That's it my 40th year done and my #40@40 list filled up.
Thanks to everyone that helped and joined in. Here's the full list. Hopefully It's made me a much more interesting person to have at dinner parties :)
1. Go power-boating down the Thames
2. Walk over the Millennium Dome
3. Set up my own company
4. Try eating insects
5. Meet the Parents
6. Try life-logging with a Fitbit
7. Have a 'Chariots of Fire' moment
8. Be a bee keeper
9. Get my DNA analysed
10. Visit Croatia and Dubrovnik
11. Take part in a triathlon
12. Get a wet shave
13. Take part in a tomato fight!
14. See the Northern lights
15. Swim in Iceland's hot pools
16. Get soaked by a geysir
17. Try circus skills
18. Spend Christmas away from home
19. Go indoor sky diving
20. Be a zoo-keeper for a day
21. Have a Michelin star meal
22. Visit Florence and see the statue of David
23. Climb the leaning tower of Pisa
24. Experience a floatation tank
25. Knit a Scarf
26. Tour the Houses of Parliament
27. Have a suit made
28. Try a Graffiti master class
29. Have a yoga lesson
30. Go rally driving at Brands Hatch
31. Attend film school
32. Go ice climbing in Covent Garden
33. Get printed in 3D (Mini Me)
34. Home Brew course (Double D ale)
35. Try miracle berries and lemons
36. Make my own Muppet
37. Have a manhattan in Manhattan
38. Go up the Empire States Building
39. Go air-boating in the Everglades
40. Go power-boating along Miami Beach like the start of Miami Vice
No plans for a #41@41
D
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
#40@40 Mini Me
So I had this idea. Another case of trying something out which is uncommon now but in the future nobody will even think around, getting something printed on a 3D printer.
As luck would have it I happen to find out that ASDA was running a trial touring printing service at its different branches where you could go and get yourself scanned and they would print out a small model of you for 60 quid.
A trip out to ASDA in Dagenham had me standing in a large white tent by a cigarette kiosk watching a technician scanning one of the security guards. After filling out some forms it was my turn. The trick with getting a good scan was get a comfortable stance and then don't move and you don't have to fix your smile before the end as they come back and do that bit last.
So the technician was slowing walking around me with a white box which took a thousand or so digital photographs. All the while the scanner knew its position and orientation so afterwards software can compile all the pictures into one complete scan. Apparently it all gets built up on a wired frame and then they tidied up a bit before the thing is printed. The technician backed up the scans with some ordinary digital pictures of my face at the end so they could get the details right. He also took pictures of areas which had more detail such as my hands. He said it all gets sent away for alot of preprocessing and then a file is sent to the printers.
The print process is a bit of mystery but I think its to do with heating a points in a bath of ceramic powder which is then cleaned off to give the finished colour model with the colour details printed straight onto the surface.
So two weeks later I was back in the store and a had in my hands a little statue of me. The detailing is really quite good and when the thing is standing on my windowsill its really quite spooky from across the room. It's definitely me!
As luck would have it I happen to find out that ASDA was running a trial touring printing service at its different branches where you could go and get yourself scanned and they would print out a small model of you for 60 quid.
A trip out to ASDA in Dagenham had me standing in a large white tent by a cigarette kiosk watching a technician scanning one of the security guards. After filling out some forms it was my turn. The trick with getting a good scan was get a comfortable stance and then don't move and you don't have to fix your smile before the end as they come back and do that bit last.
So the technician was slowing walking around me with a white box which took a thousand or so digital photographs. All the while the scanner knew its position and orientation so afterwards software can compile all the pictures into one complete scan. Apparently it all gets built up on a wired frame and then they tidied up a bit before the thing is printed. The technician backed up the scans with some ordinary digital pictures of my face at the end so they could get the details right. He also took pictures of areas which had more detail such as my hands. He said it all gets sent away for alot of preprocessing and then a file is sent to the printers.
The print process is a bit of mystery but I think its to do with heating a points in a bath of ceramic powder which is then cleaned off to give the finished colour model with the colour details printed straight onto the surface.
So two weeks later I was back in the store and a had in my hands a little statue of me. The detailing is really quite good and when the thing is standing on my windowsill its really quite spooky from across the room. It's definitely me!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
#40@40: Attend film school
An odd one this. It just sort of popped up and I thought it looked interesting. A day in a lecture theatre near Somerset House learning about what its like to be in the film business.
We started with writing the screenplay and a talk from Elliot Grove, the director of Raindance. He covered the basic principles of writing screenplays, and what storytelling tools. you can use, for example, types of characters and what their journey might be in a good story. He also covered some of the copyright and legal ins and outs and how movies are bought and sold.
Next up it was a talk and the mechanics of actually making a movie. Budgets, equipment, dealing with locations and the general public. Also the importance of planning before you start both timetables and shots.
After lunch was a great talk from Director, Patrick Tucker, on how you actually direct a movie. Dealing with actor and framing and the weird things you have to do to get the action looking right on the screen. Getting the voice levels right and getting the actor to think about acting to the screen.
The last talk it was Elliot Grove again talking about how to make your big breaking into the film industry. Getting all the promo stuff sorted and what if any money you might be able to earn.
If you would like paid work in the film industry, this is the session for you. Elliot’s back and teaches how to prepare yourself for work as a writer, producer, director, technician, editor or art director.
Some interesting stuff and a few odd things to check out the next time I'm watching a block buster.
We started with writing the screenplay and a talk from Elliot Grove, the director of Raindance. He covered the basic principles of writing screenplays, and what storytelling tools. you can use, for example, types of characters and what their journey might be in a good story. He also covered some of the copyright and legal ins and outs and how movies are bought and sold.
Next up it was a talk and the mechanics of actually making a movie. Budgets, equipment, dealing with locations and the general public. Also the importance of planning before you start both timetables and shots.
After lunch was a great talk from Director, Patrick Tucker, on how you actually direct a movie. Dealing with actor and framing and the weird things you have to do to get the action looking right on the screen. Getting the voice levels right and getting the actor to think about acting to the screen.
The last talk it was Elliot Grove again talking about how to make your big breaking into the film industry. Getting all the promo stuff sorted and what if any money you might be able to earn.
If you would like paid work in the film industry, this is the session for you. Elliot’s back and teaches how to prepare yourself for work as a writer, producer, director, technician, editor or art director.
Some interesting stuff and a few odd things to check out the next time I'm watching a block buster.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
#40@40 Yoga-ing
I went to my first yoga class.
Yes its another very common thing that I've managed for forty years to have nothing to do with. It's one of that list of things in our modern western culture like wearing pink and OK, Knitting, that men leave to women to do for no real good reason. It's a popular pastime with some of my friends. Female friends that is, the reaction from the blokes tends to makes it sound like a course of medieval torture and to be fair I think some of the poses the military would describe as 'stress positions'. But the girls report it giving one a 'sense of well being' and feeling 'a bit stressed' if they don't go regularly. So hoping that I can avoid the 'additive' part of the experience, I asked my good friend Suli if she would take me to the lesson she goes to.
So before we even started there was a decision to make: hot or cold. There is a version called Bikram which is done in a hot room so you get very sweaty and is a bit more hardcore. The word Bikram and the idea of heat gets mixed up in my head and the phrase Biryani Yoga has come out a few times.
We decided to start with the normal cool lesson at the local gym. Suli manage to get me a day pass for her local gym and we met up on a bright Sunday morning.
In the gym once I managed to work out how the locker works (some sort of magnetic card sensor thingy). I joined Suli in the dance studio where they were getting set up. The room was already full of people sitting on mats, spread out all over the room, about 25 or so people with the lady instructor at the front.
Suli had set up a mat for me (just like a camping carry mat) next to her, it was however right in the middle of the room so I did feel a little bit like everyone is looking at me. That hasn't helped when we all stood up and I discovered I as also 6 inches or so taller than those around me and Id quash flat anyone if I fell over.
The class progress with a set system of moves, so most people knew what to do and what was coming. I was copying those around me and trying not to laugh and giggle too much at the strangeness of it all as everyone was taking it quite serious. I caught Suli's eye a couple of times which nearly set me off and some of the balance poses must have quite comic as I was super wobbly.
But in general I think I was getting more or less in the same positions as the others and I kept up pretty well I think, managing to grab onto my feet with fairly straight legs despite some interference from my tummy getting in the way. I didn't fancy some of the more advance stuff they did like trying the headstand part or the one were you had to twist your knees which I also skipped. One move did a lot of was called the downward dog where you make a big arch with your body with your hands on the floor trying to get your feet flat on the floor. This was OK for a bit but my t shirt kept siding down and covering my face so I couldn't see what was going on. A small wardrobe malfunction.
We ended after about an hour with a relaxation section which made me think again of the floatation tank experience, Suli said afterwards that bit makes her very sleepy but I was very awake.
Afterwards I was bit sweaty and thirsty but not sore or tired. I returned our mats to the store while Suli asked the instructor about the finer points of doing head stands right.
Suli asked did I enjoy it and said I looked like I was doing OK but said I should try and remember to breath through my nose. I think I did enjoy it and it will have done me good.
We then got changed and went for a nice lunch. All part of the full experience.
Two days later as I write this the muscles are in a sore sore state and I can't currently easily pick some thing off the floor and I'm shuffling around like an old man. So yes it has done me some good, I just can't feel it yet.
Would I go again, yes I think so, although I'll wait until I can move normally again.
Yes its another very common thing that I've managed for forty years to have nothing to do with. It's one of that list of things in our modern western culture like wearing pink and OK, Knitting, that men leave to women to do for no real good reason. It's a popular pastime with some of my friends. Female friends that is, the reaction from the blokes tends to makes it sound like a course of medieval torture and to be fair I think some of the poses the military would describe as 'stress positions'. But the girls report it giving one a 'sense of well being' and feeling 'a bit stressed' if they don't go regularly. So hoping that I can avoid the 'additive' part of the experience, I asked my good friend Suli if she would take me to the lesson she goes to.
So before we even started there was a decision to make: hot or cold. There is a version called Bikram which is done in a hot room so you get very sweaty and is a bit more hardcore. The word Bikram and the idea of heat gets mixed up in my head and the phrase Biryani Yoga has come out a few times.
We decided to start with the normal cool lesson at the local gym. Suli manage to get me a day pass for her local gym and we met up on a bright Sunday morning.
In the gym once I managed to work out how the locker works (some sort of magnetic card sensor thingy). I joined Suli in the dance studio where they were getting set up. The room was already full of people sitting on mats, spread out all over the room, about 25 or so people with the lady instructor at the front.
Suli had set up a mat for me (just like a camping carry mat) next to her, it was however right in the middle of the room so I did feel a little bit like everyone is looking at me. That hasn't helped when we all stood up and I discovered I as also 6 inches or so taller than those around me and Id quash flat anyone if I fell over.
The class progress with a set system of moves, so most people knew what to do and what was coming. I was copying those around me and trying not to laugh and giggle too much at the strangeness of it all as everyone was taking it quite serious. I caught Suli's eye a couple of times which nearly set me off and some of the balance poses must have quite comic as I was super wobbly.
But in general I think I was getting more or less in the same positions as the others and I kept up pretty well I think, managing to grab onto my feet with fairly straight legs despite some interference from my tummy getting in the way. I didn't fancy some of the more advance stuff they did like trying the headstand part or the one were you had to twist your knees which I also skipped. One move did a lot of was called the downward dog where you make a big arch with your body with your hands on the floor trying to get your feet flat on the floor. This was OK for a bit but my t shirt kept siding down and covering my face so I couldn't see what was going on. A small wardrobe malfunction.
We ended after about an hour with a relaxation section which made me think again of the floatation tank experience, Suli said afterwards that bit makes her very sleepy but I was very awake.
Afterwards I was bit sweaty and thirsty but not sore or tired. I returned our mats to the store while Suli asked the instructor about the finer points of doing head stands right.
Suli asked did I enjoy it and said I looked like I was doing OK but said I should try and remember to breath through my nose. I think I did enjoy it and it will have done me good.
We then got changed and went for a nice lunch. All part of the full experience.
Two days later as I write this the muscles are in a sore sore state and I can't currently easily pick some thing off the floor and I'm shuffling around like an old man. So yes it has done me some good, I just can't feel it yet.
Would I go again, yes I think so, although I'll wait until I can move normally again.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
#40@40 A tour of Houses of Parliament
I live in London, and as is traditional for Londoner, I've done hardly any of the typical tourist activities that this great city has to offer. Well today to re-address the balance some what, I did one of the big ones and went on a tour of the Houses of Parliament, the home of our government.
It's not the easiest place to get into that's for sure. OK its easy to find but then finding the place to collect the tickets from and then finding the place to enter are another matter entirely. With very few signs its hard to find the box office (which is on the other side of the road behind a anonymous white building) and then the actual tour entrance is by way of a tent (yeap very regal) about half way down. It's all a bit disorganised and without asking a couple of policemen and the ticket collector you've got no chance.
Anyway once past the tent the whole thing improves remarkably. A very professional airport style security room is down a little walkway. Where you are scanned and checked for all sorts of weapons and I assume bags of flour. Next its out and around to the HUGE Westminster hall where the tour proper begins.
It was a fully escorted 'blue badge' tour which starts by following the route the Queen takes on the opening of Parliament. There were many impressive things about the tour not less of which was the tour guide being able to pour out details about the pictures and architecture and day-to-day workings of the rooms for a whole 75 minutes. We travelled from the Royal robing room round to the House of Lords chamber to where the Queen gives her speech. The levels of decoration in this area are quite breathtaking and mostly in gold.
Then it was on following the route the Black Rod takes to the House of Commons via the Central Lobby that most people would recognise from political TV reports. A quick diversion into a voting lobby (we voted No) and then it was into the main chamber itself entering around the speakers chair.
I picked the time and day of the tour so I would be in the chamber at the time PMQs (Prime Ministers Questions) would normally be on if the houses were sitting. We just managed to get in the chamber before half twelve.
The Chambers, just like the whole place are quite small and with a dozen or so tours groups of around 25 people it was quite busy. Standing in the opposition back benches I couldn't imagine what it would be like full of 1400 odd MPs and Lords.
On the way out I paused at the Bar of the House (the white line at the entrance way) a took a look back across the floor to the front benches. Then touching the mark the Black Rod has made in the door I headed back to the group and we returned to the Westminster hall and the end of the tour.
All that was left for me to do was buy a portcullis fridge magnet in the gift shop and of course have a cup of tea in the cafe.
It's not the easiest place to get into that's for sure. OK its easy to find but then finding the place to collect the tickets from and then finding the place to enter are another matter entirely. With very few signs its hard to find the box office (which is on the other side of the road behind a anonymous white building) and then the actual tour entrance is by way of a tent (yeap very regal) about half way down. It's all a bit disorganised and without asking a couple of policemen and the ticket collector you've got no chance.
Anyway once past the tent the whole thing improves remarkably. A very professional airport style security room is down a little walkway. Where you are scanned and checked for all sorts of weapons and I assume bags of flour. Next its out and around to the HUGE Westminster hall where the tour proper begins.
It was a fully escorted 'blue badge' tour which starts by following the route the Queen takes on the opening of Parliament. There were many impressive things about the tour not less of which was the tour guide being able to pour out details about the pictures and architecture and day-to-day workings of the rooms for a whole 75 minutes. We travelled from the Royal robing room round to the House of Lords chamber to where the Queen gives her speech. The levels of decoration in this area are quite breathtaking and mostly in gold.
Then it was on following the route the Black Rod takes to the House of Commons via the Central Lobby that most people would recognise from political TV reports. A quick diversion into a voting lobby (we voted No) and then it was into the main chamber itself entering around the speakers chair.
I picked the time and day of the tour so I would be in the chamber at the time PMQs (Prime Ministers Questions) would normally be on if the houses were sitting. We just managed to get in the chamber before half twelve.
The Chambers, just like the whole place are quite small and with a dozen or so tours groups of around 25 people it was quite busy. Standing in the opposition back benches I couldn't imagine what it would be like full of 1400 odd MPs and Lords.
On the way out I paused at the Bar of the House (the white line at the entrance way) a took a look back across the floor to the front benches. Then touching the mark the Black Rod has made in the door I headed back to the group and we returned to the Westminster hall and the end of the tour.
All that was left for me to do was buy a portcullis fridge magnet in the gift shop and of course have a cup of tea in the cafe.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
#40@40: Keeper for a Day
A simple little day out at the zoo. But rather than just seeing the animals you get to be a junior keeper and get behind the scenes for a day. London Zoo run the scheme for the general public and you can get a ticket off their website. Its pretty popular so I had to book well in advance. I actually got the day on an offer via Living Social.
We were told to report to the staff entrance at Monday at 8:45am. where we were met by Karen a keeper with 18 years experience. She gave us a quick introduction and a uniform to wear (OK it was a green boiler suit) and then it was off to work.
First up was cleaning out the Giraffes' sleeping area. A big room full of smelly straw which we shovelled away and replaced with fresh. Then we got to feed the giraffes themselves from high platform with carrots and leaves. There tongues are black and very rough feeling. Some of the zebras came over to see what was happening with caused a bit of a fight as the giraffes are territorial and chased them off.
Next it was a trip around the aquarium. Both the front and behind scenes with me asking loads of questions (like where do they get their sea water from (as its not all the same!)). We got to feed the piranhas which involved drop defrosted small fish into the tank from a good few feet above!
Next it was off to the food prep area to make the Bearded pigs food. An interesting round room covered with recipes on the blackboard walls for all the different types of animals. Apparently Gordon Ramsey had also visited this bit of the zoo for one of his programmes. We left the food in buckets for the keepers to give them at lunchtime and we went out to visit the pigs. To give the pigs and bit of a treat on the way out we threw hazelnuts into the enclosure. They make quite a noise crunching the shells and the pig had a bit of excitement routing around for the nuts.
After that it was on to the Penguins to scrub the poo off the pool, which we did with plastic brooms. We got to meet rocky the rock hopper, who was to be fair more interested in woo-ing one of the other penguins. I got opportunity to touch him and stroke him, which felt very unusual as under the feathers he is very solidly built penguin, all muscle. Not what I had imagined they would feel like.
After lunch, in the staff canteen, it was off to meet the Koatis. It was raining slightly but fortunately they were inside. We joined them in their inside room and sat down on a bench and they could run backwards and forwards across our laps looking for food. They didn't seem to be worried about us at all and I think were probably a bit annoyed in the end that we didn't have any food.
The Anteaters came next after a quick journey around the monkey walk. The little yellow monkeys don't like the rain very much and they peered at us from under the broad leaves.
The zoo has two Anteaters, we got to feed them and clean their snouts. You take a handful of meal worms and make a fist. The anteaters then lick them right out of your fist with their long (20cm) tongue which flicks out at the bottom of your fist. A very strange feeling that one. While they are feeding you can clean their snout with a damp sponge. amazing creature they are so large and solid. At the end of our time with them they got a treat of an avocado each. while their mouth isn't really design for fruit there large claws ripped them to little bits which could be licked up.
Next to the anteater is the large bug house and we got a bit side tract looking at all the creepy crawlies. Made me think how I really need to come back as a member of public to go around the place again.
And so on to meet the Meerkats. Now they got proper excited when they saw us coming as they knew one of their favourite treats as on the way, live food. We had a bag full of crickets and meal worms. I took and handful of the bugs (some of the ones weren't keen on this bit) and emptied into the crowd of Meerkats below us. Actually the meal worms dropped down but the crickets tried to hang on until I shook them off.
The bug caused a bit of a fight as the Meerkats dashed around after the crickets. In fact they seem to ganging up on one of their number and the Meerkat keeper said that it wasn't that unusual with groups of animals but he would have to keep an eye on them so that none of them got hurt.
After that chaos we finished with something a bit more calm, feeding the Lemurs. On the way there with our buckets of food the Otters looked eager but they were out of luck. We got to sit in the Lemur cage with a handful each of the food and the Lemurs came right up and took it out of our hands. I had one sitting on my knee sorting through the food it turns out he only wanted the carrots and just picked up and tossed the swede onto the floor.
We exited out of the Lemurs area oddly enough straight into the Bat house. Then it was back down to the staff area. A quick change, souvenir t-shirt, tote bag and magazine later and it was off to the canteen for a cup of tea and cake, finishing around 4ish.
Another good day out, pretending to be keepers. Someone even ask me directions to something at one point. So I must have looked the part.
We were told to report to the staff entrance at Monday at 8:45am. where we were met by Karen a keeper with 18 years experience. She gave us a quick introduction and a uniform to wear (OK it was a green boiler suit) and then it was off to work.
First up was cleaning out the Giraffes' sleeping area. A big room full of smelly straw which we shovelled away and replaced with fresh. Then we got to feed the giraffes themselves from high platform with carrots and leaves. There tongues are black and very rough feeling. Some of the zebras came over to see what was happening with caused a bit of a fight as the giraffes are territorial and chased them off.
Next it was a trip around the aquarium. Both the front and behind scenes with me asking loads of questions (like where do they get their sea water from (as its not all the same!)). We got to feed the piranhas which involved drop defrosted small fish into the tank from a good few feet above!
Next it was off to the food prep area to make the Bearded pigs food. An interesting round room covered with recipes on the blackboard walls for all the different types of animals. Apparently Gordon Ramsey had also visited this bit of the zoo for one of his programmes. We left the food in buckets for the keepers to give them at lunchtime and we went out to visit the pigs. To give the pigs and bit of a treat on the way out we threw hazelnuts into the enclosure. They make quite a noise crunching the shells and the pig had a bit of excitement routing around for the nuts.
After that it was on to the Penguins to scrub the poo off the pool, which we did with plastic brooms. We got to meet rocky the rock hopper, who was to be fair more interested in woo-ing one of the other penguins. I got opportunity to touch him and stroke him, which felt very unusual as under the feathers he is very solidly built penguin, all muscle. Not what I had imagined they would feel like.
After lunch, in the staff canteen, it was off to meet the Koatis. It was raining slightly but fortunately they were inside. We joined them in their inside room and sat down on a bench and they could run backwards and forwards across our laps looking for food. They didn't seem to be worried about us at all and I think were probably a bit annoyed in the end that we didn't have any food.
The Anteaters came next after a quick journey around the monkey walk. The little yellow monkeys don't like the rain very much and they peered at us from under the broad leaves.
The zoo has two Anteaters, we got to feed them and clean their snouts. You take a handful of meal worms and make a fist. The anteaters then lick them right out of your fist with their long (20cm) tongue which flicks out at the bottom of your fist. A very strange feeling that one. While they are feeding you can clean their snout with a damp sponge. amazing creature they are so large and solid. At the end of our time with them they got a treat of an avocado each. while their mouth isn't really design for fruit there large claws ripped them to little bits which could be licked up.
Next to the anteater is the large bug house and we got a bit side tract looking at all the creepy crawlies. Made me think how I really need to come back as a member of public to go around the place again.
And so on to meet the Meerkats. Now they got proper excited when they saw us coming as they knew one of their favourite treats as on the way, live food. We had a bag full of crickets and meal worms. I took and handful of the bugs (some of the ones weren't keen on this bit) and emptied into the crowd of Meerkats below us. Actually the meal worms dropped down but the crickets tried to hang on until I shook them off.
The bug caused a bit of a fight as the Meerkats dashed around after the crickets. In fact they seem to ganging up on one of their number and the Meerkat keeper said that it wasn't that unusual with groups of animals but he would have to keep an eye on them so that none of them got hurt.
After that chaos we finished with something a bit more calm, feeding the Lemurs. On the way there with our buckets of food the Otters looked eager but they were out of luck. We got to sit in the Lemur cage with a handful each of the food and the Lemurs came right up and took it out of our hands. I had one sitting on my knee sorting through the food it turns out he only wanted the carrots and just picked up and tossed the swede onto the floor.
We exited out of the Lemurs area oddly enough straight into the Bat house. Then it was back down to the staff area. A quick change, souvenir t-shirt, tote bag and magazine later and it was off to the canteen for a cup of tea and cake, finishing around 4ish.
Another good day out, pretending to be keepers. Someone even ask me directions to something at one point. So I must have looked the part.
#40@40: Indoor sky diving
This one was a present from my Mum and Dad. Getting fully into the spirit of the list and making me do something very out of the ordinary. Indoor sky diving is the pastime of trying to balance on a column of air inside a specially built room. The column of air is provided by a huge wind turbine blasting up through the mesh floor and the room is a 15 foot circle with a roof about 40 foot up (there's a good reason for the high roof that as I found out later!).
So one Saturday I drove over to Airkix at Milton Keynes with the folks to try it out.
A huge structure on the end of the ski centre greets you as you drive up to park. It looks like something industrial for maybe mixing concrete. Eek!
At reception I had the usual signing of your life away and this time had to read some very stern warnings about shoulders and injuries to them.
Once nothing is the operators fault its off to the briefing and to get kitted out like a real sky diver.
We started with a briefing video with mainly went through the correct neutral body position to be in and the different hand signals we would be needing. Of course due to the wind we won't be able to hear anything. In fact they later gave us ear plugs too so this would be pretty much all the communicating we could do.
In all there were five hand signals to learn: two legs (bend or straighten), chin up, relax and OK.
Next it was off to get our flight suits, helmet, goggles and ear plugs. The only unusual thing about these, apart from looking like a cartoon character in it all, was the two handle sewn into the back of the suits. These really were so the instructor could 'man-handle' us later on.
The flight room itself is a perspex box with netting floor and a very high ceiling. On one side is an anti-chamber with a bench for waiting your go and a control room. The rest of the outside is the Spectator area were Mum and Dad go themselves a front row seat. Actually the brightly lit area around the perspex box for spectators made me think the whole thing was looking a little too much like an execution booth.
So through the air lock we went into the waiting area and lined up on the benches. leaning back I could feel the padded bars of the handles.
My fellow jumpers were a mixed group of about eight people, all shapes and sizes. It turn out sizes was important as the guy in the control room turned the fans up or down so nobody zipped straight up or got stuck on the ground.
One at a time we went to the doorway to the room for our one minute with the instructor.
The first guy was all over the place I think he didn't really get into the neutral position and was kicking and flailing around a lot. The next ones did OK with control turning it up for the really big guys. Then the lady before me decided she doesn't want to go and she had to be led into the room by the instructor. She did fine in the end and looked like she enjoyed it.
Then is was my turn.
So I was standing in the doorway with my arms in. The instruction was to just fall forward into the room and the wind and the instructor would catch you. Whoa! the instructor grabs you by an arm and a leg then gets you into the right position. I get a flurry of hand signals: relax,arms forward chin up, push down with your pelvis. Mostly pulling me into the right position it takes some sorting out but in the end I'm floating around ok
My instructor is telling me to get my arms out more and at this point I become aware that I'm yelling my lungs out with excitement. I float over to visit mum and dad and get eye to eye before I head butt the screen and slide away.
Then the one minute is up and I'm guided back to the waiting room. it feels both like its been no time at all and quite a long time. I'm pretty excited and pretty tired for just an minute activity.
So its back to the bench to watch the others and wait for my next go
My next time I have the option to go for height. The instructor lets you do this if you were OK the first time
round. Some decide against it and some like the first guy he does offer the option.
So my next and last turn I get the signal go up and yes yes I give the thumbs up.
He gets me flying as before in the neutral position, partly I think so they can take the official photos. He has to check I can balance which I must have done pretty well. And then signals to control for three trips up.
He grabs a leg and an arm and spins me around faster and faster to I guess maybe once a second and then up goes the power and we both swoosh up spinning around and around. I think it was about three stories up or 30 feet. Up down, up down, up down with me yelling my head off with happiness. Finally back out through the door and as I landed I did a little dance which apparently got a little cheer from the people in the spectator area.
After everyone's last go at the end the instructor did a turn, swooping and spinning around with a bit of precision landing through the doorway. Then it was back down to get changed and collect our certificates and DVDs.
The pressure in the ears had me blowing my nose afterwards and I felt tried like I'd done a lot more that just two minutes of flying. It was great fun and very intense. I can vividly recall the all sensations.
Another results of all that wind was a very dry mouth so we went for a drink before heading home.
Thank you Mum and Dad it was bonkersly brilliant.
So one Saturday I drove over to Airkix at Milton Keynes with the folks to try it out.
A huge structure on the end of the ski centre greets you as you drive up to park. It looks like something industrial for maybe mixing concrete. Eek!
At reception I had the usual signing of your life away and this time had to read some very stern warnings about shoulders and injuries to them.
Once nothing is the operators fault its off to the briefing and to get kitted out like a real sky diver.
We started with a briefing video with mainly went through the correct neutral body position to be in and the different hand signals we would be needing. Of course due to the wind we won't be able to hear anything. In fact they later gave us ear plugs too so this would be pretty much all the communicating we could do.
In all there were five hand signals to learn: two legs (bend or straighten), chin up, relax and OK.
Next it was off to get our flight suits, helmet, goggles and ear plugs. The only unusual thing about these, apart from looking like a cartoon character in it all, was the two handle sewn into the back of the suits. These really were so the instructor could 'man-handle' us later on.
The flight room itself is a perspex box with netting floor and a very high ceiling. On one side is an anti-chamber with a bench for waiting your go and a control room. The rest of the outside is the Spectator area were Mum and Dad go themselves a front row seat. Actually the brightly lit area around the perspex box for spectators made me think the whole thing was looking a little too much like an execution booth.
So through the air lock we went into the waiting area and lined up on the benches. leaning back I could feel the padded bars of the handles.
My fellow jumpers were a mixed group of about eight people, all shapes and sizes. It turn out sizes was important as the guy in the control room turned the fans up or down so nobody zipped straight up or got stuck on the ground.
One at a time we went to the doorway to the room for our one minute with the instructor.
The first guy was all over the place I think he didn't really get into the neutral position and was kicking and flailing around a lot. The next ones did OK with control turning it up for the really big guys. Then the lady before me decided she doesn't want to go and she had to be led into the room by the instructor. She did fine in the end and looked like she enjoyed it.
Then is was my turn.
So I was standing in the doorway with my arms in. The instruction was to just fall forward into the room and the wind and the instructor would catch you. Whoa! the instructor grabs you by an arm and a leg then gets you into the right position. I get a flurry of hand signals: relax,arms forward chin up, push down with your pelvis. Mostly pulling me into the right position it takes some sorting out but in the end I'm floating around ok
My instructor is telling me to get my arms out more and at this point I become aware that I'm yelling my lungs out with excitement. I float over to visit mum and dad and get eye to eye before I head butt the screen and slide away.
Then the one minute is up and I'm guided back to the waiting room. it feels both like its been no time at all and quite a long time. I'm pretty excited and pretty tired for just an minute activity.
So its back to the bench to watch the others and wait for my next go
My next time I have the option to go for height. The instructor lets you do this if you were OK the first time
round. Some decide against it and some like the first guy he does offer the option.
So my next and last turn I get the signal go up and yes yes I give the thumbs up.
He gets me flying as before in the neutral position, partly I think so they can take the official photos. He has to check I can balance which I must have done pretty well. And then signals to control for three trips up.
He grabs a leg and an arm and spins me around faster and faster to I guess maybe once a second and then up goes the power and we both swoosh up spinning around and around. I think it was about three stories up or 30 feet. Up down, up down, up down with me yelling my head off with happiness. Finally back out through the door and as I landed I did a little dance which apparently got a little cheer from the people in the spectator area.
After everyone's last go at the end the instructor did a turn, swooping and spinning around with a bit of precision landing through the doorway. Then it was back down to get changed and collect our certificates and DVDs.
The pressure in the ears had me blowing my nose afterwards and I felt tried like I'd done a lot more that just two minutes of flying. It was great fun and very intense. I can vividly recall the all sensations.
Another results of all that wind was a very dry mouth so we went for a drink before heading home.
Thank you Mum and Dad it was bonkersly brilliant.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
#40@40 Tomato fight!
OK, so somebody put go and visit 'la tomatina' on the list when I was asking for suggestions. And it just so happens that I get an email in the morning saying somebody is going to recreate the mayhem nearby at Canary Wharf and they need volunteers to take part.
Boom, yeap I'll do it!
So some food company has basically set up a PR stunt but the idea is sound, food fight!
So I get myself dressed up in a white T shirt and get myself up there for that lunchtime. We all gathered in a car park at Wood Wharf. Maybe about 100 people in total. All dressed in white. I had the good idea to bring my swimming goggles. The area is roped off and there are a dozen or so tubs of tinned tomatoes (not in tins!) big ones maybe 80 litres each. We were also each given a handfuls of fresh tomatoes.
The countdown was called, the DJ starts some dance music and then a very crazy 20 minutes happen.
It was very messy but brilliant fun.
I was knackered and in a right old state
Boom, yeap I'll do it!
So some food company has basically set up a PR stunt but the idea is sound, food fight!
So I get myself dressed up in a white T shirt and get myself up there for that lunchtime. We all gathered in a car park at Wood Wharf. Maybe about 100 people in total. All dressed in white. I had the good idea to bring my swimming goggles. The area is roped off and there are a dozen or so tubs of tinned tomatoes (not in tins!) big ones maybe 80 litres each. We were also each given a handfuls of fresh tomatoes.
The countdown was called, the DJ starts some dance music and then a very crazy 20 minutes happen.
It was very messy but brilliant fun.
I was knackered and in a right old state
I clean up a bit and changed into a free t shirt afterwards I cycled home covered in
muck on a Boris bike
I was in such a mess when I got back that I just got into the shower
with all my clothes on.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
#40@40: Set up your own company
So I've not been working since before Christmas. After the fun times I had at the last company I decided to take a bit of time off and concentrate on things like ski trips and daytime TV. Of course this wasn't a situation I could maintain indefinitely and at the start of May I had to start the process of earning again.
Fortunately a good friend of mine had some work going at the company he works for and I was a good fit for it. The draw back was that it was freelance work and up to this point in my career I've always been working in permanent positions. So I needed to get myself a company that I can trade as a freelancer through.
Now I had been avoiding the issue of getting myself sorted out for a little while now but knew I was quite likely to be setting myself up for freelance work at some point. But in the end when the call came in I hadn't done anything about it and had to move quite fast. My mate called on the Monday saying can I start on the Wednesday and I said sure. Then he said I needed be a limited company so his company could trade with me as a vendor and I said...um..sure see you Wednesday.
OK, so how exactly does all this work and what on Earth do I need to do to set up a company?
I had started some time before that week to think about the whole freelancing process and had been asking advice from a few people I know who are working as contractors what they recommended. They said basically a company can be set up pretty quickly online and I should get an accountant that knows all about contracting/freelancing. Running cost are mainly the cost of the accountants and bookkeeping.
I was recommended to check out https://www.pcg.org.uk/ the PCG, an professional association aimed at freelancers. Handily they have a beginners package for a couple of hundred quid they sort me out with company registration, getting an accountant and a years membership. They provide cover for issues dealing with the Tax man and how-to guides on lots of setup and running a company issues. That seemed like a good deal so I paid my money and filled in a few online forms and got the whole thing started.
Bits of the process are really quick, like the actual getting a company registered only took one afternoon and I had the email with the company certificate the next day. It took longer for me to decide on the company name, TaskerWeb than it did to do most of the other forms. So by Wednesday my new company and me was legal and able to go to work and start earning money.
Getting hold of that money however is an entirely different business. Over the next few days I got a whole host of forms from the accountants in the post to fill in. Government ones to give details of my new company and ones to register for VAT, Forms for registering for self assessment and getting a tax return,VAT application for registration and an application to join the flat rate tax scheme. One from the bank entitled limited company application form and mandate. And ones from the accountants asking for more personal details. I also had to send in my last P45, a bill with my address on it, my passport and oddly a cheque for 1 GBP from my personal account made payable to my company to set the business account going.
There was a lot of it but going through it all step by step with the instructions was pretty straight forward.
At this point I now have my company number, my business bank account and my VAT registration number so I can submit the last couple of weeks of work in an invoice to the client and hopefully it wont be too long before I get paid.
Next to sort out will be bookkeeping, receipts and expenses and then down the line it will be fun things like finding my next contract and filing a tax return! the journey starts here :)
Fortunately a good friend of mine had some work going at the company he works for and I was a good fit for it. The draw back was that it was freelance work and up to this point in my career I've always been working in permanent positions. So I needed to get myself a company that I can trade as a freelancer through.
Now I had been avoiding the issue of getting myself sorted out for a little while now but knew I was quite likely to be setting myself up for freelance work at some point. But in the end when the call came in I hadn't done anything about it and had to move quite fast. My mate called on the Monday saying can I start on the Wednesday and I said sure. Then he said I needed be a limited company so his company could trade with me as a vendor and I said...um..sure see you Wednesday.
OK, so how exactly does all this work and what on Earth do I need to do to set up a company?
I had started some time before that week to think about the whole freelancing process and had been asking advice from a few people I know who are working as contractors what they recommended. They said basically a company can be set up pretty quickly online and I should get an accountant that knows all about contracting/freelancing. Running cost are mainly the cost of the accountants and bookkeeping.
I was recommended to check out https://www.pcg.org.uk/ the PCG, an professional association aimed at freelancers. Handily they have a beginners package for a couple of hundred quid they sort me out with company registration, getting an accountant and a years membership. They provide cover for issues dealing with the Tax man and how-to guides on lots of setup and running a company issues. That seemed like a good deal so I paid my money and filled in a few online forms and got the whole thing started.
Bits of the process are really quick, like the actual getting a company registered only took one afternoon and I had the email with the company certificate the next day. It took longer for me to decide on the company name, TaskerWeb than it did to do most of the other forms. So by Wednesday my new company and me was legal and able to go to work and start earning money.
Getting hold of that money however is an entirely different business. Over the next few days I got a whole host of forms from the accountants in the post to fill in. Government ones to give details of my new company and ones to register for VAT, Forms for registering for self assessment and getting a tax return,VAT application for registration and an application to join the flat rate tax scheme. One from the bank entitled limited company application form and mandate. And ones from the accountants asking for more personal details. I also had to send in my last P45, a bill with my address on it, my passport and oddly a cheque for 1 GBP from my personal account made payable to my company to set the business account going.
There was a lot of it but going through it all step by step with the instructions was pretty straight forward.
At this point I now have my company number, my business bank account and my VAT registration number so I can submit the last couple of weeks of work in an invoice to the client and hopefully it wont be too long before I get paid.
Next to sort out will be bookkeeping, receipts and expenses and then down the line it will be fun things like finding my next contract and filing a tax return! the journey starts here :)
Saturday, May 18, 2013
#40@40: A meal of worms!
An extreme little food experience to add to my list. I've heard it be said that in the coming years, due to the growing population and the cost food production we will be looking in other places for our daily food requirements. For western audiences this could mean trying something that a lot of the rest of the world has no problems with, eating insects.
I managed to find a place in London called Archipelago, which advertises exotic dinning. So I booked a table for a Saturday night. I coincided it with a visit from my girlfriend and took her along for a bit of moral support.
I didn't say where we were going to my girlfriend and had her trying to guess what we were doing all day. Do we need to dress up? What should we have at lunch so we didn't have it again at dinner?
I wouldn't budge and so that evening we found ourselves in a dark and mysterious street near Oxford Circus. Facing a door which could only be entered if you know the password. Fortunately such things are know to me, OK the man told me when I phoned and made the booking.
Inside the restaurant was also dark and mysterious with walls covered in wood carvings, knives and stuffed birds. We sat down in a comfy corner and were given the menus on a scrolls. To my girlfriend's credit she didn't make a run of it when she saw what was on the menu and in any case is was possible to pick items not too usual for western tastes.
The restaurant has a range of dishes with usual ingredients from the selection of insects to a range of different meats. I think vegetarians might be a bit disappointed, but we had plenty to choose from.
I started very tamely with a very tasty duck starter and my girlfriend dived straight in with crocodile in vine leaves! I tasted the crocodile and it was nice, a bit fishy/gamey if a little dry.
The Main course was duck for my girlfriend and bison steak for me. But this time I ordered the love bug side salad which contained crickets and locusts lovingly sprinkled onto a green leaf salad. The insects were very tasty and I found them crunchy a bit like eating bacon frazzles crisps.
My girlfriend declined my offer to taste them.
For pudding my girlfriend went for the sorbets and I had meal-worm caviar with sour cream and blinis
This too was very nice, a combination of crunch and sweet treacle to balance the sour cream.
Another pudding option which I didn't want to try was the chocolate covered scorpion, but only because it looked a bit small. Honest!
In all with the very nice wine it was a great experience, if a bit expensive, and I definitely would do it again and want to try some other bugs.
I wonder what I can order on the internet :)
I managed to find a place in London called Archipelago, which advertises exotic dinning. So I booked a table for a Saturday night. I coincided it with a visit from my girlfriend and took her along for a bit of moral support.
I didn't say where we were going to my girlfriend and had her trying to guess what we were doing all day. Do we need to dress up? What should we have at lunch so we didn't have it again at dinner?
I wouldn't budge and so that evening we found ourselves in a dark and mysterious street near Oxford Circus. Facing a door which could only be entered if you know the password. Fortunately such things are know to me, OK the man told me when I phoned and made the booking.
Inside the restaurant was also dark and mysterious with walls covered in wood carvings, knives and stuffed birds. We sat down in a comfy corner and were given the menus on a scrolls. To my girlfriend's credit she didn't make a run of it when she saw what was on the menu and in any case is was possible to pick items not too usual for western tastes.
The restaurant has a range of dishes with usual ingredients from the selection of insects to a range of different meats. I think vegetarians might be a bit disappointed, but we had plenty to choose from.
I started very tamely with a very tasty duck starter and my girlfriend dived straight in with crocodile in vine leaves! I tasted the crocodile and it was nice, a bit fishy/gamey if a little dry.
The Main course was duck for my girlfriend and bison steak for me. But this time I ordered the love bug side salad which contained crickets and locusts lovingly sprinkled onto a green leaf salad. The insects were very tasty and I found them crunchy a bit like eating bacon frazzles crisps.
My girlfriend declined my offer to taste them.
For pudding my girlfriend went for the sorbets and I had meal-worm caviar with sour cream and blinis
This too was very nice, a combination of crunch and sweet treacle to balance the sour cream.
Another pudding option which I didn't want to try was the chocolate covered scorpion, but only because it looked a bit small. Honest!
In all with the very nice wine it was a great experience, if a bit expensive, and I definitely would do it again and want to try some other bugs.
I wonder what I can order on the internet :)
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
#40@40 And so it begins...
So how did I start on my 40@40 list?
Well, the best way to start is with a bit of a bang and go on as you mean to continue, so on my birthday, I decided to cross a couple of things off the list straight away.
First up, something touristy in London, a nice trip down the Thames by boat. Well OK, so I've done that before but this time is was a little different as the boat in question was a nippy RIB speed boat.
So on a grey Monday morning I joined a mixed group of people at Embankment pier. The group including a family doing a birthday treat and a group from Belfast that had done the marathon the day before. We all got kitted out in big waterproofs and were then escorted onto a huge yellow rubber boat with bench seats up front for twelve people.
The first part of the trip was a straight forward tour of London with lots of interesting facts about the buildings on the Thames. We went up river past the houses of Parliament, were we where warned that if we steered too close we would be shot at, and then on up to MI5 and MI6 buildings hearing about their history with the sound of the James Bond theme tune playing on the speakers.
Then we turned back and headed down river past a whole host of landmarks until we got level with the police station at Wapping High Street. At this point we left speed limit zone and our driver could really open the throttle.
Whoosh!!
Wow this is quite fast, a big smile came across my face.
But that was only half speed, next they really put their foot down and it felt like we weren't touching the water at all.
Double wow! and now the smile is a huge grin as we flew along with to the tune of Hawaii five-O and more James Bond.
So we where having a great time rushing along and seeing the sights. It was at this point that they started to make the boat do turns. They started pulling great arcs in the water tipping the boat right over. This caused a fair amount of yelps of alarm and grabbing of safety rails, followed by much laughter. We ping-ponged from side to side down past Canary Wharf and whizzed down the river all the way to nearly level with my flat. It was at this point we did a huge u turn the width of the river and raced on back up the Thames.
The last section of the trip, back in the slow zone, you could see huge grins and laughing in the group as we caught our breaths. We went slowly back to the dock with a medley of music on the speakers. We had chariots of fire for the marathon runners and Stevie Wonder's happy birthday for me.
It ended with a smooth finish and an opportunity to buy the official pics. Then I was back on dry land with slightly shaky legs, after having great fun and memories of a trip I would recommend to anyone.
...And so on to the next item
After lunch it was over to East London for a walk over the Millennium dome, now know as the O2. They have built a walkway which goes 52m high and 350m over the O2 from south to north. As the dome itself is basically a big tent, the walk way is suspended slightly above it so you don't quite walk on the surface and chance a drop through to all the pedestrians down below. The walkway seems to be made from the same material as bouncy castles and it was definitely a bouncy walk in the spacemen style.
The 90 minute 'experience' started with a safety briefing and getting fitted out in big blue jump suits and full body safety harness (which goes over the shoulders rather than just the waist unlike my climbing harness) which is made quite tight, the upshot of which makes you walk a bit bent over. Security was quite tight, as they were worried about damaging the dome. We were just allow to take our mobile phones up with us no other cameras, wallets, bags, etc in case we might drop onto the dome. In fact there is a special pocket in the suit on the shoulder of the jump suit designed just for our phones (can you tell the 'experience' is sponsored by a mobile company).
I was joined for my walk, by a group of ten people from British Gas, who were on some sort of team building trip. It was just me, the instructor and all of them. We started with the group photos, OK a group photo for the BG people and a solo one for me. Then it was on up the stairs and onto the walk itself. The harness is linked to a safety wire and the whole thing feels very secure, in fact despite the height I didn't get any sense of vertigo for the whole walk. We headed north making quick progress despite it being quite windy and had lots of opportunities for a good look at the sights around East London.
We were soon at the round platform at top where we could get our phones out and stop for photos and take in the view. There is even a special official iPhone app, which I used up there, to give you augmented reality at the top so you can see information on the things you are seeing. Of course the app also allows you to 'check in' up there and send out various other social media updates, with maybe a little advert from the sponsors.
To add to the strangeness of the experience of a group of people all dressed in blue climbing up at 52m high tent in the wind, there was also the sounds coming from the dome below. A huge WWE raw wrestling event was happening below and every now and again we could hear the roar of the crowd rising up through our feet at some turn on fortune of one of the fighters.
Eventually it was time to head on down, this time via a steeper slope all the way to the ground. Being careful not to slip and trying to catch a sight of the Olympic stadium we reached the end of the walk. All that was then left to do was return our fetching costumes and buy some souvenirs.
It's another great thing to do for a day out in London, as long as it isn't too stormy, I would heartily recommend a stroll over the O2.
All in all the day was a great success for my list and not a bad way to spend my Birthday. I rounded it off with steak and ribs for dinner and then took my brain off the hook and watched 'Olympus has fallen' at the cinema.
What next I wonder...
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Oporto
I'm sitting on a sun chair on a balcony in Oporto with a cup of coffee waiting for the others to get up. It would be perfect except for the bloody noisy seagulls and the fact that it's raining slightly.
Yeap typical Englishman on holiday behaviour sitting out no matter what just because I'm on holiday. To be fair the first couple of days here were lovely weather and I've got if not a tan exactly, a lot more freckles than I did last week.
The reason for the trip is an interesting one, it was a surprise birthday party for Ryan, a mate of mine from the old work. We have been keeping it a secret for half a year or so which is a properly hard thing to do. I wasn't so bad for me as I don't see him everyday but every time I saw him it was the first thing to pop into my mind. So 12 of us took an early flight down on Friday and were hiding in the apartment for when Ryan and Izzy turned up. We hid out the back and BOOM jumped out spraying champagne cameras as they walked through.
The look on Ryan's face was priceless
Izzy did an amazing job of organising it all and we have all enjoyed a long weekend of beaches, walking over very tall bridges (44.6m) and way too much port tasting.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
40 at 40
My 39th year on this planet has been quite eventful and I've managed to accomplished some good things and completed some long held goals. Becoming a Ski Instructor and finally getting my full motorbike licence are two that spring straight to mind.
But what about next year?
I've had an idea for a couple of months now that I should do something to celebrate the fact that I am turning 40. It's a big birthday and I wanted to do something more than just a big party, although I'd like one of those too! So I have come up with the idea of doing 40 things through out the year of my 40th and decided to ask my friends and family for suggestions.
I've got the name 40 at 40. It even works as a hashtag #40@40
So the suggestions. To start with I had to come up with a couple of ground rules;
Firstly it must be something I haven't done before. This is quite a fun bit of the exercise when you get to realise some of what you have managed to accomplished so far in life. I my case things like becoming a ski instructor, trying fire breathing, singing in front of a paying audience, eating snails and getting a degree, I managed so it must be something else.
Next it must improve my knowledge, generally make me a better informed person. This has prompted a couple of odd suggestions like fire a gun and eat insects. I've fired plenty of guns in video games but it wouldn't be right talk for me to talk for real about them and what it feels like without having really tried one.
Thirdly it must be possible to do in the year. As much as I would like to go into space or visit every country time and money just wont allow it (yet!)
Finally it must be survivable. It's surprising the number of thing suggested by my 'friends' which fail this one.
It's not really meant to be a bucket list, I think I've got a few year before I need to start thinking about that. More a series of events and experiences to celebrate life which are new/interesting/fun/exciting.
So anyway this is a sample list (as of 16 April 2013, the week before my birthday, the count is 103) edited slightly for taste (a lot of the ideas where generated by giving the list to people when I was in the pub so gone are the rude and more illegal ones)
Write a book
Take a barista course
Record a single
Black run mountain biking
Snowboard backflip
Go to Asia and eat insects
Run a marathon
Get married!
Deep water soloing
Transsiberia train journey
Sail across an ocean
Heckle a stand up
Cross dress to work
Go clubbing in a wedding dress
Streak (+Top hat)
Wagyu beef - eat it!
Double D ale (try home brew)
Learn a Latin or Ballroom dance
Crash a wedding
Ride a hot air balloon
Fly a helicopter
Learn a new language to conversational level
Back, crack & sack wax
Get a tattoo
Get a piercing
Swim with dolphins
Bee a beekeeper
Do a reverse jagerbomb
Design a fashion range
Create an open source project on Github
Visit Angkor Wat at sunrise
Learn to play an AC/DC song on the drums
Heliskiing
Break a Guinness world record
Visit Mecca
Read all the Russian classics
Swim the Thames
Watch all the best Oscar movies
Climb an active volcano
Skydive like Sean L (he broke his legs!)
Scuba dive with great white sharks
London to Brighton bike ride
All I have to do now, once the hangover from my birthday party has gone, is pick which ones I want to do, plan them, do them and then tell everyone about them on this blog.
Wish me luck
But what about next year?
I've had an idea for a couple of months now that I should do something to celebrate the fact that I am turning 40. It's a big birthday and I wanted to do something more than just a big party, although I'd like one of those too! So I have come up with the idea of doing 40 things through out the year of my 40th and decided to ask my friends and family for suggestions.
I've got the name 40 at 40. It even works as a hashtag #40@40
So the suggestions. To start with I had to come up with a couple of ground rules;
Firstly it must be something I haven't done before. This is quite a fun bit of the exercise when you get to realise some of what you have managed to accomplished so far in life. I my case things like becoming a ski instructor, trying fire breathing, singing in front of a paying audience, eating snails and getting a degree, I managed so it must be something else.
Next it must improve my knowledge, generally make me a better informed person. This has prompted a couple of odd suggestions like fire a gun and eat insects. I've fired plenty of guns in video games but it wouldn't be right talk for me to talk for real about them and what it feels like without having really tried one.
Thirdly it must be possible to do in the year. As much as I would like to go into space or visit every country time and money just wont allow it (yet!)
Finally it must be survivable. It's surprising the number of thing suggested by my 'friends' which fail this one.
It's not really meant to be a bucket list, I think I've got a few year before I need to start thinking about that. More a series of events and experiences to celebrate life which are new/interesting/fun/exciting.
So anyway this is a sample list (as of 16 April 2013, the week before my birthday, the count is 103) edited slightly for taste (a lot of the ideas where generated by giving the list to people when I was in the pub so gone are the rude and more illegal ones)
Write a book
Take a barista course
Record a single
Black run mountain biking
Snowboard backflip
Go to Asia and eat insects
Run a marathon
Get married!
Deep water soloing
Transsiberia train journey
Sail across an ocean
Heckle a stand up
Cross dress to work
Go clubbing in a wedding dress
Streak (+Top hat)
Wagyu beef - eat it!
Double D ale (try home brew)
Learn a Latin or Ballroom dance
Crash a wedding
Ride a hot air balloon
Fly a helicopter
Learn a new language to conversational level
Back, crack & sack wax
Get a tattoo
Get a piercing
Swim with dolphins
Bee a beekeeper
Do a reverse jagerbomb
Design a fashion range
Create an open source project on Github
Visit Angkor Wat at sunrise
Learn to play an AC/DC song on the drums
Heliskiing
Break a Guinness world record
Visit Mecca
Read all the Russian classics
Swim the Thames
Watch all the best Oscar movies
Climb an active volcano
Skydive like Sean L (he broke his legs!)
Scuba dive with great white sharks
London to Brighton bike ride
All I have to do now, once the hangover from my birthday party has gone, is pick which ones I want to do, plan them, do them and then tell everyone about them on this blog.
Wish me luck
Friday, December 21, 2012
No more Work
Well the Backstabbing and politics at work has reached epic levels. A project with crazy work hours and a Boss who's MIA. And as a result I've parted ways with DraftFCB.
Time for a long break before I decide what to do next.
Perhaps its time to try freelancing.
Time for a long break before I decide what to do next.
Perhaps its time to try freelancing.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Company Xmas Do
An odd party and no mistake.
I guess I'm used to advertising company dos being a bit nuts. The best way to describe this one is quiet.
Not bad a bad thing just a bit low key. Most of the people seem to be sticking in their own groups and departments. I think the theme of the evening was something to do with a reality show based in Chelsea.
So I stuck with a couple of the other developers and chatted to the different people that are on my project and had a lot of the very nice buffet.
One weird thing was our boss turned up a while after never came over to talk to us not even a nod to say hello to his team members.
We all pretty much left with handfuls of mince pies at an early 9:30
I guess I'm used to advertising company dos being a bit nuts. The best way to describe this one is quiet.
Not bad a bad thing just a bit low key. Most of the people seem to be sticking in their own groups and departments. I think the theme of the evening was something to do with a reality show based in Chelsea.
So I stuck with a couple of the other developers and chatted to the different people that are on my project and had a lot of the very nice buffet.
One weird thing was our boss turned up a while after never came over to talk to us not even a nod to say hello to his team members.
We all pretty much left with handfuls of mince pies at an early 9:30
Sunday, December 02, 2012
5 years
My good friend Kooch had us all round for a big Sunday lunch at the weekend, a sort of nice get together as its been awhile since some of have seen each other.
I took the opportunity to have a little special moment for which I took a long a nice bottle of Cava and some plastic glasses (I guess rightly that they wouldn't have enough real ones).
Near the end of the meal a made a little speech and raised a toast as I just want to say that weekend it was five years since I first met most of the people around the table (When I first started at Dare) and I wanted to say thank you to them for being good friends.
I took the opportunity to have a little special moment for which I took a long a nice bottle of Cava and some plastic glasses (I guess rightly that they wouldn't have enough real ones).
Near the end of the meal a made a little speech and raised a toast as I just want to say that weekend it was five years since I first met most of the people around the table (When I first started at Dare) and I wanted to say thank you to them for being good friends.
Friday, October 19, 2012
New Job
So its been a while since I've had that new boy feeling.
This week I've started a new job with DraftFCB.
I now have a daily trip cross town to Victoria which is pretty straight forward and much easier than my old place. It's based round the back of Victoria station in an area I know quite well from my time work nearby for uSwitch.
The job is mainly an umbraco project web project for a single client which is a bit boring but its a nice bump up in pay from before also the office official starting at 9:30 is very nice. As of yet I don't know anybodies names people seem very busy with lots of eating at desks and not a lot of people taking to one another. Also another odd thing is I'm not really joined a team as the guy that interviewed me is leaving so I'm taking his place and the rest of the developers all seem to be freelancers.
We shall see how it goes.
This week I've started a new job with DraftFCB.
I now have a daily trip cross town to Victoria which is pretty straight forward and much easier than my old place. It's based round the back of Victoria station in an area I know quite well from my time work nearby for uSwitch.
The job is mainly an umbraco project web project for a single client which is a bit boring but its a nice bump up in pay from before also the office official starting at 9:30 is very nice. As of yet I don't know anybodies names people seem very busy with lots of eating at desks and not a lot of people taking to one another. Also another odd thing is I'm not really joined a team as the guy that interviewed me is leaving so I'm taking his place and the rest of the developers all seem to be freelancers.
We shall see how it goes.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
On the road
15/09/2012 12:00
I've had some time off work to finally get my full UK motorbike licence. I been driving around on L plates for ages now and there is a rule in the UK that you have to redo your provisional licence parts every two years. The idea being to get on and get the full licence or possibly just to make things more complicated.
I'm a bit up to a deadline as the theory part was due to run out in October! so I have one shot at this otherwise I have to step back redo everything, my theory test, my hazard perception test and my CBT.
CBT stands for Compulsory Basic Training, its a day of training which doesn't end in a test but does expire with a valid theory test.
So I booked a crash course! actually its call Direct Access. Three days off work Tues-Thurs and then the test on Saturday. Based near the Olympic stadium in Stratford.
Its been a hard long couple of days and my little bike has done some serious miles.
First couple of days was on my bike doing things like road sense and bike handling. Then a day on a big 500cc Honda beast to get used to it as it's the one for the actual test. This bike is so huge that it is difficult to right again by yourself if you go over.
The test (at the center in Enfield) is in two parts; one at the test centre to check yours skills like driving slow, emergency stop (proper dangerous thing to make people test on bikes but there you go), driving a figure eight in case you want to join a display team or something. Remember I'm on the big Honda so the slow stuff is tricky, and one part out in the real world.
Actually some of the group only did the first part of the test. I think they had the second part booked for a later date.
And then as long as you passed all that the second bit is out on the road. One other chap in the group was also doing the second part today and he went out first. Then it was my turn...
Oh my days I PASSED!!
The whole thing went pretty well I knew some of the tricky speed signs in the area and bad junctions but I nearly got binned for a mistake near the end after stopping to let on coming traffic pass parked cars. I was slow to get going again (getting the gears mixed up) and one of the no-nos is impeding traffic behind me.
But I was saved by a BMW driver being a real BMW driver getting impatient and cutting us (the tester on the bike behind and me) up and so didn't delay him. Anyway once I got back the tester said I would have failed if Mr BMW hadn't have been such an Ass!
The other guy was as really unlucky he had a good ride and then did something dangerous right at the end on the roundabout turn to re-enter the test center and so the tester had to fail him.
Headed back to the training center, afterwards, to pick up my bike and return the Honda. The instructor specifically told me not to get all excited with the accelerator and crash it. I was really buzzing and that much bike can really accelerate. The instructor had to escort the other guy back as he wasn't legal to drive alone.
My bike definitely deserves a service and once the buzz had worn off I needed a rest too.
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Time to go
Time for my current employer and me to part ways.
It hasn't really worked out with the new boss and its got a point where he doesn't want to try and fix things any more.
Its sad, but its been a long while so a change would be good.
A lot of my friends have long since left, but I will miss the social, as that is what makes the company really great to work for.
It hasn't really worked out with the new boss and its got a point where he doesn't want to try and fix things any more.
Its sad, but its been a long while so a change would be good.
A lot of my friends have long since left, but I will miss the social, as that is what makes the company really great to work for.
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