Christmas has started....

The decorations are up. Most of my present shopping is thankfully done. I have just one final hurdle to overcome - my eldest daughter requested an antique roll-top desk for her present. A tad unusual I think you'll agree. She's been looking out for one for almost a year - and her Mum and I agreed we'd go halves if we could find something suitable - and we did. Forget what I said in my last post - Ebay is where you need to be if you want to find anything. And best of all we secured an antique piece, solid oak, looking like something from the set of Downton for less than £400 - cheap at twice the price. We just need to get the thing now - antique roll-top desks are big! and this one's in Oxfordshire.

In the meantime I have started my annual photography job - taking pictures of children sitting on Santa's sleigh with a reindeer standing next to them. I keep thinking about the grumpy Punch and Judy man from Hi-de-Hi.

Another short blast on my bike on Saturday morning identified a problem. I noticed my mileometer has stopped working. This was a big deal at the time. I screeched to a halt. Well actually I just stopped. I twisted the connections, moved things around a few millimetres, took the battery out, wiped it and put it back, twisted everything again. It still didn't work. I carried on.

The mileometer is crucial - every bike ride for the past 4 or 5 years has been logged - the miles duly entered as part of the ritual. It provides a focus out on the road - watching the numbers click along is sometimes the only thing to look at. There's that great sense of achievement as it tips slowly towards 100 miles - barely believable sometimes. But now I've got nothing - I'm lost without it - like a sailor in a storm - no idea what speed I'm going or how far I've been.

Then suddenly an epiphany - I don't need it - not today - the speed I've been moving of late has been a constant letdown anyway - but now I don't need to worry - just coast along at what feels comfortable - who cares?  And as for distance - well, give or take a mile or two, I can guess. And suddenly this ride has become the most pleasurable for weeks. I amble along without a care - not even bothered if someone overtakes - let them. Yes, I'm glad in a way, i really enjoyed the simple pleasure of being out in the fresh air, not hung up about average speed or covering 25 or 30 miles or whatever - it was good enough just to do it.

Of course I'll be getting new batteries - but maybe not this year.