Got up late and went to Bushley as I said I would help at the Open Gardens. Long old dull afternoon, taking money and directing people about but it was ok. Better than sitting in front of the TV and the weather was too crappy for biking - we only had a couple of spots of rain all afternoon but it always looked likely to at any time.
I stayed long enough to have a pork roll and a pint at the evening barbie and then headed home via Mors. Spent all evening watching TV and playing funtrivia on puter. I hoped, well expected actually, a text or 2 from S to say what the plan is for tomorrow. She said earlier in the week that she was def coming but it would've been nice to have had a bit of a hint of when!! Annoying!

End of the working week, thank God. What a shit week of work.
Went out on my bike tonight, only 21 gentle miles round Gotherington and Cleeve. I was on a bit of a mission, wont say what, but I'll know when I read this. Wonder if it will be worthwhile!

A REALLY crap day at work, Y had the day off and I got soooo pissed off at not being able to do anything for having to answer the phone every 3 seconds! At 4 pm ish I just gave up and didn't even bother trying or pretending I was working!
Tonight, P, P, dad, myself and a guy called Andy who cycle a lot and who my dad met last week biked out to the Boat at Ashleworth. The Chelts touring cycling club were having a BBQ evening. It was ever so windy cycling out there, hard work. I'd never been there before but it was a lovely spot by the side of the river.
Our original intention was to cycle half way back - to Haw Bridge and have a drink there, but PF wanted to cycle on home so we carried on. Another 25 miles.
A back at work today but didn't speak too much - but swapped a handful of texts tonight.
Spoke with S mid morning as well, I text her and she called, she obviously had no concept of "I was at work". Only chatted for a few minutes, sounds like Sunday is def on. Although I wont want to take anything for granted until she is here!

Yet another dull day. Things seem even duller as we count down towards Sunday. I really hope S comes to see me, I'm so looking forward to seeing her and will be devastated if she cant make it.
Weather was bad tonight, strong wind and squally rain. Good job I had no intention of going out on my bike!
A off work today, she has conjuctivitis, euww!

Shit day at work, in many ways its great K being off except the phone was non-stop and of course S never takes a turn so Y and I just got so pissed off trying to work thru non-stop interruptions!
Out on bike yet again tonight. Went with P and P round the hill. Hard work up those hills but we did it in a very good time.

Nothing much going on again. I did my 13 mile speed route again tonight, took me just over 42 minutes, near as dam it the same time as last week. thats over 18 mph so I'll settle for that.
Went town after with P and P. Big T joined us for one before work too. Ws a bit dull, the football was on (minus sound!) so those two were mainly watching that. But that was ok coz I had a text from S asking if I was free Sunday PM. Course I am. I'm always free! She is up/down whatever it is for a school reunion so might visit!! We then swapped a million texts discussing it! Thats something to look forward to then. I best tidy the house!
E had a job interview today. she text to say it went ok ish. she didn't like the boss much. Oh well, wait and see.

Up and out on the bike early again. Met P and we met dad at the Mythe. We then did 35 miles round the lanes to Glos, across to near Chelts and home. Was good but mostly cloudy so a little bit chilly.
When I got home I did as last week, had a shower and lay on the bed. Next I knew it was after 3pm. I was really tired and had a bit of a headache.
Late afternoon, the sun was shining brightly and I had a bag of recycle stuff to take to the recycle place at Morissons. I did that and ended up driving on to Bushley. They had 6 a side game amongst themselves but I got there too late to see any but all the usual folks were sitting around having a drink so I stayed awhile and then had a coffee back with E. So that was nice. She has a job interview tomorrow so fingers crossed.

Got up earlyish as said I would meet dad at Seven Stoke to watch some of the vets cycle race and do a few miles ourselves. Plan was changed slightly tho as P suggested a breakfast at Weatherspoons and then the kids wanted to go too. So that delayed things somewhat but was really nice, we had a great big plateful of fried food for less than 4 quid. And we ate it sitting out in the garden with a hot sun on us. Nice. After we went to the race, watched some and dad and I did one lap of the course. I then biked home, 25.7 total.
Went food shopping afterwards and spent the rest of the day in front of puter/TV.

A busy day at work. k now off till Weds. hooray! Not that thats why I was busy, just got quite a few things going on right now.
Went to town tonight (by bike) with P and we met AR there. Spent all night in the Weatherspoons pub, was ok. Real busy in there. Not much else going on today

Y off work sick again. But A was back so that was good. Swapped loads of emails with her, E and J today! Surprised I got anything done!
Tonight I cycled to E's, had some quick tea and we watched the final of The Apprentice. Bit of an anti-climax as due to a mix-up, J gave away who won!! Afterwards, I met P and my dad at the end of the road and we went for a 2 hour ride. All round Castlemorton, Birtsmorton, Longdon etc. Was really nice. At one point we were up high on a hill and stopped to look at the fantastic view. Sure cycling is hard sometimes, I'm still rubbish at going up hills, but on an evening like tonight, warm sun on your face, surrounded by glorious English countryside, it takes some beating. And its unusual for me to say this - it felt great to be alive!

Y went home ill at lunchtime so just S-A and K this afternoon. Also A was off work ill. she text to say that she had a bad headache again. I told her to go to the docs as she is always saying that! And she replied "its just hormones dear"...oh!

Went to P's tonight. S was out so P and I had a few beers and watched Shawshank (2nd time in a week for me!). P had never seen it in full before. He liked it, how couldn't you. I saw him wipe a tear away near the end. He often gets emotional at touching parts in films!

Nothing much going on today. A and J both had the day off work so no e-mail friends to chat with, altho I did swap a few with E . Just as well I had plenty of work to do. No texts from A at all today. Hope she wasn't annoyed at my infatuated staring last night!
Went out on bike yet again tonight, P and I did the "round the hill" route. Although warm again today there was a fair wind, which was in our face the first few miles making it hard. All the more astonishing that we did the 23 miles in 1.25.40 ish. By far my best time. To be fair P towed me round some of it, particularly up a couple of the hard hills where I sat on his back wheel and let him pace me up.
Called my dad for a little while after. He's ok. Made a provisional plan to go out on bikes on Thursday night.

Dull day at work. Was hot again, thankfully we have aircon. At lunch I walked to MacD's which is about a mile away and had a milk shake - oh ok, and two cheeseburgers! When I got back I had to practically sit on the aircon unit, sweating like a PIG!
Did a zoomy bike ride tonight, 13 miles in 42 mins, which was 18.2 mph. hard work but i was really going for it.
After P,P and i biked to town and M and T were out too. We sat in the Weatherspoons garden, very pleasant. A pint of Coors light in there is 1.69, incredible cheap! And the best part? A was in there with her neighbours. I managed to get us on a table, with a chair for me where I could watch her across the garden. That made me a happy bunny... but then, it also makes me a bit of a sad one. She really shouldn't still be the most important thing to me...but what can one do?!

Up and out on the bike again this morning - 33 miles with P and P. Altho PF had to turn back half way as he broke another spoke! Was very hot today, ok while cycling along but the sun was really hot when stopped at junctions. I expected to have a red face when done but not too bad!
Had a shower and nap when I got back and then did some houseworky jobs before wandering round to R's.
P and I biked to town tonight had a couple of drinks in the Weatherspoons garden. Was nice sitting out in warm sun, but bit chilly once it went!

Went into town this morning and had a haircut. After I went over to Glos and watched Kai playing in a football tournament with J and C. Was what they call a partly cloudy day but when the sun came out it was very warm, so much so that I have a bit of a red face tonight!
Went to the quiz tonight, E not there again as she had gone out with all her friends for her birthday. Again, made me a bit glum to think that this day the last two years we hosted nice bbq parties for her birthday. It will never happen again. Similraly tonight at the quiz, it went ok (teamed with E's dad and Tony and David, two old guys who are always there) and we came 2nd. But after the quiz I felt sad. They all sit around and discuss upcoming village events and while I am included in the conversations I def feel like an outsider now, I'm not part of it anymore. I should make the effort to try and cut myself off, its the only way the pain goes. But its hard. As I was heading out of the village feeling a bit sorry for myself a fox ran out in front of me, I tried to break but I went over him, I felt a big bump. I turned round and went back and he was alive in the road, unable to do much but lift his head and look and try to drag himself off the road. I know foxes are considered vermin but I felt so sorry for it.

Friday, yippee!
Monday might be fun tho as K p'd Y and I off again today and Y e-mailed me tonight to say that she had told S-A about how K plays cards on the puter when S-A isn't about, which is all very well but annoys us when K then gets stroppy about claiming to be busy!
P and P went out on bikes tonight, I said I would go but needed to go food shopping and by the time I got all thats sorted it was after 7 and I hadn't yet eaten so I didn't go! Instead I made a big saucepan of pasta sauce (it tastes a bit shit to be honest!) and watched Shawshank with a bottle of wine left from Christmas plus a pizza. Very nice too. And what a great film Shawshank still is. Felt a bit sad at bedtime - its funny how it grabs me now and again, when I'm least expecting it - I put my left over slices of pizza in the fridge and thought how it used to be. Any of the past 3-4 years E would have been out tonight celebrating her birthday getting drunk with her friends, which I don't doubt she is tonight. And I never had a problem with that. Then she would come home and raid the fridge and the definte first thing to go would be my left over pizza. But now, thoses slices are safe and I wish they weren't. Until/unless I eat them they will sit in that fridge for ever more, and that thought is what made me sad!

A shit day at work, everyone was in which always makes for an irksome day, particularly when I have to have any kind of interaction with that German prat!
E's b'day today. 28. Known her since she was 22. Spoke to her briefly at lunchtime when I popped to her work to have a piece of yummy lemon cake her mum had made.
Went out on bike again tonight. P came along this time and we did a loop very similar to the one I did last night only adding a few miles round the edge of Upton towards Welland. Total of 31.7 today. Thats 125 miles in the last 6 days. Wow!
Bed early tonight, all that exercised whacked me out!
And ten years today that I moved into this house. Where did those years go then?!

Frustrating day at work - K was in full annoying mode! Took my car for MOT today, another 205 spent! And they did actually call to say it only needed a couple of small things!
Went for a ride tonight, 27.3 miles, round Bredon, Eckington, Defford, Strensham, Upton, Longdon, Bushley. Got home with an average of 16mph, so that was good.

Work quiet and dull. Y had half a day again, leaving me with K all afternoon!
Went out with E tonight. Had a curry at Raj, yummy as ever, and then a drink in Weatherspoons. Was a nice night, mostly went ok, a few pregnant pauses and a few times I almost felt like I didn't know her, didn't like her. But then as soon as I dropped her home and headed back I felt those pangs of sadness again... I told A I was going out tonight and I got a disproving response. I'm never quite sure where she is coming from tho, is it pure protectivity (made u word?) Or a tang of jealousy? Probably not! In some ways it bugs me, she implies that as ex's E and I shouldn't go out for a meal, but she and I go out for lunch. Clearly she's not an ex as such, but one day I shall tell her this, "I know you're acting out of genuine concern because you think that me seeing E upsets me, and maybe it does, but you're kind of a hypocrite because I have lunch with you and you know what - over the last 7 years your actions or lack of and comments and oh a million things have caused me more upset that E will in a lifetime....so nur nur!"

Work ok, nothing exciting going on.
Went to town with P and P tonight. Cheap drinks in the new Weatherspoons - Hop Pole. 1.89 a pint, bargain! We thought about biking down but caught bus in the end which was a good move as it poured down with rain later!