Wonky Journal

Journals are day by day things and this isnt.
What's happened so far?

We're hanging out in Nelson and mostly shopping, eating, drinking and playing in the sea. It's nice to be able to mess about in the surf. The last few times I've tried to swim in Britain the cold nearly split my shins.
Nevermind "Can I cope with chilled cahones?", it never got that deep.
Here it's warm and wet.

Just the way I like it.
What do I think of NZ so far?
It's very green and thats no suprise - this evening it rained.
Aparently the Kiwis deny any none sunny weather but I know better.
We went to a New Years street party in the "city" centre, it was wet and cold.
(Midsummer anyone? - no wonder the Brits love that home from home feeling)
Happy Holidays to all
Party Party
"Road" played 2 numbers whi9ch lasted about 1 minute each and then legged it.
We legged it slightly later and put the kinder to bed.
Missed this lot
I wrote this.

More tomorrow.

( Listening to "The Pet Shop Boys"
Feeling "Half Cut")

Walking on the Ceiling

Currently upside down strangely not falling off.

I'm not sure if there is a clue in past posts but suprise suprise we're on holiday again and I'm blogging a holiday journal.

Well I'll try it daily.

We're here


View Larger Map

More Castles than Soft Mick!

We went walking again

Yet another circular route out of a Derbyshire town.
Climb whatever geology has left us to climb.
Hold that height for as long as you can.
Drop back down and drive home.

I'm struggling to avoid the words "classic sunday hike".
I failed.
This one is so classic it's always over-crowded, they've had to put pavement down from Hollins Cross over to the top of Mam Tor and beyond.

Sat just above Crimea Farm (even classic names) having lunch and spotting castles.
Loads

Left to right across the vista.

Mam Tor
"a late Bronze Age and early Iron Age hill fort"
Peveril Castle
"Founded soon after the Norman Conquest"
Navio
"This rectangular fort ... established in Flavian time"
Burr Hill
I think I made the last one up - research required.

What Are We Doing Here?

The Time Machine brings you...
For a ltd time only
**** Watch This Space ********
The Next Neutrons Track
I won't get long to set this up!
Ha Ha Me Hearties
Email an ACK

BlanK BlanK

I'm Hating typography.
but loving
http://www.discogs.com/image/R-691817-1150643493.jpeg
Rubbish or what?
I've lost the ability to post piccitures
Bollox.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff167/powergx/R-691817-1150643493.jpg
Oh no it gets worse

There but huge and mis-shapen

Windermere With Mummy Dearest

Today w.e went to Lakeland Plastics.
It's in Lakeland and it's plastic

Tramp Tramp Tramp these boys is marchin'

Today we finally got out for a walk.

It's been weeks - or at least seems that way.

Late start - T**ts up the road had a party.

Didn't wake me but woke Sandy which woke me.

Then I couldn't get to sleep again.

Neither could she.

Late getting up.

Late setting off.

No much daylight (16:30 it's twilight (what a lovely word))

Not much walk.

The Walk

I thought with the terrain turned on Stanage Edge would be impressive but it's one of those things.

You have to go and see it, then climb up it.

North Lees Hall

Ripped - Again

• Part 1
  
• Part 2
  

... the ripping resumes.


Currently I mostly been processing a greatest hits choice from the lovely S.
S**te loads of Iggy.
Cream o the crop currently
This with "Raw Power" guitarist.
Which other individual got an equal credit with the Ig?
I can't think of any.

I'm using Audacity some build, 1.2.5 that I should update but it's okay.
Give the disc a good clean whether it needs it or not with the trusty Milti Duo-Pad and Permaclean, then finished up with Exstatic cleaner
Zoom the display area to 1:00 hour, hit record, pause, stick disc on , unpause and off we go.

• Catch the end of side one,
• pause,
• flip it,
• unpause
• and record side two.

Save the project.

Give it default "Effect>Click Removal"
Then Zoom in on any surviving clicks and get them with the pencil tool.
Then "Effect>Amplify" (again using defaults - I refuse to think unless cornered).

Remove the crap at the

• beginning ,
• middle
• and end

w/ "Edit>Cut"

Then we've gotta chop it up into tracks.

Analyse>Silence is ok but I end up correcting it too much - so I add a label track.

"Project>New Label Track" and appleB (it's a Mac thang - think CtrlB) to add labels.

"File>Export Multiple"

Choices mp3 (obviously)

any naming you like but remember to include "before first label" option
(unless you've added a label at the start of course)

I Propose Lowell George for Beatification

If this was MySpace it would be a cute piccy of an album sleeve and blah blah.

But that'll 'ave to do

I bin listening  to shit loads of Little Feat

and my mood is fine and funky.

But I'm back to ripping vinyl and HP Lovecraft's next.

That mood might change.

A1 Holiday Planner Tool is launched!

Ladies and Germs

I give you 

or even by public or private links.

Not sure what the diff is until I post 'em here.

Taking a Leek?

Deffo camper for life, the MB is nice but there's no fridge.

Two nights in Leek at the top of the Potteries/ bottom of the Peak.
Miles of tramping 'round wet cow ridden fields - good laugh really
but I'm tried of climbing stiles hour upon hour.

Farmland - bah!

Round there they have the cheek to call everything moor this moor that.

Proper Moorland doesn't have fencesgatesstilesfootbridgeslanesfarmyardsdogsgeesecows.
The cows in the region are particularly barmy.
Run at you from 1/2 mile away - I bricked it.
Then stop 5m away and ply coy.
Idiot beasts.
One gang wanted to come home with us - I promise.

My god I was happy when we chanced upon some sheep.


you can follow us if you've got Goggle Earth
(if you ain't got it - why not?)
Saturday Walk
Sunday Walk

Disgusted of This nice place

(Very cool lakeside residences - heaps o' cash)

I Give In!

Brmm Brmm

It's a 1991 420SE - that says it all!

(to a well know cowboy tune)

Give me a car

with a 3 pointed star

We Asked - It Happened

Dr Thrasher with KM's Arse

The identities have been obscured to protect all of us.

Psychic Needed?

Clues too hard?

Try Bernhard!

Hubba Hubba - Auto Erotic

Not just curves.

Angles too!

Car porn- a short series

No Apologies

Black and Chrome
You can't beat it!
It will not be whacked.
It must be polished.

Content from anywhere

Hey I'm not proud but ...

17

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating Site

One Holiday

Yippee it's another holiday journal.

21/06/2008 Pre-amble

Avid readers will of course have been following the camper saga.  

For the rest of you a summation.  

Feb mot failure front suspension and emissions - several months repair work.  

Take it back in today fails on two different things.  

The roof was hit.  

I could understand one of the new things.  CO levels 11% (limit is 4.5%) last time the Hydrocarbon levels were so high it gassed their analyser.  

But the other new thing - corrosion in load bearing etc etc.  

No advisory in Feb. how can this be?  Corroded that much in 4 months?  

Was this the same corrosion that your's truly pointed out to the same testers for the past 3 years to be told 'ah it's just a cosmetic panel’.

Fixed CO levels - far too much fuel in idle circuit.  Argued toss vigorously re corrosion won the case in the end.

23/06/2008- Monday

Re-presented camper for mot - nearly no CO and no mention of corrosion - £25.00  to pay - bastards.

But we could set off on holiday - off we go!

As we have new barrels and pistons plus completely re-built front suspension, care was exercised, 32mph average to St David’s in Pembrokshire.  

Came here last year, I got pissed and wrecked my knee on the kids playground and we couldn’t walk anywhere.  So we've come back to have a proper explore.  

Needless to say the logs on chains and all other dangerous devices are definitely disallowed.  Beautiful weather for the drive down, sunshine and breezes.  

British isles in June can't beat it

 24/06/2008 - Tuesday

Off for a walk, some of the bits that we missed last time.  Most importantly the big lump of rock that looms over the campsite.  So off we set, in the opposite direction to make a circular walk, first stop St. Justinian’s chapel, lifeboat station and boat trips to Ramsey Island.  Not that they are all the same, just the same place. I suspect St J was a special friend to St David or Dweddi as they have him around here.  But that just my prejudice speaking - Justinian and Sandy any one?

Any way pallones that was our first stop - the blue guide has it as 'charmless' and I wouldn't argue.  

Can't even get to it, as it's in some ones front garden.  

Quick saunter up the coastal path and next stop Whitesands Bay - as featured in guardian best beach guide -v lovely but it rained.  

British isles in June can't beat it. 

'Round St David’s head then up the big rock.  Weather cleared up for the ascent.  We were brave and I even stood on the very pinnacle for about a whole second. Photos will be posted.

25/06/2008- Wednesday

After the previous evening of raining and a night of wind - woke me up and then I started worrying about the pop-top on the camper. But it wasn't that bad.  The weather wasn't promising but the forecast was okay.

Off to St Non's (she was a nun - non the nun - nun non) mother of St Dewy.  She has a much better chapel - two in fact.  There's a 6th century ruin and holy well also contemporary with St. D.  The holy well sprung up, along with a thunderstorm at the moment of his birth on the site of the chapel.  Big magic - I’m impressed. Also impressive is the 1935 replica 6C chapel built by some rich person who didn't want to travel to a catholic church.  Well this is the land of non-conforming etc.  Probably had to go to Swansea, but who would officiate?  Whatever happened they built their own chapel at the end of the garden which is now not used but still has stuff in it.  Language is failing me now- sun sun more sun and strong lager are a great combo for destroying  the intellect - bring it on!  The walkcontinued with more of the coastal path to Solva. Can't tell you much that isn’t expressed much better by the pictures, great geology, violent seas and sunny weather.  Oh, and pint of local bitter while waiting for the bus back - perfect day.

26/06/2008 - Thursday

The weather forecast is miserable and the sky is black and heavy.  But we have courage, a plan and an early start.  A bus, the Strumble shuttle takes us up to ... Strumble Head and we set off around the coast.  Although we' re are not far from yesterdays walk the geology is v different and it's repeated headlands an creeks to negotiate, lots of ups and downs.  By the time we got to Fishguard I was tired and a bit bored of ascent/descent ascent/descent ascent/descent ... Our courage paid off no rain until we got to Fishguard and plenty of shelter there in second hand shops 'til the bus arrived. Bus journey back was punctuated with picking up wet walkers from the ends of their walks.  I felt dry and a bit lucky.

27/10/2008- Friday

Day at leisure- got up and couldn't see the big rock in fact couldn't see other end of campsite.  

Slow lazy start to day and then into St David’s for a look about.  Plan was, in my head, for a jaunt around the bishop’s palace; 

St David’s has two enormous ancient buildings.  

Amazing as it only has about 4 streets. 

But plan faded and we didn’t do much really.  Looked in shops failed to buy seafood for lunch, stocked up on groceries - local lamb - lovely?  

Internet café for some college work

28/06/2008 -Saturday

More coastal path, to be honest there is very little else to do here.  They try their best but the inland bits of this end of Benfro 

[it's the vernacular welsh, don’t you know, but I’m not sure whether it's b or p at the beginning.  It’s a funny language where words change their spelling in away unknown to me]

 are dull.  

After the obvious highlights of the cathedral and palace next up is a wollen mill and sheepdog training academy.  Absolute swizz - the wollen mill is quite clearly constructed of breeze blocks, concrete and the other usual building materials.  I've been entertaining S with that joke all week.  

'If you say that one more time; I'll stab you!'

So from the campsite, through some farms for pony spotting fun and then along the coast to Abereddie or Aberieddi or several other spellings.  Different geology yet again, how much can they get into one place?  Why don't they market the area to tourists using it?  The Scots seem to manage that quite well - come on you welshies - lets rock (quite literally)

Penfro Rocks

Rock of Ages

Bus back to St David’s and then for a change walk back to the campsite.  

We have been getting the bus at the end of walks but the bus driver and his two ever-present pals have started to become a little creepy.  

When we get on the bus it's just us and them three.  

They conduct one conversation amongst themselves, finishing each other’s sentences with the driver taking the lead.  They speak English like it isn't their first language, although I suspect it is, and they were taught it by a Methodist priest using bible passages to illustrate.  They are welcoming, friendly and attentive but ultimately scary.

 

29/06/2008 - Sunday

 I guess we went home but I can't remember much about it really - must have been alright I suppose.  Camper ran lovely.

 

Pictures? - We Have Pictures

I'm presuming you're demanding pictures of the camper.  Here's a suitable before one.  Looking at it , it's rubbish and you may well be thinking why all this effort to drop it fractionally.

Yeah like you really were thinking that - weren't you?

Campers get made out of all sorts of vehicle, the only campers that were made by VW as campers are the Westfalia ones.

Ours was originally a minibus, I think they were 9 seaters so with just us 2 it's well under payload limits.   Even when we go away for a 2 week camp with everything it doesn't really settle down on the springs much.

So now I'll tell you what it looked like 'coz I don't think a photo will do it.  or maybe...

That's what it took - interestingly not a picture of a camper at all.  This is how I saw it before.  A scared kitten standing up on it's toes.

This picture formatting is rubbish but I will not be drawn to sort it out. That's it and that's how it's staying.  But I'm offended by it.

• More pictures of after the drop as soon as I can get it to somewhere level and remember a camera.  ie bleeding months from now.  Currently it's on an up slope and the camber of the road is effecting the suspension a suprising amount,  see "Camper Creep" below.  
• The NS was easy to get apart but lots of effort to put back together because springs and bushes needed forcing in.  
• The OS  pushed itself together.
  

So you'll have to wait months the see another picture which also won't convey what I see. Have a quick look in my head and this is what you see

That's enough looking in there - stop it now!

Oh dear too long.

Nurse - the restraints please.

Largacti1...five milligrammes.Valium...ten milligrammes.Haloperidol...five milligrammes.Pheno Barbit...

I'm losing control of all formatting here.  I think it's a function of how many pics and how much you try to control the text flow/placement etc.

I'll risk one more picture

I'm thinking of buying one of these...

Obviously I'd like a black one and I'd need 5 doors for transporting the oldsters around.  Bleeding purple text now! I give in.

Oh happy day!

Finally the suspension is all back together.

I'm not sure that 30mm drop was enough but its the VW original low suspension spec so it's "right".

I read elsewhere I'm not really sure where that it will settle so I should expect it to creep lower.  More Camper Creep. 

I want to drive it around to find out what it "feels" like but the engine needs sorting and there is a little matter of no MOT.  The barrels and pistons needed for the engine fix are on a back order from Cool Air with no real indication of when to be expected.

Hot off the press "Item will be despatched on 23/5/2008"

Bugger they surely won't try to deliver it to a work address over the Bank Holiday?

Will they?

Further checks to my email reveals

"We regret this item is temporarily out of stock, but should be despatched on 27/5/2008."

I replied to the first one -which came second if you see what I mean, but not the second one which came first.

Now we're all confused

No it's probably just me. 

Camper Creep

Is that me or the camper?

It was meant to express that the camper repairs are creeping to a conclusion.

It's an annual event (cycle).

Me against time and seized fasteners to complete repairs by the holiday season.

The season officially starts at Easter - so I lost this year.

Thing is I lose every year 'coz I never get the job done how I want it.

It's not that I try for perfection - I gave up that route to madness years ago.

I do however want a job done that makes it better than it was.  

It shouldn't just be remedial, there's an opportunity to make it better than volkswagen made it.

Sounds like hubris, probably is but VW had one budget to work to and I've got mine.

Meaning I can apply more paint, use better grade components and ensure better tolerances.

• I'm crafting an individual vehicle so that Sandy and I have the best camper ever.  
  
• They're churning out millions to pay shareholder dividends
  

So it creeps on.

Just completed off side front (OSF) suspension rebuild and started the NSF to match.

Weird thing is it's a game of two halves.

OSF 

every bleedin' fastener that could be was welded with rust into it's mate or a casting.  I'm guessing but about 15 hours labour to strip it down.  One of the bolts that holds the steering knuckle/ radius arm and bottom control arm together took 6 hours to extract.  I had to drill out stupid stuff like split pins holding cotter nuts on.  

Everything was a fight.

Dumb thing is I will win and I know it so that makes it seem even more a waste of time.

Why can't the stubborn metal stuff give up early and save us all a lot of effort.  Hang on I'm the only animate thing in this relationship - aren't I?

NSF

3 hours max to dismantle every thing.

• Why is that?
  
• Why did the OSF wishbone bushes decay and fail but not the NSF ?
  
• Why has the OSF foot well rotted out but not the other? 
  

Strikes me it could have been sat unmoving for years at some point.

So the NSF needs all bushes replacing, loads of paint and reassembly.

Taking of paint I on with Hammerite Metal paint.

Could be what was Smoothrite?

Goes on alright , sticks to bare metal etc etc, dries and recoats brilliant.

But it's a bit brittle when cured.  Old fashioned enamel always seemed a bit soft so it took knocks well.

Perhaps I'm just reminiscing, caught by nostalgia.

The ideal paint should stay slightly toffee like.

I'm going to formulate a new paint based on Werthers Originals.

Won't chip and you can seduce little boys with it.

Come here and sniff me radius arm!

Blogs Flags Lags Lopes

I'm well baffled which blog this is for.

As they’ll all be syndicated and then edited and then posted they’ll all be different and all be the same.

It's one of those pre-breakfast impossibles.

 

Stalking updates

7:30 Scoop Watkins on the prowl for hot news.

Smith Monster back on bus as new school term starts.

It rings out in 48pt

'Children Beware'

'SOS Save Our Scholars'

7:35 Lady from training had bunch of flowers.

7:40 writer gives up hard boiled shtick

 

That should prove interesting if the plagiarism police and their tools get set on my stuff.  It should find at least 3 versions of this same discussion on the same subject.

Ref lettol study guide -it's under ethics. Cut'n'paste from web forbidden without acknowledgement

Okay - but what if it's your own stuff?

Well no problem if that stuff is credited to me in those other places.  What if it’s anonymous or aliased?

I do both of these things at least once daily.

Anonymous - there is no traceable identity

Aliased - some indicators of identity probably false, in pretence.

So when I submit part of this blog in my portfolio and its found to belong to 'The Grand Wazoo' who feeds a rambling blog about nothing

Is there some collective commons way of dealing with this?

What about a copyright certification?

What about some one else sorting this 'ethical' problem out?

Hell and high water

The bus driver just cancelled my bus coz the ticket machine failed. 

I suppose it made sense but I’m still p.o'd. 

Customer service anti-exemplar. 

I went immediately to the shiny new interchange office and tried to make a complaint.

I couldn't. 

In fact I knew I couldn't but you've got to keep trying. 

Last time I was given all sorts of info about who and how of complaining and a short but acceptable explanation of why I couldn’t complain there and then. So I knew.

This time was worse I ended up with the number for a bus company it's an 017 number.  The cost and the warning about automated call centre hell from the interchange staff nailed down the lid of the complaint coffin.

Syndicalism - A Sport For All

Am I allowed to syndicate my own blogs?

I have several blogs and some stuff belongs in more than one place

Like this.

I should just link amongst them but I have different reasons for keeping different blogs.

For instance -- the stuff about stalkers only belongs in the 'Geoff - Life as a Stalker' blog.

So this is a continued bit from those places.

The ds lite is still a firm favourite even if it did let me down as a roving browser last weekend.  Sandy and I discovered the joys of PictoChat - built in chat/conferencing for ds.  Just like being naughty at school - passing notes.  If you were the lady reading both the daily mail and express on the **** to *******ester, I hope you didn't realise what was happening.  If you did - sorry.

We were using rude words, and drawing pictures, and giggling.  You can form instant ds lite networks and create chat rooms.  What a laugh!

On the serious side, I’ll have to look for wordpro s/ware for the ds.

The Smith Monster  must work in a school she’s not been on the bus and it's a school holiday .

The lady from the training course didn't have her minder today - maybe I could start following her next. 

Report on ds browser - don't, I did and it's dreadful.

No real use at all for the first web based task I had for it.

Moodling at sheffcol vle.

I could get past the login with great difficulty but no further,

A measure of it's awfulness is the pocket  internet explorer PIE I quite like that is much better.

The wifi is primitive.  

I had to turn down the wifi router's security to get it to work with the ds

Life On The Road

It’s the start of another holiday blog

Off to bog roll and battleships for a week with me mammy.  Broken camper means first time in ages on a train not bad but fares have gone up

 

Did you know - eggs have doubled?

 

Could be even with the thirst of the van it would be cheaper to drive.  That’s got be wrong!

I'm looking forward to the trip could be some new cranes to spot.  I'll certainly post  'em here if I get any good uns.

Yippee we've come via Manc-land and Lancaster and we're on the Carlisle train that goes up the coast.  Once did it the other way from Carlisle to b-in-f on the recommendation of miles Kingston.

Great railway journeys of the world my eye. Boring I say.  If I ever meet MK I’m going to punch him for losing me most of a day of my life.

Its sunny the train is empty clean and on time.  If the tides in it will lovely.

The tide was out but the views were good, distant sunlight on the Cumbrian Mountains with a grey glossy estuary in the foreground.  Hang on I’ll get me paint box out and knock up a masterpiece.  I'm sure I’ve seen turner just like it.

Some of the holiday was meant to be spent joining in with my online chums on the LeTTOL course.  I thought I’d got this sorted but I was to realise how many things can go wrong, that they go wrong in ways that you don’t imagine and most assumptions are false.

First thing to go wrong I forgot my username for the Sheffield College VLE.  That’s wrong, I didn’t intend remembering it I took a cdCD with all the necessary on it to do the course stuff.  Unfortunately I was an earlier version of the study guide without the username in it. Interestingly I managed to recover it coz I share all my work email folders with everyone in the council and the 'correct' way of getting it didn't work.  The sheffcol vle says click here if you’ve forgotten your password but that didn't help.  It also says contact your tutor, I did, he couldn't help.  So half days work to get a working login.  There is no obvious coffee bar wifi zone in b-in-f or pub, the networks I could find near my mam's would let me in so the smartphone/nintendo ds were usless

I came up with smartphone bluetooth to friend’s pc and then cutnpaste to vle.  But they had never used the Bluetooth on their laptop and that idea died.  I think I managed a useful contribution to the group but I had to send it outside the vle coz that was down for Easter weekend.  Monday I managed to get some web access via Lakeland plastics but my webmail service was somehow wonky.

Slackness

I've finally decided, the semi-psychotic person with the ultra up-tight expression, stary eyes and air of compulsive order is none other than the Smith-monster. Unspokenly we've decided not to acknowledge each other. Maybe she's not sure enough to get my attention but i'm not giving her opportunity. Strictly no eye contact. I'm not really sure why I should be scared. Answers to the usual place - tell me why. I seem to remember a cloying closeness, an other-worldlyness and weird non-verbal cues. Nothing really offensive, just unsettling. Whatever it was i'm not risking it.

Fitted more oil gallery plugs at the weekend, just the problem of the plugs I shouldn't have pulled and haven't got replacement ones for to deal with. My answer is some 16mm round bar, widen the holes to suit and weld them in. Should be a laugh, i've never welded aluminum before.

Earthquake!

Market Raisen is about 30 mile away, I’ve heard 4.8 -5.2 Richter and the bastard thing woke me up.  I've sympathy for the man in Barnsley who had a chimneystack drop on his legs and the people in Gainsborough whose houses are now unsafe, but it woke me up.  I have enough trouble sleeping without seismic bleeding events.  Can't remember feeling anything like it before, journos are saying strongest in England for 20ish years and that was isolated to some welsh peninsula.  I struggle to remember 20 days ago so I’ve certainly no recall of that one.

I first thought Sandy’s waking me up to tell me I’m snoring, she thought I was having a fit, it went on long enough to work out what it was - very disorientating.  I was going to start empathising with people who suffer 'real' earthquakes but that seems crass.  Still I certainly know how confusing it is when the solid stuff around us starts moving around.

Yippee, it's Xmas time for camper vans.  New springs and dampers have arrived - pimp that ride.  It's going to be about 35-40mm lower and just a tad stiffer.  Plus the polyurethane bushes and it should ride a lot better.  I've noticed when we've loaded it up with all the camping gear for a 2 week jaunt it feels much better.  The suspension is designed for a 3.5 tonne load and we usually have about 2.5 so it's not surprising it wanders about at speed.

The UPS person who delivered the springs was some sort of pocket behemoth, he sauntered in carrying them, asked for me, and I gleefully accepted delivery.  Nearly popped the tendons in my knees taking the weight!

Knee quake!

DS Lite Fun

Not a whole lotta bloggin' goin' on here at the moment.  I did have plans to document the stuff I’m doing.

Engine build

Oil burner construction

Front suspension rebuild.

But I’ve been too busy actually doing them.  On top of that I’ve had a birthday, 50 don't you know, and there's been a new addition to the family.  That's the family of tiny computers.  Sandy bought me a pair of Nintendo ds lites so we can play together.  We were thinking of a Wii but it meant buying a big telly and neither of us wanted that.  So here goes with a lite review.

Great

Brilliant

Terrific

Buy one.

 

I'm biased, having owned and loved every generation of gameboy; it was only a matter of time before I got the latest one.  Total brand loyalty Nintendo rule.  Hey I’ve even got a pack of Japan airline playing cards made by the Nintendo playing card company.

The ds lites have pretty standard wifi built in, most of the games you only need one card for multiplayer fun - dead good.

So the upshot is No 33/30 bus journeys have been taken up with Mario brothers for the last week.  I'm now rationing myself and alternate days seems a good way to do it.

It's Monday and routine trip to the flea market on the way to work.  No treasure today.  I have had some notable scores though.  What about a 1hp air compressor £10 and it works a treat. When it comes to putting paint on the camper it'll be really handy.  Talking of which it's still broken, getting the parts - no choosing the parts is really hard.  Still not decided which valves to put in.  Theory has it that I can go up to 42mm for intakes but I don't see how.  Need to talk to my engineers - need to find some engineers.  One gang I talked to said 'what vw air-cooled - no chance but I know someone in Wakefield’ not very encouraging.  The other mob said 'no problem’ but I can't get any references.  Weird really in a city once dedicated to engineering.

Hiker Trip Out

It's Sunday and we're off for a walk.  The campers still brock so it's back to the past busing it out the Peak and walking back.  Bleeding hell hiking's got popular since we last did it by bus.  Used to be a couple o' hikers, a couple of yar pap clubbers coming down from a night out in the big city, a selection of weirdoes and ruddy faced country folks.  I imagine the latter had brought a pig to town and were swindled out of it and all their other possessions by a city smart fox person hybrid in exchange for magic beans or parsley passed off as righteous 'erb.

Back to this morning, the bus is packed with Sheffield University walking club members.  Hiking may have got popular but don't let anyone tell you it's fashionable amongst the young.  I've never seen such a gang of dweebs, wait I'm being unkind to dweebkind, I’ll reclassify them as poindexters grade a1.

Not surprising really, proper young people should be waking up in wrong beds, hung over, wondering where, who and what or thinking 'when will the disco biccies will wear off?'

Youth is definitely wasted on these youngsters

 

A beautiful day and thankfully the walking club got off two stops before us so they won't be following us about.  Last week we purposefully set off a different way to what we planned to escape the CPpc? Pensioners and they sneaked up on us by a bizarre route.  I think they must have been a bit confused god bless 'em.  Today we're doing history - well it's difficult to avoid, if you look it's all around us.  The route tries to take in lots of long distance paths limestone way, mid shires way and the high peak trail joined together with any byway which has a name.  So most of the walk is on pack horse routes, droving lanes and coach roads.  Even where we set off from is part of the A6 which has got to be a coach road - does having milestones make it a certainty.

First village is Chelmorton, which is pictured above, today's prize question is what century was the village first laid out.  I’m expecting big things from our captive archeologist, prof cowie hcc.

I don't know why I offer all these prizes so far I’ve had no entries.  Here some answers to clear the backlog of prizes.

Camping location - Aberdeen

Bad Cary grant film - Father Goose

All prizes have been donated to the Don't Over Populate Europe fund.

 

 

Hiker Trip Out

It's Sunday and we're off for a walk.  The campers still brock so it's back to the past busing it out the Peak and walking back.  Bleeding hell hiking's got popular since we last did it by bus.  Used to be a couple o' hikers, a couple of yar pap clubbers coming down from a night out in the big city, a selection of weirdoes and ruddy faced country folks.  I imagine the latter had brought a pig to town and were swindled out of it and all their other possessions by a city smart fox person hybrid in exchange for magic beans or parsley passed off as righteous 'erb.

Back to this morning, the bus is packed with Sheffield University walking club members.  Hiking may have got popular but don't let anyone tell you it's fashionable amongst the young.  I've never seen such a gang of dweebs, wait I'm being unkind to dweebkind, I’ll reclassify them as poindexters grade a1.

Not surprising really, proper young people should be waking up in wrong beds, hung over, wondering where, who and what or thinking 'when will the disco biccies will wear off?'

Youth is definitely wasted on these youngsters

 

A beautiful day and thankfully the walking club got off two stops before us so they won't be following us about.  Last week we purposefully set off a different way to what we planned to escape the CPpc? Pensioners and they sneaked up on us by a bizarre route.  I think they must have been a bit confused god bless 'em.  Today we're doing history - well it's difficult to avoid, if you look it's all around us.  The route tries to take in lots of long distance paths limestone way, mid shires way and the high peak trail joined together with any byway which has a name.  So most of the walk is on pack horse routes, droving lanes and coach roads.  Even where we set off from is part of the A6 which has got to be a coach road - does having milestones make it a certainty.

First village is Chelmorton, which is pictured above, today's prize question is what century was the village first laid out.  I’m expecting big things from our captive archeologist, prof cowie hcc.

I don't know why I offer all these prizes so far I’ve had no entries.  Here some answers to clear the backlog of prizes.

Camping location - Aberdeen

Bad Cary grant film - Father Goose

All prizes have been donated to the Don't Over Populate Europe fund.

 

 

Tales From The Chalkface

Today is the premiere of my latest creation and I find out if I’ve made a monster.  It’s a facilitated e-learning session.  Some fool bought this not very good learning package and I’ve wrapped Moodle around it to try and make it e-learning.  Some of my customers, god bless 'em, need time and space away from their workplace to get on with it.  Today they get that space-time.

If the business of training has elements of performance and it does, then sometimes I’m a performer.  Now though I feel like a playwright - first night nerves, what will they think, how much rewriting will I have to do for the next show? 

20 mins to curtain up and only one in the audience - we’ve only sold 3 tickets, there's no walk up and usually some no shows.  Could be more on stage than in the seats.

On with the motley, break a leg etc.

Well it went fine, the half hour instruction bit got extended into 45 minutes by my co-presenter wanted to discuss with trainees but without that it would have fitted the plan.  The clients thought the training package was great - it isn't but if that’s what they think - hey.

Excessive Everywhere

Well have I got some stuff to do!

 

Excessive hydrocarbons

Excessive play in front suspension

 

Yes that’s right its MOT time and for the first time it failed on stuff that will need real work to sort out.

The first one was to be expected, coming back from M’boro it smoked badly.  Whatever was behaving in place of the piston rings (carbon?) gave up.  Mot tester couldn't measure the levels they were so high.  As usual my mouse like plans have evaporated in the heat of necessity - new engine now, not in 4 months like I’d intended.  So it's full steam ahead to build another one.

 

The suspension was a bit of a surprise. I'll confess I didn't check it over - too busy using it recently.  Last time I did, autumn sometime, seemed fine to me, but I suppose these things can fail quickly. 

Mot man he say he could hear it when he drove it in. 

Weird thing is I can now.

 

The great thing is that this year the tax ran out before the mot, unlike previous years when they ran out together.  So I’ve got 12 months tax and don't have to SORN it - yippee.  However as sandy pointed out, we’re paying tax just to park outside the house.

 

Lots of shopping to do now for obscure performance vw bits. 

Why not eh?

 

Any reports on café racer construction from Tim?

 

Meanwhile I’ve another job to due, applying for my own job.  I only have a short term contract with the council, have done for nearly 4 years now, and they finally decided that the work I do warrants a proper job.  Because this is local government they can't just give it me, it's got to be fair and open to anyone so I’ve got to apply. 

I bloody hate filling in application forms, the process is endless, writing awkward statements in answer to inept questions, reviewing and editing, trying to work out what the bejabbers proves what etc. etc.