Peer To Peer

Erm... Hello?

Thought it was about time I wrote something on here.  I really do blame the other blog for zapping all my blogginess.  Anyway, at least I have somewhere to come that doesn't involve me posting photo's every day!

At the weekend just gone, we attended Phil's 50th birthday party. It was - superb.  Just about everyone there had a grand old time and celebrated way into the early hours.  The next day, however, Deb and I were good for nothing.  The joys of getting old (and out of practise!)

Deb joined slimming world on Monday and has introduced a new diet, or rather, a new way of eating.  I don't mean like ingesting food up her nose or anything, it's more of a new way of thinking when it comes to food.  I, too, have become a little more health conscious.  I will now admit that my middle is slightly larger than it used to be.  So, in my own way, I'm doing something about it.  I'm never going to proudly announce that I've lost 2 stone in the last week or anything like that, but - I recognise that it is too big, and I'm dealing with it.  My wife has been excellent regarding my taking part in the healthy eating business.  I will be honest, I was worried that she'd be on my back about it and I knew that that would have the opposite effect. As it is, she's ace. She herself is doing really well thus far and we've had some lovely healthy meals this week. 

I went swimming last week and loved it!  Well, I would have loved it more if it hadn't been full of pensioners complaining about how full it was!  I am also toying with possibly maybe riding my bike to work occasionally?  I did it a few years ago (rode to my sisters which is a stones throw from work), and it did almost kill me.  Maybe next time, I'll ride a tad slower.

Last week, I went for a hair cut at Dads and Lads in Springfield (not the Simpsons one).  The lady barber was chatting away about nothing, as usual, and when she'd almost finished, she asked me a question that I have never ever been asked before. I didn't know how to respond to it. I was literally lost for words.  She said "would you like me to trim your eyebrows, love?".  She must have seen the puzzled look on my face because without me speaking, she acknowledged it was no, and started brushing hairs off my neck instead.  The more I think about it, the more puzzled I am.  I'm hardly Denis Healey!

Had a proper panic in work the other day.  The "wiki" that I have developed over the last almost two years resides on quite an old server, and it died.  A man drove from Liverpool to Salford at 4am to try and fix it, but it was not to be.  Fortunately, later in the day, a man and a woman went from Manchester to Salford and they were able to fix it for me.  I was very worried.

On Sunday (the day before slimming world), we had a Peters tea (the local Chinese).  It's only a few minutes walk from our house, so I did just that.  As I got near the corner where it is, I passed a parked car.  A man got out of the drivers seat, and opened the rear door. He asked the female occupant of the vehicle what drink she wanted. I didn't hear her response, and to this day, I am still baffled as to what it must have been for him to retort "Shut the fuck up before I jizz in your eye", as he slammed the door shut and made his way up to the Chinese.  What could she have said to angered him to that level???

Right. My lunch is over, and my lemonade is gone. Time for me to go and do something with the front garden. If it was up to me, I'd burn it, but my wife wants something slightly more... traditional.  Grass.

Until next time....

Interest And Rejection

Morning reader

Just a quick post for now.  I've had about 5 hours sleep after being awake for 20 hours, so I'm suitably tired for my afternoon nap before my night shift tonight!

I've just found some websites that will monitor your twitter followers (I'm @adum by the way), and tell you who un-followed you.  I almost signed up for one, but I'm not sure I could cope with the rejection.  I had noticed that someone un-followed me and that set me off looking.

Whilst mooching round on tinternet last night, I came across another website that has listings for this very blog you're reading.  People over at www.wikio.com actually seem to read this blog sometimes and several people have clicked the "like" button next to it.  My "ranking" is increasing all the time, although I don't know what this means. It certainly looks good, though.

So yeah - rejection and interest all in one blog.

I said it'd be quick today and that is that.


Until next time!

Hairy Times

Hi there

Sorry it's been a while.  It's always been a while hasn't it?  Hmmm.

We watched a programme on tv the other night called A Passionate Woman.  It was a two-parter starring Billie Piper and Sue Johnston and it was absolutely fabulous.  It told a story about regrets.  A young woman had an affair with a man she fell passionately in love with, but he got killed.  As the woman grew older, the regret ate away at her and sent her a bit mental. Deb and I agreed that we would not go mental because of regrets in our old age.  I love my Deb.

However, she fell down the stairs last week holding our Luke.  Luke banged his arm and Deb bruised her arse...

"Ouch"

Poor bruised wife.

Last week - in fact, exactly a week since, we gave Luke a hair cut.  He looked like a proper scruffy tramp so we decided that rather than subject professional hairdressers to his screaming, we'd tackle it at home.  Out came the trusty hair clippers and about 20 mins later, a tidy (ish) haired boy emerged.  He claims it hurt loads, but I think otherwise.

Speaking of hair cuts, I am noticing more and more grey hairs.  Around my ears, on my chest, and, of course - pubes.  I'm not massively bothered by it on my head. I must have mentioned before, I am looking forward to going grey as I will look distinguished and interesting.  Grey chest hairs - hmmmm. Not too sure about that.  Maybe when we retire to the Canary Islands and I have a tan like David Dickinson, maybe then - they'll look ok.  Pubes?  Just ridiculous.  If I was brave enough I'd wax.

Been working WELL hard on the garden during the last few days.  Got a load of photo's over at OneADayFor365Days blog of my progress.  As a result, my back is knackered and my shoulders hurt quite a lot.  I also burned my lip and tongue on one bloody hot chip this evening.  I was fortunate to have an icy cold can of Blackthorn to hand to ease my distress.

I am on day 5 of my 6 off and I can honestly say that I think this is the most productive 6 off I've ever had.  It started with a visit from my lovely children (minus Abbey), which was ace. Weather was perfect and our new barbecue was christened.  Lessons were learned from that, by the way. Following that, we had a relaxing Sunday evening with an Indian (meal, not person).  Monday saw the start of the garden refurb and tomorrow will see me getting Deb's Corsa valeted.  I can't remember what occasion I promised her I'd get it done for, but at least it's finally being done!

Right, that'll be that then - I'll do another of these sometime soon.

Be young, be foolish, but remember to be happy.

Goodbye reader...

Happy & Sad Easter

Today has been a lovely day. It's Easter Sunday and all the people in the world who are THE most important to me, have been with me today.

The day went beautifully.  The children played, I did a beltin' roast pork lunch, we then went to Haigh Hall and played some more before coming home to watch Everton on TV.  The children went back late, and arrived in Rhyl shortly after 7pm.  It was my lovely wife's suggestion that I take them back late, and it was inspired.  Those extra few hours made such a difference to the day.

After I'd dropped them off, and was driving home, I got upset.  It's been ages since I got upset after saying goodbye to them, but for some reason, today was the day.  If I'd been asked at the time why I was upset, I'm not sure I could have said why.  I had a think about it, and I think it's because today was so nice, and then I had to take them back.  That, coupled with Luke being absolutely devastated about them going back - hurt me.

I then got to thinking about how lucky I am to have such lovely people.  I absolutely adore my wife, she is beautiful and I don't think I give her the credit she deserves.  She can be moody at times, but she's never moody just "because".  It's almost always to do with stress caused in her job.  My children are fantastic, too.  I am very proud of how balanced Abbey and Robert are.  Charlotte constantly reminds me of my mum.  Matthew is a loon, but a very caring one.  Luke thinks he's the boss of us all.  To be fair to him, I can understand why. He isn't though.  I am most proud of the fact that none of my children are "naughty".  They are messy, but so am I.  They are good children and I love them dearly.

Today has also made me think a lot about Christianity.  I realise that the bible is a collection of works that tell various moral stories, but Jesus born of an immaculate conception?  Even back to "the beginning" - Adam and Eve.  None of it makes sense, yet week in, week out, millions of people all over the world go to churches and worship the character of Jesus Christ.  Now, I was an alter boy in my younger years, so I'm absolutely not Jesus bashing, I'm just explaining that I've questioned a lot of stuff today. Stuff that you just accept as a youngster.

If you treat the bible, as I said earlier, like a book of moral guidelines, fair enough.  It now also seems hypocritical to turn up at churches for baptisms/christenings, weddings, and funerals, but I will continue to do it.  Ignore me, I'm just feeling weird at the moment.

I just had two spam fritters for my supper. Haven't had them in years!!  I have missed them. 

I shall go now - until next time.

See ya.

Damp

Evening

I should be in work tonight (as I was last night), but due to unforseen circumstance, I am not.

I dropped Luke off at Helen's this morning, only to be called to collect him about 30 mins later.  (10 mins after i'd gone to bed)  The poor little man had been sick a few times so Helen, quite rightly, suggested he come home.

As you'd expect, he made a complete, somewhat miraculous recovery within about an hour of coming home.

In this time, Deb had contacted her mum to come and look after Luke whilst I went to bed.  At about 10:30, whilst we were sat waiting, I heard a gush of water from upstairs.  I rushed up to find water pouring in from the ceiling in the Girls bedroom.  I got towels and put them down on the floor and flew outside to get a bucket to catch the remaining water.  the ceiling had bowed and the paper on it had an 8" tear in it where the water was escaping from.

I rang the CIS with whom we are insured and it is currently in their hands.

The resulting to-ing and fro-ing meant that I actually was in bed for a total of 2 hours 20 minutes, having taken two telephone calls during my bed-time.  Surprisingly, however, I feel ok at the moment.  I can't understand why, but I do feel a-ok.

I deliberately didn't tell Deb about it whilst she was at work, to avoid any unneccessary alarm or distress.  She's due home any minute and I'll tell her then.

OK - so she got home and was fine with things. Deb actually suggested a way we are able to get it temporarily repaired quicker than monday. I do love my wife.

The co-op shop was WELL wet this evening when I went. Well, outside it was, anyway.  Have a look...

So tomorrow I will be taking the corsa to be fixed, arranging for the roof to be fixed, and then letting Sandra go home so I can take full care of Luke again.  I'm also going to move the beds in the girls' room down into the playroom until the ceiling has been sorted out by CIS.

Update over....

About Time Too!

I haven't posted on here for such a long time and most days, I kick myself for not doing so.  It's made me feel like I was at school again, and I'd always leave my homework until 10pm on a sunday night then do it and it'd be shit.  The only difference here is that I have no deadlines to meet.

I hope this isn't shit, though.

I am now convinced that my lack of blogging here is due to my daily blogging here.  I see things on a daily basis that rile me and vex me, and I used to come here so often to vent and it'd be make me feel better.  Well I've decided that now is a good time. It's sunday afternoon and I'm in work (on a break), so it's as good a time as any.

Tomorrow, I am going to be told that the building I currently work in is to close in two years time and we're moving to a fancy new one, somewhere in Skelmersdale.  We can see only one reasonable location at White Moss Park, so we'll have to see what comes of that.  I doubt very much that I'll learn anything other than what is freely available on the grapevine tomorrow, but if I do, I'll do my best to pop back and update you.

In the last month I've had an Ultrasound and an MRI scan.  Ultrasound because my belly has been hurting a lot near to where I had a hernia years ago.  The scan revlealed nothing abnormal.  So I went back to my GP who has told me to consume loads of Omeprazole tables until further notice.  Only been taking them for four days now, and I am not in the same sort of pain at all.

The MRI was marvellous to have done.  It, too revealed nothing weird going on in my head.  Weird things do go on in my head, but nothing physical is abnormal.  I was only having that done because I was having a fair few dizzy spells at the tail end of last year.  I've not had any for weeks and weeks now and I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a fraud.  I shall not chase that one up.

The power in the building I'm in has just gone off twice in 2 minutes.  Then the fire alarms went off.  We had a good think about weather or not we could be arsed walking down five flights of stairs and then go and stand on the other side of the car park.  We decided not to.  The alarms eventually stopped and I rang the (to be fair) moron security guard.  He told me he thought there might be a fire on the third floor but said it was probably due to the alarms going off.  We really are in safe hands here.

It's Easter next weekend and snow is forecast this week.  It says for Northern England.  It really does mean Northern though. Newcastle, Carlisle, that sort of North.  I maintain that we live in the North Midlands here.  It's a frigging long way North until you fall into Scotland.

I am starting to yearn for things I used to do that I don't do any more.  Things like my scanner. I spent just under £300 10 years ago and it is/was ace.  I still have it, and it still works.  I used to listen to the local constabularies on it but now they, like us, have gone digital so that's a no go.

I have also had desires to use a CB radio. I owned one of these for many years.  My handle was "glo-worm".  My 4 watt broadcasts could be heard all over the north west.  It was in the era of pre-internet. In a time when people actually spoke to each other.  Night after night I'd go "on the rig" and speak to all the friends I'd made on there. You would help taxi drivers or lorry drivers wtih directions round town, too.  Yes it's sad and geeky, but that sums me up quite well.

I also had a dabble at some DJ'ing a few weeks ago and that blew my mind. I loved it SO much, and it made me want to DJ again.  Being realistic though, you'd need to earn a fair bit of money to make it a viable venture. And you'd be out EVERY weekend evening or you're losing money.  Shades Disco. RIP.

My idea for a disco would be from a "classic hits, with no R&B" point of view.  Maybe not excluding every R&B track, but there would be veeery few. I think that offering soemthing like that would be good. I think people would want that.  A few weeks ago during a lull in work I priced up DJ equipment. New, albeit.  In the region of £2500-£3000 to get a half decent set up.  It's not happening is it?

I've gone on for a while now, so sorry.

I've made the website look a bit more 70's with a new template and fancy wallpaper. Hope you like it.

I am gonig to go and get some vimto and get ready to go home to my beautiful wife and child.  Then tonight, I shall sleep on my new memory foam pillow. Ace.

T-ra!

Just... Well - disappointing

That's the way I feel about things at the moment.  Work has been a pisser recently and I haven't seen much of my wife during the last few days.

I'm in work now (on a break) and when I finish at 7 it's home to bed then up for midday, prepare lunch for me and Luke, then off to Wales to collect my children who are with us for the forthcoming weekend.

I am considering moving this blog to Wordpress, from it's current host of Blogspot.  I am also toying with Tumblr, which is supposed to be aesthetically very pleasing indeed.  I'll have a mess with each and get back to you with the outcome....