Well now,
I am starting this e-mail at about so close to midnight it is not funny-BUT ! I won't proceed very far because it has been commented on my apparent "down" that I seem to have spiralled into. A number of readers of my drivvel have made comments. They read between the lines...I'm not giving the vibe of 2 & a half months ago. Well it has been raining for the last 2 fucking weeks ! Or maybe I'm tired ? . Writing e-mails near the bewitching hour does not help with ones....how you say...jollyness. So I'll put away the razor blades & turn down the gramaphone that's playing " a dreary ol' day to top yourself , but what the hell do it anyway, you may feel better, but then again -you may not..." ( Morrisey, Nick Cave, the Smiths or something) ...
........and head to bed. Another night of 6 hours sleep lays awaiting, I'll put something cheery on my i-pod, insert each ear piece( in my ears) & fall asleep before the chorus is reached. Only to wake during the night wondering what the hell is in my right ear ( the left one ALWAYS falls out ), make a mental note not to repeat said proceedure with i-pod & to go to bed early the next night. The trouble with half asleep mental notes is that the next day all you can remember is " note .....to .......self....zzZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzz"
That reminds me- I'm off to bed ! Up at 5.30 tomorrow...............
Well hello again! Great sleep last night, dozed off to Matt Monroe " On Days Like These" from The Italian Job ( the first one of course ). Probably dreaming about roaring through the Italian alps in a Lamborghini Miura.....more than likely in the dream I was on old guy & suffering from industrial deafness - I would have had to have some reason for the i-pod head phone stuck in my ear! Maybe I was reliving the drives to & from work in the van. Speeding along, peering over hedgerows ( you can't do that in a car, all you can see is hedge ), admiring the old barns crying out for converting to living quarters for part time international mechanics from wee Sydenham. Looking across the rolling hills as they rise & fall from hedge to hedge, tree to tree....There is one Georgian 3 storey place that is just fabulous...must get a photo.
I must tell you who Paul is...I know I have mentioned him, & he is not the kind of guy you just mention. Paul Ingram is a VERY good friend of Big Chris. ( & also a business partner ). He is in his early 60's & the most cheerful & smiley gentleman I've ever met. He has a real sense of joy about him.Always,never anything but happy....he does have an unfortunate penchant for getting pissed though. It is an expected part of his weekend, & ever so slightly disturbing how he plans it in advance. The next day he is 100% ok & races like nothing happened. The evening meals start in a very civilized manner. Wine good food, interesting banter....& then Paul starts to change, he goes quiet, perks up with a few jokes.....then starts looking at his fingernails. That's when we know he's past the point of no return. It all finishes with some form of outside assistance. From breaking down toilet doors to get him out 'cos he's fallen asleep, to helping him to his room, to stopping him pretending to eat goldfish & drink them from his beer......well he didn't pretend to have them in his beer-he did actually reach into the bowl, grab one & drop it in his beer, then drink from it as we all reeled back in horror & walked briskly away from him, hiding our laughter so as not to encourage him. The next day we were getting the evil eye from the staff & I think maybe the goldfish too - I've always found it hard to differentiate between "the evil eye" & "the glad eye" in goldfish AND women.
Paul is a superb driver- there is not alot else I can say, he is smooth, consistant, fast & with a sense of ease & comfortable control behind the wheel that is rare. When Paul comes in he reports on the car " yes ...okay..." or " that was great, ...a little bit understeery..." or " ..hmmm, brakes went off a bit toward the end...". When Big Chris comes in we get one of two possibilities. " that was perfect! " or ......" Crap! That fucking thing is fucking undriveable, that is the worst fucking car I've ever fucking driven, I fucking hated every fucking minute of that! ..." And really that is about all we get to go on to fix it .the problem is usually very minor & the car is NEVER as bad as he makes out....he's not having a good season though, so maybe he's a little frustrated- well actually, no- he's like that at restaurants too -food or wine is perfect or...CRAP....etc,etc,etfuckingcetera!
With all the work I have been doing, it is nothing that I wasn't expecting. I am really enjoying the cars we work on...dare I say even the Mustangs have their endearing qualities. The Lola's & Chevrons are the real drawcard for me, the GT40's are -well....quite unique. They are such a funny thing for a racing car. The " chassis " monocoque is steel so they are no lightweight, it is the weight distribution & aerodynamics that makes them so great. God knows how you do a fast driver change in one...I CANNOT get in or out without getting jammed. Every time I drive one I try to get in a different way.....something always goes wrong. You climb through the small door that has a section of roof as part of it, the gear lever has to be negotiated with, the centre console padding is close to the steering wheel, which is quite a big wheel for a racing car....But once you are in. They-are-cool! And very easy to drive. I do like mid engined cars. They make you feel better than you are. Especially $nz3million worth of mid engine car, you can't help feeling like a star!
We have been talking about next year ( yup I was asked back about 5 weeks ago ) and going to the Nordschleife at Nurburgring for the 4 day training course, Paul has offered me the B8 or his Austin Healey race car, Gary & the 2 Chris' will find something from Big Chris' selection....I am so in love with that circuit I HAVE to drive it! The drive in the Range Rover with Paul, & the drive in Chris his brand new Aston Martin V8 vantage, up in the Eifel mountains on the way to our hotel have me wanting more from those roads. A memorable piece of roading geography
Paul is also organising my going away dinner & it is going to be veggie for everyone.....they'll love it!
We get some amazing cloudy skies. Every shape, colour & density you can imagine. Big blue skies with whispy clouds stretching across, criss crossed by jet trails. A camera couldn't do them justice.
I keep getting teased about my note book that I write in at every oppertunity...." ooooh look 'eese gorris note boook out agin " Or " Tim, Tim , get your camera, get your notebook write this down...!"
Jane has just got back from dropping the girls in France, to their great Aunties place. So Gary & I have had to fend for ourselves for the last 4 days. My first time cooking since I got here & with only 3 weeks to go, it has made me want my lovely home even more - have really missed it & cooking. Even though Jane has spoilt me with the huge range of different dishes.
Well I hear yet another cold snap is upon alot of you.
keep the home fires burning. Or wear more wooly jumpers.
Ciao Ciao!
Timot
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