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30th April 2009.....I don't know whether or not I should share this.....but here goes. After some crazy paving laying last night, I said I wanted to give DHR a clean ready for the Shuttleworth show on Sunday. I'd put her away dirty about two weeks ago, not normally like me and hadn't had a chance to give her a clean. (I hadn't put her blanket on her because she was so dirty). Anyway when I sat in her and shut the door.......what a feeling. The door clunked shut instead of the whole car shaking. The wonderful noise when she started. What a great feeling. I backed her out of the garage and washed her down, then leathered her off. I was standing back admiring her when I thought that to me she is like art. I mean these intellectuals can stand and look at a bit of modern art and wax lyrical about it for hours, well I can do the same about DHR. In my eyes she is a work of art! She also felt so good too. Now I don't want you getting the wrong idea here and I was out in the public gaze so nothing un-manly went on, but just running my hand along her body, she felt so smooth. Okay I'm going to stop now and go seek professional help. But surely you know what I mean. Cars can be art.
(I would like to state here and now that no bodily fluids were exchanged between DHR and myself, although DHR is still dripping oil all over the garage floor).
 27th April 2009.....Breaking News! I've been told that I can use the Total Vauxhall Photoshoot pictures on my website. Click here to see them.
27th April 2009.....Well they say no news is good news and I suppose it is for you lot. Saves you reading all this twaddle. I've nothing Viva related to report, apart from the fact that the estate can carry 6 bags of sand and a bag of cement without a hitch. Yes that's right I'm still on gardening duty but the end is neigh. I have managed to join the top crazy paving with the existing bottom crazy paving, so not long now. The big pile of earth in the middle of the garden has also been laid and you'd have thought that I measured it to perfection...it was just the right amount which gave me plenty of 'brownie points' with the one who must be obeyed. In fact I was quite a little star by the end of the weekend because she even said I'd done well....high praise indeed! The next four weeks will have Viva stuff to report because I have shows to go to, starting with Shuttleworth next weekend. Better get the GT cleaned then!
18th April 2009.....Okay everybody, good news.....I spent a lot of time on the estate over the weekend and got a great deal done. This is a list of what I managed to get done; proper battery holder fitted; sorted the radio out and it now works and holds the infomation; all the speakers are now as they should be and working; the fuel gauge works; the wipers have been adjusted; I checked and traced all the cables on the fusebox; traced and removed the unknown switch; the wing mirrors have been adjusted; the interior lights now work, both of them; checked for a water leak and there isn't one; I checked the tracking but didn't adjust it; sorted out what I need to do for the carb linkage to be slightly better and got an electronic ignition sorted which I hope to fit this week. I've also fitted a set of Rostlye wheels on her, 13" which makes the motorway running a little quieter. How about that then, plenty done and nothing messed up! I even managed to put my new Viva Outlaws sticker on the rear window.
14th April 2009.....Hope you all had a good Easter and ate loads of eggs. Well folks the good news for me is Dad has had loads of tests and they've all come back okay. They are now looking at his eyes and ears, or vertigo, or just high blood pressure. He hates it at the moment with all these tests and visits to the doctors, the best one was when he had to give blood. He faints at the sight, so that sent his blood pressure up! I would like to thank the people who mail my Dad good wishes, they were very much appreciated. Thanks to Neville from Ashford, who I've never met before and didn't even know read this piece of literary genius, for his kind words and for getting in touch. It's nice to know people read this drivel. Back in my world of gardening I have now cleared the area and levelled it  and have now moved on to re-building. This means laying the yards and yards of crazy paving. I started at the shed slope and need to work my way up the garden to the path I've done round the pond earlier in the year and then work my way across the garden to other side. It will take a while and I won't be saying much about it till it's done, when I'll put a picture up. When you've seen one bit of crazy paving you've seen them all. What I did manage is an afternoon in the garage over the bank holiday weekend because of all the rain. I know most people didn't get any, but in Hemel we did. Loads of it! I worked out in the rain on Friday all day and on Saturday morning, but gave up in the afternoon.  I set up a big blue tarpaulin from the shed to the fence, then to a big pole stuck in an old bin. What the neighbours thought god only knows! Still I couldn't work outside and the missus doesn't let me in the house till after dark so the garage it was. The good news is that I've now got both front mud flaps on DHR. They do look okay and all I now need to do is paint my newly made brackets black. You can just see them in the picture if you look closely. I've also changed her oil, fixed the loose exhaust bracket at the back, tightened the fan belt and cleaned one wheel. I was sitting on the floor and started cleaning one little bit then just lost track of time. I must have been sitting there for ages without realising what I was doing. Trouble is the others need doing now to match! The rear mud flaps aren't on yet and are going to need some thinking about. They are all original Vauxhall mud flaps which means the rear ones for the HB were screwed to the body of the car about nine inches from the wheel arch. Why I don't know! This means if I was to fit them there, I would still get loads of stone chips etc. on the first bit of the paintwork behind the wheel arch. Just what I was trying to avoid. I am going to adapt them to fit the arch but they will need securing to somewhere. I'll work it out.
7th April 2009.....I've been brought back down to earth with a bump. My Mum phone me at 11 o'clock last night to ask me to take my Dad to the hospital, as he'd collapsed. Now if you knew my Dad you would know this was not something he'd do lightly! He never tells us when he's not feeling well. I rushed and picked him up and start driving down to Hemel's A & E, when I suddenly remember they'd shut it. The nearest A & E is now Watford. Hemel have a drop in centre where basically you see a doctor and if it's bad he sends you to Watford. We went down there. After nearly three hours, with us being the only people in the waiting room, my Dad gives up and makes me take him home. I refused unless he promised to see his doctor in the morning, which he does. I had a terrible night sleep as you can imagine. My Dad's never ill. I think in the last 40/50 years he's been to the doctors once or twice at the most. He's worked all his life, never been out of work once. Always done manual work and always worked outside. He worked passed the retirement age and only stopped completely about two years ago. In these crappy money infested times, forget about what's happening at work. Forget about who said what about who. Forget that you don't always get what you deserve in life. Forget that a few greedy money grabbing people can bring down banks and get away with it. Forget that Members of Parliament can fiddle expenses and there's bugger all we can do about it. Instead think about your family and friends and cherish them. They won't be around forever. They are worth far more than anything else you have in the world. I've rang this morning to check he's okay and to check he made the appointment and he did. He's been wired up and the hearts all clear, so it's now all about other tests. He says he feels a lot better today so I think it was just one of those things that comes with age. Your body telling you to slow down a bit. I hope he takes note. We had already arrange to go out for a pub lunch on Sunday and I know I will appreciate the lunch much more now than I would've done a few hours ago.
6th April 2009.....As you may have guessed I've had a week off work to spend some quality time getting back to nature. No...not nude sunbathing. Joanne's had me digging the garden from morning  till night. I have now, after a full weeks toil,
leveled the garden. I haven't finished the slope to the garden shed,
or paved the path, or built the final quarter circle water feature she wants, but the garden is level. (Well as level as it's ever going to be). Parts of my body that ache include; back, both shoulders,
both knees, right elbow, left thumb, (hit with hammer), left little finger, (hit with same hammer), right foot, cut upper left arm, cut right forearm and finally cut left forearm. Oh and nearly forgot sunburn. What makes the sunburn even funnier is that I had gloves on for most of the digging, so now have white hands! It has been agreed that the evenings for the next few weeks will be split between the garden and garage work. DHR is still up on axle stands waiting for me to finish putting her new mud flaps on and to give her an oil change. Luckily the estate is working very well at present and the last time I filled up, she was giving me 34mpg, which I'm happy enough with. I've been getting the old girl to carry all the rubble/crap from the garden to the tip and she's doing a grand job. Nothing wrong with a 41 year old car as a daily drive after all.
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