Zen and the Art of Motorcycles

Last Tuesday I went to teach my class. As I was in early, I got one of the lads to hold the focus mitts for me and did three rounds of hands. Everything came together and I was quite happy with them, looking to increase speed and endurance over the next month!

Wednesday saw me visit an old friend in Bridge of Don where I lived before our move to Aboyne. Kali enjoyed the reunion with doggy pals and the walk around the moor that she grew up in!

Thursday night I caught a train down to Edinburgh, staying overnight in a fleapit of a hotel. I went as light as possible, with my leathers and helmet. It was a muggy night and the window had to stay closed due to the noise of the silly season in the capitals streets. I was absolutely knackered but could I get a decent sleep? No! Maybe it was because I felt like a little boy on Christmas eve?

First thing in the morning I jumped into a taxi and got to the shop just as it opened. I was served a cuppa and we went through the necessary paperwork and then I was handed the keys and left to my own devices.

I drove down to the bypass, feeling the new bike out, over the Forth bridge and up the motorway to Perth, all with a relative ease as long as i stayed below a certain 'alleged' speed where the wind became too uncomfortable. After Perth it was all A roads and that's when i knew I had a beauty of a beast.

Stopping for refreshment at the cafe at the Glenshee cafe, where the ski resort is, it didn't take long before i was winding through the Deeside roads I knew well and arriving home with a huge grin on my face. The ease of the bikes effort and its ability to corner effortlessly saw me home in a manner I wasn't used to!

With the weeks events so far I had to spend a good deal of the next day in bed.

Having taught the children's class on the Saturday morning, I came home accompanied by my son for a weekend of drizzle which spoiled the plans for messing about in the garden. Had a nice meal down at the local pub, watched a movie on DVD and generally chilled out.

We walked around part of Loch Kinord on the Sunday, getting somewhat wet on the latter part. It' great to see Kali on new walks as she really does enjoy it and was often jumping into the Loch for a drink. Her fear of water has really gone now. In the evening I dropped Perry off in Aberdeen where Caz and I went to see the film Inception. Very good film.

I've been sleeping in the late mornings for the last few days, although it is doing me good. i still have the edema and they are looking hard at my kidney function which still hasn't returned to full working order. After today's snooze, I look forward to teaching tonight and the weekend brings the Highland Games to our village, when we will also be guests to visiting friends.