With all the new Mini stuff, it has been a while since I reported about the white Cooper. Last weekend, some stuff happened that is more than worth a report, though. More than likely, we've found what is causing the hole in the engine's power!

This post is a few days overdue, but I have been busy working and... driving my new car.

As I have reported before, the Mini2 was due for delivery on the 2nd of january. End of last week I did receive a slightly troubling email which said that the lease company received a change for the date and the car was now going to be delivered in the second week of the new year. A quick phone call to the dealer told me that the appointment still stood, and that they had no idea where that idea came from.

Sunday (1st of january) I had already had a peek inside and lo and behold, there...

In may of this year, when I started my new job, I drove a Chili Red new Mini for a few weeks. Although it was a Mini, that was about all it had going for it. So, I asked for and got the chance to order my very own Mini. Exit CR Mini, enter metallic black Peugeot 307, which I had to drive until my own Mini would arrive. You can read about everything related to that CR Mini and everything concerning the ordering of my own Mini2 under the category New Mini.

However, this post will not be about Mini's. As the day that I will be getting my Mini Cooper Checkmate and will be handing over...

It has again been a long time since I last reported about the Mini2 situation. I am happy to say I now have an appointment to pick up the car. 2nd of january is gonna be the day I will be replacing the Peugeot 307 I have been driving ever since I handed over the red Cooper to a colleague, and I will be driving my brand new Mini Cooper Checkmate. So, less than a month to go! For a spec, see the last post I made about the subject (linked above).

It's been some months since I left webMethods. At my last day, my ex-colleagues gave me a voucher for participating in the Michael Bleekemolen Race Experience; a whole, motorsport-packed day at the Zandvoor Circuit, where you drive all kinds of vehicles including a Porsche 911. Last sunday finally was the big day.

To cut a long story short, this was the best going-away present ever. For the long story, have a look at the pictures.

Apparantly, I was too optimistic in the comment to the first post about spam. Spam has continued to trickle in daily, although it does seem levels have come down.

It seems BBblog doesn't make it impoossible to enter comments when comments are turned off for a post, because I do see comments coming in for posts that have them turned off. They even usually don't require approval, which is actually quite odd.

What I think is going on is that BBlog makes the rather naive assumption that if the form isn't there, comments are not going to be submitted. Unfortunately, simply not...

Well, end to another story. Last week I received a phone call from Tomtom support. They had a solution to my problem. They needed me to send them my PDA and GPS receiver, on which they would then install some software that would allow me to use the GPS receiver.

As it happens, I bought another GPS receiver only a week earlier, so I was less then excited about this offer, and declined because I need my PDA daily.

I was pleasantly surprised, though, when I looked in my inbox today, where I found a reply notification for my support request. In it, they referred to the phone...

In hindsight, with all the setbacks I've experienced with the new Mini, the latest news can't really be a surprise to anyone.

Because a vehicle's value is largely determined by it's "build date" in Holland, which actually is the date it gets its license ("kenteken"), many lease companies refuse to take delivery of any cars after the 15th of november, and instead will only allow a license to be requested for it after the first of january of the next year (effectively gaining a year). Of course, how could it have been any different, my Checkmate will be delivered to the dealer in the...

Good news (which is slightly overdue). After last time's shameful news, I was a bit worried about what might have been damaged on the white Cooper. Luckily, the damage was kept to only the anchor plate and a misssing wheel nut. One of the Superfin brake drums also lost a few fins, but functionally, there was no problem, so it was reused. So, a new anchor plate, a spare wheel nut and some labour in Amersfoort later, the Cooper's glory was restored once again.

The weekend in which I also crippled the white Cooper, me and my dad took part in the "Kempen Trophy", a rally for Mini's (no...

Het ziet er naar uit dat ik me heb verplicht om alles te rapporteren dat zich afspeelt in mijn mobiele leven, dus zou het niet eerlijk zijn om alleen de leuke dingen (en de min-of-meer slechte, zie de geschiedenis met de chroomstrips) te melden, maar ook de slechte en beschamende dingen. Dus daar gaat 'ie dan...