What's that coming over the hill

Yup, it's a Monster.

Day out at Alton Towers courtesy of Sainsbury's. Was nice to skip all the queues paying a fortune for tickets. Queues on the rides not too bad. Got on everything I wanted to. Shame 13 was closed though. Did Nemesis and Air several times at the end of the day. Last one was last ride of the day, on the front row hehe.

Wandered through the gardens and explored the Towers. not done that in a while.

They obviously don't make enough money from the Towers themselves. They really should invest more in their restoration. Especially the chapel, where they sorted the beautiful ceiling but then just left it. There are old tables left there, displays broken and left against the wall, and bird poo everywhere. As for bothering to put up accurate signs for the way out of the Towers.. they didn't. Roof impressive though.

Took me own pack up so managed to avoid spending any money all day hehe. Couldn't even find an ordinary pencil as my souvenir in the gift shop. Searched for local geocaches while queue avoiding in the car park. Programmed the GPS for parking at one of my favourite childhood spots...

There were three caches around the lake. Been there lots of times. First time I've actually gone round the lake.

Path blocked by Killer Geese and Crazy Swans...

And yeah, I'm still scared of the monster..

I confess...

that I love kd lang just a little too much!

Got tarted up in van in car park. Didn't need gaydar, easier to play spot the straight person. Really nice seeing loads of older than us couples. Grown up pride march.

Support act hilarious. rambled. Discount store panties song. Little miss ...

rock and roll... tea and crisps at interval. em burned mouth i needed monster burp from rushing.. kd on in one minute

i confess first. awesome. all amazing.. much more of a kick live. Danced to Miss Chatalaine... kd smiled at me!!!  couldn't beleive she did Halleluijah. utterly amazing. voice so powerful yet so tender, when it breaks high.. version of constant craving with banging drums!!
3 encores. utterly fab.
hung around trying to steal poster, em asked. will shortly be framed on my lounge wall. did try to stal my t shirt though.
van started. yet more fuel. home around midnight.

Get me... I'm Premium!!

Bumble failure. rain. Warwick Castle today jousting sandwhiches in rain. pump room. royal wedding. freaked out by humans. all related all had affairs. dead ferret man. premium upgrade.. parking dungeons next time.

On the cards...

Well it happened sooner rather than later. Got in Bumble this morning ready to go to the car boot. No juice. No suprise. Spent the afternoon cycling round any open (well, went to the closed ones too) car/parts places to find a battery. Ended up in Halfords. Only place that had them in stock. Juliette gave my battery a lift home, while I went into Maplins with crazy ideas about solar chargers. Am now plotting!

Team Jelly Baby

Is what I have decided to call my one girl cycling team... as it is fuelled by them. Did a training ride today. Feeling a lot more confident for next Sunday now. Did 34 miles in 2:43. Only got a little bit lost in Nottingham. Got beeped at a couple of times. I'm fairly sure bikes are actually allowed on roads, but I will check my highway code later! Ended up doing a fairly nice route, although some bits were a bit scary. Went on the A6 to Hathern and Kegworth, then on the A463 past Ratcliffe (where I shouted things at E.On!!)

Then a bit in Nottingham, back through Wysall (ish), Rempstone, then another detour to Prestwold and Cotes.

As long as next week is not like the last 3 miles (wind and heavy rain), then I think I will be ok. The most uncomfortable thing was the neck ache.. but I'm sure more bits will hurt after 100 miles!

Squeaky

Gave Bumble a good clean today ready for any adventures there may be at the weekend. Brum for kd at the very least. Still not heard from Ma about whether we are going to Bath during half term. If not then I guess I should try to start doing the t cut and polish, or some of the internal cleaning or something. Want to get Bumble looking his best (short of the 1k respray!).

All better

Yaay! Bumble is all fixed. Rob came here last night and while I played with Morgan (his son) and an ikea rat, he investigated the source of the leak. I took the van to Kimcote tonight, and to be honest was worried that the coolant alarm didn't go off.. thought I had made it all up! Turns out that Rob had put some additive in the coolant reservoir last night that fixes leaks. And.. it worked. Rob and Will took Bumble's face off and checked the source of the leak, it seems to have been the lower pipe.

Rob now calls me Miss Chaos, and refuses to shake hands with me in case it falls off because I am cursed!

Big thanks to Rob and Will for all their time and efforts sorting Bumble. Hopefully he will behave himself now.

Skillage

I would like it noted that I just parked Bumble perfectly. First attempt. With car park full. Get in!

Naughty Bumble goes to Brum

Saturday morning, was twenty seconds from finishing my 12k run when I got the call to go collect Bumble. Paul had done the minimum that we agreed, but Bumble was still dirty (no promised valet) and still no fuel flap. Still, was nice when his wheels and interior were admired by a lady trying to decide what to get done in her yellow T4 with pop top.

Phoned Ma to check if Carl is actually doing this Norwich ride, decided to do it anyway.  So went to Decathlon to buy their cheapest turbo trainer, as I suck at going outside to train for ages, but I'm brilliant at watching films. I was very well behaved in there and only got what I went for. Had the surfboard they had in there been my size, or the bikes not crazy money, then it might have been a different story! Popped in Ikea for mum and also got the curtain thing for the van that I'd had in my head.

On the way back Bumble beeped very loudly me and then the coolant light started flashing. Phone calls to Dad. He will be wishing I'd bought an old Bay soon! Bumble is now leaking coolant quite badly. 
Failed to do the intended quick turn around and eventually got off to Brum. Timed it well actually for a yummy Tiramisu in Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant.

Am writing this from a bar (and editing Sunday afternoon at home). Off clubbing later to celebrate Em's birthday. I'd rather go read a bike magazine in the van! Turns out Em is getting old too. Music was crap. I didn't get any of the George I was promised. Only song we recognised was an old Hazel Dean rehash. Still, we managed to stay in the 'Aspie Hell' club until 2am, having had only a pint of shandy all night. Lightweights R us.

Wandered around the Bull Ring area for a bit today. Went in the Animal and the Apple stores. Not enough pennies for purchases. Found the GC at St Martins church, and popped inside. Got fed flapjack.

Back via Tamworth services for yet more water to replace leaked coolant. Did Bex's ironing, intending to go get bike but she appears to be out. Will substitute tomorrows run instead. Prob go see Kings Speech at Flix later.

Still no van

Rucksack and motorbike at car boot. Glad it wasn't raining. Declined getting the picnic basket for Ems.

Jane and Dave baptised at church. Awesome. BBQ after. My 'salad' got mocked!

Sleep and Twilight.

4 town centre geocaches.

Finish cleaning bathroom, put stuff back in loft. Food.

Definitely NOT a dubvan log..

Because it's still in the garage.. Grrr!  Paul still not finished the paint, so not even started doing the repairs/checking out the issues that arose in Cornwall. Testing my patience.

Anyway. Had a good day in the end. Awake at 6. Checking to see if the Somloci tribute caches had been published yet. Read Twilight for a bit. Checked again. Did my run (11km). Checked again. Breakfast over QI. Checked again. Cleaned bathroom and had shower. Checked again. Decided to go to the Space Centre even though it was p-ing it down. Checked again. Eek! They had been published 30 mins ago. Quickly chucked on a waterproof and ran to the nearest one. Practically downstairs! So pleased at my first First To Find, especially as apparently there are commemorative badges at the Event tonight. Obviously looked like a Cacher, as someone walking the opposite way between that and the next closest cache said Hi, then 'you missed one'! presumably meaning "ha ha, we beat you to the cache you're heading to", which, I may well have been able to say in reply. Anyway, found that outside the posh school, then was FTF again on one by Ladybird books. Then decided I must get food and go to Leicester, as it had stopped raining and was getting late.

The trusty motorbike struggled to get to 60, but it was easy enough getting there on the A6. My cunning plan worked.. I locked helmet and dry bag full of kit to bike. 13 quid wasn't too expensive, especially as it's an annual pass, which I will def be using again. Somehow managed to not buy anything at the SW stand. Had a look round the museum (missed lots of it) and the SW stands. Debated going back home to get my SW cap. Had spent all morning chanting don't forget the cap, don't forget the cap.. so you can guess what happened. Didn't, and accidentally forked out for 2 autographs. Kenny Baker, who was much nicer (and much more deaf) than the previous time I met him, and Rusty Goff, who was Kabe (the cute little alien getting a drink in the Mos Eisley Cantina, and a Jawa and Gonk the square robot in the sandcrawler, and a HP goblin and an Oompa Loompa). They will go on the wall of fame!

Got some photos of the 501 Garrison people in costume, then went to the 'We are Astronomers' show in the dome cinema thing. And promptly fell asleep! Didn't want to. Just awake since 6, dark and warm etc. Oh well. Got my mandatory souvenir pencil, then off home.

Somloci tribute event tonight at the Rushes. Another chance to force myself to be brave and pretend to be sociable.

Back to the Vets!

Bumble back in Kimcote, having his paintwork sorted out. Having a bit of a disagreement with the seller as to what he agreed to do before I bought it. Also trying get him to sort the other issues that arose during the Cornwall trip.

Anyway. had to get myself back from Kimcote. So slung the bike (mountain) in the back of the van, and rode the 27 miles back. Took ages. Found 2 Geocaches and failed to find one other. Navigating through Leicester took ages too. Next time I complain about Tom I must remember how hard it is with an iPhone in a pocket!

Bit concerned about doing the Norwich 100mile ride next month. Right knee was tight. More concerned though about riding the racer if the roads are anything like as crap as the ones in Leicester! Some of the potholes etc really hurt.. think they would have broken the racer.

Premiership Football Here We Come

Nothing to do with the Dub Van.... but Norwich have just been promoted!!! We are now back in the Premiership. Just beat Portsmouth so guaranteed 2nd place, as Cardiff lost today. Finally got to watch it... in the fourth pub I went to! (Closed down, shut, stared at, then open with sky!)

Lets be 'avin you!!!!

The dull bit

4pm before I had managed to get everything up from the van and either away, in the washing machine or back in the loft. Hopefully this (and packing in the first place) will become super slick once I get organised about what I need to take and get rid of some of the rubbish in the loft.

I guess it was good that I didn't use much of what I took this time... means I was surfing rather than reading, playing board games, watching DVDs or doing sewing. For the amount of food that I ate (almost as much as Uncle Chalkie, who was eating for Britain!) I brought rather a lot back! Also gained a windbreak and a new towel that were not my fault. Chalkie's boot was full of Mum and Nan's new shoes!!!

Home

End of a fantastic holiday

stopped at Ems

photos

good journey home.

avoiding unpacking watching View to a Kill... answer question about a horse box.