The Nero Alternative

Ahhhh. A lovely sunny day in the Valleys. d and Ma and I went, finally, to see something d's been saying she wants to see for about half a decade now - Big Pit in Blaenavon. Basically a heritage coal mine, you go down to the coal face on a tour, check out the pit head baths, do all that sort of stuff. Very intersting, very moving in palces, very cool all ways round - go there if you get a chance, it's definitely a thing to tick off your "Mad Stuff To Do In Wales" list.

Thing is, we were back with plenty of time to spare in the day, and I intended to get on the bike.
"Ow," I said, conversationally, while soaking in a slightly perverse pre-bike bath.
"'s'up?" said d.
"Ach...just a headache," I said.
"See...you're not gonna want to hear this, but I don't think you should bike today," said d.
"Oh," I said. "Why?"
"Cos I think it'll just raise your blood pressure and make your head hurt more and..."
"And what? My head'll explode like someone on Scanners?" I didn't actually say.
"See...there's a big part of me that really does want to hear that today," I admitted out loud.
I kinda feel like I've been beaten with sticks. Part of that is down to a crunchy deadline which I just about made last night after working all weekend. Part of it, too, is down to the fact that Spring has sprung, and my hay fever's punched it right in the face.
"Listen to that part," said d. "Come down and lounge on the couch with me. Y'know, like Nero."
That's my girl - she knows I can never resist a Roman allusion.
"Hmm...Nero, eh? Will there be a scantily-clad slave-girl in this version of events? Polishing individual grapes on their softly heaving bosoms?" I...once again...didn't actually say. Did I mention that Spring had sprung?
"OK," I said. "I can do a day of Neroism."
And indeed, I think I can. I don't think I should, the day before a weigh-in, but I can. And I'm gonna. Enjoy your long weekend, Britfolks. Back to the grind tomorrow...except me, cos I'm taking tomorrow to focus on my own writing, dammit. And I guess we'll see what the effect of an evening's Neroism is in the morning.

Oh, addendum - just had a text from Ma, saying "you wanna take it easy tonight, love - you look done in..."

So there it is. Can please my wife and my mother at one fell swoop by doing...precisely buggerall. That can't be bad, surely?