Hoghton Tower Vintage Car and Motorbike Show

A sunny Sunday afternoon, we could lounge around surfing the web, but...nah! Need to be outside enjoying the gorgeous English summer! We went over to Hoghton Tower for a ramble through the vintage cars, and the vintage motorbikes for Steve. Many of the stately homes in the UK host these car shows where cars from as far back as the 1920's and 30's right up to 1980's are displayed. People bring out their treasured vehicles, line them up and we get to peek. Nice grassy parkland, with a stately home in the background, and people picnicing everywhere - very fair-like atmosphere. One of these trips, we should bring the red jag.

We typically start by checking out the real oldies and there were several this time which had been brought over from the US and very lovingly cared for. These cars are worth tens of thousands today and you can look, but don't touch! The ones from the 20's, 30's, and 40's are really interesting to check out the inside of and check out things like the old crank handles and wooden spoke wheels.

The 50's, 60's and 70's rows are fun to look at too. Cars even as new as the 70's are now retro and funky looking, rather than just dated. We looked at a 260Z and it brought back memories of how cool it was to have a 280Z in high school (which I did not) - there were also several cars there which were not cool at all in high school which definitely are now!

Steve was checking out the Triumph Stags and I found my latest dream car, a Daimler Dart. Very few of these were made and they were not incredibly popular, but they were fast - 120 miles per hour. I really liked the Porshe / retro fin / British feel to it, it made me think of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, scarves and sunglasses.

Headwinds and Tailwinds

One of the things we learned a lot about this past winter while living on the sailboat was the impact of headwinds and tailwinds. On a boat if you head into wind, say at 20 knots (mph), it's really difficult to get anywhere. You have 20 knots of wind pushing back against you, you pound into the waves - it's really hard work for very little progress.

We experienced the same 'headwind effect' while on the tandem this past week. Pedaling uphill with a strong wind pushing against us left us gasping, having to stop because we were too tired to go any further and pushing the bike on foot. We made progress, but it was slow and painful.

Compare this to the tailwind experience, sailing with 25 knots of wind pushing you along - easy, comfortable with the elements aligned to move you along or bicycling with the wind at your back, at times you don't even have to pedal!

How often do we take advantage of or ignore the impact of headwinds and tailwinds in the rest of our lives? There are economic headwinds (recessions) and tailwinds (business booms), financial and career headwinds / tailwinds. Have you ever experienced a financial tailwind? Where everything is on a roll and the money is just rolling in? How about a career tailwind where you're the 'chosen one', in with the boss, making great progress, can do no wrong?

Recognising and taking advantage of those tailwinds is a key to maximising your progress and the speed at which goals are attained. Recognising that the winds change is also essential! As many have found, economic 'winds' change - just because the money is rolling in today doesn't mean that the wind will be blowing in the same direction tomorrow. As humans, I think we believe that just because things are one way, they will stay one way - and they don't! One of our key learnings from sailing (which we're applying in the rest of our life) is that when the wind is blowing in the direction we want to go, a tailwind, we sail - because tomorrow it might not be.

The other thing we've learned is that if we're battling a headwind, perhaps we should change direction and go someplace else! If it's going to be a battle with little to no progress, why not change direction and do something entirely different? Tough economic market, nobody's buying? Rather than bashing one's head against the wall, use the time to develop new skills, business or personal. Design a website, a new line of business, become an expert (only takes about a year to develop deep expertise in an area).

If business or the economy are absolutely rubbish, why not do some of those personal things that we always put off because we're too busy? Rent out the house and go backpacking through America, Europe or New Zealand. Those things we put off also don't have to cost a lot of money. How long have we been putting off getting fit (exploring our world by foot or bike costs nothing) or not made the time for our important relationships because we're too busy? How about that novel you've always wanted to write or starting a blog if you've got something to share? Why not take some of that time (that we ordinarily don't have) and share it with those we don't typically have a lot of time for - our children, our siblings, our aging or more distant relatives?

Rather than battling into a business headwind, why not turn it into a personal tailwind?

There's Probably a Reason...

Steve and I had stopped for a breather and some lunch while tandeming through Yorkshire.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and we were relaxing, talking and enjoying the view.  A guy on a bike (Bike Guy) pedaled by and then swung around for a chat.

 

We exchanged a few details, talked about our routes and checked out the mileage on the map.  Bike Guy was doing 40-60 miles by himself covering a similar route to ours, but going quite a bit further.  He asked about the tandem and we answered, I commented it was nice to be able to talk while we were on the bike.  His response, "That's not always such a good thing."

 

Interesting though, he was the one riding out there alone...

 

I find this a very interesting perspective, having encountered it now in bicycling and quite frequently previously in motorbiking, guys out there by themselves.  Now some just like to go on their own, but on many a motorbiking trip, the riders will comment that their wives / girlfriends won't come out on the bike with them and they wish they would.  But then when they hear we have an intercom, they'll come out with some comment like, "Oh, I wouldn't want that, then I have to listen to what she's saying." 

 

Now maybe they don't really want their wives / girlfriends to come along, but some truly do seem to wish that they would and can't figure out why they won't or why they used to, but don't anymore.  "Ever sat on the back of a sports bike?" I ask.  "No, never," is the response every single time.  Let me tell you about sitting on the back of a sports bike - put on 30 pounds of hot, uncomfortable leather gear, sit on the back of a rocket with your knees around your ears and nothing to hold onto except a little bar BEHIND you, pull down the lid of your helmet and sit in your hot sticky gear riding at 80-100 miles an hour with only the engine to listen to for 17 DAYS STRAIGHT!   Woohoo, yipee, that's any woman's idea of a fantastic time.  And the rider won't change the bike, the seat, the speed or the sound system (or lack thereof) - it's funny that we search all of our lives for that special someone to be with, but then we're unwilling to adjust in the slightest way to provide a good experience for our partner, and then we wonder why our partner doesn't want come along.

 

There's probably a reason why he's riding alone...

 

Steve has a slightly different approach, he spent a long time waiting for someone to do these things with so he puts an effort into making them fun for both of us.  He gets to do what he likes to do and he has the company that he wants while doing it.  It must be working.  I'm not a biker chick, but we've now done 30,000 miles on the motorbike.  I've never been into any form of exercise, but we've done 300 or 400 on the tandem (only got it a month ago!). 

 

It's a different approach than most and one that requires some changes, note that I didn't say compromise.  It's not about downgrading his experience until I'm happy, it's exploring all the options until one appears that works great for both of us.  When we got married, we knew we wanted to spend a significant number of our 750,000 Hours together - that's kind of the point of being married, isn't it?

 

And funnily enough, he's not out there riding alone!

 

 

And Another...

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it."

 

—Ellen Goodman

 

 

Hmmm...

Makes You Think!

"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."

 

—Susan Erz

Reaching New Heights of Geekiness!

This is part of the 'Embarrass Our Children Campaign'. I think we're well on our way!

A Navigationally Challenged Day = 50 Miles

An interesting day, if a bit navigationally challenged...

Started the day with breakfast at the B&B. This by itself is not unusual, but the setup of this breakfast was different than any we'd had before. At every other B&B we'd been to, the breakfast room consists of little individual tables where Steve and I and the other guests sit by ourselves and have a fairly quiet breakfast. We do say good morning and good day, but that's really the extent of the conversation. The design of last night's farmhouse B&B did not lend itself to that so instead everyone was seated the same big table in front of the fireplace in the very country dining room. It was the best breakfast we've had so far.

We had a very lively conversation with Jeremy, Eric and Sylvia of Toronto and Clearwater, with Bruce from Watford, and Joan and Arthur from Nottinghamshire. Travels, motorbikes, trains (UK and Canada), sailing, motorhomes, and spoons were all discussed. It was lively, interesting and a great way to start the day. It was so good, I'm surprised more B&Bs don't do it, but having read several books on running B&Bs, they all seem to recommend the separate table setup - too bad, one big table was lots more fun!

Today was our big day, 40 miles back home. If we could do this, then the chances are pretty good we'll be able to do our 45 mile days in France. We headed out back through Linton, just as pretty as the night before (no houses for sale though, not surprising) and then through Hetton. Our route took us through Gargreave where we stopped for tea in the Dalesman Cafe which is all decorated with antiques, has one room done up like the interior of a canal boat and is very much like an old time sweet shop. The hills were smaller, but the scenery was just as beautiful. We're quite enamoured of the very narrow roads with no traffic! After a nice wind through the country, we spotted Clitheroe in the distance and knew we were headed towards home.

But that's when things became a bit challenged. We turned onto a road which was supposed to lead us towards Downam, our lunch stop. As we were pedaling along, I noticed a house which I admire each time we go by it on the motorbike, I admire it as we are heading away from home and this was supposed to be a road I'd never been on before. Hmmm, after a map consult, we'd headed in the opposite direction. That was okay, because we could take an alternative route and after a restorative chocolate bar we headed off again. Actually we headed off into uncharted country (i.e., Steve had never been there before).

We wandered over hills, dropped into valleys, climbed back up hills! We went through several towns that were totally new to Steve which was interesting because we were back in Lancashire now and he's been all over on his bicycle and motorbike. We found a very good pub on the top of a hill with a gorgeous valley view - I wish I could tell you where it was!

After a restorative tea and cookie break, we encountered territory that Steve recognised and started to make some headway towards home. My first familiar sight was a Blackburn roundabout which was nice because then I could sort of picture how far it was to home. We came through town and pedaled up New Preston Road towards our street. As we turned the corner onto Billinge End Road, I wasn't sure if we'd make the sharp, steep hill that it starts with, but with much huffing and puffing we got up there. The freewheel from the top down to our house was one of the best ever - and so was the drink in the tub after!

Steve counted, we did 50 miles in hilly country fully loaded with luggage. I think we'll be okay in France.

(There may be a GPS in our future...but where's the fun in that?)

And We Thought There Were a Lot of Hills in Lancashire!

That was until we started bicycling in Yorkshire! Started yesterday heading out of Settle going up hill. As we left town, we passed an old man working in his garden who shouted after us, "You've a long way to go and it's all up hill. Four miles ALL UP HILL!". Then we saw the sign, 1 in 5 grade (you climb 1 foot for every 5 feet you travel). Oh goodie...

I'd love to say we perservered, dug in and heroically made it to the top, but that would be stretching things a bit (or a lot). We actually went about a quarter mile further and then had to get off and push! We didn't have to push the entire way up, but there were two steep bits that we'll save for another time.

Stark, barren, lonely and beautiful is how I think of the Yorkshire Dales. When we got to the top, we could see for miles. It's one of those places where you feel like you've reached the top of the world and the whole thing is spread out before you. There was no one up there but us. All we could hear was the wind whipping through the grass. It's a very alone place and very beautiful.

We continued on with bits of downhill and a very nice headwind. The wind keeps you cool, but if if you're pedaling into it it slows you down. We were pedaling right into it!

After a lovely and fast dowhill run, we dropped back into the valleys. We pootled around the lanes going through Kirkby Malham and stopping for tea, a scone and a bacon buttie in Malham. Some children were there on a field trip and walked by looking at and photographing the tandem. Their teacher said it was the most interesting thing they'd seen so far (nice, but did they not have their eyes open?!).

We had a picnic lunch on the edge of a new mown field. Our view, hills rolling into the distance covered with fields lined with stone walls. The houses in the country parts of Yorkshire are mainly stone, small cottages and bigger houses, many covered with climbing roses or ivy. This time of year the gardens are in full bloom. We admired the view and had a doze in the sunshine.

A bicyclist in an orange beanie hat stopped by for a chat, where have you come from, where are you going type of stuff.

We finished the day by pedaling to Grassington, having a drink and a wander through the shops. We bumped into another couple on a tandem, very serious tandemists - in training for the Lands End to John O'Groats trip (top of the UK to the bottom) planning on doing a hundred miles a day and camping on the way. This means that they will have to carry the camping gear on their bike. I'll ask the more experienced bikers in the group, is it possible to do 100 miles a day for 10 days loaded up with all that gear? Also there are hills, lots of hills!

Steve and I would like to do that trip, but we'll pass on the camping.

Because we hadn't had enough exercise already, we walked to Linton where there was a great pub, The Fountaine, gastro rather than pub grub. Tried their 'beat the clock' special where what you pay is the time you order. A very, very nice meal for 6 something each!

Our B&B is on the banks of the river that winds slowly through Grassington and our room in this old stone farmhouse overlooks the river and the gardens. Breakfast is sharp at 8:45! (We'll need it because it's 40 miles home!)

Yorkshire in Tandem

Sitting in our B&B bed looking out at a fabulous view of a Yorkshire hill covered with rambling stone Walls and watching the scrambling of sheep as they dash from eating spot to eating spot - sheep rush hour perhaps?

On our first overnight tandem trip cycling from Lancashire through a bit of Yorkshire and back again. We're staying in Settle on the first night and Grassington the second and doing between 30 and 40 miles each day.

Had a beautiful ride on back roads yesterday, a few surprise hills, but not too many. The bike is definitely heavier when carrying packed panniers and we think we'll continue our 'training' for France with them on. It would be a real shock to get used to riding without them and then put them on for 500 miles!

The Settle Lodge is where we stayed last night and it's very nice, we would come back. Some places make that little bit of extra effort, offering us a cup of tea with cake when we arrived for example, that costs very little and makes a significant impression on a guest.

Had some great pizza at the Olive Room, might be the best pizza I've had in England. Definitely had the best scone with jam and cream at a little tea shop on Waddington - probably should have ridden over Waddington Fell to burn it off!

Today will be a big climb (might be a walk!) out of Settle and across the Dales to Grassington.

Might Live Forever or It Might Just Seem Like It

As Steve and I gasped our way up yet another hill on our tandem bike, I thought about our reasons for getting fit. I've never been one for getting fit for fitness sake, I find exercising boring and will come up with thousands of other things to do rather spend time on a treadmill or other instrument of exercise torture (it must be time to clean out my closets!). However I do like to travel and explore the world, I think that's why I'm enjoying the tandeming so much - we're going places and seeing things that we miss in a car or on the motorbike.

I'm also enjoying the by-product of all that pedaling to get to those places, getting stronger and fitter. And I'm really, really pleased to have found some things that I enjoy that will keep me fit because 750,000 Hours can be a really, really long time without a body that can support everything I want to do.

There's so much written about how people today are overweight and becoming ill, but there's less written on how much smaller one's life becomes when you get out of shape. If you hurt, you can't walk for long distances and you get out of breath easily, there's a limitation on the activities you'll choose to do. You don't do certain things, you don't go to certain places, you don't try new things, and ultimately your life becomes smaller and smaller as you do less and less.

As we, as a species, live longer and longer, there are a lot of years to fill. 100 years old used to be a big deal, now it's not that surprising. Those years could be fascinating, exciting and filled with all sorts of activities, or they could seem like forever...

Who to Impress

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like." - Will Smith

This quote really makes me think about the reasons for buying stuff, do we do it because that's what we want to do or is it for some other (unconscious perhaps?) reason? If we buy stuff we don't need that we then have to use up a significant number of those precious 750,000 Hours working to pay for, is that really what we want to be doing? Then why do we do it?

Who are we impressing?

Tandem Tumble

Lots of rides out on the tandem now. We're touring the beautiful country around Pleasington - Whalley, Rivington, Pendleton and all over the Ribble Valley. The trips are ranging from 15 to our trip yesterday of 37 very hilly miles!

Really enjoying the tandem experience and starting to get our act together as a team (mostly!). There's a bit more to riding a tandem than simply hopping on a single bike and taking off. There's the synchronization aspect of two people of different capabilities trying to do the same thing at the same time and the compensation factor particularly for the person in the rear (the stoker) who cannot see the road. We're starting to come closer capability-wise, or to be fair I should say my capability is growing. I can tell my legs are getting stronger and am less bothered by the hills. Steve's getting the gear shifting down, he says he uses a lot more gears a lot more often than you would on a single bike. He's also getting very good at with the running monologue that he needs to communicate the conditions of the road and what he's about to do gear-wise to me - "Big change up," "Big change down," "Bump," "Another bump," and "Lots of bumps!"

We've also discovered that the tandem is not as maneuverable on corners as a single bike as we took a tumble as we turned a corner in front of the Black Dog Pub in Belmont. We now know not to take corners so fast and not to change gears while cornering! No major injuries other than a skinned knee and a sore wrist, and pride - of course there were people sitting outside the pub who witnessed our tumble!

Did our biggest day yet yesterday leaving Pleasington and heading towards Abbey Village, through Belmont, Chorley and Withnell. This trip involved lots of hills, but particularly several long climbs up into the Pennine Moors with spectacular views at the top (which we really enjoyed once we got our breath back!). We had thought that it might be close to 30 miles, but when Steve added it all up it was 37 miles total. With all those hills, we figure we're getting close to being able to handle some of those Brittany days of 45 to 50 miles!

Ostrich / Emu - Not Your Typical English Backyard Critter

Steve and I were merrily surfing the web (cause it's been raining for days!) the day before yesterday and looked up to see an ostrich in the pasture behind the house. Now we do see a lot of animals back there, cows, pheasants, wood pidgeons, magpies, squirrels and rabbits galore, but we don't normally see ostriches. It strolled across the field and disappeared into the woods. Gave us a moment's pause, but we didn't think too much of it...

...until it appeared yesterday in our back garden! Somehow it had managed to get inside the fence and then couldn't figure out how to get back out again. It wandered about for two hours poking its head through the fence, trying to get back out. We didn't go near it, having spoken with the ostrich lady at the Hoghton Tower Farmer's Market that morning. She sells ostrich meat so we asked her if she was missing one and she told us they are quite dangerous. So we left it quite alone in the yard!

I called the police to see if anyone had reported a 6 foot tall missing bird, nope. Then I called the Royal Society for Protection of Birds who do protect birds, but they don't rescue them (?). And finally I called the RSPCA who does rescue, but not dangerous birds on Sunday (because there are only two people on between Blackburn and Scotland and you need a group for a big bird like that).

After two hours, the cows came up the field and being quite nosy cows, came over to investigate the odd looking creature in the garden. Waking up to a half a dozen Holsteins staring down at you must have been a shock to the poor bird because it panicked and began careening around the garden. It is a very small garden and a very big bird. It finally forced its way through the fence and over the rock wall into the woods and took off!

We did a bit of research and found out it's an emu rather than a female ostrich (three toes instead of two). No sign of it since and I'll be surprised if the RSPCA folks will be able to find it when they show up today. I suspect it's half-way to Scotland by now!

In Tolkien's Footsteps

Yesterday, we went on a walk around Hurst Green, Stonyhurst College and by the Hodder and Ribble Rivers called the Tolkien Trail. This area of Lancashire is Tolkien country where he spent time while writing The Lord of the Rings. His son was attending school at Stonyhurst which was a Jesuit seminary back then.

The walk was a lovely ramble through the 'Shire' beginning in Hurst Green, skirting around the beautiful buildings of Stonyhurst, past Hodder place and then following the edge of the Hodder River until it connected with the Ribble. I could see where his inspiration for the Shire came from, leafy lanes, winding paths through the woods, the stroll alongside the river. We had a picnic lunch at the edge of the Hodder and I could just imagine Tolkien with his notebook on a sunny afternoon looking at the same view and adding in hobbits, elves and other creatures.

It was a good day for a walk, too windy to be out on the tandem (40 mph gusts are a bit much!), but the fleeces blocked most of it. When we were 8 miles in to what was described as a 5-mile walk, we realised that someone had some 'measurement challenges'. I couldn't figure out why I was tired and why my feet hurt - it was only 5 miles and I'd walked 6 on Sunday with no problems (and more hills!), what was going on? Steve measured the route when we got home and, sure enough, 8 miles!

Length aside, it was still a great walk with lots of places and things that we'd never seen before (usual for me, highly unusual for Steve who's wandered around this part of the world for years). Would do it again, but plan for 8 rather than 5 miles next time!

In Praise of the Picnic

Very often while traveling, we'll stop for something to eat. After finishing, we'll comment on how bad the food was and how expensive it was. But that's your option when traveling, right, rubbishy roadside food?

I noticed something different when traveling through Europe, people pulled off in laybys / rest areas and having a picnic. My family used to have picnics when I was a child (probably driven by the cost efficiencies necessary with five kids!) and they were great fun! The blanket spread out on the grass on a summer's day, the cold lemonade, hearty sandwiches and some fruit for dessert. A relaxing rest, a meal in a beautiful spot, a bit of a rest and then we were back on our way - delightful!

Compare that to battling your way to the counter at the typical road side fast food option to get a meal which seldom resembles anything good for you, never mind delightful. If you can get away with spending less than $20, you're pretty lucky (or feeding just one).

After seeing all the picnics along the way and being in thrifty mode, Steve and I decided to try them again and found them to be both gourmet and cheap, two words not commonly found together! On a day trip in the car, we replicate my mom's approach and pack big sandwiches, fruit and a flask of tea. On a walk, we'll pack crusty bread, some lovely French cheese, an Italian sausage, sometimes a flask of tea or if we're being really naughty a bottle of cold white wine.

Total outlay for such a lavish spread? Usually less than $5, with a bottle of wine less than $10. And it's certainly a bit more enjoyable than a burger, fries and a coke!

Over the Top of the Nick O'Pendle

The tandem rides have continued (no, it's not just sitting in the garage!) and we've been getting out on it 2-4 times a week. This is training for our bicycling trip to Brittany in September where we'll spend about 10 days covering 500 miles. The rides each day run about 45 miles with the big day at 63 miles. Training for those of us who have sat in front of a computer for the past 3-6 years is a must!

"It's surprising that the Northwest produces so many good riders," Steve said sarcastically as we gasped our way up yet another hill. The Northwest of England is littered with hills. Seems like every place you look, there's another one. Makes for beautiful scenery and very tired legs on a bike! And our house is at the top of a steep hill so the ride home is always uphill!

But we are (I am) getting used to it. I was always put off bike riding because of the hills, but now in some instances I even enjoy going up hill - great way to get warm fast! My 'sit bones' are starting to toughen up and the legs are getting stronger.

We've done 8-9 good sized rides now including a 30 mile jaunt around the Ribble Valley and the loop around Hoghton Tower a couple of times. We've made it up the 3.5 mile Pleasington Hill and the 6 mile mostly uphill climb back from Long Ridge.

The two really big hills in the area are Pendle Hill and Waddington Fell. Yesterday we tackled Pendle Hill for the first time (for me and for the first time in a really long time for Steve). We started out by doing a quick climb up Revidge (no sweat now!) and dropped down through the outskirts of Blackburn into Langho. We stopped at Kath and Jack's in Langho to say hello as we hadn't seen them since we've been back. Then it was up 'over the top' through York and down into Whalley with gorgeous views of the Ribble Valley to our left the whole way. Right at the roundabout in Whalley to head for Sabden. Jack had recommended an antique shop and cafe in Sabden as a good 'tea break' spot so we stopped in there. The cafe wasn't open, but the antique shop was so we had a good rummage around all three floors.

Sabden is at the foot of Pendle Hill so as we turned left out of town we were confronted with the upward climb. The bike has 27 gears, but we dropped quickly down into the lowest one and then it was just peddle, peddle, peddle from there on up. The grade climb on Pendle Hill is 1 in 5 or a climb of one foot for every five feet you traverse. The sheep may have been walking faster than us, but we kept going. At one point, Steve offered to stop (giving me an 'out clause'), but I wanted to see how far we could get. We finally and slowly peddled over the crest and up the remaining hill to the top. WOW, what a view and WOW, look how far up we are!

The top of Pendle was a great place for a picnic and after the climb we enjoyed every bite. After lunch we zoooommmmmmeeeddd down the hill and turned the corner into Pendleton. From there we took a tiny road to Whiswell and then dropped back down into Whalley intending to treat ourselves to a celebratory tea and cake - but the Toby Jug Tea Shop was closed! Oh, no! We had been planning on stopping in at Steve's Uncle John and Auntie Margaret's after Whalley so we just headed off there instead for our cup of tea and a chat. Then it was the long peddle back up Revidge hill and Billinge hill to the house where we got off on very shakey legs!

Steve says even in his cycling days the Nick O'Pendle wasn't something he undertook lightly. It's a good sized hill. The tandem is really proving to be a great bike and it's great to be able to talk (when we aren't gasping uphill, that is!). We're also pretty pleased that we made it over the Nick without stopping!

So What Have You Learned...

...during the economic crisis, and more importantly, what are you changing because of it? 

 

Human beings are funny.  A crisis occurs and they run around wailing and agonising over it, watch it happening minute by minute wringing their hands and saying, 'Woe is me, we'll never get out of this.'  And then as soon as the crisis or pain has past, they merrily go on to other things and forget that the bad stuff ever happened.  Often this is a good thing - do you really think you'd have a brother or sister if your mother truly remembered the pain of childbirth?!  However, in the case of economic crisises or recessions, the same thing happens, 'Whew, glad that one's over, think I can get a new car now?'

 

It's pretty easy to jump right back in and go through just as much surprise and pain all over again when the next recession occurs, but many of the lessons we're learning in this recession are about how to have a better life.  The curtain was pulled back on the consumption treadmill (I think of Toto pulling back the curtain on the Wizard on the Wizard of Oz) and once many of us saw what was back there, we didn't want to be part of it any more.  I don't want to be manipulated and conned into standing on a financial cliff putting my family and my happiness at risk just because the media, the government or society wants me to buy more stuff, which incidently, only moves my money from my pocket to theirs.  'What's in this year, the latest gadget, must haves' and anything that emulates the stuff of the ultra wealthy, to be avoided!

 

Things I've learned during this and previous economic crisises (been through quite a few now so there are some things that have stuck!):

 

Ignore the 'News' and Get on with Life

 

Watching the minute by minute microscopic examination of everything that is going wrong economically doesn't make you informed, it makes you depressed!  And focusing on how terrible it all is doesn't get anything or anyone moving in the right direction.  The reason this crisis has lingered on for so long?  Because people are scared.  Why are they scared?  Wouldn't you be scared if you listened to horror stories every night?  What do you think you're getting when you turn on the news at 7:00?  Don't make it worse by watching the news, shut off the noise and look for ways to make it better.

 

Keep Your Honesty

 

An email from a dear friend reminded me of this one.  It seems so core, so essential, so basic that we don't even think about it, but it's one of the things which can go by the wayside in times of stress or financial disruption.  Cut a corner here, step on someone there quickly evolves into stabbing people in the back and stealing their money, and it can seem so easy in dire times.  It can escalate to a surprisingly large degree, Enron, or grow to Maddoff proportions (he began his Ponzi scheme in the early 1990s trying to satisfy the demands of clients during an economic recession).  It's been called a slippery slop and once on it can be difficult or impossible to get off, the only answer is just don't start.  And it certainly doesn't make you feel any better about yourself or the situation.  Keep your integrity because you'll want it when the recession is over (and when you look at yourself in the mirror).

 

Cash is (Still) King

 

Having spent close to 20 years in various forms of self employment (and clients who sometimes take FOREVER to pay), one of the things that I've learned is that access to cash creates the ability to weather many storms and not having access to cash causes you to do stupid things - like selling valuable assets for far less than they're worth.  Trying to set up a big pile of cash or access to a big pile of cash during a crisis / recession can be pretty close to impossible so it's one of the first things I work on in times of growth.  Having access to that pile of cash helps with a multitude of things - loss of a job or income for yourself or a loved one, sudden illness of yourself (or your car) are the ones which typically cause a 'lack of cash financial derailment'.  Building that pile of cash using the concept of 'pay yourself first' is an important one, because if you don't, when a financial crisis occurs you won't be able to pay anyone.  And to be honest, rather than a pile, I work towards having access to a mountain of cash, it makes me feel secure during the economic ups and downs.  We keep our 'cash stash' in a offset mortgage type of product where we can draw on the cash as we need to, but while it sits there it reduces the interest we pay on our mortgage.  Is it the best return we could get on that money?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  But it's saved our backsides numerous times when clients were slow to pay or when we've had gaps in employment, and it's allowed us to make money by having access to cash for an investment that suddenly popped up.  Protect yourself, build a pile (and eventually a mountain) of cash.

 

Debt is the Devil Incarnate

 

I don't care what anyone says, for me debt is bad, very bad.  Particularly consumer debt or debt for things which depreciate.  If it's not going to grow in value (preferable by more than the interest I have to pay), I don't want to take on debt for it.  Debt is one of the most freedom limiting, slavery creating things around today.  With little to no debt, you can do virtually anything - quit a job you hate, start a business you love, travel the world, take time off to be with your children, etc., etc., etc.  With loads of debt, you can do nothing but spend your life working to pay it off - ugh!  Get free - get out of debt and use debt for asset aquisition only.

 

Spend My Money on What 'I' Want, Not What Everyone Else Wants

 

Aren't there a lot of folks interested in getting their hands on our money?!  And aren't they good at making us feel like we MUST have, NEED to have the latest thingywhatsit / posh item of the day?  After 46 years, I've gotten a bit tired of being manipulated, conned, and brainwashed into buying things I really don't want or need.  So many day to day living things are really advertisements in disguise.  Somebody just dropped a rather nice looking magazine through my letterbox which I just flipped through.  It wasn't really a magazine, but rather a series of articles written about stuff to buy.  We're inundated with calls, demands, enticements trying to get us to buy.   But if you stripped all buy this, buy that, buy the other out, if you shut down all that demanding / enticing noise, what would you yourself buy when no one else was influencing you?  We are intelligent independent people, why do we need someone else to tell us what to buy?  Here's an interesting exercise to try, spend a month or two without allowing anyone else to influence your buying decisions, NO ONE but you.  Don't watch or read any adverts (try watching movies rather than the telly but avoid looking at the obvious soda can, Apple computer placements), avoid the ad-ridden papers / magazines and try to avoid looking at all the signs if you can.  Keep out of the mall (make essential purchases without 'shopping' online) and don't exchange shopping on the web for shopping at the mall.  Watch to see your true individual wants and needs begin to emerge, what do you really want without someone else telling you what you want?  Paris Hilton's latest handbag - uh, no thanks.  That big dorky watch - I'll pass.  And actually I quite like the car that I have, thank you.  Regain your independence, spend your money on what you want!

 

The Money in Your House is Not Real Money (Unless You Can Get it Out)

 

As many folks during this recesssion have found out, the money in your house is not real money.  If you can't get at it, it doesn't exist - no matter what it's worth on paper.  The idea that you can buy successively bigger and bigger houses gaining more and more equity doesn't work if you can't tap into that equity somehow or you can't sell it when you need to (as many have realised).  And it's really difficult to generate an income from your house while you're living in it, most people won't rent it from you if you're there!  Buying ever bigger houses because of the bigger growth in equity only works during growth periods which we don't always have.  If your life savings is in your house and the market tanks, you're stuck.  Our strategy?  Rather than buying successively bigger houses to grow wealth, we bought additional ones.  It cost the same (if not less).  They generate an income which we add to the offset mortgage, providing us with access to cash (makes a nice little circle, doesn't it?!). 

 

Relationships and Experiences Matter, Stuff Doesn't

 

What does your stuff do for you when the market crashes, when you go through an employment 'challenge', when the world is not going as it is supposed to?  Nothing, nada.  Think your car's going to give you a cuddle when you need it?  Nope, it's going to break down and present you with a $1000 bill just when you could really use that $1000 on something else, say food or shelter perhaps?  How about a lively evening spent enjoying the company and companionship of your stuff?  Hmm, not really.  All right, let's try this.  A summer's evening spent on the patio over a good meal with some friends or family whose company you really enjoy?  Talking and laughing (who's done what, funny things that have happened, new things encountered), tasting wonderful food and toasting with a nice glass of wine - probably a bit more memorable (and certainly no more expensive) than that new shirt.  There's an excellent custom in the UK called a pub walk where you walk / hike through beautiful country and finish up with a nice pub lunch.  Or a walk with a gourmet picnic lunch, imagine sitting at the top of a hill with the world spread out in front of you with your loaf of crusty French bread, cheese and the company of someone you love - somewhat more memorable than a trip to the mall.  When you're 90, you'll remember people and experiences, not things that you bought.  Acquire relationships and experiences, not stuff.

 

Don't Panic (These Things Happen on a Regular Basis)

 

Recessions happen every 5 to 10 years, so guess what?  There will be another one, and another and another and... this is the seventh recession since 1960.  The key is to remember that and structure our finances / lifestyle so that when the next one happens (and it will) that we're not surprised.  That way, when they do happen, we don't panic about it.  If you know it's going to rain, you're prepared, you wear a jacket or take an umbrella.  If you don't know it's going to rain, you're not prepared and your silk suit gets ruined.  You now know it's going to rain, where's your umbrella?

 

 

 

 

Ireland Photos

Motto to Live By (Mostly)

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming, "WHOO HOO, what a ride!"

Anonymous

I love this quote and actively work to practice what it preaches...but (there's always a 'but', isn't there?!) I want to make sure that my body holds out so that I can have that fantastic ride, rather than a not so fantastic ride in a wheelchair in a nursing home. If I'm going to make the most of the time I'm here, I need to have a body that will stand up to the rigours I'm going to put it to. This is something that I largely ignored over the past 20 years or so while climbing the corporate ladder, but if I don't pay attention now at 46 I might reach the point of no return that so many folks do - it gets too hard and painful to get back in shape, or illnesses / medications interfere. Then one moves into a slow, quiet decline doing less and less each year until the scope of one's world is the walls of a room in a nursing home as the medications keep you alive, but you no longer have a life - I want to fight that off!

And actually I'm discovering that a big part of that, "WHOO HOO, what a ride!" can be about building a body that will serve you well during your 750,000 Hours. Unlike so much of media's / society's common focus on fitness, I'm focusing on experiences that keep me active rather than getting in shape - a subtle difference, but for me an important one. There's a big thrill in screaming down a hill on a tandem bike (they're heavier and therefore faster than a regular bike when going downhill!), sailing in a 20 knot wind, hiking to the top of a hill and seeing the world spread out before you. How about swimming in a turquoise sea while diving for conch or lobsters? When was the last time you went ice skating?

I find the whole fitness, work out in a gym thing INCREDIBLY boring. Some folks love it, but the idea of endless hours on a treadmill walking or running to nowhere, 'follow-the-leader' exercise classes, or having a personal trainer egg me on to just one more sit up makes me want to gag. I've tried all of the above and each has proven to be a waste of time and money. Like I said, some folks love it, but it's not for me - I get bored (not surprising) and don't keep it up (also not surprising).

Besides, where's the WHOO HOO in a gym? I want things that are exciting (and by the way, they give me a fitter body at the same time)! I want to be out enjoying this world that we live in, not shut in another room with no windows after spending all day in a room with no windows (the office). There are lots of ways to keep active (fit) that are interesting, fun and exciting.

Hiking in gorgeous hills, bicycling (try a tandem!) through the beautiful countryside, downhill or cross country skiing, dance (try completing a complicated spin turn, a tango and see if there isn't a big WHOO HOO in there!), a team sport you used to love when you were younger, swimming (and not just laps, zzzzzz!), volleyball on the beach, pulling the ropes on a sailboat as it crashes through the waves. That's my 'starter for ten' - what are your thoughts on exciting activities that keep you active, and fit?

All the Way Around...

...Ireland, that is! 1700 miles into a 1200 mile trip, we arrived back home after travelling all the way around Ireland. We thought it was going to be a bit shorter than it was, but what a fantastic trip! Both Northern and Southern Ireland are beautiful, just as green and picturesque as we've read about. The Irish people are lovely, with all the hospitality that's written about too.

We started out by packing up the bike (how can I forget how to do this in such a short time!) with enough stuff to last for 9 days in three 12x15x5 inch panniers (motorbike boxes). This is always a feat of engineering and we know we're done packing when nothing else fits! Then it was a quick trip down the motorway to Wales.

We've done a motorbike trip in Wales through the Snowdonia region and that was very nice, but this time we went through the middle of Wales and enjoyed it even more. The roads were great, the hills, mountains and foliage were at their summer's best, and the cottages, houses, stately homes and castles were everywhere you looked. Steve at one point remarked, "It's been 20
minutes since we've seen a castle, what's wrong?!" It was a nice mix of sweeping roads through leafy forests and then climbing over the hills. The towns were unspoiled in the main with little evidence of chain store invasion. It's amazing what a difference it makes to the look of a town to
have the old hand painted signs versus neon.

We stayed at B&B's for all of the trip except for Dublin and it worked out so well that it's something we'll do in the future. They ran the gamut from posh to plain, but were good value and quite interesting. Staying at B&Bs also allowed us to have conversations with the people who lived there which was a really nice change. Usually the conversations we have when we travel
are limited to check in / check out and ordering meals - hardly a view into local personalities! While our conversations weren't anything earth-shattering on this trip, it was nice to get people's thoughts on good places to go in the towns, little know scenic routes to travel and views of things happening in Ireland. It was also nice to see the differences in the B&Bs, these are people's homes after all even if they are run as businesses. All served some form of the traditional Irish breakfast which seems to be a three course meal beginning with muesli / yogurt / fruit followed by toast and then eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding and white pudding (don't ask, you don't want to know!), potato cakes and fried bread (we are eating lots of fruits and veg this week!), but there were distinct differences in the quality and preparation from extremely cheap and basic to everything organic / homemade - including fruit preserves and yogurt. I had a lightly smoked haddock omelette that was one of the best breakfast meals I've ever had!

Our night in Wales was spent at the Highland Moors Guest House in Llandrindod Wells, run by an Irish / English couple who had chucked it all and moved to the country to raise their children (we think there were three, but there may have been four) and run a B&B. They are slowly renovating this big old spa hotel which is the last one standing in Wales. We searched the town for a restaurant and ended up at a Chinese, which we were a bit unsure of - the appetiser menu only had 5 things on it and two were ribs. But our options were limited, the Indian was closed and the all-you-can-eat buffet was busily serving leftover lunch food, so we gave it a go. We went with the set menu for three ("But you are only two!" "We don't care.") and had a fantastic, if very big, meal. So if you're ever in Llandrindod Wells, try the set menu for three at the only Chinese in town!

We took the car ferry from Pembrooke Dock to Rosslare, Ireland. It was a four hour trip across a flat calm Irish Sea. These car ferries are like small cruise ships, with cabins if you want them, restaurants, lounges, and the ever-present duty free shop. We lounged and read for the four hours and then hopped back on the bike for the 15 mile trip to our first Irish B&B in Wexford. This was the nicest of the B&Bs we stayed at and a great way to start the trip. McMenamin's Town House was the epitome of what I would consider the classic B&B, antique furniture, flowers, and an array of gourmet, homemade foods - just lovely!

Then across the southern part of Southern Ireland to Killarney, positioning us to ride around the Kerry Ring the next day. We stayed at a simple and basic B&B there called Rathmore House, run by Pat and Mary. Pat was full of information about the area, where to go and what to see. Killarney was where I had my first Guinness, something that we continued to enjoy throughout the trip and we had an excellent fresh seafood dinner. Killarney was a nice town, a bigger one with lots of shops and restaurants - and Jaunt Carts! We couldn't figure out what they were when we saw the sign, but as we were leaving the next morning and saw all the horses and carts lined up we figured it out - something for next time. We cruised out of Killarney past the lake and into the forest which starts the beginning of the clockwise trip around the Kerry Ring (most people have to go clockwise around the narrow roads because there are many places where you cannot pass the tour buses, but it didn't matter on the bike - and we didn't have to follow the tour buses!). It is one of the most scenic and famous routes in all of Ireland, and it lived up to its reputation. Winding through the woods, past lakes and streams and over hills and through mountains, the view as we whizzed by ranged from cottages nestled in sheltered valleys to mountain slopes covered with fields of rhododendrons, a mass of purple against hills covered with hedgerow-lined pastures and stone walls.

Throughout the trip the scenery was beautiful, so much so that I arrived at home having taken 452 pictures!

After the Kerry Ring, our next night was in Galway at a basic, basic B&B! It was a good walk to the town and the restaurant, which we needed because the Irish breakfasts were already beginning to add up. We had our Guinness at O'Connors Famous Pub and decided to come back for the music after dinner. Dinner, on the barman's recommendation, was just down the street at Da Roberta, an excellent Italian. After dinner, we came back for the music, a duo on guitar and piano. Now the Irish music I have been exposed to in the past, I have not really been a fan of listening to for a whole evening, nice for a few minutes though. This was excellent, a mix of what I would call honky-tonk piano and classical guitar - wonderful, could have listened to it for days! Unfortunately they didn't have a CD or it would have been an immediate addition to our music collection (my American money making gene had also indignantly raised its head, 'But, but, but they could be making money at this!' 'Steve's response, 'Perhaps they don't want to' took me a
while to get my head around). Breakfast was 'interesting' and then we were off to Donegal.

We went to Donegal via a loop around the northwestern part of Southern Ireland, another gorgeous scenic drive along the sea and through the mountains. It was pretty barren up there and you could see where people had been cutting and stacking peat to burn in their stoves over the winter. The rhoddys were still in bloom all over along with entire hedges of fushia! Donegal was quaint with a tiny castle and an excellent Thai restaurant. It was pretty funny as we were sitting there eating this amazing Thai food and people from a coach tour at the table next to us were being served mass-produced mash, steamed veg and some form of meat / gravy - same restaurant, totally different food experience!

After Donegal, we headed up across the border into Northern Ireland. Unlike Southern Ireland, Northern Ireland is still part of the UK and there are distinct differences between the two countries. The scenery in Northern Ireland is just as spectacular, but the houses are different. They did not go through the housing boom that the southerners did and houses are of the older and cottage-y variety, more architecturally interesting, I think. We continued along the coast and stopped for a hike and a peek at the Giant's Causeway . Then on up to Ballycastle, way up on the north coast, just above the Glens of Antrim and stayed at Clare House overlooking the town of Ballycastle, the sea and Torr Head in the distance. It was a good hike into and out of town for dinner, but again we needed it after all the Irish breakfasts!

The man at Clare House suggested that as we were on the bike we should take the lessor used coastal road by Torr Head. You can't go on it on coach buses or with caravans, but it's fine for a bike. It's twisting, winding and slowly navigating up, down and along the cliffs by the sea. It's one of those places where you want to take it slowly and not make any mistakes, because as you look over the edge of the road just to your right it's a 500 foot drop right down to the rocks and crashing surf! There were sheep and cows wandering in their pastures right at the edge of the cliffs (Steve wonders how many fall off) with the most amazing views right across to Scotland. As we dropped down from the cliffs, the road got better (less steep, less cliff edge-like) and meandered for miles along the shore. It was sunny and cold with a brisk wind. We saw a couple of sailboats and decided that would not be us - too cold! The whole Glens of Antrim area was
gorgeous and I'd like to spend more time exploring it - perhaps another time do a motorbike / hike trip.

It was a fairly quick trip from there into Dublin and after a tour of the one-way road system, we managed to find our hotel, Trinity Lodge. It's a little boutique hotel in the heart of Dublin, right next to the shopping district and the Temple Bar area. After a double-decker bus tour of the city, we headed over to Temple Bar to find dinner. When Julie and Andrew talked about going to Temple Bar, I thought they meant 'a' bar and I pictured in my mind a fairly modern chrome and wood type place. I couldn't have been more off! Temple Bar is a street district of restaurants and pubs, streets and streets of them! As you walk along, there are musicians playing streetside and music pours out from the open doors of the pubs. One pub had a sign out front with its music schedule, 12-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 with different musicians for every set. We had a pre-dinner Guinness accompanied by Irish music (not as good as the guys at O'Connor's Famous Pub!) and then found a place for our first 'Irish' dinner of the entire trip at Gallagher's Boxty House. We had a boxty starter, potato pancakes served with sauces (they are also served stuffed). Steve had steak and Murphy's (a Guinness alternative, gasp!) stew and I had bacon, cabbage and colcannon (mashed potatoes with onion and cabbage, quite similar to the English bubble and squeak). The waiter warned me that the bacon (ham) was a large portion, but I figured Steve could help if he was still hungry. I didn't realise they would bring a whole ham out! It was enormous and more than enough for three people, never mind one!

Colcannon (from the BBC recipe website)

500g/1lb2oz mealy potatoes, cooked
250g/9oz cabbage, shredded and lightly steamed
2 tbsp cream
salt and black pepper
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced thinly
a little bacon fat, beef dripping or other frying oil

(I think the colcannon I had also had cheese in it)

1. Sieve or mash the potatoes and mix with the cabbage and cream. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Fry the onion in the fat over a moderate heat until it is soft and beginning to brown.
3. Using a spatula, press half the potato and cabbage mixture in an even layer on to the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until it is well browned and crispy underneath.
4. Cut the mixture into 4 quarters with the spatula or palette knife and turn them over carefully so that the crispy bit is uppermost. Press the remaining potato and cabbage mixture on to the first layer and after a few more minutes, cut and turn again.
5. When the bottom is again browned, you will have a crispy top too, a crispy bottom, and a crispy layer in the middle.

After Dublin, we headed over the Wicklow Mountains. It was misty, wild and desolate up there. We drove for miles and we only saw a bit of fencing, no sheep, no cows, no houses. Winters must be very quiet up there, we wondered if the roads would even be passable once snow came. We did see a few wild deer and it felt like we'd reached the top part of the world as we went over the mountains. I would like to go back and see it in the sunshine!

it was back to Rosslare for an overnight before catching the morning ferry (8:45 sail) back to Wales. Had a great evening walk along the cliffs there, the wind was whipping! Good thing it was blowing onshore or it could have blown us over the cliffs if we weren't careful. We were accompanied in spots by a very nice herd of cows. Another good B&B, St. Martins, and a Chinese dinner. We probably didn't eat as much Irish food as we should have and after we recovered from Dublin, we would have like to try more. I'm not a big fan of stews, but after Dublin found a variety of things I would like to try, including champ again. Often the selections in the towns were basic pub grub (which was posing for Irish), seafood, or Chinese / Thai. Basic pub grub, we're not really huge fans of so we stuck with the rest. Next time, we'd enquire further to find the really good Irish restaurants.

A nice four-hour trip back. Steve took a slightly different but equally scenic route back through Wales and we were back at home within about 5 hours of riding off the ferry. At some points we weren't sure of Ireland, mainly because the condition of the roads made motorbiking a bit strenuous, but it turned out to be a fun and beautiful trip. It's definitely on our list of places to visit again and one of the nicest things about the whole trip - we didn't get rained on once!!!

If My Dream was to Live in a Irish Country Cottage...

...I would be watching the housing market like a hawk right now! Property prices are tumbling and bargains are to be found throughout Southern Ireland. For many folks, the idea of living in the beauty of the rolling Irish hills has been simply a dream, with falling house prices, that dream may soon be more attainable.

As we rode through Southern Ireland, we were amazed by the number of new houses, the number of houses in a 'paused' state of construction and the number of old (cottage-y) houses standing empty (just begging to be restored). We kept asking ourselves, 'Where did all the new houses come from, why are these old houses standing empty, and what has happened here?' Like many other countries around the world, Ireland has been hit by the recent economic crisis and their boom preceeding the crisis was in housing, and they built like the market was booming!

The result? The market tanked and now many of those properties are sitting empty. EU immigration is down, unemployment is up and housing prices are falling. UCD economist Morgan Kelly predicts that housing prices could fall as much as 80% from the peak in 2007. There are bargains to be had.

However, because of all of the above, you'll probably need to bring your own job. And that doesn't mean bringing your own job by buying a property and opening a B&B, there are tons of those already so I personally wouldn't put my income eggs in that particular basket. To take advantage of these bargains, bring your own job means generating an income which comes from an external to Ireland source. This is doable for those whose income is derived from rental, investment or Internet income, or for those who have the city job during the week and spend their weekends in the country.

And I wouldn't count on property values going up in a big way for a while, this is for someone whose dream has been to live in Ireland and until now that dream has been unaffordable - not for someone who is expecting to make big property gains.

But if you do dream of that little Irish cottage by the sea, friends and neighbors with that lilting accent and those rolling green hills, watch the prices - you may just find what you're looking for, at a price you can afford.