Friday, April 14, 2017

Has it really been this long?

Forgot I had a blog - I guess it was just yesterday's toy :)

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Just a quick catch-up

Pretty much forgot about this blog, but I was idling and tidying and thought I'd just do a quick catch-up ...........

In a few weeks time I'll be a grandad again, my daughter is about to have her second (and last). It was something of a miracle that she had one, her consultant said almost impossible that she'd manage a second - moral : just don't give up hope, and keep practising !!

I have given up working (for others) and am spending some time on my own house for a change, just installing a downstairs loo to help in our later years. We had a new roof late last year, and replaced our lawn with "fake grass" which is brilliant. Had new doors made for my wardrobes, look good.

Enjoyed the footy last season, some of my team's play was great, just a shame they didn't make it to top spot. Cries of "boring boring" laid to rest a long time ago - at least for my team that is.

Am enjoying F1 again. Perhaps not because of the spectacle of the racing, likely more to do with Lewis winning. It's a tad sad that I enjoy sport more when "we" are winning, but that's the way of the sporting fan - perhaps not sporting? I used to love watching athletics, but these days I'm disgusted with all those that are (obviously) having chemical help, but moreso that some get banned, banned again, and still they are allowed to sully the sport.

I pondered and considered for quite a while, but eventually decided that I had had enough of running the ABF, no disrespect to the others but I was doing too much and it was becoming too time consuming, I need a break, so I jacked it in. It (the ABF) was in a fit and healthy state when I left in April, not quite sure what is happening now.

I am re-kindled, and re-charged, and really looking forward to fishing soon. Ok, pending grandchild may come at a (fishing wise) inopportune time, but priorities right - family first, and barbel second. Although as I fish late at night then I can fish without causing anyone any problem by my absence, we shall see.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

My blog has gone to sleep ...........

....... perhaps I will start blogging again, perhaps not. It was a toy and yes, it did bore me.

Will it be missed?, very likely not.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Year, blog re-visited

It's been a while since I blogged anything, doubtless nobody missed me :) .So what's been happening?

Granchildren growing oh so fast, am enjoying being the whiskered old fart.

Rivers been to high for me to bother with lately. When my nearest favoured club water is 55 miles away , and my other one is 75 miles away, I can't think of making a trip unless I'm pretty sure it's worth it. Had a bout of man flu recently, so daft to even think of it.

After all these years, 30 or so without ever wearing a coat for fishing, have changed my "style". I don't really feel the cold that much and always happy to fish from under a brolly, so coat was worn from van to river, and then river to van, at all other times sat beside my bag - but when it was tipping it down playing and landing a fish was always a problem. Now decided on, and bought, an ex-army gortex jacket which is easily donned, and I'll be cooking on gas.

Have enjoyed watching re-runs of the Olympics. Funniest comment was about Mo Farrah, something like "he took on the Africans and beat them" ................. and Mo comes from? Somalia.

Phil Taylor, his 16th world championship win, just amazing.

 ................... already bored, may write some more later.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

No time for blogging

It's been an interesting (for me at least) time recently.

Olympics were great, especially two of my favourite sports track cycling and rowing, which were favourites of mine before we became particularlygood at it. Paralympics were great, an inspiration.

la Vuelta was good, until Rodrigues had a bad day and Contador took the lead - I can't get excited when a drug-cheat wins. Chris Froome did well, but I think he was outgunned by 3 spaniards kinda working together.

Tour of Britain was good, Wiggins certainly grafts but had to pull out. Tiernan-Locke won and hopefully will join Team-Sky.

World Road Championships were disappointing, but largely predictable.

Enjoying being a grandad, wasn't sure I would.

Guested a mate on a club stretch where I've caught quite a few. To be fair I gave him choice of 3 "selected" swims, and he chose well. I didn't get a bite but he had two including a new PB.

Fished with "one of the masters" of barbel angling last week, both of us being guests of a nice guy, it was a hugely enjoyable day. I spent most of the time sitting with him and listening. "The master" invited me out again, so he must have enjoyed it too.

Disappointed Hamilton has left McLaren.

Enough for now, flasks to fill.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Olympics

Too much to watch, no time to blog.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Almost there

What a fantastic race, Bradley almost there as long as he stays on his bike today. To hear Chris Hoy say that if Bradley wins the tour it could be the highest achievement ever by a British sportsman, makes you think. Obviously he needs a team around him for it to happen, and then they need to perform, but that's what the team was put together for. That Mark Cavendish joined the team knowing that it would cost him several (I think) stage wins says a lot. The team members make a huge sacrifice knowing that whatever their aspirations, they will give all for the team, and the team leader.

Could Chris Froome win the tour? maybe, but Bradley is one exceptional cyclist and that's a question that may never be answered. If he develops into team-leader potential, maybe we can see a second british winner, who knows? But it will be interesting to see if the team stays intact for next year's tour, and will Bradley still be there, and with an appetite for more? I for one look forward to it.

I hope they set Cav up for a 4th win on the Champs thingy.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Countdown .................

...... to the Olympics - normally I'd be looking forward to it, but being "over here" it's going to be difficult. Chaos on the roads and on public transport (although I don't use the latter these days); businesses suffering cos of access restrictions; businesses suffering cos deliveries in and out are forced to be between midnight and 5am; can't go fishing at one of my clubs cos they're shutting the car parks. Whatever happens I'm sure the costs will rack up, and who will end up paying?

Anyway, so as not to sound like a sad moaney old git ...................

Am enjoying le Tour. Bradley in yellow is great, and all is shaping up well for a historic result, but it ain't over till it's over. Anything can happen and another incident like yesterday's where some saddo tried to wreck it all with tacks scattered on the road it could end up with more tears, it already cost one rider a broken collar bone! I just hope the French cycling fans find out who did it :-)

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Another blogging blanking time

Yet again, has been a while since I last tapped anything on my keyboard, so what's been happening? (if I can remember that is), in no particular order.

My lot finished 3rd in the Prem, keeping our rightful place (just) above the enemy :-)

My daughter made us grandparents again, this time a baby girl, a few weeks ago. Lovely little thing she is, but then I would say that wouldn't I?

F1 looking interesting, with all these different winners, but gutted today with Maldonado (the latest mobile chicane) battering Hamilton off in the last lap or so. Maybe Hamilton's tyres were shot, but I think a podium was on. Now, IF Maldonado is put before the stewards, and whatever happens, you can't give a podium back.

Started my barbel season off quite well. One fish on my first trip, and three on Friday, is a stunning start for me by any accounts. Four fish from a venue that I caught just eight from in the whole of last season (albeit only two in the whole of the season before) so it's looking good for an improvement. I don't do targets, and as I said to my good mate Biggun, "do I care?" (who's caught more between us) "Nah", and as he replied "neither of us do". Tis so true. If my fishing mate DaveC can fish with me this week, it'll make the season sof far all the better, as I haven't seen him since September due to his injuries.

The ABF's first "Meet the Experts" evening went well, we all enjoyed it especially "the experts" and the next one should be better if we build on this - I'm sure we will. Lots of fish-ins coming up, all bode well for the  future.

Looking forward to the Olympics, but as long as "we" are not held to ransome by certain workers. I'm a handyman and decorator and I wonder if I will get a bonus of £500 just for doing MY job? Nah, I doubt it too.

I love the TT. I recorded about 12 programmes on my PVR and sat down one day to start watching and all, plus 24 other recordings, had disappeared. Looking at the hard-drive useage I could see all were still there, som 35GB of them, but the damn index had gone, so I couldn't watch any. So managed to see a couple of review TT programmes on i-Player, but that was all. Never mind, as I said at the time (well not exactly at the time co's the air was a bit blue) it's not life or death, they were only TV programmes.

Laid 4 real-wood floors and 3 ceramic tiled floors last week, with a pal, in 5.5 days. Getting too old for this, my knees are already knackered, and my dicky back is not happy either.

Looking forward NOT to Wimbledon, 2 weeks of tennis every day on our TV. Cannot see what people like about it, but then they don't fish do they?

Euro-2012 Football? Cannot get interested at all. But I see that Alastair Brownlee came back from his injuries and beat his brother Johnny in the latest international Triathlon. I know predictions are dangerous, but who'd bet against these two getting gold and silver at the olympics?


Sunday, May 13, 2012

They should have known better

McLaren. Would have been their 150th F1 pole position, but they didn't put enough fuel in and contravened the rules, so all that work led to nowt. Hamilton must be gutted.

With all their experience, and that technology, why couldn't they work out the amount needed - they sure knew soon enough when they told Hamilton to switch off the engine out on the track, so it makes me wonder whether they took a risk (with the rules) and just cocked it up.

-------------------------------------------

Ok, so subsequently it was deemed that there was enough fuel put in but the rules state "....... and have to be able to drive back to the pit-lane and have one litre of fuel left for the FIA to test"

So, it was iffy that there would be enough left and Hamilton was told to cut the engine - a McLaren cock-up and it shouldn't happen, surely?