Not a requested topic, but you're going to hear about my first bike riding lesson anyway. We went to Hendon, where Lestrade got his police training, and he convinced them to let us borrow their training track for a bit.
He went round a few times first, totake advantage of the lack of a speed limit show me how it was done. No wheelies, though. Mycroft's Housemaster clearly made an impression.
Then there was the lecture portion of the outing, with each point repeated several times and a Very Serious Expression. I'm relatively sure he was more worried about me than the bike. Probably.
And then I got to have a go.
It was brilliant. I want to go back. And then I want my own.
Maybe next time L will make fewer anxious and horrified faces. I wasn't going that fast.
He went round a few times first, to
Then there was the lecture portion of the outing, with each point repeated several times and a Very Serious Expression. I'm relatively sure he was more worried about me than the bike. Probably.
And then I got to have a go.
It was brilliant. I want to go back. And then I want my own.
Maybe next time L will make fewer anxious and horrified faces. I wasn't going that fast.
60 comments:
heheh
Go get yourself some proper training John, because the good schools are very good indeed.
But until then just remember... relax your arms, look where you want to go, and when cornering make a fast transition from upright to leaned over.
in other words... relax, look, and pull hard when the time is right!
(There's also slow in and fast out, squeeze slowly at first then with increasing force, and shift your backside when you need to. I'm sure Lestrade can demonstrate)
L - and just how fast does your bike go?
D - that reminds me of when my daughter phoned me after her first driving lesson. "It was great. I was doing 50mph."
That's so cool, John. What do you mean, "convinced them," though? Did he turn on the Sherlock-type puppy dog eyes?
Sounds like a great time. :-)
John - I'm sure he was thinking that you are impossible to replace in his life. =)
All teasing aside, your lesson sounds like it went very well. ... Do we want to know how fast you went on the training track?
-A from NW
Sounds great :-) Does this mean that future holidays may involve the two of you on bikes?
(I imagine that Sherlock's jealousy knows no bounds right now?)
I can just picture once Sherlock has got enough growing in, the four of you out on two bikes cruising. Hopefully by the time Sherlock is big enough Mycroft won't be too big. I was very sad when each of my nephews hit their phases of being too cool for any of us. Fortunately only the oldest one never really grew out of it.
I know they make baby carriers for bikes, maybe they make some sort of booster seat that you can securely strap Sherlock into?
I'm glad you had such a great time John!! Riding is really addictive.
That was me, Tink!
SH - It very comfortably does over a tonne. Not that I've discovered it's upper limit. But...yeah. With both of us on it, I'd estimate at least 130mph.
Anon - the problem for Sherlock is he can't get his feet on the pegs, wouldn't be able to see where he's going to prepare for it, and it's pretty hard to find really small safety gear.
Once he's tall enough to get his feet on the pegs he can ride off-road with me.
A from NW - John really should get some proper training, on a bike more suited to learning. But the Striple is a fairly good first bike for a confident new rider. Very responsive, very well balanced, and the brakes aren't too vicious - so good in the wet for a beginner.
Danger - the faces weren't because of your speed. They were because you did things I wouldn't do. Or didn't do things I would do. Or did things too late. Or too early. But none of it mattered, because you did fine, and you enjoyed it, and you didn't make any serious mistakes. I was just nervous for you.
I was very much more worried about you than the bike. I've crashed enough bikes, I've never had to watch someone I loved fall off. And don't plan to.
I can see how it would be more worrying watching than doing, especially as youve had crash experience, L, even if we tease about worrying about the bike more. :) Well done on the ride, John!
I'm dismayed that Montreal bagels are behind, though; having had both Montreal and NY bagels they are clearly superior. *huffs* I'll attribute this lapse to the geographical breakdown of your readers ;)
Also, being social as I'm spending the weekend with an aunt and uncle means Ive not had a chance to draw more yet :/. Will keep you posted.
I haven't had New York ones, but it's hard to imagine them being better than Montreal ones. Still, I'm perfectly happy to try them and see! I did vote for Montreal in the mean time.
Will keep you posted.
Good, good. Doing it every day isn't easy with relatives around.
...That sounded better in my head.
Doing it every day isn't easy with relatives around.
But never has a truer word been spoke. Typed.
never has a truer word been spoke. Typed.
*giggle snort*
John, there is nothing to compare with New York bagels. All others are inferior copies. I speak the truth!
Oh, and while I didn't specifically ask, I did say that I was sure the bike lesson would make a great blog post--and it sounds like it was a blast!
I'm not even sure I've ever eaten a bagel
Just one more reason you lot have to come to New York at some point!
Ever had a stale doughnut? It's a lot like a bagel.
(I kid, I kid!)
Watch yourself, you!
:D
Real bagels are boiled AND baked. Most "bagels" are just baked. It makes a world of difference.
Boiled? Right.
Maybe I should try and make some. Danger seems enthusiastic about them.
Yes, boiled. First boiled, then baked. It's ESSENTIAL! Without that, it's just donut-shaped bread.
I dreamed last night that you all came to New York to visit. It was lovely. :) (Bagels were not in the dream. Times Square was. Go figure.)
I don't really understand why something you put filling in has a hole... um, so to speak...you know what I mean!
Hardly ever. Not all of us have such devious minds. :)
I have no idea why bagels have a hole in the middle. Maybe because it bakes faster that way? More crust? (I'm just guessing.)
I don't know why donuts have a hole in the middle either, if it comes to that. It's a puzzlement.
I don't really understand why something you put filling in has a hole
.......uh huh. I'm not saying anything else, for fear you'll ring my mum again.
If doughnuts didn't have holes, how would you get doughnut holes?!
.......uh huh. I'm not saying anything else, for fear you'll ring my mum again.
Hahahaha!
I'm sure she's asleep. Like you should be
I'll call her in the morning.
New York bagels, hands down. You can't get them anywhere else, they're great because of the water. (Although Montreal, given its location, possibly has the same water, that is, the great lakes.)
I was once working 18 hour days on a political campaign in New Hampshire (I was 19 and didn't need to sleep, those were the days) when a friend brought back two dozen bagels from one of the best bagel shops in nyc. All the people from other states didn't understand what the fuss was about, until they tried one. Instant converts!
IJS, you New York bagel happy folk, have you /tried/ Montreal bagels? If so and you're still misguided, well there's nothing I can do for you. But if you haven't, you don't know amazing. Not yet. ;)
John, hah yes it is hard to do when relatives are around. ;). Also hard to do at 2 am once they've fallen asleep -- what started as a halfway decent sketch has gone hideously pear shaped. It now is giving me disturbing Disney overtones. I think it's the eyes.... I'll see when I'm home tomorrow if I can do anything to salvage it. :/
And it's shortly going to be 2 am here all over again. Thanks, daylight savings (you miserable thing).
I should point out for accuracy that it's only ring doughnuts that have holes, jam doughnuts don't.
But aren't there also jam doughnuts holes? Or are they called someting else?
DW - jam doughnuts aren't ring-shaped, they're more like the two halves of a burger bun stuck together, the jam is in the centre. There is no hole.
Although I suppose they do look a bit like giant doughnut holes...
(Or did you mean something else? It's far too early for my poor brain to be coping with all this talk of holes :-p)
Jam doughnuts are big balls (so to speak) and the jam is injected into them after they're cooked.
I don't know what doughnut holes are. Apart from holes in doughnuts.
This whole conversation is confusing at this time of the morning.
Heh, right, so apparently when trying to think of how to describe the shape of a jam doughnut, I forgot "balls". Definitely something wrong with my brain this morning...
Lestrade - you can buy things that are like miniature jam doughnuts (except they don't have any filling), that are called "doughnut holes". The implication is that they're the bit taken out of the middle of ring doughnuts (imagine you could get tiny round white mints, called Polo holes. Same concept, only with doughnuts).
You can't have had more than a couple hours of sleep, Lestrade, go back and get some more!
Donuts are light and fluffy (and ought to be deep fried, traditionally); bagels are dense and chewy and are boiled and baked and made in New York, :) the only thing they have in common are their shape.
Donut holes are little balls of donut dough supposedly the size and shape of the hole in a ring donut but really larger.
And I can't see a blessed thing I just typed, my eyes won't focus.
Nameless, that's exactly what I was talking about. Apologies for the confusion. Apparently neither my coherency nor my descriptiveness are quite up to snuff before 5 am.
What's wrong with your eyes, RR? Are you alright?
Sore throat-type cold = highly inadequate amount of sleep. Which leads to my eyes not focussing properly.
The OTC sleeping pills I took last night in an effort to get an adequate amount of sleep might also have something to do with it.
You should follow your own advice, then.
Go. Back. To. Bed.
Just be more convincing about it than Lestrade. :D
In general, though, there seems to be a lack of enough-sleep-getting by the writers/readers of these blogs. Clearly, we all need a really good bedtime story. If only we knew someone who allegedly had prowess in that area...
I am in bed. In a minute I'm going to get up and have about a gallon of (decaf) tea, though, and try for a nap layer.
LaTEr. Try for a nap later. *sigh*
Nameless, where can you buy doughnut holes? I've never seen them. Although to be honest not knowing they existed I've never looked for them either.
Small Hobbit - Sainsburys, and I think Tescos as well - probably most big supermarket chains. Normally in the baked goods aisle along with boxes of miniature flapjacks and brownies and the like. Ideal for when you have to provide cakes at work on your birthday :-)
John, did you and Sherlock have a bit of a lie in after the excitement last night?
We were both still asleep when L got home, amazingly. Of course, Sherlock has hearing like a cat so that only lasted about ten seconds after he got in the door.
That's got to be about two hours later than he usually gets up, right? Big night. :)
I don't really understand why something you put filling in has a hole... um, so to speak...you know what I mean! Lestrade, you master, look how you managed to drop some heavy innuendo, disclaim it, and walk away with your hands in your pockets, whistling innocently, all in one sentence!
Sherlock, I went to a party last night and made my best friend send me this, which he had as the background image for his phone. It made me think of you, though I know you won't get the allusion made. John and Lestrade, do you? Did America inflict that show on an unsuspecting England back in the day?
(Nameless, the party was interesting indeed! Popeye's fried chicken and biscuits and sides, Velveeta & Rotel, Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, "Cherry Fizz" beer, etc. I made a mushroom, spinach, and cheddar risotto and my friends, the hosts, accused me of trying to class the place up.)
Sounds like a great time, innie. :)
Chicken in a Biscuit crackers
...What? I think at that party I'd stick to your risotto.
Everyone at the party warned me - a vegetarian - not to eat the Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, as if I was in danger of scarfing down the entire box. They're thin little butter crackers that actually have "dehydrated cooked chicken" as one of the ingredients. Also, bonus MSG!
I didn't eat much (didn't even taste the risotto), but I did have a biscuit or two with the Velveeta & Rotel mixture and it was, I must admit, delicious.
Christ, no one tell the army about those. Sounds like exactly the sort of thing they'd love to stick in a ration pack.
And what's Rotel?
Innie - mushroom, spinach and cheddar risotto sounds delicious :-) Chicken in a Biscuit crackers sound... well, I was going to say "interesting", but I think I mean "unpleasant" :-p (another veggie here, btw).
I know Velveeta is a soft cheese type thing, but what's Rotel?
Oh, and yeah, we had The Dukes Of Hazzard here, back in the day. Am now imagining Sherlock in a white stetson.
Let's not encourage him to fight the system like a modern day Robin Hood. He'd be far too successful...
Innie - I don't drop heavy innuendo! Not in the house, anyway, it's hell to get out of the carpets.
Let's not encourage him to fight the system like a modern day Robin Hood. He'd be far too successful...
And this would be bad because....? :)
Ha! Nice try, L!
DW, it was a fun time - I'm not usually much for parties because I don't drink, and there are few things less fun than being the only sober person in a large group, but this one was good.
Apparently, I was misspelling Chicken in a Biskit. Somehow, that makes it even grosser. And I'd never heard of Rotel until last night, but it's apparently more common in the South. It's just tomatoes and chilies, which you mix with cheese or "cheese" (Velveeta) as a dip.
Sherlock in a white stetson would be adorable! Glad to know that the insanity of The Dukes of Hazzard made it over there - I can recall a conversation with some friends in high school where we all confessed the different versions of the sheriff's name we'd misheard. His name was Rosco P. Coltrane, which I'd heard as Rosco Pecoe (I liked rhymes). The best was my friend Dave, who'd always heard it as Rosco Pickletrain. Ah, memories.
Ah. I'm glad someone explained what that picture was from. I wasn't following that at all.
Being sober is great when you're the Designated Driver. Just stop at every gas station and make them cough up for a full tank even if you don't fill up. :D
innie, you're my captcha! It says "innierma"
Hee, as in, "Look, I'm even innier, Ma!"? Like, "Look, Ma - no hands!"
The Dukes of Hazzard was a deeply stupid show, but it was one of those things that became a cultural touchstone. Have you ever heard the slang phrase "Daisy Dukes"? They're named for a character on the show, who routinely wore extreeeeeemely short denim shorts. Oh, DoH, what hast thou wrought?
Well, they were making their way the only way they knew how. ;). I was always worried about their car after making those jumps. Speaking of, I actually saw a car painted like the General Lee stopped at a traffic light once.
Innie, we have Chicken in a Biskit here in Australia, too. There's a range of "In A Biskit" flavours. I used to eat the Potato in a Biskit (veggie here, too). But my favourite was the Burger in a Biskit - tasted like cheeseburgers but was actually vegetarian.
We grew up with The Dukes of Hazzard, too.
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