Ali and I watched the Royal Wedding at Millennium Square in Bristol. It was a great day out with our naff commemorative flags giving commentary to Japanese tourists.  And then we watched the police remove squatters after the anti-Tesco riot near her house.  What a different world!

At the VW fair

Surely they lost a letter?

 Easter Anglesey Campervan Trip

Lunch break!

The coastal path

We started the holiday week at at VW fair - way too many stickers and tatoos on sale, but pretty cool to look at the old VWs.  We need to get some beads to hang from the rear view mirror!
The weather held for 6 perfect days walking around the coast of Anglesey.  Despite the half term week and   my fear of crowds we rarely saw anyone and found a couple of wild campsites.

Wild camp at RSPB site

Dinner preparations

Both of us struggled with rotten colds, so we only walked 3 hrs a day, then read in the garden in glorious sun at country pubs, or in grassy meadows. Rain arrived before our last planned section by Beaumaris, but I'm glad we'll have a chance to go back again

Work work work...

My running has been dismal. Arriving at the office by 7:30 and dark evenings, its only just the last month that I've been running again.  And without a base, my achilles is slowing me down (as is the extra weight).

But with both kids signed up for the Swift Half in May, I want to run too!

A-Z Things about me: (idea copied from Petra, but it is fun)

A~Age: 54, whew not possible. I was sure that by this time I'd have had the makeup and high heel things sorted. 

B~ Bed Size: Tiny to fit antique 4 poster... that squeaks ...TMI?? :-)  

C~Chore you hate: Hoovering - dealing with the tangled cord, dog hair that is impossible to pick up, and so noisy I can't listen to my ipod.

D~Dogs: Nelly, sweetheart GSD

E~Essential Start your Day Item: Cafe Latte - worth getting up 10 min early to fuss with the machine. 

F~Favorite Color: That's so hard to answer - the green of newly leafed-out beech trees, the turquoise of  tropical seas, frosty greys and blues of the mountains.... depends! 

G~Gold or Silver: Gold, but can't afford to replace the gold earring I lost, so I wear silver.

H~Height: 5'2" - and I refuse to measure myself because my Mom says she has shrunk... horrors, NO!

I~Instruments you play: cello once, expertise long forgotten. Some days I wonder at all the stuff I once knew...

J~Job Title: Sr Geoscientist, little do they know. Should be "enthusiastic amateur". 

K~Kids: Ali is 24 and Nick is 26, again not possible, how could this happen so fast!

L~Live: Commuter faux village outside London, but the train ride to Westminster is not too bad.

M~Mom’s name: Eleanor, but I don't blame her for going by Ellie

N~Nemesis: Glazing. I can throw beautiful pots but continually destroy them with incredibly ugly glazes and cracks from smoking naked raku.

O~Outlook: optimist, definitely.
P~Pet Peeve: Television noise, particularly when there's no even anyone watching it!

Q~Quote from a Movie: Dune - Litany against fear
      "I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing......Only I will remain." 

R~Right or Left Handed: Right, boring I know.
S~Siblings: Three, all younger and wiser, Linnie, Missi and Miller
T~Time you wake up: 5:20 and rush for 6:10 train.
U~Underwear:Daydream about vampy sexy stuff, but alway reach for comfy.

V~Vegetable you Dislike: beets, and the way they can contaminate a whole plate of food!
W~What Makes You Late: looking for stuff, keys, ipod, wallet, blackberry, train pass...
X~Xenophobia : fear of confident people with perfect hair, polished nails and expensive suits.
Y~Yummy Food you Make: can't claim any but cinnamon toast.
Z~Zoo Animal Favorite: Always the big cats.

Stingray at Isla Contoy
Originally uploaded by platinumprints

A glorious week in Mexico, walking on the beach, riding bikes around Isla Mujeres. Short by a day with Gatwick snow cancelling our flight, but we truly felt we deserved margaritas on the beach when we finally made it to the island.   Fantastic food from breakfast cassula (baked eggs and beans) and cuban roasted plantain and grilled chicken.  And more margaritas!

We enjoyed a day trip out snorkeling and visiting a bird sanctuary where we saw fantastic frigate birds and had achiote roasted fish on a barbecue under a palapa on the beach.

But by the end of the week we had tired of the cheesy seasonal soundtrack that played all day at the resort and we'd seen all the sights and walked all the beaches on the little island.... so we looked forward to the return to the frozen north.

And we just made it home before the next storm hit!

WWFOR Lincolnshire Lollop 9 October 2010

Billy, Nick and I went to Lincolnshire to run the 5th annual WWFOR at Petra and Adam's farm in 1.4 mile loops. I ran 10k and Nick ran a MARATHON!  Billy rescued the sausages from the kids cooking (take off the cling-film before inserting in oven!) and scouted for wood for his lathe.  Adam and Petra's house is absolutely incredible and they made us feel so welcome. The very best campsite we've ever found overlooking their grounds! Click on the photo below for a short video of the event.

Bristol Half Marathon 5 September 2010

It just started to rain as Ali, Nick and I started for the race village. Waiting until the last possible minute to leave our raincoats at the bag drop, we took our places at the back of the pen, as the skies opened on us.  Nick and a friend of Ali's (named Nick too), started off fast, and got faster. The rain stopped, and we even had some sunshine under the bridge, about the time we saw the Nicks, headed the other way on their way back into town.  They finished in 1:45!

Ali and I planned to run 10 min miles and then walk 0.1 mile at each mile marker.  We pretty much stuck to it until about mile 9, then Ali started having pain in her hip so we walked a couple more times each mile.  But she was smiling throughout.  We finished together in 2:20 - two minutes faster than the Bath half we ran together in the spring. Not bad as Ali really hadn't trained during her summer break. A short video follows:

Next on to the WWFOR 10K at Petra's Lincolnshire farm!