I was feeling uncharacteristically chirpy this morning despite a relatively late night, hitting the sack around 2330hrs instead of an hour earlier and waking up and listening to the wind and rain on a couple of occasions during the night. I was, however, up at 0600hrs eating porridge with fresh fruit and checking out the web for cycling shorts and a decent saddle, there's so much choice. Later, when Andy and I reached our destination of St Leonard's church in Chelsham, I found that I had the Small Faces' Lazy Sunday Afternoon in my head. "Wouldn't it be nice to get on with yer neighbours!"
Yesterday we rode to the Tatsfield Bus Stop, the slow way, which is our usual way these days, and when we reached it we pondered many things including the essay question: "Everyone is a cunt." Discuss. I was going to have a crack at it - and still might - because the level of general cuntery in the UK at the moment is such that I feel such an essay is warranted and way overdue. Perhaps everybody should have a go.
It was good riding the short distance to St Leonard's. We'd been here before, of course, although I'd have to go through the archives to find out exactly when; it's one of those places we go to when we've got to get back early and it suited us both today. It meant that I reached home at 0915 having stopped off at the garage to give the bike a jet clean and buy a EuroMillions lottery ticket, just for the hell of it. That and a plain chocolate Bounty bar which I should have resisted. But there's my weak-will for you; I can't resist a chocolate bar now and then, although, at present it's a little more frequent that simply 'now and then'.
There's a Christmas tree on the green at Sanderstead, which was a pleasant sight as I rode through the churchyard on both Saturday and Sunday morning, although I didn't go through the churchyard on Sunday, preferring to stay on the road, making my angle of approach towards the tree slightly different today than yesterday.
We're thinking seriously about the Pop Inn in Redhill next weekend, mainly because we're getting bored of the same old routes. The slow way to the bus stop is fine, but we know it off by heart and there is a need for variety, which we're not getting at the moment. There's no point, for example, taking the same shots week in and week out of our bikes leaning against the bus stop, it's been done many times.
The problem with St Leonard's on a December morning is that the benches are going to be wet and we're going to have to stand up and not sit down like we do at the bus stop, but we didn't care.
I was dressed in my usual cycling attire: the rust-coloured jacket that has seen better days, a heavy jumper, multi-pocketed trousers from Millets and my rather menacing green balaclava. I was wearing my walking shoes, which are now fairly muddy and all-in-all, going back to that essay question, I looked like a right cunt, albeit a chirpy one.
The sun is shining brightly and right at me as I sit in the conservatory writing this blogpost. The trees are bare and silhouetted against ther sun's rays, there's a jet circling somewhere overhead prior to making its final approach into London Heathrow and there's dew on the grass. It's not cold either, which is a relief as last week I never managed to get a week-day ride in because of extreme cold (it was around minus one). I must go out tomorrow morning as it looks as if the rain will return on Tuesday.
Andy rode to the green today and we parted at the garage where I stopped to give my bike a much-needed jet clean. All I need to do now is oil the chain and it should be alright. As avid readers will know, punctures have played a central role in my cycling life of late (see previous post) but other than that, all is well. There are birds chirping outside, the grass flutters in the breeze and the light is appealing, it was even better this morning as we rode those country lanes close to the church.
I've still got my trousers tucked in to my socks, but I'll soon rectify that. Time, I think, for a cup of tea.
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| Christmas tree on Sanderstead's 'Gruffy' |
It was good riding the short distance to St Leonard's. We'd been here before, of course, although I'd have to go through the archives to find out exactly when; it's one of those places we go to when we've got to get back early and it suited us both today. It meant that I reached home at 0915 having stopped off at the garage to give the bike a jet clean and buy a EuroMillions lottery ticket, just for the hell of it. That and a plain chocolate Bounty bar which I should have resisted. But there's my weak-will for you; I can't resist a chocolate bar now and then, although, at present it's a little more frequent that simply 'now and then'.
There's a Christmas tree on the green at Sanderstead, which was a pleasant sight as I rode through the churchyard on both Saturday and Sunday morning, although I didn't go through the churchyard on Sunday, preferring to stay on the road, making my angle of approach towards the tree slightly different today than yesterday.
 |
| Time for tea at the Tatsfield Bus Stop |
The problem with St Leonard's on a December morning is that the benches are going to be wet and we're going to have to stand up and not sit down like we do at the bus stop, but we didn't care.
I was dressed in my usual cycling attire: the rust-coloured jacket that has seen better days, a heavy jumper, multi-pocketed trousers from Millets and my rather menacing green balaclava. I was wearing my walking shoes, which are now fairly muddy and all-in-all, going back to that essay question, I looked like a right cunt, albeit a chirpy one.
The sun is shining brightly and right at me as I sit in the conservatory writing this blogpost. The trees are bare and silhouetted against ther sun's rays, there's a jet circling somewhere overhead prior to making its final approach into London Heathrow and there's dew on the grass. It's not cold either, which is a relief as last week I never managed to get a week-day ride in because of extreme cold (it was around minus one). I must go out tomorrow morning as it looks as if the rain will return on Tuesday.
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| My Christmas goes up a week early! |
I've still got my trousers tucked in to my socks, but I'll soon rectify that. Time, I think, for a cup of tea.
