InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

The flight left on time and we have successfully made it across to the US. With tailwind most of the way we arrived a little before we were scheduled to arrive but then sat off the edge of the taxi way for about thirty minutes as the stand we were due on was not free. Everyone began to get a bit restless. In the end the rumoured two hours to get through immigration was a bit off and it took an hour. It was just two hours after landing that we made our way down to car rentals and the National desk. We were the only people there. In the garage there were a few full-size cars and no Charger this year. So we have a Chevy Impala. Only after driving to the hotel did I notice it has Texas plates. And it's raining. Despite having avoid toll roads marked as "on" the TomTom took us on a toll road. We just went through the auto tolls as we will be billed by National. Maybe in daylight and less rain we will be better at avoiding the tolls. Checking I to the hotel was simple enough.  ...

Up early for breakfast and then set off for the airport. Not much traffic and we arrived in good time. All smooth until the self check in wouldn't work and we had a twenty minute queue to check bags. With human intervention instead. Quickly through security and now in Starbucks. Gate information just popped up. Gate 34.

After the rushing about yesterday to get the currency as ordered and then re-arranging the second week apartment, today was relatively quiet. A walk for Reggie including a trip to the chemist for my drugs went off pretty easy. The rest of the time spent emptying the kitchen for the workman and packing. I took him up to the kennels for about 4pm. As we turned into the drive he started to get excited.  Once into the reception he ran to the kennel girls as though he had missed them. He was there in July the last time. We left just before 7 and arrived at the hotel about 8.30pm. Dinner and then bed. TV on.

First world problems . 1. Ordered currency last night. "Collect after 11am". Snag. Go to Post Office. Show my paperwork and ID. Not enough USD to fill my order in the till. A few phone calls and another branch has enough. Nice walk. Only a mile and get the cash.  2. SMS from Claire. RCI left message.  Pompano Beach still closed after Hurricane Maria.  Call them. Difficult as mobile and in post office. Waiting for call back from them. Hoping for a replacement exchange. Has to be where there is space I guess.  My bet is Weston FL. There's always space there. Update: 27th September 19:07 Okay not all of Pompano Beach just Wyndham Sea Gardens.  Good job RCI called at 10am this morning and left a message and that Claire listened to it and set 2. above in motion. Luckily the guy at RCI, Steven, put a hold on a nearby resort for us at  La Costa Beach Club Resort. As when I eventually got in just before 4pm there was little left for the week we needed in the whole ...

I have signed up again.  As I still have Decembeard 2016 around my face I will need to shave it off and start bare-faced from November 30th. So if anyone wants to contribute, this is my fundraising page. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-devall-decembeard-2017 The more sophisticated can even donoate by SMS -  Text PAGD50 £5 to 70070 to sponsor me - £5 is their suggestion and it can be anywhere between £1 (boo-hiss) to £1000 (gulp!)

An ambitious project to navigate the world on a small scooter with attached sidecar.  I will be following this and made a donation to the cause earlier today. The donation actually entitles me to ride with them through the Eurotunnel as far as Paris . The first leg of their RTW trip.Whether I'll actually do that is debatable and under discussion with Claire.  The ride is only a week after we get back from Florida . Slavery exists and needs to be stamped out across the globe.  It was finally outlawed in 1807 in Britain  and its Empire.  Yet today it exists in many forms.    Sign up to the blog and read the entries from the organisations they are hoping to support on the trip. The guys don't set off until October 21st. Plenty of time to catch-up and even donate. https://asseenfromthesidecar.org/blog/

The last few weeks have been filled with the worries about the hurricanes. The latest one is Maria. Don't know what happened to one starting L. One Katia was in the Gulf but fizzled away. Maybe with so many of these massive storms brewing up maybe time to think about the causes. Pretty much us. Humans. We haven't even thought about what we should take.  Usually we take too much and it has an 18 hour return flight and a drive in the car!! For space saving it looks like the small cameras again. The Samsung that we both have take decent pics and are pocket sized. Plus they have wifi to get photos off them and onto a app on our phones. Shame they have no GPS! It would help remember where we took photos. Clothes.  Weather seems okay and I buy underwear and shorts from Walmart.  They sell Wrangler stuff at about half the UK prices. Anyway.  Please Maria bugger off up the Atlantic.

I think I have become the 2017-18 season Jonah. All the teams I have some history with are struggling.  Even the Arsenal. But with the club of my childhood,  Oldham Athletic,  currently bottom of League 1 in England, and Zbrojovka Brno bottom of the Czech League,  it looked like my new international team in Orlando would be okay. Sadly from being top of their MLS division they have failed to amass more than 4pts since I booked tickets and have sunk to 3rd from bottom. Two places further to drop down the table  to match the others!! At least Arsenal have managed to get to 12th of 20 in the Premier League. Hopefully, Hurricane Maria withstanding,  they will rally when I am there at the end of September. Update 30/9/2017 What can I say? Easy drive up from Kissimmee and parked in 55 West. Walked to the stadium along W Church. Claire had a backpack.  Not allowed. Only see thru bags allowed. If only they say this loud and...

LS2 Wave I have been looking for a light open face helmet for a while and missed out on some bargains over the summer. As the autumn sets in though, when you maybe don't want face and weather to meet, there are more bargains. So I bought a  LS2 OF561 Wave  .   It fits well and should do the trick for short rides out locally in the summer.   So it's in the wardrobe. I chose the Titanium colour as another matt black helmet might be too cool for one man!

Guessed at what they will call them. Look like a good idea. Bike stuff especially could do with some of these. The British Legion are apparently trialling them in South and West Yorkshire! So have to wait and see if they are produced in time for the start of the Poppy Appeal next month. I could do with a few for bike gear and hoodies.

We were on the 1002 HS1 train from Folkestone West.  A coffee to sustain us on the 58 minute journey and it seemed that we were arriving. A few minutes on the Northern Line and we were at London Bridge Station. The Shard View is signposted from in the station and we were there quickly. Once checked in and through airline style  security we were in the first lift and whisked to the 33rd floor. Then across the hall and upto the 69 floor for the first viewing level.  Another coffee and a base at a table and chairs. Then we could take in the views. And take some pictures. The difficulty is getting photos without too much glare from the windows. The views are stunning over London but the weather wasn't good enough to see some of the landmarks they said you could. From the Upper View there's not much difference except you can look up and see the top of the tower itself. From here we decided it was lunch time. So down we went again. ...

A while back I was sent a free train ticket by Southeastern Trains. Maybe as a reward for their poor service over many years. It covers two people on their services. Anyway it has to be used by the end of the month and so I thought a day trip to London would be good. Since we have had Reggie we've not been able to have a day trip anywhere without taking him. We have tailored trips to include him. London isn't one of those places.  So we have arranged for a local dog walker to come and collect him. Gulp. He has been for a visit for Reggie to meet him. But hopefully with us not there Reggie won't attack him. One of Reggie's problems is that he can't be allowed to be at the front door when it is answered to visitors.  If he is out back and the visitors are in the lounge he runs in and wants then to play with him. Fingers crossed. Looking for things to do and Claire saw the Shard was open. A search for tickets revealed many ticket agencies selling d...

After attending Vimy100 in April 2017 I have been looking at going again 2018. I fully expect that it will be a more relaxed affair than the Centenary this year where there were around 20000 people attending the event. When we went in 2014 we were able to park in the parking​ lot right by the visitor centre. Unlike this year (2017) where there were park and rides setup with buses to the site. I'll probably be Billy No-Mates/Jean Sans-Amis again but hopefully less of a cock-up like 2014 when I managed to get lost after deciding to leave the satnav at home! Although I did all the planning for the 2015 trip I was unable to go after my heart attack less than week before. So fingers crossed for good weather etc. More information. Update 23/10/17 Booked the Eurotunnel shuttle today. The cost is £30 so no point using the £50 voucher they gave me after so many delayed and cancelled services.

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) in London is calling on all riders to back the movement's strong demand for action against the crime wave affecting both motorcycle riders and the general public. Tim Fawthrop, MAG's spokesman in London, is issuing a call-to-arms over the crime wave affecting riders in the capital and beyond which has directly harmed the motorcycling community – especially in recent months. Tim says 'I'm asking you to come and join our demonstration this Saturday, 9th September 2017, in London, to show the level of anger amongst riders regarding the continuing crime wave which has blighted biking over the last 12 months.  The ride begins at 10.30 am in Regent's Park before proceeding to Parliament Square and then heading east. The route taken will ride through some of the areas most affected by motorcycle theft and moped-enabled crime. Tim is speaking for every rider who's been affected by the attacks and thefts.  'As anyon...

Another one now that Jose had upped from tropical storm to full Cat 4 Hurricane.  Terrible for the people on those Islands. And for me. $1200 in flights will be lost if we can't go. Plus $400 in accommodation! Soon have to start thinking of an alternative. Hopefully BA will offer an alternative flight rather than cancel. At least Flotida and us have missed the other hurricane, katia, that formed up in the Gulf and was ahead of Irma and Jose.

Firstly we have Harvey blowing up and flooding Texas and causing devastation. Now we have Irma angling on a more northerly course from the Leeward Isles and destined to hit southern Florida by Sunday. On the map there's tropical storm Jose.  Great news. 24 days until we set off. http://www.weather.gov/srh/tropical?office=mfl

After a remarkable 11 years since we last put gin to sloe, Claire took over this time and started a new batch. This time we are without the luxury of Gilbey's finest gin and have once again delved into Aldi and their oddly named Oliver Cromwell Gin.  I am not all that sure the Puritan would have been a great drinker, but it seems whilst they liked a pure life, the odd spot of booze was acceptable. There is some debate on whether the berries are sloes or actually damsons. I had a look back through the blog to see when we last made some, and the following link was the result: https://invictamoto.blogspot.co.uk/2006/09/sloe-sloe-quick-quick-sloe.html In the cupboard we still have a few bottles.   Nearly 3/4 of the Gilbey's, and about half a bottle of  a 2008 brew that was given to me by Chris Spencer, a former colleague at Islington. We even have a little of Claire's Dad's version from 2006!   And how does it taste?  It has aged pretty well. Of...

Every three years Folkestone has the arts festival known as the Triennial. Artists from across Europe and the UK create works that are displayed around the town. Here are a few of the works. https://flic.kr/s/aHsm7f7i9b

The FA Cup. The oldest football cup competition in the world. The smaller clubs began playing early in August and today in the third round of games called the First Qualifying Round my local club, Folkestone Invicta, began their attempt to reach the First Round Proper. It's this round where the Football League clubs from the third and fourth tiers on the pyramid come into play. Invicta are in the 7th tier. The opponents today were Greenwich Borough from the division in the Isthmian League, currently named after the sponsors Bostik. Plenty of huff and puff.  A mistake ked to the visitors going ahead after only 8 minutes. Invicta pulled level just before half time but were generally the better side but 1-1 was about right. Into the second half it was more of the same but surprisingly it was Borough that scored first. Invicta pressed and pressed and a late and clumsy tackle saw the visitors reduced to ten men with a red card for a second yellow card. It wasn't long before ...