There was just a big bang in Reading. And then what sounded like a low-flying Lear jet. How strange.

I have stuff everywhere and lots of little jobs to do today; the photo shows just one of the various piles of “stuff” that I have managed to create since getting home last night. All need to be dealt with and then there are the piles of stuff you can’t see; the medical insurance claim for one of the students and then the finances (we broke the budget big time 🙁 ). You can see lots of pictures from the trip btw by visiting my school blog.

Good news on the e-Bay / shifter front; over the weekend, the top bid has jumped to £109.89 (which is a strange amount if you think about it) and the auction will end at around 3pm. I do hope that the guy who contacted me a few days ago about buying the forks and brakes as well puts in a last-minute bid (he hasn’t bid anything yet) as not only will that mean I can get another £40 out of the deal (covering most of the cost of changing the bars last week) but also that I don’t have to take everything off the bars before dispatching the shifters. Bid yourself here!

My knee is acting up a bit which is slightly worrying; I used my umbrella quite a bit in Paris as a walking stick to keep the weight off it (I am over-dramatising the situation here!!) but it does remind me that I need to get some serious training in over the next six weeks, mainly on the bike now that the new bars have been fitted (I am still deciding whether to invest in the extra long stem – I wonder if there is one of e-Bay?).

My little jobs cannot wait any longer; I am meeting two friends in town at midday so that is a deadline by which to get everything done – three hours: start the clock!