Fund raising or intimidation?

I am now the proud owner of a white with a black stripe (needs a bit of customising), extra small (which is still I bit too big), open faced (so I can wear a bandanna), with detachable sun visor (in case I want to wear trendy shades instead), Nitro motorbike helmet!!

Now what in the world would I need that for I hear you ask.  Well, for those of you that don't already know, I am taking part in this event:

http://irishprematurebabies.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=99

I know, I know, I must be mad!!  But it was one of those things that happened on the spur of the moment (in a Pub, very late, after several drinks) and then I found that I couldn't (didn't really want to) back out of.

My brother has very kindly offered to lend me all the protective 'gear' that I need from a Motorcycle  training school he is involved with, but I was advised to buy my own helmet, for safety reasons.  And the advice I was given when I went to look for a helmet was, "If you have a cheap head, then buy a cheap helmet..."  So, obviously, my Nitro helmet was VERY expensive.

Of course, I don't have a motorbike or a motorbike licence, nor can I ride one, so I am going on this trip as a Pillion passenger.  I will be in the safe hands of a very experienced 'Rider' who has done many trips across the US on the Route 66 expedition.  But even tho' he is very experienced, I am not, and I do have to learn how to ride as a passenger, safely.  So I will be spending my day off on Saturday, going round the racing track, where I sometimes work with the Grid Girls, being instructed on how to move from side to side at the same time as the Rider, and how not to fall off!!  I am not going to think about it until I am actually on the bike.  And even then, I might have to think about something else.... but I'm not afraid.....or worried....or nervous....or scared.....or wondering can I get a flight to Outer Mongolia late on Friday night....I'll let you know how it goes!

I also had to do some fund raising to get the money together to go on this trip.  That was interesting, as I had never done anything like that before.  I started with a Pub Quiz, which after a lot of begging, cajoling, and threatening I got a good few tables together and we had a reasonably successful night.  I'm glad that I wasn't answering the questions, because some of them were really hard.  One of the questions was:  How far away is the Moon?  The best answer?  "Not that far, because I can see it...."

I'm not quite finished with the fund raising yet as we didn't reach our target, but I still have a few more ideas up my sleeve to raise the extra funds, like, looking down behind the sofa for the change that collects there, selling my first born, or telling my family I will come and stay with them unless they pay up, or singing for my supper, and last but not least, probably issuing more threats...  I'll try not to intimidate anybody, and I'll let you know how that goes too!!

And speaking of fund raising.....I'm off now to read a 'hot off the press' article about a €250M Tribunal, a Former Taoiseach, an Irish Politician (or several), Planning Permission, intimidation, and an unaccounted for €165.000 (that was just resting in his account)... you couldn't make it up....