It's a bit late for merry christmas, but happy newyear is still allowed, so here goes: HAPPY NEWYEAR!!
It's been a while since my last post and I just thought I needed to put in a quick update, basically just to say hi. Not terribly much news. Demelza got me a water proof radio for christmas, which means I can now listen to Giel while I am in the shower. Maybe that helps fighting that horrible morning-lag I get into.
Sorry for the loud title, but I am happy :) This weekend, we came third in the very last puzzle rally of the Mini Seven Club for the year 2004, which meant I secured my first place overall in the club championship!
It was quite exciting (if this is your thing), because the first three positions were still well in the race for the title. If I screwed up (has been known to happen) and the others did good (I won't bore you with all the maths), I'd loose the first place which I had just earned only two weeks ago.
My sweet girlfriend has her own blog since a few days. Check it out at www.demelzavanderlans.nl (click Blog).
What started as a quicky over to Peter Seegers in Amersfoort (thanks dad!) to get a torn CV joint cover replaced (see previous entry) and the oil renewed (wowza, finally, practically no oil has been required to top up in the meantime) became a bit more of a bank-breaker.
Wat begon als een snel bezoekje aan Peter Segers in Amersfoort (bedankt pa!) om een homokineethoes te vervangen (zie de vorige post) en de olie te verversen (whow, eindelijk heb ik er nauwelijks olie bij hoeven gooien in de tussentijd) liep wat meer in de papieren.
Dit weekend hebben we wat tijd uitgetrokken om het witte Coopertje een welverdiende wasbeurt te geven, met een doorsmeerbeurt als toetje (iets dat je bij Mini's nooit te vaak kunt doen). Afgezien van een ratel die ik verwoest heb bij het losdraaien van de wielmoeren (terwijl de moeren van het andere wiel nog vastgezet moesten worden), kwamen we er ook achter dat er een flinke scheur zat in de hoes van de linker homokineet. We brengen de auto volgende week naar de garage omdat dit niet een klus is die we zelf willen doen (niet genoeg vaardigheid en niet genoeg tijd).
This weekend we took some time to give the white Cooper a well-earned wash, and a grease-up after that (something that can never be done too often on Mini's). Apart from a rattle I destroyed while trying to undo the wheel nuts (while the nuts of the other wheel still needed tighting up), we also found the cover of the left HV joint was torn badly. We'll get it to the garage this week, since this is not a job we want to take on ourselves (not enough skills and not enough time). To be continued.
Last sunday, me and Demelza participated in the "Achterhoekrit", yet another rally (not a speed event, but puzzles) for Mini's, also counting for the club championship for the Mini Seven Club. It was a nice rally, and we came 5th out of 70 teams. This meant I am now at 1st place in the club championship! With only one rally to go, but by no means a comfortable lead, things may become quite exciting at the end of this year.
Yesterday evening, we took the white Cooper to Flevoland, to participate in the bi-weekly Flevovos. This is short for Flevovossenjacht, and vossenjacht is Dutch for fox hunt.
As I wrote in yesterday's entry, the windscreen whiper cable had broken on the white Cooper. My dad went to Mini Centre Huissen today to get a new one. This evening we fitted everything back together. We had to cut the cable in half, or thereabouts (universal model that was waaaay to long for the Mini), but everything is fitted now, and all greased up. So, let the rain come down on us.
