Looks like rain today, and today is also a running day. I like running in the rain, almost as much as I like running in a thunder storm so could plug a new personal best in this evening. Last day of the month too so will also be setting my best month ever after a super hero start in Florida earlier this month.
Back to the States again next month. Accepted a job on a sailing boat that is sailing the east coast for the summer and maybe even the northwestern passages too before heading to the Caribbean for the winter. Getting paid in US dollars – the implications of this may be wasted on you lot ! Normally with yachts its euro but I am convinced the value of the euro is about to dive dive dive – so 18 months on the dollar will suit me just fine. Speaking of dive dive dive, my salary request for the new build in Holland with it’s own submarine was a bit rich for the multi millionaire owner (but the owner of a 10 year old sailing boat can afford me!). They also took so long to come back to me that I had accepted an offer elsewhere. Now here’s the thing, you are that multi millionaire owner and you are trying to get an engineer on the cheap. The engineer on board any vessel is your best line of defense for safety and also to protect your investment (I would estimate for this one, around 45million euros), better still, you’re training your engineer to drive your submarine and also maintain it – now, would you want me in there at 100metres below the surface knowing it was meticulously maintained or would you want some giri that you got on the cheap?
Enough boat talk – I will be stateside again from 13th June – sadly this may mean I will miss two summer weddings which I was really looking forward to.
So, AC/DC. For some reason, I was thinking about Brian Johnson the other day and punched them into youtube. I watched them on their live performances and felt a little sad. Sad because we are loosing entertaining acts like that to talentless wank stains the likes of which are churned out in droves by modern media and rich record producers. Of course it will go full circle. If you are old enough to remember punk, it rose out of a platform of disco and new romantics. Better still, think back to when the big hair of the 80’s turned into the 90’s and Liam and Keith hit the stage (The Prodigy) – it was a rave sensation – trip to trumpton? suit you sir!
Anyway – here’s a link to whole lotta rosie – turn it up and remember to shout ‘ANGUS’ at the right time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0ZCdBJRuH8
She’s a whole lotta woman – all 19 stones of her!
Last night was a bike night so I headed into the forest again on the outskirts of Brussels. Why is it that the best tracks to ride are the ones that they ban bikes from ? And I can’t claim language barrier either because they use simple signs. Regardless of them, I rode them anyway – for the second time, and would you Adam and Eve it – not a single person out walking, thats twice now. How about walkers loose their access rights if they don’t use the paths? Knowing I am breaking the law makes me cycle faster anyway, it’s just that naughtiness in me – I can’t resist.
I also found a track that wasn’t labelled or listed so took it – it was almost free riding until I happened upon a fella looking very guilty all alone in the bushes (thankfully there, i refrained from using the phrase ‘came across’). I wonder what was going on there. The woods are huge out here and I have only managed to explore the northwestern tip of them. Lack of phone signal meant that google maps didn’t work so I had to navigate my return using only the sun as my position indicator – and guess what? For the first time ever, I found the correct exit to ‘Avenue Louise’. This of course caused more confusion than I expected. I had never hit ‘Lousie’ directly before so the road looked unfamiliar and the junctions confused me.
Let me tell you though – driving in Brussels is a real shit fight, there seem to be no rules, and even when there are, they can change without notice so it is a real challenge. Get on your mountain bike and it is a different kettle of fish altogether. Suddenly these dick head drivers grow extra eyes and know you are there. As I approach red lights at speed – you should see them panic – will I continue out and they will have to avoid me, or will I stop? Have to admit, I normally do as much as I can to piss them off when I am on my bike, when I am in the car it is the most frustrating time ever – and remember, I have spent much time in Portugal and Spain.
To finish off, let me say that I did finally get ‘that shot’. I am of course referring to Cawston Spinney and all of its glorious bluebells! Now, feel free to call me a flowery twat, but I do very much like all that nature has to offer, and bluebells in the woods just amaze me. Better still, fields of rape, catch them at the right time as they are changing from violet to yellow and it can be spectacular to watch the field change colour day by day – this photo still eludes me, but it will come eventually.
I have uploaded some photos from last weeks trip to England – be sure to have a look, there are 4 ‘that shot’ photos, I struggle to decide which is best. I called it ‘Cawston Spinney’.
The November Archives 