ALL CONSIDERING ALL IS WELL .

SATURDAY - Hope everyone is safe and well and doing their bit to be virus free I do think we are being lied to big time and I do believe there is a lot of fake news as nobody knows for sure I think we all agree New York as been hit  bad which is sad very sad feel like crying and for the big part I think Trump is to blame he is totally dealing with this wrong dead wrong. We was supposed to fly there with my daughter be lucky if we ever go .

Bt sent me another hub it came yesterday I wiped it down before opening the box , this is hub number three.
 I called them the other day and they sent me out two digital phone handsets which have to be registered to the hub using WPS they both wouldn't connect  hence a new hub.was dispatched .

I connected the new BT smart hub of course all the devices need the new password , as well as the T.V , Fire stick , Macs and iPhones and then I tired to connect the digital handsets  at first the first phone wouldn't register I tired twice no joy .  I went and got the second handset from the upstairs bedroom and that registered first time so I then tired the first  handset once again and and low and behold that then also registered so both he phones are sorted .Which is great because if I get to a stage where I am only paying essential bills because lack of money I can still have people call us or we can ring out paying BT is five times cheaper than paying for the mobile phones .

I am cancelling my car service plan seeing as they are not opening the garages its only £20 put every penny counts . Do I cancel my car repayments for the time being and sort out it out after this pandemic is over the main thing that we all need to concentrate on is to  beat this virus and save money for essential items and bills .

I consider my ISP bill highly important then it as to be gas and electric , electric over gas I guess .Hopefully one will loose their house or get evicted for none payment of rent due or mortgage holiday for all same for car repayment the whole of the world is on lock down can't see what they can do .

Every morning I wipe down all the touch points door handles light switches everything it helps me feel safer and I think clean surfaces help my safety bubble we all should be living in this time to be clean is essential . What ever you do please don't forget you're mobile phones , keyboards laptops the lot the full Monty so better safe than sorry .

My daughter seems to be doing fine we video chat and talk each day I know she is being very brave but i also know she is putting on a brave front she must be strong she is on her own with her young son and getting them both through this then they will survive anything .

My son was more or less homeless but at the last hour he has manage to secure a room in a house with his friend  he was lucky , he needs to repair broken bridges with everyone including the ones with his girlfriend if that is at all possible , he also needs a job and to stick with it , he needs cash to survive as we all do .

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL .

It's hard  to know what to do some day soon  hopefully all this will be resolved the main trouble is we don't know what that date will be when the end is in sight if we had a date be great trouble is we don't it could be weeks even months  , I hope we are all praying it will be sooner rather than later like tomorrow that would be fine .

I wish people had common sense and do what their government advises them to do and I do wish that people would behave in a proper manner with kindness and respect I guess when all this is over nothing will have changed we will have learned nothing and carry on in the same old ways if that is the case we are certainly  doomed .

I still believe that there are more good people in the world than bad people hopefully if there is a God he will intervene and change the tide of this coronavirus  out break maybe at a set hour on a set date we should all kneel and all pray together and hopefully our prays will be answered , or we will all be storming Heaven together .

A watering can got delivered yesterday it was smaller than I thought but will do the job we live in a new build and we don't have an outside tap the hose does not fir the kitchen tap and we don't have a plumber we also need our dishwasher plumbing in but that seems low on our list of priorities , most of all we need our green and black bin don't look like it is going to be this week although I did phone them earlier in the week and they said I should recieve them this week sometime .

We are doing nothing much we had some more deliveries today a giant white mirror for the bedroom was delivered it got to us in one piece as well as a smaller one for the bathroom which also arrived intact , but  the mirror which was sent as a replacement because the first one was smashed also arrived smashed  I have requested a refund .

I have some braising steak cooking away in the slow cooker with some diced swede , carrot , potatoes and leek the longer it takes to  cooks the better I also have some ice cold cider in the fridge and ice in the freezer

SURVIVING ANOTHER DAY

Once we get back to normal we will eventually have some normality I will appreciate the country side , I will discover new walks with my dogs, Pippa the Jack Russell who has decided that she now wants too go out for walks she was never bothered but now she is rearing too go out in the great  beyond which is really good . I cancelled the pet plan on both dogs saving £26 the vets that we pay the money to won't see any animals at the surgery so I have stopped paying them bet they phone me up once they realise I have cancelled the direct debit .

Managed to get some food I bought some pork and tomato sausages , bacon , half doz eggs and a small loaf of bread and a pound of minced beef.

We are both doing fine Helen still has a sore throat and aches and pains specially her ribs she doesn't have a sky high temperature but does feel warmer than normal she goes to bed with the fan on .
The pets have plenty off food and are also all fine the two cats are coming and going as they please and return to either the back patio or front windows when they want letting in .

Have been cleaning the house each morning again doing all the obvious touch points we have had deliveries come by courier and Royal Mail all packages we are wiping down with a bleach solution then letting them dry if you have not the means to do this leave them out of the way for 24 hours so the virus can die if you have to touch them before this then wash your hands .

Took Bailey out this morning went for a long walk through the tree forest and woods the walk wa longer than I thought the sun was out the landscape loads of trees and old buildings stone walls and water took my mind of everything looking at all the beauty the wild live and vegetation its so sad the world is in such a mess .

Been doing a few hours each day on the X-box one I am not a serious gamer in any shape or form and I have ordered some more games  Call Of Duty WW2 and Call Of Duty Modern Warfare .

STAY SAFE LIVE LONG

MONDAY - Went to work as I work in a major hospital I am allowed to go to work , have to admit in these uncertain times I wished I worked in a lighthouse. One advantage the motorway were virtually clear of other road users and getting to work without the congestion was twenty minutes quicker .

I walked the perimeter of the hospital instead of walking through it was sunny and warm the Tesco express was open which is good , hopefully it will stay open .

Inside the hospital all looked normal there was only one ambulance parked up out front of the A&E department usually there are around four to six or more. Inside some patients had face masks on given to them at reception when they booked in on the whole it was quiet . If it stays like this and gets no worse then working here won't be too bad .


 There is an uncertainty that the worse is yet to come and it might only take days rather than weeks . All shift I washed and sanitised my hands even so home time at 02.00 a.m could not come fast enough. After a week off  at home doing odd jobs the first day back was ok  but it was very  nice to see my shift end and I could go home .

The local farm shop sent out an email saying no more walk in trade that you now MUST place your order for meat and veg etc via email , they will then ring  you and you can pay over the phone and collect it in a couple of days when the order is made up which makes sense .Within a hour they had emailed me back instead of a mince beef pie I could have meat and potato or steak I was also told I could collect Friday which is fine .I did not go over board in fact there was stuff I could and should have ordered that I didn't I think I will order eggs of the milk man .

TUESDAY - Back on nights but I ended up leaving my shift just after midnight  Helen is  not well we are both self isolating for 14 days and social distancing ourselves from others we are not going near anyone , even though  I am ok Helen has a temperature and is coughing and her anxiety is high its through the roof and her heart is also racing she is seriously panicking over the coronavirus and is worried sick to the point making me get undressed outside before coming in to the house she is so worried  I will bring something home with me and pass it on .Undressing outside bagging my clothes and then showering and washing my hair is the best thing to do leaving my clothes outside if the have the virus on them this will die after twelve hours of course will leave it longer to be safer .

WEDNESDAY - I phoned work spoke to my manager I am off for fourteen days at least . So I cleaned all the touch points in the house all drawer and cupboard handles , the light switches , door handles  , window handles , taps on the sink shower and bath , around the wash area sink , kitchen sink and drainer , banisters and handrails , push areas on doors , microwave and kettle and numerous other items better to be safe than sorry ,even did the X-box controller . I really can't believe people are still going to work on the Tube do they think they ar immune this virus will get you if you let it and it will kill you don't think you are immune or it won't happen to you it is so easy to become a statistic .  Death is around the next corner bump in to the wrong person and you loose .

HOPE YOUR ALL WELL

I think we are all being lied to and I really think the virus is worse than we are being lead to believe .
I also reckon more people are dying than what's being reported on , and I do mean a lot more.

 I also believe things will get ten times worse before they get any  better . I also reckon it will take years to recover from the knock on effects from this virus for people businesses and most of all peoples lives . it is scary times we just have to remember act and do  the very best we can and do what we can to help all people regardless  the virus does not discriminate neither must we .

On a brighter note did the longest walk yet was up at seven a.m, had a shower and coffee before taking Bailey out for his morning jog .I had my Anger ear pods in my ears listening to The Weekends latest album which is mega , the sun was out and I walked down the hill to the reservoir another forty minutes and I could have walked round it next decent morning I will .

On my walk I came across only one other person we talked from eight foot away of each other their is an atmosphere everyone thinks everyone else is infected yet people are still ignoring the message to stay at home and are going to pubs clubs and restaurants hopefully any left open will be forced to close and have their gas and electric cut off so they can't open.

When you see the open spaces and the water and green fields and tress and plants etc its hard to imagine how fucked the world is we need to act now to save the planet if we all beat this virus . Then it must be the worlds first objective to save all living things and of course save the planet as well as  the oceans and the rainforest all the beaches and without a doubt the coral reefs. We must also learn  to put in more than we take out to give more than we take to cultivate rather than devastate  , to stop over fishing and wasting food and natural resources stop being greedy give to those who are needy and act quickly , before there is no u-turn available and we cant undo our wrong doings  and we reap what we sow .

Hope everyone and their loved ones are well and everyone is coping the best they can in these troubled times depending on your own situation , hopefully less people will die each day and we awill ll win the war against this virus .

Tomorrow I go back to work at the Nhs in Leeds city centre Hospital hopefully all my colleagues are well and fine , and its more or less normal , I do pray it is .

DELIVERED BY NINJA

THURSDAY - I have been off this week on annual leave I work for Leeds teaching hospital all my colleagues battle on to help overcome the coved 19 pandemic I have been reading my work emails at home staff are already going on sick leaving the staff that are in work to pick up extra duties the next few months are going to be hard and scary fingers crossed things get better quickly .

I fixed two hanging lights one in each bedroom both have wicker shades the first one was a pain the shade was too small had to re-wire the hanging pendent from the ceiling my eyes are shagged the second one was a lot easier and id it in half the time .

Resealed the bath using white sealant there was a grap all way round the side and end .

Went to the local tip should be the last time .Went to the garden centre bought plants shrubs and bushes for both the front and rear gardens , and four solar lights , I also bought two padlocks for the plastic shed I built the other day they are more of s deterrent than security end of day the handle and hasp are both made of plastic , also got Helen a new spade and garden fork as we left the old ones behind .

Fixed one of the hanging baskets at the front of the house I cant drill the stonework had to go in the cement joints my drill even on hammer won't touch the stone why too hard .

Bought a cherry blossom tree I have always liked these they have some large ones near work when they shed their petals leaves it leaves a blanket on the ground until they all blow away.

Have been getting our milk delivered three times a week and it is not much dearer than going out in the car and getting it yourself and it is supporting local business which in these harsh times all helps  , we also got some fresh orange delivered not sure at what time he comes but we have never heard him or his van a Yorkshire Ninja milkman .

BREAD

Bought a new x-box S 1TB got the full games 1-5 go Gears of War voucher codes to download  as well as The Division 2 which came as a disc with the console and of course I had to buy Lara Croft in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider .If I have to self isolate I ain't being bored .

Coronavirus has hit the shops near us ,  at first it was not noticeable today there was a huge difference not just the supermarkets but local farm shops there was just less produce chicken breasts at one farm shop had sold out other meat was plentiful like bacon and sausage lets face it if you have food for a decent breakfast you won't starve tomatoes and mushrooms and other fresh veg was ok not many swedes but plenty of eggs baked beans was still available and tinned spaghetti .

Manage to buy toilet rolls not to stock pile them because we need them ,  and not forgetting the animals I bought extra cat and dog both wet food and biscuits we have four mouths to feed .
Also bought paraocetamols cough medicine and ibubrofen as well as flu remedies not sure if they will do any good better to have them than not I guess .

Had a email from Cineworld saying it was closing all venues till further notice I think also the Vue and others are also closing their doors .A new pub opened down the road from us a cool one million pounds that they spent on  refurbishment ,  it opened its doors last Thursday shit timing or what it is called The Bowshaw Trout hope it survives ok and I just might get to go in for a pint or two hopefully .

Been using coffee pods for my Nescafe Dolce  Gusto  machine for quite a while but bought some Nescafe ground barista coffee and brown sugar as well as more tea bags for Helen other stuff I bought was a couple of curries and pizzas as well as bread and laundry detergent pods and fabric softener, some of the shelves where empty canned meat there was none , soup and dried pasta was in stock dried powdered milk none yeast and bread flour none Helen can't live without bread she wanted the ingredients to bake her own we finally got a couple of bags of bread flour and packets of yeast oil and eggs that we have , just add a bread baker machine £129 if she only uses it once its going to be an very expensive loaf .

Did no jobs around the house today I went to the tip early in the morning with more rubbish we are still waiting for our green and balk bins from the council they still have not delivered them .

We have gone to council tax band B which is a few pounds a month more than what we paid for the static home but gas and electric have dropped by £50  and it is a warm house so it might drop even further.

Another thing we have is a milkman who not only delivers milk but potatoes and eggs and of course fresh orange juice .

SHED HEAD.

The last few weeks are finally paying off , as every day our new home gets a little bit more finished a little bit tidier a bit more neater as things  and items  get a new place to live and are put away.
Our bedroom completed finished to day putting the tie back hooks in place  and the wooden heart aboveour bed .

Spare bedroom curtain pole fixed in to place curtains hanged and tie back hooks fixed , also two bedside cabinets made for either side of the bed .condenser dried took up and paced in the corner of the room .

entrance hall sign over door re -fixed and shoe rack made also fitted some coat hooks to the side wall now finished .

Harry Potter room under the stairs fitted another two shelfs moved the router hub under stairs now finished .

Bathroom new sink traps to fit waiting a date from our  plumber will also get new bath taps fitted need to buy some ,
downstairs toilet wall unit to assemble and fix to wall hand towel and toilet roll holder to fix .

Outside build plastic shed it will fit two wheelie bins or all our garden stuff and some of my tools .

Need to get a couple of padlocks for it but it’s safe around here the side gate is locked and the fences are quite high pluse we are cured on all sides by our neighbours which is good as well as having two dogs that will bark if anyone comes in to our property.

NEW PANS

Went to the tip again with more cardboard no sign of the new waste bins arriving its a pain having no means of disposing of household waste as everything comes with packaging specially Ikea flat packs .
Unpacked the Shark cordless vacuum its ok think like Dyson they are over hyped it could do with a spare battery not sure of the cost of buying one will look online .




Went to Ikea  bought a few more things for the house including a rug to go under the coffee table , as well as a couple of paper lights , and a hurricane type light for the kitchen as well as another pair of shelves and brackets for under the stairs , I really need to sit the Bt hub on a shelf at the moment it is dangling .


We also got more plants some artificial and some real ones more space more green needed .




Went to bed this afternoon for an hours sleep it does make a difference I feel less sleepy .Why I am waking up after a few hours sleep is beyond me I called in at Asda last night for some food items so it was four a.m when I got home. But  I was still up at half past eight walking Bailey .




THURSDAY - Started to build the sliding door wardrobes with glass panel doors in the spare bedroom was ok couple of hitches one being time the other fitting the glass panels and side pieces of the door frame one side didn't want to fit had to take it apart and redo it got there in the end .

My Anker soundcore life p2 ear pods came pretty good easy to pair sound quality seems good impressed will use these when I take Bailey out for his walks .


FRIDAY - Another trip to the skip after went to buy new sink and kitchen taps the kitchen one is a flexi hose attachment the bathroom taps just nicer than the ones we have at the moment .


Went to Sainsbury's bought some new pans saucepans and frying pans and a griddle what happened to ours not sure anyway new cooker new pans .
Also went to the farm shop bought some fresh mice and sausages a swell as chicken enchiladas and eggs .




The cats went out for the first time the both returned together safe and well which is a major relief .


Got the wardrobes all erected fixed in place the pull out shoe rack and rails for the hangers , getting the second door on to the track was impossible had to slide it on by undoing the track finally done and sliding as they should .


A whole nine days off work going to chill out finish the outstanding jobs and then sit down relax watch some t.v and enjoy the new house .

BROADBAND AND TELLY

Living in a proper stone built house again instead of a caravan which is what basically our old home was , yes I had done various improvements and work on the property , moved walls made a bigger bedroom and kitchen but no way is it a house , a home yes a house no. Having an upstairs is eventfully as Bailey cant manage the stairs he refuses to go up or down and has to be carried both ways .


Today I built another set of drawers for the spare bedroom six drawers to hold some of Helen's things .
We also got our new BT Hub for our fibre connection this time it was straight forward and set up a couple of minutes I easily reconnected all our devices having missed Alexa and You Tube on the tv .


The Samsung T.v got delivered I set it up but was going to work so never really got to mess with it saw the picture the quality and colour brightness looked ok to me .

2ND WEEKEND

SATURDAY -Second weekend in the house so another busy day first job assemble and fit  a kitchen plate rack it was easy to assemble and ok to fix I screwed a baton onto the wall for the unit to sit on then I drilled six holes through and used them as makers for my fixings .

I also  started to put up the curtain poles over some off the windows .I also fixed the entrance way mirror on the wall as you walk through the front door .and a white carved shelf .The mirror was quite heavy yet  It only had one fixing point hopefully it will stay put .Got a Stanley tool box that is on wheels will make life easier than working out of a tool bag it was delivered by Amazon .We had another Indian take away delivered think this is the forth one in nine days .

SUNDAY - 07.00 a.m a delivery came other units ordered from Ikea a triple wardrobe and bathroom unit and two sets of drawers for the bedrooms going to be busy few days .Went over to my daughters house my grandson's fifth birthday time does fly by .On the way bought some supplies just in case not panic buying but being prepped cause you never know , bought extra cat and dog food and coffee pods , cant run out of coffee .Assembled  the cabinet for the t,v it has three drawers and three shelve compartments for a x-box , dvd player etc it is white with black pull handles .


Went to the Fox House Inn for a roast beef Sunday dinner we had booked so we did not have to wait as always the food was excellent and filling we ate at seven I was in bed for half past eight woke up at midnight thinking I had a full nights sleep .






MONDAY -Went to the local tip at Meltham took a few bags of kitchen waste and broken down Ikea boxes as well as some old cups and other rubbish .
I also assembled  a six  bedroom chest of drawers it took a while but although it is Ikea it is quite a good build quality  .I also finally put the curtain pole up in our bedroom not that we really close the curtains .

MAKING PROGRESS BUT SLOWLY .

FRIDAY - I know I keep mention buying and ordering items , of course we are trying to do it all on a budget and we try and save and get discount or buy items that have been reduced in store .We are only buying what we need and not things for the sake of it this is our forever home and its a new build house of course we want it to look right and feel right and project a nice cosy home .Ikea is a good send for us apart from the flat pack and number of boxes the build quality is fine for us and of course end of day we realise you get what you pay for better people than us shop at Ikea .

I really need a good nights quality sleep don’t seem to be getting more than four hours I get home at around quarter to three a.m.  and get up at around half past six seven o clock it is catching up and I am constantly yawning and doing my best to get motivated at work it aint easy .

Left to build one double bed , two bed side cabinets and a drawer unit all in the spare bedroom .

two plate racks that got delivered to day for the dining area  . A chest of drawers for our bedroom which  once assembled will make it complete .

The bathroom is complete  when we get delivered a wall cabinet unit and towel ladder , we do need to buy a bigger blind for the kitchen Helen's measuring aint great .

for the living room t.v cabinet big enough to sit the t.v on  top it is going next to the side of the stairs.

We are lucky and extremely grateful for all we have  we have a new home in a great location , there is numerous reservoirs and moor land farms and forests to walk through , there are numerous farm shops , inns and restaurants serving really great tasting food , we wont ever get feed up of living where we live and will appreciate every day spent here , it has took us years to get to our destination we have had lucky breaks and there as been a load of what ifs but we made it we are happy and we are living our dream cant get better than that.
We have our front of house back the skip got lifted this afternoon its a mazing how much stuff I got into such a small skip 40 cubic metres I think it hold made use of every square inch it was nice to see the back of it .


Put two long shelves under the stair case using eight brackets and four shelves I supported them with wood underneath clued into with liquid nails to help the hollow fixings support the weight more easily so far they are solid .


The router I was on to BT about  not turning up Tuesday came today I was out they are supposed to go through your letter box I have to pick it up from the Royal mail  sorting office on the Saturday morning , assuming that is what they tried to deliver not sure if it is will have to wait and see .


Bought a white metal twin recycle bin for the kitchen it as separate compartments for your  domestic household waste and our recycled waste items .


Took Bailey out this morning the sun was out we walked down to Hade Edge Reservoir  the country side and forests looked nice with the sun out need to get a back pack and some walking boots and do some exploring .The cats are both still under house arrest might leave it another week before even considering letting them go out , the person behind us keeps chickens hopefully the cats wont bother them .

MAKING PROGRESS

TUESDAY - Went back to Ikea and bought some drawers a tall wall unit for the bath room as well as a t.v cabinet which a 65 inch Samsung smart  t.v will sit on . Visited Next retailers bought hand towels and bath mats as well as toilet and towel holders for both w.c and upstairs bathroom


WENESDAY - I Went to our doctors in Flockton to get Helen's prescription then went to B&Q bought some gorilla tape and glue and some cavity wall fixings and a Makita drill set I have had one before and they are a God send. I also bought a wireless door charm and a rotary airy and ground spike .


After I drove over to Pc World  bought a Shark cordless vacuum cleaner having no lead a big plus and it not being a Dyson a even bigger plus .The vacuum I took with me the condenser dryer getting delivered next Thursday .
Today we altered the corner sofa so it was the opposite hand it was not that bad but when I have loads of stuff to do , doing things twice is a major pain , it is now altered and in its place on the wall opposite the stairs .
The fridge freezer came today along with the dishwasher and washing machine are all up and running the washing machine plays a tune when it finishes it wash .
ordered a condenser dryer it will go in the storage cupboard in our bedroom or in the spare bedroom .
Having cold pear cider and ice a must we went food shopping and bought all the sauces that we had to throw out as well as shower gels , Radox bubble baths and various shampoos and hand wash lotions .
Went to the local farm shop bout some rib eye steak and Barnsley lamb chops , bacon and sausage and other bits and pies .


Went back to work really tired absolutely shattered how I will survive till 02.00 in the morning I don't really know .


THURSDAY - Was up just after half past six not sure why cant seem to sleep even though I am shattered . Finally ordered a Samsung 65inch smart t.v it comes Tuesday by then I will have assembled the t.v cabinet , found out today it might be Monday before we can access  the internet they are posting a new router out the previous one did not appear through my letter box ,


Put the bathroom cabinet up and the other pine unit above the toilet they are the  ones that we took from the van the day we left  ,I also fitted a slow close toilet seat in white as well as a toilet roll holder and towel ring .  Bought some plaster board hollow fixings and a big selection of screws , and liquid nails cant be too sure . Also bought HSS drill bits and a new hand saw as well as a stud detector better safe than sorry it is a new house cant break it .
Checked out the local fish and chip shop they open every dinner time and tea time Monday to Friday , no late evenings or weekends .
  

DOING IT SLOWLY

Friday 28th Feb - We exchanged contracts and we got the keys late afternoon I had picked the hire van up that morning it was snowing the person buying our van called round to transfer £85k into my bank using his mobile app , it wasn’t allowed so he did £10k and it allowed it , he had to go to the bank to do the rest , by one pm it was in I had to go to my local bank to transfer 60k to my solicitor so they could transfer it to Yorkshire Housing buying. 35% share of a house it was all finally by the close of business, and it was 03.00 Saturday morning before we got to bed a mattress on the floor of our bedroom .

SATURDAY - Up very early the move is completely done we have Ikea bags every room it’s one big dumping ground we don’t have gas so no hot water or rads are on it’s going to take time went to Ikea whilst I have the hire van it goes back Monday it’s a price of shit but it did it’s job from Ikea we bought king size bed for us and a double for bedroom two , a new mattress, bed side cabinets x4 , a six large bedroom drawers white with black handles , dressing table and a massive corner sofa and a lounging chair for me , it just went into the van of course it adds to the chaos and ness but we will get there I have Monday and Tuesday annual leave next week which I booked last minute and got it granted . Best achievement today discovering we can get fibre broadband order it with BT goes live next Thursday getting the equipment sent out Tuesday next week.

SUNDAY - A local butcher Flowery Fields what a name Hippy or what opens at eight a.m and does a take away breakfast which includes des 3x bacon and sausage, mushrooms, egg , tomato, black pudding, hash brown , and baked beans plus a bread cake for £4.50 and it’s a two minute drive 

heaven. 

I have ordered a skip to get rid of a lot of waste and items we don’t longer want we should fill it today and get it off our drive .
We have the internet going live this Thursday the router and equipment comes Tuesday we have a fibre connection, missing our Amazon echo and You Tube on our T.V.

Went to Curries / Pc World and ordered new fridge freezer , washing machine and dishwasher and are are getting delivered midweek I  got £75 off the price for spending over £750 it all helps .

LAST FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MOVE .

MONDAY - after going to the tip with the first load of rubbish we then drove over to Ikea bought one  box of AA batteries and 40 blue large Ikea shopping bags you can't beat the bags from Ikea the are strong light and last forever I don't think I have ever had one break ,they are good for garden rubbish we bought them to move belongings out of our home into our new house 40p a bag £16 you cant go wrong , we did get some weird looks when I stacked the convey belt at the till with forty bright blue bags , in my opinion Ikea bags are iconic wonder if buying 40 bags in one go is a record if you have bought more let me know and why.

TUESDAY -Another three trips to the local tip cleared out all the out buildings and tin shed .
Why do solicitors never answer their phone or call you back they are always in fcuking meetings .

Went Asda bought Helen a bottle of Baileys and myself some cloudy apple cider after emails to all solicitors phone calls  etc we cant do any more but drink otherwise going to sleep a big no no stress head .
Killing Zombies in the game  Into The Dead helps a lot in getting rid of the daily grind .

If all goes to plan February 28th we will be leaving our static home and moving into our Holmfirth home it will be upstairs to bed we have two off them , we have a full size bath a downstairs toilet a massive living room and a rear and front garden with parking for two cars bliss .

SOLD

The purchase went through last Friday I received the funds into my account the person buying our van transferred in to my bank account 10k , then I  knew that we had sold our static home he couldn't transfer the full amount he had to go to his bank to transfer the remaining money that was owed for the sale off our static home . The money finally was released into my account just after 14.00.  I too had to go my  bank so in turn they could transfer part of the money on to my solicitor to send the payment for our new home . It was touch and go that they would receive and complete  by close of business as they  in return had to  forward it on to the solicitors selling the new build , plot 45 no 20 was ours we got  the keys the contracts where completed it was just after 16.00 the deal was done we emptied our belongings into the hire van and at 03.00 Saturday morning we was fully moved we was tired and aching put happy the move complete .My Nephew was a great help without him we would not have got moved as quickly as we did .

ROCKING A NEW PAD

FRIDAY -A week today we should be out of here I should have some cash  in the back and a 35% share of a £180000 house .We should be living next to reservoirs and moor land Hade edge and Winscar both within a two to five minute drive of our new home .

Summer should be great evening and weekend walks egg mayo sandwiches and a flask of coffee in a hopefully with  hot summer days.

Next Friday and the weekend is going to be extremely busy we need a new kingsize bed and mattress a upright fridge freezer for the kitchen it comes with a cooker and extractor fan thinking of also maybe getting a slim line dishwasher .

We also need a new tv of maybe two not sure we have the option of fibre optic broadband which will make streaming very good .

The two  bedrooms will also need  furniture , as where we are living now it is all fitted and the free standing wardrobe is staying with the new owners of our home .As we will have two bedrooms we need two beds so people can visit over the weekend and stay .

If for any reason we cant move into the new house we will go live with my nephew for a few days until we can move into our new abode we need the cash paid and hopefully we are out of here and living once again  a proper stone built house .

MONDAY - Our solicitors seem to be making it difficult for us , they emailed me and are now refusing payment from the buyers solicitors for the purchase of our static and saying the buyers solicitors  must pay the money to us  or me and not our solicitors and then for me  to pay our solicitors the money just for the new house and then their fees  , estate agents etc . Hopefully this will be sorted out tomorrow and we will be back on track the dead line is looming .

I have been to the tip with loads of rubbish , I have given our fish tank away with the cichlids fluval filter and programable  lights , I have also given our chest freezer away , I had hired a van for three days I pick it up Friday morning at a cost of £225 , Helen paid a retainer fee for the new house of £300 we need the house that as been agreed to us by this Friday fingers crossed we are rocking a new pad

STRESS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

SUNDAY- Liam Helen's youngest son cane round with his girlfriend Somiya she was very petite they had a late Sunday lunch with us we did not know they where coming it was totally unplanned roast pork shoulder with sweet potatoes and Yorkshire puddings ,carrot and swede  .

MONDAY - Break up this coming Friday for another nine days annual leave and I can't wait .The amount of  people either that are on sick or holiday is stressful and we don't have the staff to cover the available shifts which is not good.

TUESDAY - Food shopping again I bought a packet of chicken Kievs and fired chicken thighs and drum sticks as well as chicken baltic pasties and a massive meatball pizza keep us going the rest of the week .

WEDNESDAY - House buying and selling property is all paperwork and waiting for solicitors and estate agents to get their shit together , as our future as always is in the hands of others we have dead lines and things need to happen . we have sent a constant stream of emails which helps with transferring documents across instead of posting them or hand delivering them . We have also made numerous phone calls but hopefully it will all pay off .

TRIP TO VETS

They say the two most stressful things in life is moving house and getting divorced or is it married or having kids , i rarely do stress I don't really get impatient over the years I have learned to wait usually if you wait you get what you want.
I really want to move in to the house we viewed I have never moved in to a newly built house I know they have their drawbacks but new paint work top to bottom and  a kitchen that as been never cooked in and a bathroom never used and new carpets through out is a dream that hopefully is about to come true over the next few weeks .By the end of March we should know for sure and fingers crossed and prays answered should all moved in living the dream .

Helen is already putting list of essentials that when we get our new home what we will need .
A new king size bed for us our current bed will go into the spare bedroom for people staying over .
a corner settle for us both to chill out on and watch t.v .A 60 " smart tv for the living room the two t.v's that we have now will go in the spare bedroom and the dining area.

Might be my last week of doing 18.00 - 02.00 will have to see how things pan out  the person on sick whom I have been covering , her sick note runs out on Feb the 14th which of course is Valentine day . She  another twist is that she as put her notice in  to leave will she come back for the remaining fortnight or stay on sick. And once she as left do i get more shifts until the post is covered , I do hope so .

SATURDAY - I had a text message from my line manager asking if I would do another week of 18.00  to 02.00 of course I agreed be silly not to ,The week after this I am on annual leave for a week .

Took both Bailey and Pip to the vets for worming and flea treatment plus for cutting their nails baileys are black and its hard to get it right one wrong cut and they can be painful and bleed  , Bailey likes going in the car he looks on it like a treat and gets real excited .

YOU TUBE AND COFFEE

SATURDAY - After walking the dog Bailey I cooked a massive breakfast for Helen and I . A full English with mushrooms and fresh tomatoes beans and eggs and hash browns . As well as bacon and sausage and of course toast we ate just after ten a.m set us up for the rest of the day.

SUNDAY - Howling high winds and torrential rain  was constant in the early hours we was both wide awake  the van was rocking  and moving as you would expect but as always we survived intact no major damage Some things outside got blown over , at the hight of the storm i put on my Bose noise cancelling headphones as they say silence is golden .
Some trees went over in the park stayed in all day watching tv and you Tube drinking lots of fresh made coffee with the heating turned up feasting on snacks I was not complaining .

TWIN PEAKS

Sometimes you hear things that can't be true then you discover that they are . Life is always about trying to find solutions to find ways out when you hit a dead end or having to change paths to get back on your original path such is selling property .Will find out more tomorrow what cause of action is available we have a meeting tonight with the site owner we have found out he is selling up as we are selling our van we need to know what the  implications of this is likely to be if any.
New owners will put the site fees up without a doubt the purchase price is £200,000 a few people are going to be pissed of big time if the people buy our van think we are selling because of this we might loose the sale .

FRIDAY - Going to view a house which is part buy and part rent hopefully one of the houses we see we will want to move in to  both are new builds and are both two beds  both close to one another it will just be preference of which type house we buy one is on the end of a row of houses the other you have property only to one side , we will have to decide if we gamble and put down a retaining fee down to hold the property until our sale goes through , if the sale falls through we are out of pocket but guess it is better to loose £300 than £85,000 nothing ventured nothing gained we go to view at 15.30 this afternoon .
We have paid a retaining fee for a end two bedroom house it is stone built the only way we are not getting it is if our buyer pulls out which is unlikely we complete in six weeks we should be moved out and moved in to our new final home

The house has two gabled roofs which is only on the end house the others just have one , might have to call it Twin Peaks Cottage.

NO NEED FOR SPEED

Training  at work to suit up and wear pep protective clothing to go into side room cubicles etc to clean rooms infected or suspected infection by patients admitted with coronavirus.
To be honest we don't get paid enough money to do shit like this they should have specialized teams on stand by 24/7 just in case , I won't be attending the training as I won't be there , can you refuse I don't know what the outcome would be .

My son moved out of the house he had been living in with his mother and step father it has been over a year since his mother passed away .He is now living in a house with his girlfriend , with her fathers partner .He is not working he needs to get a job as quick as he can , another issue if he ever falls out with his girlfriend then the chances are  he will be making himself homeless .

TUESDAY - Attended the speed awareness course , had to ne thee for 07-50 after four hours sleep I got their on time and passed the course the most important thing I learned from the course is if your going to speed make sure they are no speed cameras no only joking reducing speed does save lives including your own specially in built up areas , killing or permanently change the lives of others is unjust and wrong just because your late or the road allows it anyway hopefully lesson learnt foot of the gas .

Helen sold he Cameo Silhouette 3 ob Ebay on the second attempt she got a buyer it went for £250 but loss out on the postage she asked for £10  and it cost over £14. oh well swings and roundabouts .

Since buying the coffee machine I have not had a normal cup of coffee and not had to buy any jars of coffee buying plenty of pods and it is costing more money but I am trying to drink fewer cups .

SMOOTHIE

SATURDAY - Got back from work at 03.30 was awake  at 08.00 and finals got my arse out of bed to make a coffee before setting of to the chiropodist .
The lady who does nights is leaving she has put in her notice to leave in a months time might be a while until they get someone else hope I get a few more months doing 18.00 - 02.00 if I can mange them until I go to New York will help me with spending money for the trip, fingers crossed .

Cooked a full breakfast apart from we had run out of baked beans not good and we did not have proper sliced bread we also run out of cooking oil and washing up liquid need to go to the shops .

Sat in the car with fish and chips whilst Helen did her spiritualist work which was from 19.30 until 23.20 a full four hours manage to watch two films one about Frank mad axe Mitchell a gang member of the Kray twins who escaped from Dartmoor prison another a world war one film .

SUNDAY - Went to the supermarket Helen spent £135 on groceries we bought all sorts  including meats mince pork and meatballs , two baking trays and two  cushions for the settee , ice cream , Doritos , chilli cheese , dilute peach for me to take to work , Dolce Gusto coffee pods for my coffee machine , bananas , salad , bread including wraps and thins , money just keeps spending and we only had a small trolley God to think how much a large trolley would cost we did spend £30 on cat and dog food and no way have we enough food for a month maybe a good eight to  ten days.

Made my own smoothie using two bananas a full teaspoon of peanut butter a big chunk of ice cream and some ice , thrown into the blender with a drop of vanilla extract it  turned out pretty good was impressed with my recipe don't know what the shelve life will be 24 hours I guess .

RENT BUY OR STAY PUT

Finished at half past two its weird going to work on a Wednesday then leaving on a Thursday does make the week go pretty fast .leaving work hearing the birds singing and driving home in the early hours of the morning listening to the Pet shop boys new album is a nice end to the day or start to the day how ever you want to look at it .

Might buy a pair of Anker ear pods reviews look good sound quality and functions look good too they are available in black or white and are under £50 for the Soundcore life p2 .

Went to Ikea bought some sofa cushions gone back to grey and white looks better than the stags .

Doing some oven cooked chicken instead of using cornflakes like I got in the Nando's meal kit using Doritos's should be ok bit more spicy .

FRIDAY - Had another four hours sleep had to get up to go to Huddersfield to  see a mortgage advisor have application waiting to see if we get approved .
Also applied to part buy and rent a property in Holmfirth which we have been approved waiting to hear from the developer so things are moving forward slowly .
if we don't then we neither stay put or rent think staying put is the best option .

FISHY GOING ON'S

TUESDAY - First years snow fell this morning does not look like it is settling where we are although it could as the snow was falling quite fast .

WEDNESDAY - Helen bought the ingredients to make a fish pie smoked haddock , cod , salmon and small prawns with mash and cheese on top had it with broccoli spears she cooked it then oven baked it first time we have had this dish it was really really good we will be doing this recipe again .

Bought a large pack of chicken breasts from the farm shop we also bought £10 of long thin pork sausages one of theses are enough for a sandwich or if doing a full English breakfast .

Filled out my application for my visa to visit New York all done online pretty straight forward ,  it was only $14 which was just under £10.50 I think it is good for two years , doubt I will ever go back but never say never.

My son was involved in a car accident on his way to Barnsley he went into the back of a Range Rover and did a lot of damage to the front of his car with hardly any damage to the Range Rover apart from some  damage to the rear bumper , my son will need a new bonnet , off side head light , front bumper , front grill and radiator , how the fuck don't you see a Range Rover in broad daylight fishy if you ask me  .
He was driving his Mothers car and had to get it towed back to where he lives in York he drove it 15 miles before her called for the break down service to rescue him , still can't believe you cant see a Range Rover if your that unaware you really should not be in charge of a car .

LISTENING TO - Pet Shop Boys "Hotspot' got to be one of the best British duo's ever a great album..

BLACK AND WHITE

Had someone else another couple came to view the static home they did not realize you can't get a mortgage on a van its cash only they was gutted as they loved it .We do have a firm offer now and the ball should start rolling we have an appointment with our estate agents to discuss our options either way we will be moving on in some form or the other where to we don't know if we buy , rent or part buy and rent we will see .I think our best option is part buy and pay part rent .

Have to take Helen for more readings tonight which means another three to four hour sat in my car will watch Elton John film Rocketman and Freddie Mercury's bio Bohemian Rhapsody  hopefully it won't be too cold and the time will fly.

I waited in the car my feet after a couple of hours my feet where freezing even though I had two pairs of socks on a pair being thermal the rest of me was ok it was just my feet next time I think I will get a hot water bottle .

MONDAY -Took Bailey to the  groomers in Wakefield for his coat cutting  it took me over a hour to do two miles not sure why or what the hold up was when I got to the front traffic was moving it was all clear weird .

Working at seven tonight which is good bad is I am working till three a.m  . It is my daughters birthday today she is 29 years old how time flies unbelievable .

Helen's son Liam called it has been a while he took her to the Alchemist in Leeds for afternoon dinner she had charcoal battered fish,  looks weird black coating white fish .

FLOWERS AND CHIPS

Bought the ingredients to make some home made chocolate chip cookies made eight large cookies with milk chocolate chips they was pretty good for a first attempt they tasted ok the first batch where a bit too thin but just out of the oven tasted better than I had hoped for , I think the next thing I try and do is home made fudge I have a bottle of jack Daniels for flavouring will have to see if I can get a recipe as I have no idea how to make fudge I like fudge more than cookies .

Took another two year contact out with my Internet provider I don't have to pay anymore money which is a bonus if we move I hope to upgrade to fibre or should I say when we move .

Helen bought another two pillows for the bed the are all white with embroidered butterflies on them they was twelve pounds each I saw some really nice Habitat coffee mugs I might buy a couple , We did go back the following day , and got the matching duvet and pillow set and three coffee cups .

Seen a nice iPhone case that I want to get  for my iphome  XS Max it off eBay I have had the case I have now on it since I first got the phone .

SATURDAY - Went to the local garden centre Helen got a bouquet made up for her mothers birthday we got a two free drinks voucher for the cafe whilst we waited for them to create the bouquet it did look pretty good when they had finished the creation .

We drove over to York with it I manage to keep it upright on the back seat although I did nearly trash it going round a sharp bend .We also went with her parents to the Wetherby Whaler fish restaurant in York been to one Wetherby Whaler been to them all the design and layout a always very similar even the food seems the same the bill for four of us was £54 which was ok I paid seeing as I had not bought her mum a gift for her birthday .

Helen bought yet another duvet cover and pillow cases and another throw for the sofa , well its her cash .

FULLY SERVICED

The people who are wanting to buy our home are coming around again tonight not sure why but that asked if they could so it was agreed .If they want to knock the price down it is highly unlikely if they want to secure it by leaving a deposit then they can will find out tonight .I think they will genuinely buy our home they are not messing around they want it , if they had the money we would be moving out an d they would be moving in.

Bought some cornflakes defrosted some chicken breast and cooked my own version of cornflake chicken . dipped in flour then I used a beaten egg to dip into before coating with cornflakes .
The chicken breast we buy is very moist when it is cooked it does not dry out I did some fries and uncle Ben's chicken flavoured rice I  had mine with soya sauce excellent .

WEDNESDAY -Took my car in for its 30,000 mile service I also test drive a Skoda Scala its 6 gears but only 1litre and it drove like a dream at the moment it would cost too much each month maybe next year . I borrowed another Fabia same as mine but in blue whilst they completed the work on mine it was in the afternoon when I picked it back up.

MCR SHOPPING

SATURDAY - Helen has readings in Bramley tonight not sure how many she is doing I know it is going to be cold sat in the car will need my thermal socks, Vans  hoodie , Levi quilted jacket and fingerless gloves I might also wear some jogging bottoms over my jeans .Will take my iPad to read my book and will have my phone my stainless steel drink bottle of ice cold cherries and berries and hopefully a big bar of chocolate.

MONDAY - Picked my daughter up from her house and drove over to Manchester to visit counterfeit street , it is where the shops sell all the designer knock off copies that are made in china at a fraction of the price of the real item. The shops start  more or less opposite Strangways prison which makes it feel more foreboding for some reason .The sun was out in Manchester most of the shops you need to go up the stairs to the upper levels you been in one then all are more for less the same layout .The sellers where friendly enough they want your money but in a nice way , they have people outside ushering you in they are also look outs in case the police are about , they do get raided and stock does get confiscated but selling continues it is big money, We bought fake Gucci , YSL , LV bags in different styles and designs at a cost of £200 .They also sell watches , belts , training shoes , perfume , socks and t-shirts , I also noticed some fake iPods and Beats headphones , are we going back you betcha we are , is it funding organized crime more than likely , obviously the police know the shops whereabouts yet let them carry one trading , why not legalize them and get the taxes some shops are making thousands a day at peak times .

CORNFLAKE CHICKEN

Think this year I will buy myself a new Apple Watch I have never had one also I do want a new x-box one .
Must also buy. new mattress for our bed and a cordless vacuum anything but a Dyson.

Bought some chocolate chip  cookies from the farm shop you have to bake them in the oven they was great when they came out and was still warm but not so good when they had completely cooled down.I also found a apple crumble in the freezer we bought from another farm shop and I baked that it was excellent had it with some ice cream .

Helen bought a kitchen blender we are going to do some smoothies and some different soups hopefully the will be nicer than shop bought ones .

Bought a Nando's cornflake meal kit basically just need chicken fillets plain flour and peas .
cut the chicken breast up into smaller fillets set three bowls up , one with flour , one with the Nandos sauce and one with the corn flakes dip the chicken pieces in to  the flour , then dip  them in to the sauce and finally dip in the corn flakes , place on a baking tray  cook for thirty minutes .Cook the rice in the microwave and boil some peas .I liked the result the rice was a bit too scented I would have preferred normal rice I guess its easy to just buy your own cornflakes and sauce and do your own recipe also be cheaper , I have never had a Nando's meal at one of their restaurants this was probably just as good .

FOREVER JANUARY

Well nothing really going on spoke with my son Guy he is starting a new job next week assembling static homes .He is doing a similar shift pattern to me .Starting in the afternoon and finishing at ten at night .He can't say you have a job until you have been there at least six month .If he messes up he will be down the road hopefully he won't .One of his issues is transport or the lack of a car or owning a car the firm is in Knaresborough he will need wheels .He is using his late mothers car but that is only temporary basis. The VXR he had his pride and joy the car he use to take all day to clean  is long gone nought to sixty on a back of a truck for none payment of loan .

He will also need a new place to live he has to move out at the end of the month he told me he is sorted with living with his girlfriends sister house trouble is loose the girlfriend loose a place to live.

Looking forward to Friday break up again for nine days off work , money and days off and a pension is all I am interested in the job is getting worse and it won't get any better the atmosphere is shite every one is pissed off yet the managers refuse to acknowledge it as always the bury their heads in the sand and just set shitty dead lines and cleaning scores in departments the are open 24/7 and is a constant battle to keep clean specially at peaks times .

Wish I was younger would look for a different job but I pay in to a pension and the years I have left would be a silly move to leave now .Got to grin and bear it working 18.00 - 02.00 helps .

Anyway January seems to go one forever roll on payday roll on going to New York the count down has begun .

MORE CHIEFS

Out of this months wages I need to buy a suitcase for hand luggage to take on the plane have a view on eBay I am watching a bright orange one and a white one I am leaning towards the orange on but it is bright .
Still full of cold went back to work doing 18.00 till 02.00 the longest shift ever made it through was glad to get home and go to bed .

Helen had two readings this morning so I manage to stay in the bedroom just relaxing reading "Someone We Know" by Shari Lapena a great read gripping from page one highly recommend it if you are going on a flight or planing a stay in hospital buy it you won't put it down.

They are making two of us supervisors a higher grade which means more duties for extra money all I can see is the higher grades trying to boss us lower grades around they will soon forget they was one of us all I can see is problems , we have already too many chiefs , its just someone else barking orders and demands at you that is going to piss you off big time  .What we really need are more Indians .

FULL OF COLD .

SATURDAY - Bad night sleep was awake at four had no sleep it was windy and I just couldn't settle .
Helen decided to burnt some dried sage we grow it in our garden drive it out on the radiators so it smokes when it burns it was a wolf moon she did every rooms if you have smelt sage and seen the dense smoke it outs out you will understand , was like being in a blues club years ago .

I was up at nine had a letter to post and walked the dog I checked the fences was still up after a night of gales  all was well.

Went to the range Helen bought more bedding another duvet set plus extra pillows when we washed them we noticed a stain on the duvet so they will have to go back .


SUNDAY - Still full of cold Helen did me a sausage sandwich and coffee in bed we watched You Tube .
Took the bedding back got a new set then drove back home I went to bed ,Helen cooked the last turkey crown for our Sunday dinner .

Had a shower updated my pen written diary Helen had a reading I watched "Enemy At The Gate " a Great War film based on true events about a Russian sniper killing German officers he left other German soldiers alone just went after the high ranking chief's of staff.

ONLY THE BRAVE

FRIDAY - 10th of January last year was the funeral service for my ex wife ,  my daughter is a hair dresser she has her own salon with her friend  , as a mark of respect she went to work totally dressed in black I think she did her nails and eyes as well  .
When my mother died I went out and bought a stone garden gargoyle and called it Ethel that was years ago it is still in the garden I still speak to it and it always reminds me of my mother I think she be laughing I know she would approve secretly I think she would think it was cool .

Last day off of course I am not at work  for the weekend returning to work on Monday for a whole five days then I will have another nine days off,  a great start to the year more time off work than at work will do for me.

Took Helen to the doctors she was lucky to get an appointment they wanted her to wait until 22nd of January she has an infection she can't wait the long nobody wanting to see a doctor should have to wait more than 24 hours .

Went to the farm shop Helen bought some long thin pork sausages and 10 chicken breast fillets as well as frozen fruit for her gins and a bottle of vanilla syrup for my coffees  .She cooked a dish a You Tuber covered in one of her posts , chicken teriyaki chicken cooked on a bed of rice and pineapple it was great using a whole can of pineapple rings was over kill but the dish was great could have done with some prawn crackers .

Started using Brave web browser on my Mac book and I have to say I am loving it it loads pages a lot faster than Safari specially You Tube which takes forever to load when I was on Safari , try it and see so far I am sticking with Brave I believe it also blocks trackers and ads .

OUT OF THE BLUE

We bought the Britta 2.4 litre filter jug we filled it up with tap water twice to rinse the filter out , filled it up a third time and placed it in the fridge .

 I also bought four boxes of cappuccino coffee pods I bought one box from Aldi' it was an unfamiliar brand but after trying them was quite impressed its a saving of £1.50 per box , or like four boxes for the price of three .the others i bought at Asda they was on offer £4 for one or £10 for three .

My son called me today totally out of the blue he was on the phone for over an hour  i have not spoke to him for over eight months he now has a new girlfriend and told me he was starting a new job  living in new accommodation , hopefully all he said to me was the truth but as always time will tell .He also said he had his car repossessed for not keeping up the payments

Did a shepherds pie for our tea with Yorkshire puddings we had not eaten all day .

MEET UP

Booked the car in for an oil service  I pay a monthly service plan so I don't need to pay its all ready taken care off , they will be doing later in the month because I need a loan car .

Cleaned the fish tank which meant taking  all of the water out and all the gravel we washed and scrubbed everything I cleaned the filter cleaned and all the bags of charcoal and lava the polishing pads I  bleached got to make sure they are bleach free when putting them back in the filter would kill all the fish , washed the rocks with the garden hose on jet spray and thoroughly washed and rinsed all the gravel  it is a long process and takes the best part of three hours it can and has taken longer .But seeing the water in 24hours once it is all settled and gone through the filter is worth it as it is crystal clear which is what you are aiming for .

Meet up with two old neighbour's Nik and Erky I  used to live a few doors away from them this was back in the day they now live in Bradford .We went to the Kaye Arms for lunch Helen and I both ordered the beer battered fish and chips they have a weekday offer two meals for £15 and the food is excellent we meet up at one and spent a good couple of hours chatting away it is amazing how time flies and years go buy , of course we wont leave it as many years next time we meet up .

POSH BUT NOT

First Monday of the new year and I have the next seven days off work not that I don't love my job . .Have already had four cups of coffee from my new coffee  machine they are way  too addictive and drinking  regular coffee after wards  sucks the taste of the coffee from the pods are excellent  .

Went over to my daughters house at Kippax we got there for midday . She cut my hair it had been a while  ,and it was extra long . I had a grade one and the sides and back and scissor cut on the top she also coloured and cut Helen's hair .

On the way home we stopped of at Asda bought some lemon muffins , chicken Kiev's from the freezer section a bag of frozen golden veg rice and green vegetable rice as well as dog food and cat biscuits we also bought two packets of thins bread a bit like pitta bread but squarer, as well as two lottery tickets for the Euro draw .

For tea I had fried chicken pieces and dripping chips that's chips cooked in beef dripping then oven cooked really nice sounds posh they sell them in Asda .

WATCHING  - It Chapter Two.

LISTENING TO - Post Malone "Hollywood Bleeding ".

NEW MACHINE

Helen bought me a new white we previously had red Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine we bought it from Curries/PcWorld,  it was reduced by a massive £80 and cost only the sale price of £39.99 plus the two boxes of cappuccino  coffee pods where only £3.60 for a box  of 10 .We did have to go over to Rotherham to buy one as all the local branches near us had none .

Went to Primark Rotherham branch bought six pairs of underpants I got socks for Christmas but alas no undies .

Cooked a roast pork Sunday dinner with roasted sweet potato , swede,  stuffing and Yorkshire puddings.

Did nothing else really watched our favourite You Tubers and the Tv series Dark Angel the true story of the first female serial killer in England Mary Ann Cotton .

WATER NOT ON TAP

Think we are going shopping for a Brita water jug I suppose until you try it you put up with the water that flows out of your tap expecting it to be pure but it contains limescale and other chemical will see if I can notice any difference  once we use the pitcher .

My automatic self winding watch has stopped working the hands won't budge I manual wound it still no joy it has been ages since I wore it last and though I would put it on today only to find out its fcuked .I read to manual wind the watch which I did still no joy not really gutted guess the next watch I will buy will be an Apple one .

Finally bought a 2020 page per day black diary in A5 size was only two quid from Asda .

THREE DAYS IN

The cottage we wanted to buy in Holmfirth has had a offer out in and is now subject to contract we won't look for another house until we have a buyer for ours which is logical and sensible there are always house on the market to buy or rent .

Need to buy another Amazon fire stick the one in the bedroom seems to be playing up which is a pain in the butt . I have taken the one out of the living room for now we tend to watch more You Tube in bed than in the living room .

Need to sort out the frozen food that we have in both  freezer the upright in the kitchen and the chest freezer in the out building  both are full with stuff I can't remember buying , I also need to load up the boot of the car and go to the local tip the black waste bags are mounting up the bin men missed a week it being Christmas .

Break up to night a massive nine days off when I go back I am doing 18.00 - 02.00 for a week then I have another nine days off a great start to the new year like working part time with full pay .

Already looking forward to the summer months hopefully it will be blazing hot need to buy a pressure washer and need to do some creosoting of decking and fence panels .

I was thinking of buying a diary so I can hand write my 2020 year so far I have not bought one better be quick we are already three days in . I do hope that every one is having a good start to the year.

TURKEY AGAIN

DAY 1 - I have not made any resolutions for the New year I don't smoke or hardly drink I am mostly polite and pleasant , I suppose if anything I could be more active but I do walk a lot at work and during the day I would like to read more so that might be my choice read more books .

I got up and walked the dog as always Bentley the cat followed George my other cat stayed indoors he had been out all night .
Arriving home I prepared our New Years day dinner a turkey crown with roasted potatoes , carrots and swede mash and Yorkshire puddings we will do a bowl of stuffing and have a new jar of cranberry sauce . I go to work at  14,00 at my job as supervisor at the Hospital in Leeds .

Washed the car I parked up yesterday at work and birds our feathered friends shat all over the windscreen , door mirror car wing and passenger side door.

I have next week off on annual leave when I go back on the 13th I will be doing 18.00 - -2.00 shift extra money for New York .

Some old friends from back in the day got in touch with me yesterday we are meeting up next week at The Sun pub for a catch up should be good .

Went to work for double time as it was New Years day if our wages was that all the time be laughing .

TWENTY TWENTY MADE IT

Wishing everyone all the best for 2020 hope its better than 2019 and if you had a great 2019 then hope 2020 is awesome those who had a bad 2019 , hopefully things will get better anyway we all made it plenty didn't and whilst you live you can change things and life can improve just got to stick in there .

THE MAIN THING IS EVERYONE READING THESE WORDS , IS THAT WE MADE IT AND THINGS WILL CHANGE HOPEFULLY FOR THE BETTER , SO GOOD LUCK AND STAY POSITIVE , ALL THE BEST TO ALL .