Yes, Friends, are YOU currently feeling exhausted? Most of us are, aren't we! And it's a Saturday night so why not opt for a quiet night in, for a change!!!!
It's what local 'live wire' Martin Burton is going to do, according to this morning's local Onion News for East Hampshire - check your print edition, page 94 !!!!
But Burton's story brings a bit of a knowing smile to the faces of me and my wife Lois this morning, as we take our near-daily walk, which today takes us around the perimeter of the "hallowed turf" of local soccer heroes Liphook United, currently "languishing" in the relegation zone of the Hampshire Premier League, no less!!!
And I say "around the perimeter" advisedly, because we can't walk on the hallowed turf itself, because it's full of youngsters from Liphook's "under 12s" and "under 16s" teams, to our complete surprise! We only moved to this area 15 months ago, and it's our first time coming here on a Saturday morning. Usually we come here during the week, and we''re normally the nearest approximation to any "form of life" here, to put it mildly !!!!!
Even the dilapidated so-called "club house" is open - for soft drinks, would you believe!
What madness!!!!
flashback to this morning: Lois and me taking our near-daily walk around
the unexpectedly "rammed" (!), hallowed turf of local soccer giants Liphook United
At the same time, since we also are feeling totally exhausted, we feel a bit of a kinship with local man Martin Burton, whose 'exhausted' face is all over the papers this morning.
Lois and I are pretty exhausted ourselves today, actually, after 48 hours of non-stop partying [???- Ed] to celebrate my 80th birthday this week, with close family, although local neighbourhood sources say that I'm still "marvellous for my age", which affords me some degree of comfort!!!!
flashback to the last 2 days of non-stop partying [??- Ed]
to celebrate, with close family, my 80th birthday, would you believe!
Luckily, like local man Burton, I can afford to "take it easy" today, for once in a complete blue moon [??? - Ed], although poor Lois hasn't got that luxury. It's her church's monthly "shared lunch Sunday" tomorrow, so she's busy making one of her delicious apple-and-mincemeat tarts as her contribution to the festivities. And she's making a spare one, to keep at home, just for ourselves, so no worries there!!!!
Her tart will be a cheering sight to the congregation tomorrow, however, that's for sure. They're bound to be feeling slightly grumpy, because the clocks go forward an hour tonight, for BST (British Summer Time), so everybody will have had to get up an hour early, which is a pity!
Yours Truly taking a "sneak peak" at Lois's latest
apple-and-mincemeat tart - yum yum!!!!
It's the first programme in a new series about Britain's national parks, starting close to home, for Lois and me, because it's focussing on Hampshire's "New Forest", so called because it's "only" 947 years old, having been established by William the Conqueror in 1079, just so that he could hunt a bunch of deer in it - what madness, wasn't it !!!
The New Forest is only about 40 miles away from our home here in Liphook, in the south western part of the county, so we're hoping to have a proper visit there soon. Watch this space! [I can't wait! - Ed]
Is there a lesson here for us humans, I wonder?
We hear from a "forester" called Lee, whose main job is to keep the deer and stag populations in check. We see a herd of red deer grazing at the edge of the forest - apparently a few days previously the group was taken over by a new stag, but the females are already worried that "the new boss" will start attacking some of the younger males - what madness!!!!
The testosterone-charged alpha male, given the chance, would immediately overpower the two younger males in a fight, inflicting severe, or even fatal, injuries on them, and the females feel a bit sorry for the two youngsters, which is heart-warming!
Sounds a bit chaotic, doesn't it, to put it mildly!
But compare the herds of humans who gather where the forest meets the English Channel coast, and who are no less chaotic!
In the local human herds, would you believe, the females are allowed to go around completely unchecked, we're told! What madness!!!!
But "Colin, where are the males of the herd, while their females are all cavorting, unsupervised, in the cold seas?", I hear you cry!
Group founder Jackie Adams, has the answer:
And who knew that cold water swimming trains the cardiovascular system by widening the blood vessels and improving blood circulation? The oxygen supply to the heart increases, and, in addition, a dip in cold water is said to boost mental health by increasing the release of endorphins and serotonin. Stress levels decrease, and a natural 'high' kicks in, apparently.
What a crazy world we live in !!!!!!
Will this do?
[Oh just go to bed! - Ed]
22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzzzz!!!!!
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