What’s the Point of an iPad?

The Top 10 things I use my iPad for.

Filofax

In the olden days I had a hardback diary, an address book, a scribbled to-do list. A notebook. A scrapbook of cuttings and notes for my latest project. Later on this became a filofax (a really nice one with a green leather cover). Nowadays everything is held electronically and kept in-sync between my computer, phone, and iPad wirelessly. I use the tablet most of all. It’s faster to start-up than the computer, more portable, and has a bigger screen than the phone. (This’ll be a running theme.)

Newspaper

Flipboard is a great little app that pulls in content from all over the web (you pick and choose) and turns it into a personalised electronic newspaper. Headlines from the BBC, local news from the Reading Chronicle, tech news from Wired, etc.

Web Browsing.

Pretty much anything I can do on the web I can do on my iPad. Managing our movie rental list. Paying bills. Checking if that guy in BSG is Badger from Firefly. Without waiting for a computer to boot up or reading webpages on a tiny phone screen. It’s an instant web interface.

Phone Calls & Social Networking

Before breakfast each day I sit down with a cuppa and catch up on my messages and social circle news via email, Twitter, and Facebook. Using Skype’s free phone calls and video conferencing we’ve called friends and family who, inconveniently, live all over the place. (Even though we only have the wi-fi version, with apps like Skype and Beluga, the iPad can be used as a phone.)

E-book Reader

Rather than buy a separate device I use the Kindle and iBook apps on my iPad. It works for PDFs like Grand Prix Plus magazine and my knitting patterns from Ravelry too.

Portable T.V.

Whilst away from the lounge I use BBC Iplayer and TV Catchup to watch live and on-demand television. Dr Who during the ironing. Sky News when I’m brushing my teeth.

Set-top Box

By connecting the iPad to our TV we can watch movies, shows, and video clips from the internet. For example, we regularly watch The Totally Rad Show in HD. We can view You Tube, our home videos, and any shows we have digital copies of too.

Recipe book and stand

I’ve moved all my recipes to a free online cloud service called “Evernote”. Adding more to this homemade database by typing them in, photographing them, or clipping them straight from the web. Once in there they’re fully searchable by tags I’ve added (like cheese, salad, main course, etc) or by text in the recipe, including the photgraphed recipes. I can look at them on my iphone when I’m shopping for ingredients but when I’m at home I use the iPad as my recipe book and use the cover as a stand to prop it up in the kitchen when I’m cooking. Evernote is awesomesauce.

Hand-held Games Machine

It’s my go-to device for portable gaming above and beyond simple mobile phone games. Meaty games, fab graphics, at extremely cheap prices. Often with lengthy free playable demos. All directly downloadable to the device. Currently I’m having trouble putting Dragon Vale down as I’m busy cross-breeding dragons to discover new dragon breeds.

Digital Photo Frame

On paper the iPad has a 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi). In reality it makes photos spellbindingly beautiful. Included in the operating system is a little photo frame app. When the iPad’s screen is ‘locked’ press the photo button to start a slideshow of photos stored on the device (configurable in Settings). Used with the Apple iPad cover that works as a stand, the whole thing easily converts into a digital photo frame when it’s not in use or charging. A wireless, wi-fi enabled photoframe. Photos can be added by email, wirelessly over the home network, or saved directly from the web (e.g. From Facebook). I use an app called PhotoSync to send photos straight from my phone to the iPad.

Camping: Tent Review: Vango versus Quechua… Fight!

On our last camping trip we used the Vango Orchy 500 as our main tent with a Quechua Base Seconds Full as a separate kitchen/utility tent. This was spacious and convenient but pitching and packing away was a pain. In total it took 3 hours to dismantle and pack away camp and an hour of that was just packing away the Vango. In comparison it took just minutes to put away the Quechua.

3 hours is a long time when you have to be off a pitch by 11am. The longer it took the more tired we became and the slower we moved. We made it by 11 but were shattered and facing a long drive home.

Since then I’ve been thinking, is it worth taking the Vango? I love the size of the Vango, it’s massive. It’s well designed. The windows make it feel spacious and light. It’s withstood gale force winds and rain storms. However if it’s raining you can’t have the doors open and it’s a labour intensive, slow job to pitch it and pack it away. The tent’s still sitting in our garage waiting to be dried out because it’s so big we need a really dry day to get it out on the lawn.

When we arrived at our pitch it was poaring down with rain. We’d been driving for 5 hours with the dogs in the car. We all needed to get some fresh air, stretch our legs, and have a drink before even thinking about pitching the Vango. So we grabbed the Quechua out of the car and popped it up. Within 10 minutes we were sheltered from the rain with the kettle on.

Using the Quechua Base Seconds Full with our 2 Seconds III attached makes a similar tent design as the Vango (one porch plus one sleeping area). I used this set up when I went camping earlier in the year (see photo above). It’s a much smaller living space and the two tents aren’t actually attached to each other. Also they both take up more room in the car than the Vango.

However they are _much_ easier to pitch and pack. We could have camp set up in minutes rather than hours. The lack of space could be helped by adding a 2 Seconds I (£25) as a storage tent (or perhaps even our Wild Country Duolite Tourer) to the 2nd tent attachment point. Another advantage is these tents are much more convenient to dry when you get home. With the modular system you can dry one tent at a time by just popping it up in the garden for half an hour.

We could, of course, sell the Vango and replacing it with a quick-to-pitch alternative. Like Vango’s new Velocity 400 (£415) or Quechua’s Seconds Family 4.1 (£180). However this is a more expensive option and isn’t as flexible as a modular system of three smaller tents.

For our next trip, we’ll use the Quechua tents instead and see if we can cope with sacrificing a bit of space in exchange for less back-breaking work.

Links:

Quechua Base Seconds Full review.

Quechua 2 Seconds III review.

Vango Orchy 500 quick review.

Comment: Google + Meh

Those who follow me on Twitter or read this blog have probably guessed by now that I’m not a huge fan of Facebook. The initial idea was a work of genius but over time the site’s evolved into an insidious mess. Adverts and games that spam your friends. An unintuitive interface. Constantly changing privacy settings that seem designed to be confusing. Mystifying groups and pages (does anyone understand the difference?) Plus, if you’re naive enough to “Like” something on the web, waves of marketing updates.

The evolution of a shiny new prime social network is long overdue.

Google+ is the latest challenger. At first glance it seems refreshingly clean and simple. Selective Circles of contacts are definitely a power-up. However Google+ feels like Google’s Facebook. It’s not innovative enough. It’s CDs to MiniDiscs not CDs to MP3s. To get the crowds in there needs to be a real advantage to moving.

Then there’s the thought of putting it all into Google’s basket. If they’re handling my social networking, my diary, my address book, my documents, my check-ins, and my email they know everything there is to know about me and everything about my friends too. It doesn’t matter if only select Circles of people can see only what I let them see. Google can see the lot. That birthdate, mobile phone number, and home address that I so carefully avoid putting out there is now in the hands of the behemoth that is Google. And yours too because you’re in my address book.

In my view, any company hoping to make money through data mining and marketing via a social networking site will invariably fail to build the next big thing. The shiny new social network will be built by a genius seeing a way to significantly change people’s social lives for the better along with a userbase that grabs it with both hands because they recognise an honest revolution.

Google+? Meh.

App Review – A Smattering of iPhone Apps

It’s difficult to know what it would be like to own a device without seeing what it’s like to USE a device and, for me with the current generation of smart phones, that’s all about the apps.

So here are some of my top apps on my iPhone. This is in no way an exhaustive list of what comes pre-installed and what I’ve added. This is just a smattering of apps excluding, for example, all games (I have a LOT of apps on my phone).

Phone Calls & Messaging:

Phone (included) – The stories about bad reception with the iPhone seemed to dry up the moment it was available on more than just the incredibly poor AT&T network in the States. I’ve never had issues with dropped calls or bad reception using my phone in the UK. FaceTime (free video calling) is fun if you know someone else with an iPhone but as it’s not cross-platform it’s not that useful.

Messages (included) – Traditional text messaging. For me this has been replaced by Beluga, WhatsApp, and Twitter DMs. Probably an issue with my network provider (O2) but I find that text messages can get significantly delayed before being delivered which makes them totally pointless whereas Beluga, for example, is consistently fast. Plus with other messaging services I don’t need to worry about monthly limits and I can text my friends who live abroad.

Beluga (free) – An app I’ve written about before here. Free international cross-platform group text messaging. Brilliant.

WhatsApp (59p) – Another free text messaging app. This one has a Blackberry app (rather than Blackberry users needing to use their web browser) so it’s more BB friendly than Beluga. However the design isn’t quite as clean.

Mail (included) – A basic email app which can handle multiple accounts.

Social Networking:

Echofon Pro (£2.99) – A great Twitter client and I’ve pretty much tried them all. Stable app with regular updates. Echofon wins over the others for me as it includes push notifications so @replies, direct messages, new followers, etc. are pinged to you even if the app is closed. Free ad-supported version available.

Facebook (free) – The standard free Facebook app. It’s buggy as hell, notifications are unreliable, and I hate facebook’s poorly designed rambling complexity but until everyone’s on Twitter, or a better social networking site takes off, resistance seems futile.

Foursquare (free) – The number 1 geolocation check-in social network. I love Foursquare although there are obvious security issues with saying “I’m not home” so I’m only Foursquare friends with close friends and family. It’s useful for bumping into people in town (I fancy a coffee, oh look my friend’s at Starbucks), letting friends know you’ve arrived at a venue, finding hints & tips about places, and keeping track of when you visited somewhere. Plus there’s the whole competitive points-scoring, mayorships, and badges side which makes it a fun game too.

Music:

Spotify (free) – With our premium Spotify account I can stream music from Spotify’s servers to my phone ad-free and download music to listen to offline. Plus I can create, amend, and delete my Spotify playlists. Requires a paid Spotify account.

Sonos Controller (free) – A free controller app for the Sonos stereo we have. Used more often than not with our Spotify streaming service by creating playlists with the Spotify app and then playing them on our stereo using our Sonos app.

iPod (included) – Not used for music anymore (see above) but I do listen to audio podcasts. Formula 1 podcasts, audiobooks, beer podcasts, comedy shows. Podcasts are awesome.

SoundTracking (free) – A music check-in social networking app that I’m trying out. Seems fun so far. (Replaces my #nowplaying tweets.)

Productivity & Organisation:

CalenGoo (£3.99) – An excellent google calendar app. A solution we found when Nev and I were looking for one shared calendar without syncing headaches between Apple’s iCal and Microsoft’s calendar. Works perfectly syncing over the air with both of us able to create, amend, and delete events.

Notes (included) – Very simple note making app.

Contacts (included) – Address book. For me this syncs with my main address book as I use a Mac so it’s perfect. For PC users probably not so helpful.

RE.minder (£2.39) – I’ve raved about this app before on twitter. It’s a very simple app that allows you to set yourself a reminder to go off at a time of your choice. Recent updates have added more functionality without impacting usability. Free ad-supported version available.

Evernote (free) – I use my free Evernote account, amongst other things, for all my recipes. This app lets me access my recipes on the hoof. Evernote is just free and fabulous.

Dropbox (free) – Access your Dropbox on your phone. Dropbox is an online service for saving files to a ‘cloud’ and accessing them from all your computers. Dropbox is also free and fabulous.

Wunderlist (free) – Simple list making app that sync between devices. Very useful for shopping lists and packing lists.

Momento (£1.79) – Diary app that imports entries from Twitter, Foursquare, blog entries, Flikr, etc. I’ve written about Momento before here, it’s one of my favourite apps.

Blogging:

Tumblr (free) – A simple app with barely any functionality from the Tumblr team. It’s just enough to post a Daily Walkies photo though.

BlogPress (£1.79) – A better blogging app than the WordPress one which often crashes. Still not brilliantly designed though. A bit unintuitive and scruffy looking. Still on the look-out for something better.

Posterous (free) – Simple app for posting to Posterous blogs. I use it for Knotty Knittings.

Photography:

Camera (included) – 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording. My only camera these days.

Instagram (free) – A simple photo editing (filters and tilt-shift) and social networking app for iPhone users. Great fun and immensely popular. I just wish they’d develop an Android version to widen its accessibility.

Camera+ (59p) – I only use this to crop photos so when iOS 5 is released later this year with simple photo editing included I probably won’t use this anymore.

Hipstamatic (£1.19) – Brings the quirkiness of old school photography to your digital pics. By choosing different lenses, films, and flashes you essentially add filters and effects to your photos. A great app for lo-mo style photography lovers.

Super 8 (59p) – An app to promote the new Super 8 movie, this adds old school effects to your movies. Well designed app and another one for the creative types.

Photos (included) - Access the photos on the phone.

Tools:

Calculator (included) - Standard and scientific calculator.

Parcel (£1.19) – Neat parcel tracking app which sends push notifications when a parcel’s status changes. Simple and useful. I’ve paid for the no ads version but a free ad-supported version’s also available.

Dictionary.com (free) – Dictionary and thesaurus that works without an internet connection.

My Convert (free) – Unit conversion tool.

Flashlight (no longer available to buy but many alternatives, free and for 59p) – Turns the camera flash into a torch. Not something you value until the day you need it and then it’s invaluable!

Tally Counter (free) – A simple tally counter that I use to count stitches when knitting. Beautiful retina display graphics.

Guitar Toolkit (£5.99) – Digital tuner that I use for my ukulele.

Knitminder (£1.79) – A knitting project app that allows you to track projects, yarns, needles, and patterns. Includes note-taking, photos, a stitch counter, and more. I only wish it synced with the Ravelry website. Free trial version available.

Clock (included) – Multiple timezone clock, alarms, stopwatch, and timer.

So there you have it, a smattering of my top apps. Hope this gives some impression of what the iPhone is like to use.

Camping: Tent Review: Quechua Base Seconds Full

The Quechua Base Seconds Full is a square pop-up tent with a domical roof, tall enough for an adult to stand upright inside, with 4 doors. It can be used alone, with other Base Seconds tents, or with one or two Quechua 2 Seconds tents.

“A living area with direct access to your 2 seconds.”

There are two doorways plus two entrances designed to allow access to up to two 2 Seconds tents.

The tent comes with an optional groundsheet. A tent inner can be purchased separately which converts the Base Seconds into a bedroom.

Height 190cm x 225cm wide x 225cm long

Quechua claim 4/6 people can sit comfortably round a table inside. Pitching time is quoted as 5 mins and packing away time 2 mins.

 

We have a Quechua 2 Seconds III that we use for short getaways. We also have a large Vango Orchy 500 for longer trips which has a bedroom and a porch. We decided to get a Base Seconds Full to…

1. Add an optional porch to our 2 seconds III.
2. Give us access to a bigger tent that I can use on my own (the Vango requires 2 people to pitch).
3. Provide a gazebo for use at home in the garden.
4. Add a separate kitchen/storage room to the Vango for longer glamping trips.

I tested the Base Seconds Full over a 2 night solo camp with our 2 Seconds III.

Pros

Quick and easy to pitch even for a solo camper. Once you know the technique and have had a little practice I agree it takes 5 minutes to pitch and 2 to fold away. In my experience that isn’t including guy ropes and tent pegs though. An added bonus is that it’s easy to pop open to dry when you get home.

Great ventilation and shade from the 4 entrances and overhanging roof. If the sun’s on one side of the tent you can close that side up and open the other doors. Each door also has a small netted window that can be used for ventilation without letting in bugs. I had no concerns about using my small stove inside with the doors open due to the tent height and airflow. Excellent flexibility as a sun and light rain shelter.

Practical interior space for living in. I had a camping chair, small table, two dog beds, two dogs, and a bunch of gear in there and used it quite happily as a living room for two days. Being able to stand upright is something I always appreciate. There are a couple of hooks in the ceiling for lanterns etc. I am however dubious about their claim that 4/6 people can eat comfortably around a table inside!

Cons

Very heavy to carry at 9.4kg. The tent in its bag is an awkward shape, big and round. There are straps which help but I wouldn’t want to carry it any distance.

This tent doesn’t do well in high gusting winds. I camped in (at a guess) 25mph winds and hence used all the tent pegs and guy ropes, afraid the tent would be pulled off the ground. However the opposite happened. The high design with overhanging doorways caught the wind and the poles bent so the roof pushed inwards. I sat inside and pushed back each time it happened but I was concerned that in stronger winds something may have torn.

The doorways open almost all the way round with zips. Unless you pitch the tent with even tension in all directions they’re fiddly to open and close.

The 2 Seconds tent doesn’t attach directly to the Base Seconds Full. There’s just an overhang that protects you from the rain going from one to the other. (Hard to describe but shown in the video.) So four doorway zips need to be undone to get out of the tent at night which, as above, can be extremely fiddly in the dark, when you need a wee, and you’ve forgotten to put on your glasses!

There aren’t any storage pockets inside. I think these would be a really good addition.

(Unable to test the waterproofness as we didn’t have any heavy rain, just a couple of very light showers.)

In summary, the Base Seconds Full is a useful addition to your 2 Seconds for Summer camping. As with all Quechua tents I think they’re a bit optimistic with the dimensions. It’s super easy to pitch and pack and the ventilation’s terrific. I can’t wait for an excuse to use it again!

Camping: Mini Retreat

In late May 2011 Nev flew to the States with work for a week and I spent two nights at Hollands Wood campsite in the New Forest with our two dogs. I booked this short break to keep me occupied while Nev was away and to get some peace and fresh air after a hectic month of puppy wrangling and a particularly nasty cold. It was the first time I’d been camping on my own. While I was away I recorded my adventure using the Momento app on my iPhone. These are my posts from the app along with some photos.

Mon 23rd May 11:17: Winds gusting up to 37mph in the South and Icelandic volcanic ash heading our way. Must be day 1 of my holiday.

Mon 23rd May 15:09: Severe case of ‘get-there-itus’ meant I put up both tents & unpacked without a rest. Regretting! Though cup of tea and ponies in view to make up for it.

Mon 23rd May 15:43: All unpacked and pitched. Pip’s fast asleep in his crate and Shaun relaxing in his bed. Time for some lunch as it’s nearly 4pm, with the last of my flask of tea I made this morning. Gusts of wind half collapsing the tent but ALL the guy ropes are on and breaks in the clouds letting sunshine through. Nice and warm too. Bit like sailing I imagine.

Mon 23rd May 16:29: Now if I can just keep Pippin quiet for a moment I can read some of this before 2nd walkies…

Mon 23rd May 17:50: Tired now. Have walked dogs up and down campsite and fed them. Pip’s in his jumper burrowed into his crate. I’m on the vino and attempting to cook. It’s nice and relaxing but at the same time I’m quite serious and focussed on doing one thing after another. Now is time for proper food for me.

Mon 23rd May 18:43: Had dinner of plain pasta, a boiled egg, an apple, and some chedder. With a glass or two of Fish Hoek. Never has a dinner tasted so fine. Cooked in the shelter of the Quechua Base Seconds doorway whilst it drizzled outside. Now for a hot cup of Yorkshire Gold with a big spoonful of sugar and milk and some chocolate eclairs. And a little more ‘Waterlog’, now puppy chewed and rain damp.

Mon 23rd May 18:46: I <3 my plastic spork.

Mon 23rd May 19:24: Put the fleece cushion from Pip’s bed in his travel crate. Just put my hand in there, with him all sleepy and wearing the jumper I knitted and he’s uber warm. Best handwarmer ever. Shaun’s in his black jumper in his bed after helping me empty the bucket and get water. It sounds like it’s raining when inside the tent but barely noticable outside.

Mon 23rd May 20:19: Beautiful evening with patches of blue sky. Took the dogs for a short walk. We’re right at the top end of the site. Not the last tent before the woods but close. Back now and both dogs have taken themselves to bed. Not cold but cool enough for us all to have jumpers on. Brewing another cuppa.

Mon 23rd May 21:40: Sun’s set and we’re all in bed. Shaun’s snuggled under tech blanket. I’m in my sleeping bag. And Pip’s burrowed so well into his crate he’s disappeared. Nice bedtime Whatsapp message from Nev. Too tired for book or knitting. Gnight world.

Tues 24th May 08:12: Thoughts from last night. Why didn’t I bring my pillow?! Was worried about the cold. Ground very cold. But dogs seem okay. Again ended up with my lower 2/3rds in sleeping bag and top in a down jacket. Seems to work really well having the overlap between the two around my middle.

Tues 24th May 12:20: Managed to get everyone up without too much trouble. Still quite chilly. Had porridge for breakfast and fed the dogs. Pip wouldn’t settle and I realised it was 10 o’clock so skipped washing up and took them for a walk around the cycle path around the plain. Managing two dogs on extenda leads through a field of horse poo is an experience. Nice walk though. Over an hour and Pip didn’t get tired at all. Had a quick Whatsapp with Nev just before getting back to the tent as he was just waking up in Washington (there’s a name for a Buddhist book!). Now washing up and thinking about lunch.

Tues 24th May 14:50: Nice lazy hour. Warm sunshine intermittent with cloudy cold moments. Reading Waterlog and doing a bit of knitting.

Tues 24th May 18:22: Walked down to Balmerlawn before tea to the river. Found lots of couples making out. Thought Pip might like to paddle but he wasn’t impressed. Shaun had a little paddle though. Hot back at the tent. Clouds gone and hot sun til sundown. Luckily Base Seconds has good ventilation. Dinner of cold stuff, not massively hungry and can’t be bothered to wash up. Celery, chedder, tomatoes, a boiled egg, and some crisps. Washed down with Fish Hoek and a cuppa tea. Pip sunbathing and sleeping. Would bring him into the shade but I think he likes the heat. Me and Shaun sheltering in the tent. Reading more Waterlog to cool down mentally at least.

Tues 24th May 18:36: Well that was exciting. Spotted a tick on Pip and by the time I’d found the tick tweezers buried in the bottom of the backpack it had detached and was walking across his back. After a bit of flustered dabbing and picking it ended up in a used face wipe and in the bin. Score 1 me, tick nil point.

Tues 24th May 18:40: Have discovered that when I’m on my own I’m untidy, slovenly, and skanky. So my ‘normal’ self is obviously just put on for other people’s benefit!

Tues 24th May 20:04: Could be the middle of nowhere, til the motorbikes race from Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst like wasps escaping hell. No other tents around. Barely seen anyone pass by, on foot or by car. One lone cyclist to say these toilets in the upper reaches would be closed from midday today. One lone camper who was gone by midday.

Tues 24th May 21:32: Came out of the tent at twilight for dog’s last wee before bed and met a small herd of 15 deer passing one by one by the tent. Pip grumbled at them. Me & Shaun just watched.

Tues 24th May 21:52: It’s so nice to have clear ears, nose, and not be coughing. Colds really make you appreciate NOT having a cold.

Tues 24th May 21:53: Ten to ten and we’re all in bed. Perchance to get a sound night’s sleep? Have considered staying another day. What is there to rush back to but chores that will still be there next week? But a warm shower, a fridge, a soft bed. A garden where the dogs can rough and tumble off the lead. These things are calling me home. Besides I can wash my bike, knit, read Waterlog, and go for a pub lunch up at The Bell!

Wed 25th May 08:41: A herd of something came stomping round the tent after lights out. Shaun rumbled and we listened til they went away. Up at 3am to let Pip out for a wee. Shaun then rumbled at Pip so that was fun. Managed to get back to sleep until 8am but my neck & shoulders ache. Nice warm morning though. Dogs happy to be outside. Had a cuppa. Amazingly the milk’s still good. Time to put away the chicken tent.

Wed 25th May 11:08: All packed up. Nice chat with camper walking her dog past. Perfect weather as sunny and cool intermittently. Peaceful. Sorry to leave.

Wed 25th May 12:40: Home in 1hr 15mins. Light traffic, bright sun.

More photos can be found here.

Previous posts about the Hollands Wood campsite can be found here and here.

Review of Quechua 2 Seconds iii (green tent) can be found here. 

Review of Quechua Base Seconds Full (beige tent) including video here.

Team Dogface Report – Just Walk 40km

Guest Post by Neville Fenn:

Report on the charity endurance walk (Warning – long post. Feel free to skip to the end!).

My feet hurt. And my legs too. In fact, my whole body pretty much aches. Today is Monday and I have today and tomorrow off work. And boy do I need it.

So why do I need this period of rest? Well, two days ago I took part in a charity walk with some friends. You know, one of those “I’ll go for a stroll and you’ll feel obliged to give some money to charity” sort of things. What follows is an account, at least from my perspective, of what happened, why it happened, how it happened, and who it happened to.

And for those with a short attention span, here’s a brief summary – We went for a walk. It was long. Now I hurt.

You still with me? Okay, then I guess I’ll add some detail.

We met up at Graffham Campsite, in Sussex, on Friday. This was to become the base of our operations for the next 48 hours. I got a lift with Janine (@TheRamblingDuck), which is lucky really considering that I had no idea where we were going. Plus she had a satnav, called Esmeralda. Traffic was not great, but it could’ve been worse. The campsite is pretty good. As long as you don’t have a tent and it doesn’t rain… Other than that it seems reasonable. To be honest we weren’t really there long enough to give the place a fair crack of the whip so the only other thing I’ll say is, it seemed quite reasonable.

Basecamp

Friday wore on and the rest of Team Dogface turned up, i.e. Paul (@loop_pool). We also met up with a couple of chaps who Jay had got to know via Twitter: Phil (@DaylightGambler) and Tim (@ukjeeper). I must have spent almost the entire weekend calling Phil, Tim, and Tim, Phil, before learning what their names actually were. Sorry chaps!

Anyway, enough of that. Friday night passed without a hitch. Except that none of us slept properly in our tents and there was a massive thunderstorm.

Kit review – Just a quick tip of the hat to the tent I was using – a Quechua 2″ pop-up tent. Amazing really does sum up this great piece of kit. Went up in about 30 seconds, including repositioning and pegging. And it was almost totally waterproof. Yeah, I know, tents are supposed to be completely waterproof, but show me a tent that’s totally waterproof and I’ll show you a gigantic price tag. The Quechua 2″ is sufficiently waterproof (i.e. it let in maybe a tablespoon or so of water) through the duration of a thunderstorm. Couple that with the price tag and ease of use and I would recommend this to anyone…except backpackers, cos it’s about 2.5 feet across when packed up!

Back to the blog. I would like to say we woke early, but sleep was fitful at best so it’s probably better to describe it as we stopped lying in our tents at around 5.30am. And we all did. Everyone was on time so we got going by 6.15am!

Goodwood racecourse was both the start and finish for the event. Facilities there were ace. Signing in was well organised, as was the breakfast (sausage in a bun won the day, and left those who had chosen bacon in a bun crying into their greasy baps). By now the rain had basically stopped, and would not return until after we got back to camp.

Janine & Paul prepare for the walk

The only slightly unnerving thing was that I had neglected to apply any Lanocane* that morning which, for about 50% of people may not seem a big deal, but I can tell you right now, it is (I’ll explain later). Still, that aside, I was in good spirits, as was the rest of the team.

*Lanocane is a silicone based anti-chaffing gel.

Kick-off followed a quick warm-up routine, which had been set up by the organisers. The lady that had been hauled in to do the warm-up did her best with a bunch of people who probably aren’t used to aerobics. But it certainly did get the blood moving, and took our minds off the wait.

But finally 8am came. The countdown happened and we were off. Slowly. I guess this is my only gripe about the entire event. Letting everyone off at once created a concertina effect further along the route whenever we encountered a stile. That’s right, a stile. Can you imagine hundreds of people all trying to get over one stile? It was a bit chaotic, but we managed, and with pretty much good humour.

Gripe over, it’s all good from here on in.

Kit review – Osprey Talon 22. Best hiking rucksack, ever! I saw so many people sporting one of these great rucksacks that it was like being in a convention for Talon 22 owners. Great bit of kit. Pockets galore in all the right places, water resistant like you wouldn’t believe, comfortable. Awesome. If you like day hiking do yourself a favour and get one.

The Osprey Talon 22

Where were we? Oh yes, the event. Stiles were climbed and everyone was good. And the first ‘Powerstation’ came up damn quick. There were six in total for us 40k’ers. Some had specific functions, like providing lunch, or hot soup, but all provided water, squash, biscuits, crisps etc, and all for free (well, as part of the entry free, I should say). However, the most important thing was the moral support. The staff at each one were the best. Giving everyone bursts of encouragement that really did wonders for the mental struggle that was to come.

So on we went. Thankfully, after the first Powerstation the crowds began to break up and we were able to find our own pace. The miles began to drift away beneath our feet and we knuckled down to the task at hand. The second Powerstation provided lunch, and a chance to sort out my right sock, which had become twisted and was rubbing on my little toe. There was a smattering of minor physical complaints from the others too, but these were dealt with pretty easily. We hooked up with a couple of ladies who seemed very happy to share their jelly babies with us, so that kept the spirits up too.

Janine, Phil, & The Jelly Baby Ladies

The third Powerstation came and we stopped to eat the lunch we picked up earlier. We were about halfway along, and let’s just say I was pleased we had stopped. That toe on my right foot was beginning to bother me, despite me having got it sorted. I knew it was going to become an issue but it was difficult to find anything the right shape to put on it. I decided to let it go. I’d look after it and reassess as we went along.

The rest of the team seemed good, although an earlier ascent had triggered the beginning of a minor injury in one of Paul’s knees. Even the jelly baby ladies were happy! All was right with the world so on we went.

Throughout the course of the walk we swapped groups a bit. Sometimes I would walk with Paul and Phil, sometimes Jay would accompany the jelly baby ladies, but usually Tim was in front. Can that man walk fast. Really fast. I’m not sure what ‘Props’ are, but I believe the common parlance with people who use slang is to give them to people who do something impressive. Thus, Tim get’s them for walking so quickly.

Aside – I was surprised at the number of people doing this event in jeans. I pass no judgement – they are free to do what they like. But, wow, very brave.

More Powerstations came and went, and with them more miles. But of course, the pain increased. Minor niggles began to burn. The burning sensations turned to fire, and this gave way to pain. Real pain. The kind of pain which requires facial recognition in front of complete strangers. By the end of the walk my right foot had turned to fire whenever I placed it on the ground. Paul’s knee was not a happy place for him, and I know that several others had similar issues, including blisters, and collections of unpleasant insect bites, which had been garnered the previous night. But for me, the worst was the chaffing. Well, some people call it chaffing. I call it nightmarish torture. At the top of this post I mentioned that I was still in pain. Do you think I’m in pain from the blisters? Nope. In fact, as it turns out, I don’t have any. It seems any pain I felt in my foot was simply from the repeated pounding it was taking. No, the pain wI feel now is from the rubbing. Oh my gosh, the rubbing. Ouch. It turns out that I managed to wear my shorts completely away in the crotch. Totally. There’s nothing left. I also managed to wear away the skin at the top of my right thigh. Sound bad? Well, it is.

Oh, the pain!

But we finished. The final stretch, accompanied by Paul, was difficult. It was painful. It was tiring. But as we approached the finish line all the pain melted away. All the suffering dissipated and the only thing left was joy. Joy at finishing. Joy at being able to finish. Simple, happy, joy. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

What a day. What a walk. What a world. ;-D

So, was it worth it? You bet. Did I have a good time? Totally. Did we raise more money than we hoped? Oh yes. Would I do it again? Ummm, probably…

Kit review – Cargo pant shorts from Next and cotton boxers do not make good endurance walking gear. They wet out real fast (from the sweat, I hasten to add). They stay wet. And then they rub. And rub. And rub. If you suffer from chaffing even a little, do yourself a favour and invest in a) Lanocane and b) good quality underwear/outerwear. Your lower half will appreciate it.

From left to right - The Jelly Baby Ladies, Phil, Paul, Janine, & Tim

So, stats, for those that are stats types (recorded using my ultra awesome Satmap Active 10 Plus GPS device – best GPS ever!):

Total distance – 41.0km

Total time – 10hr 13mins

Time spent moving – 7hrs 11mins

Avg. moving speed – 5.7kph

Total average speed – 4.0kph

On a final note I feel I should mention the event staff. They were such a great bunch of people. They were supportive, kind, friendly, and always on hand. Throughout the entire day they had smiles on their faces, and that is something that cannot be undervalued when you’ve just trekked 40km on painful limbs.

And of course a final thank you to everyone who has supported us. Whether you donated money or not. Even if it was only a smile of encouragement on the day, thank you. Your kindness, your support, your donations do make a difference. And they are appreciated, even if you don’t realise it.

Thank you.

Nev.

http://bit.ly/teamdogface

P.S. You can see more photos from the day by simply clicking on any of the images in this post.

Cooking: Easy Bank Holiday Chicken

Roasted chicken breasts with tomatoes, aubergine, courgette, & smoked paprika. This dish is cooked & prepared in one roasting dish.

This recipe was invented by us today based on stuff in our fridge & cupboard plus a helping of “too tired to do anything fancy”.

Serves 2

2 whole boneless chicken breasts
1 large can of chopped tomatoes
4 whole sweet small tomatoes
1 aubergine cut into chunks
1 courgette cut into chunks
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

4 large tablespoons Greek plain yoghurt
50g grated chedder cheese
1 egg

Place the chicken, tomatoes (chopped & whole), aubergine, courgette, oil, paprika, and salt & pepper in an oven-proof dish. Mix together.

Place in the oven, middle shelf, Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for 30-35 mins until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile beat the egg and mix with the yoghurt and cheese.

Poar the egg, yoghurt, cheese mix over the dish 10 mins before the end of cooking time.

Easy!

Team Dogface News Update

Over the last few months Team Dogface have enjoyed some fantastic training walks together in some fab weather. If you follow my twitter account you’ll have seen some stats and pics (@sahfenn).

Unfortunately, in the last week, it’s been confirmed that I won’t be doing the 40km Just Walk event with Team Dogface’s other members in May.

We picked up a new family member Easter weekend. An 8 week old puppy! Originally we believed that we could pick him up after Just Walk but sadly the way things turned out that wasn’t possible.

Puppies going into a new home obviously need to spend quality time with their new family to bond. Leaving Mum and litter mates is a big experience and needs to be handled gently. They need a comforting yet firm hand, a steady routine with the same faces. They’ve got no bladder control so need to be taken out for wee breaks frequently. Until he’s had his second set of vaccinations at 10 weeks he can’t go out in public and if we stop watching him for one minute he chews on the furniture, the carpet, my feet…

Puppyface can be left alone for short periods but, as the walk requires a sleep-over near Goodwood Friday and Saturday nights, one of us needs to stay at home to care for him.

I’m disappointed, especially after training for this. It’s a mental challenge to drop out without feeling like a drop-out. I’ll be there in spirit of course. I’m still part of Team Dogface (I have the t-shirt after all) and will be providing lots of e-moral support over the weekend to Nev, Janine, and Paul from afar. I hope they have an absolutely fantastic walk. I’m exceptionally proud of our team.

“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.”

Additionally I’m forming a plan to walk the route later in the year with our two dogs once pup’s old enough. They won’t be able to do it all in one go as Dogface has a weak kneecap and Puppyface will be too young for a long trek but it would be meaningful to me to walk in Nev, Jay, and Paul’s footprints across the South Downs with two furry members of Team Dogface even if that means splitting it over a few days.

A good start in life helps a puppy grow up to be a happy and lovable dog. Sadly not every 4-legged friend gets a good puppyhood and this is why we’re raising funds for the Dogs Trust. If you haven’t already, please consider helping us reach our target…

http://bit.ly/teamdogface.

Stay tuned for reports and pics from this year’s Team Dogface Just Walk 40km event as I’ll be posting them here and via Twitter as usual and please join me in wishing Nev (@nevillefenn), Janine (@theramblingduck), and Paul (@loop_pool) happy walkies.

Go Team Dogface!

Does My Geek Look Back On This

Back in 2006, my husband Nev and I created and hosted a podcast called Does My Geek Look Big In This?* A radio show all about beer, gaming, and movies available to download as a series of free mp3 files from the internet.

In those days Does My Geek had it’s own website (www.doesmygeek.com), was hosted on a number of podcast directories, advertised by a host of talented podcasters on their shows, and was regularly downloaded by a fair number of listeners.

Fans of Does My Geek not only downloaded and listened to our shows but also contributed letters, art, music, and even mp3 shows of their own to what became a thriving community. We had beer from Bea, Shel, and Jem & Sel, audio from Anim5 and Dave, music from Dustin and Kev, art from Sam, Sersie, and Gundragon, reviews from Raphael, a heap of geek-celeb audio intros from Fistful of Comics and Games crew (including Michael Dorn!). Letters and voicemails from Nerdcordsteve, Mick, Myles, Timewind, Alan, Ethan, Jim in Buffalo, Andy from Reading, and others. Raphael and Chris even recorded an entire episode of Does My Geek as a tribute**.

We loved being part of the Gaming Broadcast Network and had contributions from and contributed to Fistful of Comics & Games, Misfit Brew (from the House of the Harping Monkey), International Detective Dragons from Outer Space, and Dragon’s Landing. We took part in collaborative fun projects like ‘Shaken not Stirred’ where the GBN shows mixed up hosts (we hosted an episode of Misfit Brew and our show was taken over by FFOC).

By 2007 however we’d run out of steam. Putting out a podcast is a huge amount of work, not least the editing of audio files and ID tags. Ask any podcaster and they’ll assure you that it takes about four times as long to get a podcast published than it does to record it. Does My Geek spluttered rather unceremoniously to a halt, hovered on the edge of people’s awareness for a while, and then fell off the edge of the interwebs.

I’m happy to say that many of Does My Geek’s listeners remain good friends to this day. We learnt a lot about the technicalities of audio work, website creation, and podcasting. We socialised on an international scale and haven’t stopped since, regularly chatting to over-seas friends on social networks and Skype. We also drank a lot of beer.

Recently a DMG listener called Kade contacted me via my blog and asked if the shows were still available to download. The website is long gone but I started uploading the files to archive.org. Paul of Cthulhu had suggested I do this years ago but I’d never got around to actually doing it. I’ve finally finished the job and they’re all available to listen to or download along with the show notes, show matrix, and a flyer

HERE

We’re still unearthing content and uploading it to archive.org so more content will appear there over time but the main 26 shows we produced are up.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this trip down memory lane. See you in the beer tent!

*The show was nicknamed dimgulbit by one of our listeners which goes a little way to explaining why this blog is called Lyrical Dimgulbit.

** Painfully I haven’t been able to find a copy of this on any of our computers. If anyone reading this has it please contact me, I will pay you in beer for a copy! – Update: Found it! It’s now up on archive.org with the other shows.