Another day, another duller. The combination of the weather and half my Ullapool pupils being away on a school skiing holiday means another day without work. Or, if I'm looking on the bright side, another holiday.
Jane and I have a Nissan Navara as our other car. We bought this brute of a 4x4 because we wanted something which would easily tow Jane's two ponies in a trailer and our Toyota RAV-4 was too puny. Since moving from Glen Urquhart to near Forres a couple of years ago, Jane's ponies, Dave and Lachie, have been settled near Culbin forest - a vast forest on the Moray coast, which is superb for hacking out - so we have not had the need to take them elsewhere in the trailer. As a result, we have often considered selling the Navara for something smaller (and easier for Jane to park). But I always resist. It is great for the dogs; they jump up into the back of the truck and, it doesn't matter how mucky they get, the cab stays clean (no wet-dog smell) and the truck is easily cleaned with a broom or, when it's really filthy, a hosepipe. Not only that, but it also comes into its own whenever we, or our daughters, move house, need stuff taken to the tip, or have bought bulky objects that would never fit in a normal car.
With this weather, we.... or rather, our car..... has become very popular. On the farm, where Jane keeps Lachie and Dave, she has often been asked to ferry items around areas where the farmer has been unable to go (without a tractor). She has also been able to help people whose cars have become stranded in the snow. Yesterday, a relative of Irene, our lovely neighbour, was having a spot of bother with his brand new BMW in the snow. The big, fat tyres meant that he was slipping and sliding all over the place. Male pride means that you must overcome these adversities yourself. Asking for help is an absolute last resort. So, I made myself a cup of tea while he revved, dug snow, gritted beneath his wheels, revved some more, slipped and spun to no avail. I finished my tea, then went and towed him out onto the main road. Not wanting to dent his pride any further I carefully asked him if he had tried using 2nd gear (instead of 1st) to try and move off (he hadn't). the reason for this is that it supplies less torque to the wheels, so they are less likely to spin, but you have to be careful with the clutch. Further advice for driving in snow can be found here http://www.breakdowncover.co.uk/faq/driving-in-snow.html .
I'm not usually one for New Year's resolutions, but there is one I wanted to make this year. It has not gone unnoticed by me that Jane has made one or two (hundred) little comments about my stomach recently. It is Newton's little-known 4th law that states that, with no opposing forces, stomach size is proportional to age (no, you won't find it on Google).
A couple of years ago I took a break from being a driving instructor to become Operations Manager at The Newton Hotel, in Nairn. Within a couple of months, my weight had dropped from 86kg to 77kg - a loss of about a stone and a half - purely from being much more physically active. Since returning to driving, my weight has crept back up to 87kg, the heaviest I have ever been. It's not too surprising, some days, if I don't get to walk the dogs, the most exercise I get is walking from the driver's door to the passenger door (and I sometimes even bypass that in heavy rain or freezing temperatures).
I haven't quite worked out my plan of action yet. I enjoy cooking (and, of course, eating) food, so it will have to be more exercise. I can just see Jane rolling her eyes when she reads this. Now I have published this, I will have to keep to it. First, I have to set a target. So, nothing too silly. Let's say...... 80kg. Sound reasonable?
Right, I'm off to walk the dogs...... (after I have had a Ginger biscuit).
No comments:
Post a Comment