What Made Me Smile today ...........................????

Without you we just sit around with our heads in our hands wondering what to do - and you are going away - again!

 

Speaking of jaunts abroad.....wmmst....
The engines of the steam packet ferry starting up.....and we're off.....next stop the T.T. .....so in time honoured tradition...it's time for the first official beer of the T.T. ..Yes I know it's 02.40 a.m.....but it's Okells bitter dammit!!!!

 

Not a bike thing, but if any of you have an ailing motor car, I would have recommended you to visit Miles Garage in Tunbridge Wells. Not only do they do only the work which is absolutely necessary, but they will use 2nd hand parts if you so specify in order to keep costs right down. They also sponsor Danny Kent, since his Dad works there.

What made me smile was the following: the RH wiper arm on our Discovery packed up on Sunday. It would make only the most ineffectual jerking motion when switched on. I could sweep it across the screen by hand with no resistance at all. The left was going like a good 'un. "Aha!" I thought, diagnosing broken teeth on the wiper shaft and wondering how on earth I'd be able to fix it and (i) afford to buy the parts and (ii) get it done in time to drive to Bath to scoop up Panel Man son and all his possessions, (who's now finished his degree) on Thursday.

Lacking time, I drove around to Miles Garage in Tunbridge Wells village (a brilliant little family-owned generalist garage I've used for years) and looked sorrowful. They employ a chap named Mike who positively lurves Land Rovers. (The rest of them figure Landies are just too much hard work). He emerged from the workshop beaming at the prospect of getting his hands on another LR. I described and demonstrated the sad situation, as the rain continued to fall, mockingly.

"There's just a chance..." he said, extracting a bottle opener from his overalls and removing the plastic cover on the wiper shaft. Unlike many vehicles, Land Rovers do not use conventional splined shafts for the wiper arms, but tapered splines! Daft, I know. He nipped in to grab a small socket wrench, tightened up the nut on the end of the shaft (so engaging the wiper with the splines again) and observed that someone named Robert has now become my mother's brother.

Strange chap. Brilliant with Landies, but very strange...

This service was delivered with no charge. Nothing. Zero.

As usual, I had no cash on my person, so must pop back to stuff some fivers into the staff 'Drinks Box'. What an excellent little garage Miles is!

 

new tyres finally arrived today, so just need to get them fitted and will be back up and running just hope the weekend stays dry

 

Watching race practice tonight and then having beer and good laughs with great mates at The Sulby Glen Hotel at the T.T.

 

Thank God

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/s...4/may/may3014-btsport-mel-sykes-announcement/

 

new tyres on the bike finally -cheers to tom for the recommendation only managed a quick 15 mile blast tonite, but felt pretty planted , hopefully will get a few more miles on them this weekend but so far so good

 

Got "Life of Pi" DVD for my birthday and just watched it.
One of my favourite films, ever! As good as the book.

 

This time next week I'll be trying to overcome my excitement (not in the "Angela's Ashes"sense ) and get some sleep.
Off to the Eifel next Friday for a long weekend on some of the best roads I've ever ridden.

 

Girl friend is going to be treating me and her to tickets to the Moto GP at silverstone! cannot wait! on the agreement i pay for the camping cant complain about that

 

mock the week has never been the same since he left.

 

Two fantastic awesome things today.

My 12 year old son got a fantastic result in an engineering exam which has made me so proud as he really seems to have found something at school that he genuinely loves.

And the same kid tonight went to his football academy and was quite simply sensational and is being moved to the advanced football group. One step closer to his dream of playing professional football.

God I am fit to burst with pride

 

And here we go again - football.

Went to my sons football academy this evening for his first advanced session. Some of these kids are 16 years old and huge, and then there was my tiny 12 year old kid!!!
First thing I thought as he walked over was "oh my god, is he out of his depth here????????"

The advanced session is taken by a very well know ex professional footballer so I knew he would be tested, possibly to the limit of his abilities

So, they start and my boy is doing well, they up the tempo and he is still keeping pace. The drill changes to another technical drill and he is doing fine and I start hearing the coach singling him out for his technical ability and great footwork .

At the end of the session, as the players are being debriefed he was singled out as being the youngest there and the word "brilliant" was used and "we will be seeing more of Kyle".

I was proud last week but my little lad stepped up to the big arena, took on kids much older than himself, many times getting the better of them and getting praise from a highly regarded ex pro player - yep, this week we are both on cloud bloomin 9

He has worked so damn hard to get to this point and is determined to succeed. I have stopped giving him advice as he clearly knows more than me about how to play now, I am merely his chauffeur and sound board for when he needs to talk - but tonight I made the conscious decision to help him, to the very best of my abilities make it and succeed!!

 

Me again
Shouldn't really be smiling because it is tyres. I need both wheels done on the TZR and the fireblade and to compound the financial kick in the gentleman's vegetables, the rear tyres on my car need replacing as well

I must also confess to having an unhealthy fear of brand new motorbike tyres, hate that first 50 miles, I mean I REALLY hate it so tend to try and get used ones, that way, I pay less and don't have to endure the first 50 miles. Irrational fear maybe but never mind!!

A set of very good Avon AM26 tyres arrived today for the TZR. Masses of tread, no cuts, tears or repairs, load of tread left - £60 delivered. The TZR maybe sees 1000 (occasionally 2000) miles a year so this will see it good for a year or two.

Now to sort the fireblade!!

 

Ohhhhh man, on a bloody roll now. Took my football mad kid out for his first even "father and son" bike ride this evening. At present he only has a BMX but as he is 13 next month I am going to buy him a reasonably well spec'd mountain bike. Covered 10 miles, with a good third of it involving hills, which was pretty good considering he was on his single speed BMX. We never stopped laughing, talking and the ice creams at the halfway point were spot on.

I guess once he gets the mountain bike he will start kicking my arse at cycling as well as football

 

I did say to him that a long and relatively twisty hill we were riding was particularly good fun on the TZR as it forms part of my "test ride" route after I have been tinkering. He thought it was ace that I could get to around 90 (kph orrificer of course) and I told him that speeding is naughty and not to be encouraged at which point he called me a liar .

Youth of today have no respect I tell ya!!