CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Hell Razor5543]

Sorry to hijack your blog Jim.... James, I'm gonna crap on your fish and chips next time we meet.

Just as well that I don't have Fish and Chips then! I wonder who does?

[mickthemaverick]

I only know someone who has fish no chips!!

[CitroJim]

I only know someone who has fish no chips!!

I had some chips with my fish last evening

[mickthemaverick]

I only know someone who has fish no chips!!

I had some chips with my fish last evening

Special celebratory treat no doubt!!

[CitroJim]

I only know someone who has fish no chips!!

I had some chips with my fish last evening

Special celebratory treat no doubt!!

It certainly was

[CitroJim]

Storm Bert somewhat scuppered my plans yesterday I planned, whilst down in Alasdair-land to run the Shepton Mallet parkrun but due to the aforementioned, it was cancelled...

Given how lively Bert was predicted to be, I looked at its potential track and thought if I left Alasdair's around 0230 I'd have him chasing me home... I left in torrential rain, with standing water on the roads...

Indeed, I beat Bert home and arrived in time to run the only parkrun not cancelled locally; my very own Bury Field...

This I did and got an honourable mention for being the furthest travelled that morning to attend his 'home' parkrun

It was cold, wet and howling a proper gale on the common...

Best of all was the big hug I got from the lady on Marshal Point two

With my health being so good currently I'm not keen to put it at risk so I'll not be running the 10 mile Redway Runners 'Old Money Run' this morning; it's going to be pretty horrible with very strong winds and heavy, continuous rain so for once I'm being sensible...

Timekeeping at Junior parkrun this morning might be a bit 'fun'. We're not expecting big numbers and when I do the course check in an hour or so it may not even happen...

Again, we are one of the few Junior events (so far) not to have cancelled...

Bloody Bert

[CitroJim]

Bert failed to scupper Junior parkrun yesterday although it was a close-run thing...

He didn't stop me running either; I got 10 rather wet miles in keeping a good friend company whilst she ran her training run. She ran 10K and my additional miles were accounted for by my run to her house and back

A club run this morning added four more miles to the total I'm really rather delighted that I'm now well back to running long distances comfortably... Touch-wood, my recovery from whatever struck me down for so long this year is finally on the way to completion.

After our club run I dosed my friend's (a different one - I have a good few!) Mazda 6 with the Wynns manifold cleaner... Sadly, it's not looking good and the EML soon came back on... Whilst I had the inlet tract in bits I could clearly hear the reverse flow occurring when the engine slowed down to idle...

After that, I took Bluebell's passenger door door card off ready for Mick to work his magic on the stretched and unglued fabric. Whilst i had the door in bits, I looked at the central locking problem. I soon found the cause. It's hard to see in the photo but the white arm from the actuator (which works fine) is disconnected from the locking linkage due to the arm being warped. It is so warped that as soon as it's reattached it pings off again.

It's all very tight in there and I had to use a mirror to get sight of it...

To get at the actuator, it's a case of removing the complete locking mechanism and moving the window guide to the side...

I can see how to do it although today was not the day as the light was failing at that stage. It needs plenty of time and light as it's a properly fiddly job.

Whilst looking at the door I spotted a bit of rust on the bottom. Most odd as it's very localised and not on a seam or anywhere near where water might collect. All the drain holes are clear. Goodness knows what caused it. It's a lot worse on the outside than it is on the inside of the door. Almost looks like something acidic attacked it... I know I'm not thee first to venture behind the door card as some of the membrane has been cut to give access - I suspect, looking at the same locking problem as I.

It'll be easy to treat and as it's not structural, localised and not visible, I'll just treat and fill it...

The black splodge is a bit of long-ago applied (by me) B-H rust protection wax...

After popping Bluebell back in her garage and tidying up, I baked a lasagne and then dealt with a load of washing...

The decks are now all nicely clear for a long run tomorrow morning and then lunch at the FCF meetup. I'm looking forward to that

[MattBLancs]

Do you reckon that hole was initiated by something getting caught between door and surround - seat belt buckle would be a potential candidate: nice and solid and fairly uncompromising if the door was closed on it. Likely a matching mark on the door jamb too if it was that.

Glad you've enjoyed the cold wet running, not my cup of tea!

[mickthemaverick]

At last I've found a worthwhile reason for all your cycling Jim!!

Spoiler: show

MTMO

[CitroJim]

Do you reckon that hole was initiated by something getting caught between door and surround - seat belt buckle would be a potential candidate: nice and solid and fairly uncompromising if the door was closed on it. Likely a matching mark on the door jamb too if it was that.

That's a very good possibility Matt! Could well have happened when she was lying scrapped and unloved... She was like that for long enough for it to happen...

I'll look for witness marks later today...

At last I've found a worthwhile reason for all your cycling Jim!!

Love it! Cheers Mick

[MattBLancs]

At last I've found a worthwhile reason for all your cycling Jim!!

Given your keenness for the black stuff would that be a little like this: Self propelled?

[CitroJim]

At last I've found a worthwhile reason for all your cycling Jim!!

Replace carrot with cake - or even better, carrot cake - and that would work

[CitroJim]

A day off playing with cars, instead I've been playing with Autumn

Hot on the heels of me removing door cards from Bluebell, she gave me a masterclass in how to do the same job on a Peugeot 605

She loves visiting my house; it's like an adventure playground to her She loves seeing Bluebell in the garage...

This was just before we took her to the hospital for an appointment in Urgent Care; she's a bit chesty and not breathing well so following her hospitalisation (and scaring us all half witless) back in July, mum played safe...

Top marks to MKUH and Paggers Medical Centre who had the appointment made within 10 minutes of Robyn's request and we were seen at the hospital only 10 minutes past the appointment time... Result and result too with Autumn, she's OK.

MKUH has, like all hospitals, a parking problem. A few years ago a multi-storey was built there to ease the pain, except it was designed using the dimensions of a Matchbox car...

We found a space reasonably easily but parking Robyn's hulking great Rensult SUV in it was an adventure Talk about fag-paper clearances

One nice benefit is that despite Robyn no longer working at MKUH, her staff car parking pass still works so she parked for free

The Captcha's reversing camera is very good. I was well impressed with it and arguably, without it, Robyn could never have parked in the space.

Speaking of cameras, the photo of Autumn above was taken with a Kodak camera I treated myself to as I need a camera that is more suited to the task of photographing fast-moving objects, mainly participants at parkrun. I find smartphone cameras have a finite shutter delay and tend to blur fast moving subjects under typical overcast lighting conditions... Trying to get good photos of fast runners, especially juniors, using a phone camera is a dead loss.

The Kodak camera I bought is full of features, works well and looks good but the image quality is rubbish - as can be seen in the picture of Autumn above. It's a massive disappointment.

It's now been returned and a slightly more expensive Canon, one that attracts good reviews, is being procured to replace it.

I'll be back to playing cars tomorrow...

[Rp0thejester]

The younger brained adults will thank you for your insight on how to photograph juniors, why not take Autumn in your own Matchbox car, Strawberry!! Or Bluebell for that matter. Looking forward to seeing the door card in place.

[CitroJim]

why not take Autumn in your own Matchbox car, Strawberry!! Or Bluebell for that matter.

She did actually demand to go to hospital in my Picasso Ryan!

Parking-wise it would have made sense to have taken Strawberry. Problem is, getting a modern car seat into a two-door AX is a bit different to the car seats my children had when they rode in my original AX back in the 90s. Car seats, like cars, have grown bulkier and heavier over the years.

Knowing how she loves seeing both Bluebell and Strawberry she'd have loved to...

Looking forward to seeing the door card in place.

It's back in place on the Peugeot 605 and hopefully, by the end of today on Bluebell too...