Freezypops

Christine's back on the road, and damn, am I glad. Something's not quite right with her, the engine's not quite as it should be but it'll do enough to keep the bitch going a while longer, before she gets traded in for something worthwhile like a supermarket trolley, for instance. This week hasn't been bike riding weather at all, too and from work yesterday made me glad it was only ten miles each way, and it's been severely debilitating on the longer trips. Made a trip north on Monday evening and back again Tueday, stopping at the wonderful relaxing home of Ms J for wine by the bucketload - if you're not bikey people you'll have to take my word for this, but at the end of a two hour run in temparatures of around freezing, my fingers were blocks of agony; I could feel my decision making, my hand to eye co-ordination, my vision playing up and dulling; and to make things worse the bike was misfiring due to the cold. Worth it though. More of the same coming back via North Yorkshire; stopped for supplies at the farm shop near Thirsk, and stopped in Knaresborough to replace a glass I'd once bought there and broken. Knaresborough's one of my favorite places, for some reason this time it didn't feel at all like friendly territory. Maybe I need to book a room and have a bender at Blind Jacks, one of the best boozeholes in that wonderful part of the world. That'd be nice. Then again, maybe the magic's dead. I hope not. Ran back through Hull to pick up my Ipod from the Ipod fixers, was most annoyed to discover that the bloody part timers go home at half four... quarter to five didn't seem to be an unreasonable time to expect service from a business, I resent the bridge toll those b*stards have cost me. More freezing yesterday for the daily commute, more protest from the engine that doesn't like that time of year at all, back home to discover that my horrible hellbound bitch of a car is alive and well'ish again, and at last I can put the bike under cover and commence fixing it up.

Anyway, what's going on in my world tonight? Not much. Just been on my much delayed Diversity course, so I am now fully qualified to insult all genders, sexualities, ethnic groupings and religions. Typical of this government, the advise they give you is directly contradictory and you cannot possibly adhere to it; what we are expected to put out with diversity in mind works against the principles of equal opportunities and just expecting to do a half decent job. Don't get me started on how multiculuralism is a politically driven utopian deal that was never going to work, with no Plan B attached. So bollocks to it all. Didn't get done in time to get to Hull to collect the errant Ipod, so having a small tidy up instead. Just taken and binned an incredible amount of up Northern business cards and flyers pinned up in the kitchen cupboard for restaurants, hairdressers, taxi firms that I'll never use again. That's never a fun job.

Anyway, I' m off to go a little ga-ga. Here's what today's horriblescope says. "You are subject to your own changing moods even more than usual as they pull you into strange and unfamiliar territory. Usually you are quite at home in the shadows of your mind, but today it can be difficult for you to maintain perspective. Instead of struggling, give yourself permission to slip off the map for a while. You'll come back refreshed from your little trip."

Yeah right.

A supplies run is required, then a beer, then early to bed. Got bugger all sleep last night and am frankly feeling the effects more than a little. You can tell, can't you....