Tears before pearls

2012-01-26T21:30:00.001Z

My redecorating plans are on hold as the builder suggested we wait a few months before painting. The quote for a new double glazed window was breathtaking so we have decided to just replace the cracked pane (76" x 48"... it's a whopper). So plans changed but overall I am happy. I only need No.1 son to find employment and this year will be off to a great start. I can't help but contrast this with the national and international situation. As a friend stated the other day "It's getting very interesting and more than a little scarey". But the media and day to day activities show a public that is either oblivious or indifferent to it all. The government has no answers except more government. We have local councillors, MP's, the cabinet, MEP's, euro government, regional govt.'s plus dense layers of bureaucracy and the result is a complete dogs mess with no real democracy at all. Sadly,I believe there will be a complete breakdown in society and we are heading towards the 21st century version of the 1930's.

The nonsense about the Leveson enquiry (whitewash & inevitable call for greater restrictions on a free press), Scottish independence, the olympics, etc... is a noisy sideshow which ignores the white elephant ride in the corner: war with Iran, oil, power and the death throes of western societies as we know them. I would make some glib remark about popcorn and getting a good seat but as I have said before we will all be part of this show. I guess it is fingers crossed and hang onto our seats because it will be an extremely bumpy and dangerous ride.

I saved the above because the glaziers arrived and we have a new laminated window in. A sixth of the ridiculous price quoted by the double glazing people. I also thought long and hard about posting this because it is not a jolly post. However, I do believe we are going to hell in a handcart I am an optimist(ic realist) and I believe ordinary people will find their own solutions. I might not agree with those solutions (hanging bankers and politicians) but things will change and life will go on. The Roman Empire died a long and protracted death and this may well be the same. On an optimistic note I have booked tickets to see Nazareth at the local biker club so this evenings music is very much seventies rock with Nazareth, Deep Purple and Rainbow playing. Mind you, half an hour of live Ramones crept in, one of my favourite bands and I lost count of how many times I saw them live along with the Clash. The folly of youth... never wasted although I frequently was...
TTFN.

2012-01-22T21:15:00.001Z

It has been a busy week with building work, poorly cat and mayhem at work. The above photo shows a tired and sad Tigger wearing her buster cone and with half her tail shaved. We noticed she was irritable, avoided coming indoors and when I picked her up she nearly took my face off. The vet found two nasty bites on her tail and a nasty infection in her tail and back. The amount of pus and blood that came out was astonishing. Little wonder she was irritable. An overnight stay and treatment returned a much happier kitty and relieved me of £170. That was my night out cancelled plus cancelled nights out for the forseeable future. She is slowly recuperating and attemping to remove her buster cone whenever our backs are turned. She is also her usual friendly and happy self.

The builder has been, removed all the plaster from five walls and replastered to an excellent standard. A lot of disruption but it is well worth it with the damp and damaged walls repaired and the house feels warmer with no damp smells. We are just awaiting some quotes for a new double glazed window. But we can crack on with some much needed redecorating. It feels like a new year and a fresh start. We popped out to the council tip today to get rid of some rubbish as part of this fresh start and they are flogging off old bikes next Friday. I'm planning to attend the auction and hopefully pick up a secondhand bike for renovation. I also bought seeds ready for the spring planting with the emphasis again on tomatoes, chillies, strawberries and herbs. All positive and looking towards the future. With the redecoration it will feel like we have our home back and the back room can be converted into a study/den/mini gym... well, an exercise bike and some weights so calling it a gym is rather too grand a title. It will give me a quiet place where I can read and relax without the distraction of the TV and surrounded by books as well as listen to the radio.

Plaster removed in the lounge. I will add the "after" picture when we have redecorated.

The back room will keep me out of Mrs C's way and keep me happily occupied when I am not at work. There will be space for plants as well as a small corner for my home brew efforts. As for work... the main reason for my eagerness to set up the back room is to have an oasis of calm and a place to escape to. The cuts are beginning to bite, referrals are increasing with unreasonable expectations of our magic powers to cure all ills. Hence the need for a quiet bolt hole. Time to minister to the cat...

TTFN.

2012-01-04T21:06:00.001Z

It is blowing a hoolie out there. The pooch's second walk this evening saw her spaniel ears flapping and consequently led to further demented doggie behaviour from her. Dark early despite the days getting longer and we are in the doldrums of post celebrations and dank, dark and gloomy days of January. I don't mind it too much because I enjoy the contrasts in the weather we have here and I enjoyed watching the swans this evening whilst the pooch chased the wind.
I am having to watch the pennies following the celebrations but this afternoon Mrs. C and I had a look at beds. Our bed is coming to the end of its life and at some point this year I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. But parting with hundreds of pounds,especially at his time of the year had me extremely tight lipped and watchful around the various salesmen. We have found one that looks to be good value, will last several years and has an excellent and very supportive mattress. But what brought a smile to my face was the table at the front of the shop with cheap sparkling wine, crisps and peanuts set out for prospective customers. After the splurge that was Christmas and New Year who wants to carry on? I have decided to sleep on it (I couldn't resist it!) and make my decision next week despite Mrs.C's keeness to acquire the bed... and a similar one for our son! The latter will not happen because his priority is a job as my wage supporting three adults and assorted furry familiars does not stretch that far.

We also started a clear out of rubbish which was inadvertently started by Mrs.C breaking the brand new table lamp she had just purchased. She responded well to my laughter... shouted at the dog and an overarm throw to land the pieces into further smaller pieces in the bin. It only cost three quid so not earth shattering. After that we had a clear out and I was surprised to find we still had loads of old videos, mainly of Time Team and some children's programmes. All of them very worn but it made me think as to how in such a short space of time one technology is quickly superceded by another. We'll be clearing out the bigger stuff tomorrow to the local tip. I can then check when they next have a sale of old bikes as I need one since my own bike was stolen (it still rankles).
Anyhow, time for a small drop of the malt...
TTFN.

2012-01-01T15:18:00.000Z

Well that was almost painless... now we are in 2012.
A sleepless night courtesy of having eaten too much rich food and the consequent stomach ache. Hence today I have returned to dieting and tomorrow will be the dreaded weigh-in. However, I chose to enjoy the past week and I accept there are consequences to the choices I make. That will be my approach to this coming year, that I will get out of the year and my life whatever I choose to put into it.
This coming month will be a busy one with the builder expected to start work, discovering whether I will be starting the requested training course, the car requiring much needed work and catching up on the expected deluge of work coming our way following Christmas. All of this against a background of reducing finances, rising bills and undoubtedly govt. plans to weigh and analyse our faeces for carbon, fat and fibre content so as to tax us further. I am dusting off my brewing kit in light of the govt. plans to heap more taxes upon alcohol and in this govt's continuance of grinding our faces into the dirt. However, on with the motley as decorations are put away, the house tidied up and various cats removed from the radiators.
TTFN.

2011-12-31T12:26:00.001Z

May I wish a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012 for you all.

The next generation (No.1 son) is planning to go out with his friends and party tonight whilst we oldies who have seen and celebrated too many New Year eves are planning a quiet night in. I guess like many other people I am worried about what the next year brings but for tonight, a quiet drink with a good meal and avoiding the endless reviews of 2011 / predictions for 2012. Some DVD's to provide the entertainment and an early night... Life in the fast lane indeed.
TTFN.

2011-12-27T14:06:00.000Z

Phew!
Enough beer and food on Christmas day to feed a regiment. Sprouts were literally sprouting upon our respective plates, with Christmas pudding and mince pies in custard a couple of hours later. So the past two days have seen me and the pooch walking it all off although I again had a few beers as well as a mince pie and more custard yesterday evening. A couple of delightful days spent with the family and doing very little beyond listening to music and conversation. As I walked the pooch this morning we admired the frenetic crowds in their cars besieging various shopping outlets for that "must have bargain".
I decided a quiet walk beside the river and well away from the madness would be good for my soul and healthier for the mutt as well. I met several dog walkers doing the same. Trainers to kill for, electronics and soft furnishings worth getting into further debt for, precious days off spent fruitlessly filling that gap in ones' life... pffft! What a life or not as the case may be.

The radio is filled with the usual reviews of the past year and what 2012 will hold for us next year. As I stated in an earlier post I intend to concentrate upon family, home, garden and my health beause I have little or no influence on the gormless in govt. and other assorted idiots. So I tend to listen to BBCi / other stations as I can be selective in my listening rather than endure the needless propaganda spouted without evidence or analysis. Planet Rock's generally good for music as is BBC Radios 3 and 6. For the new year I intend to stay home, drink some good beers and whisky and contact friends and family via the net before I enjoy my usual dry January as I return to the serious slog of dieting. Mind you, I am back on the diet as of today and tomorrow is set aside for garden maintenance / clearance. I'll be gently easing myself back into cadence of normal everyday life after the Christmas celebrations.
I hope you all had a good and peaceful Christmas and received everything you wanted. Don't forget, you have the opportunity to do it all again next year...
TTFN.

2011-12-24T12:00:00.000Z

Sadly or happily for some, the above picture is not from this year's Christmas.

A brief break from blogging because I had little to say or others say it better than I can.
Not a great deal has happened over the past three weeks apart from the euro continuing to limp to a slow death, the economy going down the pan & the govt. gearing up for macho posturing in various parts of the world as they continue to waste our money. On a brighter note I have a whole ten days of holiday ahead of me. Given I have worked the past umpteen Christmas holidays I got my request for this time off in very early (last Boxing Day!). I have no real plans apart from much needed R & R before we enter the Mayan end of days that will be 2012. I will use this time to consider the garden & what to plant next year, what beer to brew and when, if ever, this builder will make his appearance (January according to our last converation). The garden looks dreadful after yesterdays deluge and will require some much needed work over the next week to prepare it for the spring (The days are getting longer... Yay!). Seed catalogues will be scrutinised although my plans are for chillies, tomatoes, cucmbers, sweet peppers and various herbs. I have saved some butternut squash seeds to experiment with and followed some tips from a radio gardening programme to start them off. Although the western world may be experiencing a Western Roman Empire end, in this corner I intend to continue to plant, brew beer and maintain standards in an ever optimistic fashion. Anyhow, more coffee beckons and the final checklist for tomorrows festivities.
TTFN.

2011-12-02T12:19:00.001Z

A brief foray into town this morning to pay some bills and to buy a couple of presents. Once again we are going for small personal gifts which are not going to break the bank and are actually needed / wanted by the recipients. It wasn't too busy at such an early hour and the bills are the ones I refuse to pay by direct debit. Two companies in particular screwed up DD payments in the past and I prefer to manage andhave control of my payments. We also popped into the 99p shop... tat and all for 99p each. Now that shop and the pound shops are very busy, a sign of the times. I also bought some new clothes for work having dropped two clothes sizes. A good winter coat was a priority because my old coat not only looked tatty but I was swamped in it. Mrs C. said I looked very odd in it... an overweight anorexic was her description of me!
The weight loss is now slow but hopefully steady. It is also interesting from psychological and social perspectives. The former because I am adjusting to being different and the latter because others perceive an obvious change in the person standing in front of them. I am aware that a job I went for three years ago which I didn't get was down to my size. I heard on the grapevine that the panel preferred the slimmer, sharp suited, younger candidate with little experience to me. When I heard that I was angry but it finally acted as a spur to my losing weight. I was last at my current weight in 1996 so can I blame 13 years of new labour? Leaner times under the tories may be responsible for a leaner me! Happily I know it is down to me and have taken responsibilty for myself. No.1 son has a hankering for lasagne so I will be making a slimming world version for him this evening. I'll be using quorn so that his girlfriend may also eat it. I am attempting to inculcate good eating habits with him but I fear I have lost him already to the fast food culture. However, dieting may be unneccessary once the euro and European economies (including the UK) goes tits up because we'll be living on baked beans and lentils anyway. We'll be digging up gardens and growing our own food.
TTFN.

2011-12-01T10:55:00.000Z

Pinch, punch, First of the month and all that mallarkey.
It's winter and the sun is shining outside and the beeb news gave lots of time to its drought news for southern England. I also had a chocolate from my advent calender and I am currently listening to Christmas songs on spotify. You just know my enthusiasm will wane fairly quickly...
I looked at my entries for this time last year when everywhere was covered in snow and the country ground to a halt.Very different this year and I do wonder whether we will have snow this month. New cars have been leased for the crisis team and I again suggested 4x4's. Lovely cars have arrived but they have plumped for the cheap two wheel drive versions. Cue the fun and games if the weather does change for the worse.
I saw an otter in our local river the other evening whilst out dog walking a few days ago. I was astonished to see what is a large predator in the river and I was riveted to the spot with delight and wonderment. The two anglers who also witnessed it were not so delighted as the fish stock will rapidly diminish. I really am going to start carrying a camera with me to capture these moments.
TTFN.

2011-11-30T15:32:00.000Z

Today is the much anticipated (by the media) public sector strike day. In a previous post I gave my reasons for voting against strike action because I believe the recent govt. offer was a good one. Happily I have today as a day off because I am working over the weekend and I did not have to cross any picket lines. It will be interesting to see the public reaction to the day of action although sadly I believe there will be further public sector strikes and industrial unrest.

No.1 son has a wisdom tooth coming through and he is not a happy bunny. I'll be taking him to the dentist for the first time ever and he is terrified. I am also having to pay for it because he is still unable to find work and he receives no benefits. I also googled some apprenticeship schemes and I have plonked those in his lap with instructions to apply for them. I have also suggested he consider any work going because I am no longer going to subsidise him. Mind you, he doesn't get any money from us but he is aware of the current economic realities and that any job is better than nothing at all. The glow in the dark nuclear apprenticeship could be interesting but he will be up against thousands of other applicants. There's always fruit / veg picking next year...
TTFN.

2011-11-19T13:05:00.000Z

After the last three mucous filled days and heavy investment in Olbas oil I feel human again. (Some) Chores around the house completed, breakfasted on bacon, eggs and tomatoes, dog groomed and then we went for a long walk. She hadn't been out for three days and we both needed to blow away the cobwebs. I am supposed to be going out tonight to a wedding reception but I am opting for another early night and sleep. The cold wiped me out and I still feel a little unsteady on my feet. Mind you, a few beers last night may have contributed to that. I have also decided to avoid the political blogs for a while again because I just get wound up. I will concentrate upon my immediate world for now rather than impotently raging at the stupidity of others.
No.1 son found out at yesterdays apprenticeship interview from another interviewee that last weeks interviews resulted in someone else getting the job. No wonder he is so angry with it all. He was also informed by the job centre that he is not entitled to any benefits because he refused to attend. As he pointed out to them: his money was stopped anyway, he has attended several interviews he arranged and they are patronising and singularly useless at finding him any work. He is continuing to look for work and he is now reconsidering college with part time work to keep him going.
Like the picture below I now intend to put my feet up, listen to the local sports radio* and chill out.

TTFN.

* I will be asleep within ten minutes!

... and the banned played on...

2011-11-17T15:52:00.000Z

http://raedwald.blogspot.com/2011/03/risk-of-cigarette-smoke-in-cars.html

Disclaimer: I don't smoke cigarettes or any tobacco products since quitting smoking back in 1985. I therefore have no axe to grind regarding smoking but I do object to interfering numpties wanting to interfere further in our daily lives and activities. Fags, alcohol, salt, food, blogging... is there no end to this nonsense?
TTFN.

2011-11-17T11:41:00.000Z

So much for feeling full of vim and vigour. I can't hear anything this morning, my head is full of cotton wool and spinning around, earache... bleugh. Strong coffee, bacon and paracetamol aren't doing the trick so I am off back to my bed.
TTFN.

2011-11-16T19:25:00.000Z

The weather has changed and the cats clamour to get in / remain in / hide away when it's time to turf them out for toilet beaks. As above, they appear to be permanently attached to radiators. We have to play hunt the cat first thing each morning for Molly (She's in the box) because she has taken to hiding from us. I can't blame her as my second cold in two weeks brought me out in sympathy with her and my marked reluctance to emerge from the duvet. Two paracetamol and a trip down the M1 yesterday finally helped as I performed yet another 300 + miles round trip for one assessment. I took a colleague along as part of her training and we put the world to rights... well, we moaned about the NHS, managers, colleagues, etc... The M1 was a doddle despite being busy especially with HGV's and the usual shocking behaviour of white van drivers. But I was pleasantly surprised in that despite several hours of driving I felt quite fresh, relaxed and full of vim and vigour on my return. I can only put it down to the ongoing weight loss, exercise and generally improved levels of fitness. I'll be buying a new wardrobe of clothes next year as everything now hangs off me, a situation I am very happy with. I also plan to buy a secondhand bike next spring because I miss cycling and I still keep an eye out for my stolen bike although it has probably been stripped down and sold off long ago. I have also looked into local sailing clubs because I promised myself last year that I would lose weight and take up sailing again. The cycling is top of my list for when spring returns because a cheap bike and I'm away with plans to explore the Wolds. A good lock for the bike even in the garden as I found to my cost!
I must away as the hound is sitting by the front door hinting at her evening walk.
TTFN.

2011-11-10T22:40:00.000Z

Swearing alert - If easily offended by strong oaths please go to CBeebies where you can enjoy less challenging language and ideas.

Days off and a chance for a beer or two. I need beer after the last few days at work but not because of the work. Listening to social workers whingeing about the govt., society and the public sector strike at the end of this month turned my stomach. This forthcoming strike can be interpreted as a genuine response to the government attack upon public sector pensions. But once you place it in the context of reality: no money; the private sector create the wealth and their pensions are generally shite especially since new labour robbed them; the eu sinking fast and a general economic malaise in the west. It beggars belief that a general public sector strike is called until one sits back and takes another perspective. The conversations I heard back this up. An opportunity to attack a Tory govt. and to bring it down. So much for democracy. I have a day off on the actual day and for once I am glad because I have never crossed a picket line but this may have been the first tme I did so. I had been a trade unionist for much of my working life including holding steward positions within trades unions. I withdrew my active support ten years ago when I realised the bullshit, the betrayals of the working class and the idiocy that went with much of the unions and new labour. Again I have to add a disclaimer in that I do not support the shower of shite that currently makes up the govt. because they are no different from the last shower of illiberal, thieving, lying fuckbags that slowly destroyed this country for personal gain. It will be another winter of discontent...

Local BBC radio is being reviewed with a view to saving money / streamlining services / providing value for money. What it really means is to cut the services which some people like whilst saving money to fund management and ensure thousands of staff and ceebrities are available for the Olympics in London next year. When the vote was announced that London had won the 2012 bid I realised I was a miserable curmudgeon because for once I wanted the French to win. It is public money but the BBC board and managers know best. After the loss of Folkwaves from BBC Lincolnshire the cuts will remove other folk, jazz, etc... programmes from the airwaves. Just cut a small % of the funding to sport and redirect it to local radio... problem solved. Alternatively, stop the licence fee and introduce the real world and advertising to the BBC. Having to endure the interminable adverts for various BBC shite programmes on the various BBC stations... eastenders, strictly, currently children in need... fuck off! My children in need money has gone, for the umpteenth year running, to the Poppy Appeal and I like BBC radio! But it drives me nuts hearing bloody BBC adverts for their own programmes none of which I care about. But to give them credit where it is due... Frozen Planet. Wonderful camera work, beautiful scenery, the various critters, engaging and just a first rate incredible programme. If you get the chance to watch it I can highly recommend that you do so.
Finally, I do want the BBC to continue but I want the mouthpiece for generally leftist bullshit to stop and for a service that provides balanced information, entertainment and education as well as providing top notch programmes. £140 odd a year is not a bad price but it is our money. That means it should represent all and not just the metropolitan liberal elite of the south east of England. Now that I have finished this howl into the wilderness I will continue to listen to BBC Radio Foyle, Ulster, Shropshire, etc... until my favourite programmes are removed and we are inundated with more bland, boring boyzone bollox of the musical and verbal kind. I hope the language hasn't been too rough for you but if it has... it means there is still life and passion. As a 101 year old woman recently said to me... 'Enjoy the best of life, the alternative is worse'.
TTFN.

2011-11-05T19:26:00.002Z

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder and treason,
Should ever be forgot.

It's fireworks night but I have elected to stay in with the animals. The cats are alright as they have been fed and are safely settled down in their various favoured spots, usually beside a radiator. The dog is a different matter entirely. She is glued to my side and the music is turned up to drown out the louder bangs. Trying to get her into the garden for calls of nature is difficult and it usually involves a sprint there, during and back again. So it will be a couple of glasses of whisky, music and internet surfing / reading a book this evening. The music will also have to be 'loud' so metal and rock is the chosen style for this evening.

This past week off work has been a "wasted" one for me because of illness. A lousy cold which effected my ears and consequently my balance necessitating I stayed at home. Nothing more strenuous than brief forays to the local shops and short walks for the dog. The lightheadedness, the world spinning and nausea was most unpleasant. The one positive is that I wasn't at work and I could relax, read books, sleep, watch DVD's, sleep and then sleep some more. My plans to go to London were cancelled and I missed out on catching up with some old friends. Mrs.C pointed out that as soon as I was on holiday and I relaxed the leurgy hit me. There is some mileage in that because I am now keenly aware how tired, tense and wound up I was prior to this break as a result of work. So a week spent relaxing and doing very little has allowed me to recuperate and given me some time to mull over my future options. They are currently limited to sorting out the repairs to the house and then much needed redecoration which will make Mrs.C happy. No.1 son had the second of two interviews for an engineering apprenticeship which is looking quite positive. The past six months have seen him mature and he has been busy chasing jobs, apprenticeships, etc... Fingers crossed this will be successful because it includes his studying in Bristol and his first big steps into the wider world begins. I can then reconsider my options regarding work which I now realise I no longer enjoy. I do enjoy the actual nursing but not the politics, the bullshit and the idiots. With services cut to the bone and few staff it really does hit home when managers make stupid decisions. Each of us then has to work twice as hard to ensure patients aren't effected but the cost is staff quickly burnt out. I have been there before and I have seen it happen to colleagues so I have no desire to repeat it again. Some ideas come to mind and over the next few months I will explore what I can change workwise.

Regarding the union vote for a strike over pensions I voted no. I actually consider what the government is offering as reasonable especially so in light of the amended version offered. I don't think there will be public support for the strike nor do I believe it is right to do so given the current economic situation, the lack of decent pension schemes for those in the private sector and, I believe the strike is using public sector pensions as an excuse for attacking the government. Sadly I am in a minority and the strike will be going ahead. Cue the usual useful idiots using it as an excuse to riot. All this against the backdrop of the eu experiment imploding, sabre rattling at Iran and a real disconnect between the political class and the general public. *Sigh* I think I may be about ready for my first whisky... two 70 cl bottles of Grant's 'Ale Cask Whisky' for £18.00! A bargain and we got the last two in Sainsbugs with one bottle now put away for Christmas. I mentioned this as a comment upon another blog suggesting he check out his local store because this particular offer was not advertised and that blogger enjoys his whisky. Mrs.C spotted a small red label attached to the price tag and we asked a shop assistant to verify it was correct. He was very helpful given the last two bottles had different labels but were essentially the same product. When a regular bottle of the Cask Ale Whisky costs just under £17.00 this was undoubtedly a bargain. I would say the whisky is for medicinal purposes but I return to work Monday and my cold has gone with the last vestiges going today. My ears popped this morning and boy is the world loud.
TTFN.

2011-11-01T15:10:00.003Z

Yep... I think I've got the hang of it. All I can say is enjoy...

Followed by the ever wonderful 'The Move'...

TTFN.

2011-11-01T15:00:00.001Z

I can post the videos in full but I haven't yet managed to reduce them in size despite playing around with the embed code.

So how I managed this I don't know? I'll have to try the same approach with another favourite and see what happens.

Autumn leaves

2011-10-31T12:01:00.002Z

A final entry before October becomes November. The good news is that the insurance company agreed to pay for the repairs apart from the usual excess and £30 for the guttering. My car should be back this week and I still have a week off ahead of me. Aside from a lousy cold which kiboshed my planned trip to London I am a happy bunny. The dog is happy too as long walks are de riguer for these days off and as I enjoy being freed from the motorised tin box and stretch my legs each day. The following video describes recent walks...

http://youtu.be/XSXYu-3r1S8

It's been mild over the last few days and the leaves ave been the only evidence of autumn thus far although it appears winter has arrived early in the north eastern USA.

http://youtu.be/n9Sfx3c7fR0

TTFN.

2011-10-25T20:27:00.001+01:00

A picture paints a thousand words and this certainly sums up my last few days.

I have been driving hither and thither whilst being the only person available for assessments and asked for advice on a range of issues some of which had nothing to do with my job. I have tomorrow to get through and then I have ten days off. So tomorrow is a paperwork day to ensure all i's are dotted and t's crossed. The golden rule in the NHS is that if "it isn't documented it didn't happen". Hence I have to ensure my paperwork is completed. I don't mind for once because I can do the paperwork at home and avoid driving. 400 miles in two days is more than enough for me.

Currently there is one humdinger of a storm happening out there. Wagner writ large above Grimsby although I initially thought it was fireworks and rushed the pooch home from her evening stroll. Hopefully it'll pass and I can stop worrying about the guttering. As I am at home tomorrow I can take the opportunity to harrass the insurance company again. I can stop worrying about the rain once that has been sorted. As for the eu referendrum debacle... this battle lost but still the war goes on.

TTFN.

2011-10-20T15:56:00.002+01:00

I have just signed up to the People's Pledge, a new campaign that will force MPs to give us a referendum on our relationship with the EU.

The People's Pledge is supported by people with a wide range of views on the EU: those who are enthusiastic about British membership, those who are sceptical and those who actively seek to leave the EU. The campaign is cross party too, with supporters from all the main political parties.

Please add your name to theirs.

Go to http://www.peoplespledge.org/sign1 and sign up to add your name to others in your constituency who want their MP to support a referendum on our EU membership. You will also be able to see whether your MP has yet pledged their support for a referendum, along with details of how they voted on every major EU-related issue over the last few years.

Remember, many MPs have majorities of just a few hundred votes, so every person that signs the People's Pledge WILL make a difference.

2011-10-20T12:34:00.002+01:00

Hopefully this will work as I have had connection issues with my ISP.

My car is in for repairs and fingers crossed it will be a straightforward replacement of the rear bumper and sorting out the dented rear door. News on the home insurance front is a different matter. Why are they so slow... I find it odd that public services are constantly criticised for being slow, overly bureaucratic and employing useless idots. Sadly I would agree with some of that in the public services yet private companies such as the insurance industry aren't that far behind. I know the issue is choice in that I can take my business elsewhere but unhappily I do not find that out until I have to put in a claim. If the car insurers can move so quickly why not the house insurers as the waiting game continues...

Returning to the theme of road traffic accidents and it was interesting to observe the response from both of the teams I work for. One team were very supportive including the boss I don't usually have a good relationship with in that they sent me a supportive email message and then enquired in person after my health. That actually gave me a warm glow whereas my other boss... nothing. Given that it happened at work and whilst working for the latter team I would have expected some support. I received one email stating I have to use annual leave to arrange time for sorting out transport. I was a bit naughty in that I told his secretary that whiplash injuries could result in weeks off work, leaving the team in the mire and increasing the pressures on my boss. I am actually fine and will not be taking time off work but if I am not appreciated then I will behave accordingly. At a future date I must post about guardian reading pseudoliberal middle class 'socialists' of which this particular character is a representative. You will have seen numerous examples of them at Dale Farm and the St.Paul's 'occupation'.
I finally worked out what was wrong with the swan ostracised by the rest of its family. It can fly before the others have learned to do so. It is now part of a gang of other juvenile swans, wearing hoodies, hanging around street corners and roughing up the local ducks. They don't pick on the local geese though. The cold weather has arrived with the heating now switched on and extra jumpers pulled (pullovers?) out of storage. The tomato plants have now been removed and the garden is extremely bare. I plan to get some garlic in and we have already planted lots of bulbs. One suggestion I have received is to dig a compost trench for organic waste ready for runner beans next year. I am also looking to plant out some cabbages for the spring. I have a large bush to cut down and clear the ground where I will place the greenhouse. It's sheltered but also receives enough sun and, with a bit of luck, I can get some winter lettuce in there if it is insulated enough. That may be asking too much given the chances of a winter like the last one. We'll see how it goes...
TTFN.

p.s. I have emailed my local MP to ask him to vote yes to a referendum for the UK public regarding membership of the EU. Please do the same if you want the referendum to go ahead.

2011-10-12T19:14:00.000+01:00

Finally I have a date for the car to be collected and repaired plus a courtesy car all provided by the other driver's company insurance (Taxi service). He admitted liability and their insurers are sorting it all out. Yesterday was a somewhat surreal and hectic day where I lost the plot at one stage. Juggling the car insurance, home insurance, working and arranging training for care homes all got too much at one stage. I phoned someone only to be told 'You've already arranged this earlier today... are you alright?' I took the hint and took the dog for a very long and very welcome walk. Despite the wind and rain I needed the break. I also have neck and back pain today which is not good news. So I am taking it easy, appropriate pain relief and trying to stay relaxed. It has also made me more determined than ever to return to full time crisis work where I use pool cars and I travel noticeably fewer miles. I won't receive a decision on that until December but the team is extremely short staffed particularly of experienced staff. I am using costs and resources to push my argument but I can now only wait and see what happens.
Yesterday also saw the builders estimate arrive and it is considerably lower than I expected although more than I can scrape together. That has gone off to the insurers via email and snail mail so again I have to play the waiting game. Increased premiums next year will be the price paid for this. C'est la vie and as mentioned in an earlier post we will have the work completed and be able to redecorate. Another positive is that I have now lost so much weight my clothes no longer fit me, necessitating a quick trip to buy new shirts, t shirts, etc... It may be time to see if there are any extra work shifts going to plug the financial gaps! Meanwhile belt tightening figuratively and literally is the order of the day as I traipsed around Lincoln today having to hoist my trews up every 100 yards or so. I parked up and walked everywhere today despite the rain as my visits were all within the city centre. Time to break for tea and one low fat biscuit.
TTFN.

2011-10-10T21:33:00.000+01:00

Bugger, damn and blast!
Sitting at a road junction this evening and the minibus behind me decided to try and drive through me. The car is driveable but the rear bumper is holed below the waterline, above the waterline and is kaput. He admitted liability and could not stop apologising. The perfect end to the day and 130 miles of trouble free driving until that moment. More insurance woes although this one will be straight forward to deal with. However, it made me realise... time to sort out my will because this was a minor crunch but I have seen far too may accidents on Lincolnshire's roads over the past few years. There are some real lunatics on the roads if by lunatic I mean moonstruck mindless idiots. The other driver was horrified and I do feel sorry for him although tinged with anger because this was not a accident but human error. 'I thought you'd gone so I pulled out' was his statement to which I answered 'Clearly I hadn't'. Mind you, the shock lasted a while followed by an adrenalin rush and I was extremely wired when I arrived late for my fat fighters class. Chillin' now with large brandies, Jack Johnson for sounds and an enforced work day at home tomorrow as insurance companies will deal with the consequences of this crunch.
TTFN.

2011-10-07T14:02:00.001+01:00

The painless bit has now been done with a builder popping in to identify the source of the water leak and view the extent of the damage to the walls. He will prepare a quote for the insurance company and that is when the hard work begins... I absolutely loathe dealing with insurance companies. They negotiate hard whilst making one feel like a crook. My approach now is to view it all dispassionately as business and to consider the opposition with my work head on. It works for me as I view them as personality disordered trying to obtain something for nothing. What astonishes me is the source of the leak: the guttering is a few inches too short hence water running straight down the corner of the house in the alleyway. A job which could have been completed in 30 minutes for less than a tenner. I never noticed and now I am kicking myself because this must have been going on since we bought the house. The leaky bath was initially blamed for the damage and that was dealt with.But allowing the walls to dry out just didn't happen because the water, unbeknownst to us, continued to leak through whenever it rained. A salutary and expensive lesson learned depending on the fun and games with the insurance company. The only bright side is that the guttering will be easily fixed whilst the internal walls will be cleared of plaster, allowed to dry out for 2 - 3 months and then replastered. We will do the redecorating ourselves and it will also be an opportunity to buy new carpets, new furniture,etc... Mrs C. is keen for the latter to happen and I can see me digging deep in the purse for these replacements. The discussion over colours, wallpaper, three piece suites, etc... will be lively especially once LE offers her opinion on colour schemes. I have definite preferences and so has Mrs C. The back room is tastefully coloured in a light cream and a dusky pink which I like and want to keep as the preferred colour scheme. LE and Mrs C's liking for the current trend of seventies kitsch... bleugh! No chance of those horrible schemes in the house. I wonder if I can suggest the inflatable furniture again although the cats would quickly deflate that scheme. But that is to get too far ahead as I gird my loins for battle with the insurers.

On a different tack I noticed that the local cygnets are thriving and all seven of them have survived thus far. However, one of them has been chased away by the parents and is not allowed to remain with the parents and other six cygnets. I know the parents will chase all of them away eventually but it does seem unusual to single one out for this treatment. It looks like the smallest cygnet and I wonder if this has any influence on the parents behaviour? But for today's brisk walk with the pooch I was wrapped up as it was windy and very overcast. Autumn is definitely here at last and it is cold in the evenings. Time to switch the heating on and enjoy evenings in front of the fire, shame it's only a gas fire although the beasties enjoy plonking their bodies in front of it. Time to enjoy the rest of my day off as tomorrow is the beginning of a seven day stretch and I am on call over the whole weekend. With one member of staff off sick for the next eight weeks and another on holiday our numbers are fewer than ever. I'll have to buy a dream tax ticket for tonights euro lottery and hopefully reduce numbers further!

TTFN.

2011-10-03T21:09:00.001+01:00

I love radio... I have stated this many times and I have my favourites which, when they finish up for good or are removed, it feels like the loss of a friend. Folkwaves was the latest programme to be axed and my Monday evenings still have a hole in them. But I cottoned on to Jarvis Cocker on 6 music some months back and I am hooked... full line and sinker. Absolutely marvellous, eclectic and certainly not to everyone's tastes but hugely enjoyable.The latest episode features Andrew Motion and a discussion about National Poetry Day. It also features a recording from 1889 of Tennyson declaiming his "The Charge of the Light Brigade". I do enjoy poetry and I have written some exraordinarily bad poetry in my younger days, some of which I still have including an awful eulogy to Chet Baker when he died. So it is wonderful to listen to this programme and the little snippet of Tennyson plus a recording of Auden. I can heartily recommend giving the programme a listen as well as popping in to listen to future episodes and keep an open mind.
TTFN.

2011-10-01T10:28:00.000+01:00

I have reached 51 and not out despite a couple of near misses years ago. Sadly I worked and was on call over my birthday, happily I was not called out. Two beers last night to celebrate but after a busy time at work and the hot weather I retired to bed at 10.15 pm. Hence I was awake at a ridiculous hour (02.30!) but eventually returned to the arms of morpheus. The mutt was ecstatic when we trooped off for her early morning walk at 06.30 and I still can't believe I was out in shorts and t-shirt on October 1st... just wonderful this late summer. Trawling through the news this a.m. and the news that the EU intend to take us to court unless we allow all and sundry to move here from Europe and claim benefits just beggars belief. My view which hasn't changed for many years is that we should leave the eu completely and look to trade agreements only. Why on earth should we work to support the feckless from all over Europe? In fact why bother working at all if this is to go ahead? I keep hoping the euro will collapse despite all the crap which will happen as a consequence of this. Usually I avoid discussing it after work colleagues told me I was a gloomy pessimist... what other type of pessimist is there? I pointed out I was a realist and I haven't been sucked in to the bread & circuses dross of reality shows on TV. Otherwise I am generally optimistic but rooted in reality and it is a fantasy world to expect money from nothing, bailing out banks, bankrolling useless and interfering bureaucrats / apparatchiks, etc... As for the strikes called for later this year I will be voting against it. It is not just a strike against pension changes but has widened to the usual suspects wanting to bring down the government citing it was not democratically elected, does not reflect the electorate, is cutting services and hurting people. The usual bullshit in fact. Sadly, I have little time for any of the three main parties whom I believe are all cut from the same cloth and remain completely disconnected from ordinary people. This will eventually end in tears...
On a positive note I have the weekend off and no plans apart from a couple of beers and to watch / listen to the Spurs v gooners game and to enjoy the sunshine whilst it lasts. Especially since the forecasts are for snow during October. Enjoy your weekends wherever you are...
TTFN.

2011-09-25T18:52:00.000+01:00

A weekend spent tidying up the garden, planting out bulbs and keeping the pooch happy. I rather overdid the alcohol on Friday evening, imbibing rather too freely of some plum schnapps on top of three beers. Consequently Saturday was taken at a sedate pace as I pottered about including marinading some chicken for the kebabs I cooked in the evening. This included some home grown chillies and one of Seany's home grown Scotch Bonnets was also added to the marinade. Mrs C was not impressed ("too hot!") whereas I thoroughly enjoyed it. Today was roast turkey but also some homemade apple and blackberry crumble (slimming world style) with blackberries from the neighbours, apples picked at work plus some homemade wine added to the mix. All in all a good result and I am stuffed to the gunnells.
It's that time of the year where the nights really draw in and I think "That was summer?". I like to sit out with a cup of tea and watch the night draw in but it's currently chucking it down. Watering the plants is one less job although I think the tomato plants are on their last gasp. Time to plan the next lot of plants and pay a visit to the homebrew shop if I want to brew some beer for over the winter. I still haven't had any replies from the local builders I have contacted despite phone calls, leaving messages on their websites and calling in person! Don't they want the business or is it the magic words "insurance job" that has them beating a drove away from my door? I am off tomorrow so I guess further phone calls will have to be made.
I also have plans to visit London next month for the first time in many years. The last time I was there it struck me how dirty, noisy and smelly it was... home in fact. It will be good to catch up with friends and to see my old stomping grounds.

I am only going down for two days because truth to tell I prefer to be in Lincolnshire. With only a few days off at the end of October I have to squeeze in that trip, visit Essex and crack on with some jobs up here as well. It'll be interesting to see what has changed and what remains as I remember it. Anyhow, time for a cuppa and to wander the patch of grass that is my domain.
TTFN.

2011-09-23T12:17:00.002+01:00

Sadly, I have of late had little time to devote to my blog. The usual excuses apply, namely work, work and yet more work. Eleven and twelve hour days, covering for colleagues off sick or otherwise unavailable as well as having to work on calls and meet deadlines. When I do have spare time I get stuck into real life and I have ignored the PC over the past two weeks. However, I now have four days off and to make the most of them I was up at 05.30 this morning when Mrs C's alarm went off. Not a problem because the pooch got an extended early walk and I was out as soon as the sun was up to pick more tomatoes. I have been eating them by the bucketload as well as giving them away at work, slimming world , friends and neighbours. Mind you, I received fresh laid eggs and a bottle of homemade Hawthorne 'wine' in return. The eggs were absolutely superb, a revelation compared to their pale and flavourless counterparts from the supermarkets. During the walk we witnessed paramedics attending to one of the local homeless in the centre of town whilst the pooch was fussed over by two old ladies.
On the fat fighting front I have now achieved a four stone weight loss. Last week I started a gentle exercise regime which I haven't had a chance to do this week with my skewed working hours. The dog is also healthier for the extra walks and lack of access to the cats food. I'll also be celebrating my birthday in the next week and I had my ego stroked by a student nurse who put my age at 43. The healthier lifestyle plus good genes is paying off! I also decided to take a break from reading the financial and other news to protect my own sanity. I have come to the conclusion that politicians and economists really do not have a clue and that maybe I should worry about other things. Falling space hardware as Chicken Licken's sky falls in. Anyway, here's a picture of a hopeful Mog...

He's hoping for more ham having discovered the large white box that magically distributes it. Sadly for him he hasn't yet learned how to open the fridge although it's not from want of trying.
TTFN.

2011-09-06T20:57:00.002+01:00

Bloody hell! Where has the time gone?
The first week of September almost finished and it was a very autumnal day out there. I have been rushed off my feet at work over the past week with hardly any time to sit still. Tomorrow is a day off but it will be spent arranging for a builder to quote a large and expensive job for me. We have a leak from somewhere outside and it has damaged some of the walls. So a builder to identify where the water is coming from (the dodgy guttering?) and a quote for the work involved. Once that's done the negotiations will commence with the bank and if money is secured, the work will hopefully begin.I hate dealing with banks and loans because of past experiences but I will crack on with it.

On the fat fighting front I have now lost 50 pounds in weight so I am a somewhat slimmer happy pig in the muck. Still some way to go but slowly and surely does it. Whilst out on my travels today I stopped off at a farmshop for their extremely low fat sausages. Chicken with sage and onion sausages went down a treat with mushrooms and homegrown tomatoes this evening. (bucketloads of tomatoes produced). They'll be the occasional treat though because of the price but certainly well worth it. Although todays journey was a long one I thoroughly enjoyed the countryside and the empty roads. However, two assessments, two hours driving, four hours of paperwork and telephone calls to all and sundry, it was a pleasure to change into jeans and drag the pooch out for a lengthy walk. The plan is for a well deserved beer tonight with my feet up and a good book. As always... life in the fast lane!
TTFN.

2011-08-26T13:16:00.000+01:00

I don't smoke having given up smoking in 1985. What I haven't given up is democracy and the right to make my own decisions and to accept the consequences of such decisions. Hence I believe pub and club owners should decide whether to ban smokers from their premises or to set aside a room for smokers. Citing the health and safety of staff is bullshit and a Trojan horse for banning anything and everything. Heavy lorries, diesel particulates, air fresheners, deodorants, the list goes on... Should they be banned? I have signed the petition and I have asked friends to do the same. The puritans have been making moves on alcohol for a while now, plus salt, fatty foods... I'm going backto look at a lava lamp and bring my blood pressure down which was increased by these righteous twats. Perhaps they should be banned?
TTFN.

2011-08-24T16:17:00.001+01:00

Lots of walking this morning including a trek up one of the main streets in Grimsby known locally as 'Freemo'. Best seen in sunshine which it was this morning despite the autumnal hint of falling brown leaves. Freemo has seen better days, to be frank it is deader than the last Dodo curry. Boarded up shops, a variety of people from 'Rough Extras' (we supply for gritty televisual dramas) and an excess of charity shops. The best thing would be to accept the inevitable, that most people shop at the mall or edge of town supermarkets and revamp the area as mainly residential. The market is generally good and that should be encouraged but the street could be revitalised. The local council with local companies to get the buildings fit for the 21 st century. Apprenticeships for unemployed youths, open up some space for a local park, encourage small local businesses (tax and rates breaks) and open up the market more. Alternatively, bulldoze the lot and invite Ikea in... that's a joke by the way although I'd love to see an Ikea between here, Scunthorpe and Lincoln. The market could have small arts & crafts stalls, alternatives to the usual stalls.

The local press is encouraging people to shop locally without attempting to analyse why people shop at Tesco or Asda. Convenience, cost, free parking, advertising, the experience of shopping itself. I joked about the rough extras but I was approached this morning by two blokes to whom malodorous and unkempt are the politest terms I could apply. One was friendly, asking for directions & we had a quick chat. The second was distinctly odd as he muttered into his beard. Mrs.C refuses to shop in Freemo because of the various local street 'characters' along there which is odd because she recognises most of our local street characters here in the town centre and she's ok with them. I guess the main difference is that the latter tend to be drinkers whilst the former fall into any number of categories, a theme for a future post perhaps. If the Freemo experience could be enhanced somehow so that people want to go there. I'm thinking of Covent Garden, Camden Town, etc... Perhaps I am expecting too much for the town but I do believe we could ask a lot more of politicians, both local and nationally. Perhaps the one thing we could ask of them is that they make it easier for small companies and entrepreneurs by reducing rates, taxes and red tape to allow things to grow from the ground up. The pooch liked Freemo... olfactory heaven for a dog especially as we got closer to the docks!
TTFN.

2011-08-23T20:17:00.000+01:00

An update regarding my dieting. After two weeks away from work which necessitated fish & chips one night, KFC on another night and plenty of life sustaining nutritious beer I discovered at my local fat fighters club that I had gained 3 & 1/2 pounds. Discipline once again acquired and one week later I lost four pounds. In total that makes 47 & 1/2 pounds lost over the last nineteen weeks. Not bad considering I decided I was not going to give up beer and I have rediscovered my love of cooking fresh food. I am aiming to hit the target of fifty pounds over the next two weeks because it has a nice round sound to it. What I do enjoy is the new found energy I have and rooting for clothes in my wardrobe which once again fit me. It's also fascinating being the one man in a room full of women who sometimes forget I am present. But the group is very supportive and I heartily reccommend anyone to join up if they have weight problems. I find the external discipline of weekly attendance plus the support encourages my desire to do well. Interestingly, the KFC was not enjoyable (I felt distinctly unwell afterwards) and I don't think I'll bother with it again. If a local takeaway took on board some low fat recipes for favourite meals they would coin it in. As for the fish & chips... mmmm is all I can say.
TTFN.

2011-08-17T20:39:00.000+01:00

What a difference one day makes. I met with my boss today and I was offered the opportunity to reapply for the AMHP training I was turned down for earlier this year. Apparently the funding for our jobs from the local authority is now sorted out (for another year) and my boss is keen for me to remain with the team and not return full time to crisis work. The sweetener is that I will be cleared for training next year. Although I remain apprehensive regarding the powers involved with such work I have had a lot of time since February to mull over everything that happened (a senior manager whom I have 'history' with vetoed my training application but waved through some recently qualified staff). It is a great opportunity, I enjoy studying and applying studies to practice, it adds to post grad. qualifications and it opens up doors to future possibilities given the current maelstrom that is the NHS. I haven't yet lost my ambition and I am a realist who knows opportunity when it comes calling. Mind you, it's a bloody hard course and a very tough placement over a period of six months. So the thoughts of an early retirement are thankfully put away and I spent an active day with a smile on my face. Even the 140 miles round trip failed to wipe the smile away. I still feel too young to be put out to pasture and my experience and knowledge thankfully still count. Just remind me of this when I am whingeing next year on this blog about deadlines, studying and placement!

I have also made contact with some old friends after an absence of umpteen years. The upshot is that I'll meet some of them in London later this year and I have made plans for trips to Holland and Switzerland next year to catch up with them. The latter is for a surprise 50th birthday party for one friend who happily lives over there. He and his wife have been globe trotting for years and are now based back in Europe so it'll be good to catch up with them. With my son grown up I have realised the freedoms it offers me. Mrs C. won't travel by plane, ferry or the channel tunnel unless drunk and heavily sedated so she has already refused to attend both trips. C'est la vie...
For tonight it is coffee and Prokofiev's fourth symphony on BBCi as entertainment. I am giving the booze a break for a couple of weeks after the beer excitement last week as it can be too much of a good thing and it puts on weight! With it being busy at work I prefer to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed in the mornings although the alarm call at 5.30 this morning was abit too bright eyed.
TTFN.

2011-08-16T20:36:00.000+01:00

I returned to work yesterday and I found a shed load of work awaiting me. After the last two weeks where I chilled out and did as little as possible, returning to the fray was somewhat of a shock to the old system. So much so I retired to bed at 10.15 pm after playing the nodding dog in front of the box. A large chunk of my ten hour day yesterday was taken up with driving the 150 odd miles to various assessments around different parts of the county. I couldn't move after being cramped up in the hot tin box for five hours. So today, in between catching up on paperwork I took a much needed long walk with the pooch. Sadly, as I lose weight and attempt to walk faster she has slowed down. She'll be eight years old this October and I have now moved her on to 'senior dog food'. No, not paella... I needed to stretch my limbs, get some fresh air and aim for that life/ work balance the health kommisars keep banging on about. The pooch recovers quickly from any exertions and is ever hopeful with one of her toys or balls dropped at my feet soon after we return.
Work itself continues as always and I haven't got a clue regarding my future. The first tranche of voluntary 'mutually agreed resignations' have occurred and I guess the next step to saving millions is a further cull of staff. It always appears to be the frontline staff who go so the next year could be very interesting. A few of us older 'time served' staff have discussed whether we would take redundancy if it was offered. I have to admit it is tempting because I could use some money to get the house repaired and I could tie it in with early retirement. The money wouldn't last long and I would have to continue working, preferably as a nurse and the way things are going in the NHS it would be in private care. But that is to jump ahead to next year and the future remains unknown. 2012 for all those conspiracy theorists... Aliens, asteroid, plagues, the end of western civilisation in an imperial Roman fashion. Exciting times indeed...

2012...bothered?

TTFN.

2011-08-10T20:21:00.001+01:00

My psychic beer radar kicked in this evening and Mrs C. and I headed for Cleethorpes Tesco where I found a particular beer heaven...

Yes, bottles of Young's Double Chocolate Stout for sale. I filled the basket with several bottles as well as a couple of bottles of Williams Brothers' 'March of the Penguins Stout'. The Young's I had considered buying on-line because I could not find it anywhere. This site explains why it is a beer well worth searching for because it truly is an excellent beer. I first had it in cans at a friends BBQ and the beers went very quickly as it proved popular with most folks. I intend to enjoy a few tonight as I watch Ghost Hunters and get into the spirit of the programme. The Penguin beer I'll discuss tomorrow as I had heard of it via various beer blogs and I was pleased to see it for sale. Anyhow, Chocs away!
TTFN.

2011-08-10T11:38:00.001+01:00

Here are a couple of interesting perspectives regarding the riots...

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7155143/when-the-underbelly-roars.thtml

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/09/uk-riots-psychology-of-looting

I do think analysis of the riots and how it possibly reflects aspects of British society is needed. However, excuses made by opportunistic apologists is the last thing we need. The consequences of criminal behaviour should be the full weight of law and punishment because nothing else will get through to the criminals.
TTFN.

2011-08-09T15:05:00.003+01:00

Some good has emerged from the riots after all.

Interesting suggestions from some of the Libertarian bloggers about the police empowering locals to defend their communities and to apprehend the rioters and looters. That may be a better response than the mealy mouthed police leadership who will not allow coppers to do their job. At least the Turks and Kurds ensured their people and property was safe and they smacked a few of the robbing bastards into the bargain as well. Maybe that's the template for other communities to ensure their own protection? The belly rubbers, as Mrs C. calls them, would scream "human rights" if ordinary people dealt out summary justice to these thieves and what's to say that such groups might decide to go further than just protecting their localities. Who knows what that might lead to ... I'll head back to nursing this damn summer cold (manflu!).
TTFN.

2011-08-09T10:06:00.004+01:00

Time to end the culture of entitlement and teach responsibility to these rioting scum. This is not political protest, it is criminal opportunism with the full knowledge that punishments will be light or non - existent. Mandatory full term sentences with only basic human rights adhered to: food, water, warmth and exercise with the prison situated in the Falkland Islands. Nothing else will answer this shit. The apologists are already explaining 'context' and blaming the government, neoliberalism, white society, etc... They are thieving little shits and will only offer respect when they realise force will be met with greater force. As for suggesting that this is an underclass version of thieving politicians, bankers and others of the metropolitan elite... that excuse won't wash. Both are wrong and both should be punished. Sadly, this will only get worse.

TTFN.

2011-08-07T17:12:00.000+01:00

As requested here are some pics of the triffids...

I had some left over tomato seeds from last year so I planted them and expected just two or three plants to emerge. Twelve of them survived and are thriving whilst I decided to get rid of several more. I let them grow too big but fruit are now growing on all of them. Two chilli plants are doing well as are the two cucumber plants. The latter I am particularly pleased with because this was my first attempt to grow them. The blackcurrant bush was cut back last year and is also doing very well. Plenty of fruit both from our garden and next door. I am reading through my gardening books regarding what to grow over the winter, especially in the little greenhouse although I will stick to appropriate hardy vegetables. Cabbages and garlic look to be the favourites for now so I will check out what is for sale in the local market. I have two large soft plastic containers plus a large tub ready for whatever I choose as well as plenty of home produced and shop bought compost. A work colleague who keeps donkeys has offered plenty of manure but I'm not too sure about that. When I start digging out trenches preparatory for next spring I may take him up on his kind offer.
Otherwise my plan is for a good clearout this autumn and hopefully I can have a spot cleared for a small shed. Everyone with a garden needs a shed where a suitable old armchair, radio and kettle for tea may be accommodated for the hard working gardener. Also room for homebrewing if possible as well as storage... this shed may well be bigger than the small shed I have suggested to Mrs C. It is more likely to be of a similar size to the one below...

TTFN.

2011-08-06T20:51:00.002+01:00

Sainsbugs have 20% off sale of spirits on at the moment so I splashed out and bought a bottle of Dun Leire single malt Irish whiskey, distilled by Cooley's. I also bought a bottle of Grant's Ale Cask blended whisky which I have been meaning to try for some time now. I am not a snob about beer although my preference is for real ales or craft beers. The same goes for spirits, if it tastes good and I like it I will buy it. The Dun Leire is good, quite light on the palate with a rich following aftertaste. A nice after dinner whiskey but since the weather has suddenly become autumnal a nice dram in front of the (unlit) fire with a good book. The Grants I bought today and I have a glass in front of me and I have been pleasantly surprised as it is very good. A lovely creme brulee yet fruity taste which was richer than I expected. This will go on my list to buy again especially since it is comparatively cheaper to buy and with 20% off it is a bargain. So another couple of glasses this evening as I curl up with a good book.

No.1 son lost his job a few weeks back and apart from a couple of days casual labour he hasn't found any work. He was rejected again for another electrical apprenticeship and we have discussed his returning to college. He would like to do a stage sound and lighting course based on his experiences at school and some work with a friend who does this for a living. I have suggested he may have to take whatever work is on offer and look at gaining experience / studying part time towards his goals. Needless to say the seed fell upon stony ground but he may eventually realise that my fifty plus years of life experience, etc... does qualify me to give advice. We will see... As for my time off... I have spent it dog walking, reading books and relaxing. The final weekend at work was very stressful and I realised I had been giving 120% with no thanks or recognition from those higher in the food chain. I am going to attempt to wind back on my imbued Protestant work ethic and get in touch with a more Catholic south Mediterrannean work ethic... manana will be the watchword (how do you add accents on here?). Hence I have done very little this first week off although my plans for sanding down and repainting the woodwork at the front of the house has been kiboshed by the nest full of housemartins. They have two babies in the nest and it's a full time job keeping various neighbourhood cats away from it. That'll have to wait until the Indian summer in September.
Anyhow, back to the whisky and my book plus Planet Rock providing the sounds for this evening.
TTFN.

2011-08-02T14:05:00.001+01:00

Mrs C. and I took a lengthy stroll this morning, primarily to buy the cheap German brandy from Lidl (I can recommend it and at less than a tenner) but also to enjoy the walk alongside the river bank. Admiring the various wildfowl and fish I was astonished to see a large rat swimming to the island with a chunk of bread in its maw. I watched, fascinated by its swimming prowess and to see if it would make it to the island. Mrs C. pointed out another large rat nearby as we watched a further drama unfold across the river. A young boy had caught a cygnet in his fishing line and the boy's father was attempting to rectify the situation. The cygnet's parents were having none of this and noisily protected the cygnet from the perceived intruders. I am afraid it will all end in tears.

Looking for suitable photos I came across this link for the 'River Freshney'.
http://www.myspace.com/tatsscrapsmetalandmeat

Not the quiet morning stroll of birdsong and fresh air I expected as I clicked on it but I did give 'em a listen.
TTFN.

2011-08-01T15:16:00.000+01:00

Intermittent service has been resumed after a much needed break from blogging.
I had little of interest to say and I was, quite frankly, sick and tired of what appeared to me to be lots of whining on the internet interspersed with a lot of gratuitous hostility. Much of the latter undoubtedly necessary because people feel powerless or overwhelmed by the bullshit and lies in political circles and a safety valve is needed. However, dealing on a daily basis at work with 'high expressed emotions' and political bullshit I felt the need for a break and scented flowers and cuddly kittens.
So what has been happening? Not a lot to tell the truth although I continue to shrink and I am 3 stones and 5 pounds lighter. Work is increasingly frantic and the past several weeks has been incredibly hectic. The string, chewing gum and goodwill holding things together is of a cheaper make compared with last year and the goodwill has finally gone. Remarkably the slick PR gets ever more garish as behind the lights and make up the system slowly grinds to a halt. No. 1 son lost his job but he was recently interviewed for another electrical apprenticeship and we are awaiting the results of that. If successful he will have a further interview and only then will he be offered the job or the door. Fingers, as ever, are crossed as we wish him luck. As for the past few weeks of the meeja fest... meh. The Marianas Trench has room enough for politicians, media personalities and other assorted parasites with room for unnecessary slebs and hangers on. It's probably better for my sanity to concentrate on positive things such as the excellent cucumbers I have successfully grown. There is also a fine crop of cherry tomatoes and chillies from the garden as well as the goodly neighbours providing blackcurrents and apples. In fact, this years crop is the best I have seen for a long while. There are lots of berries on various trees so does this presage another cold winter? We'll see soon enough but there is still plenty of summer left to enjoy and I now have two weeks off for rest and recuperation.
TTFN.

2011-07-23T09:35:00.000+01:00

Is there no end to this madness?
Right wing fuckwits, Islamist fuckwits, left wing fuckwits. Planting bombs, shooting people and in this case children... it beggars belief because this carnage is done in the name of some twisted belief. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to the Norwegians in general.

2011-06-21T15:56:00.000+01:00

After thirteen weeks at the local fat fighters club I have now lost 2 stones & 8 1/2 pounds (36 & 1/2 lbs). My clothes are hanging off me and Mrs.C is prompting me to buy some new clothes. I'm holding off on that because I still have more weight to lose and I would rather wait until it is worth my while investing in a new wardrobe. The question is "Do I feel better?" and the answer is "Hell yeah!". I have more energy, the dog is benefiting from the extra walks and I am using the exercise bike more. I have met my first target and I have now set my next one. This also accounts for less time spent at the PC as I change some of my habits and move around more. I am making the most of the overcast summer we have so far experienced. It is odd being the only bloke amongst all the women at the club although there are a few other blokes who occasionally pop in. But most of the people there are supportive and friendly and I am thoroughly enjoying it thus far. Here's to the next thirteen weeks and more weight loss.
TTFN.

2011-06-11T11:50:00.001+01:00

It's all change at work as we prepare to move offices and we will be crammed into our 'new' building alongside one of the other local teams. This will happen in two weeks time whilst we continue to work around the disruption. As a team we are generally happy about the move and accept that next year our roles will change. From just being crisis workers we will probably take on individual longer term caseloads as we become generic community psychiatric nurses again plus the crisis work. It has come full circle for me in that I will be doing the work I did ten years ago.
I feel sorry for our colleagues in the team we are joining because they will have to join us in working the long shifts, weekends and on calls overnight. We point out the benefits for the clients, days off during the week for ourselves, a shorter working week because we work 10 - 12 hour days instead of the usual 7.5 hours plus the rewards in our pay packets. We also point out that we thrive on the challenges and enjoy the work. They see... "working weekends and called out at night!!" which they are not happy with and regard us with a mixture of incomprehensibility and disdain. They are also aware that one nurse on call at night has responsibility for the 600 square mile area we cover and are horrified by it. One of our senior managers recently had to cover for a shift and some on calls. They admitted they hadn't realised how pressurised and stressful the job was and will be suggesting that senior managers countywide work some shifts to understand what our jobs really entail. I shan't hold my breath waiting for that.
At some point during the next several months we will be moved again to another set of offices because the first move is only a temporary move. The prefab building isn't apparently "fit for purpose" and it will be extremely cramped once we move in. This is in part down to funding issues and, as well as fewer staff in each team, contracts for a variety of things are being renegotiated or not renewed. It's one thing to see cuts and changes in the NHS in the media but this is what happens at ground level. We know the topography of local health and social services will be very different in four years time. For those who wonder about privatisation creeping in, yes it will happen. I wouldn't put your faith in Labour either to stop it because when they were in power they sowed the seeds for it although the monetary fertiliser was wasted on the weeds of excessive layers of administration and unnecessary bureaucracy to underpin ideological targets. Anyway, I regard Ed Balls in the same way I regard the slugs in my garden... slimey, after something I have and not welcome. However, slugs have a purpose in life and are generally more trustworthy compared with most politicians.
However, this weekend is a welcome break after seven frantic days in both jobs. When I wasn't working I was sleeping sums up the past week and this coming Monday looks like a continuation of the same. I will be very pleased when I return full time to the crisis work and no longer have to drive 200 mile days.
TTFN.

2011-06-02T12:55:00.001+01:00

A busy morning spent in the garden: cutting the grass, transplanting the multitude of tomato plants into new pots and weeding. The cucumber, chilli and tomato plants are all looking very healthy although the younger plants I am keeping in the shade for now. The sun is blazing down as I type and imbibe of some much needed lime cordial. I also had to nip out to buy some new pots and compost. A helluva lot more tomato plants than I at first realised. The fun will now begin as I battle the slugs and snails who will be heading for the new 'restaurants' placed out for them. The corn salad I planted out has also really taken off and ready for harvesting. Given the news about the e coli outbreak which is being attributed to Spanish grown organic salad vegetables and cucumbers in particular, I'm quite glad to be growing my own. Mind you, I bought some Yorkshire grown cucumbers last week and they were delicious. I also have a small tub of wild flower seeds and I have prepared a large tub ready to scatter them in. That's my concession to Mrs C. to contain any wild flowers this year or "weeds" as she calls them. I bought couple of new chairs for the garden and next on my list is some sort of barbecue, although I shall stick to the disposable ones. I am optimistic that we will have a sunny summer and hopefully during my days off. We'll see...
TTFN.

2011-06-01T20:46:00.000+01:00

First rule of blogging: Don't blog drunk. But it's a day off and I actually had a few pints in my local. It's only the second time I have drunk in there over the past year. A couple of 'so-so' beers and the toilets are a smelly bleach free zone. It may well be some time before I choose to go in there again. The barman has not improved as far as social skills and cleanliness are concerned. I can buy better and cheaper beer elsewhere with a friendly welcome so I will definitely opt to do that.
No excuses for the recent lack of blogging... the muse had left me and looking at recent posts I would say it had left some time ago. Problems at work and home with the result that I have little I can say until a few things have changed as well as bad case of writers block. Hopefully some of the changes I have initiated will pay off over the next few months and a return to creative thinking will have the desired effect. Until then it may well be quiet on this here blog.
TTFN.

2011-05-21T12:16:00.000+01:00

Long time no posting but real life intervened and blogging has been low on my list of priorities. High on my list of priorities is sorting out work. I have asked to return to the crisis work full time and give up the best interests work. Currently I work part time in each role, band 6 in the crisis team and band 7 in the BIA role. I haven't been happy doing the best interests work for a long time for lots of reasons. However, I can also see the work going out to private tenders for each assessment sometime in the next year as local authorities reduce their spending. I had opened discussions about returning full time to my original job a few months ago and I now await a decision from one individual with whom I have not had the best of relationships over the past ten years. So this could be interesting... My main reason for wanting to return is to go back to being a nurse and performing frontline clinical work. It will mean a drop in wages and grade but I will be a happier person.
On the home front things are generally tickety boo with the only fly in the soup being an insurance company reinterpreting a claim we made. After a heated discussion I will be cancelling the contract next week when I have a day off that matches their office hours. My plastic greenhouse is doing its job and all of my plants are thriving including the cowcumbers. I wish now I had planted some strawberries because the English strawberries I have eaten over the past week are the best I have ever tasted. But chillies, tomatoes and salad vegetables will suffice. Here's hoping for a hot summer.
TTFN.

2011-05-08T12:44:00.003+01:00

I can now imagine what lease cars my employer will provide for us in the future. Several of these dotted around our patch and charged up ready for travel. One of the main criticisms centred upon the safety of driving one of these among larger and faster vehicles. With diesel and petrol now respectively at £1.41 and £1.37 per litre and continuing to rise, I don't believe there will be that many vehicles on the road as driving will be too expensive for most of us. I have amended my driving habits over the past year because of the cost of fuel and from my experiences of driving over the past six months so have many other people. Driving at lower speeds to conserve fuel, only used for necessary journeys and only fuelling up when nearing empty. A properly considered transport policy is needed for the next ten years with the emphasis upon public transport as well as the above and including bicycles.But a transport policy needs to be realistic and applicable to the wide open spaces of ruralshire and not just focused upon city and town centres. i.e. Looking beyond Islington and Notting Hill. So these little electric cars may be useful for large companies but perhaps not for small companies or individuals. Hence the need for decent affordable public transport.

If the oil is running out and I believe this is the real driver behind the ridiculous carbon tax nonsense then the world as we know it is no longer feasible. I'll nail my colours to the mast and state we do need nuclear power plus some alternatives if we are to power these electric vehicles as well as all of our our power needs. Mind you, I have been saying this for the past decade to friends and family. When they point out the dangers of nuclear and point to wind turbines I usually point them to some of the excellent sites for more information regarding wind powers efficacy. I also ask them to regard the bicycle and horse power as their future transport options because UK governments over the past twenty years have kept their heads buried in the sand regarding future energy needs. But it goes beyond personal transport because transporting goods, foods, etc... is increasing costs and will impact upon availability as well. We could see the situation one day where oranges and bananas become luxury items affordable for the rich only. So Nuclear Power, Ja Danke should be the response when asked how to provide energy... sadly we are lumbered with Chris Huhne as energy minister. If he is the answer what was the question?
TTFN.

2011-05-07T13:58:00.008+01:00

Well... there is one beer I will never buy again and it isn't often I will pour a beer down the sink unless it has gone off. It was a Tesco "American Double IPA", a 9.2 % abv 33 cl bottle brewed by Brewdog. I gave it my best shot but after several sips and twenty minutes it went down the sink. I continue to enjoy malty beers and over the past several years I have acquired a taste for hoppier beers. However this particular beer was a step too far. Far too hoppy and it tasted like a medicinal Special Brew which was very unpleasant. The other two beers at a lower strength went down very well as I switched my brain off, the telly on and enjoyed NCIS for a couple of hours before catching up on the AV results and the debate involving various pundits.

With time to spare and the weather of the moisty type I have been trawling various blogs and thanks to Old Holborn I read the following. I can thoroughly recommend it...

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0507/1224296372123.html

2011-05-06T18:22:00.001+01:00

Hooray! It's the weekend and time for play. Plans include some beers, walking and dodging the thunderstorms predicted for the weekend. But I care not a jot because I have the weekend off and I can forget about work until Monday morning.
Yesterday I cast my vote in the local council election plus an extra vote in an unnecessary referendum to change the current voting system. I voted no because although by no means perfect, first past the post works. Whoever one votes for the bastards always get elected and ignore the electorate until the next bunfight. As predicted the orange order got a kicking, the blue lot picked up some extras and the red crowd picked up a lot. Scotland may have moved slightly nearer to ~~floating off towards Iceland~~ independence and gave the Red 'uns a kicking. All in all, for the general hoi polloi not much happened except for more jokes about Binned Laden. The results for AV are looking good for the No camp although the govt. still won't allow us a referendum regarding the EU. Much as I like Europe and Europeans I would prefer the UK to have trade and cooperation links only and not be governed by Europe.
I must away as my homemade chicken jal frezi won't cook itself and then as promised a most welcome cool beer awaits.
TTFN.

2011-04-29T15:14:00.000+01:00

Apart from one glimpse of the TV during a brief discussion with Mrs C. I have avoided the TV and radio thus far today. An honourable mention in dispatches to Planet Rock for an ordinary music day with no mention of royalty. I still believe a quick trip out to Las Vegas and an Elvis wedding would have sufficed. Cheaper, fun and a holiday rolled in as well plus some good music.

The over indulgence in beer and chocolate last night left me feeling somewhat lacking in va va voom this morning but a pot of fresh coffee and grilled bacon sorted me out. Some shopping plus browsing in bookshops... well, lots of browsing in bookshops brought a welcome return to equilibrium. Walking the bouncing mutt also helped. I now feel refreshed and ready for the world several hours later. So much so I spent some time in the garden where some of my tomato plants did not survive the move to the plastic greenhouse. There is also no sign of any chilli plants. It was a long shot using old seeds and I have had to purchase two new chilli plants. They'll stay indoors until the nights are consistently warmer. Looking for a suitable photo I came across this...

Photo courtesy of http://3e-coe.blogspot.com/

My plastic greenhouse is shop bought and a lot smaller so as to take advantage of the shelter and avoid the Montgolfier effect that kiboshed the previous two greenhouses. My other purchase was a new computer chair to replace the knackered chair which caused a certain numbness in the knackers (excuse the medical terminology) after being seated for more than twenty minutes. I did look longingly at some plastic inflatable chairs and I have suggested to Mrs C. that bean bags and inflatable furniture is the future for home furnishings. She pointed out the downside of having three cats and anything inflatable. The inflatable paddling pools for those all too brief English summers rarely survived the curiosity of our cats.
Time for more coffee and check if the all clear has sounded yet.
TTFN.

2011-04-28T14:50:00.000+01:00

Rather like my cat Mog I have been sheltering from the world of blogging and attending to a busy schedule at work and at home. As a positive I have lost 22 pounds in weight over the past six weeks having joined fat fighters. I can certainly notice the improvements and I feel much better for it. A long way to go but a diet is for life, not just after Christmas! The mutt is certainly enjoying the longer walks. Work is the same old same old... a post for another day. I am pleased to have the next four days off and my plans are to do as little as possible. There is a party in one of the local parks tomorrow for Bert and Ethel's wedding and I might pop in. However, being a staunch republican I may be joining some friends in a local hostelry that has no TV. This may involve visiting several until I find the right one. Alternatively, a BBQ with music and beer in the garden would perhaps be cheaper. I just have to sort out a new barbecue.
Next week rhere will be the local elections and I have enjoyed reading some of the 'literature' shoved through our letter box and straight to the recycling box. I still have the Socialist Party one on my desk because it is brilliantly bonkers. It blames everybody for the current situation and is vehemently opposed to the various cuts. Not a single word as to how they intend to deal with the situation or what their policies are. They just might get my protest vote although there are two independents standing as well. I may vote for the one who likes cats and proposes sending bankers to fight our foreign wars with defunct blackberries and blunt protractors. As for AV... a definite no because it is a complete con. It will be No.1 son's first chance to vote and he is keen to do so. Anyway, the following video gets my vote and I am off to enjoy the reasonable weather...

TTFN.

2011-04-23T08:40:00.000+01:00

Happy St. George's day!

This will be a short post as I finally have three days off after a hectic week at work and the sun is shining outside. I plan to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air and get stuck into the garden. Plenty of seedlings and young plants to be moved and planted into various pots. So raise your pint glass to St. George and go forth to slay ye dragones!
TTFN.

2011-04-14T14:47:00.000+01:00

After over imbibing of the barley and hops last night I am having a quiet day in. Mrs C. is unwell so my day off is a welcome quiet one administering to her needs. As always on a day off a large cafetiere of freshly ground coffee sits before me and is fortifying the inner man. It struck me I have no idea what a coffee plant looks like but with google I have now rectified that, as well as learning the history of coffee. Interesting that black slaves en route to the Arabic peninsula from Africa chewed the beans and brought it with them. Maybe Cameroon can apologise and offer some largesse for that because the British empire made an appearance in that area several centuries later. It is fascinating to see how trade, especially of sugar, coffee, etc... made the various empires, led to the growth of insurance (Lloyds) and enhanced banking, as well as the despicable trade in slaves. Back to the coffee... I tend to avoid it on working days because of its laxative effect and we rarely have time to brew up a cuppa. Mrs C. drinks a lot of instant coffee but she refuses to touch the real stuff. As with my previous experiments to make the perfect Martini I have been trying various coffee brands including Jamaican Blue Mountain. I still haven't hit on a favourite yet although I like the Java beans. For the sake of convenience I generally buy a supermarket Italian blend for ground coffee and whichever beans take my fancy at the time. I will also get around to trying "Camp" coffee which I remember from my childhood as something my mother drank.

As for over imbibing last night... four bottles of various excellent beers thanks to Tesco's 'Four bottles for a fiver'. Until I accompanied Mrs C. to buy her baccy in Sainsbugs and found their beers reduced even further! However, I had planned on today being a lazy day after the frenetic activity of the past week at work and a much needed day to recharge my batteries.
TTFN.

Fever...

2011-04-09T22:14:00.000+01:00

Having cut the 'lawn' today I am currently suffering from very itchy eyes despite anti-histamines. But the grass needed cutting and the sun was shining gloriously. I got stuck in and then surveyed my work whilst sipping a welcome mug of tea... then the bunged up nose and itchy eyes crept up on me. However, it's a small price to pay and there are far worse afflictions compared to a bit of hayfever. The garden now looks tidier and the grass actually appears healthy considering the bad winter and a frequently urinating dog. She will only piss on grass!
Mrs C. suggested we place bets on the Grand National today and given her propensity for picking out winners but not backing them we popped in to the bookies and placed an each way bet. My horse came in second so I think I've won a few quid but I only picked it following the racing tips of Clare Balding. That's a pint or a G&T I owe her if our paths ever cross. I rarely bet on the horses as I cannot see the fascination and my gambling is generally confined to the Fantasy tax (lottery) each week. My Dad was a major contributor to the local turf accountant as well as the local pubs. I inherited the latter but I worked briefly in a bookies when I was eighteen and I could see what a mugs game it was even at that tender age. I have been to Ascot for a stag do and it was a good day out but I have never wanted to repeat the experience. Banger and stock car racing appealed more to me rather than horses. Mind you, I have never been dog racing although I have frequently gone to the dogs! I have been told that 'The Dogs' is a good fun evening out although Doncaster is a long way to go for an evening out. I will collect my winnings tomorrow and that'll be my lot with the bookies until the next Grand national.
TTFN.

Driving Miss Daisy...

2011-04-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

I bit the bullet and I bought a small plastic greenhouse for the seedlings when they are ready. Cheap as chips in a local poundstretcher where I wandered around looking at all the stuff Woolies used to sell. Grimsby is full of pound stores and they are generally crowded as people look to save money or are forced to buy cheap goods in these straitened times. Although a day off I was up very early, dog walked and necessary shopping completed. But after a very long day and a lot of mileage yesterday to complete assessments and training staff in care homes all I want to do today is mooch around and relax. If anything I need is not within walking distance I can live without it.

Similar to the 'Beast'.

I bought the little Suzuki as a runabout and for the thirty mile commute to and from work. But it is having to cope with long journeys and so am I. Regular long trips over to Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire see me prepared with the ipod touch plugged in, good real coffee in the flask and planned pit stops. The seats in the car get very uncomfortable on journeys of more than fifty miles so a walk and good stretch is necessary. I know long journeys here in the UK are short trips in the US but our dreadful third world roads only enhance the journey! I am even considering a satnav although I still prefer ready reckoning and a good map. I'll be alright when solar flares burn the satellites to a crisp... well, according to those channel five made for TV on a budget disaster movies. Suffice to say my days off generally see me walking and avoiding any driving if possible.

Potential makeover....

No.1 son is taking driving lessons and work have suggested they may consider him as a potential van driver when he passes his test. He is looking around for cheap cars but it's the cost of insurance which has caused him to take a deep breath. I suggested he buy an old and very cheap Nissan Micra or a Ford fiesta: cheap for spares for the inevitable prang and costs will be low. As he is getting excited about entering the world of motoring I see it as freedom from public transport but otherwise a necessary chore and expense. With unleaded petrol now costing £1.30 per litre I am increasingly drawn to future possibilities of working nearer home and returning to cycling again. Speaking of which it's time for my daily turn on the exercise bike.

TTFN.

2011-04-04T10:52:00.000+01:00

The garden bears a resemblance to the above picture but after a long and at times difficult winter it currently looks a mess. I spent yesterday morning sowing various vegetables in plastic propagators and the back room has several dotted about it. I also started to tidy up the garden although the green rubbish bin was quickly filled as I set about one large bush in particular. I could do with removing it completely but it can wait until the end of the year. It is occupying the space I plan to put a small greenhouse in but there is also an old rose bush there which I like and will keep for one more year. I'm not sure about moving an old rose bush and I suspect any such attempt to prune it back, dig it out and replant elsewhere next winter is likely to kill it. A trip to the council rubbish site is also needed to get rid of lots of rubbish that has accumulated in the garden over the past year. So lots to do later this month as the weather warms up when I have a couple of days off.

Mothers day yesterday and a lengthy chat with my Mum who told me about a care home near to her which is under investigation for neglecting the residents. This prompted her remark that a bottle of good champagne and a lot of pills is her preferred choice for the future rather than neglect in a care home. I suggested she goes back to her plan B... break windows and assault an MP. That will guarantee her a roof over her head, three square meals a day and a life of Riley courtesy of her majesty!
TTFN.

2011-04-02T18:51:00.000+01:00

I have been somewhat tardy in posting over the last month with the usual excuse offered. Work and real life got in the way with lots of early nights, deadlines to meet and making the most of any good weather. Not that anything exciting has happened. Work is busier than ever with lots of referrals for the crisis job. Given the current economic situation and our lack of staff I don't see that getting any easier. I guess I should be happy with the increase in work but seeing people crumble to the point where mental health services have to intervene is no cause to feel thankful for. Having just worked the last two weeks with only one day off is the reason I am so glad to have this weekend off. I haven't any special plans apart from attending to the garden. Another new rose plant in, a climbing rose this time, plus compost bought and seeds ready to go into propagators. After the disaster of last year I have waited until now to sow seeds. Mrs C. has new solar lights in to replace those broken (waggy tailed dog!) plus some colour changing spinning ones / wind chimes. I am expecting planes to land each night. Lots of seeds with the inevitable salad leaves, chillis and tomatoes plus various flowers. No.1 son broke both garden chairs in his enthusiam as he leaps into them. The exuberance and inconsideration of youth. So a couple of garden chairs will be on my shopping list. I am ever hopeful of a hot summer and I have plenty of mosquito repellents ready for when I sit out with a good book and cold beer. Here's hoping for sunshine over the Easter holidays and long lazy days.
TTFN.

2011-03-23T19:22:00.000Z

http://www.returnofthegoo.ca/en/#/share

Follow the link and yes, I know it's childish but it's cheaper than missiles!
TTFN.

2011-03-22T21:00:00.000Z

During my travels aound the county today I made good use of the excellent sunny weather. I had my lunch break amidst the ruins of Bolingbroke Castle, soaking up the sun and enjoying the peace and quiet apart from some Eider ducks hoping for crumbs. Plenty of hikers and ramblers in evidence about the Wolds although my 140 mile round trip and various assessments sadly kept me too busy to enjoy more than thirty minutes of tranquility. Several years back I took No.1 son to the castle ruins to see an English Civil War re-enactment. I thoroughly enjoyed it but he found it boring although he liked the cannons. Hopefully there will be some more of that this year around the county. I did briefly consider joining The Sealed Knot but haphazard work shift patterns always interfered. I'll stick to enjoying the shows...
TTFN.

2011-03-20T11:13:00.004Z

I am enjoying a lazy Sunday although this mornings lie in was only until 07.15. It's a bright day and spring, despite some overnight frosts and fogs over the past week, really does seem to have arrived. Daffodils, lots of bird life and some weak sunshine. Even the cats appear more lively and showing more of an inclination to go outside.
Happily I wasn't called out the other night and slept like a baby. We don't often get called out but when we are it is usually an all nighter beginning with an assessment in A&E (ER in the States). It can end up in an admission to a mental health unit and this is often where the fun and games begin. If a bed is not available in our usual in-patient unit which is 26 miles away, we have to look further afield including one unit which involves a round trip of 100 miles. Arranging a mental health act assessment at 2 or 3 am, plus police and ambulance,working with the family, etc... can take several hours although the AMHP will have to deal with the practicalities if a mental health act assessment is required. But most of the emergency services will generally take someone to the police cells if it is warranted or one of the bigger A&E departments which has a MH unit on site. The A&E our team covers is small and there is no MH unit attached to the hospital. However, covering 600 square miles and being the only mental health nurse on call at night with no access to doctors, etc... means we have become very adept at managing mental health crises. The paperwork also has to be done with the usual equation of 1 hour assessment = 2-3 hours completing paperwork, even if the assessment results in no further contact.

The fun and games continue the following day because we are a small team with only seven nurses and having been out all night one is not allowed to work the following shift (European work time directive). Finding staff to cover at short notice and once again we enter the fantasy realm occupied by management. If I am up all night and I can't find a replacement for the following ten hour shift, I can't leave my colleagues short staffed especially if I am the only senior nurse available. But if I stay on duty and a mishap occurs because I am tired, it is my responsibility and managers are very quick to pin the blame on the individual practitioner... me. They will point to policies pointing out my responsibility. Amongst the team we identified the easiest option: the two immediate managers are qualified practitioners so we hand the responsibility to them. After all, if I have worked a ten hour shift followed by several more hours overnight without sleep I can't make a rational decision. Their latest wheeze is that we have "already worked that shift overnight for which you will be paid or take time off in lieu" which is fair enough. I am more than happy to shaft managers who will not allow the team to fill the three job vacancies so as to save money on the orders of the senior trust managers, so I gleefully hand over the responsibility to them and I head for my bed and sleep. So much for not cutting front line staff because they aren't but, they aren't replacing staff who leave so they can happily state no jobs cut. String, chewing gum and staffs goodwill are now keeping things going. It doesn't bode well... rant now over. No wonder lots of long served staff are seeking early retirement. Why stay in a job where managers, the public, politicians and the media are keen to throw ordure at you whilst also threatening to cut pay, pensions, etc... Funnily enough there is no sign of any managers jobs or their large empires of administrators being rationalised.
TTFN.

2011-03-18T22:29:00.002Z

Whoop and Whoo!
A brand new wireless modem... how very twenty first century! It looks stylish as well increasing our broadband capability. I received it two days ago but I finally had a chance to set it up this evening after an extremely busy week at work. No.1 son doesn't know about it so this will cheer him up. I'd like to say I've finished work for the week but I am on call tonight until 09.00 hours tomorrow. So strong tea is the preferred beverage this evening and surfing the net the chosen activity.
TTFN.

2011-03-16T19:11:00.000Z

For anyone interested in a rational msm free explanation of the 'nuclear meltdown'...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/14/fukushiima_analysis/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/16/fukushima_wednesday/

Sadly, many people will take the mainstream media at face value.

TTFN.

2011-03-13T14:21:00.007Z

Blimey! With all that is happening in the world where does one start.
As the UN and Western leaders scratch their collective arses Ghaddafi is destroying the rebels. Earthquakes, tsunami and now an apparent nuclear meltdown in Japan. All of this against a backdrop of economic and financial woes as well as the increasing discontent and anger throughout the Middle East. Meanwhile, wars in various foreign lands continue and are likely to increase.
Mrs C. keeps quoting the Mayan prophecies at me "It'll all end in 2012" but I believe the collapse of our current civilization will be a long drawn out process. Mind you, in the UK with little in the way of producing power apart from a glut of barely spinning wind turbines the lights may go out very quickly. Undoubtedly the latest news from Japan of "nuclear meltdown armageddon" will ensure increased opposition to building any new nuclear power stations in the UK and a greater emphasis on green technology. I tried talking to friends about this but most people prefer to bury their heads in the TV schedules.

I studied modern history at university but the so called Dark Ages ( now renamed early mediaeval / post Roman, etc...) is one area I have always been fascinated by. I used to try and imagine what it was like to live during the twilight years of the western Roman empire. Increasing inflation, increasing public spending, tax evasion and avoidance plus avoidance of civic responsibilty and barbarians both within and at the borders of the empire. Although a superficial parallel with our current situation I now have an increasing belief that I no longer have to imagine what it was like to live in those twilight years. It is possibly more pertinent to apply this to the USA as Britain is merely a vassal state to the USA. As for the new Roman Empire of the EU... it may not survive in it's current state and a Diocletian response may be adopted, the irony being that the Germans decide this with the support of the French whilst Britain rebels against imperial power. Again, parallels of the then (late third century A.D.) and now. Sadly, the teaching of much that is useful, in this case proper history, is dumbed down as it's popularity on TV increases, albeit as drama.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 George Satayana.

I would order in extra popcorn but I don't think I will have the luxury of sitting in the two and nine seats as Pearl and Dean blast out from the speakers and we anticipate the main show. I'll be third bearded pleb from the left in the first crowd scene as befits my lowly position and I won't be named in the credits, whichever language they'll be written in.
TTFN.

2011-03-07T20:22:00.001Z

The local media over the past few days have reported on the discovery of body parts near a river in a local village. I initially considered whether it might be someone known to our team but imagine my shock today to discover it is someone I have known for 13 years. We lived next door to his parents and regularly socialised with the chap. We lost contact as he slid into drugs and petty crime and caught sight of him last year when he moved in nearby. Not a bad lad but addiction to hard drugs eventually led to many doors being closed to him. His death and the discovery of dismembered body parts is truly horrible.There have been arrests but locally people are pointing at drug dealers and users. An awful and sad end to a young life and puts our general day to day worries into perspective. I had intended to post on another topic but this news just blew me away. Another lost soul...

2011-02-26T20:58:00.002Z

I don't smoke and having given up cigarettes in 1985, I have no intention of smoking again. But Mrs C. does smoke, she enjoys it and over the past year she changed to roll yer own. I quite like the smell of rolling tobacco although I hate the smell of readymades, apart from Gauloises which were my preferred brand all those years ago. But the link below and following the Underdog plus the inevitable tax hike in the next budget gives me further horticultural ideas...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/nyregion/25tobacco.html?_r=1

After all, stress relieving gardening, a craft hobby, cheap baccy for Mrs C. and fewer taxes towards the government. A good result all round. I shall have to discuss it with her although she won't eat any of the fruit and veg I grow preferring shop bought! There's a chance she may refuse to smoke home grown tobacco. I like the scent of pipe tobacco and cigars so I just need a maidens dusky or not so dusky thighs on which to roll home grown Cubans!
TTFN.

This site is more pertinent for the UK.

2011-02-26T12:48:00.001Z

This has not been the best of weeks for the catto household. Tigger has injured one of her legs, so rest and tlc required. Molly dislocated one of her back legs which I reset much to the distress and horror of Mrs C and LE. She's now running around without any noticeable problems other than her usual dislike of the other cats. Finally, the debilitating cough I have had for ten weeks resulted in a prescription of antibiotics. If this doesn't work I will be called in for further tests. I will be very happy just to have a good nights sleep without coughing and being able to perform the most basic of tasks without getting breathless. A friend helpfully reminded me of the man who had a tree growing in one of his lungs! My money is on a run of the mill infection.

But the past week has opened our eyes to the con trick Cats Protection have pulled on us when we offered a home to Tigger and acquired Molly as well seven years ago. Both are a lot older than we have been led to believe. It doesn't make any difference to us because we would not get rid of them. Instead of being approximately 10 - 11 years old it is likely they are in their 'early teens' in cat years. Sleep and comfort are increasingly their preferred activities of choice. At eight years of age Mog remains a lively and, to the other cats, annoying youngster. Hopefully some warmish weather as winter ends and the garden will once again be their domain to loll around. Meanwhile I shall be out buying food for geriatric cats and a litter tray for Tigger as she recuperates. An afternoon of rugby awaits me and just to annoy any passing French people I shall shout Allez Angleterre! and Bourrez les Francais! very loudly as the game progresses.
TTFN.

2011-02-22T15:33:00.000Z

A day for some spring cleaning, hoovering and dusting with Abba blasting out. The windows are wide open to blow the cobwebs away despite the grey drizzle but at 6 degrees celsius it does feel positively mild. There is enough dog hair for two jumpers and rather too much dust. I finally threw out some old shoes and the other day I burnt a load of old beer guides and assorted rubbish. No.1's drum kit will be heading for the charity shop for recycling at some point as well old clothes. I also disposed of a black bag of ropey old novels to the charity shop. Mrs C. is having a lie down in a darkened room because she can't quite believe I have thrown stuff out. I do have a tendency to hoard stuff, especially books and clothes. But once a year I get rid of unnecessary clutter and spring's a good time for it all to go.there is still too much in the wardrobe so I guess this weekend the local Samaritans shop will be getting more clothing. The hoovering saw the usual frenzied feline rush for the exits although they have now returned to default positions: sleeping on, under or beside the radiators. I do sometimes wonder, am I odd in that I enjoy hoovering? Time for a cuppa and then to crack on.
TTFN.

2011-02-21T17:12:00.000Z

Strolling around town during the last few weeks and I am struck by how many local winos (Plonkies is the local colloquiallism in these here parts) there are and how people in general look tired and downtrodden. The long hard winter certainly accounts for the pale pasty faces but this area is certainly a noted high unemployment 'blackspot'. The cuts in public services haven't yet begun to bite but the impact of little work, higher prices and a bleak future for many is striking home. Stories of 300 applicants for a couple of jobs and short term insecure employment isn't helpful. Grimsby is a long way from the fleshpots of the big smoke and more than a world away from the supposed mother of all parliaments. There will be trouble ahead especially if there is a combination of a hot summer and growing resentment towards those in power. With cuts in police numbers, increasing pressure on finances and pointless draconian laws alienating various and disparate groups in society it may just be one small thing that sets it all off. With the examples of Tunisia, Egypt and now other parts of the Arab world providing a template, the student protests over the past few months may prove to be the starter to the main course. Even my seventy year old mother is talking of joining protests! If ordinary people feel criminalised for smoking, drinking, walking on the cracks in the pavement or speaking their minds then the concept of criminality is diluted. Especially if the common perception of real criminals getting away with murder adds to the perception of unfairness then authority in all shapes and forms will be seen as the enemy. As I have said before, we are living in interesting times and multimedia such as twitter, facebook,etc... allows people to communicate and organise.

I haven't been blogging much of late because it has been a busy and difficult time at work. Much has happened and is happening which I can't currently write about. It does presage the gradual dismantlement of the nhs as we know it which will bring joy to some, horror to others and, sadly, indifference to many. But things do change and politicians do so love to be seen as progenitors of change even when everyone else recognises it as meddling. On a local level I would like to believe it is for the best but even I don't duck for flying pigs. On a brighter note despite the last couple of cold days there are signs of spring on its way. Snowdrops in abundance and increasingly noticeable birdsong although a couple of bloody Magpies are chasing the small birds away from the food we put out for them. I would release the cats but they would go after the Robin and Bluetits although I believe they'd have a better chance of catching some of those extremely fat wood pigeons who frequent the bird table. I have also gravitated towards the gardening sections of shops and I am foolishly once again looking at one of those plastic greenhouses. The last two were wrecked by windy weather with one of them flying over the fence with a cat trapped inside. Some creative thinking and heavy weights may be required. Growing ~~marij~~ ~~tobacco~~ tomatoes, chillis, hops, etc... will keep me somewhat sane during these insane times. I must away as that curry won't cook itself.
TTFN.

2011-02-15T19:50:00.000Z

There is a new mouser / ratter at no.10

I'm off out to count my cats to see if one stripey animal is missing.
I'm sure there isn't a feline tax.
TTFN.

2011-02-07T16:22:00.001Z

It's a mite windy out thar... so much so the mutt suffered flappy ear syndrome during her walk, which freaks her out. Stopping to check out the noises following her and jumping whenever something clatters and bangs. However, excess energy run off from 'chase the stick' (hours of fun!) and a brief chase of some local wildfowl has done the trick. She's sprawled out on the floor fast asleep whilst I enjoy freshly ground and brewed New Guinea coffee. Why New Guinea? It was reduced in price and I hadn't drunk it before. The fair trade label undoubtedly ticked boxes but the price was right for me. The coffee grinder I bought some years ago was an excellent investment and it reminds me of the coffee shop I walked past as a nipper. The smell of roasted coffee beans and the large machine that ground them always fascinated me. I came late to real coffee and I now view it as one of the perks (excuse the lame pun) during days off. Freshly brewed coffee, chortle at the news on 't net and some excellent music playing. With all the bad news it seems appropriate to play the blues and who better to explain it.

TTFN.

2011-02-07T11:24:00.001Z

Sad loss of a wonderful musician and at a relatively young age.

2011-02-05T14:30:00.003Z

A lot has happened over the past week with the revolution in Egypt taking centre stage as yet another domino tumbles in the Middle East. Mrs C has been glued to the TV whilst I have followed events online and on twitter. Good to see the media bringing in the usual 'experts' with opinions springing from every orifice plus the mealy mouthed poiticians spouting crap. Everyone has an opinion when the reality is that we haven't got a clue where this is going to go or which country will fall next. Having travelled around the Middle East and having fond memories of Cairo I can only watch and pray it goes well for the ordinary people. Otherwise I have no idea how things will turn out but I guess, like many others, I am fearful it will go horribly wrong.

I now have a week off work having received the news that I will not be released for AMHP training. I am secretly pleased because I feel extremely uncomfortable with such powers. I would truly feel like an agent of the state which is far removed from my reasons for becoming a nurse in the first place. The week off allows me time to consider how to respond to the balls up where a senior manager states they made the decision six weeks ago but did not inform me of their decision until the day after my interview which I passed with flying colours. However, I am happy for them to believe (we have clashed in the past) they have dealt me some sort of career blow when I have achieved the result I want and I am happy for things to continue as they are for the next six months. The Trust is culling more senior staff and services are being pared back. The next six months will show a very different landscape to the current one. I may be part of a completely different team or even made redundant. Newly qualified staff are cheap, amenable and malleable as opposed to horny skinned old dinosaurs like me despite our experience and knowledge. For now, I intend to enjoy this week off with rugby, beer, walks and perhaps another beer, with no thought of work and the nonsense going on. I bought myself the latest edition of Classic Rock with a 'free' copy of another Prog CD and a rose bush for the garden. The rose bush is a 'Queen Elizabeth' and has been duly planted with dire threats to the mutt if she goes anywhere near it. So tea and suitably loud music to entertain me this afternoon before I watch France v Scotland play rugby. I can shout for either side and enjoy the game, especially after England's win against Wales yesterday (sorry Suzie).

TTFN.

2011-01-28T10:37:00.000Z

I have three delightful days off away from the somewhat poisonous work environment. I am hoping to see a covers band tomorrow night in my local pub otherwise it will be a weekend of catching up necessary chores. The new bullying manager at work is sadly managing everything with a heavy iron fist and we are working to the rulebook. No more favours, flexible working over our allotted hours, bending rules to accommodate other agencies.With a bureaucratic control freak at the helm who does not trust experienced clinicians we will play the same game and withdraw all good will to this person. Our one hope is that within the next several weeks there will be a cull of managers at that level and this particular bureaucrat is only on an 'acting up' basis. As one team member stated "We are no longer a happy team". Hence we are scrutinising policies, procedures, health & safety act plus other acts with a deluge of emails and requests to attend to various issues. Bureaucrats love paperwork so we'll give this individual lots to play with. What a waste of time although happily the patients don't see this side of it all. I still love the fact that unless we enter our travel time into the computer system when visiting patients it is 'unrecognised'. A fifty mile round trip to see a patient was obviously performed via a Star Trek teleportation transporter! All this on top of mandatory training to be completed within the next eight weeks so as to meet trust audits. The difficulty there is that our team is now cut to the bone from a team of fourteen clinicians to the current seven and covering a bigger area (600 square miles) so that one team member out for two hours training plus the two hours travel time causes problems. No recruitment of staff and no use of bank staff plus a clamp down on any overtime and we are playing puppy chase its tail. Carry on nursing indeed...
TTFN.

2011-01-25T21:58:00.002Z

Just a little colour to brighten up these grey days.
Too much work and little play not only makes Jack a dull boy but doesn't leave much time for blogging. However, I hope to catch up this weekend.
TTFN.

2011-01-18T16:20:00.002Z

Every January for many years I have been brassic but I thought I had cracked it this year. Finances in order and a comfortable month ahead. Car booked in for a service at the months end and all bills paid up to date. Then the car broke down... twice. The service, new battery and a number of urgent and immediate repairs have left me once again brassic. Life's a bit of a bugger at times? Happily, cupboards and freezer stocked up and plenty of books to read. Dog walking is also free and if push comes to shove I'll look for that Korean cook book! On the plus side the days are getting longer and we even had sunshine today.
TTFN.

Brassic from Cockney rhyming slang: 'boracic lint' = skint.

2011-01-11T16:20:00.004Z

Many years ago I worked with a client who always averred when things went wrong "I must have pissed on a witch". If I believed in such things as good and bad luck then this past week I must have done something similar. A combination of the whole household going down with flu, another bathroom leak and the car 'died' again this morning causing me to miss an important meeting. To counter the idea of bad luck: half the population has one of several leurgies doing the rounds, a small drip which we will track down and repair and, the car is due it's service at the end of the month. A new battery as well as the brakes are at the top of the repair list. It just happened to remind me two weeks earlier than anticipated. What is not so funny is discovering some revolting phlegm smeared on the passenger door handle as Mrs C. did yesterday. Suitably cleaned off by the redoubtable Mrs C. whilst expressing her strong views on the parentage of the miscreant. Sadly, this is the third time this has happened over the past year. I don't doubt that other cars along the road have been subjected to the same treatment.

On a more positive note I finally bought a new food blender in the sales for very little money. I have wanted one since Mrs C. lent our food processor to LE six months ago. This one is small so that I make small portions of soup from the fresh veg I insist we buy. It's also easier to clean and store away. Some homemade carrot, pepper and tomato soup went down a treat this afternoon. Thick, hot, filling and spiced to perfection with some crusty bread. I can once again make home made soups for work so I am a happy bunny. Stilton and brocolli soup, chowder, French onion soup, pea and ham soup...my mouth is watering. Some good recipes via the sainted Delia. There's a recipe for a wonderful easy game pie of venison, pigeon and pheasant which has caught my eye. After paying for the car repairs I may have to catch the pigeons myself!
TTFN.

2011-01-09T10:18:00.003Z

Normal service will be resumed when the leurgy has finally left us in peace. Mrs C. is very poorly with proper flu; No.1 son has almost recoevered after two weeks of illness and I have finally succumbed to some sort of leurgy that has blurred the boundaries between a cold and flu. Paracetamol, tissues, Vicks and cough syrups have been trucked in to ameliorate the pain. From what I can gather about half the nation is ill... bleugh!
TTFN.

2011-01-04T18:13:00.004Z

We woke up to snow again this morning as No.1 coughed and spluttered his way off to work. Happily there wasn't too much of it so fingers crossed for travelling to work tomorrow. The traffic news this morning reported 'difficulties' on particular hills on two of my possible routes to work. The usual icy roads and vehicles stuck either side of them. I wonder how people managed with horse and carts in ye olden dayes? They generally commuted, if at all, within a very small area so travelling fifty miles across the county was truly a journey to a foreign land. I guess coach or cart travel was cancelled until the journey was possible or one walked. The gentry could resort to horseback but I can't imagine steep icy hills and horseshoes ending happily. That's a cue to google for an answer... a general piece about shoeing horses as well as this one although this article appears to answer the question for modern riding. I have to confess to being wary of horses because they are large and I am unfamiliar with them. I have ridden horses in the past and there is a family story of me aged five years clambering on to a large white horse in Ireland and racing around a field as I clung on for dear life. I can't remember that incident although I do remember the neighbours white horse. With the ever increasing price of fuel we may have to return to horses although I will opt for bicycles instead. Easier to control, don't bite back and easier to shoe.
TTFN.

2011-01-03T12:36:00.004Z

I have been tagged by Bill Sticker in the blogging environment meme so here goes from left to right...

Radiator with large orange dog glued to it plus small cat in her box.
Table with PC, speakers and router.
Digital camera.
Combined usb operated fan and light.
Large plastic skull glass containing orange squash.
Three drawers full of stuff and shelves containing The Norton Anthology of Poetry, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Collins Softback English Dictionary, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible plus asorted recordable discs.
One free Jerry Lee Lewis CD courtesy of some newspaper.
Glass wipes.

Printer and scanner on small table to the right of the PC desk plus some Guinness bar towels and an Everards Tiger bar towel.
Bush turntable plus some vinyl records: Genesis, The Faces and Joni Mitchell.
A variety of DVD's including the Sherlock Holmes boxed set (Jeremy Brett),several ropey old WW2 movies, Landscape Mysteries, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) boxed set, Band of Brothers boxed set, various Terry Pratchett, I Robot, Calamity Jane, Ghost Hunters (series from the 1990's), etc...
A stack of copier paper.
Dust.*

Book shelves crammed with all sorts of history & archaeology books, Sci Fi and historical fiction.
A lot of maps including Castles of Scotland and guides to Malt Whiskies.
A stack of Morse DVD's.
Three boxes stuffed with paperwork.
The Jolly Penguin game.
A jar of Vick's vapour rub.
Several CD's including Carly Simon. Gogol Bordello, Michael Buble, Arabic Chillout, Steve Earle and more Genesis (Nursery Cryme).
A bottle opener.
Some string.
Various shoes underneath the shelves.
A wrapped Christmas present yet to be delivered.
Second of the three cats sleeping on the laundry basket and about to be removed from there...

Behind me are the bed, wardrobes, sets of clothes drawers on on one of which is a stack of work related books, research articles and papers.
A wind up combined radio and torch.
An old 1950's Bakelite Bush radio.
Two 1930's children's books.
A rescued teddy bear.
Sleeping bag.

That's your lot.
TTFN.
* Now dusted with the glass wipes!

2011-01-02T19:36:00.003Z

If you look at the above photograph very carefully you might just see a hawk. A combination of a poor camera and attempting to avoid scaring off the hawk has resulted in a very poor photo. The hawk was in the process of plucking and devouring some hapless bird but that's nature. Red in tooth and claw. Mrs C. and I think it may have been a buzzard from its colouring but, we could not get too close and with two of the cats and the dog keen to make its acquaintance we were not going to chance popping out for a better photograph. From its size it may have been a sparrowhawk but the colouring was wrong. I would dearly like a better camera and there is one going at half-price in Sainsbugs. However, I am trying to save money so there is a debate going on in a noisy corner of my mind as to whether I spend the £58 and have hours of fun over the next year or remain sensible... I think I know which path I will be choosing! As for the prey, one of the cats (Molly) eventually tucked into the detritus.

First post of 2011 and the inevitable topic of resolutions comes to mind. I haven't made any because any day is as good as the next to resolve things. I do however resolve to enjoy Burns night with a Haggis, neets and tatties which is three weeks away. I must away as Mrs.C reports No.1 son has a temperature of 102 degrees and he is "proper poorly".
TTFN.

* Click on photo and enlarge. Raptor just to the right of the little white windmill.

2010-12-31T13:07:00.002Z

The past week has been an odd one, betwixt and between Christmas and the New Year. I have been busy at work but it seems most people have been on holiday. Telephoning a variety of agencies and professionals only to discover they aren't expected back until January although I need information or an answer immediately. Travelling the empty fog laden roads is certainly a bonus especially since I can drive leisurely, although the view ends where the fog grows more thickly.
It has also been odd for another reason. I found out a work colleague died suddenly and unecpectedly last week at the age of fifty-two years. It certainly came as a shock and made a few of us stop and consider life. We placed that sudden death within the context of the crazy merry-go-round of work and everyday life. Morale at work is low and the general consensus was that much of the nonsense we deal with is inconsequential. Targets, plans, charts, ticky boxes, etc... is nonsense when we think of someone whose family and friends have to come to terms with their loss. Sadly, a blunt reminder that life is precious and should not be taken for granted.

We will have a quiet night in tonight, a few beers and some music or a good radio show. I gave up on the celebrations a few years back because I believe there is nothing really special about the change between years. There are other opportunities throughout the year to celebrate and I believe you make your own life rather than the 'magickal' qualities of a year change. Selfishly, I really cannot be bothered to drive 160 miles to spend the new year with family but after driving 400 miles over the past three days at work I am sick and tired of driving. We also plan to have Christmas dinner tomorrow to make up for me working over Christmas including the Christmas pud saved for the occasion! So I can only say...

I wish all my readers a healthy, prosperous and happy 2011.
TTFN.

2010-12-27T19:53:00.002Z

Last show unless the BBC suits see sense and rescind their ridiculous decision to axe the show. Thoroughly enjoying the show but feeling sad that this may be the end of it. Two hours a week is not a lot. Bastards!
TTFN.

2010-12-26T11:54:00.002Z

To all my readers a late very

A legitimate excuse because I worked the last few days and was on call, hence unavailable for blogging. However, apart from refusing the various requests for plumbers, taxi rides and a Christmas messaging service we had a good time at work. I can now relax, ignore the frantic advertising for 60% off NOW!! sales and enjoy a mince pie. Christmas eve got off to a poor start with the car battery deader than the proverbial extinct flightless bird. The good Samaritans at the local garage provided a jump start for free so Christmas salutations and thanks go to them. I was late by ten minutes and the frantic referrals started and did not stop for the next ten hours. But the baton has been passed to my colleagues now and I intend to relax for the next couple of days. I can also crack open the bottle of port this evening, watch 'A Christmas Carol' and put my feet up beside the fire surrounded by content animals replete with turkey and gammon. I dropped my step daughter LE off home late yesterday evening and we enjoyed the free show of the foxes gambolling in the snowy park. All was quiet and peaceful. So let me wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas irrespective of your beliefs.There's enough bad news so hopefully it's a quiet time for you all.
TTFN.

2010-12-23T17:12:00.003Z

Some locally made pork pie and Cox's Orange Pippin apples for tea with freshly baked rolls... heavenly. With the Christmas feasting not too far away we have opted for some healthier meals in the days leading up to it all. Having said that I will be working and undoubtedly eating far too many mince pies in the office. To counteract this I have bought in a large bag of apples. None of that papier mache Golden Delicious but proper Cox's apples for the crunch and flavour. I like to try various varieties out and Egremont Russets are also a favourite. We bought the pork pie from the market and after further debate we bought two more because we knew one of them would be demolished this evening. Some spring onions and a large mug of Assam tea completed the meal. Simple and tasty, what more could one ask. The dog isn't impressed because no scraps for her. However, late evening walks all week to feed the local swans and for her to chase various sticks plus only the occasional food scrap keeps her in fine fettle. She's not fond of apples unless it is to chase the starnge non bouncy balls...
TTFN.

2010-12-23T14:12:00.004Z

The BBC is axing many local 'specialist music' programmes including one of my favourite shows Folkwaves.
This is because the senior managers believe it no longer reflects peoples listening habits and their preference is for 'talk shows'. Translated as cheap phone-in programmes. There is a campaign running to save the programme despite the BBC stating local people in the East Midlands are no longer represented by the programme. This is despite the increasing popularity of folk music and live music in general. Also despite the programmes support of young musicians and live music venues and festivals. With a smoking ban, heavy licencing fees for live music, increased taxes upon beer and costs in running a pub plus the loss of a major means of advertising live music, more small clubs and pubs will be hit. Time to revive the old shebeens where the community may meet, drink, smoke, converse and enjoy themselves. I've added my voice to the protest and not just because it is my favourite programme. It is the attitude that "We know best what is good for you" permeates the BBC and other public services. I know the irony of my working in the NHS but it really pisses me off. The BBC is happy to pay Steve Wright or Chris Evans huge amounts of money for presenting shite yet it will happily axe excellent programmes (Jazz, Folk, Reggae, etc...) whilst burbling platitudes about cultural diversity and listening to customers. Time to swing that axe towards some of the bland boring crap and that includes sports. I wonder how many BBC presenters will be at the Olympics in 2012? Instead we will have only the one hour per week of folk with Mike Harding on Radio 2 playing mainly Celtic music as he forgets his English roots and I say that as an Irishman! Why do the white liberal 'elite' hate their culture so much?
TTFN.

2010-12-22T19:20:00.003Z

Days off, still cold and inertia has struck after tackling the local shopping mall. So the answer is takeaway pizza and a few beers tonight to take the edge off. No.1 son has ten days off work and Mrs C's new job still hasn't materialised. But, hey ho, it is coming up to Christmas when everything grinds to a halt.
Most of the pizza and kebab joints around here are run by Turks or Kurds. We know they are Muslim so it is a fairly strong bet the meat is halal. I accept this and the animal wouldn't have stated a preference for method of killing.
Humane bolt through skull or throat slit as magical Arabic words muttered by bearded chap or the same magical words via a pre-recorded message.
The animal's preference is to tick the box "None of the above and freedom please". All grist to the mill or rather chicken in my pizza. When I was a nipper in ol' London town the takeaways were run by Italians and Greeks.I wonder who'll run them twenty years from now?
I digress because I am aware the takeaways are likely to be halal and I makes my choice based upon that knowledge. It's generally the same with the local curry houses which are mainly Bengladeshi and again Muslim. Local schools, etc...providing halal meals without informing consumers is a different matter entirely. Again, I regard it as meat and I couldn't give a monkeys testicles about the religious side to it but people should be informed and given the choice. That's what it boils down to. Informed choice and whether one agrees to this choice or not. I am sure there would be an outcry if Muslim parents discovered that the tasty rural French chicken dish their children happily munched on for lunch turned out to be Coq au Vin. Again, informed choice and a desire to avoid offence. So why on earth do faceless bureaucrats continue to make these stupid decisions? They bend over backwards to avoid offending a minority and make a complete pigs ear out of it all and offend many of the majority. I can think of lots of reasons as to why they make these choices (financial; easier to please and avoid offence to the vociferous minority; the passive majority are irreligious plebs; we know best; etc...). I think I will stick with my own interpretation which is that they are righteous twats. It is simpler that way and saves me wasting precious time arguing with a po faced git. My dog doesn't care whether it's secular, halal or kosher meat either just so long as she gets the occasional scrap from our plates. Now there is just the matter of getting some beers in...
TTFN.

2010-12-18T10:06:00.003Z

The last few days have seen my colleagues and I working like eedjits on speed. It must be a combination of the economic mess, snow and Christmas contributing to the avalanche of referrals over the past week. Or to put it another way people are experiencing shit, shit and more shit. We had been expecting a deluge of crisis referrals for people with financial, housing, employment and relationship problems after the new year. The traditional season for bills and recriminations following the Christmas bunfight. This year it has started early and we have been inundated. Most of them get redirected to appropriate agencies but that still entails a ton of paperwork and endless phone calls to a variety of people explaining why we will not be providing a service to that person. That's just for the people we don't provide a service for let alone the rainforest for those we do. Pointing out that a mental health problem is the starting point for a referral to our team elicits some astonishing reactions. That we are not housing/ employment / benefits / police / paramedics / medical doctors comes as a surprise to them. Nor do we provide a telephone support service for people in Dorset or Glasgow.
But we have done some sterling work for those we do work with and help them to get through the worst of it. There are some complaints from one or two individuals who don't like hearing some plain talking or advice to accept responsibilty for their behaviour. "The reason you are not making progress is the 6 litres of strong cider you drink every day" doesn't go down well with some people. Telling us "I can't be an alcoholic, I am middle-class" also does not wash when you are necking three bottles of quality French wine per day. It is all grist to the mill and most of us do what we can. It is also difficult because we do have a new senior manager who is a bureaucrat to the nth degree ("I love the smell of paper in the morning!") and new staff who give every appearance of being shy of hard work. C'est la vie. It is time to gird my loins for the supermercado.
TTFN.

2010-12-11T20:18:00.003Z

Yep! I have the dreaded leurgy and I am pissed off. It isn't often that a weekend off, money in my pocket (cheers Dennis Brown) and an organised night out with mates comes together. They'll be in the convivial atmosphere of the local Wetherspoons and I won't be there. However, I am fighting back with the aid of man flu remedies such as curry, beer and whisky. I might not be winning but I'm smiling as I fall over!

Mrs C and I skated to the local super mercado this morning. There might be a thaw on but the pavements are lethal. On our return we were out there with shovels clearing our bit of the footpath to keep the local citizens safe from broken limbs. I had already experienced the excitement of icy freefall on a number of occasions over the past week and the thought of some of our elderly folk doing the same was not a pleasant one. Lo and behold, several neighbours came out later to clear their frontages, titter ye not. Esprit de Dunquerque et tout cela! Good to see folks doing their bit. With this thaw on and all that available water it has got the media excited about tea making as kettles and kettling is all in the news. That's what the students need, a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Protests would be more civilised and they could offer tea to the boys in blue. None for the vultures in the media though.

"What do we want?!"
"Two sugars please"
"When do we want it?!"
"Whenever is convenient for you, thank you".

I'm orf for more liquid cold remedy and a garibaldi.
TTFN.

2010-12-08T16:20:00.003Z

Wahey! Catch me some rays...

Today it is positively balmy with the temperature at 1 degree celsius. I am happy to see it having spent nearly six hours driving yesterday in fog and on ice. I also slipped on some ice walking from the local shops and having my fall broken by a small wall... ouch! So I have spent today safely indoors and ordering presents via the internet and relaxing. Yesterday's trek was compounded by a difficult meeting with a variety of various professionals who were upset by decisions made by myself and a colleague. Without going into the case itself we have upset some egos and challenged the status quo. A variety of people came along for the, as one person expressed it, bunfight. What made it a more 'interesting' meeting is our awareness of senior managers copied in to the various communications and taking a keen interest in the whole proceedings. This has been going on for the past week and it is likely to last a further few weeks. Bloody Chinese proverbs...

Given one of my work roles I have taken a keen interest in this. I have signed the petition although I do wonder whether we have been given all the facts of the story. Notwithstanding that, I have signed the petition because the more publicity the case receives, the more likely it is that questions will be asked and the case sorted out. Especially since it is usually in the best interests of people to go home. I am aware of state bureaucracy's ability to screw things up beyond all imagining and forget about the people at the centre of their cock ups. But I would love to know the reasons given for the deprivation of liberty and hopefully we may hear more. I do worry that commonsense and humanity seem to be seriously lacking amongst some of those who work in the caring professions.
TTFN.

2010-12-06T08:22:00.003Z

I've just had a weekend familiar to many across our white and icy land. Digging my car out twice, digging out the work pool car and gingerly driving everywhere we went. The main roads during the day were ok but the side roads were truly awful. The evenings saw motor dancing on ice so we couldn't do any visits after 5 pm. The rural areas have seen -10 and down to -13 celsius in many areas. The morning radio show reported -17 in one area. I asked our previous team lead a few years ago to invest in one decent 4x4 or to equip the team with Fiat Panda 4x4's so that we could get out and about. Sadly I was ignored and the pool cars we have are useless in this weather. C'est la vie, common sense doesn't travel to management levels.
Most drivers on the roads have been good but there are still complete and utter twats out there. The lorry driver who tailgated and flashed me the other night just didn't get it. All he achieved was my slowing right down and frustrating him further. Fog, snow and ice obviously equate to excellent driving conditions for him. As for the twat in the large 4x4 who decided to park right in the middle of a busy road and refused to move until the large truck driver pointed out the error of his ways. Great street theatre! Today I have a long journey into the midlands for an urgent assessment which the weather had delayed. Hello motorways, more ice and fog plus the assortment of road traffic delays. I am certainly not looking forward to the journey but I guess I'll just have to grit my teeth and go for it, after allowing time for the roads to hopefully thaw out.
TTFN.

2010-12-03T13:08:00.002Z

You could not make it up....

"Police please... someone's stolen my snowman!" Link

With temperatures overnight varying between -20 & -10 celsius the big freeze continues. The current temperature is -7 although I have spent the past hour digging my car out and getting it ready for work tomorrow. The main roads are passable although the side roads are still bad which could make work interesting, especially in the Wolds. Shovel, blanket, wind-up radio & torch plus a hot flask of tea will be put in the boot first thing tomorrow. I'm looking forward to work if only to see what comes up over the next few days. Perhaps a woman in crisis having had her snowman pinched. I also popped into the local pub last night, the first time in eight months. The Everards Tiger was ok although lacking a bit in flavour. But we had a good laugh and it was lovely to catch up with a few people I haven't seen for ages. Someone made a suggestion about having a DJ in one night and people bring their old vinyl singles in to play. An interesting proposition and we'll see where that goes. I'll dust off my old Elvis and Boney M singles! But it was good to pop in again and I will try to pop in more often. Time for more hot chocolate (So you win again) and ginger biscuits.
TTFN.

2010-12-01T10:31:00.002Z

Two feet plus of snow and it looks beautiful. Dog walking at 7 a.m. and lots of people walking into work as the roads are treacherous. The mutt loves the snow and returns to being a puppy, diving in and out of the drifts. Half an igloo built by local youths and kids out on their sleds. Mrs C. watched a Huskey in absolute heaven late last night as it raced up and down the road. I was due to attend a meeting in the south of the county this morning but with several roads blocked and traffic warnings out I will be working from home today. Both my colleagues are stuck as well and we all agreed that teleconferencing would be more useful for 'meeting up'. Something for the agenda at the next meeting and I'll use the 'global warming' excuse to propose it. If they are going to shove propaganda at us I may as well use their nonsense for my own ends! Otherwise we will stay in and keep warm. Mrs C. checked on our elderly neighbours and they are ok. Batten down the hatches and enjoy the seasonal weather.
TTFN.

2010-11-30T13:07:00.002Z

Yesterday was a day I experienced that there global warming. I sweltered as I struggled through my hundred mile round trip in tropical temperatures of 0 to -2 degrees C. I managed to avoid hitting any palm trees (coconuts removed to protect visiting presidents) as my car slipped and skittered on sheet iced roads and barely saw the other vehicles through the heat haze of white snow. The journey over a variety of A roads over the Wolds was manageable until on my return, fifteen miles from home, I and other motorists met a police road block. They directed us down a particular road which had been mentioned on the local radio as "impassible due to sheet ice and two jack knifed lorries". Yep.... they had blocked the wrong road and sent us down the road where they should have set up the road block. My little car was easy to slip slide around its pirouette of a u turn and return to the original route. This took a while because of the number of artics, large trucks and cars all wanting to do the same. Sadly, the larger vehicles couldn't do this on the narrow road and traffic backed up for miles. Other roads had accidents and they too became blocked. Happily I escaped early but I felt sorry for those drivers who were stuck until 11 pm in freezing winter conditions. They had some choice diverse Anglo-Saxon language for those police officers! So today is a paperwork catchup day with heating on, various animals snuggled up to radiators and frequent stops for tea. I think Fiat make a little 4x4 which may be more appropriate for the warm, steamy tropical winters we now seem to encounter. With a pollen filter it may well stop the nasty second hand cigarette smoke which appears to be drifting across the steamy paddy fields of Lincolnshire and killing us all. One can't be too careful.
Back to tapping away at the grindstone.
TTFN.

2010-11-28T13:19:00.004Z

After a night where the temperature dropped to -8 hereabouts the snow arrived at 10.30, happily after we had completed our shopping. But it provided an excellent opportunity for photographs whilst walking the pooch who loves snow. I'm not sure if that's the Labrador or Cocker Spaniel in her, probably both. It's still snowing three hours later and it certainly looks as though the snow is here to stay.

Needless to say the pooch is very happy and I enjoyed the brisk walk with the crunch of snow below my feet as the world was gradually muffled in it's new white coat. The weather forecast had promised a "light covering of snow with temperatures around zero degrees". Wrong on both counts and tonight I guess it will be well below zero again.

No 1 son at his girlfriends house up at the top of the Lincolnshire Wolds and there is a chance he may be stuck there if the roads are bad. Here we have the heating on and we are all wrapped up warm with the cats squeezed in beside various radiators. I think we'll keep it that way and enjoy the view from the windows.
TTFN.

2010-11-27T21:17:00.002Z

A quiet evening with an excellent Malt Whiskey, radio on t'internet and surfing the web. I've left the TV and various reality shows to Mrs C. The malt is a Laphroaig Quarter Cask which at 48% is treated with respect... nectar indeed. It is much needed after a lousy week. It started with a bout of food poisoning which finally ended after four days and has ended with me 'putting my back out'. Medical terminology for 'Ow! That hurts'.So the malt was fetched from the cupboard and e'en now it is warming the cockles of my heart. I suspect the lengthy car journeys at work in an uncomfortable car and with the usual light covering of snow causing traffic stupidity may have effected my back. But I am on my days off and can try to relax.
I am following the international and financial news avidly particularly with family in Ireland. Watching the EU slowly implode and wandering which way it will go (here's a good Link) as well as the politics in the USA and the worrying Korean situation. I find it interesting that in the office I can discuss this with one colleague whereas the others all look blank, tell me they are not interested or prefer to discuss X factor. The one colleague is the team secretary who is older than me and had lived in the States for many years. In the other team they are all labour supporters (and social workers) and view my politics with a lot of suspicion. I delight in pointing out that my working class son of migrants credentials should place me squarely in the midst of the labour luvvies party, whereas their middle-class background would be anathema to true labour politics. It does seem impossible for a lefty luvvie to understand that one can be right of centre without eating babies or forcing pensioners to freeze to death on the streets. I guess simple folks require simple slogans. Simple black & white slogans applied to life's various shades of grey always ends in tears. We are living in interesting times and although worrying, it is fascinating. Time for another whiskey and some more surfing. I am hopeful the combination of painkillers and whisky will alleviate the painor at the very least blur the sharp edges.
TTFN.

2010-11-18T11:09:00.002Z

My response to some royal event planned for next year.

Meanwhile in the real world as Ireland is bought lock, stock and barrel by the EU and other countries are greedily eyed up for the same treatment, the media is full of the above event and the usual TV bread & circuses reality programmes. Time to dust off my Gibbons 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' to see the original blueprint for the collapse of western civilisation.

I have been provisionally accepted for the AMHP training next year so that is next spring and summer accounted for...hard work and studying. It will keep me in employment during these troubled times and will look good on my future C.V. when I look towards Canada in a few years time. Mind you, Mrs C. occasionally reminds me of 'that job' in Nunavut. I'll be out of her hair for three years, earning good money and she'll have free run of the house to decorate to her own tastes! We only have one life and the adventure does appeal but a land with no trees and endless dark winters needs serious consideration. But the adventure...Jack London and all that cold, crisp, clean, fresh wilderness. However, back to placing feet firmly on the ground and an acceptance that such dreams will have to wait at least another two years until my commitments are finally completed. Speaking of which I have the usual chores to attend to on my day off.
TTFN.

2010-11-13T11:46:00.002Z

After a week sans alcohol I had a few beers last night. Oh my aching head this morning! I drank 'Directors' now brewed by Wells & Young's although previously brewed by Courage. I haven't drunk this beer for many years so I thought I'd give it a go but I didn't consider the strength of the beer (4.8 %).A brisk walk with the mutt & fresh air to clear my head, plus aspirin and lots of tea has reduced the hammering somewhat. A beautiful sunny day out and I want to make the most of it. So a quick post only...
TTFN.