Halloween woes

What a week-end this is going to be! a thirteen hour shift tonight, the first of four. Had the renewal quotes from Swinton for the Astra and the Fusion, the Astra isn't too bad, it's only about twenty quid more. The Fusion? well that has almost doubled to six hundred. Swinton say they have an alternative quote of just over four hundred, I've been on the net and had a quote of three hundred and twenty including protected no claims and excess insurance so if Swinton want to keep both cars they have to come down quite a bit. Still keeping an eye out for another job, most of them are temporary via agencies which I don't really want and the permanent ones are all basic wage. Looking forward to my three days holiday next week, thinking of having a very good drink on my birthday as I've got a FULL fridge of beer LOLOLOLOL. Pauline is very happy with the new system at work as it's given her a 7 am until 2 pm shift today and a few other good shifts. Time to go and get some dinner and think about sandwiches for work.

It's about time!

It's been three weeks since my last blog and I thought it was about time I did another. I have recently applied unsuccessfully for two new jobs, one for Go North East who plainly do not want me as within days of turning me down(for the third time) they place posts at TWO different depots on the Job Centre web site. The other was for a local dairy but I didn't really expect to get that and they did send a very pleasant e mail letting me know I hadn't got the job within hours of applying. So the mind set now is- I'M NOT GETTING THE JOB BECAUSE A)I'M GOING TO WIN THE LOTTERY SOON or B)THE JOB FOR ME HASN'T COME UP YET SO I'M BETTER OFF STAYING WHERE I AM UNTIL IT DOES! Funny thing is I feel quite cheerful since thinking that, I know I'm mad! you don't have to tell me! I'm now skint, had to pay thirty quid for road tax on the Fusion this week (LOLOLOLOLOLOL) next month will be worse the insurance is due on the Astra and the Fusion. All in all life is pretty settled at the moment while we gear up for Xmas shopping madness

almost over and time to re-join the rat race.....

My holiday finishes tonight, tomorrow it's time to rejoin the rat race once more. Still I only have a few weeks then I have 12 days off again over my birthday, I hope. I say that because I received a call from Go-Ahead tonight just before 6pm asking me in for an interview next Wednesday (6th), I applied on-line for a job at their new Consett depot. This will be my 3rd attempt at getting back onto service work, I hope it works out this time. Although I like the 4 on 4 off shift system as it gives me plenty of chance to get down to Bristol to see family, I'm starting to feel some of the signs that were on MSN the other day about 'When it's time to change your job!' I haven't just started showing these signs, I only read the article to see if I had any, which I did. I'll still have holidays, so will be able to get to Bristol and depending on the shifts I may even get the occasional long week end, we'll have to wait and see how things go. I'd love to be able to hand my notice in to Conehead and see the look on his face when yet another member of staff resigns since he's been in charge lololololol

Not being nasty but!.... I hope I never see you again!

Made another visit to the hospital in Newcastle again today. Traffic was rather busy and I was a little late for my appointment. I only put an hour's parking on the ticket and sure as eggs are eggs everybody is running late. After sitting in the waiting room like a lemon for almost an hour, I decide I need to go and put some more money on the parking ticket. Just as I decide to go out a nurse calls my name, typical! she informs me and two other people that we're going to be taken to the main x-ray department as it will be quicker than waiting for the usual one. I tell her about my parking and she says not to worry about it as I have an appointment, jeez all the times I've put extra money in. Within ten minutes of having the x-ray I'm called in to see Mr Williams, he makes a few comments about how 'nice' and well the break has repaired. Then he asks me to stand up, puts one hand on my right shoulder, grabs my right wrist and starts to lift my arm in the air. He lifts it up so far and says 'goood' then he lifts as far as he can until he gets some resistance, then, he lifts a further couple of inches which almost makes my eyes pop out and says 'you need to push it a little harder and get it moving' I squeak a reply that I'll try and then he tells me he no longer needs to see me again....... THANK GOODNESS!

A good time was ............

The holiday is nearly over, I have just seven days left. Off to Newcastle Royal on Thursday for hopefully my last visit to see the consultant about my arm. I'm not getting any pain from the injury itself but the muscles etc can be a bit sore if I'm not careful, still it's only just over three months since my fall and I was told it could take up to two years to recover from it. The start of my holiday was great, we had a few days in Bristol with my kids and grandchildren but as usual that was over in a flash and it was time to leave. We progressed to East Finchley in London and stayed a couple of days with Pauline's younger daughter. During the journey I managed to get the official mpg figure quoted by Ford of 72.2 mpg out of the car, for the whole trip down south it was an average 63.8 which is great. While in London we went to Camden Market, a very interesting place but a bit 'samey' in all the different sections. We had lunch at an ALL YOU CAN EAT Chinese restaurant, very nice. We also went to Brent Cross Shopping Centre which may have been something special when it first opened but is now quite common. Roll on six weeks time when I get another twelve days off around my birthday, then six weeks after that? yes another twelve days off over Xmas woohoo!

Here we are!..............

Here we are, too many days since my last blog!  I really don't have that much happening in my life at the moment.  The return to work has been pretty uneventful though it is quite nice being back driving the bus.  I've had a letter from the Union's solicitors telling me I do not have a very good chance of getting any payout for what happened as it's very difficult to prove negligence on the part of the company.
I'm still looking for another job and have phone Arriva's Blyth Depot as they are advertising for experienced drivers and are offering a reasonable salary. It is slightly further away than the airport and an extra day a week but shorter hours and an extra £40 a week which is always welcome.
Pauline had a surprise on Monday morning, she went to the car to drive to work and .............. nothing! the battery was flat, we tried our 'jump pack' but no go.  We managed to get it going with a jump off my little diesel but she didn't take it to work, which was just as well because even after a half hour run around it would not restart off the key.  So it's looking like a new battery or looking for something that's draining the power, still I can't complain it's the first time in over 8 1/2 years the car has given up on us.  

I can't wait........

It's now 22:55, I should really be in bed as I have to be up at 04:00 to do my exercises and get ready for work, a drive that usually takes around 25 minutes at 5 in the morning.  I've decided to do my exercises first thing on a morning, at lunch time and then when I get home on the evening about 7ish.  I started doing one that I was previously having problems with, mainly due to the lack of strength in my right arm, which is lying on my back on the floor and bringing my arm up over and behind my head as far as I can whilst keeping it straight.  It seems to have helped quite a bit with the general mobility of my arm.  I have noticed that I can now lift my elbow away from my side when using my right arm where previously it was as though my waist and elbow were glued together.

I can't wait to get into work and get back driving the bus, being in the office last week was aggravating my lower back and causing a problem I hadn't had since going back bus driving in January.  I don't know who will be in the office as the team leader is still on holiday, I just know it won't be me!

Back to 'Normality'

That's my first set of duties for seven and a half weeks finished, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting.  I tried a partial shift on the bus last night and after 5 1/2 hours I felt like I'd just started, the 'new' buses are so easy to drive and very comfortable I could drive for a whole 12 hour shift.  I've had a couple of disagreements with other members of staff, they all presumed because I was in the office that I was in charge, I told them I was just covering the office side of things.  My supervisor will be getting an e mail to tell him I'm going back on the bus from my next set of shifts as working in the office again has brought back my lower back problem that I haven't had since moving out.  My arm has stood up well to the time on the bus in fact it feels quite good today.


On another note! I'm upset that it's 'that time of year' again, yes the start of the bloody football season, the tv is full of adverts for the matches and Sky Sports in HD, why can't they just do their adverts on the sports channels? the majority of viewers aren't interested in football. 

Almost time..............

Almost time to go back to work, 24 hours in fact!  Went to see the physio this morning, I now have a young lady called Lisa, she has given me some more strengthening exercises to do along with the mobility ones that Jed gave me.  I was also given a stronger exercise band, the only problem being it's condom pink.  I've also had a call from the UNITE union solicitor about a possible claim being put in, after answering all her questions she said she would write to me in a week or so.
We went to one of my friends house for a meal on Saturday evening, he lives in South Gosforth, Newcastle.  He made a beef lasagne, which although was nice did not really have as much taste to it as the one Pauline makes.  All in all it was a very pleasant evening, Pauline and Jacquie seemed to get along very well, they spent quite a while discussing some 'autobiographies' they've read written by adults who were abused by their parents when they were young. 
I think my next blog will probably be after this set of night shifts I will be starting tomorrow.

All good things must come to an end!

Well that's the end of my extended holiday, went and saw the doctor this morning and she's given me a 'sick' note that says I'm unfit for work but maybe fit if I have a phased return with modified duties, so I'm starting back next Wednesday, a week earlier than planned but I was getting my arm 'twisted', not my bad one I must say.  Going back on nights, to see how it goes, the new boss is being really good about it and has said if I have any concerns regarding my fitness to carry on then please let him know and he'll try and help if he can, with hours and days worked.  The arm twisting bit was they have a few on holiday next shift pattern and I feel a bit guilty as I feel I could quite easily cope with the office up to my hols in September and then when I return I should be okay to go back on the bus, anyway we'll see how it goes as it's still a week away.