I managed to get myself a 3 year driving ban many moons ago.. Stupidly managed to get a license and lose it within a year. 
I don't by regrets at all, but i can only imagine that my insurance would be cheaper if I didn't get banned! 
I've always loved the look of the mk3 Ibizas, something nice and subtle about the shape. At the time, they weren't a very common car in the area, and not many people truly knew the capabilities of these, and then 1.8 20vt engine. 
Today though, is a very different story, these cars go so cheap, and a half decent one on high miles can be picked up for around £1000-£1500! Making them a cheap, fast hatchback. With simple mods, these can push around 240bhp, in something that doesnt weight much, makes for a lot of fun!

I just wanted to post up a couple of pics of my mates Leon. Its not to everyones tastes, but personally.. I think its pretty nice! 
I guess others must like it too, as its currently getting shot for FastCar magazine. The photographer is loving the moody shots of the derelict building in the background. That, mixed with a very modern looking car in a standard SEAT Kiwi green, makes for a really good contrast! 
For a couple more pics and a quick summary, press the Read More.. 

You meet people in your life, people who will make a lasting impression; who will affect your life so much that you will always remember them. I know plenty of people like this, I have so many funny stories to tell, ranging from fake kidnappings to very stupid camping trips involving too many illegal substances.. 
The character to the left is someone who I believe cannot be forgotten, for good and bad reasons.
To this day, I still find it hard making conversation with people, especially when you know nothing about them. I can become shy and awkward, especially around people with big personalities. 
Press Read more..

Got home last Monday, walked into the kitchen to find a couple of Cadbury Roses tins. Now from memory, these are only ever filled with lots of chocolates, or lots of cakes. Typically used by mother to put her cakes in. I thought, great, in for a treat here! But sadly they were filled with memories. 
As of Monday, my aunt with diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she was given months to live, with a very slim chance of seeing out Christmas. 

Well its been a long time coming, but I made a start on taking parts off the car. It wasn't as hard as I thought.. I tend to get emotionally attached to things very easily, and with me loving my car, I thought taking parts of would get to me. 
I know a lot of people who go through a lot of cars.. They modify them, then sell them, and get a new toy. I 'm the opposite, I buy something, and keep it for as long as I can .. which has always been the wrong thing to do, now that I look back and see my track record. Its not good..
The Ibiza Cupra nearly skinted me, £10 a day to get to work and back.. The Audi A4 was literally falling apart, and could of killed me! And now the A3, which has been broken more times then its been fixed. 
So far I've took off the rear lights, Headunit, steering wheel, gearknob, floor mats and parcel shelf. Those have been sold and made me a bit of money. All being replaced with standard parts. I will then get it put on eBay. Was going to advertise it locally first, but thinking I'll just bite the bullet and get it put on there. Once its gone... then its gone. Oh, and now I'm back at work.. fun!

Well I needed to start looking at what was involved.. and its a lot more then I thought!
New Zealand appears to have the easiest methods, and I got accepted to move there easily in 2008.. 115 points, when they only require 100.

Now, moving to Australia is that little bit more difficult. The EOI stays open for 2 years on their SkillSoft page. It costs around $360 to apply for a Migrant Working Visa, which is great.. but The problem is that your qualifications/certificates have to be approved, and that process will only be there for a maximum of 30 days,. and at a cost of $400! And there isn't a guarantee that your qualifications match any of the ones that are required.. so that $400 could be a complete waste of money! thats a scary thought. Is it just worth getting a working holiday visa, and staying for 12 months, and a maximum of 6 months at a time with a chosen employer.. 

Well I had to go up to bonny Scotland on Tuesday the 3rd.. which meant a lovely 3 and a half hour drive there! Alarm set for 6 and also a slight lack of sleep the night before didn't help.
The drive wasn't too bad, but I was expecting more when I got there.. I expected to see a lot of ginger people, with kilts on, eating shortbread and haggis! 
Instead, I got introduced to Motherwell.. which compares to the slums of India. Its basically not the nicest place to visit. Appears to be heavily based on industry, and common. Common to the point that trying to understand anyone who comes from the area is impossible. 
I can only hope that visits to Dalzell are few and far between. 

I've now been sticking to my jogging schedule for over a week now. I feel loads better about myself! 
On a sprint, I can do a mile in just over 9 minutes. Which I've managed to get down by over 2 minutes. Just shows how unfit I actually am! 
I tend not to do that though, as I'm not really increasing my overall fitness, and tend just to kill my legs in the process.. 
SO I cover just under 3 miles every night, along the beach to Saltburn, then through the woods back home. According to the app I use (MySportsTracker) the altitude changes by over 100feet, and my average speed is usually around 6mph. So I can cover just under 3 miles in around 32 minutes. This is pretty good considering the fact it isn't flat ground.. far from it!
I'm definitely loving this new part of my life, really does make me feel loads better about the direction I'm heading. 
The main point of this little post, which i'm completely missed, is the fact that we have a sauna hidden away in the conservatory. Its main purpose is to hold the dog food.. so I thought it was about time it actually got used!! So started it up before I went off on my little jogging journey, came home to the sauna at around 70 to 80 degrees. Had a quick freezing cold shower and got it! Managed to get it up to 90 degrees before I nearly passed out ! Seriously warm, as you can probably guess.. water does boil at 100 degrees, so I wasn't that far from it! 
Definitely worth it though. I feel really refreshed, and relaxed. I wont make a habit of it, but once a month would be nice.

I cant believe the mixed weather we've had this week! I saw videos of the thunder storm and flooding in Newcastle yesterday, and now its boiling hot today! 
I cant keep up with it!
It hasn't put me off jogging though, been sticking to my schedule, but adding a mile here and there, just to try and speed the process of getting fit up a bit! 
I have managed to knock over 2 minutes off my 1 mile time too! which i'm really impressed with. Its a sign that I'm definitely doing the right thing. I feel better in myself too, happier!
I'm going to start sellings bits off the Audi soon, getting it put back to standard to sell. RNS-E headunit, and multifunctional steering wheel are going to get sold! and whatever else I fancy.. 

I've mentioned before how life seems to be passing me by, and I feel like I'm stuck in a bit of a rut! I want to improve myself, and I need to start this by upping my fitness. I have an 8 week schedule, which I've downloaded from the internet. I believe I will excel, from this though. Its a starting point.. a stepping stone in the right direction. I'm going to stick to it, and then move on to more of a challenge. 
From this, I want to improve my outlook on life, and carry on learning new things, and improving myself in any way I can.