Last day of my holiday. Two weeks seems such a long time when it involves an escape like the bike trip. My paper journal is full of empty pages from last week, but that never seems to work, I either leave too much or too little space, or I just don’t get around to revisiting the days — time just keeps flowing forwards. At least the electronic one doesn’t get its pages wet or have problems with cheap paper and felt-tipped pens — on the other hand, I don’t think a handheld PC would have stood up to last week’s deluge!
Chores in the morning then up the street for bike bits and to discuss my cracked helmet straps at the Trek shop. They were very helpful, Luke took the helmet to show to the Limar rep. who should be in next week. No problems about it being just over a year old. The rep. is all-powerful with the brand, and will probably just replace the strap harness on the spot.
Then off to Groove Train for coffee and newspaper and a catch-up, before jumping on a tram into the city, last chance to wander around before going back to work. An amazing change from last week to be in the crowds and bustle of lunch-time in the CBD. Music kept popping up and reminding me of things, a t-shirt across the tram with “Death or Glory” across the chest had me humming the same song by the Clash, then a fire engine and smoke in Bourke street got me started on “London’s Burning.” Two blocks on and a busker is playing “Danny Boy” on a violin, a song that has strange affiliation with the NSW bike rides, owing to an occasion long in the past when the mayor of some small town got up and sang it on the podium, starting a tradition which had continued to this year — except that this year the mayors in every single town were too busy to visit the ride, more important was groveling to their constituents to get re-elected on .
I’ve been listening to a lot of music since getting home, seems to be the same every year, or every time I go away. Endless cover-band renditions of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl and Paul Kelly’s To Her Door start to get to you after a while…
