Breakfast at the basement cafe under the National Gallery, access from Princes Street Gardens. (Best black pudding ever.) Stroll up The Mound and have a mooch along the Royal Mile and the closes off, then up to the National Museum for a look around and elevenses. Down to the Grassmarket for a lunchtime pint.

+1 for Stuartie C’s recommendation: ‘Blood Meridian’ by Cormac McCarthy. The Border trilogy is also excellent, along with ‘No Country…’ and ‘The Road’. You could say I’m a fan. I found I very quickly get into the rhythm of his writing, tho’ agree initially it can seem a bit awkward.

I’m thinking about Dickens this year – an embarrassing gap in my literary
education!

Mrs rates the Hosseini books mentioned, but also suggests ‘Life of Pi’ – one of her top 5 fiction books.

2’s front & back. been using them for a few years now & never had any problem with tearing. Never felt the need to try newer alternatives. JE James were doing them for £20 a tyre a few months ago. I thought it rude not to at that price.

Rigid gas permeable contacts + Oakley Halfjackets work well for me.

Yeah, my ten year old is watching it now . . .

2007 single-speed here – prefer to my Soul where the ups permit. Nicely balanced ride: not the lightest but has that ‘just right’ feel, for me at least. Dunno if current version is comparable given above comments re CEN compliance tho’.

Yes

Yeah, found out they’d called it a day a few months ago. Sorry to see the shop go – always found them a good bunch.

As the link explains, a burst water main.
Low Pressure gas mains typically run at somewhere between 25 and 50mbar, a little higher if all plastic systems. High pressure water leaks can blow holes in metallic and plastic gas pipes, allowing water to flood the relatively low pressure gas network.
This has to be removed. Once clear & repaired the gas system has to be purged from air to gas. Before this is done all properties served by the affected system should be capped off at the meter, or services physically disconnected where there is no access, to avoid the risk of gas passing into the property. Re-commissioning has to be done progressively to prevent an explosive gas/air mix. This takes time if it is to be done in a safe, controlled manner.

Hire a retro cruiser from Spokes bike shop and do a circuit of Stanley Park.
+1 for Granville Island.
If you want something a bit different go out to UBC & have a look around the Museum of Anthropology. Superb west coast Native American collection. There’s also a beautiful Japanese garden out that way too, if memory serves me right.

PJ O’Rourkes early books I found laugh out loud funny. Considering I’m at the other end of the spectrum politics wise that was a fair achievement.

Given that y’all seem to have consigned the CD to history, has anyone got an olive Naim XPS they need taking off their hands? Packet of jelly beans waiting.
Just asking.

+ 1 for GE Submerino. Or what about the Rab Meco tops as per last months ST review. Only worn mine a handful of times so far, under a windproof, but quite impressed tho’ only time will tell re durability. Avoid Howies NBLs. Rubbish.

Looking forward to the new Tom Waits. Well reviewed in todays Observer.

We rate the books here at Steel Towers, though he does tend to be a bit heavy on the cream & butter at times.
The smoked mackerel, bacon & potato salad from a few weeks ago on Simple Suppers has already established itself as a family favorite – just reduce the olive oil in the dressing to 4 1/2 tbsps. Had the lamb shanks with anchovies tonight – another hit.
Admittedly, his remark about going down the woods in this weeks episode was overtly camp. Then again Nigella has built a career on innuendo . . .

Take bigblokes suggestion above and link it with the roughrideguide routes out of Wallingford & Woodcote and you’ll have cracking day out (provided it stays dry . . . .)

Wait ’til you get the other of 50 . . . .

Finished ‘White Mughals’ by William Dalrymple last night. Read it back to back with his later book ‘The Last Mughal’ during/after a trip to India earlier in the year. Both excellent, but the former edges it.

DeKerf Team, at a price tho’.

Lego Camper Van ordered. Thanks Mr Wilson. Go well with the Beetle.

Apart from an early dalliance with Joe Ely thanks to the Clash way back when, I really started with the Byrds, onto Gram Parsons, noting his influence on the Stones on the way and became utterly infatuated with Emmylou thanks to her contribution to the 2 solo albums and Wrecking Ball. After that it was a downward spiral with Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, the man in black of course, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams and a host of others. Mostly biased towards the rockier end of the spectum.
Try Joshua Judges Ruth by Lyle Lovett if you haven’t already. Love Williams’s Essence & World Without Tears. Latter is in my all time top-ten

Still regularly using an Olympus that must be at least 15 years old – never thought about replacing it. If I remember right it was around £300 way back then.
Their rucsacs have also served us well by the way.

If God had intended man to be vegetarian he wouldn’t have made animals out of meat.

The Clash have it pretty much covered on their own:
Guns of Brixton
Londons Burning
Guns on the Roof
Police & Thieves
White Riot
I Fought the Law
Last Gang in Town
etc etc

Look for an academic diary.

You’ll be fine (said the 50+ man in the 15 year old odour-free Boston ‘clog’ style Birkis). My mother is German, tho’.

kitbag for genuine, but not necessarily cheap

Heard the news this morning. Great memories of him hamming it up with the Boss on the ’81 tour. Mrs out so I’m spending the night reliving those glory days. RIP Big Man.

Dog food, water. Not milk. Gives them the squits apparently.

Nope + 1. Got very excited Friday when I had a look at my current account balance. Got home & Mrs reminded me she took me to John Lewis the previous wwekend.

If you do a lot of your running on the road the constant camber can cause imbalance in your gait with consequent problems. Ideally run on grass, but if you are restricted to largely road then I suggest you vary it, where it is safe to do so. Where I am there are plenty very quiet country roads, so if I’m on straight sections, with good visibility, then I am happy to run on the left.

No doubt some nit-wit will suggest running down the middle . . . .

Southfork’s in Braunton.

2007 singlespeed, 140 Vans. Never had a problem with the dropouts. As others have said, don’t go on looks or weight – the ride is the real deal. So much so if I had to chose between it & the Soul it would get the nod. Apologies to Cotic fanbois.

Looked at it, but opted for an Osprey Raptor 10 instead. Better pack imho, and a fair bit cheaper too. Also do a 14 if you need the extra capacity.

Some good deals on Oly EPL1?

eg
http://www.johnlewis.com/230926748/Product.aspx?s_kenid=374d19b3-542b-5808-9b56-0000586c0bb2&s_kwcid=ps333361

A toss up between White Man & Complete Control.

Lots of Kona loveliness here:

http://www.konaretro.com/articles/catalogues/1997/97Page23.jpg

Cheers

We tried to donate a good quality armchair from a 3 piece suite to various furniture recycle groups after we moved house – the sitting room was a bit tight and we replaced it with a smaller one-off chair. Everywhere we tried declined as it wasn’t a complete suite ffs. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Spent the winter in Singletracks over Endura 3/4 bibs. Work for me.

Stocked up on brake pads last week using the voucher. Paid on a seldom used credit card. Call on Thursday from cc security re 2 x £20 Vodaphone top-ups, 2nd of which they refused. Card cancelled.
Having read the above all seems very suspicious: as per BoardinBob would anyone at CRC care to comment?