Marathons and Origami

Another packed week this week and great success all round! As mentioned, the weekly task was to learn some origami. I think the exact word I used was 'exquisite'. You can judge for yourself as to whether my work can be regarded as exquisite but, as I have highlighted before, my baseline artistic skill is hovering around primary school level at best. Once again I draw your attention to my drawing of a horse, which I might post on the blog one of these days, and so the following should be viewed with this in mind.

Obviously they are self explanatory so I don't need to label them, such is their quality.

As I mentioned, it has been packed and I have been working last minute on the wards but that wasn't enough to keep me away from the local karaoke evening which I thought was worth a mention. However, the highlight and indeed a major personal achievement that I am genuinely proud of (not to imply that my paper creations are anything other than life changing) was the half marathon.

The event had been jeopardised by the snow and on a personal note by the failings of my right knee but thankfully it behaved itself until around a mile and a half to go. By then there was no way I was stopping so I let the adrenaline carry me over in 1 hour and 57, which is better than what I was aiming for. Literally everyone I know that also ran (2 people) were significantly faster than this but it was satisfying either way. Aside from the race itself, one of the most challenging aspects was fitting the race number on the front of my shirt with safety pins. Seriously, it is well hard. I mean it took me ages.

So here are a couple of pictures just to prove that I did indeed run and am not fabricating any of this.

Anyway, as I contemplate what it means to have legs that have simply not worked since the race, I look forward to next week, which will bring an exploration of basic car mechanics. I'm hoping will increase my manliness tenfold.

W

World map: Part two

So it's been two weeks in the making but I did it. Pretty difficult this one but I'm pleased to say all countries in the world are in this drawing with their capitals in brackets. Took me a while but I think it was worth the wait.

 It' s been pretty hectic with all interview related things for next year but as of today that has been completed. Splendid.

Gun Hill Riffs have also been in the studio this past week and although there is no finished product we are well on the way to three or four newly recorded tracks so that is something to look out for in the next few weeks. Rest assured I'll post them when they are ready for public ears!

Other than that I've simply been knuckling down at Westfield shopping centre in a secluded corner of the vue cinema floor, writing some more of my novel and watching people being interviewed for cinema jobs. Some aspects of this have been hilarious, not least the candidate who was left with the interviewer's notes and was quite nonchalantly sneaking detailed peaks at the forthcoming questions.

For the next week, I will be doing a spot of locum work and then there is the small matter of a half marathon which has my name on it. If I survive this, I will be back with another blog and some samples from this week's task - namely exquisite origami.

W

Update

Just a quick update this one. Due to technical difficulties it is not possible to record and post a video of my task this week (world map including all capitals) which is just as well because it is well hard. But nevertheless it is well on its way and it will be up in a few days ready for my next blog. I see no shame in allowing two weeks for the completion of this task.

It has been another busy week. I had my interview and have been knuckling down on the novel. As well as that, there's been the half marathon training to keep me busy (and my legs sore).

News on a classic celebrity spot though! I'm pretty sure I saw Angelica Bell the other day. On telling most people this, I'm met with blank stares but trust me she is a celebrity and that's that. Look her up if you don't believe me.

Stand by for the main blog end of this week, complete with more world map shenanigans amongst other things.
W

Rubix Cubes and snow

I thought this week, due to the weather I'd get creative and so I spent a little time on making something a bit different from the snow. This is what I produced.

I am of course joking. This is simply an image I found on the internet. My artistic skills are quite simply appalling. For those of you that thought otherwise, even for a split second, you obviously haven't seen my drawing of a horse.

In reality, I've been working most of this week and it's been predictably busy but good to get back on the wards either way. As such you'll remember that I set myself a task that took into account the limited amount of time I would have. I hit the world of rubix cubes. Some of the people that solve rubix cubes are simply astounding and I was aware I would never get to their standard but my aim was purely to be able to solve a rubix cube. I am pleased to say I have succeeded and here is the proof.

Hope you enjoyed that. So, next week I have a few things lined up, one being more non year out related activity, in the form of an interview for next year. However, there is also poker, getting stuck into my novel, a step up in my half marathon training and the next installment of my foray into adult gymnastics. I'll let you know how it goes!

The task in amongst all of this will be completing my world map drawing from early on with added capital cities.

W

Snowboarding!

Firstly, happy new year to you all! I previously documented my escapades in adult gymnastics and rest assured I shall be pursuing that further this coming month in preparation for my backflip. I will also be stepping up my training for the half marathon next month. It has been alright thus far but took a bit of a hit over Christmas as can be expected.

Already I am nearing the half way mark for my year out, which is mental, so expect a bit of a summary in the next few weeks and further exciting plans for the new year. However, I need to write about the manner in which I brought in the new year, namely my holiday to France, specifically Les deux Alps. This is where I was introduced to the awesomeness that is snowboarding.

I could get carried away and ramble on for page after page about every little detail but I will make an effort to condense things. First things first, it looked like this...

Now I'd never been skiing or snowboarding before so I had no idea what to expect. Needless to say, there are very few places that I have been that could rival the location. Tick. So, I thought I would try my hand at snowboarding following various recommendations from a number of individuals. Turns out me and snowboarding got on quite well (unlike some people - you know who you are). I am now completely hooked. Another tick.

I should probably mention here that, although I managed to avoid wiping out anyone on the slopes, it wasn't entirely uneventful. Picture the scene... I'm a day or two into it, feeling a bit more confident, on a relatively steep part of a beginner slope. It's narrow and there's an instructor teaching around a dozen small children how to ski just below me as I'm making my way down the slope. Naturally, one slows and, in this case there being literally no where to go, I came to a stop.
  All fine so far, feeling relaxed and with a bit of time to kill. Now I'm not proud of this, but I am a firm believer that one should not break wind in an enclosed public space if they can help it, so what better place to do it than on a mountain surrounded by fresh air? With this in mind, I deployed my fart, satisfied that no one would be bothered by it. How was I to know that at that exact moment, another small girl was careering out of control directly towards me on her skis? As she ploughed into the back of me, she caught the full force in her face. To add insult to injury, I flew into the air and landed right on top of her. This became known as a 'Will Special'. I did not make this phrase up and I do not condone it.

I should make it clear, she was okay, albeit probably a little mentally scarred but these things happen. Anyway, crude anecdotes aside, this was one of the best holidays I have ever been on. I can think of countless reasons why... the location, scenery and existence of snowboarding among them but most of all it was the company that I went with and also the people that we were lucky enough to meet when we were there. Big shout out to all of the Chalet Ruby inhabitants! 

As well as that, everyone was happy. Be it drinking beer and watching strippers halfway up a mountain at 3 o'clock in the afternoon while listening to loud, avalanche inducing house music, or in the bars and streets of the village. Simply a cracking way of life.

But all good things must come to an end (for now) and I have been revising for an exam all this week. Then I'm back on the wards next week. So must go. But mark my words, this does not mean I stop, for I will be recommencing my weekly tasks, effective immediately. This coming week while I am grinding out some proper work, it shall be mastering the rubix cube.

I leave you with the result from the combination of a delayed flight at Bristol airport and a display model of an ipad foolishly left at the mercy of the public. 

Gymnastics

I've been working nights this week so I'm a little drowsy now but I'm out the other end and playing at a friend's wedding tomorrow. I'll be off to the practice studio as a result in a bit to brush up on the set.

However, I feel it is necessary to document my experience as a gymnast. I turned up at the venue, admittedly slightly hungover, expecting a state of the art gym complete with lifesaving safety equipment to help me from not breaking my neck. I was met with a small door in an arch underneath a railway bridge. Here's me looking 'up for it'.

You may or may not be able to see the scrawl on the door in chalk denoting the name of the premises. As you can see, a pretty professional enterprise.  I would also like to thank my friend Michelle for coming with me. I would have been 100% more awkward turning up to a majority female activity on my own.

Anyway, on entering I was actually slightly lifted (not literally), as the place at least had a toilet. We were all then subsequently put through our paces in forward and back rolls, hand stands and head stands. Verdict: It was actually pretty fun and as a result of the stretches at the start I was able to touch my toes with ease for the first time in a number of years.

Took me a while to bring up the issue of the backflip, but when I did at the end, the fact that our instructor Amelia didn't laugh in my face was encouragement enough. So, the game is on. I have £20 riding on this.  And that's a flipping lot of money.

Rather disturbingly though, on my way out, Amelia called out with the words, 'hey, are you guys cheerleaders?' Now on the one hand, in her mind it is plausible that I have the capacity to be a cheerleader. On the other, it is plausible in her mind that I have the capacity to be a cheerleader.

See you next time for my Christmas update.

Playing the Wine Glasses

This week has involved music, food and fun. Simple as that. After the hammer blow of the lock picking saga, I think I have just about managed to regroup. And it helps that it is becoming more and more festive. Indeed the decorations have shot up with a vengeance in the house. See below.

Now, before I get to the main task, I also managed to contribute to one of my other tasks by way of my culinary adventures in the kitchen. By this I mean that I cooked the first of what will be seven key dishes that I can reliably deliver at will, with devastating skill should the need arise.

Contrary to what you can see, it was actually quite tasty. And it had Hollandaise sauce in it which is generally understood in chefs' circles to be exclusively for the big boys.

Now onto the wine glasses. It was well fun. However, my efforts pale in significance to some of the stuff on youtube. You may say I have too much time on my hands but some people have taken it to a different level. With minimal practice and some scarce and fairly shoddy glasses, here's what I produced.

If you liked that, there will be a version of Silent Night on my youtube page. Given more time I could see myself getting obsessed with this activity. Almost as addictive as lockpicking and balloon animals!

I have a busy couple of weeks in line now so I think my next task will have to span both weeks.This includes an adult gymnastics class for the end of the week to get working on my back flip. (No joke).  Any suggestions for  bumper Christmas week tasks to perform to redeem myself would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I had a bit of free time so I rather randomly recorded this cover of Stand By Me. Hope you like it!