Saul

For a Hardley Much prefer the big Honda. CB1300 I could see myself on that.

Ready to go to the park

No mate it was running water. Coming down the hill behind me from the melting snow.

Feeling as sick as a Shag now.

-3 riding out but warmed up to zero on the way home.

Just picked my bike up from its 6 month service. I had my heated grips fitted at the same time. Had perfect weather to try them out. Absolute game changer. I had forgotten how much more comfortable you feel with warm hands. I almost forgot how terrifying the road conditions were riding home. Several of the roads out in the clay country were unsalted, read fecking slippery.

Not really a ride report as such but I took my Himalayan up to get serviced today at the dealership. It’s a good 20 miles from me and they wanted the bike overnight so they can set the valve clearances cold. Hence I had to have a loan bike. I didn’t really care what they gave me or had given it much thought. Anyway when I got there they wheeled out this classic 350 for me to borrow. I must say what a pleasant thing to ride, sweet sounding motor with lots of low down torque from tickover. Really light clutch with a light and positive gear change. Just a lovely thing to ride, I really enjoyed it. Of course it is anything but fast but very easy to live with, a very easy bike to like. Great brakes to, I thought it handled really well. It feels a better finished bike than my Himalayan and a bit smoother to ride. It does feel restricted though and while happy between 30 and 60 mph any faster than that is not where it wants to be. I think it is a stunning looking bike. I would not buy one but I do appreciate it as lovely bit of kit.

A little. I was down their singing 2 or 3 months ago and I can see what you mean. Its a bit like the Platt.

Did you win?

Had a 8k jaunt with the Dear Boy today. Same ground covered but good to be out there all the same.

And Cornwall some have been up so long they have bleached out

And tell us about

Of you I do, and to your credit you never let me down.

I have gripes about my job not least the pay but don't moan as it serves no purpose on here. The actual job itself is very rewarding and if you work with the right person it is great fun at times. We go to a lot of places and see a lot of things. Its all about the people as is almost always the case in life. Funnily enough the chap I am working with tonight has a Honda NC750X and keeps trying to talk me into one and loves singing, so we get on great. There are a couple of snotty clinicians who I prefer not to work with but will and one GP who I wont work with, my boss knows and wont put us together. But apart from them the rest are great interesting people. I am lucky enough to be a popular driver, I am a safe and considerate with my driving and the clinicians like that. The way we work is the clinician rests when I am driving and I rest when the clinician is with their patient, I always try never to disturb them with my driving and they generally like that. If they can trust me they can relax between jobs and maybe even doze. Working long shifts overnight means you can power nap almost at will. If the job never changed I would do it for the rest of my working life, the driver I am relieving at 23:00 tonight is 80 years old, our oldest, so I could do it for a good few years yet. But as is always the case there are storm clouds on the horizon, I will stay as long as I still enjoy it. For me life is to short to do something you don't like, been there in the past not going back. There is always another job.

Readymoney Beach

Good luck, not even one beer after the game? Back to work for me, 3 overnights out of Launceston Hospital. My favourite workplace with two of my favourite clinicians, looking forward to it really.

I think it was the garage that last serviced it not using a new one. I stopped going there for other reasons but it wouldn't surprise me if they cut corners.

Good news yesterday the Mrs's X3 passed its MoT. I also had it serviced at the same time and a small oil leak looked at. The oil leak was a knackered crush washer on the sump plug so that was a cheap fix, so aside from one tyre it is ready for another year. Bill was £247 which I was chuffed to bits with really. I have a sort of love hate relationship with that car, it is a great safe family wagon that has never let us down but has also been a money pit over the years. It was one of the dodgy cam chain models so as you can imagine that was no cheap fix.

Brilliant news congratulations

Had the weirdest day today. Yesterday one of the local blow ins that my big hearted Mrs befriended phoned and asked her to be a witness at her wedding. WTF talk about unexpected. Anyway today we went to the smallest wedding I have ever been to at the Register office. Also I ended taking all the photos on my phone. Twas very nice really and I do wish them all the very best.

Nah I don't think he is overcomplicating it, where he was talking about it is complicated, different rated charges most of them not delivering what they are listed at and having to know which one suits your car, and the time it takes is infinitely variable even if you know what you are doing. Strikes me as pretty complicated and a ball ache. Not saying that electric cars aren't practical in some circumstances but they are expensive and any sort of long distance travel will take more planning that it would with a combustion engine. Your brother made his trip in one of the newer more practical cars with fast charging and obviously readily available chargers. I am pretty sure the Kia and Hyundai are the same platform and latest tech with a different skin. I can't comment on Europe but here in the UK charging is very hit and miss and overcrowded. Socials are full of people fighting in the street over chargers, definitely a ball ache.

I do get that. Tis why I know my Mrs wouldn’t go and I would never pressure her to. She loves it here to much, as do I, but I have travelled more than her so have seen much more of Europe. Not putting her down but we all have our choices to live with and by. Couple of times in the past before we got together I had chance to move to Finland and later to Ireland, never took those chances. Don’t regret it as I am happy with my lot but can’t help but wonder what if sometimes. Especially in the current political environment.

True, but my first choice would be Ireland and that is a lot easier than the rest of the EU. Other than that I would try Denmark. Tis but a pipe dream though unless I put the Mrs under the patio.

By that metric neither does mine

Reinforces what I pretty much knew, I can’t retire while I’m physically able to work. TBH I’m not sure I would want to give up work completely, I like it and it gives me a structure to life that I think we all need for many reasons. Last thing I would want was to be at home counting the pennies looking at my navel. Seriously that would kill me. But having said that UK state pensions are pitiful. If it were just up to me, once the youngest turns 18 I would sell up and leave, my Mrs never would though.