Solid Air

Around 4 yesterday we noticed that the pedalpushers server was apparently down. Andy was in Italy - what to do? So I agreed to go up to Stocksbridge and reboot it. A slight complication was that the key was at Ian's house in Walkley (if he could find it) Anyway, home after work, stuff down some pizza & spinach (toot toot) don some vaguely appropriate clothing, switch bikes and off I go. (could have driven or got the bus of course but what would be the fun in that?)

Thrash up to Walkley, already so driven that I shot past Ian's house (must've had the autopilot set to Walkley Cottage) and have to turn round and come back. Ian & family are out messing around in the garden. Switch keys (he's got Andy's I've got the stall garage key as sorted out by Tim). Come out of Greenhow St onto South Rd into a stream of cyclists, including a guy I know called Simon who works for HSE - not wearing a helmet I note. Storm down Walkley Bank , round Malin bridge and up on the hard route via Worrall (having already had the punishment of going to Walkley thought I might as well finish to the job) That brings you out at Wharncliffe Side, so thrash up to Stocksbridge from there - this is where I experience the phenomenon known as "Solid Air" or sometimes thick air , where it literally feels like you have to push the air out of the way as you cycle. Still, get to Andy's house, try the modem, looks OK, and re-boot the server, acting on SMS instructions from Andy in Italy. Get Ian to check the site is back up (first he has to give the batteries in his wireless keyboard a rub) all, OK, get back to town in 40 mins, that solid air now pushing me along.

Saw some very hairy driving on the way in, some guy in a volvo undertakes a load of cars waiting att he lights then gets in between the two cars at the front of the queue and hoots at them to get out of the way so he can roar away from the lights. Don't know what was going on there, but was quite relieved to get off the dual carriageway and onto Old Penistone Rd and then the cycle track, although this has its hairy moments at the junctions - at Neepsend Lane was nearly mown down by someone turning left without indicating. Toucan crossings please mr. council!

Anyway made it to the Boardwalk for 9-ish to see KEITH JAMES & RICK FOOT play THE SONGS OF NICK DRAKE - he also threw in the John Martyn song "Solid Air" apparently written about Nick Drake, hence the title for this post.

(Then I hear it was probably the ISP that was down and not the server - Oh Well!)