What’s in a name? I always thought ‘Aircutz would be a great name for a chain of airport barbers. I think it could do quite well. In my early days as a golfer I thought Titleist was pronounced “Tight-list” and never considered why it was so called. It was only when I got into the professional game that I discovered it’s actually “Title-ist” because their balls have won so many titles….well, players using their balls have anyway. Titleist is owned by Acushnet (no idea) who also own Footjoy; what better name for a shoe company. I’ve had a bit of fun this week with son Ollie. Footjoy have been kind to me for many years, looking after my walking needs with great shoes, so I’ve never bothered to investigate their website, but lovely Chloe, who looks after Tour players, suggested that if Oliver wanted to design his own pair, he could do so on the Footjoy site. Design your own MyJoy shoes…what a brilliant concept and we came up with a really unusual look that his lordship loves. Joy all round.
Apparently “Fatty” is no longer considered appropriate. Back when I was a slip of a lad, my best mate at school weighed 18 stone. He was a nightmare to tackle on the rugby pitch. He was only about 5’10” so had considerable mass. We had almost daily bouts of name-calling when I would taunt him with “fatty”, while “spotty” was his swift response. I suffered from awful acne. I’m not sure either of us particularly enjoyed it, but it was all part of growing up and learning some resilience. Nowadays you’re subjected to scorn if you suggest somebody’s “big”, especially if it’s a girl. I sometimes feel as though I’m walking on broken glass. When I started on Ski Sunday back in 1989, I was given strict instructions that the competitors were “women”, not ladies or girls or anything else, despite the fact that talking amongst themselves they were always “girls”. Heaven forbid if I got it wrong.
I’m probably a long way behind the times (almost certainly!), but I learnt of a new idea today (new to me); a bug hotel. Apparently it’s now really desirable to have some sort of honeycombed box in the garden that ants and other insects can flourish in. Far from being undesirables, they’re actually essential for bio-diversity and the preservation of other species. You can buy all sorts of five star establishments at all sorts of fancy prices or just find a couple of pallets that have fallen off the back of a lorry and construct your own. As I’m about to plant up my veggie patch I might just pass on the “bug encourager” for the time being.
So Ramadan is over. But in my non-muslim world, the need for fasting continues. Having experimented with fasting all day on Mondays, a practice I found most rewarding, I am now trying a new regime of ‘intermittent fasting’, a method encouraged by Nutri-spec. If you care a jot for your good health and happiness I would urge you to have a look at it. The eating plan involves consuming just two meals a day with at least five hours in between meals and no nibbling! As someone who has over-eaten and over-picked for years it’s an interesting exercise in self-discipline. The rewards though, far outweigh any sacrifice.
ADayInTheStrifeOf 