I finally got out of the house today to do something other than go to football training, the gym, or the supermarket – to Granny’s for Sunday Lunch. Woohoo!

After a handsome lunch and an epic game of Chinese Chequers (myself and sibling 2 tying crossing the line in a photo finish) we headed to the garden to test-drive the new lawn mower. This new one has wheels so it’s easier for Granny to push. However, she obviously hadn’t cut the grass since the 1950’s as she insisted on using the 21st century electric cutter like a heavy old rotary machine. The busy lizzies took a bit of a beating. They were dizzy lizzies by the end. After some coaching she chilled out; deep breaths, just walk with it front of you, no need to thrash it vigorously back and forth.

That was the second meeting of wheels and change today – I had to pick up Nan from her house to take her to lunch. A tough yoga injury and some weakening triceps means she struggles to heave the Routmaster bus-sized steering wheel of her 1970’s (maybe even 60’s) Morris Minor Traveller around the corners these days. Parallel parking in that thing must be a ‘mare. After 40 years, 2 Morris’ and about 300,000 miles she’s going to get a new car. She’s been a long way in those cars; change is hard sometimes.

Speaking of Routemasters and change I’m currently wathching a documentary on the passing of London’s Routemaster buses. Reminds me of the day they ran the last 38 buses from Hackney to Victoria. I took the bus to Uni that day – it was halfway to my destination before I realised why all those weired guys in anoraks were standing at all the stops, snapping pics as we went past (I was top deck in the front row – my favourtie place on the bus, checking the coast was clear). Bendy buses on the 38 route now – rubbish. More people, less seating, no conductor. Sure, we couldn’t continue with those old buses – poor accessibility, dangerous (it looks eeeeaaaaasy to jump on the platform at the back when it moving at ONLY 10 miles and hour. Many a dislocated shoulder and arse over elbow shennanigans. Doesn’t hurt when you’re drunk though: just ask Marsh.) But those bendy buses are rubbish. Single deck – how can you look out of the front of the bus on the top deck when there’s no top deck? They took my favourite place. Maybe that’s really why I don’t like them. Twice as long, 50% as wide, and half as tall. Still only 4 wheels.

Wheels. Wheels of change. ‘Change is Good’? Not always, but you’ve got to expect it. Turn it to one’s advantage. Turn it hard enough and you’ll go 360. New lawn mower, new car, new buses. But they can still take you in the same direction, achieve the same objective. Continue on your merry way, on your life’s road, happy you turned the wheel of change to your advantage. More on the docu about Japan, Space and Geology another day.