Petrol Pandemonium

I'm packing for a weekend away with the BM Riders. British motorcyclists who share my love of the big Bavarian bikes. I got petrol so the weekend is on.

Petrol Tanker drivers have voted for strike action in support of pay and pension claims. Right or wrong I believe should be a matter for ACAS and binding arbitration. For god's sake keep the politicians out of it. Oh shit, too late! If there is a tanker drivers strike it cannot happen before Easter, so all was looking reasonably OK at the moment. So this morning I found myself in a twenty minute queue at Sainsbury's supermarket. ASDA have already run dry. All over the country it's the same. Demand is up 100% and filling stations cannot keep up. There is now a three day backlog of deliveries (overtime for the tanker drivers? fill your boots lads!) What went wrong? A government minister had one of those moments we all have from time to time. He opened his mouth and put his foot in it! He suggested that since there may be a petrol strike sometime soon, drivers should fill up now, and even maybe take a 20 litre "gerry can" to store at home for back up. Sainbury's laid on marshalls to manage the safety and efficiency of the queues. That boosted local casual employment.

So home again and the weekend is on. I at least have enough fuel to get to the venue and home again. Our Saturday ride out rather depends on finding more fuel. Plan B is find a good pub within walking distance, that is open all day! Lolo is attending so I hope to cadge a couple of her excellent photos for the blog.

I'm used to seeing news casts from the BBC's left of centre point of view. I see no reason not to get onto my own Blog spot soap box and have a go occasionally. My views for sure, mostly informed through research, but my views only in the end. I am not about to criticise Minister Francis Maude for his gaff. Having had to remove his foot from his mouth, he is now probably having to remove the Prime Ministers boot from his arse. I'll make my own gaffs as I go along for sure.

Renovation Man

Over the winter I got fed up with my tatty old lounge, with it's charity shop furniture. I had many decisions to make as well. Pool my resources and move to a larger house. Spend time in Europe and rent my house out. Stay put with friends close by, and a very cozy pub. Check out The Rose Inn at www.roseinnbaxterley.com/ In the end I opted to stay put. At least until some drop dead gorgeous and rich woman insists I set up home with her, somewhere exotic. Then as the Dinosaurs said as they left in their space ship "so long and thanks for the fish". Or was that the Dolphins sometime in the near future. Can't remember. Sorry. Once the "whisked away" scenario happens I have a dilemma. How to take the Rose Inn Baxterley with me! Also therefore would my rich woman have to adopt Tim, Sue and Star, and would St Austell Brewery be able to deliver Tribute bitter?

Note to self. No more oragne juews.

Business ideas are not working out due to this lousy recession. Investments in banks give virtually no returns. Returns on bonds are also disappointing. Invest in property in a falling market? Put it in a cardboard box under the bed? That is better than the banks probably. Get a job (ahhhh!). Take a lodger? In the end based on the difference in asking prices on houses identical to mine, but ranging from 1980's original to full contemporary make over, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea at all to rip the lounge out and modernise. Pictures below of the end result. Heart felt thanks to Mick and Chris for their significant contribution to the project. 50% of the labour was mine, and all of the design. Actually is that true? Nope. Debbie had to sort out my colour coordination, and Sue the curtains. On those items I was struggling. I knew what I wanted to achieve. Thanks to all for helping me to realise it perfectly. The solid bamboo floor is wonderful. Claws and teeth don't scratch it. Nothing stains it either.

Another note to self: Stay out of the lounge during a full moon!

Above right is a picture of the rear of the house. There is a reason for this. I got the bug. I had the idea of extending the lounge into the garden, and as you can see I immediately ripped up the scabby old slabs and turned them into the foundation for a raised area outside the lounge sliding doors. 60 Buxton stone slabs arrived before breakfast this morning, so having got my lounge straight, my garden is now a building site. I looked at the task ahead and promptly crept away for a long walk in the sunshine. My courage comes in fits and starts apparently.

Phase three: I have Mick returning to swap the heating boiler and rip out the old hot water tank (I hope you are keeping up. Motorcycle adventure, mad parties, and girls later!)

Phase four: I get to knock two small bedrooms into one, before replacing a very tired bathroom (no rude comments please), and may be installing an en suite bathroom to the guest bedroom. This should all keep me out of trouble for a while. Cash flow ensures that the whole project will not be complete before February 2013. In the absence of anything else I think that is a plan!

Merlin

Introduction

Thank you for accessing my new blog. I've blogged before, usually about motorcycle road trips, like my solo journey to Norkapp in 2010. This one is also a journey, but in more than one way. It will have a motorcycle journey for sure. My beloved BMW Elsa and I will take off again in June for one of our massive summer trips. Northern Europe and Scandinavia in particular beckon, no surprise. People to see and roads to ride.

But this journal is also about a broader journey we all make. Middle age is no laughing matter for most. I remember the duvet day of my 50th Birthday. I never actively wanted to be 50. I could have gleefully shot chirpy friends who pointed out that it sure as hell beats the alternative. I wonder about sharing personal stuff, but writing is the other thing I do, so here is the deal. I will write as though I'm just talking to you. Just the two of us. I'll write the esoteric stuff, if you promise not tell.

I've no idea how interesting this is going to be. The journey will write the story, if indeed there is a story to tell. I usually manage to get into enough scrapes to entertain, so we should be OK. I look forward to your company along the way.