This is the Message Centre for Pastey

Going the Distance

Post 1

Pastey

While I was out walking on New Year’s Eve I tried hard to think of a New Year’s Resolution. I don’t normally bother with these because I tend to think that if something’s worth doing, do it regardless of when you decide to. But occasionally I do make one, usually so that the year start to year end is a good time measurer. The last one I made was that all the meat I ate was either organic or ethically farmed.

Initially this was very easy, I’d buy and cook a chicken or a joint of beef at the weekend, and then use it in my lunches throughout the week. But that got boring very quickly. So then it got very difficult. By far and a way the vast majority of ready meals out there are chicken. So nipping to the supermarket and grabbing a quick meal to nuke wasn’t an option. But as the year went on I started to find a few things that did work. For starters, having a vegetarian ready meal. There’s two things to understand about vegetarian ready meals, firstly the variety is pitiful. Seriously pitiful. Secondly, when you get a good one, it’s usually very good, and the store will usually stop selling it after a month or so.

But I managed a full year of that, and afterwards I was able to really tell the difference between good and not so good meat. I’ve never looked back.

So, out on the walk we were talking about how I’d now have time to go for runs during the day seeing as I’m working from home. And I decided that to try and keep the momentum up, I would attempt to run an achievable total of over 500km this year. That’s less than 10km a week, so it should be easy right? Yeah. Of course. Because as soon as I thought of this number, I then realised that I wouldn’t be running every day. And then there’d be times I was ill, or was away on holiday, or generally couldn’t be bothered. And living in Manchester I was expecting to lose quite a few days to the weather.

But it’s been okay so far, we’ve not had any snow yet, and only one icy morning. And the rain’s actually been holding off mostly. But how far have I actually run in January? One month, a twelve of a year and a need to have run a twelve of five hundred (44.67)? Well, I’ve not managed the 44.67km average, but I have so far done 33.74km which isn’t too bad seeing as it still hurts my lungs at times.

If you’re bored though, or just interested, I am keeping a more detailed running diary over at the h2g2 Running Club (yes we have one (sort of)) here: A87759256


Going the Distance

Post 2

Galaxy Babe - eclectic editor

Well donesmiley - applause
I think you should reward yourself rather than beat yourself up over missed targets. It doesn't have to be chocolate or smiley - cake how about a smiley - ale?

GB
smiley - galaxysmiley - diva


Going the Distance

Post 3

Asteroid Lil - Offstage Presence

Oh, it'll be smiley - ale, depend on it. smiley - winkeye


Going the Distance

Post 4

Pastey

Bizarrely, it was smiley - cake today smiley - laugh

We bought a Black Forest Gateaux at the weekend, and, er, it needed finishing off smiley - laugh

Mmmm smiley - ale


Going the Distance

Post 5

Icy North

You really know how to wind up a grammar pedant, don't you, Pastey?


Going the Distance

Post 6

Pastey

I have to admit, I use punctuation in type in the same way that I use pauses and stops when I talk. Which is usually completely wrong smiley - laugh

I've always had a problem with grammar, which is why I wasn't allowed to do English Literature at school. Go figure that, struggle with the Language part, so they stop you doing the Literature part. Which I was actually really good at smiley - erm


Going the Distance

Post 7

Deek

Ha! That's always been my method of punctuation. I thought it was quite sensible but it's the reason I'd probably never cut it as a sub editor. Apparently it took about a month for the subbie to move the commas around on one of the last entries I submitted smiley - erm

Deke


Going the Distance

Post 8

Icy North

Yes, I sympathise with punctuating as you talk, as that's the whole point of punctuation anyway. It was just the "a Black Forest Gateaux" that got me right here. I've already run off letters to The Times, Ofsted, the BBC Trust and the MCC.


Going the Distance

Post 9

Pastey

I actually have no idea what's wrong with that part of it smiley - laugh


Going the Distance

Post 10

Icy North

Good job you chose a career in technology rather than, for example, writing.


Going the Distance

Post 11

Pastey

I've an editor for that smiley - winkeyesmiley - laugh


Going the Distance

Post 12

Milla, h2g2 Operations

For a foreigner willing to learn, what's wrong with a Black Forest Gateau? The x?
smiley - towel


Going the Distance

Post 13

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


Black Forest Gateaux smiley - drool

One just isn't enough smiley - whistle


lil x


Going the Distance

Post 14

Baron Grim

For all I know, Gateaux is just the French spelling of the Spanish word for Cat.


Going the Distance

Post 15

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

Ok... why does a German cake have a French name in English? smiley - huh


Going the Distance

Post 16

Icy North

According to the OED, 'gateau' is a composite word from the Pyrenean region of France and Spain. Literally 'cat water', it describes the early morning bouquet of a suburban garden.


Going the Distance

Post 17

Bald Bloke

smiley - rofl

[BB]


Going the Distance

Post 18

Pastey

smiley - rofl

This was much nicer that cat water though smiley - laugh


Going the Distance

Post 19

Baron Grim

I will never hear the word "Chateau" again the same way.

smiley - laughsmiley - cat


Going the Distance

Post 20

Deek

Don't you just love topic drift?

Deke smiley - smiley


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