1107.03 ANNIVERSARY FOR ONE

Today it's our wedding anniversary. So what's the plan? Dinner? Day out? Perhaps but not with me. I'm at home with the kids whilst my wife is in Paris with her friend. It's not an issue, we agreed to this months ago. So what am I doing for our anniversary? Nothing I wouldn't do on a regular Sunday, I'm considering having a curry for one tonight but I'll see how I feel later.

1107.02 LE TOUR

It's July and that time of year in the cycling calendar where any fan of cycling is glued to the tv for the 'greatest show on 2 wheels'. It's time for the Tour de France. This is the third year I'll actively followed the race and my interest gets stronger every time.

Ironically, Morticia is in France this weekend having a break with her friend (although no where near the race). I'm off work for a few days so I'll be looking at picking up a few miles in the saddle myself.

1105.30 THIS AIN'T SKEGGY

Today being a bank holiday and being English, we decided to go to the seaside despite the weather (which was overcast when we set off). Since we're staying at Morticia's mother's the nearest seaside is a place called HUNSTANTON. It's a place I'd never heard of before.

It wasn't long into the journey before it started raining, it didn't stop all day.

Hunstanton is billed as a Victorian seaside town, my first impressions didn't hold up this claim. It looked like a town that was left behind in the seventies. Ok, to give it it's due I didn't get to explore all the town, just a small part because of the miserable weather. I got the feeling that the town was missing a few tricks that the rest of the east coast has. One of the big deals about the seaside for me is 'fish & chips', something that is not well represented in the town. There is potential to be a 'nice' seaside resort, focused on family visitors but as it is now it's not worth the trip unless it's just a passing visit.

Back to our day, we arrived at lunch time. Had some trouble getting parked, not because it was busy (it wasn't) but because all the car parks had height bars and I couldn't get the roof box under. Luckily I found a car park with a slightly higher bar and paid a fiver for the day.

We went for lunch in one of the cafes overlooking the green and was disappointed.

My damp family

We looked around the shops for a while then hit the arcades (after all there was little else to do) and every parent knows....

Seaside + Bad Weather = Arcades <> Skint

We stayed until about 7pm and after a bag of chips we headed back.

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1105.29 THE LAST BANK HOLIDAY

Well it's not technically the last one but it's the last one of a glut of them. Once again I'm down at the mother in law's in St Neots. Morticia has been staying down here for the week and to combine picking her up the kids and me are having a weekend away.

We arrived yesterday in the early afternoon following an uneventful drive down the A1. Our eldest daughter then went all 'teenage' on us which pretty much wrote off the rest of the day. Today we've had a lazy day in, the weather has been a bit fierce outside (gales blowing) so I've been glad to be in.

We all sat down to a perfect Sunday lunch, even if it was a little late. Now I'm relaxing with a bottle of Guinness wondering what we'll do tomorrow.

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Location:St Neots

1105.27 SKYPEEEEE!

Whilst Morticia has been away we have communicated with a nightly Skype call. Before this time we used mobile video calling but since our last upgrade video calling is no longer an option (yes I have Facetime on my iPhone but Morticia has a HTC that doesn't). I've had a Skype account for ages but no one to speak to. That's all changed now as it's all set up on all the computers and phones in the household (4 of each). I believe that Skype calls will become more commonplace here, especially between Morticia and her mother.

1105.25 HOME ALONE

This week I've been left home with the kids this week. It's something that always sounds good but in reality it's pretty difficult to get through. I dropped Morticia off at Meadowhall Railway Station quite late on Friday night. We'd got a bargain ticket for the trip to St Neots, £8. It was a teary send off with our eldest daughter getting quite emotional.

The first couple of days are great. Nodding off on the settee when the kids are in bed. Watching what I want when I want. Then the bed becomes a lonely place and sleep becomes difficult. I start to miss the conversations, she also keeps me on my toes. It feels like such a long time since we were together and not just a few days.

I've been working half days this week, it's a method where I don't use up all my leave and I can still be there at both ends of the school day.

We, as a family, will be reunited on Saturday. It can't come too soon for me.

1105.24 NEW WEBSITE

I've been wanting to do this for some time now. My site was getting tired and old lucking, I even contemplated shutting the whole thing down, after all who has a personal website these days? I still have things to say and I want to show off my cartoons (some people actually like them). I've decided that since I'm 40 I'd have a cleaner, more mature looking site. It'll take a while to have it all done but the blog and home page are complete, I've ditched some of the crap and planned new pages.

The next big thing is born from the catastrophic failure of my 40 B4 40 project. If your not familiar then it was a set of 40 tasks that I set down when I was 35 for completion before my fortieth birthday. Family, responsibility are finance all got in the way and I barely scratched the surface. I plan to revisit this list and publish a revised/new one with 50 tasks to do before I reach 50. As I write this fifty seems such a long way away but I know how fast that time will pass.

Enjoy the new site, I welcome your feedback.

1105.15 EYE EYE

Yesterday I went for my eyes tested, all was fine and my prescription hasn't really changed. One of the things I wanted from my visit was a pair of glasses that would be suitable for cycling. I know you can get prescription cycling glasses, I've owned a pair in the past but I've found that you end up paying through the nose for what is essentially a cheap pair of glasses with prescription inserts.

I found a pair of sunglasses which have a better quality build and enough eye coverage to provide protection. I've ordered them with a light tint and 100% UV protection.

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1105.15 IS THIS THE BEGINNING?

So they say that life begins at 40. Well that was 10 days ago and I'm still waiting for things to get going. Don't get me wrong, I had a great birthday - I spent the whole time with the people I love, my family. Morticia wanted me to have a party but I said categorically no. I didn't want fuss and there was no way I was paying for a piss up for people who most of the time don't give a damn about me. I preferred the quiet option.

My fortieth present to myself was a new bike, purchased through my organisation's 'Cycle2Work' scheme (which we've campaigned for for the last couple of years). It's a Boardman Comp 2011 road bike. I've been out on it a few times since getting it and I'm enjoying getting to know my new stead. It's been a long time since I last owned a road bike.

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1105.04 THE END OF THE FIRST HALF

As I hurtle towards middle age I find myself reflecting on what has gone before. I think my thirties have defined me, I was comfortable there. It's been a stressful time but I feel I have gotten my life into perspective. I rediscovered cycling, not just the act but the sport (and sport of any type was never my thing before), I got out of the rut I was in with bus driving and am now carving out a new career.

My 40 b4 40 project went tits up. I managed to complete very little, maybe I'll do a 50 b4 50.

I'm nervous about what lays ahead, getting older, ill health, losing people. It doesn't seem to appealing to me. So when I'm asked to celebrabe my 40th then don't be surprised when I say that I want to keep it low key.