So today I baked macaroons...

Quite a few macaroons. 240 of them if you count as individual shells. 120 if as the composited halves. Also three different buttercreams and two different chocolate ganaches. All instead of taking the easy option of buying some sweets on the ferry home for the traditional 'just-back-from-work-here's-some-sugar' offering to work colleagues for the respective workplaces of both me and Mel. They'd better be bloody well appreciated (even if I myself am not 100% happy with how they've turned out - don't get me wrong, they taste great, but they're just not that fab shiny smoothness that I achieved last time, pondering reasons for that).

Really it's all just practice to try and get on the Great British Bake Off next year...

I enjoy cooking, but I really enjoy baking - there's something about the attractive end product (as well as my sweet tooth) that finds it appealing. It's been a day of things I enjoy really, after getting up early-ish and hopping on the bike for a spin to Musselburgh to photograph the wildlife; running through poetry ideas for the Luminate Slam I'm taking part in next Sunday (eep! quite scared/excited about that...); and writing a couple of things for the cycling website. Beats being in the office anyway. Which I'm back to properly tomorrow after clearing the email decks on Friday (hell, I even managed to fit in two meetings on my first day back!).

Actually, after mentioning the Luminate Poetry slam I should elaborate. In the Ghillie Dhu, next Sunday, from 7.30 (I think) there will be a poetry competition. First round is only two minutes; second is 2 and a half (I'm hoping to make it at least this far after getting shortlisted into the top 8 in a digital slam earlier in the year); and then 3 minutes for the 4 or 5 people in the final reckoning. Not sure if I'm going to be there on my tod at the mo, or accompanied by friends (and not sure which is better for my nerves). But I've wanted to do this for ages, and so there are all sorts of ideas buzzing about: standard Daily Mail rant (which was my digital slam shortlisting); having your change ready before you get on the bus; ordering a cheeseburger in France (this is likely my opener); the hip hop owl (bit random that one); Jeremy Clarkson's hair; how much I hate Piers Morgan.... Keeping them within time, and limited to 3 subjects is going to be the hardest part...

Right, got to do some more cycling website stuff, might finally enter a cyclocross race now that the season has started up here, and write a few Tripadvisor reviews. Again, all stuff that is frankly most enjoyable.

Unlike seeing Newcastle lose 3-0 and have a goal disallowed that might have changed the momentum. Ah well.