Boston - Don't Look Back
Peter Frampton - Breaking All The Rules

A beautiful afternoon and I wanted to escape from work at about 1500, and do a fondo. Then someone thoughtfully invited me to a meeting at 1700.

So instead I thought I'd take an extended lunch at about 1300 and do maybe 35 miles or so. A light wind was coming from the east, roughly, so the plan was to do about 18 miles of the eastbound route, then come back.

After about four miles, I entered Loughborough Road as usual, only to find that it had been "resurfaced", if I can dignify what they've done with the term, by having a huge quantity of dusty, sharp gravel piled onto it. I tolerated it for about 150 metres or so then decided to turn back. My tyres were liberally coated in grey dust.

I'll have to avoid Loughborough Road for a while, but fortunately there are other options for that part of the route.

I went west along the Coalville bypass then past Sinope and north through Peggs Green and Griffydam, up Top Brand. Rather than pursue the eastbound route I did a sort of loop through Belton, Long Whatton, Diseworth - just following my nose - and came back down Top Brand. Then west along Alton Hill, to Ashby then Packington, then Normanton Road to Heather, which I don't think I've done for at least two years. Back home via Ibstock, on 37.81 miles, in plenty of time for the meeting.

Really nice out there, warm and sunny. I trialled a pair of cycling shorts in a garish black and green colour scheme that were a Christmas present from Stepdaughter 2. You'd think I'd get a bit of credit for this from her mother but no, she just wanted to point out that they look ridiculous with a black and red cycling top. I suppose I need to buy a new top, I don't really have one that goes with it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11432305648

Son was waiting for me prior to the Riverside concert last night and he got collared by a Daily Mail reporter...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13430449/amp/The-Portal-intended-bring-New-York-Ireland-closer-people-used-flash-boobs-Atlantic-futuristic-device-shut-locals-blast-authorities-setting-worst-spot-Dublin.html

(I know, The Daily Mail!!)

With the office to myself, spent much of the day listening to Klone. A Spotify playlist then "Le Grand Voyage"

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Nell' Ora Blu
Right, this is a bit ehm.. different. Uncle Acid is a lo fi metal band, doing their best Sabbath. Actually they do that very good and the albums preceding this one is just that: a collection of songs, sounding like Sabbath Just look them up and listen to a snippet, you know what I mean then, it sounds a bit like you listen to a metal album through your phone.
Anyway, the new one, with a weird title, is a smorgasbord of styles leaning on a faux film script for an Italian movie, complete with actors reading scenes. They pull out everything, metal, psychedelic stuff saxophones, you name it: it's there. And somehow..it works. In fact, it is fantastic. I really don't know how to describe it better, it's one of those things you need to hear it to believe it.

Yesterday ended up being a washout. I was just about to head out for maybe 10 miles - grab it whilst you can - when the rain started falling quite heavily. Ho-hum, caught up on my housework instead.

Today I did make it out, cloudy with a bit of sun, so dry and warm. To get the best mileage in I stuck to the flatter ground out toward Tibshelf and back. Just rolling hills rather than long climbs. Nearly got taken out a couple of times though, one by a white van who decided to overtake whilst I was going by a pedestrian refuge and one by a caravan being towed by a Wankpanzer, he'd probably forgotten he was towing it.

On the plus side, I gained a KOM today  OK, so only 89 people have ever ridden it on Strava, but it's a KOM nonetheless. Also moved up to fourth overall on the Spital Lane Climb, out of 588 this time. If only I dare turn into it at speed I reckon I could take that one, but it's a 90 degree bend and you have to be wary of traffic pulling out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11431034254

And yet it all came so close to splitting into echelons. Just not windy enough.

Out of office now on.. off to Majorca early doors tomorrow morning👍

Another bunch sprint another win for the giant Italian.

Quote from: Matt2112 on May 15, 2024, 10:07:26 PMBit of a milestone moment today: the little 'un performing a song while accompanying herself on guitar.

Open G helped - you've got to start somewhere.

Any kind of performance is to be encouraged. I can remember being nine or ten years old playing recorder and harmonica, with a classmate on vocal duties, on stage in front of a packed town hall. Fast forward eight or nine years and despite being reasonable on bass guitar I found it very difficult to rehearse in front of a few friends and almost impossible at auditions with strangers. One in particular is a great regret as they were a very good band, and if I'd managed to get over that stage fright things could have been interesting. Not as big a regret as my friend though, when about to tour the US supporting Ozzy, broke his leg in a lunchtime kick about at work and was immediately replaced by a guitarist from the same street.