Monday, 8 sleeps

Friday was ok in the end. I even got pressies, and I was only a contractor! A sudoku electronic game, two bracelets which are very me and a jewellery box. And the usual card, which had very nice things written in it. I managed to force people to eat all the cream cakes although a few cookies and choc fudge brownie squares were wrapped up again for today.

Saturday was a bit odd as miniwombles had been switched to Sunday. Some pottering about was followed by a trip to Tooting to see how the 24 hour race was going on. A lady from our club is an ultra runner and was trying to qualify for the GB team for some championships in Canada. The world of ultra running is quite different to 'normal' running. Everyone is supportive of other's efforts and there's a tremendous community to it all. I left at about 8.30pm with the runners having started at midday. So a third of the way there.

Sunday morning I negotiated with the miniwombles that I would go back over to Tooting and give them lunch on my return (on the assumption that they were back at my house before me). Arriving at Tooting I was greeted with the news that my friend had withdrawn at about 06.30 with bad pains in the hip area, a new experience for her. She'd completed 93 miles and missed her hopes of qualification. It was odd to revisit the scene and see how the race and runners had changed. Of the 30+ competitors about four were running! My friend's husband said, to those who don't understand it would be hard to explain that you have the elite of ultra running here! That's just how it goes. It's a fascinating thing to watch: the different styles of running, the varying shapes and sizes, the differing strategies. You'd think it would be a bit like watching paint dry but it's not! The winning man did 143 miles and the leading lady 127 miles. Twenty two people went through 100 miles. And one of the best bits was being involved right at the end. Each entrant gets a minder to do the last lap with them. When the gun goes for the end of the 24 hours, you stand still. Your runner gives you their number and they can go off and collapse or whatever and you stay still at the spot where they finished until the measurer comes round.

Back home, I fed the children and then did diy shopping with Mini. Got some brackets to put my new ladder on the wall out of the way. And did cake cooking.

Then, on my first day of no work, I had to get up at crack of dawn to make sure they got up on time to get to school!!!! I have been really tired this weekend. Perhaps it's the release of having finished work. Yesterday I went to bed at the same time as minis, before 9.30pm! That's several hours early as some of you will know.

Today was ticking things off list day. Tomorrow is do lots of gym inductions day. Wednesday is scan day for the mystery cyst. Thursday is oh fek better tick more things off list day. And hopefully get Dyson and door of washing machine fixed day (bliddy typical heh?). Friday friend comes to stay, along with minis overnight, then it's Saturday again, then Abingdon. Hmmmmm.