Modern Vespa

Remind me all didn't we have a date of the 17th of Jan for a meal and a chat somewhere in London that Dessa was sorting out ?
Or did I dream that ?
Billy-no-scoot

You guys must be enjoying the Christmas holidays. I've been at school all day sorting my office and grading test only to return home and find your thread back on page 2. This is one of my favorite threads so I have to get you guys back to page 1.

Well someones got to maintain it havn't they ? I'm not enjoying the holidays yet because I'm not on holiday yet. I'm working right up to Christmas Eve for my sins. If I'm honest the sooner we get Christmas over with the better because come late Jan I'm flying out to Florida to see my Sister who lives in Sarasota. I only see her once every 4 years so I'm counting the days. To cap it we are driving up to Daytona to watch the 24 hour race together.
Christmas you can poke it.
Much love and Christmas tidings.

Billy-no-scoot

I can understand why you want Christmas to get by in a hurry. Seeing your sister and going to Daytona will be a great trip! I lived in Cocoa Beach years ago and would go up to Daytona Beach to meet my sister's family on vacation. Great times there with the nephews out on the beach!

The 24 hour race looks to be a lot of fun. It's a great lead-in to the next few weeks of racing finishing up with the Daytona 500. It's one of the few races I enjoy watching on TV.

I hope January gets here in a rush for you...as for me, I'm going to enjoy my Christmas vacation and not wish it away to soon!

just finished the first of the christmas season family mega-meals. here's a rundown of the carnage....

home-smoked salmon, capers and chopped red onion
cheese platter
champers

roast loin of pork, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted glazed carrots and onions, asparagus, corn
many bottles of wine

cake and ice cream (it was my niece's birthday).
coffee and liqueurs

it goes on like this until the end of the first week of january ... thank goodness i'm leaving on the 28th or i'd have to buy another seat for my arse

I had a pleasurable commute today for the first time in ages... London is rather dead at the moment! Very little traffic by city standards.

My dealer claims to know nothing about a red GTS 300. If I can find a dealer that will locate and acknowledge red is coming to the UK then they have a sale. I have been emailing and contacting every dealer I can find saying I want to buy as soon as, they deny any info about a red GTS 300 and try and flog me their other old stock.

Tsk, if you went to a dealer and said, hey, I'll buy something if you get it in for me and there's a deposit to show that I mean it, wouldn't you expect that dealer actually take the money and get going?

Parking was a real pleasure today, even though I was an hour late as I swung by my friendly mechanic in Penge to get a new speedo cable fitted.

Genie, I don't know if I'm more envious of your weather or your food!

Two more days of work (and no work to do) then down to my mum's on the GP800. How I'll get it on and off the slopey gravel driveway at her new gaff is something I'm trying not to think too hard about until it happens.

Oh, and yes, the 17th was set for boozery somewhere. Dessaaaaaaa!

bugger im working christmas day .. agggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

what kind of horrible tyrant of a boss would make you work on christmas day?

oh, wait, you're a civil servant .... never mind ...

glad you son is back safe and sound, jim.

i'm from an army family so know what you mean - my nephew is currently with the UN (he'a an officer in the indian army) in the congo.

i'm winding down at work and staring at a bottle of laphroaig on my desk, bought as a present by a lovely clinical psychologist in my team. definitely the best therapy for me.

can't stop eating duchy's chocolate biscuits...

Jim, glad the progeny is back safe and sound.

Kam .... mm Laphroaig, my favourite whisky. Must buy a bottle of that for Crimble, my clients are not as generous...

it snowed sideways this morning, we couldn't even see the houses across the road during the worst of it .... and now it's sunny outside. mum let me drive the snowblower .... woooo!!! manual transmission, 6 speeds, plus an auger!! i wonder if spider can install one of those on the Interloper .....

No patches on that parka??

Totally OT - Alice, have you snaffled the 'bargain' service kit for the GP800?

Oops, meant to reply to your email! I didn't in the end as it'll be getting on for two years before I need it and I might have forgotten where I put everything by then - plus whoever services the bike might not be keen on my turning up with my own supplies. Many thanks for the heads up though.

are there any Donkey Skok members in Belgium?


If not...I'm interested

If you meet up and ride with us when we come over in April you'll then be a de-facto member!

Oh Yes I agree with Jim that if you want to join the Donkie Skok all you have to do is ask but there has to be an introduction.
Are we agreed on that ? Doesn't sound too formal does it ?
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

Roll on the 4th/5th

Genie I know that you are wearing boots but it does look like your are wearing shoes and your ankles are bare.
Or is it just me ?
Billy-no-scoot

Well, this is England. You can't scoot together without the proper formalities, don't you know?

no, they are boots - not these exact ones but very much like them, from L L Bean:

i love snow. england would be perfect if we got more snow

It would if the temperature stayed below freezing for a bit (happens every seven years or so). It's the rapid freeze/thaw/freeze cycles that make this place miserable on the roads, railways and pavements.

On a completely unrelated note, a fellow Grumpy Old Git pointed me at this:

Channel 6 News: "Search on for Jim Crowther: Naughtiest Person in the World"
http://www.channel6tvnews.com/story/agc2dHZuZXdzcgwLEgRjYXJkGMz0BQw

I thought Genie looked like she had shoes on aswell....lol

I reckon members should be introduced via an introduction at a meet... does that actually make any sense ? did to me .

MERRY CHRISTMAS 8)

.....oh and still on page 1 (just, it was close! )

A fine rescue Ross.

I've now got to work out how to get younger 'orrible hosed down and presentable for the rest of today - after a bit of kip, natch.

And a Happy Christmas to you Maver and all our readers.
I'd just like to say how much I've enjoyed meeting and conversing with all of the members of the Modern Vespa Forum and meeting the founder members of the Donkie Skok Scooter Club.
It is and will remain a pleasure to know you all.
Ride safe all.
Billy-no-scoot

If anyone is around this Saturday the 28th or next Tuesday or Wednesday would anyone want to meet up in Brighton around midday ? Just for an excuse for a ride out ?
You know where I am.
Billy-no-scoot

Have a great ride whoever goes (emerency bump of of course).

Yep i'm about Bill (got back today... olds can get old very quickly ) I'll be tootling about town on Saturday 27th if your about? PM me and i'll check in the morning, same goes for Tuesday. Anyone else??

Jesus the roads are lethal around my way and getting really greasy and they thaw out so I'm going to look to tuesday for a ride out .
Much as I want to ride the green hornet the last two times I've taken it out I've spent as much time cleaning it as riding it.
Tuesday I feel would be a better choice.
Thanks for the reply Christos.
Billy-no-scoot

I was freezing my nutts of today!!!


There goes my manhood

But it was worth it (again)


The BELGIAN Green Hornet driver

thank god.

back in my own house after 4 nights with lovely relatives.

happy days

Had a lovely day at Twickers watching the Rugby. Brilliant game. Great company (elder son and partner) plus some decent local beer. They gave me a lift there and I got them a parking spot in a mate's driveway 300 yards from the ground, can't do better than that!

It was cold, but I wore my riding gear so was reasonably toasty.

I'm about Bill - Can possibly make Tuesday, weather depending, I was going to go out today for the first time in 3 weeks but it was so cold I decided to give the nexus a good clean and polish instead.

cleaned and polished a bit more,,,,,bloody weather.

my last day in newfoundland ... was going to go out for a ride on my brother-in-law's harley yesterday but although the roads were dry, the wind chill was about -20C so i declined.

Went out for a lovely ride today with some friends. A few bits of A road but mostly unclassified. There was still frost on strips of the road over the Surrey hills, but plenty of space to ride without touching them. The sun was out all the time, clear blue skies, glorious.

Lunch at the Inn On The Green, Ockley (very good!), then a blast back home.