Europe - The Final Countdown

Well, its been back to work this week. :-(

It is however, an excuse to ride my bike :-)

I have managed to slightly increase my mileage.

Tuesday was a glorious day, so I did 15 miles on the way to work and 18.2 on the way home, making a total of 33.2 miles for the day. I managed a lap of Hyde Park which is 3 miles. It is glorious to ride down the side of Green Park, past Buckingham Palace, up Constitution Hill, under the Wellington Arch and into Hyde Park, a lap there and back down Constitution Hill and up the Mall to Admiralty Arch then along the Embankment and past the London Eye and then the Tower of London. Its a beautiful ride in Central London.

I decided to be more organised this week, so had set the oven to have my tea cooked for when I was due home. So when I got home, I expected to find the welcoming aroma of a roast dinner. Did I find it? Of course not, muggings here had set the oven timer, put the roast in the oven, but forgot to turn the oven on.

Wednesday was not such a pleasant day, and it rained as well, so I only cycled 30 miles today. No lap of Hyde Park. The good news is my roast was ready tonight when I got in. I managed to set the oven properly. Eat your heart our Delia.

Being organised, after tea, I've been out shopping and bought a new storage unit for the hall way to store my cycling kit when I get back from a ride. I even managed to construct the thing without too much bloodshed or too much foul and abusive language. The emphasis being on the words too much. I've even replaced all the light bulbs that have blown in the house.

After all that hard work, it was time to sit down and watch a good comedy on the TV. The sign of a good comedy is in the timing and this man had perfect timing tonight.


So last year it was 3 British sides in the semi-finals of the Chasmpions Leagyue. This year after Arsenal last night and Man U tonight, its down to none.

Looks like it may be left to Fulham to fly the flag in Europe for England this season if they win/draw and Liverpool lose/draw tomorrow.

This is the trophy you are not going to win this year Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea or any other English side


Back to cycling matters. My knee is still causing me pain to walk on, but it is easing off a bit. Its not helped by the lifts at work not working and being based on 3rd floor but kettle etc are in the basement. Can I sue work for the pain and suffering this is causing me? LOL

I spoke to Tiffany tonight, she is the wife of my friend I will be seeing in the USA. I can't believe its 18 years since I saw them on that side of the pond. Its been far too long. however, the last trip to see them has cost me a fortune, hasn't it Tom?

Goin' Up

This one's for Sir Bobby

Nothing more needs saying today

You Keep Me Hanging On

This thread was meant to be a glorious celebratory post about Newcastle United winning promotion. However the promotion train was delayed at Peterborough owing to a points failure at Bristol. Yes, the failure of Bristol to take all three points off Nottingham Forest meant promotion was not definitely achieved yet. Newcastle are 15 points ahead of Forest with only 15 points left, so its all but certain.


Nearly There

It makes a change from 11 months ago


After a quiet Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, with no cycling, I went to Peterborough on Saturday to see the Toon's promotion bandwagon roll on. An early start was in order. Out the house for 7am to walk to the train station in the pouring rain. I got to the station only to find there were no trains running all weekend owing to engineering work. Grrrrrrr! So I had to walk the mile or so to the nearest tube station. Guess what, as I arrived at the tube station, the rain stopped. So I was soaked and already running late. Tube to Kings Cross and train to Peterborough where I was met by BTP's finest.

Escorted Out of Town?

Actually, the two BTP police were just walking ahead of me, having got off the same train as me and I was not being escorted out of the station. Well, that's the defence version of events.

A quick rendezvous with some of the lads in Asda and then onto the pub for 10am. Liquid refreshments in several public houses with various friends from many years of following the Toon.One of the lads presented Northumbria's finest with a box of Easter Eggs as a gesture of friendship. (Hope they remembered to declare the gifts received).

The game itself was pretty much more of the usual rubbish, punctuated by a good sing song and the acquisition of a black n white flag - thanks Tom. Sadly, the party was postponed (not cancelled though) owing to the points failure at Bristol City. So its Monday night for the party.

After the game we went back into town for a post match drink. We came across the interesting sight of Cambridgeshire Police and Northumbria Police surrounding a pub to protect the Peterborough fans from the vast numbers of Newcastle fans.

We ended up drinking bottles of The Dog in a Wetherspoons pub in town. I don't drink the Dog unless I've already had a skinful. Looks like I'd had a skinful then.

Travelling from Kings Cross to Liverpool St on the way home, we met a young girl (well about 18) - initially she said she was from Newcastle, but on chatting with her, she is from a tiny hamlet about 2 miles from where I grew up - a small world! Her ambition? To be a topless model!!!!! All I can say is she has a couple of things going for her!

I got home, ordered a Chinese takeaway and then promptly fell asleep on the sofa. I eventually awoke to the delivery man banging on the door to wake me up. I then managed to fall asleep before eating all the food, so it was cold chinese for breakfast - lovely!


Just a quick message to a certain Cockney- just because we are nearly promoted, it doesn't mean the message has changed to you.

GET OUT OF OUR CLUB

Easter Sunday - I delivered the Easter Egg I was asked for. I was told by someone [In the interests of privacy, I won't mention their name - lets call them say Michelle] that they wanted a chocolate egg from Cadbury's. I did exactly as they told me and bought them one of these.



Did I get any thanks? Of course not!

They complained that it wasn't what they wanted. However as I pointed out the instructions I got were not to turn up on Sunday unless: -
a) I came bearing chocolate
b) in the form of an egg and
c) it had to be from Cadbury.

Now I ask you, is a Cadbury's caramel egg not:
a) chocolate;
b) an egg; and
c) made by Cadbury?

I did all that was asked of me. Tell me what I did wrong? Apparently size matters.

Thanks for my Green and Blacks Egg - lovely, but sickly - and not good for the diet.

On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, and I entered the doghouse - again! I'm sent there so often, by so many people that I'm thinking of changing my name to Fido or Rover. Woof woof

I do have to report that I appear to have strained my knee with all the exertions yesterday. It won't affect my cycling, but it has made it painful to walk today. Not good!