Tag: Birthday

Posted on

Not Bright But Excellent

For my birthday recently the Legend and I travelled to Brighton to experience the views of the south coast of England from the i360. This isn’t the latest iPhone or other shitty Apple device and it’s not the newest video streaming platform from the BBC. The i360 is a UFO shaped glass viewing platform that towers 138 metres above the beach. The platform starts at ground level and is then winched to max height where it stays for a while before being lowered back down and generating some power from the gravitational potential energy. The views are meant to be spectacular.

Monochrome i360 Landing
Monochrome i360 Landing

We had lunch in a restaurant close to the i360 on the front, the place was called Pinello and the food was delicious. I had a lovely mocktail. Next we joined the non-existent queue for the i360. Our bags were searched and we waited for the ride. There were about eight people in total in the UFO so we had a very peaceful time. Also, It was foggy. For the entire journey we couldn’t see a thing except white outside of the windows.

i360 In The Clouds
i360 In The Clouds

The Legend and I bagsed a sofa and we sat there enjoying the non-view and drinking flavoured champagne or something like that. After our landing back on Earth we perused the shop and then went to the pier to experience the sea-side proper.

Gorgeous Brighton Coastline
Gorgeous Brighton Coastline

Once the interesting things were completed we headed back home. As soon as we rose north of the South Downs the weather was actually sunny!

Brighton West Pier
Brighton West Pier
Posted on

Weekend Musings

It was a weekend of many happenings. I usually try to keep weekend happenings to a minimum and then I can use all the spare time to see a film, exercise, mess around with technology of various forms and play the PlayStation.

This weekend was the end of my relationship with the Beast. But, it was also the start of my relationship with the Not-Beast, which has yet to be named.

Not The Beast
Not The Beast

There’re a lots of differences between a diesel turbo six speed manual and a petrol hybrid automatic! I will probably bore you with these over time so I won’t go into the detail here. My main current issue is that I don’t know how to hill start this car. Oh, and sometimes I forget to take the “handbrake” off because in this thing it’s a “parking brake” and operated by the left foot.

The new car isn’t named yet, but will be soon. Suggestions welcome to @iparish. This purchase does now mean that the only manual driving experience I will get is either the school minibuses [limited to 100kph] or my Playstation. I’ve upgrade to a six speed manual stick for the PS4. I had been pretty good at heel-and-toeing and matching engine revs to new gears when selected. Now I’m worried my left foot will whither away through lack of use in the new car.

I spent some time in Essex this weekend and I can never be sure if I feel like I am home or whether Kent is now my home. I’ve been down here mostly since 1996 and so while not all of my life it certainly consists of quite a bit of my life. I don’t think I identify as an Essex-boy any more, but I’m not sure I was to start with.

I had a very nice run along the A1060 while in Essex.

It was good until the last mile when my left knee decided it didn’t really want to run and all I could do was hobble along keeping that leg straight. While it continued to ache through the day it turns out that a day later the upper part of my right foot hurts a lot climbing stairs. It is quite possible that my body is starting to fall apart due to age and wear and tear.

While running I spent some time directly under the flight path for the approach to Stansted Airport and I have to say I stopped twice to watch the aircraft fly overhead. It’s a lovely sight. I’m not sure why I like planes but I do.

EGSS Approach
EGSS Approach

Since I got home I have learnt of an update to No Man’s Sky. I am looking forward to seeing what that is like. I really enjoy a good hour of time exploring planets. I’ve tweeted a few things from this game, it’s nicely relaxing [as long as you don’t die].

So I am currently waiting to decide a new name for the car and enjoying the knowledge that I should get 70mpg, because, you know, the planet is fucked.

Posted on

GT BD

Gran Turismo is a wonderful game. If you log in on your birthday you get a car from the year of your birth. Me? I was born in 1972. This is the car I got. Sheer beauty.

GT Birthday
GT Birthday

Posted on

Lego 18 Model 75032

Many thanks to Penguin for this rather excellent Lego present that now gets placed in my cupboard of my things along with my Landspeeder [which was also a gift from Penguin] and DeLorean.

20140329-190723.jpg

This model was constructed in the pleasant surrounds of the Beefeater in Godstone. It was a sunny day.

Posted on

GT6 Birthday Present

If you sign into GT6 on or after your birthday you get a present. The car you receive is from the year you were born. I will remain grateful for the present but surely there were other cars released in 1972!

GT6 Birthday Present 2014
GT6 Birthday Present 2014

Posted on

Doodle

Many thanks to Google for my personalised Google-Doodle today. I guess it’s not hard to figure out when to show that particular doodle but it made me smile.

Google Birthday

My age today is officially the answer to the meaning of life the universe and everything.

Posted on

Birthday Present

What happens when you ask a four year old to pick a present for his seventy one year old granddad? This:

Grandpa's Present

Fair enough I guess. #1 wasn’t interested in getting Granddad a book and thought he would like these diggers. Granddad took these home so that my sons can play with them when we visit.

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress