Take Two

Anyone want to buy a beautiful white cro moly touring bike? I tried everything I could think of to make the white horse work except personal surgery, to me that is to add about 7cm to my frame, which is what it would have taken to make the bike fit me. So now I am the proud owner of a silver fox that is so new it squeaks.

But it could be worse. That lovely man John Ross fell off his bike and broke his collarbone so he's not coming at all. I almost fell off the silver fox in Sunday's rain as it slid and slipped into the city with me on top. I have now replaced the slicks with tyres more befitting a rider such as myself.

Only a few more sleeps to go and so much to do. Pack, for one thing. I imagine I've left it too late to drop 10kg before I take off, but if I concentrate on not eating and riding 23 hours out of every 24 I might make it.

P.S. added July 2: Or alternatively the wait for the Russian consulate to return my passport - I was past caring if it had a visa or not - could well have seen me lose massive amounts if it had gone on any longer. Seven days, the website states, but when you add the day it arrives and the day after the seven days is up between when they finish the visa and wait to post it and the fact they don't collect or send mail on Fridays, it is more likely to take triple the amount of days - that was my experience anyway. So be warned, should you wish to go to Russia, allow time. The feeling of panic was akin to that when you're dumped by someone you love, or at least think you love. Every conscious moment is filled with thoughts of 'what if'; appetite falls away to nothing; you want to ring friends and have them console you but know they will only say, 'I told you so'. So in the end I resorted to wine. At least I got to sleep. The handy Australia Post registered letter tracking service became my new best friend as I typed and re-typed the number hoping each time that the result would be different. And at 6am this morning, the result was different, hence proving wrong those amateur philosophers who claim that repetition with the expectation of a different result is the province of the mad.

Seems like I'm leaving just when things are getting interesting, like having our very first woman prime minister who's not afraid to take on Mr Rabbit. I would, however, be more inclined to be excited if I thought there was a chance of Australia adopting humane policy to deal with asylum seekers, a practical approach to reducing carbon emissions, spending up on building alternate technologies, installing water tanks everywhere there is a roof, re-instating our suspended anti-discrimination legislation, suspended to allow for the Northern Territory Emergency Response, and adopting a human rights charter. That should be enough on the list until I get home.

So farewell Australia. See you at the Grand Final.