Two Weeks

I was off work for the best part of the last two weeks with some weird balance problem and a chest infection. I think I'm still having the occasional recurrance but it's definately in regression.

Quite a bit has happened in the last two weeks:

Marathon - As walking in a straight line was a struggle, running was definately off the agenda. This cheered me up no end as every day I go without a run I lose aerobic fitness and get a day nearer to the half marathon (late May). So effectively I've got to make up for 28 days of lost training and recovery time.

On the plus side I bought myself a nice new pulse-watch and some running clothes to replace the cotton stuff. I had no idea synthetics could be so good.

I went for my first post-illness run today. It was also my first non-treadmill run in about 10 years. I warmed up on my brand new (at this point unused) cross-trainer which was probably my first mistake. Just getting back into the habit of breaking a sweat gave me an enormous adrenaline rush so I set off on a run rather than a jog. My lungs were burning after half a mile and although I managed another quarter of a mile after a rest, I was shot. Still, I did it. Hopefully I can run again after a rest day.

Diet - As I wasn't able to do any kind of exercise whilst I was ill I therefore came to the logical conclusion that there was no point dieting either. I've definately put some weight back on but to be honest it cheered me up when I was feeling low so it was worth it. My new dry-fit tops are probably less flattering than they would have been without the junk food though.

Music - I gave my oldest nephew my electric guitar (an Epiphone LP100) as a Christmas present. I thought nothing of it at the time as I'd had it for 10 years and barely used it. I did manage to get it playing in tune for the first time in that 10 years when I gave it to him, having figured out how to adjust the bridge properly. Nevermind, it wasn't like I was going to use it.

However when I was off work I watched a load of recorded TV and one programme was about Oasis and their rise to fame ("There we were, now here we are... The Oasis Story"). It reminded me about why exactly I'd bought the guitar in the first place and I felt the need play it so not having it suddenly became a problem. Luckily a friend has loaned me an Epiphone Sheraton II for a couple of weeks and I should have a replacement guitar by the time I need to give it back.

I'm now getting quite productive with my songwriting but as I'm unable to kick my wife off of her Mac, I can't record any of it. I might have to invest in a blank cassette to record it all on my dictaphone before I lose the rush and forget what I've come up with so far. Tapes... they're just so 80's!

Work - I got so bored at home that I actually went back to work before I'd recovered fully. Albeit for one day. I think just getting into the mindset of being back at worked helped me to recover. I was also given a very warm welcome back and it was nice to feel like I was missed which wouldn't have been the case in my last job.

Birthdays - It was the wife's birthday yesterday so I had the day off work. Unfortunately she didn't. I went to Exeter with her for the morning and found myself actually liking it. I don't think I'd ever been around the town centre in the day time before. Finding an enormous guitar shop stocked with every guitar you can imagine helped... in retrospect it was a good job we didn't drive home via the Ferrari dealership.

Bond - FINALLY saw Casino Royale yesterday. The new bond is brilliant, a bit unfair to give all the plaudits to Daniel Craig as they've finally written the part right too. I'm sure Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan could have played it almost as well if they were given the same script. The film was good but not sure how well it will stand up to the others in the future. Once you know all the twists there's bound to be less to it.

Big Brother - It occured to my whilst I was off work that I couldn't survive in the Big Brother house. Even with a TV, computer, guitar(s), music, magazines etc I still drove myself nuts and was praying for my health so that I could get back to work. Imagine being stuck in a house filled with wannabe-tossers (tossers that are wannabes not people that want to be tossers) away from my wife, friends and family and all the creature comforts I just mentioned. I'd go stark raving mad within two weeks, one if Jade Goody was in with me.

Cricket - The nets have started and I'm looking forward to getting in them two stone lighter. I expect to be twatting the ball every-which-way (when I'm batting). Glad to see England managed to beat Australia, if we manage to beat New Zealand and get into the final it would be somewhat amusing if we went on to win it.

Villa - Three new signings, two impressive debuts and one near sell-out crowd. Things are looking up. Might just have to go to a game over Easter (if I can get a ticket).

So to conclude this very long ramble over thoughts and observations of the last two weeks, I'd like to think I've re-motivated myself for this half marathon (and to push on for a full one next year as originally planned) and that I need to set myself some targets for my music production else I'll never fulfill my ambitions. I'm thinking a demo-album by September is a good (and achievable target) not least because I'll have full access to the Mac from July onwards. It might lack drums though...