The Gayer-Anderson Cat: Be Afraid….. Be Very Afraid

The Wrath of The Gayer Anderson Cat

The early schedules of 2017.

Steve had asked me to set the latest swim schedules up on to the computer while he prepared and cooked dinner, so when I had finished what I was fiddling around with I went to my French two drawer farm table that serves me at my work desk but instead of sitting down quietly to start this minor chore, I was shocked into stillness with horror of what I saw had occurred there.

I don’t have a great deal of absolute treasures, we are not wealthy people after all but I do have a few items that I like to see treated with respect. My bike Alice for example or my race mascot Placido, who is a little bear that gets zip locked behind my saddle for events and otherwise sleeps on the bed and comes away on holidays too.

Then, sitting on one end of my desk, there is my full sized replica of The Gayer-Anderson Cat given to me for an important birthday by my daughter. The statue is a representation of the cat-goddess Bastet and is a copy of the original that is on display in the British Museum where it is described as ‘A Hollow-cast bronze figure of a seated cat with incised detail, an inlaid silver sun-disc and wedjat-eye pectoral on the chest and golden earrings and nose-rings; tangs beneath. It was discovered by Major Robert Grenville Gayer Anderson in Egypt and donated to the British Museum.

All this drama is because I was so horrified because Steve had propped his A4 scribble notebook up, (where he works out the swim schedules), on THE CAT!

At my very loud ‘OMG’ at double treble volume, Steve came rushing back into the room expecting to find a tarantula the size of the kitchen table somewhere in front of me. When he saw my expression and followed my eyes, he hastily started to move THE CAT! What are you doing I squawked!

I turned quietly to face him and said, “Step away from the cat”, and moved the offending notebook myself. As he retraced his steps out of the room and toward the kitchen I warned him to, “Be afraid….. Be Very Afraid”. Some things are sacred.

Steve had left schedules for the period of our holiday and this morning should have been his first coaching session back to normal but when we all arrived at the pool this morning we found that we would not get a swim after all because the main pool was close due to technical difficulties. People had driven from Worthing, Bognor, Arundel and beyond so there was a little muttering. Steve and I went for a run along the sea front instead where at least it was fairly well lit since it was still completely dark at something o’clock to seven in the morning. At least we had a nice run that both of us were happy with and we had only driven two miles.

The schedules will now wait until Friday morning but here they are in the table below.

Lane 1
Distance	On Timing Clock	Swim Rest
300	60	5.00
200	60	3.30
100	30	1.45
100	15	1.45
50	60	1.00
50	60	1.00
200	60	3.15
100	15	1.45
100	60	1.45
50	60	1.00
50	60	1.00
200	60	3.30
100	30	1.35
100	05	1.35
50	40	1.00
50	40	1.00
400	40	6.30
100	20	1.40
100	60	1.45
100	45	1.50
100	35	2.00
50	35	0.45
50	15	0.45
50	60	0.45
50	45	0.45

Lane 2 dist.	On Timing Clock	Swim Rest
200	60	5.00
100	60	2.30
200	30	5.00
100	30	2.30
200	60	5.00
100	60	2.30
200	30	5.00
100	30	2.30
100	60	2.30
100	30	2.30
50	60	1.10
50	10	1.10
50	20	1.10
50	30	1.10

La Fȇte des Rois

It is always down to earth with a bump after a holiday and this time was no exception.

People who knew that we were back started phoning, and things were back to normal apart from a mountain of holiday clobber to wash and dry, and later on get the old ironing board out too. The cases are all stowed away until the next trip and that will no doubt be a work trip. Steve has been on the phone most of the morning and has now gone out to try to find a delivery van that we need to check on for a client. I have been passing info and notes of things to do and where to go, from the 2016 diary into the 2017 diary and marking up the new calendar in the kitchen with race dates and theatre visits etc.

All the holiday fresh air and resting up was all well and good but I had a bad first night back in our own bed which makes no sense at all. Having slid out of bed (our bed is ridiculously high) several times during the night, I finally gave up on trying to force myself to sleep by 4.45am when I went out into the kitchen and put the kettle on. While the kettle boiled I went upstairs (Yes, we sleep downstairs…Oh, just because we do) to face the demons and stepped on the scales in the bathroom. It was not as bad I had thought it would be but I had gained four pounds and that is quite enough. The period from when I came down with a nasty cough that would not go away, then bled into the holiday period and all signs of careful eating had flown out of the window.

My husband, who is a love, believes in the old 'Feed a cold and starve a fever' idea and since I did not have a temperature along with the nasty cough, ‘Feed’, it was.  The approach to Christmas and our jaunt away allowed no point where my man thought it in any way realistic to get back on the healthy eating plan until we got home.

Since we were still on holiday, the start point for the weight loss plan would not start on January first since we did not get home until last evening. I had suggested that we then start behaving like sensible health conscious sports people on January 6^th and that because we were both brought up with Christian values and ideas, have always counted January sixth as the arrival of the Kings, twelfth night in fact. However when I referred to it at 'La Fȇte des Rois', it was checked up on t’internet!! 

There is a special tradition in France that is celebrated the 1st Sunday of each New Year. The celebration is “La Fête des Rois” (Three Kings Day)  includes a king, a queen and a special cake. Each year, pastry shops throughout France are teeming with the unique and tasty galette des rois, a flat pastry about the size of a pizza while French children eagerly await the ceremony that accompanies the galette.

There are three important elements to the French tradition of La Fête des Rois; the galette des rois, the féve (a small object that is placed in the galette des rois) and the crowning of the king and queen.

The féve is discreetly placed in the galette des rois prior to serving it. The cake is then cut so that there is a piece for everyone who is present as well as a spare piece called la part des pauvres. This extra slice is cut as a symbol for loved ones who are no longer with us and for those who are less fortunate. Nowadays, the slice is also designated for the unexpected visitor and is saved for a later treat.

Traditionally, the youngest family member would slide underneath the table and designate how the slices would be distributed. This prevents cheating since the baker of the cake does not choose how the slices are handed out. After each family member was served, the cake would be eaten and the person who discovered the féve was king for the day and selected his queen. The designated king and queen wear gold paper crowns.

When I asked when Steve he was going to check out the damage by stepping on the scales he nominated Friday 6^th. I know when I am beaten. And so with a promise that we would not delay the diet any further than that date I gave in. That will be the first Sunday in Epiphany since lots of church dates are reliant of that….. Including our anniversary which we hold on Ascension day which is why our wedding anniversary is a moveable feast and always on a Thursday.

The diet starts Monday morning without fail!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

David Walliams: The Midnight Gang and other good reads.

 Freezing fog everywhere; beautiful

Our Christmas holiday have come to end and this morning we were busy packing up and moving our of our cosy holiday nest. The very nice owners came to see us off and then we were on our way to the first stop on the long journey home. St Moritz kept to its promise of mostly sunshine and we only had one dull day out of the nine spent in the Upper Engadine.

The drive over the Julier pass was also in beautiful weather all the way to just outside of Chur at the other side of the pass. There we lost the wall to wall blue skies and descended into freezing fog that had cloaked all the trees with a magical white frosting and that was also a special treat for the eyes.

On our way to the Mövenpick Hotel in Egerkingen, we listened to our latest audio book. It’s a good few years old but we have not read or listened to any of the Val MacDermid series of books, The Wire in the Blood. I had read the first of the series and told Steve all about it so we opted for this one that is the second in the series but is a stand alone story to keep us occupied on the return journey.

Whilst we were in the last week of our holiday Steve has been reading a book that was sent as a gift by a friend in Naples, Florida. The title of the book is Find a Way by Diane Nyad and has kept Steve nice and quiet and I will read it when Steve has finished it. Then I suspect it will be loaned out to some of our swim friends. It is all about her lifestyle and famous swims and swimming stories.

I have been reading a book for children by David Walliams called The Midnight Gang that I have adored reading and laughing at the delightful scribbly drawings by Tony Ross that help bring the story to life. I would say it was more suitable for junior school children but then I really loved it too. This David Walliams book will become a classic I am sure, it has a sound story that holds the interest well and has all the ingredients to engage our youngsters imaginations, it is funny, sad and a little cruel and makes a point or two, it is also quite outrageous. Well done David W. Good job. 

I try to read all the major books for children that come alone and read all of the Harry Potter series. Before those I read Roald Dahl children’s books James and the Giant Peach, BFG , Witches etc that were all excellent. I think we should all read the latest books for kids to make sure we know who is filling the kids heads with what and I think it helps us never to forget how to talk with children. As for me, I am just a big kid anyway.

The other book I am nibbling at is a Nietzsche paperback that I picked up after the haus tour and talk morning in Sils Maria last week, I am just nibbling the edges, licking my lips and flitting pages until I am in a more serious reading mode at home but a feel a soft spot for the man and am finding it strongly and strangely appealing and readable.

Then I have been trying to get into the top selling Nora Roberts, Stars of Fortune part of The Guardians Trilogy, at the moment I feel it is a bit chick-lit for my taste but I am hoping it will get more solid soon, I’m only on 13% with my Kindle so will keep on track.  She is usually a great writer and I loved House Rules, and Leaving Time early last year: 2016 is already last year, goodness, weird isn’t it?

The second travel day was through relentless freezing fog when the whole of Switzerland, Germany and France was cloaked in the fairy tale white that was breathtaking to see floating past the car window all the way to Reims where it is still that cold. Isn’t that just totally unreal; and after the few quite warm days over Christmas itself.

As another more worrying note we did not see any sign of a crackdown in border security. We did not see a single guard on duty at either the Switzerland to Germany crossing or the Germany to France border. Both just had cones narrowing the road for a while but no barriers. Nobody was watching, let alone looking at passports.

Good Intentions for 2017

Taking the plunge

The good wishes that are passed around as we roll into another year are great to hear and most welcome, and we will continue to receive the same greetings every time you meet somebody we know for the next couple of weeks until we have wished everybody in our family circle, friends,neighbours and trades people a very Happy and healthy New Year.

What we need to do surely is check up on them more often to make sure that they continue to know that you care and making sure that those same people that we care about get the idea that we are really there them and that we will give help if it is needed.

Here above with my daughter Jacqueline who is always up for a new challenge.

It seems to me that the idea of making of New Year resolutions is fading into oblivion and that all most people say is that they will cut down on the alcohol but that one goes straight out of the window the first time they get together with their friends. An expression that totally mystifies me is the one that seems so common place this days and that is “Lets go out and get drunk”. Really! What is that about? Can young people’s lives be so unfulfilled that drinking themselves silly seems like it is a good idea?

Maybe it just because I am getting old but I am proud to say that I have never gone out with the firm intention of getting drunk. Making myself clear on that I must be more honest and say that in my younger days that I have gone out to parties with my friends and now and again ‘Drunk’ is how I have ended up but it was never the intention and I always regretted it. After my friend Thelma’s twenty first birthday party I had a hangover for three days and never drank gin again in my entire life.

GB women at Worlds in Japan

I did try not to be the party pooper but in truth I was always a lightweight. I enjoy a glass of white wine with dinner and have not joined the huge fan club of Prosecco because I prefer the taste and effect of a nice white wine, I find Prosecco a bit acid tasting and it makes my neck turn red.

Worlds in Nice

Every New years eve for as long as I can remember, I have written out two lists of wishes; the first wish is things that I would like to see the back of, and the other one is the list of things I would like to happen or intent to try to do in the coming year, my good resolutions as it were. I then destroy the bad list and fold the good intentions list up and put it in an envelope in my desk drawer where each time I am searching for something or sorting out the untidy drawer I can open the Good Ressie list and remind myself what my intentions were and try again to implement them firmly again that way I hope to continue as I started the year.

Worlds in Chicago

I mention this because I have heard friends say “Oh well I tried for a bit but then I fell off the wagon” or they just wondered why the hell they should bother trying to be a better person when everybody else had switched on the selfish button again.

If you fall off your particular wagon be it the drink wagon or the food wagon or the exercise wagon, you do feel like a failure but there is no rule that you cannot jump right back on without a ticket. Pick yourself up dust yourself off and start all over again.

First Ironman for Tuff Fitty in Lanzarote

I have two friends who spring to mind as I write all this down. One is new to triathlon, so new that she has not actually done a race yet but did last week because of a series of outside influences complete all three disciplines in one day and all before breakfast at four pm!!!!! She is a busy mother and wife and works full time as a police officer.

Worlds in London four months after breaking three bones

 

The other woman is more difficult to keep and eye one because she lives in New Zealand but we try to keep in touch in the accepted modern way with the dreaded Facebook posts and PM’s. This woman is a probation officer who is trying to get back into triathlon having trained with us donkeys years ago. She has a comeback race in mind. She is aiming at a longer distance event in New Zealand.

Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Clearwater Florida

The common factor between we three women is that we are all heavier than we should be if we want to get through our triathlon events this year and I would like to invite those gals to join me in shifting the blubber because it is so obviously an advantage to be lighter, not for the swim where it makes little difference since your body is supported by the water and not for the bike where it makes a bit of difference on the hills but for goodness sake ladies: It makes one hell of a difference on the run leg!

Lets get together…. Right nowowow, as the song goes. There are a few guys I know that could do with joining us on the diet bus too. It’s a hop on hop off bus so if you sneak in for a burger you can hop right back the next time the bus comes around.

I do sincerely wish you all a Happy and Healthy Year in 2017 feel free to call me or email me because I am available to talk it through.