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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 19:15:47 GMT
A most enjoyable part of my Saturday evening is MOTD. It makes up for so much, but its finished for two months. BGT is a poor substitute and in any case is only one Saturday evening.
What does one watch instead if one is a poor expat many miles from civilisation?
What is *the* British series I should be watching? Not US, but actually British.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 19:38:17 GMT
You've got the CLF tonight and Scotland vs England next week, France vs England friendly the following week. Otherwise you go and enjoy the sun but being in the wrong hemisphere and the middle of winter for you you're kind of fubar'd or buggered as it used to be known.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 19:52:18 GMT
I've never really been able to get into CLF. Scotland vs. England is pretty much a battle between the bitter and the hopeless, not fascinating to a man from the land of beautiful sheep, and a battle between the useless and the unwashed isn't much better. The hemisphere does not really cause a significant state of buggeration to a snowboarder, here's what I was looking at over my beer yesterday lunchtime.... But that still doesn't account for Saturday evenings. I may sulk. To be honest, I'd sell my soul for an evening in a decent country pub [Red Lion, Stratton Audley, Hi Frank!!] followed by a kebab in Bicester market square. I guess its getting about time I bought some air tickets.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:04:26 GMT
Scotland vs England is a World Cup qualifier so alien to a man of the sheep (beautiful or paper bag). How'd you get into snowboarding in Wales ? I took my daughter out on my GSX-R750 L2 today, she loved it. I love that bike, it's my summer commuter, a bit of an extravagance for a commuter bike but the only real expense is 300€ for tyres every 3,500 miles. I'm a bit Scottish sun tanned or lobster red. I just cannot adjust to anything above 30C when a typical summer's day for me growing up was 17C on a good day.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:18:17 GMT
Very pretty, I like it.
I had a Suzuki GS750. I loved it very much. But since it was about 1980 ish, it didn't look much like that. A few years later, say 1985, I had a GSX750, and that didn't look like that either.
As for snowboarding, I was a layabout for many, many years. And bumming around Europe being qualified to teach snowboarding and windsurfing kept the wolf from the door many times. I actually learned in Vale one time while in pursuit of a girlie. Windsurfing I learned in Dale, Pembrokeshire. Also where I took my RYA instructor qualifications. My surfing I did at the back in West Dale.
I often think that I may end my days in Dale. Lovely place in a lovely area.
But still, Saturday evenings.................
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:27:52 GMT
It's very pretty but devastatingly quick. V8 Mustang's and Focus RS can rev their nuts off at traffic lights but once the lights go green the bike is gone and the cars are making noise for no reason. 1+ tonnes vs 190kgs is not happening. Obviously not with my daughter on the back though she does make it known if I have not gone quick enough (>100mph) She's done that since being a nipper in the child seat in the passenger seat when she would wake up if the speed on the autobahn dropped below 90mph when she would wake up and cry. As soon as the speed went up she'd go back to sleep.
A friend of ours is a skiing instructor, he qualified in Whsitler.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:28:13 GMT
These two I think.... (loved, absolutely loved, the GS. The GSX, meh, not so much)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:32:53 GMT
Its that devastating quickness which is my issue. My sister is, and always has been, into superbikes. I occasionally borrow them. But in all honestly I simply cannot be trusted with something that fast, I repeatedly get myself into problems.
I used to be quite an aggressive bike rider, but for the most part I was riding older British stuff and there's a limit to how much trouble you can get yourself into.
I had a Supere Tenere in Brasil for years, but that's a dirt bike and so isn't scary quick. Some of my sister's stuff scares me. Way out of my league.
All a very long way from the Matchless G12 and the Bultaco Sherpa I started with.
As for taking your children, good for you. We do our children no good removing adrenaline from their lives. I would characterise my girls and I as doing risky stuff safely, if that makes sense.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:47:41 GMT
Your reservation is why I have a 750. It is basically a 750 motor in a 600 frame. I do not trust myself with a 1000 bike, it is longer, quicker and simply arrives at corners quicker than I am. I bought the 750 because I was riding my wife's 600 full throttle everywhere. I now find I can 'open up' the 750 and maybe, just maybe, I am now ready for that next step.
I suspect the jump from 150bhp to 190+bhp will be a whole new learning curve on two wheels.
My daughter is a real adrenaline junky, she loves the bike but not in a dangerous way. She does far more dangerous stuff on her pushbike than I would do with her on the back of my motorbike. We're off to the States in July. She's already booked her spot on the back of a Harley day I have. Not sure how I feel about that. My main worry is grinding out a Harley in corners after the Gixxer. I'm assuming we'll have something more than a 90 degree corner.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 20:56:29 GMT
Honestly I would not hesitate one second over taking my daughter on a bike. If she likes adrenaline then she will seek it out with or without you. Far better to oversee her growing into the experience and try to shield her from the most brutal of your practical learnings.
Have you ridden a bike in the States before? [especially a Harley?] It is sooo much more relaxed than in Europe. Once you're outside the cities the distances are soo much larger that full throttle just isn't worth the suffering. And where you do, the major interstates have a much lower level of traffic.
I can ride bikes, ski, board, surf, windsurf, fly planes, parachute, ride horses, climb and dive. So can both my daughters. Though my wife blames much of her grey hair on me. But I long ago realised that the person best qualified to scare away horrible teenage boys was the daughter involved. And frankly they scare the crap out of most Chileno boys so its working. (typically wimpish).
The lad that the 15 year old is currently attracting is a nice lad, and certainly a cut above. So, so far so good. (as the man said falling past the 5th floor window).
How old is your daughter?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 21:12:03 GMT
My daughter is 11 and a real ball buster. She is a real mini me.
I have not ridden in the States but have driven. We are attending a family wedding and the group we are ridding with are all locals. I will sit at the back and get a feel before deciding what is going on. There is no testosterone going on. It's a happy time, a happy meeting and no bravado going on.
I feel sorry for anyone who decides my daughter is "the one". I have a 23 year old son who is very protective of his little sis and a 9 year old son who does not accept change. His big sis is "his" big sis.
Not really helping with your Saturday night viewing am I ?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 21:16:21 GMT
Sounds like a lovely family.
The ride in the States sounds just great. If I was you, I'd want to do it with my daughter, whatever she wanted herself! It is just something to be shared.
I look forward to hearing about it in due course.
p.s. give the daughter a camera and get her to photograph as much as she can throughout. You'll probably get some great shots.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 21:17:15 GMT
No, you're not helping the viewing. Still an enjoyable conversation though.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 21:27:46 GMT
One of my friends in the UK sent me his 12 year old son for a few weeks. In the time that he's been here he's been up in a two seater, been paragliding, surfing, diving, climbing in the Andes, swimming in volcanic springs, camping in the forests, visited a glacier, been horseriding, and trekking. We've had midnight barbecues, bike rides and goodness knows what else.
I can just see him fitting right back into Chelsea when he arrives on Sunday. I like his Father very much, but he's not really an 'active' sort of chap.
Its like sending back a hand grenade with the pin out. I reckon he'll be climbing walls by Tuesday.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2017 22:29:57 GMT
:-) don't you just love it when a plan comes together. What's the Chelsea penalty for someone being out of school during, ahem, school term time ?
P.S. Didn't think of the camera, she's a very good camera'person'. Will definitely do that. Also, taking the Nextbase dashcam as extra 'insurance' for the hire car.
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