It's Bolshier by Water

Today was the long-standing appointment to take Sydney on the Gosport bike ride. Unsure about the weather, we took coats which rapidly came off anyway. The 'Cardiff Sprinter' train arrived in the nick of time, because even in the ticket hall, Moody Max (one of my alter egos) had already made a first appearance.

We were 3 of 5 bikes to get on at this stop so we caused mayhem, blocking the gangway, wedging the automatic door shut, and stopping the Welshman with the drinks trolley getting past. But I was trying to hide, be invisible or look out of the window meaningfully like Luke Skywalker with a really bad case of Tatooine Existential Angst.

Once we'd got onto the Fareham to Gosport Bus-only Throughway Rapid Transit Thoroughfare, I lectured Sydney on Bus protocol and a privileged Range Rover promptly disobeyed the signs but then maybe she owns the road. We played a version of Tag in which the person at the rear was 'It' so we sped along far too quickly and got hot.

The verdant verges were festooned with Michaelmas Daisies so we picked them en passant and threw them at each other. At park #1 (Bridgemary) she put her hand in bird poo and we got to lunch ahead of schedule.

Choosing to sit right by the door so the thousand local kids could go in and out constantly for our entire meal, we played in the playground intermittently while waiting ages for our desserts, large affairs of mostly-chocolate which we did finish. Sydney can balance a spoon on her nose.

But as soon as we were back on the cycleway, His Majesty the Massive Mood Monster settled in for good and even the dead pigeon failed to distract me and I lay in the spinning cup in Wooden Fort Park (Leesland) and contemplated the futility of existence I hate you I hate you all and the skatepark was full of local kids so we didn't go in the plunger and the brats trying to break the plastic chair were no better.

Once I'd randomly fallen off my bike for the 3rd time I was beyond caring and was as prickly as a Saguaro-Porcupine chimera and we abandoned all hope of entering the last 2 parks and the drizzle accompanied us to the Gosport Ferry, so often the case. At least it was free as we had some tickets from last year.

Back in civilisation but still not civil, it started to rain properly by the Law Courts but I sullenly refused my raincoat because 'it makes it worse' and went into the house alone to have a bath, shame really, that I lash out at those who care. Chose 'Groundhog Day' for the suppertime film, I could watch that over and over.