Thursday 21st January 10

I got up early to go and pick up some 'cached' compostables from Freshways! I walked my bike down with the trailer and picked up a sack and 3 small boxes. Walked back, removed the trailer and walked it down to Cycle Heaven... well, I freewheeled some of the way downhill, and I chatted to a policeman on some of the way too, so the trip was quite quick. Ash heard my tale of woe and said he'd sort out my dynamo, brake, pedal, rear mudguard, chain and anything else he came across whilst giving the bike a once-over.

He gave me a replacement bike to get home on, and I popped in to Country Fresh to have a natter with Rich and pick up a single box of goodies.

Home, and the postie had delivered the tax people's letter which means I can fill in my tax return online! Yippee!

However, I was unable to do it today as I couldn't find the accounts books. Booo!

So I got on with other things, things like washing up...

After lunch I went to Debbie Fricker's funeral. She was a friend of my friend Debbie, and I met them together on quite a few occasions over the past couple of years. She was a lovely woman, only 3 or 4 years older than me, and very open about her alcoholism. Last year her liver packed up enough for her to go to hospital, and she died last week. She was unable to stop drinking.

I went partly because she was a lovely person who liked me and I liked her... However, I made a decision not to get too involved in her life as I felt she might become a regular visitor and we have enough going on here to have to deal with that sort of visitor... a bit of a cold hearted decision, but sometimes you have to look after yourself. I did take advice on this, it wasn't just my own decision, but someone else suggested not letting her know where I lived or visiting her. It's at times like these when you reassess this kind of ethical dilemma... was it the right thing or the wrong thing to do? If I'd allowed her into my life, our lives, or got involved in hers, would anything more positive have happened?

I also went to support my friend Debbie, who is very upset about what has happened.

So, I cycled over to the Edward the Confessor church on the borrowed bike, and sat through the service. I don't really like Christian services but Debbie was a Christian so it was appropriate. I don't like hymns or prayers, but actually, at this service, two of the three hymns were ones I liked... The Lord of the Dance, and Morning has Broken. So I sang along with those... it's been quite a few years since I sang either of those! One of Debbie's old friends gave a very moving talk about her school days and her teen years, and the friendship they had for 35 years. I thanked her afterwards. I am very sorry that such a lovely person should die so young, and be so troubled. Life is not fair.

I didn't go for 'refreshments' afterwards. I cycled back to Cycle Heaven to pick up my mended bike. Ash had fitted a new back block, chain, front chain wheel, replaced the brake pads in the front disc brake, filed down the broken right brake lever and fixed the back mudguard. It's virtually a new bike!

I picked up a box of compostables from Country Fresh and got home. Felt subdued all afternoon and evening. Just had soup for tea, as wasn't very hungry.

Sorted out a unicycle wheel after tea, prior to my gig on Saturday. It wasn't a puncture, just a loose valve! Duh.