`The Aftermath 29/06/2012!'

What a day yesterday was, driving along in sunshine minding my own business, make a right turn and......... WHO TURNED OFF THE SUN??? Blimey those clouds do not look very inviting.. FLASH... SIZZLE.... BANG!  The whole bus vibrates from the clap of thunder directly overhead, twenty yards later with the wipers going full tilt I have to stop because I can't see where I'm going!  To cut a long story short there followed the worst storm I have ever witnessed.  The Whitley Bay area was just one big pond, one street had a foot high wall of water running down it, surprised no cars were washed along the road.  The trip that was supposed to take an hour to complete took over two, everywhere I went there were flooded roads to go along, it was like several million gallon buckets of  rain had just been tipped on Whitley Bay at the same time.  Needless to say I lost quite a lot of mileage.  The delays did not end there!  Making my way back to the depot I joined a queue of traffic stretching for miles.  After about forty five minutes of going nowhere I decide to take my chances and leave the main road for an alternative route.  This turned out to be a very good decision, for although it took me a further hour to do the fifteen minute journey back to the depot (passing several vehicles stuck in floods, strangely most seemed to be BMWs and one of our own vehicles bogged down on a grass verge) other drivers that had stayed on the Coast Road in front of me took over four hours.

The journey home looked daunting, I had left my car at South Hylton Metro Station and travelled in on the Metro.  The service was now suspended, I decide to walk the short journey to the Haymarket to see if I could get a bus to Sunderland or make my way to the Central Station and catch a local train home.  Being in my Arriva uniform was not a good thing, people were stopping me and asking the most stupid questions like "where are all the buses? I've been waiting for two hours and not seen one" and " why isn't the Metro running?" some even threatening my well being, I eventually find a service that will at least get me to Washington Galleries which is only about three miles from home and much better than the twelve mile hike I would have had without it!  Pauline eventually picks me up from nearby the Galleries and I arrive home around eleven p.m from leaving home at eight thirty a.m  Most of the rain water had disappeared from the roads by yesterday (Friday) morning, there were still a few 'swimming pools' in local fields but no closed roads thank god!  The Metro was still suspended and the traffic on the roads was horrendous but things were moving.  Apparently it was a very rare occurrence, three types of storm in one, likened to the those they have occasionally in some tropical and American regions.  Is this the future of the English summer? probably!

I'm now waiting for the builder that re-felted the out house roof to arrive, the corner blew up in the wind on Thursday night and he needs to re-fit it today!  He will probably want more money to do it but in my mind it's happened because he did not do a proper job, none of the other roofs in the area have had a problem and there are quite a few as the council re-did all their out houses last year.

#I can see clearly now........ soon

Well what an eventful time it's been since my last mutterings!  I have been to Bristol to see family and some old friends (one whom I met by the strangest coincidence) I bought Thom and Izzy their birthday presents whilst there.  I know Izzy enjoyed her's and I'm hoping Thom will enjoy his next month just as much!  Noah was his usual chatty self though he did catch a dose of tonsillitis just after I left.
My first anniversary at Arriva has come and gone, we've had the roof on the garage rebuilt and felted properly, an expensive but quality job done this time, funny how builders always find problems at the point of no return during a job.
Yesterday we went and ordered ourselves some new spectacles from Specsavers, my prescription was the same as last time, just a one point upgrade on the reading portion to help with the ticket machine screen at work.  I decided to get a pair of prescription polarised sunglasses this time, my Transition lenses are okay for every day use but they do not stop the glare off things like car bodies on sunny days, only draw back it means I'll need to carry both pairs of glasses with me at work.  Pauline had a bit of a shock as her's changed quite dramatically, having said that she has been complaining about not being able to see clearly with her old glasses for a while.
The car performed excellently on the way home, 70 mpg, still not refilled yet (over 500mls later) but will need to today or tomorrow after work.  Had a drive of Kris' Clio 182 Sport, very nice it was too! I need to visit the Post Office collection centre today to get my parcel for Father's Day from Kris and Nikki, can't wait cuz it's my windscreen detailing stuff, hopefully no more greasy screen!

Two months!?

Can't believe it's been almost two months since I last blogged!  Life's chugging along, nothing really exciting has happened apart from going into more debt to do things in/to the house.  Found out we had a water leak under the kitchen sink when the lino started to rise up in waves also realised the cupboard under the sink was looking a funny shape.  After the tumble dryer and the kitchen light fitting the dish washer has given up the ghost.  Now waiting for the oven to go bang, everything else I brought up with me from Bristol has gone bang and the washing machine has had so many repairs it's almost new anyway.

 Relieved to hear 'the boy' had sold his motorcycle and decided to go back to four wheels again, looking forward to my test drive next week (snigger).

 Next Tuesday sees my first anniversary with Arriva (it's just whizzed by) and that means a ten pence an hour rise WHOO HOOO!  Been putting in a lot of hours the last couple of weeks and I'm really glad my holiday is here.  The drivers at work awarded me with a medal after I 'took out' a stupid cyclist who had decided to cross the road in front of my bus without looking, really made a mess of his back wheel and I don't think his girlfriend will be caressing his bearings for a few days, poor fellow looked in real pain.  It must have been a close call as my boss said he'd watched the c.c.t.v footage and was expecting to see a head come through the screen.  A mate I worked at the airport with has written off his Scooby, I upset him by posting on FB ... Chris Chapman's Scooby Doo is now Scrappy Doo! which is a shame as it was the first thing that came into my head when I heard the news and I thought it was quite witty!

Off to Bristol again for a long weekend on Friday, it will be very nice to see the family again.  Also hoping to get to see an old friend I found thanks to FB, if he's not on holiday again

Feeling better..........

April Fool's Day today and I believe I am finally over the lergy I brought back from Bristol.  I ended up working two days whilst on holiday last week, not that I mind as overtime has been a bit on the short side this year, the only problem, as usual the wages department have messed up again and still owe me 9 1/2 hrs pay.  Managed to get overtime this week too, even better when you remember Friday is a Bank Holiday and we run a Sunday service.  So instead of a 9 1/2 hour shift I'm only doing a 6 hour shift but get 9 1/2 hrs pay plus a twenty quid supplement.  The Ops Manager also said something about me working Easter Monday, so as that's a rest day, that means more overtime and a lieu day.  Still waiting to hear about the Malta position but life has to go on.  Still can't believe I've been at Arriva for ten months already it doesn't seem that long at all.

Had a good laugh at all the motorists panicking and spending time in long queues to fill up with fuel, don't they realise the sooner you fill up the sooner you have to refill so you do not benefit.  Glad I got a diesel at least there was plenty to go round and for the amount of petrol Pauline uses if push came to shove I could use her car for work.(now-now Pauline you know you don't mean it!)

Yes it is the lergy!

Well after my little scare on Wednesday and my relief when it stopped it seems I celebrated a little too early!  I have had a sore-ish throat and a niggling pain, extending from the right side of my neck up over my head to just above my right eye, since Thursday morning, got the sniffles too!   Time for the brandy and hot lemon I think!

Oh No not the lergy!?!?!?

Came back from my visit to Bristol on Monday.  My arrival was delayed after some poor van driver veered off a bridge over the M42 near junction 8, hitting a lorry and at least one other vehicle.  The wreckage of his van looked like a trailer that had flipped onto it's side.  Anyway I had a great time, spent an extra day with 'the boy' as he wasn't feeling well so was off work.  Everyone seems happy enough, despite lingering colds etc.

Had a phone call yesterday 'begging' me to go to work today as they were short of drivers.  Started the day well and then, around midday I started to get a sore throat and about half an hour later the headache started.  Praying it wasn't the same as the lergy my son and his wife have had I continued with my day.  Luckily by the time I finished the headache and sore throat had gone, PHEW!!!

Took Catherine to work on Sunday and helped her get the equipment for the lessons up and ready.  After seeing the way she was shaking those poles about to check they were up safely I was feeling sorry for anyone that gets her riled, she was like a terrier with a rag.

First visit of 2012

Off to Bristol on Friday for my first visit of 2012.  It will be good seeing the family again and give me a chance to go to South Bristol Crem and place some flowers in memory of my Mum on Mothers Day! Will also probably take the local 'Apple Tech. Dept.' out for a pint or two as he's going to help me re-boot my laptop.

Finally got  to the local NHS Centre today and asked about the results from the blood tests I had done back in December, the receptionist didn't want to give them to me... "We usually give out results between 2 & 5pm"  "Well I won't be here then! and as you're doing nothing else at this moment can't you look them up for me?"  Anyway everything is now 'normal' including my blood pressure(YEAHHH!) so going on the diet and exercise program has done me a lot of good!  I need to find a way of getting some more exercise though as I've had to cancel my gym membership.  Hopefully they will bring back the 'Cycle to Work' campaign again this April and I can get some help to buy a bike, I can then go to the local cycleway and spend some time riding along that 3 or 4 times a week for an hour or so.  Depending on the cost I might try and get one for Pauline too!........... (I'll wait for the cries of 'I can't ride a bike!')

Had a letter off the Pensions Service this morning.... I now have to work until November 2020 before I can draw my state pension, at least it's only a year longer than expected, Pauline has to wait an extra SIX years for hers.  I think raising it by that amount in one go was a bit much, they could have done it by a year every 3 or 5 years, it's DOUBLED the time she has to go now before she can draw her pension!

What song would you say?

Sat here this morning checking some dates for a possible visit to Bristol when a question popped into my mind out of nowhere.  What song would I say describes how I feel about my life?  Hmmm...... when I'm feeling a little down it has to be 'I started a joke' by the Bee Gees.  When things are going great then 'For ever in Blue Jeans' by Neil Diamond.  A song that makes me cry? 'Tell me there's a Heaven' by Chris Rea, a song I can relax to? 'Albatross'  A song I immediately turn off? 'Sitting on the Dock of a Bay'  There are countless songs that make me feel good, too many to list. Just thought I'd put this into a quick blog!

Is it my fault?...... probably!

I have just made a shocking discovery, someone close has as many emotional 'hang-ups' as I have.  Do I feel guilty about it!?!?!?!? Shit yes! of course I do! It's not until you're older you realise how your own emotionally charged upbringing affected the way you treated your own children.  You try to be a 'good' parent but without realising it the past gets repeated.  There have been some fantastic highs, some lows,one, a really low point (which thankfully never came to it's ultimate conclusion, thanks to a timely phone call for which I am eternally grateful! and hopefully it will never occur again)  Having come from a background where 'love of family' was never really shown, anger being the main expression of emotion, holding in emotions becomes second nature and causes a lot of inner pain, anguish AND guilt.  I have made decisions in the recent past, which, to others may have seemed easy and selfish.  They were neither easy or selfish, there was a lot of deep soul searching and thought before the result was concluded.  There are times when I regret making those decisions but also times I'm very happy I did!  I sometimes wish I was emotionally more self-confident, wishing to tell those I love dearly how much I love and miss them and how proud I am of them. If I was I'd probably be able to tell them instead of not being able 'to find the right time' or 'the right words'.  I suppose really any time is 'the right time' and 'I love you, miss you and am proud of you' is the only way to say it!......................................... SHIT!!!!! I need professional help!! SERIOUSLY!! TOO MUCH BURIED CRAP EATING AWAY MY LIFE!!

It's only a quick drink!

Went out with some pals from my days at the airport on Friday afternoon. Yes! what started out as a few pints turned into a few more, I was still able to make my own way home though!  Really enjoyed catching up on what's been happening to people.  Funny thing is out of the five of us there, four now work for Arriva.

Decided it's time my car had a service, it's had an oil and filter change but that's all.  This time it'll be the full works with proper Ford parts, they aren't that much more expensive.  Tom will order a service kit for me (trade price) and then do it for me next month when I'm off for a few days. I've put nearly 25k on the clock since  mid-November 2009, it's now almost on 29k and will be 30k by the time it gets serviced.