4 weeks to go.

Well, here I am with about 4 weeks to go till the start of my trip, and things were going along nicely. Insurance for my bike is all fixed up and paid for (well, having said that, I see the money has not left my account yet) and all flights and hotels (Manchester and New York) are booked.

I have even booked a shuttle to get me between JFK and Newark, where I have chosen to stay at a hotel for the first night as then its only 3 miles to the docks to collect the Blackbird.

Anyhow - what happens Friday!!!! EuroManx go bust and cease trading - Oh No !!!

This is the air company that was taking me from the Isle of Man to Manchester on Sunday 8th June so that I can catch the flight to New York early on the 9th. Bad news!!!

Good News - Flybe will honour the ticket, Bad news.....they cannot get me across to Manchester till Monday the 9th due to it being the end of the TT and all flights are full. That means I have now got to change my flight to New York until Tuesday 10th June.

Oh No!!!!!!!!!!! That also means I have to change my hotel from the Sunday to the Monday night, my New York Hotel from the Monday to the Tuesday and my shuttle from the Monday to the Tuesday. Plenty of time spent on phone and computer on Friday morning I can tell you - heaps of frustation.

However, it all seems to be working out - it will cost me about £80.00 extra in order to swop my BA flight to the Tuesday, however the hotel in Manchester is £4.00 cheaper but against this, the hotel in New York is £6.00 dearer. The shuttle remains the same.

So the upshot is that that I am £82.00 worse off on the deal and have lost a day from my trip, suppose it could have been a lot worse eh!

Anyhow, Thursday coming, I am off the Northern Ireland for the Northwest 200 road races, returning to the Isle of Man on the Sunday before taking the bike to Southampton for its sea crossing to New York on the Monday.

Nearly there - what else can go wrong - watch this space.

Jed has his bag packed and can't wait, neither can I.