The Tranent sign up list has me listed as a Vet!

I’ve got another 5 years of Senior, thankyouverymuch.

Bastards! I was carded last year, you know!

So. No swimming today because Kirkcaldy is STILL closed for refurbishment, even though it was supposed to be a open again a week ago. Glenrothes is closed for a gala today (I think it’s today). So I was going to go for my first run since just before Christmas but then I checked the surfaces. Everything is iced up. Last thing I need is to fall on ice AGAIN and sustain another injury.

My first tri of the year is probably going to be Tranent. It’s two months away. That should be plenty of time to get fit. I didn’t do the New Year’s because, well, the weather was horrid and I really didn’t enjoy it last year.

My off season was supposed to be steady winter base training with a view to moving to longer distances, culminating in a middle distance come Autumn. Various factors have conspired to prevent me having the winter training that I really wanted — a new job with vastly increased commuting time, injury, pool closures and the weather have all played a part.

I really don’t want to give up on my middle distance goal for this year, but I’m wondering whether I have time to make up for the nearly three months of lost or intermittent training.

Two feet from the bike shed this morning, Shackleton tried to chuck me off. There’s a white line on the road there so I assumed it was a patch of black ice. Proceeded to lock him up, congratulating myself on my ninja-like bike handling skills.

Only to fall flat on my arse on inch-thich ice trying to get my card key out of my courier bag while walking between the bike shed and the front door. Damaged wrist, bruised hip, wrenched knee. Can’t move my left thumb. Very small impact cut on the heel of my hand, which makes me suspect a sprain.

Oh… cheeseweasels.

I love the way it makes everything crisp, and the contrast so clear.

In other news, we’re watching Blade the TV Series. Um. Right. Well, that sucks. Yer boy “Sticky” there just doesn’t have the panache of Mr Snipes.

Still!

In Embra this morning the fields were crisp and white with snow. Crows sat on fences with their feathers all fluffed up, looking fat and bolshy; and there were cracks in the grey revealing blue sky. Everything sparkled.

Here in Kirkcaldy we get skies the colour of the water used for cleaning the brush when painting monsters for Warhammer;
and ducks huddling sullenly on the rocks of the harbour wall, glaring with persecuted reproach at anyone who gets close enough to make them feel they have to get back in the water.

Cycle commuting this morning I was in full-length bibshorts, X-Wear base layer, gilet, Gore Tex, waterproof gloves, overshoes and had my polar buff up round my face all ninja-style. I’ve been wearing a lid for the last couple of days as well because the roads round Riccarton are skitey. I was perfectly toasty in that lot, but it takes so long to get dressed!

I just wish it would get properly cold and frozen so I could put the ice tyres on Max. It’s not necessary for the little bit of frozen road between the Park & Ride and the office, though.

My new Global G-21 16cm boning knife is utterly fantastic. But dear gods treat it with respect. At one point there I wasn’t sure whether the blood on my fingers was from the chicky-bok I was butchering or I’d cut off something of mine without noticing. It makes the process of turning whole dead chickens into bits of dead chickens a real joy, as well as appealing to the part of me that would be base jumping and free climbing if I hadn’t caused so much damage to my body falling off mountains already.

That baby is most definitely living in its box until I get a special knife house that will keep the blade away from unsuspecting fingers. It’s the sort of utensil one washes and dries — very carefully — after each use just so one can put it away. Life is safer like that.

I haven’t done this yet.

Cool stuff I got for Christmas:

• The soundtrack album for We ♥ Katamari (thanks Frood!)
• A digital photo frame with a memory card containing pictures of that fab holiday we had on Jura years ago (thanks, bro!)
• FOUR Global knives, bringing the number of things in my kitchen with which I could easily sever a finger to a beautiful half dozen. Wow! (thanks Mum and Dad!)
• Assorted books and various other bits and pieces, all of which were groovy.

My brother found this book for Frood called Pets With Tourettes. It’s just the sort of thing that Chuff and Bags would like, Munky.

The thing with Scotland is that we have a maritime climate and we’re at the north end of a fairly small island nestling off the coast of a pretty enormous landmass. What this means is that amongst our many imports we include weather.

Today’s weather has been imported from Siberia (I’m serious) and thus it started snowing 15 minutes ago. As I am currently carless I commuted by bike today. Unfortunately, being unaware of the impending blizzard, I rode Shackleton, who is currently wearing Conti GP4000s in 700x25c. If I’d known, obviously I’d have fitted the Nokians to Max.

I have already declared that if the snow gets much worse I shall go home rather than be stuck here. There’s not much I can do today anyway.

Get worse, snow!