What I did yesterday - run around a lot.
I had one task to do yesterday - help out at Mousetrap Theatre Project's event in the afternoon. Their aim is to bring theatre to all young people at affordable prices and the evening was trying to encourage teachers to take school groups to the theatre.
I had to get there at 2. Which left me plenty of time to do my hair and clothes and whatever else I needed to do.
Then the night before Waterstones launched a competition. If you go to their Oxford Street store and say a code word, you get the new P. C and Kirsten Cast novel and a House of Night T-shirt. If you then take a picture of you, the book, and a bookseller and tweet the photos, you also win a signed bookplate from the authors. This is all because of the volcanic ash - they were coming to do a signing but then cancelled.
So I thought I can do the Waterstones one first then head off to Covent Garden. The next bit is probably very confusing for those who don't use the underground in this country. Let me just tell you I was panting and sweating the whole time.
From Baker Street I took the Bakerloo Line which would take me to Piccadilly Circus. With good time management I decided to stop off in Oxford Circus and go to W'stones and win what I wanted. I run up all the escalators and right before I swipe my ticket to leave the station I realise that I am in the wrong station. To walk from Oxford Station to the W'stones store would take years. So I run back down, only to realise that I am on the wrong line. So I take the Bakerloo back to Baker Street and change to the Jubilee to take me to Bond Street. The whole time I was wondering if it was worth it. There were only 5 prises and it was about 1.20 at this point. But I ran up 2 epic escalators and to the store, down their escalators only to puff the name to a bookseller.
Who looking very bemused and vaguely worried for my heart, gave me a book and a T-shirt (!!) Once the photo was taken I ran back up the stairs and to the station. Ran down the escalators and planned to back to Baker Street and back on the Bakerloo Line. Then I realised that if I went one more stop on the Jubilee Line to Green Park I could switch to the Piccadilly Line a stop earlier and not have to make any more multiple switches. It sounded like a plan. So that's what I did. Only to remember at Green Park that to get from the Jubilee Line to the Piccadilly Line in Green Park you have to walk about a mile. Which I them proceeded to run.
Once on the right train I sat until Covent Garden. Then I ran to the Mousetrap Theatre Projects office and reached at 2.05. There we carried boxes of food and drink down 4 floors only to then load it in a van, which didn't have enough room to take us all. So I with another woman walked to the Church where the event was being held.
There I served drink and food and didn't sit down once. So at quarter to 7, when all the teachers were leaving and getting their goody bags and tickets (they had a choice of a play or musical to see that night) I was asked if I wanted a free ticket because some teachers hadn't been able to make it. There was no way I was going to say no, so I said yes. I chose:
The only problem was that the play was in Charring Cross and I was in the middle of Soho somewhere. So after I got hasty directions, I ran to Leicester Square station and took the Northern Line, which thankfully went direct to Charring Cross. Once out, I ran up the escalators again and out into the street. Shoving a pair of glasses on my face, I tried to look for the theatre, gave up and asked for directions. Then I ran some more down the road, and made it with 5 minutes to spare. I sat, realised that the people around me were teachers and members of the theatre industry who had chosen this play too. Talked, had a wonderful time and wasn't able to stand when the play was over.
Walking back with other people to the station meant that I couldn't run, because no matter how tired I might have been I am incapable of slowing down (it's really annoying). When I finally went to sleep last night (or very early this morning) I was woken a few hours later when my legs were screaming in agony.
And today I refuse to do any exercise that involves me legs or knee, which has died, unless I have to. Which means I am not moving