well, I am improving every time, though not as quickly as I would like of course!
Sue has come up with a new idea to help me try to get over my "problem" with standing up, and it really helped, as is definitely worth a try and persevering with. Once I can crack that, I will be safe to be left alone in the water!
The afternoon saw me trying to get to Warwick for an appointment. I thought that half an hour would be plenty of time to spare - it usually is, but not today. Just after I passed the Kenilworth turn off the A46, the traffic ground to a halt on all three lanes. It would seem that there had been an accident somewhere between the Leek Wootton exit and the Warwick IBM one. For almost an hour we moved along at a snails pace until I was waved off at Leek Wootton by the police. The road into Warwick was grid locked, and so I decided to gomaround the island and get back on the 46 back towards coventry.
So as not to have a completely wasted afternoon, I went to PCWorld/Currys, and got a case for the iPad and the camera connector for it too. Also went to Dunelm and got some new pillows, so, despite it not really going to plan, it really wasn't a total waste of time!
Got to take the Christmas decorations down in a bit - something I enjoy even less than putting them up in the first place.....

Monday 3 January 2011

Swimming update

Another big expense today. We both signed up at the Windmill Hotel Leisure Club. There is a gym, but more importantly, it is where I am learning to swim, so I am used to the pool there and feel comfortable and happy there.
We had a long swim while we were there, Sally lost count of the number of lengths she did, and I did a fair bit too, even managing to take the odd breath here and there.
We both feel tired now, but in a nice contented way.
Thats it then - we simply HAVE to go now that we have paid up for it. This year is the year to lose some weight and get a bit fitter!


Sent from my iPhone

Sunday 2 January 2011

New Year - New Toy

Not another new toy I hear you cry! Yes, I'm afraid so.
As predicted by several of you, I have ended up buying an iPad. I wasn't convinced about them, and in a way I'm still not, but I have been swayed by some of the apps that are available for them now. For me, the final thing that swayed me was discovering that Korg have released their MS20 and Electribe in iPad format. The MS20 is a stunning bit of kit for less than a tenner, (in fact in a way it is equivalent to 7 or 8 MS20s if you want to be pedantic), you try buying a "real" MS20 for under a four figure sum!
Propellerheads have also released Rebirth for the iPad which also got my juices flowing, and in the end I just could not resist the temptation any longer.
In fact, I am writing this blog entry using the iPad. I have had to promise Sally that I actually will USE this particular toy!
Was it as easy to set up as they claimed in the shop? No. My Mac didn't have os 10.5.8 or wa
Whatever so I had to download that before I could even start. That was surprisingly quick for such a big download! Got the iPad working, sync'd the apps I had for the iPhone over to it, download the new ones I wanted and was up and running. Very impressive it is too.
Then I tried to get the 3G data side of it working........how do old people cope? Was it easy? Not in your wildest dreams! In the end I discovered (more by luck than judgement) that you have to reboot the iPad once you think you have the data side of it set up. Once you do that, it all bursts into life. Why can't that be made a little clearer anywhere?
Grrrrr.....still, we are up and running now, and all seems fine.....so far!!

Saturday 1 January 2011

Desk setup

Korg Electribe

January 1st 2011

So, another new years day bites the dust. A fairly uneventful day to start the year with, the weather was rather dull and a bit wet.
We had a bit of a lie in (the first of many if I have any say in the matter!) and then made a start on tidying up a bit. To begin with, we had to have a Good tidy in the back room, clearing out some bits and bobs so that the big filing cabinet from the office could be moved in next to my desk. The idea is to create a bit more space in Sally's office so that she can have a new unit in there to try to make more room for her crafting bits. The theory has yet to be proven, but it is worth a try.
This also meant that I finally tidied my desk a bit and was able to get my Novation KS4 on the desk at long last, and was also able to set up the Korg Electribe as well. I am quite pleased with the result and enjoyed having a play with them and even came up with what I thought was a good little riff. I am looking forward to having a play around with it.
Home made garlic bread and a tuna pasta bake was a super evening meal, coupled with watching a Swedish episode of Wallander complete with subtitles made a splendid evening overall.
If the rest of the year can hold up this standard, it could turn out to be a good one!!


Sent from my iPhone