Most Important Formative Bands

The Beatles, Sex Pistols, Joy Division, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, U2, Magazine, Cabaret Voltaire, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Talking Heads, Linton Kwesi Johnson, John Coltrane Quartet, Eurythmics

Cousins

This is Birgitte, Lea-Nova (2 years), Qunicey(6 weeks), Alex and Jacqui, last Sunday.
Birgitte is Jacqui's cousin Daniel's partner.

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Thats a grimace you can see - at about the 19 km mark - legs burning at this point, and I'd been running in the rain for about 1hr 40mins (think running in the shower for that long, which is what it was like!)

Running

First half marathon this Sunday (Today).
Running this year has been a bit injury ridden, and I have had a sore foot lately
Building for the Auckland marathon at the end of October.

And my time was 1 hour, 57 mins, 32 seconds
Bit disappointed - first 10k in 51 minutes, got to 13 Km at 1.06, and then took 51 mins to do the last 8 km - real burn in my legs, so much I seriously thought about stopping with 5 km to got, but hobbled on. I think the sore back thing that I have had lead to poor breathing - I seemed to struggle for good breath early on, and so oxygen deprivation in my legs set in early.

Lots to think about
..

The Dark Tower

Well I recently finished reading the Dark Tower series (seven books) by S King.
An incredible journey by Roland the Gunslinger and his ka-tet (Eddie Dean, Sussanah Dean, Jake and Oy the Billy Bumbler (a sort of a dog).
I thoroughly recommend this series, but to read it effectively you need to read several other books that cross refer to the Dark Tower by King as well - The Stand, Insomnia, The eye of the dragon, the Talisman, Black House, Hearts in Atlantis. All of which I have read, and so in all I have read about 12 books to complete the series. And the ending was acceptable - easy to get in a spin when the ramifications of the ending are thought through.

Next up is the last in the "Black Magican" series (okay, but not to King's standard).

Following that is four books by Stephen Donaldson - a character of his called Mick Axbrewder. Obviously (as you will all know!) I am awaiting the second book (of 4) in Donaldson's Last Runes of Thomas Covenant, which is expected in October this year - but I think I will need to read the first book in this series again to remember what was going on... (see side bar for Kevin's Watch)

Also, I think I will read the last two H Potter books, now that I have seen the 5th movie very good, I thought) - if Mog and Sam liked them, I expect I will.

Opotiki and Beyond

Had a great time at Leigh's 50th birthday party, a clear evening after a day of rain, and some great dancing and hanging out.

Here is Alex at the famous bottle, on our way back.

Oratia United Crushers

Well the soccer season is now 9 weeks old, and so my coaching career is 9 weeks old !!
I'm loving it, its great fun and the team is coming along very well.
I've been reading books on coaching, and one of the other parents who has played professionally is helping.

The 10 boys in my squad have settled into various positions, but no one is really keen on being goalie, so I have a rotation policy in place.

We have won 2 games, drawn 3, and lost 4.
Alex is top goal scorer to date, with 4 goals to his name (we do have a bit of an issue with the boys playing striker "finishing").

Alex has also been selected for the Oratia Primary "B" team (different to the Oratia Soccer Club), which he is proud of - the "A" team is mainly Year 6 kids, and the "B" team is mainly year 5, so he's pretty happy with that!