InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

Packing and sorting had begun. From the reviews it looks as though the units are quite sparsely furnished so I have emailed to check what we need to take. A bit late but I didn't expect to take essentials like kettles with me. I knew we had to take our own bedding and we have sleeping bags plus half the car will be taken up by Reggie and his paraphernalia; food and bedding. We take throws with us to cover furniture. The vet in Abbeville is booked for Reggie's passport. So that should ensure he gets home again.

Missed the DGR yesterday as I had a really bad dose of man-flu. Felt bad most of the day until late afternoon when I pulled Pepe out for a short run around the edge of the Marsh Down to Dymchurch and New Romney then back up towards Ashford and across the top of the Downs back home. Altogether 25 miles.

This year I plan to turn up again on a non-hipster bike and enjoy the adulation of the assembled masses whilst raising some money for cancer charities. Sadly my fund raising efforts have not gone too well. The main focus is through Facebook where I have 60 friends. Some of them are outside the UK in the USA, Germany and the Czech Republic. That does leave around 50 within the Sterling zone. Although as an international charity event sponsors can pay in sterling or Yankee dollars or euros or any currency that is internationally tradeable. How many have contributed to my (currently) measly £21? ONE. So with three days to go here's hoping for a few extra quid/dollars/rand/krone. Whatever. Here's my sponsorship page: https://www.gentlemansride.com/rider/invictamoto

I was reading a Facebook post about a £1000 BMW suit that had leaked quite badly on the chest and back at the first rain of the autumn. On the Thankful Villages Run in 2013 it piddled with rain all day, all the way from Kent to London's Whitehall and the FT Aqua kept me dry.  In fact, only my gloves got wet, sodden in fact.  A guy from Triumph in one of their Explorer suits was soaked to the skin.   So I had a search through "On the Road Again" to see how old my Frank Thomas Jacket is. I was amazed to see the post was way back in June 2008 . My ex-wife used my profligate spending in her own counter-suit to mine of adultery....But in reality I don't spend fortunes on gear. I don't think 8 years for a jacket and 16 for boots is that profligate. Anyway. The point of dredging this up was to say that or a £99 jacket (less sale discount) is still waterproof. Although it has faded and no longer black black it still does what it was bought to do. I...

Since we were married we have tried to get away for our wedding anniversary and this year we have booked a week in France with Reggie in a mobile home. We tested the water last year with a weekend away and with a week to Scotland with him. He was generally very good on both trips. This year though we'll need to have his pet passport kept up to date with a visit to a French Vétérinaire before he can come back. I have located one not far from where we are saying and he is booked in on October 6th in the afternoon. The mobile home is in a seaside town at Cayaux sur Mer.

Today's run out in the car with Reggie was to Doddington Place Garden. Only about 25 miles at most from home. The garden is privately owned and is only open a few days in the we and Sunday is one. It is also one of the few dog friendly gardens in the county. A least one where we can all enjoy the gardens together. https://goo.gl/photos/TrYC1Y9RFLnW6f6B7

Cactus Joe's brother from Oatman Arizona. Google throws up these things from time to time. Sometimes no matter how embarrassing you have to post.