Entries by Ian Middleton

Sweeping Away the Doubt

To conclude the final instalment of the three-part Enduro Series – yes, it was series – it was hot, which should come of little surprise as it appears to be an underlying theme of the races this year. What didn’t help matters was the high-vis uniform I was wearing due to my role of ‘sweeper’ […]

Time’s Killing Me

“What’s that? You were stuck in a backcountry hut for three days with a crazy Danish guy?” It’s not very often that an idea for a horror story, magazine article and blog post all arrive at once, but hearing the cabin fever-inducing experience of a couple who recently walked the New Zealand Te Araroa track […]

Office Based Period Piece

As a result of the adverb debacle last week, which if you haven’t read, it’s here, I’ve now stumbled into another literature-based quandary – that of body language. Gone are the days when I could just say something was undertaken slowly, or angrily, or happily or any other convenient adverb that summed up the context nicely […]

When One Verb Just Won’t Do

Adverbs. Who would have thought these pesky little grammatical creatures could be such a nuisance? On the surface, they sound quite fun, almost like a useful tool when one verb just won’t do. Say, if you were running juggling. I was vaguely aware of their existence but wasn’t entirely sure what they were. Similar to […]

You got to spend money to make money – apparently

‘A lightweight camping mug, well I do have one already, but this one is insulated.’ ‘A climbing knife, for cutting rope. I don’t have one of those. Quite cheap too.’ ‘A woman’s ultralight, breathable running jacket. Well, my jacket is starting to lose its waterproofing.’ ‘Spray-on waterproofing… I think I’d rather just have a new […]

Getting Anal about Coffee

Some of the best comedy straddles the thin line between hilarious and offensive/bad taste. Get it right, and you can be ‘that guy’ – referenced in the positive, carried out on the shoulders of cheering strangers way, as opposed to the slightly more negative, police line-up type. Get it wrong, however, and you’re ‘that guy’ […]

Mt. Richardson – Canterbury Foothills

‘Well, this was a waste of time!’ Ian announced as we arrived at the summit. Considering the effort it had taken to get here, I thought he would have been a little more ecstatic. He stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head from side to side. I personally thought it was […]