Cold weather continues...

Saturday was cold and so was Sunday, but coldness wasn't the reason for my abort. Sadly, I stayed up too late on Saturday night and I just knew that I needed more sleep so I aborted. There were also a few commitments that I needed to keep, so I didn't go out. When I eventually set foot outside I realised just how cold it was and felt kind of glad that I didn't go for a ride. Andy braved it and that made me feel even worse about not going; he's got a plan that involves trying to go cycling on both days of the weekend. To be fair, we've done pretty well: the last two weekends we've riden out on Saturday and Sunday, another reason why I feel bad about not going. It's likely that I'll only be riding on Sunday next week too. Why? Because I'm anticipating a late night next Friday and that will put Saturday in the pot – unless it's one of those occasions where I find myself awake at some ungodly hour and get out of bed and think 'I'll go on a ride'.

As I write this it's 0640hrs and I won't lie: I've been sitting here thinking 'ride to work, ride to work, there's a train strike'. But I know that riding to work is a real hassle and I've already started to think of what I'd need to pack: a pair of trousers, my shoes, a shirt, the list goes on and besides, you know how I feel about riding to work, it's not good. Fine if the office was down the road, but it isn't. It's a pleasant ride, but having to go to work at the end of it is the problem. Once a week to work? I've thought about it, let's be fair, but it doesn't take away the hassle element.

Andy's camera spots a light aircraft in somebody's garden...

Andy went on a local ride and on the way he found an aeroplane in somebody's front garden. It hadn't crashed or anything, it was just there, and the weird thing is this: he didn't spot it, his Go-Pro camera did; it wasn't until he reached home and played it back that he noticed it. I've just read Andy's blogpost on the subject and again, pangs of self-guilt for not hitting the road yesterday. The thing is this: I don't know about you, but if I'm out late, when I get home I can't go straight to bed. I have to chill a little first, either by watching a bit of television or, in my case on Saturday night, listening to a bit of music, going through Spotify looking for old albums I remember listening to years ago, that sort of thing, and that's why I didn't hit the sack until gone midnight (shortly after sending the abort text). You live and learn.

Right now it's Monday morning. I was up early at 0538hrs and I'm sitting here now writing this and listening to Beck's Sea Change album. In fact I haven't stopped listening to it ever since Christmas morning. In fact it's funny how having a long break over the festive season introduces new things to my life, new routines if you like. Over the holidays I made a point of being up early, being downstairs, listening to music while messing around, like now, on the computer, checking out Twitter, firing off what I think are humorous comments here and there, checking the email and so on. I spent a lot of time over Christmas reading Bruce Dickinson's autobiography, which I've almost finished, and a lot of the reading was accompanied by Beck's aforementioned album. I'd sit on the sofa with a peppermint tea (yes, a peppermint tea) and read in between visiting relatives and eating. It was so chilled and long may it continue. Right now, though, I've got to get ready for work. There's a train strike, as I've already mentioned, but the trains normally run okay, let's see...