New frame built up (new bike post will follow), first ride after work tonight and I can’t flippin wait.

Been out of the saddle for a few months. Come on five!!! Blue sky, no rain, perfect.

What has you clock watching today?

phone call from cyclehighlands ballater at 10am …..

my new rove AL is ready for collection AND i have an early finish tonight to get get it 😀

mini jek #2 due in may and I have 6 whole weeks off work to welcome him/her into the world and help Mummy manage. Of course if the mother in law helps out from time to time Daddy can go cycling!

..end of work. Predictable I know, but true.

Congrats jekkyl, our second just arrived but with a new business, couldn’t take any time off this time around. Really wish I could have been at home helping out.

I’m retiring (early) at the end of April. For a present to me, I’m planning to build up a Cotic Soul 275 over a period of weeks/months/days! I ordered the fork for it today 😀

I’m going to have a little celebration when one of my customers finally sees fit to pay any of their overdue invoices

Its all very exciting!

19 hours left to work for my current employer, not that I’m counting them down.

Love that the work place thug who has offered to smash my face in a couple of times, asked was I having a night out and buying them all a beer, the answer of no seemed a shock to them.

Three weeks today I’ll be heading to Japan, kind of looking forward to that.

A pint with my young un when he gets back next weekend.

To hear whether I’ll be made redundant next week = I am hoping for redundancy

Getting a job. 5 months unemployed and counting.

Got an attendance management meeting with my boss and union rep tomorrow as I’ve been off sick for 2 months now.

Can’t wait for that to be over. If I wasn’t anxious and depressed before …..

Raphas HotN entry to open!!!

Hurry… Bloody… Up… Will… You 🙄

To finish building this jump

Then I can go and play on the new line

Spring, that’s it really. I sometimes think March is worse than Jan/Feb for me, at least in the darkest days I’m resigned to it, come March and it’s light coming home from work and it seems to be taunting me.

Waiting for my cast to come off so I can get back out on my bike, one week to go!

I’m off to Belgium again in a couple of weeks. I am so looking forward to it.

In my head, I spend most of my time there.

PS: Nice one Jekkyl. Best of luck to you and yours.

Waiting for my sons cast to come off so I can take him for a ride on his new bike I built up in January, bloody weather/skiing injuries!!

Waiting to hear from HR on the results of my interview for a new job last week. Internal movements are far too slow.

Next ‘boys’ trip to Wales in early June

warmer and longer days…

Dry trails and some long days in the saddle, they seem to be a long time coming.

But a kid free weekend away with the Mrs, can’t wait for that either.

A ski holiday. Got sick MIL staying at the moment and had no money last two years following a new kitchen install so this will be the third year of no snow fun.

Birthday in April – am putting on a bike race for self and 15 buddies followed by a cask of beer and a slap-up dinner.

Inner Hebrides sailing cruise in May calling at Islay and Jura, camping on a 22 ft Swallow Boat or ashore.

My new bike will be ready next week. But I’m on work travel and away for easter hols, I can only collect mid April 🙁

For June when I can ride an mtb again. Not off road proper but some very easy local trails.
Skiing next season, been off snow for over 2 years.
Being able to walk properly again in the hills.
The sooner these things happen the better place my mind will be in.

To sell my house and move to Spain and get on with my retirement

Internal movements are far too slow

I never suffer from this!!

Spa day with the wife on Thursday. My back is **** and I’m hoping a nice young lady will help get it back in shape using sensual oils and her elbows..

HMMM! I had a new bike delivered yesterday Radon from Bike Discount.de I don’t like so am sending it back, therefore I am waiting on:

Repackage bike
Return bike
receive refund
start shopping again
waste 3 weeks of being unable to decide
buy bike
happiness…

In the mean time I bought a new OnOne456 to hang my 26er bits off, just to keep me going, you know.

This weekend,

6 of us off to the peaks for something different. Staying in the camping barn at Alstonefield and spending the day walking to the Old Dog pub near Thorpe for loads of ale and some food.

No electricity, no phones, no day to day shit 🙂

A number of things:

The results of the restructure at work. Initially they’ve slimmed my role down, taken all the stuff I’m brilliant at off me, broken up the things that were working really well and left me with the stuff I can do in my sleep. For the same money I was on previously. I’m not convinced it’s ‘deliberate’, just knee jerk stupidity from out of touch and overly political senior management. I’m considering my options….

My side project to kick off. Very exciting piece of work that has massive mileage in the sector and beyond. Halfway through the trial period, so perhaps another 3 to 6 months before it’s ready to go. Lots of interest and an invite to speak in front of a 100 or so interested parties later this week.

It’s a balancing act at the moment

My wife to come home in a couple of hours time, she’s lovely.

The weekend. I like my job, but I don’t half look forward to Friday when I walk out of the office.

Longer term I’ve got a long weekend of riding in the Highlands and Torridon coming up and a week of relaxation (and possible riding!) in Spain after Easter.

I did have a week in the Alps to look forward to this Summer, but those plans got shelved when the car needed replacing 🙁

Got some new Pikes delivered today for my hardtail. Looking forward to servicing them and getting them on. Antur Stiniog this weekend too.

Looking forward to any kind of summer we get, so I don’t have to come back from a ride muddied up to the eyeballs. Wishful thinking.

What can’t you wait for?

The arrival of our Alien Overlords 😯

Squid curry for tea.

Cwmcarn on Thursday.

Easily pleased me! 😆

My first skiing holiday in 6 years over Easter.
My motivation to return, it’s been sadly lacking for the winter months.

Sun, summer, chasing rainbows.

My wee toddler to be less whimpery