a run and a hike

today was a little different as we decided to join the group of banbury ramblers on their hike around oxford. i went out for a short very cold run early in the morning and then about 9:25 we walked 1.5 miles to the meeting up place, near port meadow, where we joined about 20 very nice people and took a nice 9 mile ramble about oxford. this took us over to university parks and out the mesopotamia way along the water which reminds me of huntley meadows back home and through angel and greyhound meadow. this led us to christ church meadow and we did the long way loop around it and then over to the thames river and up the river to the waterman pub. the group stopped for a bite to eat or a drink, though some went on back the last mile to the carpark.

gail and i tried in vain to order some fish and chips, but alas, they were not being served on the lunch menu and everything else was some form of heavy meat, so we opted for tea and a slice of pie for her and black currant cheesecake pudding for me. one thing i have become even more fond of here is black currant.

we shared some nice conversation out of the cold, mostly about our primaries, and while the others headed off to their cars we headed over to the train station to get a sunday newspaper, then off to get some fresh bread and grapes, and finally back home. all in all about 10+ mile hike/walk. nice people, very pretty scenery, a nice little snack, and some decent exercise. all that in just several short hours and still time for gail to do some work and me to hit balls at the range, badly today. then spent 2 hours in vain again with tech support trying to get my computer to actually work like it used to do. we have made so many changes to it now that it cannot be good for the computer and still, it does not perform as it should. somehow though, i did get to see highlights of tiger's come from behind win at dubaii over the european golf tour web site.

rain is predicted for everyday this week. i do have to go to public market on wed. in the morning and have a golf lesson that afternoon. have been hitting very poorly lately and would like a pro to look at my swing. like i have said before , golf will have to wait another year, but i have some time on my hands to hit balls even if i cannot practice or play right now, so i might as well try.

will see how the weather affects things this week. i actually like the weather here. if we had even one car it would be no problem, but without one decisions on when to walk and carry back things can be interesting. still, we have no snow. and you learn to live without things you thought you needed, like a dryer. what is dry anyway or dirty or wet? questions that come to be funny.

sunday night is generally some tv for us to watch and we do laundry while we do that and finish the sunday paper. funny how we don't miss tv here.

178 days to go.

it is funny how much time here is spent covering usa news.