Famous Alumni

Quite a good bit of cyclist bonding this morning, when another cyclist and I gang up on a chap who's sitting at the traffic lights with his car filling the 'cycle advanced stop zone' or whatever they call them. We both sit on his front bumper, glaring at him. He does at least have the decency to look embarrassed. Then we pull away nice and slowly... apologies to the other cars behind him.

Derby's 'advanced' zones are clear, well marked and generally drivers stay out of them. Nottingham is another story. They have the zones but because they refuse to colour them, they are largely ignored or probably not noticed by car drivers. The reason for not colouring them? The council says they are not aesthetically pleasing. How can plain grey tarmac be more aesthetically pleasing than coloured tarmac?

I get to work and can't get changed in the preferred changing room, our upstairs gents, and have to use the disabled toilet instead. This is because a work colleague has cycled in the cold weather in just shorts, t-shirt and with no gloves. He seems to be standing under the hand dryer trying to warm up.

Surprisingly no texts or emails from L to check on my wellbeing. I email her to tell her I'm still alive and that the tyre marks will soon fade. Apparently, she was so engrossed in her book that she forgot to get in touch. I know my place.

L cooks a pie for tea but then confesses that she hasn't made a crust. Doesn't that make it a casserole?

Another college open day tonight, so I postpone my swim until tomorrow. Tonight we're at New College Nottingham, which is where Son is now.

L goes off in the car to collect one of Daughter's friends. I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't run out of fuel, I just haven't had time to fill it up. I tell her not to panic until the fuel light starts flashing, which it promptly does when I get behind the wheel. Despite that we make it there and back, and eventually to the petrol station. It's quite a flying visit, as would last nights have been had we not gone to that talk by the Principal, who went on and on and on.

Ncn seems to be Daughter's preferred option, if she goes there she'll follow in the footsteps of famous alumni such as Robert Lindsay, Peter Bowles, Richard and Samantha Beckinsale, Nottingham boxer Carl Froch... err... Su Pollard... hmmm... James Morrison... and, oh dear... Harold Shipman.

Then to dog training and we take MD with us, who gets to spend plenty of time 'observing' and therefore has plenty of chance for a good bark. Oddly, he's quite well behaved, almost attentive, although itching to have a go or at least to get in the way of the others.

MD also is complemented on the glossiness of his coat. So, the expensive puppy food, Hovis, sanitary towel and duck poo diet obviously works, making the coat glossy and the vocal cords strong.