This morning we went running the opposite direction down the canal path - exciting times. It's actually a bit tougher than the way we usually run as the locks are towards the city centre which means its downhill one way and uphill the way home... It's getting warm finally and I need to find some summer running clothes - NOT SHORTS however. I have a pathological hatred of myself in shorts. I'm thinking more those trendy short-pants or long-shorts.
Can I take a moment and wax on about running? I love running. I love it so much. I love that it actually makes me leave a pub early, get up early, get out early. I love having an entire morning after running when I'm feeling absolutely great. I love the fact that I have two little abdominal muscles developing. I love my new legs with ropey bits of muscle clearly visible. I love that it is free, ethical, environmental - it's really the Ultimate Good.
Today I walked to work without my coat.
And we're curing our own bacon - not nearly as cool as saying I smoke my own bacon but our neighbourhood isn't so dodgy as to allow random fires/smoking piles of stuff... I'm very excited. I bought a side of free-range, organic, rare-breed pork belly (Gloucestershire Old Spot) from the farmer's market a few weeks ago (for a tenner he let me have that and a beautiful tenderloin which we had the other night) . Now it is sitting in our fridge, 'curing' away, (hopefully) turning into the best bacon we've ever had. I'll keep you posted.
Things I want to do in the next five years:
I usually hate these kind of goal oriented lists - so I've called this things I want to do, rather than things i 'will accomplish' or some other nonsense. It must be turning 30 - which doesn't bother me, but it's a nice round number to think about and ponder over - not too hard, mind you.
* run a half-marathon
* have a kitchen with a dining area big enough to have a table and chairs which we will then actually use for eating. As is, our kitchen fits the two of us standing very close together. We did have a table and chairs in the lounge but, as with any flat surface, it became a paper-holding space. How I long to sit at a table or stand around a kitchen island while eating!
* publish my book.
* start my career.
* learn sign language. The library runs a scheme that grants employees funding for courses not directly related to our jobs. It's a perfect waste not to get free education so I've been casting around for something to take up. When Nas was ill years ago we got out a book of AmSign to play with and loved it. I've forgotten what we taught ourselves now.
* travel more. Pretty open, I know. But it's just embarassing to have been living here this long and never have gotten to France... Or Belgium...
* have a house with storage space and a spare room and windows on more than one side. Pretty bourgeois, I know. Dare I add a garden and studio room for Nas? I mean, I thought it unrealistic to want a house of our own in five years, especially as we want to build.
I'm sure there are more. I like lists. Anyway, I'm not 30 for another week (five days actually!) so I'll keep on a-thinkin'.
