New Year? what's changed?

I spent a lovely four days over Christmas in Bristol with my children and grandchildren, it was really funny watching the little ones opening their presents. Got told off again by my son and d-in-l for spending too much and yet again explained that if I lived in Bristol and saw them every week or so, over a year they would probably get a lot more spent on them! I was full of anticipation, expecting Thom to be really excited when he opened one and found what he had asked for in it, but kids being kids it was 'oh yes I wanted that! but I'm too busy playing with my little toy Woody out of Toy Story' Poor Isabel was just too overwhelmed to get excited, Peppa Pig was EVERYWHERE! Noah was busy playing with all his stuff for a couple of minutes each but always ended up with his kitchen, which was very smart and took his dad AAAGGEEESSS to put together the night before (lololol) Poor Catherine hasn't had her present yet due to a mistake in the delivery address but that should be sorted soon. Pauline had a very expensive bottle of perfume(eau du parfan) and I'll have to spoil her a bit more at the end of this month as it's her birthday. Then came New Year's Eve, I had a few tinnies and a liquer coffee and enjoyed a pleasant evening with Pauline who was not feeling too bright. Nothing has changed at work(yet!) I've still not heard from Arriva and don't really expect to, I think they think I live too far away, still something will come along and there's always the lottery to win

Holidays are coming....the holidays are com........

Can't believe it! in less than 10 hours I shall be embarking on my long awaited journey to Bristol for the Xmas holiday. The weather is threatening to spoil it but I'm sure I'll get there. As usual I have so much to do and only four days to do it in, still I'll have a go! (Don't mean to sound like Santa there lolol) Hoping 2011 brings a change of fortune as well as a New Year, having said that 2010 is ending well.

10 days to go.........

Well not long to go now, only ten days and I'm off to Bristol for Christmas. I'm really looking forward to it so I hope the weather is okay. This one is special as it will be my first Christmas day in Bristol since moving to Sunderland in 2001 and being with my kids and the grandchildren will be wonderful. There are plenty of presents to be distributed. I'm disappointed Pauline is not coming with me but I do understand her reasons for staying home.

All's well that ends................

I received some good news this morning, my request to transfer my private reg to the Fusion has been given the go ahead by the DVLA, I just have to inform Kwik-fit Insurance now. The Micra is great and I've sorted out what the 'noises' are by adjusting the tyre pressures, it also came with a surprise gift..... a child's booster seat in the boot lolol. The garage that has looked after the Astra since I've had it have decided that they will buy it from me to use as a loan car. All-in-all I'm quite pleased with the way things have worked out as we have had the equivalent of over £800 for the Astra, which I would never have got by selling in privately. After a blog from my son I'm glad to hear he has finally found out what is causing his back problems and that although it is not curable it is treatable and should not cause him too much bother in the future as long as he follows the prescribed treatment. Christmas is almost upon us and I'm getting a little excited about spending it with family in Bristol for the first time since moving to Sunderland in 2001

It's been over two weeks since my last blog and I decided it's about time I did another. A few things have happened, namely I'm a year older and feeling it (lol) Pauline and me have decided to sell the Astra and have bought a V reg Nissan Micra Profile with only 23000 genuine miles on the clock, only problem it's metallic GREEN, like the Astra which failed it's MOT this week (for the first time). It won't take too much to get it through, it's only the front brake balance, it's due new discs and pads anyway (£60ish). I will transfer the number off the Astra onto the Fusion before the end of the month. Someone who will not be named made a comment about driving a 'shoe box', good I thought from someone who has owned several Clios and now has an Audi TT! Work has gone really quiet, too quiet but that's the winter season. Everybody is on edge as there is talk of the shift pattern changing to 6 on (3 early + 3 late) 3 off, which cuts right down on the number of weekends we get off, though it does mean shorter shifts. I don't like the idea of always finishing on late shift and starting on early shift. The first 'rest' day is always spent catching up on your sleep. All the bus drivers at work are a little angry with the company as they are refusing to put us through our driver CPC course so we can keep our licences legal as they are now asking why they employ PCV drivers when it's private land? and why are we paying them extra to 'sit on their backsides all day'? All I can say to that is we are paid extra because we had what the company needed and the insurance costs are lower because we do. There have been a couple of interesting driving jobs advertised but all involved nights away, I don't think I could go back to that, I'm still keeping a look out.

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!