What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[Cavcraft]

In some sort of 'staring at the screen in utter disbelief' moment of lunacy, it seems my lad (21) can insure thirty large's worth of Aston Martin 4.3 Vantage for £2,800.

Maybe, just maybe, his youthful exuberance and crazy plan to put a grand a month aside to buy one might just work. I bloody hope so as I want to be a named driver.

[Tayne]

Bought a snow shovel in the petrol station.

 

For a pound!

[cobblers]

Fuppin ell, if he can put a grand a month away you aren't charging enough board! Think of the corsas you could buy with that!

[Lord Sterling]

Was sorting through seom old photos the other day with old_man_Sterling (man, my parents were well stylish in the 80s) when I came across an old paper cutting about when our house was burgled in the late 80s, it contained the reg of my Dad's old Mk2 Cavalier! A391 OJN, the car was nicked in the burglary along with our Video recorder, TV and some other stuff. The car and stuff was eventually found I seem to recall.

 

Until then, I could never remember the reg of the car, any photos there were of it missed out the number.

 

A391OJN, a Red Vauxhall Cavalier L hatchback first registered in November 1983 lasted until November 1997. 'JN' denoting a Chelmsford registration.

 

This is the reason why I have a big soft spot for early Mk2 Cavalier hatchbacks.

[DeeJay]

In some sort of 'staring at the screen in utter disbelief' moment of lunacy, it seems my lad (21) can insure thirty large's worth of Aston Martin 4.3 Vantage for £2,800.

Maybe, just maybe, his youthful exuberance and crazy plan to put a grand a month aside to buy one might just work. I bloody hope so as I want to be a named driver.

By the time he can afford the car he'll be able to insure it with Saga. 

[Lord Sterling]

In some sort of 'staring at the screen in utter disbelief' moment of lunacy, it seems my lad (21) can insure thirty large's worth of Aston Martin 4.3 Vantage for £2,800.

Maybe, just maybe, his youthful exuberance and crazy plan to put a grand a month aside to buy one might just work. I bloody hope so as I want to be a named driver.

Absolute lunacy. Today I was on the phone to my insurer. I'm 31 and have now discovered that despite having had Classic Insurance previously with them, they count it as NCB. Suppose it makes sense.

 

However, despite that, to insure me on my 827 Coupe would cost me no less than £1k on a normal comprehensive policy. A classic one, £420. I've still not seen the car yet but I suspect it won't be going to France with me just yet, not this time anyway.

[daveb47]

Seen at local dunton boot sale  this morning.

Only £850.......

[fordperv]

I have just seen a unimog towing a digger on a trailer

[Caffiend]

Paging Mr Partridge. (mildly NSFW)

[xtriple]

I've just had a missive from the good people at DVLA. Normally this requires expenditure of dosh on my part, however, on this occassion, it was a cheque to me in the sum of £116.66.

 

Never had money back from the DVLA before... what can I buy?

[xtriple]

And, I feel a bit guilty about grinning at this one, but...

 

Postie (Graham - decent bloke) just turned up and bent down to stroke Chester (the dog) and dropped ALL the mail for the street on my path. Just been watching him going up and down the street, back to the same houses he'd already delivered to as the post is in such a mess  

 

I know I shouldn't but I do make him a cuppa or give him a pint of coke so not going to feel toooooo guilty for laughing at him!

[catsinthewelder]

I've just got back from the first day of my new job at the local van hire.  The pay isn't bad and is set to rise,  it's not full time yet but should become so and the boss is sound and is talking about licencing me up as a taxi driver same as they have 2 minibus's for hire.

 

I'm starting to feel very positive about this redundancy lark

[Sloth in a bowl]

7 weeks into couch to 5k and I did my first "parkrun" on Saturday. Parkrun is a free 5k run every Saturday at various places in the UK, except north Wales ot seems, so I went to one while visiting the rents.

 

Got my pace a bit wrong so had to walk a little bit (so annoyed at myself) but managed to get in a time of 28.22. They give loads of stats with the results: I was 223 of 425 runners, 56th female and 9th for the 30-34(f) age range.

 

I am chuffed and really want to go again, hope one starts up round here soon! Also lost loads of weight over the last couple of months so I am feeling great. Going to celebrate with cake obvs.

 

 

For somebody whom hasn't done a lot of running before, that's really good Louise, pretty much bang on for a 2 hour 1/2 marathon pace, hint, hint.

 

Did my first park run for ages on Saturday at Coalford in the Forest of Dean, intended to do an easy paced 28:00, but started chasing people, ran 27:01 and was knackered at the end.

 

Just preparing for a 10.7km run tonight if I can summon the energy. I'm trying to get a bit of distance up before going for speed and getting the inevitable leg injury.

[Sloth in a bowl]

For somebody whom hasn't done a lot of running before, that's really good Louise, pretty much bang on for a 2 hour 1/2 marathon pace, hint, hint.

 

Did my first park run for ages on Saturday at Coalford in the Forest of Dean, intended to do an easy paced 28:00, but started chasing people, ran 27:01 and was knackered at the end.

 

Just preparing for a 10.7km run tonight if I can summon the energy. I'm trying to get a bit of distance up before going for speed and getting the inevitable leg injury.

 

 

10.7km done in 60:44 not great but something to build on. Done the same route in under 54 minutes in years gone by.

[Richard]

I know this is in the Metro and therefore made up, but it amused me anyway. http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/10/eye-for-an-eye-chinese-motorists-who-dazzle-other-drivers-forced-to-stare-at-headlights-as-punishment-4827617/

[The Moog]

10.7km done in 60:44 not great but something to build on. Done the same route in under 54 minutes in years gone by.

I currently do 5km in 36 mins, so am in awe 😊

[Louise2cv]

Thanks, this is my new obsession. The hardest thing at the moment is the rest days! I am feeling very tired though so I might have to rest a bit more! I am pretty much finished with couch to 5k now so I aam going to start concentrating on upping the distance. I think one run a week further than the last, one a timed 5k and one up the hill for a bit of strength training. My 5k Monday was 28.11, no walking (I was so cross at myself for walking at the parkrun!) I need to work on pacing myself.

 

At the moment 10k seems impossible, but I suppose I felt that about 5k not so long ago!

[steve_earwig]

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/haunted-renault-explained/

 

Could only happen to a Renault

I read somewhere that on a Laguna (I think, could have been a Migraine) the body systems ecu is under the bonnet and can suffer from water contamination, resulting in a parked car sounding its alarm, washing its windows and cranking its starter. Probably best not to park one in gear then... 

[phil_lihp]

Nice to see others enjoying the Parkruns - I've been doing them for a few weeks, it's a great, social thing to do on a Saturday morning, you're done before 10:00AM and you can go along to any of them with your card once you're registered, it's quite a good thing to do when staying away places.  You do get quite competitive about your personal best, I managed 23:55 a couple of weeks ago which was a surprise as it's about 30 seconds off my previous PB.  Keep at it and you'll get faster over time.  Louise, you'll crack 10k in no time by building up the miles gradually, it won't take long!

[M'coli]

Just before we get too excited about distances, am I correct in thinking that 5k is 5 kilometres? Thus a marathon is roughly 42k...

Good stuff with the running, I've been warned off it due to a dodgy knee so it's back to the bike for me.

[phil_lihp]

Correct, 5k is 5km - just over 3 miles.  Once you get beyond about 10k it starts being measured in miles instead for some reason.

 

I doubt I'll ever want to do a marathon, I do a few half marathons but running that distance is pretty boring, not sure I could keep my mind occupied for 4 solid hours of running.

[mat_the_cat]

I've never run much over 5k before either, but am wanting to go a bit further soon. I've discovered these trails which are fairly close by, and on my way back from work:

 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6EWCYM

 

So far I've only tried the shortest route, but even that had some nice views which takes your mind off the climbs a little!

 

[mercrocker]

I know this is in the Metro and therefore made up, but it amused me anyway. http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/10/eye-for-an-eye-chinese-motorists-who-dazzle-other-drivers-forced-to-stare-at-headlights-as-punishment-4827617/

It is not made up, but inaccurate......The police have actually caught him jaywalking and are now about to run him over.

[dugong]

Landlady's clearing out the loft and asked me to look at some cameras she found.
 

'I need to take these to the car boot, but I can't be arsed. You like cameras, give us a tenner.'
 

She left them outside my door while I was at work, and found another box full this evening.

Had a look at it all and I'm now the proud owner of a Praktica LTL3 (worthless), plus a shitload of M42 lenses, a Nikon F3 (really), a Canon A1 and AE-1. All of which work and all of which have lenses.
 

FOR TEN SODDING QUID!



 

[cobblers]

If any of the lenses fit my Nikon dslr can I have them all for three quid?

 

I'm staying at my mums for the night because I've got a wedding to visit in the morning and it's a lot closer from here. I was bored stupid sat watching telly in the spare bedroom when I realised that I've got my T25 camper sat in her garage with a fridge full half full of ale and my tablet pc and bluetooth head unit with nice speakers to play music through and all the rest. So now I'm sat in the van in the garage and it's much better.

[DVee8]

A few months ago i was given this.It has been done for a while i just forgot.

 

It now looks like this

[twosmoke300]

yet no resto thread . Dissapointed

[Louise2cv]

Thanks, this is my new obsession. The hardest thing at the moment is the rest days! I am feeling very tired though so I might have to rest a bit more! I am pretty much finished with couch to 5k now so I aam going to start concentrating on upping the distance. I think one run a week further than the last, one a timed 5k and one up the hill for a bit of strength training. My 5k Monday was 28.11, no walking (I was so cross at myself for walking at the parkrun!) I need to work on pacing myself.

 

At the moment 10k seems impossible, but I suppose I felt that about 5k not so long ago!

Running up hill is HARD.

[phil_lihp]

But running down hills is fun!

[mat_the_cat]

Running up hill is HARD.

 

I agree.

 

But running down hills is fun!

 

I disagree. OK, it is fun but I have to walk down anything steeper than say a 15% gradient, otherwise it aggravates an old back injury. That, and lifting anything above around 20 kg are things I have to be very careful of nowadays. Thinking of trying 8k or so later today which will be the furthest I've done...

 

I've just applied for a new job which (on paper at least) I tick *all* the boxes for, so If I don't get through for an interview I must be doing something pretty badly!

 

Got an interview The first in 2.5 years! Then on the same day, I picked up this from Freecycle:

 

 

£800 of Makita brushcutter, binned in frustration when it kept cutting out when hot. First suspect is coil at £60 so could be a cheap(ish) repair. Suddenly I'm not minding today's throwaway society quite so much!