Racing Minis at Zandvoort
Photo: Copyright © 2019 Eelke Blok

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The new Mini "R56"

Last week, I finally got the chance to take a more thorough look at the new "R56" Mini, which was introduced for model year 2007. The Checkmate had to go for a big checkup, the one that comes at 100.000 km, although due to large distances it asked for it a little later - I'm now at 110.000. As a loaner, I got an R56 Cooper with what looked like the Chili pack. It had lounge leather seats, a little spoiler and only 145 km on the odometer.

Een maand met Tomtom HD Traffic

Begin november stond er ineens een bericht op het forum van de Mini Seven Club Nederland; ter introductie van een nieuw product organiseerde Tomtom in de vroege ochtend van maandag 12 november de Tomtom Filerally. Mini's, Fiatjes 500, Eendjes, Kevers en Dafjes mochten meedoen, volgens Tomtom oude autootjes die niet zo snel gaan en het in de ochtendspits dus moeten hebben van een slimme bestuurder.

Huisje

Jawel, het is zo ver, ik heb eindelijk een eigen huis gevonden. Het staat aan de rand van Bussum, een gezellig appartementje met een garage. Joepie!

Ik krijg 31 augustus de sleutel en dan kan ik direct in, ik neem een aantal van de meubels over dus ik hoef nauwelijks te shoppen. Begin september eerst het jubileumweekend van de Mini Seven Club waar ik druk mee ben, daarna verhuizen!

Hier alvast een voorproefje, op de foto-pagina staan nog een paar meer foto's.

Goodbye 307 ...

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.

Race Experience

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.

Tomtom 5 - Final Word

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.