Personality tests

I've just taken one, I took it a while ago too. I try to be honest yet both times I've received quite different responses.

The best line in the 'report' is definitely:

Although you are practical, you are anything but boring – you have depths to you that others cannot see.

Now, let me see - "you have depths ... that others cannot see" - so, I may well be, "anything but boring", but sadly those around me are unaware that I have "depths" and will just see me as, you've guessed it, boring!

This time they assessed me as a 'generous designer'; last time I was a 'considerate director'... who knows, maybe personality is always in flux. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone to know that sometimes I'm very happy, oganised, and on top of it - and other times, I'm very much none of those things. (Oh, the test can be found at personaldna.)

Ah well, this post was meant to be about a great 5 mile run on Friday, and a lovely w/end away with Badger and Tigger; but TheO has ably commented on that, including a wonderful 2h of walking. I also dragged by carcass on a miniscule 3mile bike ride yesterday. (That's to the shop and back - bread and sugar were needed.)

Also - I made something which I'm quite proud of today. It's been approved by it's new owner so I'm even going to show you all a little bling.

Best piece of advice I've been given in a while.

Last week I spent 1-2h with tools and a determined expression trying to fix some tiny, little, almost (but not quite) insignificant leaks under out sinks. [Fault of fuckwhit plumbers - lets not discuss that!]

After 1-2 hours I was a bit miffed and quite crotchety. TheO asked what was wrong and I explained that I'd just spent 1-2hours trying to fix something and "achieved nothing".

She pointed out that I had achieved something, I'd achieved the knowledge that I couldn't fix it, and did need to call someone.

Made me feel much, much, better. I then felt like at least I'd tried to fix it, and yes, I wasn't just been lazy calling a plumber, there was a reason.

--

She also just took me, Tigger and Badger away for a night up north which was damn fine. And we managed to find a really nice walk too. Now knackered and need sleep... but not food.

May have spread the antiquing bug far and wide. Age cometh.

look away now

This train wreck of a post was supposed to be about the most incredible set of Yassos ever done by man or beast. Yesterday we managed to drag our lazy arses to the gym and I finally did a proper work out. I'm still no closer to even attempting marathon training but this did at least feel like progress was made. (TheO out did me by running, swimming and walking in one workout...)

10 Yassos took 42.23 - of running. (Fastest yassos ever - but seriously, if I star counting this I could become stat obsessed... well, you know, more obsessed.) There was less than 1min rest between each Yasso - a quick stretch, a few gulps of water and I was done. It was all on the treadmill at 1%. it really rocked. Now I just have to get my long run sorted and we'll be somewhere near the track; not back on it, but at least in sight.

Seriously - I'm just venting now - back away, look at something else... nothing to see here:

What has really bugged me today is my father: He is a git.
1.He's getting remarried in 2 weeks time (and lets be clear about this I DO have issues with it - read on).
2. I am happy for him, she's perfectly nice, I just don't want to have to share in the enforced cheeriness. As far as I'm concerned I got the shit, angry, argumentative years; and being a little immature on this issue, I am not yet ready to head full force into the 'happy years'.
3. He's very good at wanting me to play the daughterly role, when it suits him. Put it this way: I moved house 6 months ago. We've had the keys to the house for 10 months. He's never visited. He's not always in the country, but when he is - which has been about 5 months of the past 10, he's 40min away. We made it clear he was welcome any time. I find this odd. Very odd. If any one of my friends moves house - a pretty major thing to do - I'd be at least a little interested.
4. During the conversation today it was made clear that his wedding is a 2 day affair. This is despite our only communication on the issue being one small white card with the time, date, location and a note about taxis. This card was the date of the ceremony, so obviously that's what I've diaried.
I only found this out as I asked if we were getting any extra wedding info before the big day. I was told we were not. He then ran throught the plan.... I sat open mouthed. He then irritably said - "didn't you see the website?". The website wasn't mentioned on our card, nor did he write/email or phone to mention the web address before.

How he expected me to know all this is beyond me. Now I've got plans for the weekend, and I didn't even want to be at his fecking wedding to begin with. Fuck.

I just loved this.

What I need now

is the knackers yard.

Oh god, the smugness of yesterday has definitely bitten me in the arse. I did not stretch enough after the exertions and might still be a little under-the-weather therefore I am wracked with pain today. My legs and stomach muscles are just killing me.

A great massage from TheO helped, but I was sadly informed by her that: "I am not a miracle worker". Well, damn, why did I marry you? was my first thought. Swiftly followed by; are you really allowed to cause that much pain as a massage therapist? Luckily it was all worth it and I felt a good deal better afterwards, and once I'd stopped being a wuss.

After being in a stinking, horrible mood most of the day; a lovely visit to Spartan and Blarney really perked me up - as did the Champoo. Nothing like a good dose of Radio4 (in the car), talking houses, and paint charts, and plans, and handing over vast quantities of baby clothes from MaYa. All had a v happy evening, there was even some Euro-Footie on the telly.

I needed neither

(steroids nor luck) as it turned out.

Somedays I walk into the gym and suddenly I'll know what workout/run I should be doing. I just knew today. The time had finally come - I needed to do a fast 10K - to really push myself and see what I could do. I'd had breakfast, I was a little under-hydrated, but I had a bottle. It was dead quiet. I just had to get on there and run.

The good thing about running faster and knackering yourself is that, at least the workout is over sooner.

10K - 54.25 - all at 1% and all damn hard work. Pleasing to know that the blistering pace of the island 5k can be maintained over a longer period. But damn, I was a bit nasty by the end of it. The kind of sweaty that doesn't end when you have a shower. You wash, you dry yourself, then you wonder why you're still a bit damp... yuck.

That was the big, nay only, achievement for the day. Oh, and not eating cake; I'm counting that as an achievement too. (Pathetic but true.)
And we spent some quality time together walking pooches, which was damn fine. Always a bonus when we manage to both pry ourselves away from various computers.

Right - off to sort laundry and have a quite early night (for us).

The weird search terms return!

My blog popped up for some poor sod who searched for the very particular phrase:

macleod's cattle on raasay 2009

Now, whilst I've been to Raasay I didn't have any cattle, I'm not called Macleod, and it wasn't 2009.

I'm back - and I'm a Slacker

So, I return from the isle. I did manage a run whilst there - a stonkingly fast 5K (28.11) on a rolling route whilst corralling 2 dogs. (It was quite a feat.)

I then went out that evening - and had slap-up vegetarian feed (deeelish) and stayed out 'til 2am - crawled in only slightly tipsy and discovered *at that very moment* that the clocks changed and it as now 3am. MaYa was feeling v rough so I knew she'd need help as early as poss - and quite frankly the guilt at having a great evening when she had to leave early made me set the alarm for 7am. Lucky I did - she was not in a good way, neither was TheO who'd suffered all night whilst I snoozed as she has a crab allergy and was inadvertently fed it... me, 3 boys, and luckily a TV. It was a very long day - which ended with much cankiness from me as eldest was a brat and wound me up. Luckily Auntie F with her storytelling ability got all into bed before we all cracked under the pressure. Think the restful-ish day was just what MaYa needed. (Although she was still peaky when we left.)

Got all the animals done and kids off to school well on Monday and we were well packed and prepared for the ferry. We felt bad leaving as Islander (who was meant to come back the day after we left) had been delayed so MaYa was on her own for 5 days, which is pretty tough going with 3 boys under 5. However, especially TheO who did sterling 2 week Auntie service, we were pretty delighted to be heading home. We were given, by random act of chance, the old flag from the ferry as they were changing it - it's huge and fab, any ideas where in the garden it should go? It's been a tough month - with one or both of us being away for 3 1/2 of the last 5 weeks. Really need some down time, and some time to sort out work and house stuff.

However, I mentioned in the title that I'm a slacker. I should be getting up tomorrow morning at 7am and filling myself with porridge and running a half-marathon race. But I'm not. I'm at home and TheO is cooking me a whole roast dinner for Sunday. I'm delighted. I've felt v off-colour this week. Sore throat, intermittently v queasy, and very run-down. A race was not a good idea. Also managed to go out Tue/Wed/Thur since we got back - which was great for seeing people but lots of driving and lots of time out and about. This w/end is all about just chilling out and recouperating. Mentally and physically.

Although, quite bizarrely this slackerness has made me more determined to run the marathon, or at least, work out my training plan and really try to get back to a proper level of fitness. I'm feb up not being in tip-top shape. Once you've been there once it's good to feel that way a little more often.

All I managed when I got back was a quite average 10 miler. It was so beautiful though. TheO came with me on her bike and it was a perfect spring day. Sunny, not too windy, with incredible views and beautifully quiet. 10 miles were plodded through at 10.33 average pace. Not too shabby given how I'd spent the last week - but not brilliant. Quite hard work, but I'd stuffed up my eating plan that day and was a little distracted.

I can't wait to get some structure back to my life; some work, some running, and time to look around and work out plans for the house and garden. Time to think. Time to work on the master plan.

Also v excited as the lovely people at Fitness Footwear have sent me out some new trainers so I get to have a go with them too soon. Brilliant. Just what I'm looking for.