Pinterest Picks #3: Clubbing

Last weekend myself and my best girl friends ventured into town for one of the girls' birthday night out.  As with any night out, there had been careful planning before hand; what time to go out, where to go first, what everyone was wearing, and so on.  I couldn't get out of my late finish at work, so opted to go down slightly later with one of the girls and meet the others there.  The night started out well, sat around a table on comfy chairs, having a good old gossip over a glass or two of wine.  We moved onto a little cocktail bar a bit further down the road and I enjoyed a delicious frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, even if I did manage to spill half of it.  Ooops. From there the night rapidly went downhill as we went to a club...

... The thing is, I don't really like clubbing. I've never been a massive fan, but as the years go by, it interests me less and less. Give me a pair of flats, plenty of space and a good dollop of cheesy music and I'm as happy as larry, but for the most part none of these happen on your average night out.  Instead you're forced to stand/dance in uncomfortable shoes, whilst getting pushed, shoved, walked into and/or have at least one drink spilt all over you, with music so loud you can't hear yourself think, let alone have a conversation with your friends. The queues to get in, the price to get in, the toilets with no locks or loo roll... yep, you guessed it, it's just not for me.  If the musics alright, I can tolerate heels well enough, but once they start to hurt that's it, I've had enough.  I don't care if they're playing my favourite song (The Killers, Mr Brightside if you're wondering...) I just want to go home.  Or at least, wait til that song's finished, and then go home.  Via a takeaway of course. 

An ideal night out for me these days is an evening in a pub, with some good music playing in the background.  I love getting together with my friends, having a nice pub meal (with dessert!) and having a nice chat without having to risk damaging our vocal chords.  The idea of getting home at a semi-reasonable hour is also appealing.  When I first started going out, clubs would always shut at 2am.  These days I'm ready for my bed by midnight.  I don't know how folk stay out til four or five in the morning, I don't think I could do that when I was younger! Nights in are equally appealing.  There's nothing I enjoy more than spending an evening on the sofa, in our comfiest clothes, chatting the night away over a bottle (each...oops) of wine with one of my best friends.  We have quite the conversations, let me tell you!  We pretty much laugh til we cry which is much more of a stress relief than a night of clubbing, for me anyway!

I realise this post makes me sound really old and boring but in all honesty, these days it's just not for me!

Do you go out clubbing? Do you prefer nights in or nights out?

Pinterest Picks #2

A slightly different approach to this Pinterst Picks edition.  This is a poster from 1940 announcing the New York Department of Parks are to be conducting swimming lessons.  How is this relevant you ask? Well, in short I can't swim.  Not even a little bit.  I'm one of those people who panics the minute their feet aren't firmly touching the bottom of the pool.  Like any child in primary school in the late 80s/early 90s, we had swimming lessons.  I still remember getting on the coach every Monday after morning break, and taking the short journey to the local baths where a lady called Ms Scott would conduct lessons.  I can remember holding onto a hoop that was attached to a big stick, kicking our legs as Ms Scott would 'pull' us along the width of the pool, one at a time.  While the rest of the class progressed quite well, earning their 10metres, 25 metres some even 50 or 100 metres, I lacked the confidence to even manage the first landmark.  With armbands I was fine, but take those off me and I'd panic and cling to the side of the pool, willing that hour lesson to be over.  It even got to the stage where I was allowed to go to lessons with the class below us; I simply had to at least get my 10 metres before I left primary school. And sure enough, on the very last lesson, I did it.  I swam 10 metres and got my certificate... sort of.  My foot actually touched the bottom about half way along.  I just carried on, hoping nobody noticed.  Whether they did or not, I'll never know.  I did feel a slight pang of guilt as I went up to get my certificate, but a large part of me was just relieved I'd never have to swim again.

Fast forward a couple of years, and my Grandmother decided I really should learn to swim, and booked me into some lessons after school, on a Tuesday evening.  I was 12 years old and by far the oldest one there.  I can still recall a kid of about 9 saying "you're 12 and you can't swim?!" and basically left me feeling so embarrassed.  I think I only went about 6 or 7 times and gave up.

It's only in the last few years that I've come to realise that I would actually like to learn to swim.  I've been on some great holidays in the last few years and not really been able to cool down in the hotel pool, or gone to Center Parcs and been too scared to go down any of the water slides, or stayed in a gorgeous hotel/spa with my boyfriend and spent most of the time in the jacuzzi or dangling my legs over the side of the pool.  Unfortunately, no longer having a pool in my home town, I could never really attend any adult lessons.  However, this spring sees the opening of a brand-new leisure literally a 10 minute walk from where I live and I'm determined to learn swim once and for all.  I'd already decided that 2014 is the year I get fitter, and in better shape, and with the opening of the new pool it just seems like the right time to learn. We all know swimming is a great form of exercise; it's low impact and you're working all your major muscles.  It also reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.  It's a great mood booster and can help with weight loss and toning up.

I'm currently in contact with the swimming lessons coordinator for the new pool and will hopefully be booking into some lessons when the centre opens in April.  I'm sure I'll be nervous when the time comes for my lessons and I really hope this doesn't get the better of me.  My goal is to be confident enough to be able to go swimming alone  a few times a week; the location is so handy, right near work so would be perfect for squeezing in a few lengths on my way home.  

Have you ever had swimming lessons as an adult?  I'm actually thinking about doing a series of blog posts, to keep track of my progress and maybe encourage other non-swimmers to take up lessons? What do you think?

Hopefully before long I'll be like this...

...and not like this!