Maybe it’s the hot weather that’s doing it, but the usually timid wildlife around here is coming out a lot more than usual. Looking outside last night, I spotted two rabbits bounding across the street and disappearing into the undergrowth, and a hedgehog slowly making its way across my lawn. I’ve also seen several huge dragonflies, usually in the late afternoon, and many more butterflies than normal. Other than the dragonflies though, it’s all quite nice. So long as nothing that stings or bites decides to migrate here, I’m happy.

Found out on Saturday that, thankfully, the little sods that raided the gym’s cash box only got away with ten pounds. Could have been a lot worse. According to Howard, there was a camcorder right next to the cash box that they didn’t touch. I think my surprising them cut short any further thievery, which was a relief.

It was hot today. Really, really hot. As in, opening windows didn’t cool the house down at all. Still, come winter everyone will be complaining that it’s too cold, so I’m making the most of it.

I decided I wanted to do something about my back garden. It needs mowing, which I can do easily with guy-from-next-door’s lawnmower. However, all around the borders a load of weeds have sprung up. My garden backs onto a soundbreak, and plants have crept under the wooden fence and invaded my garden. As a result I have not flowering borders, but thistle, nettle, and random ugly plant borders. The only problem is, I don’t own any gardening tools. I wouldn’t know the first thing about neatening up a garden, other than mowing it. I made a half-hearted attempt at yanking out some weeds, but only succeeded in getting stung by nettles. I gave up quickly and I’ve decided to get someone who knows what they’re doing (and who owns proper equipment!) - i.e. a gardener - to sort it out.

Gardening ideas abandoned, I went out on my bike again, taking the same route along the Five Weirs Walk as last week:

1. The spider bridge
2. Entrance to the Five Weirs Walk
3. Walk Mill weir
4. Burton weir
5. Sanderson’s weir
6. Thomson’s Salmon bench
7. The river bridge at Hecla

I know that’s only three of the five weirs - the other two are further along. I got off at Valley again, and went to see Veronica Guerin (v. good) at the cinema - thank God for air conditioning, I was dying of heat exhaustion by that point. Amazingly, it hadn’t cooled down by the time I left the cinema, and it was like walking into a wall of heat as I stepped outside. Still, I managed to cycle back home without killing myself. I may even go out on my bike tomorrow!

Pirates of the Caribbean - buckle your swashes, ready your best lip curling piratical snarl, and go see it at the cinema. I’ve no idea what the Disney ride the film is based on is like, but the film itself is brilliant. Just over two hours of action, swordplay, plundered treasure and curses. It’s well worth it.

Went to the gym this evening, only to find when I got there that the only people around were the two caretakers. Apparently, Howard (the owner and trainer) had been called away on business. I was pretty disappointed, but then the caretaker offered to unlock the gym for me. I was a bit hesitant at first, with Howard not there, but then figured that I’d been enough times to know what I was doing. I’d only be in there 45 mins max, I reasoned, and the caretakers would still be about in the function room.

About halfway into my workout in the gym room that adjoins the boxing ring hall, I heard noise by the boxing rings. At first, I figured that someone else had come in to do a workout on the punch bags or something, but then I heard kids laughing. I ducked out of the gym room in time to see two boys, perhaps 11 years old or so, pulling money out of the cash box. I yelled at them, and chased after them. Unfortunately, they’d got a head start, and by the time I got to the front doors of the gym, they were across the road and scarpering. I went back into the gym to pick up the cash box in case they came back, and then went into the function room to tell Barbara. She went out in her car to look for them, but of course they’d had far too much of a headstart and she couldn’t find them. I assume they were local and they disappeared home. I finished my workout with the cash box next to me, and by the time I was done there were three other guys working out too. I’d told one of them, Tony, what had happened, and got him to keep an eye on the cash box until the place was locked up again.
Barbara said she’d tell Howard what had happened, and when I go in tomorrow I can give more of an in-depth into what happened. I don’t know how much money was taken, unfortunately. I’ll have to ask Howard. In the meantime, I’m half-hoping I bump into the little sods so I can drag them back to the gym and let Howard deal with them.

Doubled up at the cinema last night to see Legally Blonde 2 and Terminator 3 (is anyone else sensing a sequels theme in releases this season?).
As expected, Legally Blonde 2 was a scented and saccharin loaded pile of pink fluff, but it was kind of cute. Would have been even better with more of Luke Wilson in it, though, if only for the eye candy.
Terminator 3 was pretty good. Not as good as the second one, and I know loads of people are going to say that’s because James Cameron wasn’t directing it, but still entertaining. Lots of explosions and chases and many, many rounds of ammunition spent. There wasn’t a huge amount of plot, although the start of the war against the machines is very good. Sets the foundations nicely for the fourth film, although they’d better make it quick. Schwarzenegger is still looking amazingly pumped body-wise (and small wonder given how much he trained for the movie), but he’s starting to show his age a little.