5-minute Glasto Poem

Pixies, dragons, elephants, cows
Hippies, chai, farmers, ploughs

Girls, falafael, tents, beer
Anger, love, anxiety, fear

Poppers, acid, weed, mud
Whisky, tears, music, blood

Days and nights blend into one
When you are a Glasto bum

And 5 days on without a shower
When you barely have the power
To skin a joint
Or see that band
Or hold your new friends by the hand

There's only one place you want to be

Back at home, drinking tea.

Land of the Frogs

France

Undoubtedly this is a country of extremes. Extremes in terms of the geography the landscape, and extremes in terms of the experiences and the people.
France is a country that has exceedingly good things, but also ridiculously bad. The people range from the warm and friendly to the arrogant and ignorant.
In an attempt for you to create your own image of France and to tie it in with the experience of the last week here are the key phrases and words that link the experiences with the impressions.
Nice-Pebble Beach-Topless Women-Michael Jackson-FA cup Final-Executive suite-Rooftop Dinner-Champagne-Year anniversary-One way streets-irratic driving-Monaco Grand Prix-Rich and plastic-Cold shower on the beach-Cannes-Film festival-U2-Borat impressions-Beers-Wannabe rich-Luxury Camping-Grasse-Car Park-Baking Sun-Sofitel rooftop pool-Valentino party man-Panoramic view-Luxury yachts- Marina-Marquees-Jam of the traffic variety-Alpine Rally-Radisson-Room with a view- 39th floor-Exemplorary room service-Virgil Symposium-Espace Tete dor-equisit hostess-Camp French blokey-Short Client-Happy Short Client-No room-Hilton last resort-Champions league football-Hilton Casino-Blackjack-Big win-Mini bar raid-TGV-Wrong station-RER-Accordian players-10 Euros-Ridiculous airport-ridiculous staff-ridiculous set up-illogical practice-mosquito plane-spotty hostess-Back in the land of the Fat.

This was one of the most striking reverse culture shocks I have experienced, considering the period of travel was just a short 1 week. The difference in the average size of human from the south of France to the North of England, in particular Manchester airport out side all the pie shops (Pizza Hut, Burger King etc) was ridiculous. Going from tanned, fit slim, healthy looking people, to pasty, fat, lazy, wasters that littered the airport. I myself felt physically sick on arrival, and now realise that our country has some serious issues to address.

Riding

href="http://farm.static.flickr.com/207/485339938_5a06d3b49a.jpg"

rode at chicksands on sat. was good

Sierra Nevada

Hello,
Well myself, Ali, Ash, Mel, Tom, Jimi T and Skates are back from Spain which quite frankly was superb. The area is fantastic with the cool city of Granada and the Sierra Nevada Mountains within about 25mins of each other. 5 days was spent exploring the area under the guide of Ali who learned the trails during his time with Ford over there. Definitly heading back soon.

Social Change

How about this?

Step 1. Calculate the level of emissions that Man can produce without contributing to global warming. Call this level the Emissions Ceiling.

Step 2. Identify a country that currently produces at the Emissions Ceiling.

Step 3. Impose global laws to bring about forced regression of development on all countries currently above the ceiling level to bring them down to the level of the country identified in Step 2.

Step 4 (optional). Provide (genuine) development aid to all countries significantly below the ceiling level to bring them up to the ceiling.

Result. All the world's nations live equitably and we no longer have to worry about global warming.

Prognosis. Not gonna happen. Those of us who live in the First World are no way going to be prepared to reduce our standard of living to one which is compatible with life at the Emissions Ceiling, perhaps one comparable to today's Tanzania.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and in our predominant capitalist world ('our' as in 'belonging to those of us who are fortunate enough to, by choice, live in and benefit from it, as opposed to those who are oppressed by it or slaves to it') necessity means 'economic necessity'. Until a solution to global warming is economically imperative, the policy tinkers and often misinformed, often half-hearted (though laudable) individual efforts will do nothing to reduce our emissions and change our society to the benefit of our planet.

Having said that, it doesn't mean that we should stop our misinformed and half-hearted efforts. Perhaps the global warming phenomenon is a genius ruse created by some social philanthropist who wants us all to rediscover the adventure in overland travel (rather than the teleportation of air travel), or to get all the fat people walking and riding bikes rather than using 4x4s. This is certainly my hope!

Ridin - no pics

Ok, what a great weekend for weather.
Friday - went shopping
Saturday - rode in Swinley, managed to do a step down i have done once before, but had the fear after i landed it front wheel first and rolled on the front whell for 10 metres, so, 3 months later i have done it. on my 4x bike, its frightening, shoots you up in the air and down in to a left hand corner so a bit of a hip. really nice and glad to have got that done. then i just rode lots of local trails with a friend. Was nice, fast trails and good traction. then went shopping in london for my sisters wedding

Sunday, ran and then rode with the girlfriend.

Monday, went to the Bull track in kent. It was fun. an ok DH track but then jump city, lots and lots of trails, managed al most all the trails, they were all at least 10 in a row, ranging from super small and tight, really tech landings and no time for the next. that was great, the flow once i had them dialled was really nice. just went in slow.

then a much bigger set with some sniper landings, but they were easier

i saved my self something for next time... a huge 10-15, gap... (i think) i have done one that size before in FOD a few times, but this was much more built up. so i am going to try next time, annoyed i didnt do it.

good to ride after hurting my back, neck and head last week. and good to ride both long travel bikes and hard tails

now hopefully i have found someone to swap by session for a 224.

All Change!

"....I feel like i'm riding on the back of a tandem at the moment, furiously working away, getting somewhere but not quite in control of what is going on!....."

Since my last entry i have been continuing to consume the earths natural resources by commuting 100miles a day. Combining that with flights up to Preston twice a month I have been going out of my way to really give mother earth a good kicking.

Whether I agree or disagree with Global Warming i don't know. I think its hyped up beyond belief and after watching the Global Warming Swindle program I thought, yeah, they've got a point.

However I also think these programs are obviously biased to make you think that way. After watching Loosechange 9/11 i thought the whole World Trade Center collapse was a controlled explosion and the whole American Government should face the death penalty. After watching the Global Warming Swindle I thought that the government were theifing bastards for all the "green taxes" and i'm off out to buy a 4x4 to really show my contempt at the knee jerk reactions of the media!

Whether they are right or wrong, to be honest it makes no odds. The main issue really is that this doesn't excuse our generation depleating the earths resources like we do and anything we can do to minimise pollution has to be a good thing right?

Well, i'm getting there. This afternoon I am walking into my bosses office and handing in my notice. I have been fortunate enough to find a job closer to home, with a great company and a career jump with pay rise. Its taken time believe me! Its worth holding out for though, there have been a number of occasions over the past 6 months where i've nearly taken a job because it met some of my criterion but not all. I'm glad i waited.

So combined with moving on from the company i have been with since i graduated, starting a new career elsewhere, I have also suddenly found that i have agreed to move in with my girlfriend, my flat is on the market and we have had an offer accepted on a new house. I feel like i'm riding on the back of a tandem at the moment, furiously working away, getting somewhere but not quite in control of what is going on. The house is awesome. Lovely 3 bed early 1900's house right in the centre of town. The temptation to get excited is hard to fight. Anyone who is familiar with the house buying/selling process in England will appreciate that a lot of things can and all to often do go wrong.

So anyway, watch this space. Hope everyone has a fantastic easter.

Matt.

Global Warming

I actually do not know where to stand on this. To me it seems that there is a lot of a misinformation and supposition. If it is true then we should be ok as it will become more difficult to access our reserves and people will be more inclined to buy efficient cars, especially with the price of fuel. After reading Freakonomics i think we stand in good stead of getting out ok. Either fuel prices need to decrease or consumption must decrease and this will incentivise to use less use regardless of global warming, we will not be ablt to keep it up economically.

Regardless, reducing emissions is a great thing, breathing becomes easier and less chance of things like cancer.

What can one person do to reduce "global warming" if it is CO2 based? I for one could reduce but the world needs 1000's of me. So will this ever happen? Not through want/benefit of the planet but to keep ourselves alive, we are a selfish mammal, our impact is larger than any other but that is also just natures way, we are all out to survive.

We could talk aboout where did it all start, Big Bang / God?

Global Warming

If anyone saw "the Global Warming Swindle" on channel 4 a short time ago, it would have at the very least sparked a few minutes of deep thought. This has however fascinated me, causing a few weeks of careful thought and analysis. The fact one of the most media frenzied theories of our modern day could be simply have been born out of media hype is surely worth looking into. Especially when these thoeries are being challenged by some of the most well respected figures within the scientific community.

Here's the beef: Earth's 4.5 billion year history is one long story of climate change. This fact is pretty much accepted by those who think global warming is a natural process, and those who think it's caused by man.
In more recent history there has been: a mini ice age in the seventeenth century when the Thames froze so solidly that fairs could regularly be held on the ice; a Medieval Warm Period, even balmier than today; and sunnier still was the so-called Holocene Maximum, which was the warmest period in the last 10,000 years.

Those who think global warming is a natural process point to the fact that in the last 10,000 years, the warmest periods have happened well before humans started to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.
A detailed look at recent climate change reveals that the temperature rose prior to 1940 but unexpectedly dropped in the post-war economic boom, when carbon dioxide emissions rose dramatically.

There is some evidence to suggest that the rise in carbon dioxide lags behind the temperature rise by 800 years and therefore can't be the cause of it.
In the greenhouse model of global warming, heat from the sun's rays is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If it weren't for these gases, Earth would be too cold for life.

Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun within the earth's atmosphere. This is the greenhouse effect. Traditional models predict that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases lead to runaway heating.
If greenhouse warming were happening, then scientists predict that the troposphere (the layer of the earth's atmosphere roughly 10-15km above us) should heat up faster than the surface of the planet, but data collected from satellites and weather balloons doesn't seem to support this.

Those who think global warming is a natural process say that the troposphere is not heating up because man-made greenhouse gases are not causing the planet to heat up.
For some people, the final nail in the coffin of human-produced greenhouse gas theories is the fact that carbon dioxide is produced in far larger quantities by many natural means: human emissions are miniscule in comparison. Volcanic emissions and carbon dioxide from animals, bacteria, decaying vegetation and the ocean outweigh our own production several times over.

Others would argue that carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas and that human emissions could tip up a finely balanced system.
New evidence shows that that as the radiation coming from the sun varies (and sun-spot activity is one way of monitoring this) the earth seems to heat up or cool down. Solar activity very precisely matches the plot of temperature change over the last 100 years. It correlates well with the anomalous post-war temperature dip, when global carbon dioxide levels were rising.

In fact, what is known of solar activity over the last several hundred years correlates very well with temperature. This is what some scientists are beginning to believe causes climate change. Others feel that solar activity only explains the fine details of temperature change.

So how does the sun affect the earth's temperature? The process scientists suggest is that as earth moves through space, the atmosphere is constantly bombarded by ever-present cosmic rays. As these particles hit water vapour evaporating from the oceans, clouds form in the atmosphere. Clouds shield Earth from some of the sun's radiation and have a cooling effect.

When solar activity is high, there is an increase in solar wind and this has the effect of reducing the amount of cosmic radiation which reaches Earth.
When less cosmic radiation reaches Earth, fewer clouds form and the full effects of the sun's radiation heats the planet.
But is the effect of solar activity really enough to explain away global warming caused by the greenhouse effect?

What do you reckon? Its a interesting set of theories that need paying close attention to. For the meantime taking close head on our emissions, and conserving our environment are clearly key ingredients to healthy living. However, maybe we don't need to be quite a worried as perhaps we thought.

The Lions Find a Lioness

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Three Lions

RAAAARRRRRRRRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Project managment - Sink or Swim

The last 9 days have been a true test of ones Metal. An extreme learning curve where a plethora of skills have been stretched to maximum capacity!
Madrid saw the start of this, 4 days in a hot humid working enviroment, stood for hours on end in a sweaty hall, liasing with a crazy spanish electrian, an israeli organiser, a team of germans, and a crew of english (with "special needs") and our American clients. Needless to say the work was long and testing of the most patient persons reserve.

However, we did get to see the Bernabeu stadium right next to hour luxurious hotel, drink champagne every night and eat at the best resteraunts in town. Saturday night capped things off with VIP entry in CAPITAL one of Europes premier clubs, free champagne, rubbing shoulders with Mardids rich and famous.

Sleep deprived, there was no rest for the wicked, 4 hours in the office in Sheffield and straight on the plane to Paris, to project manage the most disorganised show ever witnessed. The parisian style of operating is quite something in certain instances! Every thing is crammed into eh smallest space possible, everybody smokes like a frickin chimney. All the cafe tables are the size of a playing card....... the waiters are comedy, as witnessed by Mr Seelig! One waiter attempting to run me over with a table, afterwhich we rudely laughed in his face as he asked in comedy french whether or not we might like an aperitif! (Its definitely a had to be there moment!) There is a list of things as long as my arm that make no sense, however this in essence what makes it an interesting and charming place.

I feel my french has improved beyond recogniti0n in just the last 24 hours, and endless stream of problems had to be sorted out with the French. But eventually everything was completed on time..... Had the worst Indian takeaway curry last night. Took it back - they claimed they had had anyone complain in the last 27 years! THe likes of monsieur Jaques Shirac had eaten there. Yeah right whatever you pompous self righteous Indian tosser. (I have a problem with some Indians..... not all I have some good Indian friends, however some of them claim that what ever they do touch etc etc is always the best, the very best, they all think they are the next entrepreneur / business man legend, when infact they are just a Tosser, excentuating their own self worth by claiming to be said legend.

Anyway rant over, gotta dash for a taxi to take the TGV down to Lyon. At least its a first class ticket.......! Man I need some kip!

Greeting to all who read this.........

www.nissan-QASHQAIchallenge.com

doing something new

in response to Dougs post. I managed a drop i had only done on my fs bike. Did it finally on a hardtail. i could get my freeride measuring tape out but it made me crap myself as it is about 6-7ft down and probably the same across over gap that has been cut out so you can not come up short, plus it had been made longer. I watched one my friends do it so I had to do it. butter smooth. 0" of travel. Finding the joys of riding the hardtail again, especially on the local trails.

London Night Out - May 11, 200SEVEN

Looking back, I just realized that I have known most of the contributors to this blog for SEVEN years. Time moves too quickly! I think it's rare to stay in touch with such a group of people considering our transatlantic rift. Have been happy to participate in multiple LAD-Ventures over the years - the latest of which was in Fernie. These have been excellent times!

Things do change however - and I will be embarking on a new phase in life. Moving back home to Montreal and away from Vancouver/Whistler *sigh*. As most of you know, I'll be travelling from May through August. My first stop is in London. I invite you all to come down so we can reunite once more for a loving it night out. The date is Friday May 11. I do hope all of you can make it. Will be in touch sooner to the date and consult you all on the best place to go.

Til then, keep loving yourselves.
ta,
mengels

ps: this blog is genius. good job banks.

best day of the season !

Verbier last Saturday. 20cm of fresh on a nice base.







Shame we didn't get more photos of us skiing, but we were too busy enjoying ourselves I guess!

NO AIMS NO GAINS

This should have happened at the birth of this splendid year.

However I challenge you all to write down 5 things..........Yes just 5 things that you aim to start and see through to the completion by the dawn of 2008!

Here are my 5:

1. See the inauguration of DougBanksPhotography, with professional portfolio and first money making assignment
2. Learn a 5th Language to a good standard - at the moment its a toss up between Portuguese / Spanish and Polish
3. Not take a single day off work sick!
4. At 27 I believe I am at my physical prime and therefore wish to complete a triathlon even though just 6 months ago I could barely swim 2 lengths in the pool. I'm up to 16 lengths of the 33m pool now at Goodwin!
5. Take up a new hobby..... At the moment I'm keen on Capoeira / Bee Boy dancing, or something similar for pure comedy.

Please post your 5, and motivate yourself go an DOOOOO ITTTTTTT!

Ha ha ha!

England 26 - Frogs 18

Diggin it in Dublin - Diamond in the muff

As the clock struck twelve and Feb span into March I sunk another Guinness in Dublin's fair city where the girls are so " ..." .... well they'd better be after that much alcohol! Just returned from a 4 day stag weekend where booze units topped hours of sleep. That clubbin scene recalled some quality nights out in Sheffield - a reminder that the year of the lad still has plenty to live up to.

EVO

Am going to test drive one of these this week or next

Me and Alex are talking

Another lads pary soon, where Tim is coming too?

Sore Head

Spent the weekend riding... went to the Mountain Ash uplift organised by Dragon Downhill. It was Mudville, Arizona. I put my new mud tires on after much indecision. They were great at clearing mud..... straight in to my goggles. awesome. so i could grip and not see anything. This possibly explains my crashing.

The track is so good. Starts with a 5ft drop into a left hander into a kicker, booting you straight in to a right hand berm, so a bit of a hip. down a nice long striaght and fast right hand turn. Into 3 bus stops, the first one is insane, have so much speed and have to hip left in to down slope. the other 2 bus stops are cool. Then go to ride through the trees and down a slab. Some pretty rooty bus stops an 'ard right hand turn in to the tress where the light was so bad you just had to ride blind for 5 - 10 metres having faith in your ability. Then mach down a straight in to a small 2 ft drop, which made my suspension bottom out every time, as soon as you land it was in to a left hand sharp corner in to a rooty secion with loads of different line. Honestly, that whole secttion felt like was on a Speeder from Star Wars. However, there was a small drop before a road and i think 5 times out of 7 i stacked it. Culminating in landing on my head on attempt 5. I still have mild headaches now, they were agony, but it did not stop the riding. The bottom half was good; more roots and trees, some uphill and because of the mud it was painful. The bottom section was all muddy and full of berms but the berms were so nicely built, the final left hander i felt like i was sprining out with 2x the entry speed. How can it be warm and hail.

Dan was fast, some comedy stacks and punctures. 100mph to and fromWales trying not to fall asleep.

There was a double at the end, i never did, not sure why not, anyway next time...

Sunday was Rogate in the pouring rain, that was good. Muddy and doing the gaps that were no worse than the others. I bought some white gloves, GOOD when its muddy so i rode without gloves. Grazeed hands now.

great weekend. sore legs from sprinting so much and sore arms from lifitng bikes on and off trucks.

The weekend before was good too. Riding 4x and racing. Getting into a run off for the semis. Was jetlagged and had no food so bonked. But was hopeful for the start of the season,



It has been a hard 2 weekends riding. I have lost a lot of my form from flying. It is taking time to recover but certainly have the head for riding still and even after stacking it on to my head I was still riding as ragged as ever. Only thing is I have scratched the paintwork on my Troy Leee

Biking in The Somme

A few of us went riding on Saturday, in The Peaks, meeting up at around 10.30. all coming from different directions, but when we all arrived I am sure the worries of the world were lifted as we duely assembled our bikes. The excitement of getting away from it all. The Sun was glinting off the water and shorts (rather than long trousers) were the order of the day for most. Shortly after setting off the heavens opened and that was that, wet through, climbing up a steep climb to the bleakest moorland above Ladybower Reservoir... Yes, we were up cut gate on a windy wet day and the terrain was somewhat challenging. See photos. Once you have crossed Cut Gate, there is no way back apart from 'going over back the top'. On the way back over the top a turning was missed, confusion set in and the terrain wasn't getting any easier. It was at this point that someone said, this reminds me of 'The Somme!'.

I had to laugh, and the tedium and frustration of getting constantly bogged down was getting to us all... It was a struggle against the elements. We were struggling after a few hours, I thought to myself, imagine doing this for years on end... No wonder half of the soldiers in The Somme went mad. I really enjoyed the challenge in the short term. It is similar to Jeez's last post in that battling agianst the elements, going where you want to go makes you feel alive. Anyway, back at work for a week looking forward to the next weekend... I don't love my job, but that is starting not to matter, we owe a lot to the true Lads who bttled in The Somme.

Jim

Four Seasons in One Day

.......First leg Mountainbiking in the gorgeous Sudrampe. 25km of flowing Singletrack.

................................2nd Leg Skiing in Andermatt, one of Switzerlands hidden jewels.

It amazed us that it was possible to experience mediteranean conditions on hard packed singletrack in almost summer like conditions in february, and yet 24 hours later be skiing in soft fluffy snow, just 30 miles apart.

The swiss adventures continue........

Joie de Vivre

Thought I'd share a recent dream with you...
I dreamt that I had died, or more accurately, had been killed. It was some kind of shock - possibly electric - but I knew it was coming and it was unavoidable. It hit me when I entered a certain room or pressed a certain button, but I had no choice not to enter or not to press it - it was inevitable.
And somebody close to me was dead before me, and others close to me were following, set to die shortly after me.
But when I was killed, that was not the end - either of me or of the dream (as so often the case). I continued to live a normal, yet hard, life, constantly in fear that rigor mortis would petrify me. It stalked me, or more, it hunted me. If I rested, was still, if my heart rate dropped, it would start to take hold. I knew if I slept I would be finished.

I'm not a big one for reading too much into dreams (although I read an interesting point recently, something like this - every human faculty serves a purpose. Every human being dreams. There must be a reason for the brain to be active in this way while the body sleeps, or else evolution, Darwinism, would have put an end to it. But rather than us dreamers becoming extinct, survival of the fittest saw our non-dreaming ancestors perish. Interesting.), but perhaps this particular dream is an affirmation of my belief that to survive we need to keep running, keep moving, keep learning and keep loving. And from reading the previous LAD blogs, it seems that this belief is common.

For those who don't know, I'm currently fighting my way through life in Tanzania. I live in poverty, no doubt, but not in the kind of extreme poverty which is all around. While I live on around 2,000 shillings a day (c. 80p), occasionally treating myself to a glass of cultured milk for protein, others around me are living on less than 500 shillings.
But I love it. I teach two days a week and I'm currently organising school events with local police and doctors, to run during the UN's first Global Road Safety Week. I've been invited to write for a national English-language newspaper, am overseeing the development of a road safety campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Vodacom, and next weekend will be running the Kilimanjaro Half Marathon. Hopefully within the next couple of months I'll start doing some recce-ing for a UK tour company - it'd be nice to have a bit of cash coming in!
I love the freedom that I have to do what I want, plus it's great that my white face gets me into pretty much any office in the country.

The Swiss Triathlon

The next 3 days will see the inaugeration of the Swiss triathlon. This will involve one days epic single track mountainbike riding, One day out on the piste, shredding the gnar, and one day out on the Piece, Ham nyamming as many erdingers as physically possible, in celebration of another year of the A C E Smith.

The damage will be revealed in the not too distant future..............

Whats in the news in the US

1. Britney going Bald
2. Anna Nicole Smith
3. Its snowing
4. Someone got banned from the the Daytona 500
5. How couples in the Hollywood manage to be married for 18 years
6. Helicopter went down in Afghanistan
7. The House said no to troops to iraq, congress said yes. or something like that!
8. Something about Obama and Clinton
9. GM might buy Chrysler
10. Some beauty queen was rescued by Donald Trump

1. I dont care
2. Actually its really sad that everyone can not leave her alone, very very sad for her.
3. Wow, maybe there is not global warming
5. Who cares?
6. Finally news, shame its a bit like the Sun
7. Good to see someone challening
8. Great PR, watch the UK politicians copy the warchest
9. How, they are bleeding money, must be asset rich
10. She is fit.

Daves Place

From your Correspondent in the United States of America, photos by Moto KRZR

Right, another weekend spending time away from the British homeland to the country of doggy bags. Yet again a crazy schedule. Fly back from Canada after booking a £2000 flight last minute to Hamburg, Germany. Going through security in Calgary airport they take me aside and look through my bag, finding a 6” blade pair of scissors, ones which I think I have been travelling with since 27th December. This reassures me seeing as I have been through:

London Heathrow: twice
London Gatwick: once
Chicago O’Hare: once
Geneva: once
Zurich: once

I used to be really tolerant with the security teams, now I get annoyed seeing as they are too busy talking with each other about their arrangements for the night trying to impress each other. Now, I get annoyed because the people in charge of our security clearly do not care! The number of times you see the person doing the security trimming their nails. And in the US where they try to be all ‘ard and intimidating… well they can not find anything over their guts.

Anyway, I fly back to London, getting bussed to the plane to connect to Hamburg. Land in Hamburg, to find they have lost my bags. I hang around the airport, then drive at 180 km/h. My bags turn up at 2am in the hotel

Spend a few days at our facility just south of the Danish border. I love the area. Finally getting my bags back but going in to work in a variety of unironed shirts with some sweater to cover my unkempt appearance. Working each day from 9am until somewhere between 10pm and mid night. I got some 10€ gift voucher from the hotel for some free massage or makeover, who knows, its written in German.

Went home for Friday night, expecting a call from 10pm until midnight, wait for the call and then get told I am not needed, nice of them to keep me from drinking. Saturday (slept for 12 hours), and Sunday morning were nice, flying back to Germany for Sunday night, Monday and returning home Tuesday night for about 10 hours, leaving the next day at 9am for a mid day flight to Chicago. Land in the US, straight through CBP, the officer checking passports was a legend. Go in to the office, skidding on the ice and snow, it is about -15 deg C. Finally get out of the office at 7.00pm. Check in to the dive of a hotel I have booked. I check out 2 days later, sick of waffles giving me stomach upsets and a heater that blows cold air and beds so short my feet stick over the end. Am in a good hotel now, where I have eaten most of the nyams. The work I am here for is ok fortunately and holiday in Canada has changed my attitude to work: Past caring would sum it up

Boring road the Romans would have been proud of:

mess of a room:

The weekend was cool. Went to Dave and Busters
and played on the arcade games and pool surrounded by American Chavs. Go some Evisu jeans for £60 and met up with some good friends and their baby daughter. Watched flags of our fathers, swam for a half hour each day and went to the gym, watched Mexican TV cos they have good looking girls on it. I think Mexico should be the next lad holiday but probably no mountain biking there. na nah

You want to see gas guzzler


Been sorting the holidays out for the summer and riding up north next weekend. Fortunately I have lucked out and don’t need to go to Pakistan in 2 weeks time, I would have loved to go but too tired. May go to China though.

I am loving Razorlight, for some reason America is sticking in my head

Hangovers

Alright, is it me or are hangovers starting to last longer than they used to?! I was dragged up by some of the guys from one of the mahcine crews on Friday. When I say machine crew they look after all teh maintenance of some large on track rail machines. Anyway, it is a pretty hard job and they are all beasts and all from the outer reaches of Scotland and therefore can handle significantly more alcohol than me. I don't remember much, but I know I had a good time and stacked it off my bike on the way home at 4 in the morning 3 times. I then awoke to sound of my mobile phone ringing at 9.30 and my mate was outside my flat. DOH! HE just laughed as I stubbled out of my flat looking like death in my cycling gear struggling to even put the bike in teh car let alone go downhilling for the day in Ambergate woods... Put it this way, man and machine were not in perfect harmony for most of the day. I then went out on the beers again Saturday ('ARD!) but have been for a walk in the dales today - see photo. Weather good. I love this country, you just have to walk 15 mins into the dales and you do need to see anyone

again for the day.

Looking forward to next weekend, prob going to be in Sheffield for Sat night and up for a ride on Sat if anyone else is, then I'm going to the Keane Concert at Nottingham Arena on teh Sun nihgt, hopefully that'll be good. Has anyone else registered for Glanstonbury by the way. I am up for it this year. Get it done on line if you fancy it.

Working nights Mon and Tues so fannying about during the day and will get some biking in during the week, utilising the hire car teh best I can :). Anyway, I'll see some of you next weekend hopefully.

That is all for now. I'd love to post some of the emails that went around laast week regarding organisation of the lads trip to Spain, hilarious, keep it up.

Jimbo.

The Return to the Spiritual Home

So.............Back in Sheffield!!!

Many of the team have links to this unsung hero of the british isles. Everytime I return something has changed. This time is no exception.

My brain is fried from 3 days of information ingestion in my new project management role, so I stumble over the key board attempting to make a coherent addition to this ever expanding Blogga-log.

My office is situated directly opposite the goodwin sports centre. Now completed, and offers ALumni discounts.... VElly nice.

I also discovered that the university is crying out for PHD students, as many of the lecturers have grants to further their specialist fields of study..... Maybe this is a calling for you eternal student wannabees.

So hopefully this is the beginning of what will spawn another chapter of legendary activites to the historical portfolio of already legendary acts in this all encompassing town.

Have a romantic valentines night! xxx

the highs of 2007 - so far...

If interpol are after me they'll have a hard time finding me. In the first 6 weeks of 2007 i've been to 8 countries and have clocked up a wapping 7 days behind my desk in Paris. The year got off to an awesome start with a ski trip to Tignes and having never donned skis before in my life, I had a mere week to become a skiing legend... I as good as made it!
Just as it was time to change the worn out wheels on my suitcase, crampons and axes carried me high in to the Massif du Mont Blanc. 5 days of high altitude climbing dodging rockfalls and creaking seracs was the perfect start to February. 10 months to go and the forecast for the year of the lad looks outstanding. Bring it on!

New Year Polish Stylee (Delayed Post)

Poland ain't a bad choice for NY!

http://livingladgends.fotopic.net for a more comprehensive overview of this vodka fuelled occasion.

Mid West Family

Hi, i want to give everyone a link to some really good friends I know from Chicago. Derek, Melissa and Delaney. Derek is working in Singapore.
Mid West Family

On Creativity

We possess the ability to create; it is the gift of the soul.

The way we express ourselves is at the heart of our very spirit.

If we choose to, we can be creative in everything we write and think and draw,

the way we speak,

even the way we interact with others.

By doing so we set free the very essence of who we are,

for

creativity

is

the

expression

of

our

selves

Fernie

Awesome! Snow, good. Back country nice.
Hainey being a skiing legend.
Ali the Rocket Man Jamieson flies the old granielson
Banksy, too good, stacks it on his tails and snow ballet instructor
Mike, needs plastic surgery

Pics up Tuesday.

waiting for flight to Germany now

skiing rules

Snowy German Trails

I'll refrain from clogging this place with ALL my biking rubbish, but it was just SO nice out there today, I couldn't resist just this once.





More photos here

Snow arrives in the Alps

A rapid Ryanair jaunt to Turin, a blitz across to France in a Multipla, and 5 days in Serre Chevallier the jewel in the crown of the southern Alps. This was an unexpected revisit to an overnight refuelling stop on Sapaudian and Banksy's 17 day epic GR5 transalpine crossing of 2002, - the town of Briancon.
We were infact just up the valley in Villeneuve courtesy of Monsieur Michel in his lovely 1960s French appartment.
My lucky coin, that I now carry at all times in my wallet, allowed us to be pretty much the only people to successfully depart from Stansted, we left the rest behind in an unbearable 3 hour queue to claim their refunds on cancelled flights due to high winds.
However, the forces of nature dealt us a mixed bag on the weather front. From 120km/h winds (some of the unsavoury sort in the appartment), mediteranean temperatures, slush, ice, and finally on the last day what we had all been waiting for, 50 cm of the good stuff!

The last day was phenominal!



A nice little appetiser for Canada in 5 days,- Main course and a sumptuous dessert will be served in Fernie. Ciao for now ..

Hi

Nice start guys.

Interesting thoughts Matt - put the measures in place.
Here's a photo from this weekend just gone in Haute Savoie: a bit of evening alpenglow on the Dru (west face climbed by Smith Senior ca. 1994) and Aiguille Vert. The Chamonix valley is one of quite a number of nice places.



I'll try and think of something a bit more interesting to say next time.

Perspective

".....It takes a few little things to put a lot of big things in perspective. And one big thing to put everything in perspective....."

I have lost count this week how many times i've nearly been taken out my 18tonnes of metal being driven by a suicidal maniac. The pure stupidity and mind-boggling ignorance you see on the roads each day astonishes me. Before 10 months ago, I would say i drove a lot, weekends in Wales / Sheffield / Lakes etc not counting the odd trip to France. That was until I decided a 90 mile commute each day taking in the QE2 bridge and Dartford tunnel was a good idea.

90 miles a day, 450 miles a week, a staggering 23,400 miles a year. My carbon footprint must be laughable.

Why do I do this you ask? Good question, well the job is excellent as well as the benefits being good - company car, petrol and tolls paid for and for each hour i sit in the car i get paid for. So when i'm sitting on the M25, listening to Essex FM for the latest traffic report and hearing that the reason i've been sitting stationary for the last 2 hours is because some "suicidal maniac" decided the luxury yacht on the back of his wagon would fit inside Dartford tunnel, the saving grace is i know that the meter is running and i'm being paid. If it wasn't for this i'm sure I would either have quit a long time ago or be in the nearest maximum security mental hospital.

When you have the time and focus to think about work-life balance, you start to understand exactly what that term means. If someone told me a year ago they commuted 90 miles a day over Dartford I would have laughed out loud, called them a stupid **** and then felt mildly sorry for them. However I am glad i have done it, otherwise i don't think i'd fully understand the true meaning of a perfect work-life balance. Now I can put the measures into place to rectify the situation.

Is there any meaning to this rant, well probably not, but I was sitting there in the car this morning watching 0.005mm of snow turn the entire population of drivers into idiots thinking, god i feel sorry for myself, i'm tired, its cold outside, got a load of work to do blah blah blah, whinge, whinge, moan, when my phone rings, and i learn that one of my very best friends has just found out his dad has a brain tumour.

And that, my friends, is when you stop, think, think again, and then realise that everything you have been moaning about to yourself is completly and utterly insignificant. It takes one big thing to put everything in perspective.

Bring on Fernie!

Oh and a pic of me with my Helmet!!!!

Severe Weather Warning

Its snowing in the south of England, I take Nadia to work and the traffic is worse than ever. Severe Weather warning!!

Take a look from outside my window, its a blizzard, looks like the Arctic or Fernie

The commercial weekend

A very commercial weekend. I bought some jeans, trying to find some jeans that are so skinny that i can them over my skees and somewhere near my waaist. i was going to get them in red but then if i go the US i would be accused of being metrosexual. so i bought a pink and grey sweater and a cashmere jumepr with gieft vouchers. Then some CDs.

I was super stoked and feeding off myself when I got my Seths back, with the bases redone and repaired after my trip to Cham. loving it.

BUT i got something useful! The mountain leader guide book and the guide to British weather. which I am loving after arguing with someone over the weather forecast and I got my baromoeter sorted. what a GIBBON i am

And i got a powerball http://www.powerballs.com/ which i can not use yet. too weak.
www.powerballs.com

right. so my challenge for this week is to be allowed to go to Canada next week on holiday. i need some powder fix as this season has been pretty sh1t so far. and i am wathcing Ski Porn to make up for it. and anyway my company are letting go of 3500 people..... so.. mne and bleh

riding this weekend was great too. in swinley. freeride mecca of Wokngham district. it rooled, as did i cos i am ace.

7

Work

is sh1t...

Yeah the wind

Its great! Trees down all over the place. The bird was told to leave the office as 2 windows blew in and broke and the metal facade vlew off. WOODEN. I left work and trees down. Just hoping the tree in our car park does not fall through the roof. At least I am not flying anywhere but dont want it to unlucky my riding this weekend. Or shopping in LANDAN. Work was good having to deal with the people with slopey shoulders and finger pointing. may do some sit ups tonight....

2007: the year of becoming a beast.

Windyville........

........ not cause I ate too much curry last night! 80 mph winds, our little river has just broken its banks, our garden fence has been blown down. Half the roads in eesex seem to be closed due to overturned and jack-knifed lorries, and we are flying to France in 2 hours. Oh Good. I'll be packing several clean pairs of undies!

Music for 2007

If you are searching for some uplifting beats for the ipod in 007, then look no further than the podcasts from DJ phil, funky house London Style..... Proper feel good music, ideal for pumpin' iron or beastin' oneself!

http://funkylondon.podomatic.com/

The US of Aieeee

Good idea Banxi....!!!

My life from the last 6 months in 06 was a lot of travel to and from Chicago and so it seems to continue. Spent New Year in Geneva and saw the New Year in watching a spectacular fight. Jan 3rd I arrive home in Berkshire, take the skis to Snow and Rock for repair then work until 10pm. Unpack my bags, re pack my bags, go to Heathrow on the 4th. Now, my life is sad... i am a silver Exec club member with BA, Platinum something with AA and Exec Plat with UA. I fly business class minimum and First trans atlantic. I hold the highest ranking card with Sheraton so i get a suite for a family of 4 and free breakfast. I know the waitress at Chez Gerard in T3 at Heathrow and the films they show on each leg of the journey. I get to the US, i even recognise the immigration officials. I know the staff at the hotel, Renee who takes my room service order and Jose who delivers it. The gay dude on reception i am not sure of... I can tell you the different parts of an I-94W card too. I have travelled to the US something like 8-10 times and spent about 16 weeks there at least. I get to go to Moscow and Singapore and Germany. when i go in 2 weeks time i will get 2 free flights to Europe. Fortunately I love Chicago



So, it is pretty much what i set out wanting in life... comfortable lifestyle and money. I guess things have changed, I would still like the money and the travel and the opportunity to speak to loads of people. I love that and I love the challenges in my job. No day is the same, i speak and meet with people all over the world. I dont work 9-5, i work the hours i want. So my work normally i love, maybe right now its not. just one of those times in life. May go work for a charity or set up my own company.



Something is missing, not sure what yet! Maybe putting money in some other persons pocket is not what I want. I would like to ski or ride more. And be less self concious about my work.



I want to go to Canada on Jan 31 and do the thing i really love. SKI. I want 2007 to be my year of change. RIDE. Move abroad.

2007 Year of the Lad - The number seven and Luck

2007 Brings together certain unusual obsessions. Since early university days an obsessive use of the number 7 has been evident. The number 7 is seen in many cultures as having unique lucky properties.
As a good friend Alex Seelig pointed out, this year should be duped the chinese year of "the lad"! After all we will have to wait another 1000 years until another 007 year comes around! So I guess we should all make the most of it!
It will certainly be a good year for 007 himself after the brilliant Casino Royal that was released last month. The opening scenes involving the pioneer of the street movement parkour were truly breath taking.
Following on from the cinematic theme, today we saw in pursuit of happyness starring Will Smith and his real life son as his son. There were many things in this film which certainly hit me, and I can draw a few parallels to my own life through this well told tale.

Never let anyone tell you that something is not possible, not even me! If you have a dream then you do every thing in your power to realise this dream is the basic message behind the film.
Will Smith in the film is a very intelligent character who finds himself in horrendous financial mess trying to bring up his son after a break in his relationship. Through good fortune and determination he manages to land an intership with a stock brokers.
A fear that he talks about is that excelling at school gives you possibilities, and people start talking about all the things you can possibly become. However the danger is that you spend too much time thinking about what you could become and don't actually become anything!
I have to say this is a big fear of mine............ I have the potential to be alot of things with focus , motivation and determination.
Hopefully this year will breed success and initiate the momentum for future success.
The reason I mention the film is due to the fact that it has inherently motivated me, for one this blog is as a direct result of the highly motivated mindset I currently find myself in.

I feel that writing a little piece about an event or thought, serves as a very powerful tool for analysis that can then be used in an effective way.

Anyway after some frantic typing my hands are starting to cramp.

Year 2007 Year of the Lad, lets make it a huge one!

Everyone should list 3 things they want to achieve in 2007 and "scale" some new heights!

Serre Chevalier on Thursday for some skiing - bring it on!