Ok then its time for a big fat update. Since it was last November when I posted theres been a fair bit going on....ish.
Christmas was the usual mix of pressure to spend money on gifts for relatives from whom you never here from the rest of the year. Then there was the running around to various other relations over Christmas and Boxing day including the Inlaws. Still we came through unscathed and thank god its over for the best part of another year perhaps buggering off for the next one is a good idea! LOL
The hunt for work was on and took far too long to get something. Best part of 3 months to get in on a refurbishment project at a local Mental Health Hospital which can be, lets say, interesting at times with the patients/inmates/clients (or whatever the bloody PC word is this week) coming in and out of what is a building site and us trying to convince them there is a new entrance around the corner before they explode into violence!
Thankfully I have my Nursing experience to fall back on so it doesnt bother me much but the other guys onsite havnt a clue and look terrified most of the time!! Still just goes to show how much ignorance there still is out there in society about such issues. Many still are of the ilk "its not happening to me so I will bury my head in the sand." Its a shame as im sure if there was a bit more education in schools about such things the world just may be a bit of a better place.
I had to put wifeys car through the dreaded MOT. Now I was actually hoping the horrible little pile of crap would fail, its a Hyundai Atoz of which I am not a fan, but no the bloody thing passed with only a CV boot needing replacing! So looks like Im stuck looking at an old T reg battered and dented Hyundai parked on my driveway covered in DOZENS AND DOZENS OF FLOWER STICKERS!!!!! Still she loves it for some reason and a car is a VERY personal choice eh!
My crimbo present this year was an incubator for hatching poultry eggs. Now this is by far the best gift I have ever received!! So far I have hatched 6 Serama (smallest chicken in the world) and 10 Light Sussex chicks. Most have been sold with me just keeping a couple to grow on. These are absolutely hilarious things when they hatch and its an amazing process as well. Take the egg you would quite happily eat pop it in an incubator for 3 weeks and hay presto little fluffy chicks! My plan is to keep hatching over the spring and early summer and as I sell the chicks the cash goes into another pot that pays for the feed etc for my other big chickens! My constant flock at the moment stands at 3 Jubilee Orpingtons, 1 Marsh Daisy, 2 red ones (got given them so havnt a clue), 1 white one (same again), 2 Light Sussex, 1 Aruacana and 2 Ducklings!!!!!!!
Now you would think with that lot we would never have to buy an egg but NOOOOOOOO over winter all stopped laying (some before they started) and only this week have they started to give us eggs again!
So in the incy at the moment there are 12 Light sussex, 2 duck and 16 Serama eggs. These are a favour for a friend to check his fertility rates as he has introduced new cockerals to his hens and we get to keep what hatches!! Good deal or what!
We had some bad news just before Christmas that my wifes Step mum had had a major stroke and it wasnt looking very hopefull for her. So we hopped onto the first flight out to Spain but got bloody diverted to Valncia instead of landing at Alicante so had to grab the hire car from there (luckily the hire car company were great and the lady receptionist bent over backwards to help us). So we then had a 4 hour drive south to the hospital to see her. That made us up to 22 hours travelling just to get there..very long day! She had amazed everyone by surviving at all as she had been in intensive care for a couple of days. She was released from hospital a couple of weeks later but we have just had the updated checks and its not good news. She has until this coming Christmas if shes lucky which is so tragic at the age of 64. Now she has been planning her 65th birthday party for over a year now and thats this coming June so everyone, and I mean everyone, is going out there for that so she will have the most fantastic day surrounded by her friends and family which is an excellent thing. I havnt a clue how we are going to afford it yet but we will find a way because we are not missing that.
My oldest daughter has started her guitar lessons as a well doen on her school marks. She has started her GCSE courses a year early and is doing well so had to be rewarded.
My Son has started his driving lessons!!!!!!!!!! How the hell did that happen?? He cant be old enough yet surely LOL At 37 it seems strange how old the kids are already but I am glad I had them when I was younger because wifey and I have so many plans on what we want to do starting in a couple of years.
Our biggest realisable dream is renting somewhere that comes with land we can use as a smallholding. We only want to grow the veg on the allotment scale we do now but would love to raise our own meat ie pigs, sheep and goats as well as meat chickens etc. But where to rent? We have decided on either Derbyshire or over in Norfolk in the Cromer/Sheringham regions. Now the long search has to begin to find something suitable.
Well thats it for now and I will pop back in again when I have something of interest to write ;)
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Short Days
Here we are well into winter and it has dropped so very early this year. Keeping the chickens water from turning into concrete ice is a constant struggle especially seeing as its been below freezing for the best part of a week with a temp of -7 last night! The chooks seem indifferent to it all aprt from loving warm vegtable peelings being given to them daily which turns into mayhem when put into their run.
I worked as a recovery driver for a few months which was a really interesting job. Its amazing how daft folk can be when it comes to not knowing a thing about their cars!!! The problem with the job was the ridiculus "on call" hours which came in at 60 hours over a weekend if you were on. This led to no life or time with the family so I found another job and handed in my notice.
I thought it prudent to have 2 weeks off between leaving one job and starting another as there was so much work to do within the house which all got done in a week or so. Then I got the call saying my new job had been put on hold due to government cut backs so I am once again hunting around for work.
So other than christmas preperations which are all done anyway (how smug am I!) and the snow on the ground which stops me from doing anything outside its all rather dull! I am considering retraining into something health care based so thats being looked into and a new direction in my work outlook.
I worked as a recovery driver for a few months which was a really interesting job. Its amazing how daft folk can be when it comes to not knowing a thing about their cars!!! The problem with the job was the ridiculus "on call" hours which came in at 60 hours over a weekend if you were on. This led to no life or time with the family so I found another job and handed in my notice.
I thought it prudent to have 2 weeks off between leaving one job and starting another as there was so much work to do within the house which all got done in a week or so. Then I got the call saying my new job had been put on hold due to government cut backs so I am once again hunting around for work.
So other than christmas preperations which are all done anyway (how smug am I!) and the snow on the ground which stops me from doing anything outside its all rather dull! I am considering retraining into something health care based so thats being looked into and a new direction in my work outlook.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Damn back
Im just back from the Drs because yet again my back has been playing up.
Turns out that I have a disc bulging out of my spine causing sciatica and muscle spasms so at least 2 weeks off of work and a trip to see the physio.
We are just getting on our feet after a really tough year, like so many other people out there, so this has really got me down. I seem to have enough drugs here to knock out a horse!!
Has anyone any suggestions of how to fill the next two weeks involving no driving, lifting or bending over as I have to potter around to help the disc back in!
Turns out that I have a disc bulging out of my spine causing sciatica and muscle spasms so at least 2 weeks off of work and a trip to see the physio.
We are just getting on our feet after a really tough year, like so many other people out there, so this has really got me down. I seem to have enough drugs here to knock out a horse!!
Has anyone any suggestions of how to fill the next two weeks involving no driving, lifting or bending over as I have to potter around to help the disc back in!
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Summer is here.
Here we are well into full blown summer here in Blighty. The weather has been amazingly warm and even Glastonbury got away with not getting its annual downpour turning the largest festival into a mud pool...no instead it was a dustbath of a site with 1000's suffering heatstroke and sunburn all in the name of fun!
I had the pleasure of being at the Isle of Wight festival this year which is full of youngsters who know no better after being let of off the leash for the first time. I have never witnessed such a huge number of youngsters that drunk or that sunburnt anywhere before. Now I know there is supposed to be a recession but these kids were spending money like water on alcohol, socks!!??? (why socks are so popular on the site I have no idea seeing as they seemed to be constantly stripping all of their other clothing off), toasties, greasy pizza's (apprantley the staple diet of this festival) and last but not least hour upon hour of queing for.................................................
mobile phone charging.
No I kid you not these plonkers were spending massive portions of their days either in a que to charge their mobiles or in another que to collect them. Now I admit I can be an old fart at times but at 36 I know I am not THAT old so why do I find this phone thing crazy??? When I was let off of my leash as a teenager for my first foray into the festival scene mobile phones were not something that even entered our minds. I mean you were away from home feeling like a grown up for the first time, you were more (only) interested in chasing women (ok girls) and drinking so much you made an arse out of yourself (normally chasing girls) so why in any gods name would you want to A) call your parents B)have your parents call you?
You are in a field so why would you want to play on the internet? Why pay £200 for a bloody festival ticket so you can do exactly what you would do at home???? Have the next generation got so involved with being plugged into the world wide web that they can no longer tell where they are even when its in a feild on a glorious day at the start of summer with no parental rules and a sea of young people just like you set free for the first time? Perhaps its time to look up from your handhelds guys & girls, blink a few times to clear your eyes and just perhaps then you could get on with living a real life with real people.
Belive me you are not young and free for long. Before you realise you will be working a proper job, paying the bills and wondering what your kids are doing at their first festival calling home 5 times a day!
I had the pleasure of being at the Isle of Wight festival this year which is full of youngsters who know no better after being let of off the leash for the first time. I have never witnessed such a huge number of youngsters that drunk or that sunburnt anywhere before. Now I know there is supposed to be a recession but these kids were spending money like water on alcohol, socks!!??? (why socks are so popular on the site I have no idea seeing as they seemed to be constantly stripping all of their other clothing off), toasties, greasy pizza's (apprantley the staple diet of this festival) and last but not least hour upon hour of queing for.................................................
mobile phone charging.
No I kid you not these plonkers were spending massive portions of their days either in a que to charge their mobiles or in another que to collect them. Now I admit I can be an old fart at times but at 36 I know I am not THAT old so why do I find this phone thing crazy??? When I was let off of my leash as a teenager for my first foray into the festival scene mobile phones were not something that even entered our minds. I mean you were away from home feeling like a grown up for the first time, you were more (only) interested in chasing women (ok girls) and drinking so much you made an arse out of yourself (normally chasing girls) so why in any gods name would you want to A) call your parents B)have your parents call you?
You are in a field so why would you want to play on the internet? Why pay £200 for a bloody festival ticket so you can do exactly what you would do at home???? Have the next generation got so involved with being plugged into the world wide web that they can no longer tell where they are even when its in a feild on a glorious day at the start of summer with no parental rules and a sea of young people just like you set free for the first time? Perhaps its time to look up from your handhelds guys & girls, blink a few times to clear your eyes and just perhaps then you could get on with living a real life with real people.
Belive me you are not young and free for long. Before you realise you will be working a proper job, paying the bills and wondering what your kids are doing at their first festival calling home 5 times a day!
Saturday, 5 June 2010
No im not dead!
How two months have passed so quickly is beyound me. I am no longer in the depths of despair, in fact life has been very good of late.
Im subbing to an events company I have had dealings with for over 10 years now. Im crazy busy regulary pulling 14 hour days setting up major events for those that are lets say somewhat less than functional from abuse of alcohol or other substances. But het life is good earning well, in fact wifey now has a new car, well I say car its a Hyundai Atoz which is ideal for city driving and missing every wall she can find!
At least she can park this one even though all the flower stickers she has put on the damn thing would put me off driving it in a straight line!
Our neighbours are still a bloody nightmare. I have no issue with who anyone prays to or what country they are from having been an "immigrant" myself in the past but no manners or respect for noise levels drives me more than insane. Words have been had but to no effect and I am at the point that if I go around again more than words would pass so I refrain. On the positive side we are looking for a small holding which for us is the next step on from chickens and the allotment....whatch this space.
So generally life is on the up. Im off to the Isle of Wight next week for another major event which will earn good dosh. Maybe my new motor will not be too far away after all!!!
Im subbing to an events company I have had dealings with for over 10 years now. Im crazy busy regulary pulling 14 hour days setting up major events for those that are lets say somewhat less than functional from abuse of alcohol or other substances. But het life is good earning well, in fact wifey now has a new car, well I say car its a Hyundai Atoz which is ideal for city driving and missing every wall she can find!
At least she can park this one even though all the flower stickers she has put on the damn thing would put me off driving it in a straight line!
Our neighbours are still a bloody nightmare. I have no issue with who anyone prays to or what country they are from having been an "immigrant" myself in the past but no manners or respect for noise levels drives me more than insane. Words have been had but to no effect and I am at the point that if I go around again more than words would pass so I refrain. On the positive side we are looking for a small holding which for us is the next step on from chickens and the allotment....whatch this space.
So generally life is on the up. Im off to the Isle of Wight next week for another major event which will earn good dosh. Maybe my new motor will not be too far away after all!!!
Monday, 12 April 2010
Am I normal???
Ok lets start with what is normal? Its whatever it is to an individual but we obviously have our social expectations of what normal is.
Ive never really fallen into the whole work your 9-5 job pay your mortgage and then retire on your savings. I cant stay in one place for long as it drives me nuts and I am always wanting to move onto the next experience with work and living.
At times this does drive me around the bend. We have been in Nottingham for nearly 6 months and I hate it. My eldest daughter hates it and my youngest doesnt mind it too much but would prefer to be back in Kettering. The major problem being wifey loves it. Its her home town and shes glad to be back.
We are luckier than alot of people as we do have a roof over our heads. The bills are paid and we have food in our bellies. BUT im sure there is something wrong in my head! I cant stay still. I have a massive desire to move on again to the next challenge but fear this will destroy my marriage. I would love to be "normal". To want nothing more than one home in one place with a lifetime in a regular 9-5 looking forward with glee to the traditional 2 week holiday and bank holidays for those extra days off. To have a regular life long group of friends with the set nights out.
I cant do it. I work hard so I can see interesting new places. But I wish at times I could settle into that sort of routine.
Ive never really fallen into the whole work your 9-5 job pay your mortgage and then retire on your savings. I cant stay in one place for long as it drives me nuts and I am always wanting to move onto the next experience with work and living.
At times this does drive me around the bend. We have been in Nottingham for nearly 6 months and I hate it. My eldest daughter hates it and my youngest doesnt mind it too much but would prefer to be back in Kettering. The major problem being wifey loves it. Its her home town and shes glad to be back.
We are luckier than alot of people as we do have a roof over our heads. The bills are paid and we have food in our bellies. BUT im sure there is something wrong in my head! I cant stay still. I have a massive desire to move on again to the next challenge but fear this will destroy my marriage. I would love to be "normal". To want nothing more than one home in one place with a lifetime in a regular 9-5 looking forward with glee to the traditional 2 week holiday and bank holidays for those extra days off. To have a regular life long group of friends with the set nights out.
I cant do it. I work hard so I can see interesting new places. But I wish at times I could settle into that sort of routine.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
New Leaf
Yes yes yes its been quite some time since my last blog but I really have been busy!
Having read back on my posts the last one was about the chooks arriving. Well we lost one but thats to be expected when dealing with ex battery hens. They are worked so hard in the first year of their lives they can develop all sorts of problems. Still we have the 3 and they now live on the allotment in a new hand built coop and the next stage is to build a 20 ft run for them up there. Then some new meat birds will be added along with a turkey for christmas!
The allotment is now sorted with all the brassicas in along with our spuds! The greenhouse is full of seedlings waiting for a few weeks for the spring to kick in properly. Its so nice to see the new life and growth of food thats going to see you through the best part of the year. Its immensley satisfying to eat your own veg!
My youngest brother was over from Ireland this weekend with his fiance so all the family got together which was fantastic!! Its so rare when there is 6 kids all now grown up to be in the same place all at once! His fiance is lovely and I had to ask if she was just trying to upset her parents by marrying him lol but they do make a great couple. He will be releasing his first album over the next couple of months and if you want a taster take a look at www.davylewis.com as he has a few songs on there already and his first single is for charity so buy the download and do your bit!!
The BIG news is that I have given up smoking. There is a local support type thing that you go to every couple of weeks and they give you tips help etc. Its really good! Its been a couple of days now and im doing great. Im using patches which seem to be doing really well for me. I have to say though that I really was ready to stop. I have been smoking now for twenty years, that was an eye opener when they asked how long and I worked it out!, but it was starting to effect my health. I sounded like an old man in the morning coughing like mad and I was getting out of breath doing the simplist things. Im only 36 so this really really started to worry me.
They say the first few days are the worse but when you are ready to stop and I mean really ready it doesnt make any odds. Ive only had one bad patch when i wanted one and that was on the first day driving home from work. Now that was just habit!! I always had a couple of smokes on the drive home whether I wanted them or not!
Ive tried many times in the past to stop and normally crashed at the first hurdle but it feels so different this time and a good dose of fear of your health helps no end! Watch out for the oxygen rush though that gets you at really strange times...and you dont sleep as much??? I only have 6 hours or so anyway but that seems to have gone down to 5??? Odd!
Having read back on my posts the last one was about the chooks arriving. Well we lost one but thats to be expected when dealing with ex battery hens. They are worked so hard in the first year of their lives they can develop all sorts of problems. Still we have the 3 and they now live on the allotment in a new hand built coop and the next stage is to build a 20 ft run for them up there. Then some new meat birds will be added along with a turkey for christmas!
The allotment is now sorted with all the brassicas in along with our spuds! The greenhouse is full of seedlings waiting for a few weeks for the spring to kick in properly. Its so nice to see the new life and growth of food thats going to see you through the best part of the year. Its immensley satisfying to eat your own veg!
My youngest brother was over from Ireland this weekend with his fiance so all the family got together which was fantastic!! Its so rare when there is 6 kids all now grown up to be in the same place all at once! His fiance is lovely and I had to ask if she was just trying to upset her parents by marrying him lol but they do make a great couple. He will be releasing his first album over the next couple of months and if you want a taster take a look at www.davylewis.com as he has a few songs on there already and his first single is for charity so buy the download and do your bit!!
The BIG news is that I have given up smoking. There is a local support type thing that you go to every couple of weeks and they give you tips help etc. Its really good! Its been a couple of days now and im doing great. Im using patches which seem to be doing really well for me. I have to say though that I really was ready to stop. I have been smoking now for twenty years, that was an eye opener when they asked how long and I worked it out!, but it was starting to effect my health. I sounded like an old man in the morning coughing like mad and I was getting out of breath doing the simplist things. Im only 36 so this really really started to worry me.
They say the first few days are the worse but when you are ready to stop and I mean really ready it doesnt make any odds. Ive only had one bad patch when i wanted one and that was on the first day driving home from work. Now that was just habit!! I always had a couple of smokes on the drive home whether I wanted them or not!
Ive tried many times in the past to stop and normally crashed at the first hurdle but it feels so different this time and a good dose of fear of your health helps no end! Watch out for the oxygen rush though that gets you at really strange times...and you dont sleep as much??? I only have 6 hours or so anyway but that seems to have gone down to 5??? Odd!
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