We think it’s a sparrowhawk.

Where it’s been trampled on by people walking it can be quite tricky to keep balance, especially with SPD pedals, so I will unclip my shoes and pedal with the middle of the shoes, not in the cleat.

Surprisingly I didn’t feel cold at all, even though the temperature outside was -5C.

A quick ride down the cycle path and then I dropped back round the roads.

Only a short ride (in the scheme of things) but it’s heavy going through snow – it felt like a 15-20 mile road ride!

And a couple of normal blackbirds for good measure.

Couldn’t go for a swim this morning as work asked me to go see a customer this morning, so I was all togged up in a 3 piece suit and looking dapper. Once that was over and done with, off into the office and immediately was asked for a pint of murphys. Fairly quiet day otherwise.

Tuesday

Training at work some of the day, then because I was in training, when I got back to my desk, a project manager stood over me expecting me to compress 8 hours work into 3 hours. Home and then a quick change and out to the Buddhist meditation group this evening. I always look forward to Tuesday nights because of this.

Wednesday

Great swim first thing. Really powered through the laps this morning and quite enjoyed it. Then had an all day meeting at work today – so not much to say about that. Home and then a nice chinese takeaway for tea. Another fairly quiet day. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Thursday

Woo! No work today. Michelle also had the day off, so it was the first time the both of us had been able to go out and do stuff without the children in tow for ages.

First thing was to go to the youngest child’s special assembly. They were talking about Lighthouses, although they were a bit too enthusiastic and started before the rest of the key stage 1 pupils had come in! Once that was done and we’d said goodbye to the littlest one, a couple of odd jobs, and then both Michelle and I went off to the coast.

Up through Pickering and up into the North York moors. It’s only when you get up here that you appreciate where we live in this country – it’s such a beautiful place, but very barren. We did discuss about where to go for lunch, as we could have gone to the Lion at Blakey Ridge which does amazing food, but also realised if it snowed we may end up getting stuck, and I’m sure the kids wouldn’t thank us for abandoning them at school.

Progress along the top roads over the moors past Fylingdales secret radar station was fast, and we were soon dropping down the hill to Whitby, parking at the Marina.

The cost of the parking has definitely gone up – bearing in mind it’s off-peak season, the parking was still nearly £2 per hour! At least you could use wave-pay on the parking machines

We had a good wander around, I took loads of photos, going over the bridge, walking through the streets, ogling a rather nice Banjolele in the folk music shop, and including climbing all 199 steps up to the Abbey, which was shut. (Bah. And it would have been free for us being English Heritage members too!)

It’s amazing how worn down the steps were from hundreds of people climbing them over the years. Walking round the churchyard at the top, it was shocking quite how many brass plaques have obviously been stolen from gravestones and slabs, stolen for the metal for money.

Down the steps and over the bridge it was time for some lunch, and being a quiet weekday in off season, most places seemed to be closed. However, the one place we’ve wanted to come to for years was the Magpie Cafe, which has somewhat of a reputation. In peak season, you can’t get near the place for queues. However, today, there was no queue, it was open, and we got a nice table upstairs overlooking the harbour.

So the question is – does the Magpie’s food live up to it’s reputation? Of course. It was brilliant. We both had haddock and chips which was just amazing, and both ignored the warning about Yorkshire Portions and went for the regular instead of the small. In hindsight, they may have been right (I didn’t need anything else to eat that day!) I also had the tempura-battered courgette (which was gorgeous) and Michelle the mushy peas. £35 for the two of us for fish and chips and a nice pot of Yorkshire Tea (made with proper tea leaves and served with a strainer) may sound extravagant, but I’ve honestly never tasted better fish and chips. So if you get the chance, I definitely recommend it!

After a bit of a walk to burn off the millions of calories we’d just consumed, we headed back to the car, stopping to watch the bridge open (which I’ve never seen before) including noticing that it takes two blokes to open the bridge as the controls are in the lamp-posts on each section of the bridge – just hope it doesn’t jam open otherwise they’re stuck!

With an air of winter coming down over Whitby in the shape of snow, we decided to get on our way. Drove down the coast to Scarborough and round the coast road. The waves were good today and I did see one hardy solitary surfer on South Bay. He must either be committed or need to be committed (although I can’t talk, going diving last weekend when it’s -1C).

Stop off at Morrisons to pick up some provisions and then back home in time to pick the kids up.

Friday

Great swim in the morning again. After Thursday, Friday was a bit of an anti-climax to the week, although got lots of work done as I was in a good mood all day. (Well, most of it anyway!).

Woken by kids this morning, missed morning practice, and did miss it’s effects through the day (It’s amazing how sitting and meditating for just 20 minutes can make so much difference). Changed into some cold weather bike kit and went out for a quick 10 mile ride;

Weather was lovely today – took a load of old furniture to be recycled this morning, and then late afternoon tested the dive gear and filled the car with it ready for tomorrow.

Sunday

Up, did practice at 5:45am and then had some quick breakfast and hit the road. Arrived in Dosthill at 8:30am (and waited for my buddy who arrived at just before 9am).

Air temp was around 0C but it looks like the water temp was better at around 9C. Got kitted up and in the water just after 10am. First dive was a bit of a mess – having not dived for a while and trying to help my buddy with all new kit I huffed my way through the remnants of the fill that was left in the twinset. I also had 2 lots of thermals on my legs which meant I struggled to get comfortable, and because of the trapped air in my suit I also was underweighted. After all the messing around, towards the end of the dive I struggled to keep a stop as I was too positive, and ended up having to thumb the dive – partially because I was out of air, partially because I felt shit!

Swam back to the kit up area and I stripped my kit down, got the tanks filled, and went back to the car to strip off a layer of thermals on my legs. Back in the drysuit I could actually bend my knees, and I also put another kg of lead on my belt. Second dive and it was like night and day. I think I only used around 50 bar of air in the whole dive for 37 minutes. We did a full circuit of the quarry and I definitely had a much better and more chilled out dive. Wasn’t cold either, and my trim and bouyancy was definitely back on form. Second dive was finished and we’d squared away by 1:30pm, and we were the last ones out of the water too!

Back up the M1 to home for a quick cup of tea and hung all the kit up to dry in the garage, and then grabbed my monofin and swimming kit and headed back out to the pool for some finswimming.

So this is a fibreglass monofin (*my* fibreglass monofin ) made in Kiev in Ukraine. I’ve not used it in the pool for a while – normally it’s been out in the sea, but I was invited by a friend who runs the Northern Lights finswimming club up in the North East to come along to a pool session in York. Nominally a finswimming club was created in York but we never did anything with it. However, I’m quite tempted to set up a Yorkshire Finswimming club somewhere like York or Leeds and hopefully we’ll get a few members.

I forgot quite how quick you can go with the fin on – even my swimming goggles are no match for the speed I can get with this fin on and more than once they flooded due to being lifted out of my eye sockets. You have to wear a swim cap for the sake of your ears (it’s a medium stiffness fin so more for medium distance and sprinting).

I have to say it was great fun to get back in the water with the monofin and it’s made me enthusiastic to get more weight off and train more.

Home around 7pm and was asleep by 9pm although a bit of a restless night worrying about a meeting on Monday along with the buzz of the day (and probably decompressing too!).

Up early and a fairly swift 50 lengths / 1250m swim. Felt easier today than before. A day at work, and then home. Walking down the hallway I noticed the downstairs loo was making a very strange noise. Taking the lid off the cistern the water inlet was spraying all over the place, and wasn’t happy at all. After working out how to turn the water off to the house (I thought it hadn’t worked, but it seems like the cold tap in the downstairs loo is at the end of the cold water loop and takes a few seconds to drain) I dis-assembled the float valve and ended up with a handful of black junk – ah – looks like the gasket has just died. A quick trip to B&Q and I managed to get a replacement seal. Fitted it successfully and back to normal.

Tuesday

Took the kids to school this morning. At work all day and then home. Watched the Final Harry Potter this evening, and then went outside to see the Aurora. Very faint green line on the horizon is all we could see in York. Planetary Kp was only 5 with this solar storm, and it really needs to be above 6 for us to see it clearly in York. Enjoyed the Buddhist meeting this evening. Quite a good discussion. Note to self, however – don’t eat lots before meditation. I was gurgling all the way through the first 30-minute session which must have been quite off-putting for my fellow buddhists!

Wednesday

Swam first thing. My target this morning was 60 lengths. I got to 53 lengths and suddenly my kidneys really started to hurt on both sides. Eeek. I’ve never had this before whilst swimming (last time was in London when we were at the Marathon) so I carried on but at the end of length 54 it was *really* hurting. I managed to get changed and bought a bottle of water which I downed pretty much in one. I also drank loads of loads of water all day but the pain never really subsided. Worked all day. Michelle tried to get me an appointment at the doctors but they were all full, so then I just relaxed at home – still painful but staving it off with Ibuprofen.

Thursday

Kidneys seemed OK first thing, but started to twinge somewhat through the day at work. Made it through the day at work, then home. Haggis Neeps and Tatties a day later than burns night. Michelle went to bed early so I caught up on some TV

Friday

Kidneys seemed fine this morning, so I went to the pool with a water bottle and an intention only to do 20 lengths. After 40 I still felt fine, but decided I shouldn’t push it. Nice positive day at work, then home and a nice parcel had arrived – my rather spiffing and dapper new italian tailored 3-piece suit. Need to borrow my pocket watch off my mum and dad Had a fairly quiet evening being Dads taxi this evening.

Up at 6am for Zazen. I then changed into some warm bike kit and started fettling the bike for a bit (chain was starting to jump last ride, which says it’s really wearing out, so I gave it another coat of chain lubricant and noticed some small rust spots on the chain. It must really be on it’s way out – but I’ll live with it until it gets un-bearable), then I had some breakfast.

Dave arrived around 9:10am and due to the very strong winds (25mph from west) we loaded my bike on top of his car and drove to Garforth. Setting off we had the wind behind us, so made good progress across through Church Fenton and headed towards Selby. We stopped off in Selby for a rather nice Bacon Sandwich and a cup of tea (cheers Dave!)

Once we were fed and watered it was time to turn from riding easterly (and having a tailwind) to riding north-north west, so having wind coming from our left and feeling a little like a headwind. It’s knackering riding into a wind at the best of times, but this was pretty constant – I reckon 25mph or so at points. It was a hard slog riding back up the cycle path, but at least it didn’t rain too heavily and we did get some sun for a part of the ride.

We arrived back at my house and Josie came to pick up Dave and the bike – a great 32 mile ride.

Michelle had been cleaning after they’d been Horse Riding and the house was brilliantly clean.

A pretty chilled out afternoon and evening, and Michelle cooked the penultimate chunk of the turkey left over from Christmas as a turkey curry, which was very nice.

Sunday

First time Michelle joined me for Zazen this morning.

We then finished tidying the house and then I went for a nice walk to the local shop to pick up some bacon and some bagels which I cooked for breakfast. At the same time, I put a nice piece of gammon into the slow cooker with some apple juice, star anise, cloves and a bay leaf.

Once we’d done that it was down to Askham Bryan for the kids to feed the ducks, then a quick jaunt to Ikea to pick up a blanket for Lucy (and to replace a couple of broken plates) and then home.

The cars were looking rather shabby so I washed both cars, then spent some time making sure my dive gear was all ready for next weekend. I’m going to have to keep an eye on the long regulator hose as it’s starting to wear out. Might try and get a spare 2.1m hose sometime this week.

We then watched the penultimate Harry Potter before we also managed to see a very faint Aurora Borealis in the sky outside the front of the house. Not quite as green and bright as it was the last time we saw it when we lived in the wolds.

It feels strange doing meditation at my mum’s house. Although had a good 22 minutes before a cup of tea was brought up for me I am going to keep it to 20 minutes from now on. I feel like they’ll judge me for it, and I don’t think they’ll understand, so I best not broach it with them. Hopped in the car early doors (7am) to drive to Bristol. Arrived at the new office at 9am. Bit of a pain today but eventually we got things working which was great. The receptionist wanted to lock the comms room at 5pm so I suppose it was an excuse for me to clear off and find my hotel.

I can heartily recommend the Future Inn at Cabot Circus in Bristol. It’s a bit like an upper class Premier Inn – but actually that is doing it a disservice – it’s obviously swiping directly at the budget hotel market with it’s prices, but the rooms are actually as good as I’ve had in places like a Hilton. Although the first room they put me in all the sockets had failed! So they moved me without any quibble. Great customer service. The company had kindly booked me in on dinner bed and breakfast, so I had some Moules Mariniere which was lovely. I could have had a drink, but I’m keeping off the booze now.

Once dinner was over, I wandered over the road to the rather nice Showcase Cinema at Cabot Circus to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is a cinema that makes the enjoyment of a movie positive – Sony 4K projectors, decent sound system and raked seating that’s really comfortable. City Screen in York is similar – a cinema that actually wants it’s customers to have a great experience and come back for more. Somewhere that’s obviously passionate about the films.

Compare that to the frankly awful Vue cinema in York which has totally unhappy, grumpy and unhelpful staff, crap flat sound systems with damaged speakers, level seating screens (i.e. no raking at all) with very uncomfortable seating (apart from the premium seating that they’ve put in to cater for those people who drive Range Rover Sports), very crap projection and mostly small screens. You can tell I try not to go there if I can at all help it.

Tuesday

Up, a short practice, and a nice breakfast (I forgot how nice Alpen is), then into the new office to finish off my work. Left mid-afternoon for the long drive all the way back to York. Home and cooked some tea and then out to the Buddhist meeting for the evening.

Wednesday

First swim this week – another 1km.

Into the office (very busy but productive day) and then home. Nice pasta for tea.

Had a bit of an emergency this evening – we have had a Philips Steam Generator iron (GC8261) for a few years now and apart from it randomly putting brown stains on clothes, it’s been fine. The thick hoses between the base and the handset had started to fray, but it looked OK – I sealed it with tape just to make sure about 2 years ago. Until this evening when the bit with the tape burst into flames and started sparking! Thankfully Michelle jumped away and I leapt up and unplugged the iron and put out the fire. What it looks like has happened is that the steam tube had failed and the mains cable inside the hose had worn away until the inside cables were exposed (quite a big flaw) and the steam shorted the mains out and caused a fire. Quite why my MCB didn’t trip is beyond me, but once the fire started, the hose started to burn, as did the tape, and the whole thing killed itself. I’ve cut the plug off the iron and it’s gone in the garage to be WEEE recycled. Very scary.

Was very tired this evening so was asleep by around 8:30pm.

Thursday

Michelle’s in the office early today, so I took the kids to out of school club and into the office by 8am. Lots of work today but very productive.

Home and sorted out a bit of a palaver at home. Quiet night.

Friday

Up early again this morning and at the pool for around 7:15am. Did 1250m today (50 lengths) which is a bit of a minor achievement for me – and it didn’t feel that hard either. I am slowly building up to a regular daily distance of 1500m and hopefully will get up to 2000m per day by March/April.

Into the office and another very productive day. Busy busy all day today but we arranged a few things we’d been putting off for months, which is great, and I think the brain cloud I’ve been under for quite a while has slowly dispersed. I can think straight for the first time in ages. I’m very motivated.

Home a bit later than normal, but we had a treat – some Dominos’ pizza. I suppose it balances out fairly the swim this morning. I am feeling tired again now, writing this (only 20:10) but I can only think it’s because I’m getting up a little earlier and burning lots of energy.