A few dodgy starts on consecutive Sundays. The first one turned out to be disastrous, although that was probably too severe a description. Basically, I kept leaving the house and having to return; well, a couple of times, but I was already running late and when I remembered that my pump and 'leeches' for punctures was in a rucksack and it wasn't on my back I had to return again having made it half way up Church Way. Demoralising sums it up. The problem, of course, was not having used a rucksack for a while and then changing tack and using one, largely for carrying a book and glasses. Annoyed with myself I returned home, vowing to go out later, which I did, but first I sent Andy a text saying I wouldn't be there. I rode to Westerham instead about half an hour after returning home and stopped at Esquire's Coffee and sat there reading my book. I was drenched by the time I got there because the weather turned as I approached Botley Hill and rained continuously until I reached the town. While I sat there, the weather changed and there was no rain on the return ride. I did my usual thing: I approached Westerham in the normal manner, riding down Clarks Lane, and then went back the other way, turning left on to Pilgrims Lane by the Velobarn, which is never open these days.
Things have been a little stressful of late: mum was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and spent a while in ward B5 after enduring three days on a gurney in the corridor. It's amazing when you consider that the UK is the world's fifth largest economy that the hospitals are not unlike those you might find in Gaza during the pummelling the Palestinians were given by the Israelis. We've all seen shots of war zone A&E departments on the news and that's exactly what it's like in, of all places, St. Helier hospital in Carshalton and elsewhere in the UK. The fifth largest economy in the world! There are also a lot of people in the UK living in poverty and relying upon food banks, there are homeless people, including ex-servicemen, living on the streets, single mums with young children sofa surfing or living in sub-standard, mould-infested rented accommodation.
Mum was eventually placed on a ward and given oxygen and antibiotics and soon started to recover, but it's not looking good long-term. The doc suggested she was fit to go back to the home but he wasn't confident that the infection would stay away for long. That said, mum has always been a fighter. When dad died she calmly announced that she had breast cancer, but soon kicked it into touch; then she was told she needed a hip replacement and sailed through the whole thing without incident. After that a few falls and a diagnosis of dementia saw her being placed in a nursing home for her own safety, where she is now, and that's kind of where we are; it's not been easy. Yesterday, I found out that mum was a little better, not brilliant but definitely better so, while it's still a little touch and go and will remain so, there has, if you like, been a stay of execution.
I'm glad she's back in the home as it's a far better environment than the hospital. In the bed next to mum in ward B5 was a woman who would suddenly scream like in the horror movies. It made me jump, put it that way, but mum wasn't phased at all, she didn't even flinch. I wonder what that woman is doing now? She's probably still there making the other patients jump every five minutes.
I'm going to the home tonight, it's a 25-minute drive from where I live. If it was lighter in the evenings (as it is during the summer) I'd probably ride over there on the bike, but, to be honest, after a day in the office and the commute home, the last thing I'm thinking of is cycling. Especially today as there was a derailment this morning at the depot in Selhurst and also a signal failure of sorts which have both caused problems that are ongoing.
On another topic, I simply must get my act together. There are so many things I need to address (one of them being more cycling) and I've now resorted to considering (note that word 'considering') writing a list and then ticking off all the things I need to do. However, I am literally 'considering' the list; it is, in fact, something I need to put on the list, ie writing the list itself is one of the things I haven't gotten round to. I don't know how I'm going to get out of what has become a spiralling state of not doing the things that I need to do. Even writing this blog has become something I don't do that often. Back in the day I was always writing about my rides to here and there, but now I don't post as often as I should and that, along with everything else on the mythical list, needs to be addressed.
It's Saturday 7th February now and guess what, yes, it's raining. So no cycling today and I can only hope they'll be one tomorrow. Last Sunday's ride to Sheree's was fine, but there was a touch of rain so it's not as if I'm not going out in it. Today, however, is fairly heavy and that means I'd be soaked through by the time I reached the top of Church Hill. Clearly, there's a need for an alternative sport and that will inevitably mean enrolling as a member of the local leisure centre. Something else for the list. In fact, it's been on the list for many weeks now and nothing has been done. I guess the problem is money: there's not much on the list that doesn't cost money, not that I don't have the money.
So it's looking like another week of just one ride, the Sunday ride. Normally I head to Oxted today where I sit and read in a Caffe Nero before heading back up the hill and home. I can't remember the last time I did it, but hold on a second, I'll take a look at Strava. It was 20 December, so before Christmas. Since then I've done the odd Norfolk Nobbler, the Sunday ride and a few walks.
I'm finding it very difficult to start something and keep it going. So I managed to do one thing on the list (bring the trim wheel in from the garage, it's taken me weeks to do it) but I haven't used it yet. As for the dumbells, I've yet to start using them. I haven't booked a membership at the pool either. And things keep getting in the way. Admittedly it's normally the rain where cycling is concerned, but then there's other stuff too: we've got to go here or there and do this or do that and exercise takes a back seat. So, a clear need for getting my act together.
As I write this it's raining but I'm going to check in a second or so and might (I stress that word 'might') go round the block. But who am I kidding? I'm not going to commit to anything, it's not worth it as something is bound to get in the way.
