Archive for August, 2009

The Big 10K

It’s the last (I reckon) of the Bushy’s Great South 10K runs on Friday night and as per usual, we need volunteers to man the outposts of the course to keep the fit young athletes and Chicken Legs Watty both safe, and directionally sound.  This is a SPort Erin event and the last of the summer where we will be asking for your help, so let’s make it a good ‘un eh?

As usual, our resident Social Dictator, Tom de C, will be there to guide and advise and it would be only polite if you could let him know of your intention to help…and will save me the agony of having to deal with 26 panic calls from a frantic DeC on Friday afternoon.  Meet at the Bay at 18:30 and please call Tom on 401950 before he calls you…and you know he will!

Tom, I’ll be there.  No need to call.  Honest.

This week’s fixture

29th August.  14:00 kick off at KWC.  It’s another 40 minute round-robin against Vagas and Ramsey.  Some sparkling performances in the previous two pre-season classics make this one a ‘not-to-missed’ rugby extravaganza on home soil.  So get yer butts down to Bill’s and give the boys some support.  Come on… Prinny’s Gran can’t be allowed to take home the… err…bit of wood on a plinth, for the third year running.

The Manx Rumourmill

And finally, let’s dispel the Manx rumour that a giant Leatherback Turtle was washed up on the Port Erin shoreline at the weekend!

Although eventually proved incorrect, had you been walking by the Bay on Saturday night, you could have been forgiven for rushing up to the wildly thrashing beast, turning it onto its belly and dragging it back out to sea.  Like the Leatherback, its stranger-than-fiction carcass followed the general sea turtle body plan of having a large, dorsoventrally flattened, round body with two pairs of very large flippers. Like sea turtles, its flattened forelimbs seemed specially adapted for swimming in the open ocean and claws were noticeably absent from both pairs of its thrashing flippers, being replaced in this case by stubby, sausage-like appendages, seemingly more appropriate for grabbing wrists and elbows when engaged in close conversation.  It was obviously distressed and disoriented, and the large, bald, mis-shapen head and lack of visible neck only added to the confusion of the on-lookers.

Closer examination however, would have revealed that this was no Dermochelys Coriacea, but rather a rare and seldomly seen Huburtacean Loganileus.  Rather inebriated and reeling under the vitreous gaze of its life-mate, granted, but a Hubert nonetheless.

Having witnessed the events leading up to this sad dilemma, I can say with all honesty that old Hugh made my night.  I can still see the confident swagger, the unplanned side-step and rapid change of direction before he crashed, confused and bewildered, unceremoniously through the “…quiet please, residential area…” blackboard.

Looks like our friends Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo have a new addition to their band of Mutant Numties.  Welcome Donatenko.

Dates for the Diary

• Friday 28th August. Bushy’s Great South 10K Run 3. The usual suspects to meet at the Bay PE at 18:30.
• Sunday 30th August. Beach Rugby. Port Erin Beach.
• Sunday 6th September.  Nomads Golf Day. Rowany Golf Club, PE.  Tee Off 12:00 – 14:00. See last week but one’s No Date or visit http://sites.google.com/site/nomadsiom/golf-day-2009 for the current entrants list.
• Sunday 6th September.  First Aid Course. St Johns HQ, Douglas. 10:00 – 17:00.
• Saturday 12th December.  Nomads Christmas Dinner.
• No date set. Level 1 Rugby Coaching course – get your completed application forms sent in, or back to Gaff asap please…and do the Rugby Ready online questionnaire.

That’s it for another week, so until next time….”Turtle Power”.