Launch success for SpaceX mission

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18154937


"Nasa is attempting to offload routine human spaceflight operations in low-Earth orbit to commercial industry in a way similar to how some large organisations contract out their IT or payroll."


That's right, payroll, IT, and spaceflight, now all easily outsourced.

Marrakech

On a recent business trip to Marrakech I had the fortune to have a guided tour to the centre of town (after going straight to the guide's mate's rug shop).

Dartmouth Regatta

I spent two days racing a Farr 45 to launch two10 degrees, the new consultancy I'm working for. It was fast paced, and exhausting stuff. The team work was inspiring, there were 12 of us crewing the boat, part professional, part 'never been on a boat before', but there are no passengers on a boat like this, so everyone had a part to play.

View the photos here

Uncle Arthur's

On a recent trip back to Marple, we cruised past by great uncle's old house, to see if the buyers had done anything with it.

Before:

After:

This blog isn't dead

Whenever any blogger says "I'll promise to write more blog posts", you know that you won't see another post ever again. This blog has taken a sabbatical, mainly because most of my time is spent with my toddler, and we don't really want to put photos of him online (he can do that when he's 18 and on facebook).

In the mean time, I have been writing a technical (programming) blog over here: http://coderead.wordpress.com/

Elliot's First Year

I can't believe a year has passed since Elliot arrived, looking back to early videos of him it's amazing to see how much he has changed and grown. His personality has really started to emerge in the last few weeks, as well as an obsession for cars and an eagerness to throw himself head-first into dangerous situations (he'll make a great snowboarder).

Here is a compilation of a few of the videos we took over his first year.



Happy birthday!

New ride-on mower, with free house

It's not pretty, but as of now it belongs to us. Some serious work is required to improve the 1962 build, as it hasn't had much attention since then.

France Holiday

This year we chose to re-live our youth, and go back to an area of France we've been to 3 times before, with the Holdsworths. This is always a dangerous thing to do, the world moves on, and the fond memories you had (of drinking giraffes of beer and eating takeaway pizza from a particular vendor) are not always fulfilled (or in this case dismally dashed) when you return years later. However, despite these setbacks we were somehow able to find ways of having fun with a pool, a load of sunshine, a couple of small people and a number local delicacies (beers).

View the album

This is why I love NewNet

8:41pm

This is why I hate Tiscali

8:48am



7:34pm



58kbps? I might as well be on dialup. So I'm switching to newnet, who claim not to do any traffic shaping...

run bike run bike run

After months of training, last week Dan I did the Rendlesham Forest Challenge 2009. This was a 22k race which you do as a pair. You are allowed one bike between the two of you, but you must stay within 10m of each other. After sizing up our opposition (mostly people from running clubs) we realised that this wasn't a race we were going to win. However our 10 minute swapping strategy worked well, and we completed the course in a respectable 1hr 52min.

Homebrew

For Christmas (after quite a lot of hint dropping) I got a homebrew kit , complete with the malt and yeast for a strong dark Belgian ale. It didn't take me long to get the brew gurgling in the airing cupboard.



After 10 days it was bottled, and a secondary (6 week) fermentation started which gave it the flavour and fizz.



And the product of my toil is an 8% tramp killing special brew, that any Belgian monk would be proud of.



Next it's pilser...

http://www.brew-it-yourself.co.uk/

Elliot's first month

I can't believe a month has gone by already. Elliot has put on some good weight (precisely average on the growth chart) and has settled into a bit of a routine (when it suits him).

Sadly my time off work has come to an end, so It's back to the office on Monday.

View the album

Elliot Astbury

Elliot was born at 9:54AM on Sunday 1st February 2009 at Ipswich Hospital. He weighed 8 pounds and had a normal(ish) delivery. Mum and Baby are doing very well and are now back at home after spending the night in the Hospital.

View the album

GRIM 2008

After completing the GRIM challenge last year, I talked my brother-in-law Joe into doing it this year. Accompanied by Heather's personal trainer (Nik) we ran round the 8 mile course of mud and deep ice covered lakes with the 1900 other mad people. It was fun, and I beat last year's time (1 hour 19 minutes 47 seconds). What's next? A 20k race in Rendlesham forest where teams of two have to share one bike, but you have to stay within 10m of each other. Dan and I are tackling it in March 2009. Can't wait.

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Back online

After a few months of upheaval (new jobs, house move, imminent baby) we are finally settled (well almost). We're sitting out the credit crunch in a rented house, which is a stone's throw from both sets of parents in Woodbridge. Perfect.

Sri Lanka

Clare and I just got back from an awesome two weeks in Sri Lanka (via Dubai). We stayed with Jan and Lesley (who arranged most of our trip, and really looked after us - thank you!). Also, a big thanks to Mr B.C. who drove us around the country and acted as our guide, utilising many of his special 'BC shortcuts'. We stayed on a tea plantation, watched 70 elephants bathing in a river, went to a turtle sanctuary, stayed in a 'eco hotel' in the jungle, chilled on the beach, body-boarded and drank a lot of tea.

All in all (despite some illness) we had a great time, and can't wait to go back. Didn't think all that much of Dubai though...

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Bun in Oven

Cooking for 9 months at 200 degrees, it should be ready by Feb 2009.

Graduation

Clare became a member of the elite group of Warwick University graduates last week, she also swore the Declaration of Geneva, making her a proper doctor. Since she started studying for medicine almost diectly after we got married, we never got the chance to have a honeymoon, so we're off to Sri Lanka for a much needed break, 4 years late.

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France

We just got back from a week long break in the Loire Valley with Mum & Dad and the Tal-bots (Astburys in Disguise). It was to celebrate my father's 60th birthday this year, so we stayed in a huge chateau as a treat. We had a great time, and it was thoroughly relaxing. The highlights of the week were a great meal out on the last night, and the polar bears in the local zoo.

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