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Well what a boring day today has been........ the people in charge have come up with a great idea.... why not charge those people that stay for only six days £20 more than those that stay for eight? ........ makes total economic sense to me .......NOT! ........ those staying for six days will book eight and pretend they've returned early! Feeling really cream crackered tonight and I've still got two days to go.

YAHOOOOOO! LOLOLOL!

Yeahhhh! I'm feeling very pleased with myself....I just tried a mock CPC exam paper and I reckon I got enough points for a pass. In part A you need to get at least 65%, I reckon I got 73.5% in part B you need enough to make an average of 50% over the 2 parts, which meant I needed 12.5/45...... I made it 32/45 so I would have managed to pass....let's hope the real thing goes as well on 6th March.....I hope so it's my 4th attempt. I'm a bit upset I had to cancel a planned trip to Bristol to see my son and his family and my daughter.... but I'll get to see them in May so all's not lost...... Pauline has just cooked me pancakes .........for LUNCH!!!! lololol

Another saturday (night) lottery and I ain't got a winner, got no money cuz I ain't been paid

Well so much for yesterdays national lottery ....another dismal failure. Black Cats manage a draw against the Arsenal and the Robins win away from home ..... 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I wish work days went by as quick as rest days appear to. Pauline has decided to buy her Inhalator tomorrow, it costs £20 but she could save more than that this week by not buying any more ciggies..... been watching some of the races from the 2008 BTCC .....I'd love to have a go at that. I must get some studying done tomorrow my exam is now less than 2 weeks away and I need to pass this time if only for my own sanity.... the only problem I have is the company seem to want me to pass just to put a name on their O license..... they then think they can do what they like and if any problems arise it's my neck on the chopping block .....how wrong they are....... VOSA take no prisoners, it's not just me that carries the can ........anyway if they don't play ball I just write to VOSA and tell them I'm withdrawing my name as CPC holder.

It IS really that bad!

Well things must be getting bad.... the airport are reducing their managers by 14 to save money..... one of the victims was Bob my boss.... shame really he was just beginning to chill...... we now have a couple of new shifts to spread the workforce even thinner.... nice to see Kris write something again, he told me originally his was going to be a DAILY blog.... knew it wouldn't be.... shift work doesn't play ball to be able to do that..... hope Thomas enjoys himself at Maxine's...... restarted my Wii-fit routine yesterday, going to try my best and do it every other day...... probably end up doing it once a week or 4 days on the trot (my rest days)....... still.... I'm going to have another go at losing some weight by exercising, we'll see how I manage, dieting may come in later if the exercise goes well.

Grrr....I could crush a grape!

Isn't it typical of management, not only do they moan and groan because you have made other arrangements (on your day off) when they want you to come to work for some 'compulsory training' at short notice (yes it's compulsory training but in their time not mine) they don't even tell you when it and the team briefing on the same day has been cancelled, so you do a 40 mile round trip during rush hour for nothing....... I'm just glad I didn't get up early this morning and pay a fiver for a Metro ticket to get in for the training....... I'm still putting in an overtime sheet for tonight if only to cover the cost of the petrol I've used.....................

WOMEN!!

Isn't it just typical of a woman? ...all week she kept asking "Have you got me a Valentine card yet?" to which the reply was "No!"....... as I was working Mon-Thurs dayshift I decided I would get one Friday...... she has got overtime so has the car...... that's okay I can go and get it Friday p m........ forgot she has to get Evie from school....... that's okay Asda is open all night...... everytime I move "Where are you going?" then the business about not seeing the doc..... I was feeling SOD YOU!...... anyway she went to bed, I watched a bit of tele till about 11.30....... I then decided I'd go to Asda..... off I go, get her a card and a pressie..... what do I get last night when she gets home from work? ...... "I can't believe you went out late last night just to get me a card"..... I did get a thank you for them though and a box of Ferrero Roche which she bought because she doesn't like them so won't be eating any..... then spent the rest of the night moaning that she should have bought the Aeros because they were on special and she could eat one .................................WOMEN!!!

What a bummer of a post!

Well what a strange day it has been....time has flown by ....all I've done today is clear the path and driveway of snow...... P thinks she may have PCC again and has said she's not keeping her appointment with the gynecologist on the 31st March, she doesn't know if she could go through 'that' again.... I say stuff what you think you can't go through, I don't think I could stand by and watch you die from cancer! .... but then with the smoking I suppose there's a good chance of that happening anyway.......................................................

So much for a days skive...... DfT workshop turned out to only be a half day one so I was back at work by 13:15..... managed to pick up some useful paperwork though and realise what a mountain it's going to be for companies to put their drivers through the new Driver CPC, which of course is NOT a money making scheme for the EU but a drive to make the roads a safer place and cut operators costs (muted: BULLSH*TE from the back of the room). Why does a driver like myself with over 35 years experience and an almost accident free (a couple of minor bumps)record suddenly need to taught safe driving skills and vehicle sympathy???? I could go on but there's no point...... flipping OCR are late releasing the next Case Study Scenario for the March exam ..... it's only 3 weeks on Friday and nothing on the web site...well time for a cuppa ...bye bye!!

GOD today went by very slowly unlike yesterday which flew by.... enjoyed getting behind the wheel of the bus again for a few hours, soooo relaxing, even though all we seem to pick up is members of staff.... off on a jolly to the local Holiday Inn tomorrow which should be good.... just a shame the boss is tagging along.... very tired though so that's all for today....

No luck!

Well last night's lottery draw was a let down AGAIN! Only 2 numbers...so back to work tomorrow... which should be an interesting day... my main ops support guy has been moved to another shift... my main bus driver is on holiday AAANNNND Mr Moanalot from Pam's shift is starting a 4 am - 4 pm shift which puts him on with me on days. What good that shift is going to be I don't know, can't understand John taking it. He doesn't like nights because he says he can't sleep during the day but to start at 4 am he will be going to bed about 6/7 pm to be up at 2 am to come to work, give me 6 pm to 6 am anytime. Well the weather has disappointed me... we had a little bit of snow yesterday which soon vanished later when it rained a little ... it's just very cold now. Priced up my new car if I decide to get it... 1.6 duratorq diesel Zetec Fiesta 3 door (was thinking of a 5 door but I think 3 would be better) in Tango Red or Morello... of course all this depends on me being able to get my Unilever pension in November and not losing too much to the tax man. Having said that I'd LOVE to go back to a big automatic... A4/A6 ... 2.5 Omega, something like that, as £13-14k seems a lot for a Fiesta even with all the toys on it... I could pick up a decent Omega 2.5TD CDX for about £8k

NO BLOG TODAY........A VERY BORING DAY......RAINS A CAME DOWN......... AND WASHED THE SNOW AWAY.................AGAIN!.................let's hope tonights lottery draw goes better

well the sh*te is hitting the fan at work...... people are being moved ....... god! have you ever heard of a company that want you to work as a team and then move everybody around because you're too friendly...... surely that's how teamwork works?....... 'Teachers Pet' has been sending out his snide little e mails again...... the audit rolls from the payment machines are usually put into a plastic bag and left on the admin desk...... last night on shift the guys forgot to take one with them, so I left the rolls neatly together next to the printer..... get an e mail sent to ALL team leaders saying the rolls have been left lying all over the place on the last three nights..... jeezzzz talk about imagination. Kris will be glad to know this time I bit my tongue and just deleted the e mail even though it said, read - do not delete on it. He's really got more of a knob-head than usual since being nominated as 'learner of the year' from our site for the NECC, he's the only one that has completed the course..... everybody else had to wait. Shame we're in the middle of a recession, I might be able to find a job with sensible bosses. Snow again today but nothing like they predicted.

Good morning world!.....what a quiet night that was .....We took the princely sum of £68 all night .. £20 of that was because a business guy had to stay 4 days longer than he expected. It was so quiet I went out and did the car count myself for something to do.... one little bit of excitement, a chap fell asleep on the last Metro and ended up at the airport.... problem being he has a court order against him, he's not allowed within 2 miles of the airport ..... that brought out the airport security and police including Special Branch in stab proof vests when he was spotted on CCTV....anyway he was eventually collared in the Britannia Hotel foyer waiting for a taxi he had just phoned. When the taxi arrived and the driver saw the police etc he refused to pick the guy up, so he ended up getting arrested for breaking the court injunction. The two guys I work with have been 'taking the mick' something rotten the last couple of nights..... I told them I was off next Weds as I was going to a DFT workshop with the boss and one of the mechanics from the MT dept, no prob so far, then when I said it was at the Holiday Inn it was 'Oh yes going to an hotel with Bob huh, got a room as well huh' and because Bob has just had a tendon op on his hand and has to use E45 to keep the scar moist so it doesn't split, the comments about rubber gloves, walking with a squeek and just bend over and pick that up for me! have been endless..... they're only jealous because I'm getting out for the day.

Well I cant believe it's Weds already, last nightshift tonight then off till Monday. Found out that a couple of letchers from work tried it on with Mandy on Sat after I'd left. Instead of telling them to FRO! she was all diplomatic and played the 'I can't because we work together and I just wouldn't with someone I work with' card. Just read an e mail from my son with reference to his school reunion and meeting up with his mate after........... Nick puts a whole new meaning to the word sanity. Having said that he's the best ex-lodger I've ever had. Forgot to take my bait with me to work last night..... I walked into the office with a carrier bag in my hand and John (systems developement) asks if there's any food in it. I said no, he says 'you only said that because you know I'd want some if there was' I explained that I'd left my bait at home by mistake......he asks if I'd like a frozen meal out of his home freezer(he lives in an airport owned house across the road) I say 'no, thats okay thanks'.... he insists ...I say ok what do you have...... fish pie, spag bog. I say fish pie would be very nice thanks........ two hours later I get a phone call the fish pie is ready to pick up..... I send some one to get it........ was a strange fish pie .....tasted of an Italian meat and pasta dish I've had previously......... so I've got my version of Nick too!

Newcastle night out

Well last night went well....... all seemed pleased to see me and several said how nice it was to see me out, as it had been two and a half years since the last time, which was Steve Puckett's leaving do at the Wings Bar. I was amazed how cheap the beer was given the horrendous prices down on the quayside. Had a lovely couple of pints of Bass Premium which went down like water mmmm mmmmm. Liz, who is Mandy's friend seemed to be in high spirits before we even started drinking, I think she could be a good laugh at a party as the night drew on. Just before I left she was inviting everybody to Liverpool next August(2010) on a weekend away to celebrate her 40th birthday. Missed the metro I was supposed to catch home but luckily the next was only 16 minutes away. Pauline pretended to be annoyed about it but I could tell she wasn't, even had a chicken pizza cooking for me when we got home. One annoying thing, I wont find out how the rest of the night went for a few days, until I meet up with Mandy or Peter again. I start nightshift tonight, so a fairly easy set of shifts coming up with the runway closed from 10.30 pm until 6 am Mon-Fri for repairs, which, they expect to last up until the begining of April. The whole area for miles around is slowly sinking in places, around old mine workings due to the dry winters and wet summers we've had lately affecting ground movements.