https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/blog.php?u=2 Sparky Slider Motorcycle UK en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:34:11 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/images/misc/rss.jpg https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/blog.php?u=2 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=55 Wed, 19 May 2010 13:24:18 GMT I decided to look up an old band I loved when I was about 14 and see what they were up to.

Turns out they're touring a full 20 years after the release of their biggest selling album and doing the fashionable thing that bands do now and playing the whole album in full from start to finish live.

That made me look up a couple of other bands from those days.

Then I started looking up some of the TV shows these bands appeared on like Zig & Zag, MTV's Most Wanted with Ray cokes, the ITV Chart Show, Headbanger's Ball and RAW Power.

I remember getting MTV for the first time and literally having it on every minute I was in the house. I remember the summers hanging out at my mates drinking cheap beer and JD and playing pool in his garden. Staying up all night getting wasted, falling asleep still holding cans and bottles in the armchair, waking up and picking up where we left off. I think that they were the best days of TV and MTV in particular.

Summers seemed to be of the clichéd type that lasted forever, we were young and dumb and living life as best we knew how.

I wouldn't change the life I have now for the world, I have a beautiful wife and son and things are just starting to get exciting, I have big plans for the rest of my days on this earth with my family, but there's a part of me that feels that pull, that warm feeling and that fondness for the early 90's when my best mate and me were invincible and would take on the World.

So I texted my mate and we're getting together for a drink. It won't be like the old days, we've both changed and grown in different ways. We'll probably talk kids, we will have to get home at a reasonable hour and we don't have the hair to mosh like we used to.

I've never felt that feeling I feel for those days before though, I'm not sure what it means, but I do know that I'll be getting in touch with more people I used to know and catching up because a part of me still feels 15 and invincible and I'm sure those people I used to know feel exactly the same way too. ]]> Woods https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=55 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=37 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:52:21 GMT All I had to do was depress the mouse button once and what did I do? I hovered, finding things to distract me whilst all the while the email sat there, daring me to send it.

Weird isn't it how we become creatures of habit so easily?

I really used to enjoy my job, then recently I realised that the job as it was, has been gone for a long time. I found myself stuck in a routine with no rewards or goals and I had to ask myself why? Like a comfy pair of slippers which have moulded to the shape of your feet, or the leather office chair which still has the imprint of your arse in it when you stand up, it's easy to get so cosy in a role that you forgot why you ever did it in the first place. You're just taking the money and running.

Now this may seem like a sensible thing to do, but the problem is that if you're not careful one day someone will come along and point out that they don't actually need you to be doing what you're doing and thanks for everything but goodbye.

So I did something so out of character for me I suprised even myself. I got up off my arse (leaving an imprint of it in the leather chair behind my desk) and went to do something about it. Now I've never been particularly confident in myself and I've never had much of a voice about things. I'm generally happy to hide in amongst the throngs and let them do the shouting and getting people to look at them, whilst I just get on with it and blend into the background. So imagine my surprise when I found myself sitting in front of the MD telling him exactly what I though of the situation I was in and asking what he could do to help.

To cut a long story short(er) after further meetings with 2 other directors a role appeared for which I appear to be eligible, which is how I came to find myself hovering over that 'Send' button. How odd to think that I deliberated and delayed extended that index finder, when I knew full well that I wasn't happy or secure where I was and that it was the right thing to do. For the first time in a long while I felt those butterflies, a mix of nerves and excitement about what would transpire once the server delivered these 3 lines of text.

It's not an amazing job, some may see it as a step down from what I currently do, but I realised there and then that the challenge gave me a buzz. The idea of something new, the anticipation of a complete change of role makes me realise I should have done this a long time ago.

It's not groundbreaking and it's probably something simple for most people, but to me it represented a big change.

So I clicked, starting the wheels in motion for something that could turn out to be the best or worst move I ever made in my working life, unfortunately only time will tell!

Oooooh - butterflies again. ]]> Woods https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=37 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=14 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:47:16 GMT Yesterday was bliss, just 3-4 inches of snow and I knew from experience there was no way to make it up the hill on which I live. Being at the bottom of said hill and at the end of a cul-de-sac (that's French for cul-de-sac incase you were wondering) means there was nowhere else for me to go but back to bed for an hour before firing up my laptop and working from home. The hard work was occassionally interrupted by Oliver wanting to be entertained, or to go and watch other hapless neighbours making attempts to get out of the road.

All was well until we realised I had forgotten to defrost the chicken so we had nothing for tea, so a brave attempt was made to get the car to Morisson's (shhhh, don't tell the boss). After watching my 65 year old neighbour drive his Vectra straight up I wondered if I had been a tad rash in taking the day off because of the snow. Four failed attempts later made me wonder if the fact I was in a stupidly heavy estate car may have counted against me.

I kept getting almost to the top before the traction control kicked in when the wheels began to spin and the car stuttered to a halt. I figured, in for a penny and switched the traction control off. Suddenly, the extra momentum provided by not having the traction control kicking in meant with wheels spinning I made it to the top and on to Morisson's and we got our chicken for tea! Huzzah!

So this morning after another 5 attempts I got out for work, my concern now is if the temperatures stay at -6 then the snow might turn to ice and I may be housebound again tomorrow! Gutted........ ]]> Woods https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=14 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=12 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:55:12 GMT Ooops! My cold wasn't THAT bad and yet still I used it as the excuse to bail out of training last night so that I could spend some time with H and Oliver after the culture shock of being back at work for 8 hours yesterday.

Sometimes it's difficult getting back in the groove after a break, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Today's whinge - "Yes I know it's cold and icy but on main treated roads I think it's probably safe to do more than 20mph after pulling out in front of me!!!" ]]> Woods https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=12 https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=10 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:28:18 GMT The first day back at work after the break for Christmas, as if the misery of returning to the 9-5 (or 8-4:30 in my case) wasn't enough, everyone insists on their first words to me being 'Happy New Year'. I mumble back "same to you" before going on with the original question I was about to ask.

I am still trying to figure out why I find this so annoying! Is it because, afterall, today is just another day? Is it because I don't understand the hype of the diets and resolutions, none of which will stick (if you have to wait for a New Year as an excuse then you are lacking in commitment from the off)? Or is it, as I strongly suspect, simply that I am becoming a miserable bastard in my old age?

I'll now count the hours down until I get to go home to see Helen and Oliver, before having to dash out for my first training session of the New Year. Running round a cold church hall in this weather? Yippeeeee!

On the plus side I managed to only put on 4lb over Christmas so my work trousers still fit (it was going to be touch and go!) and Helen actually managed to lose some weight!!!!! ]]> Woods https://www.sparkyslider.co.uk/entry.php?b=10