Monthly Archive for December, 2009

The Fifth Wall of Shame

Published on December 24, 2009 in Wall of Shame. Closed Tags: , , , , .

The Seat Leon WRC.  Only they never made a WRC Leon.  This owner thought they should have, so failing one being officially available, he decided to inflict his own vision of one on the rest of us.  Complete with NACA ducts on the bonnet and a large bonnet scoop doubling as a roof mounted fresh air vent.  Useful when attempting special stages on the Acropolis Rally or Safari Rally around Ennis.  Tosser.

First bike for Sweetpea (already)

Published on December 24, 2009 in Baby and bicycle. Closed Tags: , .

The Wishbone Bike

Hoppop:

Sweetpea updated

Published on December 17, 2009 in Baby. Closed

Just back from our week 37 appointment in the maternity. Judy continues to amaze me. It’s all good. Scan indicates The Bump is approx. 6lbs.2oz. Also clearly visible, Sweetpea has it’s father’s dashing good looks, is tall, also just like it’s father, and incredibly intelligent. Not surprisingly, also like it’s father.

Ok, the last bits were maybe stretching the bounds of reality.

It does have my nose though.

Of course our little bundle of joy is fast approaching the time when it’ll be joining us in the extra-womb world.  As it’s getting bigger the scan photos are getting harder to make sense of what you’re seeing.  Nonetheless I’ve included a few shots from the 35th week and 37th week scans.

Week 35:

Week 37:

Wall of Shame, the 4th

Published on December 16, 2009 in Wall of Shame. Closed Tags: , , , .

Spotted on a recent visit to the Maternity hospital.  Driven by a Grrl Racer, from Newcastle West (not important, really), some poor baby is presumably going to be driven around in this yoke in the near future.  It’ll probably want to go back to the womb, ehem, rather quickly, once it claps eyes on this.  No baby seat yet made will protect it.

Seen as high automotive fashion in Newcastle West and environs, based on some of the tat that’s out that way.  Sorry, couldn’t resist the NCW comment.

Jeremy, you’ve a lot to answer for in TV

Published on December 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , .

Trip to Ikea

Published on December 16, 2009 in Furniture and House. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

So I went to Ikea the other day to pick up some new bookcases for our house.  We decided on a previous visit to go with Billy bookcases with glass full lenght doors.  No problem.  Except of course that they wouldn’t fit in to either of our cars and really weigh too much to put up on a roof rack.  Even Tonka’s, as there would be no way to stop them sliding forward in the event of an emergency stop. 

So I rented a van, through a friend who shall remain nameless to protect her innocence.  I got a ’08 Ford Transit, which I have to say was actually surprisingly nice to drive – peppy, comfy, and didn’t handle as badly as some cars I’ve driven.  No wonder bank robbers have always loved them.

Anyway, upon arrival at Ikea I was directed by their staff to park under the building.  So far so good.  Clearance was 2.8 meters.  It was only when I turned off the main thru’fare under the building that I litterally “ran” into trouble.  Trouble in this case taking the form of a hefty steel i-beam.  At 2.3 meters clearance.  Which as you can see below was less than what was required by the van. 

Always tick the box on the rental form to take their insurance!

And the reason I went to Ikea in the first place, now all un-flat packed:

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

Published on December 8, 2009 in Uncategorized. Closed

Ooh-ee, Let me take you for a sea cruise….or I name thee SS Lusitania. God Bless all who sail on her!

Published on December 2, 2009 in Holiday. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Ok not a sea cruise, a cruise up the river Shannon.  Pt.1 of our summer holidays (fair point….posting it a bit late), we spent 3 nights on the river in an Emerald Star cruiser, the SS Lusitania.  Yes I know, the real Lusitania is properly referred to as the RMS Lusitania, but SS sounds better.  Publishing this post now is, I suppose, somewhat topical (great word), given the current flooding experienced along the river Shannon.  Finger on the pulse stuff this.
We collected our fine craft from Emerald Star in Portumna and after some basic training we set off, with yours truly at the helm.  The other crew members seemed to think I had more experience with boats and felt safer in my hands.  Or none of them wanted to be the first to crash/run aground the boat.
Scurvy dogs, AAaaRRRRR. Not knowing what to expect

Scurvy dogs, AAaaRRRRR. Not knowing what to expect

Anyway the good ship SS Lusitania (Bofin), a Broom cruiser, best described as the kind of “sturdy” that James May would get a little stiffie over, carried us from Portumna, up the Shannon river, through such cosmopolitan hubs as Banagher (best avoided) and Shannon Bridge (cute, but Why??), through the very interesting looking (and now flooded – see, this is topical, on the pulse, stuff) Athlone and on to Lough Ree where we discovered an absolute gem of a marina – Killinure Point (Quigley’s Marina, home of Waveline Cruisers).  Honestly, with the weather we got, the place looked like something out of a Tommy Pullmyfinger / Ralph Lauren Autumn season clothing catalogue, shot on location in New England. 
Sunset in Killinure Pt.

Sunset in Killinure Pt.

We also found a great little pub, located less than 15 minutes walk away, called Killinure Chalets.  On reflection they should have probably called it Little Deutschland, but the food was good, the menu reminded me of any generic Stubbe in Germany, and Derek Davis was dining only a two tables away from us, so the place is obviously a mecca for Ireland’s A list hoi polloi, or ex RTE news presenters at the very least.
The return journey took just a day, in glorious sunshine, taking us from Lough Ree down to the public marina at Portumna Castle.  Along the way we (sorry, I) rammed the quay side in Athlone lock (no contibution to the flooding dilemma they’re currently experiencing), spent some time at the beautiful Meelick lock, raced a bunch of scary Germans down to Portumna, went through the swing bridge in Portumna and secured the last remaining free berth in the Portumna Castle marina (reversing in to the berth with great speed and skill), much to the disgust I’m sure of the Germans, who were, well, a bit slow, despite their Captain’s best efforts.  Best efforts at least in regards to his somewhat questionable clothing styl-ee, of a nautical persausion.  He really shouldn’t have.  Little blue peaked Captain’s cap, blue and white stripped long sleeved t-shirt, neck scarf/bandana, and wait for it, a pair of not particularly opaque white pants!  Sadly Judy and I missed their subsequent berthing efforts in Portumna Castle, where they managed to block in two other boats for the night, but apparently it was a less than teutonic affair, involving no military like precision what-so-ever and lots and lots of shouting screaming of orders Kommands.
The good ship SS Lusitania in Portumna Harbour

The good ship SS Lusitania in Portumna Harbour

Back safe and sound. Relief. AAaaRRRRR!

Back safe and sound. Relief. AAaaRRRRR!