The fateful day of poor packing choices

Monday. Magic Seaweed reported flatness everywhere, so just went to Freshwater West as it was the closest beach. Hauled Nan in the wheelchair onto the beach, set up camp then abandoned her while we went for a walk.

So.. what's more gross.. the Jellyfish or my feet (already got told in no uncertain terms by my tarsel averse acquaintance)..

They look quite cool close up. But feel all slimy, much more solid than you'd think.

We reckoned they were dustbin lid sized.. but the lady sat nearest us on the beach clearly had a different frame of reference set.. she thought they were the size of a sombrero..

Graffiti made to last..

We found a cave.. with a stick man lurking at the back..

And several stuck bouys..

Picnic lunch on the beach and then reading (Stormbreaker) and sleeping while keeping head in the shade of my 50p Quorn special beach shelter. Turns out I should have kept more bits in the shade, rather than putting shorts on and removing the t shirt. None of us looked at all red while we were there, and no-one responded to the suggestion to go back for suncream. Pops spent the whole rest of the week blaming Ma for what happened as she didn't pack the suncream. But then neither did me or Chalkie. I packed a coat and an extra hoodie, looked at the suncream and thought nah, won't need that.. after how chilly and windy Manorbier had been the day before. However, we all started to go a bit pink over the evening meal. Swanlake Pub in Jameston I think.. was a lovely meal and was great fun playing with the kids and their toy cars... ok, trying to steal their toy cars. And being very very brave.. and asking for the England match to be put on in a Welsh pub. Home for the second half.. with popcorn and beer and a sedate level of shouting.

Gun Tower and Geeks

Sadly not the Death Star to wake up to

Chalkie sporting a fine piece of headgear..

I wondered why Ma had stopped pushing Nan.. and then got told to stop my Short Round impression from Temple of Doom :-)

The Gun Tower on Pembroke Tower. Left the first Munzee of the holiday there.

Turn your back for a minute and a whopping great Irish Ferry appears from nowhere..

Had to have a go, but is somewhat depressing when your fat ass gets stuck :-(

Hours of fun in Lidl.. how can it still be an energy drink if it is sugar free?

Went to the Spoons equivalent pub for Sunday dinner.. timed the free wifi just right, so were happy biker geeks, although this did introduce a slight drinking problem..

One I certainly need..

Went to check out the famous surfing beach of Manorbier on Sunday afternoon.. Gill summed up my hopes for the week with the word 'millpond'..

So, this is what passes for nightlife in Wales!

Everything is Awesome!!

Packed and ready for the Pembrokeshire holiday..

So off to Gill's for the Inaugural Rudge/Harley Film Night.. where we kicked off with The Lego Movie!!!

But first we established that 2 year old JJ had bigger hands than 'the mouse'!

Frankie mauling..

Modelling himself on me already..

Billy Connolly after Lego.. then Napoleon Dynamite Saturday morning.. found someone who appreciates the gym ball noise as much as I do!

Bit later than intended leaving, faffed at the petrol station.. and then schoolboy error with the GPS.. had pre-programmed the route, and so Darth tried to take me home first. Rained most of the way there. And then the usual 'you have reached your destination'.. but I'm by a random church at the end of a lot of wiggly single track!

Proof of Bumble's arrival in Welsh Wales..

The curse of arriving last.. all the other rooms were bagged. So I got the pink one. Knew it was mine from the £2 coin on the bed instead of the chocolate on the pillow!

Monday night fun with Gill and oh... no-one else

Lego Harley

19 mins

CMA Fellowship Meeting Report: The Station.
Displaying total commitment to the cause, forgoing sustenance even, Gillian Rudge arrives early at the meeting place and eagerly awaits the arrival of the other CMA members...

Lego Harley

16 mins

However, the agonising wait (and subsequent non appearance of anybody at all) has not been good for Gillian Rudge's mood..

Lego Harley

15 mins

Predictably late (although only by 2 mins), the arrival of Lego Harley does nothing to lighten this mood, and the attempt at joviality through deployment of the 'civil engineer' joke results in a violent outburst..

Lego Harley

9 mins

Finally Gillian Rudge's prayers are answered, and someone else turns up, bringing the grand total of CMA representatives to an awe inspiring three.
However, the newcomer instantly regrets the decision to leave the comfort of food and tv to share fellowship..

Lego Harley

3 mins

Starved for entertainment, company and actual food (due to the aforementioned lack of sausage rolls) Gillian Rudge has to fall back on her medical training (and ID) to distribute emergency supplies before malnutrition sets in..

• Lego Harley Don't forget people... its "dieTITian"

  4 mins · Like
• 

  Gillian Rudge Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the cheek........

Happy De-Restriction Day to you!

Andy very kindly offered to help, so at long long long last and very much overdue.. Gladis got her restrictor kit removed. I'd been given several different explanations of what to do, all accompanied by the word easy. I'd maybe question that.

Ok.. easy enough to start, I can remove seat..

And all the plastic wotsits on the side..

Then it got a bit tricky, when we couldn't see what was being the throttle stop, and so there was much peering under the tank and increasingly desperate googling.

It's in there somewhere ...

Check out my twin carbs...

Trickiest bit once the culprit was found was getting the two screws undone. Access was almost impossible. Plus Andy wasn't strong enough, so he had to leave it to me. Although possibly it was the prayer and WD40 and cuppa that helped rather than my clearly superhero levels of strength.

And this is it. £200 to fit and (would have been) £60 to remove can you believe...

A VERY naked sports tourer. Hmm feel bad for Gladis now, posting photos of her in the nude..

So. Was poo-ing bricks before the test ride.. I was trying to be all logical about what would happen.. Andy was leading me to believe that she would pop up as soon as I even twitched, or blow up. Pops texted instructions of "no going shanny with it when you've done it". In the end it was the slowest I've ridden... wobbled down to the roundabout in the rain and tried not to go past the drive again..
Even the ride home was slower that the way there.. but then it was horrid and wet and windy.

Two very happy ladies.. Baffles' baffles and my restrictor..

Had returned via Tescos for petrol, but somehow ended up with cake..

So we had a 'Happy De-restriction Day party at CMA..

Only me that sang tho..

Check out my new bling..

Although not as cool as Bullen's Bosch Triptych DMs.

Particularly horrid and scary ride home in big wind and rain.. still not tested her out..