Update + The Big Hill

I'm just back from going to Barton for Easter and fetching my beautiful blue bike so I thought I'd do a quick update. It's going to be quick firstly because the new series of Gavin and Stacey is on in half an hour, and secondly because I'm very tired having biked up the big hill from Machynlleth for the first time. By saying that, I don't mean I actually biked up. I biked to the bottom of the hill, and then wheeled my bike up, stopping several times to rest and pant on the way. I love my bike, but I'm sure that once I've done that a few times, I will hate it. I was so puffed out by the time I got home that I actually felt sick, and carried on feeling sick for about half an hour. If I ever do get up that hill without getting off the bike, I'm going to have a party.

The train journey from Mach to Burton on Trent is really nice - a pretty quick and also pictoresque 2 1/4 hours to Birmingham, then half an hour to Burton on Trent. The trains weren't at all full so there was no problem with my bike.

The first couple of weeks at CAT have been really good. I have:
- cleaned out a boiler with a wire brush
- assisted in making electrofusion-welded pipe joints
- lagged said pipe joints by cutting little bits out of some yellow foam and fitting it round the pipe
- been sent to First Aid with bright yellow stuff coming out of my nose due to dust from said yellow foam
- learned how to operate a mini-digger and used it to fill up a wood chip container
- done quite a bit of tidying round the site
- learned a lot about how boilers work
- been introduced to about 500 people, about 5 of whom I can remember their name
- started thinking about my project and learning about solar water heating
- performed a dance dressed in a bright yellow padded waterproof, white hardhat and blue overalls with 5 other engineers
- walked for an hour and a half to get to the pub

And in my spare time I've been studying and playing spider solitaire. A pretty full couple of weeks all in all!

The big move

I've spent most of the last few weeks packing, chucking stuff out, selling things and giving things away. It all seems like a dream now however because I'm finally in Wales and did my first day today at the Centre for Alternative Technology, or CAT as it's known by locals.

It might sound silly but I do really feel like I'm in Wales. It's not just the roadsigns because you just don't really notice them after a while. It could just be because it's rained almost constantly since I crossed the border. I'm living in a house that is halfway up a hillside, on farmland about 4 miles out of Machynlleth. It's beautiful and windy and surrounded by fields. My landlady and her daughter both speak Welsh and have already taught me a few things. I don't think I'm going to have the time to try and learn much Welsh while I'm here, I do love the sound of it though.

My first day was pretty good. I learned how to operate the funicular railway, changed a strip light, and stoked a boiler. Expect more of this kind of talk in the future! :)

I won't go into it now because I'm not really over the trauma but I've had some really bad problems with Sidney over the last few weeks, which culminated in a distressed RAC call at 3pm on Friday (as in, the day before I was supposed to be driving from one side of the country to the other in it). He was a very very very nice man and managed to fix the car with impressive speed - I'm guessing he gets paid per job completed. One thing I learned from the experience is that having a crap car is a great way to meet men. Not only men, but manly, chivalrous men, that like to help a lady in distress. Just before the RAC call, Sidney stalled on the Coldham's Lane roundabout, on the inside lane, and I was pushed to safety by two lovely and pretty foxy men who were only too happy to help me. Then whilst trying to work out the problem (turned out the petrol gauge was wrong, and I had no petrol. I filled him up and drove off whooping and cheering but then slowed to a halt again, which was when I called the RAC. I managed to not burst into tears this time though) and was helped by one of the foxiest men I have ever seen who had apparently had a mini a few years before. The RAC man wasn't bad either.