Genetics

My son, (who incidently has just asked me if I am pregnant), has been named Home Economist of the month at school.

And we thought the weakness was only down the female line in the family.

Context: my mother taught Home Economics. Her sister taught Home Economics. I was known to teach some Home Economics. My cousin (mum's sister's daughter) also may have briefly taught Home Economics. My children are not allowed near either a chalk board or a baking bowl!

I have a predicament

Smart casual.

I thought as much

Convinced I had walked further than the just over a mile my pedometer told me I had yesterday, today the route was measured again using a diffenert program, and this time it came to 2.6 miles!

I wonder does the extra mileage mean extra calories burnt off and does that in turn justify the extra Green & Blacks chocolate I snuffled to mask my disappointment.

Out for a dander

With the good weather and longer days, I had an urge this week to start walking again. So today, during the dry bits, I decided I should strike while the iron was hot and go walking.

So I have just completed my first walk and am able to report that I was only overtaken by a jogger, a man on a bicycle, two children on scooters and a woman riding a mobility scooter. Who I swore gave me the finger.

From my newly installed pedometer app, I have learnt that in 41 minutes I walked 2.423 km at an average speed of 3.55km/h. Is that good, I have no idea, but it was all up and down hills. Big hills.

I also burnt off 103 calories which I thought was brilliant until I discovered that a packet of crisps has 133 calories in it, so the cream bun and latte I promised myself the whole way round the circuit sort of defeats the purpose.

Reading back over those stats, I'm actually wondering does this pedometer app work, it seems ridiculous that I can expend all that energy and feel as knackered as I do and not even have worked off a single solitary packet of Tayto cheese and onion!

My son is blogging

Go look, pilotsmurf.

Plane spotting for the modern era

As you may well know, we have a wannabe pilot in the house. Fixated with all things aviation, we used to be content just to watch them fly over our house on their way into or out of Belfast City Airport.

Not any more. We have discovered sites where you can not only watch but also listen to aircraft in real time, and now hours are spent virtual plane spotting across Europe.

I warn you, before you click on the links...these sites are truly addictive!

A rant

Years ago, back in the good old days, when you bought a birthday card and it was wrapped in cellophane, the envelope was also inside same cellophane. Now they're not and you have to be intelligent enough to remember to lift an envelope with the cards.

I have just bought two cards in cellophane and no envelopes. If Darwin's 'Survival of the Fittest' theory was correct, I'd have been extinct long since.

The Island

My son has to make an island for his geography homework. I don't think it's to be of the size and stature of the Palm in Dubai, because he only has a week to make it. Currently looking for an appropriate venue off the East coast of Northern Ireland.

Last night my mother did the 'TimeWarp'

Not only that, but she did it in front of 999 other people. Oh yes, she did! Apparently, she also enjoyed the experience. Who'd have thought?

Time to state that the other 999 people were also doing the TimeWarp at the same time. No, not some kind of wacky Belfast flashmob event, but another SingLive concert, this time Movie Musicals.

Have you ever been to a concert where the conductor is dressed like an extra from the basketball court in High School Musical? I have! Mr Roberts at his stunning best.

Yesterday was momentous on a lot of counts, because not only did mum dance the TimeWarp in the Ulster Hall, but Ulster qualified for the quarter finals of the Heineken cup for the first time in 12 years. The last time they got this far, I had a baby. That won't, be happening this time.

Even more exciting is the news today that thanks to Wasps who unexpectantly beat Toulouse today, we get to play Northampton, which means we get to go to England instead of having to travel to the South of France.

Who'd have thought you could get so excited about not travelling to the South of France?

I nearly don't want to say it, but

it looks like for the first time since 1999 Ulster might...

A long, long time ago

I was 'Young Cook of the Year' and went to London to represent Northern Ireland in the UK finals.

Some years later, when I worked in the all girls establishment in North Belfast, I entered one of my students for 'Young Cook of the Year', and she travelled to Dublin to represent Northern Ireland in the All-Ireland finals, which she subsequently won.

Yesterday, my son arrived home from school with an entry form for the Dairy Council Cook of the Year.....

oh dear!!!

(That last comment was added by said son, who hacked my account)