Full moon & waiting for…

-3°C, mist & still


"Waiting For The Miracle" Leonard Cohen

  Baby, I’ve been waiting,
I’ve been waiting night and day.
I didn’t see the time,
I waited half my life away.
There were lots of invitations
and I know you sent me some,
but I was waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.
I know you really loved me.
but, you see, my hands were tied.
I know it must have hurt you,
it must have hurt your pride
to have to stand beneath my window
with your bugle and your drum,
and me I’m up there waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.

Ah I don’t believe you’d like it,
You wouldn’t like it here.
There ain’t no entertainment
and the judgements are severe.
The Maestro says it’s Mozart
but it sounds like bubble gum
when you’re waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.

Waiting for the miracle
There’s nothing left to do.
I haven’t been this happy
since the end of World War II.

Nothing left to do
when you know that you’ve been taken.
Nothing left to do
when you’re begging for a crumb
Nothing left to do
when you’ve got to go on waiting
waiting for the miracle to come.

I dreamed about you, baby.
It was just the other night.
Most of you was naked
Ah but some of you was light.
The sands of time were falling
from your fingers and your thumb,
and you were waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come

Ah baby, let’s get married,
we’ve been alone too long.
Let’s be alone together.
Let’s see if we’re that strong.
Yeah let’s do something crazy,
something absolutely wrong
while we’re waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.

Nothing left to do …

When you’ve fallen on the highway
and you’re lying in the rain,
and they ask you how you’re doing
of course you’ll say you can’t complain —
If you’re squeezed for information,
that’s when you’ve got to play it dumb:
You just say you’re out there waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.


Keep off the Chase: Dogs, we can’t go there for a while. Read- Phytophthora ramorum
.

Tomorrow’s commute (today)

2°C, clear with some mist.


I got shouted at by an irate driver coming home. Interesting was the opener for his argument: "Why do you think the council built that cycle-path?" What does it matter the reason, it is a dangerous route, and I do have the right to exercise the choice not to use it. Riding in the road didn’t cause anybody any inconvenience, least of all – him on that wide stretch of road. He didn’t offer any reasons why I should use the path as an alternative, so I was left with the apparent rationale- "the council put it there so you are obliged to use it". Maybe that’s not what he was thinking, but if it was… perhaps he got it from the Daily Mail. I wasn’t interested in getting to the bottom of his thinking since he was aggressively shouting at me for something harmless.

The conflict ended after some social un-niceties, finally with him inadvertently declaring himself a bigger wanker than me. That left me with the perilous task of making a right turn at lights while trying not to laugh too hysterically.
Open-mouthed
It’s Friday afternoon, the weekend starts now: be in a good mood old boy.

If it’s not one thing…

3°C, low cloud, grey.


Roads now ridable, but bike not: The lights don’t work and it’s not clear why. I think it’s a cable, the one with the switch in, that has failed. Just as I was really feeling the urge to get some miles in.

Later: I found the fault, after poking around with a volt-meter and eliminating one possibility after another. They now work and are ready for tomorrow’s commute. Fog & mist is due so they better be bright.

Exercise makes warm

-4 up to -2°C, sunny.


Can’t cycle, it’s too slippery on the ice. No exercise means I can feel the cold, my spring is getting wound up quite a bit now. A decent ride brews warmth from within for days.
Last resort is the gym. Gulp.

Dropping low, really low

0°C, dropping to -7°.


Cold eastern air:  gripping tight, coating everything in a hazardous slippery skin. We’re heading down to -7° tonight. Survive.

Woolies: Woolworths has closed. A big national chain over 100 years old or something. Erm, folks are quite nostalgic about it. But wait I say- have I ever bought anything there? Er, no- it was a crappy shop

How long will it take for the bleeding to stop?

-2°C, light snow, very grey skies C=54 miles


Cycling: was about looking for an open cafe. All four of the main ones in Market Bosworth were shut for the post-festive break. They’re to stay shut for at least a week it seems – Pah!. It’s been one cold ride, though only my feet really complained. I was very thirsty by the time I got back: the drinks bottle was frozen: that stopped the flow. Inside were large flakes of ice, like a Slush-puppy, which blocked the nozzle.
Incident: I had an unfortunate incident with a bread knife today.Cutting a baguette, it kind of ricochetted and caught my thumb. That was hours ago, but it really smarts now. Marilyn Manson was playing on the iPod at the time: I suspect a connection there.

Dull flame of Desire

The dull flame of desire
love your eyes, my dear
Their splendid, sparkling fire
When suddenly you raise them so
To cast a swift embracing glance
Like lightning flashing in the sky

But there’s a charm that is greater still:
When my love’s eyes are lowered
When all is fired by passions kiss
And through the downcast lashes
I see the dull flame of desire

F.Tyutchev (translated from Russian by …who knows)
Hear it in Russian in this Tarkovsky film Stalker

Open fire

Sun, 3°C, clear, light easterly. C=47.5 miles


Smell: the house smells of spent coal/wood fire*, the sun is out but the year 9 reports loom.Sun

Happy Birthday Mum!

*Better than yesterday’s smell, damn that cat.