A Relaxed Saturday

Today was a very laid-back day, as weekends should be.

At about 11 o’clock we drove to Hascombe for a circular walk ending at a pub known as The White Horse, which was no coincidence as it meant we could stop for a quick (and refreshing) pint at the end of our stroll. The walk itself was quite nice as the view from the top of the hill is worth seeing.

I wanted to go rock climbing today but my brother wasn’t feeling up to it so I will have to persuade him to go some time next week.

This evening I managed to buy a rear wheel on Ebay for my road bike, not in time for tomorrow’s charity ride though. I’ll be borrowing my friend’s bike. I am interested to see how I fare against experienced cyclists on a ride longer than I’ve ever done before.

I really hope the weather holds out for the ride too!

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Pint of beer

Cheese and marmite on brown toast (A quick lunch today)
Fruit salad

Fresh spaghetti with tomato sauce containing bacon and yellow peppers (A good carbohydrate boost before my big cycle tomorrow)

Gooseberry yoghurt

Apples and Squash

My brother had surprisingly few stories to tell involving rain after his tour around Ireland. More involved camping in interesting places with quite varied experiences.

The bonfire got reignited briefly to clear away the last of the cuttings. It was much less hassle this time as the wood was drier.

The highlight of my day was playing squash at Farncombe sports centre with my friend and actually being able to beat him on a few points. No mean feat considering how much more experienced he is than me. I’ll have him by the end of my next term at uni if I play as much as I intend to.

I found a practical use for my rock climbing pass-time by energetically climbing to the top of our apple tree to pick apples for a crumble! It also felt like I had done a more complete job once I’d made the crumble. It tasted all the better for it.

Everything apple-related seems very exciting at the moment as our annual cider making weekend approaches. It's 9-10^th October this year. We pick apples, crush them, and then leave the juice to ferment and mature for several months, provided the temptation to sample the drink prematurely has not overcome us. 75 large sacks’ worth of apples are picked, which makes around 700 pints! Luckily, this is shared between many people, all with their own kegs to take away and ferment. The taste comparison between brews is very enjoyable too!

A barbeque in the afternoon sun was a great way to end the day.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Small dish of pasta bake (Yesterday’s leftovers)

Fresh ‘Country Vegetable’ soup with brown bread

Raspberry and lime smoothie

Fruit salad (I’m definitely getting my ‘5 A Day’ at the moment)

Barbequed beef burger in a bun, chicken satay, new potatoes, and salad (A good way to enjoy the last of the summer with what might be our final barbeque)

Apple crumble with custard (Made by me with home-grown bramley apples, and Demerara sugar for extra crunch)

Letter to Future Self (5 years on)

Hi Jack... of the Future,

Does it still annoy you when people use awful puns like hi-jack... a plane? I can’t see why that would have changed! So, you’re 24 now? According to the plan you should have successfully passed your Physics masters and have some sort of career by now. You didn’t succumb to the lure of the financial sector, did you? Anything fruitful for you in energy research or work? That’s a very competitive field at the moment, so I’m going to wish you good luck on that one, if that’s what you’re pursuing.

So, just to remind you, five years ago you were / i was / i am, er... also wondering about whether you fancied doing a PhD abroad if there was good sponsorship, or just working abroad for a while as something interesting to do. That would be a brave step. How did that work out? If you didn’t go, do you have any plans to do so in later life? I suppose that depends on how it would suit your future family. Are you seeing anybody at the moment? If so, what’s she like?

I’d imagine a few of our lot will be hitched by now. Are you still in contact with everyone? How on Earth is Charlie doing? I hope you’re still in contact with all of ‘Kitchen 2’ from halls, supposing you didn’t have to kill any of them after living in a flat with them for 3 years!

You’d better still be as fit and healthy as your 19-year-old self! Cycling, climbing, squash, jogging, gym, etc.? Something new, maybe? Are the Specialized and Carlton still running smoothly? Look after them.

Right, back to your career or lack of, there’s a small possibility you’re doing pretty well by now. Here’s to hoping, anyway! So was it the McLaren or the Bugatti? No, I’m sure there’s something much faster and more dangerous out there to suit your needs these days :)

Realistically, I think you’ve got enough questions there to last you the next 5 years, so get cracking on a reply!

 

Yours / Mine sincerely,

Jack of the Present

P.S. If you find it easier, you can just Future-Present Skype me. I assume that technology exists as I’m about to send some Future-Present snail mail, which seems logistically a lot more challenging.

P.P.S. Look what I found browsing the internet. It seems I was right. Speak soon!

Bonfire, Bushes, and Biking

I made a few quid in the poker game last night, so I can’t complain. For convenience, these days I host every game, as I no longer have a car. This also means I can have a few beers whilst playing!

I was up earlier than I needed to be for the bonfire this morning, as it was quite dewy, which made it very hard to get the fire going. It started then stopped many times but eventually got going just as I’d nearly had enough. Whilst the fire was going I decided more bush and tree trimming was probably a good way to keep me occupied. This time I employed a saw for some of the grittier tasks.

After showering off a hard day’s worth of grime I jumped on my bike and headed off to Hydon’s Ball, a local hill to cycle up, over, around, or whatever else. Apart from undoing my efforts to make myself clean, I didn’t last long because I was exhausted. Better luck next time...

I booked my train and ferry ticket to the Isle of Wight for the music festival ‘Bestival’ today. It’s good to have that out the way.

This evening I’m just waiting for my brother to return from his month-long cycling tour around the coast of Ireland. I’m interested to know just how wet he got!

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and grapefruit juice

Baked beans with chilli powder, and tuna on brown toast (Yet, another uni staple. Jacket potato can be used instead of toast)

Fruit salad

Tomato, bacon, and onion penne pasta bake

Milk (I would like to drink more milk day-to-day)

Rhubarb Yogurt

If someone told you that young people today are more positive and optimistic about the future than young people a few years ago how would you feel?

Due to the availability of the internet and other technologies, the current generation of young people is more connected with each other than any previous generation. Therefore, a young person is also exposed to many more people who are similar to themselves. This could mean that it is easier to be optimistic about the future, because they know they are not alone. Although, this could also mean that a young person feels massive pressure, like nothing seen before, in terms of competition when seeking a career or when striving to stand out in areas of interest to them. Furthermore, a young person today can expect to have to prove themselves in what is increasingly becoming a true ‘world market’.

For example, at Imperial College London, where I currently study Physics, a large proportion of undergraduates are overseas students who are either capable of paying exorbitant annual tuition fees themselves, or their government is, through sponsorship. This inevitably leaves fewer places for young people today, when specifically talking about UK citizens. This, however, is not necessarily an argument against the optimism of young people today, at least for those in my position. By getting into Imperial I, or anybody in a situation similar to me, can feel a great sense of achievement before even embarking on a degree programme, let alone finding a job at the end of it all. This is certainly a case for the optimism of youth, whether warranted or otherwise.

By contrast, the news has recently been full of stories regarding record numbers of students entering clearing and some not getting places when they do reach that stage. Graduates finishing degrees, even from reputable universities, are really struggling to find employment. Young people are discovering that the only way to compensate for this is by getting lots of relevant work experience and possibly even staying on to get further qualifications.

In conclusion, young people today may be more optimistic about their futures but this does not necessarily equate to an easier or better future, at least in the short term.

Hearty Horticulture (Again)

Yet another hot day gave my mum yet another chance to get me outside and working. Fortunately, with her birthday fast approaching, I'm feeling generous. The order of the day was log cutting, in anticipation of colder times; and bush and tree trimming, to maintain the perfect balance between a natural and a cultivated garden, i.e. a garden based on how much effort you’re actually willing to put into it. Today that’s quite a lot, seemingly. One problem I have with hedge cutting is that I invariably get lots of scratches and splinters all up my arms. Today was no exception to that rule.

Luckily, tomorrow is the fun part – the bonfire! I’ve always enjoyed bonfires since I was very young, probably because our local Guy Fawkes night is home to one of the largest (and therefore very impressive as a child) bonfires around, as well as a massively over-zealous fireworks display which sends the village budget sky-rocketing in much the same way as the fireworks.

Increasing the déjà vu-factor between today and yesterday, I played another couple of games of table tennis. I’m finding my ability is progressing faster than my ambition to win at this sport – it just makes me want to play squash.

Mixing it up a bit, this evening is my last poker game before the end of the summer holidays, something which is long overdue. I’m really looking forward to it, although tonight I’m a little apprehensive about playing against some of the less experienced players. They have a knack for winning, a universal paradox of poker.

Hopefully tomorrow I will find time to get out on my Specialized cross-country bike, as it must be feeling a little bit neglected lately.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice (As usual)
Fresh ‘Summer Vegetable’ soup with brown bread (Since going to uni I’ve decided I much prefer brown to white bread and it’s better for you)
Fruit salad
More orange juice (Another habit I picked up at university is drinking loads of orange juice)
Bacon, gruyere, and onion quiche with salad and new potatoes (Eaten outside on the patio)
Gooseberry yoghurt (I’m the only person in the family who enjoys them)

Hearty Horticulture

Today my mum decided I was going to be her gardening lackey! So I mowed the lawn, which wasn't too much of a chore. It also meant I got to enjoy the best of the midday sun. After mowing I moved onto strimming where the mower couldn’t reach, and repositioning pots and plants around the patio in a Feng Shui-esque manner. Personally, I couldn’t tell the difference, but luckily it wasn’t up to me to do so!

Later on I found time to play my keyboard for the first time in a long while. It’s safe to say I’m more than a little bit rusty, but I did enjoy it.

This evening I finally got round to booking my place on a British Heart Foundation charity ride from London to Windsor on the 5^th, which I’m doing with a few of my uni mates. They also broke the news to me that we’d be cycling home again afterwards, hopefully at a more leisurely pace, at least. This means we'll cycle a rewarding total of nearly 80km.

Keeping with the bike-related theme, I also searched Ebay for the every-illusive rear wheel for my antiquated (1972) road bike, but to no avail.

I managed to fit in a couple of table tennis games too.

Rounding up the day, I had dinner outside to catch the last of the evening sun, so a good day, all in all.

Today’s Food and Drink:

Cereal and orange juice

Strawberry and raspberry smoothie

Cheese and ham toastie with some spicy chicken slices on the side (I had to save those from passing their use-by date)

Lemon yoghurt

Bacon and mushroom risotto, with tomatoes, cucumber, and basil (Vegetables all home grown)

Fruit salad (Enjoying lots of fruit at the moment)