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

[CitroJim]

offer's there if you need it.

Mike, you're welcome any time you like. Just let me know the day before and come on up... Dinner thrown in...

[Northern_Mike]

I have the great adventure that it the Berlingo MOT on Wednesday, so I shall let you know after that. There's one issue with it, perhaps two that I can think of. We'll see.. one is the weird horn and the other is a possible damaged balljoint boot. Well, presuming I'm up and running after Friday's adventure with a nose-drilling.

[citronut]

Dinner thrown in...

you dont want to go putting that in the hydraulic tank hun, unless theres lots of greens in it

[CitroJim]

Dinner thrown in...

you dont want to go putting that in the hydraulic tank hun, unless theres lots of greens in it

What's presently in there looks like a dog's dinner Malcolm

[Citroenmad]

Im sure there are jobs on that list that I can manage

Friday's adventure with a nose-drilling.

That sounds like fun

[Northern_Mike]

Im sure there are jobs on that list that I can manage

Friday's adventure with a nose-drilling.

That sounds like fun

Please feel free to take my place!

I'm S"£t scared to be honest. I think my fear of surgery (or rather general anaesthetics) would rival Jim's fear of flying..

[CitroJim]

I think my fear of surgery (or rather general anaesthetics) would rival Jim's fear of flying..

Swap 'ya.. Although I've never had any, I can say I have no fear of surgery and no fear whatsoever of the dentist. Mine and my hygienist are always staggered at my total calmness in the chair. Honestly, during the last root canal I very near fell asleep and it had nothing to do with anaesthetic...

Now, flying. No way. I'd need to be knocked unconscious before I ever fly again. It's so bad I even feel uncomfortable watching a plane flying on telly... Strange really as I've flown a huge amount in the past, including some bloody hair-raising ones on third-world airlines. An Air Malawi flight between Jo'burg and Lilongwe on an elderly BAC1-11 will always stick in the memory... My best flights have been aboard RAF VC10s and the very best on an RAF Herc. to Cyprus and back...

Mike, all the best for the rebore. It'll be the very best thing you will ever do Think of it like root canal treatment. Terrifying in prospect but the end result is fantastic...

[Citroenmad]

I hope it goes well for you mike, I've a strong dislike for anything hospital, doctor or dentist related! I sympathize

I'll see you Saturday then Jim, get some of these XM jobs ticked off the list

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

I'm petrified of anaesthetic. First time off, I had too much and it nearly put me to sleep permanently! My hernia op, although a very minor one (I was chucked out the same day!) was a major source of fear for me. As Mrs X-N will testify!

[Northern_Mike]

I think my fear of surgery (or rather general anaesthetics) would rival Jim's fear of flying..

Swap 'ya.. Although I've never had any, I can say I have no fear of surgery and no fear whatsoever of the dentist. Mine and my hygienist are always staggered at my total calmness in the chair. Honestly, during the last root canal I very near fell asleep and it had nothing to do with anaesthetic...

Now, flying. No way. I'd need to be knocked unconscious before I ever fly again. It's so bad I even feel uncomfortable watching a plane flying on telly... Strange really as I've flown a huge amount in the past, including some bloody hair-raising ones on third-world airlines. An Air Malawi flight between Jo'burg and Lilongwe on an elderly BAC1-11 will always stick in the memory... My best flights have been aboard RAF VC10s and the very best on an RAF Herc. to Cyprus and back...

Mike, all the best for the rebore. It'll be the very best thing you will ever do Think of it like root canal treatment. Terrifying in prospect but the end result is fantastic...

Well, sadly, as I have a stinking cold, they've put the operation off - 16th November I have to wait until. I have heeded your advice though, and I had actually got myself into a prepared state!

I have fallen asleep at the dentist three or four times now - all during root canals. What else is there to do? Your mouth is numb, you're lying on your back... Have a doze. Dentist hold no fear for me at all.

As for flying, I am no fan of it. I was ok when I was younger - first flight I ever had was on the Penzance-Scillies Helicopter as a 5 year old, A Sikorsy S-62. Interesting. Then a BAC1-11 from Manchester to London when we moved out to Hong Kong, then it was all DC-10s and 747s for years. Never had a problem with it until we landed in a Typhoon. Captain came on an hour out of Hong Kong and said it was likely to be "a little windy" - typical BA pilot understatement. 400 people on that plane had white knuckles and held their breath for an hour while we were tossed about like a feather. We were the last plane in for 2 days. I was 11. I have disliked flying ever since.

You can imagine my mental state last time I was in Brazil coming back from Florianopolis, trying to land at Sao Paulo Guarulhos in a thunderstorm on a Varig 737. 2 missed approaches was scary enough, but a touch-and-go is perhaps the scariest thing I ever experienced! Land, touch down, pilot realises he hasn't got room to stop because he landed too far down the runway, so cracks the throttles wide open again and pulls up steeply. We landed the next time around, though it just seemed like the captain threw the plane on the ground in desperation. We learnt later we couldn't divert elsewhere because Varig were in financial trouble, and the plane wasn't fuelled to go to an alternate airport..

Best flight ever? Probably the one from Budapest to London to see my first ever girlfriend. We were fog-bound in Budapest , so the airline gave us loads of drinks vouchers for the bar, so we got very, very drunk.. wouldn't allow you on the plane these days, but it was ok then!

[Northern_Mike]

I hope it goes well for you mike, I've a strong dislike for anything hospital, doctor or dentist related! I sympathize

I'll see you Saturday then Jim, get some of these XM jobs ticked off the list

Thanks for your kind wishes Chris! Sadly they've postponed it for a month because I have a stinking cold, but I shall remember your wishes when the time comes.

[Northern_Mike]

Ay up!

I'm petrified of anaesthetic. First time off, I had too much and it nearly put me to sleep permanently! My hernia op, although a very minor one (I was chucked out the same day!) was a major source of fear for me. As Mrs X-N will testify!

First time I had any was an emergency appendix removal on xmas day, 1993, in a Greek NHS hospital. They didn't give me enough. I woke up midway through.

I can tell you one thing. Having your appendix out *&$£ing hurts. The pain, for the 30 seconds I was awake for, was just awful. Tubes down my throat, hands strapped down. Fear took over, I snapped one of the straps and started wrenching the pipes out before the mask came down.

Second time my step-uncle did the anaesthetic. He's head of anaesthesia / hospital director at the KAT accident hospital in Athens. He didn't mess it up. Very good indeed.

I'm just scared of not waking up again really. But, like my mum says - why? You wouldn't know if you didn't.....

[ragger]

I really thought I was the only one who had ever fallen asleep in the dentist's chair during a root canal procedure! I hate the dentist in general, and the hygienist always gives me the terrors, but the chap who did my root canals just filled me with confidence and pain killers - a star.

[CitroJim]

My hygienist now has me using a new torture; interdental brushes - the little things that look like little bottle brushes.

I reckon hygienists are a bit. They really seem to enjoy prodding, drawing blood and scraping Mine's lovely though and her assistant is a little cutie

I'm so glad I didn't go through with my threat and offload the XM I needed to go to the optician and pick up my new glasses and today I'm full of myalgic aches and pains I really didn't fancy taking the Activa and having to change gear manually and operate a clutch so I took the XM and for one in huge discomfort it's just bloody magical

I filled her with LPG and really upset a Paxo owner who couldn't understand why I didn't pull forward to the vacant pumps beyond the LPG one. He beeped his horn and waved his arms and looked ferocious. When I got out and explained I would be using the LPG pump he was so apologetic Once at the pump and again at the pay desk!

I just can't wait for all the little issues to be sorted on the XM. It really is a car for me so tanks to all who stepped in and saved me

Wherever I park the XM it gets noticed

[Citroenmad]

Fun times with the Prestige then Jim

It can be very nice to have the use of an automatic, I do enjoy the laid back driving style they give.

Wherever I park the XM it gets noticed

I noticed this too, it does draw looks and I even had the odd comment too - good of course!

I find I always used to look back at it when I left it in a car park, its a very different looking car to anything else. Nots something I do in a Xantia I have to say.