What if the Hokey Cokey is what it's all about?

By far one of the best inventions in my daily life is the dishwasher. Yep. I had to put up a real case, many moons ago, to persuade Mr. Lewis of the positive impact it would have in our lives. Apart from the obvious ‘neither of us having to wash up’ I went as far as suggesting (as the icing on the cake) that we could do more enjoyable and pleasurable things (!!) with the time that we were freeing up! Sold.

Mr. Lewis regularly reminds me that I am behind with my payments (huh) and that I owe him 2 years worth of enjoyable & pleasurable things!

Being a naturally ‘cup half full’ person I was flummoxed when I discovered that owning this mean machine would have downsides. I am going to generalise here…if you live with teenagers or adults that act like teenagers, then your dishwasher is just a black hole for dumping anything in…out of sight out of mind. Doesn’t matter if it’s got humungous globules on – shove it in and press start.

Doesn’t matter if it’s dishwasher proof and it certainly doesn’t matter whether the dishwasher is even full or not…press start.

(cripes, as if it’s not hard enough thinking of stuff to write, I finally get into the flow of things and Molly has just wandered in with wet hair…starts up the hairdryer and proceeds to babble on about a dream she had last night where she was at the dentist…).

Back to our dishwasher, I hadn’t finished…I think I must have a smidge of competitiveness in me as I liken the loading of the dishwashing to a game of Jenga…it will all go in! Or sometimes I get a throw-back to my old school days when I was a member of the U15’s Oxfordshire County Netball Squad. Try this next time you are unloading your dishwasher …place one foot about 30 cm away from the open door (you are not allowed to move this foot, it’s netball rules…) this is your pivoting foot. Ok, so the challenge is…how many items can you unload and put away (in the correct place) just pivoting on this foot back and forth to your dishwasher and the cupboards??!! You can enlist the help of passers by, but you can’t move that foot. You may realise that your kitchen is far too small if you can put everything away.

Talking of games, oftentimes opening the dishwasher is like a Bush-Tucker Trial…casually prizing it open to drop in a knife and being greeted with the kippers-for-breakfast leftovers wafting in your face!

Talking of TV…who was voting for Judy Murray?

Even with this labour saving device it pains me that I still have to don the Marigolds and deal with the delicate items or down right burnt on stuff the old fashioned way. WHAT is going on with the Ecover brand right now eh? Normally I’m a Lemon & Aloe kinda gal, you know where you are with that…but the 2 for 1 in Waitrose last week had me purchasing Ecover Gentle Touch Mango & Shea Butter, along with Lotus & Almond Oil…puh-luh-eeeeze?! With a hot bowl of Mango & Shea butter bubbles before me and the subdued, mood enhancing, under cupboard lighting in the kitchen Mr. Lewis had to restrain me from whipping my socks off to sit on the draining board and soak my trail running feet in the stuff. Delicious. Maybe I should use the Ecover Lotus & Almond Oil to pay my dues with Mr. Loo??!!!

Enough.

Are you still murmuring that you haven’t received a LOOP in a long while?! Don’t adjust your settings, there’s nothing wrong with your in-box…I just haven’t written one!

So, what have you been missing over the last 2 months…my drivel for one! Well, wonder mum, Emily Campbell and her wonder hubby, Pete had baby Iona on the 15th November in just over 2 hours I believe…Emily doesn’t hang around! She was still running and doing spin classes up to 39 weeks and will soon be in training for I.M. Frankfurt 2015 and the 10k Jubilee swim amongst other things! Congratulations x x x

Newly weds, David and Rùna, are out in Mexico ready to take on their 2nd Ironman this year – this time Ford Ironman Cozumel…tomorrow morning. They have also signed up for Ironman Zurich next July! Shed loads of love and luck x x x

Many 2015 events are complete sell-outs…there is so much excitement around the Sheddie community. A busting 40 of you have entered Ironman events for next year and it’s still growing, several of you have entered two I.M. races next year! I have lost count how many of you are doing some epic swim events in 2015…The English Channel, 10 mile Windermere, 5 mile Conniston, 14k Bridge to Bridge, 10k Dart, 10k Jubilee…plus all of you going for 70.3’s, Olympics & Sprints for the first time. It’s brilliant. A rising tide raises all ships!

It was the penultimate drop-in swim at Wolverton last night. It’s been a fantastic run of 14 swims this Autumn term. We have been filling 3 lanes and spilling over into 4 some nights. New insights, break-throughs and achievements. The masterful Martin Young was the winner of the cap & Smarties last night. I was lucky enough to be swimming in a lane with Martin, along with Brian, Jan, Lisa and Phil. Martin selflessly shared with us how he’d experimented with a Waitrose ‘green token’ clenched between his cheeks…to ensure he kicked from the hips and not the knees!!??*%$. Lisa commented on how upmarket Martin was – a Waitrose token. Martin confessed that it would have stayed in whether he clenched or not and suggested something larger and seasonal…a sprout! It was still green and could be trimmed / peeled to size. Keith would be so proud.

I’ll pause for thought here and welcome you all to the last swim next Friday 5th. We recommence in January on Friday 9th 8-9 pm.

The Saturday sun is shining and I’m off out for a trot of the two legged kind.

Have a fab weekend and remember…