Fixed Up Alleycat

I've been back fixed up the past couple of days taking the Peacemaker for the daily commute. It was forced a little because I'd ridden to work on the Kaff on the 2nd, but then met Mel from work for something to eat afterwards, so left the bike safely indoors. That sort of forced my hand to repair the broken brake cable on the fixed wheel Peacemaker over the weekend to ride into work yesterday (not as new as Evil Goat's newly built fixed, with a year and a half and 3,500 miles under its belt, but I love this bike, the frame sourced, then built up to handle entirely somewhere between a mountain bike and a road bike to deal with an over-abundance of urban traffic-filled miles).

Anyway, today I rode in on it again, rode home at lunchtime on the (30 geared be-panniered touring) Kaff, got a lift back to the office, and rode the Peacemaker home at the end of the day. Complicated way around things, but it got me more time in the saddle today, and after making my 3,000 mile target for 2008 I've set myself a much more ambitious 4,800 miles for 2009 (though this still pales into insignificance next to what i've read Placid Casual managed for 2008).

It broke up the day nicely since it was the first day back with the boss (which had started with a senior colleague and me almost getting caught by the boss talking about him and his lack of social ability as he sauntered in around 10.30am).

Also found myself shouting at BBC Breakfast again this morning (I know, I know, they can't hear me) with their 'top' story being that it was a bit chilly down south last night and so there might be a bit of ice on the road. I hear they've launched an inquest which so far has discovered that it's January. They're hoping it's a one off event but their research so far has uncovered a worrying trend going back a few years. It seems that in the UK January has a record of being cold - the researchers are looking into why this is, so that in future we might be able to learn and be able to deal with dips in temperature, since this year it seems to have taken us completely by surprise.

Seriously though, what has happened to people and their inability to see, think, rationalise, not-over-react, etc etc etc. This feels a bit like a continuation of the New Years Day blip...

Discarded 'ghost' blip