When Does It Start Growing Ma?????

While lying in bed this morning our thoughts turned to earthquakes. This was brought about by FW reading her Christmas present – QI Big Book of Ignorance (or some such title). She had just read that the UK has over 300 earthquakes a year but they are so small that we only feel about 10% of them.

Then I told her that things would get worse for us with global warming. FW couldn’t understand the connection or understand how rising sea levels, temperatures and CO2 emissions could make a difference.

I then pointed out that there would be greater movement in the Tectonic Plates as they moved around the world more frequently following the changes in weather patterns. This would be down to the fact that the UK would be a much more pleasing place to visit with the temperature and weather changes.

FW pointed out that I didn’t mean Tectonic Plates but Tutonic Morons…..

A Happy New Year to one and all.

The New Year will start as i don’t intend it to go on. Tomorrow I have to go to work. The reason is that I was snowed in for 2 days this week and have a mountain of work to catch up on. My colleague has been off since the 15th and work has, inevitably piled up.

We went to see FW’s family on Boxing Day for a few days. My sister in law’s birthday is on that day, the day after mine. Therefore it is almost compulsory for us to attend – especially as it was an important milestone this year. So we asked the neighbours to look after the cats while we were away.

The first tme they did this was when FW and I went to London in November. On that occasion Mrs Next Door came over to feed the cats for the first tome and went into the kitchen. She felt a presence behind her and saw a shape and ran out of the door. She ran to get her husband who, being a brave man, stood outside our door while she went back in – only to find Dr Who standing in our entrance hall.

The remarkable thing is that every time she has been in since she has felt that his eyes follow her around…

This time she came in to hear a voice saying “Hello? Hello?” Only to be surprised as I appeared from the dark living room to greet her. She was surprised as she’d forgotten that I was home on the Monday.

Last night I went into te little boy’s room to do what little boys do. I was most unnerved to find that I was being watched. On the windowsill was a Stig watching me. Even though his visor is dark you wouldn’t think that his eyes could follow you around but they do…..

I already had to get FW to move the starfish and lobster on the cistern as their eyes did the same!

Last week FW and I spent 4 days in London. It was a chance for us to have a break and combine it with celebrating her birthday.

On the Tuesday, after we arrived, we had a meal at Wong Kei. This is my favourite Chinese restaurant. You get really good food and it is very reasonably priced. You also get to share tables with complete strangers and, if you’re lucky, rude service.

However I was depressed to find that the most famous Chinese in Soho is no more. The restaurant made famous by Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London has disappeared. Yes, Lee Ho Fook’s has closed its doors To dull the pain we had desert in the Haagen Daz store – mmmmm!!!!

Wednesday, being FW’s birthday, we went to visit the Natural History Museum. FW got the chance to meet a certain Sir David Attenborough. He was their to sign books, DVD’s etc. To put the icing on the cake he told FW that she was a picture – Sir David Attenborough hit on my wife

In addition FW was able to ride a horse before going in. Photo to follow.

That night we ate at a Polish restaurant, Folvark, near our hotel in Hounslow. It had only been open for a month but was a great place. The food was absolutely superb. I’d recommend it to everyone.

The Thursday saw us visit Southend, where I’d lived for 6 months. I couldn’t believe how much the seafront had changed. It now has a pebble beach, the Kursaal is open and my old flat, next door, is still there.

Friday we went to Hampstead shopping. The weather was awful but we spent a few hours in Cafe Rouge having a great lunch. Then FW was able to spend some dosh in the local Oxfam shop. I did “not” buy any second hand books whatsoever

On the way to Paddington on the Saturday we managed to find time to visit the Bagel Bake shop in Brick Lane. These are proper bagels from a Jewish bakery and they are not just great but cheap. No visit to London is complete without a visit. I also have to buy bagels for my sister and her family and my mum whenever I visit – they are that good.

I have just got home from work. I also expect to have to work a few hours on Saturday morning as well.

My new colleague is away this week and I have been given no help. When I go away the week after next they will have someone from Bristol over to cover. Mmmmm!!!

To pile things up, I had a half day on Tuesday for a Plot meeting. As I approached the motorway junction for work I had a blow out. So from Tuesday to this morning I have had to commute via train, as my tyres had to be ordered in. Doesn’t sound arduous does it? But it costs twice as much as using the car and takes longer; is overcrowded – but not by London standards – and has been very noisy.

This morning the train was late. This may not sound unusual, or very inconvenient, but our station is only served by one, or maybe two trains an hour, so there is no alternative.

I’m looking forward to our mini break in London in 2 weeks. I’ll not have to worry about keeping up with work and don’t want to. Then I know that Christmas is just around the corner, a few more days off then.

What I have come to realise is that my bosses have no idea how much work I do, or the effort I put in. Maybe they’ll listen when I shout at them when I get back from London.

Apologies for the lack of postings recently. Things have been moving at a fair pace in work.

Work colleague announced last week that he would be retiring on 9th October. Things moved a lot quicker than everyone was expecting, especially after it was decided not to replace him. Therefore there was no need for him to remain to train his replacement – a non starter to begin with.

So for the next two weeks he’ll be visiting his customers and saying goodbye. However I get no help until he has left and we can reallocate work with my colleague who is going to help me out.

Personally I can’t wait. I need to slow down and take time to breathe.

;
While I’ve been away I’ve read: Fire & Steam by Christian Wolmar (a history of the railway in Britain); Eleven Minutes Late by Matthew Engel (disappointing as it is billed as a book about a train journey around modern Britain but spends more time covering the history of British rail – not to be read so soon after Wolmar); The Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr (another in his Bernie Gunter series – a German private eye in 30’s Berlin and after).

I’ve now started the 4th Shardlake novel – Revelation.

Tomorrow my wife is leaving me for another man. She is going to be alone with a friend’s husband – not even an invite for the abandoned spouses.

They will be rolling down a hill in a sphere – alone, together, unchapperoned, without Christian supervision.

The funny things is that she is accompanying Penfold in a giant Hamster Ball……. Cripes Chief!!!!!!

Now I’m in trouble…..

I’m currently wondering how I’m going to fit everything that I want to do into an increasingly decreasing time allocation. I want to start doing more things in the evenings and on the weekends but I can’t decide exactly what I want to give my time to.

I am already booked for 14 sermons next year, with the possibility of more to come. This is something that I want to do as much of as possible. As such my theology course will need to take a more prominent role. This means that I will have to free up time for preparation.

In addition I want to begin doing more with my model railway ambitions as a release from work and study.

Yet I still need to find a way help FW with the allotment project and other things -or decide that my role needs to be handed onto someone else.

Work has taken a not quite unexpected turn as I have been told that my colleague will be taking early retirement. As far as my bosses are concerned they want this to happen sooner rather than later. However my boss announced that he will not be replaced in the immediate future.

His idea is that one of the girl’s takes on his work and helps me. My concern is that if we take on further accounts then I won’t be able to cope with my work and helping her out. She does not have the experience on my side of the business and would therefore necessitate more involvement on my part.

At present this doesn’t sound ideal to me as I am already stretched but understand that we currently don’t have sufficient work for 2 people but to much for 1.

The weekend was very relaxing, even though we had a nephew a day on Saturday and Sunday. Having said that having Shouty Boy here on Sunday and Monday meant that we got many of those Bank Holiday jobs done.

Shouty finished painting under the sink and the outlet pipe for us. He helped FW to put “frosting” onto the bathroom window, so we have removed our “classy” shopping bag “curtains”. Then he helped us to put the pictures up that have been waiting for the past 6 months or so.

Both Shouty and Stroppy have offered to help paint when we do the office next.

Today I have taken the day off so that I can have a rest from work to recharge. Of course, having a mobile and Elderberry don’t always help

Today saw the end of an era with the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. He was the last direct link with the powerful Kennedy clan that, at the start of the 60’s, had looked to be the future of American politics. Their father, Joseph, had hopes that all three brothers could rise to the ultimate position in US politics.

Edward entered the Senate as the replacement for JFK, assuming his seat after JFK became President. Yet, within 10 years, 2 brothers would be dead and Edward faced with a career limiting scandal. The Chappaquiddick accident left a stain that would follow him for the rest of his political career and destroy his hope of becoming President or Vice President.

Yet he managed to become a “big hitter” in the Democratic party and helped to bring about many major changes in American society in the next 35 years. This included working with the Republicans where it was necessary in order to get a piece of legislation through both Houses.

With the death of younger members of the family he is the last real link between the Camelot and hope of his brother’s Presidency, the promise of Bobby’s candidacy and the modern Democratic Party.

The New Dawn?

Well today Network Rail announced the preferred route for High Speed 2 – the hoped for new dawn for rail travel. If it goes ahead we could see rail journeys from London to Glasgow being cut to 2.5 hours or London to Birmingham in 45 minutes.

Of course that means spending £34bn+ for the full line and no one knows whether or not we can afford this. It would be easy enough for the current government to say that they will give the go ahead, knowing full well that they are likely to be out of power next year.

The Conservatives have stated that they will definitely commit to building HS2 from London to Manchester and then onto Leeds, at least. Personally I think that the whole thing should be built to Glasgow/Edinburgh plus the extension to Leeds and then Newcastle.

Doing this would reduce the need for short haul flights and congestion on the motorways. Yet it must, more than anything, allow affordable travel to all. Not the way things are now with very high fares for a poor service.

Hopefully the present, and future, government will commit to the project and that we’ll see the great leap forward in public transport that this country needs.

We also need to look at the future and High Speed 3. Maybe we could see a link into Wales and the South West to allow a truly national High Speed network. This would give us a far more enivronmentally friendly way to travel across the country.

Yet I think we all know what is likely to happen though….

Things are as busy as ever at work. So much so that I’ll be working on Saturday afternoon so that I can get on top of things.

My colleague has been off all week and I have had to cover his work as well. Really it shouldn’t make much difference as I do the majority of the work anyway. Yet, when he is away, I realise that we have enough work for 1.5 people but not 2. In addition he does his work and nothing else. For example, we have filing that needs to be done but he would rather look at holiday brochures or the trade paper.

This week I have been chasing my tail and, just as I catch up, things happen – like our printer being out of action for 3 days.