So yeah, we made it safely back to Great Britain and now are settled into something of a routine while we wait for Baby to arrive.
One of the biggest differences for me this time in the UK is my Sanity Enhancement Device. This has taken the form of an old Armstrong MT500 army motorcycle--I mentioned it here before when I bought it. Having a project of my own to fool around with and ride has been a huge improvement for me over previous times that we have been in the UK. Previously I've struggled to find a satisfactory outlet for my fix-it urge while on the Green and Pleasant Isle, but this time, this time I've got a genuinely interesting thing to work on. Here's how it looked when I got it:
And here's how it looks now:
Admittedly there's not a lot of visual difference--just new tires, a couple of reprints of vintage decals, and a current tax disc. It had been sitting for 10 years before I bought it, so I had to go through the carburetor. I've also replaced the timing belt, (yes, it has a belt rather than a chain), the belt tensioner and idler, the inner tubes, and a few other things. I've greatly enjoyed getting to know this bike and am happy to have finally gotten it all legal to ride. A friend of mine in Bognor Regis gave me a nice warm coat to wear, I've got a good helmet and nice warm motorcycle gloves, so I'm pretty much set for winter motorcycle riding. Yeah, I know, maybe not the best weather for riding in, but I'll take what I can get!
Baby #3 is not here yet, 2 weeks till the due date!
