BoD

Don't drink and drive.

And here we all were, thinking that GDB has been doing really well of late.

I like that approach.

One of which you will need on your first visit this afternoon. Pessimistic? Me?

You know what they say. Make hay before the rain comes back. Pessimistic? Me?

Not necessarily 'no go' but you may not be flushed with success. I can see your strain of thought though.

It is rather dragging on. "And don't we know it", shouts the crowd. The cold has gone but I still can't walk very far before I get breathless. My throat feels half blocked and sore and I think this irritation is causing the cough rather than any virus. It feels as if my tonsils are dancing a jig on the back of my tongue. Lying down increases the frequency of the cough so the recliner is a good compromise. I can doze but the next bout of coughing wakes me. At some point during the night I reach the point when I am so tired I fall asleep before the next cough arrives. I'm getting a couple of hours between about 3 and 5. This has gone on for over a week now. I'll give it a few more days and then if it is still the same I will see if I can get a doctor's appointment sometime this year. Enjoy whatever you are doing today.

Done - since that cough is still keeping me awake all night

Just pretend it's an X-box.

That would explain all of those little raised bumps then.

I'm sure you will have seen some or all of these before. You couldn't make it up. https://mpora.com/road-cycling/worst-cycle-lanes-ever-grace-the-earth-1#ghDep0uXUb4A20UX.97 Actually No. 4 is sensible.

I think the issue with cycle tracks is country wide, with whoever is designing them simply looking for ways to tick off targets for 'length created'. Im sure that you can all think of examples where this has resulted in Cycle tracks created where it is simple and cheap. Wide roads are a prime target. Paint a line down the side and you have a few more meters toward your target. Cycle tracks created where there is no real need or demand - and then everyone complains that they are not used. Doesn't matter - more meters toward that target. Cycle lanes that simply disappear where they are most needed and would actually be a benefit to all road users. Approaching roundabouts is a prime example but creating a useable safe system here would involve quite a bit of work and cost - for just a few meters of track. Nah, not worth it, let them fight it out. Wouldn't it be nice if this country had sensible, integrated transport policies? I hope this doesn't lead to the usual bunfight between drivers and cyclists that sometimes happens here.

I had googled the charts after your original post but couldn't understand why a 'couple of pleasant looking lads' would call themselves Ed Sheeran. I'm even more confused now that you tell me they are called Richard, Adam and Minder. Hasn't Dennis Waterman aged well?

My gran would give exactly the same. I wonder if it's a local thing.

A thanks DD. It does rather seem to be dragging on a bit. Lack of a good sleep doesn't help. Still, there are many worse things in life.

Cough. Bu$$er it.

Cough, cough, cough. Cough, cough. Cough. That's all.

Morning all. Another night of little sleep. I thought about posting once or twice during the night but would only have been able to say cough, cough, cough..... Got to about 5 o'clock and decided to try and loosen my throat with a hot drink. But the power went, as it has done once or twice about this time recently. Checked the power grid's website and no report of a cut so I reported it online. They phoned back within 5 minutes and said nothing was showing at their end, took me through checking the trip switches and lo and behold one had gone. I felt really foolish and apologised profusely but they were very good about it saying that's what they were there for. It really was excellent service. I wouldn't care but I had looked at the trip switches and missed the one that had gone. I am sure I wouldn't have been that foolish had I not I not been so tired and less than 100%. It appears that the kettle's element has gone so I didn't get my hot drink. I'm not depressing you am I?

It looks like another night sitting up in the chair is on the cards. Hopefully tonight I may grab some sleep between the regular bouts of coughing that rack my poor fevered body. We shall see, but it is man flu you know. If this goes on for another night I may have to resort to a hot whisky toddy.

Ah, that brilliant inventor and designer Mr Dyson. I suppose the mechanism of the cleaner is clever, it gives a good suck, but the design of the extensions and tools make them very awkward and almost impossible to use effectively and without giving yourself a double hernia.So bad in fact, that he had to design a handheld vacuum to make up for it.... and sell you that too at ridiculous prices. Can't be that daft though, made him a fortune and got him a Sir hood. Useless wazzock.

The simple reply to that one is "so you stock this product and have spent the last 10 minutes selling it to me and telling about all of its good points but now you are saying it may not be reliable. I don't think I want it anymore". It is surprising how quickly they change tack.

Morning all If there had been any thunder here I would have been awake to hear it. My cold is following its usuall sequence and has moved onto my chest, so long and frequent bouts of coughing have kept me awake. I moved out of bed into a chair to at least allow Mrs BoD some sleep. I think that this is the first cold I have had in two years, whereas when I was teaching I used to suffer two or three a year. At least now, like Tony, I can spend today doing not much where before I would have had to shrug it off and perform as usual. Have a good Friday and enjoy your weekends.

Congratulations to Jemma. Bad luck Neil picking up a cold on holiday. I seem to have picked up a cold too. A friend phoned the other day and his voice sounded very ropey, he had a heavy cold. Soon after that phone call I came down with cold too. How does that work?

I think you say Web - ster.

Congratulations Andy. That must be a weight off your mind, for a few months at least. You can enjoy your summer break now.