InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

The mild amongst us have the petition.  For years we have signed our names on paper and seen it delivered to the powers that be. In the digital era we have the online petition. I ignore most but this one annoyed me. https://tinyurl.com/y9s3u7v3

Tomorrow marks the launch of the 2017 Poppy Appeal. This year we are once again asking our supporters to Rethink Remembrance by recognising the sacrifices made not just by the Armed Forces of the past, but by today’s generation too. Please do look out for coverage of our campaign. As well as advertising in national and regional press, we’ll also be unveiling our brand new nationwide TV campaign. Starting 28 October, two second teasers will air during peak evening spots on Channel 4 and its associated channels. Our full 30 second advert will appear from 4 November, but I am pleased to share with you an exclusive preview today - be sure to check it out here or by clicking on the image above. You can also follow the campaign on Facebook at Royal British Legion​, Twitter, and Instagram​. Rethinking Remembrance is about remembering servicemen like Harris Tatakis, a Royal Marine injured in Afghanistan, who said of his experience, “When you come home inj...

There don't seem to be too many owners writing about their bikes and trips though. http://www.searchblogspot.com/search?q=triumph+rocket Pity this one isn't still running:  http://rocketthree.blogspot.co.uk/

Oz: Around Australia on a Triumph by Geoff Hill Not a review but a place maker. I have read all the previous Geoff Hill books either in paperback or on the Kindle. TBH I hadn't any idea this book existed until I was checking some reviews and saw it. Immediately I was onto Amazon to see about getting it. A 1p copy plus postage seemed too good a deal to ignore and so I bought it. Once I have finished my current read I'll be on it, or not. In the hands of the post office at the moment. View all my reviews P.S. If the image is all blurred. Blame Goodreads,. It's theirs!

Okay. It was only the Carabao Cup.  The opposition was only Norwich City from the Championship.   It is a trophy that can be won and that gives a chance to play in European competition again. As usual there were lots of changes in the home team's lineup with second stringers getting a start, and the rest of the team made up with lads. Lads under 20 and many only 17 or 18. A goal down with time running out it was looking like we were knocked out.  But.... Enter stage right one Eddie Nketiah, wearing the 62 shirt. His first touch after only 10 seconds on the pitch saw him prod the ball into the net from a corner. Inspired substitution by Arsène?? It came after the regular players had toiled to no great effect with Nardge under heavy pressure. Normal time ended all square. Time for a hero to step forward. "Eddie! Eddie!" Into extra-time and on 96 minutes Eddie rose like a spawning salmon to head the ball home. 2-1. After this his nam...

We got the train up. And now that we know where we are going it was really quick to get across to The O2 Arena from Stratford International.  In fact a DLR and a tube only took 15 minutes including waiting on the platforms.   Coming back though... We decided to "eat out" at Wagamama . Not cheap. Service though is very fast once you get in the door! Although TBH this is the first time we have had to queue.  The chili fried squid was excellent, so too were the duck hoisin pancakes.  The main courses came first (!) and then we had everything on the table at the same time.  I had chicken katsu. To say it reminds of something my old she cat. Minnie,  used to leave for me in the kitchen sink if she was left in all day..... No don't go there. However it tasted really good, the katsu, not the cat sh......... Once that was over we went across to the Dome. Security was quite tight after the terrorist attacks but given that the MEN Arena bomb...

Although we hadn't really strayed too much from the Slimming World straight and narrow, after our holiday in France in May we decided to go back to start again.   For me the support is okay but what really makes me try harder is that I have to pay to be weighed and get that support.  TBH the organiser of our local group, Kirsty, is very nice and helpful,  and of course supportive. So last Thursday after missing three weeks, luckily all of them we hadn't paid for, we went..... With two weeks in Florida behind us I had expected to have put on quite a bit of weight. After all, the portion sizes are vastly greater than here in Europe.  We soon learned to only have main course and no starters. This also extended to no desserts either. Hardly any ice-creams but we did have bagels, two a day for breakfast reduced to one and a half later, and peanut butter every day for breakfast. On the scales Claire lost (!) and I put on 1.5lbs!  That's e...

Ian Churchlow, the Motorcycle Action Group's (MAG) representative on a European bikers' rights federation, represented the movement at a major working group on riders' rights in Brussels. MAG Director Ian Churchlow has just returned from Brussels, having attended a full day conference held by the Federation of International Motorcyclists (FIM), to discuss issues affecting bikers across the European continent and beyond. Ian says, "this was a joint working group between FEMA and FIM and we met at FEMA Office Brussels on 18th October (2017).   We identified many areas where we have common interests and shared concerns.  These include motorcycle exhaust sounds and the balance between the damage irresponsible use of the motorcycle throttle and illegal exhausts can make to the image of motorcyclists versus the right to buy an aftermarket exhaust system without undue restrictions." "We also covered the question of self-driving cars and whether this c...

Not really anywhere near Claire's area of experience but it's hard buying tickets just for myself. As a trade off I am going to a Christmas Fayre or something in November.

A long title for this entry. Maybe I should have gone with the product name of "No Wet". One of the guys at work came in with gleaming trainers despite the weather not being thst good. Not a trace of damp or dirt on them. He said he had used one of these sprays on them as they were new and light grey.  A quick demo to the assembled masses and it looked good. He didn't go as far dripping something nasty like ketchup on them but water ran off leaving no mark or stain. I used to use an earlier incarnation of the one he used to try and keep my tent waterproof back in those far off days when I attended bike rallies and camped on holiday. There is nothing quite like lying in the tent in the peeing rain and hearing it on the outside knowing that's where it will stay. Outside. Claire likes the sound of the rain but never in a tent!! The one he used was Fabsil. I wanted one that could be used on smooth surfaces as well as fabrics. An...

So we have a new kitchen going in.  It's not finished yet but Claire (or rather we) will have more storage space then ever. It's not cheap either. It might even add value to our house. Who knows? We have kept our not very old Samsung washing machine and the less old Beko fridge, but all the rest is new. And all from Neff. Pics for those interested later.

Hopefully by November 12th the common  fainting (vasovagel syncope) problem will have receded and I will be fit enough to get out on this run. So far I have been every year since it started. I sometimes think that I should support the RBLR run to Newhaven Fort but that is a very early start. RoR starts well after local cenotaph events are over and well after the televised Act of Remembrance in Whitehall is over. Plenty of time to get togged up and out. I ordered a couple of wristbands. Last year I had two. One went on Pepé's speedo surround and the other disappeared. The 2015 band is on the rev counter. 2016 pinged off somehow so I asked the organisers if they had any spare.  For a donation I ordered another one.  Then this morning I opened a drawer and there was the "missing" one from last year. Now I have 2 for 2016. One spare! ! One will go on the bike with 2017. Ring of Red .

Sadly due to the "common fainting" (vasovagel syncope) problem I seem to have added to my list of ailments I have had to drop out of the run to Paris. It's a bugger but health and safety has to come first. Hopefully I'll be okay for the Ring of Red in three weeks time.

Got back from Florida last Friday.  Had a couple of hours rest and then got up. A suggestion from my brother, Neill, to beat jet lag.  Having kitchen fitters in does help with early mornings and no lie-in. Saturday was a bit knackered and had a lie-in. Sunday up to get to the County for the monthly Meldrews Meeting. Monday went to work. Feeling okay. About halfway started to feel warm. Took off sweatshirt. Hotter. Hotter. Sweating. Chilling. Then apparently I passed out. I was helped off the train by a kind lady who turned out to be a nurse.  I was sick on the platform. She stayed with me for about twenty minutes. I was so out of it I can't remember her name. Some British Transport Police came along and called a Paramedic.  She came quickly on her bicycle.  Fully equipped.  Did blood pressure and heart rate. Then when I told her what drugs I am on she called an ambulance. Possible heart attack? The station guys were excellent and took me to the firs...

Up reasonably early. Quick breakfast and finish packing. The TomTom has chosen a run up I95 and then left on the 528 to the airport. Claire prefers the alternative route using the Florida Turnpike toll road. So TomTom fixed to take this route.  The odd thing is that the freeway is 4 lanes and the toll road is two. Still arrived in good time. Take car back. Cost $441 for 14 days rental. Gulp. Not bad to be fair. Works out at about £24 a day. Had lunch at a Perkins.  Just had to have pumpkin pie.  But restraint needed and had one piece between two of us. We had checked in, bags checked and through security in less than an hour.  I beeped on the scanner and they said I had something metallic around my belly.  God knows what. Sat about until the earlier flight left and then went to the gate to read and wait. Popped into the Disney Store and took a pic of Claire and Snow White. Careful positioning to miss out little girl that wouldn't bugger off. The dog accessories ...

Last full day in Florida. The consensus about my foot was gout. First suggested by my brother, Neill,  on a facebook post. Suggestions that Turmeric might fix it had me at a CVS looking at the many options. By the time that happened the pain had already started to go down.  But five a day with food is a little tough. But all that was yesterday's news.... Today we had a run across to Coconut Grove and Butterfly World. A seven mile journey that took 25 minutes. It seems wherever we go plan on an average of 20mph and leave accordingly. The site has a large aviary area filled with er, butterflies.  Plus an area with small birds. You can spend hours in the butterfly house. Some of them are as big as your hand. Claire had a surprise when a finch landed on her head. We'll worth the ticket price and not too hot in October.

Local do nothing day. Had a run to a shopping mall as Claire was looking for a Yankee Candle shop. The toe problem was decided on gout. Bought CVS Turmeric. And that's it. Reading and doing nothing.

Today my aching foot seemed a little better. The swelling gone down a little. So as I was walking wounded we decided to go to a wildlife rescue centre in Davie FL that we last went to when we were staying in nearby Weston. TomTom said 39 minutes and 23 miles. He was probably right but it seemed much much longer. Traffic and traffic lights. The park has some areas that were hit by the hurricanes and so parts are closed. The rest rooms by the aviary had the roof stoved in by falling bits of tree. Luckily none of the animals and birds were hurt. http://www.flamingogardens.org Of course there are flamingos. There are what seems like hundreds of Florida White Ibis. Everywhere you go. There they are. The highlight for us was the new home of the Florida River Otters. They are all there because they have been injured in some way. They breed and the young are then released into the wild. They are so quick getting a photo is difficult. The run back to La Costa via Publix was much quicker. Except...

Into double figures now. Day 10. Always the countdown to going home. It must be my age but I am finding a mere 220 mile drive to be tiring. It should be easy. The car is automatic.  Just sit and use two pedals.  It has cruise control to take even that job away from the driver. But. It's the sheer volume of traffic.  The rules of the road that seem to be few and far between.  Overtaking on both sides. Lane discipline that even in India or Vietnam would be sniffed at. Disregard for red lights at junctions... it all adds up to needing 360° vision. Today we had a lie in. The studio has stunning views and it was sunny all day.  A leisurely shower and coffee and then out to brunch.   We both like Perkins or Denny's.  No Perkins around here so Denny's  it was. Light lunch of egg and bacon with a pile of hash browns and a couple of pancakes. Nice. Then to Publix for "stuff". Bagels for breakfast. Pre-prepared salad for dinner. Yum. A bit of time on t...

The drive down avoiding toll roads was partially successful.  It was a long slow drag along 192 to Melbourne where we joined I95. Orlando and the outskirts seem to extend  for miles and miles.  After two hours we had covered 70 miles. Our first stop was for a coffee and a Dunkin Donut near Sebastian FL. It's a little over half way to Pompano Beach. I came off  I95 again near Delray Beach so we could get gas and get some lunch. In the end we got a roast beef sub and coffee drink from Publix.  Gas. I guessed $30 and that filled the tank. We arrived at La Costa Beach Club just about 4pm to check in. Parking looks to be at a premium here. Despite the kerfuffle of the last few days before we flew out, we seem to have lucked out as we have a sea view. Okay. It's floor seven. But there is a lift. We can sit on the balcony and enjoy the view. Anniversary Dinner was next door at the Sea Grill. Lovely food. Live music and $82 bill. We eat less expensively for the rest of...

The idea was to get up early and get to Old Town to the phone shop about 10am. Well. It was about 11am when we arrived. Most businesses were just opening. The guy in the shop plugged the S6 into a charger and it started to charge. Then stopped. We went for a walk around and for a drink. Some 30 minutes passed and we went back. The technician said that the problem was as I had surmised from Google that it was the charging port. They charged it using a wireless charger and it was working okay. So Claire bought one. Luckily the S6 can be charged that way. My S5 needs the wire. So back to the apartment to get it charged. Time for read of the news on the tablets. Lunch was at Perkins.  We needed to use the 20% discount card we had.  Very nice meal. Turned out to be main course and dessert on one plate. The weather had been better than forecast. Until.... about 4pm. Thunder booming about then heavy rain. I tried to capture it on the tablet as my phone was charging. Unfortunately the...

Cabin fever abated. We had a trip to the Florida Mall. It's not that we don't have these in UK so underwhelming would be an understatement. Claire bought some candles from Yankee Candle. Much cheaper than at home.  I looked in the Skeechers shop. What? Prices the same as at home. We come to the US malls as things are way cheaper. Even with the exchange rate down to around $1.30 to £1 this is not right. We had a coffee and then decided to head home. Traffic. The plan was to get back and then come out again for bike night at Old Town Kissimmee. In the end it was gone 6pm when we got there so we parked up. Old Town was more lively than previous visit. Claire's phone had stopped charging earlier in the week. The same chargers that charge mine are not having any effect. We both have Samsung's products and use the same charger. There's a repair shop and the guy says that they can check it out. So tomorrow morning is mapped out. Thursday night is bike night. With the weath...