August's Post

Right. Well August's blogging has been non-existent so far. I've been preoccupied and haven't really felt like documenting the grey days as they have rolled by.

Today was one of my "days in" at work. As I work at a school my contract is term time plus four days during the holidays. I've done one day this year so I've got three days to go. One of those remaining three days was today. It was pretty hectic as everything was going on and there was little structure or guidance as to what I was supposed to do apart from tidy up loose ends. There were the usual neither-here-nor-there requests from certain members of staff who didn't really know what they wanted.

I had to borrow Nick's CG125 to get to work. That thing is falling apart. The thing is it's a CG125. It's bulletproof. That doesn't mean it will automatically pass its *cough*overdue*cough* MOT, which means that as much as Nick would like to believe otherwise, it is becoming more and more dangerous to ride.

I got some bad news from the garage. My bike is awaiting a single part - the ABS sensor bracket - and can't be put on the road without it (not legally anyway). The part is on back order but has to come from Japan. ETA a couple of weeks. Ouch. This has been a horrible summer. No bike all summer.

Plans for moving out are moving smoothly. It seems Richard has a mind to move in here and take my place while I relocate to a place of my own. This will simplify things and allows me to move as early as the end of September although I may leave some more time for planning.

My mum has been on a house sit this week and invited me to visit. I did so, partially because the folks who have left my dear mother in charge have an indoor swimming pool. I managed to do backflips from the poolside into the water and I've tried to take that courage onto land. I'm flipping onto a mattress in the back garden. Fine. The problem is that I'm twisting to one side and it's really hurting my neck. If I can flip over backwards straight then I'll have it dialled but currently I'm doing more harm than good by performing this move incorrectly. I'll have to remedy it somehow - probably by getting someone to spot me or something.

I just got a call from my mum informing me that my youngest brother Sam has come off his bike and is at Ashford hospital. I couldn't get much more out of her because of the poor reception so I left her a voicemail to call me or text me when she's got the time and isn't fretting. I hope he's alright but I get the idea that he was just going around a corner too fast. He has recently become addicted to getting his knee down. Mum managed to tell me that the police don't know where his bike is. That's pretty bad news. The police are somehow involved and they can't find his bike.

I'll just stay up all night waiting for this text message then.

Update: Sam is fine. He's a bit shaken and stirred but he didn't sustain any serious injuries (thanks to his gear which is, apparently, now ruined). I don't know about the bike.