Here we go....

Sat at home on a Friday night, waiting for the family to come home, picking up a Chinese takeway for the sake of conveniance, sipping a Sierra Nevada beer and hoping to still be awake at the end of Gardeners World, it could be a Friday night just like any of the others that have gone before this one... But tonight is very different, as most of you will know, today I left work for the final time, redundant but happy, when I first found out about this over 3 years ago I made a decision to see this as an opportunity to change direction in my life and live a simpler (and hopefully happier) life, as always things didnt quite go to plan and here I am 3 years later just arriving at that stage post. It has to be said that those 3 years have been the most difficult of my life, I wont go into the whys and wherefours of all that, but on a positive note those extra 3 years of wages have allowed me to be in an incredibley priveliged position that means I'll never have to work again, for money, thats doesnt mean I wont work but I'll have the luxury of being able to choose to do something that I want to do. So, what next ? Well tomorrow we head off to Anglesey for a family holiday, our eldest daughter Hana is heading to New Zealand in the summer, hoping to stay for a few years but who knows how long, its a chance for us all to be together for a while before she goes (Jan and I are heading out there next winter to catch up with her and her boyfriend Chris), once that is done the family will head back home. I however will be leaving my car on Anglesey and heading south down the welsh coast on my Fargo, I'm running it fully loaded with 4 panniers, a bar bag and a rack pack, I have a tent, a stove, a change of clothes, maps (old fashioned style) a camera and a pair of binoculars, I also have no agenda or goal, I want to be free of plans and just see what happens. I'm hoping to catch up with various friends along the way in Llanberis, Machynlyth and Pembrokeshire, I'm hoping to sleep out in the open more times that I do under a roof, I'm hoping to read a book thats been on my list for over ten years now (John Muirs biography) I'm hoping I'm going to see wonderful sunrises ands sunsets..... But, I'm not really bothered what happens along the way as long as stuff does happen, I'll let you know :-)

5 working days left

This time next week I'll be in Anglesey and redundant.

4 weeks and counting

End of April and I'm a free man, more info then

the world has started spinning again

lots and lots of stuff has happened since the last blog, but to sum it all up... rode a bike quite a bit got ill illness lasted forever got well started riding again got the news I was waiting for started making plans 8 weeks till plans kick in lots of riding to be done in the next 8 weeks more news in 8 weeks

Read all about it

So, its been an interesting time of late wuth one thing or another, a few negatives but lots of positives. NOTSSUK came and went, we had a lovely day out in the hills riding bikes, we had coffee and beer and cake. This pic sums up the day for me.

And then I had a weekend away with my friends from work, the plan was to do some high level walks, which they all did but I wanted some time to my self so I took my Salsa Fargo out into the hils to explore a bit, and of course I got lost !

We had a grand time, the house we stayed at just outside Betws Y Coed was fantastic and we ate and drank well and enjoyed each others company. And then we (Jan and I) had the great pleasure to be invited to an old friends 'not wedding' at Fforest just outside Cardigan in West Wales, a beautiful location, great company and bizzare meeting of mutual friends, lots of great food and drink once again. This pic sums up the weekend.

And now back to reality, riding to work dodging the showers, but enjoying the last few rays of glorious autumn colours.

Trying to stay clean and alcohol free, especially trying not to make plans as I still dont know when I'll be free to live my dreams, enjoying spinning circles, contemplating getting involved with people, contemplating trying to run again

Been riding lots Had a rough week Had a good week Got older again

Been hot Been cold Been wet

Things are generally on the up

Back in the saddle again

I've had a few months off the bike to concentrate on my drinking, I got pretty good at that but now I'm ready to start riding again. For a change, I'm not making any plans, I've a few ideas spinning around in my head but they depend on a few things that are mostly outside of my control coming together so at this point they are staying private. This last week I've been out riding most days and apart from the aches and pains and saddle soreness I've been loving it, been fortunate that the weather has been reasonable as well, that always helps. 190 odd miles is probably daft when I've done not much of late, but its just been to good to miss. Big bonus this coming weekend is a day in the peaks with friends, can't underestimate how important this is to me, friends who don't mind when I'm out of the loop but are still happy to invite me along, I'm a lucky man to have these (and indeed lots of other) great friends who just accept each other for what we are and with all of our respective foibles. The bad things of this last year (which were partially part of my decision to go underground for a while) should serve to remind us (me) to take the time to preserve and cherish our (my) friends. It shouldn't need saying really, should it.