08.05 from London St Pancras

No cycling today and no good luck routine either. Although I suppose I did get to indulge last night. I'm on the bus because I'm off out in Derby for beer and curry tonight. The bus used the scenic route, through Borrowash, Spondon and Chadd, didn’t help though. I was still late for work.

My mate is giving up football (again) at the end of the season. I think mainly due to Leeds imminent relegation but also bizarrely because of Sky's withdrawal of Sky Sports News as a free channel. Awful channel, good riddance.

He also whinges about blind referees, overpaid footballers, inflated prices, poor quality football etc etc.

He does have a point but I point out that he doesn't in fact pay the inflated prices because he doesn't actually go to games! I think it's also a myth that football has ever been high quality and I quite like the blind refs, as it annoys all the overpaid footballers.

After work, I meet up with a couple of friends from my now distant school days in Derby. Have a couple of Triple Hop's 4.0% in the Brunswick. Then we go to the Shalimar for a curry. We have some money off vouchers. Have Lamb Madras, nice and spicy but rather tasteless. Cheese Naan is good. Have a pint of Cobra 5.0%. We spend a good night reminiscing. I have no watch at the moment and forget the time. End up running for the bus.

Get to the bus stop and the bus isn't there, so either it's late or I've missed it. Then, as I walk to the stop, I see it, skulking two stops back. Break into a run again and just as I get there it pulls off. Naturally everyone on the bus acknowledges me except the driver.

I have an hour to wait, in the rain, for the next one. A note on the stop informs me that the bus stops have changed. So the double bus shelter that they put in for the huge Red Arrow queue is now in the wrong place.

Decide to get the slower Rainbow 5. Will have to sit on the bus for an hour. Apparently my repaired Ipod has been delivered at home, oh to have it with me now. It would save me from the drongos on the bus. This women, seemingly a little drunk, keeps getting up and ringing the bell to stop the bus, then apologising, saying that was the wrong stop and sitting back down. She does this four times over a period of about twenty minutes before finally getting off.

An attractive young girl, looking well bedraggled because she's inappropriately dressed for the rainy conditions e.g. half-naked, gets on the bus. For some reason, known only to her, she sits next to this train spotter. Train spotter can't believe his luck as he gets to diversify into a bit of nipple spotting and spends the next five stops looking down her cleavage until she gets off. At least he'll have something other than the 08.05 from London St Pancras to fantasise about tonight.

Which reminds me. Lyric of the day: - "You weren't the first girl that I ever kissed with tongues but you were the best, you let me touch your chest" - 'This Must Be Love' (Little Man Tate)

Eventually get home. L and Daughter have been to the gym again. They're becoming quite a pair of gym groupies.

Later when we're snuggled up in bed L drops it on me that she'd like to run in the morning, round the pond and would I join her. This means moving the alarm earlier to 6am. For some reason, the three pints probably, I agree. She doesn't even have to spread-eagle herself naked on the bed or anything to persuade me. I'm slipping.