Swimming day 389 - Friday 16th December 2011

Can Starfish commit suicide?  If so then how? I guess more importantly; why??

Got back from London after 7pm and then straight to the local pizza pub to join the 30 + Starr Trust volunteers for a Christmas get together to thank them for all their hard work.  The Trust volunteers are just incredible and give of their time so freely; without them the Trust just couldn’t grow – thanks to them all.  I had another one of my Train moments coming back from London yesterday.  I was sitting next to a chap who engaged me in conversation about business, the economy and world politics.  An interesting chap and an interesting talk.  At the end he said to me “can I buy your company”!  Normally someone may suggest buying you a coffee after 20 minutes, but not your company!  Turns out he is a Venture Capitalist from Japan who wants to bring Japanese Technology into the UK Insurance market and needs a UK based Insurance Company to facilitate this.  After my “thanks, but no thanks” he suggested a joint Venture instead.  An hour later, after bidding farewell at the station I receive an email from him suggesting a meeting; of which I will gladly take.  Life is so funny, you never know from one minute to the next what will happen and what doors open.  Just like the sea, you never know which wave will turn you over and which one will lift you up high.

Talking of the sea I guess I should explain my opening comment.  Basically this week the beach has been littered with Starfish.  Just this morning I walked passed 23 of them (I stopped counting at 23) on the beach; on Wednesday Charlotte and I counted over a dozen.  Maybe it’s annual Starfish suicide day or maybe it was a Starfish sacrifice to the great Seagull in the Sky; either way it was an oddity. 

This morning it was raining cold raindrops on the beach (and apparently snowing on the outskirts of Brighton).  Not many at the arch once again, but enough of us to make a happy bunch.  The sea was playing nice today, with some very decent high waves, but at the same time feeling safe.  A lot of fun if you can forgive the cold (6.8 degrees today).  The worst part for me was the cold on my face.  I am taking the cold hands, body and feet cold OK, but for some reason my face is really finding it hard; to the point where I almost couldn’t stay in for more that a Little Bob (my term for a minute!!! – sorry LB, just a joke!!).  We stayed in for maybe 15 minutes, which was enough and then off to the Red Roaster for a gorgeous chill out warm up.  No London today, so a nice easy day at the office.  All good for the swimmers, but sad for the Starfish.