What Price A Valet

We’re back at work on Tuesday and L is straight back into training doing loops of Forest Rec with Daughter. I put my feet up at home in between chucking balls for the boys.

L is down in London for work on Wednesday and I’m back at dog training after Monday’s was called off due to a lack of customers. Thursday, I’m back on the bike and then playing tennis in the evening.

Meanwhile my pass for the Pride Park bridge through the railway station finally runs out. It’s the end of an era. That grotty bit of card must be 10 years old.

On Friday I take the new car in for a valet to get all the grass, sand and dog hairs out of it that we acquired on holiday in Scotland. I've never been for a valet before and go to a shady place on Traffic Street, next to the petrol station that’s next to the pub where I once met a very nice girl who let me grope her chest in the pub's car park. Ah, the memories. It only cost me £12. That's for the valet, which was excellent. The girl's more expensive but still with me and also excellent.

Then I’m at the match, as we have a Friday night game at home to Cardiff.

On Saturday I’m at Southam Agility Show in Onley but only because our club had offered to help out and I’ve volunteered to do my club-ly duty. With MD now retired and the Lad still doing baby courses I enter them both in the same ‘Anysize’ class. This is the first time I’ve had two dogs in the same class since Doggo was 10 and MD was a mere youngster of 3. MD lost that one to the old master and he lost this one to the young pretender as the Lad puts in a pretty decent clear round while MD picks up faults.

Back home L did parkrun at Clifton where someone broke their ankle last week, which is always a worry of mine there, and she’s been to Pilates where my masseur is apparently asking about me. I’m sure my calves will soon be asking about him. 

(Saturday 14^th September)

End Of Another Era

It’s the end of another era today, the council are collecting the old double bed today along with its lightly notched headboard. I did remember to remove the handcuffs first. I'm more sad about the headboard than the bed, which was truly knackered. I’d bought that headboard especially as the old one had nothing to grab on to, so I didn’t really see it as having much use. Ah, the fond memories.

I have a very eventful morning on the bike. It wasn’t the rain that was the problem, more the wind and the two punctures. I went down a rather large pot hole and punctured both tyres at once. Never done that before. It has to be said the roads are in a dreadful state at the moment but they don’t tend to start fixing them until late summer.

The Brunswick has its Damson Stout on at lunch time, which goes down very well.

Squash is off, as there are still no vacancies for a game this week.

I get back on the bike to ride home and cross my fingers. I can’t have any more punctures because I’ve used up all my tubes.

L heads off to do a duathlon. Running to spin then running home. She arrives home dripping with sweat. Very nice.

(Thursday 26^th February)

End Of An Era

As I’ve said the council have promised to collect our old three piece suite this morning, yeah right. Actually, what’s this... a bin lorry? At 7.20am? It’s not even light yet. I’m well impressed.

It's the end of an era. I feel quite melancholy and almost shed a tear as I watch it go in the crusher. I’ve had that suite since I moved in, in erm... 1994 and it was second hand then. It’s seen some, ahem, action, over the years. In its better, more frivolous days that is, before practically every spring in its structure gave out leaving it in the end as basically just a cloth covered frame. In fact I can't believe it held out as long as it did. ‘Held out’ being a bit of a loose term.

I also suspect there’s still some money and teaspoons wedged in there somewhere. Although to be fair to the old thing, we have had a few drinks on the proceeds of turning it upside down earlier in the week.

I take the bus to work again. Taking into account my accident record, I reckon it’s still too icy to cycle.

Squash is also (oddly) a victim of the weather. A water main has burst at Portland and the centre is closed. It’s a shame really because for once it might have actually been quite cool on court.

(Thursday 13th December)

Last Day At The Office

Is it too cold, too icy and/or too windy to cycle? Maybe. I join the other wimps on the bus.

L heads off to Leamington to do a bit of shopping and to visit Son, who’ll no doubt agree that there is such a thing as a free lunch. L takes her germs on the train, which is fine. As it’s traditional to cough and splutter as much as possible on public transport. Almost as traditional as the delay, which today is due to a ‘failed’ train. Don’t they all.

I get home to find that our new chairs are just as pristine as when we left them but also to be greeted by only one dog. I had to free Doggo from the spare room, which he’d managed to break into and the door had shut behind him. I don’t know how long he’d been in there. MD, if he was feeling smart, could have helped him escape but perhaps he didn’t want to.

I don’t believe this. Last week we received a Christmas card that should have gone to a house in Newark which has almost the same address as us, only theirs is a ‘road’ whereas we’re a ‘crescent’. Plus there’s the really obvious fact this is Nottingham not Newark and the addresses have totally different post codes. Well I kindly reposted it and it’s come straight back! I scrawl NEWARK across it in big letters and post it again, surely it won’t come back a third time...

Tonight is Doggo’s last day at the office, his final Wednesday night training session as he’s now officially retired. It is simply the end of an era. Quite a sad day really.

(Wednesday 14th December)