Real progress!

At last I feel I'm making some real progress! We (my two kids, their cousins and uncle, and me) cycled (on two wheels) along the canal to my in-laws near Bradford-on-Avon where we spent the afternoon. Whilst we we're there we went to the BMX bumps course near Trowbridge where there's a basketball court surrounded by a high fence. Ideal for practicing! All the kids had fun on their bikes whilst I spent 30 mins on the unicycle. There was a red semi-circle painted on the court about 20 feet diameter from the back of the court, and I made it my goal to cycle past it (well at least fall off so that my feet were past the line!)

And I did it!

Later, back at the in-law's house, I spent another 30-45 mins practicing and managed to do 20-30 feet rides on a few occasions!

Total time so far - about 3 hours...

Day 4

Half an hour in the lane at the bottom of the garden with much cursing and swearing. I guess 10 feet is my best so far! I have to say it's bloody knackering, climbing on, falling off, climbing on, falling off etc. You do have to be stubborn!

I guess my total practicing time is about 1.5 hours so far...

Injuries...

Ventured into the garden today with the unicycle - managed about 5 feet max but not without some cuts and bruises to my shins and calfs! Youch...! Still I've just got to keep at it!

Did some practising in the kitchen too - not sure it went down too well with Lisa, but after all, she did give it to me :-)

Surfed the web for some hints on learning. Found lots of good stuff, but basically I'm doing it more or less right anyway! What was encouraging was finding out that it should only take me 10-15 hours to get it (moderately) sussed! There's hope for me yet!

Taking my mum flying

Boxing Day highs

Not much time for more than a few more minutes on the unicycle today as I took my 70 year old (+4 days) mother tandem paragliding up at Westbury in Wiltshire. She's been wanting me to take her up for ages and finally the weather, my friend's tandem glider and my parents were all in the same place! We were up for 20 minutes, and although it was pretty cold she absolutely loved it!

You've given me what?

And so I finished opening my presents, or at least I thought I had... I was led by my wife into the hall where one big box remained wrapped up behind the door. Hmmm... I eagerly ripped off the paper and attacked the box, and to my complete surprise found a unicycle inside! Talk about an original present! [1] She is fantastic at giving presents, totally puts me to shame!

I assembled it quickly (not difficult!) and spent the 15 minutes holding onto the bannisters in the hallway outside the sitting room rocking backwards and forwards trying to get a feel for it! It ain't going to be easy!

What with one thing or another I didn't do much more today...

[1] She did know that I spent a very hot and sweaty hour in summer 2003 trying (and failing) to learn to ride a unicycle at a work's do...