On Wednesday I went to an evening with Justin Langer, the Aussie cricketer who captains Somerset at the moment. Tickets were expensive, but turned out to be well worth it. Amy and Jake are having their wedding reception at Sandy Park in a couple of months which we are also going to, so Jake asked me to preview the food and recommend the courses. It was all pretty amazing.

Due to having friends in the right places, I was on the top table so got to spend the evening chatting with a famous ashes cricket about all sorts - his family, cricket anecdotes and his conversion to christianity a few years ago, very interesting.

Tonight we have a charity skittles night supporting Tearfund, at the Twisted Oak in Ide. Should be fun.

I had a good run at the end of May/early June for blogging, then went all busy again. Things then back up and get overlooked for posting.

Anyway, I passed my exam which is amazing news. Haven't had final mark yet, just confirmation that I did pass with full write up of my performance to follow in the post, so will cross fingers that it turns up at all (we're having major problems at the moment with post not being delivered). As I had ploughed on writing essays for the next module it would have been discouraging to have to re-revise for a resit, so am mightily encouraged.

Work is good at the moment. I have only had 2 days holiday this year, and just a couple of weeks away from the seventh month of the year (time goes by faster than ever, and still so much we want to do this summer and year!). This means of course that if work does get too busy or I start getting tired and stressed, I have plenty of time I can take off.

All good really. It has been a fairly quiet weekend which is always a nice alternative to the norm. Han has had friends visit, I have finished reading The Discovery of Heaven (I will post seperately on this as it is the best and most interesting book I think I have ever read, and still have to comment on the Decameron).

Rain

We were woken early on our Saturday morning by a great thunderstorm. It was right over us at one point, and was followed by heavy rain for about 12 hours without break. Given that it has been muggy the past few days, thunder was just what was needed to clear the atmosphere a bit. It did mean that we had to have an indoors day, and I have found that wives need just as much entertaining on a rainy day than any child.

I started by getting out the marbling kit I bought a few months ago, then I watched the excellent Immortal Beloved (Gary Oldman is so good) while Han made a mess in the front room.

This wasn't enough. Baking was required to occupy Han for a little longer. A lovely honey cake was the result which I mightily enjoyed while warm with some clotted cream ice cream.

So, a day where we couldn't leave the house (we have today so not an entirely cooped in weekend), but a good one nonetheless. I have even managed to get an essay typed up so about as productive as 2 days off could be.

My bike died this week.

The back tyre had a slow puncture which proved irreparable, so I took Tuesday afternoon off (we had a meeting with our mortgage broker anyway) and left it at Sidwell Cycles where they were going to replace the back tyre and inner tube and give it a full service. Only they didn't, I got a call on Wednesday where they said their quote for all the work was going to be more than the bike was worth. Bike cost £90, repair quote was £160-180. I enquired if they had a bike for about £100, he said I used it so much he recommended I go up to the £3-400 range so it would really last. I said no. Now I am running Han's bike into the ground (won't take long, the wheels aren't straight, it's like riding with 2 square wheels).

Why say no?

We bought the cheapest bikes in the range 22 months ago.

Mine was £90 and I think Han's was a little bit less.

My daily round trip to work is 6 miles. That is 30 a week not counting the mileage out of work.
That is 83 weeks of travelling to and from work (I have taken 5 off for holidays), which totals 2490 work miles.

The bus is £9 a week, which would be £747 spent in the same period.

I think for the £90 I have got a decent return, and would be happy for another £90 to yield the same return. While a £400 bike would have me worrying all the time I left it chained anywhere, I am not overly bothered that my cheap bike is gone. I may put a photo up for posterity as it is my first bike ever.

So, a post of sums in what has been weeks of sums. More to follow, have darts starting again on Monday.

Given that we are in the process of buying a house, and work has been a bit mental recently (a trend more than likely to continue), and Han has been on half term but didn't book to go home, we decided to get out of Exeter and go to the beach at Dawlish.

I love Dawlish. The first time I went we (Mark, Ella, Han, Rob, Ben, Luke, leaving others to work in uni exam season) walked. It took ages and we arrived just after the pub stopped serving the lunch that motivated me for the last couple of miles. Instead we got chips, juggled and had lots of general fun and chat. It isn't as busy as exmouth, and not as cheesy as dawlish warren, and has amazing views.

The tide was in when we arrived. We walked along the sea front for a while, found a bench, and proceeded to watch people getting unexpectedly soaked by the sea smashing against the sea wall. All good fun.Then we had the best chips I've tasted for ages, crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, lots of salt and vinegar but not too greasy. Perfect.

There was a summer fete on the green which occupied me for a few minutes, then we spent a pound on the 2 pence machine things in the arcade, and visited an art exhibition at the Shaftesbury theatre.

By now the tide was out. I wasn't sure though so had a good look before heading in...

I am pretty sure I was the only person on the beach reading the Decameron. Not for show but because it has taken me months to finish and I have a new book I want to start reading in its place and need to finish it first. Has been a decent read, just a bit too long considering the short stories that make up the whole are fairly samey (saw a Michael McIntrye routine on what constitutes a good read yesterday, if I can find a link I'll post it - hilarious).

Having returned home and showered the sand from my extremities, we settled back to watch Britain's Got Talent. I was really pleased with the result, and especially pleased that silly crying girl didn't make the top 3. A good day.

Still the sun has shined on again today, more sunbathing, reading, a glass of cider this afternoon in the sun. All good. And it's only May - this weather is too good to be true, can it last?

It takes waking up to a Saturday morning like this to get me out of work bad mood from the week. The Devon county show last week was great fun, and on Thursday I had another day out at South Molton market then meeting clients all afternoon on their farms - just the office stuff and exam stuff is really draining at the moment. Too much work, still have to wait 4 weeks to get my last exam mark back, and meant to be cracking on with Octobers work load. I had been incredibly productive and read most of the text book already, then last week I got an "update" to the study pack which basically a re-written text book for me to read, grrrrrrr.

Anyhow, today we are probably going to Dawlish (not on foot this time). I will take the camera and post some pictures of what is sure to be a good day.

The 40th party was a great time, people surpassed all expectations with costumes. Kirky was the campest pirate I've ever seen, Criddle was meant to be Travolta in Hairspray but to my mind looked like Kim from 'How clean is your house?' and seemed far too comfortable with the costume.

Walking along Cowley Bridge Road to get to the party was fun, the hog roast was SO nice, the wine tasting class was just that - a class (lots of talking not much wine drinking), but all in all a good party with lots of good friends there. Also, no confusion on bedrooms, though the first thing my wife said to me when I got up this morning was a hissed 'make sure you put pants on before going downstairs' (in her most earnest 'you must obey' voice).Now with a quiet Sunday afternoon and evening before me I am going to kick back, and later on we are watching 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'.

Next week, we have a meeting with a mortgage advisor to sound him out (sums, sums and more sums), then MORE house viewings on Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday is the ICE celebration at 6:30pm at St Leonards so come if you can, pray for Han if you can't (it is always an important night for her). Then we are in to the Devon County Show where I am doing an 11 hour day on Saturday. Busy on, as the saying goes.

I have been enjoying Air - Talkie Walkie a lot this last week. One of those albums I got into years ago then joyous itunes randomised it back into my thoughts again.

Clarkson got me in the deciding set at darts last night, a rematch will have to be arranged where the good humour will be put to on side in the interests of pride.

The Jolly Porter has nice new owners (again), but still will never make money. The Artful Dodger doesn't really want a darts team any more (the owner is a fool). We are potentially moving at some point this year, so the darts dream of lifting a premiership trophy after working up through the divisions looks like it is going to be on the backburner for a while.

It is Mrs Morrishes 40th this year. Fancy Dress of course. I am a clown (for tonight only of course), Han is old woman (easy joke I will sidestep at this juncture), Lauren is stopping over and is Lara Croft. Depending how good the outfit is I might have to remind myself which bedroom I am meant to be going into later....