After a rather long gap, today is my next-to last day working at home before term starts. Ash is already traumatized at the thought of being a latch-key young adult again. Tonight is the last night she will come home to dinner being ready (since she goes out gadding on Friday nights).

New labour saving strategy - say 'I agree' many times to my colleagues and let them get on with it.

Fell off bike.

cycling rules

Not a car.
Don't go fast.
Don't use main roads.
Exercise not sport.
Not a race.
Not a status symbol.
Pedestrians idiots but softer than bike.
Pigeons fair game.
Cyclists smug bastards.

When I cycle home at night, I feel like a spy on the secret life of the city. Between Dickens and High Capital, the quiet of Monday nights and the frenzy of Friday nights, the cruising cars with darkened windows, the cigarettes and whispers in doorways, the swish of tyres on the road, no-one notices me, perfect freedom for a short sweet while.

blah blah blah blah

No, ignore that, this is one of the good ones. It is. But I do spend a goodly part of my life reading things like this. I get paid for it even. So far I have had 3 cups of coffee, 2 cups of tea, 6 glasses of water (good), 4 apples, 2 oranges (also good), a geo bar (good for the producers, bad for me - have you noticed how much sugar they have in them?), half a tin of soup, 2 slices of toast (with Clover reduced fat butter spread and organic honey on one), and expect to have a packet of crisps before cooking supper (stir fried chicken breast salad). It's a good job I cycle 4.89 miles to work and 4.89 miles back every day. Although not today, I'm at home, hence the above.

Christ my screen is dirty - comes of eating lunch on it.

a wing and a prayer

Failing the existence of a god, can we pray to the blogosphere instead? If so, please can I make the following prayers:

Please can my sister see her daughter as separate from herself.

Please can my daughter see the broader picture.

more to follow