World of Tanks

I'm still playing WoT sporadically {link} and now can be found blasting away in a Ferdinand which is amazingly good fun - I'd certainly recommend giving the game a play. My eldest son is having a ball playing as my commanding officer too.....

Happy Christmas, fröhliche Weihnachten, joyeux Noël, buon Natale, feliz Natal, feliz Navidad, god jul, hyvää joulua, vrolijk Kerstfeest, glædelig jul, gleðileg jól, Nadolig llawen, bon Natale, с Рождеством Христовым. I look forward to seeing as many of you as I can on stages and in service areas during 2013!

World of Tanks......

Well I'm grinding my way through World of Tanks {link} at present with the following vehicles:~

PzKpfw II Luchs
PzKpfw 38 nA
PzKpfw III
Löwe
Marder II
Hetzer
StuG III
Grille
AMX 40
M3 Lee
T40
M37
BT-2
T-28
KV
KV3
SU-85B
SU-26

I'm waiting for the 7.3 upgrade to improve my garage a little more, plus there's a Jagd Panzer heading my way today (all being well....) Being a memeber of the Band Of Fathers {link}clan now I'm just getting into Platoons with the aim of getting ready for Clan War later - not the same rush as a 6R4 but all for pretty much no outlay which can't be bad!
If I could get my Peltor to work with the computer I could use my old helmet with Team Speak {link} whilst platooning!!

Walking freely.

I'm now walking without an help amnd undergoing intensive physio to get as much function back into my knee/leg as possible. My latest activities are certainly helping with exercise that's for sure!! Follow the link to my other blog to see just what I now own!

Now that I'm pretty much fully mobile I can now start to plan a start to my 2009 season. There are a few ideas and offers floating about at the moment and once I've completed a few more visits to hospital to see my surgeon and physio I'll concentrate on getting back into rally cars. Until then I'll keep walking to and from my shed.....

Less rallying, more strange stuff!

Thanks to my fractured leg I'm not going to be rallying for quite sometime so I've got to come up with other things to do instead. Some are pretty normal (play computer & Playstation games, surf the 'net, Facebook and MySpace) but others are a little stranger and aimed at forwarding EWR into an area of motorsport I've wanted to try for a while.
More information to follow...............

A couple of clues:-

Another set back.....

On the 22nd November 2008 I managed to slip and fracture both my tibia and fibula bones in my left leg. One month down the line and I still can't put any weight on my leg, nor will I be able to for months to come.
Current recovery time is expected to be between 3 and 5 months for a full recovery, although I expect to be fit enough to rally within 2 months (all being well).
Once again my main mode of transport for Christmas and New Year will be crutches.....

I'd like to thank Diana, Mark, my Mother and Father for all their help over the last few weeks, hopefully my recovery will be swift!

You see the strangest things.....

Driving to the shops on Saturday I had an 80s movie moment, coming towards me was the De Lorean featured in the Back to the Future films. After a quick glance I thought nothing more of it until I returned home from my shopping trip to the De Lorean parked next door!

It's not every day that a genuine film star appears next door!

Leg update.

I'm now brace and plaster free, the first time since falling leaving Jersey A&E on the 13th October last year. Now I really have to concentrate on getting full use of my knee back. The physio and I are really pleased with how things are going!

Cast number 2.....

I’m now on my second full leg cast, which is a good thing! This is a complete cast that covers everything from just above my ankle to almost the top of my thigh. Movement is still nonexistent and I’m still not allowed to put any weight on it. I have to be in this cast for another couple of weeks then I’ll find out what’s next for me along the road to recuperation.

Ouch!!

Here is the reason for the huge delay in updating this blog!
Whilst out spectating on the Grouville stage on Saturday afternoon I managed to stumble and rupture 80% of my left quad tendon. This put me straight into A&E, somewhat ruining the rest of my stay in Jersey. After X-rays and a couple of ultrasounds I was released back into the wild with a full leg splint and a set of crutches with the words of the doctor ringing in my ears:~ “Go straight from the airport to your local hospital!”
I did as instructed and am pleased to report that I was operated on and am now on the road to recovery, although it appears that it might be a longer road than I’d hoped. Having my left leg in a full cast and no Internet access at home (as yet) I’ve been unable to update the blog until today. Hopefully things will improve from now although I’m not due for my next, more manoeuvrable, cast for a couple of weeks…..
Before ending this post I’d really like to thank Suzanne and her son (sorry I don’t know his name) who were a great help whilst I was waiting for the ambulance. Adrian, Jerry, Margaret, Adam and the rest of the SM Roofing guests were great, although I have yet to see all the pictures they took as I was stretchered away…..
Naturally I have to thank everyone at both hospitals I visited (Jersey and New Cross) who were fantastic and really looked after me well. If you feel the need to visit an A&E department Jersey’s is especially impressive!

Updates.

German: First class of the term is on the 17th of September at 19:00. (FFHCA link)
Hedgehogs: They now have 2 snug houses and their own special food. (BHPS link)
Workmen: We are still waiting for them to finish the room!

New residents.

We've just adopted two small and prickly creatures into the family. There are now two orphaned hedgehogs residing in our garden after the local rescue centre contacted Diana. They're about 700 grams each and seem to have settled in well already, we spent an interested hour or so watching them ramble round the garden and patio searching for food.

My weekend project is to build them a nice little home to keep them warm, dry and safe. They might even keep the beans slug free too!

Workmen and German.

I wonder if the phrase "urgent" exists in the vocab of workmen..... Judging by the Bohemian look (unfinished!!) to the study/office at home I suspect not! Hopefully it will all be sorted in time for my seasonal closed-road tarmac rally. I'm aiming to have this blog updated regularly from the event either directly or through texts to my wonderful wife.

This eductaional year has drawn to a close and already I'm planning my next year of German evening classes! It's not quite as adreneline filled as motorsport but I enjoy teaching and have done over the many years I've done it. If you have the urge to learn I could probably even do a distance learning course, although I find face-to-face (to quote a Siouxsie and the Banshees song) works better.

Congratulations!

Well done to VfB Stuttgart 1893 e.V. who managed to win the Bundesliga despite my support! Good luck to them in the final of the DFB cup (German FA cup) against 1. FC Nürnberg. Follow the cup final on VfB Stuttgart's website here.
Additional congratulations to London Wasps who are now champions of Europe having won the Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham last weekend. Wasps website here.

19.05.2007 @ 15:30

This has absolutely nothing to do with motorsport or rallying at all.
I'd just like to wish VfB Stuttgart good luck for the final game of this season's Bundesliga. If they win they're champions! As you may have guessed kick off is at 15:30 on the 19th.
Follow the game and the team on their website here.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my son Mark who is now one year old!