maybe i'll get back to my usual programme this week?

So, what have i been up to since Wednesday? Thursday, well after Wednesdays bike woes first order of business was getting the Ebike lined up for diagnosis of the issue - much like cars, Ebikes get plugged in to find faults and i've found somewhere that claims to do that not too far away, a job this coming Wednesday. I did do some writing and i started the big wardrobe clearout - all those clothes that either don't fit, are out of fashion or are just not me anymore! We have a site in the UK called Vinted for selling such clobber but the first bit is making sure everything is freshly laundered and photographed before putting them up on the marketplace. I'm not expecting huge returns but anything is better than having the stuff sat in the cupboard for eternity!

Friday, of course, became the new Thursday, a dry but blowey forecast tempted me on a ride out into Wiltshire, to Devizes where i stopped for a bacon sarnie at Caen Hill locks on the Kennet & Avon. Then it was a three hour plus ride back to Brizz into that wind, not the most fun i've had on two wheels but i've had much worse! I was rewarded with 120km for the day which sort of compensated for Wednesday.

Saturday was a mixed up day, i spent the morning and some of the afternoon scrubbing the slime from the slippery garden path, back breaking but necessary if we are to avoid someone slipping and breaking their neck - that stuff is worse than black ice! Then it was back to the Vinted project, posting stuff onto the site, by the time i had this first lot on't interweb several items were already sold! Looks like Monday will be a busy day packing and posting.

Which inevitably brings us to today. The Met. Office suggested bright periods and lighter winds than Friday so i thought i'd have a meander up into Gloucestershire with a return via the Cotswolds. I wasn't really taking the ride seriously, i wombled my way out to Oldbury on Severn where i stopped at the unusually busy village store for tea and cake with under 30km on the clock. But which way back? There had already been a lot of water on the roads so i picked a route to avoid known wet spots and with the wind on my shoulder made decent progress across to Dursley where i decided to use the Uley climb to get up onto the Cotswolds.

It took me a lot longer than Wout van Aert (winner of the '23 Tour of Britain) but i got up and embarked on a wind assisted ride across the massif to Sherston. At which point it started to rain and my route turned into the wind, the next few Km were less than fun but the rain desisted before i reached Badminton which at least meant the wind could dry me off a bit. 110km for the day, i needed a toasted teacake when i got back to top up the energy!

Since then i've cooked and consumed a lamb curry and posted the next Gaby chapter, Planes which i hope you'll enjoy.

As i now start the countdown to my birthday next Sunday, it's Gaby's too of course, it looks like i've got a busy week ahead. I'll be sorting more stuff for Vinted, getting some writing done, a bit of bike maintenance, riding of course and that's just up to Wednesday!

See you back here soon,
Tschuss,
Madeline Anafrid