» Narrow Escapes

Baah
I remember being chased by a sheep (with horns) around a field when I was younger.

Me and my friend were walking a bit behind everyone else as we were pissing about (as you do when you're about 12/13), when as we were about to approach the gate into the next field, a big fuck-off sheep with ginormous horns just stood by it, staring at us. We just decided to walk to the other end of the field and go to the other exit, in case it decided to turn the tables of the food chain and eat us.

We turned around after about 20 yards of walking in the opposite direction and it was running at us. Never ran so fast in my life. It didn't give up after about 100 yards so we had to hop a barbed wire fence into a hedge so we could live to see another day.

I then got chased by a cow the next week. I don't like farmyard animals.
(Wed 25th Aug 2010, 9:35, More)

» Waste of money

Car
I'm a bit of a car lover (no, not in that way), and for my 20th birthday (last year) I thought I'd treat myself to a new car as my Clio was getting to be a bit of an eyesore. Plus, I wanted to impress the laydees with a swish new car that looked better than an oversized bubble with a massive scratch on the passenger door. I'd always wanted an MG ZR (don't judge me), as it's nippy, looks fairly decent and is really quite fun to drive. For a 20 year old, anyway.

So, I bought one. A 54 reg in Silver. I was delighted, and couldn't wait to drive it after my much needed 2 week holiday. Fast forward 2 weeks and I was ready for the maiden voyage to work. It was great, I could actually overtake people without rocking backwards and forwards for that extra motion, I didn't have to slam it down 2 gears to overtake, and it took corners like a beaut.

This was, until, it decided it didn't want to change gears. Yep, not at all. And it was in the best place ever to decide this - half way up a cocking hill, in the middle of the cocking road. Brilliant. I always enjoy sitting on my arse in the middle of the road, with a queue of angry motorists behind me. I eventually called the AA out who diagnosed it with 'clutch cable broken'. He fixed it temporarily and I was away. I took it to the garage the following day and got it replaced. Sorted!

Or so I thought.

The next day I couldn't actually reverse off my drive. Brilliant. Cue another call to the AA (definitely making the most of my monthly fee) to take another inspection. This time, however, it turns out the clutch arm (don't know the exact name) was actually broken. Yep, the massive thick, metal arm was practically bent 90 degrees. Off to the garage it went.

£400 later (gulp) it was fixed. Not happy seeing as I had already shelled out £2800 to pay for the damn car.

6 months in advance and I was just driving back from York with a friend, and noticed a bit of steam from coming out of my hood. I pulled over straight away and did a typical man thing and pop the hood and make it look like I knew what I was doing. I didn't have a fudging clue, but noticed the anti-freeze was all gone and the cap was not to be seen. Wonderful. Eventually I had to pay £150 to get my car back home as I was in Sheffield and the AA man didn't have an anti-freeze cap on him (that fitted my car). I was very fotunate in this case as all I needed was a cap, if I didn't pull over as quick as I did, my head gasket may have blown = more money to fix it.

Few months ago, my spark plugs went. 2 of them, to be exact. Luckily, lots of driving at high revs & speed fixed this over a day or so. Still, I replaced them to be sure.

The other week, my exhaust started blowing. Had to pay for that to get it fixed.

Praying that nothing else goes wrong before I buy another car (quite swiftly) after new year.

Soz for length etc. etc.
(Thu 30th Sep 2010, 16:56, More)

» Narrow Escapes

One more
About 18 months ago, driving along the dual carriageway with a few of our mates, we thought it would be a good idea to see who could get to our destination the quickest. We all had shitty average cars: mine was a Clio, friends had Fiesta/Corsa etc. There were some traffic cones that edge out the 2 lanes into 1, as they were doing road works at the time. Somehow, I managed to squeeze my car through the small gap (roughly, and suitably, the size of a 1999 Renault Clio, 3 door) in between the last traffic cone and the other car behind me. No idea how I managed it.

Next one, the roundabout on the same stretch of road about 500 yards further down. I decided to take said roundabout's second exit at 40mph in 5th gear...in the outside lane, as the inside was occupied. I remember getting my car sideways around the roundabout - JUST missing the curb as I was coming off the roundabout, and I somehow managed to control it and got the car straight again. My mate was holfing on for his dear life.

Needless to say I was driving no faster than 50mph for the rest of the dual carriageway.

Then, a few months later my MOT was due. It failed on a broken coil spring. My Dad had no idea how this would've happend. Neither do I .... *looks shifty*
(Wed 25th Aug 2010, 12:54, More)

» Things to do before you die

I can only think of one thing
...and that is to travel. Call me cliché, whatever. I'm a big of a geography/geology geek, so attractive scenery and famous places appeal to me. Most noteably:

- New York
- Lake Como
- Iceland

I'm sure I've said I wanted to visit many other places but my mind is like a seive half the time and I also tend to get distracted oft..
(Thu 14th Oct 2010, 15:06, More)

» Easiest Job Ever

Scanning
One of my very first jobs when I was younger, was going to the Northampton Shoe Museum for 2 weeks and scanning lots and lots of shoe magazines (from the 60s) and save them to the computer, and then put them on floppy disc (this was before USB sticks were common). Very boring, but it was with a good mate of mine which always helped.
(Fri 10th Sep 2010, 15:51, More)