Log
Thursday 7th July 2005
I'm back! I've got around a million emails to go through right now so watch this space and i'll update a bit on what i got up to over the last 2 weeks in Espana.
And i only got 5 hours sleep
Here's some photos!!
Thursday 7th July 2005
I'm not going to go on about my holiday today. I'd rather spend my thoughts on all the people, and people who have friends and family, in London today who have been caught up in the horrific terror attacks.
I've checked with everyone I know down there and fortunatly everyone is ok, but i know that others aren't so fortunate, so my thoughts are with them.
BBC News
Friday 8th July 2005
So, I had a brilliant holiday! I was able to drive over there for the first time, as you have to be 23 and i just turned that while i was there. Spain has some crazy arse drivers, that's for sure. But i think i was as loco as most of them, muy loco, i think Mom would say.
We drove across to Cadiz one day, one place I'd never been to. Quite a busy city, I took a few photos that you can see from the link i posted yesterday. Lots of old buildings, churches and a long walkway to a castle (which you actually couldn't walk in to after walking all that way).
It was hot hot hot, every day, in the 40s. Even hotter where Mom lives now as it's further in land. But Alhaurin is a nice town, lots of bars - with cheap beer, lots of young senoritas and lots of shops about.
Tuesday 12th July 2005
I know! I'm neglecting this, i just haven't had the time over the last few days or so. I'll do an update when i can.
I'm still alive.
Thursday 14th July 2005
So! The Grand Prix on sunday. Well, i missed most of it. On my way to my dads and the head gasket went on my car. The AA man towed me home. I'm fairly sure i caught it early enough that it hasn't done too much damage, the gasket was obviously leaking from the AA guys test for exhaust in the water. But the water was still clear and the oil looked ok. It's been in the garage all week, the guy said yesterday that they'd got the head off and it didn't look too bad, so might get it back today.
Been staying at Dads all week as it would take a good part of the day to get from home to work without a car. I'm calling the garage this afternoon to find out what's happenin'.
Jennifer's in France now seeing her mum, flew out today. I managed to get round to her monday, borrowing my dads car, to get my spare set of keys back. I got her a little something from Spain to say thanks too.
UPDATE: woo, they're putting my car back together now and i should be getting it back tomorrow.
Monday 18th July 2005
Some good news, and some bad news. Good news is, I got my car back saturday and it's running a lot smoother than it had been. Bad news is, they decided, without my authority, to replace the cam belt at the same time - claiming that it would need doing and as the head was off, blah blah blah. I'm also assuming they think i'm some sort of idiot, that cam belt wouldn't need doing for at least another 30k as it's only done about that since the block was put in a few years ago. I paid for it, i needed my car back, but i requested a detailed invoice as the one they gave me was bullshit - just showed labour and nothing else. Once i know what they charged for what i'll be speaking to them again - then if no joy, my credit card company and trading standards.
Goes without saying, i won't be going back to Aylesbury MOT Centre.
Wednesday 20th July 2005
It was the last in the series of CSI last night, directed by Quentin Tarrantino. It was brilliant! The burying was kind of familiar after Kill Bill, but it had a whole new twist to it. A couple of classic Tarrantino moments, the part in the morgue was brilliant.
Although, being the geek that i am, i found it hard to believe that they couldn't track down that webcam sooner. I'm sure it would have been a fairly simple task for a network guy to find out where the signal was being received and from there where that mobile phone was. But i tried not to think about that too much and just enjoy it.
In other news, the garage has bodged something up on my car. It runs smooth accelerating but if you back off on the gas it starts jumping and this morning coming off the bypass it actually stalled while i was stopping. Then it wouldn't even idle and i had to keep the gas on all the way... I'm phoning them in a minute.
Thursday 21st July 2005
The problem with my car just gets stranger. Last night when i started her up to get home it was revving like a nervous wreck. Up and down all the time, it didn't actually stall, but it kept coming close. I drove home and by the time I got to Aylesbury it was acting normally, i threw some petrol in and it was ok all the way home.
This morning i get in and it starts up fine. Half way to work and it starts playing up again. So it's intermittant, whatever the problem is. I could almost understand if it started doing it when it warmed up, but it was the other way round yesterday.
I spoke to the garage yesterday and the guy offered for me to bring it in today but there's no way i can get it there till saturday. So i'm taking it in first thing saturday, I'm just going to park it right up to their door and get them to look at it right away. I need that car over the weekend and next week. And i'm not paying another penny.
Monday 25th July 2005
Had a fantastic weekend, after my car problems again on Friday. I can't be bothered to go in to that, so i'll just say that it's sorted now!
Saturday I got the train down to London to meet up with some guys from 12stone. It was a good turnout. We met up in a pub around soho and had a few (read, a lot of) beers. We went to a couple of a clubs, had a few laughs then just crashed out. I might have a link to some photos, if not then have a look on 12stone, there's some there - a couple with me looking a little worse for wear.
Wednesday 27th July 2005
Ah, summer. You've got to love it. No wait, it's raining.
Not too much been going on really, I haven't been able to get a decent nights sleep yet this week, monday night I was on thep hone for 3 hours and i think it might have fried my brain and wouldn't let me sleep. Then last night the people upstairs were slamming doors and banging around at 1 in the morning. And this morning the door of the shop downstairs started slamming again!! They're under new management since 4th July, so maybe they thought it would be good to un-fix the fixed door and annoy the upstairs neighbours. I'll be down there telling them about it tonight...
Friday 29th July 2005
Had this morning off to take Gran to the hospital for her checkup, we'll be back there in 6 months now. After i dropped Gran off I popped in to Berko, 30p for the car park! cheap as chips! Grabbed some food for lunch and i had to make a quick phone call to sort something out - i will explain soon!
Not going to be up to too much this weekend, need to clean and tidy the apartment. I can't believe it's August on monday, this year has just flown by. I'll have been working at where i am now for 3 years on monday, 3 years!
