Bike part arrived finally

Well, if you're ever looking for spare GT i-Drive mountain bike parts - don't bother with trying to get them in the USA, Canada or the UK.  Just order them from the other side of the world - New Zealand, that is.  After trying to find a replacement dogbone/wishbone/flexbone (I've heard it called many things) for my 2007 i-Drive 4 in many stores in Washington state & Vancouver (BC), waiting for over three weeks for it not to turn up at my local bike-store in Canmore & then being told in London that the UK distributor had the part but wouldn't ship it (some lame excuse that they weren't very good - I didn't care, I just wanted to ride my bike) I finally called home.  Will at 239BIKE in Pukekohe was ever so helpful, had the part in the shop & Ruth, his wife, shipped it to me that afternoon.  For the princely sum of $NZ30 I had the elusive part in my hands this morning - two working days after I placed the order.  Absolutely fantastic service - especially compared to all the previous hassle I've had. So it's on the bike now & I'm looking forward to the weather being more conducive to a ride tomorrow.

On a less bike-oriented front, the job-hunt is progressing slowly (although it is nice to talk to enthusiastic & friendly recruitment consultants every so often) & is being interspersed with reading, catching up with extended family, helping out clearing stuff in the garden and loft & spending a lot of time on the phone back to NZ catching up with various friends. When friends announce in conversation that they've got some news, I'm a little wary of asking if they're pregnant or getting married (friend's situation dependent, of course). But this time I should have had more faith - it's been a long time since I've been so excited to hear of an upcoming birth (even better to hear someone tell me, rather than read it). Pity it's a little difficult to hug someone down a phone line.