Bienvenidos!
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Aims review and Manchester match
I think a review of my 2006 aims is due.
Firstly, after much procrastinating and excuse-making, I got back into the pool and spent more-or-less 30 minutes doing lengths. I'm intending to go again tomorrow, and if I do, I know I can get back into last year's routine.
#2: Fencing starts again tonight with more emphasis on training, so I can start putting this into practice.
#3: My notes for the current module have been better than most of last year's, and I will keep it up.
#4: exams don't start until June.
#5: This one is going slowly. I am still trying to study Spanish but I get all embarrassed learning from Mario. I worry about saying something wrong and looking stupid, which I really shouldn't worry about because I'm comfortable around him the rest of the time. This needs working on.
#6: Have found one house which we all like very much, but we are keeping an open mind and will look at what else is on offer during housing week (6th Feb)
#7: I didn't do this. My solution was to avoid going home as much as possible, which isn't really the best way to tackle things. I can't afford to pay two rents and there isn't anything I can tell the Access to Learning people that will qualify me for assistance. I'm just going to have to weather it out.
#8: I have made one new dish so far, and it turned out really well. I guess you could count homemade quiche as a new dish but I have made that before (not the pastry though.)
#9: Have tickets for the Nutcracker on Monday and noted a couple of others I would like to see. Finances permitting, I should be able to do this one.
I've been watching the Australian Open the past couple of days. I was really worried for Federer in the L16 yesterday as he nearly lost his nerve but managed to bring it back in the final set. I think that was the first time I've actually shouted at the TV whilst watching sports. It made me think of when I was still in secondary school and used to go play tennis on the park with Joe. I kind of miss that. I want to do it again this summer. Maybe not with Joe as he's at work most days, but maybe in Panama or on the weekends back home. If the courts are still there that is; I've not been to the park in a while.
I'm so hungry this afternoon, I don't know what's wrong with me... Think I'll have some lovely sugary cereal when I get in to keep me going at fencing. I'm a bit nervous about going back as I haven't trained at all nor done anything resembling sport over Christmas and the exam period, so I've probably become unfit and horrible out of practice. I want to concentrate more on the technical side of things during the first few weeks before I worry about winning anything again. Although, we do have the match against Manchester, which it would be nice to win. I was thinking the other day about a pep talk for the team when we go:
'Alright ladies, it's our first match back after Christmas, and we all know this is going to be a tough one. We lost by only four points last time, and this time we're fielding the strongest side we can. I know a lot is riding on this match, but I don't want you to think about that. If we start putting ourselves under pressure, we'll get nervous and make silly mistakes. What I want from you today is for you to come away from this match and say honestly that you fenced well. When you're on the piste, don't think about how many points you need to get. Think about how you're going to get around this girl before she figures you out. If we lose the match because we didn't fence well, then I'll be sad. But if we fence the best we can and still lose, then we have nothing to be ashamed of. If we fence the best we can and win, then I'll buy you all a drink when we get back. Now let's go show them how the Liverpool Uni girls do it!'
It's probably not inspiring at all, but it's true - when the girls feel like we need to prove something, we all start making mistakes that we wouldn't normally. When we're fencing someone we know we can beat, we often fence a lot more calmly and it shows. I know we all want to win the league, but I don't want them to make that the be-all and end-all. I want them to enjoy the matches and learn from them.
Ah, I think I've finally grown into my Women's Captain role...
Only ten more minutes til we can go get something to eat now. I'm going to leave this here and finish the other nigly net things.
Hasta luego, amigos!
4:17 p.m. - 2006-01-24
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