'Great Expectations' Part 2

It is often the case that new arrivals bring with them new responsibilities, and sometimes the occasional burden.
Some can also be life changing.

The desire to have children, a new job, or to move house are obvious examples.

With the obvious positives there are always negative aspects to these scenarios.

Children can cause huge anxiety as well as great joy.

The dream promotion often brings the nightmare of stress.

The relocation from the polar regions of 'Yorkshire' to the 'East Texan Prairie, swaps cold wind and gales, with warm wind and Hurricanes.

The upgrading of my road bike from a Mid range alloy 'Scott Speedster', to a Carbon fibre 'Scott Addict also brings with it some new challenges.

I have never seen myself as a good cyclist, although whatever I do in life I always try hard to do it well and improve where there is a capacity to do so.

Taking part in Sportives and charity events I always peddled hard , but I knew my limitations.

When people went whizzing past on their 'Posh' bikes I resisted the chase. There was no point at all trying to stay with them or chase them down as Scott hated all that showy stuff.

If i was to try such a feat he would probably try and dislodge me or other cyclists just to cause embarrassment for me.

Now Addy has arrived on the scene things are totally different.

He is as enthusiastic as a rookie quarterback playing in the Superbowl. He eagerly wants to make his mark.

I went out cycling with Simon today. He has a posh bike and is as fit as a butchers dog, and as competitive as a wall street stock broker. Each time Simon raised the tempo Addy followed suit obviously trying to impress me. The upshot of all this high energy was marked. By the time i got home I was in urgent need an oxygen tent and a highly trained masseuse.

Clearly Addys expectations of me are far greater than my current capacity.

In fairness, I was very impressed by his coltish spirit, but he lacked maturity. If he wanted to go racing off he should at least of told me, communication in these sort of relationships is key. With a modicum of pre warning I could have taken one of my brothers revered five hour energy drinks.

When I put him away for the day his disappointment was obvious. It mattered not that he couldn't speak, the words were there for anyone to take in.

Get better, or get off !!!!!!!!

Weekly Training/Weight Data

This week my diet has definitely been affecting my energy levels when I have been cycling. My legs have been very naughty, l refusing to cooperate with my instructions.

However I do appreciate that the long term positives far outweigh any short term performance. Each pound loss should increase my power weight ratio whatever that means.

I have in fact managed to loose a full 8lbs this week which has really put things into perspective for me.
If somebody was to ask me to carry a ruck sack full of potatoes on a long bike ride, I am sure that my response would be non too plesant, even bordering on rudeness.

What a hypocrite I would be though !
I have been effectively cycling with potatoes in rucksacks, side panier's, crammed into the rear of my shirt, and in a front basket for nine months. Enough to provide a sufficient chips supply for any fast food outlet.

As I cycle now I feel liberated with the thought of potatoes tumbling from my bike and lightening the load.

I imagined them bouncing off the windscreens of cars containing irate motorists, who in turn looked to the heavens in amazement.

The expression its 'raining cats and dogs' could be changed in phrase books across the globe to. 'Its raining potatoes' However it does not really possess the same ring to it.

I have broken through 2000 miles for the year making it 2049.

In my virtual reality bike ride from Beverley to Houston it takes me into Newfoundland where its very chilly at 3C degrees. Its somewhere I always wanted to visit after reading The Shipping_News a pulitzer prive winning novel by Annie Proulx.

Laurel (Lily on the road) get the kettle on ill soon be in Ottawa

Charity News

I am now committed to raising money for 'The Daisy Appeal' a local charity that supports a cancer research and training facility. My father sadly died of Cancer and I am sure everybody knows of someone who has been effected. My daughter Daisy loved the fact that such a charity uses her name.

Spring has Sprung....at Last

Simon

'Great Expectations' Part 1

'Last night I dreamt I went to Mandalay again, and as I stepped through the iron gates a strange power become me, and I passed through them, as surreal as all dreamers are..........................

It was not really Mandalay, but an East Texan Bayou, however it was as close as I could get to replicating the classic opening of Daphne du Maurriers brilliant novel 'Rebbeca'. It is arguably one of the greatest opening lines in English fiction

My dream was real enough though.

I was a young boy called Pip (Short for Philip) and on a small isolated path surrounded by rich exotic, Mangrove swamps.
There were loud Texas rangers all around with drooling bloodhounds, apparently looking for some escaped convict.
On the news they said it was an Englishman dubbed ' The Pirate' .
The reporter announced that he had come to America to seek his fortune, and was now wanted by the IRS.
Out of the swap the barnacled brigand surfaced - directly in front of me.
He was a big man with an odd Australian twang to his otherwise Anglo/American Accent.

He bid me to keep my mouth firmly shut, and ordered that I fetch him fresh water and victuals. He had the presence of a 'Maillot jaune' and I felt like his dutiful domestique.
After fulfilling his wishes he wadded off back into the murky water, amidst the deep base echoing sound of the bloodhounds excited at the the scent of prey.


His last parting words were, 'Your name please brother?'
I replied Pip nervously.
Well Pip, you looked out for me, so in time I will look out for you.

I have always been a great believer in the relevance of dreams.Matters that might be on your mind, which are close to your consciousness and are translated to symbolised images. In my cases it seemed to be an assortment of images from my collective blogposts.

When I awoke in the morning I received an E mail from my twin Brother.
It was short and to the point obviously sent from his Blackberry.
‘You can pick up your new bike’
My Texan brother certainly was looking out for me. The Scott CR1 was apparently deemed, not worthy for such a fine Domestique as myself.
He had gone and purchased a brand new Scott Addic.
It has now been collected and lives in the spare bedroom. Im still in a state of shock running upstairs every five minutes to look at it and to make sure he 'Addy' is ok.

I need to leave it there until I have told the older Scott.
You cant just bring another bike home without a proper explanation.

That will wait till tomorrow, which is when I will let 'Addy'show me what hes got.

I sense that Sundays blog may be quite wordy.