HAPPY 2018

SATURDAY - Went over to Halifax Piece Hall , piece of crap what a white elephant it is no better than it was two years ago after all the money spent there are no more shops the empty shops are twice as many as shops selling goods the only good thing parking was easy no people are bothering to go , the council needs to reduce the cost of the  rents so more shop owners want to trade there .


SUNDAY - Went to Ilkley bought a light blue and white stripped shirt in the sale at Fat Face for less than half price .
Cooking a chicken roast dinner with all the trimmings Helen is not well we was supposed to be going out to a neighbouring van for New Years eve but I doubt we will go .

Happy new year to everyone who reads this blog ,  in all the countries around the world , here's wishing and praying that hopefully we will all be around for another year , so all the best to everyone for 2018 , lets stop the killing and stop all people dying of hunger and diseases , lets stop all the terrorist activity and the loss of innocent lives m do our best to save the planet and respect all living life Amen.

DOG NOT IN THE HOOD

Ebay bidding on two X-box one games Sniper Elite 4 and Resident Evil 7 don't no whats more fun killing Nazis or killing zombies .
Got the Tombraider Definitive game it is winging its way to me I bought that also of Ebay.

Woke up to a half white and black car  due to the snow we had over night and it is laying and after this picture it was also getting deeper .
We took the Christmas tree down we had pine needles everywhere , took the lights off and baubles and boxed them away until Christmas 2018 . I always think will I see these baubles again I will put them away this year and  like thousands of people across the country but not everyone will be unboxing them next year sad but true .I always think this not sure why .

Picked my car from the Skoda dealership just after dinner  it is all fixed it was just a hose that was leaking through a rip or tear under the header tank and all is now good no charge I was glad to get shut of the courtesy car ,  and more than  happy to be getting my own car back .
Went to Trinity centre  bought a Vans grey hoodie sweatshirt and a Levi T-shirt for myself I bought Pippa our Jack Russell a grey doggie sweat shirt  no hood and Helen a Levis hoodie and a Firetrap hoodie as well as a pair of Converse and Adidas trainers .
For tea we had lamb chops mash sweet corn and Yorkshire puddings with mint gravy the only meal I have had all day .

COFFEE AND GAS

THURSDAY - Took the car to my Skoda dealer just after two o clock this afternoon .  I am not at work YIPPEE  I have two days and the weekend off . I was loaned a Monte Carlo in a metallic black with shinny black alloys it is on a 2017 plate and of course  it needed petrol ,  I only  put £8.00 the mileage went up from 15 to 80 not that good my diesels over twice more economical than this , I would not like to own it by the time I got home the gauge was showing only sixty miles left in the tank although I had not driven twenty miles .

I booked a table at the Kaye Arms for 19.00 it is five minute drive from home see how the car does on gas  .
Made it without going to a petrol station we had a nice meal I had nachos to start Helen had the soup and we both had the fish and chips excellent very nicely done as always .

Went to Asda bought cat food two boxes and three boxes of Dolce Gusto cappuccino coffee pods three for £12 or £4.49 a box should last me the rest of the week .

Defiantly will have to put more fuel in the Monte tomorrow we are going to Piece Hall if the weather is ok .

CAR NOT COOL

Boxing Day worked that's two days in lieu if I work New Years day which I am penned in to do it will be three days extra holidays . I will use them when Helen's parents move home if I am allowed those exact days .

Got in the car tonight to drive home and the coolant level warning light came on I checked the reservoir tank it was way below the minimum level .
I drove to the nearest garage a couple of miles away and bought some coolant and maxed out the reservoir tank I filled it to the top line . The warning light did not reappear and I drove home with. no issues not sure why the coolant level dropped but I will have to keep an eye on it over the next few days the remainder of the coolant is in my boot .

Stuck on Tombraider game I keep getting killed too many soldiers to take on need two sub machine guns with auto aim ain't life a bitch .

The cats and dog are still eating the left over turkey we have just carved in to the other side of the crown half way there .

Working Wednesday then two days off it is Helen's birthday on Thursday the 28th will have to take her out for dinner I know there is a pair of Adidas training shoes she wants I will get her them too .
Not sure where to dine either a Inn or Indian or steak house .

Got in the car today the coolant level had dropped it was just above minimum I topped it back up and  I called the garage that I bought the car  from and it is booked in for Friday morning  ,I can either drop it Thursday night or Friday morning I am getting a courtesy car at a cost of £10 to cover the insurance.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Day - Opened some presents got Tim Peake's the British astronaut's book on the ISS book which I really wanted and a bottle of Jack Daniels , got a silver key ring of my Daughter which will last forever which is what I wanted it has DAD and 831 stamped in to it .

I had left overs from yesterdays turkey dinner for my Christmas dinner before going to work .
I dropped Helen off at her parents house she had Christmas dinner with them roast pork , it will be there last Christmas in that house they are moving in the new year .

I got to work for two in the afternoon it was very quite double time pay for no extra work it was appearance money really I finished at ten picked Helen up and went home had a coffee with an extra large shot of JD in it and read some of my book midnight went to bed another Christmas done and dusted.

2018 FASTLY APPROACHING .

In just under one hour it is going to be Christmas Eve and it is just starting to feel like Christmas .
My Daughter is calling over at around dinner time we will exchange gifts .We had had some good Christmas's  past specially when she and her brother where very young having kids always makes it special .

Just had my first Baileys coffee using Latte Macchiato as my coffee of choice seeing that I am all out of cappuccino and a added shot of Jameson's Irish whiskey for added kick .
Well it is off to bed  tomorrow is the Eve of Christmas .

SUNDAY CHRISTMAS EVE

Went to the petrol station  filled the car to the max with fuel then went back home wrapped up all the gifts for my daughters family they came just after one we exchange gifts the also gave us a Mexican pine shelving unit it goes in the spare unit it as shelves in the top section  and doors and shelves in the bottom half it will help us de-cluter and make life easier when we look for stuff.

The turkey crown is cooking in the oven it won't be ready for another three hours , we will chuck in the potatoes and do the veg later . I am relaxed I have just wrapped Helen's presents up and I am just sat down I have a very large Irish whiskey and coke by my side and I am watching "Bright" on Netflix its  not Wills Smiths best film but its ok .Helen is in bed chilling out with the dog Pippa .

THE EVE OF CHRISTMAS EVE

Mad Friday it is my last shift doing six till two and I am guessing that our A&E department  at the hospital where I work is going to be manic there will be drunks throwing up and being argumentative  cant wait .
We have done all our shopping what we have not got we will do without we are dropping presents off tomorrow , and Sunday we will have our turkey Christmas dinner seeing that I will be working both Christmas and Boxing Day.
Went out this morning to Marks and Spencer's the car parking was wild people are so thick cars just stop and go nowhere when you get sick of waiting and decide to go round them they decide to move .
 Cleaned the spare room out got rid of a lot of junk went to the local tip with a boot load of rubbish I also got rid of a table we did not want or need that got smashed up and skipped .

SATURDAY - Got up early have had five hours sleep wrapped some presents up for Helen's family and my sisters presents took a good hour and a half my sisters where coming around visiting just before ten .
In the afternoon we went to both of Helen's son's house's they are different as chalk and cheese we dropped presents off then went to Helen's parents house they are moving in the new year it will be there last Christmas in the house .
After we went to see Sharon and Martin we have not seen them since there wedding four years ago they have a nice home which is more like an apartment they also have a nice fish tank we have arranged to go out for a meal some time over the festive period .
We did not get home until half past seven we left just after one , was glad to get back home cooking steak egg chips and onion rings for the/supper .
Ordered a ethernet tv box of Ebay it should arrive in the new year 2018.

FIRST TIME 2017

Starting to miss my iPhone 7  and not sure what to do about it. I phoned a Apple store up and have been told I can get £320 off the price of a new iPhone if I trade in my Samsung S8.Should I go back or stick it out with Android some features are really good expandable storage brilliant the operation system not 100% happy with , I message was good option Helen just got charged £10 for sending picture messages if she was on Apple it would have been no charge.

Driving home last night it started to snow as I came of the motorway the snow started to fall visibility was not too bad , all it takes is one car fcuking around going too slow specially up hill when there is no need and everyone gets home way too late or stuck got to keep driving judge junctions and roundabouts so you can get across .

SATURDAY - Went to a auction at York did not buy anything we had a breakfast Ken bought a wrought iron weather vane Helen liked it so he gave it to her as a gift I will have to get some coach bolts to fix it to the shed .Bought a wooden box for Helen , not a coffin just a box for her cards need to upgrade the hinges before or after I give it to her .

SUNDAY - Ran new Ariel cable from a new Ariel that we fitted  below the older Ariel which goes to the bedroom tv we had to take the panels off and pass the cable up through the floor in the living room the picture quality is now perfect .
Went to Toby Carvery for dinner was ok had turkey and gammon doubt we will be going again very soon once a year is sufficient .
Won twenty five pounds on the lottery first time this year I have one anything .

EYE BITERS

MONDAY - Went out this morning to get some ink for the printer had to go to three different places before I got the ink cartridges that I required , we got the printer free from Ken our friend across the road and it is the first time w had to replace the ink .I have since ordered replacement copies of Ebay they was cheap enough that if they don't work or are shite it is no great loss.

WEDNESDAY - Bought another five fish three yellow labs and two black Calvus Compressiceps they are only tiny  they are the smallest fish in the tank so they should be ok they can be some what aggressive to smaller fish but seeing they are the fry we should not have any worries some breeds  also go by the name of eye biters it is not the breed that we have and we was told they would be suitable for our tank .

Kicking it on x-box one I am enjoying Rise Of The Tomb raider it is a ok game I have been lent the first instalment of 'Gears Of War" I won't load it until I am either stuck on ROTTR or I have completed it .

Want to get the British Astronaut Tim Peake's book he  was on the ISS and he asked people to post questions online via twitter and face book it is called  "Ask An Astronaut".

SNOWING AGAIN

SATURDAY - Had the gas engineer out the boiler was making strange noises which did not happen until we had it service a few weeks ago he arrived just before midday I was up just after eight it as not ruined our Saturday , Went to the farm shop bought a shoulder of pork a whole ox -tail , lamb chops and two massive pieces  of braising beef  as well as veg and fruit pies it was trying to snow but never really settled .
We will go to Asda then for fish and chips .

SUNDAY - Was out shopping we bought some more presents from books by Dawn French  and Monkey Shoulder whiskey  got a couple of  gift tokens for M&S Helen's parents  and a Game voucher for x-box one  games  ,  two Adidas track suites for Helen's young nephews plus two dressing gowns one for their Mother  and the other for the older daughter .We have more to get for  but we are getting there .
Afternoon it really started to snow for a few hours it was laying but not deep we went out just after five in the afternoon and the roads where alright some of the side street was still covered in snow the main roads clear .
 I was  taken Helen to spiritualist church she as not been for ages and wanted to go I went to the service as well to be honest it was ok we meet up with Erin a friend whom we lost touch with over something silly so that was good .
Got home to slow cooked  roast pork we did it before we left sweet potatoes , swede carrot and roast potatoes pigged out .

SNOW FALL

FRIDAY - We had a little bit of snow falling as I was doing the drive home Sunday is supposed to be the worst day .Bought a bottle of Jameson's Irish whiskey to go with the vanilla latte coffee I ordered on line got to admit its very nice the coffee machine makes perfect it was a good investment going back to drinking normal coffee if I ever run out of pods is going to be a killer . Even bought some cappuccino coffee Sachets for work so I don't have to drink instant .

Playing on the Xbox one on the Tombraider latest game "Rise Of The Tombraider" doing pretty well on it one of the early levels I got a bit of a loss but figured it out in the end it is a open world to explore with a lot better graphics , I have also "Gears of War" and "Watchdogs" to play once I complete the Tombradier game .

It is getting colder the car was seriously iced over and I physically had to remove it before driving ,more snow is predicted for this coming Sunday if it gets that bad chances are I won't be going to work , if I get snow  at work and it is bad chances are I won't get home I cant risk only getting half way home if I have to abandon the car I cant risk walking miles to reach home it is always a major dilemma .

2 X TABLE

SATURDAY -  big bread cakes fresh pork sausages streaky bacon and eggs for breakfast delicious home cooked by me .
Needed to do some food shopping got the essentials pear cider and peanut butter resse's bars plus the ingredients for our Sunday dinner .Hopefully getting a new Ariel for the tv and new cable which means we can get proper telly and Freeview to boot .
Looked at new Samsung Tv's the one we have is nearly ten years old and the picture quality not that good anymore also one of the cdmi ports is not working and there is some good deals on at the moment .

SUNDAY - Went to Hebden Bridge bought a second hand kitchen table that extends with two pull out leafs we also bought a solid pine coffee table with two drawers that can be pulled out from each side .
They are getting delivered Tuesday hopefully before I go to work .

MONDAY - Bought a 30metre stretchy hose ideal for washing the ar the old hose I am cutting up for the filling and emptying the fish tank at two  Back at work enough said .

TUESDAY - Both tables got delivered this morning the dining table top and leafs were bare wood I satined them with a coffee solution then waxed them looking good .

LA TREE IS UP

Washed the windows and the car it was quite cold it was trying its best to snow yesterday but didn't quite make it .Car cleaned went to Blacker Hall farm for a Christmas tree bought a six foot tree fo £39.95p it was worth it some garden centres are selling trees half this size for the same amount of money.We went to Dobcross other side of Saddleworth Moor  and bought some decorations to add to the ones from years gone by and 30 candle lights .

SADDLEWORTH MOOR 

Went to Compo"s for tea did not have fish and chips had the steak and onion pie with a Yorkshire pudding gravy and chips Helen had the scampi .

When we arrived home we sorted the lights out and then the decorations looking good hopefully the cats will leave the tree alone ,