Tag: endorphin

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Daily Bread…

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Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us… ?

Today was a normal Saturday.
Thankful to Em who did a 4 hour stint teaching swimming.
We had dancing first thing, or at least thought we did (Doesn’t start till next week).
So we did a small Tesco shop and a library visit to stock up on books for the next 3 weeks.
Soup and salad for munch. Nice.
Then the first trip out on the bike this year (except for the daily commutes).
Met up with Em at Gymnastics. Then a trip back…. Many roads and paths full if debris and in parts very slippy and dangerous. But the fresh air, nature, endorphins…. Gr8.
Endorphins kept buzzing on my return, and so homemade pizza dough (thanks to netmums) with the kids for their tea.
Then dough was pummelled and rested and a loaf of homemade bread was created! Thanks again to Holly’s recipe from GBBO. Gr8 therapy.
The kids tucked away and a curry from a jar was sizzled, ate and enjoyed.

I am thankful for our daily bread.

All u need is:

500g strong white flour.
10g salt
5g caster sugar
7g sachet of dried yeast
350mls lukewarm water

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl with a metal spoon just till it’s together, and leave for ten minutes.
Tip onto the table and knead it 10 minutes. This is therapeutic, enjoy it.
Put it back in the bowl and cover the bowl with clingfilm.
Leave on the side (in a warm place) until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes…
Tip the enlarged size dough onto your table and push down a few times on the dough to release air bubbles. Do not knead it. Then fold and shape your dough to your preferred bread shape and place on a baking tray.
Don’t cover the bread. Leave the tray on the kitchen top till the loaf’s double in size, another 30mins. Top the loaf with seeds or supt if u want.
Make some quick cuts on the top of the loaf and put it on the middle shelf of a 200deg c oven.
Bake for about 35 mins. Check the bread occasionally and rotate or change shelves if it’s over/under doing.
Bread’s done when it sounds hollow when you knock the underneath.
Thanks Holly, full details here.

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The Bike needed Tender Loving £s

guard You may have noticed my tweet last week that “the bike” needed some TLC (and some TL£).

Alas the wheels (rims and hubs) that came with the  specialized crosstrail sport disc 2011 were ‘average’ quality and arguably not up to the job.

It’s been 2 years since I bought the bike. It’s done its best to combat the conditions experienced but the rear wheel – the one that takes the most pounding – gave up last week. The front forks are sprung so that takes a bit of impact out for the front wheel.

The rear wheel’s rim was cracked in 3 places where the spokes enter it and the freehub’s splines were considerably worn – an ex-wheel!
This week’s tally: an ex wheel, the car’s rear ex-tyre and an ex-washingmachine! Arggh!  All this week!

In Oct 2011 my initial foray to the suggested “cycle-route” was shocking!
In August 2012, I moved off the death ride route (normal roads) to the shared “cycle facilities”.
The bike now has to deal with a lot more grit, debris, crap, tree roots, curbs, potholes, etc. I’m learning to accept it. I now concede the new route is arguably the wiser option.
The winter obviously sees a lot more debris and wet crud. So although I survived last winter I’ve now opted for the full guard on the rear, I just had a splash guard before. This might protect the mech and chain set a tad. More dedication to cleaning is needed too! Hufff!

I am no bike expert, so I rely on people’s advice and the LBS – City Cycles Thurmo
After two years it’s now got:
A new back wheel: Mavic A119 rim and Shimano FH-M525A hub.
In the summer we had to replace the considerably worn SunTour/SRAM chain set (ring, chain and cassette); with a Shimano megarange CS HG41.

So yes, annually the £ has to be spilt somewhere, but just remember there’s no Tax, MOT and insurance and the previous ~£54 a month fuel costs are now zero.

I bought off the shelf, but on retrospect- if you’re buying a new bike, spend more than you can afford (invest) for a bike that will be used daily – in the long term, the bike is the sum of it’s parts!

#keepcycling

As mentioned, I concede that the cycle facility route is the wiser option – I guess I’ll report again on that in due course.

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mindfulness…

Addendum to the below:
What a load of rollocks I write. The old brain really does concoct some crap.
 Sunday evening, and just trying to sift the crap out of the way.
 There’s not much to it really is there? Tomorrow will bring what it brings, yesterday is past.
 My brain’s problem is it’s looking for something that’s not there. That’s art for you.
 I am breathing, I can taste flavour, I feel warmth, I can expect treasures, I have painted stones and walnut whip, slumbered children and a smile from the wife, popcorn tv, infotainment … breath…
 I am breathing, I feel warmth…

And so…

Recently mulling stuff about mindfulness; all’s well and good, but acceptance, tolerance and awakening are the watch words. At first glance a new perspective seems to deny confrontation, conflict, and argument, but how can one progress, create or develop through or around obstacles, with an ‘accepting’ attitude?
The bullish energy of selfishness and the quick-fix attitude of the post-modern ego seem stronger than the river of peace… Yes, the turbulence that the enthusiastic will can create, can cause storms and depressions, and the self might be lucky to realise that one’s ego and desire is limiting. Reality is often buried under constructions and stories. I love stories, I love creativity, but it seems too much of a good thing can crash the operating system.

Personally, a defragment, clean-up and review of subscriptions has worked wonders. Yes, the chemicals are still needed to keep the sparks firing. As Mr. H says, we all need specific clothes.
And so…
Clothed with what’s needed, with a mindful view of the stream, how do we tackle the debris, constructions and faults we perceive? Do we continue, solitary, with friends, on the low-road with views of the river? Do we venture to the heights with chosen weaponry? How do we love it?

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Enchanted by the sparkle of novelty.

It rained the other day (you may have noticed). My initial reaction was:

“glorious ride in rain, utterly invigorating and uplifting, joyous, rain-in-mouth, deacon-blue-in-head, alive!!! #initialunconsideredreaction”

After the endorphins settled, my slightly more-considered reaction commented on the “Blessed Rain” see below

And today; the wet ride in was again ‘refreshing’, but I came to consider that we’re often enchanted by the sparkle of novelty.

The novelty of rain, sun, the new, the old, the different, the shiny, the dull, the kill, the birth, …

When we perceive new things we are often enchanted and drawn to the joy that they evoke.
That joy might be temporary, fleeting or deep and wholesome – it might be nurturing and essential or unhealthy and toxic.
I hope we can all realise any opportunity for enchantment but be wary of its captivating effect on our perspective and attitude.

Make the most of ‘the different’ today, en-joy it, but be mindful as you might also have too much of a good thing?

Be alive, get wet, dry off, be alive!

[Facebook post]

Blessed Rain?

On the cycle ride in today the rain was (just a tad) refreshing.

Yup, it was wet, grey, and not-warm, but other than that, we’re all alive! (those that are that is).
I guess it’s a fine line between seeing the rain as a blessing or a curse.
Some say, “nowt such thing as bad weather just bad preparation.” ?
I dare say farmers, flood victims, and those with leaky roofs, might disagree with that. (I do feel for the flood victims. I wonder if town-planning and traffic infrastructure is part of the cause?) Perhaps you can have too much of a good thing…
But on the whole, we do tend to generally curse the (blessed?) rain.
Yes, we’ve had our fair share of it this summer, but let’s not always curse it.
“Oh it’s a miserable day” I hear. Umm… no, you’re “being miserable” about “the day”!?
Today I rode in; I could have focused on negative observations;
Cold, wet hands, wet feet, cars without lights in the rain, cars with poor condition screen demisters and wipers, the majority of school-kids with nice new blazers and no coats(!) in pouring rain (that’s teens for you I guess), poor visibility, wet leaves on the ground, puddles, spray from cars… no sun…
Or might I focus on positive observations;
Alive, rain-in-your-mouth, invigorating rain-on-head, the freedom of cycling is heightened by the stream of smoking almost-stationary traffic steaming into the city, Deacon Blue (Raintown) in my head, the joy of passing the usual pedestrian suspects, “morning!” with a smile, the toddlers loving their pink umbrellas, the thought of nature needing life-giving water…
Be alive, get wet, dry off, be alive!

…then after a day in an office…
Blessed Rain! Be alive, get wet, dry off, be alive!

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Bit of this and that…

Satuarday morning round the block, 25 miles.

Over the last year I have slowly increased my 10mile spin to 25miles.

I don’t get much time to get out, what with little ladies to entertain, but when I get an hour or two this is the ’round’ I enjoy:

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/user/1912852

It encompasses a bit of this… at Twyford

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And a bit of that… at Baggrave Hall

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East Goscote, Rearsby, Gaddesby, Great Dalby, Thorp Satchville, Twyford, Hungarton, Keyham, Scraptoft, Barkby Thorpe, Thurmoland, Syston, East Goscote.

Back home for late 11sies.

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Coffee!

And so, coffee has been my drug of choice since January. I don’t smoke, I drink alcohol minimally, my prime-vices are cheese and coffee.

Dipping my toe into the shallow end of the coffee pool, in January I started using a DeLonghi Icona ECO310 Espresso Machine. The once (occasionally twice) daily hit seemed to work well in conjunction with my other daily imbibes.
Last month I started using a Krups Twin Blade Coffee Mill to mill roasted coffee beans rather than pre-ground.

A few weeks ago I thought  I’d try a selection of beans and see what all the fuss was about.
As I say, I’m new to this coffee malarkey and come from NO position of expertise, talent or experience.  I discover what I like and what I don’t like.  Yes, there are many variables that might alter a cup of coffee’s taste etc like heat and pressure of water, grind of beans, amount of milk, type of milk, what you’ve eaten before the drink… etc but hey I’m no scientist.
So this is just a man on the web’s humble opinion.

The lovely people at Tank Coffee were my first stop – a friend had told me about them.

I tried six of their offerings, making my coffee using the machines above, with just a dash of milk:

We found this of medium strength, smooth, mild and sweet. We found the grind gave off an almondy sniff. A single large cup gave me a medium afterglow and found it very drinkable.
Tank say: This sweet and chocolatey coffee comes from the hills of Musema in south west Burundi. It has a delightfully well-rounded body with hints of cocoa and caramel. As it cools, you get a few hints of blackberry too.

We found this of medium strength, but we found it a bit bitter and with a strong black tea flavour. It was harsh and smokey. A single large cup gave me a strong afterglow.
Tank say: Mild in body, Hosnia Special has subtle and rather sweet notes of chocolate. You may well detect some lemon and black tea flavours. And if you’re tastebuds are finely-tuned, delightful herbal flavours will be dancing around there too.

We found this very drinkable! It was smooth mild and sweet.
Tank say: “You’ll love this Ethiopian beauty. Nicely rounded, moderate acidity with a decent body. You’ll discover some gorgeous floral tones in this amazing coffee and many people say, it’s the perfect start to the day.”

Again we found this very drinkable! It was smooth mild and sweet and yes I have to say a choc resonance.
Tank say: “Mmmm…beya. A coffee with an excellent body. Oh yes, this is a soft, sweet and mild coffee with wine and chocolate notes and a berry finish. It’s from the villages around Mbeya in southern Tanzania.”

My notes say medium in strength and taste, but with warm smooth cuddly afterglow.
Tank say: Fruity. That’s the word we’re using to describe this light and refreshing morning coffee grown in the red volcanic soils by the Thangaini co-operative. Delicate lemon tea aromas coupled with a smooth, silky body and subtle blackcurrant notes offer a refreshing and a rather genteel start to the day.

The last on the list and the last coffee we tried: was “a good cup of coffee”. We found it was just right, not too strong and not too smooth, we could not pin a specifc character to it. Just good.
Tank say: The tankcoffee espresso blend boasts deep chocolate and berry flavours, with some light floral notes, so it’s perfect for a smooth latte, a full-bodied cappuccino or of course, an espresso that promises a polite kick with every sip. What’s in the blend?  Our Kickstart Espresso is the perfect blend of Kenyan Thangaini, Burundi Musema, Ethiopian Sidamo and Cameroon Hosnia to get you moving in the morning!

We will be ordering our favourite in due-course – thanks Tank Coffee.

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Worship?

I commented on “worship” last October: taking a bath the interaction between things is what make them…

I recently saw someone comment that they “NEED to worship God”, that when they begin to worship “something happens within me… natural selfishness gets kicked out the back door and my heart* opens up to the transforming, powerful, grace-filled-love* of God*.  …it reminds me… that all of the responsibilities and struggles I take on are in his-hands*, and that I can trust him to walk-with-me* and not abandon me, to give me the words and the strength.  …to remember the love-he-has-for-me*, to be open to the work of the Holy-Spirit* and to remind myself that he is that centre. Worship helps me to know that I-am-loved*, and it sets me free to love others, and to see the grace-of-God* at work in the world around me.” 

They commented: “so often in discussions about worship we have a tendency to make worship about us and not about God. …it is important that we don’t forget what it is for and who it is about. In worship God becomes greater and I-become-less*…     I need to worship!”

(I have concerns with some of these * notions)

My admittedly imperfect perspective might be as follows:
I need to worship (to adore, revere, respect, devote, admire, venerate, celebrate?) the thing /notion/sense/power(?) that is bigger than us all”.
When I recognise the reality of otherness and possibilities, it helps to refocus on the bigger picture and review perspectives, attitudes and opinions in a fresh way.
To repeatedly recognise the fabula (story) of ‘life’, and reappraise the sjužet (discourse, perspectives, attitudes, opinions – interaction) can enrich the poor, liven the dead, and can make the blind see.
To review the selfishness that often hinders creativity and open up to the transforming, power of reconsideration.
Life is limited but the clouds move.
This worship reminds me that I am relevant in daily the interaction and it sets me free to let others be.
Worship is about us as part of the fabula and yes, it is important that we don’t forget our place in things.
In worship, life becomes greater and we become more real…        we need to worship!”

(None of this considers the euphoria, endorphins and satisfaction induced by standing and singing etc – that’s another topic.)

Velocipeding

I have been cycling to & fro’ work now week-dailysince March, 7 miles each way.
My cycling log

http://www.endomondo.com/embed/workouts?w=tMNs2h6sPHg&width=950&height=600

At rough tally, I guess I’ve saved 14 miles of fuel a daythat’s ~£1.35×2 for a 7mpl car. That’s ~£54 a month. Hummm…  I have bought a bike & various bits & pieces,which really needs a year of cycling to offset. But the above is still a nicemonthly fuel saving, and extra exercise costs (time & money) not are required.

Health benefits: perhaps immeasurable – Last year I toyed with swimming twice a week at lunch times but although initially enjoyable after 6-7 months the novelty wore off (you don’t get a nice view and you can’t listen to podcasts while swimming). Generally I encountered as little exercise as possible. Now that I cycle, I see good aerobic activity twice a day. The daily endorphin hits are invaluable. The dailyexperience is arguably also more constructive than a similar trip in a car/bus and cerebrally, thoughts and feelings get a more intense workout. The experience is arguably exhilarating and elevating,depending on your psychological position/attitude in the road-spacesocial-class struggle – this does need to be kept in check.
Today we had a beautiful fresh morning for the journey in – I’ve started to take aslightly easier pace (today helped by ‘Hothouse Flowers’ in the headset)… and when it’s dry I’m wearing less clothing, this helps with the ‘afterglow’ when I reach my destination. Less sweat! Thanks Dave.
However, the commute home last night… drenchchchchched!  Greatriding in the rain rain rain really is invigorating, but I ended up a drowned rat. Water/windproof top kept mytorso dry but my head, shoes, socks and longcycle-trousers absolutely sodden. Fun fun!