October, November then December and we're over halfway through September already. This year is fading quickly.
It's on a Sunday, usually after a few drinks or similar, that I wake up wanting an adventure. Sunday's the best day for that but I don't have time to set an expedition to Antarctica - to me the most amazing place on this planet - so I have to do with the TV. It's amazing what putting a DVD into your DVD player can do.
This morning it took me to the edges of the planet and David Attenborough was my guide. I know Planet Earth as a series is a few years old and now its likely been preceded by LIFE as the the ultimate voyage of discovery the TV has to offer but to me it's still a big favorite and I will still one day, if it's available, by it in Blu-Ray to experience it even further.
I watched the first episode this morning which started in Antarctica with the King Emperor Penguins huddled together as the eternal 4 months of night settled in, in temperatures of minus 70C, and then it whisked us to the Arctic where spring approaches the Polar bear roles out of it's mound and down the mountain. It's so happy to be free of the 4 months of darkness that it comes out of its hole and slides and rolls down the hill side in triumph, shortly followed by it's two month old cubs. It's a sight to behold. It's a wonder of nature.
We think we have it hard but we don't and that's one of the reasons I need to sit and watch the wonder of nature and this planet so that I can realise how minuscule our problems and survival are compared to these beasts of the snow. Gracious, even cuddly I would not knowingly walk into one's path!
The episode then continues to follow the flow of the planet as spring then summer comes and goes. We fly into distant forests one of which houses a third of all the worlds trees. They start off like conifers, needle like leaves that can't really support much of life but can survive the harshness of a proper winter and we move into a forest with much more edible fauna, that whilst only covering 3% of this planet (3% is pretty big on a planet wide scale by the way) houses over 50% of it's wildlife. All that nature together in one spot, amazing and scary.
Scary because as a population we're destroying it and in some cases just killing it meaninglessly.
My second DVD of the morning was the Long Way Round Episode 6. That's the one where Ewan and Charley travelling through Russia come up against the Road of Bones. I wanted to put a picture here but because I don't own my own images I'm worried about copyright.
During their journey in this episode they have to work with the camera crew and other truck drivers passing through to get along the roads, its amazing and really shows the harshness of this land. Why is it called the road of bones? Simply put the Road of Bones is named because wherever a prisoner died building it, they were buried - not taken back - just buried where they died along the road.
I talked earlier of meaningless killing and this episode shows the harshness of that. As a black bear is killed and skinned for its skin (worth $600 to the skinner) and its Gall bladder sold too. They leave the carcass to rot beyond that point, they can't eat the meat in these parts - it's poisonous.
Ewan and Charley both have things to say on this and whilst Ewan is 100% against it Charley isn't but also for the right reasons. He believes that if you kill something to eat that's fine - I agree - but anything else is pretty damn cruel, killing something for it's skin is murder lets face it.
If you feel like an adventure on a Sunday morning I can't think of better shows to watch but it makes you realise how big and scary this world really is and how much beauty it has. We need to keep it that way however hard that seems.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Monday, 5 July 2010
The Wedding
Went to a wedding on Saturday. Had it planned for months. Nearly didn't get there though.
Been having problems with my car of late and in the latest of incidents I have lost my indicators and my brakes weren't great.
Driving without indicators is a whole new experience but unlike on a bike your right arm does all the signals, and to turn left any passer by will see you with arm out of the window frantically doing a royal wave. All you can think is that I hope no-one sees me - well no-one I know - but everyone else obviously otherwise I'm in trouble.
To cut a long story short people are starting to say I jinx cars - that's how many problems I keep having.
So I was meant to be driving my brothers up to Lincolnshire the night before the wedding. I had my car in the garage the same day. I was hoping both brakes and indicators could be sorted. It wasn't to be as the electrician didn't show till gone 3 so barely had time to check the car - but at least find the problem - before I needed to go. However the brakes were done.
My Dad, forever helpful of which I'm forever appreciative of, drove me to pick up my car and we headed out of the industrial estate. I heard a weird creaking noise. Not good. Pulled over, Dad did the same - he was following me home since no indicators for me - and looked at the front wheels. Seemed OK. Dad said everything looked fine, prob brakes bedding in, so I got in and drove about 3 meters when the noise came back worse. Again we stopped and I jumped out except this time - and thank god Dad saw - my wheel looked ready to fall off, another few meters and I was going round a tight bend and the wheel would have got home before me. Luckily we spotted this in time and the mechanic said come bring the car back we'll sort this - I told him we're going nowhere and he diligently came out and sorted the problem.
Eventually got home but with no indicators it was down to Dad to drive us to Lincolnshire and try and get back home for a darts match. (Before coming to get us Sunday.)
We arrived in Lincolnshire and spent a relaxing evening with some now new and old friends, including the Groom.
Saturday came. Surely nothing could go wrong now. One of the guys offered to drive us all to the hotel, so me and my brothers alongside the Groom jumped in the car and we were followed by the best man in his as we headed to the hotel. So far so good...
Overheating Light.
At oh, that's not good, so the driver pulls over and lifts the hood. No problems with car before and did the 150 mile journey there fine on Friday. My brother makes a comment about the car jinx. I wave it off.
Nothing, so we move off again, no problem, cross two level crossings and on a major single lane A-road come to a hill where we promptly lose power. We have 35 minutes till the wedding and no car for us all, even worse we're stopped by a ditch and can't push the car further off the road, it could tip over. The best man takes the groom and my brothers jump in another car that's appeared - luckily the best man's parents - and I say I'll stay and help get the car moved.
'You've got AA or Green flag right?' I ask
'Not anymore, think it run out ages ago.'
'We need a towing co. then quickly.'
The driver makes a call to a 118 directory co. and tries to get info. We don't even quite know where we are. That doesn't help. I go online via Nokia Maps and pinpoint our position. OK we're on the A607 I tell him and point at the junction we're near.
The driver is now searching through his wallet and finds his AA card, he tells me maybe it is still in date, he can't remember as his brother pays it for him. We go to call the AA but his phone battery died.
Good job I stayed here then, no other had a mobile on them and he would have been stranded uselessly along the A607 on a Hot Saturday morning.
After several calls back and forth with the AA it is agreed his accounts still active and that help was on its way. An AA Van almost immediately goes past us in the other direction - coincidence?
I say he'll be back and a second later we get a text saying the AA man will be 10 minutes. Result, we've missed the wedding but we shouldn't hold the food / reception up at least. We can get towed to a garage in town and get a lift somehow to the hotel. Job done.
The AA turn up and after my friend proves that he isn't a woman - honestly they had his down as Miss, his brother's obviously laughing at that one - he reveals the nasty truth - the truth my brothers will mention again during the day, the car jinx has struck again.
Dirty mud like watery oil only means one thing and you don't have a warning (except maybe an overheating light?). Thanks for inventing the head gasket guys. Bloody good at its job but no half way point is there. No one says you need it changed; a car light doesn't come up saying change head gasket does it. Dam.
The AA man tows says his priority is to tow us to safety. I'd like to say this guy was a legend, someone else was coming on this job but he;d been the guy we saw drive past, he'd spotted us and as the job flashed on his screen and was allocated elsewhere, he said no. Give me it. I've seen them. I'm close and they're in a dangerous location. Legend.
So we're taken to a services where we find out, getting better now, that his policy gives his a courtesy car and the vehicle will be towed the 150 miles back to his nearest garage to home. Result!
So after much paperwork we're at an enterprise, we're about to get to the wedding, he's paid his deposit, we have a car, and we get in to go.
RRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPPPP.
'C'mon I say lets get there', sat nav on, we're about to go.
'We have to go back' he says.
'What? Back where?'
My friend puts his hands down his trousers - yes extremely dodgy - and his hand comes out the bottom of them underneath the fly.
'I ripped them sitting down here. We need to go back to the Groom's house for my jeans'.
So we did, no other choice, 25 mins back to the house, quick change, jump in car, I call the hotel and say we're on the way and we get there 3 hours after the wedding but in-tact and to a reception of claps for making it. Everyone friendly - although maybe some sarcasm there, I imagine many starved why we valiantly tried to get there - the groom couldn't 't hold up the wedding - nor should he not - but he did hold up the dinner.
40 people had to wait for us to eat. We were kings for a moment.
Can't count the number of drinks I had the rest of that day but I felt it didn't matter. We'd deserved them. We'd missed the wedding that we'd travelled so far to get to but made the reception/disco. Everyone had a great time.
I wish the happy couple well. I think my friends at home thanking the lucky stars he's with the AA and although I'm still a car jinx - don't think that stops overnight - at least
I'm not a mobile phone one.
Been having problems with my car of late and in the latest of incidents I have lost my indicators and my brakes weren't great.
Driving without indicators is a whole new experience but unlike on a bike your right arm does all the signals, and to turn left any passer by will see you with arm out of the window frantically doing a royal wave. All you can think is that I hope no-one sees me - well no-one I know - but everyone else obviously otherwise I'm in trouble.
To cut a long story short people are starting to say I jinx cars - that's how many problems I keep having.
So I was meant to be driving my brothers up to Lincolnshire the night before the wedding. I had my car in the garage the same day. I was hoping both brakes and indicators could be sorted. It wasn't to be as the electrician didn't show till gone 3 so barely had time to check the car - but at least find the problem - before I needed to go. However the brakes were done.
My Dad, forever helpful of which I'm forever appreciative of, drove me to pick up my car and we headed out of the industrial estate. I heard a weird creaking noise. Not good. Pulled over, Dad did the same - he was following me home since no indicators for me - and looked at the front wheels. Seemed OK. Dad said everything looked fine, prob brakes bedding in, so I got in and drove about 3 meters when the noise came back worse. Again we stopped and I jumped out except this time - and thank god Dad saw - my wheel looked ready to fall off, another few meters and I was going round a tight bend and the wheel would have got home before me. Luckily we spotted this in time and the mechanic said come bring the car back we'll sort this - I told him we're going nowhere and he diligently came out and sorted the problem.
Eventually got home but with no indicators it was down to Dad to drive us to Lincolnshire and try and get back home for a darts match. (Before coming to get us Sunday.)
We arrived in Lincolnshire and spent a relaxing evening with some now new and old friends, including the Groom.
Saturday came. Surely nothing could go wrong now. One of the guys offered to drive us all to the hotel, so me and my brothers alongside the Groom jumped in the car and we were followed by the best man in his as we headed to the hotel. So far so good...
Overheating Light.
At oh, that's not good, so the driver pulls over and lifts the hood. No problems with car before and did the 150 mile journey there fine on Friday. My brother makes a comment about the car jinx. I wave it off.
Nothing, so we move off again, no problem, cross two level crossings and on a major single lane A-road come to a hill where we promptly lose power. We have 35 minutes till the wedding and no car for us all, even worse we're stopped by a ditch and can't push the car further off the road, it could tip over. The best man takes the groom and my brothers jump in another car that's appeared - luckily the best man's parents - and I say I'll stay and help get the car moved.
'You've got AA or Green flag right?' I ask
'Not anymore, think it run out ages ago.'
'We need a towing co. then quickly.'
The driver makes a call to a 118 directory co. and tries to get info. We don't even quite know where we are. That doesn't help. I go online via Nokia Maps and pinpoint our position. OK we're on the A607 I tell him and point at the junction we're near.
The driver is now searching through his wallet and finds his AA card, he tells me maybe it is still in date, he can't remember as his brother pays it for him. We go to call the AA but his phone battery died.
Good job I stayed here then, no other had a mobile on them and he would have been stranded uselessly along the A607 on a Hot Saturday morning.
After several calls back and forth with the AA it is agreed his accounts still active and that help was on its way. An AA Van almost immediately goes past us in the other direction - coincidence?
I say he'll be back and a second later we get a text saying the AA man will be 10 minutes. Result, we've missed the wedding but we shouldn't hold the food / reception up at least. We can get towed to a garage in town and get a lift somehow to the hotel. Job done.
The AA turn up and after my friend proves that he isn't a woman - honestly they had his down as Miss, his brother's obviously laughing at that one - he reveals the nasty truth - the truth my brothers will mention again during the day, the car jinx has struck again.
Dirty mud like watery oil only means one thing and you don't have a warning (except maybe an overheating light?). Thanks for inventing the head gasket guys. Bloody good at its job but no half way point is there. No one says you need it changed; a car light doesn't come up saying change head gasket does it. Dam.
The AA man tows says his priority is to tow us to safety. I'd like to say this guy was a legend, someone else was coming on this job but he;d been the guy we saw drive past, he'd spotted us and as the job flashed on his screen and was allocated elsewhere, he said no. Give me it. I've seen them. I'm close and they're in a dangerous location. Legend.
So we're taken to a services where we find out, getting better now, that his policy gives his a courtesy car and the vehicle will be towed the 150 miles back to his nearest garage to home. Result!
So after much paperwork we're at an enterprise, we're about to get to the wedding, he's paid his deposit, we have a car, and we get in to go.
RRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPPPP.
'C'mon I say lets get there', sat nav on, we're about to go.
'We have to go back' he says.
'What? Back where?'
My friend puts his hands down his trousers - yes extremely dodgy - and his hand comes out the bottom of them underneath the fly.
'I ripped them sitting down here. We need to go back to the Groom's house for my jeans'.
So we did, no other choice, 25 mins back to the house, quick change, jump in car, I call the hotel and say we're on the way and we get there 3 hours after the wedding but in-tact and to a reception of claps for making it. Everyone friendly - although maybe some sarcasm there, I imagine many starved why we valiantly tried to get there - the groom couldn't 't hold up the wedding - nor should he not - but he did hold up the dinner.
40 people had to wait for us to eat. We were kings for a moment.
Can't count the number of drinks I had the rest of that day but I felt it didn't matter. We'd deserved them. We'd missed the wedding that we'd travelled so far to get to but made the reception/disco. Everyone had a great time.
I wish the happy couple well. I think my friends at home thanking the lucky stars he's with the AA and although I'm still a car jinx - don't think that stops overnight - at least
I'm not a mobile phone one.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
2010
So we head into 2010 and have lots of things I'd like to do this year. I'm sure I start every year the same but feel this one could be a bit different. I'd like to learn the guitar. I've tried before but I think if I try to do it little and often then eventually somethings got to rub off right?
Would be nice to give up smoking too but I need to look into the best way of doing that. Going to Amsterdam this year, first half of year hopefully, and think it might be too easy to jump back on the smoking wagon if I do it straight away.
Oh and need get on the big screen,either as a writer or star, write a block busting novel and start a famous band. Hmmm.
Would be nice to give up smoking too but I need to look into the best way of doing that. Going to Amsterdam this year, first half of year hopefully, and think it might be too easy to jump back on the smoking wagon if I do it straight away.
Oh and need get on the big screen,either as a writer or star, write a block busting novel and start a famous band. Hmmm.
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