Another Day In The Life Of Granny Mave!!

I have butterfly handlebars on my new Dawes Karakum Bike, I also have a butterfly brain. Around 3-30-4 am the brain decides to become alert and remains so for 2-3 hours. There's lots of chatting and lots of activity going on in the bearers brain. She is not happy. She gets up and makes a cup of tea. She is tired and wants to sleep as there is much to do. She goes to her computer to reply to e-mails to be told by relations and friends that she must rest . She can't--they do not understand. Is there any help for this condition? If so, please let me know. Seriously ,though, this is happening to me and driving me crazy. I want to be fit and ready for the challenge but I need more sleep. Yesterday was a busy day. Our local MP Russell Brown came round in the afternoon and presented me with a very generous cheque. A photograph was taken for the Free Press and during the visit I got a phone call from Mark Beaumont (just broken the round the world cycling record) to wish us luck and to offer help which I thought was really nice as we are a pair of old Granny's and Mark is a young 24yr old!! At night Katy( daughter) William ( grandson) and I went out for a cycle run> Katy has my old bike by request, surprisingly, as she is an Eventer going off to Horse Trials every other weekend and I always imagined she thought cycling a bit tame. Anyway, she did enjoy it and something we can do when I get back. I have just come back from a big bike ride and I am saddle sore. The saddle is different from my old bike but I'll get used to it. I had planned to leave early but phone calls, e-mails , put paid to that. Eventually, I set off and the weather was fantastic. As I left Luce Bay ,my home , and headed across to Newton Stewart using all the back roads I thought how much I am going to miss this lovely area of Scotland with the rolling Hills of Galloway stretched out before me.

Getting Back to Normality.

Party guests all gone now apart from Sylvia who travelled up from Liverpool by train with her bike and then cycled here. The party was a great success. Friend, Jim White, kept the night alive with the skirl of the pipes with much dancing to jigs and reels. Katy, daughter, produced a magnificent cake with an iced cyclist adorning
the top. Murray and Steve presented me with a fabulous sleeping bag which will keep me snug and warm during the spell in The Rockies. Jane and Una sang a lovely duet and fireworks followed. Thank you to all family and friends who made this a night to remember. There is still a lot to do and so little time but I must not panic--hang loose, cool baby cool!! I was thinking how extremely fortunate I am to have so many wonderful relations and friends and sad at leaving them all. There will be days when I'll be very homesick but, to know Penny and I are helping to improve the lives of people with cancer through Macmillan Cancer Support, makes it all worth while. Thank you to family and friends who have contributed through Just Giving and donations
by cheques and cash
Back soon.

The Day After

Sunday Post Party---Rest Day!!!

New Bike and Farewell Party

Yesterday morning my son Sandy and I drove to Carrick Cycles, Ayr to collect the bike I am using for the trip. It is a Dawes Kara-kum and a dream of a bike. Carrick Cycles very kindly helped with a discount which means that bit more money towards the Charity. A few days prior to this, The Fred McAuley Show had phoned to
to ask if I would like to come on the live show to give an update. I had been on the show the month before and told Fred it was more nerve wracking than the thought of cycling across Canada. So, back again and the nerves returned. Fred is affraid of heights and next year Macmillan Cancer Support is having another Abseil (our third!) off the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway. Wouldn't it be great if Fred did this?? My Farewell Bash, arranged by Katy and her husband Peter, is taking place in The Cock Inn just a short walk along the shore from here. It is the third oldest pub in Scotland, there will be lots of good food, drink and ceilidh dancing and it all begins in half an hour so I must awa the noo.

Sleepless Night

It is 5-45 am and I have been awake since 3 am!!! The thought of the enormity of The Bike Ride has suddenly dawned on me and I am scared. It is only a few days now before Penny and I fly to Vancouver to start cycling for the next 4 months. My son, Sandy, is staying for a few days and this morning we are driving to Carrick Cycles, Ayr, to pick up the bike that Dawes are giving me at a reduced rate. My daughter and son-in-law have organised a Farewell Fling for me on Sat night so lots of relations and friends are rolling in to-day. John and he Ruth,cousins, are travelling up from East Ayton a lovely village a few miles from Scarborough. They have been with me from the beginning and will be 'base camp' during the cycling. A huge thank you to them and to all sponsors and friends who have supported me.
I am going back to bed!!

Bus collection

I forgot to mention the fun I had on the bus going to Aviemore. A bunch of Irish chaps were on the bus going to Edinburgh for a Stag Week-end. Billy, sitting next to me, started chatting and asked me a lot of questions about myself . Eventually it came round to The Bike Ride and he up and went off round his friends on the bus and collected over 50 pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support--wow!! He has my web site and will follow the journey.

Preparing for Bike Ride

On the Ist May I went to gym and had the best work out since returning from Oz. Christine(trainer) put me through the usual but this time I felt so good as I had fallen behind a bit with being away. Penny's farewell BBQ was on the Sat,3rd May so I headed off to Aviemore on the bus. I can bus all over Scotland free as I have reached a certain age!! Being in the 3rd Age has huge advantages so, young ones reading this, have loads to look forward to.The BBQ was a huge success with masses of donations for Macmillan Cancer Support .The weather was good although rain had been forecast. Triple Echo Productions (T.E.P) are making a documentary of our trip for the BBC and they thought a good introduction would start with the BBQ. So they were there talking to guests and asking questions about this crazy pair who are about to set off on this marathon trek across Canada!! Penny and I are are beginning to question our sanity but have decided it is too late to call the whole thing off!! Penny will be in control of the Blackberry and I (heaven forbid) will be in charge of filming when the crew aren't there. Meg (T.E.P.) is sending a cameraman this week to teach me how to use the camerastrapped to the bike. I don't think the poor soul knows what he, she, is taking on as I am so stupid about anything technical.