Long Awaited Update

Hey all!!

I hope all that read this are OK and in good health! If your not then I hope that you get better soon!!

Well ok I have now been here in the USA for well over 3 weeks now, I got here on the 28th of November. And as I am now in a house, I thought that I should write an update!! Cause only now that I am not living out of suitcases and eating soup for dinner. (as I only had a microwave oven and a fridge in my room) I felt like sitting down and writing to you all!!

Well where to start? Well im sure that some of you are saying how was the flight etc?! So I guess that I should start there really!!
Pre-fly date, I was luckly enough to go an see some of the people that I have sadly had to leave in the UK for the last time!! And I have to say, seeing them was some of the best and the hardest things I have done, before. Purely due to the fact that they all mean so much to me! And I know that for over 7 months I wont see them again in person! But it was lovely to see them all again!!

So fly date cane around, and well looking back at it now, I can say that up until the point that I sat in my seat on the plane, I was taking it all in my stride.But I don't think I have ever felt so scared in my life though! I was defiantly the only thing that has scared me to the core!!
One of the most memorable things that did happen to me, while at the airport, was that once I updated my FB status on my phone, using and English IP address I had some of the most powerful messages come through on my phone!! One of them came from one the sisters, so powerful that I had to pack everything back into my laptop bag, and find a quiet area. So I could just let out all of the worries, the droughts, and the tears welling up inside me! Crying in public is not something I can do, but when I read that message of love, I couldn't help but not!!

Before boarding the plane, I was able to spend my time doing something that would normally cause people to look strangely at me! But with a lot of people all in the same situation, and with a lot of other "grown men" doing it as well, I was able to watch all of the planes take off be loaded, unloaded and pushed around without being given a strange look! Those among my readers who really know me, will know what I am going on about!

So the actual flight its self was not a bad flight, but what happened to my body during the flight made the whole experience very unsettling. This is because I believe that I had a mixture of travel sickness, air sickness, food poisoning and nerves! I sadly ended up throwing up in the toilet towards the end of the 9 hour 10 min direct flight. Which I have to say I have never done before. So you could say that, its just another thing ticked off the long list of things to do while you are around on this planet. I have to say it isn't something I ever want to do again!! But im sure it will become a talking point at some point in my life, and will just add another layer of fun to the adventure.

So after finally getting off of the plane, and feeling like some form of zombie I had to go through the US emigration system. Which I have to say, was not the easiest thing to go through, when about half hour ago, you just threw your guts up, and feel like you are going to at any point soon again!!
But I managed to make it though, even though I upset two officers, as I didn't have all the correct forms filled out on the plane, and by the time I was at the immigration desks, I didn't have any idea of who I was, where I was, what the date was, how to write my name, never mind spell my name!! I was an complete mess!!
But somehow I managed to get all of the correct paper work and all of the correct stamps put into my passport, and then it was off to find a way to my hotel!
Now the sad thing was, I had planned how to get from the airport to my hotel when I was back in England, but that plan kinda went out of the window, when I actually managed to get all my luggage back off the plane. Because most airports are not the easiest things to navigate around at the best of times. But by this point, I was tired, I was ill, I was very very scared and had no idea where to go to get the bus I needed, which stop to get off or even how I was going to get to the hotel, once I got off the bus!

But as luck would have it, and I am so glad that this happened to me, as i'm sure I would have been in an even bigger mess, if this hadn't had happened to me. I some how managed to find the bus I needed and there was someone there who took pity on me, and helped me out so so much!!
She pushed me to the end of the cue, so that I could put my bags under the bus, help me get my bike bag into the bus etc. And then decided to talk to me, to work out who I was and what I was doing in Boulder. This then led to her helping me out by arranging for a taxi to pick me up from the bus stop, to the hotel I have now just left!
She was amazing! And one of the first people that really wanted to help me out and make me feel so so welcome!!
She is an older lady originally from Dallas Texas who had moved to Boulder to study after finally being given a chance after the divorce of her third husband. And is still one of my friends in boulder and we hang out a lot. Its a bit like hanging out with your mum, but she still knows how to party! And is a very cool lady!!

So after finally getting back to the hotel, getting into my room, my body decided that it had enough of trying to hold back being sick, and I carried on throwing up in the toilet in my room. Which prompted me to have a shower, to try and relax by body and let it recover from what I can only describe is shock!
This worked out well for me, as it forced my body to relax and kinda settle a bit at least!
Having been so sick, I did what I normally do and put myself to bed! Which I can say did a world of good, and having been so ill, my body decided to sleep for well over 16 hours.

I the first morning in boulder, I woke up at roughly 9 am and decided to test how I was feeling by having another shower! Which I know is a good way of testing if my body can handle being up and food! I was very pleased to know what my body passed this test!
So after finally getting dressed, I decided to try the onsite cafe! That was not a wise choice at all!! Not because I threw up, but because of the price and the poor quality of the food! I can say, that I haven't been back after that first day. 15 bucks for orange juice, two eggs, sausages and pancakes! OCUH! So having worked out that the cafe was a no go, I decided I needed to get food for the night and for breakfast! So having not been out here before, I decided to walk rather then cycle after asking the front desk for directions on how to get into town. Mistake number two I made that day! WOW what a walk that was!! the 2 miles I was quoted was a big under measurement of how far it is to town, where I am now and where I was at the hotel! But either way after getting very lost, and slightly confused. I managed to get into town, to go and find a power adapter and a phone. This is because I forgot to bring one with me, so I had no way of powering up the laptop at all!! Or charging anything! So having gone to the wrong store first, and buying an expensive new power pack for my laptop. Of which I returned before I even got home, I some how managed to find a store that sold a straight adapter. So I brought two of them to be sure I could pug in all the things I wanted! I also brought my phone, which I have to say looks straight of the 90's with its no camera, predictive text and 32 bit color screen! Wow I didn't realize we still made phones like this!

After setting up my phone, and texting the lady from Texas, we decided to meet up, so that she could show me around etc and help me get sorted, and a bit more settled in! This turned into going around town etc and showing me things, before taking me food shopping, so that I could make some food back at the hotel! She also out of the kindness of her heart, gave me some knifes and forks, a plate and a mug! All of which I will now be able to return to her!
We then decided after putting away all the food I had brought back in my room, that I should eat in town etc to get a feeling for the place etc!!
This was a brilliant move, as she showed me some of the really nice places to eat in town!

So after dinner, she kindly dropped me off back at my hotel. Which concludes my first day in boulder!

The second day, I decided after having walked to town, that it was time to build the bike and let it touch US soil! What a good move that was!! So much quicker and simpler, but this time I didn't get so lost, and I had a rough idea where I was going. The purpose of this trip was to work out how to get to the malls, find some new shoes, as the boots I had on where not suited to unusual heat for the time of year. I also needed to work out how to get to the bus station and to how to get work! So I hopped on the "BLOT" with my bike (as you can just put them on the front of the buses in Boulder) all the way to work. This was the recky to work, that I do every time I go to somewhere new. Making sure I know how to get to and from work. Now I made the silly choice to cycle back from work to the hotel. This didn't work out well at all!! I got very lost, but I was able to find someone who helped me out, but as it was getting dark and I didn't have my lights for my bike with me. Recommended I got the bus back to town.
Once I managed to get back to down, the Texan wanted to meet and go for dinner and to hear about how I was and did I manage to get to and from work ok?! Of which I told her all about the adventure that I just completed! Of which she just laughed at, pointing out how I always some how manage to come out ok in the end!
I then decided after the meal to get some beer to take back to the hotel with, but with the bike we decided the best option was to take the bus, back to the Park And Ride, I had got off at when I first arrived. I then rode all the way back to the hotel and went to bed!

The next couple of days, the weekend, as I arrived on a Wednesday, where spent trying to look for a place to live. So this meant trawling Craigslist for places to rent, while I had some Americana football on the telly to make doing this just a bit more bearable!
So I spent two days sending out emails to a lot of people and not really getting a reply from anyone! But there was this one add that I saw, that was so perfect that I had to try my hardest to get! It was a situation where the guy living in the house, provides you with EVERYTHING you ever need!! And I mean that!! All you need to do is bring food and clothes! Everything else for, is provided for you!

Well on the first day of applying  I saw I had an email from the guy selling this room! And he gave me some more details, and wanted to talk more after lunch! Of which I was fine with, and so we spoke on the phone, and he decided that he like who I was, from what I had told him. So we arranged to meet the following day, and so that I could have a look at the room!
Well what can I say, the room is lovely and so is the house!! And I know it was the first one I looked at, but after having spoken to a woman for an hour!! about her life, well I say that, she told me, I hardly spoke! I snapped it up before anyone else could! Cause he is a nice house nice guy, and was just what I needed!
But I carried on having a look though just encase it fell through!

Well after the weekend came the first day of work! The first week like any first week at work when your new is always slow! But the guys I work with are very cool and a lovely bunch! I have really been given a nice set of guys to work with!

The weekend following that first week at work was really cool,  a friend I have made during my time here in the US allowed me to wash all my clothes! Which was an amazing act of kindness. To repay my friend, I brought the family some more washing powered to say thanks!! I was then invited to dinner and help choose a xmas tree for the house! Which was very cool, as I haven't been able to do that for years now!!

The second week of work was a bit more productive, but I ended up spending most of the week finding and identifying a bug in the system that we use, that has already been discovered. Just forgotten about! But it wasn't time that was wasted as it was a good exercise in reading logs and working out what the system is doing!

Well I now leave you all in a very much updated state! As its now the weekend of the second week at work,  ive moved in to the house! Im happy! Im settled, which is making me happy! And im not sleeping in that hotel any more!!
Please don't get me wrong, the hotel was a lovely place, but after spending 16 nights and having to go to work in that time as well is not fun at all!!!

Well readers!! Much love!! Talk soon!!

Images for before and after construction

The stating point.
Looks very geeky to do it this way, but makes building a lot less stressful 

I can see the 6year old in me having many hours of fun with this 

Wet Sunday Afternoon - Part 2

Second Instalment of the two part blog

Well if you haven't read the first one.WHY NOT? go hand have a good old read, or at least a skim of it. If you have, well welcome to the second part :)

At the end of the last blog, readers will remember that I signed off just before starting the build on my current Lego set.....Well this is me on the other side, with a couple of sore fingers and a complete model!

The building process wasn't as long as I had thought and only really took me an hour and 20 mins, of which I thought was fairy speedy. Its a very well designed model I have to give Lego that, and the way that its constructed has kept up with what I remember from my childhood, but there are a few things I have noticed that have changed, and that is the tollances of the parts, they seam to be a lot smaller then I remember, as pushing some of the parts together was at times a lot harder then I expected. 

Have Lego missed a trick here?

Once the whole thing was created, my brain started to produce some marking ideas that Lego might have missed a trick on, with the ability to remove the hay spreaders from the back of the tractor, why not produce other attachments?? 

Each being sold separately, would allow people to collect a range of tractors doing a range of tasks. Or just allow the people who "play" with them rather then collect them like me, to have one tractor, that is able to provide an even larger range of situations to play. 

But either way I'm sure Lego is missing out here, as I would be happy to buy and construct a tractor that has a plow on it. Or with a water tank, and I would very happily collect the whole range, and a new tractor for each one. Or even just another one would look very nice next to my current one. (Of which now has pride of place on my desk, next to my screen)

Modifications

The other thing I noticed, is that given some extra parts it wouldn't be hard to automate the back end of the tractor so you don't really have to do anything but drive it. I'm sure Lego have looked into. But like me I'm sure they came to the same conclusion about the cost of doing it. Because for me to do what I would want to do would actually cost more the the total cost of the whole model, which seams crazy and kinda put the whole idea out the window really. Which is a shame, but that's just life. 

Anyways till next time people! 

Have fun and stay safe

The blogging cyclist

Wet Sunday afternoon

Welcome to the first instalment, of a two post blog! 

Well guys and girls!! Its me the cycling blogger again. here with my second post ever! and your all invited to this exclusive posting! you lucky gits!!

Well what's been happing since I last blogged!? Well work has been going well, and i have been given approval  of my visa, sadly only the first half of it....But this means I can now go to London and get the full thing  YAY, so that will be happening very soon hopefully! So You will all be able to read posts from the US and about what I'm doing :-).

But I thought that today being a typical English Sunday, with the weather to match....Wet, windy and lots of it.So I thought I would let you all have a touch light view into who I am a bit more. More to allow you to understand me better and allow you to connect with me, then anything else. So milky tea, with the bag left in, and apple at the ready, lets start writing!

So light on, and pointing at me!

During this wet Sunday afternoon, I have un-boxed one of my resent purchases. Its a Lego set, yes, I know at the age of 23 I am a bit old to be buying and collecting Lego, but that is not something that is ever going to stop me! Im an engineer, and so will always have an obsession with toys, and making things, its kida hard-coded into us, so you might as well accept it, and enjoy it. Any ways back to the point in hand, the Lego kit that I have brought and unpacked is kit 9393 (tractor with hay-spreader on the back) now your properly wondering two things? Why that kit? And why buy a Lego kit in the first place?

Well to tackle the first question, the reason for buying this kit, is because in my heart, I'm a farmer, I love anything to do with farming. And given the chance I would go off and do it at a moments notice. Thinking back it is something that I should have really gone off and done, when I was looking at leaving school. But being the person I was back then, I had a lot of respect and idealised my dad, (of which I still do, but no longer in the same way I did back then. That's more my age then anything else). He had gone down the path of looking after farm machines, and large mechanical vehicles  and advised me against doing it. The reason behind steering me away from this path was due to the long hours of which you have to do, the small amount of pay you can get from doing it and all of the danger that comes with doing such a job.

I can see why he did it, he didn't like it and didn't want me to make the same mistake, and have to spend my nights like him gaining the skills required to leave that path. So he steered me towards both our current carer choice paths (electronic engineering).
Of which I am now fully submersed in, and sometimes I feel like I am very much drowning in, or at least it feels like it. Luckily its not all of the time, but there are a lot of moments, mainly in the last couples of weeks that I am and its all of the time.
But I do have my dad to thank a lot for, and for doing  all of he has done for me, as t has opened up some amazing doors for me, and it has allowed me to meet some amazing people and most of all it has given me the chance to go to the US. So thanks you father, but I do sometimes wish you had let me follow a dream, if only for a little while. And I wouldn't have been able to do that without him, his support and for sending me down that path in the first place.

But within me there still is that small 16yr old boy that wants to be a farmer and work in the outside world, so to keep him happy and amuse the older exterior at the same time I can sometimes be found watching, building (normally in Lego form) or playing with, (this time via my computer) farm machinery. 
It's something I get the feeling that is not going to leave me ever, and I feel will come in handy later on in life, in some form or another.

The reason why, I brought the Lego kit, is because for the last week I haven't been to well. And while sat at my PC, I thought I should cheer myself up, but getting myself something shiny and new. And its been so long since I brought anything purely for myself, that as for my amusement only, its all recently been things for the US, or because I have needed them, like my new glasses and shoes. And while thinking of things to by I glanced at my current Lego modal on my desk, that was brought by a old mate of mine, how I have now lived with for two years. Its a very basic but cute mini telehander (8045) normally found on billing sites and farms etc. (loner reaching version of a forklift truck). And so I thought I would have a look on the Lego website to see if they had any new models, and well you can guess what I thought. So that's why I brought the Lego kit. But the problem is, once you buy one new kit, its very very hard not to want to buy another one.

How does an engineer make a Lego kit?

So how does a 23yr old engineer go about making a new Lego kit? well normally for small builds is rip open the box, empty all the parts on to the carpet and get started. But with this kit being the biggest kit I have undertaken I think ever, I have gone for a very OCD approach, and have sorted everything in the packets into neat little piles or collections on the desk in front of me, which has gratefully reduced my working space, but I hope the advantage of now having to "scrunch" (any big Lego fan, or anyone with a lot of Lego will get what I mean here) my way through the parts to find the bit I need next. (O and if you don't know what I mean by "scrunch", that the sound Lego makes when digging through it, or when your moving it over its self, go into a Lego shop and try it, if you don't believe me. Also have to thank my Mother and older brother for coming up for that word to describe that sound...ask in a comment if you want to know why).

But having now written this post, I'm now out of tea, that I started this blog with and the apple I was eating is now a brown apple core on the desk next to the mug. So its time to refuel the Lego maker with tea, start the building process, and then write another entire to let you all know how it went.

Wish me luck!

blogging cyclist

First blog

Well this is the first time blogging, so do bear with me.

Well lets start from the beginning, I am a newly graduated student, who has been given the chance to go work and live in the US. At current I don't know how long im out there for or when I leave. But those are miner details.

This blogging page is to allow people to track and keep an eye on what's happening to me before I travel to the US, and while Im out there.

 As all of the details about visa etc have not come through to me yet, but as and when I know I shall update the page and let you all know what's happening.

Till then people stay safe, play safe.


George