On Friday Five For 16th March

Since we last spoke...

Went for a pint with Hano in Holyrood 9A (which used to be my work local). Wide selection of good beer and really nice burgers. Which we enjoyed. Good chat. I've been watching a blacksmith make a Damascus (modern) steel sword - which has taken him about three weeks which got me thinking about the industrial manufacture of swords because I'm pretty sure that the 1798 pattern cavalry sabre didn't take three weeks to make. Had a good chat about that and also underwater robots. I had a few pints of Stewart's IPA and nice blond beer called Ferry Fair.

Had mixed feelings about the rugby. I was really, really pleased that Blair Kinghorn got his first start and played really well and scored a try and WHOOP!. Disappointed that Scotland as a whole didn't quite click. I think we let two or three try scoring chances go by. If we'd scored them it would have been a different game and we could do with the bonus points. (I'm discounting any wild chat about how we could have won that game - although we are going to have to beat the current Irish team in order to avoid New Zealand in the quarter finals of the World Cup next autumn.) MLW was forced to not watch the game because the Captain was not in the mood and see finds watching Scotland play in tight matches very, very difficult. Looking forward to Italy this Saturday. We need a bonus point win in order to have a chance of finishing in the top half of the table.

The cottage is begining to sell itself - summer is about half booked out and we're getting weekenders for March and April. We need to do some maintenance work on it. Not as much as I feared we might have to. A bit of painting and some gardening. The village was cut off during the snow and the melt water caused the middle of the village to be flooded.

My mum, sister and niece are visting this weekend. My daughter is also coming up, but for her Easter holidays. A family jamboree. I shall be making Drunken Balkan Chicken tomorrow for lunch. It is good to see mum and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of them this evening.

It is the Captain's birthday party this weekend. There will be much excitement.

On Fives From Other People

1) Who made you feel good this week, and how?

My personal trainer who encouraged me to reach several personal bests at the gym this week but more generally has really helped me get much, much fitter than I think I've ever been. I can lift more weight, run futher and faster, bend, stretch and reach more. My current favourite thing to do is to stand on one leg and bend over and touch the floor just in front of my foot. It's harder than it sounds and I couldn't have done it a year ago.

And my wife smiled at me which made me feel lovely.

2) What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?

Kept working my to do list. I'm trying to really build in some new habits and practice about how to keep myself organised and on track. Went looking for some extra work from my boss - felt energised about work. I also spoke to my mum about lots of things - which is important because one of my most important goals right now is making sure that my family and each individual in it gets through the difficult twelve months we all appear to be having.

3) What did you most enjoy doing this week?

Playing rugby with the Captain. After our training session on Sunday we took a ball out on the Meadows and threw and kicked it around. It was the first warm and sunny day we've had for a while and we were having a nice time. I taught him how to do a torpedo kick which is something I learned when I moved to Australia and we got taught Australian Rules football.

4) What did you learn this week?

That environmental reporting is a seasonal activity driven by the requirements of the FTSE.

5) What’s the funniest thing that happened to you this week?

I had a chat with my mum and we made each other laugh - which was good for both of us. In parallel, the Captain is has been trying all week to stick his fingers in my belly button to see if it really does go to Australia and this has made him very, very ticklish.

On 100 kgs

Deadlifted 100 kgs today.

Just once but it was a good lift and off the back of doing a few sets at 90 kgs.

I think we let that bed in over the weekend and then try 100 kgs again next week.

On Friday Five - Irish Edition

I've subscribed to the Friday Five Community and this my first, official, go at it - a celebration of Irishness for St Patrick's Day.

1. Are you Irish?

I am not Irish. I have been to Ireland twice and I went out with a girl from Derry for a while, and that's about as close I've gotten to being Irish.

2. Do you like Guinness?

I do like Guinness but it is not my favourate stout. I prefer Murphy's and Beamish stout to Guinness and Gillespie's to both of them.

3. Do you know what the symbol of Ireland is?

The Harp

4. Have you ever watched Father Ted?

I have watched Father Ted. I even watch Death in Paradise which has made me appreciate Father Ted less because it turns out Ardal O'Hanlon wasn't acting when he was playing the part of Father Dougal.

5. Do you believe in leprechauns?

No, but I do believe in the Good Friday Agreement.