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<channel><generator>iloblog 1.0</generator><title>Smarty&#039;s Blog Feed</title><link>http://blog.smarticus.co.uk/</link><description>It&#039;s my Blog,&lt;br/&gt;Just like it says&lt;br/&gt;</description><item><title>Lanzarote</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=13</link><description><![CDATA[    

  We had booked the car in the terminal 1 valet
car park for the week along with the escape lounge so as to chill out in a nice
comfortable peaceful environment before the outward flight.  

   

 Setting
off at about 12 noon to Manchester airport would give us plenty of time to
enjoy the escape lounge before our flight at 4.25ish.  

   

 So
off we went in the happy holiday mood eager to get checked in when the holiday
really begins.  

   

 Josie
driving with me as co-pilot I started browsing through the paperwork about
parking details e-tickets and taxi arrangements from the airport to the hotel.  

 It
was then I noticed that flight time was 14.25 and not 4.25. 

 Holy
Shit!   

 Stress
levels just moved up a few notches.  

 Not
to worry too much though as check in opened 2 hours before departure and closes
1 hour before departure. So we had until 13.25 to check in giving us 1 hour 25
mins from our noon set off time to drive to the airport, park the car and get
to the check in desk. Not the most comfortable of time allowances but doable
especially with Josies driving style ;) 

   

 So
the parking up went well and we got to T1 check in lounge with ten minutes to
spare.  

 Phew! 

 Standing
in the massive and rather empty T1 check in lounge we were struggling to find
our flight on the screens so asked some cleaners if we were in T1 and they
confirmed this asking who we were flying with." Thomson, oh dear luv they
fly from Terminal 2.  

 HOLY 

 F**k**g 

 SHIT
!!!!!   

 How
on earth? 

 Never
mind, where the he'll is T2? 

 Less
than ten mins, a sense of urgency was squeezing most of my sensitive parts and I'm
sure Josie was in the same boat.  

 So
off we trundled.  

 It can't
be that far away.  

 Well
you know when you're walking up a mountain and just when you think you're
almost at the top there's more. Well say no more.  

 Speed
walking on travelators gives you a feel of speed with the wind on your face and
boy did we need it! 

 The
longest ten minutes i can remember for years but we hit the checking at 13.25
exactly.  

 Phew:) 

 So
one hour to flight time, let's get that drink.  

 But
we'd booked in the T1 escape lounge and were now in T2.  

 Fortunately
the good lady on the T2 escape lounge reception sorted this problem out and we
got a desperately needed glass of wine. We looked up at the flight screen and
our flight said Go to the gate. So we squeezed another wine in and off we went
to the gate.  

 Well
the big queue at our gate wasn't going anywhere so rather than trek all the way
back to escape we went in the normal bar.  

 TEN
chuffin quid for two glasses of wine but what the heck, we were back on track.  

 We
enjoyed a bottle of chilled champagne and another couple of wines on the flight.
 

 Arrived
at the hotel safely.  

 Wish
I'd packed my winter woolies.  

 Th Th
Th Th that's all folks :) 
 ]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:05:46 +0000</pubDate><category>General Blog</category></item><item><title>Half a Gallon</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=12</link><description><![CDATA[ Sunday 16th Sept. There never was any intension to go beyond The Railway Pub this day and we stuck to our plan. Just me and the Shyboy this time, very steady ride to the pub with a concerned eye looking at the dark clouds. The weather was changing but the sun was quite warm when the hurricane eased off. The short trip from the bar to the bench outside usually saw off any froth on the pints of lager, unfortunately this ended up on T shirt and legs but we weren't going to let that worry us.  After a pleasant afternoon of conversation and people watching we decided to head home.  The two main reasons for heading home when we did were:  1. the ever increasing dark clouds and cooling wind, 2. the other more important one being the fact that we ran out of cash for beer having had four pints each  Well never let it be said our bike rides are uneventful, keeping with tradition Lee's bike decided to play up by having the trusty crank arm work loose  The tools we had with us weren't appropriate for the problem so eventually we improvised (used a large rock) and bashed the crank arm back on. This, along with a much reduced speed blamed on the mechanical problem but really due to us being a little tipsy we arrived home with the plan of meeting a friend called Glen later on. Later on we did meet Glen (morangie) and I'm still paying the price of his company with some nasty indigestion. Oh well, that'll teach me   not!!    
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:11:12 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>Further along the Trans Pennine Trail</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=11</link><description><![CDATA[ Well I was on my own again today so I decided to have another ride following the Trans Pennine Trail, with the intension of perhaps visiting my mum and brother in Allerton Bywater. Having roughly checked out the route on Google Earth I was unsure wether I would get there on the right side of the canal. Anyway, enthusiasm was still good and I did need to get myself out and about so off I went. Still not totally sure about the starting part of the trek, might be a better way onto the canal after Granary Wharf but it will become more clear the more I ride this route. So to continue from where I left off last time I arrived at Thwaite Mills. Heading in the direction of Methley I passed under the motorway which looked a very strange and desolate place held up by great concrete pillars. I found I had to cross over the canal at Woodlesford due to the route being fenced off on the side I was on. This unfortunately put me on the wrong side of the water for where I was hoping to end up. I rode along some very overgrown trails getting abused by bushes, trees and nettles. Well things started to look up when I caught sight of my approximate destination, the old mineworks just before Allerton Bywater, but alas i realised I somehow needed to be on the other side of the water. I carried on foolishly ignoring a couple of bridges that didn't appear to have much of a trail on the other side, I have no idea why i didnt investigate these at this point, perhaps it was because I knew I would soon come across The Boat pub in Allerton and had got it into my head that's where I wanted to be(all be it on the wrong side of the water). Well I passed the Victoria Hotel, then The Boat with no sign of a bridge infront of me, but I carried on hoping that one would turn up. I could see Castleford in the distance and thought there's bound to be a bridge before there, and failing that a bridge just as I got to Cas. Well much to my dismay the river veered away from Castleford when it was just a stones throw away and no sign of a bridge in the seeable distance. So sense at last took over and I turned around and decided to go back. It was then I realised the wind had been behind me on my journey so far and now it was in my face and I was already tired and getting a little disheartened as it was a long way home. I asked a man walking his dog whom I passed a little earlier wether there was a bridge and he told me not for quite some distance, almost the far end of Castleford, so I was glad I decided to go back homeward. From this direction as I approached one of the earlier bridges i saw that there was indeed a trail and there were cyclists on it, so I crossed for a look. I was delighted to discover the trail led to where I wanted to be, better than expected as it brought me out on the road into Allerton Bywater just a few hundred yards from my mums house. If only I'd looked more carefully earlier I would have saved myself several unnecessary miles. I knew my mum would be out at this time but my bro would be in, so I turned up on their doorstep unexpectedly, sweating and gagging for a cold, wet drink. Two pints of dilute orange later I felt much better and had cooled off somewhat. Mum arrived back, had a short chat then decided it was time for me to head on home. Blimey it felt quite chilly because I'd cooled off from the ride, but it wasn't long before I was panting again and warming up nicely. Big lungfulls of air were being greedily inhaled and when a fly hit the back of my throat I was nearly sick trying to cough/spit it out. The rest of the journey home was pretty uneventful apart from the lack of direction once I left the canal in Leeds, I really need to learn the shortest route from here instead of just riding about in the general direction in town. I arrived home rather worn out but very happy to be home. A long drink, a relaxing bath and some food were enjoyed and so I sat down here to update my blog. Shipley direction next time, a little further if all goes to plan. Right now I need to have a lay down to relax my aching knees.......      
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:34:49 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>Beyond The Railway part 2, curlywurly</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=10</link><description><![CDATA[ Well fixing Lee's bike wasn't a big problem, a new crank arm was cheap enough and so we were all ready for the next ride. So this is Friday 17th and Beyond The Railway part 2 was begun. Same team as yesterday so off we trundled. ( trundled? not heard that in a while, wonder if it's appropriate for this story ) Anyway head down tail up off we shot with a little more speed than yesterday to get back to where we were before the dodgy pedal. Keeping my camera in my pocket helped get us back on track quickly. Soon we passed Apperly Bridge Marina, nice looking place. We then came upon a fancy looking sign post 3 miles past Rodley and saying only 4 miles more to Shipley, which was to become the target for the day.  Fancy Signpost     It was about this time Lee noticed a problem with his saddle. It seemed to have worked loose and we had no tools to tighten the allen screw to resecure it with. We kept oncourse though making sure his saddle screws didnt come too loose. We soon arrived in Shipley and were all gagging for something to drink so we looked for a shop for pop. We came across a Giant Bicycle shop where Lee borrowed an allen key to tighten his saddle and also got directions to a local shop selling juice. A carton of Ribena and a curlywurly or two later we were all recharged for the homeward journey. Well I used to think I had a monopoly on bad luck but it seems Lee has taken over that top spot. Handlebars came loose. Doh. The homeward pace was reduced just incase of a handlebar related accident. Oh and the saddle decided to work loose again just to rub things in a little more. I think that in a former life Lee must have upset a lot of people who became gremlins in their next lives   We rode past The Railway without succumbing to the call of a pint of Carlsberg. Nothing notable happened on the rest of the journey home and so here I am catching up on the blog, having had some nosh and a few bottles of amber nectar.      
 ]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:11:59 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>Beyond The Railway part 1</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=9</link><description><![CDATA[ Thursday 16th. Getting up after a nightshift isn't the best time for a ride down the canal but enthusiasm is still good so when Lee suggested we go for a ride then I was game. And just to make things more interesting we had another cyclist in the group. Tyrone, who is Lee's daughters chap was keen to come along and as the saying goes, the more the merrier. So off we rode along the same route as before and once we reached The Railway it was all new ground. Very interesting stuff, more canal, more towpath   As usual I was the happy snapper taking photo's as we went along. Here are a few:  

Tyrone and Lee
    
My good self looking a little tired.
    
An unusual sign.
    
Well we cycled on looking for another pub to try out but unfortunately a mechanical problem got in the way. Some how Lee's left pedal wasn't fully screwed into the crank arm and the threads stripped. After a few attempts at getting the pedal screwed in securely we decided it was best to head home while his pedal held in enough to ride with. Oh well better luck next time   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:26:26 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>The Lone Ranger</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=8</link><description><![CDATA[ Having failed to get out at the weekend on my bike I decided that today was a must, so off I went on my own. I had noticed a slight scraping of the chain in certain gears on my previous outing and almost as soon as i set off this time I heard it again. Trying to find a gear that was quiet I managed to derail my chain and on closer inspection when trying to refit it I noticed the chainwheel had worked loose. So Mission Aborted I rode home to fix the problem. Much to my dismay I didn't have the correct size allen key so a trip the B &amp; Q was made. Once tightened I was ready to resume my ride. I rode to our nearest canal access point and decided to try the opposite direction. Unfortunately as I came toward the city centre I had to leave the canal path and was unsure where to go from there. After much dithering about I managed to find myself near The Royal Armories and access to the River aire I think. So off I peddled making a mental note of landmarks to ensure I found my way back later. Very soon I yet again had to leave the waterside and so off I went I didn't know where  . Fortunately there were signs for a Trans Pennine Trail with a cycle sign so I thought this seemed like the way to go. On crossing over a canal bridge I found myself cycling between the river and canal so I merrily peddled on. Seeing signs for Methley I was pleased that I seemed to be getting somewhere and in the general direction i originally hoped. I came to Thwaite Mills where, looking at the dodgy gray clouds I decided that it was time to do an about turn and head home. A few light spatterings of rain made me glad I'd turned for home. When I reached The Royal Armories I deviated from my original route and found a more straight forward way to get to the river, so fingers crossed I can find it next time out. The last part of the trip home took me into the outskirts of the city centre where unfortunately the heavens opened and I got a good old soaking. This wasn't a problem as I was almost home and a nice bath would sort me out while my wet sweaty clothes would get a roll around in the washing machine   Altogether not a bad little excursion, the only real downside being that I'm on nightshift tonight     
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:13:24 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>The Railway</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=7</link><description><![CDATA[ The adventuring begins with a very steady ride along the towpath taking in the sights and sounds of nature on a glorious Wednesday afternoon. Eventually we came upon a pub called "The Railway" in Rodley where we stopped off for a couple of pints to quench our thirsts.  
The Railway Pub
    
Lee (Shyboy)
    
Alec (Smarticus)
    
Then once the raging thirsts were put to rest we embarked on the homeward leg back the way we came. A very enjoyable afternoon out paving the way for many more trips along the canal banks.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:47:37 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>New Bike</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=6</link><description><![CDATA[ I bought myself a new bicycle on Tuesday 7th August, hoping this might stir me into getting some much needed exercise.  
My New Bike (Giant)    
Already arranged a trip with Lee on the canal towpath for Wednesday, so watch this space    
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:06:19 +0100</pubDate><category>On Yer Bike</category></item><item><title>My New Website</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=5</link><description><![CDATA[ Well here I am trying to think of something to write in my blog with very little success. I think I will write an ongoing log of how the site progresses in the next few months. It's been quite a while since I began the site and blog and will need to get back upto speed with the controls, then I'll work on something to put down    
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:59:25 +0100</pubDate><category>The Website</category></item><item><title>Stella</title><link>http://iloapp.smarticus.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=4</link><description><![CDATA[ Stella is a boxer of about 9 or 10 months old. She is really my sons dog but as they are both staying with me at the moment she's pretty much my responsibility aswell as Ashleys. Here's a photo from a couple of months ago.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:08:18 +0000</pubDate><category>One man and his dog</category></item></channel>
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