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.

Even though the vinyl is not here yet, I can still listen to the live Ayreon show form last September. One of the songs not on the featured album (01011001) but from the latest Star One album is now up on youtube. It's worth a listen if it's your sort of thing. It has Unleash the Archers singer Brittany Slayes and oh boy does she have a set of pipes on her...