Food for Thought

I can't believe I just did that, I actually invited someone to have dinner with us who is a) not in my inner circle and b) is a boy. T hat sounds a bit weird I suppose but whilst Max is a friend, I guess, you don't normally invite random individuals to lunch , at least not in my book.

The Angel Gabrielle

As you might imagine, the rest of the week was a real drag — let me rephrase that, it wasn't that the week was any worse than usual, rather the weekend seemed to take forever to arrive. With no race this weekend my training schedule was less intensive so the highlight, if you can call it that was Friday's Gardetanz practice.

Olpe and Away!

You would have thought he might have learnt something from our previous encounter, but clearly not hence I'm the champ and he's an also ran. We turned left in the village to start lap two and now my ire was well ire-y. There wasn't really any way of telegraphing my new game plan to Roni but I'm pretty sure she won't be content to just sit back in the bunch with a holding brief.

Plan C

“So Drew, how are you feeling?” Doctor Fischer enquired.

Me, Mum and Dad were seated opposite him in a sort of lounge attached to the department, a cup of coffee in front of each of us, which I kept sipping to calm my nerves.

Home Alone

For once I'm properly organised, not just with the Foresters stuff but a change of non bike stuff for afterwards too. Let's face it, I'm not known for my organisation so I've surprised myself, anyhow I grabbed my kitbag and headed to the changing rooms.

"I wonder who that girl was?" one voice asked.

Watching Brief

I think I've mentioned going to the cinema in Koblenz before, it's hardly a modern Cineplex like the one at Meadowhell back in Blighty but they do have the latest releases, which for us in Germany this week means Star Wars Episode III and Madagascar.

The Trouble With Claudia...

"Guh." I managed to croak out when my alarm went off.

Why do we have to get such an early train? I dragged myself out of my nest and into the shower - a sure way to wake myself up. Twenty minutes later I was stood in front of the mirror examining myself - for a boy I make a damned good girl, but that's no longer really the case is it? Whilst there's barely an ounce of fat on me, what there is forms some er very female curves. That's just it, apart from Herbert and his pals I look like a girl already ; tuck them out of the way, we are talking chipolata rather than Cumberland here, and voila, one erm foxy girl - well she would be if she wasn't me. No , that's not right ; she's still foxy even if she is me.

Sickbed

“She'll be down,” Dave started to tell the gaggle of teens in the hallway.

“In five minutes!” the girls chorused.

Kiel'd Over

Although the sky was clear, blue as anything, I had to suppress a shiver as we stood waiting for the start, not in Hamburg but in a place called Ahrensburg. Today we've got a big anti clockwise loop, Tali reckons it's undulating without any particularly steep climbs. In their wisdom the organisers have put a couple of primes in, one in Lubeck and the other in Kiel.

Foxy Lady

Everyone turned to the door, talk about feeling a right prune.

"Er happy birthday, Anna!" I waggled the gift bag.

Anna's Party

“I'll ring Dad; he's picking us up anyway.”

We set off through Kripp at a very much reduced pace, a mere thirty kph, Mum had her phone out as soon as we reached a straight stretch of road.

“Dave? …hi luv…great, great, fifteen minutes…we need to do a mercy run…party,” Mum looked over to me, “where?”

“Er Max's.” I should have met the others at Pia's; they'd be walking over to the venue now.

Chapter *9.08*

"It can't be." I spluttered, "I woulda remembered."

Chapter *04*

Approaching Con

Drew slept fitfully, thoughts of Helen and of Japan kept him from sleep and it was sheer exhaustion which finally took him into the land of nod.

"You getting up , spud?" Dave called up.

"Eh?"

"It's nearly seven."

Sugar!

Chapter *02*

Devastated

“Won't be a mo guys, I promised Dad I'd text Mad.” I headed to a different table so I could concentrate without the constant babble of the gang.

Chapter *8.39*

Hangover

Ooh my head!

“Are you listening Drew?”

“Er?”

Dave was in no mood to be sympathetic to his offspring's current demeanour, finding both your teenage daughters more than a little the worse for wear in a private drinking party had hardly put him in the best of humours.

Chapter *8.37*

Bern's Visit

“Rose, visitors.”

I'd been expecting the call, looking forward all week to today my first visit by my folks since my incarceration. I followed the warder out of the lounge and down the corridor to the visitors lounge.

“In you go Rose.”

“Er thank you.”

I wasn't the first inmate in the room; several others were already with their visitors.

Chapter *8.35*

Pizza Express!

Over the next twenty minutes it was all go, no simple slip dress on, go and wait, oh no. For a trio travelling light the girls seemed to have a huge amount of stuff with them, not just clean, dry under things, Con and Pia had full outfits and they all had more cosmetics than I own — well okay maybe not that much — but plenty anyhow.

“Sit still.” Pia ordered.

“Is this really necessary? I mean, we're only getting some pizza.” I pointed out.

Chapter *8.33*

Hop Boom Boom!

Although my ankle was still a bit swollen and I've got a few colourful bruises, with the Mittelrhein on at the weekend I couldn't really afford to miss another days training. As a result of such thinking I was up with the sparrows and by six thirty I was honking up the climb into Altenahr. The Mittelrhein is at least not a premier series event, just a regional event on the other side of the river so we get to experience the intricacies of the Westerwald's climbs.

Chapter *8.31*

Chapter *8.31*

Pointed Attack

That was something that even I thought was outside the box when Dad suggested it last night, it was certainly not a move that the rest of the race foresaw. The road curled around to the right and up, not hugely steep but no stroll either. Apparently we were following the ‘Deutches LimestraáŸe', whatever that is, we passed some tower thing then the road swung sharply left and the climb took on more urgency.

Chapter *8.28*

Stuttgart Taxis

I checked my bags once again, cycling kit, Sophia's dress — even some normal clothes. For once I had everything under control; I straightened my bakery uniform and headed off for work.