3rd March 2014

Well I am now 50 something.
Not sure how you are supposed to feel - older? grown-up? decrepit? To be honest, there's not a lot different to a few weeks ago. Nothing dramatically falls off, nothing suddenly stops working.
The weirdest thought I have is that I remember a few years back, when a friend retired on his 50th birthday, I thought I'd do exactly the same - he seemed old and ready for a life of leisurely luxury but I can't really imagine not getting up and "going" to work. I certainly don't have the sense of being too old to be doing what I do or (more importantly) simply couldn't afford to give it all up, for a few years anyhow.
Don't get me wrong, I'd far rather spend my days doing exactly what I want - I'm in the right place for that - but it would be daft to give up my job, only to have to go and do something else to help make ends meet. People I talk to on a day to day basis all tell me what a great job I have (and by and by that's true) but I always have to tell them that it's all right as long as I accept I will not be making the Times Rich List!
There may be something niggling away subconsciously that has made me more determined (well more determined in my not too ambitious way) to ramp up the fitness regime - or the less lazy regime, since my birthday. I am feeling particularly wary just now having done a good couple of runs and rides in the last few days. But with a stiff work out on the 5-a-side pitch every week, a tricky 5km run on a Saturday morning and a shiny new pair of wheels to help guide me towards July's 120 mile ride, I'm hoping to start feeling the benefit of all this activity. The pain v gain balancing act is very much favouring the pain side of things just now though.
And all this exercise makes a chap thirsty. Thanks to the generosity of all the lovely people that came to my birthday party, I am drinking my way towards the shallow end of my shed. I can reflect back on that evening with great happiness - an evening not to be forgotten. In some ways a rather unremarkable evening - not too drunken, not too loud or too long - but to have the house full of happy chitter chatter of friends old and new and family old and new - even having both parents there! - t'was a great way for me to mark the start of my 50th year.


Jez

Feb 11 2014

Oh dear
Norwich have  lost again.
Away to West Ham. A really bad result. Mr Hootun will be in a bit of a pickle now. The slide has been inevitable, slow, sad, avoidable, painful.
I've seen enough footy over the years to see the warning signs, though Norwich's predicament this year has been clear for months.
Never mind eh?

Jan 1st 2014

A new start? A blank canvas? A time for change?

Walked off a spot of fuzzy head this morning, contemplating 2014 and reminiscing 2013. Is there a need for newness at all? Got the usual wish list/resolutions of being more fit, less fat, leaner, meaner, keener - but there are lots of things I won't change, don't want to change or of course can't change. On the face of it, 2014 could be a very defining year for me. I will be 50 soon, which does seem to mean I've been around quite a long time - another reason to be a bit more contemplative. A bunch of silly, niggley injuries has scuppered quite a few plans for sporting/adventurous achievements, but I shall start prepping for our biannual 120 mile bike ride soon.

2014 may prove a difficult year for the old folks. Dad is still passing off his ongoing illness by always declaring himself to be "OK", and we all hope he is able to continue to enjoy his usual jaunts round Norfolk's finest eateries with the odd trip to Spain thrown in.
Mum has had a mixed Christmas. She has had a fair trott of visitors and spent a few hours at our house on the big day. However, the nursing home has let her down badly again with poor management - not enough staff as usual but above all, a broken lift meaning she has been largely confined to her room. We've had tears and anger and depression. And now she has a tricky chest infection, poor old girl.

After my early morning stroll up the lane, me and the Mrs had a more serious hearty walk at Sheringham, which coincided with the start of the heavy rain. That dampened any enthusiasm for me going to watch the traditional Comer New Years fireworks (which by all accounts were excellent) and opted for a feast of football including subaqua Luton beating Barnet to extend their lead in the Conference

December 1st 2013

Well it's fair to say we are in the depths of the long dark knight as the advent calendars can start to be opened and we are turning heads towards christmas hulk has put it lights on sharon's go on on friday and kramers go on on saturday so I think I had better start to go restive spent a pleasant morning with mother having cycles down to sharing ham this morning she seems in good order is genuinely quite happy with things at the moment she is coming here tomorrow to write christmas cards or at least get girls to help she has enjoyed having the car and going to visit in case is up and down the coast when I can find time to do such a thing my dear old dad is cracking along as well he seems okay and is enjoying some nice little trips recently he has been to scarborough to spain and it's been in suffolk all this weekend dead and I will be joining him for a nice meal out on next saturday hopefully this morning I treated myself to shaving of my brother stick bit after a month growth innovation attempt to take part in the mo 4 november not sure if I will bother to do that again as usual at this time of year things seem rather stay at home digi is working hard at her new school jenny is doing fabulously well at her new college and rosie is continuing to run question village school in the same way as she use to it when her mum there she is the governor my work is keeping me very busy I have been traveling right around norfolk coast checking peoples boundaries for money our favourite football team of the moment of continuing to stress us out with indifference performances 1 make a play and see if they are world beaters and sometimes it as if they are panel heaters I sometimes wonder if I ask of boys to play on a tuesday night could give them a game on the other hand dear lord luton showing signs that they may at long last be on the way back to football league status now since we start to plan for christmas in norfolk I also have to think about my bit of a do for turning 50 in january it is quite exciting planning a party I really don't know how it will go having a big do at home the coldest time of the year hopefully we will get a big fire going and we can go dogs in the garden as usual at this time of the year it is 20 of wood to burn out there does once again the hedge has made great to miles of my times as I tried so s*** again I should think but the next song I do on a days blog entries for the nights will be getting longer and I will be the first signs of spring p jolie festive holiday readers and I hope to see some of you for my big birthday love and kisses jezza

September 18th Audio blog

Well I think it is officially autumnal
Last night ok and why it was nice to see the glowing embers it was also a sign of things to come hopefully there will be some more sunny days this weekend looks like being of war 1 so we will be out in about I'm going as much as we can sheringham is hosting its usual forty's weekend this weekend coming where to town becomes of war zone full of people dressing in forties garb with music and dancing on the ceiling station platform I shall be hitting the beer festival day with billy since my last post from coming home from the lake district the summer continued and we enjoyed some carnival time at cromer and then the build up to going back to school or college in jenny's case and a new school in texas case early mornings long days lots of homework you really are back at it now our whole routine has been thrown out of kilter as people are now all over the place hi have a job of the family taxi driver being it taking jenny to the railway station rosie to school trampolining football clubs pubs dates shopping but to be fair that she is working as hard as ever and orson has an extra hours traveling to do as she does a bit putting stone island junior school on the map I have managed to give myself hey lovely knee injury after over doing it with football and running and things like that I have barely been able to walk since sunday which means having a coupla days away from work I am complaining much as for my parents for sale my of dad is currently cruising down the rhine in germany with soon a much deserved holiday has his health continues to fall to somewhat full of chat he's holidays we'll keep his spirits up I am looking forward to catching up with him at the weekend for a couple of pints as for mum well she is continuing to be fairly stable to be fair there are some issues with saint nicholas nursing home and I have looked at other places to see if we think she would be happier but I think a move would be too much open up people for her right now I just hope the home get his act together and can be a bit happier for mum with something I start the worst a around for a while the football season is only really just getting into for swing with a stop start international break and transfer window sorry have a good score now and lastly I have had some disappointment away games home form looks good I'm a hope they do well against aston villa on saturday steven gerrard luton manage to victory the other evening so maybe this is the start of the sign for good season as I speak the rain has started again and I'm sure he taking rosie to her trampolining lessons where she can let off steam and hopefully come home too tired to think I can go to bed thanks for trying to understand what has been said to this silly and tablet I shall fail read it back myself to see if it would pass the sensible bye for now everybody

Aug 6th???

Hello world

I shall try a nother audio blog as they seem to make more sense than I do when trying to touch so you find me in the lake district in ambleside to be precise having a weeks holiday with dg and the girls so far we have bean to king's it had a ride on the boat on the beach for a walk around the lake we have note to grasmere from our holiday home all except jenny of course where we went into tweedies bar that's the first time I have been there for maybe 30 years then we got next auction that's right back to ambleside on monday it rained all day we visited the beatrix potter house in hawkshead walked around beautiful time howells and had a great lunch at the drunken duck in the late afternoon the sun try to come out d g and I meant in the girls went to the cinema syllabi
Today has been out me and I'll end up going to hell berlin the girls went shopping in keswick it was a very stiff walk up and a long winding sent down to a nice pub well deserved pint of beer 42 having had a good rest it is time to head on into town to choose somewhere or supper ambleside has plenty to choose from it's just a case of what you fancy
It's a strange holiday time around as jenny clearly isn't interested in getting a bit muddy or raincoat white and to be honest I can't blame her the walking is very tough for me and kissed like me and she isn't old enough to enjoy or pubs rosie has had a go at cell walking and now the shop the new theatre springer miss class b is now a spring chicken bells can easily get up the mountain in scotland I 10 my aging creams testicles(editorial note . that last line should say "my aching limbs testify")
It would also be true to say that particularly meeting jenny are missing norfolk right now carnivals and festivals food football and friends to see it is a difficult choice as to whether we should be 300 miles away call at home don't get me wrong the lake district is and always will be a beautiful place to visit and I hope to continue coming here for many years to come kdkdkdkdkdkdkdkd with so much going on at home you tend to feel you are missing out time line for the for this is voice important and it is time to laugh rest and play which we have done in london since coming home from our holiday in meeting us it and see if jenny and I have done on holiday this year which would mean rosie a t t out the other problem about being home is having to bloody work and you really want to do that let's hope the sun keeps shining for another month or so so we can light up the beaches the beers and the premier football to come I hope some of what has been said makes sense but I doubt it more to follow enjoy the sun killer

Mykonos. Time to pack up and go home.

So we must think about going home. No tears, no regrets. Its been beautiful here. Probably the most relaxed holiday I have had since Jenny entered our world (there's food for thought Dukey boy).
We have very much been slaves to the sun. Beach and pool. Its apparently hotter in the UK today than here but hey-ho, I'd have been at work, or sorting out mother, or shopping, or cutting grass etc. Anemos Apts here in Ornos, just 2km's from Mykonos town has looked after us wonderfully. Without fuss, intrusion or any bother, we have felt most welcome. The wind has been constant - a bit of blessed relief from the heat - its a comfy 30° right now.
Food has been excellent where ever we have chosen. We have chosen carefully though as there are some pricey, classy places here. Judging by the fleet of yachts and cruisers we saw on our taxi boat the other day, there's a lot of wealthy visitors about the place.
Mykonos town was a delight to wander around. Lots of the big cruise ships call in here so there's plenty of trinkets to shop for.
Jen and I have really enjoyed our trip. She thoroughly deserved her holiday and still has the whole summer break to look forwards too - though  lots of shifts at Beeston may put a dampener on things there.
Tomorrow will seem a very long travelling day but it will be great to be home again.