WHAT A CARRY ON

 WEDNESDAY - Mid week , I never mentioned because I was not sure of the out come but  a Porter at the hospital I work at  died last Friday night whilst he was at work he collapsed with either  a heart attack or a aneurysm  it was a very sad Friday .

He was younger and looked a lot fitter than me ,  makes you realise any place any time could be your last day I always imagine people who die unexpectedly will have had a normal day got up showered had breakfast checked the mail watched the news left the house never to set foot in the place again . Instead ending up on a rack in the morgue and the friends you work with on the shift you was working with collecting your body from Resus on the blue covered trolley to your final destination  its a sobering thought cant imagine any day being a good day to pass away.R.I.P my friend .

Anyway the weather is back to grey wet and windy its July and it seems like November only difference is the leaves are still on the trees .

Bought another 4x4 piece of lumber to timber for another beam at the front of the room will do that next week but not on a Monday .

Have been cooking the Go Fresh meals so far brilliant really good have no issues all of the four meals we have cooked have been excellent if they stay as good as this and we don't  have any issues regarding delivery then fine highly recommend them .

Got new SIM cards from our network provider our signal strength was getting worse to where we cant even text off our phones will see how better it is with the new SIM card installed .

Covid is still present in the hospital and one of the ICU ward is all covid patients. The cases are fewer but they are still cases and they seem to be rising we are not out of the woods yet  , so don't let anyone try and tell you different .Carry on wearing a mask , carry on washing your hands and carry on social distancing where possible , in a nutshell carry on being safe .

PAINTING AWAY AND OTHER STUFF.

 Still have not flown the drone i bought I have just been way  too busy D-DAY or drone day might be one day this weekend or early next week .

I want to go to a chicken shop near buy in Slaithwaite village called Ashby's apparently its the best fried chicken for miles I love fried chicken fries and mayo our regualr haunt is Marsdens need to see if this beats it  the gravy they sell is also highly recomended  so hopefully Saturday night we will check it out and hopefully it won't disappoint .

My Iphone will be three years old this April I didn't want to change it as it was a £1500 phone but it seems to be running slow not connecting to 4g and wifi  reception seems to have dropped my idea was to keep the phone and use the money to buy a new Mac book or Air book will have to see just how bad the phone gets before I make a choice .

WEEKEND - Saturday Helen had a couple of readings to do over in Linthwaite did nothing much else .Sunday we went over to York to see Helens parents just in case another lock down kicks in ,

MONDAY - Painted the bedroom wall Helen bought the paint weeks ago finally got it done once I start its ok its just getting my arse in to gear.

TUESDAY - I painted  the landing walls after yesterdays painting session thought I do todays project have tomorrow a paint free day .it took a few hours I used masking tape which took a good twenty minutes and another twenty minutes getting the painting gear and step ladders out I was finished just after three work in two hours need relaxing time .

Our first  Hello Fresh box arrived yesterday it contained five days of meals for two adults the ice packs weighed more than the food .Whilst I was putting the painting stuff away Helen cooked our first meal steak with oven cooked chips and green beans to be fair it turned out really good the food was very tasty no complains looking forward to the rest of the meals .

NO RISE

 FREEDOM DAY  - So called freedom day what a load of lies we are being feed its ludicrous people believe its all ok its all good just because they say so covid has not gone away just because its now ok to go into night clubs does not mean jack .

 I guess in these times its being grateful for what you have ,is it greedy to want more and a case of be happy with what you have because what you have, where and how we live is someone else's dream .We tend to forget that those who have very little want exactly what we have and how we live and some of the things I have and own would be their paradise .

I do know a 1% pay rise is an insult to all NHS staff nursing and none nursing it is a insult just like the badge and letter of thanks that we got  posted out its not going to pay the bills .Just to put it in perspective Morrison's supermarket workers got 9% years ago we was told by one of our managers if we didn't like working for the Nhs go to Morrisons's we all should have listened .

After writing the above ihe pay rise for NHS staff England as been put up to a whopping 3% people are angry if the NHS don't get a decent rise this year after eighteen months fighting the pandemic its never going to happen .

Mu daughter is selling the hose she lives in with her boyfriend not sure where they will move to hopefully a nice secluded place with not too many houses with open spaces and fields and countryside a forever home .

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BETTER THAN TINNED

 Totally feed up with work is getting worse covid is coming home its not really ever gone away and the figures are rising daily and to be honest me and a lot of health care workers have the same that we could do with out being at work .

But it will be learning how to survive on benefits if I could I know others can and do but then I think in a lot of cases it is just  surviving and not living which makes a big difference .

Helen's son is in Mykonos in Greece with his mate who just got through to the finals of Euro 2020 . I went years ago its an truly amazing place I which I had a mobile phone it was way before the birth of the iPhone its an Instagamers dream destination as well as Santorini, white buildings blue seas paradise .

SATURDAY - At last it is red hot and well in to the high twenties  its times like these I wished I lived on the coast need to check out some reservoirs ones we have not been to .Trouble is you just know they will be packed out not really what I am after .

SUNDAY - Bought some fresh strawberries and a pineapple sat in the garden and ate the pineapple it was £1.15 cheaper than a tin it was ice cold and refreshing ,

Cooked a turkey joint for dinner had it with roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings was too hot but have to eat in the evening went for a walk at Ingbirchworth reservoir it was still warm with a slight breeze there was baby frogs jumping around the path so tiny they looked like flies once we was aware of them we was looking where we were walking .

LOST IT

 SUNDAY  - Went over to York to Helens parents home Helen had a reading for one of their friends she lived in a massive house a few minutes away from theirs but about eight times the cost .I stayed with her parents watching the mens Wimbledon  finals it years since I have watched tennis and of course we wanted to get home to watch the England football final with Italy in the evening .They had moved the bird table that I had made for them to the opposite end of the garden it looked well .

Well England got  off to a great start in the final 1- 0 in the first few minutes and we went in winning at half time .It took Italy a while to score sand it was still one all after thirty minutes of extra time.

 England lost we went out on the penalty shoot out three players from the England squad totally fcuked up big time no excuses some of these players are on 200k a week and are professional players its their job its what they are paid to do score goals so no excuses. You lost us the final because you cant position a ball so after waiting fifty five years we still have not won a major tournament coming second does not equal a win .Well it is the World Cup next year see how good we do then is anyones guess , hopefully we don't have to take any penalties to get a win otherwise we might as well stay at home .

MONDAY - Its grey cold and wet and its rained all morning and I am back at work today totally cant be arsed .

ITS BUGGING

 Following a You Tuber called 'Rate My Take Away " he is a Lad  from Leeds which is our old town he is down to earth and very comical and a true Yorkshire mans gift of the gab and he is doing a great job and putting out great content through out the week.  His following is growing and people stop to have their photographs taken with him  ,He basically goes around the surrounding suburbs  tasting food from local take aways , kebab shops fast food shops anywhere were and every where tasting all types of food .He recently went to a Indian curry take away , kebab outlet in Wakefield its only a half hour drive from where we live and I want to go check it out hopefully this weekend its called Abduls and hopefully we are not too busy that we cant get over there and sample the food .

We need a new printer and scanner  Helen's requirements is it as to be white so that makes it an easy choice not sure if I want to go back to a Canon I think they are better than Epsom or HP but that's just my opinion I think we need to see the cost of the ink and work round that  ,otherwise you can spend a fortune on ink.

SATURDAY - Ended up buying another HP Printer you get three months free ink and then to carry it on it is £9.99 a month which should be enough ink for around three hundred pages which should be enough .It cost £59.99 and we got a free  ream of canon white paper which was £4.99 so not a bad price it set up ok there is a amber warning light on which I am not sure why but it is printing from both the Mac book and iPhone hopefully this amber light is annoying rather than a fault it seems ok I powered it down and back on and the amber light came on again will have to figure it out or it is going to bug me.

BEAMING AT LAST

 Since we moved in our new build last year Helen has wanted me to put two beams one across the entrance to the kitchen and one seperating the living room and dining room .Well finally did it for her they look better than I thought which is a good thing.We had to buy some more wax coach bolts and obiously the timber all in all £50 not a bad.

England football team made it to the final first time since 1966 the million dollar question is it coming home who knows would be nice would be a great boost in moral after going through and surviving the covid pandemic would be a great moment it time I guess if they loose it is highly unlikely I will witness another final in my life time .

Bought Helen a Michael Corr's bag she has always wanted one and we went into a boutique shop and she picked up to look at of course a sales assistant approached her I said jokingly  I would buy it for her thing is I wasn't joking I knew she would be buzzing if I did , so I did I bought it for her bless its nice doing things that makes some wish come true.

I tested a bottle on Initio Oud fragrance cologne what ever it is classed as I think also it is unisex but I sprayed my wrist twelve hours later I could still smell it it unbelievable and I would wear it every day the only draw back is it cost £270 for 90ml and I know once the bottle was empty I be forking out another £270 , I know you can buy imitations scents and perfumes but I would want the original just for the bottle sitting on my my bedroom drawers .I have ordered a sample off eBay 3ml for a £10 at least I get  true smell hopefully its genuine .

ONE STAR

 I have watched numerous You Tubes sloggers and ametuer film makers I can honestly say editing when you don't really know what you are doing is difficult ,not impossible just bloody difficult thank God for you tube tutorials and trail and error .

We went to visit a friend of Helens a great woman who sells crystal she was truly amazing person and it was a truly amazing experience apart from now I have to lots of clips to edit and get on Facebook be a miracle if I get one done but God does work in mysterious ways and after a lot of headache pills ,  coffee and persistence I did it both movies completed I say movies to me they were epic . I know now a bit about iMovie even if its only a little bit and even if it was more luck than knowledge I really don't care job done.

The next fun bit was saving and exporting the finished footage to my usb drive then uploading it ti Facebook got to admit I was inpatient both processes took longer than I realised .But I got there in the end  even if I never do it again think I earned one star just like the iMovie logo .To be a professional film maker and editor must be a amazing job satisfaction must be so high knowledge and a eye for detail amazing .

BEAMISH VLOGGING

 MONDAY - Took Bailey are Westie dog  for his coat cutting seeing as he does not molt we have to have him trimmed around every two to three months .They give him the full works  from his teeth to his bum and  he comes out looking very posh very soft cuddly and smelling a lot nicer then before he went in its a full transformation . 

I wait for his pamper session to end its around two hours it does not pay for me to go home then come back its a hassle . So I went to Pc World I was so tempted to get a new Mac book Pro unfortunately I did not give in to temptation impulses  mores the pity I know I will get one in the next twelve months .Just downloaded Catalina on my mid 2021 Mac book pro it is the very last update it is able to make, I am unable to download Big Sur .

TUESDAY - Booked passes for The Beamish Museum we are going Wednesday afternoon and have to be there for one clock its just over a two hour drive  should be a nice steady drive hopefully uneventful .

WEDNESDAY - Set off to Beamish the sun was out and the roads fairly easy going we arrived just after midday .To be fair the car parks where quite empty .We picked our yearly passes up at the door you can go back as many times as you like within twelve months you just need to book a time slot .

I used my gimbal for the first time its amazing what a difference it makes I am hopefully going to use 

iMovie to edit join fade in and out add transitions and a sound track thing is I have never used any editing software in my life , never told hopefully that is true .

THE EXORCIST

 SUNDAY  - Went to Hull to the Extraordinarium Museum meet Ralph Keeton medium and exorcist who was even seen the Pope John Paul for his work with catholic families that had hauntings in their homes. We was there nearly four hours what a great person and museum he owns was totally spell bound from entering to leaving he is literally a walking encyclopaedia of all things paranormal and he has some amazing artefacts from voodoo to haunted dolls ,clowns and dybbuk boxes , it was a fascinating few hours could have listened to his stories all day and night , amazing .

           

Went to the Dope Burger I had a chicken and chilli beef Helen just a cheese with fries and milkshakes was a really nice meat and the fries excellent it was quite expensive but tasty well cooked and  filling so it was well worth it .

TABLE DONE

 SATURDAY - Finally sanded down and stained the dining table its been on my list of things to do for a while , Helen has constantly egged me to do it for the last four months all in good time Helen patience is a virtue .I used threeStanley blades like a cabinet scraper . I carefully hammered them into a piece of scrap wood then went with the grain across the table top I then sanded and stained .it I did  all of it outside it took me a few hours it is looking a lot better not perfect its a very old table you want something to look new buy a new table it looks fine .

Helen's cousin and her husband recently bought a camper van extremely jealous one day I want one even if its only for a short period of time , I want to travel to Cornwall and Scotland in a van camping and sleeping wherever you can . it will happen just a case of when got to think positive.

Booked to go to a haunted museum in Kingston upon Hull that's tomorrow should be a fun day out hopefully a scary day out as it used to be Annison funeral parlour dating back to 1876. it is now owned by the spiritualist medium and exorcist Ralph Keeton .

LEFT

 Still not had time to fly the drone will have to wait until I am off work next week I have nine days away from work and I cant wait hopefully this week won't drag .Stocked up on dog and cat food pouches and biscuits thay now have food enough for a good month before we need to buy any more we want to try and always have a few weeks of food in for them .

Need to buy fly spray killer I hate flies buzzing around the room its annoying even with both patio doors open they still won't fly out they do it on purpose.

Bought some orange juice from Marks & Spencers it is only 95p along with a punnet of strawberries and a farm house loaf of bread their bread is the best and their crisps are also pretty good .

Big thanks once again to my daughter for cutting my hair  I can't remember how many times she has cut it over the last five six years its roughly every six to eight weeks  I am extremely grateful she is always very busy yet always finds time to fit me as well as doing Helen's  hair which takes a good part of three hours without any payment she does it because she can and she wants to which is a great mind set to have .

Both Helen and I was in a local  paranormal group we have come out of the team due to negativity and tension the bad ideas or no ideas of how to act and behave. A team  who are more interested in getting viewers and subscribers then doing any in depth investigations and  over the last six weeks we have done no investigations with them and I came to the point that there was no point as we was both reading from different scriptures hence us leaving to do our own thing.I will not name the group here as there is no reason.We are going to try and do our own thing it will be really just for us our diary or log of events it will be  out there for people to find and follow if we are not chasing subscribers or Face book star senders etc  we would rather have 200 loyal and interested followers who keep unto date with what we post  then 4000 who never watch anything you film who have watched you once and never return but don't unfollow what's the point  .

TWO MEALS OUT

 SATURDAY - Checked the tyre pressure on all the wheels of the car the pressure warning sign and light came on this morning driving home from my shift it was showing that the front left tyre was under pressure I checked the pressure was 29.5 psi inflated it to 35.5 see how it goes .

Helen had readings to do in the salon in Linthwaite I had a two hour wait in the church carpark , on the way back home stopped had the farm shop bought some burgers , chilli sausages,  pork sausage , tandoori chicken thighs and some spare ribs barbecue time again .

SUNDAY - The tyre had gone down considerably when I checked it the pressure was 24 psi on closer inspection I could see a screw I ended up get two new front tyres .We was on our way to York to Helen's parents had to detour to get the tyres sorted can't afford to have health and safety compromised hence two new tyres £130 .

We made it to York I had the bird table I had made in the car I set it up and after we all went to the Wetherby Whaler.

 Helens parents where treating us to fish and chips for helping with the garden it was more than welcome we didn't have a desert as we have a Sunday dinner to eat at half past six my daughter is taking us both out for fathers day .We made it home with half an hour to spare we meet at the Boshaw Trout .My daughter and her partner Josh got there more or less at the same time I had the roast beef  to be honest its slow cooked and that nice its hard not to 

.

The meal was really nice is always nice to meet up with my daughter and the kids it was a great evening she also had me some bottles of pear cider and some brownies what more could a father wish for .

ITS LANDED

The drone arrived by post it didnt fly itself travelled here in its own black carry case its very light wouldnt take much wind to blow it off course i am guessing .even with the batterie it is still a light weight I had its maiden flight in the back garden a total bad idea it was sunny very sunny no wind it went straight up i couldnt see it as the sun was in my eyes and the sun was blacking out my iphone screen i was flying blind for a short time , i could hear it no problem it was hovering like an angry wasp it was at least two gardens away i hit the return home button it worked it landed in the grass in my garden i immediatley cut the power , i was a nervous wreck but buzzing i need alot more space and need more practice i also need a take off and landing pad specially on long grass . I am going to have to wait until i have a week off work a week after next i will be out then , until then i will be watching a lot of You Tube Videos on drone flying do's and dont's  

 Also been spoiling Helen bought her a brand new bright pink Hetty vacum which uses bags fisrt vacum we have had for ages taht you have to add a bag Dysons and Shark vacs both ok for first twelve months then seem to loose performanace Hetty are supposed to be better and for a third of the price ten hypoallergenic bags cost just under a tenner should last a good few months. Helen is getting into diamond painting she has the table and magnifying glass with its own light and the pictures she is very keen she as ordered some really elaborate pictures from the Philippines at quite an elaborate price and delivery cost .

FLIGHT TIME

 SUNDAY - Over the past few years as been talking on the phone to a young lady they have faced timed each other regular over the last year.Yesterday we went to visit her at her home we also took her out so we could she her new home its not far from a marina near the canal all the house are new built its a really nice place to live in between the cities  of Manchester and Liverpool. The Euro football tournament is on Englands first game and England beat Croatia 1-0 .

Arriving back in Holmfirth we went via Tintwhistle which is a very scenic drive on Woodhead road through the Peak District you can follow the road to Lady Bower reservoir where they R.A.F  dam busters flying the Lancaster bombers  practiced dropping the bouncing bomb during  world war 2 .Another victory  for the English , Just for the record  I don't condone any loss of life and would rather we all lived in peace and harmony .

We was planing on going for Sunday dinner at the Fox House but they had stopped serving at seven o clock not sure why because w have eaten their at nine in the evening before .So we got home and ordered a Indian I ordered a mix kebab it was meant as a side dish or starter it had kebab meat and tandoori chicken wrapped in a nan bread I ended dup saving my main dish for the following day it was way too filling .

MONDAY - Its cooler and its raining and its grey not impressed English weather , back at work not impressed with that either .

I finally ordered a drone from Amazon it should have cost me a  £150 but it was reduced to only £99 its  basically only to practice with it as Gps and two batteries and a flight time of 25 minutes it will do to start with if I like flying or if I am apt  then I will invest in maybe a  Dji Mini 2 .

TEA OUT

 Helen is starting to do diamond painting she has ordered her first one its her new hobby a friend she knows has been doing them for years now Helen wants a go .Bought her a folding collapsible A2 tilted table so she can work at a angle and not just on the table top . I use to paint the War Hammer figurines years ago never played the game play just painted the figures was not a complete nerd .

FRIDAY - Thank god thought yesterday which Thursday was Friday  hate it when that happens its like having to work an extra day .At least its delayed the weekend which will still go as quick but not just yet .

Bought some more wood to redo part of the bird table stand its heavier and should be more stable .

Got to work what a shit shift was so glad when it was 2 o'clock and I could head home .

SATURDAY - Helen had a couple of readings to do at the salon starting at three aft we finished we went tour local Inn '" The Boshaw Trout"we both had the haddock and tripe cooked chips which once again was excellent Icouldnt resist we had not eaten all day and I ordered the chocolates fudge cake with cream .

It was sunny and there was a breeze blowing so it was not too hot opposite is a boating lake there was only one boat out he capsized they was fine they had it the right way up in no time .

ONE MORE BIRD TABLE REDESIGNED .

 TUESDAY - Did something we have not done for a while or since lock down  started .We went to Canon Hall Farm for breakfast we both had a full English including black pudding it was excellent ,Bought a rustic looking sunflower that spins in the breeze for the garden .We also bought a few more plants .

After went to a local timber merchant and bought some posts and rough sawn wood to make a bird table for Helens dad its fathers day in a couple of weeks and seeing as my own father has long passed I thought I would put the effort in and make him one , I will creosote it and add some hooks to hang bird feeders of it should he wish .It will only take a few hours to make so its a few hours out of my day well spent working in the sun with a ice cold cloudy cider and a bowl of strawberries and ice cream .The only issue is will it go in the fcuking car as I will be taking it over to his home in York .I think this is the fourth bird table I have done in the last couple of years another issue is I might have to do a different base it is slightly top heavy I used a round pole for the bottom I might have to change this to a flat chunkier square piece of wood and I might reduce the height of the pole .Another idea I could run a black chain from the table to the wooden fence post as it is going in the corner or could do both if I change the base I might reduce the height by a few inch .

GARDENING

SUNDAY - Went to Helens parents static hometown help  finish of the garden had to  dig up some bushes and a fir tree the roots were thick and spread out under the liner I broke the fork handle it was a quite new fork that we took .So went to the local garden centre a few miles away at Upper Poppleton garden to buy a new one .When we got back we  planted a pair of yellow rose trees in two large William Morris glazes pots pots to go on the top of the steps at each side of the door and other in a pot with beach pebbles around the base of the pot which ended up looking quite simple but good .

It was after eight when we arrived back at home its a bout an hours drive it nice being in the summer time as it was s till light .

One thing that they need is a new bird table the old one is rotten and no longer fit for purpose .

PIE

 Looking forward to the weekend two days off will do fo now .The garden furniture is arriving tomorrow it has been made to order hopefully the weather is ok to have a barbecue and we ca sit out in the garden and get some food cooking and some cider drunk .Got a text message the garden furniture is delayed by nearly two weeks not happy .

SATURDAY - Result supermarket selling ten cans of Cloudy apple cider £8 for ten sixteen quid well spent  a deal not to be missed might even go back when passing and get another twenty can never have enough cider .Bought two large punnets of strawberries love them wish my Mum was still with us she be making me a strawberry pie bless her .two things my Mum could cook was dumplings and strawberry pie amazingly well .Her baking skills when it came to fruit pies the best ever never got to wrong we grow up on fruit pie with condensed Carnation cream .

Had a Chinese from a local take away not good the duck curry was rubbery so was the chicken sweet and sour balls the forget the chips a total disappointment will not rush back there in a hurry plus had to go to the co-op to draw some cash from the Atm as they only take cash .

FLAMING JUNE ALREADY

 SUNDAY - Went to Acaster Malbis to Helen's parents went to the garden centre bought 9 x 60l bags of compost for the six troughs they bought to plant up .They also bought plants and rose bushes to go into their garden , it was hot first decent Sunday we have had for a long time .

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - Put a new string of lights up on the pagoda the solar ones have had their day these one are main electric with l.e.d bulbs that are properly sealed against the weather .

Our garden bench table and chairs are being delivered this coming Saturday its been wait hopefully it will have been worth it .That will make the garden more or less done as we have two sheds and a garden rug , bird table . bird bath and pagoda not really any room for anything else.

I have booked two weeks annual leave a week end of June and a week in the end of August I have not told Helen hopefully the weather is still good hopefully we can  get to the east coast have some seaside fish and chips droughts and ice cream .

Ordered another belt of eBay this time in grey I have also bought a File back back for when we got out for the day I have one for work that is permanent  in my boot I can't empty to use its too much hassle .

WEDNESDAY - Cant believe we are in June already the year is flying by the sun put in an appearance the last few days then Friday it started rain hope flaming June returns soon .

Put some paving flags at the side of helens shed also beded them down using cement did an upstand using flags and used mastic to seal alone the top edge hopefully to help keep it more water proof . I also raised the wood at the side of the flower trough to stop the dogs getting on I pointed along the bottom and side to stop the soil coming out when watering the garden .The new wood wants creosote to match the rest that's a job for Helen .