The Gauntlet has been thrown...

We are approaching the time of new year resolutions. Gill has gone and made hers all public, so I suppose I'd better go and do the same. I started doing these 3 years ago, and they have included such fun things as "Run a half-marathon", "get in shape", and "buy a house".

However, before heading off on what I'll be attempting next year, I'll just remind myself of some of the achievements from 2008.

1) Achieved a sub 1h30 half-marathon
2) Achieved a sub 40min 10k run
3) Learnt to swim
4) Swam over a mile non-stop
..and some non-exercise based ones...
5) Found myself a lovely girlfriend (who will probably complain that shes not no.1 on the list)
6) Sorted out garden and bathroom (just...)
7) Finished the year with more savings than I started with (ropey, but I'll count it)

Not bad...un-shockingly all rather exercise based (to be expected, in line with the "attainable and sustainable" one from 3 years ago...). So onto this year...

1) Regain running fitness after injury. Target is to achieve 1h30 in the Reading Half (end of March)
2) Start cycling to work. Target is early spring (like I'm going to start in winter...)
3) Do a triathlon. OK, not overly sure on this one, as there is equipment considerations. There seems to be a good beginner one in Henley in summer.
4) Sort out the porch...replace the flat roof with a tiled one, re-plaster, and new suite fitted.
5) Eat healthier. I've re-acquired my snack-habit, and it needs to be beaten back into submission.
6) Be a little less paranoid. I should probably have this as a standing one every year. Apparently not everyone is out to do me in (unless I'm on a motorbike, in which case I have a big bonus point sign floating over my head...)

That should keep me busy...

A Constructive Exercise

You can spot a bachelor house by the games room. I have one...it leads a schizophrenic life as a table football room, a library, and a board gaming den. For the boardgames I have some large pieces of MDF, covered in felt, that are tied to the top of the Foosball table. It's good in that it is 5 foot square, and can cope with any game...even one of fantasy Flights big-box specials. On the downside it's a little flexible, and does have a habit of bowing under a hardcore lean.

So over the Christmas break I intend to re-design it. I was originally going to completely re-build it using a less flexible surface, however after an hour wandering round B&Q with Gill patiently in tow I decided that it probably wasn't going to work feasibly...the wood was too thick, and too expensive.

So Plan B is to re-surface and re-enforce the existing panels. Fish has most generously supplied some new material (lots of it actually), and I've picked up 4 panels of furniture board. These will be screwed to the underside of the existing boards, and rather than the current hinges I have a collection of clips and deadbolts. I wasn't able to find any d-loops for the webbing, which is a little disappointing, however they can be affixed at a later date. I also need to add on some edging to hold it in position on the Foosball table, however again this is not vital, and I may be able to come up with some better mounting mechanism if I look around a bit...