Pile of Dross

Parents came, parents went. Didn’t take them to the BBQ, thanks for asking :-p. I was never seriously considering it, and the weather was a bit rubbish on Saturday, so we had a meal in the Fleur-de-Lys in East Hagbourne.

Hmm,

On the same day that my parents turn up for their visit, I’ve been invited to a BBQ at a colleague’s house. Half of me thinks that asking if my parents can come is a great way to get them out of the flat – which is a bit small for 3 people frankly; the other half is running screaming for the hills at the potential for social catastrophe, and that it surely counts as cruel and unusual punishment to inflict my parents on people whose only crime is to work in the same place as me.

Hmm.

After last weekend’s run out to Upton and back not being too hard (though I did have a break when I reached Upton), I though I’d push myself to try the whole route to work and back.

So off I set, reaching Upton without difficulty and finding the path that takes me towards Chilton – which is where my problems started. The path was small loose stones and on a hill at the start and I just couldn’t make any headway -eventually I had to resort to getting off and pushing the bike. Once the first incline was over it wasn’t too bad, but the stones were still snap, crackle and popping alarmingly under my wheels, but finallly the stones changed to a very odd smooth shiny white surface, which was much more pleasant to ride on, if a little slippy. Eventually I reached a junction, which I thought was the turnoff I had to take towards Chilton, so I go into my pockets to check the map, only to realise that my mobile phone isn’t in my pocket. Less alarmed than puzzled, I realise that either its fallen out somewhere or I didn’t take it with me, so decide that I’d better retrace my steps. Going back down the hill was possibly worse than going up, a couple of times I feel the back wheel slipping away from me, and the sound of stone pinging off into the undergrowth from the weight of my back tyre is very disconcerting. Still I reach Upton without killing myself – and its such a relief to be cycling on tarmac again. I get back on to the cycle path to Didcot and just like last week absolutely bomb along it – faster than the outward trip – is it the home stretch phenomenom or me just getting my second wind – I dunno. So I get back to the flat, maybe 90 minutes after setting out, and the damn mobile phone is sitting on the dinner table ;-/. Perhaps I’ll make another attempt at the full route tomorrow – weather forcecast claims its going to be sunny, but I think I’ll give the other route , the on-road route, a try.

One Bike delivered by the nice people at Ridgeway Cycles. Now to find a nice easy preferably off-road route to get some practice – possibly to Upton and back.

Two days off and I actually managed to do stuff rather than just baking in the heat (maybe that should be despite in place of rather).

For the first time in four years I’ve actually learnt the name of one of my neighbours – he followed me to the barbers on Wednesday and we chatted a bit (not much as my lack of smalltalk is renowned). And as can be guessed from the previous sentence I also got a haircut – no exciting first to relate there though.

Next first – I went to Wantage; if there’s every a competition for the Town name that really should be a word, Wantage will be getting my vote. Its definately nicer than Didcot – several pubs that looked reasonable and actual activity in the town centre, unlike the ghost town Didcot sometimes is (though less so with the new town centre).

‘Nother first : Rode a bike for first time in over a decade. Not, admittedly, far – couple of times round a (small) car park, but enough to convince myself that I can still ride a bike – I did once forget how to tie my shoelaces (damn you velcro fasteners) so it wasn’t a given. Long division – forgot how to do that as well at one point.

Almost inevitable first after the previous one: Bought a bike, a Trek 7200(What is it with Bike manufacturers and these generic names? Somewhere there’s a Marketing person weeping at the inability to generate brand name recognition). Delivered , yes delivered I want to rebuild confidence and get an idea of my endurance/stamina, some point next week.

Disclaimer – My iBook Dashboard BBC Weather widget is claiming that the current (3am) temperature is 18 degreesC, so any bizarre ramblings above are probably the result of heatstroke, dehydration and lack of sleep because its too fricking hot. 18?!!?, that’s height of summer temperature where I’m from, not middle of the bl**dy night.

Pandammonium » Blog Archive » A message…

Oh dear, I foresee an day of “You’ll be next.” comments in my future.

And I’ve just done my bulk occasion card buying for this year too, some people – no sense of timing, never thinking about others, grumble grumble grumble.

Congratulations, C & C.
:-)

Today I got :

• My payslip showing that I’m getting my 12 months of backdated payrise + sweetner for it taking so long = an extra 400ukp this month
• A key to the housing estate bike shed(s)

Coincidence?

Now I’m wondering if I can make it to Oxford and back to look at bikes on Saturday before being stoned as a heretic for not being in front of a tv at 3pm or whenever it is.

When things aren’t going well (and at work things aren’t going particularly great) its helpful to take stock of the things you have accomplished, so today I’ve :

Cleaned these particular boots for the first time I can remember

Found the setting that stops my samba password expiring every 30 days

Wrote the letter to get a key to my housing estate’s bike locker

Activated a credit card

Bought a handful of cds

I’ve finally got around to doing something with the Flickr account I’ve had for ages – I’ve uploaded the best photo I took last year at my cousin’s wedding. It was really a test of the FlickrExport plugin for iPhoto. When I say its the best photo, I mean that everyone’s looking the right way, its in focus, well light, no fingers in the way etc. The actual subject matter’s pretty grotesque :-).

Those of you actually come to the website to read this drivel may have noticed the thumbnails at the bottom of the sidebar which is provided by FAlbum, a wordpress plugin.

This me trying to incentivise myself to use my damn digital camera more.

Pandammonium/Pseudo-brother-in-law

Yes, I went and visited the family member with the least ability to annoy me. (Actually that’s not strictly true, but less annoying ones tend to be accompanied by more annoying ones, IYSWIM)

I’m really not sure what more Caity expected of a meeting between me and Colin – she’s been at previous ones and this one was pretty typical. It suffices to say that he started it. :-p

“Pseudo-brother-in law”. Scary.