Jul 31: Alco-gone

Tomorrow, it’s the start of Abstinence August – the first of my Monthly Challenges!

 

I am committing myself to following for August;

• No Alcohol
• No Cheese
• No empty calories (Chocolate, Sweets, ice cream etc)

I will also be monitoring my weight….closely!!! There are two aspects to this challenge; I want to lose weight such that my power to weight ratio is better for the September 40@40@Font challenge, and, because regular fasting is great for cleansing the system. Lets find out!!

My final cheese based meal constituents;

I hate people who post pictures of their dinner, tw*ts.

It may not look like much, but I totally overloaded the cheese, seriously, I’m going to pay for that tomorrow.

To help with my challenge, I have engaged the services of Janice Hobbs. She will be my dietry advisor and will be teaching me some recipe’s for my Slow Cooker…..sorry, I didn’t pronounce that correctly; my Saaalooooooooooooooooowwwww cooookeeeerrrrrrrrrr yeeaaaaaaaaaaah! Apparently, Beef will be an important ingredient, but the potato’s are out…

The potato’s are out!

The potato’s are out!

…I have to start my mantra’s tonight to get in mental shape.

Jul 30: Creme de la mans

OK, I was a bit hungover today, so obviously the best thing to do is heavy physical exercise….<sigh>.

Went for a climb this evening. Wasn’t bad at all, I was able to do some distance work, even managed a sustained fingery and overhanging 6a, and a very tricky no-handed climb (focuses the mind on footwork!).

This evening, I’m going to use this;

For personal use…..What?!?

What for?

Apparently, to climb more effectively on grit stone, one needs supple, leathery and moisturised skin such that one’s hands don’t get ripped up by the sharp grit. In order to do this, I need to start moisturising, every day…Wierd

I’m interested to know how things proceed. I’m trying a bunch of new things to help with my September challenge, this is one…Wish me luck!

Jul 29: Board + Pub

Sunny day, and an opportunity to go for a couple of cheeky drinks in Winchester – nice 🙂

Myself and a bloke from work (Mr Hosie) decided that work had become rather heavy recently, and that we should have a cheeky beer or two of a summers evening to remind ourselves that people at work are people! So, I’m briefly at home before grabbing my board and heading to the station.

This is in part an experiment. I’m looking to see just how many looks I get bombing around on a skateboard. It’s surprising to me, most people are very judgmental regarding hobbies and pursuits. This seems to particularly apply to skateboards. Interesting really, I see it as an admittedly novel way to get around, but I find walking mostly boring, so add a plank of wood and some wheels and walk because a lot more like surfing or snowboarding….works for me but apparently, I’m “too old to skateboard” and I should “not be doing such a childish activity”… As always, feedback is gratefully received, but the choice to act on it remains mine. I’m very close to my inner child, we converse often, and my inner child has a very strong opinion on what should be considered childish behaviour 😉

It will also be interesting to see how I fair after a couple of beers. I have snowboarded drunk before, don’t tell anyone but it was absolutely brilliant (it was also very dark at the time), but the consequences of wiping out on concrete is slightly less appealing. Anyways, it’s a much quicker way to get to the pub, and it’s a beautiful evening for a trundle…

<gone to pub>

</gone to pub>

Good night of steak and beer, then whiskey…excellent.

This was the view on the way home, 8 minute ride from the station instead of a 15 minute walk;

Smooooooooooth, like butter…

I’ve been drinking – that means I should stop now….no, I really should…Lovely evening.

Jul 28: Back to life

Back to the grind as some might say, but for me, with a twist;

 

Office Decorations, I’m so Fortyunate (see what I did there?)

I returned to work after some celebratory time off to find my Managers has added some frankly magnificent decorations to my office in my absence – Ha! I felt very special indeed, and it added additional zing to my good mood today 🙂

 Toward the end of the day I once again managed to sneak a cheeky cup of tea in with Mr Hobbs (That’s his thumb in the picture). We occasionally grab some time at the end of the day for a quiet cuppa and talk bollox about whatever is going on in the world. Well, I talk bollox, Dave mostly talks a lot of sense. Today I was having a full on soap-box rant about the ridiculous UK Government decisions to allow private bidding on Frakking (because man made earthquakes and pumping toxic waste in the drinking water supply apparently isn’t cause for me to worry. The frakking supporters are so confident they don’t even deny it?!?! “The effects can be minimised” according the privately owned companies that stand to make billions of pounds out of the industry….so we should definitely trust them then, they have a completely unbiased position) that’s not going to end if tears is it?! I also chimed in on my worries about recent cabinet reshuffles that look incredibly dodgy for any pro-European UK supporter.

 This resulted in a really good discussion about what options there are for the human race going forward. And whilst I’m frustrated by current policies, particularly that I don’t seem to be able to do anything about it, I ultimately feel pretty good that I am able to gather the facts from various sources provided by the world changing and generation defining World Wide Web and have a reasoned debate about multiple aspects of social engineering, economics and politics.

 The UK may be experiencing some frightening times, we may be staring down the barrel of ecological disaster but I take considerable solace that I am able to at least gather the facts and draw my own conclusions. That’s a considerable freedom and I take full advantage of it… There is a world of information and entire armies of people to share information with, all just a few ‘clicks’ away…

 Enjoy that shit whist it lasts – and never moan about a lack of education…it’s right there, and practically free…

Jul 27: Exfoliation

ooooh – Stingy hands!

 

My Monthly Challenge for September is slightly different to my other ideas, as it’s a specific ‘event’ if you like. My challenge will be to ‘send’ (complete) 40 Bouldering challenges in 1 day. 40@40. This is quite an intimidating challenge, and requires considerable focus on conditioning my body, and critically, conditioning me mentally to be able to achieve the challenge.

So, with a week booked in Fontaineblue (arguably the worlds best bouldering venue, just south of Paris) in September, this is the obvious choice of venue – 40@40@Font!

I need to start preparations, and what better way to to that than to get up to the Peak District with Balogne and Anna to do some outdoor bouldering. The call to do bouldering over routes was a toughy, I was incredibly lucky to be given gifts of climbing gear for my birthday (My family rock! </pun>) so I’m pretty pumped to test some of that out. However, Tony had previously mooted a bouldering sesh to start prep for Font…So we bombed it up to Burbage South (just outside Chesterfield) for a fantastic day on the Grit.

The particular type of rock up in the peaks is Grit Stone. It’s very rough, sharp in many places, which makes a mess of skin! It does offer a very particular (and amazing) climbing experience however, one needs to get a feel for slopey holds, smeary footwork with very very precise balance. I will no doubt regale you on future occasions as to Trad/Sport and various outdoor sessions, but for now, I’ll summarise;

We had a great day!

Anna sends a V1 5b on ‘Armoured Car’ boulder

It spat rain on the way into the crag, then intermittent sun bathed us for the remainder of the day. I was particularly focused on getting plenty of mileage to toughen my mental and physical game. I wasn’t disappointed 🙂 Anna and Tony climbed some very tricky stuff, and I got the chance to try out some of the moves so I could also push my technique.

 Overall, I got over 20 climbs in, flashed a V1 5b (very unexpected!), plenty of Mantels and really test out my body after a series of nasty shoulder injuries over the last couple of years. Extremely happy to report that all systems are in reasonable shape. My hands are shredded (exfoliated!) with the sandpaper like rock, and I need to lose some weight over the next month (August challenge!), but man! I’m pumped for Font!!!

…..did me and Tony manage to mess about?…I should bloody well hope so!

Jeneral Jezz and Brigadeer Balogne pilot ‘The Tank’ boulder, FIRE!!!

Jul 26: Post Gig Stoke

Sweet! Turns out, being the main singer for a whole gig is ‘kin brilliant!!!

It’s not just the buzz of gigging, which is fantastic, more that having a run of tunes to sing really helps to get into the flow. I can’t speak for other folk, but for me, the whole musical experience is emotive –  it’s about the instruments being a conduit to expression of mood and attitude, so being able to get into a flow (On reflection, it was a similar experience to back country snowboarding in terms of mood, focus and rhythm) provided a new experience….which was unique and brilliant fun! Coupled with the opportunity to play music with 2 complete legends (Donaldo and Ricardo Foot) on a classic summer Friday night at the Bent Brief, it made for a proper life experience – being 40 is bitchin :)

The Tobes was kind enough to ping me a photo to share;

The Pure Drop @ The Bent Brief (missing a Team Member!)

 With the prospect of some climbing action tomorrow, today has mostly been about bimbling up to Warwickshire to hang out with Tony and Anna. With the sad passing of Jazzy-B, the usual honours of walking down the lane are no longer a requirement – however…with the addition of a couple of longboards, the Lane beckoned for a bit of Skate action…

It’s a slight downhill, with some small gravel (nowt to get concerned about), and it really is as inviting as it looks;

….comeoonnnn…bomb it!

It’s a surprisingly relaxing, but surprisingly sweaty, experience. Both Tony and Anna dropped right into good technique, with Balogne (my nickname for Tony) immediately starting to carve?! Fantastic work! Hopefully, I have put the hook in deep and I’ll have two mates to bomb around with </selfish> 😉

Vids to follow once they can be uploaded…

The shit I get to do – life ain’t so bad eh?

Jul 25: Performance

GIG!

TONIGHT!

WOOOOOO!

 

It’s quite odd. Formative gigs meant actual nervousness. It was like presentations; shaky voice, shaky fingers, shallow breathing, constant need to pee…. Actually, it was only the first three that hit me, but you get the picture.

For me, that sense of foreboding and nervousness has morphed into a sense of stoke and pump! I could never understand why Don was so chilled out, like it wasn’t nothing. Then Jo would turn up all relaxed and wotnot…HOW?!?! WHAT DARK MAGICS WAS THIS?!?!

I get it now – like anything, nerves ease once you realise there is no danger….but so often;

Nerves = Cool shit!

Gotta love that adrenalin buzz – didn’t think you could do it….got scared….did it anyways…STOKE!!!

 

My photo to share today is a way of saying Thanks. A very good friend passed away recently leaving an enormous dog shaped hole that can’t ever be filled. It has served to remind me how much pleasure this complete legend brought to the world, and personally, the innumerable times his relentless pursuit of a good fussing brought a smile:

Jazzy-B, Professor of Warwickshire Sheep-Poo.

I will miss you, in a good way. Rest easy my friend…

Jul 24: Prep

It’s time to prep…

Actually, it’s been prep time for a while, and it is magnificent!! It involves playing a lot of guitar, and learning a bunch of new songs and arrangements, playing music with amazing musicians mostly using this;

Le Git-tar, an outlet!

Got a gig tomorrow – whooo! It’s an unusual gig though, there is no Jo-Jo! The Pure Drop usually rides into battle as a foursome, sometimes and threesome (snark!) and occasionally as a twosome…but to date, JoJo is the essential and ever present component…

Tomorrow night, the ever talented Jo is away having a lovely time (by the look of facebook) in Georgia, and for the first time ever, I will be donning the mantle of ‘Lead Singer’!! Shit the bed dude! Thankfully, Don and Rick will be there too, so should my voice not go down well, we can always perform: Jazz Odyssey. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve put together a set list, we even managed to write it down, total bonus, anyway, I have some lyrics to learn;

 On the streets of this town,

Seen the lights go down, 

Mary’s little children,

Dance without sound.

 That Donaldo chap can pen a lyric and no mistakin’…

Gig @ The Bent Brief, Fri 25th June 2014…and I’m not driving… 😉

Jul 23rd: Nap Needed

I have a hangover.

Totally worth it.

Yesterday, I turned 40 years of age.  Unusually, there was a gathering. I was extremely lucky to have family and friends get together for an evening of banter, hugs, booze and an obscene amount of Steak!

I had a ball! What a lucky punter… I *think* everyone else did too, but it’s all a little fuzzy after 3 cheeky beers and a vat full of wine, hence the hangover…. I also got all dressed up by my lil sister;

Gene Splicer, Rapture

 

So, what am I on about? Well, I’m going to blog everyday for the 41st year of my life.  The objective is to both share and chronicle my mission. The mission?

 

To embrace the shit out of life!

 

More will be revealed as time progresses, but one thing is for certain – I plan to misbehave!

See you soon…