Even before the London Marathon ended, we knew Joe's chances of running the Edinburgh Marathon a month later were very slim. We also knew that even if he wasn't gonna run, we were still going to head up there come hell or high water. We had some crazy friends we wanted to support regardless and WE needed a holiday!
And boy, Edinburgh did not dissapoint. The Old City was stunning with its winding cobblestone roads, dark and mysterious closes and gothic architecture.
The New City was equally intriguing and with the amazing weather bestowed on our week there, we couldn't have asked for more.
National Trust did not dissappoint with free access to some fantastic period properties and some fab NT volunteers who seemed to have bottomless knowledge of Edinburgh's history.We went to the castle of course:
We also managed to go on a bus tour to the Highlands which was really fun, even if we were the oldest members of the group! The bonus stop was the castle used in Monty Python!
One day we spent 12 hours on the road travelling from east to west trying to take in as much of the Highlands as possible. Man, words cannot express how breathtaking the scenery was!
We visited Kilchurn castle, a ruin, but very well preserved and in such a lovely setting at the tip of Loch Awe.
My favourite castle was Inverary castle, a real life Disney Castle whose actual 30-something year old couple inhabitants are what dreams are made of. What a surreal reality that must be for them.
We also found a great little garden tucked away in the village we were staying in. It was lovely!
To top off a fab week, we got to cheer on some of our friends on the hottest recorded day in May for Scotland as they pounded through the heat to finish the Edinburgh marathon. Considering that I was feeling heat exhaustion just standing there watching, Joe and I were amazed how great they looked at the end, bar the amazing sun burns they were sporting!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Salthrop House
Here is the beautiful Edwardian House we have been telling you about - isn't it lovely. It just glows with the sun beaming onto it!
Set on 70 acres of farmland and woods, it is so tranquil and lovely. Horses, cows and two crazy dogs inhabit the grounds making for a fun adventure each time you set out to expore the land.
Just a 10 minute walk away are some great blue bell woods - not the best we've seen, but with it's high elevation the views are breathtaking!
Set on 70 acres of farmland and woods, it is so tranquil and lovely. Horses, cows and two crazy dogs inhabit the grounds making for a fun adventure each time you set out to expore the land.
Just a 10 minute walk away are some great blue bell woods - not the best we've seen, but with it's high elevation the views are breathtaking!
Mottisfont
With a description like this:
"At the heart of this tranquil rural estate is Mottisfont Abbey, set in glorious grounds alongside the fast-flowing River Test. There are many layers of history for the visitor to explore, including the Gothic remains of the original 13th-century Augustinian priory. In the mid 20th century the final private owner, society hostess and patron of the arts Maud Russell, used the Abbey as a base for her racy and intriguing life. The River Test is one of the finest chalk steams in the world and the walled gardens house the National Collection of old-fashioned roses"
who could resist going to check this place out?!
Well, we ended up finding a back entrance into the estate by mistake and proceeded to ramble for 1.5 hours without getting near the estate house or gardens....what we did find instead were some fabulous blue bell woods and a great stranger who tried to set us on track but whose efforts were lost on us!
We plan to go back soon to actually see the buildings, river and roses.
"At the heart of this tranquil rural estate is Mottisfont Abbey, set in glorious grounds alongside the fast-flowing River Test. There are many layers of history for the visitor to explore, including the Gothic remains of the original 13th-century Augustinian priory. In the mid 20th century the final private owner, society hostess and patron of the arts Maud Russell, used the Abbey as a base for her racy and intriguing life. The River Test is one of the finest chalk steams in the world and the walled gardens house the National Collection of old-fashioned roses"
who could resist going to check this place out?!
Well, we ended up finding a back entrance into the estate by mistake and proceeded to ramble for 1.5 hours without getting near the estate house or gardens....what we did find instead were some fabulous blue bell woods and a great stranger who tried to set us on track but whose efforts were lost on us!
We plan to go back soon to actually see the buildings, river and roses.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
London Marathon is over!!!!!
After four months of training; 5am wake-ups getting to the gym; those horrific long run weekends; and living, breathing and talking about everything having to do with running, my London Marathon experience came and went without too many hitches.
Well, that is if you don't include the numerous injuries suffered amongst my group of friends and fellow training partners. Swollen bones, dodgy knees, calf muscle tear and lower back issues are some ailments, to name a few, which were suffered during the race and continue to effect us all! My running guru (you know who you are) said recovery should be one day for every mile ran in the marathon - so we have a month of chillin' ahead of us. In Joe's case, a month of crutches followed by a longer period of rest. Yep, the poor guy had to hobble a good 10 miles with a bad ankle, thus exasperating the problem which has led to an MRI scan to which we don't have the results just yet. I managed an injury free race but the body started cracking the Thursday after - a day I walked a bit more than the usual in heels. Now I have a bum leg and back which a hope a few sessions of physio are going to fix.
Enough of the pain though, because the pleasure of the marathon is just as intense!
It is difficult to describe just how crazy London gets on marathon day. It is as if everyone stops what they are doing and comes to support the runners. The scream your name, handout candy and fruit (Joe managed a 1/2 pint!) and just keep you moving. I'd say it is one day in the year that you are definitely proud to be a Londoner - what a feeling! Once into central London, they are lined up 5-7 rows deep just yelling and cheering. It really is something quite remarkable.
With 37,000 odd people running, you see it all - everyone has their own reason for taking up this incredible challenge and their stories are inspiring. While running, I got choked up everytime I saw a runner get noticed by his/her friends and family - the screams of support and the happiness on the runner's face was just so great to witness. I, myself, was motivated by the prospect of meeting up with my amazing cheering section just after mile 13, and boy they did NOT dissappoint! I also had a smaller crew at mile 23 which was great to see at such a painful part of the race.
Looking back now, it seems as though it didn't happen. There is definitely a void in my life - a good 2-3 hours of 5 days a week are now free which feels odd to me. I didn't think this was possible, but there is such a thing a post-marathon blues and I have been feeling it. During the race, I tried to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible so I could remember it clearly in my mind. But, to be honest, my mental focus in just trying to run through the pain and get over the finish line meant that much of the excitement of the event was in the peripheral of my eyes and mind. So much so that when I think back on the race, much of it seems like a blur. So, I just pinch and remind myself once in a while that I did do it and that's when a big beaming smile lights up my face!
Here is a slideshow of pixs taken by our great support team and a few from me too. Enjoy!
Well, that is if you don't include the numerous injuries suffered amongst my group of friends and fellow training partners. Swollen bones, dodgy knees, calf muscle tear and lower back issues are some ailments, to name a few, which were suffered during the race and continue to effect us all! My running guru (you know who you are) said recovery should be one day for every mile ran in the marathon - so we have a month of chillin' ahead of us. In Joe's case, a month of crutches followed by a longer period of rest. Yep, the poor guy had to hobble a good 10 miles with a bad ankle, thus exasperating the problem which has led to an MRI scan to which we don't have the results just yet. I managed an injury free race but the body started cracking the Thursday after - a day I walked a bit more than the usual in heels. Now I have a bum leg and back which a hope a few sessions of physio are going to fix.
Enough of the pain though, because the pleasure of the marathon is just as intense!
It is difficult to describe just how crazy London gets on marathon day. It is as if everyone stops what they are doing and comes to support the runners. The scream your name, handout candy and fruit (Joe managed a 1/2 pint!) and just keep you moving. I'd say it is one day in the year that you are definitely proud to be a Londoner - what a feeling! Once into central London, they are lined up 5-7 rows deep just yelling and cheering. It really is something quite remarkable.
With 37,000 odd people running, you see it all - everyone has their own reason for taking up this incredible challenge and their stories are inspiring. While running, I got choked up everytime I saw a runner get noticed by his/her friends and family - the screams of support and the happiness on the runner's face was just so great to witness. I, myself, was motivated by the prospect of meeting up with my amazing cheering section just after mile 13, and boy they did NOT dissappoint! I also had a smaller crew at mile 23 which was great to see at such a painful part of the race.
Looking back now, it seems as though it didn't happen. There is definitely a void in my life - a good 2-3 hours of 5 days a week are now free which feels odd to me. I didn't think this was possible, but there is such a thing a post-marathon blues and I have been feeling it. During the race, I tried to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible so I could remember it clearly in my mind. But, to be honest, my mental focus in just trying to run through the pain and get over the finish line meant that much of the excitement of the event was in the peripheral of my eyes and mind. So much so that when I think back on the race, much of it seems like a blur. So, I just pinch and remind myself once in a while that I did do it and that's when a big beaming smile lights up my face!
Here is a slideshow of pixs taken by our great support team and a few from me too. Enjoy!
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Silverstone Half Marathon
Well, all I can say is THANK GOD I didn't run this particular race - it did not look fun. In fact, at this point in our marathon training, I was nursing a "stress reaction" (a wussy version of a stress fracture) in my foot, so I was dedicated cheerer.
Funny to see the photos of how cheery-faced the runners were that day, as if they didn't really comprehend that this was just the beginning of marathon training hell....
With heavy winds and an incredibly winding/overlapping route, all 4 of them managed to complete it intact.
I won't elaborate on Joe forgetting his shoes at the gym and having to run in very old trainers.....the photos say it all!
Funny to see the photos of how cheery-faced the runners were that day, as if they didn't really comprehend that this was just the beginning of marathon training hell....
With heavy winds and an incredibly winding/overlapping route, all 4 of them managed to complete it intact.
I won't elaborate on Joe forgetting his shoes at the gym and having to run in very old trainers.....the photos say it all!
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Joe's Charity Gig
Joe had managed to raise above and beyond the amount required by his charity for the London Marathon so he thought he could do more for another one...
He volunteered his new employee, Samir, to organise a charity gig to raise funds for Get Connected, a charity which helps teens with getting the resources they need to for any help they may need. Samir got crackin' right away and completely blew us all away with his fantastic planning and organising.
He managed to secure four bands for free, a venue at a drastically reduced price and contacted the charity for various prizes to give away in a big prize draw.
Needless to say, his efforts paid off when, by the end of the big night, we managed to raise £1300!!!!
Many thanks to Samir for all his hard work! And thanks to everyone who came out to support the night.
On a personal note, I think this is the biggest, most comprehensive group shot we've had of all of us -EVER!!!
He volunteered his new employee, Samir, to organise a charity gig to raise funds for Get Connected, a charity which helps teens with getting the resources they need to for any help they may need. Samir got crackin' right away and completely blew us all away with his fantastic planning and organising.
He managed to secure four bands for free, a venue at a drastically reduced price and contacted the charity for various prizes to give away in a big prize draw.
Needless to say, his efforts paid off when, by the end of the big night, we managed to raise £1300!!!!
Many thanks to Samir for all his hard work! And thanks to everyone who came out to support the night.
On a personal note, I think this is the biggest, most comprehensive group shot we've had of all of us -EVER!!!
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Are we mad????
We are both doing the London Marathon this year!!!
I am running for Shelter, a housing and homelessness charity, and Joe is running for Sense, a charity helping deafblinded people.
Joe has known for a few weeks now of his fate on 25 April but I just signed up today!!!
More news later because franlky I am too shaken to write any more!
I am running for Shelter, a housing and homelessness charity, and Joe is running for Sense, a charity helping deafblinded people.
Joe has known for a few weeks now of his fate on 25 April but I just signed up today!!!
More news later because franlky I am too shaken to write any more!
Monday, 25 January 2010
The Alphabet Dinner strikes again!
Some of my followers may know about the Alphabet Dinners already, but for those who don't, here's a little history and explanation of what it is:
Sometime in 2006 or 07 (eek! they've been going on for a bit now!), we and three other couples wanted to figure out a fun way to catch up with each other on a regular basis, doing something that wouldn't cost the Earth.
We decided on dinner parties, held in regular intervals, roughly once every 2 months. Not just any old dinner party, it would follow the letters of the alphabet. Each letter must represent a country and its cuisine. Yes, only countries - no provinces, no cities, no states (and we are very strict with our rules, well with the expection of the letter Q).
Several points to mention here:
Three years on, one new baby, countless disputes whilst cooking and 17 letters later, we arrived at Q on Saturday night.
Only one country comes to mind for the letter Q. Lucky us, it was our turn (not jaded at all by the fact that the three other couples get easy street with R, S and T, but nevermind....).
We decided to take a stance and risk the consequences of breaking the "Alphabet Rules" and told everyone we weren't going to do Qatar - we were going to celebrate Quebec. Heck, Quebec has been fighting for independance for so long anyway, it might as well be its own country!
Joe planned the menu and we prepped together. All I have to say is WOW, those Quebecians (or whatever you call em) sure like their stodge!
Starter:
Ham and Yellow Split Pea Soup
Mains:
Salmon and mash pie
Roast Dusk with Pecan stuffing
Poutine (french fries with cheese, bacon and gravy)
Dessert:
Maple Syrup Pie
Afterwards, my stomach was a brick. None of us could really sit upright at the end, but it felt good to know we only have two more letters to go for our contribution!
Sometime in 2006 or 07 (eek! they've been going on for a bit now!), we and three other couples wanted to figure out a fun way to catch up with each other on a regular basis, doing something that wouldn't cost the Earth.
We decided on dinner parties, held in regular intervals, roughly once every 2 months. Not just any old dinner party, it would follow the letters of the alphabet. Each letter must represent a country and its cuisine. Yes, only countries - no provinces, no cities, no states (and we are very strict with our rules, well with the expection of the letter Q).
Several points to mention here:
- None of the countries of our patronage could be used at all in the process. Being quite the international group of 8, The States, India, China, Ireland and Vietnam were automatically struck from the record.
- Restaurant wildcard could only be used once every 2 turns. Hence, if you wanted to eat out on your turn, the next time around you would have to cook.
Three years on, one new baby, countless disputes whilst cooking and 17 letters later, we arrived at Q on Saturday night.
Only one country comes to mind for the letter Q. Lucky us, it was our turn (not jaded at all by the fact that the three other couples get easy street with R, S and T, but nevermind....).
We decided to take a stance and risk the consequences of breaking the "Alphabet Rules" and told everyone we weren't going to do Qatar - we were going to celebrate Quebec. Heck, Quebec has been fighting for independance for so long anyway, it might as well be its own country!
Joe planned the menu and we prepped together. All I have to say is WOW, those Quebecians (or whatever you call em) sure like their stodge!
Starter:
Ham and Yellow Split Pea Soup
Mains:
Salmon and mash pie
Roast Dusk with Pecan stuffing
Poutine (french fries with cheese, bacon and gravy)
Dessert:
Maple Syrup Pie
Afterwards, my stomach was a brick. None of us could really sit upright at the end, but it felt good to know we only have two more letters to go for our contribution!
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Speaking of the Big Chill....
Just got a chance to look through some photos Shari (my sister) sent me of their trip to Chicago a few years ago..
and to my fellow Brits, this WAS my childhood......every year!
the only two things that are different about this photo than one taken in the early 80s is my dad's age and the actual kid - otherwise this is the stock winter photo for the Lock household - now with grandkid being photographed!
mom and coco out front.
the snow is so thick the swing can't move much!
the stock winter outfit for chicago!
sis and fam - look at the size of that!
and to my fellow Brits, this WAS my childhood......every year!
the only two things that are different about this photo than one taken in the early 80s is my dad's age and the actual kid - otherwise this is the stock winter photo for the Lock household - now with grandkid being photographed!
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| From Drop Box |
mom and coco out front.
the snow is so thick the swing can't move much!
the stock winter outfit for chicago!
sis and fam - look at the size of that!
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
The Big Chill
I feel pretty lucky that I have seen snow more than a few occassions in London over the past eight years. It has never been much, but enough to bring back those fab childhood memories of building snow forts, sledding on Briargate Hill, snowball fights, the 20 minute mandatory "get ready to go outside" ritual filled with moonboots, sledding pants, winter jacket, long underwear, scarf, mittens, hat, double sock layer, double trouser layer, double shirt layer.....you get the idea.
Well, winter came with a vengence this year. Snow everywhere! London was hit and the snow actually stayed because of the freezing temps. All outside London got dumped on causing travel chaos like nothing seen in decades, and which will not be soon forgotten.
And boy was that snow THE perfect packing snow! Kids in the street slamming snow balls at each other, Joe smashing one in my face (yep, what a guy!) and snowmen everywhere - a winter wonderland!
So, here is what we got up to on one of the bigger snow days - my first snow man in a good 20 years!
Well, winter came with a vengence this year. Snow everywhere! London was hit and the snow actually stayed because of the freezing temps. All outside London got dumped on causing travel chaos like nothing seen in decades, and which will not be soon forgotten.
And boy was that snow THE perfect packing snow! Kids in the street slamming snow balls at each other, Joe smashing one in my face (yep, what a guy!) and snowmen everywhere - a winter wonderland!
So, here is what we got up to on one of the bigger snow days - my first snow man in a good 20 years!
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Christmas Time!!!
Joe and our friends Has and Lui decided to volunteer for Crisis this year, which meant Christmas Eve and Day, they would be spending the day at a temporary homeless shelter helping the running of the centre through cleaning up, serving food, chatting with the "guests" and so forth.
I was duly appointed chauffer and chef for the duration and grasped my responsibility with full vigor!The centre was in West London, nearer has and lui's place, so we decided to move into theirs for two days and enjoy Christmas together.
The entrusted me with their keys and I opened up Christmas Eve early and alone in their kitchen cooking up ribs, chicken wings, fois gras that I got from a great colleague!, quesadillas, prawns and dip, and a massive triple layer chocolate cake that couldn't make the journey upright and ended up in a big bowl.
When they all got in Chrismas Eve night around 10pm, the food was ready to go.
Lui and I ended up talking into the morning till 4am and we woke up, exchanged pressies and managed to suck down more food - this time a wonderful Swedish Christmas feast made by Lui!
With all bellies full, we dressed and I got them to the centre and went home for phone calls to the states.
Later that night, I picked them all up again (by the way, I was well impressed with my uneventful drives across central London all by myself!) and we, you guessed it, ate again and crashed.
Boxing day started with a lay in, breakfast out and a four hour walk through the fabulous Wimbledon Parks.
We headed home late afternoon filled with warmth, love and lots and lots of food!
Thanks to Has and Lui for sharing their Christmas with us!
My pressie from Has and Lui!
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
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| From xmas with has and lui |
Sunday, 20 December 2009
The Godfather Part 4
Well, I'll say, that little Scarr sure is cute!!!
Godfather Joe and I made our way over to Simon and Catherine's for a long awaited reunion with little Juliette, and boy she did NOT dissappoint!
I monopolised her most of the afternoon because she was just so much fun to giggle with, but Joe managed to hold his Goddaughter a few times and enjoy her lovely little personality.
I have to say, she is going to be a heart breaker and you can arlready see how daddy Simon is going to have a hard time saying no to anything she asks for!!
Given Catherine's incredibly difficult pregnancy, this baby is truly a miracle and we are so happy to be a part of her and her parent's lives!
Godfather Joe and I made our way over to Simon and Catherine's for a long awaited reunion with little Juliette, and boy she did NOT dissappoint!
I monopolised her most of the afternoon because she was just so much fun to giggle with, but Joe managed to hold his Goddaughter a few times and enjoy her lovely little personality.
I have to say, she is going to be a heart breaker and you can arlready see how daddy Simon is going to have a hard time saying no to anything she asks for!!
Given Catherine's incredibly difficult pregnancy, this baby is truly a miracle and we are so happy to be a part of her and her parent's lives!
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Peace Corps Reunion!
Ten years after the shit storm that was Kazakhstan, my dear fellow Kaz-6er, Bruce, decided to pop into London for a little visit. To say I was overjoyed was an understatement! I was ready to show him London. Instead, we just sat in most coffee places we rambled upon and just got caught up. I felt like I jipped him, not showing him anything about London, but he seemed happy enough. And that made me happy.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Off to Spain!!!
We decided to get away in early December to Barcelona - and boy were we in for a treat!
What an amazing city!!!! The weather was amazingly warm and sunny for December and with all that the city had to offer, we found it difficult to get in everything we wanted to see.
I don't normally like visiting places more than once, but I definitely want to come back.
Main highlights of the trip include visits to Park Guell, walks through Barri Gotic, the massive Fountain, bike ride through the city, Mont Serrat, lots of cafes for cappucino descaffianatos, a casino(!), and just walking around aimlessly dipping into shops and restaurants as our mood carried us.
What an amazing city!!!! The weather was amazingly warm and sunny for December and with all that the city had to offer, we found it difficult to get in everything we wanted to see.
I don't normally like visiting places more than once, but I definitely want to come back.
Main highlights of the trip include visits to Park Guell, walks through Barri Gotic, the massive Fountain, bike ride through the city, Mont Serrat, lots of cafes for cappucino descaffianatos, a casino(!), and just walking around aimlessly dipping into shops and restaurants as our mood carried us.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Visit to Hughenden Manor with Has and Lui
As members of the National Trust, we've enjoyed frequenting the beautiful manor houses, ruins and castles dotted across the country. Our friends Has and Lui don't have a car, and I made it my mission to get them out of London to visit a nice but of British history that they wouldn't otherwise be able to get to (well, wouldn't bother with public transport to get there - nor would I without a car!). Plus Lui's and my new British citizen stati (is that plural for status?) means we need to brush up on our new country's history!
Home of Benjamin Disraeli, ex-prime minister of Great Britain sometime in the 1800’s, this manor house was his sanctuary away from Westminster. Only an hour outside of London, its completely rural and peaceful.
We walked for quite a long time and inevitably ended up eating in the cafe warming up our mitts while doing so.
Great day out!
Home of Benjamin Disraeli, ex-prime minister of Great Britain sometime in the 1800’s, this manor house was his sanctuary away from Westminster. Only an hour outside of London, its completely rural and peaceful.
We walked for quite a long time and inevitably ended up eating in the cafe warming up our mitts while doing so.
Great day out!
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