So it’s been about a decade since I last went to an ice hockey match and then it was at the Arena and the team were called Storm not Phoenix! The new home at The Altrincham Ice Dome is definitely a lot more intimate, and even though it wasn’t sold out, the crowd certainly got behind the team to create an electric atmosphere.

The win against Bison took Phoenix to the top of the league. Man of the match went to Adam Summerfield, but I would have chosen Ed Courtenay for his hat trick. We got our tickets free from the Rock Radio website (link) but have both said we’d be more than happy to pay to see future games.

So I started the day snotty, tired and cranky as we didn’t have milk for my cereal or coffee before the race, so was not expecting to do well at all, so was very surprised to get a pb. In fact was a good day for all 3 of us beating our previous best times and we all managed to get caught on camera as well. It was another cold morning and was drizzling when we left the house, so the cap was worn to keep the rain and cold out. This meant I ran looking at the ground and completely missed where the photographer was stood.

We’re looking forward to the races over the festive season. On the 19th it’s going to be a Santa race, mine and Gra’s costumes are already sorted, we just need to find one for Tom now. Then there’s a swap planned with woodbank park, so on Boxing day they come to visit us and for the first race of the new year, we’re all going to Offerton, can’t say i’m looking forward to that hill!

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir’s father’s servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of their lies. Written against a history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But with the devastation, Khaled Hosseini also gives us hope: through the novel’s faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows for redemption.

source

This was one of the books recommended to me when I started the 888 project last year. It was one I’d never heard of before and as such wasn’t really one I was itching to read, but once I started it was very difficult to put down again. The book is very powerfully written and the fact that the author was writing about his home country, from which he’d escaped as an asylum seeker, gives extra poignancy to the descriptions of Afghanistan.

Being on shift on Friday meant I didn’t have chance to do the day before the run routine I’d got into the habit of, of making sure I was well fed hydrated and relaxed, which meant getting up on Saturday morning was a struggle. I wasn’t expecting a pb and my only aim for the race was not to get a personal worst! So with that in mind, the fact i managed to stay under 36 minutes makes the race a success, as does the fact we’ve managed to avoid the rain again Again I felt like I managed to run more of the course this week, so soon it’ll just be the hills left to tackle.

Gra bought a new pair of trainers last week, so was aiming for a pb and was disappointed that he seems to getting stuck in the 34 minute rut. I’m sure it’s one he’ll overcome shortly. I did manage to get in the background of a couple of photos this week, but no sign of Gra in them and none worth posting.

Hope you like your pressie, and I promise not to laugh to much if your age ranking doesn’t improve next week

Tom came with us again this week, and as expected beat both of us by a long way. I felt that I’d had another good run and even managed to overtake Gra on a couple of occassions so thought I was going to get another pb, as such was a bit disappointed when the times came in and I realised I’d been 10 seconds slower than last week, still there’s motivation to improve more next week. There was only one pic of me this week and I’m in the distance so not worth posting, I only spotted it as I recognised the boy who’d been in front of me, I didn’t spot any of Gra, but we do have one of Tom finishing

Your cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your ‘buddies’ that aren’t with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn’t get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.

You’re angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He’s told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love’s perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they’ll ever meet.

ou criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don’t.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.

In memory of those who have died making our world a better place, and thinking of those still fighting.

A few months ago Anna mentioned going to see Eddie Izzard when he comes to town, I agreed to tag along, but didn’t know what to expect or even who his style is similar to. So last night when the gig came around, I’m pleased to report I discovered I love Eddie Izzard! Within seconds of him coming on stage he had me laughing so hard that my belly hurt and am now expecting random texts from Anna for the foreseeable future with one liners such as tie….grrr? There’s a list of tour dates on his website, click on the banner above to go there, and if you get chance to, I’d definitely recommend going to see him

It looked like it was going to be our first rainy race when we set out this morning, but the weather settled down by the time we arrived at the park. Anticipating the rain, I’d decided to run with my cap on to keep the rain out of my face, but as it didn’t rain, it just kept my head very warm giving me a nice sweaty look when I was captured by the camera! This was my first outing in my new running top, which i was very impressed with. although very lightweight, it still kept me warm whilst keeping the sweat away from my body.

I felt like I had pushed my self harder than in previous weeks, so was pleased with my new pb time. Looking at the course map on the ParkRun page, there’s still a lot more running I can be doing each week, so if I keep going, I’ll easily beat my target of 30 minutes by May 2010, as part of Crispy’s Challenge. Gra wasn’t impressed with his time, and is now a bit scared that both Tom and I might beat him next week