Employment Law Conferences

We're full out at Legal-Island at the moment working on our big five employment law update conferences
The great news is that they're selling really well. So well done team Islanders it looks like all the hard work and forward planning is paying off.

Of Food Inglorious Food

I'm on a diet at the moment. It's tough going but the weight is falling off. I jumped on the scales at the end of last week to find I have lost almost a stone since the end of the summer. The aim is to get under 14 stone by the end of the month which means I've another half a stone to shed. I'm working largely off Tim Ferris's book "The Four Hour Body" and this is what he recommends scrapping :

* All diary products
* All drink except water
* All fruit - far too much sugar
* All bread
* All chocolate, cakes and buns

No much left you might think? Well, as he says himself you're on a diet to lose weight not to spoil your taste buds. You've got to enjoy abstinence to do this well, oh and an awful lot of lentils.

OF One Great Weekend after Another

I never thought I'd say this but I'm holding out for some bad weather right now. For each weekend we get to the forecast is great and we seem to spend just a few minutes in the house -Friday to Sunday. It's great to enjoy the outdoors but at some stage we're going to have to start the decorating, change the carpets and clear out the garage.

This weekend we attended Northern Ireland's first ever Russian festival and it was superb. Anna sung three traditional Russian folk songs with a few others which was lovely to watch. She was in traditional "Russian dress" she had purchased at Junction 1 in Antrim! She did look quite Russian although she did look a bit like a 60s hippy too! There was Russian food on offer too which was a novel experience. Cabbage in pasties takes some getting accustomed to but then so does our black pudding I suppose.

On Sunday we cycled from Cultra to Bangor along the coastal path which was just wonderful. Sunday lunch at the Salty Dog was terrific. Blue Jasmine by Woody Allen topped a great weekend.

Of Belfast Speakers Circle Round II

It was the second meeting of the Belfast Speaker's Circle last night and a cracker it turned out to be too. Members contributed a huge variety of material from Shakespeare to Keats, Tolstoy to WB Yeates. There was even a children's nursery rhyme and an old Cornish folk song.
It was rich, last night. Powerful, and utterly compelling.
For anyone wanting to practise their public speaking in Northern Ireland this is the place to do it.
Onwards!

Of Times They Are A Changin

The training is going well. Today I swam 30 lengths in 16 minutes 27 seconds. Now, the aim is to get the time down to 16 minutes or less. Once I manage this the goal is to do 30 lengths in 16 minutes or less + 10 laps. Yes you're exhausted. You ache all day but you feel good too - even a tad self-righteous and that has to be worth all the pain..

Of One Cheeky Chappy

About a week ago I was in the car park of the local leisure centre. It was about 6.30a.m..I was too early for the pool  so I decided to sit in the car and listen to a Russian language CD. As I did so, I looked out and saw an animal nonchalantly making its way across the top of the car park towards the river. Not believing what I was seeing I hopped out to take a look but by the time I had fumbled for my camera it was gone. For a good few days I wondered whether I'd seen a badger, a large fox or a badly deformed cat. There were moments too when I doubted whether I had in fact seen anything at all. Russian lessons at dawn can do funny things to the head.
And then this morning this cheeky chappy made an appearance. At first he hid under a car but I managed to flush him out with a few animal like noises and capture him on camera.

Of Triathlons and Times

I'm in a race at the moment. Not against anyone else but myself. You see I'm in training for my next triathlon. The training plan is as follows. First I swim a timed 30 lengths. Then I aim to shave a decent time off this. Then I swim 30 lengths quickly plus another 10 at my own pace. Then I swim 40 timed. Then I keeping swimming 40 with the aim to do it quicker each time as I approach the next triathlon. Today I swam my first timed 30 lengths in 16 minutes 27 seconds. By  the end of next week the aim is to do it in 16 minutes or less. Then I go for the 30 + 10.
Stages two and three on the bike and in the jogging suit come later. For now it's all about the water and the stop watch.