Tuesday 18 January 2011

ICE CREAM WARS - WHAT?

This morning there was an item on our local news relating to several incidents which appear to be linked including two ice cream vans that had been vandalised. That got me thinking and I googled "ice cream van wars" and was amazed at the violence surrounding this charming and seemingly innocuous occupation. What is it about ice cream that brings out the devil in the vendors?

As you probably know, on 27th March I am going on an amazing trip overland from London to New York. I have a blog dedicated to this. The best way to access it is to click on the logo on the right side bar. This takes you to Travelpod, a blog site dedicated to travel logs. The reason I write on this site is that it has a pin map which will show where exactly I am in the world.

You may also know that I'm touting for sponsorship which will go direct to Marie Curie. Why Marie Curie? Well, when Davy was so ill in the last two weeks of his life these beautiful people came to the house to help nurse him. They were highly skilled, kind, supportive and reassuring. And do you know what the best thing was? They weren't hampered by PC b......t. If Davy needed lifting, they pitched in and lifted him. I can't tell you what a relief it was to me to know that he was in good and caring hands. Without them I couldn't have respected his wishes of staying at home.

The way to donate is get your credit card, click on the "Just Giving" link on the side bar and it will take you through the process. I am hoping to raise £1000 so please dig deep, it's a very good cause.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Your trip is coming up soon. You must be getting excited!

DogLover said...

Until you go on 27th March, do you want us to post comments here or on WHAT AM I THINKING OF?

It's getting exciting, isn't it!

Are you taking any bets about whether you'll raise the £1,000 you want for Marie Curie?

Mare Freeborn said...

Hey R&C! I am soo jealous & wish that I could go along on the trip with you! It's getting closer & I am so excited for you. I will be following your travel blog daily so that I can sorta take the trip with you & I can't wait. Also - in the next few weeks I'm gonna be making my donation - Can I do it in US dollars, or do I have to convert to pounds or something? I figure if I use my bank card it shouldn't matter, but I don't wanna screw up (beleive me - it happens all the time). Anyway, good luck & i'm glad to hear you're getting your luggage situation straightened out. Can't wait for your trip! ;-)

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Eva, when I was young I used to get a nose bleed when I got over excited. I can feel one coming on.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Now, DogLover, you know that I'm not a betting man. Comment wherever, I'll catch up with you eventually.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Hi Mare, this is what Just Giving says on their website.

"Anyone in the world can donate on JustGiving - the only requirement is a credit, debit card or a Paypal account.

Donations are made in pounds sterling (£ GBP), so it might be useful to use a currency convertor before donating. There are absolutely loads to choose from on the internet, but one that we often use is XE – http://www.XE.com/ucc

Once you know how much you would like to donate in GBP, you just enter this into the box under Enter an amount (for example, to donate £10, enter 10.00) and follow the donation process as normal.

When the donation appears on your bank statement, it will show the equivalent in your own currency. It's also worth remembering that your bank/credit card company may charge extra fees for international transactions, so you may wish to contact them before donating to find out."

Thanks for your interest in my adventure Mare and....I'm not sure if I made the right decision regarding the luggage. I think this one is going to be like the run up to Christmas, not over 'til it's over!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

PD DogLover, I am now 38% towards my target of £1000 with still 2 months to go before the trip starts, so maybe I should go for £1,000,000. What do you think?

DogLover said...

38% at the moment? I had to check and you're right!

By the way, because I'm so stupid, I found it impossible to reach Just Giving via your blogs. If anyone else has the same trouble, the answer is to google JUST GIVING CORDNER. Works wonders.

R & C, if you're going for £1,000,000, need it all go to Marie Curie - couldn't you and I syphon off a small bit - like £100,000?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

I don't know why you have a problem donating to Just Giving from my blog DogLover. I have made donations on behalf of people and it works fine for me.

Regarding your scam suggestion, now I know why you are the richest man in Surrey.

RNSANE said...

Your Marie Curie organization sounds incredible. It is wonderful that such places exist to help those with terminal illnesses which certainly helps families cope at the most difficult times of their lives. I know it made the end easier for Davy and, certainly, for you.