Forth & Back & Back & Forth & Back...

A rare head & shoulders shot of me. At least I am hidden slightly by muddy spots, removable hair (helmet) and an extortionate amount of stubble!


What's the word.......where you can't decide on the right choice? I am sometimes......so....? What is it I am trying to think of? Some people tell me I am so.....ahhhh....what is it? This isn't even funny! I get this sometimes when I am writing a post....often actually, but very rarely type it out! There is a joke where the end goes 'But now I'm not so sure.' I used to be really......(sits thinking like a bloody madman.....even rings his friend Jac).....in.....really indecisive! Thats the one! I just could not think of that bloody god damn word!
Right, where was I?.....Oh yes, I went out for a bike ride on Saturday afternoon and couldn't for the life of me decide wether to wear shorts or my long cycling trouser tight thingies. For half an hour of feeling this crushing ambivalent (thats a good word too.....thanks Jac) feeling.....All ready (except for the leg wear), having checked the weather (very English) on Metcheck, looked out the window more than once and eager to get out in the sun and get some mud on my chops and some fresh air deep down into my lungs, I decided to wear my long trousers after all. To say that I was completely decided is a small understatement to say the least. As soon as I stepped out of my front door, I was still not sure wether I had made the right choice or not. In fact, in the back of my mind, I knew I was making a mistake! It was far to mild for shorts......I have made this mistake plenty of times in the past. I don't quite know how I manage it to be honest. I mean how difficult can it be to know more or less what to wear for a bike ride?
The sun was mostly out and Metcheck claimed that the temp would be about 8-10 degrees with the wind speed at around 13mph for the afternoon. Pretty perfect conditions for shorts....on a bike. But why didn't I think this myself? Because it's me perhaps?
All the way from my flat to Twickenham Riverside, two miles, I was thinking I ought to turn around.....I didn't. All the way from Twickenham Riverside to Richmond Bridge, two miles, (via the Thames tow-path) I was thinking I ought to turn around.....I did. So I found myself back home (another eight miles), wondering what the hell was wrong with me, changing into shorts and also (after thinking my top was too warm too) a thinner one. I was wet with sweat and topped up my already depleting water bottle as I got back onto my still shining bike. So there I was starting all over again and with 8 miles already under my belt. Back along the roads to Twickenham Riverside, past the partly sun covered York House Gardens, then the White Swan Public House where I came across a group of about 50 cyclists heading in the same direction as me. They all had loads of dried mud up their backs & I wondered where they had been. I on the other hand, was totally sparkling having just washed my bike the day before. It wouldn't last long! I managed to weave through them all in the flick of an eye. I was on a roll so to speak and although I would Love to have joined them to see where they were headed, I had a ride of my own to do and made my way back to Richmond Bridge. I felt so much more comfortable now with my lighter gear on and found I wasn't going to stop for anything now. So after 12 miles, I was back by the bridge in Richmond ready to carry on properly......Silly boy eh;)
I crossed the bridge and went back along the Thames in the same direction that I had just come from. As I made my way back along to the bottom of Nightingale Lane, I saw on the opposite side of the river the 50 & odd cyclists heading for the bridge. I never saw them again. I thought I might see them in RP. I can't think for the life of me where they went. But the park is quite big I suppose and I was in, around and back out in about forty minutes.

The state of my bike after 36 miles riding in the wet and silty trails of the Queens Parks on Saturday. To think I had washed it the day before! It really feels great getting mucky.....you should try it;)

Did my usual lap of the park and feeling refreshed and cool. Then about a third of the way round it poured down! From absolutely nowhere came this massive sheet of rain and completely drenched the ground as far as the eye could see. Along with several other park users, I found a rather thick and ancient looking tree of my very own with bark like the skin a thousand year old dinosaur. It even had a little bark covered seat shaped bulge protruding from the base, right on the opposite side to where the wind was coming from.....Perfick. I sat down and got out my ginger cake and a small bar of dark chocolate for energy and watched the runners & cyclists willing to brave the elements and carry on regardless. Then as quick as it had come over.....the sun was back out, smearing a gigantic rainbow across the bright blue sky. Beautiful stuff. Then as the recently dumped rain found it's way through the thick branches of the tree I had taken up residence under, thick globules of water began to fall from the tree and fall asleep in my chocolate bar. I got back on my bike and continued through the light rain that was made up from the remnants of the disappearing cloud, looking behind me every thirty seconds or so to see the colourful injection the sky was having. Looking ahead I was almost blinded from the suns reflection onto the fresh water streaming down the path towards me. Within minutes my bike & I were covered in spots of mud, I could see hundreds of them, each one filled with the suns light, flicking up from my front tyre like rain in reverse.........I immediately felt at home.
Homewards bound now, I stopped briefly to take a photo of myself on the short but fast downhill track behind the Royal Star & Garter Home. Then back exactly the way I came and when I reached Teddington Lock & the studios, just half a mile from where I live, I decided to continue to Bushy Park via Kingston Bridge & Hampton Court Palace and do a partial lap there too. It was too early to go home, the sun was still shining......Basically, I wasn't done!
By the time I had arrived back home & after a mostly cool 36.02 miles, I was covered in dried mud spots and out of food and drink too. I felt great the whole time......even the indecisive parts......I think......I'm not sure;)

Saturday night in my Mums garden with Daisy.

Then after a hot bath at home.....too hot (as always), a healthy chicken Shish kebab with my youngest Sister Tania, Daisy and my Mum who was in a rather large amount of pain from her successful knee op (who all had Chinese take-away), Daisy & I went and stood out side in the back garden in the pitch black staring up at the sky. It was clear and nippy too. We spoke about how mind boggling the universe is and how cool the Earths shadow was when we saw it begin to creep across the surface of the Moon. We even decided that if we held up a large enough object that we would see it's shadow also on the Moon. But we soon found out that our waving arms were too small and insignificant and that my Mums garden shed was far too heavy to lift between us.......so we just thought about the shadow instead;)
I must have taken about 40 shots and I put these three next to eachother on photoshop to show you the different stages. The first shot (from the far left) was before the shadow reached the moon. The second is about the halfway across stage and the third the moon is nearly completely covered. It still looked like the third shot as I drove home.

In complete contrast to Saturday.....Sunday was spent entirely in doors.....it was very grey, very wet, very windy & although I wanted to go out badly......something stopped me....not sure what.....maybe my grey head. I only went out my front door to put the rubbish out (at 1am Monday morning). Today will be a different story!



Jason







(C) JPT 2007.........601.39 miles.