sus cursu: Lev de novo rides again

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So the  reinvigorated Lev is about to take his first trip abroad. Tomorrow, Elly and I take Lev and Fidel on the train to Newcastle, cycle to North Shields, take the overnight ferry to IJMuiden, then cycle to Volendam. We have no fixed plans after that, except that we have to be back in IJMuiden by 4pm on 11 August. However, Copenhagen’s only 500 miles away, and we might be able cycle on to Sweden. Continue reading →

The judge sits on his great assize

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(This post is a continuation of this sage: Family misfortunes. Its title comes from this fabulous Roy Harper song.)

Because of last week’s snarl-up last about my sister’s appointment (which seems ages ago now), I phoned the PIP helpline on Monday morning to ensure that day’s appointment was in their records. Fortunately it was. I spied out the postcode they’d told us on StreetView – I couldn’t see any Crapita offices, so I asked if it was in the named building I could see. The reply was that it was in a GP surgery, which turned out to be in that building! Continue reading →

Bike of Theseus? Thanks to @EdinburghBikes

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In just over a week’s time, Elly and I continue our explorations of Euro-asphelt on Fidel and  Lev Davidovitch Bikestein. Lev and Fidel have both been feeling a bit cranky, so I put them in for servicing at the bike co-op whence they came.

The day after I put Lev in, the co-op phoned with some supposedly bad news: Lev’s frame had a small  but irreparable crack. They would replace the frame under warranty, but the new frame would be a slightly longer and grey, not black. They would re-use Lev’s original black front fork, so I’d have a piebald bike. I pondered – briefly –  renaming Lev to Jezzer Crusty Torvalds. Continue reading →

Family misfortunes

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Last Wednesday (5 July), my sister emailed

Hello Bruce.
The department  for work and Pensions Phoned me this afternoon to say that they will come to our house
on Thursday 13 of july at 9.15 and the test will last 1hour or 1.1/2 hours
The telephone number is 08081788114.
I will need to talk to my boss about changing my shift.
Cheers

This resulted from the DWP informing her in May that she would no longer receive Disability Living Allowance, and so had to claim PIP. After quite a lot of discussion about how to describe her special needs accurately and fully, we submitted a claim on 16 June. Continue reading →