loving life

Onward and Upward

| Richard

So I’ve covered the Sprint GT’s first service over on its own blog – I just need to start giving it the berries a bit more (although its trip computer must be over-reading…).

I also received a letter about my stepmother’s estate which was a piece of pleasant news and well timed, given I’m planning to buy a house or maybe even my apartment which may soon be up for sale.

Due to a change of plans, I had Saturday free so I decided to get the pushbike out to go for a little spin: maybe 5 or 6 miles on the advice of my Consultant Knee Surgeon and my physiotherapist at the excellent London Bridge Hospital. 11.4 miles later and I’d had a great time, keeping the cadence up and not putting too much effort through the knee. Same thing next week, I think.

GT popped over in the evening, meeting me for dinner at the O2 where we were then due to see Iron Maiden play. An excellent gig! Then over to Waterloo to say goodnight and back home to the apartment.

Up at a reasonable time on Sunday to head up to Norfolk for lunch with the ‘kids’ which was made more difficult by the completely inept road closure arrangements for the Prudential Ride London: every main road out of London to the East was closed despite the official sites claiming they’d be open earlier.

Monday saw more check-ups and blood tests – all fine – and a nice, long phone call as arranged the week before from Humberside Police to explain, as expected and agreed, that they wouldn’t be pressing charges against the psycho ex for her theft and disposal of some of my stuff (“intention to permanently deprive”), but only because it wouldn’t be in the public interest to waste taxpayers’ money on a prosecution: there was the passage of time caused by them, sadly, which they accepted was the case and they knew she would never admit guilt – she never does – and accept a caution, so the options were a full trial or nothing and the thefts were, as I told them, insignificant (I’ve long since replaced the stolen goods with better quality, newer things … a bit like I did with her, I suppose). They suggested I start a private prosecution, which is always an option, but I can’t be arsed to waste any more time on her.

But the good news is that they’ve now got the proof of what she’s really like: a liar and a thief. So that’s the end of that: maybe she’ll stop stalking me one day too?

So it’s onward and upward!

Winter Wonderland

| Richard

So winter has finally arrived, or at least the snow we all like and loathe in equal measures.

Friday was cold and snow was forecast for London, so I wore big boots and my fabulous Superdry Polar Puffer Jacket (which was a real bargain … and isn’t available online any more). Just as well, because the air conditioning units in the office packed up at lunchtime so I wore it all afternoon. Walking home in the snow, the roads were safer than the pavements and I gritted the stairs up to my apartment block when I arrived home to be safe.

I’d decided not to risk driving at the weekend with further heavy snowfalls forecast and took the train over to GT’s, arriving at lunchtime – steaming, herby veggie soup and pâté – before  a few repairs and fitting a replacement cat-flap. Then we headed up to the Epsom Downs for an afternoon’s sledging. Great fun!  Off to the pub for a drink and to warm up before trekking back again for dinner and chilling out in front of the telly and a bit of admin. sorting out a CV for GT.

A long lay-in this morning before pasta for lunch and a relaxing afternoon whilst it continued snowing heavily. Then off to Nando’s for a huge dinner before I took the train home. I’d feared the worst: South West Trains had been Tweeting about disruption all day before they halved the services back to London. It actually turned out the train I chose left on time, arrived into London on time and, after a brief tube and bus ride, I was home within an hour.

And now I’m wonderfully relaxed, listening to great music on the Apple TV through my surround sound system with a Southern Comfort for good measure. Fab!