What a week - it began on saturday evening when my mountain bike, upon which I had carried about two tons of food shopping earlier, made funny noises on braking. A strange noise, sounded a bit like the spokes were being rubbed, but as it was only on using the rear brake, I decided it had to be that. Nowhere was open to sell me some more brake blocks,so it became a job for sunday.

Sunday morning and up bright an early, washing on, running the vacuum cleaner around while I waited for the washing machine, and I jammed the brush of the vacuum which broke the belt. So far so bad.

Hang out washing to dry and zip down to Halfords for brake blocks on another bike. Half way through fitting the new blocks and I realise why the noise sounded like a spoke, it was one, a broken one. I don't have any means of truing the wheel, so I decided I'd leave it to the experts.

Finished on monday morning with an hour to spare - just enough time to dash to my favourite bike shop. Sadly it's in Weymouth and I was in Dorchester - only 8 miles. As it turned out, an eight mile traffic jam. I managed about two miles in forty minutes so I had to turn around and return to Dorchester. Plan B, take it to a bike shop in Dorchester. They were very busy, but they hoped to get it done by the weekend.

The road works into Weymouth are still extant, as is the traffic and subsequent grid-lock. I work in Weymouth three days a week, last week I spent about three hours stuck in this jam, it would have been more, except I cycled one day- but it's hard work as I have quite a lots of equipment I have to carry - coming back up the hill is a killer with a load of about thirty pounds on the back of the bike.

On friday, I had hoped for an early finish, perhaps collect my wheel and sort out the bike. There was a ride scheduled for saturday, so mid afternoon it looked possible. I should have realised the omens were not auspicious when my clinic overran by an hour in the morning and I had exactly 7 minutes for lunch. At least the shop had my tuna salad roll reserved for me.

I called the bikeshop, they didn't answer - okay, I still had patients to see. I called again in between my appointments, the chap in the servicing part had popped out could I ring again? I agreed to do this. They close at 5.30pm, this was about 3.00pm.

I could not believe that my last three patients could take so bloody long- I finished nearly an hour late, after five and without any time to get to the shop and my wheel. Driving back through the traffic took an hour to get home, twice the normal rush hour mess.

Today, I am still waiting for the bike shop to call to tell me my wheel is ready, they closed an hour ago. Like I said, it's been one of those weeks and I am proud that I maintained my self control, so nobody actually died. Next week the roadworks will still be there and the holiday season has started. I might just forget I'm a lady and the body count might just start to rise.