I’ve actually had a really positive day. I posted off my prescription so that it should be ready for collection before I head off, I’ve sorted out my tools – my toolbox is so neat I nearly took a photo to share with you all – yes, I really was that amazed. I’ve thrown out, or at least piled stuff to go to the tip tomorrow, I’ve sorted out which tools I’m going to take with me (and considered that I’m going for 3 weeks, and shouldn’t *really* need any tools, but if I take them and don’t need them I’ll feel slightly silly. If I don’t take them and do need them I’ll feel like 10 different sorts of idiot).
And it’s with very mild sadness that I write that Claire passed away today. Claire was never really a faithful bike, at least, not to me. Although standing proud at 120,000 miles, no mean feat for a small engine’d MZ; she resented those last 20,000 with a force that nearly caused the death of us both several times. Claire will always be remembered with a certain fondness, her desire to slide down the road on her side however, will not be sadly missed, and her disintegrating frame shall remain forever in my heart as something to avoid allowing to happen again. Her funeral is tomorrow.
Yes… I started the day with Claire looking like this:
And managed to transfer the forks (no mean feat) and the electrics over to Charlie. Charlie now looks like a bike, not least because with the addition of 2 wheels (making her no longer a very heavy unicycle) and an engine, I could slap the petrol tank on (although that turned out to be a complete dog of a job). She looks a lot more finished than she really is – although the electrics are transferred I had to disconnect much in the name of untangling and so on; and although I’ve thrown them on to Charlie, many of the joints need replacing, and the whole thing needs working out, because the two bikes were very different electrics wise, and I’ve only got the front half of Charlie’s electrics. If anyone fancies supplying me with a diagram which correctly combines post-1994 MZ wiring and pre-1994 wiring, then I’d be greatful. Hell, you can come for a ride on Charlie…
The day was also made brighter by having lunch with Liz up at my favourite lunch place in Brizzy, The Revival cafe, where we munched and chatted before heading to ShakeAway to consume phenominally unhealthy drinks – which were delicious :-)
I also, because I’m lousy at not spending money got a guitar chord reference from a booksale that’s closing down, some photo paper (again from the same booksale, ‘cos it was super-cheap for photo paper), I’ve e-mailed Rana-X one last time about the photos we agreed on, hopefully this e-mail will get through; and I also, because I’m a very bad person bought LDN on vinyl, and the new Evanesence single, also on Vinyl.
I am bad.
But I have Pirate Charlie, in PINK! RAAR!
