Pan's Labyrinth

30 November 2006 23:10

Tonight I went to see Pan's Labyrinth which is a Spanish Fairy Tale set during the Spanish Civil War.

It was very good but in places you could see the film's influences so I was left feeling that it wasn't entirely original. For example a girl was dressed remarkably like Alice in Wonderland just before crawling down a hole in a tree.

The film keeps jumping between a dark and cruel reality to a more wonderus fairy tale world but it's never quiet clear whether the fairies and fawn are real or just figments of the girls imagination.

That said, it was definitely aimed at the older audience which was good because fantasy is a genre I love but I do get fed up with childish focus of a lot of the film's (see the earlier Harry Potter Film for example).

All in all, I really enjoyed the film.

Afterwards, we went for a pizza at Pizza Express before coming home.

Categories: Personal_

Drunk Driver

29 November 2006 20:56

Riding home tonight on the motorbike, I found myself behind a drunk driver. He was swerving all over the road, sometimes driving into the soft shoulder and towards then toward the oncoming traffic.

I really wanted to ring the police but I knew by the I had found a safe place to stop, got my helmet off and rung 999 he would have been long gone and they would have never found him.

I tried to remember his number plate but by the time I got home I couldn't be sure that I had remembered the number right one in the oak I couldn't be sure of the model or colour of the car.

I need an Autocom type system because at least then I could use the phone and continue riding which might have allowed me to guide the police to the driver.

Categories: Biking_ Personal_

Late T-Mobile Payment

29 November 2006 15:48

I've just had T-Mobile on the phone because I have once again not paid the bill on time. The reason I haven't paid the bill on time? because after about 5 attempts in 7-8 months to get a direct debit mandate from them and 5 failures to do so I decided that I would now only pay the bill once the grace period had expired and they have cut me off. This is the second month in a row where I have done this on purpose (although 3 months ago I did miss the payment by mistake).

I have now paid the bill and I have once again requested a Direct Debit mandate.

I'm sure all these late payments at killing my credit rating but to be honest, I never apply for credit cards, I have no intention of moving house so I don't have a new mortgage to worry about and I just do not care what business's think of my credit rating.

I think the problem is that T-Mobile want me to do this via there customer services call center but it's got to the point where I just don't trust them and I want to see the mandate in my hand where I can fill in the details myself and sign the hard copy.

Besides, you never know, they might actually send the damn form out this time.

Categories: Plasmon_

Padded Trousers Replaced

25 November 2006 12:18

Today I rode up to Coallille to get the trousers I brought at the bike show replaced because the zip had broken.

The journey up was very bad, lot's of rain, lots of wind, lots of lightningSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

My Padded Trousers Broke

20 November 2006 12:04

This morning, the zip on my padded biking trousers broke, I've phoned
the people I've brought them from (a company stall at the NEC Bike
Show) and they said they will replace the trousers if I bring them to
their office in Leichester.

I've priced it up and it is cheaper for me to ride out there than it
would be to post to them and it looks like a nice ride so I'm going to do that next saturday.

Categories: Personal_ Biking_

PYW AGM

17 November 2006 23:29

I've just got back from thePeteborough Young Walkers held at the Bolthop Arms in Peterborough.

It was about 30 minutes of official business and 3 hours of drinking, eating and games.

The journey there was terrible, heavy traffic in very wet and windy weather but I got there without any trouble.

Categories: Personal_

Shed Arrived

Well, at long last my shed has arrived.

There is plenty of space around the doors so I shouldn't have trouble getting the motorbike in there although the floor will need reinforcing and I will need to build a ramp before that happens.

Categories: Personal_

Walking in Oundle

12 November 2006 15:57

Today, I went walking in Oundle with the ramblers. It was a long walk at 9-10 miles but the area was quite nice.

It was quite a poor turn out however, 12 in total but 4 of those were new people.

Maybe the distance put people off.

Categories: Walking_

Lost in Peterborough

11 November 2006 10:34

I'm going to the Ramblers AGM next week but it is going to be hard getting from work to Peterborough in time so tonight I rode up there to check the route and timing.

And a good job I did because I got lost in Peterborough and spending 1.5 hours riding around in the dark trying to find the right road.

It was raining really hard last night and I think the spray and lights reflecting off the road stopped me seeing road names.

On the plus side, my waterproofs end heated grips do work in torrential rain.

Categories: Personal_ Biking_

Romano Criminal

08 November 2006 23:42

Tonight, I went to see Romano Criminal with Matt, Martina and Nicola. Before the film we went to Pizza Express.

The film was very enjoyable but at 2.5 hours it could have been a bit shorter.

Categories: Personal_

Shake Down Ride

05 November 2006 13:16

Yesterday, I brought surre pedal's for my new mountain bike and this morning I fitted them and took the bike for a 10 Mile shake down ride.

I started off sticking to the roads, then started to do a little off roading.

The bike is very light which will be good when off-road but I run out of gear's before I can get up to a desert speed on-road.

Categories: Personal_ Cycling_

My poor bike got pushed over

04 November 2006 10:46

Last night my motorbike got pushed over, the crash mushroom was cracked but there was surprisingly little damage.

This is the second time the bike has been targetted so I have reported it- to the police.

I'm not expecting them to be able to do anything but at least there is a report in case the kids get crushed unde my bike one night.

Categories: Personal_ Biking_

Chilly start to the day

03 November 2006 09:13

Today was a chilly morning and it looks like I've got the padded trousers
and my heated grips sorted out just in time.

In fact this morning, my bike was covered in ice so I'm really glad I got
the padded trousers at the bike show.

The only part of me that is now getting cold are my feet, I may need to
think about putting 2 pairs of socks on in the morning.

Categories: Personal_ Biking_

NEC Bike Show

01 November 2006 17:23

Today, I went to the NEC Bike Show with Matt and I met dad there.

I had planned to get there quite early but the van rental (I hired a van because I'm buying some bicycles after the show) took much longer than I had intended.

After getting the van I picked up Matt and then got stuck in traffic almost straight away then took the wrong turn twice on the was to Birmingham, we eventually arrived at the NEC at 11:30 instead of the 10:00 I had hoped for.

We found dad without too much trouble and then me aid Matt split up from dad and his mate Jeff aid visited all the stalls.

I had hoped to get a rideout on a Honda Varadero but by the time we found the booking stall, all the places were booked.

I did get myself some padded riding trousers for £80 and dad found me a right angle tyre valve apdater so I can fill my tyres with air at petrol stations.

We finally finished at about 15:OO and headed back to the Van to collect the bicycles from Nottingham.

Categories: Personal_ Biking_.