22 - 28 Oct

Sat - W6R1 (5R,3W,8R,3W,5R).  Lovely out on Common (shame about the M25 noise but you can't have it all).  I am so lucky and happy to be living here in Darvells & Chorleywood.

Eddie & Marge for late lunch tapas-style.  Lovely to catch top with them, scary that we/they haven't changed but we/they have done so much in the meantime, or maybe its just the lens through which we view life.  I drank too much red wine and fell asleep on sofa afterwards whereas Mrs M was very good and cycled to gym.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy at Rex in evening.  Very engrossing film, evocative of the 70s, shame G&P missed most of it by dozing off!

Sun - Lazy day till went for cycle ride with Chris to see Hudgell Towers in construction, then back along a very bumpy Chiltern Cycleway to Chenies.  Only 11 miles but we were worn out by the juddery ride.

Just seen Downton Abbey, this gets more silly by the minute, how many 10th rate soap plot devices can Mr Fellows get in e.g. the returning heir who had amnesia and has a burnt off face, claiming his Martin Guerre role???  Has Mr Bates murdered his wife?  Is the Lord having it off with the new maid?  Has Matthew felt a stirring in his paralysed loins?  This is not serious drama, its 1918 Eastenders.

Mon - Up with Mrs M and the larks for W6R2 (10R,3W,10R).  Managed 2.6km in the 20mins run time.  Nice morning. On eBay there is a recumbent trike for sale in Little Chalfont so I went over and met Dave and had a ride.

It was fun,  but it rides a little harshly and too low for the roads around here.  His reserve is £1000.  Also storage is an issue.  I'll get one when I am old and infirm and not able to stay upright on the other bikes!

Exported Dr M's stuff on Palm for future import into iPad so she can reduce the number of devices she carries around.  In the future there will be lots of data that can't be read as the technology has vanished - this was a factor in Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud when data on old paper tapes couldn't be easily read.

Walked to vill for shopping in sunny weather.  Rest of day was usual housewife chores, but then started to play around with prototyping a Friends of the Common website.

Now its red-wine-o'clock as I await Dr M's return and a nice steak...she is on duty tonight so is working late.

Tue - Waitrosed first thing.  Gym & swim at William Penn.  Tried on and chucked out lots of clothes that no longer fit - hurrah.  Walked to choir in evening, Tim standing for Michael, a good rehearsal

Wed - W6R3 (25R) - the first long one over 20 mins.  Managed 3.4km and felt alright, not brill but OK.  Jon's birthday iPad arrived so I carefully unpacked it and loaded IOS5 (they still don't send it out this the latest version) and got he set up with his iCloud Apple id.  Tidied up for our visitors tonight and prepared dinner.

Thu - Amazing breakthrough.  Went to M&S to buy 38in trousers, and found they were too big!  So for the first time in 25 years I bought 36in jeans:

3 months ago I was over 40in waist.  Maybe M&S make flattering sizes for us mature men?

Victoria Hislop in evening - nice enough lady, but not worthy of her place in the book sale ratings.  The interviewer, a local author Katharine McMahon was really good and we bought a new book of hers:

Fri - W7R1 (25R).  Another single run (as is the rest of the program).  Didn't feel too bad.  In evening, went to Sathi with Martine & Boyd, then dropped into Rose & Crown to show them ye olde village pub, it was very crowded:

Mrs M says my blog is boring.