Eirglish

Just because……….

For sale again

The bike has gone up for sale again!

I tried it late last year and it didn’t go so well. In theory we should be coming into brighter and sunnier months so motorcycle sales should pick up a little. I have the need to get something bigger that can take me and some luggage on a bit of a trip. At present I have my eye’s on a Honda VFR 800 or maybe a Triumph Sprint? I’d love a Honda Blackbird but to be quite honest I think it’s a bit too much of a beast for me to look after. If you read between the lines of the last sentence it will say that I’m not responsible enough to own something that powerful!

So, I dragged my loved one out of the garage and gave her a wash before taking a couple of “for sale” pictures to go on the various websites that will be having adverts placed with them! Here she is in a nice clean state….

Fingers crossed for a quick sale!

What’s new??

Another epic blogging fail on my part as of late! Quite a bit has been going on. I’ve just been far too lazy to write anything about it. I’m blaming this lack of blog-thusiasm on my new found interest for of exertion. The…….. *coughs; the………….

It’s no good, I can’t say it. Here’s homer to do it for me!

I’ve only been going for three weeks but have made significant improvements. I’m concentrating pretty much solidly on cardio stuff at present and I’m managing to push a little bit further each time I go. I’ve also managed to lose a bit of weight without changing my diet too significantly. So all in all it seems to be working quite well.

The bike is looking grim and dirty in the garage as I managed to get out for a good long spin the other week but have not had a chance to get her clean yet. Hate looking at her dirty so I’m hoping for  a half decent evening to get the hose out. If I’m feeling brave I may even try to dismantle the nose to change the bulb to a new Philips X-treme one which is “suppose” to give up to 80% more light. I’ll let you know once I’ve tested this.

Lastly, I don’t normally blog about politics or current affairs but there was an item in last weeks news that really did get me. This item is the Eamon Lillis case. He beat his wife to death by beating her brains in with a brick. Then he watched her die and called the police, not an ambulance saying that his wife was attacked by an intruder. He must have seen a really old episode of CSI as he hid the clothes he wore to carry out the murder……. in the loft! Of course, the rozzers wont look in there.

So, this goes to court, all of his lies and deceit come out together with details of an affair. The jury ponder this for a couple of days and give him manslaughter! Flipping manslaughter! So, the moral of this story is, if you want to off somebody and get a light sentence for it; pop over here and do it…….

Right, Rant over!

The bike is back!

My poor bike had been left standing for about six to seven weeks due to going away at Christmas and all the bad weather that has been around. She was a bit cranky back in December and didn’t want to start without a little persuasion but she came good in the end.

So I knew I needed her for work on Friday and decided to kick her over to make sure all was well. It was the case that all was not well and she refused to start. The standard bounces and shakes did nothing and it took the help of a mate to get her going with a push start. We left her running for about twenty minutes and she was starting fine. I left the battery on charge over night to be sure anyway. On entering the garage Friday morning I hoped to find that lovely green light that says the battery is good. Sadly it was still amber so I put everything back to normal and got her out of the garage. She was still cranky and took three attempts to get going.

It appeared time to phone the ever trusty mechanic. After a quick chat he figured it was more than likely just an old battery but said if I could get to him before six he would check the charge as well. So of to RPM I went and got there for 1745. Charging is bang on and the new battery was fitted in roughly the time it takes me to neck some of Ronan’s Coffee!

Actually got out for a few hours spin up the north of the country today as well. A bit foggy at the start and the end but the important roads in the middle were lovely and caked in sunshine. The bike started first time as well which pleased me. Because I don’t use the bike all of the time it’s easy to forget why I love it so much and today was one of those fantastic days where nothing can take the smile off your face. Not that anybody else can see it under a crash helmet.

As a minor Gym update, I’ve now been three times and am disturbingly enjoying myself. That is once I actually force myself to walk through the door and get on with it. Also, before you ask, it has nothing to do with watching the women on the treadmills, Because I don’t! Either way I appear to have lost a couple of pounds in the process and I wasn’t as totally knackered when I walked out after the Thursday session as I was a week earlier which can only be a good thing. Just have to keep the initiative going now….

Right, just to end the post with a random twang now. Here’s a video of a band I have seen three times albeit many years ago. It would appear that still have what it takes. Must keep my eyes open for any dates in the future.

Another year…..

So, I’ve hit the grand old age of thirty five. To be honest it really doesn’t mean anything to me any more. Just a number and all that! People seem to make to big a deal about how old they are getting. I’ve known people try to actually ignore their 30th birthday in the hope that if they deny it happened then they’re still in their twenties.

The run up to my birthday has had me thinking quite a bit though. Just simple things like I need to get more exercise and lose some weight. Due to this occupying some of my time over the last few weeks I took the time today to join a gym. The idea doesn’t work too well for me as I find the concept of them entirely boring. Unfortunately there are few alternatives due to me having back and knee issues (See car and motorcycle accident).

There are two choices for a gym where I live and it’s the sort of choice that’s in the film Dodge Ball. One is a large corporation and the other is a small local owner kind of place. I opted for the smaller one and this afternoon the owner spent just over an hour going through my exercise program. Pretty much cardio with some small weights thrown in for toning. The whole thing would occupy just under an hour normally and I have to say I felt pretty good at the end. Sweaty and knackered but still, pretty good.

The thing that will make it far more bearable for me when I return next week is that I’ll plug myself into an iPod and take myself way from what I’m actually doing. I love music of pretty much all types and I’ve been building up a playlist of songs that have just the right pace to keep me going. Stuff like this:

Then there are times when it might be something like this (Mum, Grandma, I suggest you avoid clicking on the play button on this one!):

So, the regime of me keeping an eye on my health and fitness has started. Who’d a thunk it!

Week one….

The first week of the year is over at last! As with any break the return to work is always naff! This week was hampered by the awful weather that we’ve been suffering. Not as bad as it has been in England but bad enough to cause total havoc with travel in all of its forms. Monday wasn’t too bad but it took nearly three hours to get into the office on Tuesday. A trip that normally takes about forty minutes.

Since then it’s been a bit hit and miss on times and just been a case of “We’ll get there when we get there!” Most companies are in the same boat so nobody is really taking much notice which is handy. This was the snow at it’s worst on Wednesday. It was taken through a crack in the window on a phone it is a bit crap!

As for work. Not too bad really. Monday went a bit screwy when the power to the server room went off for no apparent reason. Always good to have directors running around panicking. As for me, not a lot I could do really, I’m not a sparky. If I had tried to fix anything “mains power” related the situation would have got a lot worse a hell of a lot quicker! So I took a step back and let them get on with it! they got it sorted reasonably quickly so it wasn’t too bad.

The strange thing was that when the power returned to the sockets the air conditioners stopped working (both of them). Having working servers being a main priority we wedged the door open and waited for the electrician to come back to look at the AirCon units. He return on Wednesday and I went through what had happened on Monday and demonstrated how when you press the power button on the AirCon units that nothing happens. Nothing that is except a nice whir as the units starts up and leisurely starts blasting out lovely cool air.

This is normally the other way round for me. A user claims that PC is broken and when I get to them it works perfectly for me. I believe it is called “technician in near vicinity syndrome”. I was none too pleased with it happening to me this time round I can tell you.

I took the day off today on the basis that I was at work last Sunday. I may even do the same next Friday. Snooze was none too happy with me being able to stay in bed. Made me chuckle…. She has to come home and dismantle the Christmas decorations as well. They would have been gone before now but what with getting in late we haven’t been bothered. I would start but I would end up breaking a decoration (or ten) and I would be in trouble. I deal with the tree and that’s it!

So, Until next time, Have a silly cat pic!

S’Over!

Christmas that is! All done for another year!

As is the norm Snooze and I have eaten and drank far more than we should have done. Too many mince pies and sweeties but it’ll all be worked off in the new year…. Well, I hope it will!

The cats are currently in kitty klink but were at least left with a kitty stocking each for Christmas. Honestly, those cats are treated better than most children. They have the two of us wrapped around their paws. They may not like it but at least they were kept warm and watered while the weather was at it’s harshest. While we’re on the subject of harsh weather we have the latest installment of the increasingly famous “Simon’s Cat”

So, toodles until the new year. Hope you all had a lovely festive season.

Airport Blogging!

I’ve done this before a while back if I remember rightly! Although there were a few subtle differences:

1. I was on my own
2. I was using an iPod
3. I had to pay for the wifi
4. I wasn’t listening to Shakey!

So, the trip to my mums for Christmas has started in a way we kind of expected. The UK airport was closed for a couple of hours this morning. This as had a knock on effect and as such our flight is delayed by two and a half hours! I dislike airprts at the best of time but when you’re delayed they’re always worse.

And to add insult to injury I have a lovely cough and cold lovingly passed on to me by G from the other weekend! Thanks mate. Must return the favour one of these days!

The only redeeming factor in this crappy situation is that a new bar has opened at Dublin airport that serves decent food and drink, provides free wifi and has supplied me with a table that even has a power outlet! Although as previously mentioned the music is a bit on the iffy side! So, I’ll leave you with the song I was just being tormented with!

*UPDATE: Power outlets no worky! Epic power fail.

W-Izzard-ed

A bit of a wait for this update but I’m blaming silly season at work as is the norm for this time of year!

So, last weekend a couple of mates came over for a bit of a giggle. The weekend was primarily filled with drink ad food which is always good! I ate and drank more last weekend than I normally do in a whole week! We did throw in some exercise for me to try and counteract the damage caused at least. Wandering around shops doing a bit of Christmas shopping (not for me I might add, I’m all done!)

We even got to pay a visit to Newgrange. It’s a neolithic passage tomb and is rather cool to have a nose at. Sadly our tour guide was a bit on the dull side but apart form that it was a nice nose about.Annoyingly they don’t let you take pictures inside (so you have to buy their postcards). As G had brought his new camera with him we got a few shots around the outside and this is the the large entrance kerb-stone.

As he had the snapper with him he also tried to get snaps of the cats. This isn’t a particularly easy thing as they can both be a bit camera shy. that and Misty being black is quite tricky to get a decent shot of. G did far better than I ever have so here are a couple of examples:

Then it was on to the main event for the weekend which was to see Eddie Izzard live at the O2 in Dublin. The O2 was formerly known as “The Point” and was a bit rubbish really. The recently stripped it out and gave it a major overhaul. I was suitably impressed. Eddie Izzard was brilliant. My decision to buy tickets pretty much entirely based on the “Death Star Canteen” skit that can be found on youtube. He is rather an odd chap but performed very well on the night and kept the audience laughing away. I’d love to share some of it but I wouldn’t do it justice. Phrases like “Jazz Chicken” “Raptor with a pork pie hat” and “Tie-Grrr” will stay with me for a while though. I would recommend the viewing of the “Stripped” DVD should you fancy a giggle to pass an hour or so. It will also explain the previously mentioned phrases.

After that it was back to work on Tuesday. Work was nuts as usual and here we are now, bang up to date! Oh, and it’s Christmas next blinkin week!

A question of patriotism?

Snooze and I have been taking monthly trips across the border to buy groceries for about seven years at this stage.

It all started with a trip to see my mum. We went to Sainsbury’s to pick up a few bits and pieces and while at the checkout we both started doing the maths. On the small amount of items we bought there we realised we would have saved a few euro. This led to a trial run to Sainsbury’s across the border and as such we’ve been going ever since. We save at least a hundred euro a month buy doing this. it would be more if there was a Morrisons but hey, it’s better than nothing.

The down side these days is that with the global economic collapse people in the Republic started doing this in droves. This now means that the Sainsbury’s in Newry is just mentally busy. Consequently we go a little further to enjoy a far more relaxed shop. The M&S breakfast is nicer as well!

So, this crops up from time to time in conversation. Recently some people have questioned the patriotism of people “swanning off across the border” and “Propping up the British economy!” I have issues with this for varying reasons.

Firstly, I’m British and proud of it. It may not always be the best thing to admit down here but at least for now the irish dislike the French more than us!

Secondly, if the Irish government and retailers weren’t screwing the public quite so much there wouldn’t be as much of a price difference (if any) and people would be shopping down here still.

But lastly, and primarily. It has nothing to do with me supporting any country whether it be England, Ireland, America, wherever. It is however about me supporting “my” economy and making sure that my salary goes as far as I need it to. If I can purchase something cheaper by importing it from somewhere else then I’m going to regardless of where it comes from!

OK, self indulgent rant over! Apologies and have a festive LOLCat!