2006 Blog is now at

http://www.flashduck.blogspot.com

Well, the time has come to analyse and hopefully do things better.

Importantly - from Sunday my blog will be at a different address: http://flashduck.blogspot.com.

This is just a pinnicking housekeeping event to keep it to a reasonable size and make it more manageable for me.

I will also reset the totals on my watch from 1 January (somewhat reluctantly), erasing the 8,000 + kilometres on my cycling totals for a fresh new years start.

(to be continued)

It looks like Wobbly's (et al) get well wishes did some good, as we arrived at my sister's in Exeter mid-afternoon. It was the first time that we had visited here, and the first time that we were on the home turf of her newish (to me) partner, so we didn't quite know what to expect.

Upon arriving, two more chairs were pulled up for us at the kitchen table ~where twelve people were already sitting down and starting to serve themselves from large platters groaning with food. Rather magnificent food at that. After introductions (with all names quickly forgotten), we joined in, feeling very conspicuously under-dressed in shorts and t-shirts. We weren't warned about the 'company'. A very pleasant extended afternoon concluded with a guided tour as we walked around the grounds, already grand, but definitely a vision in progress.

And so it went into the evening, eventually saying goodbye to couples here and there, as neighbours and others continued to drop in. Finally it was apparent that there were three other house-guests that night, and we settled into our room, had a welcome bath and an early night.

Wednesday, 28 December

(but pleasant enough) sealed road. I was very sluggish to start, but, as per usual picked up as we went. Bob insisted we turn around after about 4.5 kms as I had been so crook, and I out-sprinted him (you have to pick your time for the challenge!) in the final dash.

Breakfast with the rest of the household, before changing into cycling clothes and heading out on our Touring machines (Cannondale F600 Mountain bikes with slicks and racks) for an exploration. There was a fair amount of holiday traffic, but I was keen to get onto some of the cycle friendly roads that I had seen around Lucky Legs' part of the woods and just get some time in my legs. Although hot to start the day, extensive high cloud cover meant that it was very pleasant for cycling.

Yuletide – A Retrospective

Christmas itself was something of a write-off; Christmas Eve Saturday saw me in greater sinus pain and in bed. Still hopeful of getting to Sydney for Christmas day we didn’t make any arrangements. I struggled up indecently late (I’m still like a kid and like to be up early on Christmas morning to spread cheer), and barely lasted to drink a bit (water and coffee), in an attempt to assuage my big bad sore head. No luck.

Bob rang my sister to reluctantly explain (I have a super cool nieces sister and nieces and was really looking forward to it), while I staggered downstairs once more to rest a while. Bob went over to his nephews place in southern Canberra for lunch, at which time I feel deeply and thoroughly asleep, not waking until after 6pm, many hours after he had been home. I still felt pretty crook.

Boxing Day was a mixed bag; I felt even worse if anything until about 6pm, when I picked up, and just kept improving. My sister had suggested we could join her and her partner in the southern highlands a day or two later, and it was looking feasible for once.

The now-usual every-bone-battered with a baseball-bat feeling engulfed my morning face on Tuesday, but I did try to everything I could to feel better. I realised that if we were to go away for a night or two, I needed some more medication first and drove, and then waited, around to get the prescription filled on the public holiday. It was pretty late by the time we got away, but we diverted via Aki’s place so that I could drop off my Christmas pressie that I hoped would have some use over the next few days. She very thoughtfully gave me a very nice bracelet with which I am immensely touched.