Right. I need to run away and hide from the world for a bit..... Scotland are about to get absolutely walloped at rugby and I can't bear to watch....

Hurrah! British man wins gold in the "head first tea tray sliding" at the Winter Olympics!!!! Well done good sir.

Absolute banger.

Right, there's pretty ice skating and headfirst tea tray sliding. And a stramash on ice skates. Hugely enjoyed the speed skating earlier. I also quite like the "running on skis" events. And the "Winter War" sport. They all look exhausting, but all more fun than running. Freewheeling opportunities.

Feet first tea tray sliding now. And some kind of team relay. Oooh. A lady slides first and then the double decker men tea tray follows, and then a solo male., then double decker ladies. The "exchange" is a sign above the ice which releases a gate at the top of the run.

Yay! Head first tea tray sliding is on. (How in the world does anyone come up with these sports?)

Ah. I usually hate this kind of forced Scottishness. But I loved that Lilah and Lewis. What a joy that was. Probably not quite enough for a medal, but well done them . 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

You Rob Hatch is commentating on a speed skating Madison type gig. They give each other a little shove at the takeover. Love it.

Am loving the ice dancers using so much 90s music. Ah, I'm getting all nostalgic!

Apparently today is "National Snowdrop Day". So I took some photos of some at Rainham Hall. (I got out on the bike and it didn't rain! Woohooooooo) @watchinthesky.bsky.social (some more snowdrops for you! And a crocus too)

Turned on the speed skating. Bloody Carlton Kirby commentating. Why?!?!?

@newhamcyclists.uk I'm sure you're aware but there appears to be zero signage on the northern diversion route (via Plaistow) for the new Greenway closure. Just the rubbish maps on the signs...

Oh this is sad news. Dear Pushkin has left us.

For a number of years (from 2020, ironically), I took Spanish lessons because I had rather fallen in love with a hotel in Spain. Not all the staff spoke English. But they dod speak French, which is my default language on the Continent. I stopped those classes probably a couple of years back now

Right then rugby bois. What entertainment have you got for us?! #FRAIRE Bloody hell the Stade de France looks stunning. What a light show.

Right then. On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is drier than the Sahara and 10 is wetter than an other's pocket, how absolutely drenched am I going to get commuting tomorrow?

Ugh. I hate February. It's an awful month. Shocking weather and goes on forever. Many times worse than January. @cs3cs6count.bsky.social - counter still offline. Probably drowned. But lots of cyclists out today even with the very rubbish weather. Absolutely drookit when I got home tonight. Grump

#CS2 alert: cycle lane shut & thrown into traffic briefly westbound at Bow Church DLR Station. This closes & reopens quite regularly. Also, Eastbound outside Whitechapel station opposite the Royal London nearside traffic lane closed for about 100m @newhamcyclists.uk

Whoop! Joe Truman! European Kilo Champ! And the women's team pursuit, gold medal AND a World Record. #trackcycling #UEC #Konya

Oooh blimey. Dutch ladies messing up the start (team sprint). GB v Germany for Gold. Did not see that coming... #UEC #trackcycling #konya

I went to personal training this morning PT: hey how are you? Me: exhausted. It's been A Week. PT: yeah. Me too. His next client arrived for his session PT: and how are you good sir? NC: exhausted. It has been A Week. Clearly January has been Januarying for everyone. Is anyone not exhausted?

Well that was an absolute shocker of a commute. Torrential rain, bike lanes like rivers. My boots may never be dry again. I have moderate trench foot. Oh and the Embankment Counter has clearly drowned. It is borked it has ceased to count. Which is rubbish. @cs3cs6count.bsky.social

I went swimming yesterday. Haven't been swimming in absolutely ages. Loved it. Marvellous....

I'm back! Commuting has been somewhat stymied because Reasons, but I did some commuting (to the gym) today. Was nice to be back along the Embankment. Never gets old, that. Counts at just before 1pm and good luck to all the walkers who were raising money today @cs3cs6count.bsky.social

OK. Just catching up with the Tour Down Under (yay bike racing). And that utterly hideous Ineos kit actually isn't as hideous when viewed from the helicopter or seen from distance. Probably also the white stripe across the belly isn't as visible to "clash" with the shorts.

@jezcox.bsky.social Just catching up with Tour Down Under - crash vests are used in 3 day eventing too. For that, the vest is flat (bit like the flotation vests on aircraft) but probably v warm. It has a string out the back which is hooked to the back of the saddle. If the rider falls off the horse

Ha ha! The footie tonight has been really quite fun. But Sporting Lisbon? Absolute robbery.

I had a v pleasant bike ride out to Hornchurch today. I needed that. It's been a stressful week.

Excuse me. My clock says 11:13. And yet it feels like I've been sitting at my desk, working for about 3 days. What sorcery is this? *grump*

Man on tbe DLR with a Harris Hawk! Off to chase pigeons at Stratford Station! I love London.

When I rule the world, lunchtime meetings will be banned. Thinking about exact timescales but effectively no meetings befween 1230 and 2pm). They're a pox and a curse.

Home river? My hometown has 2, the River Tweed (l) and the Teviot.

Ha ha ha Scott McTominay.... good lad. #fitba #calcio

Ha ha. The magic of the FA Cup #fitba well done Macclesfield. Well done indeed

This will make precious little sense to most of my friends but I spent a good deal of time at work recently proof reading. Which made me think of the following.... with thanks to a friend for the second half....

I've got promoted at work, become a running dog of management and now I'm enjoying being in the gym. What the heck has happened to me?!??!

Why is my brain in *even worse* shape than it was yesterday? Why am I more tired after longer sleep than I was yesterday? Tuesdays are cursed... I did have a nice break but now I'm back to being tired... *sigh*

Is today "sack the fitba manager" day? Deary me. Though the Man U situation is proper funny.

The world is kinda grim. So have something pretty.... Can you tell what it is yet? (Aside from an unfinished cross stitch....)

Snow! In Kelso! Good thing I wasn't planning to go out on the bike today!

Well after all the faff of getting dressed I had a nice ride out round the local roads today. Nothing too much, but still undulating, wildlife filled, sunny and absolutely freezing. Today has brought home to me how mild it's been this winter so far.

I swear half the calorie expenditure associated with cycling in the winter is incurred just getting dressed and ready to go out.....

Wishing you all a decent new year and hoping people get some good things this year - I presume the world will still be chaotic, but I pray for rather less slaughter and mayhem please. Wishing my cycling friends smooth rides and no punctures. May we all meet our goals and explore new roads

Last bike ride of the year today. Went out to Scott's View. Was breezy and v cold there. My feet have just about defrosted..... 3442.7km covered this year. Biggest year yet. Perhaps I'm a real cyclist after all....

Migraines are bloody miserable. I suppose I am grateful for the meds which mean I only get every 6-10 weeks as opposed to every other day. But when one hits, especially on a day I was looking forward to going out on my bike, it's kinda rubbish. Hey ho...

Another day another bike ride! Well, the weather continues benign, no wind, no ice, no rain. A bit cloudy and meh, but I can live with that. Rode out to Norham Castle which was hotly contested between England and Scotland back in the day. Very quiet out there today. Only saw 5 other cyclists.....

After the various mishaps I went out for a quick walk. Town v quiet. Beautiful sunset. And some littles out on their new bikes! (Proper fancy mountain bikes these littles have been given by Santa!)

*Rob Harch voice* oh no! Disaster!!! We appear to be having a Christmas Day of mishaps.... first the turkey hadn't defrosted much (it's fine now, I think) and now the iced bombe is not, er, iced. The freezer got switched off accidentally yesterday so the ice cream part isn't frozen. Oi vey.

I did cycle today. In the words of the pros, I did not have good sensations today. My legs felt like concrete... Anyway, went out to Hume Castle which was lovely. Decent weather, spotted a buzzard (on the ground), watched by 2 fleeing hares.

In another newish festive tradition, the family who live across the road (mum, dad and 2 boys aged about 5 and 7) brought round decorated shortbread biscuits. I do not know why my biscuit has eyes. But hey.