Bradley Wiggins didn't have to put up with this!
Today was a good day. By my standards. Considering I don't live in a part of the world currently under going armed struggle and/or destructive natural phenomena I guess every day is a good day. But by my own middle class, well fed, adequately recompensed, democratically represented criteria today was a good day.
I was kindly woken at 10a.m. (we rise late in this house - deal with it!) by one of those automated calls that tells me I need to get my skates on because that payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation sure isn't going to reclaim itself. If I had ever taken out any payment protection insurance at all and I suspected I had been mis sold it I would probably have found this unwarranted intrusion into my slumber as a useful reminder. However I have had 25 years uninterrupted years of service to the NHS and been disgustingly (and slightly bizarrely given my lifestyle) healthy. Losing only a handful of days to sickness, ever. My pension and work place benefits more cover me for most eventualities except a long and debilitating illness. To which I have a plan B. Let them sue me! ( I guess that is another reason to say that every day is a good day). So I have deliberately and in full knowledge and consent NEVER taken out ANY kind of PPI! This was not the first of it's kind I get these calls about 3 times a week.
Despite this rude awakening I was pleased to see the sunshine this morning and to be greeted by it's warm glow in September is indeed cause for celebration. I know I once told my ex wife, when planning our futile wedding, that I had heard September was on record as being the month with the most sunny Saturdays of any month. A fact that fitted in with my desire to complete a full Cricket season, which drew to a close in August.
The fact that I nearly spent the whole of this Saturday in front of the telly is not the point.
I had sat down with a rather stale pain au chocolat that my children had bequeathed me and large mug of coffee. I idly switched on the telly and there was film called "Gideon of The Yard". It stars a great British actor of yesteryear called Jack Hawkins. The film I would imagine is far removed from what policing in the 1950's was really like but it serves as a beautiful reminder of how the country used to see it's Bobbies. Before the days of the Sweeney TV series. Ah! They don't make nostalgia like they used to.
Any way straight after this I was online following the F1 qualifying in Monza. What confuses me about Monza is that all the teams seem to love the track and the drivers seem to enjoy driving on it. But on my Xbox Monza is definitely the least interesting course. Just hammer the throttle and watch out for some random corners. Spa is so much more fun to drive around. Still what do I know?
The morning had become afternoon and that was swinging into late afternoon/early evening when I finally decided enough was enough and got out on my bike. As I am a fair weather cyclist there will be few opportunities to get going until spring. So off I went
Today I felt really good. It felt like MAMIL (Middle Aged Man In Lycra) and machine in perfect harmony. I was on a role. The years were rolling off me. I had been out a few time this year but had found it hard going. At my age I am not sure whether it was the acknowledgement of the inevitable race to decrepitude or was I just unfit? Turns out I was just unfit. I had been attempting a little jogging over the last few weeks and although I made no demonstrable gain in the running I felt on top of the world astride my pedal machine.
In my mind I was on the trail of Bradley Wiggins. I reminded myself of his comments after his gold medal when he said that the roads for his time trial had had no work done on them to remove potholes and the like. I had those plus dog walkers, elicit lovers and a drift of pigs (which Wikipedia informs me is the collective noun for a bunch of pigs)
I cycle along an ex railway track converted for leisure. I am not afraid of dogs as such and I have never met a bad owner/dog combo but there is always a first. So when I see dogs off the leash I slow and ping my pathetic bell until I can determine that someone has seen me and needs to take avoiding action. As I said before ALL the dogs and owners I have come across have been well trained but it only takes one and I need hospital treatment. Dog walkers seemed to occur at about 500 yard intervals, thrown into that were a couple progressing at leisurely pace side by side who nearly got a large print tyre up their backsides so sure was I, right up until the last moment, that they would eventually hear me and move aside.
Finally, my route passes by a fishing lake and farm shop. The owner keeps a few pigs - really big ones! but they have quite a lot of cute piglets (before their appointment with destiny). Today a drift of pigs had found their way out of their pen and were wondering around the farm shop car park. Initially I cycled past chuckling at their audacity but I soon had a pang of guilt that should anything happen to them or they caused an accident I would have been partly responsible. I turned back and hunted down a farmer. Who told me that he lets them wonder around there after closing time and they don't stray far from their mother. In other words mind your own business Towny and get on your bike! So I did
Like I said I felt good and even with that little stop over and the other obstacles I still managed to get round close to my best time this year.
I was kindly woken at 10a.m. (we rise late in this house - deal with it!) by one of those automated calls that tells me I need to get my skates on because that payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation sure isn't going to reclaim itself. If I had ever taken out any payment protection insurance at all and I suspected I had been mis sold it I would probably have found this unwarranted intrusion into my slumber as a useful reminder. However I have had 25 years uninterrupted years of service to the NHS and been disgustingly (and slightly bizarrely given my lifestyle) healthy. Losing only a handful of days to sickness, ever. My pension and work place benefits more cover me for most eventualities except a long and debilitating illness. To which I have a plan B. Let them sue me! ( I guess that is another reason to say that every day is a good day). So I have deliberately and in full knowledge and consent NEVER taken out ANY kind of PPI! This was not the first of it's kind I get these calls about 3 times a week.
Despite this rude awakening I was pleased to see the sunshine this morning and to be greeted by it's warm glow in September is indeed cause for celebration. I know I once told my ex wife, when planning our futile wedding, that I had heard September was on record as being the month with the most sunny Saturdays of any month. A fact that fitted in with my desire to complete a full Cricket season, which drew to a close in August.
The fact that I nearly spent the whole of this Saturday in front of the telly is not the point.
I had sat down with a rather stale pain au chocolat that my children had bequeathed me and large mug of coffee. I idly switched on the telly and there was film called "Gideon of The Yard". It stars a great British actor of yesteryear called Jack Hawkins. The film I would imagine is far removed from what policing in the 1950's was really like but it serves as a beautiful reminder of how the country used to see it's Bobbies. Before the days of the Sweeney TV series. Ah! They don't make nostalgia like they used to.
Any way straight after this I was online following the F1 qualifying in Monza. What confuses me about Monza is that all the teams seem to love the track and the drivers seem to enjoy driving on it. But on my Xbox Monza is definitely the least interesting course. Just hammer the throttle and watch out for some random corners. Spa is so much more fun to drive around. Still what do I know?
The morning had become afternoon and that was swinging into late afternoon/early evening when I finally decided enough was enough and got out on my bike. As I am a fair weather cyclist there will be few opportunities to get going until spring. So off I went
Today I felt really good. It felt like MAMIL (Middle Aged Man In Lycra) and machine in perfect harmony. I was on a role. The years were rolling off me. I had been out a few time this year but had found it hard going. At my age I am not sure whether it was the acknowledgement of the inevitable race to decrepitude or was I just unfit? Turns out I was just unfit. I had been attempting a little jogging over the last few weeks and although I made no demonstrable gain in the running I felt on top of the world astride my pedal machine.
In my mind I was on the trail of Bradley Wiggins. I reminded myself of his comments after his gold medal when he said that the roads for his time trial had had no work done on them to remove potholes and the like. I had those plus dog walkers, elicit lovers and a drift of pigs (which Wikipedia informs me is the collective noun for a bunch of pigs)
I cycle along an ex railway track converted for leisure. I am not afraid of dogs as such and I have never met a bad owner/dog combo but there is always a first. So when I see dogs off the leash I slow and ping my pathetic bell until I can determine that someone has seen me and needs to take avoiding action. As I said before ALL the dogs and owners I have come across have been well trained but it only takes one and I need hospital treatment. Dog walkers seemed to occur at about 500 yard intervals, thrown into that were a couple progressing at leisurely pace side by side who nearly got a large print tyre up their backsides so sure was I, right up until the last moment, that they would eventually hear me and move aside.
Finally, my route passes by a fishing lake and farm shop. The owner keeps a few pigs - really big ones! but they have quite a lot of cute piglets (before their appointment with destiny). Today a drift of pigs had found their way out of their pen and were wondering around the farm shop car park. Initially I cycled past chuckling at their audacity but I soon had a pang of guilt that should anything happen to them or they caused an accident I would have been partly responsible. I turned back and hunted down a farmer. Who told me that he lets them wonder around there after closing time and they don't stray far from their mother. In other words mind your own business Towny and get on your bike! So I did
Like I said I felt good and even with that little stop over and the other obstacles I still managed to get round close to my best time this year.
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