Death From Above

So, got up at 4:30 to cycle 20 miles to see the Tall Ships sail out. [I popped over yesterday to see them in harbour (and buy binoculars^[1] and a map for the cycling)].

Just got back after doing 30 miles (nice friends gave me a lift part of the way back) with a tan line on one leg and a big oil smear on the other. Have showered (for the suntan cream), Moisturised (for the sun burn) and eaten an ice-cream (cos it's summer and that's what you do).

So worth it. :D

The cycle out was amazing, the sun rising at my back, mist in the fields hiding what was land and what was sea with just the windmills and the Saltees sticking up identifiably. It's a fantastic road, just high enough to see all the way down to the Southern Coast across rolling fields. Usually I hate to cycle on it because it's stuffed to the gills with drivers in a hurry who pass too close and hate all cyclists with a passion. But at 5am? Totally empty. My road, my lovely road. I could pick the smoothest spots, wobble into the middle when enraptured by the view. Oh, it was brilliant.

And now I have sausage rolls. Best day ever. Fact.

( Now with bonus pic! )

^[1] I have binoculars now, binoculars are cool.

Got HAILED on on the way home. And let me tell you internets, air-flow vents in a helmet are all very well for head cooling but they do NOTHING against big lumps of ice. NOTHING.

As Caesar himself said: "Infamy, Infamy! They've all got it in for me!"

Oh, and I saw X-Men:First Class. :D There is not enough squee in the world to express my opinion on that film. The Slash! The Fassbender! The Wolverine!

I say may, because I met a man in the pub last night and I'm waiting for him to call me this morning and confirm that he's willing to take me out for the day.

...

Actually, it's less exciting than that. Wending my wobbly way home from the comedy festival last night/this morning (Sarah Millican is HYSTERICALLY FILTHY in real life and I laughed so much I thought I was going to asphyxiate myself from lack of breathing) I was just considering my warm and cosy bed when I noticed the barman was having a smoke break in the doorway of the pub.

"Hullo!" Sayeth I, being in a somewhat merry mood despite the lateness of the hour.

"Hullo," replyeth he. "Your mate be inside, drinking cheerily. You should pop in and say hi."

"I should," thought I! (For I am nothing if not persuadable when tipsy). "Let me past and I shall do so forthwith."

The outcome of which was that there was the drinking of more beverages and it did come to pass that I was informed of the exciting news that my landlord was taking some relations to the Duncannon Military Festival (RE-ENACTMENT SQUEE) and there might be room in the car for a little one. Emboldened by my vodka consumption I ventured to enquire as to whether I could be cheeky and tag along for the fun.

Hence you find me. Slightly hungover and awaiting a phone call. With coffee. And slight trepidation.

Even more so in that the evil experiment (that I hate and am trying to prove is stupid) is consistently being an arse and I have to go in on my day off and poke it some more.

Ah well. New job starts on Tuesday (after the bank holiday) and we shall see what occurs then. I already know there's no office for at least two weeks, so expect some lack-of-office ranting.
Should I be this nervous? I can probably do it. Should be fine. Besides, my new boss is off for two weeks so I've got a bit of a run up before it all kicks off.

In shoulder news, it still hurts like a cow. But lying on the floor is helping and it's nice to be officially allowed to take the drugs now. Hopefully with four days off it'll settle down a wee bit more.

Oh, and we're going to Comedy in Kilkenny on Saturday. Laughter being the best medicine, I'll probably be fine come Sunday. :D

Today I have mostly been digging holes^[1] in fields with cows in, fields that have had cows in and fields that will have cows in soon. There were a LOT of holes.

We saw 6 bulls. Two bulls saw us.

And we still never found a brown podzolic. *sigh* Good job the weather was awesome :D

Now we shall go for foods. Tasty foods. I have deserved foods. (I was allowed an ice-cream on the way home for being a good worker. Yay ice-cream)



^[1]Very small holes. Which we filled in again immediately after. We're very careful about that. Once we're done you'd never know we'd been there.

That was a long cycle. I cycled so far I found the sun! Which then hung around for half an hour before being embarrassed by all the attention and disappearing to be replaced by a cold wind. Which became a cold headwind as I set off on a winding explore of the South East Coast following the elusive blue signs of a long distance cycle route. Very good signage actually, I never got lost at all! Unfortunately the back roads were not so good. Thank goodness for suspended saddles, that's what I say!

Am now home, and having showered, done the shopping, put a load of washing on and washed the kitchen floor I think I'm allowed to relax in your fine company for a bit.

Everyone having a nice bank holiday?

Oooh, and we're off to see Fast And Furious: Whatever later. Car noise and Vin Diesel's oiled biceps. Lovely.

Dear Diary,

Today I carried 32 buckets of water from the stupid equipment to the drain on the other side of the barn.

It was not the best day ever.

But then we got to go to the beach and there was chips and beer whilst looking at the sea and paddling and chasing after the multi-coloured throwing thing through aches of soft sand and walking like a zombie and general merriment.

All in all, I think we'll chalk this day up to the good guys.