One year older today and rapidly approaching Saga territory.
To celebrate I finally bought a motor.
Cue drumroll......a second hand Suzuki Wagon R+ as extolled by the over sixties and the Japanese. Doubly extolled by elderly Japanese. Yes, it's a box on wheels and I shall undoubtedly attract derisory comments. But it drove well, is spacious, cheap, cheerful and I hope reliable.I collect it later this week and look forward to putting it through it's paces. 0 - 60 eventually and a top speed of better than Reliant Robins....allegedly.












I like it and the other cars I tried out just did not meet the strict criteria I set...Cheap & cheerful. Previous owner an elderly female librarian who holidayed in Bridlington once a year and had a cat called Marmaduke.Like most blokes I am like a child in a sweetshop / a dog with two tails / a horse saved from the knackers yard (pick one). It might be second hand but it's my new toy and I shall play with it.

On the home front Mrs C. has had various appointments at the chesticles clinic; No 1 son has injured his leg and so have I. I have a limp (fnarr fnarr) but my ankle only hurts when I rest it. How bizarre is that. My brother has also injured his ankle and both of us have no idea how our respective injuries occurred. Alien abductions may be the answer although I suspect a more prosaic answer but I haven't had much ale lately so I can't blame drunken escapades. Mind you, the only drunken escapade I am likely to face these days is to endanger my health with a donner kebab. blimey, I could murder a kebab right now to go with my bottle of 'Butcombe Gold'. The bottled version is 4.7% abv.
Anyhow, back to the 50's R&B before I go to watch 'Who do you think you are?' Tonight it is Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen: Is he a fop or a complete wanker? Vote in the comments please.
TTFN.

In old Amsterdam no longer...

Tigger is a large, lazy, striped and very vocal moggie who loves her food and home comforts. She makes most cats appear positively dynamic. However, she has one attribute which is extremely useful. She is an excellent hunter and her kill rate was increased today with the addition of one large mouse. What was unusual was the chase up the side of the house and the mouse sheltering just below the eaves. Tigger has the patience of a saint when on the trail of a rodent and the inevitable happened. The times we do object to her killing instinct involves the local birds. Pigeons, sparrows and on one occasion a large seagull although Tigger wisely backed off the latter.













Whilst this excitement was happening Mog slept through it all several feet away. He has all the skill of a flamingo in clogs when it comes to stalking prey. He also sleeps on the bird table when it rains. Happily he is no threat to the local wildlife.














Her usual prey.

TTFN.

Posts might be a tad erratic over the next few weeks. I have signed up to do some teaching to general and childrens student nurses at the local 'Shiny University'. I have been asked to present sessions on community nursing, crisis teams and throw in a few case studies as well. I'm looking forward to it having not done any formal classroom teaching for several years now but I am also bricking it. Lots of shiny expectant faces, keen to learn and pens poised for my words of wisdom. Who am I kidding? They'll be stuck in a stuffy classroom and keen to rush off to the real world, not listen to a boring old lecture from a loony nurse. Sadly for them I intend to get them actively participating in the case studies as well as challenging some of their preconceptions. All this after my promise to not take on extra work. I can't learn to settle for a quiet life...
TTFN.

Two recent events have made me feel very old...
I bought some disposable razors for my son today.
The other day I assessed a teenager who looked about twelve.
I feel like Methuseleh.
I also have the added bonus of painful arthritis in my left shoulder.

Searching for 'shaved' images to adorn this post on the internet reminded me of the dangers of using the precise search term. It took hours to find the correct image and believe me, I looked at lots of images...but I also found this on how to be a gentleman which tickled my fancy.
TTFN.

As a follow up to my post about the thieving bastards council tax collection I have made enquiries and found this. The devil is indeed in the detail and more has come to light. Unhappily I do not have a leg to stand on although I am writing to the council to complain. Over the last six years I have paid the council tax in full and have lived at the same address. How to explain their apparent inability to find me?


















TTFN.

How real ale drinkers see themselves.



















Quiz night last night and there were tumbleweeds blowing through the pub. No matter how often a politician says "There is no recession" the evidence is all around us. A choice of tasty ale at £2.00 a pint or a case of shite lager at £10.00 a case with a takeaway in front of the telly? Sadly, more people will opt for the latter because it's affordable.
We were a creditable third but no pwizes. But after a few tasty beers I fell off the dietary wagon as I succumbed to the dreaded munchies. The hot buttered bagel and peanuts were delicious...I'll say a few dietary Hail Mary's this morning as a penance.
Yes, I am on a diet. A dodgy right knee brought it home to me that weight loss would help take the pressure off my knee. I am learning how to make low fat curries and eating fruit by the ton. It's a good job I love oranges. Oddly enough I miss bread the most, hence the bagel last night.

What everyone else sees.

















I am hoping a combination of diet and brisk dog walking will begin my dietary journey as the nhs health advisors would term it. I'm off to eat some pineapple.
TTFN.

Yes...I bear a vague resemblance to the first picture!!

The funky photo above shows hip happenin' kids in their chosen mode of transport. A Fiat Doblo. Yes, the lease car is returning to the lease company and I am looking for a new motor. The Doblo is a large box on wheels. Basic, spacious, CHEAP and hard wearing. With a teenage son and a hair shedding hound I am considering getting one of these. I like practical vehicles and this is very practical.It's also based upon the following childrens icon...


















Not a surf board in sight unless the Bondi Postie Pat catches a curl. If we do buy one it will most definitely not be red. I wonder if my black & white cat will sit still in it?
Seeing as the world did not end yesterday (2012 according to the Mayan prophecies) TTFN.

On Friday I received a council tax demand for a previous address from seven years ago. The excuse given by the council worker for the tardiness was "we lost track of you in our records". This despite my unusual first name and despite my paying council taxes over the past seven years, six of them at my current address. Despite my reasonable request for copies of my records at the time this was refused. The excuses were: our computer systems have changed twice; we don't give out copies; our records are not wrong. I suggested that local and national government systems and staff are not infallible. That I do pay your wages, hence these records do belong to me. I was given a stark choice: pay up or the bailiffs go in. Two days later I am still fucking angry. I certainly haven't kept any receipts from seven years ago and I have to pay the £140. Bastards! In some respects this does tie in with the news that our blue painted friends north of the border want to scrap council taxes and replace it with a local tax based upon income. I would go further: scrap the council tax and collect the extra % via income tax. There is then no need for a needless and expensive extra tier of local collection services. I have become Victor Meldrew.
To chill out I've been searching for sixties psychedelia...



(I know, I know...recorded in 1970 at San Francisco).



TTFN.

Wet weather and the Tap's enforced closure means I am stuck indoors. So a bit of extra blogging. If you suffer from arachnophobia look away now.






Fangs for the memory.






One of these large buggers was found in a bunch of bananas at a supermarket. Highly venomous and extremely aggressive are not the two characteristics designed to win friends and influence people, although some politicians get away with having these in spades.More here about this critter.

Listening to the excellent Genevieve Tudor's Sunday Folk on listen again led me to this. I've played Rosie Doonan's tracks several times each this afternoon. I'll be buying the CD as well saving her myspace to my favourites. Enjoy....



TTFN.

Tyre woes... one of my wheels attracted a small screw and, being royally screwed, I ended up having to call the RAC out yesterday evening. The wheel came off eventually but no way would the noddy wheel (spare) go on, hence calling out the cavalry to help out.I had to pop into Kwikfit this morning but as per usual the correct tyre not available until tomorrow. The happy upshot of this is a day off today because there is no way I am driving around Lincolnshire on a noddy wheel which is not safe at speeds of above 50 mph. The long queue of impatient drivers behind me last night on my way home does not need to be repeated today. Especially with the 'inclement weather' (chucking it down!).


















Little blogging of late because Mrs C. was in that there London Town for a few days. So a combination of work, on calls and ensuring No.1 son was readied for school each day kept me busy. Bless him, all he needed was the early morning call because he sorts himself out now.
I also received my interview feedback - two brief lines via email: one statement I agreed with slightly but the other one was utter bollocks. I am more than convinced that Trust politics and economics played the greater part in choosing the successful interviewees. Especially in light of the discovery that one particular individual, who is a complete numpty, got the job. The individual in question is already employed in that department.
I have spent the past week reflecting upon my work role and broke it down into various parts. I realise that I do a hell of a lot more than other work colleagues who are the same grade and pay scale. Part of this is my desire to get stuck in and stretch my talents. So I am the student link, arrange their placements and I am also the nurse link for pharmacy, medication updates and liaison. I also appear to have acquired the mentorship update liaison for nurses in the team as well as the PR link to patients and carers groups. In some respects I appear to have acquired an informal 'executive officer' position shared with one other senior nurse. The upshot is that I have suggested others can now do their bit and I shall not be volunteering for these various jobs.
Enough of the grumbling already. It's the weekend and it might be wet outside so I intend to wet the insides with a couple of pints this weekend.
TTFN.