I've had a busy few days!

On Friday, I spent the day working on the new LISTEN At King's website with Mr W. At the end of the day it was very rewarding to see that we'd made good progress. Still a fair way to go yet, but we have a possible deadline as the site will be mentioned in Prima Magazine soon!!

Saturday I didn't timekeep!! Or Sunday!!

In fact on Saturday I watched the athletics. The first time this season. There were 7 timekeepers already on the stand so I didn't feel guilty not offering my services. It was lovely for a change to enjoy the sports as a spectator and I got to watch Little N high jump and get another PB in the triple jump (9.65m I think). It was a good day to be "mum" as Little N found the stress of competing a little overwhelming in the hj.

On Sunday, Stav and I took Mad Dog out to Banstead Woods. Pretty woods but not terribly exciting, it was a fantastically warm day but we were well protected by the many ancient trees. We enjoyed a Sunday Roast baggette at a local restaurant which was a treat, and then back home for the usual mundane chores Sundays bring to us all...

Manic was Monday... as usual. Walked dog early. Cleared up house (briefly). Mowed front garden. Prepared for LISTEN meeting. Walked dog again. Showered (hot day). Left house noon. Had just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love (soon to be released film with Julia Roberts in) - bought by a lovely friend who knows I love Julia Roberts films - so had to buy another book. Got train to King's. 2pm meeting. Finished promptly at 4pm. Raced to station. Got train to Victoria. Train to Redhill. Arrived 5.30pm. Raced home (10mins). "Threw" Little N in car at 5.45pm. Drove to Grammar grounds. Little N spent an hour coaching high jump (I replace the bar!!). 7pm drove home. Ate. Pilates at 8pm. Finished 9pm. Home. Yawn! Long day...

Tuesday. I managed to get some paid work done. Just a little. Made some peanut biscuits (don't know why, just felt like it). Walked dog. Washing on line. Hoovered (bored yet?). Will need to take Little N to training later in Sutton whilst Stav helps coach the young Reigate sprinters. I need to do some dog homework for Mad Dogs Kennel Club Bronze test tomorrow. Wish us luck. "We" don't have a chance in passing..but it'll be an experience if nothing else!!

Kings.....ton!

It's Thursday. It must be Kings... NO! Today. No King's but Kingston instead! My blood is mine he he...

Last year I officiated for the Central Surrey Schools District Sports day at the Kingsmeadow athletics track in Kingston. I remembered it as being quite fun, with schools such as Box Hill and the Ashcombe in Dorking, so I was quite happy and had the time to timekeep for them today.

We were all expecting really high temperatures today..weren't we? I love the sun but was actually quite happy for the clouds even though I still slapped on the factor 20 or 30 (us immunesuppressed peeps are high risk to skin cancers amongst other things). The only female with just two years experience, in a group of 8 very experienced timekeepers (probably with about 100 years experience between them - I kid you not!), I was happy to hold my own and had a lovely day.

I've said before that one of the reasons I like timekeeping is the wonderful people you meet and the stories you hear. Today I worked with a gentleman who's partner "Dorothy", won "The Weakest Link" on Monday! She had been accepted as a reserve about a year ago and then didn't hear anything for ages. And then had to travel up to Scotland-became one of the "links" - and won... Well Done Dorothy!

Athletics is taken very seriously by officials, and them rules is rules! However, my favourite event, as I'm sure most of the children's were too, was the 1500m steeple chase. Last year two young lads dressed up; one with a pair of kiddies arm bands and the other, with a rubber ring. All the kids sat at the edge of the track by the water jump...and cheered as these two dived into the water off the heavy barriers.

Picture of a steeplechase waterjump in 1908

Today, the race was just as fun but without the dress up, and two lads (again) trailed at the back, jumping from the barrier in an almighty belly flop into the water. The crowds loved it, and there was lots of laughter from the officials as well!

Hello Hamster!

"Hello Hamster" were Stav's first words to me at Heathrow on Saturday night, after a week in New Jersey!! Meanie Meany!!








Blow Fish is what I would have called myself... But not forever - the steroids have started to come down and I know that when they are a little lower (were 40, 30 from Saturday), then I may start to look a little "normal"... lol..






Sunday, timekeeping. It was the National Young Athletes League at Sutton Arena and whilst the weather was supposed to be nice...it weren't! Little N got a PB in the triple jump and pushed up her official U17 womens high jump success by 3 cms - although still 5 cm short of her PB (but it's coming...)... We got her jump spikes, trainers and orthotics back too. A good, busy and exciting day. Successful timekeeping and good company.


Monday was time to start populating the new LISTEN At King's website. I met Mr W - he who is NOT folically challenged (like I am at the moment) - in town, and we worked through our first bits of copy and learnt how to load it. The website is going to be marvellous and it's so exciting that we'll be able to share so much information with liver transplant patients that simply isn't available now. Very exciting!

In the evening I watched Little N coach drills and the high jump. I really was the proud mum watching her explain clearly what needed to be done and showing her small group, how to do it. An hour later, and we were both in our pilates classes..

Tuesday, time to earn some money. So I wrote 3 articles and loaded them online ready to be published. Today though I was really tired. I walked Mad Dog early and needed a rest. Then I was interviewed for two hours by a national magazine. Then I needed a rest. The interview was all about the process of me turning yellow in November 2006 to being transplanted on 27 December 2007. It was hard and I didn't feel very dynamic and exciting as I relived what I could remember happening. Luckily I'll get to see the copy before it is published so maybe Stav can fill in some blanks (cos the ole brain wasn't up to much when the liver was failing)! In the evening I took Little N to training in Sutton. Tescos. Home.

Today, Wednesday. Dog training. Before Mad Dog and I go to training she has to have a walk or she is totally crazy and excitable. However today she decided she didn't want to go training and I spent about 10 minutes trying to catch her (only managed it when she had to dip her bottom for a wee, and I grabbed her)..little madam! We were late for training, but she obviously could sense that I was cross and was in fact rather good!

She managed her down and stay for a minute, twice! Yippeee... It has been the bain of my life trying to get her to do it. She doesn't want to lie down on her own! But the problem we DID have was her lying down on her side. She doesn't want to submit! Mad Dog!!

Wednesday night, and it's timekeeping at Walton. I hadn't realised that Crawley AC had their Open Meet or I may have gone here, but it was a good evening and I was Chief - allocating roles, signally to starter, collecting times and paperwork, taking times, calling times...the usual.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Kingsmeadow Track in Kingston all day with Stav looking after Mad Dog. Friday, Mr W and I will plough on with the website. The "national magazine" will be mentioning it, so it's full steam ahead!

Found it!

Just a quick entry (!!) tonight...

Woke at 6am. Where is Stav's flight? Online. Should have left last night at 9pm NYC time. Not left yet. Oooh! Find mobile. TEXT from Stav. "Was sitting on plane and baggage lorry ramed the nose of the plane". BUMP! Everyone was taken off flight. Too late to contact plane manufacturers.

Virgin offer a free flight any where in the world. Stav says "yes, please". "Bumped" off flight. Taken to a Ramada Hotel.

Do paper round with son. Back to bed. 10am wake again. Clean. Clear. Clean. Walk Mad Dog. Clean. Stav in air. No idea when he will land. Pick up tired Little N from school. "You packed too many clothes" says she. "Who packed too many clothes?" said I. Home. Relax. Walk to Redhill. Potter. Home. Tea and cherry pie with lovely Steph.

Phone rings. Don T. "We've got your kit!". WOOOOOWWWWW... My daughters high jump spikes, trainers and orthotics (which cost a bomb). WWWWOOOWWW. Scream. Screach. Yippeee. A week of counting imaginery pennies one by one from bottomless bank account (not).. What a fantastic and happy ending to a very frustrating week!

Now it is 10pm. Time to go to Heathrow. THINK flight due to arrive in 45 mins. Should have been here at 9am this morning....