The Penultimate Day…

November 29, 2012November 29, 2012 ~ Phil Lengthorn ~ Leave a comment

Feeling slightly sad – today is the penultimate day of November's Challenge – it has been a great little challenge. I don't quite consider myself an origami master just yet, but it has been great to do a monthly challenge that is quite relaxing and stress free. Furthermore, it has enabled me to blog virtually every day, which is always a good thing. Yes, I know, I have far too much time on my hands! My life is so rock and roll!

So onto today, origami #29, a candy dish or lazy susan, in fact it is probably the smallest candy dish ever seen. It can probably just about manage to hold a peanut in each segment. So here you have it a dish for putting four peanuts in….

With just one day left of November I have been busy deciding on what to do for the month of December. I have been thinking about various ideas:

A poem a day – as many different forms of poetry as possible.
Invent a new word with a definition and example of use.
Different packet of crisps each day.
A film review each day.

But after much deliberation I have decided on a different bottle of beer every day. This sounds like a good challenge, especially with Christmas just round the corner. Plan is to taste a new beer each day and blog about it. The hope is that I can develop my understanding of beers and their flavour.

So as I was doing a spot of shopping in Tesco this evening I took the opportunity to have a stroll down the beer aisle to have a look at the selection. They have 1000s of different real ales, lagers and ciders…

The first decision is to decide on whether I will focus on real ales, lagers or ciders. I think I'll sleep on that before making a decision.

Posted with Blogsy

Origami #28

November 28, 2012November 28, 2012 ~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 2 Comments

Today's attempt at making a piece of origami didn't go quite to plan. The first initial attempt at a modular tetrahedron was a disaster. It was really difficult, it looked simple but the final assembly just wouldn't work. I found it near impossible to get the four corners in place, it keep falling apart. Very frustrating. It would seem that 28 days is not long enough to become an origami master…..

But, I was not about to be beaten, and proceeded to create a rather easy puppy….

So that just leaves two more days before the end of a rather enjoyable little challenge.

Posted with Blogsy

Origami Parrot

November 28, 2012November 28, 2012 ~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 2 Comments

Three. Days. Left.

Posted with Blogsy

Origami grips the nation!

November 26, 2012November 27, 2012 ~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 1 Comment

When I started November’s Challenge, origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, I wasn’t sure exactly what was in store. But what is clear is that it has gripped the nation! My tutor group have been having a go and we now have three windowsills full of various creations….

We’ve even managed an origami training session in the staff room at lunchtime. It has also become clear that within the school there are already a handful of secret origami masters: JD is a natural and has obviously been practising.

Today’s piece, a bird that actually flaps its wings, was taught to me by EB (a 2nd Dan origami black belt master)….please also note the carefully placed arrows….

To keep on track, another piece of origami was also required. And keeping with the bird theme, only this time one that cannot fly, a penguin…

That’s #25 and #26….only 4 more days left! Roll on December and the final monthly challenge of the year!

Posted with Blogsy

King’s Lynn #parkrun

November 24, 2012 ~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 3 Comments

An early start this morning to attend, for the first time, King's Lynn parkrun. It was a very cold and misty morning at The Walks in King's Lynn.

Today's route was changed slightly from the normal one due to a bit of flooding across the main path, although it was still around the 5km, apparently about 60 yards shorter than the normal route. The course is roughly made up of three mile laps, all run on Tarmac, so a reasonably fast course, despite the couple of 180 deg turns. As is normal for parkruns, it was well organised, with plenty of friendly marshals and regulars.

I would love to have a closer parkrun that I could attend regularly, they are a great idea, not only do you get a good free timed 5km race, but the chance to chat to fellow runners over a coffee at the end. And as well as emailing you with your finishing details, they text you your position and time within 30 mins of finishing….