pBullox`

It's been an interesting year with lots doing once again, we saw in the new year at Butlins in Skegness, doing a leap of faith with my sister; that was different... This year we're back at home again, folks coming round to see in the new year. 2012 saw us have the Jubilee and the Olympics putting Britain firmly on the map. Happy times celebrating our heritage when so much was changing around us. Times of austerity and a changing benefits system. I started an new job the beginning of the year, I say new it was actually a return to a job I once did. It's been a successful year in the position however, I'm not sure it's for keeps. Politics at work isn't something I enjoy, let's just get on and do what we need, go home and relax. Maybe some change ahead on that one. The year has seen the return of the beAt, I'm actually doing talks and working hard to help our new leader. All is going well on this front, more to do next year to get more youngsters in. I star...

Almost a year to do the day Long drive back from the Midlands today after collecting Caroline my Camper Van. Looking very good indeed, Tony really pulled off a top job and made the van shine once again. It took me and Josh about three hours to do the journey home, Costa break included. Top speed 70 down a big old hill, averaged a happy 60 mph. She's not too happy about going up those big old hills though, next job is to get an interior fitted. Still thinking about what to put in, folks want the kitchen sink, I reckon a bed, a kettle and a kick ass stereo. Happy days ... Can't wait to get her finished off...

Finished Mountain Bike: 15 Sep 2012 15:54:19 Route: Saturday Bimble Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120915-1405.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120915-1405.kml Ride Time: 1:42:41 Stopped Time: 5:49 Distance: 17.45 miles Average: 10.20 mph Fastest Speed: 40.17 mph Behind Best Ride: 14:56 Ascent: 1547 feet Descent: 1554 feet Calories: 1708 http://www.cyclemeter.com

Signed up to the Hills Killer event on the Isle of Wight tonight.  This will be the Seventh year I've entered, never very fast but always enjoy riding it with Terence. We were considering doing the long version of the ride - fourteen hills but settled fo rthe usual Seven. After a disasterous South Downs this year and a disasterous Tipton to Thatcham I'm not sure me and cycling are meant to continue.  Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it and love going out. I just don't seem to be able to get fit enough to what I need. I have something to blame, in my mind I'm telling myself it's my meds and heart issues that have happened recently. I've had two cardioversions since December and new meds to keep my heart rythm. After each one I kept off the bike for about a month, the new meds are making me tired. So... With all this going on I'm sitting here typing this thinking I'm a right LameAss, blaming my poor fitness on all this. Reality is probably the fact I d...

Finished Mountain Bike: 4 Sep 2012 20:23:09 Route: Weekday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120904-1911.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120904-1911.kml Ride Time: 1:01:30 Stopped Time: 9:37 Distance: 11.26 miles Average: 10.98 mph Fastest Speed: 25.42 mph Behind Median Ride: 14:47 Ascent: 329 feet Descent: 337 feet Calories: 984

If you look close you can see the alien spacecraft that land there. But sshhhh, don't tell anyone because they won't believe you - will they Michelle? There are a few strange buildings in the woods, stairs going into the ground. What's down there? I wonder :-)

Finished Mountain Bike: 2 Sep 2012 18:26:06 Route: Sunday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120902-1652.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120902-1652.kml Ride Time: 1:15:44 Stopped Time: 18:13 Distance: 11.29 miles Average: 8.94 mph Fastest Speed: 27.67 mph Behind Best Ride: 10:34 Ascent: 819 feet Descent: 827 feet Calories: 1104

Photo taken by the BP team, mirrors to get the whole Olympic Stadium in.

The Camper, lovingly known as Caroline is finally having Paint. It's been a long time coming, she's had her fair share of problems along the way. New arches, sills, battery tray, floor panels, mounts, joints, brake lines, the list goes on. Anyway, she's coming together now and it will soon be time for me to sort out the interior. I'll get some more updates and pics on here as soon as. I have loads, from rust to lust..

Setting sale for the Island from Portsmouth, gotta say this is the worst port to use to get to the Island. Traffic is always a killer, lots of delays and stopping in the mid noon heat. Yes, heat! It's unusual to have that stuff in a British summer :-) I know I always mention the weather, always have. It's all good though, loving this year, rain and all. Pleased to be getting on my holiday though. Looking forward to cycling, messing around on the beach and of course a trip to the pier. How very exciting, I hear you say. Well, not really the pier has been the same for about seven years. There's still a dirty den fruit machine. I was gonna bring my Windsurfer but poor Callum looked so sad with all that stuff on his roof, maybe next time. Tonight I'm off to see Cowes week fire works and of course have a few beers. Tomorrow a swim and look to do something I've never done or go somewhere I've never been. Good news as well today, Caroline, my Vdub is going into pai...

view full image "Home brew, first batch of the year. Ale for 32p a pint. "  

view full image "Brewing, Dasher & Flasher for Christmas"  

Finished Mountain Bike: 8 Aug 2012 20:45:06 Route: Weekday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120808-2004.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120808-2004.kml Ride Time: 39:18 Stopped Time: 1:13 Distance: 5.63 miles Average: 8.60 mph Fastest Speed: 16.09 mph Ahead of Best Ride: 4:59 Ascent: 480 feet Descent: 484 feet Calories: 603 http://www.cyclemeter.com

Back on the bike after Saturdays Disaster on the South Downs ride for the BHF. Went quite well, didn't get too tired, I suppose the 35 miles on Saturday set me up quite well, I just need to stay on top and get some bigger distances under my belt. I'll try to do the Goring run on Thursday, that's a huge hill in the middle and roughly 20 miles. I need do something, my miles have been so low this year and Saturday saw my second fail on the Mountain bike this year. I was unable to complete Wayfarer and then South Downs. Last time I did the downs I felt fine after some sleep, I handled it really well. My fitness is suffering, I reckon it's down to not doing the training I need, I'll have to watch less Discovery Channel:= :-) Well tonight's ride was Good, Buckleberry then a different way back through the Black Woods by St Mathews. All is good, I'll keep on keeping on. I'm doing the 14 Hills Killer this year as a punishment for being such a sop and not comple...

Failure! Didn't complete. Must try harder to avoid disappointment in what I do. Route: South Downs 2012 Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120721-0617.kml Ride Time: 4:14:41 Distance: 33.22 miles Average: 7.83 mph Fastest Speed: 49.34 mph Ascent: 3867 feet Descent: 3672 feet Calories: 3439

Well really, took the nut off pulled out the pin then removed all the small fiddly bits, took the wheel to get a new tyre then forget how to put it back on. What a doof. A few washers some brakes and a chain. Simples. Only if you remember the order they came off in :-) The wheel will go back on, that I'm sure of. Knuckles took a beating, the slider hold the calliper on type thing wouldn't go back in, I finally pushed the bar through and the washers fell out. All this just to change a tyre. Push bikes are soo much easier than motorbikes. Oh well, that's it. New tyre fitted, suppose I'll have to sell it now. Don't really want to but it's in the way and costing money and never being used. Boys toys... They come and they go :-)

Finished Mountain Bike: 13 Jul 2012 21:19:06 Route: Weekday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120713-2031.kml Ride Time: 44:16 Stopped Time: 0:00 Distance: 8.23 miles Average: 11.15 mph Fastest Speed: 24.98 mph Ahead of Median Ride: 4:29 Ascent: 360 feet Descent: 325 feet Calories: 744

Finished Mountain Bike: 4 Jul 2012 21:21:28 Route: Weekday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120704-2033.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120704-2033.kml Ride Time: 48:15 Stopped Time: 0:00 Distance: 8.26 miles Average: 10.27 mph Fastest Speed: 25.34 mph Ahead of Median Ride: 3:13 Ascent: 224 feet Descent: 190 feet Calories: 693 http://www.cyclemeter.com

I have the BHF South Downs ride coming up in July. I've done nothing to get ready for the ride, I did a token gesture of eight miles tonight. Not sure it's enough to get me ready for the sixty five miler on the downs. Let this be the beginning of some extensive cycling to come over the next few weeks. I'll be doing none tomorrow but will try the same route faster on Wednesday. Then Friday do a twenty miler to Goring. This is a vain attempt to get ready for the big ride, I hope to keep up with the cycling after this, keeps you fit you know. I couldn't believe tonight though, I got the bike out the garage and leaned it on the wall whilst I locked up. The back tyre blew out while it was sitting there. Like the bike was telling me he didn't want to go out. Come on number 4, get a grip! happy times in the mud this year. The rain just never stops falling. Here's to many miles in readiness for the downs. :-) Location: Thatcham

Finished Mountain Bike: 2 Jul 2012 22:39:07 Route: Weekday Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120702-2040.kml Import URL: http://share.abvio.com/adb4/001a/4e7e/7b9b/Cyclemeter-MountainCycle-20120702-2040.kml Ride Time: 48:45 Stopped Time: 1:45 Distance: 8.28 miles Average: 10.20 mph Fastest Speed: 28.73 mph Ahead of Median Ride: 2:44 Ascent: 573 feet Descent: 586 feet Calories: 778 http://www.cyclemeter.com

The first annual leave for a long time and it's over. I don't really want to return to work after having such a great and varied time. All has been good the past two weeks, I've not been cycling which is a downer but that will change in the weeks ahead. Last week I fixed up Bert the camper van for the festival. We travelled to the Isle of Wight on the Thursday. Arrived in Cowes at 8pm. It took some eight hours to get the festival grounds due to the traffic chaos the weather had caused. We were parked up out side the entrance to go sleep in the van, we woke to police, tractors amd hundreds of revellers walking around the festival grounds. It was a good atmosphere, the mud making it that much more fun watching folks wheel spin around the fields covering everything in mud. The festival was great, probably the best one yet. No fading about driving and travelling in and and out, we lived on site and got to experience the whole thing for a change. We even chose different places...

Insider. At IOW festival. Bert the VW camper.

Band playing Black Cherries or something like that. Very loud and quite cool...

What did I do with my first day of Annual leave ? Painted and prepped a van, worked hard all day then shopping. Not much of an holiday eh. Michelle's been giving me a hard time for not doing owt in the house. I started the day with the best of intentions but didn't get anywhere. I'm now knackered and aching but that doesn't make up for it - crap person. Shes in one of them 'I hate you, we need to divorce moods' now, I've seen it before many times. I'm just waiting now and biding my time for it all to begin, it won't be for a while. Maybe a few weeks but it's coming, I suppose I should do more to make up for being so poor and distracted. Yeh, that's it I'll do more not sure what yet but more,,, all will be good. Iow festival tomorrow in Bert the T3... He's ready I think, only time will tell just how ready... I'm off,, night night..... D is for Donnies. Translation - Hands.

It's been so long since writing a blog entry, what to do, so much to write about but so little time and inclination to do some thing. Well here goes a nice short one to draw a line in the sand. It's Easter bank holiday and I've not really done anything with it. I put in an order for a mini clubman that will be coming soon, but really that's it. I wanted to cycle but never got around to it the weather had been awful. I'm feeling lost this Easter, not sure whether I'm coming or going. I may put this down right here and try to get some sleep. Maybe some motivation tomorrow to do something worth blogging. That's it I'm out, going to get some sleep, I may be back at some point :-) God bless, God willing.. Blood pressure not right, I'm so tired.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/154967040#.T1zlJBgtKSM.email --- This message was sent by hello@paulbullock.co.uk via http://addthis.com . Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses. Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=nKHXztLAy8PfgtfO0sDLw9_sxcDIy8DJ1YLEw8o in your web browser.

Time to focus on God. I've written before lent is really about more than giving up something. For me it's about doing or not doing something that each time my mind and attention drifts toward that thing I can focus on God and draw from his strength to see me through. Lent really is about building relationships that bring us closer to God. Me especially, my mind is such a mess, I realised today after watching a video I'm not alone in having a wondering mind I can never silence. I should try to strengthen my life with God, I know though he loves me no matter. If I treated my friends the same way I treat the Lord, not talking or communicating with them, they wouldn't be friends for long. Sorry God for the times I never speak and don't listen. Ash Wednesday can be the start of me talking your head off... Of course, pancakes first.... With Chocolate.... Wilderness can wait Amen :-)

Out cycling Saturday, from the west of Ink Pen to Sydmonton. The route was meant to be a twenty five miler to get me back home. I didn't quite make it though, only after about three hundred yards from my drop off I realised I couldn't get the bike to move through all the mud, it was awful. Mud caked so thick it stopped the wheels, when I did get going it was like I was ploughing up a field. I did ten miles of it across Wayfarer Walk, a bridle way running through Wiltshire and Hampshire. I really chose the wrong time for it, it's a great ride when the conditions are good. After about 15 miles and 2400 calories I decided I'll never make it home before night fall. I did the right thing and called in Michelle to get me home. She collected me in Eccinswell and got me home. I was so cold and tired, it was probably one of the worst times out on the bike I've ever had. The mud sapped all my energy, a lesson has been learned though, when these conditions are here try more fa...

Another reply.... Is this just lip service from you and your work? I suspect that's the case. If this was my company and I offered self improvement to staff and they refused. Well, Dave C has a queue called the unemployed, full of folks wanting to self improve, I would certainly be looking at swopping some. On the other hand, someone asking to self improve but not giving the opportunity that was promised, seems a little odd. Or are you thinking you have the easy life now? Yes, that may be the case I suspect. In life if you want to do something then you just do it. People say no, do it anyway. Not continuing your education right now will be the biggest mistake you could make. (you've had the laziest education known to man) The rut that is life gets deeper the longer you stay on the same course. When it's deep it's hard to get out... Your mums life is an example, training and learning gave her a level playing field to go anywhere doing what she wanted to do. i.e. no ruts,...

What's on your mind? What kind of a question is that? It could take a lifetime to answer, when you think you have the answer you kinda realise you haven't. There's always something else. Lucy lolly pop was really awful, not very funtertaining if I do say so. Ah! Who is Lucy Lolly pop? Like you're bothered. Then stop and think. What's on your mind? Lucy Lolly pop! I doubt it, why's she called that? Why is he writing about Lucy? Am I really interested in Lucy? You see as soon as you answer the only question Facebook asks, you realise there's no point. There is always something else on your mind. Why bother putting it on. Can you see I'm distracted? I always have something there, no inner silence. I should update my life status every four seconds. Why am I writing this again. Always something on my mind and always a gadget in my hand or pocket. Is having electronics ever present the reason I can't silence my mind? If someone finds the answer please tel...

Well it’s been a while since I last made an entry, I’ve been so busy and travelling too much for my liking. I tried to get online to blog about an event I did just before Christmas. The event was the Reading toy run in aid of Barnardos. What a great day, I was left feeling very inspired and happy with myself and the thousands of others that joined in. A friend of mine invited me, he asked if I wanted to do a ride out on the motorbike. I sometimes pass on these because I’d rather have a point to riding my motorbike other than aimlessly going somewhere anywhere. Anyways I agreed and he told me to bring a toy to give to the charity. Every year bikers come together in Reading just off junction 11 and take a slow ride to Banardos in Wokingham. Every rider takes a toy along that’s later given out to kids in their care. I was amazed by the effort some of these guys had made to make the day so special, decorated bikes, multiple gifts and a general sense of fun. Hundreds of people turned out ...

A different ending for me this year, the year of 'things I've not done before' and what a great old year it's been. Lots of newness happening and lots of oldness left in the back ground. I'm writing this from Butlins in Skegness, that's a new one, away from home and not having to host a new year party. Time to sit back and relax, well at least I thought. Today started with a Kart Race between eight of us and of course we all won. From there a stroll along the beach following that we watched a young girl make a leap of faith off a fifty foot platform. I dont understand how what followed happened, I opened my eyes after a thirty minute blur and I'm standing at the top of this pillar with people shouting up for me to jump. I stopped, shook and looked around - why am I here? What am I doing? ... Of course I jumped.. Aarrrgggghhhhh!!!! Awesome fun. I then had to change my trousers.