This is evidence of the damage I did to myself, while practising bunny hops. My feet slipped off the pedals, my right shin met the borrowed pedals I had at the time - aka bear traps - and boy did it hurt. It really wasn't that deep; there isn't very uch skin on one's shin anyway, but I felt like an idiot. Serves me right for not wearing armour. The lesson? Always be prepared and never practise moves on your bike without protection, unless you fancy some scars, which I don't.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A lesson learned
Last week I went out on my bike for a cycle around the block. It was just a cycle around the block, so I didn't wear all of the armour I usually would if I were going out on the mountain, after all, I wasn't going to do anything dangerous.
This is evidence of the damage I did to myself, while practising bunny hops. My feet slipped off the pedals, my right shin met the borrowed pedals I had at the time - aka bear traps - and boy did it hurt. It really wasn't that deep; there isn't very uch skin on one's shin anyway, but I felt like an idiot. Serves me right for not wearing armour. The lesson? Always be prepared and never practise moves on your bike without protection, unless you fancy some scars, which I don't.
This is evidence of the damage I did to myself, while practising bunny hops. My feet slipped off the pedals, my right shin met the borrowed pedals I had at the time - aka bear traps - and boy did it hurt. It really wasn't that deep; there isn't very uch skin on one's shin anyway, but I felt like an idiot. Serves me right for not wearing armour. The lesson? Always be prepared and never practise moves on your bike without protection, unless you fancy some scars, which I don't.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Green 19
Today I had lunch in Green 19, a fresh, lively restaurant on Camden St in Dublin. It's presence in the city is very welcome, no main courses over €10, cocktails all priced @ €9, espresso for €1.50! In these recessionary times, opening a restaurant would seem to be the craziest idea on the planet, but not so here. The decor is fresh & clean, with oak tables and stair treads providing some warmth to the colour scheme. Someone very clever added a small seating area outside, looking out over Camden St - allowing for smokers and sun worshippers to be part of the action. I got there early with my lunch companion to ensure we got a seat and on leaving just after 1pm there was a small queue forming at the door!
We shared a starter of Bluebell Falls Honeyed Fresh Goats Cheese with walnuts & roast pear - oh my word, heaven... I haven't had that particular goats cheese before, but it was creamy, delicately herbed & yummy... The salad leaves were impeccably fresh with a mix of rocket, baby spinach and mustard leaves, a lovely bitter accompaniment to the sweetness of the pear & honey dressing. Main courses were Beer Battered Fish & Chips for me and Braised Lamb Chump with winter root veg & baby potatoes for my eager companion. I was slightly disappointed with the fish - while the batter was perfectly crisp and delicious, the fish itself was somehow a bit soggy and tasteless. The chips were clearly homemade and tasty, if a bit overcooked. The lamp chump was the star of the show, tender and gorgeous with perfectly cooked carrots & parsnips.
Unlike most Irish diners, I did mention my problem with the fish and while the bill remained unaffected, the waitress was genuinely concerned and insisted on telling the chef, which was all I had hoped for. I also got a very sincere apology, more than expected.
Dessert was a must and despite there being only two choices, I managed to make a decision & gorged myself on the Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice-cream. Oh wow, this was something else. Rich, chocolatey divine slightly gooey brownie, with whole hazlenuts contrasted beautifully with the vanilla icecream. My companion had an espresso and with all of that, plus two glasses of wine the bill came to a very reasonable total of €42.50.
Yum yum, try it if you're in Dublin, truly delicious, with quick discreet service, lively atmosphere and good food at a very reasonable price.
We shared a starter of Bluebell Falls Honeyed Fresh Goats Cheese with walnuts & roast pear - oh my word, heaven... I haven't had that particular goats cheese before, but it was creamy, delicately herbed & yummy... The salad leaves were impeccably fresh with a mix of rocket, baby spinach and mustard leaves, a lovely bitter accompaniment to the sweetness of the pear & honey dressing. Main courses were Beer Battered Fish & Chips for me and Braised Lamb Chump with winter root veg & baby potatoes for my eager companion. I was slightly disappointed with the fish - while the batter was perfectly crisp and delicious, the fish itself was somehow a bit soggy and tasteless. The chips were clearly homemade and tasty, if a bit overcooked. The lamp chump was the star of the show, tender and gorgeous with perfectly cooked carrots & parsnips.
Unlike most Irish diners, I did mention my problem with the fish and while the bill remained unaffected, the waitress was genuinely concerned and insisted on telling the chef, which was all I had hoped for. I also got a very sincere apology, more than expected.
Dessert was a must and despite there being only two choices, I managed to make a decision & gorged myself on the Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice-cream. Oh wow, this was something else. Rich, chocolatey divine slightly gooey brownie, with whole hazlenuts contrasted beautifully with the vanilla icecream. My companion had an espresso and with all of that, plus two glasses of wine the bill came to a very reasonable total of €42.50.
Yum yum, try it if you're in Dublin, truly delicious, with quick discreet service, lively atmosphere and good food at a very reasonable price.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The final stretch
Last Saturday I sat a final exam and apart from some sneeaky questions coming up, it seemed to go pretty well. It aggravates me when that happens - we had been given lists of learning outcomes for each body system, on which the exam would be based. For some strange reason, questions came up that, as far as I can tell, were not on the agreed learning outcomes! Very frustrating, but I wrote my heart out for 2 hours straight, so I think I did ok!
To celebrate finishing the exam, on Monday evening I went for a ride on my bike, on dream track, the downhill track behind my house - any excuse! Having pushed up to the top, trying desperately to beat the fading light, I bombed down, so happy with myself for managing to let go of the brakes marginally more than the last time!!! Halfway down I realised I had a flat. Damn it! I ended up pushing my bike back to the car, leaving my boyfriend on th hill with his bike and driving home. What a disappointment... It was my first puncture and this is what I learned:
1. Make sure tyres are sufficiently inflated. I think the reason I got the puncture was because my rear tyre was too soft and the fairly gnarly terrain basically ate the tube.
2. ALWAYS bring a pump and puncture repair kit on a ride. I had both, but the pump didn't work on my tyres, despite being the right kind. Make sure to test it at home first!
So, now I had to fix the puncture. I have vague memories of my Dad doing this for me when I was a kid, putting the tube into a basin of water to find the holes, but I had never done it myself and had no real clue what to do. Enter google! I found a few guides on how to repair a puncture, but this was the most useful from Bike Radar
A few things that this video doesn't tell you:
1. When you sand the patch of tyre to be repaired, sand it really well! If there are seams in the rubber, they need to be completely smooth, or the patch won't stick. Sand the area much more than you think you need to. The rubber patch you use is really strong, so you don't need to worry about putting a hole in the tube!
2. When sanding the patch of rubber on the tube, it helps to stretch it over your knee while sitting down.
3. Possibly the most important thing to remember to do is test the tube in water before you put it back on the wheel. I found 2 more holes when I did this! Also, if you have time, pump the tube up and leave it for a few hours. There may be some tiny holes that you don't notice, even when submerged in water! Finally, when the tube & tyre are off the wheel, check both the rim and tyre for any jagged edges or sharp thorns. Try to find out what caused the puncture.
To celebrate finishing the exam, on Monday evening I went for a ride on my bike, on dream track, the downhill track behind my house - any excuse! Having pushed up to the top, trying desperately to beat the fading light, I bombed down, so happy with myself for managing to let go of the brakes marginally more than the last time!!! Halfway down I realised I had a flat. Damn it! I ended up pushing my bike back to the car, leaving my boyfriend on th hill with his bike and driving home. What a disappointment... It was my first puncture and this is what I learned:
1. Make sure tyres are sufficiently inflated. I think the reason I got the puncture was because my rear tyre was too soft and the fairly gnarly terrain basically ate the tube.
2. ALWAYS bring a pump and puncture repair kit on a ride. I had both, but the pump didn't work on my tyres, despite being the right kind. Make sure to test it at home first!
So, now I had to fix the puncture. I have vague memories of my Dad doing this for me when I was a kid, putting the tube into a basin of water to find the holes, but I had never done it myself and had no real clue what to do. Enter google! I found a few guides on how to repair a puncture, but this was the most useful from Bike Radar
A few things that this video doesn't tell you:
1. When you sand the patch of tyre to be repaired, sand it really well! If there are seams in the rubber, they need to be completely smooth, or the patch won't stick. Sand the area much more than you think you need to. The rubber patch you use is really strong, so you don't need to worry about putting a hole in the tube!
2. When sanding the patch of rubber on the tube, it helps to stretch it over your knee while sitting down.
3. Possibly the most important thing to remember to do is test the tube in water before you put it back on the wheel. I found 2 more holes when I did this! Also, if you have time, pump the tube up and leave it for a few hours. There may be some tiny holes that you don't notice, even when submerged in water! Finally, when the tube & tyre are off the wheel, check both the rim and tyre for any jagged edges or sharp thorns. Try to find out what caused the puncture.
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