Well, I woke up miserable, but have had a good ride and come home to a home cooked BLT and a case of craft beers from my kids for Fathers day, and instructed to lie on the sofa watching the F1 this afternoon whilst sampling them.

’tis alright. 🙂

Woke up happy , the smell of cooking wafting up the stairs came down to my 10 year old son making pancakes and the table laid out with various honeys/peaches/banana/maple syrup/dark chocolate spread/Greek yoghurt . My 4 year old son informed me ‘happy father’s birthday day daddy’ and gave me a package with a home made card , , after shave, chocolate, chocolate porter and a tshirt with the slogan ‘no hair , don’t care’ emblazoned on it’s front.
All in all it’s going well so far , going for a quick local pootle later but we need to go shopping first.

Up at 5:34, one minute before my alarm then off to do a 12hr shift sat on my arse in a signalbox. Arrived here to find I’d forgotten my porridge and weetabix so had to eat dinner as my breakfast and now I’m starving!

On the plus side, since I’ve been here I’ve ordered 2 bike bits online 😛

At work 🙁 sneaked out this morning 🙁 tho mrs gave me thumbs up for a retro kona yesterday so not all bad

Finally got 1 month old to sleep at 1am, had 30mins kip before neighbours came back with half the local pub. Managed maybe 2hrs sleep and now the boy is refusing to go down for lunch time nap and will only sleep on me. Wife is trying very hard but all I want is some quiet and some sleep. Is it selfish if when asked on Father’s Day what you want to do involves being on your own?

Feel for you DT. My 18 month has on the other had just woken from her 2hr mid morning sleep and I had a snooze with the 3 yr old. Off to our local Lickey hills now to find some mud and build dens and stuff. Hopefully a ride later this evening and a beer.

At work sneaked out this morning tho mrs gave me thumbs up for a retro kona yesterday so not all bad

Ditto – but with the family sent away so I can focus on work here and without the retro Kona.

But they’ll be back shortly with homemade cards for me and we’ll have a nice cup of tea, then probably walk the woofer.

🙂

Wife is working and on call over weekend so up at 7.30 to feed the kids and beasts then caught the train into Chester. Play in the park, ride on the miniature railway then chips and ice cream down by the river then train home in time for 2 year olds nap. Quick coffee then off to clean out the guinea pigs and make tea.

It was worth missing the fun today for a meal and a kona yesterday 😉

The five year old woke me up with a demonstration of ‘flying hugs’ aka a knee in the knackers.

The eight your old then came through to give a lengthy display of how to cook baked potatoes on Minecraft (this is a computer game for those that don’t know).

The fourteen year old brought me a bacon sandwich and mug of tea in bed, so she’s my favourite child today.

The thirty five year old let me sleep through the sermon without elbowing me awake and then bought steak and cheese and beer for tea.

Lay in the grass for half an hour looking up at the deep blue sky and thought about the old man. A lovely sense of peace albeit with a tinge of a tear. A toast to him with a nice glass of claret later. No Montrachet where we are sadly.

Thoughts to anyone else missing their dad’s today.

Ouf, that post made me think of my poor old Dad, diagnosed at 55 and suffered for 10 years with Alzheimer’s, died in 1995. I can hardly remember him now.

*snif*

Up at 6am for a run with the dog. Got back to the car to find the battery flat again (went flat Thursday, got jump started, seemed OK again, but clearly not)

Called wife who wasn’t delighted to be woken at 7am. She came and picked up the dog while I waited for the recovery man. Brought me a mug of coffee (points awarded for caring) I drank coffee sat shivering in the car (wet and sweaty after running in drizzle). Coffee had its usual effect. Sat shivering in the car with the added frisson of an enemy at the gates scenario. Subtracted previously awarded caring points.

Recovery man arrived within the hour. Jump started in no time, used his fancy charger to confirm that battery was indeed ‘****’. Plans of leisurely bath and bacon sanger scrapped in place of plan to trawl car parts places for a battery in stock. By now it’s about half eight, so a car i don’t want to turn off and 90 mins until anywhere opens. Did a nice tour de surrey arriving at Kwik Fit and sitting shivering 20 mins early so I’d be first in queue. On the plus side – enemy at gates has been beaten back.

Man at Kwik Fit opens up early so i can use his coffee machine and checks stock and fitting instructions in readiness. As soon as fitter arrives at 5-to, it’s on the ramp. 20 mins later I’m on the way again. A little lighter in the wallet, but not badly compared to buying one from ECP and trying to fit it myself. With the added benefit that fitting it myself would almost certainly involve electrocution of some sort and any savings then being spent on blown fuses and relays.

Home to find kids have made me a card each, have bought me American Sniper DVD (OK, I bought it with Nectar points last week but who cares) and some maple caramel sauce. Bacon sandwiches conspicuously absent. Make do with toast.

Rest of the day has been spent at Dogfest. It’s a fete cum trade show with a dog theme. Surprisingly good fun, with some lovely dogs and owners. Failed in plan to find a beagle called Jeremy. Did see a flash mob get together of sausage dogs, never seen so many in one place. Saw some amazing agility and working dog displays, and even a good dancing dog.

Kids are now having baths and I’m doing job applications for the wife. Apart from wasting time on here.

So basically like most of my weekends; running as fast as i can to stand still. But that’s what being a Dad’s about, isn’t it?

Up at 7.30, then coffee in bed.

Then bacon sarnie cooked for me whilst watching BSB qually.

Park for football with my boy.

Malmaison for lunch, then WSB and relaxing.

Doesn’t get any better for a rest day.

Came home from work around 7 fell asleep for about an hour to be woken by my girls, a new mug, box of jelly babies and Terry’s Chocolate orange plus some kisses.

Been trying to get back to sleep since but now it’s time for work. 😕

I woke up happy, but then I’ve got no kids 😀

So after a 5hr roadie session with 16mates all over the beautiful South Downs (Hants) I am now having a few mins to remember my Dad.

😀

My sister has an annual garden party/pissup/barbecue on or near the solstice each year, in her big garden. Only this time they are in DIY rennovation hell so she chose a lovely campsite in the valley between the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones – so seriously surrounded by great biking. Opted not to take my bike as I deemed it antisocial. Got there yesterday lunchtime, mooched about, we all walked to the pub which was boring as hell as the kids played in the stream opposite and me and the Mrs were the only ones watching them. I didn’t know anyone else there – bored.

Waited aages for the eventual barbecue, which was ok as most other people cooked. Kids stayed up playing with other whiney complainey kids until 10pm, stayed chatting and lightly arguing with my slightly drunk sister til 1, wind woke us up at 7am, I had cracking headache and still feel wrecked, not enough food.. spent far too long dealing with camping gear and problematic kids. Plus point was a big rounders game, forgotten how much I enjoyed that stuff.

Feel knackered still, watching footie on iPlayer. Kids were lovely though – bought me some cycling gloves and made me lovely cards – felt very loved by my own brood.

Nice ride if it wasn’t for trail sabotage, grumpy dog walkers and tearing the sidewall out of new Honey Badger!

Just had roast lamb which was lovely and the ferrets and dogs have got me a nice minions drinking mug!

Got woken up by 8 year old at 6.15, but she obviously couldn’t remember why she woke me up and took herself downstairs to watch TV. Her brother joined her at 7.

I got up, had my breakfast, sorted out stuff for today, made their breakfasts and got in the shower. By the time I came out the shower MrsMC had got up and cards and chocolates had miraculously appeared.

I then rode off to spend 8 hours shepherding L’Eroica riders out of a car park and onto the road and then rode back again.

When I got back they had made chocolate brownies and not missed me at all.

Cracking day tbf

Up and out early for a road ride with my mates. Home to cards, some whiskey miniatures and a voucher for hair cut, hot towel shave and beer at the local barbers.
Things went downhill after that. Fixed 5 punctures yesterday (all from one ride last week) so that we could go on a family ride around Richmond Park. Got to the park to find I’d missed one as one of the bikes had gone down on the way there. Only spare tube had a hole in it.
Wife decided to sit out and wait at the cafe. Eldest got fed up after a mile and the youngest, who’s only just learned to ride and is (was) always desperate to get out, fell off, downhill, at speed. Banged head,bruised ribs, grazed nose and no skin on right knee. Absolutely gutted for him.
Ps now all the miniatures will be drunk tonight.

Well, it started well with a bacon sarnie then….
wife went to docs with ‘chest infection’ ended up on ecg with irregualr heartbeat
Took kids to park for distraction, to find village fete was on. OK thinks I this could be a bonus – lost a welly within 5 mins, eldest terrified by barking dogs and absolutely f all to eat for a milk alergic 1 year old. luckily a nioce lady made us a milk free egg bun. get eldest an ice cream who immediately dropped it total meltdown ensues. Get back and wife has been released so we have very quiet afternoon in front of the telly. Pub for tea, great, well almost. Chef makes the mistake of showing the eldest the pool table – total and utter f’in chaos, pool balls everywhere, buzz lightyear jammed in a pocket, tears and tantrums abound. glowered at by barman for remains of meal. Get kids home, getting them ready for bed, youngest shits in the bath – CONDITION BROWN! a further 10 minutes of panic and hysteria. And just taken an hour to settle the youngest, refusing to go to sleep.

Still, got my chocolate and whiskey now….and a load of work to do for the morning.

Happy fathers day.

Woke at 8:30 after 10 hour sleep. Quick brekky then out on the mtb for a local dash. Then four hours windsurfing. Nice home cooked dinner then we skyped with son and grandkids in California and about to go online to the kids on Oz. Life is good.

Both sons working today so I was treated yesterday to a lovely pub lunch in Llandeilo. Chilli prawn stir-fry, lovely.
Boy One came over on his new motorbike from Cardiff and then worked his ICT wizarding skills and fixed the PC, the stereo, the other PC and then his motor bike indicator that had fallen off.

During this time a venue in Cardiff called to tell him that the sound tech hadn’t turned up so I then got to see my son sort more staff. Seamlessly. Lovely to watch him do it. Proper proud dad moment.

Not to be outdone in the ‘impress dad’ stakes Boy 2 who only recently turned 18 bought me a pint for the first time. And then this morning brought me a card, a mug of tea and a bottle of Glenfiddich before he went to work. Leaving me to have a great solo ride along the Tywi track, North of Llandovery.
But no bacon sandwich. 🙁

Just grateful to be here and to have 3 wonderful offspring, each of which showed their love in their own way.

My dad sadly died a few years back so I did a 40km loop round the peak, sat atop whinstone lee tor and gave him a nod.

Next year is my first fathers day (Wee bairn due end of Sept). I’m very sad that my dad wont meet the baby but I’ll tell he/she what a top chap he was one day 🙂

Yamaha dirtbike experience in wales yesterday with 9 budddies,camping with beer and food last night and a few hours around nant y arian today.Daughter back from uni today with a nice bottle of malt.

Knackered!!!!

Started badly with no tea or bacon sarnie. My daughters card for me was ruined when she sneezed on it, and my son wrote “Daddy – you’re the beast” oops!!

However, a nice morning ride, and the rest of the day with the family/friends at the village picnic made for a lovely day.

Mines back in hospital .

Bummed

Mine took a downturn when the five year old cut short our family dog walk by riding his bike along a low wall and falling off it into a lake, resulting in him soaked head to toe with weed all over him, me soaked to the knees getting him out, and the temporary loss of a flip flop in the sticky mud 🙂

Started with a lay in until 9.30 then made my own bacon sarnie and moonched around a bit. Went off and did the 22 miles from Fareham to QECP and met wife and son there, took son off for a bimble round the blue trail and finished off with coffee and a sandwich. Daughter came home this evening so a few presents and hugs were had, all very nice and I get out of doing the ironing.

Spent the day at the beach playing cricket and building sand castles with the kids. Great fathers day. 😀

I was in B&Q at lunchtime today – Father’s Day treat – as soon as I was in the place some guy came up and asked if I wanted decking. 
Luckily I got the first punch in, but just goes to show you can’t be too careful when shopping these days.