http://mikepower.net/personally/Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:05:18 +0000en-GBSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Mike PowerTue, 02 Mar 2010 09:05:18 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/new-motor.html1115:1555423:6883611
If he crashes this one he can take the bus.




]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-6883611.xmlMike PowerThu, 30 Apr 2009 13:31:56 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/wills-first-car.html1115:1555423:3848659Will is now the proud owner of this old Peugeot. It's in good nick and been well looked after. It's a 306 GLX HDi 2.0 with 73k miles on the clock. Runs well. Looks good and is not TOO expensive to insure. Now it's out every day with him for two hours driving practice until it's test time.






]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-3848659.xmlMike PowerThu, 30 Apr 2009 12:46:07 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/hackintosh.html1115:1555423:38484782.67 GHz Intel Quad Core with 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR RAM

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz Socket 775 1066MHz 8MB (2x4MB(4MB per core pair)) L2 Cache OEM Processor
Arctic Cooling AC-FRZ-7P Freezer 7 Pro Socket 775 Processor Cooler
Antec P182 Gunmetal Grey Super Mid Tower Case - No PSU
Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200RPM 16MB Cache - OEM
Western Digital WD2500AAKS Caviar SE 250GB 7200RPM SATAII/300 16MB Cache - OEM
Gainward 9500GT 512MB DDR2 VGA DVI HDMI HDCP PCI-E Graphics Card
LiteOn 16x DVD-Rom Internal SATA Black Bare Drive - OEM
LiteOn 20x DVD±RW Dual Layer & Ram SATA Black Bare Drive - OEM
Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3R iP45 Socket 775 8 channel audio ATX Motherboard
Antec 0761345-07660-9 - TRUEPOWER NEW TP-650 GB PSU 650W CONTINOUS POWER ATX
OCZ OCZ3RPR13334GK - OCZ PC3-10666 DDR3 Reaper 1333MHz Dual Channel 4G Kit 6-6-6-18 Heatpipe Heatspreader
Samsung SM2433BW 24" TFT Monitor 1920x1200 20000:1 300cd/m2 5ms VGA/DVI
Logitech Wireless Desktop Wave Pro - With New MX1100 Rechargable Laser Mouse

]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-3848478.xmlMike PowerThu, 05 Feb 2009 07:28:46 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/let-it-snow.html1115:1555423:2965393I opened my utility room door this morning to find this:




]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-2965393.xmlMike PowerThu, 23 Oct 2008 11:45:15 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/will-works-on-the-car.html1115:1555423:2398627

Will is making great headway on the MR2. He has completely stripped out the interior and repaired everything that needed repairing, including a very dodgy driver's window mechanism.

Well done son!]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-2398627.xmlMike PowerThu, 24 Jul 2008 21:48:53 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/five-weeks-to-go.html1115:1555423:2016806
Got the new car to collect tomorrow. It's not a Subaru, an Audi or a Golf, which are the cars my son wanted. It's a boring Ford Focus. But it's brand new, it was a good price and they are damn good cars so....tough! To be fair to Will, once he had a good look at it and approved of the low profile tyres and the alloy wheels and the entertainment centre (you know the really important stuff!) he was really quite pleased with it.

The old MR2 is getting rested for the winter. Will is going to start stripping it down and we will be doing a full refurb over the next six months or so (money allowing, of course). Steering rack, track rods, reinforcing bars, brakes, bodywork, respray, new wheels, new steering wheel and some interior refurb and plenty of other things that we haven't even thought of yet. That's about £2.5k so far but, as all MR2 owners will tell you, the paying out never ends....




]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-2016806.xmlMike PowerWed, 09 Jul 2008 07:32:38 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/were-moving.html1115:1555423:1977037


The picture is slightly misleading. There is a road and there are other properties close by...two houses and a farm! No mains water (we've got our own supply) and no mains drainage (it all goes into a septic tank).

Check out some pictures of the house and views HERE



]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-1977037.xmlMike PowerSun, 27 Apr 2008 15:39:13 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/on-the-beach.html1115:1555423:1792469Will and I at the beach.







]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-1792469.xmlMike PowerSat, 26 Apr 2008 21:37:26 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/off-to-the-smoke.html1115:1555423:1791330
There will be plenty of top notch candidates for this job so, realistically, the odds are against her but she'll give it a damn good shot and we'll see what happens.


]]>http://mikepower.net/personally/rss-comments-entry-1791330.xmlMike PowerThu, 03 Apr 2008 23:23:12 +0000http://mikepower.net/personally/prepare-for-boarding.html1115:1555423:1736417
Will has spent the week washing bedding, shampooing carpets and cushions and generally cleaning and tidying prior to their arrival. Anything that gets a 17 year old doing that can't be bad.

The local shop keeper will be happy. They spent a fortune in his shop last time they were here, mostly on sweets, crisps and Irn Brew.

I'm hoping another one of Will's friends, now living in the north of England, will pop up for a few days. He was one of the gang until he moved up north to live with his father. His mother died last year and we haven't seen him since then. He's a nice lad and it would be great to see him again.

Sandra and I have been lucky with our children's friends. They have all been really great lads and the older ones have grown into good, decent men.

It's much easier for young people to stay in contact today than it was when I was growing up. Typically, you lost touch after leaving school and your friends went on to marry, have children and, often, move away from the area. Now they can stay in touch from every corner of the world and can follow each other's antics on social networks.  That aspect of the new technology is incredibly positive and only those, like me,who are old enough to remember the days before the internet, mobile phones and digital cameras can really appreciate that.





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