I cycled to the station today. Partly because I needed to be there before 7am but also because I was seeing if I could stick cycling to work every day.
There is a cycle challenge for mind starting on the 1st July. The shortest distance you can do is 60 miles.
I figured work and back is a mile. So that's 21 miles in the month... Just another 40 to factor in...
Although, I probably won't do those with a flat back tyre!
Yesterday we played an inter-parliamentary research council netball tournament.
We can last.
But it was fun and good exercise.
We were the only team without printed t-shirts and without a clipboard full of game plans.
I went to see Dippy on tour! I typed my notes up from my work meeting at the Birmingham Natural history museum Because it's close to the station (and museums have nice toilets). As I was leaving to catch my train I realised the Diplodocus from the London natural history museum was there.
I didn't have a pre booked tickets or anything so I begged the lady as I had literally 10 minutes and she let me in 😁😁...and I didn't miss my train because it was delayed..
Traff and Jenni both had research council job interviews this week.
Traff's was at a hotel but Jenni's was with me!
This was our 'walk to work selfie'.
They'll both find out at the end of the week so keep your fingers crossed people!
Today I was working in the museum running a 1940s workshop for school children.
Setting up always takes a little while and collecting bits and bobs from several cupboards.
The workshop partly takes place in a steam train carriage. The carriage is usually locked.
Whilst I was in the carriage settings up and checking all the gas masks and resources a helpful member of the public locked me in the train!
Because they're train carriages the doors are designed to be locked from the platform, not unlocked from inside.
It was rather inconvenient.
Yesterday Ellie, Laura and I made sushi.
Ellie brought avocados to use as a sushi filling as I am seeing if I can get the stones to germinate.
Apparently they're fussy so this may not work very well.
Fingers crossed.
Although, the watermelon plants are doing really well! And the honeydew melon is massive. So I have been a little successful.
We took the train to Ypres. We had planned to stay to see the Menin gate rememberance ceremony at sunset, but we were foiled by the weather and a train strike.
We had traditional Flemming food for lunch (or as traditional as you get in a tourist trap for the elderly). Then the Flanders Fields museum which was just sad.
I'm not against slightly harrowing, thought provoking experiences. I had the greatest respect and reverence for the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and the House of Terror.
The Flanders Fields museum show photographs of the dead either after collecting them from the battlefield or on the battlefield in situ.
One was fully frontally nude.
I understand that the photos exist but I don't think they should be displayed like that. It felt so disrespectful and voyeuristic.
We followed a guide book tour to the military cemetery and Menin gate. We also visited the cathedral.
All in all a depressing and sombre visit.
Day in Lille! We went to see the Ola Cuba exhibition.
It's really very interesting.
We also had an amaretto coffee at 11am.
After the art exhibition we had a picnic in the park then undertook a 3 hour walking tour.
Followed by coffee at the fine art museum.
We saw so much of the city!
Bit of Myself night first ever adventure on the Eurostar! It's brilliant.
Getting my Nan through security was a bit of a nightmare, but we got there in the end.
Once in Lille we walked to the air BnB (which was awesome) and then the supermarket. That was an experience.
I have a new their that the elderly revert to toddler behaviour. Meltdown over the wrong type of ham and a trolley full of eclairs.
Pyrography and weaving this week!
The pyrography was really cool, but tricky.
The really expensive pens were much easier to use than the cheaper ones.
So, I am grateful that I didn't buy a cheapy pen from Hobbycraft as it would have been a waste of money.
Weaving was fun, I love the yarn dyes.
I'm having another go at growing melons.
The big plant is a honeydew, the other 8 are watermelon.
They're doing really well at the moment.
I can't believe how fast melon plants grow!
You can see the changes over a day!
I'm very excited to report that my new glasses have arrived!
I was worried that I'd got carried away when I ordered them. I was panicking that the green was too gaudy.
But I've changed my mind.
They're amazing!
I'm a bit annoyed because the guy who handed them over in Specsavers was so excited about the mirror lenses that he forgot to fit them quite a perfectly as normal.
Gah!
I made it to training!
Tracey and I went for a run on Friday night, and I figured if my foot didn't ooze or do anything gross on a run it was good enough to skate on.
I was pretty proud of my run after 2 weeks off and with the weather being so humid. I managed 2.63k.
At training we did endurance training at the end of the session. To pass minimum skill you need to complete 27 laps in 5 minutes. I managed 19 laps in 5 Minutes. I'll take that after 2 weeks of no exercise!
