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)

A Break For Freedom

We return to Forest Rec for Parkrun and I decide to run with the Lad for the first time. He is very excited at the prospect of this and is so keen to get started he immediately sets about chewing through his lead. I manage to abort that particular break for freedom and persuade him to wait for the nice Run Manager to start us.

When we do get underway we start way too near the back for his liking. I shout out ‘coming through’ as we hurtle through the field elbowing everyone else out of the way.

I manage to rein in his enthusiasm after awhile and steady his pace. I don’t want the little lad overdoing it at his tender age. We clock 23:39, not bad for a first effort.

As if to compensate for last Monday’s wanton destruction of the local Derby v Forest game, Sky TV have given us permission to play our next five games at 3pm. Wow just wow and how retro.

Sadly my Mum isn’t getting any better after her fall the other week but at long last her doctor has now sent her for an X-Ray. Result, two fractured pelvic bones! FFS. No wonder she was in pain. So she isn’t at the match again today but at home with her new zimmer frame and Radio Derby.

Last Saturday I apparently bought L a dress for Christmas. This Saturday apparently I’ve bought her a coat for Christmas as well. That is, she says, if I can afford her. Of course, she’s always great value. I’ll be boots next, you see.

(Saturday 22^nd December)

Shadowy Figures

We get a painting quote for £850 for just two rooms, well one room and the hall actually. This seems seriously over the top to me. I do find it odd that the painting is more expensive than the plastering but then I expected the plastering to be probably double what he charged us. Included in the painting price is ‘filling holes’. How can that be, it’s brand new plaster!

L drags me to the Bonfire Night celebrations at Forest Rec, not that I needed much dragging. It was a good job I was dragged because L was supposed to be meeting Daughter but she’s been detained by her friends and they are late. Not that we see them at all.

The event itself is more of a funfair with a disco attached and as an afterthough a bonfire and fireworks. The bonfire is impressive enough but with no build up or fanfare, some shadowy figures emerge, sidle up to it with lanterns and light it. There seems to be effigies of several yellow jacketted council workers on top, perhaps that's why.

If that was with lack of ceremony, it’s got nothing on the fireworks which appear out of nowhere and without warning. Good they are though although very brief.

Tuesday I’m dogging and L is over that way too, visiting her folks, but doesn’t socialise with us.

On Wednesday, I’m in London and as usual the drive down is horrendous. It takes us four and a half hours to get there and only slightly less to drive back up. The visit itself goes very well.

After cycling on Thursday, as well as on Tuesday, I’m effectively asleep under my desk but I don’t think anyone notices.

Cycling probably wasn’t a great idea because tonight is the start of the Nottingham 5k Winter Series which is a monthly series of runs on the Victoria Embankment. It’s a 7:30pm which I think is so civilised but L complains that it’s almost her bedtime. So neither of us will be sub-20 tonight then. Daughter joins us.

The problem with a Winter Series starting at 7:30pm is that it will be dark, very dark. The organisers, Nice Work, tell us the Embankment is well lit. Which means they clearly haven’t been there at night and those that have sensibly turn up with head torches. Well, the smart ones do. We don’t.

In the end it’s not a bad run, well not as bad as any out and back along the Embankment could be.

(Friday 9^th November)

A Reoccurring Theme

I do a run with the two girls on Sunday, L and Daughter. We meet up at Forest Rec and then run to Beeston. I get the bus home from there while they head back to Forest Rec to pick up the car. The boys are left at home and the Lad only has time to accumulate two tea towels plus a few toys in the hall. He seems disappointed at my quick return.

In the evening we head over to Leamington to see Son, where we take dogs in the White Horse. Son’s GF is on crutches, having apparently broken her ankle falling off a ledge while taking a selfie or something like that.

Monday night dog training is allegedly starting up again and the Lad will just love it. Although it won’t be starting this week... not enough people. This could (again) be a reoccurring theme.

The Lad’s haul in hall today is two tea towels, a dish cloth, two dog toys, a pair of knickers and a bottle of multi surface cleaner. WTF.

On Tuesday Gary Rowett leaves Derby for Stoke. Ha ha. The grass is always greener eh Gary... But Stoke? Really? I spend Tuesday in London, waiting three hours for someone from our customer’s IT department to turn up.

Wednesday, I’m on the bike and in the Yard (for beer and pizza) then later at dog training.

After a particularly fraught morning dog walk on Tuesday L reports that boys were angels on Wednesday morning and asks if I’ve had a word in their ears? How odd. I’ve been having a word in MD’s ear for 10 years. Never worked before.

Thursday I’m on the bike again and get home to be greeted by the Lad with bits of shredded dish cloth hanging from his mouth. Good to know he’s kept himself amused again. Then it’s tennis for me while L is out on the lash in Derby. We meet her off the bus later.

Friday is a touch wet, so I don’t bike and the rain keeps all sensible dog owners indoors so L and the boys have a pleasant morning walk as there’s no one for MD to fall out with.

(Friday 25^th May)