Apologises to use the overused pun but a Saturday of two halves. First half productive, second half relatively empty and meaningless. I got up a bit later than I wanted to but rushed to get ready and caught the bus at 9.32am. First stop, Jerry’s Street Styles for a haircut, then to the library. This is perhaps the most inconvenient time to get back into reading, as my local library is moving from Victorian home to the new Eden complex. However this takes place alongside the installation of a new computer system, so do not expect things to go swimmingly. There is to be a temporary van in use from the end of April for a month which will be interesting and the use of the net / telephone line will be limited if not non-existing. I spent a bit of time trying to find Animal Farm by George Orwell but as I did not find it I opted for a novel from the Action & Adventure section. The story had appealed to me for a while and I have seen parts but not all the film, so I thought I would give it ago. Although of course it is not in the 1001 list or in my friend Clive’s personal 25 list. Never mind, I will pick that up later. After the library I headed back into Eden, stopped by Waterstones and then waited for my bus. As usual, it was prompt at 11.15am, to get me home. This is when the laziness set in, after spending a few hours on the computer, I decided to go for an afternoon nap, which lasted until way past 6pm. Just in time to catch The Doctor. What is it with this television programme, that I have to constantly keep reminding myself that it is a kids show and to stop being overly critical. If you are in need of more Doctor Who material, you can always go and check out Time Lord from Hell (aka Tony Coburn). I am sure he will be able to satisfy any diehard fan’s desires (he does have a tardis in his back garden after all!) Completed watching season one (last night) of Chuck, it was great fun! Sure at times, they did try and pull on the emotional heart strings a bit too much but I did not mind as they have characters like Jeff, Lister and Morgan to lighten the mood, almost instantly in the next scene. The tension between Sarah and Charles is at times very painful to watch and I hope they bring it to some closure in the second season. UK readers watching the series on Virgin1 have plenty of fun to look forward to, but unfortunately I am just far too impatient to watch episodes on a weekly basis, particularly with my new routine. However, I now have a big gap in my television watching schedule, with both Torchwood and Chuck done with. I still catch The Big Bang Theory every Thursday on Channel 4 but apart from that, I do not think there is a series I am currently watching. Never mind, more time for reading. Talking of new regimes, I had my first fitness test at the gym this afternoon. I was surprised by the results. Therefore I think I owe Christopher Williams a big thank you, as his fitness course last summer must have got me heading in the right direction. Plus I have changed my diet in many ways, such as cutting out crisps and carbonated drinks (mainly Coke) and need to just continue in this vain as my gym sessions become a matter of habit. My overall rating came out as Fair. Which is okay but plenty of work to do to get me up to Good or Very Good. The next fitness test will not be for at least two months, but I have already got Matt to notch my current programme up a few levels.

However, there is no weight training just yet. Matt believes we should improve our general fitness first before moving onto the weights and I tend to agree with him. I have increased my time on the bike, increased my levels on the cross training and added a gradual gradient onto the treadmill. The rowing machine remains as before but I have a target of 2000 meters within ten minutes. Manageable, as I got 2066m today! (The only part of my programme I attempted) Overall, a step up but I know I can push myself this little bit further already. Funny how just after two weeks I feel much more alive! I would what Mr. Williams view is on this? I bet he cannot believe I have managed to survive into my third week.

I believe now with the gym, I have bought balance to the force that is the weekend. A big Saturday night out, has to be followed with a workout in the gym, even if it only a fifteen minute run. I know I will feel better for it, it is just a case of dragging myself into the gym on the Sunday morning. Talking of weekends, I was able to dig out the few photographs I took of my A3 stuck in the mud at Emily’s farm last weekend. There is another photograph over on FlickR.

Although I had the opportunity to wash my car this weekend, I opted against it. It goes in for the full professional detail with Crystal Detail this coming weekend (on Friday evening in fact) so I do not mind it looking a bit messy this week. I have a trip over to Guilford on Tuesday afternoon but apart from that my mileage will be minimal. Looking forward to the results and getting some wax, to ensure I keep it topped up and looking in great condition. Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner. Right, time to grab some food and sit down for the all important afternoon match. I hope it is not another thrashing, like in the FA Cup a few weeks ago!