This is actually a photo by Sarah Keayes.
And it was taken at our big rally on Wednesday. I am in this photo if you think you have exceptional “Where’s Wally” skills.
In this photo you might have a better chance of seeing me. Also by Sez Keayes btw. She is a fantastic photographer. She has a great rapport with punters she is snapping and is quick and is happy to embrace my suggestions. And so when I said, “Why don’t you charm your way into the Casino Hotel and see if they will let you take a photo from up there.” And she was like, “Ummmm.” And I was like, “Ask em! I know they have let photographers do it before.” And bang — she got the shot of the day and her images shat all over anything I have seen in the press.
It was funny seeing all those signs I had designed all over the TV news and in papers. The front page of the Courier-Mail was particularly impressive.
On Thursday I signed up to Strava, which is like Garmin, but also has this gimmick where users can create “segments” or stretches of road that you can ride and then compare how fast you were compared to other riders who have done that same segment previously. So suddenly all my riding is now a race. I did the riverloop on Saturday — above is a pic I took while having a rest on the Corso — and all the while I was trying to mash my hardest in the bits I knew were “segments”. This new element to my riding is going to do my head in. Ugh. On the plus side I already have one KOM (King of the Mountain) and I also have a 3rd (out of 2000 odd) on this stretch of the Bicentennial Bike Path on my way home.
On Saturday morning Dee and I did a street stall on Coronation Drive to highlight the fact the LNP government has this ideological drive to destroy the lives of Queensland public servants by unnecessarily shedding so many precious jobs when our finances are no where near as bad as they say (with corrupt audits).
For the three hours we were there we got FOUR beeps and as we waved and looked important it seems a government spy was onto us.
This guy in his extremely camouflaged van parked directly across the road, then acted weird for a bit, then sped off. But Dee and I were definitely not going to crumble. Even though we assumed Big Brother was watching, we kept going with our humble street stall and stepped-up our waving and looking serious.
All during that street stall I could see bike riders blasting past on the bikeway across the road. I assumed each and every one of them was “Strava’n” — like trying to improve their personal strava-stats. So at one point I took a break to go across the road and decided to take a few shots — which might come in handy for illustrating the CBDBUG website — which I am now officially semi-in charge of.
Later that day we went to Timmy’s birthday bowls — that’s him in the hat — and I also got to meet the twins somehow related to Conan and Annie.
Aw — Conan with (and I am just guessing here — Hazel.) But it could be Olive. I dunno. They reckon they can tell them apart.
This is Rachel and Max. Max kept stealing the white ball, but no one seemed to mind. He will be a heart-breaker one day. Just saying! That’s Dee and the ladies in the background.
That night we had dinner at the Indian place in Rosalie Village. It was freaking awesome. I thought I had tasted the best Indian ever — but these guys showed me stuff.
On the walk home we got to pat Bear-cat. He is so awesome, and we are just guessing from his bulk and swagger and scruffiness that he is a he.
Then at home we caught the cat being all naughty and playing in the construction site across the road.
Today I went for a big 100km ride to make up for all my slackness this week. Rides on your own are sometimes the toughest — even though you can slack off and ride at whatever pace you want. But today I got a bit excited and only took one apricot bar and so kinda bonked at the end. The shot above was taken at my first break at Shorncliffe.
This ride — out to Sandgate or Redcliffe — is the ride I do just by default if I am on my own. And it gets a bit slow through the Wetlands and you have to deal with gooby Sunday riders and kids riding like they are blind — but it is safe and easy and 90% devoid of cars.
This guy on a TT bike overtook me while I was purposely going ultra slow to take photos. Then I caught up and my urge to race boiled over. I didn’t suck his wheel — I just kept in touch about 10-20ms behind — all the way to the Nundah crit circuit. That kinda destroyed me and made that 20km ride home quite a bit more like a suffer-fest. PS the clouds today were amazing! PPS It is also so very dry in Brisbane ATM. It literally hasn’t rained for 6 weeks.
So as I limped home I checked out the brand new bike facilities around Kedron Brook/Shultz Canal and they are good. I endorse.
This was my last break at Downey Park. I spent a good 10 minutes here and it was incredibly soothing. In the distance there you can see the former hospital where my sister was born. And Peter Beattie’s house is up there too.
At home Dee was busy studying and being all nerdy. But apparently she is cooking Halloumi for dinner so I forgive her.
DJ GLAD RAPPA 