One year ago, I bought my Kona Jake. Remember how excited I was? In that time, I clocked up almost 1,000 miles on it add have no regrets about the choice. I clearly remember those nervous outings on slimy surfaces. Contrast that with improved bike handling now. It’s a transferable skill, I ride the commuting bike on muddy lanes less cautiously these days. There’s justification for a CX bike in anybody’s stable.
A good purchase.
1°C, sunny, quite nice really.
Sent home. So unwell despite driving in to work. My tutor group is upstairs and the two flights emptied my energy. Nearly at the right room, I saw their previous Form Tutor and had to ask her to register them.
One of the managers could see the state I was in and ordered me home.
Home. Sleep.
Soup for lunch and noticed birds interested in the feeders I put out on Saturday. Four Coal Tits, 2 Blue Tits and a pair of blackbirds.
Spring is coming. Feeling grotty again after the avian excitement, Plas-y-Brenin rang. About the query yesterday, this guy was more upbeat about my question: “How do I know whether I am ready for assessment?”.
Optimism shot up after his opinion. I’m going for the easter date. It only gives a week before the Silver and Gold training.
There, I have a plan:
Practise more micro-navigation,
Read up on legislation,
Practise timing against our route cards.
There are two more stages:
1 camp skills Module,
2 Mountain Leader Qualification.
3 feel a warm satisfied glow.
2°C, heavy snow overnight.
One year ago, was filled with excitement about my cyclocross bike. It was ready for collection and I couldn’t bear the wait. One thing that I didn’t get to do was ride in the snow.
There is snow outside as I write but I can’t ride on it. I am laid up with a feverish cold and chest infection. Everything aches and all movement has to be slow. Even a few laps around the green would do it. I’m in no fit state.
However, I had a busy morning doing loads of chores, including installing 3 bird boxes, planting hostas and shopping.
Then in the afternoon, dreadful illness. It’s that pattern again, a surge of energy before the ill feeling takes over.
It’s quite slushy snow, all dripping as it melts. It’ll be gone by afternoon.
-2°C, clear, rain has frozen, treacherous outside.
Snow is coming. Today could be a brief window where I can grab a ride between melting ice and the predicted snowfall. This week’s milage is low, and despite a one mile swim on Thursday, I am restless. Very restless.
This bad tempered, fidgety feeling is exacerbated by work stress.
I enjoy buying and listening to music. It’s one of the constant pleasures in my life. It about changing my mood, illustrating phases in my life and stretching my mind.
It’s not often, however, that I feel as elated with a new find as this. I didn’t know music could do what this composer does with normal instruments.
Fred Frith modifies his instruments with objects, plays ordinary guitars in strange ways. But what Abrahamson does is entirely different. It’s all in the composition, I suppose.
I have been lifted out of the ordinary by this.
Schnee
Several occurances have met to enable this find. My new DAB radio means I play BBC Radio 3 most days. The car has a bluetooth and DAB stereo system which works well with my phone. Then, there’s the BBC iPlayer app. All that has led to this almost magical find, a bright lights shines out in my collection.
All this effusive talk and the CD hasn’t even arrived yet. The online shop allows immediate download once you have made your selection and purchase. So here I am, familiarising myself with a new record that is still in the post.
We had a discussion at work yesterday where I wanted a word to express the convergence of the above events that lead to this music in my collection. The best word is probably: synchronicity
I have used this iPod every day since 2009. Back then, I bought it as an upgrade on the iPod Mini when it ran out of space.
It’s the penultimate version with 120Gb of storage. I like it so much that I will take it to an Apple shop for a service.
The battery only holds charge for a few minutes. Otherwise, the device seems good. It’s only a hard-drive, a small display and a battery. I wonder how long the disc will last. Apple stopped making these a year or two ago. They still service the Classic however.
On the dock.
CD, 2015.
All solo piano, quiet, very close miced and measured in feel.
The cover explains more. The piano he used is a custom built instrument made by David Klavins in 1987. It’s enormous, the longest strings are 10ft long. The blue diagram shows its layout.
As it’s played, other small sounds can be heard from the mechanism. That’s not unusual in piano music, but with Frahm’s style, those working sounds are more obvious. Space between notes opens your ears to the shape and construction of each key press.
The result is peaceful and deliberate. The same characteristics melt into your own mood,
Recommended.
5°C, brisk SW clear blue above though. Rain held off..
I rode The Jake (fixed) with MapMyRide+! Distance: 24.17mi, time: 01:36:35, pace: 4:00min/mi, speed: 15.01mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1304385173
Storm building over Liverpool Bay. A brisk wind blew from that direction, but it didn’t seem to get any closer. Maybe that’s the effect of the Welsh hills. There could be hail in that cloud-head. Despite the strong wind, it didn’t get any closer. Fortunately.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 20.00mi, time: 01:43:19, pace: 5:10min/mi, speed: 11.61mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1302994541
I’m a gap between storms, I took young (12 years old) E. out on his new bike.
For him, this was his first adventure on his new Christmas bike.
It’s only right since it was my idea to buy it for Christmas, and to spend this much. We took a route avoiding big roads without cycle tracks. Other roads had usable footpaths he could use. Some roads, this was not possible, so I rode behind, slightly outside in a guard position.
It was quite obvious that cars treated us differently to single, adult cyclists. They waited patiently and from further back when trying to pass.
The ride length was just about right. He got tired on the return leg, but wouldn’t get off and walk the last significant hill.
He’s been enthusing about it since.
8.00 am, Stormy with heavy rain, moderate S wind.
On the drive north, Saturday Classics is playing on the car stereo. Tansy Davies did a selected playlist of Contemporary Classical music in a show broadcast on 2nd Jan. 2016.
Tansy Davies (photo: BBC)
One piece in particular caught my ear: Hans Abrahamsen: Schnee.
http://bbc.in/MjILVs
Inevitably, a selection contains pieces that vary in their appeal. Some don’t work their magic, some are stunning. Ironically, Davies included one of her own compositions which I would put near to the stunning end of the scale.
At the time, in the car, it seemed a bit odd for a presenter to include some of her own work. That doubt evaporated when the piece started. There is already one T. Davies CD in my collection, and some Ligeti (which is also wonderful).
At another time of day, the drive would have been difficult. Heavy rain glazed the road so markings were more difficult to see. Many drivers don’t sense the risk and drive well over the speed limit regardless. I thought: I want to buy winter tyres soon.
Gorgeous!
Micycle 