Friday, October 05, 2012

Happy Birthday MD




An excellent day to break the blog fast – the occasion of my mother’s birthday.

Happy Birthday MD!  It’s been a slow one.

Some quality time in the morning spent in contemplation, memories and then a couple of chapters reading a good book.  Accompanied by 2 little cats thrilled to find their lazy owner lounging around in the bed.  You’d have loved it – the sun pouring in through the blinds and a nice chilly little breeze battering the burnt orange leaves still attached to the tree out front.

A brisk stroll to the library – yes Mom, the library!  Tooting Library rocks and they’ve just got a whole new batch of books in. I KNOW you’d approve.

Now it’s feet up and whopper piece of carrot cake – yes Mom, I got over the carrot thing.  Who knew carrots could be an integral part of such glorious cake.  Down here in murky Tooting, we have a ripper little French CafĂ© Tartine which never fails to please in the cake department!  I would have put a candle in but that just seemed a little silly.

And later, the boys and I are out for Ribs and Chips – Carnivore heaven!

So Happy Birthday MD – MissUDearly.  We can revert to Mother Dearest or Managing Director perhaps in 2013

Yours
Monkey xxx

Monday, July 23, 2012

And the winner is .......

Magnificent sporting weekend just gone!  Truly magnificent.  Even more so as a South African sports fanatic - it was



The Proteas and specifically Hashim Amla, broke records, raised the bar and beautifully gave the English team a batting lesson or 3.  A TRIPLE century, South Africa's first ever!  What a man.  Today commences the bowling lesson!






The Big Easy fabulously won his first major since 2007. Bogeys and Birdies galore! Well done Ernie, we've missed you.






Richard Murray stormed ahead to win the ITU Hamburg Triathlon ahead of one of his hero's Javier Gomez.  Oh the proud and wonderful sounds of Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika piping out in Germany!




Bradley Wiggans and the Sky Team storming into Paris after winning the Tour de France and watching Cav's "Manx Missile" perfection grabbing the last victory on the Champs Elysees.






Three great riders on the podium and one of them, Christopher Froome, born Kenyan & South African educated (so yes, we're claiming him) - 2nd place winner.  WOW!








And all this just one week before the start of the greatest sporting spectacle on earth!  Olympics 2012! What a sporting year.


........... in the sunshine.  I approve.

Ciao
NBB

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Having a Rant!

Today is "rant day"!
There are just some days that my cage is rattled really early, and today is one of them. So to avoid a whole day full of irritation and grrrrr bah humbug's, I'm sharing and unloading.



No. 1
Shark attacks in Western Australia once again raise the question of whether or not to lift the ban on the systematic murder of any shark longer than 4ft!



Comment:
For the "top of the food chain" we are a SERIOUSLY stupid and incompetent grouping of cells!  Sharks live in the sea - SURPRISE! They're big they're hungry and that is THEIR TERRITORY. You don't like it - STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Yeah. let's kill a whole load of sharks because 5 surfers, who were doing what they love most and best, have died in the last 5 months.  Since close to 2000% more people die annually in car accidents, I say we ban cars and driving - makes sense to me!



No. 2
Scotland MP's are convening to discuss legalising gay marriage!  The catholic church is in an uproar and wants to be consulted before any discussion is held!


Comment:
Give me a break! Seriously!  This is the same catholic church who over years and generations has consistently ruined lives by fiddling with little boys, passing their pedophile priests on from parish to parish to "hide the problem" and who are the leaders in promoting Aids and other SDD's  and as such systematic daily attacks on women through their obsession with the banning of condoms.  Please SHUT UP!  Start grovelling and atoning for light-years of abuse, sexism, pedophilia and ...... why is marriage SUCH an issue for you? You won't even let your "staff" have sex although that doesn't seem to have stopped them!


No. 3
The Olympics are upsetting commuters in London!  WTF.


Comment:
You know what people, commuting in London on a day to day basis year round - IS A PAIN IN THE ASS.  In Winter - leaves on the track, ice and snow.  In Summer - too hot and sweaty and stinky and gross. Tracks expand & trains run late.  The Tube is overcrowded, it's expensive and it breaks down all the time.  GET OVER IT.

 This is 2 weeks in 1 year!  Thousands of unbelievably talented, amazing and dedicated sports people are spending 2 weeks in London during one of the greatest spectacles on earth showcasing their particular brilliance which takes hours and months and years of training and dedication.  Turn on the television and watch - maybe you'll learn something about brilliance, hard work and dedication. Or better yet, get off your lard-ass and head to an event on the road or in Hyde Park and watch, appreciate and LEARN SOMETHING.

No. 4

HSBC has been accused of laundering Mexican drug money!

Comment:
I kid you not! You could not make it up.  Bank's are involved with ALL TYPES OF CRIMINAL offenses, not least of which includes their outrageous charges and lack of service to their clients.  Start locking these pathetic excuses for humanity up.  Take the money they've stolen from everyone all around the world to :

A - fund research on how to get people and sharks living successfully in the same environment;
B - pay for the immense amount of digging it will take to uncover exactly how corrupt and dreadful the catholic church has been and still is;
C - stand up against the food industry worldwide and their systematic abuse of the terms "healthy food" "low fat" and "organic" and remove them from positions of power in forming government policy on the "obesity crisis" - oh, and get compulsory sport back into ALL SCHOOLS.

Well I certainly feel better!

NBB

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ups and Downs

What goes up .........


Too fast and too furious also works here I'm afraid.


It seems that what I gain in years, I lose in wisdom. Mrs Dumbass indeed!


I actually listened to my "fabulous sports therapist / take the eina out guru" describing me and my ailments to a trainee colleague this week - bit of a shock really.  I'm apparently more gung-ho than even I thought I was and while Raff always manages to remain polite (he's only half English - the rest of him is Italian) it's clear I've come across as fiercely competitive, completely unaware of my limits and disregarding of any previous injuries or ailments that I've gone under the knife for in the past.  Or the short version (imo) I'M JUST PLAIN THICK!

So I'm now wearing a "tape corset" across my back and my sporting achievements for the next 4 days will be exactly .........


   

On Monday we'll look again and while I'm still aiming for the beautiful

http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/en/chateau-de-chantilly/

at the end of August along with a fabulous 10 day biking, wine, cheese and beautiful French holiday with www.banditoblanco.com there are a couple of 10km, 5km and other events - I'll be sitting out.

Still  
http://www.uptontriathlon.com/

this weekend with Ironman Bayly, camping for 2 nights in a bog and a whole lot of Clapham Chasers fun & fabulousness awaits.  I'm behind the lens again. Let's hope I don't need my water-wings.

Still standing tall (with some assistance)
NBB

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Times they are a changing!

I'm a little surprised sometimes at how quickly the shift from "Party Bayly's" to "Sporty Bayly's" has taken place.

A little over 365 days ago - Thursday could still be classified as "little Saturday" at Chez Bayly (assuming that's where we actually were on a Thursday evening).

The re-cycling bins were ALWAYS glass clinking full of wine & beer bottles and I would happily have pasted my FB page full of quips like :



I certainly wouldn't have been following the likes of Tri220 Magazine, or the Brownlee brothers on Twitter and nor would I have been thrashing out 1.4km's in the swimming pool after a "heavy night out drinking with the girls" - 1 x Guinness and 1 x small Rioja - with dinner!  Or even being aware that I was marginally off the pace with a slight hangover.


Still, it's thrilling and ........ well it is an Olympic year.

So i'll raise my cup of "rooibos" to that then!

NBB



Wednesday, June 13, 2012

What is a Fan?

Just in case anyone was in any way confused about what a fan is or is not !





               FANS!





Easy to spot mostly because they look happy (if a bit odd) and they act happy!



IDIOTS!

East to spot too - they're ridiculous, pointless, annoying, dangerous - oh, and they also dress odd and like to wrap their faces up in flags & wear hoodies.

Sadly, there are WAY too many idiots around!

NBB

Monday, May 21, 2012

Polar Bears!

My husband says I'm hardcore!

Essentially that means :

I'm in touch with my masculine side?





I'm no pussy?






I'll go swimming with him at 6.15am at the Tooting Bec Lido, which is less than 3deg, in a wetsuit (which I bought second-hand yesterday) - because I'm doing a triathlon this year!

Go figure!

Ice-ice Baby!