A mixed week.

Now its been quite a mixed week or so with much going on in all aspects of life.
I have been down with the lack of work coming in and this was due to coming to the end of a hard cold winter where I have felt like a bear in a trap being indoors for what must be the best part of 3 months...This changed hard and fast at the end of last week.
I had put in a day and a halfs work with one of my regulars and was enjoying a soak in the tub when I was presented with the phone by my wife. A friend had fallen behind with a painting job (a whole warehouse!!) and wondered if I could help out over the weekend. Of course when work is scarce you cannot turn any away so off a went over the weekend working for him. Then onto a fencing job for this week and the phone started to ring on Thursday and hasnt really stopped which is great. Its amazing how the sun putting in an appearence with the temp well above freezing for a change can bring out people from their hibernation. Perhaps this year wont be as bad as the media have us believe??

Wifey took the kids back up to Nottingham for a couple of days to visit her mother so all was very peacefull in the house...A strange sensation if im honest with no noise of any description coming from bedrooms but most welcome.

Ive had yet more of a think on what I do with my life. In fact ive been pondering this for sometime and have still got no further with what a could do as a different job but nothing would give me and wifey the flexability we have now. I enjoy my work and make people smile so all cant be too bad eh? Wifey pointed out ive got 4 great kids, im a good person (mostly :) ), a good Dad, we have a warm house, put food in our bellies and spring is coming back so I will get busier and wont be so bored.

I have to admit we are lucky. We may not have alot but there are many many people worse off than us. Time to think about some extra hobbies.

On the plant front I have a load of tomato seeds that have germinated so time to put the greenhouse heater on! I am off to the allotment in the morning with my youngest and there is loads to do there inc leveling beds and clearing a large area. If I remember to take the camera down I will post some pics.

Right thats enough for now I will ramble on again soon.

Getting Tubby

Now with all of this sitting around over the colder months due to a serious shortage on the work side I, with horror, have weighed myself and in no uncertain terms I have become tubby. This is not a unusal event for winter but I do hate it!! I am not an overly vain person but extra weight makes me feel slow and uncomfortable so its time to cut out the biscuits and crisps (I have been eating far too many) and take the dog on longer walks, I have been a bit sloppy in this aspect as well lately, in order to lose about a stone. Its never a problem after spring arrives as Im back into active mode outside working and playing on the allotment. Still it wont hurt to get a headstart this year and it will get me out of the house which always ends getting me into cant be arsed mode and reaching for another snack.

The tickets are booked and the dates confirmed. I am back out to Spain for the first two weeks of April and cannot wait for it. The first few days will involve alcohol with my father in law then I will be left to look after his dogs and house sit. Its a shame wifey wont be coming but we cant afford the extra tickets at the moment so will make another trip later in the summer which will give us something else to look forward to. It will be 20 months since I have been back to southern Spain and it will be nice to catch up with friends who are still out there.

Now I chuckled to myself earlier in the week looking at Facebook. I enjoy forums on things that interest me but Facebook never really has and I was made to open an account by wifey and friends, not that it gets used a great deal just endless emails about rubbish really. The chuckling was caused by photos that have been uploaded by my younger sisters and their friends. I am sure they all think they are models LOL The bloody ridiculus pouts and poses that they all seem to do when they realise a camera is pointed there way are comical!!! They look like a PG Tips Chimps party most of the time but must think they look fantastic as they put these monkey shots on the web for all to see and then comment on each others saying how lovely they look LMAO.
Status updates...now what the hell is all that about??? Coded messages about what clothes you are going to where, whos the bitch for this hour and what colour your dump was 5 minutes after you've taken it!???? I must be seriously out of touch because when I wanted to talk to a mate I would go around to see him or give him a ring?! Must be getting on in my head you know.

Ive got some work lined up, not alot but every little helps. All I need is for this snow to melt and a few dry days to put some money in the bank. The sharks have started circulating again after money for adverts so thats a sure sign that spring is on the way again. It will only be a few more weeks before I am planting flower seeds ready for the onslaught of hanging baskets and bed work.

Have you ever driven a Transit in the snow? Now thats an experience that must be had by all :) As long as you dont expect to go in the direction you want everything is ok. Parked cars and oncoming is all fair game to the transit it cares not which it heads for with its rear wheel drive LOL Its like driving an old Capri in the wet, always make sure you bring a spare pair of pants with you!

I've just got off of the phone with my youngest brother who lives in Dublin. Now he is living his life his way. Hes always loved playing his guitar and singing and he has made a living out of this now for over 2 years!! Good on him. He had a dream chased it and succeded. He has just moved in with ihis girlfriend and is setting up his own recording studio so he can expand in what he loves...music. Not just his own music but everyone elses as well. I am extremely proud of him and a little envious of the path he has chosen and has won. He works hard in a job that he loves but best of all earns money from his passion. I am sure there a very few of us that can say the same.

Anyway enough rambling for tonight. Im going to make a cup of tea and then head for bed.

Feeling like a kid!!

Ive had a great morning!!! I was awoken by wifey via a text message at 6.50am saying im stuck in the snow!

I popped my head out of the window to see over a foot of snow had dropped overnight and wifey had treid to drive to work in it!! You couldnt tell the road from the paths and they were obviously ungritted. I called wifey back to find out where she was and she had only managed to get about 3/4 of a mile up the road. With a bit of help she got the car turned around and managed to sledge it home LOL.

She was panicking about not getting to work but as I explained what else was she supposede to do? She couldn't walk there as its about 5 miles and the car was going no-where. So we decided to wake the kids, grab the dog and go and play in the winter wonderland!!

2 hours of snowmaen and snowballs followed by tea and toast at my parents! Then a nice walk back home enjoying the winter wonderland pictures around us.

I cant work today, the wife cant work today and the schools are closed. Time to wrap up indoors keep warm and have a lazy day...nice!

And the country stops.

I love the snow and have to admit I am the worlds biggest kid when we get any. I had a fantastic hour with the kids in the garden building a snowman and throwing snowballs. The dog seemed to love it more than us constantly running around in a snow plough effect with her nose deep in the freshly fallen snow.

But how are we always so unprepared for it as a society? We know its coming but everything grinds to a halt as soon as we get more than a dusting of the stuff! I wonder how certain countries manage to cope with it? You dont see parts of France, Germany or Austria grinding to a halt when the main income of their tourist industry falls from the skies!! It just seems daft that we do. NOT that the kids were complaining about the time off of school!

I did feel sorry for my youngest this morning though, her school was closed leaving her free and clear to play the day away only to find herself feeling really ill by half past nine this morning. Talk about bad timing but with more of the white stuff coming im sure she will get another opportunity this week.

Obviously no work on for a few days as the grounds frozen solid. No chance to play at the allotment as its white!!

I wonder with the forecast on the economic climate whetehr I should stay self employed or look for a full time job. In honesty I love working for myself and would prefer it stayed this way but if work is still this slow later in the year I really will have to consider all of the options. My biggest enemy is boredom/cabin fever but I really must take up another hobby to fill these slower times. The problem is I cannot think what sort of hobby I would like to take up so watch this space for all sorts of suggestions soon :)