Decided on a big english breakfast today. To go with my cappuccino of course. It tasted great and is a good way to start the day. Just don't try it EVERY day!

Some friends were holding a Shadowrun game this afternoon so I decided to tag along. A few years ago I had attended a few sessions of an AD&D game and it wasn't too bad. You get to think, role play and have a laugh. The shadowrun game proved so-so but I'll put it down to the DM being new to the game as well as the majority of the players.

Finished the day off with another trip to the cinema. This time we saw '3 Kings'.

After parking the car up on friday I discovered that my housemate was not home even though his car was parked outside. A later phone call would reveal that on his way out he realised he had left his keys in the house thus locking himself out. At least this time no glass was smashed to gain re-entry. He opted instead to walk around to JPs. Bruce was there and offered to bring him home but they ran over a discarded umbrella on route and a tyre was punctured. They then discovered that the spare was flat. While Hing drove him home I checked the calendar but today was not the 13th.

So the next day saw the three of us looking for a tyre garage. Afterwards the two of them left me in town where I decided to cheer myself up by spending loads of money. Hing had paid what he owed me for rent so I had some funds.

I picked up a pile of CDs in Virgin and went to a listening post. I ended up buying all but one. I wonder if they do discounts if you drop a small fortune in their store every month?

I then proceeded to blow a fortune on new clothes. I now know how women can cheer themselves up by clothes shopping. A great tip even when you have no money is to walk into a store and when the assistant sees you looking at something and asks that question that they all ask "How much are you looking to spend?". Reply with "Money is not an issue" or something similar and watch that 'ca'ching' look in their eyes. Expect great service!

I rewarded myself with a McDonalds (I love chocolate milkshakes) and stopped dead in my tracks when I passed a coffee shop. I went in what can only be described as a quaint coffee shop in one of Ipswich's older side streets. The place beheld a pleasant aroma of coffee, toast and fresh scones. I took to browsing the coffee makers when the owner popped over. We had a pleasant chat about cappuccino, which is something I have become addicted to lately. I ended up purchasing an espresso maker. One of those that heats up on the stove with its own milk frother. I bought a bag of ground Italian coffee beans to use in it.

The sun was shining and it was hot. I could not be bothered going back home just yet so I went to the cinema, bought a Megapass and obtained a ticket to the next showing of Toy Story 2. I phoned Hing to see if he wanted to see it. He said he'd be over in a few minutes. I then phoned my folks to wish them a happy anniversary and to see if they had received my card. They had. They were about to go out to dinner. I was feeling good so I told them to enjoy themselves and I'd pick up the bill.

Hing arrived soon after and we went into see the film. It was in the big screen, which was full of kids. Some adults hate this but you need kids when watching a film like this. Their laughter adds to the enjoyment in my opinion.

Later at home I tried out the espresso maker. I made a strong cup, topped with frothed milk and a sprinkle of chocolate purchased from the supermarket. It tasted great. I found that leaving the cup in your room leaves that fresh cappuccino aroma. They should make an air freshener that smells of fresh coffee to help you get out of bed in a morning.

I finished the day off with a trip back to the cinema to see American Beauty. I recommend you go see it.

I hate waiting rooms. Dirty chairs, magazines from the previous decade and an antique coffee machine held together with duct tape and cellotape. I ignore all this though and try to concentrate on my book. This is a fruitless task as we all know but you have to at least try to take your mind off certain thoughts. Whether it is the needle or drill at the dentists, the eye drops at the opticians or the ear syringe at the doctors. No, scratch that last one, it kinda tickles.

The patient today is the Saab and what I'm dreading is a failure. The guy doing the MOT takes his sweet time making me squirm even more. It does not help that the bored receptionist has 'Home & Away' on the TV which is not only crap but does nothing for my book concentration attempt. Why do people watch this trash? I must admit to knowing a few grown men who watch it. I think that has more to do with the girls in school uniform than any possible plot that may be present.

After about an hour the verdict is finally delivered. The Saab has failed. Damn it! It has failed on the front brakes. Not the pads but the entire system! They recommend new brake discs and calipers immediately. The cost? Only what the car is worth second-hand. Talk about a dilemma. I can not get much for it without a MOT and working front brakes. And if I pay for it to be fixed then if I sell it I get sweet fa.

Later at work my day turns from bad to worse. A major project has been bounced out of test and the test team is feeling depressed as they feel the weight of pressure from above and know they are going to be working this weekend. During a relaxed chat one guy snaps and bites my head off. Everyone looks surprised but ignores it putting it down to stress. Later he releases his pent up stress on me by insulting me. Shocked more because this is out of character for him, my replies are weak. I choose to ignore him but amaze myself by how much I want to cause him some physical harm. I really really need to hit the gym to let off some steam. How easy it was at school to solve these problems. Today we must adopt a more professional, adult attitude. Or at least some of us do.

I have a motorbike lesson scheduled for after work so I try to feel relaxed and not so stressed out with today's events. These lessons cost a fortune and I don't want to waste one. But as I'm riding along the heavens open up on me with heavy hail. I can hardly see as the instructor chuckles over the head mic. I open my visor to improve my visibility but the hail soon turns to heavy rain. My jeans are soaked in seconds and it's hard to move in them. It doesn't help that today's lessons consist mainly of U-turns and emergency stops. I drop the bike on one turn and lock up the back wheel on one stop, but remember to free it showing control.

I drove home tonight sitting on my coat to avoid a wet car seat. The Saab gets parked around back off-road until I decide what to do with it. My motorbike test is three weeks away. Maybe this will be my last car for a while.

The Saab's MOT is due friday. I therefore can no longer use the rain as an excuse for not working on it. The rain has not let up for days but at the moment it's a cloudless starry sky as I pick my way through the darkness into the car park at the back of our estate. I find the car where I left it. Middlesbrough this ain't.

After jacking up the car and removing the wheels I gaze at my challenge. This time, armed with a few more ideas of how to get the job done (and a hammer and maglite), I get stuck in. Again this is proving fruitless until I finally feel the caliper give. I realise where I am going wrong. I am following the manual to the letter when I should be reading the section on how the brake system works. The information on direct and indirect pistons provides the answer.

What you have to do is screw in and push the inner piston then tap the back of the caliper with the hammer. This forces in the outer/indirect piston, forcing back out the inner piston. Keep repeating the procedure until both pistons are locked in and there is ample room to fit both new brake pads. Reassemble the unit, fit the wheels and then its a case of pumping the brake and handbrake until the system recalibrates itself. Then drive up and down the road practising your emergency stops and testing the handbrake while grinning from ear to ear. Don't forget to top up the brake fluid if need be.

Why must I always make things more complex than they already are? I think I'll follow the KISS rule from now on. 'Keep It Simple Stupid!'

Woke up feeling great for a change. Drank my morning cuppa while unconsciously flicking through the cable channels. It's a hobby both Hing and I have adopted. During SKY's excruciatingly long commercial breaks we engage in a game of 'flicking'. The trick is to remember to get back to the original program in time.

This soon gets tiring though and I had put off for long enough today's task. That being to change the front brake pads on the Saab. This turned out to be long overdue when I discover that there are no 'pads' on the current shoes. At least I've identified that screaming my car makes on occasion.

I figured this to be a relatively easy job but how wrong I was! My patience was put to the test. And it failed miserably. I wanted to roll the car off a cliff after my umpteen attempts to move the caliper proved fruitless. I could not get all the new brake pads in. It got dark so I gave up. Later over a cup of cider (Hing forgot to wash the glasses) I decided to have another go tomorrow. I would not be beaten by a piece of Scandinavian metal.

I woke up lazy, crumpled and bereft of sleep into a world containing no time for breakfast or a cup of tea. Cold water, cool air and cold milk was the nearest alternative. Passing for awake I stepped into a day that went from bad to worse. Man I must get me one of those tablets everyone else around me seems to take. Wide awake Zombie automatons following out their prescribed work patterns, deviating only slightly as I crash through them on my hunt for the sacred temple that is my coffee drawer. I settle for a dark roast and become absorbed in its somatic embrace. I would later end my day chatting to the mysterious blue lady.

Excessive overload of digital gaming speared throughout with high caffeine, high adrenaline and low achievement in the form of massive annihalation. Hard rock, whispered curses, mutated anger combined with an over indulgence of strategy, control customisation and the ability to frag at will. Structured gore a resemblence to lost progress, screen flashes and the ever eroded scores. Snaked cables coiled around a floor embraced in the light of flickering NICs emiting their own codes as their owners attempt to capture the flag by whatever means necessary. Such is the nature of LAN parties. "Kei to Red team. Frag the muva fu.."

Its the early hours once again as I try my hand at FPS in the form of Unreal Tournament. You know how you think you are good at a game because you can easily beat the computer on its highest setting? Well think again because these guys must live and breath FPS because I just get my ass kicked every time. Goddamit.

I'm hooked and there's no going back. I've felt that rush of adrenaline as I accelerate and feel the front of the bike start to lift up. The pump you get from leaning into corners. The rush you get after a good ride and when you finally stop and just feel the purr of the warm engine under you.

Sometimes people let you down. It's a sad state of affairs but it happens. You just have to learn that you should never completely believe in what they say. You should take what is said with a pinch of salt and hope for the best. Just ensure that your own word, when given will be honoured.

Finally built my new computer. An Athlon 650MHz based machine with a TNT2 card in it. This baby runs like a dream. It's fast, smooth and with enough features to keep any technology nut salivating for weeks. The only problem is I still get beat by newbies playing Kingpin on-line with lower spec'd machines. Well, you can't win them all.

England changed one of its laws back in 1990. It was no longer possible to just get on a motorbike and learn how to ride it by trial and error. In order to get your L-plates today you must pass your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training). And that was my task for today.

More than a tad nervous I was given the "this control does this" demonstration and the compulsory road sense Q&A session. Afterwards I was deemed worthy to ride a 125cc Yamaha 5 yards. Boy did that feel good.

For the past 2 years I've been umming and ahing about taking my CBT. I finally decided to pull my finger out and made the call to the local training centre. They were more than happy to receive me. After all, business is slow this time of year due to the weather. It can get icy/windy and hence beginners are prone to falling off. Oh how inspired I was to continue.

It was not just me and an instructor though. An older lady was doing a retake on her 49cc moped. An examiner was also present to check on the instructor. They get accessed every so often apparently.

The first major hurdle for the ABSOLUTE beginner like myself is just plain riding. Getting your balance right, turning and being able to change from neutral to stop, plus use of the brakes is essential. A word of advice, use the rear brake as well as the front and don't pull the front brake to hard.

The use of cones allowed us to get an idea of road widths for the purpose of practising figure of eight's and U-turns. That was, when the wind wasn't blowing them across the schoolyard.

Once a sufficient amount of time had passed and the instructor considered our skills to be proficient enough, we headed out onto the roads. This did not do my nerves a world of good.

Imagine being 100 percent focused on one thing that scares you so much but gives you a buzz at the same time. That's how I felt. You are constantly aware of the road, traffic, parked cars and people on the footpaths. Your senses are heightened so much that you have probably never felt so alive. You must realise though that I have never ridden a motorbike before and after just 2 hours of driving around cones in a playground, I am on the main roads.

After a while I settled down and began to enjoy myself in a more relaxed way. I relaxed my posture in the seat and concentrated on turning the indicators off after I had finished a turn. The fact that I have driven a car for a number of years gave me an advantage over the other student. So while the instructor concentrated on helping her improve her road sense, I just listened to the instructions coming over the wireless earpiece and performed the manoeuvres.

Getting out on to the faster roads was more fun. 30mph feels a lot faster on a motorbike than it does in a car. Sit back in your seat and open up that throttle! Boy does that feel good. I'm definitely getting myself a motorbike after I pass my test. I'm sure not what type though.

I passed the CBT of course. ;)

I misplaced this entry. I will find it however. It's around here somewhere.