Today I fell off my bike, so think it is worth telling the world. the last time I can remember falling off my bike was in 1993, so I should be safe for another 17 years, unless I take up BMXing. Actually, a year ago I did a bike ride with Ang and I did fall off then, and once more recently on a bike ride with Rachel, but they were both off road falls on soft ground so don't count like today did. It was a proper falling off on a road and if a car had been coming the other way, or from behind, I would not be in such a good state as I am. Which is fine, since you ask, I have a bruised leg and a headache and tense neck and shoulders and a bit stiff, but all vital organs seem to be working ok. It happened on the same bend that I stopped at a few weeks ago to help a lady push her car out of a ditch. Well, she drove and I pushed. Today, I saw ice on the floor and thought 'oh there's ice' at the same time as I slipped on it and sprawled across the road. I was wearing gloves, a helmet and, for the first time ever, I had borrowed R's winter cycling leggings, so was well protected. My bike was damaged, so I walked the rest of the way to school (worked this morning, doing a meeting to talk about the year 2s progress - or lack of...). then I got a bus to Tesco - I was very blessed as literally 2 buses came at once, giving me the option of Tescos or Woolston. OK, so not that blessed, it could have been St Tropez or Nice. Anyhow, after a quick mooch around Tesco to buy a birthday present for one of A's friends, I walked the rest of the way home, feeling dizzier and more tired with every step - and I could normally run that easy peasy twice! So clearly, I need to listen to my body and heal, hence having just had a bath, and texted R to ask him to come home early ( he is on a boring course so I knew he would like a get out clause - in fact, when I rang at 8am to tell him of my plight, he offered to come and get me then, before the course even started!).

Have finished reading Adrian Mole the cappucino years. A bit behind the times but a great comic read. Am reading Mr Gum's dinner by Andy Stanton, my vote for the best children's author of all time if he continues to churn out such great stuff as Mr Gum.

We have given Amanda all her belongings ( except one carrier bag of toiletries which I hope she realises she needs at some point!) and got our key back from her. It is very peaceful at home now and less noisy and just calmer in every way.

While I am here, I'll tell you a few other things going on - yesterday I played Sarah at tennis, we did well, she is good and I am improving and we are well matched. I also had a coffee date at M and S ( Ang was paying, so I didn't feel it broke with my principled stand against them). Last night I had a washing up and planning meeting for our 'Messy Church' which is getting to be such a slick and organised affair that it will soon need to have a new name. There is a facebook group you can join for our messy church, I know nothing of these things, but good luck to you if you want to have a rummage through the net for it. the meeting was fun, I feel purposeful and part of a team. Hallelujah.

Sunday we played family tennis with Chrissie and James Fryer, our new tennis pals, who are long suffering with our children's lack of attention span and forgiving of my poor quality tennis. The girls had swimming lesson and then tea for all at Whitmore Towers, we have enjoyed our Sunday tea time dates together, we have taken it in turns to take the swimmers swimming, or cook the tea. Girls also cycled to church that morning, so they settled down to sleep pretty quick Sunday night. I did a tri training session with Sarah Gale on Sunday morning. We met at Bitterne Library at 7.30am and went on our road bikes (Sarah's first go) to Horton Heath and back to West End, then did a short run around Harefield (I was pathetic on the hills) and then home.

On Saturday R and I played tennis for an hour while the girls went to club, then R took them swimming while I ran a slow and short run to test out my hip/back which I damaged a fortnight before, picking up a tennis ball. I had found it painful and irritated by walking but it was ok on the cross trainer. It seems fine again, I just badly out of running form and have a 10k in 6 weeks time so hope I stay injury free. Me and Paula have similar problems. I ran to Haskins, so then sat in the cafe with a packet of crisps and a scone which possibly evened out the benefits of running there. If you ever want to feel young, go to Haskins cafe. I guarantee, whatever your age, that you will feel sprightly and youthful compared to the rest of the clientele.

I managed to cram two trips to Bitterne in on Saturday, one in the morning to get things for the evening, and another one at 4.40pm to get the things I had forgotten. I bumped into an old neighbour and had a lengthy chat, in Sainsburys. I didn't know her well, but she always smiled at H and chatted and once we went in for a cup of tea, and she just strikes me as a kindred spirit. One particulary exciting thing about Bitterne is the new system for taking books out of the library, you scan your card, then just put the books on the desk and the machine somehow, knows what books you have put down! You can try and outwit it and trick it, but it just knows! It is just a circle of wood. It truly is amazing, and in the case of Bitterne library, I am all for increased use of computers if it means less withering stares from the staff who clearly avoided the customer service training day. In fact, some of the staff there are perfectly pleasant, for librarians, and were able to do things like stack and tidy books, and answer my query regarding where to look for books on a certain topic, for example. Do you know, in 4 years at secondary school, I never used the library? It was never open, no one ever suggested we could go in it, it was like a fossilized remnant of some grammar school past, uncomfortably positioned between Home Ec and the staff room corridor which was forbidden. I was sick once in the staff toilet ( next to the medical room - I thought it was a wise choice as the girls loos were miles away and locked) but got shouted at for my efforts. Next time, I vowed, I would be sick on the floor and Mrs Thornton ( evil deputy head) or Mrs Gough ( evil school 'nurse' ) could clear it up.