This morning I headed out fairly early on my ride to Botley Hill, non-stop. It's unusual riding out somewhere and then coming straight back - round the roundabout and home - but that's the way it is at the moment. Andy does his own thing and I do mine. We both ride solo in keeping with the rules.
Today I had one close call on the 269, some bastard getting a little too close for comfort. There was also an impatient cock (well, alright, cunt) who rather than wait until the road ahead of him was clear to pass me safely, decided to sound his horn loudly, making me jump. I mouthed the word 'wanker' and then quickly forgot about him as the fields opened up and I took full advantage of the lovely weather.
The ride back was uneventful and I stopped at Waitrose to get some milk and other stuff. I had to queue for around 45 minutes, standing there in the car park two metres behind the person in front of me. Fortunately it wasn't raining although later on in the day, when I called mum, she told me she was praying for rain. I rolled my eyes. "It'll be good for the garden," she said. Bugger the garden, I thought, I wanted more sunshine and blue skies, I wanted to be out on the bike, not stuck indoors looking out on the rain. What will be will be.
I did spend the rest of the day in the garden, sawing and cutting and putting stuff in the big, brown plastic container supplied by the council. There's more to do tomorrow, but not if it's raining. Lunch was a tinned salmon and mayo sandwich followed by a deluxe hot cross bun, something else I'd bought earlier. I ended up having two, which was a bit piggish, I know, but being under 'lockdown' I decided it was justified. I figured that all the sawing and cutting back plus the earlier 14-mile bike ride, would burn off any excess calories.
Dinner was an excellent chicken stew, a meal that made it into the pages of Suki & the Christmas Treasure Trove, a book I wrote ages ago and self-published. It needs rewriting if I'm honest, but I doubt I will find the time. I wrote it ages ago, under the influence of Lemsip. I think it has potential, but there are far too many other things to be getting on with, so I doubt anything will happen.
I'm sitting in the conservatory writing this. It's dark outside (it's now 2053hrs) and we're all resigned to the fact that the lockdown has been extended for another three weeks. To be totally honest with you, I'm used to it. I quite like it. It would be a nightmare without the cycling, which is part of my routine. I make a point of riding once a day and as we're on week three I'm now cycling 14 miles per day. Not sure what I'll be doing next week, though. I'll try and maintain what I'm doing right now, 14 miles per day, as it's a good work-out and I've managed to complete the ride, from door back to door, in around one hour and five minutes. Initially it took me one hour and 15 minutes, so I've shaved 10 minutes off the time.
The Specialized Rockhopper needs something doing to the front brake. It's rubbing on the disc and I think I need a new shoe. Bike shops are open if I'm not mistaken so I need to run it down to the shop and get it fixed.
Surviving lockdown is all to do with routine and I've slipped into a good one. It involves music (currently listening to a lot of Johann Strauss) and the X Files after the news, plus a bit of reading (currently Uncommon People by David Hepworth) a regular cycle, good food cooked well and a fairly good night's sleep. I tend to hit the sack around 2300hrs and I get up around 0700hrs.
So three more weeks ain't no hardship, I can do it.
Today I had one close call on the 269, some bastard getting a little too close for comfort. There was also an impatient cock (well, alright, cunt) who rather than wait until the road ahead of him was clear to pass me safely, decided to sound his horn loudly, making me jump. I mouthed the word 'wanker' and then quickly forgot about him as the fields opened up and I took full advantage of the lovely weather.
 |
| After the ride I head for the queue to shop... |
I did spend the rest of the day in the garden, sawing and cutting and putting stuff in the big, brown plastic container supplied by the council. There's more to do tomorrow, but not if it's raining. Lunch was a tinned salmon and mayo sandwich followed by a deluxe hot cross bun, something else I'd bought earlier. I ended up having two, which was a bit piggish, I know, but being under 'lockdown' I decided it was justified. I figured that all the sawing and cutting back plus the earlier 14-mile bike ride, would burn off any excess calories.
Dinner was an excellent chicken stew, a meal that made it into the pages of Suki & the Christmas Treasure Trove, a book I wrote ages ago and self-published. It needs rewriting if I'm honest, but I doubt I will find the time. I wrote it ages ago, under the influence of Lemsip. I think it has potential, but there are far too many other things to be getting on with, so I doubt anything will happen.
 |
| Graffiti close to where I padlocked my bike at the supermarket |
The Specialized Rockhopper needs something doing to the front brake. It's rubbing on the disc and I think I need a new shoe. Bike shops are open if I'm not mistaken so I need to run it down to the shop and get it fixed.
Surviving lockdown is all to do with routine and I've slipped into a good one. It involves music (currently listening to a lot of Johann Strauss) and the X Files after the news, plus a bit of reading (currently Uncommon People by David Hepworth) a regular cycle, good food cooked well and a fairly good night's sleep. I tend to hit the sack around 2300hrs and I get up around 0700hrs.
So three more weeks ain't no hardship, I can do it.
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