Training Update: 28 December 2009

So, as expected, I've been hard at work eating. It is the holidays, after all, so I'm just going to be thankful that my gym clothes are stretchy.

I had my appointment for my second opinion with my new extra super sports medicine doctor (ESSMD) earlier this week. I describe him as, "extra super" because not only did my physio recommend him, but after receiving a fax about my intentions to seek a second opinion from ESSMD, my GP actually called up, raved about him, and mentioned that he is the consultant physician to the England rugby union.

Anyway, the ESSMD checked out my scans and agreed that I don't have a normal MRI. Looking at the cross section scans, the nerve is definitely a bit compromised.

Given that, I have two options:
A. Have an epidural, performed by a doctor referred by the ESSMD
B. Resume all my old exercise slowly, and see if the situation worsens. Supposedly, I can't really do further permanent damage to myself, and my worst case is that the nerve flares up badly again.

I've opted for plan B. From what I gather, the epidural is likely an inevitability, but I would prefer to put it off a bit, if possible. Besides, I have a new gym membership that is very convenient for my new digs that I'm so looking forward to.

So, I went for my first bit of running in over two months last Tuesday. On the treadmill, two minutes jog, one minute walk for the most part. It's not particularly exciting, but it's a start. The nerve hurts a bit, so we'll see how this goes. My physiotherapist is away for the next few weeks, so this is a good bit of test time.

With any luck, it will all go well, and these posts can start getting interesting.

A number of people have asked me how my upcoming move will affect my plans for Franc v. Tube, as following a move to a new flat in January, my despised commute will be a thing of the past.

I do plan to do my little train race, even with a new home location. I'll just have to pick up a beer along the way to drink on the finish line of my old front step, rather than collecting one from my old flat.

The Sun in Splendour, Notting Hill

*Please Note: following our experience at this pub, the manager contacted us, apologized, and expressed that we had chosen his first Sunday off this year to drop in. He kindly offered us a free meal to make it up to us, which we declined. Our experience at this venue may not have been typical, and I am highlighting this because of the generous customer service which followed when Darren (the third commenter on this post) contacted them.

Today's choice, The Sun in Splendour, came highly recommended by Roland's father. Admittedly, the last time he had visited this Notting Hill spot was well before any of us were born, but it still seemed worth a go.

With the holiday season upon us, we thought it a good choice, as while visiting his family, Roland can report back that we have taken the kind advice of our elders and have put it to good use.

Joining us on the Quest today filled with festive cheer were Robin (visiting from NYC), Vera, Roland, Oscar, and Darren.

The Sunday menu is available here. Oscar was so enthused, he decided what he was going to order the night before.

All was going well until we actually arrived at this pub. Upon arriving, I found that the reservation I made for six people got us a table that wasnt meant for six people and wasn't even particularly well suited for eating. (Those are my knees in the bottom of the picture.) It was really a bit like eating at a coffee table. When I pointed ths out, the staff made no effort to offer us an alternative.

As you can also see from the picture on the left, we were given a table with someone else's garbage was on it, which we eventually cleared ourselves after ten minutes. (The Blackberry, pint of beer, and glass of wine were ours- the rest was not)

Dishes Ordered: (Pictured left to right)
Beef Roast: Robin, Oscar, Vera, Darren, & Franc

Steak & Ale Pie: Roland






Traditionally, we discuss the food a bit later in the entry, but as our meal was missing two key components that were promised by the menu, I've assembled this picture to highlight these obvious shortcomings:

When we asked about the missing yorkshires, we were told that they had run out, without apology or offer to make up for it. The swede was never accounted for. The food was cold. I bet I spent more time on this diagram than the kitchen did on our food.


Observations: (collective and individual)

• My food was freaking cold. (Everyone's food was genuinely cold, except for Roland's pie)
  
• The beef was veiny and tough. Parts of the meal were missing. (Darren)
• My Sunday is ruined (Oscar)
• Everyone thought I was lucky to have warm food! (Roland)
• Vera wants to leave England now. (Roland, speaking for Vera)
• The pub dining area is nice (Robin)
• I made a reservation for six, and got a table unsuitable for six people dining. The pub wasn't packed. (Franc)
  
• Ladies Bathrooms lacked soap, a working hand dryer, or towels. They weren't particularly clean, but I liked the Nana-tastic wallpaper - pictured (Franc)
• Mashed potatoes AND Roasted potatoes? Where are my any of my 5 a day?
  
• I lowered my environment score further after experiencing the bathroom. The urinal coming off the wall was a nice touch. (Darren)
  
• I've seen better portable bathrooms (Oscar on the men's room)
• The food was better than my mother's cooking (Robin, before she regaled us with tales of her mother's cooking, which seems to involve a lot of boiled meat and a casserole (recipe) involving Velveeta, Ritz Crackers, and God only knows what else.)
• While doing our scores, the waiter cleared our dishes. We made no effort to hide that we were doing a review and that we were tremendously disappointed, and again, the staff made no effort to apologize.
• Simply put, this was our worst pub of the year. The only good thing about it was the bar space itself, which was nice enough.
  

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)








Our Updated Map of Eats:
*note: All Pubs visited including today's are noted with their scores in parentheses

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map

*Amendment made after original posting.

Worcester, UK

Last weekend, as a part of my ongoing effort to see new parts of my new home, we (Vera, Roland, Darren, & I) headed to Worcester.

We didn't choose it for any reason other than it was there, and we hadn't been.

It's a relatively short trip by train from Paddington of just 2.5 hours. We immediately checked in to our hotel and headed out into the rain in pursuit of lunch.

After lunch, we headed over to Worcester Cathedral, and took lots of inside pictures. The Cathedral's construction started in 1084, and its crypt dates from the 10th century.















As we were clearly on a roll, absorbing heaps of local culture, we then went to the Worcester Porcelain Museum.

Sadly we were denied, as the museum was closing at four, and we were advised that we would need more than half an hour to soak in the experience. I managed to console myself with a photo op with this guy (Henry Sandon) from Antiques Roadshow.


Spirits dampened, we wandered around in the rain some more, until I decided that rainboots were in order because my shoes were failing me. Unfortunately, trying to find a pair of Wellies on a rainy day that weren't pink and actually came in my size was a bit of a challenge. In the end, I emerged with not only dry feet but a pair of unoffensive navy blue rainboots, reminiscent of those I owned at age 5.

I did what one does with new rainboots. I took them to the pub, and I consumed a beer in them.

We headed back down the street to Saffron's, and enjoyed an excellent dinner there. The Sticky Toffee Pudding was enjoyed by all, and after dinner, we all lamely admitted defeat and had an early night.


Sunday morning brought a bit of respite from the rain, and we had a bit of a wander around both a farmer's market and a shopping mall which was full of shops that hadn't opened yet.

At the Farmer's Market we discovered an excellent source of Scotch Eggs.

After meeting up with Vera & Roland and wandering until the deluge resumed, we had a quick lunch and headed over to The Commandery, which is a 12th century building that has been converted into a museum.

Over the course of it's lengthy history, it has served numerous functions, including a hospital, a school for the blind, and as Civil War headquarters. It was definitely worth a visit, thanks to the audio guide, which allowed a user to tour the building and hear about the role of different rooms and areas of the building at one's selected time period. (Picture taken from the balcony in the Commandery's main hall.)

We wrapped up and headed to the train, right in time to head back to London at half three.

Life in the UK: A Journey of Multiple Choice

Long, long ago, I thought it would be interesting and fun to study for my Life in the UK Test.

Needless to say, lots of things seem like they could be enjoyable before you actually do them, and this is of no exception. A bit of procrastination teamed with my selecting a test date rather late in the game probably weren't among my best decisions.

Some sections were more interesting to learn than others. Among the things I have learned in preparation for my "journey to citizenship", or at least indefinite leave to remain include:

• There are 646 Parliamentary Constitutencies.
• An employer may descriminate potential employees if the job functions are to be carried out in the employer's home.
• 2.7% of the population is Muslim
• One may drink at age 16 at a pub or hotel, provided it is done so with a meal.
  
• One may obtain free tickets to see the House of Commons by contacting one's MP.
• A helmet must be worn while driving a motorcycle, unless the driver is male, Sikh, and wearing a turban.
• Scots Ulster is spoken in Northern Ireland.
• Provisional Drivers must put a sign with an L on their car, unless the driver is in Wales, where a D is used.
  
• There are four bank holidays.
• The NHS was founded in 1948.
• Pregnant women receive free prescriptions.
  
• If one is blind, one gets 50% off the TV licensing fee.

I went armed with said information to my test center in Wimbledon, ready to face my 24 questions in 45 minutes. I arrived at 9:00 leaving plenty of time to spare, only to find that the Wimbledon Library is closed until 9:30.

After a bit of loitering, we were allowed in and advised to queue outside of the examination room in the back of the library. (pictured)

I was thrilled! This provided me a prime opportunity to gleefully inform people that I had been hoping that queuing would be on the test.

Sadly, No one thought this was quite as hilarious as I did.

After that, the ID checking began. There was 45 minutes of ID checking and registration. Then, after a brief practice test, we were allowed to start.

4 minutes later with answers triple checked, I left the test room to wait for my results.

As you can see, I passed.

In addition to the satisfaction of a job well done, I also got a Percy Pig cake!
(Thanks, Darren!)

Training Update: 20 November - TMI?

So, about that little break I've been taking...

I've had a sciatic nerve inflammation wreaking havoc with me for a long time. Since oct 2005, in fact.

I've mostly just coped with it. I take conference calls standing up, I avoid chairs where my knees are higher than my hips, I gave up big heels, and I sleep with my leg turned a certain way.

Two orthopedic surgeons, two physiotherapists, and a massqage therapist in the States were convinced it was a hamstring problem and best they did for me was a lot of flexeril. I really thought this was just going to be permanent.

I got to the UK, and was advised that the culprit was likely the nerve, and the assigned tracking exercises made an incredible difference. I was amazed how something so basic radically improved the situation. I still was in agony when required to sit for long durations, but I could manage long haul flights with anti- inflammatory meds. Even better, the stability work I've been doing all year was expected to help set me straight long term.

Then, it seemingly flared up out of nowhere. Seemingly because the pain didn't specifically correlate with anything I did or didn't do. Such was true until I woke up very sore along the nerve in my back after a more challenging run at the end of October.

An MRI was suggested, so I once again benched myself, and I waited.

The radiologist's report claimed a normal result, which my sports med doc agreed with and suggested a few weeks of accupuncture. More than half of MRIs administered to people my age show disc issues that have no injury symptoms according to the doc, so it seems that a normal scan may just mean nothing extreme.

A few weeks in, I'm no better, and my physio, who is a spine specialist, is encouraging a second opinion because he and several of his colleagues think that the bump highlighted in the picture is the cause of my woes. That's where a disc appears to be pressing on my nerve.

So, my goals of racing the train will not be met this year, but I'm still not giving up.

The Boaters Inn, Kingston

This week's selection, The Boaters Inn, came highly recommended by Tamara, so we trekked out to Kingston to check it out.

The Boaters is located at the northern end of a really cute park, and has views out on to the Thames. It has lots of outside seating, and I'm looking forward to visiting it in the summer

The Menu is to the left.

Joining us on the quest today were Tamara, Shaun, Bridgette, Pete, baby Max (not voting), Vera, Roland, Darren, and myself.

Dishes Ordered: (Pictured left to right)

• Roasted Sirloin of Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Horseradish (Tamara, Shaun, Bridgette, Vera, Roland, Franc)
• Roasted Shoulder of Pork, Apple Sauce, Savoy Cabbage (Pete)
• Wild Boar & Apple Sausages, Mash, Braised Red Cabbage (Darren)
  

Observations: (collective and individual)

• Nice portion sizes, nice location, service slow but good. (Bridgette)
• It's nice being next to the water (Darren)
• "I would have liked dessert, but they took so long to offer it" (Darren) - what lured us here was that Tam said this pub had really good Sticky Toffee Pudding.
• Bathrooms accessable from the Pub's vestibule means no one has to sit next to it. (Bridgette)
• Applesauce with the pork was a a nice touch (Pete)
• The roast potatoes were a bit hard, otherwise the food was good and an excellent value. (Roland)
• The roast beef was tender and delicious. (Vera) - Roland claims that Vera described her roast beef as the best yet.
  
• Beautiful location, solidly good food, slow service- but we really didn't mind. I'd come back. (Franc)

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)











Our Updated Map of Eats:
*note: All Pubs visited including today's are noted with their scores in parentheses

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map

The King's Arms, Southwark

More neighborhood location scouting brought us over to Southwark's The Kings Arms, which is on the southern side of Tower Bridge.

Joining us on today's quest were Vera & Roland.

We settled in and checked out the menu, as always...







and then we ordered




Dishes Ordered: (Pictured left to right)

• Lamb Roast (Vera, Roland)
• Beef Roast (Franc, Darren)
  

and dessert

• Cheesecake (Roland)
• Chocolate Pudding (Franc & Darren- shared)
• Waffle with Ice Cream (Vera)
  

Observations: (collective and individual)

• The pub was really dark. Each table had candles, which was cute, but such didn't lend itself to food pictures
• No board games, but a good, cozy atmosphere
  
• Good bar knicknacks...including a horse statue with a, "don't touch me" sign
• The doors weren't labelled; Roland kept pushing on a "Pull" door when going outside for a cigarette, which entertained the rest of us plenty
• The bathrooms were positively arctic, as all pub bathroms should be in November
• The lamb was delicious, but the beef was way overcooked and just tough. Desserts were good.
• Prices seemed a bit high for what it was.
  

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)







Our Updated Map of Eats:
*note: All Pubs visited including today's are noted with their scores in parentheses

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map

More fun with Pub Names

If they had a Sunday Roast, we'd have to go.

Yes, I'm juvenille...

...and this never stops being funny.

This one's for Squier.

The Green, Clerkenwell

After quite a few weeks off, we resumed our Quest with lunch at The Green in Clerkenwell.

I've had lunch at this pub, which is within walking distance of my office, but this was my first Sunday Roast.

We'll probably be looking at more pubs in this area as year end approaches, as we're considering Clerkenwell as our next home.


The menu had all the traditional stuffs.

Joining us today were
Vera & Roland of Taiwanese Wedding fame, and our friend Oscar, who was making his Quest debut.



Dishes Ordered:
(Pictured left to right)

• Maple & Horseradish roasted sirloin of beef with roast parsnip, onion, & garlic (Darren, Oscar, Franc)
• Roast Loin of pork with braised red cabbage, baked apples, and crackling (Roland)
  
• Roast Chicken with a chorizo & red pepper stuffing, greens and real chicken gravy (Vera)
  

and sides of roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, and vegetables were served family style:









Naturally, we caved in for dessert.
The stilton & quince was lovely, so lovely that we all forgot to document it.
We made up for it by also eating dessert!










(Pictured left to right)

• Banoffee Pie (Split by Oscar & Franc)
• Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream (Roland, Darren)
• Chocolate and clementine mousse torte (Vera)

Observations: (collective and individual)

• Potatoes & Yorkshires were excellent (Darren)
  
• The family-style serving of the sides is nice (Franc)
• Roasts were a little more done than anticipated (medium well, rather than medium rare)
• Service was excellent. Attentive, but we never felt rushed.
• Bathrooms were fine, but not spectacular. (Nothing a Dyson airblade wouldn't fix!)

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)







Our Updated Map of Eats:
*note: All Pubs visited including today's are noted with their scores in parentheses

View The Quest for the Best Sunday Roast in a larger map