En France.....

...... enough said

Richmond Park - A beautiful, special place......

pressure? me? I don't understand. nevermind

As I usually warn the reader in the opening paragraph about the effects of my coffee, I suppose I should warn you all this time that I have none. I am clean, test me for drug levels and you should find nothing unusual (I think that was just normal salt I had in my lunch). You may also tell that I type this in the afternoon, after lunch, not my usual evening coffee slot. 'The reason?' I hear you all ask, is that I realise that I owe y'all a post. I would type this normally in the evening, but there is a very very very VERY important Arsenal match this evening in the mighty Carling Cup. I have realised the need to prioritise, so have. Arsenal are more important than you lot.
 Still, coffee is needed. Coffee is got, continuation begins. Sorry, I realise that it must sound like I am manically addicted, I am not. 1 or two, three is an extreme, per day. Anyway, believe it or not, I feel very little pressure currently. Although reaching the century for views of this page, I continue to type rubbish and people read it. There will be a prize for the extremely lucky 100th viewer. Naaah, of course not. No, sorry, there WILL be prize from myself. I'm lying of course.....but.......
No, the truth is I have no idea who has visited my page (probably about 50 hits are from myself, checking numbers).
I went to the gym this morning and re-recognised the joy  that I get, and always have done, from testing myself. It was always fun as a cyclist to set yourself an attainable target, speed, time, competition (whatever), and then try and better yourself. You cannot attempt to beat other people's record because they would fit under different laws of physics, equipment, nutrition, weather, habitat, and endless more. This is why only true fun can be found in beating your own records. Watching yourself improve in a certain discipline always provides joy. No-one loses. I am now just sensing the ability to partly explain my love for cycling. It is a very individual sport. You don't rely on anyone else essentially, it is just you. I do love team sports as well, but a well-managed team that lives as one unit, works as one body, is much harder to find. Watching a well drilled team is a spectacle. Tonight in the cup.                

oh the memories.....

.... freedom, physical effort, fitness, beauty, design, sport, competition, speed, natural physics, relative ability, the feeling of air resistance varying with speed, ....
..... and more,
... sorry I'll stop,
cya

expression of thoughts....

Fear not, this isn't a post complaining about anyone individual, as maybe suggested by the title. I feel that I should own up. Although I know the  subject of this post already (before typing, unlike previous posts), I should warn that I am armed with yet another strong black coffee, so we shall see the results...
I am 'owning up' to being a bit 'urgghhh'. Since I have lived in a wheelchair, split with my very good girlfriend, and had many many failed attempts with 'the female of the species' (who wrote a song with that title? 'Space' methinks, although probably wrong). Now, in my mind I am passing through my years, trapped to a chair. Believe it or not, although depressing and there are obvious downsides, I've got to try and attempt to turn any flip side into a positive. Not necessarily for me. To cut a long story short, I am trying to create a valid excuse. Whilst out on my own, shopping, I have complimented/flattered girls that I have found very attractive, telling them. Now, I think that this is ok, because they should know that I am not expecting any compliment in return and feel no pressure in doing so. I know that I am 'leagues' (and about 2 or 3 ft) below them, but hopefully they can just take a simple compliment.
What is the harm in trying to be positive? Again, I do not expect anything in return. So essentially, I am correct in trying to turn things into a positive without a negative (no-ones attacked me yet).
Fortunately most are not expecting this so when I say nothing, they do not feel hurt (even though they are the ugliest in the world!)

....sorry, joke

my coffee's cold, I was too busy typing. doh!

PG

Decisions decisions. Although the above symbol may seem very similar to the previous ones, they are not. Previously, I had the 'P' hanging onto a strong cube/square, with maybe a focus on this strong, family, surname. However endless things can be read into images, and I just prefer this reversed balance, with the focal point being my Forename initial. You would not believe the amount of thought behind this. Obviously and fortunately it will alter depending on the application.

hmmmm....yum yum yum, but what?

What shall i have for dinner? The one, big, very important, question that faces me currently. 'Tis not the only one by any means, but on another day, in another post, you will find alternative subjects. Sorry, I am not contaminated this time by sufficient quantities of caffeine (although earlier, I've visited my regular haunt, and dosed up). I needed to relax after a manic shopping trip in the supermarket opposite. A trip that involved lots and lots of people, in queues, blocking my path, and my wandering eyes being regularly taken off course, by stunning aesthetics combined with various eye-catching designs of apparel. Fortunately I spend much less than I had feared, easily within a weekly shopping budget. All is good. I think. I sensed this during an earlier post. 'This' being my sense of pure enjoyment, typing a post. I restrain, typing once a week. Sometimes maybe more, maybe less. Anyway, basically, I am quite free to talk absolute rubbish ('which you do', i hear you cry). But it's good because I don't know who, where, when, or why this is being read, indeed if at all. Because of the complete lack of pressure I feel, compared with using various other Social-interaction websites, and my lack of inclusion of any names (even though people/things may be guessed), means there is no pressure plied on you, and therefore myself. Brilliant!
Now, dinner, I'm going off to see what is available to create. EEEEK!

pg

Lucky Man

Quality tune. A bit old now but, my era. Yet another song title from The Verve, heading my blog. Hmmm. I must warn about the lack of comprehension of this post (possibly). I have just had my first independently home-made espresso (quick-fix), along with a delicious chocolate covered coffee bean. So you will not believe how fast I am typing!
Right, sorry, er where was I? Oh yeah, Urban Hymns is now playing very loud. This is the third (and peak) album from The Verve. Most will/should know this. For their first (of four) album, A Storm In Heaven,  the band were entitled Verve.
Alright, I'm calming down now. Basically, I want to explain, my theories. I am very very very lucky to still be here, typing this, as you should know. My situation has helped teach me things that I could sort of understand a bit before the accident, but needed to face facts.
Pre-accident, as a young 22 year old, I had the world open to me. I had a girlfriend to whom I was very close, a very good group of close friends, and an immensely strong, close family. However, personally, I somehow still wanted more. I had a dream/idea of living abroad, cycling (which I actively loved), and marrying some European supermodel. These were things that I wanted, but did not want to choose between the wonders I already had and these further dreams.
I was coming very close to the time in which I would have to make some big decisions. Unfortunately I had no say in these, being made for me by a car in Richmond Park.
As I lay in a hospital bed, after coming out of my coma, I realised, and was told, what had happened. It immediately killed off any idea  of 'dreams' I had had. Maybe this was a good thing, I had dreamt for too much.
So, although around four years have passed, I do realise how much I do have (for which I am incredibly grateful). I have been forced to realise how grateful that I should be to everyone/thing. I feel like I have learnt that it can be dangerous to dream for too much, because inevitably, you will not get it. However, it is important to dream to focus and create 'goals'.
Goals are attainable.
Right, ok, the coffee worked off a while ago and I'm now into some proper trippy bonus track on Urban Hymns. cya