If it's not politicians, the recession or the imminent collapse of western civilization it's the fifth horseman of the apocalypse....swine flu. At least these harbingers of doom don't crap on your windscreen and they taste nice grilled and in a sandwich. Shame really because they are supposedly smarter than dogs.
I've spent the day at work poised, phone glued to my ear and ready to leap into action....nothing. After the frenetic action of last week I was reduced to reviewing policies, chasing up student 'stuff' and badgering the supplier of referrals. Still nothing. Ever the optimist perhaps tomorrows team meeting will bring something.














On the home front I dropped No 1 son's laptop off to a local repair shop. He is unable to explain how the plug in has broken although the repair chap spoke of it possibly being 'dropped'. Ho hum...let's see what can be done so that I can have the PC back. However, if it is broken again he will have to pay for the repairs himself because he may then learn the true value of things.
Otherwise life is humdrum and I do feel the need to change something. Some thoughts come to mind but I may have to wait a year or two. The job (commuting!) is taking up a lot of time and a colleague is leaving the team. The stress and bullshit of dealing with misery on a daily basis does take its toll and he was getting stressed over the smallest thing. I don't blame him and, although he could be pain at times, I will miss his presence, especially his humour. One big change for the whole family is No.1 leaving school in four weeks time. He is hoping to find work this summer and he starts college in September...training to be an electrician. In some ways this heralds a new freedom for me as well as for Mrs C. No.1 is on his way to becoming an adult and the apron strings loosen just that little bit more. That's how it should be.
So, lots of different changes and a general sense of uncertainty, both for myself and in general. We do indeed live in interesting times.
TTFN.

It's the weekend and after a very busy week I have two days off. So why on earth did I wake up at 3.30? Wide awake! The mutt has been walked, breakfast cooked and the beasties fed. I am now ready for bed.














TTFN

I have been extremely busy over these last three days with lots of referrals, assessments and far too much mileage. However, it's good to be in the thick of things and stretching my new found skills and knowledge. What I haven't got is enough hours in the day and early starts (7 am) and late finishes (8 pm) have not allowed much messaboutdapc time. However, this evening Mrs C. and I took the pooch for a long and much needed walk for all of us alongside the river. Spotting carp, pike, various wildfowl, drug dealers and watching the cops stop an errant motorist. What astonished me was the absence of people. The streets were empty apart from kids playing cricket on the green and others kicking a football around the car park. It was almost like a scene from a zombie movie and the expectation of slow moving rotting corpses moaning their desire for live human flesh as they dragged themselves ever closer to their next meal. With the sound of background music growing increasingly louder towards the denouement we made a swift exit and home for tea.
TTFN.

Phewww...I was locked out of my own blog and had to sign in using my blood and an ancient rusty metal quill with strange lettering and a whispering sound emanating from it. Strange and eerie shadows flitted around the room as I signed my name up to Google's various instruments. A maniacal laugh signified agreement and the smell of sulphur suffused the room as my dog cowered in the far corner. All of this in response to this. I think the initial shots of a media war have been fired.
Anyway, I have signed up to the following so as to access free music without the eye patch, pieces of eight, parrot and ooh arring missus. Being a cheapskate and having the memory of a mayfly, this will allow me to listen to music and decide whether to buy or not. So here goes....
TTFN.

Thursday was one of those odd days where garden rakes are placed for the unwary foot, manhole covers aren't replaced and one is carrying a pile of crockery and directly strolling towards the hole.
To start the day (06.00) I tripped over the cat and a whole mug of much needed tea decorated the hallway. The contents of my briefcase ended strewn over the road after leaving it on the roof of the car. I dropped spaghetti on to another one of the cats later that evening. To end the day the bed broke which resulted with me having to sleep on the floor. I did not have a good day although sleeping on the floor (thank the gods for sleeping bags) did wonders for my back! Yesterday evening was spent repairing the bed base and I am pleased to report it is better than new.
Work has gone from thumb twiddling to wondering how we'll squeeze so much work into an eight hour day. Suffice to say that next week will be an extremely busy one and I suspect the answer to the eight hour day will be ten or eleven hour days. I guess we can take any time off during slack periods (ever an optimist).
The job itself involves assessing the best interests of people who may be deprived of their liberty. The clientele will in the main consist of those suffering dementia, severe learning difficulties and severe mental illness and living in care homes. I have come to the conclusion that politicians would benefit from working at minimum wage with these client groups for six months. They would then learn what real work is as well as facing the difficult conditions in which staff work. They would also realise the realities of life lived at the opposite end of the spectrum from their own pampered, privileged and non-essential lifestyles. Although I have only a brief window into the lives of each of these individuals I can only wonder at what their lives consist of on a daily basis. Seeing people in their seventies, eighties and above whose lives are reduced to an empty shell of existence as a result of dementia and dependent upon care for all their basic needs. It is a sobering experience and one which has me questioning the real meaning of life. Here is one opinion (which I do not advocate) I am sure will be voiced by many more people as the costs of care increase.
I can only admire and praise the staff because it is such hard work and the rewards are certainly not financial. How much does it cost to fight unnecessary wars? Costs of the proposed Trident nuclear missile deterrent? The NHS IT project? Governing the UK means prioritising where tax payers money needs to be spent. Whatever ones' views regarding tax there is a need to provide care for the most vulnerable in society. I certainly did not vote for wars, illegal or legitimate, against people whom I do not believe intended any harm to the UK. Nor did I vote for the rescue of bankers who in pursuit of ever greater profits and enriching themselves in the process fucked up the banking system. Hence my desire to see those tossers in parliament and any future potential MP's perform six months work experience in care homes, street cleaning, as A&E health care assistants, teaching assistants, etc...Maybe then they will realise why people are angry, disillusioned and have little faith in their empty promises.
Please excuse the rant but I am genuinely upset at what I have seen and I thought it was bad in adult mental health.
TTFN.

Today it has been mainly foggy...well, up until 10 am.











Only a short trip into work today to check emails, chase up referrals and liaise with various bods. Even better, I am now at home working. So, a short post only.
TTFN.

I have only just realised...the blog is now over three years old.A toddler! It has now developed an awareness of the 'other' and can talk reasonably coherently whilst grubbing about in mud and squealing at teletubbies. A belated Happy Birthday.

















Over the grey, cold and thoroughly damp bank holiday I did very little apart from reading and sleeping. Lots of sleeping. Lots of driving at work and little sleep has resulted in my using the time off to sleep. Boring but much needed.Although not strictly true because dog walking played a big part in forming the weekend. We did go up to the Wolds but it pissed down and resulted in returning nearer home to walk the pooch. Also finding the remains of various mice scattered around the garden including Tigger munching away on the innards of one. This morning I found the contents of Tiggers stomach scattered around the garden - regurgitated mouse anyone?
She does not like dry food and seeks fresh meat on the 'hoof' to supplement her diet.
Having previously worked bank holidays I will obviously have to get used to learning how to make the best of bad weather, traffic queues,drunken yobs and depleted bank accounts whilst competing with the rest of the country having the day off. Two opportunities to practice this in May.
TTFN.

There is some life in my garden with various flowers coming through.














Don't ask me what they are because the naming of plant life is one of those areas in life where it all just goes over my head. Pig ignorant where botany is concerned despite my attempts to remember.














I have a variety of pots strategically placed about the garden i.e. Wherever there is space. However, the felines are in ttrrrouble...they've been a digging of my young shoots, the little bleeders. Wire and glass guards now cover all the pots including the small ones I believed would be safe.














As for my tomato, chilli and sweet pepper plants....tons of 'em so I have a busy weekend to buy more compost and to pot out (frost hopefully now all gorn).














Do you know the best thing about this bank holiday weekend? It's my first proper Easter bank holiday for four years...wonderful. A couple of beers in my local...yes, I'm venturing back into the Tap this weekend to see some friends. Dog walking, gardening, lots of sleep as well and I shan't be touching the car apart from giving her a well deserved wash and scrub up. If the weather is sunny the mutt will also be subjected to a bath. She has to be washed outside because she really doesn't like the bath and struggling with a wet dog determined upon escape is not much fun.
I'm in need of a cuppa rosie so...
TTFN.

I am so tired.....another early night.
TTFN.

Happy days are here again...I can access BBCi listen again using Firefox as my browser. I can listen to Mick 'n' Lester and Genevieve Tudor as often as I want to and whenever I want to. Excellent. On a less positive note Mrs C. picked the Grand National winner which romped home at 100/1...we didn't place a bet on it. Gutted!















Otherwise, I spent the day gardening with seedlings planted out , grass cut and some new solar powered lights put in. A variety of pots dotted around the garden and some seeds sown. Lots of flowers have come through but because I threw away the seed packets, some of them we don't recognise. A good supply of well rotted, almost soil like compost from my composter. I never realised i could get so excited over compost but it is perfect for the plants. Today was a sunny day although breezy and perfect for gardening. Not yet warm enough for sitting out with a beer or a cuppa and contemplating my navel. Fingers crossed for sunny and warm weather over Easter when I will be off for the weekend. Back to the music and chillin' out.
TTFN.

I couldn't resist. Enjoy.

Phew! Returned from work, caught up on news, fed & watered; meself, Mrs C. and the various animals. Second week in new job and I survived the regular commute. Worryingly, on a couple of occasions I have felt drowsy at the wheel so I now stop off halfway to chill for a few minutes and stretch my legs. I couldn't give a monkeys if it makes me occasionally late because I value my life and that of others rather than race to deadlines. I do tend to set out early unlike some of the eejits I regularly see racing past me. One odd positive from commuting is the opportunity to listen to the radio, see the seasons change and to have time to myself. I tend to be a loner by inclination and enjoy the freedom from others competing for my attention. It is spring and possibly a warm summer so driving shouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure if I was offered an extension on the secondment whether driving during the winter would be so appealing.












My computer troubles have been temporarily resolved by using firefox. I have used it in the past but did not take to it. Necessity, mother & all that, I am now using it and have said tara to IE. I have to use nhsdotnet for the job and for the sixth day in a row I have problems accessing that. I do want to get that sorted because I may be able to work from home (1 hour with patient = 2 hours paperwork) and travel directly to assessments. Sorts out the commuting issues, saves the nhs money and leaves me refreshed and fighting "cough!" fit. I will once again return to hassling the IT bods next week. For this weekend...dog walking, gardening and no driving will be the ticket.
TTFN.

I am currently using Firefox as my browser because having downloaded IE 8, I have had no end of problems with crashes, pages sticking and strange pop ups. IE 8 is basically a crock of shit.The otherreason for using Firefox is that I will again try to down load IE 7 (generally ok...ish) but I need a browser to do this. Wish me luck.
The picture? Phil's one of my heroes and Lisa is absolutely gorgeous.
TTFN.