24°C, light winds, no clouds.
Swim in Llyn Cwmffynion. First wild-swim of the year in a hidden corrie beneath Nantlle ridge. The water was shallow, only knee deep so no real swim I admit. The ridge was clear this time, the view almost endless and the hills rich in thick velvety emerald grasses and bilberrys. I simply wanted to stay and to stay. In the end we were drawn down by the thought of a quaint mountaineer’s cafe in Rhyd Ddu.
20C, 
.
Carpet cleaning machine: Rug-doctor is surprisingly effective. It’s noisy and can’t get into the pokiest corners of my attic but it does turn the soapy water into the appearance of old cold coffee. Strangely satisfying, in a domestic way.
Campag-8 gears still don’t index, even after replacing the cassette today. I’m just as puzzled and annoyed by this problem as the last time I posted about this. I really don’t want to upgrade the drivetrain to 10-speed or worse to get a slick gear-change. Those systems are fiddly, difficult to tune and unnecessary. There is really no need for more than 8 gears (x2) on my bike. I’m not just saying that just because I’m a single-speed bike rider.
What is the solution to this?
15C, 
, easing westerly. KC44 miles.
June already, but I haven’t finished with May yet. Look, here I am wishing my life away in an inverted way and I’ve been in bed since 8.30pm. Can I use an excuse? I’d like to use the one about cycling 44 miles then driving 100 more.
My old dog is certified stupid- I have just had to rescue her. She’s been barking for a while, that bark she has reserved for ‘let me out’. So, the caring responsible pet owner that I am, I went to investigate. There she was standing on the kitchen table, unable to get down. I hope I get into scrapes like that when I’m old.
17°C, sunny earlier.
The pond has gone all green and bubbly looking. What’s going on down there? I hope the bubbles are oxygen, otherwise the animals I introduced the other day might asphyxiate. Perhaps not though, it does look fizzy on the surface.
Hope it clears itself soon.
16°C, Sun.
The pond is now populated with some plants, But the water is cloudy with algae now. I’m holding out for the plants having the effect of clearing the water. There are animals in there that depend on it, including leeches!
16C, clearing up, still windy.
Been away: on work’s DofE trip. Now I’m sleep deprived, the first walk didn’t finish until 8pm so the kids were still cooking at 10pm. Other teachers didn’t eat until after that. Such an arrangement doesn’t work for me.
Film:Breaking The Waves– Lars Von Trier. A difficult film this one, but somehow compelling. Not one to watch with your folks I found. Stark and a test of stamina, you need to cope with the mental illness theme; if you can, there is a reward despite the feeling that you’re being tested.
16°C, rain.
The world ended on Saturday afternoon. I was sitting in a field in the sunshine at the time, all I noticed that is mildly relevant was a strong breeze, oh and a barge chugged past on the canal. Judgement days aren’t so bad.
16°C, Sun light breeze
Rode in good time to work today. That malaise has lifted, I had a strong feeling that it was a bug, and this pretty much confirms it. Now I can be bothered to post; you’ll be relieved to hear.
17°C, grey but mostly dry.
I’m bothered by a deep seated can’t-be-bothered feeling. It’s as if there is some minor background illness, perhaps some virus or a cold that wants to be sneaky about it. My legs feel empty, my head sleepy and I’m exhibiting symptoms of laziness. I hate this; it’s burrowed deep inside and leaves me feeling bored. I look on those who complain of boredom with distain. Now it’s me. Last time this malaise lifted after nearly a week. hopefully…
18°C, cloudy & sunny stuff
They’ve charged me for nitrogen filling in a tyre repair. No, I didn’t ask for it, the stuff I have been putting in tyres for 20 years is 80% nitrogen anyway- why pay extra for it. Further, look at what it says in the receipt under “Brakes”:
Unique Lifetime Guarantee on all brake pads…
For as long as you own the car, plus 12 months or 12,000 miles whichever comes first.
12,000 miles is about a 1½ years, great lifespan. What lives for just 12 months?
Micycle 