DISASTER STRIKES

A disaster, my back problems have really flared up this week and I've not been able to get a very comfortable nights sleep let alone jump on a bike. I'm off the chiropractor next week to hopefully get it sorted and with a bit of luck will be able to resume hostilities with the bike over the Christmas period.

The website went public on Shedweb this week and I'm already seeing some donations coming in as well as the current bid for the signed shirt that I'm auctioning off standing at £150.00. I'm extremely grateful to all those who have donated and made bids so far - you really don't know how much it means.

It looks very likely that there will also be a great fund raising gig taking place in June next year. It will be a joint venture with my old mucker Dizzie with the proceeds being split between Scoo-B-Doo and Cancer Research. Full details will appear as they are confirmed but it should be a cracker. In the meantime get yourself over to Dizzie's 'Justgiving page' and help her out on her mad trip around the Great Wall Of China. The link is http://www.justgiving.com/racheldavis For those of you who don't know Dizzie she is a very generous, sometimes fiesty, person who donates al lot of her time to Cancer Research despite not being 100% well at the moment.

Back at home the boys are getting very excited about Father Christmas' imminent arrival. We took them down to Clearwell Caves on Sunday where they had a great time meeting the fat bloke in red himself. I've also managed to convince Charlie that Max, our mental Springer Spaniel, is actually a 'secret' reindeer and that come Christmas eve he will grow Antlers and be off to pull Santa's sleigh. I'm also trying to convince him that he should leave a glass of scotch and a mince pie out for Santa on Xmas eve but Ali seems to think a glass of squash is more appropriate - not if I'm drinking it its not!

Harvey On The Move

I have to start this blog by thanking my sister Jan for her very generous contribution to the cause. She has donated £150 with the promise from my brother-in-law Ben that he will match that amount if I can manage the trip in under 10 hours (they reckon an experienced cyclist should do it in 6½-7 hours so I'm being optimistic). A most generous gesture from the pair of them so a very big thank you indeed. Jan must have been on the Pinot Grigorio when she made that donation!!

Training has been very so-so this past week. Not a great deal to say about it to be honest with you. Still pedalling into work and building up for the big training push in the new year. I'd still love to hear from those of you with any tips or good locations for practising my hill climbing.

Bad news this week from home is that Harvey has realised what his legs are there for and is now hurtling around the front room like his dad after multiple pints of Guinness. He took a few tentative steps last Wednesday and since then he seems to have learnt very quickly indeed. Yesterday I was cooking Sunday lunch when I turned around to see him removing most of our crockery from the kitchen cupboards. Usually I would have heard him patting the floor as he crawled in but he obviously has a bit of ninja in him as he stealthily made it into the kitchen before causing widespread destruction.

The Latest

Training had been going well until the back end of last week when I managed to screw up my back once again and had to give it a rest for a couple of days. However a large dose of Guiness at the Memorial Stadium for Bris vs Glaws soon sorted that out and I was right as rain come Saturday morning.

I aim to start adding more distance and some longer hills to the schedule in the new year and if anyone out there has any tips or would like to join me on a ride then please get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.

Fundraising has been slow thus far but only because I haven't told many people about the site as of yet. A link is due to appear on Shedweb shortly and I'm hoping that many of my good friends on there will be kind enough to donate.

I have also been contacted by Jon Finch who is running Scoo-B-Doo's website and he has very kindly added a link on their site for me. Thanks for the kind words in your emails Jon, I hope to raise a much money as possible for the cause. You can visit the website at http://www.scoo-b-doo.co.uk

Back at home I took Charlie and Harvey to Santa's grotto for the first time yesterday and we had a whale of a time. Charlie was completely spellbound by the whole thing and really loved sitting in Santa's sleigh and petting the real reindeer. Only problem now is that he wants to go again as he forget to tell Santa about all the presents he wanted.

Special mention also to the missus' football team Longlevens Greyhounds. They had an 8-0 win over Downend Flyers yesterday and I'm reliably informed that Charlies godmother Lottie manged to score yet another 'spooner' goal. Apparently it went in off her arse or something.

Going public soon!!

Well the sites been up for three days now and I'm yet to unleash it on the world but, despite only two people donating so far, I have already received £75.00. My good friend Dizzie has added to Michael O'Neills generous £25.00 and donated £50.00 herself. Dizzie you are a star and for that I am extremely grateful.

With a bit of luck the site should become public knowledge over the weekend and I hope that many of my friends, having seen the picture of me squeezed into my cycling shorts, will be terrified enough to make donations.

Elsewhere, the mighty Glaws take on the Pests from High Wycombe this Saturday and sod's law decrees that I won't be able to make this one. However I am confident that Msr Califano will muller his oppo at scrum time and provide the platform for the girls in the backs to score enough points to take the win. I've got me tickets for Bris on the following Friday though so that kind of makes up for missing this one.

My First Blog

Well the website is now up and running. Many many thanks to Steve Drinkwater at Fluid Fusion for that - you're a good bloke.

Also received my first donation of £25 this morning from Michael O'Neill who is one of Steve's customers. Michael I've never met you but thanks, you are a true gent.

Hope to see many more donations coming through and I'll keep you posted on the running total as it happens.