Lockdown Blues

A quick update. A lot has happened since Catherine and I got back from the Caribbean, just as the Covid-19 shit was hitting the fan.

I was able to fire up Ginny, the first time since I got back from the Aragon GP last September and take a run over to see my grandson James, in Wales. I'd booked a hotel for 2 nights, as there is no room at the inn any more, that room now being a nursery. Distancing measures had sort of been introduced, so a stop at the services meant no seating by Burger King or elsewhere but that was about it. As usual, I underestimated the wind chill factor, so by the time of the stop, I was bloody freezing around my kidneys. I had to put my waterproof jacket on, to keep the wind out but as any biker knows, once that chill sets in, it's hard to warm up.

My hotel was at Llantrisant, about 8 miles from my daughter's house. I'd checked in, then rode over. That afternoon/evening, Boris announced closure of restaurants & pubs, so any thoughts of going out for food were scuppered. We had a Dominos pizza delivery instead. The new rules meant that when I got back to the hotel, the bar was closed, so hotel time would be confined to my room. Breakfast, was cooked to order, normally a buffet I think but on the second morning I had to give a time I wanted brekkie. I misunderstood, thinking they would bring it to my room, so when it didn't turn up and I eventually went to enquire, I found they'd made it for the time I'd asked but were keeping it warm. I'd only asked for bacon butties and these they'd wrapped in foil. Not best.

My ride home was completed in one non-stop stint. Learning from my earlier mistake, I had the waterproofs on from the outset, which kept me warmer. I really should think about getting a decent base layer, especially for those spring/autumn chilly days.

The day after I got back we went into full lockdown. Ginny cane out for a clean but then went back on trickle charge, where she has been for the past 7 weeks. With the news this week though, she might get a run out fairly soon. She could do with getting some miles under her belt, as she won't now be doing the planned 4500 miles of the European tour, not till 2021 now.

I've coped pretty well in lockdown. To be fair, it's not much different to how things were before, apart from the lack of movement and not being able to go to spitfire club twice a week. I've been getting out for a walk most days, completing the 80K Hurricane Challenge (along the lines of the Spitfire 10k last year, only at home) and managing to hit a target of over 160km / 100 miles for April. My goal for May is to achieve that target again and I'm well on my way (44%) to reaching it.

The next big adventure for me and Catherine, will probably be our coming together in a civil partnership. We'll have been together for 24 years, come the 31st of this month, so we decided it was about time we made it official. Things are obviously still up in the air at the moment, with Covid-19 but we have a date of 17th August to put pen to paper. Hopefully this terrible virus won't put a spanner in the works, though it is certainly stopping us planning too much, at the moment.

Don't think there is much else to add, except to say, I hope everyone stays safe and well.

Until next time.

Not at the moment though!