Sunburn and feeling like you've pooed yourself

So the sun was out and it was a gorgeous bank holiday weekend for the first time in what seems like decades. If it wasn't for the colossal leak into my bedroom from the flat above it would have been great but it did put a damper on things (sorry).

And all weekend it was about bikes.

On Thursday night I rehearsed with my choir and M, my idol in terms of cycling was giggling about the padded shorts I wore. She's in her mid-forties, doesn't look it and cycles everywhere, but whenever I see her she's in her normal clothes. When I asked why she didn't go for the padded shorts option she giggled demurely and, in her cut-glass accent, explained: 'I can't help feeling like I've shat my pants and it's too distracting cycling while fearing that disaster's occurred!' Point taken.

Then the leak happened and I had to take the day off on Friday to move various belongings shout at insurance people and deal with the fallout. Whenever I get close to an 100-mile week something scuppers it. Sigh.

On Saturday I saw my grandparents and, along with Moomin we drove out to Buckinghamshire to have a cream tea. My grandad was a serious cyclist back in the day and we talked about various cycling bits and bobs all day. Grandma said it was fab that he had someone else to talk to about it. I also realised where we went made a fabulous cycling destination for myself and Cyclechick as we've been looking for somewhere nice to go.

On Sunday there was high tension in the Weenie household. Following the leak all our bedoom stuff is in our (small) living room. Mr Weenie and I were forced to sleep on an airbed in the rammed living room even though his feet went off the end by a considerable margin and it was very narrow. We were both grumpy from lack of sleep and Mr Weenie was forced to do paperwork all day to earn money to repair damage from said leak. As I strutted around vying for his attention and whining I was bored he sighed and suggested I go for a cycle. So I did. I had no idea where I was going but ended up on the cycle track along the A40 and it was lovely. Then my massive red, took a week and half to arrive and I've had it one week, pannier broke. Sigh. (Chiswick Evans are hoping to fix it tonight.) I managed to bungie it onto my rack and came back via Ickenham. I saw horses, pheasants and lots of birds (no idea what they were but they were pretty).

On Monday Cyclechick and I decided virtuously that we should meet up and cycle round Richmond Park. When we met in Kew the weather was undecided on its intentions so we sensibly locked up and went for a drink while the weather decided on its next move. It cleared up and became quite hot, so hot, in fact that the only sensible option was to remain on our outside pub table, watch the cricket on Kew Green and have a natter before cycling home. Two beers and a virtuous pineapple and soda later I arrived home sunburnt. Ouch.