Tai Chi Monday, (Next)

I wake early, to a cool cloudy morning, the change in the weather mirrored by the stiffness in my joints. After breakfast, I research arthritis and find that Tai Chi, is supposed to help. I went to classes twenty five years ago, when we lived in Nottingham and used to practice it as a warm up before running for years, but haven't done so for over ten. A quick check reveals that there are classes in Beverley, at the Memorial Hall, and as luck would have it, there is one this morning at ten thirty. It is now almost nine, so I take Norman for a walk down Carr Lane and through "Almost straight wood", on our way back we meet a neighbour, Betty, with her Schnauzer bitch, called Nelly, and we walk back together. Betty is going for kayaking lessons at Albert Avenue Baths in Hull, where I used to play Water Polo for Hull. This is in preparation for her adventure holiday to Antartica in January, which she has had booked since last Xmas. Norman and Nelly seem to get on, its probably a German thing and Betty offers to look after Norman, if Sarah can't have him for the last weekend of my upcoming holiday. I offer to reciprocate with Nelly. After giving Normy some fresh water, I drive into town and manage to find a parking space down Lairgate, near the Tiger Inn, and walk the hundred yards or so to the Memorial Hall. The Tai Chi class is just about to start, so I introduce myself and ask if I can join, but the lady instructor informs me that this class is for advanced practitioners, but says there is a beginners class, also on Monday, at twenty past nine and to come back for that one. I agree to do this and then wander through town, as I have an hour to kill until it is time for my swim. I buy some more picture frames and a mug tree in a charity shop for cats, and as I am paying, the voluntary worker brings out a beautiful blue vase, which he is about to price. I ask how much it is and he says four pounds, so I buy it and he wraps it for me. I carry my purchases back to the car and store them carefully in the boot, before driving to the Leisure Centre for my swim. The weather is fair, but also cool and cloudy today. The far lane in the pool is clear when I arrive, and I decide to  vary my routine today, swimming a 400m mixed medley warm up and then 6 x 200m IM and a 400m mixed medley warm down. Feeling good afterwards, the stiffness in the joints eased greatly by the exercise. I am hoping the Tai Chi, will help me avoid the necessity of using anti inflammatories, as drugs are best avoided. In the cafe, Danny has baked some scones and they are beauties, so I have one with my pot of tea and chat to the cafe staff until it is time to collect Louis from Saint Mary's Primary School. While I am waiting to collect him, I ring David, to thank him for the holiday and while we are chatting, I tell him that Graham's daughter Melanie is over from Vancouver and that we are meeting for dinner next Monday. He asks if he and Irene can come too, and I say that I am sure that will be fine, but that I will ring my sister, Jackie, who is arranging things, to make sure. Louis emerges at a quarter past three and I quip to Mrs Wildbore, his teacher, how amazingly more mature Louis is now that he is a year older! She laughs, "amazing isn't it," she responds, almost without irony. As ever, Louis has his itinerary planned. First we need to collect his football and goalie gloves from home and then he wants to go to the playing fields in Tickton. This we do and within five minutes of arriving on the field, Louis has found three boys to play football with and another joins shortly afterwards. Two are slightly bigger than Louis and the others about his size, but it turns out that the bigger boys are eleven and the smaller ones seven. The kick about starts, Louis wanting to be in goal, and one of the older boys, as it turns out, is a brilliant footballer and plays for the village team. He scores immediately and Louis throws a paddy, all the boys start laughing at him and I have to explain to them, that despite his size, he only turned six on Saturday. Although I am not sure that laughter wasn't the best response to his outburst. Anyway the game continues and I have to make the numbers up when one boy goes home for tea, and we play for an hour, until about five o'clock. When we get home, Louis plays Temple Run on my iPad, while I make him dinner. He wants beef burger, chips and tossed salad, which I serve with whole meal Pitta bread. Over dinner he tells me about his birthday trip to Legoland and afterwards we take Normy down as far as the little bridge, and then play the praise and pat game, all the way home. I drop him off at seven, Sarah still treating private patients, no doubt replenishing funds after the weekend away. I leave Louis with Alice, drive home and then have an early night, in bed for nine.