Out of body experience

I recently had an ‘out of body experience’. No, I didn’t have an accident or operation and see bright lights at the end of tunnels, or anything of that sort, so please don’t be alarmed. But I did have a consultation with an Audiologist who had a clever device that allowed her to look inside my ear. This device was also linked to a computer screen so when she used the device to look in my ear I could also see inside my ear by looking at the screen. That was a first for me as I have never seen inside my ear before. It was like an out of body experience.

The reason I was visiting an audiologist was to have a pair of earplugs custom made for use on my motorbike. Earplugs are important when riding a motorbike because the noise can cause serious damage to your hearing, not the noise of the bike but the noise of the wind. It is important from a safety point of view that you can hear the bike, other traffic and emergency vehicles’. So in order to hear what you need to hear and to not hear the wind you need to wear earplugs fitted with special filters that remove or filter out the wind noise.

As well as damaging your hearing, wind noise can be very distracting and ruins your concentration, with the earplugs in place you can hear what you need to hear and nothing else. Wouldn't it be wonderful, as we approach the season of Advent, a season of anticipation, a season for preparation, a time to listen to God as we ready ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be fitted with a special pair of Advent Earplugs, to filter out all the distractions, the commercialism, the greed, the marketing that is associated with Christmas.

Well the really good news is that such a device is available and the even better news is that it is free of charge! Custom made earplugs for motorbike riding are quite expensive but Advent Earplugs are totally free of charge you can find them anywhere and everywhere and the brand name is ‘prayer’.

Summer Time

A fine lunch

Sunday 14 August the sun was shining and I headed off on the Goldwing from Forres to Badacro, near Gairloch on the West Coast, along with a group of 15 other bikers from the Moray Coast Motorcycle Club. 

The scenery is stunning on the roads to the West and the hills especially Beinn Eighe stood out on the skyline as the sun shone. 

Destination was the Badacro Inn where a most agreeable lunch awaited. After some relaxing and chat in the sunshine the run home was just as enjoyable. The round trip is just over 200 miles on some of the best biking country in the world.

Confirmation at St John's Forres

Rebekah, Oliver and Nichola

Bishop Mark celebrated the Eucharist at St John’s Forres on Mothering Sunday and Confirmed Nichola Kippax, Oliver Clark and Rebekah Sutherland. Following the Service everyone enjoyed a splendid Parish Lunch in the Church Hall.

Nichola, Dean Cliff, Oliver, Bishop Mark and Rebekah

The Cake

The Feast

Fast and Accurate - Sat Nav on a Bike!

The Socket I ordered from Cyclemax arrived today, 5 days from America is a better delivery time than I've had from some UK suppliers! Made a hole in the nearside pocket where X marks the spot, pushed the socket into place and pluged into the wiring harness. The jobs a goodun and very easy to do. The only thing that puzzles me is why Honda don't fit it as standard when the bike is new!!

I can now use the Sat Nav on the bike and charge my ipod and mobile phone. Handy as well for plugging in the pump to keep those all important tyre pressures correct. All I need now is some decent weather and the time to ride the bike!

Temptation

I gave in to Temptation today. I was busy beavering away at producing The Eagle - which is St John's Parish Magazine. I was distracted by the sun streaming through the Study window, the clear blue sky and the fact that I have not had the bike out for over a week, due to the miserable weather and a sore back. I did need to re-fuel the bike (before petrol goes up even more) and I did need to test the wiring for the sound system. I didn't go far but far enough to lift the spirit - down to Findhorn Bay, calm sea and the snow capped hills of Ross Shire across the Firth, just glorious! Fully inspired now and back to the Eagle!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

My parcel from America arrived today - an Edset that's how they spell head set over there! 

A good quality piece of kit that was easy to fit, in fact it was a perfect fit in my Nolan Air Crash Helmet. The Honda Goldwing Motorcycle has a Radio and a six disk CD Player and the Edset speakers fit inside the Crash Helmet  and then plugs directly into the bikes sound system and gives good quality sound. 

This means I will be able to cruise the High Street without the speakers blaring causing parents to grab their kids and run into shops and cruise the highways and byways without stampeding cattle, at least I hoped that would be the outcome.

The one snag was that the connection lead to connect the helmet to the bike was not included in the kit! No problem I thought, the lead needs to be a curled lead 1.5 metres long with a 5 pin Din Plug at each end. The best I could find locally by scouring all the electrical specialist including Maplins was a straight 3 Metre Lead. As a last resort I tried my local Computer Shop who just happened to have a 1.5 curled lead with a 5 Pin Din Plug at one end and a 5 pin socket at the other. Off with the socket and some nimble soldering soon had a new DIn Plug in place. It works a treat a great result.

New Wheels for Rambling Rector

The new biking season is almost upon us and what better way to prepare than than with a new (second hand) bike. I loved my previous bike, the Honda VFR 800, the performance was stunning and it was a really exhilarating machine to ride - so why change you say. 

Well I was using the bike for work as well as pleasure and whilst I am only 21 in my head my hips are approaching 60 and I was finding that after a long day in the saddle I was a bit sore. The new bike is a Honda 1800 Gold Wing, a really comfortable bike that you can ride all day everyday - all I need now is a little better weather!

Biretta - First Outing

Wore the new Biretta for the first time at St John's today - what did the Congregation think? Greeted with a round of applause - result.

Ovens & Birettas

 The Postman made some interesting deliveries this week the first was a new heating element for the Rectory Oven which had failed just before the Annual Epiphany Party - it made the catering especially challenging! The new one from an on-line company called espares arrived promptly and took less than 10 minutes to fit, normal service has been restored and Sunday Roast is back on the menu.

The next package to arrive was a Biretta, a gift from one of my lovely Parishioners. I look forward to wearing it. 

I understand that the rubrics of St Mary's Cathedral Glasgow  state that the Biretta is to be worn when it is snowing so with the current weather it may well get an outing tomorrow.