Ever Decreasing Circles

Oh well. Like so many other things in life, blogging (and this blog in particular) starts off all fun and exciting but then fizzles out and is soon ignored.

We’ve had a few good rides recently, including a weekend away camping on the North York Moors, but of late cycling has been curtailed: Jane had a spill and came away with bumps and grazes, while something upset my achilles tendon causing it to flare up again - at which point my physio advised me to lay off for a while. Discretion is the better part of valour and all that, so I’m off the bike for a while to let it recover. Hopefully won’t be too long as I’ve already packed in frisbee while I recover, so my fitness is already suffering.

Still, I have something to fill the time - in a fit of what can only be termed as optimistic stupidity, I’ve started a photography AS-level. Although I enjoy photography (as a sideline to whatever I’m doing rather than as an activity in itself), I am honest enough to realise that I get it wrong far more often than I get it right, and on top of that I’m not prolific eneough to be able to get a decent amount of good ones. So, I signed up hoping to learn more about the dark arts of exposure and composition. I was rather disappointed at first then to realise that the course I’ve signed up for doesn’t really have much to do with the mechanics of photography - for that, I learnt, I should have signed up for a City & Guilds course. Instead, the course is more about the arty side of photography.
Still, I’m deciced to give it a go despite not actually having a very arty inclination normally. I am glad I did so - last night’s lesson was very enjoyable. First half we covered exposure control in terms of f-stops and shutter speed (and film ISO of course) in about an hour, the frustrating thing being that I more or less knew all the answers anyway as I’ve been reading photography books like they were going out of fashion. Knowing these things does not mean though that I’m able to put them into practice though, while was the whole opint of doing the course… but back in track, the second hald of the evening was much more interesting as we went off to a large room and split into groups - each group had one big studio light and we had to take pics on the theme of disguise. We’re shooting on Black and White film and the plan is that next week we won;t actually be taking photos, we’ll be developing our films. Since I spent a large part of the lesson excitedly rummaging through my box of bits, I only shot 10 photos from a 36 roll film, so I need to take plenty of pics this coming weekend!

On the plus side, I used my long lens for a portrait (somewhat like this image but with a strong side light on the opposite side of the face from the gun to cast shadows), I used my extension tube for an abstract portait, and I used my Hoya multi-filter to get a weird effect. If the photos turn out half way decent I’ll see if I can get them sanned (or even better scan the negs as I’nm hoping to pick up a scanner off a fellow Cheekyrider)

In the words of Porky Pig then, that’s all folks. More next time.

Cracking weekend, glad I’m back in work now so I can recover.

The fun started on friday night - Rod’s 30th birthday bash and our last chance to see him and Rachel before they headed out for the second leg of their round the world trip. Given that, I overcame my natural reluctance to visit Manchester and drove in. Not an auspicious start to find that roadworks had closed our access to the pub - after driving round for a while we eventually found an NCP car park that I recognised and knew I’d be able to find again so we parked, quicky found the pub and were rather annoyed to see two empty parking spaces outside it - but then I’d never have found it in a car.

Nice to see people again, even if the only halfway decent beer was boddies from an electric tap - nice taste of soap, there, yum. Highlight of the night was spotting McKinley deciding to be lazy and use the disabled loos next to us - once he’d gone in I noticed that I could open the lock from the outside, so I did and we swung open the door as he was in mid flow. Well it seemed funny when we’d had a few anyway

Saturday morning we went to wales for some biking - we’ve not been to Coed Y Brenin for over four years so it was long overdue a return visit. Set out at 9am, called in at Rhug organic farm for a quick loo stop and some nice bacon butties, then back on the road. We arrived at 11.30 and set out around twelve on the karrimor route - at one point it crosses the entrance road and we saw Nicola and the two Andys arriving at about 1 pm as we crossed, talk about timing!

By that time I’d already taken two falls, but not had the submission. First up I’d jammed the front wheel against a rock while a little over the front of the bike and found myself balanced on the wheel, holding the bars, seated and clipped in. A hasty unclip allowed me to step over the bars and run out of the way while the bike crashed behind me. Ten yards later I lifted the front wheel over an obstacle, and when I put it back down I was leaning the bike over for a corner. The front wheel just washed out from underneath me and off I came, tumbling into the ditch. I didn’t get off so lightly second time, cut my knee and bruised same knee and a couple of fingers. They’re still sore now.

Despite the tumbles, we carried on and took just under 4 hours to do it, but we did cheat and miss out that boring long fireroad loop just after the caff half way round (straight from Hermon to the Addams Family bits on this map ). Really quite odd then, as we went back under the road along the only two-way stretch we bumped into John & Caroline who’d just arrived! That was about the only place in the whole forest where we could have met them. Not having made plans, they ended up joining us at the campsite in Maentwrog. Before camping though, we had a snack at the Caff - glad we did as by the time we reached the campsite it was raining and we didn’t fancy a BBQ.

Nice enough campsite, dead quiet - bit short on showers though! A nice night under canvas in the rain (via a chippy in Blaenau Ffestiniog as the rain didn’t stop) and while we had breakfast the next day, the tent dried nicely. Tip for the day, don’t use a track pump to force the flames on a throwaway BBQ. It will melt, despite normally having to use electricity to melt aluminium!

After packing away off we went to Betws-y-Coed for the Marin trail - not been for ages and didn’t remember a lot of it, but I was really pleased by how much the trees have grown to close in at the side of the trail. Just under 3 hours for the ride meant we left at about 2.30pm - fairly quiet and uneventful journey home in time to fall asleep in front of the England footie game (or the second half at least).

I was really looking forward to today. Rod and Rachel are back in the UK in the middle of their year-round-the-world trip (for her brother’s wedding) so we’d planned to meet Rod - but not just at home, no, we were going to go to North Wales for a spot of drinking alcoholic beverages and riding bikes round Coed Y Brenin. I’ve not been to CYB for about 4 years, and I haven’t seen Rod since we left Whistler about 3 months back, so I was looking forward to it - after all, there’s nothing as fun as a cheeky midweek day off to ride bikes, is there?

Until last night, of course, when I had to pull up during training with a sharp pain in my leg. Curse it all, I’d only gone and pulled my calf muscle. I’ve spent all day hobbling round work (having loaded the car at 6.30 am so we could set off at 4 as planned) but a quick circuit of the car park on a bike at 3.30 was evidence enough: no cycling for me tomorrow. Bahhh!

So, a night in front of the TV again, and we’ll have to wait until Friday to go see Roderick - not such a bad thing as it’s his 30th anyway, we’ll no doubt have a pint or two to celebrate. Fingers crossed that my leg recovers in time for us to ride at the weekend - Binners has tempted us with daring raid on the Lakes.

Finley in full flow

From my Flickr Site.

Not bothered managed to log on for a few days now - didn’t help that we had an internet outage at work for most of Friday. Being as we’re a web development company it wasn’t really helpful, but we seemd to survive and I don’t recall hearing too many screams.

Thursday evening was spent at the in-laws, “watching the football”. It was rather boring so we went out to play with my 3 year old nephew on his scooter. Rather more interesting and amusing and Imanaged to get a great photo (well, I think it’s great)!
Yesterday we went off to Darley Bridge with Captain Arse aka Martyn - on Friday night we had a phone call to say he’d pick us up at 9.30, but we’d have to pop via Matlock Bath to drop off Claire. “Are you sure we’ll fit four people and three bikes in your car?” I asked. “Of course”, he replied.

As expected then, he phoned yesterday morning to say that he was indeed wrong and we’d have to drive ourselves. Oh well, I was expecting it anyway. I wasn’t expecting the A6 to be closed at Buxton, which increased the journey time, nor was I expecting Hora Hora Poo Poo Pants to turn up in addition to Marcus and Pauly Paul.

Top ride in very hot weather - 36km in just over 4 hours, which is about average speed. Hora Hora Poo Poo Pants dropped out after about 22km and rode back on the road, while we enjoyed the rest of the ride then a couple of pints in the nearest pub (via a quick game of car park naked of course). 2 pints after all that exercise was a bit ambitious and I ended up droppng off in front of the telly *again*. I’ll learn, one day, eh?

Top ride last night, although given that as I left work it started raining *again* I was less than optimistic that the weather would hold out. I was quite pleased to be proved wrong though and when we pulled up in Hayfield it was nice to find that there was just a haze in the air, enough to take off the heat. Still a bit humid though.

Martyn had phoned to cry off citing work (again), so it was a pleasant surprise to see that Dave 360 had decided to come out and play in his place. Campervan arrived a tad late in his souped up boy racer car, almost knocking over one of the local chavs as he pulled into the car park. I was concerned that the large massing of local youths might decide to show their displeasure at this act while we were out, but my lack of faith in human nature is apparently misplaced, the cars were fine.

Nice ride up the road and back down Elle Bank - made it over the bridge onto the new singletrack but dabbed when my front wheel hit a big stone and stopped dead. Campervan hit one of the huge waterbars just a little too fast and punctured the back wheel - nice double snakebite, and of course he’d left his spare inner tubes in the car. The first one out of my bag proved to be also in need of repair, but the second one held. By the time we got moving again I appeared to have been the main course for half the insect population of the area. My legs are a tad colourful this morning, shall we say.

Up to Kinder reservoir, Dave cleaned the cobbles (I think, anyway, I was pushing as I was on the SS so I never saw him!) but the climb round the corner defeated all of us. Quick circular tour of William clough and back up to the shooting cabins then back to the cars on road. Campervan kindly agreed to drop me off on the way home, so Jane went back for a shower while we went to the pub. My first pint of Wadworth 6X barely touched the sides and the others had plenty left, so I had a second while we chatted about things and stuff. My “rhetorical” question “well, we’ve all finished, shall we go or shall we get another one in” brought the surprising reply that we should get another one. Gulp. 3 pints in one night? That’s pushing it, especially after a ride. Still, it was very tasty and I managed to walk to the car without falling over. I even feel quite good today

An enjoyable and somewhat productive evening. Having finished work (late, for the first time in months - ohh how a new project can refresh your enthusiasm), I looked out of the window to see the glorious sunshine - had been replaced by drizzle. Oh well.

Despite my aversion to setting off in the rain I knew it was my only way home so off I went, at least since I was pushing 42:18 on the Surly Steamroller I wasn’t spinning like the proverbial epileptic hamster

Got home soaked, showered, caught up on the forums and installed this little baby, as evidenced by the earlier post. Watched Monsters Inc (very enjoyable, I am at heart nothing more than a 3 year old with a drinking habit) and then came back upstairs to play more with setting this up. I plan to spend tomorrow finding interesting blogs to link to, like Alex’s pickled hedgehog. Amusing, if not somewhat disturbing.

Oh, and finally started the beer that Andy bought to say thanks for fitting his new forks. Fursty Ferret is a not a bad pint, although as with most bottled beers I suspect it will be a tad smoother from a real pump. A little sweeter than I’d normally like a beer, but very tasty. hic.