andrewnicol.net - blog

Sailing on a race track

It was a beautiful day in Papamoa this morning and as with most stunning days I longed to sail, but today that seemed like just to much like hard work.

So I decided to con my brother Craig into going Blokarting . The first thing you noticed when you were walking to the race track was the silence. The same silence that you experience when you cut the motor on a yacht and move to sail power. It is incredible.

With the briefing aside we were ready to race. Team Craig with co-pilot Kyla on-board, and Team Andrew with co-pilot Talia. I'm not sure who won because we passed them more often but they did more laps. Figure that out if you please.

Kyla is convinced that they won and Talia thought it was boring so kicked back for a rest.

Anyway, in my mind it was worth the $15 for 15 minutes, although another 5 knots of breeze would have made it a heap more fun. Craig was to heavy so kept coming to a almost complete stop.

8 out of 10, will be 10 out of 10 when they can guarantee a good breeze.

A funny oxymoron

The camping ground that we are staying at as a strict no Alcohol policy. You CAN NOT bring alcohol onto the site.

So imagine my surpirse when the hand gel in the toilets is alcohol based. You would think you could get a different kind of hand gel.

Family Holiday

Today we (the Nicol family) started a traditional kiwi holiday at Papamoa.

OK, given the fact I am blogging from our caravan, maybe its not quite as traditional as kiwi holidays used to be.

A review of my blog

"In short I thought I would start shouting into the wind..."

And with those words my blog began. Like most things in my life my blog has proven to be random, distracted thoughts. It comes and goes depending on my mood and has had three major changes to its look and feel.

It will continue to change because I love change. It will continue to be random and change in writing style because I am always learning and experiencing different things.

Anyway here are a few of my favourate posts etc from each month since Aug last year.

Old Posts

Old & New  ... Lost after 3 years is the new car smell, it now has one of those car airfreshener smells . A smell that you know is hiding a potentially more potent odour, the way lighting a match in the toilet tries to hide a foul stench... read more [nb this is my most commented post a whole 3 comments]

Origin Pacific falls from the Never Never Land ... In my opinion Origin was doomed to failure before their first flight left the ground. They tried to behave and act like super powers, then align themselves with super powers like Qantas, rather than establishing profitable niche markets ... read more

Authentic Community ...I think this small business called agóge. This business with people from all over the world, with varying educations, from different religions and diverse upbringings is starting to become an authentic community ... read more

Woolgathering at 17,000 ft about the Marlborough Sounds ... I sit in the ATR, transfixed at the sight of the Marlborough Sounds out my window and grateful for the relief from a tiring day that woolgathering about the Sounds allows. ... read more

Flying an Alpha 160 ... "It is like climbing into a new car when you have been used to driving a car that is 25 years old." ... read more

Most enjoyable book

Blue like Jazz - Donald Miller.

Best quote

"I’ve always thought smack in the middle of a contradiction is a great place to be!"  Bono - U2

Cabin Pressure (2001)

I watched this movie last night about a plane that flys itself, and is hacked into by an old disgruntled employee.

Never ever ever watch this movie. Bad plot, long winded and bad acting. The most amusing thing is it was found in the horror section at the video shop.

You have been warned.

I ended the year a loser!

For those of you who know me even a little bit, you will know that I am not at all competitive. Well maybe just a little bit, ok I'm very competitive!

On New Years Eve we decided to head to the Natzkes for a BBQ and see the new year in with them and some of their friends. As the night progressed we started playing Sing Star which is always a heap of fun. Somehow (because most people were stone deaf at the beginning) I managed to have a final duel with Kris McDonald and I lost badly.

After humming my way through a song I bearly knew and being shown up as a sing star fraud (similar to Milli Vanilla in 1990) I decided to turn my hands to 500. I thought I must be able to win cards and while I won the occasional hand we lost both games. Great! what a interesting tribute to 2006.

In 500 the other night I only got the joker once, and the left or right jacks a couple of times. A night of being dealt bad hands.

Now here is the interesting thing. I play 500 like I do life (although I generally win more than I lose).

• I love to make call (even if I have nothing to play) because I like a challenge.
• If I have a really bad hand, I just want to bail.
• I can make generally turn some pretty bad hands into winners.
• I am continually reading people.

I talked to Rob about playing him at golf. May be then I could start this year a winner. :-)

DREAMING

"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives."

William Dement - sleep researcher

Flying an Alpha 160A update

A brief update on flying in the clubs other Alpha (ZK-WJH) which I flew this morning. I did some glide approaches then went solo in the Alpha.

Observations
- The stall warning seems to function heaps better in this plane. I only heard it when I expected to.
- Only having two flap settings 10 & 35 Degrees is a pain on a glide approach. I duffed the first one because I put full flap down to early.

Still great aircraft to fly. Since I have done a solo I am back to normal PPL lessons.