Katie and her mental meanderings

I walked about 8 miles today I reckon – which is pretty good for one with useless feet and shoes. I don’t feel too exhausted – but I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight.

It was beautiful and sunny despite some threatening clouds, and I made pretty good time. I enjoyed about the first 2/3 of the walk a lot – then I got slightly lost (or at least I thought I was – how lost can you get when you just have to keep the sea to one side of you?) and then my feet started hurting. In case you’re interested (probably you aren’t) I was wearing my new-ish walking sandals and this is the furthest I’ve gone in them – I hope they stretch a little bit more round the toes but I do also need to remember to do up the ankle bits quite tightly as I think that was what caused the blister.

Most of the walk was round Thorney Island which is a very bizarre place. Most of the peninsula (not really an island) is an army base and you have to press a buzzer and give your name to be let in and out again. I’m assuming this is so they don’t accidentally gain a resident at the end of the day! It’s very flat and there were lots of boats sailing in the harbour, very pretty generally.

From: Emsworth To: Nutbourne (West Sussex)

Blisters – 1

Contours crossed – zero (pathetic I know)

Well, I think it’s going to take me about 25 years, but my little picture of footprints in the sand could be quite accurate.

I’m planning to walk round the coast of Britain. Maybe of England, or England and Wales only. But anyway I’m going to do it in weekends and holidays so it’s going to take A Long Time. However, having walked 150 miles the year before last I reckon I can do 200 a year without too many problems… it’s 4,500 if you do it all.

The Bloke™ says I’m mad. Can you blame him? It’s a whim, he says. We’ll see. Meanwhile I’ve done 7 miles and will probably do another 7 this Sunday – Emsworth to Nutbourne in Sussex.

I have three (count them, 3) people working in my lab over the summer. One of them is being paid and the other two are working one day a week and not getting paid. Aren’t they lovely? Apart from the one that keeps messing stuff up – can one sack a volunteer?

Had an irritating child to look after while his brother was being tested – one of the trendy North London names brigade – kept whining. Shouldn’t be allowed. Not satisfied with seeing his mummy and brother on the video monitor, kept wanting to go into the testing room to be with her.

Off home now to do some ironing, go for a run, and bake a cake for The Bloke?’s birthday tomorrow. Sshh, it’s a secret.