In an effort to get fit again I have started playing badminton again. There is a club at Yate's YMCA in Jacksonville on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays...enough times a week to help me shed a few pounds and take out some frustration smacking a shuttle cock (known as a birdie over here, don't ask me why!) I used to play prior to moving to the States, but it's been about 2 1/2 years and it's a bit of a shock to the system. For the uninitiated, think tennis mixed with racket ball with a goose feather shuttle instead of a ball..it's fast, and the air con not being the best at the YMCA, very sweaty...but very enjoyable. I've played since I was about 7. My brother and I were forced to play because we had to go along with our parents to their badminton nights..basically it was a cheap babysitting service, however we both took to it..I used to play for my county in the UK and my brother was at one point world number one in mixed doubles and won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics
I guess you could say that he took it a little more seriously than me! Anyway, I babble...I was going to say after badminton last night I slept like a baby and when my husband got up at 5.45 this morning I stayed up and went and switched my computer on..while it was firing up I made 1st cupper of the day. For my non-English readers a cupper is a hot cup of tea... it's the best thing first thing in the morning. When I first moved here I did get into the whole coffee scene, but gradually I'm back to the hot tea with milk of course...I'm British! Currently I'm drinking PG Tips for my first cup of the day, then after that it's anything in the cupboard...Early Grey, or Earl Grey Green Tea are my favourites..
Anyway, where was I,..ahh yes..tea made I sat down in front of my PC and checked the feeds on my IGoogle page...I have a feed for CNN and BBC for the news, my friends Blog, weather for here, home and my parents and BBC sport...the first link on the BBC sport was Live Ashes coverage....
OMG I had completely forgotten...THE ASHES STARTS TODAY
The Ashes are a cricketing tradition, a competition of 5 test matches (each 5 days long) bi-annually between England and Australia. Normally Australia gives us a complete beating, as they did down under in 2007, however they are not so strong this year and there may be an opportunity for England to repeat their 2005 triumph. For a feel for how exciting cricket can be watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpipsMt4c2A&feature=related
The BBC let you follow the action via a revolving text, but when visiting the page I spied a link to 'Live Commentary' (you guessed it no cricket on US t.v.). Normally these links tell you 'sorry, not available in your area' as they contravene agreements between other sports channels who are airing the same commentary...however as no one in the US is bothered about the Ashes, it logged me in straight away and I had the dulcet tones of Geoffrey Boycott wafting through my speakers... Hurrah!!!
I can't drool over KP,
, or roar on Freddy 
as he runs in to bowl...but I can be there in spirit...I will officially be up early every morning (maybe!) to continue my listening... if it could rain a little every morning in Cardiff then that would suit me too as I would not have to get up so early (there's a 5 hour time difference to here).... please start you rain dances now!
2 comments:
Sorry, what happened to Gary? Oh yes, I know, you mentioned cricket and he had the good sense to go to sleep!!! Sue xx (Have to post this as anon as can't understand the other options!)
True, Gary has been asleep all day...it was either the rain or the sound of the cricket!! ..and you can post however you like..I don't even need the Sue on the bottom to know it's you ;-) LOL
Post a Comment