Bookends

First alarm goes off, Nicky Bloody Campbell. Second Alarm goes; dog thumps both front paws into my crotch. Third alarm goes off, L's watch. Fourth Alarm goes off; explosion of static from badly tuned radio upstairs. Fifth Alarm goes off; L's watch again. I see the dog approaching again this time with his tongue poised ready to give my face a damn good licking; Ok enough, I'm awake!

I'm on my bike again today so I push dog off the bed and get on with my warm-up exercises. Once I'm finally out of bed I hear the rain. Oh dear. 'Is that rain I hear' says L. I reassure her that no I don't think it is.

By the time I finally get going the rain has stopped, the roads are wet but not very. It turned out to be a good choice to cycle.

L wasn't so lucky, she biked into work, and it rained on her. She is scathing about the dog; says he was pathetic as usual. Tells me she is discounting what they do in the morning from her training schedule because he drags his paws so much. Although it's not really his paws that are the problem; it's his nose that's the issue. She's stopped using the term 'run' because it doesn't describe what they do.

She questions what I put him through last night to wear him out so much. Hmmm practically nothing really, he was mainly exercising his jaw.

Doggo enjoyed the rest of his morning though. When they got home, he systematically emptied L's kit bag and threw the contents around the living room, along with a tea towel. He's such a treasure and it's nice of L to play games with him. He probably saves his energy so that he can be a pain once he gets home.

Spectacular response with L's letter to the school; they are arranging another history trip.

Excellent ride home, roads totally dry now and I arrive at more or less the same time as L does on her bike. She's survived her journey out of Nottingham, which I would say is probably more hazardous than mine, and she worries about me getting flattened.

Another success today, after about a month or more of trying, we actually manage to join Swimfit. This is a national swimming plan www.swimfit.com that the council are supporting but none of the leisure centres or the council offices had so far managed to join us. Several people had actually denied all knowledge of it. It didn't look promising tonight either, but we left the staff for half an hour or so while we had a swim and when we got back they'd managed to sort it. Bravo.

I sign Sheffield's Kenny in goal before tonight's game and my opponent does the same. Is he shadowing me? My assassins manage to get to Ashley Young and put him out of action. Something he was given to eat apparently. Hope the dose was right, nasty business with that Russian chap. He is replaced in the Watford team by MY Damien Francis. Bonus. Sheffield win 1-0.

Bookend the day nicely with a warm-down in bed with L.