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Things That Gladden The Heart

My Daughter is doing really well with her horse riding, thankfully I’d booked her into the indoor school today, she was joined by three older girls due to the weather, and Bea was just about managing to keep up with them as they trotted round, with no assistance from her instructor.
 
Crap weather meant a quick nip into town, sat in my favourite coffee shop ordered a nice flat white as usual. Turns out the barista made a cock up and put coconut milk in, didn't realise till I took that first sip but my word it was a game changer,.so good I had another whilst waiting for the wife and I washed it down with a nice caramel stroop waffle ?
 
My lad has got the job of providing venue support for Lloyd Cole in April (another little step along his career path as he supports more well known acts at larger venues) - which means another gig for me and Mrs Hogie to look forward to (we try and go to meet up with him when he is doing a show reasonably close to us).
 
Sometimes it's the simplest of things..
Popped into tesco to pick up some bits and pieces and the bill came to £29.97 so I could just tap the card instead of putting it in the machine that takes days to decide it cant read it so you try again and 5 minutes later you use another card because you're fed up with all the faffing about.
 
Today sees the 2nd of 4 bowls games against the club captain. He's an ex-Essex County player and ex-County coach. Last Wednesday was a triples game. We had an experienced skip, but both HID and I have been bowling for less than a year. We were 1-8 down early on and looking down the barrel of a gun. With 3 ends to go we were 18-8 up, and lost 3x1 on the last 3 ends to win 18-11.

Today is a singles semi-final, and one I really want to win. Its a yardstick comp. Each player has 2 bowls, and you have to be within a yard for it to count. The last round saw me comfortably through against someone would had been in the final the last 2 years.

Sunday is the 3rd game in the run of games. A pairs comp. The Captain is playing with his brother, a player almost as good as him. My partner, like me, has been playing for less than a year. We're in with a chance but its a slim one.

Monday sees a singles quarter final. This time its 4 bowls each.

He's well into his 70's now. His skill level is phenomenal, he's tactically superb but his consistency isn't quite there these days. If he's on his game I'll get mullered but I do fancy my chances. Really buzzing and looking forward to it.

An added bonus; its shorts and t-shirt weather for all of the games.
 
Hobbit said:
Today sees the 2nd of 4 bowls games against the club captain. He's an ex-Essex County player and ex-County coach. Last Wednesday was a triples game. We had an experienced skip, but both HID and I have been bowling for less than a year. We were 1-8 down early on and looking down the barrel of a gun. With 3 ends to go we were 18-8 up, and lost 3x1 on the last 3 ends to win 18-11.

Today is a singles semi-final, and one I really want to win. Its a yardstick comp. Each player has 2 bowls, and you have to be within a yard for it to count. The last round saw me comfortably through against someone would had been in the final the last 2 years.

Sunday is the 3rd game in the run of games. A pairs comp. The Captain is playing with his brother, a player almost as good as him. My partner, like me, has been playing for less than a year. We're in with a chance but its a slim one.

Monday sees a singles quarter final. This time its 4 bowls each.

He's well into his 70's now. His skill level is phenomenal, he's tactically superb but his consistency isn't quite there these days. If he's on his game I'll get mullered but I do fancy my chances. Really buzzing and looking forward to it.

An added bonus; its shorts and t-shirt weather for all of the games.
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1 up after the first of 21 ends. Not up again till the last bowl was bowled. With 2 ends to go I was 12-10 down. Scored 1 on the 20th end, 12-11. On the 21st end I put my first bowl against the jack. My second, last bowl, was about 4ft away and counting second. He knocked my last bowl a little closer, and I counted 2 to win 12-13.

Final to be played in March.
 
Piece said:
Giving some money to a homeless person and the look on his face.
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Well done.

Sadly, Reading town centre seems awash with them at the moment and you can walk down from the shopping centre to the station and pass anything from 3-6 on a given day and evidence in doorways of a few more so how do you decide who to give to (especially if you aren't carrying an abundance of cash anyway)?

I'm afraid I am also jaundiced to a degree by seeing so many of the homeless coming through the doors of the hospital with a host of illnesses and watching them go back out (and some don't) and then coming back in again. Clearly some do have demons and issues but how many are simply being failed by the "system"
 
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