SOUPED UP

Midweek all down hill after today till Friday I am then off for ten days next thing it will be Easter a quarter of the year already gone it is going too fast.
Helen is now going to use the out building has a potting shed which makes better sense she is after buying the top half of a dresser to fix to the back wall she got one from Ebay we pick it up Saturday morning FROM Huddersfield  ,
We will also at some point paint the inside walls and re do the outside walls and the window frames need glossing the door is fine it is white  pvc and it is all fully alarmed .

THURSDAY
Boring day only thing good about today is tomorrow is Friday and i watched the latest episode of Happy Valley and i had a wicked bowl of tomato red pepper and lentil soup don't let the lentils put you off it was gorgeous nearly as good as the beef goulash soup i had a few days with cheese on top and tiger bread bliss .

TFIF
Getting feed up waiting for summer winter seems to have last forever to say we have not had much snow w have had plenty of rain hurry up summer and lets get outdoors rather than spending an eternity indoors . Break up tonight for ten days I cant wait .

Below Holmfirth village we do miss it there is no other place like it .

SPRING FORWARD

I fitted the two bird houses to the tree it was only one screw and the houses just slotted into place , they do say build them homes and the wild life will come so fingers crossed we will wait and see.

I also planted three bushes that we were given to us  last week we dug three holes at the back of the van and placed them in , we also have load son seeds and bulbs to plant March is a busy month .

Four more shifts then nine days off which suits me fine parking at work is getting a nightmare i could not get a place to do i had to leave it with the risk of getting a parking fine was able to move it an hour later and had i  not been ticketed,

GOOD FEW DAYS

I bought an  imitation Beats type pill blue tooth stereo speaker ages ago from Ebay and  it is still going strong I take it in my back pack every day . I had it on at work yesterday playing Ed Sheran " I See Fire "  I usually wait until everyone as gone home for the day .Three people out of four are now buying one from Ebay they cost under £7.00 amazing so cheap yet so good .

SATURDAY
Went to the Trinity in Wakefield bought a nice zipper jumper for my Grandson along with a book and T-shirt Helen also got her Grandson a similar jumper we also bought tissue paper and gift bags cards and her mum a Mary Berry cook and recipe book .

I also bought tubes of super glue hair gel and aluminium foil and freezer bags which we where short of .

We called in at Burger King for a mid afternoon snack i was pissed they did not have any milkshakes the machine was down not impressed I had to have Coca Cola .

In the evening our friend Erin called we went for a pup supper to a vintage Inn the Hare and Hounds it is the fourth one we have been to we mainly go to the Sovereign , we all ordered the same a mixed grill it came with ham , lamb , steak , chicken ,black pudding and a  Cumberland sausage,  tomato ,  fries and onion rings and egg  i was the only one to eat it all

SUNDAY
Was out most of the day first off we went to Tong garden centre bought Helen a couple of bird boxes to fix to the tree near our van .Then went to see Hellenes mother and dropped the book we bought yesterday she had already received  her card from there then we went to see Helen's son Steven and  his baby who is also one year old the day after my daughters baby whom is one today .
Liam Helen's youngest son also called round with his girlfriend in his new car after a hour we went to see my daughter and my Grandson Jenson in Allerton Bywater we stayed a few hours and had chili and rice and cheese cake yum yum all in all a good day .

GORILLA ON THE ROOF

I need to get on to the roof of our van to do an essential repair the gas boiler flue is leaking from the roof seal  I am guessing that  it needs the aluminium tape that needs replacing , to make it water tight again  I will also get some sealant just in case.

I put the ladder up and took a roll of Gorilla tape up on to the roof the roof is solid sheet metal moulded to look like tiles it is very rigid and smile the Gorilla tape is water proof heat proof and highly sticky i taped it , and over taped it and over taped it again ,  I will see how it goes .

It was snowing today quite heavy and it was laying  just when we think you are out of the woods , it didn't stop until around half past eleven ,Then it started to rain  and the threat of more snow was always looming but it never happened , and the main roads were  soon clear , in-fact by the time i was going to work most of the snow was already disappearing fast  .

I have a full week off I work the rest of this week and next week then I have the following week off yippee lets be honest we all work for time off and money .

My Grandson is a year old this Sunday it is amazing how quick twelve months has been and gone I have no idea what to get a one year old baby I will have to Google it .

LEAP YEAR

Well, we have the ingredients for another Chinese sir fry this time we are using chicken fillets Helen is in bed it is quarter to seven in the evening we went out came home we had sandwiches beef and ham and egg mayo had a drink and off she popped to bed with George the cat and Pip the dog , I am left to my own devices .

My lead for my book arrived so i tried it out it is made in China it cost me only £18.99 and is excellent it is like a laptop lead brick and power lead that separate it charges my Mac book up fine it is slightly slower than the Apple lead but works great.

Finally Helen got up we did not cook our Chinese dish i had mini kebabs onion bhajees and popadoms.

SUNDAY
Vac washed and waxed the car it has been a while since I cleaned her black always shines up well it took me a good couple of hours which was hour more than i wanted to spend doing it but at least the sun was out .

MONDAY.

Its leap year and Helen did not propose to me , so she blew it for another four years. She missed the boat yet again , hehe I am only joking we are happy as we are for now.

Went for a test drive in a Citroen C1 1.2 it was ok greta drive quite nippy all in all it was good the fold back roof was emitting some noise but all in all i was impressed , we are hoping to order a 1.0 automatic in white if we can organise the fiancee we will see over the next few days if it a goer or not .
I want to keep our Suzuki swift for myself rather than financing another car which makes sense and Helen will use the C1 once she has passed her test both threat and practical. She will start taking lessons again asp .
I use to have and drive a brand new Citroen C2  , a certain Ex wife took it in the divorce proceedings haha.

At work I helped move the premature babies back to the Neo natal ward ,  there was a break down in power supply over the weekend caused by water leakage which blow out the mains supply which affected the power to the ward . Yesterday afternoon it was fixed and the power was back up and running so we moved them all back with all the equipment which was attached to them keeping them alive , it was a nice afternoon seeing all the tiniest infants  of all races beating all the odds and surviving makes you wonder why as adults all we want to do is go to war and destroy life it don't make sense.

DEALS ON WHEELS

I applied for a car loan just to see if i could get someone to loan me some cash , and low and behold i have been approved.
 The fact is I don't want the loan just it , i might want it in a years time i am not sure as I was adamant that i would get refused ,  but i got a yes which sort of threw me oh well it is nice to know if I need cash for a car I have been approved a second hand Juke or Citroen DS3 would be nice.

Need pizza which i bought today spicy beef chicken and jalapenos I still need pear cider and other goodies payday is looming and  I  fancy doing a slow cook meal on Friday seeing that I am  off work oxtail and braised beef would be nice.

Bought  power lead for my Mac book pro from Amazon it was only £18.99 which is a lot cheaper than the Apple lead as long as it don't fry my Mac when i plug it in.

FRIDAY
We are not now getting the garden shed it has fallen through the promise of a shed not the shed It's shelf of course which means i don't have to fcuk around doing the concrete base.

Went to a Dealership to see a Citroen Ds3 in black it had 53k on the clock which is average  it comes with 12 months warranty and  it costs £6995 , it is 3 doors in black with white alloys I and it is mint  I really  like it.

It depends on Helen she is after a C1 if she gets accepted for PCP then s she will trade her car in which is what I drive to work each day if she does get accepted then I need wheels as I cant physically get home from work , any other way but drive .

Watching - Happy Valley

Listening to - Dire Straits

Eating - Curry

SHED

I have this Friday off work i had one day left i also have a week off week commencing the 14th of March .

It is also payday this Friday which is the best day of the month without a doubt roll on April when i should get more monthly take home pay .

The ground rent for our van has gone up by a whole £1 a month thats 25p a week i which the rest of the bills went up by the same amount .

My son is being so very annoying he is not picking up my phone calls I use to call him nearly every night this is because he says that  I don't see him enough i agree it is hard to schedule time it is also a case of sometime money issues i.e. the lack of it  .

He as also decided in his infinite wisdom to delete me from Facebook fine  , the thing is I cant really be bothered with his babyish infantile attitude he is 23 years old not a child   so grow up ,  and to be honest I am not losing any sleep over it . As they say it is what it is , and  it is the same distance for him to come and see me as it is me to see him which he never does , i realise he has a life  he also wants to see me on my own which I cant and won't do especially on some weekends it is impossible as i have a life too .

We have been offered a garden shed I have not seen it yet but I know I will have to take it down and re assemble it on our patch of land great all I need is more work to do .

It measures 5 feet by 7 feet and I will need to sort out a base for it to rest on . I will make a three by two frame level it and peg it  in place on  top of a hard core base then fill it with concrete when it sets remove the frame base done .
I think i have at least two weeks to get this done might do it over the weekend buy the wood and sand cement and gravel and hardcore . Helen already mentioned she wants a window in the roof putting in and more glass great .

The shed below is obviously not THE shed we are getting be easier if it was it would blow away .

LUNCH NOT LAUNCH

I don't know where Saturday went ,  it was here when i got up and then it was like it was over before it began ,  I messed around with my Kindle fire stick it has been loaded with the latest version of  Kodi , that was in the morning before we knew it the time  was three o clock in the afternoon .

We drove over to Trinity shopping mall Wakefield and we bought bread to go with  he fish and chip supper that we will be having later tonight  ,  and before long we are driving back home to our van and  its dark already .

SUNDAY
Lemon chicken with spring rolls prawn toast and prawn parcels rice and stir fried vegetables not a traditional English Sunday lunch for a Yorkshire man but just as tasty . And it only took around thirty five minutes to prepare and cook. The plate with the sting rolls was to share and not just for me they were left overs too of prawn crackers and spring rolls ate it watching the Samsung live stream for Galaxy 7 launch not lunch.

ONCE MORE TFIF

THURSADY
This is the hottest day so far the sun is out and it is a clear blue sky and it's only February hopefully a sign for things to come.
The only thin i want to come is pay day i hate having very little cash it is the only thing that make sense going to work is looking forward to pay day.

Not had any pear cider for ages I am getting suffering with drawl symptoms and I am also having to drink cheaper  coffee which is even worse and I have run out of brown sugar such a sin.

I have my new tax code which is set for the year i thought they might be wanting money of me for the tax rebate that  i received  last year , has they seem to give with one hand and take with the other .
So with a higher tax code my increment and wage rise i should be a few quid better off each month .

I also want to end my phone contract and go on a sim only plan and buy my phone out right which will save me £35 a month trouble is if the new Samsung Galaxy 7 is that good will it me re think also because Apple are creating a fix for error 53 will i want a iPhone 7 i guess i could save and buy .

FRIDAY
10 Years ago today was a Sunday i know because it was the day my mother died , it was four o clock in the morning when i woke up and had the urge to get up dressed and drive to Leeds to visit her. She was in hospital and  it was only a couple of hours later that she died while i was holding her hand i went to the garden centre and bought this gargoyle and called it  Ethel after my Mum she is my memorial and she is still with me .

WORK EAT SLEEP REPEAT

Boring week doing nothing apart from work eat sleep repeat. I am just waiting for the weekend then for pay day .

We want to save up so we can put a fence up between us and our next door neighbour's plot ,  at the moment there is a hedge but it drops its leaves in the winter and the dogs that live there when they see our cats constantly bark which is fcuking annoying .

I want concrete posts and gravel boards and maybe five foot wooden panels i reckon it will be the past part of £750 , if we save my wages and live off Helen's wages then  we should be able to do it in two months.

We also want more plants , flowers , bushes and shrubs and to build a barbecue  to sure where and somewhere put a double swing seat .
I really want to have a red hot summer winter seems to have been with us way too long although we have had very little snow the wind and rain has been a major pain  although we have not been flooded i still want the heat and clear blue skies this summer.

We are still thinking about a fish tank what size is a issue not sure how the van will support a big tank unless we strengthen the floor i am guessing it would hold one fine doing nothing i reckon we are on a metal frame with a wooden floor if we laminate the floor with decent wood laminate boards it should help spread the weight .

DUMPLINGS AND LIGHTS

It is Valentine today Helen made me a card with a piece of white card she had and a black pen it is priceless I will keep it she wrote some very nice things on it we have been together since 2007 a whole nine years ,  lasting longer than a lot of marriages i know that there was loads of people that would not have given us nine months so to all the none believers out there you know who you are  HA , HA  fcuking HA .

We Loaded the slow cooker just after midday with a large packet of diced lamb then two lamb shanks threw in some diced onions and mixed vegetables we will have it later tonight with mashed potatoes Yorkshire puddings and dumplings no red wine to pour in never mind .

Put up fifty white bulbed solar lights around the top of decking railings they only  cost £9.99 I nailed them in place using wiring clips hopefully they will be good for a few years .

It started to snow late in the afternoon  i doubt  very much that it will settle if it does i would have to make the choice either drive to work or stay at home .

Watching -  "Life" film about the time photographer Dennis Stock spent photographing James Dean  and "20.000 days on Earth" . 

TUNES

The lady up the road from us about four or five vans away went out and  bought a wireless speaker she is quite an eccentric figure and her van is absolutely amazing a mixture of antiques and modern.

 she was having trouble connecting it via blue tooth to her iPad . She asked me if i could sort it out for her . I went round expecting a little wireless speaker but no this was a 150 watt £250 boom box .I connected it she did not have the blue tooth set on the speaker I hooked my iPhone via the aux line method to the speaker  to show her the sound quality and what a sound her van will be moving across the road if she hits the bass too much .

We got talking about music she likes Joan Baez got to admit i never heard of her she had a thing years ago with Bob Dylan . All her music collection consists off is playing stuff on You Tube now through her extremely top dog of a wireless speaker plus  a few cd's that she owns on that she listens to on her out dated stereo cd player that was second hand  when she got it and a few  old cassette tape one of Joan Baez and some other artist which she cant play not having a tape deck.

I went home and decided that I would downloaded  her two Joan Baez albums a greatest hits compilation and a 1960's one then i  burned them both to disc . Half hour later i  took them round to her , she was over the moon you would thought that i was giving her two gold bars , music is a great thing making someone extremely happy for next to nothing is even better.

To me it really was no big deal anyway two days later she is still thanking me she brought round a large steak pie that she bought from the farm shop we go to she got  for me and Helen as she does not eat meat she also gave us  two home made rock buns filled with jam and cream which we ate tonight after arriving home from work.
I told her that seeing her genuinely happy was enough reward ,  I have never seen any one so grateful for a handful of songs .

SWEET DREAMS

I don't really do television I find it 99% boring but the police drama Happy Valley is now  back on being aired on BBC1 which is shot and  filmed on location in and around Hebden Bridge and other nearby towns and villages that are close by.

 The first series was on a couple of years ago when we just moved and was  living in Holmfirth  . The first series was that well received they opted to do a second series which screened a few nights ago  it is already looking good and ii is one programme that I will watch until it ends ,  I am already wanting for  the second episode to be screened .

My new  iPad case finally arrived in my letter box it came all the way from China it is ok it will do until i get something better.

I really want to get the new book biography of legend music maker Dave Stewart  art dos of the Eurythmics called 'Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" is it worth it for the cover alone .

 

WAKE UP

MONDAY

Back to work today at two o clock and the weather is lousy its windy and raining heavily which is what it was doing most of the night , well ever time i woke up which was every few hours. I hope because of all the crap weather we have had we get a red hot summer that lasts and lasts.

TUESDAY
It is very sunny but cold a great winters day .Went to the supermarket bought 36 pouches of cat food it was on offer i also bought some raisin pancakes seeing as it is shrove Tuesday pancake day .

Error code 53 is upsetting loads of people whom have had their iPhone bricked its amazing people still back Apple for those who don't then do not buy another Apple product they are alternatives that are as good as anything that Apple sell ,  i doubt very my next phone will be Apple.
You don't need a Mac book or a iPad or a iPhone or either a Apple tv don't submit to the hard sell we are all being brained washed to buy Apple and the majority are being brained washed , including ME  that  to we must only be seen with a Apple product it is  time to wake up I think.

CLEAN GLASS

Woke up just after half past eight made some porridge with semi skimmed milk and a coffee which was breakfast .
After i went outside and partially emptied the three water butts , i also cleared the gardens of dog poo not nice but someone has to do it .
I then cleaned some of the fallen leaves up from under the decking and bagged them for the bin .
I also cleaned all of the outside window panes which is thirteen windows in total it took over a hour to do last time was just after summer whilst i was doing the outer Helen cleaned the inside .

Back to work tomorrow wish i had another week off ,  I will have on the 14th of March oh well Monday is looming.

Watching - Vera on television it is about the only thing we watch episode 2 .

Listening to - World Party Arkeology

NOT VOCAL

FRIDAY
Went out after three in the afternoon bought some white bread vinegar and dilute juice filled the car to the max with petrol which cost just less than £25 and on the way home from Salisbury's petrol station and supermarket got fish and chips to eat at home .

Helen is not that good her throat is swelling up and she can hardly speak ,  a rare gift from God i doubt it will last more than twenty four hours , she is still smoking so i reckon it cant be that bad .

SATURDAY
Went to Tong garden centre at Leeds Helen bought two packets of bulbs from there we went to Crown Point always a pain in the arse to park went to Staples she bought some add ons for her Arc stationary book , they had some nice Filofax at a price .
Helen's voice is back to normal i know i can hear her instead of lip reading .

Watching  Films  - , Everest and Himalayas .

Eating - Braised steak and dumplings .

Dreading - Work on Monday,

NOTHING GOING ON

Wednesday been off since last Friday and  its has been a very chilled out few days i have done nothing major , i have read and watched some  films and listened to some music apart from eating  and going to sleep its been a  very uneventful few days , its bit like being retired from your working  and waiting for death i can only guess i need a serious hobby more than anything but i have no idea as to what its annoying .

Latest buys on Ebay a aluminium key holder organiser which is ok not as good that i thought it would be but it is ok for the price i paid.
A new iPad mini case which i liked the look of so i bought it only to find out it is coming from China and another 16gb usb 3.o flash drive

FEED IT

Went to the farm shop Thorncliffe and I bought another pack of bacon its the best forget supermarkets this is the real deal its thick cut and is ideal for sandwiches .Bought some more mushrooms and a steak and mushroom pie i also threw in a cottage pie and a large canon of freshly made gravy two pork pies and two cornish slices and another six Yorkshire puddings and for desert a large freshly made apple pie .

We called in at another farm food shop aBlacker Hall farm and just got bread and bread cakes they did have some nice looking potted  beef which i bought one .

Last call was the supermarket to get washing powder and conditioner  , a bottle of washing up liquid and a tray of four  battered fish a fresh chicken and a beef mince for our lasagne tomorrow when Helens parents visit and two garlic bread .

Helen had a reading to do i went in to the bedroom with my macbook and my iPad i was surprised i did not fall asleep but i did.nt , been on You Tube watching documentaries and interviews about David Bowie very good insight and  a great artist a one off.

FULLY CHARGED

Went back to Meadow Hall shopping Mall near Sheffield Helen took a top back we bought on Saturday she wore once and took it back and got a full refund , i sprayed a sample of the new Dior Sauvage as advertised and endorsed by Johnny Depp it is not that  bad a smell I am not sure on the price i never asked but guess it be will be around the fifty pound mark  .

 I called into the Apple store and told them the trouble i was having charging my  iPhone  5S the girl that i was speaking with  took out the sim card tool she had and inserted it in to the lighting opening on the bottom of the phone where the charging cable fits and with it she pulled a load of debris out i guess it was all the fluff and lint from my pockets she then told me to  i pull a cable out from a iPad on display and to try it out , I inserted the cable from a IPad Air  and my was charging like new no more issues , so i am sorted I got a result and I am happy .Which also means my power bank will be in use again , do i still want a Oppo 2 plus erm .

Need - Mushrooms and bacon a bottle of Coca Cola

Listening to - Sigma

Watching - "Backtrack"

Reading - The Best American Mystery Stories 2015 - James Patterson

ABSENT WITH LEAVE

SATURDAY
Went to Meadow Hall Helen had to pick up something to take to a baby shower another American idea that has caught on here thank you uncle Sam.

On the way home i detoured to the farm shop and bought some smoked bacon and open cup mushrooms and a tray of fresh chicken legs which will do me at least five meals , i also got a tray of  lambs liver and sausage casserole with onion gravy and six Yorkshire puddings and some Cornish slices with a tub of gravy which is to die for

I am in the van on my own it is quarter past four and dark with snow threatening to come out of the sky i have a large cup of coffee with a very large whiskey poured in to it and a packet of butter biscuits .

Helen is still out it is now snowing , its laid on the roof of the  car and lightly coated the garden and paths .

SUNDAY
Sunday lunch was a K.F.C not the best of Sunday lunches as soon as you finish it you think it will be ages before i eat this shit again but when yo have not had one for ages you do get the urge for one strange the best part of the meal was the carton of coke I took our fries back they were clap cold they not much better hot .

We visited my daughters house it was her 25th birthday mid week , so we called round with some flowers and bath goodies , we did not have a load of cash left after getting the car fixed its always  bad time even though i had just been paid as always the case  i am not exactly rollin in cash times are hard .
 But it's the time spent with her and my Grandson and  the thought that counts at the end of the day.

My son is pissed off with me YET AGAIN because i have not been over  to see him for a while i do phone him most days ,  it as near and far for him to visit me with the added bonus that we can chill out eat and have a beer which helps when your skin it helps on the cost of petrol and eating out .

The fact being  i cant set foot in his cottage because he lives with my Ex wife and her husband and I am not very welcomed since I divorced her and Helen is definitely not invited to step foot on the premises she is as welcomed as a tampon at an orgy , yet he always seems to forget this .

Anyway i have the next seven days off work which is a good reason to like this particular Monday morning even if it is a tad windy the sun is out and the sky is a bit more blue so what the heck life goes on.

IT COSTS A LOT

Took the car to the garage this morning i was told it would be a all day job i though i be looking at three hours to four hours max . Thought i would go for a big fried  breakfast the full Monty with a couple of mugs of coffee to kill the time i was even planing on buying a couple go magazines Rollinstone and Stuff .

Instead i drove my car back home with a mechanic who was then driving the car  back to the workshop once the work is done he will drive it back to me i will then drive him back ago the garage and pay for the work that as been done .

The car cost me £533 i was expecting it to be £355 that's me budgeting for the rest of the month .
Think i will go to the farm shop and buy a few trays of chicken legs and bags of  frozen fries .
At least the car is happy it got its oil and filter changed for £50 and new spark plugs costing £15 each that adds up to £60 just for plugs the pair of new wishbones cost me  well over £230 plus labour it all adds up .
Cars and women are always going to cost there is no getting away from these facts either walk everywhere and stay single or pay the consequence's .

DONE FOR TEN

Last day at work be nice if I get a parking space be a nice touch  to the end of my working week , other wise I will have to go out two hours in to my shift and move the car , which is ok if it is not throwing it down today looks quite sunny.

I did get a parking space so i was happy that's it now until 8th of February then in March week commencing the 14th I have the whole week off  , and I still have one day left to take before we get our new holiday entitlement in April.

Bought a new case for my iPad it looks really nice it is black and it is coming from China cant wait , I am also bidding on a Sandisk  cruiser  orbit 32gb usb flash drive which I can use for the tv's and dvd player anything larger is not recognised .

I am also bidding on a Ninja key holder which is quite a good idea i have looked at other makes this one caught my eye will see if i am the highest bidder the day bidding ends .

Listening to - Charlie Puth album new release

Watching - Hyena Road

THE WEEK

Another Monday gone i am only working until Thursday night then i am on leave for a whole ten days brilliant comes to mind i cant wait i hate work , it stops me doing things i want to do life is too short to waste it working but like the rest of us i have no choice i have bills to pay .

I have some lamb steaks to cook for supper with sweet corn and peas i am cooking it whilst i am writing this .
Have been watching some blogs on you tube of people from the America working in Japan how nice is Japan the streets are so clean , no graffiti no rubbish it all looks like its just been hosed down.

Tomorrow is pay day once again it as seem ages since we last got paid on Christmas Eve ,  i have to pay for the car fixing which is going to cost £350 ouch it is also my daughters birthday and my sons birthday before the end of January i could do with getting two pay cheques into my bank account.

TUESDAY
The wind and rain is back the van is moving and things are rattling got to remember we are not in a solid house with foundations we are tied down with hooks and webbing and metal supports i doubt we will move far fingers crossed.

Have been looking at a Marshall London phone as a music player it is supposed to be excellent it also has a removable battery and an upgradable memory card slot.

WEDNESDAY
It is my daughters tweet five birthday how time flies i remember taking her home from the hospital where she was born it had been snowing i remember trekking through the snow to the chemist  for essential items we did not know we would need i thin it was the start of the Gulf war scary times its no better now for her son who is nearly one do we never learn apparently not.

Its also payday yippee i got extra cash for working Christmas Day and Boxing Day every penny counts this month the car is going in for repair work Friday to the tune of £350 .

Tomorrow I break up for ten days result i cant wait chill out time hopefully i plan on doing nothing much .

RETRO

SATURDAY
Cooked breakfast totally fcuked up the sausages I over cooked them in the oven and they where too hard not good for us but good for the dog .

Need to but a new case for my iPad the one i have is disintegrating rapidly on my list for when i get paid .

Need cake and need something nice for dinner we will be out later will see what takes my fancy Indian I think .

Went over to Helen's parents it was her mother's birthday we also called to see my nephew he was converting a video tape on to dvd for Helen it was her wedding thirteen years ago , I went to the night do with my then wife , I have know been with Helen since 2007. I watched the dvd with her it did not bother me in the slightest we both have past that's why they are called the past .

On the way back home I got some petrol nice to see the price of a litre has dropped by another 2p e bought some Chinese lemon  chicken pieces and special fried rice and some crispy pancake rolls to say it was all off the shelve at Sainsbury's it was surprisingly good.

Watching "Life " film about James Dean and "Adulterers" based on true events.

SUNDAY
Got up and showered had a bowl of porridge for my breakfast I bought another family box of  twenty packets Friday night on leaving work.

Liam Helen's son came with his girlfriend Nicole they have both bought his and her cars , by buying two identical cars they opted for two Seat Ibiza's  hers is in white and his is in red you really cant beat getting a brand new motor  its worth it just for the smell , i do miss the Juke.

We had dinner that we had cooked in our van's kitchen , we had three meats turkey , chicken and gammon with mash , veg and Yorkshire puddings of which i made and mixed  the batter for .

I am watching a retro record deck on Ebay i like the idea of buying a selection of vinyl records i had loads of records years ago i sold them all be nice to start and buying them again .

Anyway hoped everyone had a great chilled  out weekend , i know a lot of people are being effected by the bad snow fall and blizzards and icy conditions in the U.S.A hope all are home and safe in the houses , we might get some snow next week but no way as bad as you across the pond , i doubt i get out of the van never mind to work.

FRIDAY FEELING

Well over the mid week hump its Thursday today  which means that it's all down hill until the weekend .
The M1 motorway is beyond a joke why does it take so long to convert the hard shoulder in to another lane , fcuking hell it is so run over it's end date i would not like to guess the penalty clause on the over run ,  to say it is supposed to be a smart motorway they should have got smart contractors to do the road works , instead of the tossers that  they have  currently got the contract ..
What it has cost me so far  in the extra miles detour i have had  to do when they close junctions off is unbelievable plus the extra time  i spend behind the wheel i should be well compensated .

Anyway a week to day i will break up for a whole ten days off work and i cant wait why because i hate my job i hate the time i have to put in i hate how boring it is how they always want us to do more work i hate we always get a crappy rise every year of a massive 1% wow thanks a lot.

I started using my iPhone 5s head phones that i got with my phone  i was using the older type ones until i wound the window down the other night and threw them out of the cars window whilst driving home the other night they made a high pitched howling noise , not for the first time well this time i took action and wound the window  threw them out of the car the was no other cars or vehicles in my vicinity.

A work mat just took delivery of a Samsung 56 great camera and great speaker quality not sure if i get one end of the day but they are a great quality phone I need to find someone with a Oppo plus 2 .

Friday
TFIF need to get some pear cider when i leave work tonight i break up in six days and have ten days off cant wait no work is pure bliss .

I checked my health app on my I-phone today i had it with me most of the day mainly to see how many steps and distance that  i had walked during the day it was  6.09 miles which in turn calculated it as i had done over 11,000 steps

Watching - 7 Minutes and Criminal Activities

Listening to - David Bowie

Eating - chilli beef and jalapeno pizza

TASTE OF SUMMER

MONDAY
Woke up  asked the pots from last night we made a fresh apple pie and custard we ate it watching the film Mr Holmes .For breakfast I  made some porridge and a pot of coffee i also  feed the tow cats and feed Pip our dog.I need to press a black polo shirt for work and i will have to  shower that won't be for a few hours yet .
As much as i hate going back to work after the weekend off i know once i am there i will make the effort its just so boring to think i am doing this until i retire is mind boggling , i am so looking forward to summer so we can sit outside and get some rays get a barbecue which we never did last year .

We need to get to the coast which is something else we never did last year and hopefully also head up north to Scotland .

TUESDAY
Tried to draw Captain America's head using the step by step guide was ok did it again a bit better then went on to Spiderman too fcuking hard it jumps to much from one stage to next it would have been easier if the used an easier character like a 50,s Superman , don't think i will continue getting the magazine.
Dropped Helen off at the hairdressers in Leeds before driving on to work , will pick her up tonight from her parents house when i finish work at ten.
Had to do a detour on the way home part of the motorway was closed by the time i git home and eaten it was after midnight another day gone another nail in the coffin.

WEDNESDAY
Had the gas board out the boiler is some how leaking water they were out to us  before dinner time the boiler is a condenser and there is a trap that collects water it was full and needed emptying there was also three wasps in it which had come down the flu hopefully problem sorted.

It was really foggy this morning early on but the sun came out mid morning and it was quite warm .
A taste of summer hopefully the rest of the week is also supposed to be quite warm for this time of year.

SNOWS GOES

Just finished watching "Heist" what a great film one of the best i have seen for a while Robert De Niro at his best.

The snow is laying it's amazing it does not take for it to get quite deep if it carriers on it will be difficult driving , bet it won't be long before the gritting crews run out of grit after all it happens every year this year won't be any different .

Coffee and Jack Daniels sure makes for a warmer me hope we don't run out of coffee never get to the shops in this snow not sure if i will even get to work Monday .

SUNDAY
The roads are not that bad we drove over to the Trinity Centre at Wakefield bought some sausages and lambs liver , i also bought the first issue of "Draw The Marvel Way" for 99p you got a free metal ruler pen , pencil and putty rubber i might continue to buy it whilst you are getting free gifts after that will see its issued every fortnight .
Went in to the options trying on glasses , its like hats they just don't suit me i never really looked cool in sun glasses unless it's just me , think i have a funny shaped head and ears having short hair does not help too.

Unless we get an avalanche of snow during the night then  i guess i am back at work tomorrow i do  have Friday the 29th of January and the following week off work annual leave which i am looking forward to plus i have a week in February off as well then i get my full holiday entitlement in April which is around eight weeks yippee.

Went to look in KRSC Apple store if i was to get another iPhone i would get either the 6s+ or if they do one a 7+ thats if i stick with Apple .

Listening to -  the radio an hour of Bowie .

Watching - Steve Jobs .

SETTLING UNSETTLING SNOWING

THURSDAY
This morning we had a sprinkling of snow it never settled i went to the supermarket and bought bread milk cat food and some braising steak for a stew along with three giant Yorkshire puddings starve we will not plus the freezer is full .

FRIDAY
Took Helen to the doctors for her blood results so is very anaemic her count is only eight and her thyroid medication needs doubling up to 100 mg tablets .
Went to work i got a parking spot on a narrow back street near to the hospital which was lucky even luckier was getting out of the car and finding a twenty pound note on the floor.

SATURDAY
Did nothing exciting drove to Leeds with Helen passed two houses where we used to live on the way to Farsley Helen wanted more wool for her knitting addiction latest craze .
Me  i bought some onion bahjees and a couple duck kahti kebabs and some  jalapeno red sauce for my tea below.
Its just before 18.45 and its started to snow and this time it is laying if i continues we will be snowed in yippee no work Monday.
Don't think my two cats will be venturing very far if they go at all .

HIDDEN MEANINGS

The value for the van came in at between 65 k and 72 k , that's nearly a whopping fifty percent profit in only six months , that's if we were to sell up and move on.
We would have more money in the bank but we be back at square one where would we go where would we live a mortgage would still be a big no and renting would be until the day we die which is a big fat know so i guess we stay where we are at now .

Got up early had a shower then drove over to Holmfirth to my favourite  hairdressers which i have been using for the last couple of years as  i was in dire need of a haircut , it was empty and within half an hour i was back in the car driving home .
Middle of the week all down hill to the weekend i found out i have still ten days holiday left to take before the end of March before we get our new holiday entitlement also because good Friday and Easter Monday fall in March we will have to days to carry over if i work them both.

Bought a 128gb usb pen flash drive i received a 256gb i am guessing they had sold out , hence they sent me the next size  available.

Helen is trying to convince me that David Bowie was in to the occult and the prove is hidden  in the lyrics and videos  ond the meanings of songs on his last album Blackstar . Such as Blackstar  , the eye of Horus and references to the  gates of Janus just to mention three.

Watching "The Last Witch Hunter" and "Creed"

NIGHT NIGHT MR BOWIE

Learnt this morning about  the death of David Bowie whom was fighting a battle against cancer at least he had a well travelled interesting life and will be sadly missed .No doubt he is now a proper star man may he R.I.P.

All day most of the news on the net has been concerning David Bowie ,  he had respect throughout the world his newest album has been a smash hit the reviews have been great which he will have known about before he died .

Mondays are never good , first day back at work always sucks and its always nice when it is ten o clock and i can make the journey home tonight is the first time there as been ice on the windscreen roll on summer.

WEEKEND DONE

SATURDAY
I cooked a full English breakfast for Helen and I minus the baked beans the than that we had everything else including hash browns and mushrooms .

Between us Helen and I  did five lines on tonights lottery it stands at nearly 60 million if six numbers do not match then its down to five and the bonus ball which will win the jackpot the chances of getting six numbers correct is  48 million to one , but like they say got to be in it to win it .

The little black cat Minnie went out this morning when we got up she did not even wait for her morning food , and it has been raining all day we have called her numerous times and she failed to show . Helen was worried that she had been either abducted run over or locked in someones out building it got dark and the rain got heavier still no show we sent George our tom cat out see if he could find her and bring her home but he returned by himself .
Helen posted a missing notice on Face book for people to share fifteen minutes later she arrived home and surprisingly not that wet , that's cats for you.

SUNDAY
Bought fresh pork pies some baking potatoes and a tin of Stag chilli for me tea .Went to Laura Ashley  shop in Huddersfield bought a cream ceramic measuring jug which had 40% off .

The original van we were going to buy is back on the market its priced at £62.500 the owner got it for £56,000 , Helen's parents are going to view it , in my opinion it needs a new roof which i reckon will cost around £7,000 , Helen still likes the van it has advantages over the one we live in and it has it's disadvantages too , the bedrooms are small the garden is tiered and there is no out building but the view is better and the kitchen is bigger another issue is i cant stand the twats that live opposite to the extant i cant even speak to them.


Watching - "The Hateful Eight" and "The Revenant." and "Solace"

Listening to - David Bowie "Blackstar" and My Morning Jacket various albums

FIRST YEARS TFIF

It's the first TFIF of the new year although i was working last Friday New Years Day  i guess that did not count .

I need to buy a couple of 32 gb usb drives for watching films on the tv or dvd player both have a usb port  n ideal way for watching films.
I still need the usb to lighting to use with my iPad and iPhone  will make life a lot easier i seem to be transferring fits and tv episodes  every other day trouble with only 16gb of storage minimum amount Apple should do is 32 gb a iPad Mini 4 with 1tb of storage would sell like hot cakes be absolutely brilliant marketing ploy .

Going to have a quite weekend watching films need a bottle of coke to go with the bottle of Jack Daniels i have yet to open should make the weekend a bit more interest mainly because i am not really a big drinker anymore if things get even more boring i have also a bottle of Scotch .

Hopefully we will be cooking a big pan of lamb stew and dumplings if we throw enough lamb in will have food to last the entire weekend might even do some pancakes as well .
Maybe the weekend will be fun after all lazing about doing nothing much is sometimes a ideal way to relax .

ALL PAID UP

All the direct debits hopefully have come out of my bank i checked online and i think everything that needed paying is paid some came out late due to the bank holiday so whats left is mine which is not a great deal .
I do have some gas as well hopefully its enough to manage on until next payday i did want to save some for the repairs to the car looks like it's not going to happen .

Work was all right i thought was going to have difficulty parking but i manage to get a parking spot which is always a blessing means i don't have to worry about going out of work to re park it elsewhere after two hours.

The weather is still wet grey and foggy we have been told its been the wettest December since records began i think we all knew that after seeing all the flood reports , the floods are still happening parts of Whitby is cut off this happened in the last couple of days Whitby is a fishing port on the east coast of England we have been there loads of times it's a quaint little village with a great fish and chip restaurant Magpies ,will have to revisit in the summer time .

ANGEL WATCHING

The Christmas tree is down the decorations put away until the end of this year the pair of blue lighted reindeer away the icicles that adorn the guttering need taking down but typically it started to rain .

We vacuumed all the van and  fitted a couple of new bulbs in the kitchen and hallway and a generally tidy throughout .

I have the complete box set , season's one to five of The Games Of Thrones to watch i have already watched season one previously i need to catch up with the rest as well as continue to watch TWD .

Went to Meadow Hall at Sheffield it was raining and there was quite a lot  of back spray from the tyres of other traffic using the M1 . I bought Helen a 2016 diary and a scrapbook from her favourite stationary outlet Paper Chase , she is going to start and do a keepsake moment come scrap book i hope she does its always fun looking back on ideas , days out and general events. I also bought a small ceramic faceless angel on a white ribbon to hang in the window of our van hopefully she will be our guardian Angel and watch over us the amount of candles we light some nights might not be a bad idea .

Went to Compo's for fish and chips and baked beans first time  e have been this year  and first time since it has been refurbished all new flooring tables and chairs and lighting looking good . We have not had our favourite dish for ages and seeing that we had not eaten all day it was a guaranteed way to fill us up.

NEW LIGHT

SATURDAY

The car passed its M.O.T thank fcuk although it was advised that some work does need doing but i can leave it , I did book it in for the end of January along with a mini service mainly the oil and filter and the spark plugs changing . i should have my holiday pay which will help towards the cost and some money i will save from this wage.

I bought this brass looking gothic candelabra for Helen's birthday along with this Yankee Candle shade and dish from a local garden store the candelabra had 70% off its mark up price of £49.99 and I only got charged for the dish and not the shade which also had discount of it all in all the there items cost me £11.50 a true bargain , the Yankee Candle items along should have cost £22.00.

LAST POST 2015

I cant believe its the last day off 2015 and we are both ill not the start to 2016 we hoped for Helen is still in bed poorly i started with the symptoms she has whilst i was at work by the time i had finished work at ten I had been sick and been to the toilet numerous times not good.
I manage to get home without incident but went straight to the toilet , and went straight to bed Helen  slept in the spare bedroom i was up numerous times either  being sick or to go to the toilet or both .

At half past eight i called work to say i would not be attending technically we are supposed to be 48 hours clear of any sickness or diarrhoea but if i feel better i will go tomorrow it is New Years day .

I managed to get out to the shops bought four fresh containers of tomato and basil soup along with tiger bread , milk coffee and brown sugar  , a tray of pork chops  packet 16 rashers of smoked bacon and pork  sausages.

I stripped the bedding of our bed and washed it I also cleaned all of the bathroom sink and toilet with bleach . The floor sink taps and all of the door handles i also threw the floor mat in to the washing machine.

Helen wants the Christmas tree taking down i cant be bothered doing it today although it does seem like Christmas never really happened .

Happy New Year to all. and  here's hoping that 2016 will bring more joy and peace  , less or no wars , a end to  terrorism world wide and for everyone to be thankful and to stop polluting for this beautiful plant we call Earth.

ROLL ON 2016

Helen is still not 100% but is better enough so i can go to work ,She still has had nothing to eat no soup or toast or has she even had a cup of tea , although i have made her a raspberry jelly which she might have later , but what is stranger she has not had a cigarette in over 36 hours it would be a very good time for her to try and stop , but i doubt she will.

The winds have returned due to storm Frank and looks like parts of Scotland and Cumbria are going to get more sever warnings with more risk flooding.Leeds where i work seems to have recovered and water has drained away but we have had the worst floods in the city history something as altered we never use to suffer with flood water so what as change should be the question on every ones lips.

I have driving on this road loads of times in my life it is Kirkstall Road it takes you from Leeds to Horsforth .Once a friend was driving his old car with me as a passenger we were in our early teens the car was more or less a classic and his breaks failed .He was talking about crashing in to this viaduct to stop but we didn't have to the car came to a halt on its own we did go through a red light but came away unscathed .

I have to take our  car in for its M.O.T on Saturday i reckon it is going to cost me a few hundred quid which is the last thing i need after Christmas but i need to be road legal .

Cooked steak pies and roasted sweet potatoes for my dinner was absolutely gorgeous simple yet filling and tasty with English mustard forget the rest you cant beat good old English mustard.

Watched - Legend The story of the gangster twins the Kray,s both of the  twins are played by Tom Hardy . Also tried to watch Spectre the latest 007 James bond film  to be honest i couldn't get in to it will try later.

HELEN IS ILL NO WORK

Helen was  up in the middle of the night with the runs she was also violently sick similar but worse than what i had a few weekends ago , the smell was horrendous i work in a hospital it was bad  poor Helen the day after her Birthday she is so unwell it is not good. If it was me officially i could not return back to work until it has been  forty eight hours clear from any sickness or diarrhoea .She does not want to eat or drink leaving her on her own is not a good option even though there is very little i can do for her .

I called the doctors surgery for advice they reckon its a bug and she should be fine in another 48 hours to feed her nothing but to give plenty of fluids and she should be fine , Rang work don't think they are too impressed but what the heck i worked Christmas Eve , day Boxing Day and I will be working ON New Years Eve and New Years Day , and all is well i should be back tomorrow .

Whilst Helen slept i watched a couple of films cooked a jacket potato with beans and cheese and at Helen's request made her a raspberry jelly.
For my tea i will have beef burgers egg onions and chips .

It will be 2016 in a few days this year we have done lots and made big changes hopefully more changes will be made in the coming 12 months but at this stage we can can only guess we all know nothing stays the same .

WET STUFF

Merry Christmas everyone hope we all had a great day looking forward to 2016 so  bring it on.
I was working at the Hospital it was very quite which is what every body wanted no major dramas .
I had my Christmas dinner micro waved first time ever i have had it nuked instead of eating it out of the oven.

I have a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Bells to get through and a chocolate orange .

BOXING DAY
Leeds and near to the city centre is under water due to flooding from all the rain  we have had over the last 24 hours ,The hospital I work at is now on its own emergency generators we have the capability of going of grid.

EVE OF CHRISTMAS

My wage went in to the bank just before one a.m  ,as soon as I could see the money in my account we jumped in the car and drove to the supermarket , the roads all the way was quite a good sign .

it was quite empty in fact it was less busy then a normal shopping night , lots of the things we required we got ,  all 2 litre bottles of semi skimmed milk had sold out so we got two one litre bottles , they still had turkeys i knew they would everyone gets them early so they never sell out to say we only wanted bits and pieces we spent the best part of £200.

We got home at around half past three .a good chunk of my wage already out of my account , i also filled up with petrol just under thirty pounds it 99p a litre at the moment i reckon i did have gallon or two already in the tank a full tank will do me over the festive period i should get about 360 miles driving .

We got up just after nine also less than five hours sleep we went to the farm shop we dropped  lucky and got a parking place  ear to the entrance it was raining again . We bought a cheese and bacon quiche  freshly made pork pies and some salad stuff and more milk , Helen panics because we cant get frozen sausage rolls , Christ  the shops are open on Boxing day ,  what we don't have why worry.

My sister Irene rang me just has we got back home to the van . She told me that she is putting some money in to my bank account paid out  from any old pension policy my parents or my Dad had and for some reason he and my mother never surrender  its like a belated Christmas gift from my parents from beyond the grave .
My  Father died over  twenty - five years ago my Mother must be ten years  , so it is a very nice time to receive it , it will go towards the M.O.T for the car due 2nd of January .

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

Well Wednesday is here and pay day is tonight , in time  for Christmas Eve last few hours shopping if we don't do it today our goose or turkey is cooked . We will be in the supermarket just in time for my wages being paid in to my account at midnight. i am not sure how busy it will be i guess be either manic or quite but regardless we will have to battle on and get the stuff we require for our 2015 Xmas.

This is our number eight Christmas first year in the van third year away from Leeds our home city.

I need to buy  a Christmas cake with marzipan , a rice Christmas pudding with pour over rum and extra special mince pies a large tub single cream otherwise it won't be Christmas .

Whiskey for my Irish coffees and of course some Irish whiskey .

It is now just twenty minutes before it is Christmas Eve 2015 and we will be going shopping in a few minutes .

SICK

SATURDAY

 woke up  in the morning throwing up and really bad  diarrhoea i must have gone four times in a few hours it was late in the afternoon when i got out of bed .
Went to the supermarket bought a turkey crown so we will at least have a turkey it feeds 11 to 13 people there is four of us having dinner it should be more than enough we will also be having a gammon joint with it as well .

SUNDAY
 we went over to Dobcross to see the village cottages  christmas lights and decorations  we were a bit too early it was still day light we did not want to hang around so we  left will have to go back will post the photos will be after Christmas day might do it boxing day .
Had nothing to eat yesterday , tonight i ate for the first time w had a gammon joint  and roasted veg

HIGH AND LOW

THURSDAY

This week has really dragged have done nothing great at either work or at home . Everyone seems to be stressing out over christmas , money and buying presents , its getting to be a pain in the backside i be glad when its all over and we all get back to normal , its just not worth the fcuking hassle.

FRIDAY
Fire stick loaded with Xbmc or Kodi as it is now better known as all i can say is i am disappointed it is nowhere as good as i was lead to believe i guess its no big surprise , i was that disappointed i  signed up for Amazon Prime which is better than i thought it would be so all is good in the end .

Cant believe this time next week it will be Christmas day as i have already mentioned another major let down , and  i am working or at least going in to work .We still need to get a turkey crown , fruit  cake laced with brandy and xmas puddings and stollen as well as pear cider and whiskey .I get paid the day before Christmas great timing not.

A friends father is in the local police  cells tonight for driving whilst under the influence of cannabis's  oops , guessing he has a merry Christmas every day  , on a plus side at least he did not injury anyone or ruin anyone else christmas only his wallet and license is suffering , which i guess he won't see for a another couple of christmases  .

TILL CHRISTMAS

TFIF
My Amazon tv fire stick is better than i thought  i want to start and catch up on certain tv series such as Black sails , TWD , The Hand Of God and Vikings .
I want a Scan disk expand flash storage device to go with my iPad and phone £109 for 128 gb when you consider the cost of a 128 gb iPhone or pad its a big saving plus still have the original 16gb store on the Apple device its self it really is a  no brainer .

Part of my job is to take blood and platelets from the blood bank  to theatres and wards throughout the hospital  i have to scan a bar code on my i.d badge to open the fridge then there is a bar code on each  bag of blood which has to be scanned  out once you get to your destination the same procedure applies and you re scan it in , this is to check the blood is still usable . it also as a brown tag on with the patients name and ward or theatre number  on  , It  is transported in a green disposable carrier bag , some wards take it straight from you and it is given straight to the patient i handed on bag of blood to a health care assistant  and she so squeamish  i though she was going to faint weird .We had a new starter working on a ward and he saw some blood being taken from a patient and he did faint this guy is at least six foot six if not taller .

I am also taking my Mac book pro lead in to work to the med physics departments so squeamish  to see if they can re join the wire the dog chewed through ages ago we still only have the one lead for both Mac books.

We need to source a turkey farm so we can purchase a turkey crown for our Christmas dinner even though i am working on Christmas day i won't be starting until two in the afternoon not sure if i will have dinner before i go or on my return in the evening .

My manager asked me yesterday if i wanted to work Friday ten at night till six in the morning Saturday of course i declined why mess my weekend up for a few hours extra pay i did not even have to think about it.

SATURDAY
Its raining its grey but its not windy we are going out to get food think i will get some Nandos peri medium rub for the chicken legs that  i am defrosting that's  if i can be arsed going to the freezer out side in our outhouse in this rain  . Later  i will be watching the following  movies Crimson Peak , Robert De Niro in Heist and M.I. Rouge Nation.

Went to Asda and it still rains it as been pouring down with rain  all day , and the cat rescue where we got Minnie from is flooded all the kittens and cats are fine , cant believe how much rain has fallen Cumbria is awful all the people houses have flooded is sad specially so  close to Christmas the government should stop all foreign aid and build better flood defences and pay compensation to all those effected by the floods.

SUNDAY
No rain this morning so i cleaned out the gutters both sides of the van it took me around a hour and i filled a bin bag half full of leaves .I dare not empty the water butts on a already water logged garden i will leave if till the ground has had a chance to dry out.

In the afternoon we went back to our old street Upper Bank End Road to hand deliver Christmas cards all our old friends where out we did see Ken the deaf and dumb man who is out all weathers walking the country side .We do miss Holmfirth there is no the place quite like it .

Had a proper Sunday lunch with roast pots and Yorkshire pudding .

CRAPPY WEEK

MONDAY
Emptied the water butts and bagged up some of the leaves that are still about , whilst i was out side the postman called he had my package from Amazon my Kindle Fire Stick i set it up and was using it within ten minutes ,  i had slight trouble at first connecting to my wifi the screen kept disappearing not sure why but i managed it in the end to be honest i think it's a great bit of tech  i would recommend it to anyone and in some ways as good or better than Apple tv , i have to admit i am getting a bit pissed off with Apple i don't reckon its any better than using Microsoft or Android in some ways its less good with its own set of problems.

Christmas is fast approaching and  i am working on Christmas day . On my break i will take some  photos of the city centre it will be desolate and eerie as they will be no one around. The last time i was in the city centre on a Christmas day was in 2007 my first yuletide with Helen we had moved out of the Travel lodge and in to our apartment  this was three days prior to xmas day we did not have time to get a tree and decorations but we did have a great dinner and after we went for a walk by the canal in to the city centre we saw one Japanese couple who looked like tourist taking photos.

TUESDAY
Boring day work was ok survived it and went home had pork chop for supper it was so tasty bought from the local farm shop the taste is so much better the cost is more but it is worth it , with out a doubt the highlight of my day i live such a great life , i am grateful for the little things i do appreciate what i have .

WEDNESDAY
A worker from the night shift called in to see me to tell me he couldn't attend his shift tonight he told me that he was returning home to stay with his daughter whilst she dies , you cant really argue , so sad so emotional it's not the season to be jolly for all of us out there , so  be grateful for what you have .

YORK

Went to York to their Christmas market we used the park and ride it is nearer home the Park and ride was cheaper .

Helen bought some ear muffs from Fat Face although it was not that cold , we had hot pasties from the Cornish pastie company the river Ouse in places had burst it's banks and fields and farming land was flooded no houses where effected unlike Cumbria people had to be evacuated .

Bought a pyjama set for my Grandson from the White Company it as aeroplanes on it's  for a Christmas gift he is still not one yet.
This time i had my back pack no more juggling with plastic carrier bags .

Two Christmas Markets two Minsters two park and rides in two days Lincoln's Christmas market is on a grander scale but York as a lot more nicer shops and pubs .

One the way back home we stopped at my sisters house and had a coffee she had been putting  up her Christmas tree and lights .

Watching - "The Walk"

Listening to Coldplay "A Head Full of Dreams"

LINCOLN

SATURDAY
Went to the Christmas market at the historical town of Lincoln it was only a hour and twenty minute drive the roads were very empty .
We used the park and ride and caught the bus to the centre of town it was still light it gets better when its dark and all the lights go one.

This time we actually went inside the cathedral which is impressive as York Minister i am not sure which one is the oldest , they had a candle lighted for those who died in the Paris terrorists  attacks .

Went also to the medieval market it was it pound to get in it was all canvas tents and straw on the floor it was all lighted up and the stall holders was in old fashioned dress looked like from a bygone age we bought some hand made soap , some Christmas pot pour with orange and lime pieces and cinnamon scented  candle .

Had some slow cooked beef brisket and horseradish and a coffee and brandy Helen had turkey crown sandwich and a mulled wine i am not keen on mulled wine .

The medieval bishops palace the  building of the Cathedral commenced 1088 and was at one time the highest building in the world this was in the 1300's .York Minister is bigger  and older was built in 637 ad .

it

LIFE IS OK

I was that engrossed at home i forgot to go to work when i looked at my phone it was twenty five minutes past one i start work at two and it takes over thirty minutes to get there on a good day plus i had to get changed in to my work clothes eat my dinner an d generally get my arse in to gear in the end i was only fifteen minutes late not sure how i did it i was expecting to be a lot later than that .

THURSDAY
Our R.A.F bombing Syria cant say i am impressed so far it's so obvious its about oil and nothing else which is wrong ≥

Went to the farm shop bought some pork chops and Barnsley chops also some chicken legs and other goodies cant beat meat that is reared and killed locally .

Another great band releasing their album in time for Christmas  Coldplay "Head Full Of Dreams" follows Adele's 25 Album.

We are supposed to go to Lincoln this Saturday to the Christmas market should be a fun day out .

FRIDAY
So glad its Friday for some reason its been a long week and i have had enough unlike a wife the job still sucks and i cant see it ever getting  any better anyway no point dwelling on it .

I have finally started watching The Walking Dead it was hard getting back in to it guess i overdosed on it catching up on five seasons all at once it was a bit of a  overkill.

Good news i have chicken in the oven , pear cider in the fridge and ice in the freezer and Coldplay on my iPod .I am at home chilling life could be a lot worse than this ,  life is ok if not brilliant.

OIL WATER MEAD AND APPLE

SUNDAY - The wind was howling last night and rain was lashing down it was quite noisy i woke up just after 02.15 am put a t-shirt on and went to the kitchen to make myself a nice refreshing cup of coffee , Helen was fast a sleep so i left her tucked up in bed .

When i went back to bed George our ginger tom followed me and jumped on to my side of the  bed once i had got in  he laid down on my chest purring , which made it a lot harder to get back to sleep , when i woke up at eight i was knackered , we had a shower before having fried egg sandwiches for breakfast .

 Bought some anti freeze for the car i knew the water would want topping up i as i have not checked it for a while a good sign its not using loads of water i also bought some oil and checked that which also needed topping up i am always careful  about the amount of oil i pour in  too much and you can blow your oil seals which is not good , i placed half a litre i will check tomorrow and add another half litre if needed.

Bought some Christmas's presents only three but i thought i better start seeing its only a month away .

I bought a bottle of 11% mead which is made from fermented honey people have been drinking mead since 700 bc .

Apple issues i have made an appointment at the genius bar at the Apple store at the  Trinity centre in Leeds for this coming  Friday at 19.30 i will have to walk there from work to take my phone regarding the charging issues i am currently having  .
I also having trouble playing audio books every time i close my iPad it looses it place and starts from the beginning so annoying . I think i will try and add the files as a play list in music maybe that will work .Make me wonder is switching back to Android such a bad option know i would work out cheaper for the cost of the devices .

MONDAY
Rain rain and more rain for the start of the week,  at work at two enough said.