Day 257: Pictureless

This house rocks. I love being here. Thank you, Ruth, for the privilege of staying here, and for the text you sent me from France today, where you'd canoed 5 miles and capsized in rapids, adding only 'lovely water'. And you're in your seventies. You are intrepid. You got me into the pond, and now you're setting standards that I really must meet myself. Thank you. I like how you live.

What made me laugh today? I can't remember. Bum. Things that pleased me, though, the difference that another secret game and a much gentler attitude made to me and to the others at The Challenge today. Just better. I started the day by apologising for having been snappy yesterday, and said how hard they'd worked (they had). I'd thought about apologising in the night (or in the early morning, when the birds and the light woke me up). I wasn't sure if I'd do it or not, but it just felt right. No big fuss, no request of anything from them. When it feels like the right thing to do, it hurts not to.

Thanks to all the influences (Rob, Luke, Sandy, to name a few) who helped me change my behaviour today and make different choices. I'm exhausted - really, truly knackered - but I'm very glad to be there, doing that.

Thanks, wonderful Pudding, for a good chat, a lovely supper, and for providing my massage bench with a home. It was lovely to see you. You always impress me.

And thanks for all the tiny things I meant to write down. I remember that one of them sprang to mind while I was on my bike. I could have stopped and scribbled, though, just briefly. That reminds me - my bike is pretty amazing. I love it. With a fat heart, I do. I love Archway Hill. It fills me with goodness and peace, cycling up there. I don't know why. Because it's long but not too steep, maybe. I like riding uphill more than I like riding downhill (though both are good), but either to the extreme can be tough.

And finally, the Challenge group - you ninjas, you. You totally pulled it out of the bag and did entertaining, engaging and totally relevant pitch/presentations. You rocked. I felt proud like a mother and was very impressed. Biiiiiiiggggg up to your faces. That's all.