You’ll know from reading previous blog entries that I’ve been working away at achieving Car Membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. After a successful mock test last year my test application went in and I had a letter from the IAM on 23rd November saying my details had been passed on to an Examiner.

My Observer warned me that there was quite a backlog of applications, so my test was unlikely to come through to the new year, but as is my wont I started chasing it last week. I spoke to a nice lady at IAM House in chiswick this morning and they are going to get in touch with the examiner on my behalf.

Hopefully all my hard work will pay off and I’ll get another recommendation for membership after a successful test. I’ll post up when I get a date through.

I’ve lost track of how many Observed Drives I’ve had with Colin from Edinburgh IAM, I think it is up to double figures now. I’m still waiting to hear the results of my chase-up email to IAM House in Chiswick.

Yesterday was a fun drive, we went out into the country for some twisties, and actually encountered a National Speed Limit which was a pleasant change from the motorways and blanket 50mph limits around my area.

Points to work on – don’t cross 12 O’clock with my hand to get a big chunk when steering – I should really slow down instead, remember to choose a couple of simpler hazards to illustrate my knowledge of the system (as in car control – from Roadcraft) in my commentary. Remember to cover the top of the gearstick when changing back to first after a moving brake test, and mention the warning lights during startup drill.

There was another point or two, but I can’t remember off the top of my head – things are going pretty well, and my practice is bearing fruit.

I posted after every observed run on the bike, whereas I haven’t said very much about the car! I suppose it doesn’t get me in the same way as going out on the bike.

Anyhoo, I’m still waiting to hear from the examiner despite hearing at the end of November that they’d been notified by the IAM. I had a demonstration drive from the Senior Observer who did my mock test, to explain one or two of the points he was making. And I’m out with Colin my Car Observer tomorrow morning for another drive.

Itching to take the car test, itching!

With the non-arrival of the service kit I ordered for my motorbike (posted out on the 11th December), I phoned Sherlocks and they are going to put a claim in for the missing parcel. Because non-delivery has happened before, they refuse to send to my address now, so I’ve arranged for it to be delivered to work. Thank goodness I work in an office where I can do this, otherwise I’d be scuppered.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had a number of items get returned to sender – either quickly or slowly, with no explanation as to the reason. One item from Sherlocks was returned to them saying it hadn’t been collected from the sorting office, so things are wearing a bit thin when I phone them. With this situation I’m caught between two suppliers. The Royal Mail ask if I’ve had a card put through when I phone up to ask if they have an item for me, and Sherlocks ask if I’ve called the sorting office. Lately, I had a card put through and the item appears to have vanished from the sorting office. The last time, no card appeared and I had Sherlocks wondering why Alistair the nutter calls them every day, when he would be better served going to the sorting office who is holding his item.

After a week of phoning the sorting office every other day asking about the item I have a card for I’ve given up. In a last ditched attempt I fought my way through the Royal Mail website to submit a complaint. It, like one or two other websites, are exercises in FAQ obfuscation. The TomTom website and Royal Mail websites make you twist and turn through lists of FAQs for the ignorant masses, before a very small link allows you to fill out a webform. The webform (supported by Vogon Workflow) asks you how tightly you had tied your shoelaces on the day you hoped to receive your item, and reminds you that the Royal Mail aren’t the only delivery firm.

What cracks me up is that I live in a terraced house, 5 minutes from the sorting office, and there are usually two people in the house. Leave a card or knock harder – I’d love to support the Royal Mail but this gets my goat.

It doesn’t happen all of the time, and just applies to parcels, but I’ve had another eBay parcel go straight back to the seller without any attempt at telling me that the Royal Mail tried to deliver it.

And not just eBay stuff, but the service kit I need for my R1100RS motorbike has also gone awol. It was posted on the 11th December, and here I am on the 21st trying to find out what on earth is going on. This probably means I won’t be able to get the bike serviced until the new year – either the thing will turn up or I’ll need to order another kit to get sent through.

Earlier in the year I ordered a battery charger for the motorbike battery and when it didn’t turn up I arranged for another one, to hear from the company that the original had come back to them.

A card was put through my door relating to an attempted delivery of a packet on the 14th, I went on the 15th to check – wasn’t at Livingston sorting office. Started work early and left early to go to the sorting office – not there, please phone. Phoned twice this week and they can’t find the parcel. I’m hoping it is the service kit, but goodness knows.

This level of service has already led me to get flowers delivered to my wife by non Royal Mail, and also begin to get the motorbike parts delivered by other courier too. In these days of competition I find my loyalty to them misfounded, even though I’ve know a number of post office workers and management in my time. I’m disappointed by this.

Courier duly handed over the replacement motherboard today, and took away the faulty one. The board is marked as refurbished, but looked less dusty than the one that went away.

I took it carefully, putting it in, connecting power only (3 power related connectors) and then fired it up. So far so good. Then memory etc. Beeped away.

Then all the various connectors, and the old and original graphics card. Booted up fine and I checked the BIOS – interestingly the asset tags common to Dell systems where absent. No mention of XP reactivation – woohoo.

Then removed the graphics drivers, rebooted, shut down, pulled the old graphics and added new graphics and sound.

Now running with an Nvidia 7600GT, which replaced a 6600GT.

All hunky dory. I’m really pleased with the service I received from Dell, their online hardware support chat service and the engineer at the other end were both excellent.

Shortly after a graphics card upgrade last night, I ran up Windows and then the blue screen of death and my pc wouldn’t start up.

Then it slowly got worse until it appeared that the motherboard had given up the ghost. I got on to the folks at Dell and I have a replacement Motherboard on the way.

First time I’ve had a big problem with my old Dimension 5000, and I’ve upgraded and replaced bits over the years with no problem. Now I’ve got the Motherboard to replace. Eek.

I’ve just been tidying through the mass of junkmail and circulars that pile up on the cabinet in our hall and spotted one from the Volkswagen Dealer where I get my Passat serviced. Apparently it is of an age that it needs it’s cambelt replaced.

I got a huge bill for my last Passat to get the cambelt changed, and hoped I would have moved on to another car before the one I have needed its replaced. Drat.

I’m in a huff now.