Snow walks

Walking is good, walking in the snow is pleasingly dramatic to say the least. We were technically lost a few times. I say technically, I was pretty sure where we were but since we couldn't see very far it was based on a gut feeling rather than anything else.

I don't think I've been on a snowy walk before but I'd definitely recommend it. It was pretty exhausting. I also got to really test my 'high performance walking coat' I got one in a sale, it's like no other coat I've ever owned. It's made of light, strange fabrics and looks terribly modern. I find it pleasingly focused. It worked well and I definitely looked the part while stomping around the hills. I like the pouch in the front, more clothes should have a pouch

Afterwards we went to Waitrose (it was on the way back) and bought cake to eat when we got home. We had a soup waiting for us, yes you can make excellent soup in the slow cooker. Who would have thought? I'm going to have to do that more often.

Post soup we ate cake with hot chocolate and looked out of the window at the increasing drifts of snow. It's still snowing hard, if it keeps it up my brother will be unable to go home. Hurrah!

Walking with family

We are on day three of the brother visit. It's going well, we get on brilliantly so it's not really a challenge by any stretch of the imagination. I think the only challenge is doing things, whole days can go by messing around on computers or reading books without even realising. So to counter this we are going on long walks, yesterday we had a two hour stroll that absolutely exhausted us afterwards.

I like that feeling of mild exhaustion, it helps a chap sleep at night. Also any activity where you end up with muddy trousers afterwards is definitely to be approved of.

I'm trying to do some writing too while he is here (so he can moan at me if it's not done) but we shall see how that goes. Still it's lovely having him here. He used to go to our fathers every half term so I think it's important for him to be able to have roughly the same experience, just with fewer goats and less awkward conversation with second wives.

Hike 1 - Louche 0

That was quite a walk, 8 miles in the mud. It was like the Somme at some points. Even the dog was knackered afterwards. It took a couple of hours, and by the end of it was broken. I was so tired I just wanted to lie down by the side of the road and die.

It was brilliant, I'm going to do it again next weekend. Nothing like a bit of wholesome exhaustion to cheer a chap up. Plus this gives me something to do at the weekend to keep fit in a different way.

The pub quiz was good too, or at least so bad it was good. The questions were mental, and some of them were trick questions. The git. Still you can't beat a good pub quiz. I love the mixture of blank expressions and whispering as people try and work out the answers. The questions were a bit mental though, who knows the last four arch-bishops of Canterbury before the current one? Mental.

Talking of mental, while on the pub quiz Chuck sent me a text. It just said 'I saw you today'. What is up with her?

Walking through the weekend

This is a shocking weekend, it's shocking because I'm doing TWO things at the weekend. Neither of which involve going to London. I know, it's amazing, boggling even.

In a moment I'm going to go on a long walk, almost a hike I've been told. With a chum and his dog. It's going to take a couple of hours and I'm really looking forward to it. I like walking.

The second event is that I'm going to go to a pub quiz this evening in a local pub. It's amazing! Especially after last weekend where I managed to go the entire weekend without uttering a word. That troubles me.

On more positive notes I've finished the second draft of the children's book. The first few chapters were a struggle but by the end I was really enjoying it. I'm currently sticking post-it notes all over my wall with things I need to clean up.

When I'm being slack about writing I look at pictures of London to inspire me, or at least I tried that this weekend and it really worked.

Wonking, continued.

Well the toe is dewonking on it's own so that is good. I've been going for gentle walks with it protesting mildly but it is starting to relent. I think that the wonkeons disperse as I walk along through a process known as Wonkmosis*.

It's still a bit wonky but far more manageable which is excellent as a wonky toe would reduce the amount of fun I can have. I'm always amazed how little I wonk myself up while doing dangerous things for work and yet manage to build up dangerous levels of wonk to the point of injury during normal life. By the way the process of increasing your wonk levels is now known as Wonkosynthesis.

*Discovered by Swineshead