Well at least this month has been a bit better on the cycling front and I’ve managed to get away on a couple of the weekends and also had a few nice day rides.
The first weekend of the month got off to a good start with my annual cycle to the Isle of Wight, once again it was only me but that’s fine it’s good to keep it going and I always enjoy cycling on the Isle of Wight, although it did turn into a bit of a pub crawl this time!
At lunchtime I stopped off at the Chequers Inn at Rookley for something to eat but it was too busy for me and I couldn’t be bothered to queue up for the carvery so I just had a pint of beer instead unfortunately or maybe not depending on your point of view I was starting to get a real taste for it and after my third pint I decided that I’d better get a move on or I’d never leave.
By the time I’d got to Shorwell about another 6 miles away I was starting to get the munchies so I decided to stop off at the Crown Inn and get something to eat and obviously have another couple of pints to wash the food down! By the time I left Shorwell, it was getting really late in the afternoon and I probably should have gone straight to the campsite, but I had to pass one more pub, the Three Bishops in Brighstone and it would have been rude not to go in there as well! Needless to say by the time I arrived at the campsite it was early evening I was probably a little worse for wear, so I just put the tent up and retired for the evening!
I also had my overnight cycle ride to Winchester and then, of course, this past weekend I cycled to Crowborough for Julie’s uncles 70th birthday party so at least I’ve been able to get a few miles under my belt this month and I’m hoping to go away a bit more next month.
On the health front it’s not been particularly brilliant not only did I get cellulitis back again this month but I now seem to have picked up some other allergy or something!
For the past couple of months I’ve had this really angry rash on my arms and neck which has been driving me mad where it’s been itching so much and I’ve been going to the doctors nearly every week trying to get something to ease it, they kept giving me different pills, potions and creams but none of them seemed to work in fact some of them seemed to make things worse and just inflamed it! Eventually, I’d had enough and went to see a consultant dermatologist who thinks it is some form of airborne allergy or some photo-allergic reaction to some of the tablets I take for my back. To hopefully cure it I’ve been put on a course of steroids for a month which meant for a while that I was taking 30 tablets a day, 30 is that a record? It probably isn’t but it’s still one hell of a lot of tablets to take, I was taking 18 at breakfast!
Maybe I should change the tag line of the website to “travels on a bike 2 not very far due to the amount of medication that needs to be carried these days!” Although now at the end of the month I’m only on 15 tablets a day and the itchiness and rash have nearly gone.
I think that life is just the wrong way round! When you’re young, fit and able to do things you just don’t seem to have enough time to do them what with bringing up a family and providing a home, yet when you have more time you can’t do those things because you’re not fit enough to do them!
But life is good and at least I’m still able to ride my bike!
Hey Garry! What a way to go – dying slowly on a bike. What a shame I missed your Isle of Wight tour. I could have joined you.
Best wishes – Malc.
I couldn’t think of a better way to go myself, although I am planning on sticking around for a good few more years yet!
I’ll let you know the next time I’m over, although I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with you now you’ve got an electric bike!