LARA REMEMBERED

THURSDAY - Picked up the two pairs of reading glasses today  from Spec savers and Helen got her's too they seem ok reading is a lot easier clearer and more defined but it might take a few days for my eyes to adjust to the lenses .

Bought two pairs of Adidas training shoes from USC  a store in the Trinity Centre one pair in grey with four darker grey stripes and  white soles and the other all in black  stripes as well both  cost forty quid the price reduced the all black ones  when they are needed will do for work .

Took the Shark Vaccum back on some of the carpet it was not picking pet hairs up the vacuum literally sucked but not as much as a Dyson so we swapped it and paid the £20 difference we had to drive over to Pontefract as the Wakefield store did not have the Dyson Animal upright we wanted .

Bought a couple of Christmas presents one for my daughter and one for Helen .Went round to my daughters house she cut my hair and cit and coloured Helens hair we had a Chinese for tea honey and chill ribs and salt and pepper chicken was good .

Lara the tabby cat we bought when My daughter was only seven and was named after tomb raider Lara Croft was put to sleep  today at the vets , it was a very sad day but she was a very old lady of 19 years old and in very poor health suffer hopefully she did not and she will be missed R.I.P Lara x.
She was taken home and buried by my son Guy.

Changed the media in the filter added the volcanic rock the plastic media beads and the Seachem Purigen the water is looking good already after a few hours

PRISTINE CLEAN AND CLEAR

WEDNESDAY - Bought another thirteen African Malawi Cichlids today and it as doubled the number of fish in the tank  ,we did a two thirds water change this morning before going for the fish after lunch .  On the road to Kev's Rifts realizing  I had forgot my debit card I only realized after I had filled the tank up  with diesel lucky I had enough cash on me to pay for the fuel .We had to do a u-turn back home so I could get my card to draw some cash out of the ATM .All the fish got home safely and are all in the tank doing fine .

We also bought two plants for the tank from the garden centre along with two Plecos and another four fish as well as some plastic media for the filter tray with some volcanic rock media also for the filter and and a big bottle of  Seachem Pureigen  that is 500% better at removing impurities from your water when it goes brown around the six month mark then  use a cheap bleach to soak it for a few hours then rinse and soak it a a Prime solution overnight then its good to go again it should polish the water to a clear crystal appearance , The  Prime we got also goes into  the water for the ammonia nitrate and nitrite levels making even more sure that the water is the best it can be for the fish , the things we do the things we add and the filter we have is overkill but it should keep the tank pristine  clean and clear .

Well tomorrow hopefully Helen and I pick up our new glasses I have bought Stuff magazine to read and this months GQ , reading the printed word on paper again will be well cool no need for extra large text on the Ibook app .

THAI IN SHEFFIELD

MONDAY - I bought  myself  a Dolce Gusto Lumio shiny red coffee machine from Curry's PcWorld and  it makes fantastic coffee which seriously as good as Costa and Starbucks each cup is ready under 60 seconds at just the right temperature  for drinking . I bought the cappuccino  and Latte Macchiato pods both excellent tasting drinks in their own right ,  I also got some Chocchino a chocolate drink for Helen seeing that she does not like the taste of coffee even though she  loves the smell.

TUESDAY - Went to Meadow Hall to Chaobaby A Thai buffet restaurant means as much as you can eat for £12.50  without having an heart attack , I had chicken curry soup with prawn crackers  and a couple of onion rings that was just to to start this was followed by my second visit to the buffet bar was dish of very big chucks of mouthwatering beef which was so tender it must have been well slow coked I had this with a Thai curry sauce  .The staff where very polite and ready to help the chefs outstanding and the interior was very nice and clean the fish tank was empty I think they are getting it ready for more fish but the food was exceptionally well presented and cooked and to top it all they sold Rekorderlig pear cider .

Went to Costco whilst in Sheffield , the American style supermarket bought some coffee pods which was a lot cheaper than what  the supermarkets charged I should be good for a couple of weeks and I ordered a 36  pod holder on ebay .

ILKLEY TWICE

FRIDAY - Went to Meadow Hall I needed some new jeans ,  it has been awhile since I bought any and had to throw my favourite pair in to the bin .Went to Jack Jones and bought two pairs one was in black the other denim  both with  button flies and both comfy fit there 30% off the marked price at the till which brought the price well down to under £70 thanks Black Friday .
Bought a couple of shirts from Fat Face and a padded quilted jacket which is warm but light .

Went to the Hare and hounds for dinner I had sliced lamb with lamb shepherds pie with a side order of sweet potatoes fries Helen had fish and chips , for desert I had the raspberry milkshake cheese cake with coated cream delicious .The last time I did  six two on a Friday we went here for dinner .

SATURDAY - Five hours sleep was up and drove to Ilkley it has been a while since we went called in to  White Stuff and Fat Face Helen bought a coat it is going back tomorrow wrong size fcuking typical ,Did some food shopping bought oxtail and braising steak will cook nice in the slow cooker not sure what day but I am off all week .

SUNDAY - Went back to Ilkley Helen changed her coat and  this time she got the right size this time was starving so we went for breakfast to the Filmore and Union cafe never heard of this place before but  the food was excellent everything was cooked to perfection and totally grease free the poached eggs just right and the tomato chutney went well with the bacon which was crispy maple syrup would eat there again 10 out of 10 .

Went to the Masala hut a Indian restaurant we have been to before with my sister and her husband Alan we had a late  tea the food was ok but not as good as it can be it was still edible the poppadoms and nan breads freshly cooked the buffet dishes a little bit dry been out too long not enough sauce .

TWO HORSES ROCKING

MONDAY - Four days doing 14.00 - 22.00 then one day at 18.00 02.00 then nine whole days off work great too much work is bad for my soul .
Christmas is zooming and time is running out , Charles Manson won't see another Christmas which is great news and Ian Brady is spending this and hopefully the rest of his Christmas's in hell and here's praying that  the Yorkshire Ripper will also be dead before the new year making the world a better place.

Will be seeing things differently in another ten days our glasses will be made I got two pairs one with transition lenses and  one with just normal lens , Helen has two pairs of varifocal with transition lenses £408 didn't see that coming oh well eyesight is a precious thing .

Bought Frontline flea treatment for the cats a dog for a full six months treatment for them all was around the £98 mark also got Pip a new bed and some fresh broth foam and a bottle of coal tar  shampoo.

TUESDAY -Bought a new dinner set a four place setting it is in red and white separately we also bought six small coffee cups which are really a bit too small for a serious coffee addict but they are nice we also purchased  a heavy wooden butchers block for our worktop and chair cushions to match the red and white crockery  all from Sainsbury very Christmasy .

WEDNESDAY - Started Christmas shopping  we out and bought two small  brown and white stuffed rocking horses for two of the Grandsons , which for us is an early start.

LAKING ABOUT

FRIDAY
Next Friday I break up for a week I am also working a six two shift .This Friday I just need it to be home time its like being young again and  living for the weekend .

SATURDAY
Got up at  06.00 went to Asda bought cat and dog food and cat and dog biscuits filled the car up with diesel we have to be at my daughters house we are going to the Lake District to see Beatrix Potter attraction near Lake Windermere.It is a few hours drive  through villages and towns no motorways which is always nicer.

We got there and unbelievably got parked up the attraction was a few hundred yards away and at a reasonable entrance fee of £7.50 for an adult think everyone at some stage of their life has either read a book or seen a cartoon based on her work the attraction was ok great for kids it took under a hour .

We went down to the lakes edge we was going to get a ferry across Windermere to go visit the first house Beatrix bought with the royalties from the sale of her books , it is closed until February 2018 .

We ended up going to The Lakes Aquarium which was ok it only took an hour to go around the they had some otters which are really interesting to see .

Afterward on the way home we stopped at the Courtyard in Settle I bought a print Helen saw it is a couple on a park bench surrounded by  ducks guess it represents Helen and I.

We did a u-turn and went to the Craven Arms at Giggleswick for dinner ,I  had rabbit and black pudding parcels Helen had pumpkin and ginger soup , for main Helen had the gammon and eggs I had the blue pig sausages with mash deserts bread and butter pudding excellent food really enjoyed all of the courses .

SUNDAY.

Went for breakfast to the garden centre at Crofton both had a full English Helen had an extra egg as usual .Bought a cleaning pad stick to clean inside of our tank also bought some more cichlid sticks that will do us easily for the next six months I also bought a plastic vacuum tube for the gravel and some algae dispersing formula that pours in your water .

Got Helen's Yamaha guitar back that we sold to my nephews girlfriend Sue few  years previously she does not use  it , so I thought it be a nice gesture to buy it back we got it was cheaper than what we sold it when we need the cash to move house ,  Helen is chuffed she has it back on its stand in the bay window .

WORK NOT WORKING

Only two more pay cheques until Christmas scary always get caught out last minute shopping hopefully we will be sorted this year fingers crossed .Will buy some food this month that will fresh or not go off will also buy some drinks need Baileys Irish cream , and whiskey as well as cider and lager .Not sure what I will get Helen funds allowing something nice she could do with some new charms for her pandora bracelet , and some perfume .

Helen's parents are in a bit of a pickle they are not happy the person buying the house of the person buying there house as pulled out and the chain as collapsed as a result it is going to delay them moving it will be unlikely or a very slim chance  that this will happen before this Christmas which is sad because it would have been nice to spend their first Christmas in their new van ,the person whose van they are buying have agreed to wait which is a huge relief so fingers crossed all goes well.

Did another 50% water change on the tank 100 litres out and a fresh 100 litres in the fish are all still doing great no further casualties since changing the light settings the algae as been kept at bay will get another ten fish at the end of the month .

Got another six shifts doing six till two am which will help after Christmas 2018 is looming hopefully it will be a great year for everyone .

WEDNESDAY
Got a refund from my old phone provider went into my bank this morning all ties are now completely severed, We can apply for our Vr headsets for our Samsung phones at the end of this month .

People still not happy at work most of the staff I work with are looking for other jobs even at less pay yet the managers don't seem bothered and are not listening to ongoing issues . Everyone is in a deep depression its dome and gloom all is black no shades of grey thank god for a constant supply of coffee . I have always said "We are Eagles lead by donkeys".

APPLE AND PEARS NO STAIRS

SATURDAY - Went into Leeds this morning Helen wanted to go to John Lewis to buy some wool only to find out you can only purchase it online .Before calling in to John Lewis we went to see her son Liam he is working at a barbers shop in Leeds city centre , meet some great outstanding people at the shop it was an uplifting experience everyone was happy and highly creative one young man was especially warming and was truly a 100% nice person , even sharing his food with the other members of the crew ,  spicy cod mash and rice extremely nice expertly cooked by his mother , I would love to work in a vibrant happy environment .

Had hands on  the iPhone X  whilst at John Lewis and to be honest it was nice but the price not justified for me and if I am truly honest I think I would prefer a iPad Pro and keyboard and pen  or even  a new Mac book .

Called in to our local fish restaurant and chippy at Durkar for a fish tea the curry sauce excellent the scraps perfect washed down with iced coke at a reasonable price .

Not sure what is happening at Christmas I know we will get a real fir tree last years was not that bad needles dropping was not a major issue .It would be nice to get some new decorations and ornaments for the tree and fireplace going to do the pets  Pip our dog  , Bentley and George our two cats Christmas stockings they can hang up on the fireplace till Christmas Day .

SUNDAY .
Washed the car using Greased lighting excellent cleaner and polish no need for water saves time no rinsing off cuts the cleaning time by half .
Went to Haigh's farm shop bought lamb steaks , braising steak , a shoulder of pork and a chicken and mushroom  pie , and for deserts bread and butter pudding and a apple and pear pie which where all home made .
Cooked a roast chicken Sunday dinner second Sunday in a row did same a last week bought some root mash which was exceptionally nice with a knob of butter .

 Listening to - Stereophonic's and Sam Smith's new album both excellent .

BORING

Boring week work boring life mundane done nothing worth mentioning did some food shopping from the local farm shop bought some wicked tasting chicken sausages sounds weird chicken sausages but these where divine .

My son is still giving me the hard shoulder silent treatment he needs to grow up won't happen I guess it won't happen in my lifetime , when I am no longer he might realize what a stupid person he has been but then again maybe not .

My daughter on the other hand is absolutely brilliant she is true and a pleasure to go visit she is really interesting person and is a great mother and all in all a generally nice person .
Still need to get a couple of wireless charger for the two phones Helen an myself own  will get them off Ebay plus I still need to get  a case clear silicone I guess .

The German Christmas market is in Leeds city centre I can step out of the Hospital cross the road and it is there also the Christmas lights got switched on not sure who did the honours , anyway who ever it was the switch was flicked , and the lights came on job done.

ANNIVERSARY

We have not lost any more fish in over two weeks which is excellent news they all seem to be getting on and all are doing fine .Booked another weeks holiday for the 27th of November a full week away from work will do me .
Cant complain with the Samsung 8 Edge it is a great phone cant say I am missing Apple's iPhone saying that I would definitely have the iPhone X  if it was £400 cheaper .

It is the weekend and Helen is in bed with the flu I  bought her some Beecham powders and tomato and basil soup obviously to be taken separately .

SUNDAY - It is our anniversary of when we got engaged Helen lost her engagement ring awhile ago then found it , she has since lost it again wether it will re-appear a second time who knows but it is bonfire night they will be fireworks always on our anniversary they are fire works in hindsight November the 5th was a good day to get engaged on .

Went food shopping bought a fresh chicken , Yorkshire puddings , carrot and swede mash , roast potatoes  ,sage stuffing ,  cranberry sauce and roasting parsnips I will cook it later this afternoon we will eat around six .

Helen is still in bed watching Ghost adventurers and Alaska the last frontier , I am just chilling on my own I might read more of my current read "The Couple Next Door". Wish I had a big bottle of scotch some Irish coffees would be a godsend .

PHOTO - George's leap of faith   , taken with the Samsung S8 Edge.

HOLLOW HALLOWEEN

Halloween  was last night but we still have loads of sweets and chocolate left  to eat we only got one kid that came trick or treating which was very sad . We had pumpkins lighted ,  skeletons hanging and a big bowl of treats and only one kid and that was my good friend Kens Grand daughter fcuking typical .

Three pumpkins I went for the simplistic design I craved last year think it is as good as any novice can do with a steak knife and limited imagination .

Bonfire is looming once that is gone Christmas is going to come at us full sped that is scarier than any Halloween costume .Every year we get caught out hopefully this year will be better and  we will be a little bit more more organized , saying that I don't know where we are having dinner or even if I am working .
Think the Samsung S8 is as good as and in some cases better  the iPhone seven can up the memory to 256gb , can do wireless charging amoled screen , face and iris  recognition.