Weather

We are certainly becoming obsessed with the weather at the moment. Heavy rain storms Friday and we had numerous power outages. Bad weather continued over the weekend - a low hit without any wind, so it just dumped rain on already wet land. One example, Sheffield normally gets 60mm of rain in June, yesterday along it had over 240mm in one day! People had to be rescued by air/sea rescue in the centre of Sheffield. Here we have heavy clay soil, so i have i growing puddle in the back garden. Shortly we will be legally obliged to mark the deep and shallow ends of the puddle!

Paris

Been spending time in Paris with work recently. Nice mix of customers - software ISV's and media work (TV/VOD). Centre of Paris is a great place to hang out. We have a small office between the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Didn't think you would want to see pictures of the tourist places - so this is the view from the office. It's nice catching up with email, window open on a hot day and listening to the hustle and bustle of the city outside. Also close by are some great little

restaurants just off the tourist routes that my colleagues know very well.

Credit Cards - great when you have them!

My wife has misplaced her purse. We think it's at her place of work, but someone double-bolted her shared office and walked off with the keys and we cannot locate them. Security cannot even open the door. Upshot is we are unsure of what's happened to the purse and are 50/50 on if its in the office or not. So we erred on the side of caution and mentally went through what was in it - cash, library card, gym,credit card, oh and partner credit card to my main account! So i ring card company to cancel her card - "sorry sir we have to cancel all cards including yours!" - "ok do it, when will i get replacements?" "5 days!" "yikes". Now the problem is this is my main card - the other is AMEX which is not accepted often.

It's amazing how I've come to depend on the VISA card. I don't carry much cash and use the credit card all the time for on-line transactions, fuel for the card, travel to work on the train (using the automated machine) and impulse buying!

So we have resorted to old way of working! Had to take some cash out of the ATM today and we have been rationing it today - so there is some upside :)

Problem is tonight we are off to the cinema on a rare outing and i booked the tickets online 2 days ago. You guessed it - to pick tickets up, you use the credit card you used at booking. The cards been terminated and cut up! Lets see if the cinema has a set process and if they can cope with this exception case!

Interesting in this day and age that you cannot terminate a partner credit card even when it has it's own unique number! Ah well, at least we'll spend less over the next 5 days! I hope :)

Big puddle

For some reason 50 foot long puddles seem to attract nutters like magnets!

We didn't just do it once!

More pictures from the course soon.

Step 4

Front brake on, back brake off, clutch in, start engine, let front brake off, stand up on pegs, release clutch, use engine braking to descend!

Oh, and look out for the big puddle at the bottom of the hill. I said - look out for the big puddle at the bottom of the hill

Step 3

Swing leg over bike, foot straight on rear brake! Front brake on. Ready to start engine and ride off!

Step 2

Balance bike and wiggle handlebars from lock-to-lock to turn bike downhill.

Remembering not to drop bike! If bike does start to fall downhill remember to let go of handlebars!

Step 1

Get off the bike whilst on a hill - easier said than done!

Make sure bike does not roll backwards! Clutch out, engine off!

Figure out where you want the bike to go. Feather clutch. Lean bike on leg!

Wrong order!

"Are you sure you ordered garlic bread with your pizza sir? Bugger, now i can't get up the hill"

So your stuck on a steep hill, got to get the guy's garlic bread, the bike's stalled, if you start it the bike cannot get up the hill...what do you do?

Well you have to go downhill, first though you have got to shift 198kg of bike and yourself. No one is going to help!

The instruction begins!

Structure of course is great. You get to learn how to feather clutch, use front brake going downhill (i know i know....but their right), slow speed control, balance etc...then you move onto topics such as "what to do when you stop part way up a hill". Watch out zippy....nutter on a bike coming!

Nice shiny bikes!

We used all bmw kit on the offroad course - F650GS, 1200 GS Adv and G 650 XChallenge. All nice, clean and mechanically sound when we started :)

Weekend away

Just spent 2 days in Brecon in South Wales on a motorbike offroad course! Boy am i knackered, but it was great fun, learnt alot and my body aches!

The folks run the course on behalf of BMW

http://www.offroadskills.com/

Instruction, location, food, equipment are all great.

For anyone who has ridden a bike for a while i recommend it. They even do a lady only course as well.

One guy even flew in from Canada for the 2 day intro course and today he is ridding 80 miles offroad through the national park before flying home.

Dirty Boy

Just to prove all 4x4 drivers are not Chelsea tractor drivers! Evidence of getting off the tarmac

My only excuse for the disco getting this dirty was i didn't realise the puddle on the bridleway was so deep! Also be thankful that the blog does not have smelly-blogging. Stagnant water smells real bad!

Smartie Break!

On our 2nd outing on the MTB our 5yr old managed to do 5 miles offroad in 59 minutes! I know you've worked it out - the average speed is now 5mph up from 3.7mph! There is no stopping the boy! Well there is - me. If he had his way we would have done 20 miles!

Picture is of us at 1/2 way point taking the mandatory Smartie break! Doesn't everyone eat smarties when they exercise? The blue one's are the best!

Quick getaway!

Have a couple of days holiday monday and tuesday next week so it's a long weekend for me. I was hoping to get a early finish to work today but sod's law meant i was working till 7pm. Ah well, finsihed now. Time for a beer, feet up and a good film!

Nordic Walking

Was introduced to Nordic walking at a work off site. Initially i was a bit sceptical. But it's won me over! Let me tell you what it is then i can explain the benefits!

Nordic walking is basically Nordic skiing without the ski's. You walk and propel yourself along with the poles (made of carbon fibre with titanium spikes on the bottom!). Exercising this way is 20% more efficient than normal walking and it not only exercises the legs but arms and torso! I can burn 1,000+ calories in just over an hour.

The benefits. I'm losing weight, getting out in the fresh air and doing exercise that does not cause impact injuries. All-in-all a good exercise for my weight loss. Since i have started i've lost 6lbs in weight due to Nordic walking.

There all right in the north west

Been working out of our Cheshire office for 4 days. Also took mountain bikes with me so that some of the team could cycle in the evenings. First night 4 of us did 14 miles down the canal towards Manchester. Nice evening and good ride.

2 nights later 5 of us headed to Delamere forest were we did one of the forestry commission fire 7 mile fire trail rides. We ended back up at the cafe/car park and bumped into the owner and the chef from the cafe. We were looking for places to ride and Colin and Dean just decided to take us out for another 45 Min's and show us some great parts of the forest. Technical single tracks, big drops etc. I have the scars and bruises to show for it but it was great fun and knackering. Thanks lads for helping us out! Check out the cafe website and the critter cam :)

http://www.delamerecafe.com/

Big News!

Our eldest - all of 5yrs old - has made some big progress whilst i have been in Cheshire for 4 days.

Cycling without stabilizers uphill and downhill. Cycling whilst chatting. Cycling whilst looking around!

Saturday we went out and bought a ridgeback MTB for short persons. Sunday eldest and Dad out for our first off road bike ride down disused railway line. Results: Average speed 3.7mph, total distance covered 3miles, total time spent cycling: 48 Min's! No falling off. One massive puddle, many tree roots and a few muddy bits. Excellent ride!