Week 3 2021 One Daily Positive - The European Tour Bubble

The beginning of the week was medical appointments, followed by 4 nights in Abu Dhabi for the HSBC Championship Golf with the European Tour. I'm staying in Abu Dhabi only 45 minutes down the road as I have to move into the official bubble to comply with the Tour rules. So many rules to follow, but happy to do so. Not allowed out of the hotel other than to and from the golf course, all meals to be eaten outdoors or in your room and no socialising with more than one other but outdoors and at a distance of 2 meters. Exercise of 1 hour a day is permitted, but no access to the hotel pool, however I will be spending the 4 days walking around the golf course, so won't need my hour.

16 Saturday We ventured out on a 6 mile beach walk, ending up in KFC for lunch, then home to bed for me for the afternoon as my back was killing me. I didn't venture onto the rocks.

17 Sunday Follow up appointment after last weeks surgery, all good. Then a trip to the nail bar and hairdressers. In the late afternoon we went for a walk around the Marina.

Flamingoes at City Walk.

18 Monday Dropped Peter at work then off for a PCR test ready for the golf, collected Peter after lunch. Afternoon spent resting my back, then evening out at Bluewaters for dinner and to see the light show.

19 Tuesday Follow up appointment with the Doctor about my back. He decided to focus on my neck injury from 25 years ago saying that unless that is sorted I will continue to have a bad lower back due to poor posture. Yes, yes, I know this and NO I don't want more tests, they've been done many times, every Doctor offers to cure me, giving me false hope then at the end tells me the nerves are damaged and can't be repaired and once I learn to accept the chronic pain things will improve. Duh! I just need some physio and short term meds every now and then to get me back on track please. 

20 Wednesday Off to Abu Dhabi, PCR test at Golf club then checked into hotel. I have a 1 bed apartment for the week, very luxurious and not a bad place to be isolating for the next 12 hours. Ordered room service, will be able to eat outside on the terrace the rest of the week.

21 Thursday Early morning start due to the US TV audience at 5am, however it was foggy and the golf was delayed for 3 hours. I walked round the course twice almost 30,000 steps with the last golfers having to finish half way round due to poor light. Back to hotel around 6 .30pm, I had dinner, a bath and was in bed by 9pm.

Current Leader Tyrell Hatton -12 Par

22 Friday A lie in, breakfast and off to the course for 10am, another PCR test. One and half times round the course, 24,000 steps, back to the hotel at 6.30pm and after dinner and a bath, I was asleep by 8pm.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, viewed from Breakfast terrace.

On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo - The view from above of Dubai Water Canal.

I'm fed up of not knowing what I don't know until I don't know I need to know it.

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One Daily Positive Week 4. Abu Dhabi and Omega Desert Classic Golf

A very busy week and I've walked a total of 99,351 steps which is approximately 67kms/41miles and most of it round a golf course, 2 dog walks per day, 2 walks along the beach and malls and cleaning the house.

This is my second year marshalling at the golf events in the UAE, all part of the European Tour. The Race to Dubai, HSBC Championships and Omega Dubai Desert Classic. I've been static on a crossing or the 1st tee box and 18th green, worked with anti doping escorting players from the green to the anti doping facilities and this week I worked with the TV recording live sound of the players selecting clubs, discussing tatics and have been privy to numerous private conversations as well as quite a few rude jokes in an attempt to shock me. I've smiled a few times, but mainly kept a dead pan look on my face as I can't respond verbally to them whilst recording.

For 5-6 hours a day I'm wearing headphones that pick up every bit of conversation from the spectators, golfers, caddies, action on the other greens and tees. Have you ever watched 'What a woman wants?' with Mel Gibson, where he can hear everything women are thinking? Well it's like that, I hear words, can see people's mouths moving but find it difficult to place exactly where the sound is coming from, it's a sensory overload.

19 Sunday Last day of the golf. Took Peter to the airport in Dubai which is the opposite end of the city from where we live then back past our house to Abu Dhabi grrrrrrrrr. Mum took herself on a walk to the coffee shop then spent the afternoon pool side, she also did all the ironing. Lord knows what Child 5 did all day. I marshalled Tommy Fleetwood and Andy Sullivan and Mike Lorenzo-Vera. It was a televised match, but the other marshal and I already work within the protocols such as not walking up the fairway behind the players.

20 Monday Had a well deserved lie in, air conditioning serviced then off the other Outlet Village the other side of Dubai for the day. I went back out in the evening to Emirates Golf Club for the briefing for the Omega Desert Classic that starts on Thursday. I was violently ill during the night, no idea why.

21 Tuesday Mum and Child 5 got a taxi to Dubai Mall for the day, they went up the Burj Khalifa, they were instructed to get a taxi home as I spent the day, washing, sweeping and mopping the floors. I went to bed around 8pm and spent a couple of hours blogging, scheduling posts and tweets and commenting on blog posts.

22 Wednesday Off to Dubai Miracle Gardens in the morning then the Beach for a walk, coffee and ice cream.

23 Thursday Mum and I went out for a coffee and then she went off to the pool again for the day. I started my first day at the golf, lots of familiar faces from last week. It's rare for the golfers to remember the marshals, but the caddies and managers are starting to recognise me, I'm a professional stalker these days lol.

24 Friday More golf, an early start, walked the first 12 holes with a Signature group then was taken off the course and returned to the same group now carrying a 15lb battery pack strapped to my waist and a mic to record sound for the TV feed. Met Mum and child 5 down at Jumeriah Beach Residence (JBR), we had dinner out and stayed to watch the fireworks, getting home around the same time as Peter.

25 Saturday Peter in charge for the day as I was at the golf again. Another day with TV, after 16 holes I was collected and driven back to the 16th tee to walk down with Tommy Fleetwood for his last 3 holes. Home, bath, helped mum pack and an early night.

BTW I don't play golf

On the blog this week:

Relocating the cat and dog to the UK They started their life in South Africa, before moving to Dubai where they've been living for the past 5 years.

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