The God of Tarmac

Monday brings Derby’s Championship Play Off Semi Final 2nd Leg with Fulham and I pay for a Sky TV game for first time ever. Which I do through Now TV. I say ‘first time ever’ but I did buy a game through them once before for the Hull Play Off game two years ago but I was so disgusted after the first leg defeat that I never used it. I though perhaps I’d still have the unused credit on my account but no, it had expired.

After their negative performance in the 1^st leg, Derby are far too positive in the 2^nd Leg and lose 2-0. A fair result though, Fulham are a much better side than Derby. It would have been a travesty if we’d gone up, our team should have finished mid-table at best.

On Tuesday I’m on the bike and in the evening at dog training while L and Daughter go to the ballet, to which I was invited. It’s a Matthew Bourne ballet of Cinderella who did the Edward Scissorhands thing I saw years ago but this is a screening at the Savoy Cinema. Which is all a bit middle class for Lenton.

On Wednesday night I am out with my friend from school and surprisingly one of the other chaps, who used to join us, turns up unexpectedly. The first time for a year or more. We have a couple in the Alexandra before going to the Brunswick for food.

There is no tennis on Thursday as my opponent has no transport. I cycle though as I also do on Friday.

As I hit Coventry Lane in Bramcote on Friday, I realise that it has been resurfaced and not with stone chippings. It is as smooth as a smooth thing. All hail the God of Tarmac and the thing is they’ve done all this since yesterday. Wow.

On the way home the road through Stapleford is closed and cordoned off because of an accident but they let me through and don’t make me cycle the long way round.

The boys seem to be coping with begin left loose together or rather MD is surviving the experience. We hade been worried about ruining MD’s days by leaving the Lad loose but he doesn’t look too beaten up when we get home. All four ears remain present and correct. Whenever we walk them and MD barks at something the Lad gives him a nip. Things are improving though because I think MD is learning not to cross the Puppy. 

The Lad is probably also too busy during the day to attack MD. He seems to be a hoarder and his pastime when we’re out seems to be collecting a pile of things in the hall from dog toys to tea towels, dish cloths etc but I have no idea where he got L’s strappy top from.

(Friday 18^th May)

The Fit Young Things And The Fit Old Things

This evening I have a track session booked at the Derby Velodrome. My first for months due to all the running I’ve been doing. There’s little point turning up at the Velodrome post-run and getting wasted by all the fit young things and, for that matter, the fit old things. The Sunday night SQT takes no prisoners.

Ironically now that the running calendar has big holes in it, either due to the races not being there or simply full because there's not enough of them to go around, the Velodrome is winding down for the winter.

Yes, I know track cycling is seen mostly as a winter sport but then so is pantomime and the place will be taken over by Buttons, the fairy Godmother and the Ugly Sisters for most of the season. Yes, Cinderella is going to the ball, in my Velodrome, and we don’t even get tickets. Not that I'd actually want any of course but that's not the point.

Tonight, three riders from the British Cycling Academy join our session, which is quite scary. Fortunately they are all doing the sprint sessions rather than the endurance sessions like me. So thankfully attempting to keep up with them (or somewhere approaching keeping up with them) isn’t my problem.

Daughter comes to watch and I don’t think she was too bored.

Afterwards we go for a couple in the Horse and Jockey. Tonight’s dark one is Black Forest Stout from Abstract Jungle.

(Sunday 13^th November)