Baby it's cold outside!

Today I had an amazing experience.  

Yes, I did 164 miles on the back of a Harley never having been on a bike before, but that wasn't it. No today I met an amazing little lady, Baby S, who is a resident I'd the Neo Natal intensive care unit in our lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda. She was born a week ago, at just 28 weeks and was completely oblivious to me staring in to the incubator at her.  She was oblivious too to the wind and rain and cold that we had ridden through to get to see her.  I, along with one other lucky girl were invited in to the unit to see just what the money we raised had paid for.  

When I decided to do this trip it was all about me.  A new experience for me. Something I had never done before. Yes I had to raise the money and yes, I knew it was for charity, but I didn't really give it much thought.  

Today, apart from Baby S I met another amazing lady Mary Tonbin, the sister in charge of the prem unit.  And unlike me, her every thought is about the babies.  She gave us a tour of her domain and answered every question before I had a chance to ask it.  Actually I probably wouldn't have been able to speak coherently as the whole thing made me very emotional. She explained how no baby goes home until they reach 2kilos.  2kgs! Thats still tiny! And how the machines help them to breath.  Myself and Emma were privileged indeed, as normally only parents and grand parents are allowed in. Mary made us feel very welcome and I would be very happy to put my most precious possession in her very capable and caring hands.  I was miserable and cold when I got there, after my baptism of fire wind rain and 40 foot trucks the m50, but I came out with a very warm heart. I thought of little (tiny in fact) Baby S and the way that I am sure she arched her eyebrow when Mary said her name, and was very happy to get back on the back of the bike.

So, As well as learning how the machines in a neo natal unit work to help the babies breath, I also learned that:

Bikers get respect, especially when they ride in formation of groups of ten. (I was riding with the road captain, so I get loads of respect!!)

I Also learned that it's not wind burn on my face and I've actually been sandblasted by the sh*t that's coming up of the road. (What SPF do I need for that?)

That you need to chose your earrings very carefully as apparently they need to go with your helmet!! And myself and the other biker lady on this trip got a demonstration of how to keep your earrings on from a big hairy biker!! (I lost both my earrings by the time we reached drogheda.)

That leather trousers are very uncomfortable...

I learned about the 'bring and fling' policy....no really...you don't want me to explain that one. (it relates to underwear)

That's it's hard to scratch your nose when your gloves are too big to fit in 
under your visor!

I'm riding 'bitch" and apparently that's a term of endearment. (but my jury is still out on that one).

And also, being on the road from 7.30 in the morning makes you very t.i.r.e...zzzz