Month: September 2009

Having had a bad few weeks I’ve had to cut back on the posting, the riding has suffered too so it makes sense to consolidate it all into a monthly post until things get back to normal.
Last weeks Aldi Cycling offers had me buying a pair of gloves as that was all that left. Nothing left in my size but I’m not sure that need anything.
Had a ride out in it the other day and it was just a tad too warm for it yet but it was only 2 winter layers.

Booked a spinning class at West Kirby with the receptionist asking where I had been. Likewise in the class.

Abbove is the 10th picture of the Etape that I’ve been trying to get for 2 months. In the background is the Simpson memorial. It’s surprisingly close to the finish.

I’ts a bit late but better late than never.

This is a picture from the event photographer finesseimaging. It got really bleak after this with a stop at the top in the cloud to put the cape on and a descent out of the cloud to the lake.

A pretty hectic week with two funerals within 24 hours. Things went well with my brother David delivering the Eulogy. Weather was good on both days.
Training Courses at work for the next 2 days got me back into the swing of things with me picking up my normal shifts for the weekend.
No rides but I’ve fitted and charged up the lights for the bike. Also ordered some LEDs to upgrade them as the technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years.
Next ride should be Wednesday.
Fired another email off to Maindru about the missing picture. The Wild Wales .jpg hasn’t turned up either so there is not much to show for that ride.
That was a tough ride, guess thats why they call it the Wild Wales.
Stan’s Mills Hills is at the end of the month, only 12 rode it last year and deserves better support.

It’s been a bleak two weeks with Val loosing her father Fred the other Wednesday in Spain. I’d taken the three sisters to the airport on the Monday, for Val it was to be a surprise visit it to them but events overtook them.
In my case I was supposed to be decorating the flat which slowed to a crawl as things developed.
Around about the same time my dad, another Frank was hospitalised. He had been weak with an infection for a while but I didn’t think too much of it  having been through so much more in the past.
I must explain 10 years ago he had a kidney transplant, prior to that he had a very difficult time on dialysis.

Friday:  Val and Jean are due back having rearranged flights with Easyjet.

At this end things seemed OK with dad on a normal ward. Had a good chat about the past and things were looking up. Next thing he is in HDU ( high dependency unit) or intensive care. Wasn’t too concerned at this point as I’ve seen him in a lot lot worse shape.
As it wasn’t my visiting turn I ended riding the Wild Wales. It turned out be an event and a half.  Plenty happened on a really tough event which got recited on the Monday visit.

Tuesday: Fred was coming back  only to be subjected to a post mortem.
Things were looking good for Frank, I was upbeat thinking he was going to make it .

Wednesday: Ride to the Eureka. Not looking for a ride, more like avoiding one. On the way home I got a call from my mum wanting to go and see the consultant at 2pm. It wasn’t my turn for a visit but from what we heard things were not good.
With no improvement they were running out of options for his treatment.
The decision was taken to put him on a ventilator, he was in a bad way at this time and this was the last time we spoke.
This wasn’t good and things didn’t look good with Frank being put on a ventilator within 2 hours.

Thursday:  A bleak day, what seemed to be a promising start with the consultants saying they could tell us when it would be the end game leaded to a family lunch in Irby thinking things wern’t too bad.
Val had took me over to Liverpool to look at some statues on the Mersey tunnel vent . Looked at the new canal but didn’t hang around as it was blowing a gale.
On entering the flat the phone was ringing with the hospital telling us to come back in. He passed away just before 8.
Glad to have been there when he went as it should make coming to terms with bereavement easier.
Friday: Phoned work who have been good about it. The hard part is about to come, Dave and Inge are flying back from Australia over the next 24 hours and we haven’t been able to get in touch with them and you can’t text your brother with news like this.
Saturday: Pick Dave and Inge up from Manchester, Andy made it in time so I didn’t have to break the news alone.
Sunday: I’d a late entry for the Eureka 80 km ride the intention being to ride on my own and sort my head out.
Big queues at the sign on meant I didn’t get on the road till 10.
Things went OK just chugging along when carolynn’s brother went past with Chester Tri club and offered a wheel. Stayed with them and even had a turn on the front. Bumped in to Ray at the stop and told him the news. Back to the  Eureka  where Barry regaled us about his last ride with the Dog.
Another one who made the mistake of passing the Dog.
Rode home before the rain came.