Another little review of my progress, seeing as we’re now into April. What’s actually spurred this post is that I weighed myself this morning, plus I started climbing again this week, AND I’m about to cook a new dish, so I’m feeling preeety chipper.
One humorous moment first. Was cycling home from work in my horrendous luminous yellow jacket, with waterproof trousers and a dodgy helmet. Two teenage girls waiting for some mates on the corner. As I cycle past, one chips in Looking fly.
Well, it amused me.
Anyway, here’s how I’m doing:
- Climbing – have started again. I now need to go more than once a fortnight to meet 20 climbs this year, but I’m hoping to do a few weeks on the trot to get my fitness back up. Was a good session this week, but ran out of grip near the top of the auto-belay 5+. 5+ was almost warm-up territory for me last year!
- Blogging – This is my 11th entry in 14 weeks, so I’m slightly behind. Must try harder!
- Growing Leaders – going well so far. Very challenging and enjoyable course to deliver, and it would appear the delegates are benefiting from it.
- Cinema – Planning to chalk up visit 1 with No. 1 son over Easter. My sister kindly gave my a gift subscription to LoveFilm for my birthday, so that’s going to dramatically increase my film consumption rate too!
- Weight. Well, I am (as of this morning) at 72.2 kg, which is pretty darn close to my target range (68 – 72). I suspect with climbing again it will rapidly drop to 70 over the next few weeks, and I can start eating biscuits again!!
- Photo – well, haven’t submitted one for publication, but I am doing Practical Photography’s DSLR skills, and have uploaded a photo for Module 1 (a “contrasty” still life). My submission is slightly quirky, and I don’t think it really works. Oh go on then, here it is:
.The focus point is intentional, but I think it needs something behind to balance it up. I’m happy with the exposure (which was the objective of the homework). I also did a flash + long shutter one with it rocking which is funky, but doesn’t mee the brief (natural light). But it is a competition, so I think it counts for the purposes of my targets. Still building up to submitting one for publication…
- Camping – pending
- New dish. In honour of Mothering Sunday, I’m cooking for the missus at lunchtime. The main dish is shepherd’s pie, which I’ve done before, but for pud I’m going to bake a treacle tart. In fact, I’ve never cooked any sort of tart, or particularly worked with pastry from first principles (although I did make profiteroles once with homemade choux pastry, and was almost disappointed by how easy they are). Ready rolled pastry from the freezer is so convenient (and probably better than I could do!) there doesn’t seem much point in making it – but I’m going to give it a whirl. I may even post a piccie of the result.
All in all not too shoddy. Need to pay some attention to climbing and blogging, but otherwise I’m content with progress.