Nearly there!

Our holiday is nearly here. I’m not happy at having to pack tonight. I’m much more effective at packing the night before. I have to host a business meeting tomorrow night, so packing’s not an option!

The good news, I have stepped up the prerequisite requirements. Added to my nail polish and ibuprofen, are lots of other things, like pants. Added in, thermal socks, t-shirts and Fit-Flops. Trainers, in case I get the urge to use two feet instead of two wheels; ok, settle down Fi.

I’ve filled two panniers half way. I’m missing something, however, I’ve been through Ed’s xl checklist (he has a spreadsheet, just as well really) which includes:

Duct tape ( of course)
Spare keys for Smoggy (in Ed’s top box)
Cable ties (you never know. Ed’s had bother with his Mudsling)
Elastic bands – eh? Surely you can buy knicker elastic in Italy?!
PTFE tape – what for?
WD40; just in case duct tape’s useless
Hammer, for everything else.

Ok, half of it we can leave at home; Ed’s NOT taking the Harley!

Ok, so what do we ACTUALLY need?

Passports
Credit card / euros
Licence
Spare pants
Smoggy.

That’s it. If my panniers fall off, I can handle it. Sort of.

Licence – of course, both parts.
V5 – yes
Insurance – yes
MOT – yep.
Hi-viz waistcoat- yup.
Collapsible warning triangle… Oh….. Trots off. Found it.

Oil level – sorted
Tyres – rear tyre pressure increased
Other fluids – yep, they’re there
Chain, fine
Brake pads, should hope they’re still ok! Ok, ‘hope’ is not a good strategy…. Trot on Fi….

The most disconcerting part is the space in my panniers. I’m away for a month and I’ve taken up the same amount of space as a two week holiday. There’s something not right. No doubt it’ll occur to me when I’m half way to Edinburgh on Wednesday afternoon. By then, it’s too late.

I’ll have to work on the balance though. Panniers have to be appropriately weighted. At the moment, my nearside pannier requires a couple of bricks…. Or a pair of Ed’s shoes. That’ll do it.

So, two more sleeps. The hardest decision is, which travelling companion? Might have to be Roxy, the lion. He’s not been on a trip yet!

Oh, forgot. We discovered why my heated jacket wasn’t working. No fuse. Not a blown fuse; NO fuse. Put it this way, I didn’t remove it. I wouldn’t know where to start. I do now though. The only other two that know….Ed and Andy. It’s not my fault, however, there was potential the I could have looked like a fecking eejit, turning up at BMW whining. Fanny.

Oh, and Ed’s been busy with the satnav. One of our destinations? Bologna. I wonder why?!