Well, as mentioned elsewhere I am now back in the saddle and back “On tour”.
In June I have been training at Hatfield, Tunbridge Wells, Basildon, Asheldham (Essex), Taunton and Bristol. Looking back over this year so far I have worked with motor manufacturers, deep sea explorers, satellite ground stations, and manufacturers of high voltage switchgear. So life is far from dull.
On the home front I’ve been repairing garden fences and generally planting and sowing. My garden is quite long so a few years ago we fenced off the bottom part of our garden for our vegetable patch. Which is brilliant now as it means I have an allotment I don’t have to travel far to get to!
I haven’t got a clue what the flowers and shrubs are called, and every year I have to look up what they are all called.
But I can say the garden is my favourite place, I enjoy visiting Spain and South America but I just love sitting under my pergola in the summer with a cheeky glass of Zinfandel or Sauvignon Blanc. As Pa Larkin would say, Perfeck!
In between moments of tranquillity the grandkids might arrive and set about storming the climbing frames (also at the bottom of the garden). Its another joy just to watch them and hear their laughter.
On an electrical note, I was curious to see TLC advertising a “Consumer Unit Relocator”? Well of course, its nothing more than a multiple joint box for terminating existing cables into and then onto your new CU. Good idea though, I’ve had to make my own up in the past with 4mm terminal block mounted on DIN rail.
I remember reading about a theory somewhere that there are only something like 187 different body types and as time goes by I am beginning to agree with something along these lines. If you have a public facing job like mine, where you meet many groups of people you do seem to see the same faces again and again. For instance in most training sessions there is a skinny little bloke with greasy hair and a weedy little moustache. Today the late middle aged bloke with buck teeth, bald pate and a straggly ponytail was in attendance again. I have often been tempted to say “Didn’t I do you last week?”.
Went to the National Motorcycle Museum at Solihull with my old mucker Professor Griffiths and was like a kid in a sweetshop. All British bikes and hundreds of them. Norton, Triumph Arial, Francis Barnet even and all year by year. I thoroughly recommend a visit. I can’t say as I recommend their café though, apart from the coffee.
My mate Andy is writing a book, I do wish I was as clever as he is. I’ve made a start several times before but then I get fed up with it and cast it aside. Perhaps I could stich the starts of all the books I have written into a single book?
One day I’ll knuckle down and do it properly. You know, list of characters and attributes, plan of chapters and scenes. Yeah, one day.
Went for an Indian with my old mate CJ the other night. I had probably had one too many sherbets. Nuff said.
Talking of fine dining, if you frequent Travelodge I can recommend the Punjabi Tikka Masala, but the “Buddha Bowl Chicken Strips” was not to my taste.
Perhaps I ought to make this a regular feature of my blog “Ted’s Dining Spot”, so for this month I am going to propose Premier Inn/Beefeater’s “Salsa Verde Sea Bass”. If you are trying to rein in the waistline yet still have a tasty meal this could be up your street. Very flavoursome and well presented. Top marks for this.
On the other hand, what do I know. I’m so common I still enjoy a Greggs bacon roll and cappuccino as a treat.
When my dad was fighting his way through Italy during WW2 he asked an Italian wine grower what the best wine was. He replied “The best wine is the one you like” wise words.
Oh well, time saddle up and ride off into the sunset folks. Remember to take it easy on them campfire beans.
Adios por ahora.