Marathon Baby
Some people will do almost anything for their 15 minutes of fame! Today’s quirky news story is that of a lady who gave birth to her second child shortly after completing a Marathon!
I am sure that few mothers would deny that pregnancy, with its 40 long weeks of growing a baby, feels like a marathon. But Amber Miller of Westchester, Illinois, gave that simile a literal twist: on Sunday, with a little more than a week to go before her due date, she ran — and walked — the Chicago Marathon, beating her husband’s time and welcoming her new daughter seven hours after crossing the finish line.
It wasn’t supposed to pan out this way apparently. Miller, 27, had registered for the race before she knew was pregnant. Two days later, she found out she was expecting her second child and so by Sunday morning, with baby still on board, she decided not to forfeit the registration fee. Her doctor gave her permission to run half the race and walk the rest, so she did, with a time of 6:25:50.
Despite not really expecting to finish the race, Miller’s story ended happily when her contractions at the conclusion of the race produced a 7lb 13oz daughter called June. Plenty of people have been quick to condemn her actions with one paediatrician being quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying
“Are you people familar with the concept of a stillborn? Babies not infrequently die in utero right at the end of pregnancy, presumably at times from lack of adequate blood flow to the placenta. I think it is highly irresponsible for any physician to recommend such a long and strenuous course of action at 39 weeks, where blood clearly must be diverted from the placenta to her muscles. No one, I repeat, no one could assure her that this was a safe choice.”However, further research has led me to find out that this is not the first time for Miller to take this extraordinary course of action! Last May, she did the Wisconsin Marathon in 4:23:07 while 17 weeks pregnant with her daughter and two years ago, she ran the Indianapolis Marathon in 4:30:27 at 18 weeks pregnant with her son Caleb and also hiked up Machu Picchu.
We all know that exercise is good for you during pregnancy but a marathon is pretty extreme and not to be recommended for anyone how isn’t extremely fit and well monitored by their doctor. Crikey, I almost sound like this is normal behaviour when we all know that clearly isn’t the case! It’s better than sitting with your feet up on the sofa watching TV while stuffing pizza and chips but really – do you know anyone who would do this? I most certainly don’t!!!
A game played by men with odd-shaped balls
I am not a big rugby fan despite spending most of my formative years in Twickenham, the home of English rugby. Like most armchair sports fans however, I do like to support my national team in whatever sporting events are happening on the international stage so I have been keeping a keen eye on the events both on and off the field during the latest Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
With a less than impressive record during the competition on the field, the press attention has focused primarily on the players themselves and their not so exemplary behaviour. I am not going to comment here on the Mike Tindall saga except to say he has far from covered himself in glory but I am sure his new wife will know how to deal with his stupid behaviour.
I would like to comment though on the antics of Manu Tuilagi, the Samoan born Leicester centre. His first faux pas in the tournament was to wear a sponsored gumshield in flagrant breach of the World Cup rules. The RFU commented at the time that this was a “genuine error” despite the player’s brother Alesana being fined the week before for the very same breach whilst playing for Samoa! Manu Tuilagi was fined £4,800 by World Cup Officials – I have not been able to find out the amount of the fine levied on Alesana.
Already £4,800 out of pocket, whatever possessed Manu to jump off that ferry yesterday? A further fine of £3,000 and a formal police warning seems quite a heavy price to pay for a quick dip in the Auckland waters but lets not forget that he is an ambassador for our country while representing us overseas and as such he needs to be aware that the eyes of the nation are on him and his team mates and we expect better behaviour than this from our players.
Manu Tuilagi said that he wanted to play internationally for England where he has grown up, rather than for Samoa, his country of birth. He is only 20 years old and obviously still has a lot of growing up to do – lets hope he’s learned his lesson – only time will tell.
Up and Under … down and out
So this morning England have spectacularly departed the Rugby World Cup 2011 at the Quarter Final Stage.
This is the moment when Mark Cueto of England went over the line to score his try on the 75th minute, bringing the score to England 12-19 France. At this moment, we were in with a (slim) chance as a conversion at this point would bring us level and the game would go to extra time.
In true English fashion, we then managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of a possible victory when Toby Flood failed to make the conversion when his shot went wide of the post. (Mind you, if you check his stats he only has a conversion success rate of 69% so perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised!).
They ran out of time and inspiration as Les Bleus set up a well deserved semi-final clash with Wales.
My nomination for tweet of the week goes to Jonathan Allen who said “The sweet chariot swung pretty low during this world cup, got what we deserved #bbcrwc”
Come on the Welsh – the only home nation still in contention!!!
“And we were singing hymns and arias, ‘Land of my Fathers’, ‘Ar hyd y nos’.
RIP Steve Jobs
We woke this morning to the sad news that Steve Jobs had passed away at the age of 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. It is always a waste of someone’s life to die at what is a relatively young age but somehow it is always more shocking when it is someone we’ve all heard of and who’s influence on the world of technology has been so great.
What I wasn’t aware of, was that as well as being chairman of Apple, he was CEO and majority shareholder of Pixar Animation until its acquisition by the Walt Disney Company in 2006. Consequently Steve Jobs became Disney’s largest individual shareholder at 7 percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.
He was also a huge fan of the Beatles and, when asked about his business model he was quoted as saying “My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each other’s negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are not done by one person, they are done by a team of people.”.
If you click on www.apple.com, Apple’s corporate website, you will be greeted by a simple page showing Jobs’s name and lifespan next to his greyscale portrait. Clicking on Jobs’s image you will find an obituary that reads “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”.
I feel somewhat humbled after the cheap shot I made in yesterday’s post about the latest Apple product!
WOW Factor
October 4th was the day when Apple were expected to announce the launch of the iPhone 5 but what they actually announced was the release of the The iPhone 4S, (as the model will be known), which boasts an improved camera and significantly extended battery life.
Yawn, yawn. Please wake me up when something new and exciting actually happens. Give me something that makes me go “WOW!” and not simply repackage something that was already there.
For me, October 4th was the day when I experienced a new dining experience at Underwood Lockhouse in Bonnybridge.
The very first thing that caught my eye was the TV screens attached to the beer pumps – what a marvellous idea and why haven’t I seen this before in pubs or restaurants? Watching a football match in the pub will never be the same again – you can still watch all the action while you’re waiting to be served – how marvellous?!? Forget the X Factor – so last year – give me the WOW factor any day!
So, what else does the Underwood Lockhouse have to encourage patrons to visit. Well, almost certainly its location on the Forth & Clyde Canal couldn’t be more idyllic, from the gushing waters at the lock gates to the family of swans that are a permanent fixture. But, more importantly, the food was quite simply stunning! I was greeted by the owner, Bunty, who asked me what I liked and 10 minutes later the most mouthwatering dish of chicken was placed in front of me to try. Yes, it was spicy and laced with green chillis as I had requested, but the other ingredients of black pepper, lemon and coriander were all present in an explosion of tastes on my palate. Later I had the pleasure of trying a variety of further dishes such as the haggis and back pudding pakora, a gorgeous delicately spiced salmon and chicken tikka, followed by the delightfully indulgent gulab jamun and ice cream. However, if Indian food is not to your taste, there is a wide range of European dishes available to ensure everyone in your party is catered for.
But Underwood Lockhouse is so much more than a restaurant. Upstairs is Bar 17 which is an ideal venue for the amazing events that are staged weekly. Live entertainment is on every Friday and Saturday night and throughout the week there are various promotions such as last night’s Quiz and Curry night which cost a mere £5 per head and the delicious dishes that were served were impeccable as always, despite the low cost.
Bunty has thought of everything. He even has a courtesy bus service which, if booked in advance, can pick you up in Falkirk town centre and drop you back again after your meal. He also does take aways and home delivery. His attention to detail and high standards are a credit to him an I would urge you to pay a visit as soon as possible to sample a very special dining experience.
October already
I hope I’m not on my own when I say that I can hardly believe we’ve reached 1st October already. I know it’s a by-product of getting older that the time just seems to fly by and I am convinced that the years are simply slipping by without us really noticing!
Living in Glasgow as I do, I am usually ready to start turning on the central heating about now and gearing myself up for the long winter ahead. The Indian summer that the rest of the UK is experiencing has mostly slipped past us up here and the news pictures of sunny beaches at Skegness is somewhat irritating when I look out my window at the torrential rain outside, but I digress.
These are not “normal” times. We are almost certainly about to enter the “double-dip recession” that the politicians and newscasters regularly warn us about (not much chance of any of them being made redundant?) and money has never been so tight for the average man or woman on the street.
Taking all these things into consideration, I have decided that the 1st October should mark the start of a new beginning and a fresh approach to the world in general. I will free myself of the negative people in my life. I will knuckle down and find myself regular work in order to finance my somewhat wasteful lifestyle and the exotic foreign holidays that I so enjoy. I will do more exercise, eat more healthily and maybe even lose some weight – why wait until the New Year to have these resolutions – 1st October is the new black!
Failing that, my numbers might come up in the Lottery this weekend and I can just retire (but only if my winnings exceed the previous £2.50 of course)!
Puppy love
You would almost think they were trying to be cute, and as if puppies weren’t sweet enough, this lot are really turning on the charm by falling asleep in a variety of adorable – and sometimes weird – positions.
A brown puppy even cuddles up to a fluffy toy to generate an extra level of cuteness. But a couple of other young dogs appear to have grabbed the attention by sleeping in slightly ridiculous positions. A plump, short-haired white puppy must have been having flying doggy dreams as it lies fast asleep with its front legs – and ears – outstretched like wings.
No doubt coming to a greeting card near you soon…
Party anyone?
When I was 5 years old, birthday parties were a simple affair. A handful of your closest friends from school would come round for tea – always marmite or jam sandwiches and sausages on sticks followed by jelly and ice-cream. This would have come after the obligatory party games such as musical chairs, pass the parcel and musical statues. The guests would then be sent home with a piece of cake wrapped in a serviette as a thank you for attending.
When did this innocent celebration turn into a massive production? Who invented the party at the nearest soft play area? We have several near where I live and I was invited to one this week – Animal Magic in East Kilbride. These soft play areas have become the latest big money spinner where our small people are concerned and I can’t decide whether they are a good or a bad thing – you decide.
On entering the building, which is set on the edge of a trading estate, the first thing that hits you is the noise. The large room, the size of a warehouse, is full of children – hundreds of them in fact – and mostly under the age of 5. Having found your own party’s host, the children are encouraged to head off to the other end of the room where the soft play area is situated.
This is where I think it gets interesting. The sales blurb says that this is “Somewhere safe for them to run, jump, climb and have fun; to stretch both their physical abilities and their creative imagination to the maximum, whilst providing a relaxing environment for parents. Given our climate, the best all year-round solution is an indoor, soft, multi-level, adventure play area.”
Now, they may well be right. It gives the kids the opportunity to let off steam in a relatively safe environment and they are supervised by the staff as well as the parents. I do feel however that it becomes less a party for the birthday girl or boy, but more a party for all the participants. Again, good or bad thing? Not sure.
After an hour of play, the kids in your party are all rounded up to be taken off for the birthday tea. This in itself is a feat worthy of some sort of medal for the poor soul who is in charge of events. There is always one child who goes missing at this stage and then, finally, everyone is there and we can go to the party room. Party room? Party room? Wait, let’s think about this … perhaps party cupboard would be a more accurate description. A small room with no windows and no obvious method of ventilation, where the kids are crammed in and presented with their choice of such delights as “nuggets and chips”, “hot dog and chips”, “macaroni and chips” … you get the picture. Happily, the meal is rounded off with a bowl of jelly and ice-cream – some traditions are hard to dispel obviously!
After the blowing out of the cake candles and the sing-song, the kids are sent back downstairs for a final 20 minutes of play before the afternoon is brought to an end at the stroke of 5pm. Red faced and exhausted they head off home, presumably for a relatively early night.
The advantages for the parents? Well there is no clearing up to get done as this is obviously done for you – you can just walk away and leave the mess behind you. The disadvantages? Well, I can’t help but feel that the fun of the party games was sadly missing. All in all though, the kids all seemed to have a great time so I suppose that is all that matters.
On a final note, however, I was disturbed (yes, that is definitely how I felt) when I found out that there was indeed an animal corner at Animal Magic. Across from the cafeteria area were 3 glass cabinets – one containing a huge snake, one with lizards, and a third with Marmoset monkeys. Now I was under the impression (mistakenly apparently) that keeping monkeys as pets in the UK was illegal. Imagine my horror on doing some research that it is possible to own this species without any form of licence at all! On closer inspection, one of the monkeys was carrying two small babies on her back. They were clearly well looked after, fresh food and water was in the enclosure. I couldn’t help but feel that this was completely wrong however. The conditions were not ideal, approximately 10 monkeys kept in a relatively small glass box being gawped at all day long by small children – they would be much better off in their own habitat surely?
Would a friend?
Would a friend do this
do this to me at all?
Would a friend deliberately hurt another
to make them feel two foot tall?
Would a friend forget to mention
that they’re friends with you?
Would a friend forget to say
by the way this is my friend too?
Would a friend abandon you as if you were a contaminated disesase?
Would a friend stare at you like you’re a stranger
saying you don’t know when your new friend asks you who’s she?
Would a friend toss you aside like an old toy he’s got bored of?
Would a friend forget to pretend he’s yours? yes, a friend would because mine does.
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