Tale of the Scales

Training

Two nights in the gym, relatively easy work outs if I'm honest and only one day on the bike at the weekend. The wind was howling like a wolf on speed Friday night and I was doubting the validity of getting out for a few hours on Saturday without risking life and limb getting blown all over the road. Thankfully, the wind had receded by Saturday morning and was replaced by a dreary miserable wet, actually very wet, gloomy day. The whole day had a feeling of dusk about it, such was the darkness of the sky but I carefully located my happy glasses and set off wrapped up like an onion hoping to stay out for as long as possible.

When I first bought the bike and all the paraphernalia that accompanied it, one item purchased was a pair of Oakley jawbones (215 squid) for those sunny days and to make you look cool and feel faster than you really are. Getting blinded by the sun was never a worry throughout the summer months, however, put those bad boys on on a day like Saturday past and its like Prozac in reverse. Its like cycling blindfolded, and makes a depressingly bad weather day even more gloomy and depressing than before. To counter this I visited the store that has a little of everything and a lot of nothing, yes, our good old friend Argos, who efficiently relieved me of €14.99 and I now had a pair of 'Happy Glasses'. Insert the yellow lenses and the gloomiest day is now bright and cheerful, and your mood lifted, for a fraction of the price of the designer what nots.

Off to Edmonston Rd again and towards Sally Gap, only to encounter lots of water running over the road at Glencree which put me off climbing the last hundred metres up to the gap, so I decided to play it safe and descended to Enniskerry. The lower plains were fine with nice comfortable temperatures, but it began to chill somewhat as I rose to Glencree so my mind was made up to stay lower down. Plus if the weather turned to Mr Nasty I wouldn't be too far from home if I stayed this side of the hills. From Enniskerry up the main road towards Stepaside, turned off at the roundabout and up by Johnny Foxes and Pineforest Road to Viewing Point for the second time. Descended stocking lane with the intention of executing another loop of Edmonston, Cruagh, Stocking lane but I felt like a drowned rat at this point and my feet were freezing. My weakest link is the feet, once they are wet its the beginning of the end.

Overshoes aren't worth a monkeys as far as keeping the feet dry is concerned. I need to invest in a pair of waterproof cycling shoes if such contraptions exists, maybe a cross between a pair of Sidi's and a pair of wellies would suffice.

I sauntered home with circa 60km and 3 hours in the saddle, determined that Sunday would be another opportunity to get the legs turning. Yeah right, I could barely get to sleep Saturday night with the racket the wind was making and when Sunday morning was no better there was little point in venturing out in a gale, safety first; or maybe its laziness first and safety as a valid excuse. After the cycle I duly decided to hop on the scales and test how truthful the better half is when she constantly maintains I'm losing weight. I was pleasantly surprised to read 13st 8.5lb on the display, down from 14st 0.25lb and still having a few beers at the weekend to boot and a night dining out, result!

Pet Hates

Watched the rugby Saturday afternoon with a mate and his girlfriend, then we all joined my girlfriend afterwards to watch 'The Fighter' in the cinema at 6.30. Save yourself 2 hours of your life and don't get tricked by the advert proclaiming its the best thing since sliced bread, or Rocky, or whatever they claim. Average at best.

One thing that really shakes my palm trees the wrong way are doormen with attitude and an over inflated ego of self importance. After leaving the cinema all four in our party decided to try out the new bar that has opened recently in Rathmines, called 'Copan'.

On approach it was quite easily to see it wasn't that busy as there were four doormen loitering outside, looking menacingly at passers by like they were considering whether to mug some unfortunate soul, a bit like something you would see in the Sopranos; if Scorcese himself jumped out and shouted "action!" you wouldn't have batted and eyelid.

I led the group and attempted to weave my way through the scrum of bouncers when the small fat foreign one stepped into my path. "Where are you coming from?" he spouted, "the cinema", I replied. He repeated himself for some reason, "where are you coming from", so likewise I repeated myself, "the cinema", I again replied. I was already getting pissed of with this asshole, what fucking business of his is it where I'm coming from. Before I gained my professional qualifications I worked for approx 7 years in the bar and hotel industry, both behind the bar and on the door. When I come across guys like this it really is annoying, they just give everyone a bad name.

Not happy with my first two answers he then asked "where do you live?". At this point I calmly looked at the others in the group and said "Lets go somewhere else", thinking to myself 'what a fucking prick to have on the door of a new bar with zero regulars greeting people'. Its bad enough that publicans rob you blind with their prices but now we have to pass a fucking questionnaire in order to be privileged enough to allow them the pleasure to over charge us? That's one bar I wont be spending any money in.

As I walked away one of the girls questioned why he asks such irrelevant questions, 'its a standard question' he retorted, and right on cue, two girls walked straight past and into the premises without answering any of his so called standard questions. I don't know where he worked previously if he thinks that is standard. I would love to take him up to the north of our Emerald Isle and stand him at a door and let him ask the same random questions, I would be surprised if he made it past midnight intact.

At the next local watering hole we were warmly greeted with a kind hello and and a warm smile by their doorman, which could explain why Copan was empty and Rody Bolands busy.

Sports Betting

Damn you Hereford, I'm gonna say that again, damn you Hereford! Five out of six of the 'Both Teams to Score' selections were triumphant only to be let down by the Hereford 0 v 1 Lincoln result. That left me with 3 nearly winning accumulators priced at 6/1, 12/1 & 20/1.

Another option may be to bet 6 x five timers and 1 x six timer for 7 bets and reduce the stakes for each individual bet. That way any 5 winning would likely double your money, and all six winning would return somewhere in the region of 14 times your original total outlay (obviously these returns will vary slightly with varying prices). Food for thought at any rate. Not much happening football wise midweek, other than internationals, which are only worth betting if you have too much money and need relieving of it, alternatively stay as far away as possible. There are a few League 1 & 2 games taking place Tuesday evening. Might partake in a 7.5/1 accumulator (4 selections), should further analysis agree with the stats.

Huddersfield to win

Leyton Orient v Swindon - Over 2.5 goals

Hereford v Macclesfield - Both teams to score

Morcambe v Alderdshot - Both teams to score

Remember Hereford, you owe me!