I’m way to bust lately to be blogging, I just had a spare half hour to throw up a post - not even on the computer neither. I’m blogging on the laptop whilst doing a history essay and renewing a few domains at the same time - who says men can’t multi-task?

Between school, and other online work I haven’t the time to blog, I’ve three websites to get up in the next few weeks - I’ve a habit of starting (designing) and not finishing them, the arduous task of making the content! I also want to get a portfolio online to showcase my work (what little there is!).

In the time since I’ve last blogged I’ve gotten on the road to nowhere, I’ve ‘acquired’ my first car - and two days later acquired my second car :-D . Both Fiat Punto’s, I know you’ll be gritting your teeth at the unreliability and cheap feel of them, but I got both for free - one a 1999 1.2 60S from ‘Payne in the Arse‘, which needs a new camshaft and some other minor work, and the other a 1997 55SX from my uncle - he bought it for my cousin to start driving and she had other ideas. It was a wreck when he got it, but as he’s a mechanic he put a new engine into it, 5 new tyres and a fresh NCT.

So now I’ve motivation to get my Full License, which I hope to get come June. I would have done more driving lessons - if Irish School of Motoring hadn’t ‘lost’ my file after I paid for 5 hours of lessons and only partook of one! For shame ISM!

And on another note - we’ve painted the bus! My uncle (same one who gave me the Punto), gave his time to paint and buff the bus, a big job. We’ve only got it white so far, and we’re awaiting a sign writer to apply blue and navy striping and logos. The pic below is of it in Greystones on Saturday 5th of April 2008, still requiring completion - needed corner trim, wheel trims, a good waxing and striping.

For those who are interested, we’re organising a run upto Belfast in the above bus for a show held up there annually. It’s not an anorak event, but a gathering of vintage cars, buses, trucks and anything else with Irish heritage. Click here for more info.

2008 has been so hectic, I haven’t yet had the chance to layout a plan of action forecast for the year ahead, as regards present websites, blogs, forums, domains, and proposed investments, and ideas. Well I’m finally getting there - slowly but surely. 2008 has been so hectic, I haven’t had the opportunity to make any business posts, nor have I had the luxury of time to upgrade the blog to Wordpress 2.3.2. :???:

I have plans for my ‘high’ earners, such as this blog and a few others - sorry but for some reason, I often don’t publically disclose most of my websites of being under my ownership - although, if you have an eye for detail you’d spot my trend of websites dotted about the net :wink: . I have decided to keep this blog as my main personal diary, with as few business posts as possible. I will of course post the odd webmaster article, but I want to bulk out the rest of my network of simular topics on money making, marketing, and other online activities - if they end up anything like this blog was in August I’d be happy!

The six forums I run and co-run will be expecting quite considerable work, all phpBB, and SMF boards will eventually be ported over the vBulletin, provided they can earn their keep! I’ve two boards on IP. Board, I will keep them on that for as long as I can (when the licenses expire). I’m gradually moving from stepping stone to stepping stone when it comes to marketing websites and blogs - forums are my next target!

Setting up a blog is hard work, but setting up a forum is a mammoth task! For instance, Wordpress is so easy to install I can have it done in under 30 minutes, theme installed too! . All you’ve to construct is your categories, a few links in the blogroll, intro post, and a few other minor bits and pieces. Forums, tend to be more difficult. Firstly you have to install it, IP. Board and vBulletin, simple as they are, take a lot of time to install. They take longer to setup, with various categories, forums, sub-forums, usergroups, user ranks, admin/mod permissions, etc… Hence, I have never been very motivated while setting up forums!

I believe it will take me another week to settle! I’ve been so busy getting myself ‘on the road‘ - more on that when I get my license in the post!, I’ve been away from the 2nd of January until Sunday evening, I’m back at school - which is hectic at the moment as you could imagine, I’m busy working on other websites which I’ve promised priority over everything else, and that coupled with looking for employment, and trying to juggle a social life and online business - it’s not an easy feat!

I know I said I wouldn’t be posting until the 27th, but I have been bored out of my skull the past three days! So I need something to take up the slack! Christmas so far has been good, as usual Christmas is boring as there is nothing to do, except sit at home, or perhaps visit some relatives. My family chose the sitting at home approach as this year we hosted Christmas dinner at our house.

Christmas Eve was spent cleaning (took me 3 hours to get through my room!), I did a small bit of work, and vegged out for the night. Went to bed around 3:00 (ish) on Chrtistmas morning, my sister was up at 3:30 eagerly awaiting her haul from the big fat man. I didn’t roost from the bed until 6:00, when I eventually got up, I found my way downstairs, opened my presents, gave out mine, shuffled around for a bit and went back to bed.

Got a decent haul this year I must say! I went all out this year too, so far I’ve received:

• The PC,
• Driving Lessons,
• iPod/FM Wirelsss Transmitter,
• Automatic Chess thing,
• A Car Airfreshner (from my sister :???: ),
• Usual Smellies,
• Vouchers, and around €300 in cash from Aunties, Uncles, Grannys, and Grandads!

Not a bad haul. My sister got so much stuff it would be impossible to list, althugh I’m very thankful to my uncle who got her an Electric Guitar…that coupled with a Karaoke machine…I’m in for a peaceful 2008…not likely!. I’m easy to buy for, either a voucher or cash . My Dad got a fair few bits - loads of Podge and Rodge stuff, Portable DVD player, Car CD Player, Recordable DVD Player, Ordinary DVD Player, Smellies, a good haul of CD’s and DVD’s. My Mam got a new phone, camera, perfumes, handbags, and a few other bits, I got her a few toiletries my Gran recommended.

Christmas Dinner was my favourite part by far! Turkey, Roast, and Ham with all the trimmings, polished it all off and made sure to save room for desert. I can’t remember much of Christmas night except watching my uncles camero on ‘Inside I’m Dancing’…he played the Vantastic driver who ‘delivered‘ the rebelious Rory, other than that I can’t remember much one minute I was on JD & Coke, the next I’m waiting up a 3pm on the 26th with a headache and writting this post - but I might do it again tonight, after all it is Christmas and you’re suppose to overindulge .

I’ll head out to the sales in the next day or two, pick up a few bargains. I’m in need of a new phone, desk and TV! Was considering the K800i as an upgrade for my present K750i, they’re pretty simular, except the K800i has a 3.2 MP camera, and more features. Along with a phone upgrade will be my port to Vodafone - O2 have been good to me, but Vodafone has better deals and prospects for me :evil: .

Well that’s my Christmas todate. Normal services shall resume soon. :idea:

I’m delighted to say that I passed my theory test with flying colours - 39 out of 40 correct :razz: . I know the exact question I stumbled on, which was the only one I really had to put any effort into answer.

Q: (Picture of a car in Fog) - What are the road safety issues pictured:

The green ones are the answers I answered, but on consideration after the exam it could possiblybe the one highlighted in red. It was a bit of a trick question or one of those ’stupid questions’ in my previous post. The image did not show any rain, only fog - therefore there would be no immediate danger of ‘aquagliding’, but instead a danger of being dazzled by oncoming head & fog lights.

My appointment wasn’t until 2 o’clock, but I was in town at 12:00 to get some shopping out of the way. But considering I’m highly impatient, and can get irritated whilst being barged about in large crowds of grannies and other feckless male shoppers, I got everything over and done with in the one shop (with the help of a shop assistant), and was done at 12:20. A problem as I had nothing to do for the next hour or so…

So I just went rambling, and got loadza freebies. Including a disposable camera when I bought a bottle of Lucozade, and a free Lynx giftset when I bought all my other prezzies.

Went to the DTTS center on Parnell Street (Dublin’s China Town) around 1:30, guy there told me I could have come anytime before my schedualed time as there weren’t many bookings. Got served straight away and in 15 minutes was done and waited for the outcome. Was thrilled with my results, and two people who were waiting with me offered congratulations - so I thought it was only fair I waited around until they got out to offer my congrats.

My advice for anyone going on their theory test anytime soon is to buy the CD, instead of the book. the test is exactly the way it is on the CD, and most of the questions are the same or simular. It’s an easy test to do, but futher advice is don’t bring anything more than what you need. Leave your shopping until you’re complete with your test, as you’re prohibited from taking anything except yourself and your passport into the examination room - luckily I only had a few bits in my backpack!

So I’m off to get my Eyesight report tomorrow, and to apply for my provisional license. Although I probably won’t receive it until the new year

I have my Driver Theory Test tomorrow, at 2pm. I’m not worried about the whole ordeal, I’m confident in my knowledge of the rules of the road. But I am worried about those stupid questions I’m bound to get asked! I’ve passed most of my ‘mocks’ using the CD. I failed once, due to the ’stupid questions’ whos answers are completely rediculous and incompetent!

One I failed on in my ‘mocks’ was something simular to this: Your right rear taillight is out. How can you tell that it is out?

A. Your footbrake pedal becomes heavier (?), B. Your left taillight becomes dimmer, C. You get another person to check at the rear of the vehicle (!), D. Your left taillight becomes brighter.

Now I would (and did) guess B, as the circuit would be broken. And anyone hazard a guess at the correct answer? That’s right C! How stupid is that question, designed to trip you up!

If I don’t get tripped by any ’stupid questions’ I should pass. Anyone is capable of passing apparently. The Irish Driver Theory Test seems to be one of the worse constructed systems I’ve encountered! Firstly, they never inform me of my booking! I had to ring them up to confirm they got my payment and when the date was - a week before it! Secondly, they have the most stupid barely driving related questions. They should put down proper questions - Speed limits, Stopping Distances, and General Road courtesy stuff.

I’m just a little agitated today, Irish & English exams didn’t go so well. Both teachers screwed me, most of the stuff they focused on never appeared. Me being a sucker, I looked over the stuff they were concentrating on and only glanced at the other stuff…and guess what came up on the test! I soldiered through, I did okay, but not as good as I had hoped!

Sorry for the lack of postings recently, I’ve been busy with other websites, and preparing for the next week of tests! Both in and out of school! For most of next week, I’ve exams, I didn’t have any last year (incase you couldn’t tell!), so I’ve been looking over some stuff I’m not to fresh on. I don’t intend on doing proper ’study’ until the night before the exams - I’ve two most days, except Wednesday and Friday.

The other exam I’ve to limp through is my ‘Driver Theory Test’ that has been book for Tuesday 18th of December, for 2:00 - I’ve to arrive 15 minutes prior to book in and sit twiddling my thumbs like an eegit for 10 minutes! It’s probably the only exam I don’t have to study for, I’ve a good knowledge of driving and the rules of the road - even if most of the test is basic general knowledge. Nevertheless, I’ll still do some practice tests on the CD. I got 40/40 on my first go, so I’m optimistic I’ll have no trouble with the test! The hardest part by far was booking the thing! For some reason they ‘forgot’ to contact me regarding my details and booking number. So in the end I had to ring them to confirm my payment was recieved!

The only thing is, my theory test clashes with my Accounting exam. And I can’t reschedual my Theory test, as there’s no open appointments in the centre until mid-January! :eek: . I’ll sort something out, I’m handy at Accounting (not as good as Shay though!), so I’ll see if I can rearrange another sitting.

For those of you who will be sitting their theory test shortly, or drivers who want to test themselves to see if they’ve still got it, ISM have an online Mock Theory Test you can try out!

Well, I’m back from a hard working weekend in Cork. I got back last night, but was too wrecked to write anything - I just hopped into a shower and straight into bed!

Woke up this morning in bits! Could barely get out of bed, so took a sickday off. Back aching, tired, arms & legs hurting, and no homework done - I didn’t get a chance as I was on my way to Cork as soon as I was home! But recovering - slowly. Spent the entire day in bed until around 3pm, got up and reviewed my photos, and got to editing some videos I got of our accomplishment!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9nY9xlZI8k[/youtube]

As you can see, we did some major transformation to it. A total of 12 man hours has gone into it so far. 8 hours ‘getting it going’, and 4 hours tidying and cleaning the bodywork and interior. It sounds absolutely demonic, as there is a hole in the exhaust - which will be patched next time we’re down. But it’s nice to get things like this, considering it’s a sole survivor in private preservation of it’s class - and it was an old single decker rebodied as a double decker!

Above is the temporary setup to get it running. The screwdriver on the left was our ignition, as the positive pole on the starter was sheared off, and this was needed to short the starter to get it going, the ‘EasyStart’ (we used 6 cans in total) was used to get disel to the filters. The 20 litre Jerrycan was used as a temporary fuel tank, as there was a blockage in the fuel line to the bus’s tank - so the yellow hose was used as a fuel line. The picture was take just after it fired up and ran on its own accord!

It’s hoped that it’s brought to Dublin for a thorough restoration in concours form by our group the Motor Vehicle Preservation Society of Ireland. It’s crucial that it isn’t lost considering it’s a sole survivor of it’s class, and a legacy to the late Eamon McArthur who saved her from the scrapheap back in 1984.

The above image illustrates under 1/3 of the mass of buses in the yard! There is close on 250 buses stored in the depot, and gradually we’re getting them going again one by one, which includes getting them runup, washed, fueled and parked. I don’t usually write about everything that happens, I just concentrated on R913, as it’s such a rare vehicle and required such effort to get it mobilised once again!

At present, I’m spending the majority of this week on a ‘Leadership Course’ in the local youth center, due to my involvement with the Student Council in school - and I’m a senior so I’m just about required to do it for an upcoming inspection in school - for the next two weeks we’re going to be scrutenized by ‘up their own arses’ inspectors, so my princepal, year head and all teachers are on constant ‘rag’!

So this ‘course’ couldn’t have come at a better time, as we prepare for the inspection. The thing is, I would hardly call this a course. Basically, we wear our ‘own clothes’, and don’t have to arrive until around 10 - no big deal if you’re late! You then play Snooker, Fooseball, Wii, Playstation etc… until around 10:30, where you sit down for half an hour for the actual ‘course work’, before lunch - McDonalds, or Shopping Center right across the road, come back at 11:30, more ‘course work’ until 12:10 and you’re allowed home!

I’ve got this all week, except Thursday. The only downside to it, is having to go home, get changed into your school uniform and returning to school after virtually having the entire morning off! I was tempted not to return today, but decided I might aswell, ended up being a big waste. All I had afterall was English, Religion and Business (double) was a free - but had to stay due to the fact I had to get my mug shot taken with the rest of the cast of police academy student council.

And on another note - I’m finally getting around to doing my theory test. I’m sending off for it tomorrow, as after months of putting it off, I want to be mobile by Christmas so I can atleast TRY for my test by the time the new laws are passed governing all L-Drivers to be accompanied at all times.