When 8 Year olds hit the stage

Not sure what you were doing Sunday afternoon but I was dragged kicking and screaming to the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch to see my wee girl take part in the performance "Sleeping Beauty". In the past I would have preferred to boil my head in a boiling pot of hot lard than attend something like this.

Now this does not just happen. This is the culmination of weekly Jazz lessons at Sumner, there are the expensive shoes and all the gear, there are the hours of dress rehearsals, preparation of the hair (buns, hair ties), the late nights, the grumpyness, the excitement, the waiting around, the stress of it all for an 8 year old.

To be honest I was not looking forward to what turned out to be a two and three quarter hour production. So as ready as I was ever going to be, we headed off.

To be honest it was an amazingly elaborate affair. The costumes were impressive, there must have been over 200 kids ranging in age from 2-18 involved and with training in Jazz and Ballet.  Sure the last 30 minutes tested my endurance but overall it was pretty cool and those kids did a second performance afterwards.....I politely skipped that one!

So what did I learn. This sort of thing is an awesome experience for kids. It involves challenge and fitness and all those skills such as listening, team work and coordination. I am impressed Caetana stuck to it and loved it. Then there is the fact that you would have to either be a saint or very well paid to pull a production like this together.....I shudder to think about it!

There is of course the fall out of a 1030 finish for an 8 year old on a Sunday night before school. That involves parents all around town being punished by angry tired kids!

Maybe I am losing the plot or just beginning to understand life?

Kendall

100 icebergs in our waters.....its a bit Spielberg?

Now I'm not too green, but this global warming is a bit of a worry. Each year now we are having icebergs sail past heading North and this month there have been regular media reports of the same (link: NZ Herald). Now this afternoon there are reports of over 100 in our waters.
Now this is a bit Hollywood and call me old fashioned but it is not ideal......melting polar ice, weird weather, earthquakes, tidal waves... yada yada yada....! Whats next? How bad will this get? Can we stem it? If so get on with it? I'm not going to get all Al Gore on it or move to high ground (just yet!) but I'm hoisting the flag and waving it.......this could get serious!!

Kendall

Low life: Should they hang?.....or is it more of the same?

Last year I blogged about the bashing of 85 year old war veteran Eric Brady and it was picked up and published as an opinion piece in the press (see blog here). We are all outraged about violent thugs who undertake the most violent crimes but hurting our elderly citizens really does seem one of the lowest things you can do. I mean frail men or women and just bashing them it really is just scummy.  Now we hear this thug who bashed Erc had already threatened another elderly person with a knife and stolen their car. (Link: NZ Herald).

It does make you wonder what makes people do this.....just an up bringing without rules or education and exposure to drugs and violence through unaccountable parents? Whatever it is, and I'm sure it is many things, it makes you wonder what prison will do for this muppet? Personally I think watch this space for more of the same not long after he gets out....another headline or two? What are the options? Life means life? Hard labour? Hanging.....can't ever see the latter but maybe there needs to be some more debate on this.

Lucky he didn't hurt himself in the process (i.e. broken bone in hand from punching Eric Brady or car crash getting away in the stolen car or counselling required after his brush with the Police Armed Offenders Squad) or he would be claiming a decent ACC cheque.

Something stinks here huh!!

Kendall

Summer....Where is it?...what the fu....!

Not sure about you but I'm sick of this cold ongoing wet weather. Where is our summer? We earned it this year after a cold winter.....we demand it? Are fossil fuels really changing our climate?....Are we becoming even more the United Kingdom of the South (in terms of weather) or is something still to fire in the old Summer storage facility? Here I am whining about it....see it could become the UK?

Regardless, I'm sick of it. It is nearly Christmas for crying out loud and it would be nice to be able to select tree decorations, buy presents and drink the required mountain of beer with the sun pelting down on our backs. A beer garden break up function rather than one huddled around a gas fire in some trndy bar!!

Bring it on

Kendall

Burning Cobwebs.....Langers hits the Multi Sport Circuit....

.....well a Duathlon for for tiny tots.....one big enough to hurt and that you need to train for but not one requiring a 12 month build up and a diet of protein! This was my first event of any sort for many years and I have to say I really loved it.

I train generally 3-4 times per week but have lacked a goal.....enter 1 x Personal Trainer & wife! Mere mention or hint of needing a goal and hello.....1 x customised fitness program and free entry into this Duathlon. After doing a bit of running (normally avoided after knee surgery on both!), mountain biking and weights......all focused towards this event and you have one finely tuned machine.....not really but fitter than before.

Its not really the one having a World War Two vintage mountain bike surrounded by trendy "roadies" with bits of graphite and "clingy" shorts! Hard to go as fast as a roadie too......even pedaling like the wind.....almost tempted to join the throng of middle aged sportsters who are into rod cycling. Time will tell but today I settled for pedaling like a mad man frothing at the mouth....and catch a few roadies I did.

Learnings from today; having a goal is great, it was fun to compete again, it is indeed all in your head.....the body follows, that said the body struggled to follow running straight after the bike....that first km of "lead legs"!

Get into it.......

Kendall