ONCE IS TOO MUCH

 THURSDAY - Highlight of today was cooking Ikea meatballs with fires peas and Ikea gravy I also baked some baguettes I had a pear cider to go with my meal Helen had a cup of tea .

The snow is still on the street and in the gardens but the roads are not that bad the gritters have been out and no further snow as fallen in the last couple of days .The bin men never emptied the bins from outside our homes not sure when they will come I thought when they gritted the roads it was so the bin wagon could manoeuvre up and down the street did not happen .

FRIDAY - L.A wild fires are out of control what a nightmare the amount of houses destroyed and people that have lost everything is unbelievable whether your insured does not compensate for the possessions and personnel  items you have lost that can never be replaced , plus the loss of pets think of all the fish tanks that had to be left behind all the caged animals its total devastation . Hopefully lessons are learnt  and this sort of heart ache and pain never happen again , once is one time too many .

I also noticed that many cars were burnt out some insurance companies will already be looking at get out clauses we all know they hate paying out this is going to cost .Hopefully the pay-outs and the re-build is swift .

BLACK TO WHITE .

 TUESDAY - its the second morning I have not took the dogs out because of the winter wonderland that is our village .

Later in the morning  I had no choice but to clear the snow from the car and off the drive so I could get the car out .Our street is always worse once out of the cul-de-sac and the main roads have usually been gritted through the night early morning once  gritted its a lot  safer even though our main road is a 12% hill driving down to the centre of town and up going back home , you still have to take it easy as there is still pockets of snow and two cars cant always pass but I made it to my local supermarket .

We needed both dog and cat food , as well as eggs , bacon , bread , milk and toilet rolls  the road driving down was ok the car park on the other hand was a nightmare mostly solid ice very dodgy .I made it home .I cooked us a turkey roast dinner the turkey took over four hours to cook I did home made Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings it was like Christmas day all over again , a late white Christmas ..

The snow started again came down quite fast , it soon covered my black car which was white again in no time  . I am so glad I am not going to work . There is loads of Turkey just off the legs for the cats and dogs .I basted it every hours it was not dry we all enjoyed it I slightly burnt the sprouts in the frying pan a moments loss of concentration was all it took .

NO WORK

 MONDAY - No work phoned in sick have the dreaded Norovirus is it any wonder working were I work. Its snowed again during the night some snow slides down the roof both front and back the snow fall took the back garden light out that was fixed on to the wall .I turned the power off and cut the wires then taped them up and put a plastic bag over and taped that should keep it dry until I can get it re-fixed in to  position . 

                             

CHEAP BUT HIGH MAINTENANCE

 FRIDAY - Nearly the first weekend of the new year and it looks like we are getting snow it might be over a couple of days hopefully I can get a day off work a  unexpected day off out of the blue is always enjoyable and welcomed .

Discovered a few  new bands already this year  thanks to Spotify "Cigarettes After Sex" ," The Reverse Engineers" and "Death Cab For Cutie" .I want to get a decent music player a Ibasso will do nicely and upgrade my iem's a good few step ups from what I have now and some higher quality Bluetooth adapters .

Nearly first weekend of the year its predicting snow we need to put the Christmas tree out for collection .

SATURDAY - Very cold did not stay out too long walking the dogs hopefully it gets warmer think its a chill out day will cook a mince cobbler with carrot swede and peas .I might get some of my Shari Lapena novel read not stuck with it like the other books she published .Noticed one of my neighbours  as bought a second hand  Porsche 911 class  he said not that expensive to buy quite cheap he said  already he is putting new tyres on sure sure guessing be £150 a tyre the joys of motoring .

DAY ONE DONE

 WEDNESDAY - It's a new year if you are reading this then be grateful whatever issues we have faced whatever losses , hardships toils and turmoil's we made through , we survived and we are here .

I hope the war in Ukraine ends and the fighting and killing stop as well as the massacre genocide  being performed by Israel also ends . I hope China behaves itself and stands down from any conflict .If we stopped producing weapons and bombs aircraft carriers that cost billions and fighter jets that cost millions everyone the citizens of the world could  have free gas , electric , food and all of life essentials pay very little or no tax , get free health care and bigger pensions and a general better life , it's the war machine that keeps everyone poorer .

Anyways we made it the big question do we change adapt rethink and do new things new and challenges  not sure what changes I can make hopefully be a nicer and happier person than I was in 2024 if that is possible I was pretty ok in 2024 but there is always room for improvement .

I want a warmer sunnier  longer summer this year to sit in the garden and have barbeques .

Cooked us a chicken roast dinner with all the trimmings before setting off to work roll-on Easter .

Looks like we may be getting some snow hopefully we don't get snowed in and I cant go to work .

HELLO 2025

 BOXING DAY - Relaxing day back at work tonight then I have three days off .unfortunately Friday's day leave  is for a funeral . 

FRIDAY - Drove over to Bramley for the drive to Rawdon crematorium a few miles away for the cremation service off Helen's auntie Doreen she was 83 years old when she passed .The service was conducted by Gaynor Barnes T.V presenter .After the service we went to the Owl Inn at Rodley which used to be our local and I had my fifty birthday there with my twin sister and family .There was a buffet laid on with enough food to feed everyone three times over it was a good send off .Helen's brothers were there and Helen's parents and other relatives .Helen had two Baileys and I had a cider .

SATURDAY - Went over to Tong garden centre Helen bought a stone lamp for £80 we had to go to B&Q to get a led bulb .

SUNDAY - Cooked one of the Turkeys we bought for the festive season had it with pigs in blankets , stuffing , roasted carrots and parsnips and mash , roast potatoes , sprouts with pancetta  and Yorkshire pudding .

MONDAY -Took the tree down put it in the front garden ready for collection on Saturday go back to work after three days off new years day in two days end of 2024 good bye good riddance hello 2025 .

CHRISTMAS 2025

 CHRISTMAS DAY - Drove home just before 02.00 a.m the roads where clear I knew they would be .

We drove over to Acaster Malbis to see Helens parents we took the dogs along with us they like it in the car and are always well behaved .We got back home had a coffee and drove over to Kippax to have Christmas dinner with my daughter and husband and friends and family . She had cooked us all an amazing dinner which included Turkey , Gammon and beef with sprouts , stuffing , roast potatoes mash potatoes and different gravy's it all turned out perfect she had been up early hours cooking and prepping.

I think a meal cooked by someone else always tastes nicer there was a little Jack Russell puppy also with us all Woody .

Wishing everyone out there a very merry Christmas and fantastic 2025 .