CROSS AND TIRED

 THURSDAY - Today is minus six degrees went out with the dogs this morning it was sunny but ice cold if it gets colder will have to invest in a beanie hat cover my ears , I don't do hats but think I will have to , hate to think what a nuclear winter would be like the way the war is going with Russia I think the worse is yet to come .

Had a phone call from a number I didn't recognise it was from my son saying he wanted money putting into his bank account £20 just the amount you need for a bag of dope does he think I am stupid , he is going to phone his sister good luck she has had enough of your lies and broken promises too , no family member is going to fund his drug habit full stop .

Left work at ten p.m. four hours early looking at the video feed from the ring door bell I decided it was only going to get worse so like the song I was homeward bound I got it wrong it more or less stopped and the roads clear odd patch but is was plain sailing I will take the missing hours as annual leave .

FRIDAY - Went to Meadow Hall Helen taking a online purchase of a jacket back to " White Stuff " she got a full refund .

Work rang me they asked if I would work until six in the morning said I would cover the block until 04.30 , I was lucky I said this a few miles from home the snow started chances are if I had been another twenty minutes leaving work I would have got stranded .

SATURDAY - The rain washed all the snow away in a few hours plus the temperature was in double figures .Which was good because Helen had a party of readings to do in Crossland's a few miles away.

I waited in the car I had only three hours sleep I watched the Prime series "Cross" based on the detective created by James Patterson  Alex Cross .I have read a lot of his books over the years when I use to catch the bus to and from work . Also read some of Shari Lapena latest crime thriller "what have you done". its hard concentrating when your tired . loaded the ipod with a load of Bowie and The Cure albums .

THE HOUSE

 TUESDAY - Had some sleep but not much was worried about the car being hit by either someone driving down or up its a steep hill and easy to loose control unless we have four wheel drive its not good .

I spoke with a neighbour  and he had said the roads had been gritted so I went to walk down the hill to bring the car home it was covered in snow for some reason the de -icer refused to operate so i used the scrapper and cleared the front and side windows .I got home safely after stopping off at the farm shop to get some eggs .The car is at the very end of this photo , my parking could have been slightly  better .

its one in the afternoon and we have had no more snow it looks like we are not getting anymore today .Looks like I will be going to work if it does I will leave early or stay until morning when more of the roads have been gritted .

WEDNESDAY - Went to visit Helen's auntie who live sin Leeds and is diagnosed with cancer she seemed ok considering her plight she gave Helen a silver pewter small house that her Grandma had and was  inherited by her Auntie she has wanted it for the last forty years when she use to visit her Grandma she use to turn the house facing the other way when she left it was a ritual she always did .She has finally brought the house home with her .Looking around her Aunties room she had loads of dvds , CDs and books she  collected over the years some of the books where Jeremy Clarkson Diddly Squat featuring his life on his farm and shop .

ON THE HILL

 SUNDAY -My daughter came to visit with Josh ,Jensen and Freddie we did a bit of party food and played Uno for me for the first time it was nice to see everyone its always way too long in between visits .The weekend went way to fast as always not looking forward to going back to work Monday evening but I will , unless I get snowed in .

MONDAY - Went to Cleckheaton to Tapered Helens son's barber shop which has just recently opened had a coffee then we went to see his new house at Driglington a few miles away its a three bedroom new build it is not finished yet he should be moving in early December we looked round the four bed showroom very nice it nice being the first in a new build before anyone else has lived in the property .

After we went to the Malt Shovel for dinner we all had different pies with cobbler topping chips and peas .

Monday night left work early stopped off at the garage to get bacon , sausages , bread and butter just in case we get more snow ,Driving up Dunford road I had to park the car and walk home I had no choice  but leave the car it was loosing traction and going nowhere I walked  the last 2 miles home .It was  all up hill it took me longer than i thought lucky i was half way up and not at the bottom  . Don't know when I will be able to drive the car back  home might not be today hopefully no one drives in to it  There is more snow and ice on the way apparently it is going to hit Manchester for the next fifteen hours  .

SALT

 SATURDAY - How time flies Christmas is nearly upon us and I am not feeling it each Christmas looses some of it sparkle its not what it used to be the spirit of Christmas is lost .The only thing I am looking forward to his the turkey dinner and mince pies , Christmas cake and looking forward to 2025 .

There is a new fish restaurant in Uppermill near Saddleworth Moors it opened earlier this year in March and we have been meaning to go .In the morning we booked a table for two for seven p.m.

Of course we had the beer batter fish and chips with mushy peas no curry sauce or baked beans option it was nice the chips double cooked plus they had different sea salts the surroundings and staff excellent all in all a very good experience for desert I had sticky toffee pudding and ice cream very small portions but again extremely nice .

DAY OF

 MONDAY -No work until 18.00 Wednesday its a dark dismal morning  had a shower before taking the dogs out .Bentley the cat , my cat followed as he does most mornings .I had my I pod and was listening to some new tracks still on shuffle I don't always recognise the band or singer so I am forever checking the iPod screen to see who's playing , with the iPhone I can check my Apple watch which is easier than removing the iPod from my jacket pocket .

Went to Meadow Hall Sheffield Helen bought some socks from Fat Face her Dr Martens were rubbing she was wearing them without socks .She also bought a mega large Stanley flask/cup £45 she ordered a new top and carry case for it from Amazon .

It's good to see "The Cure's" first album in sixteen years as gone to number one in the U.K charts .

TUESDAY - Chilled out day in the evening drove over to M&S Food hall at Birstall this was during rush hour so it took longer filled a trolley up with food pizzas , pies , chicken and fish plus other goodies .Got three different chicken sides fried , hot and tempera , plus the butter biscuits.

WEDNESDAY - Went back to Meadow Hall again Helen bought some pyjama bottoms online  and they didn't fit   nearest White Stuff store Meadow Hall .

Been loading more tunes on to the Ipod its Monday again had a chilled out weekend I watched "The Day of The Jackal" well the first five episodes well worth a watch gripping in parts and a good plot .

I read Frederick Forsyth book years ago and watched the original film both classics .

IN AT THE INN

 FRIDAY - Bought Shari Lapena's new novel "What Have You Done" downloaded from Amazon £2.99 , I have five days off and I don't go back to work until Thursday next week .Listening to "The Cure's" new album "Songs Of Lost World" only listened to it once and it was good not sure if it was worth the sixteen year wait .

Watching "The Terminator 2" a bit surreal atomic bombs and  the machine take over a bit too like real life atm  the way the world is going .

SATURDAY - Updated my iPod classic with more songs this took a while going through my old hard drives finding albums and converting them from flac  losses which wont play to mp3s which will play .

SUNDAY - Helen had four readings to do throughout the afternoon when she finished we went to the the "Foxglove Inn " at Kirkburton we both had fish and chips we both had desert Helen the Bakewell tart and I the sticky toffee pudding both with custard the bill with drinks a pint of cider and a pot of tea was just over fifty pounds .

SERVICED

 FRIDAY - The car went in to the garage for a full service to the tune of £385 .I could tell the difference when I picked it up its driving like new which I should know because the only owner of the car from new is me .

Amazon - Recent deliveries included  Pair of red wired 3.5 mm  earphones  with volume control and a new  portable headphone amp for use with iPhone and iPod classic mainly with the iPod classic which at the moment has around 35gb of songs on its 160 gb hd .I have also ordered a short 3.5 to 3.5 cable to connect the amp to my I pod  the one they sent was way too long .

SATURDAY - Drove over to Acaster  Malbis to visit Helens parents he had a flat tyre front left I put the spare on for him think it was only the second time I have ever had to change a flat , I wont be getting any calls any time soon from F1 pit crews but it went ok.