Birthday Notes

This is a Ava's-eye view of Sunday's get-together to celebrate mum's 80th birthday. We all met up at the Golden Lion in Magor for good grub and lots of catching up.

Hopefully there will be more photos on Flickr sometime soon.

Training Notes II

One of the more unusual sessions at Summer School was the creative thinking slot. Its aim was to give us some tools to involve people in problems, to share, participate or simply break the ice at team events and away days. As well as physical role play, we even got to write limerick. Here’s mine…

A man with a budget did sigh,
I do not know how we’ll get by.
We need to make cuts,
No ifs and no buts,
What I need is a sign from on high!

Not bad for 10 minutes work, I reckon.

Training Notes

All of the speakers and workshop presenters at PSMW’s Summer School have been challenging and thought-provoking, but one stands out. Nick Smith, an entrepreneur and now the author of the blog Life2point0. He challenged all our precoinceived ideas about what success looks like, what leadership is about and talked about having courage to make decisions.

A chaotic presentation completely from the heart; I got the feeling that he could have talked all day about his life. And I would have happily listened.

TV Notes

I’ve just seen the news that Setanta Sports has gone into administration and has ceased to broadcast in the UK.

I don’t know what this means for ESPN America, ESPN-lite for the UK and part of the Setanta package. It could be that ESPN will make the channel stand alone (as it did previously when it was NASN) or it could spell the end for widespread US sports coverage on British TV.

Training Notes

I’m writing these blog notes whilst at ‘Summer School’ organised by PSMW - Public Service Management Wales. Its theme is ‘Leading in Turbulent Times’ and its being held at Lampeter University. It's such a pretty university, and very small with around 900 students on campus. In the summer though, with the exception of a few MA Theology students we 200 or so on the Summer School have the place to ourselves.

The course runs all week, and is residential, which means student accomodation. Yikes. I think ‘spartan’ would be a charitable description. The weather is as wonderful as this pic shows, and coffee breaks in a sunny courtyard feel very continental.

But no, its not a holiday, its 9 – 6 each day of intensive learning – lectures, workshops and group work designed to take the learning and translate it ways which it can be used to improve performance and make improvements back at my place of income generation. If you want to join in, you can watch the main lectures on the PSMW website.

PS – I’m updating the blog in the University’s computer lab whilst avoiding the organised karaoke in the Students Union bar. My team did come second in the quiz last night though.

Expenses Notes

Another magnificent own-goal by Parliament last week when MPs expenses were all published online. But they have been “redacted”. Or censored to death. Huge swathes of black block out any attempt at meaningful understanding of what our elected representatives in Westminster are spending our cash on.

The Sunday Times has another wonderful example of how the message can be distorted and the reader can assume the worst when redaction occurs; this from My Fair Lady ...

"I could have XXXXXXXed all night
I could have XXXXXXXed all night!
And still have begged for more.
I could have spread my XXXXXX
And done a thousand things I’ve never done before.”

Rugby Notes

So the Lions finished their non-Test games with a 13-13 draw against the Emerging Springboks at Newlands. BBC report here.

And so now the management has to pick the team for Saturday’s 2nd Test. Tempted though they may be to hold faith with most of last Saturday’s team, the fact that the subs made such a good impression can’t be ignored and a few of them are going to get starts this time around.

My team: Byrne (if he’s fit, if not Kearney), Shane Williams, O’Driscoll, Roberts, Bowe, Jones, Phillips, Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Adam Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell (capt.), Croft, Heaslip, Wallace.

And I predict a Lions win.

Ava's Diary

Another busy weekend to report on. It was a scorcher, so I was plastered on Factor 50 and wore a hat that makes me look like I’ve joined the foreign legion.

Saturday we all went to Duffryn Gardens. Again. They do a mean ‘kid’s lunch’ which is pizza and spaghetti, strawberry milk and a banana or apple. And I hoover (or is it dyson) it all up.

I then got to ride my trike around the gardens. Well, actually I get pushed, but its still great fun. Mam and Dad sat under a big tree and I kicked my Mr Men ball around.

On Sunday we had a picnic at Chepstow Castle. We met up with Mam and Dad’s friends Pete & Sibylle and their little boy Sebastian. (Actually, he’s 8 and looked enormous to me.) I snoozed in the shade with Mam and Dad played rugby with Seb.

Monday I went in the paddling pool at Ponty Park with Nanna and Gramps.

Phew, in between that lot, I’ve hardly got time to keep up my part time job of reorganising all of Mam and Dad’s books and CDs.

Cricket Notes

Its Twenty20 semi-final time, and its South Africa v Pakistan today and Sri Lanka v surprise package West Indies tomorrow.

Sri Lanka look unstoppable, with Dilshan (pictured) in brilliant form. It should be a South Africa v Sri Lanka final, but Gul’s bowling and Gayle’s batting mean that an upset could happen.

My picks? Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lanka to win it all in Sumday's final.

Rugby Notes

Don’t say that Vealey don’t know rugby. I got the Test team right.

Here’s a link to the BBC website with the official news. I had Wallace for his physical presence ahead of Martyn Williams and Monye was the prime choice to partner Bowe even before a strong showing against the Southern Kings on Tuesday.

Rugby Notes

Just ahead of the Lions last “warm-up” game before the first Test on Saturday, here’s my pick for the starting XV…

Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Jamie Roberts, Ugo Moyne, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Lee Mears, Phil Vickery, Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell (capt.), Tom Croft, Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace

Of course, some of this could change if some marginal players in today's game "put their hands up".

Birthday Notes

Happy birthday o my cousin Sarah, pictured here a couple of months ago with Ava.

I hope you managed to book a shift off today & got to do something nice instead.

Cricket Notes

During the Twenty20 match between South Africa and Scotland, Kyle Coetzer pulled off a magnificent catch on the boundary to dismiss Mark Boucher. Is this the best catch ever?

Cricket Notes

The Netherlands beat England to start the Twenty20 World Cup, but the ludicrous group system means that they go no further. And Ireland beat a frankly poor Bangladesh team to progress to the last eight on run rates.

But the biggest shock was Australia being knocked out. Played two, lost two. Still, they’ll have more time to prepare for the forthcoming Ashes series.

So now the top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals. None of the points from the first round of games carry forward to this stage – which means that England’s defeat doesn’t impact here at all. Someone’s got to come up with rules for these types of events which aren’t as contrived as this!

Group E: India, England, West Indies, South Africa
Group F: Pakistan, Ireland, Sri Lanka, New Zealand

My 50p bet would be on India and South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka advancing.

Ava's Diary

We’ve had a photographer come to crèche and so Mam dressed me up in my finery for the day and hoped I wouldn’t get breakfast down me. Fat chance. Now I’m trying to feed myself, my success rate is around 50%, with the rest ending up on the table, the floor, Mam, Dad or me.

My confidence on my feet grows and grows. In fact, I’m pretty fearless, and walk endlessly. My new favourite thing to do is push a baby pushchair or a shopping trolley around the house. I’ve got my first doll, but rather than dolls I like my Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy, and of course Bedtime Bear.

Mam and Dad are very pleased that my walking everywhere is wearing me out. That means that I sleep really well at night, and sometimes even have to be roused to get ready for crèche.

Last weekend was Nanna and Gramps’ 40th wedding anniversary, so we all went to stay with them in Swansea for the weekend. I went to Toys R Us, had lunch at the Swansea Waterfront Museum and then went for a walk along the front. I’ve done so much travelling that I think that the travel cot has been worn out. Gramps fixed it though, so that the cot won’t collapse in the middle of the night.

I stayed on with Mam at Nanna and Gramps when Dad went home Sunday night. I didn’t see him for two whole days. I think that I was too busy to miss him too much. He said that he missed me though.

Some changes at Little Inspirations. A couple of new kids have arrived at crèche, so I have had to show them the ropes. I’m one of the older ones in the Under-2s group, what with being 17 months now. Some new staff have started too, and Bethan and I are giving them the runaround – I suspect they may not come back for a second week!