1st November 2023

 ~o~

 Wednesday 1st 31F/0C. Frost. The cars are white in the outside lights. I got up twice and decided to stay up at 5am. I had three days of washing up to do before I could have a cup of coffee and muesli. Which took me half an hour.

 It is museum day but I have two appointments in town at lunch time. A follow up, hearing aid test and a 5000km e-bike service. Only five minutes walk apart. If I drop the e-bike at the shop first I can park the car and trailer. Then walk down to the hearing aid centre.

 I am struggling to decide how best to handle transport to town. Rain after lunch complicates things. So I can't ride to town, with a longer journey time, after a hasty packed lunch at the museum. Besides the bike shop might discover a serious fault. Which would leave me in town without transport home. 

 I can drive either car to the museum but only the old car can pull the trailer. Which can't be loaded with the e-bike before I get home at lunch time. For obvious security reasons. I had better make lunch before I leave for the museum. Or I will run out of time for reaching my appointments. 

 I managed to start the MM but the old car battery is as dead as a dodo. Which means I drive to the museum in the MM. Drive home at lunchtime and then ride in the rain to town. The alternative is to swap batteries. To allow the old car to pull the trailer. With luck, the rain will be light until I can get back home from town on the e-bike. I have made the rolls for lunch. To save time. As I will need to change my clothes for the ride. Whether it rains or not.

 16.30 46F/8C. I rode to town and had the hearing aids adjusted. Meanwhile the e-bike was being attended to. New rear disk and pads. New chain and cassette. Clean and smooth front disk and pads. Adjust suspension pressures [pump] and bleed the brakes. Oil new chain. Adjust gears. Adjust brakes. True wheels. Update Bosch battery software. All the while I came and went. As I shopped between updates. To avoid hanging around in the workshop and getting in the way. 

 It started raining as I walked back to the bike shop for the last time. The ride home was into a headwind and driving rain. The roads were saturated. With lots of puddles, streams and and standing water. It was getting late too. I hadn't been out on the e-bike when it was so dark. Rarely when it was so wet!

  The only dry part of me was where the Endura rain jacket protected my chest. I had to change my underwear, t-shirt, socks and trousers. My legs were so wet the hair was streaked as if I'd just climbed out of the bath. Guess who didn't take his waterproof trousers despite the wet forecast? Correct. That'll be me. 27km. I had managed just under 7000km since February. 

 19.00 Nap from 17.15 until 18.00.  I woke feeling cold. The living room had only risen from 13-17C and was still too cold for comfort. A mad search upstairs for my thickest fleece jacket and a warm hat. Time to see if there is anything for dinner which doesn't involve toast.

  All that was available was salad. With only one micro-carrot left. Cucumber, cheese, tuna and poached eggs. I was hoping for something warm. 

 23.00 51F/11C. Despite the stove going all evening it hasn't risen above 66F/19C in the room.

~o~