Give Me Sunshine

It has been the start of the school holidays which usually spells the onset of rain. However this time it has brought sunshine - good old fashioned proper summer holidays sunshine like wot I had as a kid. Will it last, will it heck, we've already been warned of rain and lower temperatures just when the Olympics start. But folks this week was definitely not one for blogging when the sunshine was enticing and demanding we played.

And play we did, the petit garcon and I. On Monday we kicked off with Olympic flame weaving its way through the streets of London. We had a few options for viewing it and I choose Sutton as an easy one as we could go a couple of stops and walk to the high street, rather than cycle or drive to the others which were mainly more early morning starts as well.

It was worth the wait despite it was so quick. I have embraced Olympic fever and the flag is up outside loud and proud for all the non believers to mutter as they pass en route to the bus stop. The joiners will be happy to have their views ratified.

This weekend we will be an island as we live on the London/Surrey border and are cut off due to the cycle race. I am going to have to work out the logistics to go and see it safely on foot or bicycle with the petit garcon.

The week mainly has been about the London 2012 Olympics but I have managed to fit in a book signing with a friend undertaken by Jo Nesbo at the Leadenhall Waterstones branch. If you are a fan of Jo Nesbo and I was to say he is so Harry Hole you'd know what I mean.

 See what I mean!

I leant in as far as I could and still kept it acceptable, before I entered total obsessed fan realm. Although he was still there signing copies of The Phantom when we went passed after a spot of lunch. To the horror of the Waterstones publicity machine, I walked right back in and said 'you're not still signing books! You should have come to lunch with us.' He did agree in a very nice way and of course I left promptly after such boldness, keeping it all breezy and jovial (not stalkerish).

My lovely friend as well as accompanying me to the book signing introduced me to another book James Duigan's Clean and Lean Diet Cook book. Given I am in need of a dietary and fitness kick up the backside and spurred on by Olympic fever and sunshine not to mention wishing I had a body a la Elle Macphearson for the next time I bump into Jo Nesbo (I'll stop now), I got all three of his books. The fact is I know all this stuff and nothing in his books are new, but as a reader I like to read and reference information with ease and for once I have the books that deliver what I want in lieu of being able to afford a personal trainer. People I am motivated so watch this space.

So motivated I took these most healthiest picnic to the beach at West Wittering on Wednesday. For those of you who are in the know Keith Richards lives there or rather has a house there. It is lovely and the beach is the nearest I'm going to get to Keith. I'm halfway through Life as I'm making it last as long as possible. It is the easiest book to read in fits and starts because it is so interesting. I like dragging it out as I don't want the moment to pass. The last book I did that with was Simone de Beauvoir's Prime of Life. I've read it twice and the first time I devoured it and the next time years later I did what I'm doing with Life. A really good autobiography allows you to do this. 

 The beach read option 1

 A packed West Wittering

 More packed views looking back to the Beach Huts

The look I was not sporting at the beach, hence no shots of me. It was a good read too in a voyeuristic way of looking into another life you have not lived but you could if you wanted to.. and maybe get a flat stomach. It does mean no alcohol for 14 days and then not much ever again in your life. After two days of sticking to the foods recommended, although I am not on the clean and lean kick start diet plan yet, I do feel really good and I've not done any exercise other than walk the dog. It is more of a lifestyle choice when it comes to food and drink not a calorie restricted diet, I don't and couldn't do that. There is a 6 day option which is restrictive at 1500 calories a day but it is a quick fix option when you needed it.

The petit garcon with his safe beach band. You write your mobile phone number on it in case you lose your offspring in the crowds. A really good idea but it did make me feel slightly anxious for a moment, the thought of losing him.

It was all very relaxing and as well as getting in some nice reading time I managed to earwig a fair few conversations which is always entertaining. Long may the sunshine.