Waffle.

Ever had that feeling in which you just need to write down and reflect, with no specific intention, motive nor reason?

I've just discovered one of those moments and it's precisely why the title reads as it does; waffle. I have no idea what I want to talk about, I can't think of any insightful advice or passionate opinion, so I'll just write, and I guess that means you're invited to read!

You know, I really hate that question you're always asked when you see someone that you don't see that often.. "So, what have you been upto?".. There's only one question that tops it; "Still in Burton?" - the answer's still yes. Except I work for Dorothy Perkins too. Funnily enough, that's almost the answer to the initial question. "Work, paintball, poker, driving pissheads (we'll call them friends from this point on) home"... and undoubtedly I've gone no more than a 3-week stretch with at least one visit to Pure.

The worst thing is? I always find myself asking that question too! It's such a mundane yet easy opener for someone you know, to the point I almost find it easier talking to strangers. Little bit backwards but hey ho!

Regardless, what *have* I done for the past month?

Giving up smoking. Literally harder than ever.. I did it a few years ago when I was in a relationship with a non-smoker; not for her as she never asked; but it just didn't sit right with me. Giving up was easy then, almost too easy. Either that or life was far less stressful and consuming in comparison to how it is now.
I took the option not to make a big deal about my giving up as I did on New Years because in a realistic sense, I'm well aware there's a very significant failure rate as far as I'm concerned. Breaking any sort of habit is incredibly difficult and I allow myself too many bad influences (you know who you are) around me which makes it even more challenging. Don't get me wrong, I've smoked more than I've intended, predominately on nights out; but I've probably smoked say ~40 cigs in the past month, equivalent to just over two per day. Considering I'd easily do anywhere between 8-20 a day (depending what day it was), I see it as a huge achievement and I'm not ashamed to say I'm quite proud of myself for it.

Alongside this, I've been running far more frequently. If you've seen the pale legs sticking out from the generic black running outfit in Hall Place of an evening; I apologise for any offence my whiter-than-white pins may have caused. To the girl that whistled once.. Hi ;).

Enough of that. On a more negative note, I haven't been tracking my runs and therefore not keeping a record of my distance / times and how I've improved. This is a mistake, in honesty, and I intend to rectify it by the end of the month. I've also convinced my old dear to come running at least one night a week, so for any of you with a liking toward 60something married women of two.. Please remove yourselves from my Facebook. Thanks.

Drinking! This one I find a lot easier than smoking; I've had hardly anything that even constitutes 'a drink' in the past month and it's almost to the point I have no recollection of what hangovers feel like. Bet you're all jealous. Rich has sort of joined me on this one too; he already had one up with the no-smoking considering he never started but I think he felt he was slacking. That and he does plenty of MMA. Drunk fighters don't win much.

Paintball and poker being two things close to my heart (there are things closer, don't worry), I seem to have got them confused.

At the end of last season, I said I'd be giving up paintball for at least a year (think i explained this in an earlier blog).. Yet in the past month I've played the whole of one event and a few games of the one just gone after agreeing to coach for my team.

The first event went really well; it's the first time we chose to completely ignore the scoreboards given we have a few new players in the squad; just try to integrate them, have fun and enjoy the sport. Turns out, it came down to the last game for a podium finish. Pleased to say I pulled off one of my finer performances (I can only think of two specific games I'd played better in previous) to overturn a 3-on-1 situation and make sure we placed third. It was nice coming back to a 'one off' and coming back with a trophy.

The event weekend just gone wasn't quite as smooth however.. Stormed the first game, lost the next three and then went on to steady the ship. Couldn't turn it round though and missed out on third by something like 40 points; shame, but not the end of the world.

Poker on the other hand, I haven't been playing nearly as much as I was at the back end of last year and earlier this year. Since Nottingham I've been on what I can only describe as a downswing. I set aside Bank Holiday weekend for a £40 charity event which saw my departure in pretty shocking fashion. With 77 on 7c4c2d I got it in against TT.. The board ran out another two clubs for his flush at odds of 26-1.. Lovely! Think I lumped something like £30-40 at a worthwhile charity though (LittleBuds) so it was a pretty productive day. Nice to see a relatively large poker 'community' turn out too and bodes well for future events.

I've written this whole thing on my phone and haven't read back over it, so I'm expecting plenty of spelling errors (iPhones are handy like that) and wrong words in the wrong places.

So yeh; don't think I did much other than talk complete waffle? Said I would, so if you're still reading, thanks, and I hope you enjoyed it all the same.

I'll be sure to come up with something inspiring and generally awesome next time. Until then.. :)