I’m back from my annual Blackpool to Manchester, and back the next day weekend. After six nights camping in Wales, I drove up on the Saturday morning to our meeting point with Pete and Dave in Kearsley.

This is what the ride looks like on the way out:

And on the way back:

Having an annual event in your calendar that you need to be fit for is a great idea. I’ve only recorded my rides on Strava for the last five years, but I can see I’m getting fitter and faster, and that 2015 was a bad year. Some of the previous ten years to that were awful, and I know that I was flying in the early days. Even going quickly I was always in third place. Fot the last two years I’ve been in second place. Hopefully, this will be a wake-up for Dave to put some effort in to the bike and on the bike for next year.

The new formation for the bike photograph in the park – Pete wasn’t happy!

Obligitory snaps of Blackpool:

Nunzios

There’s been a change in our routine. From the early days it was difficult to find anywhere decent to eat in Blackpool on a Sunday evening in July. Nunzios was the best place we could find, and it has been part of our routine for years, but for how long? They’ve downsized, and Nunzio is selling up before we arrive next year. Change happens!

I am happy I’m getting fitter and stronger again. Not working has been good for me. All I need to to is get back to work and keep all my good habits:

1. Don’t waste money buying coffees
2. Spend less on food
3. Keep an eye on air quality
4. Get involved with things I care about
5. Have holidays
6. Stretch
7. Something I’ve forgotten
8. Something else I’ve forgotten
9. Travel
10. Keep looking for new jobs, even when you’re in a job
11. Work on my on-line presence with happy holiday photos

At 1200 tomorrow, I’m having a job interview. It’s for something I want to do, and I hope I get a good feeling because getting a job now would be really useful. Ideally, I’ll have a job offer nd still have time for a few weeks abroad. Otherwise, I’ll have a few weeks abroad and stick with my job hunting and travel strategy.

That’s a wrap-up of the past few days.

One last thing. I’m having another break from the booze – not that I’ve been heavily on it. I had some beers when I rode around Yorkshire back in May, had drinks when I was in Scotland, Wales and Blackpool and I’ve enjoyed it. When the fun stops, stop. I’ve had a good time and been lucky with mood and bad heads, so now is the time to go back on the Nanny State.