Fouth Month Boxing (With Video)

It has now been 4 months since that first week of boxing, and I would like to think I have slightly improved. I am still finding it quite fun, though the amount of time it takes up, and the money, not to mention how often I am tired, is a bit of an issue.

I now try and spar every Tuesday. It is really good practice, and shows where I need to improve, which is mostly everywhere at the moment, but specifically throwing more jabs to put people off, and to keep eye contact when being caught in a combo.

At the weekend, in a private session, I had my legs tied together to make sure my stance doesn't widen too much. The trainer then videoed the sparring so I can see if it has improved. I thought I would upload one of the videos for your viewing pleasure.

I'm still one of the most inexperienced, being one of the only people not to have had a proper fight. Oh - and I am in the white and red.

Building a Brick BBQ

With the BBQ season on our doorstep I decided it was time to build a BBQ. It is often debated that building a BBQ out of bricks and mortar is perhaps the most manly thing anyone can do. After the great success of the shelf, I decided I should take this job upon myself.

With no previous experience or knowledge of how to make a brick structure (other than Lego), I set to work with my standard over optimism.

First of all, I should say a massive thanks to Jon who not only gave me loads of bricks, but also all the tools needed to actually build it (the things I hadn't thought about once). Also thanks to his young son Adam who helped de-spider and pack the bricks into the car.

On a hot Saturday afternoon me and Neil started building the BBQ structure without cement, as practice. We already hit many problems, like the realisation that breaking bricks in half evenly isn't easy, and how to connect a T structure together strongly.

We remembered that we still needed to go and buy some bricks, sand and cement, so we set out to try and find a builders yard.

I felt weird walking through the builders yard to talk to the man there. I thought he would ask me to stop wasting his time and go and get my dad instead, or perhaps sell me children sand instead of building sand. After a brief conversation (how much are the bricks...? Okay, 30 please. Thanks) I felt my man-points explode, and I left the yard with not only the tools needed, but increased testosterone and a beard.

We got back.. and then decided it was too late to start cementing. It should instead be done tomorrow. Procrastination at its best.

Sunday morning arrived. I set to work building the BBQ. I realised I didn't know how to mix cement properly, how much water is needed, and how much stirring it needed... but that didn't stop me. I struggled cementing the bricks because it kept falling through the holes, meaning I was using much more than I needed. It wasn't until the final few that I thought about cementing the brick and then placing it on the wall.

For the last 10 minutes it started raining. If anything, this only made me feel more manly... braving nature to build a brick BBQ. There was another jolt in my testosterone levels. I'm only a few points off getting a nickname like 'Bubba' or 'Spud'.

I cleaned the cement (somewhat) off the wall. Posed for photos (man points -10). And called it a day. I didn't want to take proper pictures without having the slab for the table side of it placed, and before the grills were attached... but I will update on Saturday with new finished pictures.

I think it was a great success.

My new house!!

Last Saturday I moved to my new house! For about 9 months now I have been talking to different friends about possibly moving in to a house together, but each time there would be nothing properly decided. About a month ago I half-spontaneously had the idea to just move into a shared house on my own!

I looked around the Internet, and found a 'Grad community' thing, which is a load of houses owned by this guy, who rents them out to groups of graduates. The houses are all close, and the people are encouraged to socialise, and have parties. It seemed exactly what I was looking for!

I went to view 4 houses. The people in all of the houses seemed really nice, but my final decision was made based on the one having an en-suite bathroom.

This is my first experience of moving out, since I also spent my University years at home. At home I have always been given a lot of freedom, and however much my mom has since convinced herself... I am not moving out to get away from them. They are both sad that I have left, but I do have every intention of going back as much as possible (since it is only 4 miles away!!).

I did my first food shop with my mom the day after I moved. I can cook somewhat, but have never needed to buy food, and a sole tear slipped as the woman at the checkout said £94. After the food shop, my dad came over and we cut the lawn.

It's now been a week in the house, and I am still really enjoying it. The people who live here are really nice, and I think I will get on well with them. I also went to a BBQ that another house close was holding and met more people.

Anyway... more will be reported!

My new room

And from another angle

En suite bathroom

The kitchen, my cupboards are the corner ones

Three fridge freezers. I share the middle one.

Blog Archive: 25 Things About Me [2nd February 2009]

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

But really, do it, and tag me so I can see.

1. I am currently (as of 2nd Feb) 13th in UK Dodgeball standings, 08/09.

2. I have out-run the police, even though The Bill says it’s impossible.

3. My greatest fears are migraines, medieval and iron man triathlons.

4. I set myself loads of aims to keep things interesting, and plan on doing them all.

5. People think I'm lucky and that everything comes easy to me, but I think that is only half true.

6. I think I am a very positive and happy person.

7. I have had my whole life planned until recently.

8. I am usually the person to arrange things, and I do most of my arranging when I am really busy.

9. I really want to play the steel drums, or at least properly learn the guitar.

10. I actively try to keep all of my opinions consistent, and stay open-minded.

11. I'm surprisingly good at making things up.

12. I'm still not sure if my favourite colour is yellow or orange. I feel like I should say yellow, since it used to be my favourite, but orange can sometimes be nicer.

13. I hate days when I don't do anything.

14. I can make friends quite easily, but hate anyone who doesn't like me.

15. I crossed this one out.

16. I hate fashion columns. I wish people would just wear what they like, and what they think they would look good in, without having to have a written guide.

17. I'm not quite sure what my favourite food is. Maybe lasagne.

18. I'm partly communist.

19. I really like playing football now, and hope to get better at it.

20. However much I dislike someone, if I see them do something nice it can question my feelings.

21. I think I could make a good attempt at doing any task given to me, and sometimes think a planet run by millions of clones of me would work.

22. My next aim is to learn to back flip.

23. I have a panda that I sometimes sleep with. And I love Tara.

24. I hate the thought of death, and in future I hope to be able to stop anyone dieing.

25. If ever the world turns too weird, I'd like to think I will fight against it.

---

22 year old Andy's Comments:
As you can see with #24 my death complex isn't a new thing. Interesting fact with #23, I've had the panda since I was 4 (I might dedicate a post to this), and I split up with Tara not long after posting this. She must not have liked the half-hearted mention.. I just didn't want to seem like a noob and dedicate a whole point.

The whole thing is still very relevant, and I would probably write about the same if I had to again now. I also don't remember what I crossed out for #15. And I still haven't done a damn backflip, but I am in the best shape I have ever been so maybe soon.

This actually marks an end to this little 'Blog Archive' series. I hope you all enjoyed the insight into a slightly younger me :)

Blog Archive: 3rd time lucky... no. [2nd April 2007]

Those fucking chavs. They have tried to steal my car for the third... yes, THIRD time.

Around 11:30, my car was robbed again, moved around the corner, and attempted to hotwire. It didnt work.. leaving me with another fucking broken car. Great. They also managed to steal the radio X(.

For some reason, as a 'sorry present', one of them left me a bottle opener... (i think)... which is going to be finger printed by police, along with the rest of my car tomorrow.

My car was booked into the garage tomorrow to fix the damages from the first time, which im going to leave now, as it will only be broke again :P

So. These fucking chavs will feel the Huntlands Boys wrath soon. I dont understand what 15 year olds are doing trying to challenge Huntlands Boys, omglan and HR4... it sounds crazy.

Anyways. Thats the end of my rant, untill tomorrow morning, when I find more people to tell.

Ps. If the bottle opener was left in my car by someone i know, im sorry, I will tell police not to rape you.

---

22 year old Andy's Comments:
I didn't bother writing about the second time... but I looked out of the window after hearing some talking to see about 9 people around my car, but then ran off when I shouted. How the hell were 9 of them going to get in? They weren't even dressed as clowns.

This time, Tara's dad walked in and said "Where's your car AJ?" (half the people I know call me AJ). Never something you want to hear, and I am still, to this day, paranoid about my car!

Anyway, again the police were helpful, but unable to find them. When I was trying to bend the door back into shape a guy walked past and asked what happened. This one was scary guy. He wasn't big, he was maybe mid 30s to 40s, with a walking stick. I expect he didn't even need it, but it gave him an edge. He said the same had happened to his mom's car, and he was going around the pawn shops trying to find out who did it. This made me fear for the chavs lives.

The story goes on. A few months later in the Summer, when I returned from a holiday I heard that there was a big car chase, with some young chavs. Apparently the car crashed, but I am not sure what happened to them. I will keep my comments of what I think to myself. But lets just say I haven't had car problems since (though I haven't stopped at Tara for over a year since we broke up).

... and I still have that bottle opener.

On a side note. This is the last 'creative' thing I wrote while I was 18. I didn't post anything else until I was 20. I have actually been a little bit sad reading things, but that is down to my hate for ageing. Reminiscing in any kind, such as looking at old photos, reminds me that I am only getting older, and will remember them with an even hazier memory.

My well planned dinner.

Now that I am living on my own I suddenly feel more responsible, and have such started considering what I eat more. For example, today I didn't bring anything into work and had to go and buy something. The thought process was as follows...

I am boxing later so I need something high in carbohydrates so I considered getting pasta. Also, my muscles are aching from playing football yesterday, so I need something with protein, so I considered getting a pasta ready meal with chicken in. The problem with this is that it wouldn't have any kind of vegetables in, and now my mom isn't forcing carrots in my food I need to start doing it myself.

It is also raining a bit today, so I could also do with having something warm. On top of that I have to watch how much I spend now I am self sufficient. I can't justify spending £4 on a ready-meal if I was willing to have 27p soup yesterday.

In the 4 minute walk to the shops, I had to try and think of something cheap, hot, with carbohydrates, protein, and some sort of vegetable... and I think I landed on a perfect solution.

The theory is there... though I suppose I am a little out in the execution.