Some days are good days to stay under the doona.
Today is one of those days. A 2.30am wake-up. I still can't breathe properly – hard to fill my lungs. It's been like this, on and off, for 3 weeks, and chronic for the last 4 days. Then there was the nice little puddle of cat vomit on the floor this morning. Nearly went arse over in it. Thanks Oscar...
The loneliness of the long-distance lover is awful.
Miscommunication is too easy and resolution is too hard. Silences turn into voids. No such thing as make-up sex, just a festering sadness that won't go away.
The house appears to have shrunk.
How else to explain the fact that the giant dead fridge won't fit through any doorways? I may have to turn it into a fourth bedroom and rent it out.
My new trousers appear to have grown.
They're falling down my hips. If they get any bigger they are going to fall off and embarrass me terribly.
This Xanax isn't working.
Monday, 26 October 2009
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Pilgrimage 09 - Phillip Island MotoGP Part 5
Day 5 – Homeward Bound, and the Luck of the Irish
My ancestry is fairly mongrellated – a Heinz 57 Variety of English, Scottish, Irish, French and German, but on the Phillip Island weekend I think I had the luck of the Irish. Or perhaps Irish luck.
Let me explain. It was Irish when my gear shifter fell off at Wangaratta. It was the luck of the Irish that it fell off as I was leaving the servo, not on the open road – and that Leon was behind me, instead of me being on my own.
When I got to the Phillip Island House, it was Irish to drop the bike in the driveway, but the luck of the Irish that I didn't snap too much off my clutch lever this time, and that I only bent the recalcitrant gear shifter, for a change, instead of breaking it. The bike was rideable.
So anyway – Monday dawned cloudy and a bit drizzly at the Island, and the lovely Smack got up early to get the bike out of the driveway for me, so as to avoid the possibility of more mishaps. Bless you Smack!
Getting off the Island at 7am was easy – hardly any traffic! I'd studied the map carefully and written directions for myself. All was well. Once I found my way to Healesville I would simply go the way I went a couple of weeks ago – too easy!
And then there was the Irish thing again. Or maybe it was the luck of the Irish...
Remember when the lovely people from Alexandra Motorcycles patched my bike a couple of weeks ago? Well, a few kms from Alexandra I thought it'd be nice to drop by and say hello as I passed through town.
About 500 metres from the shop – clunk – that bloody gear shifter fell off again as I changed down a gear. That it happened at all was Irish. That it happened where it did was the luck of the Irish.
And don't ask me how it happened – I think the lack of a gear shifter got me all confused and bamboozled by the time I nursed the bike the rest of the way to the shop, trying not to let it stall. As I pulled up out the front – Irish – the bike spat me off.
The luck of the Irish – the car behind me didn't run me over – and I didn't tear any ligaments as I leapt (not quite with the grace of a gazelle) off the falling bike, AND – Chris, the mechanic, was out the front. He dashed over and picked up my bike – (violin music please) – what a joyful reunion!
So I had an extended catch-up with my new friends in Alex (thanks heaps guys – love your fab custom work, Chris!) and left the shop sporting a new set of cats-eye blinkers and a reattached gear shifter. Time was getting away from me, and I only stopped for fuel. I really wanted to take the nice roads home, but by the time I reached the Tallangatta turn-off I realised it was going to have to be a Hume Highway ride... and it was such gorgeous riding weather, too. Boo hiss.
I pulled into my driveway at 6.13pm, stiff and sore and tired. Pilgrimage 09 is now officially done and dusted. Phew!
Pilgrimage 09 - Phillip Island MotoGP Part 4
Day 4 – the Big Race
I actually beat Clem et al to the track on Sunday – amazing! My transformation to racing fan is now complete, ha ha!
I fall off my bike a lot – this is a well known fact – so it does my heart good to know I'm not the only one – but seeing racers flying through the air or sliding in the gravel still unsettles me.
There were some fairly scary offs at the track on Sunday morning. Chris Knox cartwheeled along the Gardiner Strait and lay motionless on the track for a moment as other riders whizzed past him, which scared the hell out of me. I nearly cried with relief when he actually moved. When the riders come off at off at such high speeds it always amazes me when they actually move again. Even more so when they get back on their bikes and finish the race! Chris was in no condition to get back on, on this occasion, and was ferried away in the medical car. I bet he's pretty sore right now.
Race Day brings a lot of day-trippers to the Circuit, so the crowds were enormous and the atmosphere was festive. I wandered around, met up with my friend Tempo, checked out Gaye's Earmold stand and the Judd Greedy memorial display, then headed back to the stand to settle down to a serious day's entertainment and race-watching.
(Casey's bikes, with new white livery, during Sunday morning's motoGP practice session)
(Casey Stoner in the drive past)
(Alex de Angelis - I love how his beanie matches his helmet - nice touch, Alex!)
Casey Stoner, you little beauty! The battle between Casey and Valentino was monumental, with the gap as low as .3 of a second at times. Our eyes were glued to the pit-boards each lap – what a nail-biter!
Lorenzo's Luck was all bad, unfortunately, and Nicky Hayden had a gutsy ride, giving it everything he had, despite running off the track when Lorenzo binned his ride at Turn 1 in the first lap.
(The crowd starts to spill over the track to the podium, awaiting the conquering heroes...)
(...and still they spill...)
(...to see this - (1) Stoner, (2) Rossi, (3) Pedrosa...)
My Queensland ride buddies departed straight after the podium presentation – see you for Superbikes, folks - and I found my Housemates for the trip back to the House.
The exodus after the race is pretty spectacular – imagine about twenty thousand motorcycles all trying to get off the Island at once (the other half will leave in the morning). The roar of the engines is a low thundery growl that continues for hours after the race. The police and SES do a terrific job of moving so many people with as little chaos as possible.
(The exodus begins)
The final night at the House was very low key and relaxing – a BBQ, a few quiet drinks, some TV and an earlyish night. Johno was leaving for Adelaide at around 2am and my aim was to head off at 7am, to try and find my way back to Canberra by myself.
Pilgrimage 09 doesn't end till I reach my front door, and there are sure to be more adventures between leaving PI and reaching Canberra (hold that thought – there's one more instalment to come!)
I actually beat Clem et al to the track on Sunday – amazing! My transformation to racing fan is now complete, ha ha!
I fall off my bike a lot – this is a well known fact – so it does my heart good to know I'm not the only one – but seeing racers flying through the air or sliding in the gravel still unsettles me.
There were some fairly scary offs at the track on Sunday morning. Chris Knox cartwheeled along the Gardiner Strait and lay motionless on the track for a moment as other riders whizzed past him, which scared the hell out of me. I nearly cried with relief when he actually moved. When the riders come off at off at such high speeds it always amazes me when they actually move again. Even more so when they get back on their bikes and finish the race! Chris was in no condition to get back on, on this occasion, and was ferried away in the medical car. I bet he's pretty sore right now.
Race Day brings a lot of day-trippers to the Circuit, so the crowds were enormous and the atmosphere was festive. I wandered around, met up with my friend Tempo, checked out Gaye's Earmold stand and the Judd Greedy memorial display, then headed back to the stand to settle down to a serious day's entertainment and race-watching.
(Casey's bikes, with new white livery, during Sunday morning's motoGP practice session)
(Casey Stoner in the drive past)
(Alex de Angelis - I love how his beanie matches his helmet - nice touch, Alex!)Lorenzo's Luck was all bad, unfortunately, and Nicky Hayden had a gutsy ride, giving it everything he had, despite running off the track when Lorenzo binned his ride at Turn 1 in the first lap.
(The crowd starts to spill over the track to the podium, awaiting the conquering heroes...)
(...and still they spill...)
(...to see this - (1) Stoner, (2) Rossi, (3) Pedrosa...)My Queensland ride buddies departed straight after the podium presentation – see you for Superbikes, folks - and I found my Housemates for the trip back to the House.
The exodus after the race is pretty spectacular – imagine about twenty thousand motorcycles all trying to get off the Island at once (the other half will leave in the morning). The roar of the engines is a low thundery growl that continues for hours after the race. The police and SES do a terrific job of moving so many people with as little chaos as possible.
(The exodus begins)The final night at the House was very low key and relaxing – a BBQ, a few quiet drinks, some TV and an earlyish night. Johno was leaving for Adelaide at around 2am and my aim was to head off at 7am, to try and find my way back to Canberra by myself.
Pilgrimage 09 doesn't end till I reach my front door, and there are sure to be more adventures between leaving PI and reaching Canberra (hold that thought – there's one more instalment to come!)
Pilgrimage 09 - Phillip Island MotoGP Part 3
Day 3 – A Day at the Races, a Night at the House
Phillip Island at motoGP time means different things to different people. For me, going to Phillip Island means many things – I love the long ride to get there, and the physical and mental challenges it involves; it's a social event where I catch up with many bike friends – and most of all, it's about the racing.
People create traditions at PI. The crazy people at the House do a Beer Lap of the circuit on the Saturday. That means a beer at each beer tent around the track (they take all day to do it).
I (occasionally) know my limits – so I left them to it and went to find the Queenslanders and watch some racing. Hmmm. I was still a tad seedy after the excesses of Friday night.
This year we had seats in the Gardiner Strait stand, with a view of the Start/Finish line and the pits. The noise! The colour! The atmosphere!
gNat took me for a walk to the Support Paddock to view the 'man-candy' (her words, not mine!) That girl is wicked! She was quite correct when she said there was lots to see, heh heh.
(gNat: 'You want to come and see some serious man-candy, Sue?'
Sue: Oh, if I must...)
I rejoined the (somewhat tipsy) House people for the trip back to the House and BBQ night. We were joined by Ausmoto folk Slej & Leah, Nev & Jo, and my mate Katt (of Terrible Trio fame).
(Katt & Sue meet up again)
('Hey Smack, your fly is undone!' Slej & Johno helping out a mate)
Johno was in his element, wearing his special hugging shirt (oh my eyes!) and hugging as many people as he could get his hands on, including Smack. What a night!
Phillip Island at motoGP time means different things to different people. For me, going to Phillip Island means many things – I love the long ride to get there, and the physical and mental challenges it involves; it's a social event where I catch up with many bike friends – and most of all, it's about the racing.
People create traditions at PI. The crazy people at the House do a Beer Lap of the circuit on the Saturday. That means a beer at each beer tent around the track (they take all day to do it).
I (occasionally) know my limits – so I left them to it and went to find the Queenslanders and watch some racing. Hmmm. I was still a tad seedy after the excesses of Friday night.
This year we had seats in the Gardiner Strait stand, with a view of the Start/Finish line and the pits. The noise! The colour! The atmosphere!
gNat took me for a walk to the Support Paddock to view the 'man-candy' (her words, not mine!) That girl is wicked! She was quite correct when she said there was lots to see, heh heh.
(gNat: 'You want to come and see some serious man-candy, Sue?'Sue: Oh, if I must...)
(Katt & Sue meet up again)
('Hey Smack, your fly is undone!' Slej & Johno helping out a mate)Johno was in his element, wearing his special hugging shirt (oh my eyes!) and hugging as many people as he could get his hands on, including Smack. What a night!
(Johno hugs Jo)
(Johno hugs Leah)
(Johno hugs Smack)
(Johno hugs Smack)Pilgrimage 09 - Phillip Island MotoGP Part 2
Day Two – In Which the Disasters (and the rain) Continue
There was a certain reluctance to leave the warmth of Leo & Di's place on Friday morning, but leave we did, all rugged up against more rotten weather.
It's only a hundred and something kilometres from Warburton to the Island, on some lovely roads – which weren't quite so lovely in the piddling rain, but never mind. We wrung every drop of value out of it, with the XJ misbehaving worse than ever. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and eventually, in desperation, we pulled into a car park at Pakenham and Clem changed the spark plugs. Ooh, that worked. Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!
Onwards and upwards, we made the Island by around mid-Friday and went our separate ways - Clem & gNat to Rockit's place, and me to Smack's. After the horrors of Thursday's ride I thought the worst was over, and promptly dropped the bike in the driveway of the house. Oops goes my new clutch lever, and oh dear, the gear shifter that had fallen off at Wang acquired a bit of a bend. As for me? Unscathed, apart from a whopping great lump on my shin and a shitload of damage to my pride.
The party people at the house were ready to rock and roll, and a night in Cowes just about did me in. I was fine till we tried leaving the pub. It was serious wall-to-wall people stuff. Actually, I can't write about it, because just thinking about it makes me breathe funny.
Fast forward to the house a little later, where more party people arrived. So many strangers in one day, and I couldn't switch off the anxiety, so I tried to drown it with red wine. I sort of succeeded, but I wasn't in good shape for Saturday's 'Beer Lap' of the Phillip Island circuit.
There was a certain reluctance to leave the warmth of Leo & Di's place on Friday morning, but leave we did, all rugged up against more rotten weather.
It's only a hundred and something kilometres from Warburton to the Island, on some lovely roads – which weren't quite so lovely in the piddling rain, but never mind. We wrung every drop of value out of it, with the XJ misbehaving worse than ever. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and eventually, in desperation, we pulled into a car park at Pakenham and Clem changed the spark plugs. Ooh, that worked. Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!
Onwards and upwards, we made the Island by around mid-Friday and went our separate ways - Clem & gNat to Rockit's place, and me to Smack's. After the horrors of Thursday's ride I thought the worst was over, and promptly dropped the bike in the driveway of the house. Oops goes my new clutch lever, and oh dear, the gear shifter that had fallen off at Wang acquired a bit of a bend. As for me? Unscathed, apart from a whopping great lump on my shin and a shitload of damage to my pride.
The party people at the house were ready to rock and roll, and a night in Cowes just about did me in. I was fine till we tried leaving the pub. It was serious wall-to-wall people stuff. Actually, I can't write about it, because just thinking about it makes me breathe funny.
Fast forward to the house a little later, where more party people arrived. So many strangers in one day, and I couldn't switch off the anxiety, so I tried to drown it with red wine. I sort of succeeded, but I wasn't in good shape for Saturday's 'Beer Lap' of the Phillip Island circuit.
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