A time of change

Right now there is change in warm summer air. It seems to be all around me.

At home we're losing one of the Franconia ladies to North London; a soul I've lived with for three years now. My confidant, counsellor, source of hilarity, and number one chocolate brownie taste tester. So it's time to look for a new Franconia friend to fill the existing bright red and fabulous shoes of Eloise.

Outside of these four walls as well, change permeates everything.

Friends are at varying stages of pregnancy and birth; engagements are doing the round again; 'save the date's for 2012 are landing; new jobs, new careers, new countries to live in.

I don't know if it's just because I'm standing still watching the world, that I see what a rate it's passing at right now.

I stand there, on the corner of the Earth, fists clenched, eyes screwed shut, wishing everything would just stop for a moment. Just enough time for me to catch up with it.

A day in the life - part 3

Most of the time my work day starts like this...

Fruit 'n' fibre in front of my laptop at 8ish.

But very, very, very occasionally, work life gets a bit more exciting.

Here's my super funky, super German hotel room in Munich, we're I'm writing this. I just spent 20mins playing with the electronic blinds.

A Day in the Life - part 2

Now that my office has once again relocated, I'm back on the London institution that is the tube.

Any seasoned Northern Line travellers will well know that it's near impossible to get on a tube at peak time in the morning; that's why I make sure I'm getting on before 8am. To ensure a more pleasant journey. On at Clapham Common and off at Old Street. No changes; just straight up.

Metro digestion

From the ground up

Some days I quite enjoy my trip to work in the morning. I can read a trashy newspaper; blitz my book club read because I've once again left it to the last minute; or just stand and stare.

But other times, it's like World War Three. There is no etiquette on the tube.

Sardines in a tin

There are probably worse ways to get to work in the world, but on a humid, rainy Friday morning, when some guy won't move his elbow to allow you to actually hold your head up straight, it's hard work to think of them.

A day in the life - Part 1

London is a pretty great city. And because my existence here has always had the possibility of being pulled out from underneath me like a cruel trick with a bath mat due to immigration policy, it's time to really appreciate my life here. Three years of uncertainty grows difficult on the stomach. But Lady London makes it bearable in very many ways.


And so begins 'A Day in the Life'.



I'm sure not many people get this sort of view as they clean their teeth first thing in the morning.

Last week I saw three juvenile foxes frolicking in the morning sunshine. One of them was so excited by the mouldy old piece of carpet he'd dragged out of the downstairs neighbours' backyard, he was springing up and down on the spot like a tennis ball.

A right royal affair

Rather early on the morning of the 29th of April, 2011, four of us boarded the tube at Clapham Common, bound for Hyde Park.


Alongside thousands of others, we sat, and then stood, and watched the future King and Queen of England, wed.


Whether you're into that kind of thing or not, we all agreed, it was a very nice celebration.



We then went home to celebrate the day off by eating coronation chicken triangular sandwiches, and scones with cream and jam.

Life update

It's been a while I know. The last month or so has been a blur of wonderful family visits; a royal celebration; some weekends away; all four seasons; and quite a bit (but probably not enough) study stuck in between.

Life is ticking on as spring deepens and summer approaches the front gate like a very welcome pizza delivery man. The days are officially long; the sun reaching through my skylight and tapping me on the shoulder at 5am now.

Marathon de Paris

Before the 26 miles....

After the 26 miles.

We did it. On Sunday April 11th, a bunch of us got up out of our Parisian hotel beds at 6am to eat porridge and bananas, drink sports drinks, affix race numbers and get a bit nervous.

Accompanied by wonderful support crew we got on the metro and made our way to the Arc de Triomphe for a power bar and a pee.

Then eventually we got underway. What a wonderful city to run your way around. The sun shone down hard as the tens of thousands of runners circumnavigated her streets. Past Place de la Concorde and Bastille, then along the river with the Eiffel Tower in view. All the typical touristy shots but with an undercurrent of discomfort that eventually grew into pain by about the 19 mile mark.

But complete it I did. Along with managing to wipe five minutes off my only other marathon time which was both pleasing and surprising. No lastly injuries except for a couple of toenails which are threatening to detach at the next opportunity.

Marathon prep

Now we're getting to the business end of this whole marathon malarkey.

Today I purchased new socks, drink sachets and power bars that taste a bit like the kitchen bench.

Right now I think I need all the help I can get. Even if I know it may well make me gag 20 miles in.

Hitting mountain roads

In complete contrast to my barefoot run along the blinding white sanded Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands, last week I got to run along the roadside of mountain passes in the French Alps.

In places the flanks of towering peaks were heavy with a thick blanket of snow, in others sheer cliffs fell hundreds of feet with layers of terribly scarred rock to appeal to the amateur geologist in all of us.

Fortunately for this runner, the roads were clear, apart from the odd manic Fiat driver. I could freely make my way past the untouched folds of bright white snow, with skiers in the background enjoying the last runs of the day amongst the pointy little pine trees, all set under a brilliantly blue sky. Just simply a picture perfect wintry scene.

Pressies

There's nothing like coming home to find a squishy parcel from one of my most favourite people in the world, patiently waiting for me.

Pretty packages contain treats from the other side of the world.

And I now have a t shirt with my sister's place of work on it. Not many people work somewhere cool enough to feature on a t shirt.