Day 1405 (31/10/2013)

Fancied some poached eggs today and luckily my wife goes in late on Thursday so I made us both some breakfast.

It might have been a bit off if I had made myself breakfast and just got my wife a pack of breakfast biscuits for her to eat in the car on the way to work.

Off to see Micky Flannigan in Cardiff with Sam tonight and then busy tomorrow being a photographers assistant.






 

Day 1404 (30/10/2013)

Nice being home and catching up on things I have been putting in the office.

Next week I will be going to the gym as long as I don't get swamped by work again.

Day 1403 (29/10/2013)

Nice to be at home and not having urgent deadlines.

Nice Italian for dinner

and Thomas is back in the papers.

Day 1402 (28/10/2013)

Well we were supposed to be having the storm of the century but thankfully it seems to have missed Taunton although it is a bit wet.

Thomas's car had an MOT today and passed without any issues, thankfully as I wasn't looking forward to more big bills.

Today I got an email from someone who was a student on a police training course last week, nothing to do with me but they felt driven to contact me as my ears should have been burning as I was the continual topic of conversation last week when the police instructors were slagging me off and saying I would never find out what material of mine they had copied.

Understandably this annoyed me somewhat and I have made a few complaints as a result. I'm loathed to take legal action due to the expense and time but can't let this go, but will try and work within the system. Either way its convinced me that I want less and less to do with the police.

Day 1400 & 1401 (26 & 27/10/2013)

A weekend full of work catching up and just about got there. Not much else and little time to relax but did have a curry on Saturday and a lamb Sunday roast.

Looking forward to a more relaxing week and seeing some comedy with Sam in the next couple of weeks.

Day 1399 (25/10/2013)

I do love being at home, not only to be back with my family but with my own bed and bathroom. But to be honest I do like getting out of bead and walking into the dinner room to find a fully cooked breakfast waiting for me and that doesn't happen at home.

I called out a locksmith this morning and luckily only a few hundred pound later we had a completely new lock and handle.

Busy day catching up in the office and had a lovely curry in the evening.

Day 1398 (24/10/2013)

Decided against a fuly cooked breakfast in the morning.

OK it wasn't for health reasons as I had a bacon & sausage sandwich instead.

The course went well and hopefully we will do some more for these people, who were all very nice and actually a lot more switched on then most of the people on the courses I run for the police.

Then a long drive home to be met by the fact the front door had broken so couldn't be locked and had a key stuck in it. I tried my hand at fixing it but apparently spraying WD40 didn't nothing to help.

Day 1397 (23/10/2013)

Starting the day with more lovely breakfast treats.

This weeks course is going well and hopefully will be the first of many.

Due to the amount of other work I have on at the moment I haven't been swimming at all this week but I have had some nice food.  Italian tonight.

Day 1396 (22/10/2013)

The day started with a nice healthy breakfast.

OK that wasn't the healthy start that was the unhealthy next bit but it was very nice and Idon't have lunch.

The course is going well & hopefully it should be the first of a few courses for this agency.

I was going to have a swim afterwards but fell asleep and woke up in time for dinner before that Great British Bake Off.

We stayed at the hotel for another visit to the all you can eat buffet :-)

yum yum yum

Day 1395 (21/10/2013)

The day started early but with a nice healthy breakfast.

OK there was a fully cooked breakfast with fried bread after this but at least it was an attempt at being healthy.

The first day of the course next to Heathrow seemed to go quite well and was held in one of the most secure buildings I've been in for a while. They certainly didn't want us wandering around by ourselves.

I had planned to have a swim at the hotel afterwards but ended up talking to someone after the course for sometime (trying to get them to book more courses) and then having to make a few phone calls, so didn't have time.

Unfortunately I suddenly have loads of other enquiries that needs doing but made time for a very nice all you can eat buffet at the hotel and shared a bottle of wine with Kevin.

All very nice.

Day 1393 & 1394 (19 & 20/10/2013)

Basically a whole weekend spent preparing for next weeks course next to Heathrow Airport and I just about got it done by 7pm, just in time to drive there. Still the hotel, the Park Inn, seems quite comfortable (and quite pricey) and even has a pool which I intend to use. The bed is really big & comfy.

When I was in the bar with Kevin having a chat in the evening we were both surprised by the number of scantly dressed women there were around the hotel, almost as if they were turning up to work. I'm sure this and the large comfy beds are just a coincidence.  

I hate these courses that start on a Monday as it means my Sunday dinner is rushed and without a bottle of wine.

I'm looking forward to getting home Thursday night and being home  for a few weeks.

Day 1392 (18/10/2013)

I did a presentation in the morning then after a nice northern lunch of pie & chips with gravy (my choice),

I had a long drive home and a busy evening catching up with stuff in the office.

There was a massive spider in my office but thankfully I caught him and got rid of him as I wouldn't of liked the thought of he wondering around.

Then gammon & chips for dinner.

One of my favourites.

Day 1391 (17/10/2013)

Last day of the course, thankfully, which may be unfair but there were two on the course that were far from grasping what I was teaching and just seemed to struggle with anything and it was slightly unnerving to realise that these people are in such an important role.

Curry for lunch.

Then sausage & mash for dinner.

Day 1390 (16/10/2013)

The course is OK but there are a couple who are hard work but on the bright side I went out for a curry in the night with Kevin.

Very nice.

Day 1389 (15/10/2013)

First day of the course in Preston this week and it was OK.

I didn't fancy a proper meal at the restaurant tonight so popped next door to the drive-thru Burger King for a burger & fries, then back to room where being a modern-man I watched The Great British Bake Off rather than England v Poland.

I'm really looking forward to two weeks time when this busy period has come to an end, I will be back at my home and I will definitely be visiting the gym to get slim & fit, as I've decided that I have probably had enough of my current unhealthy life style.

Day 1388 (14/10/2013)

Well it appears that my presentation on Friday went reasonably well. Well I think it did, it was just that today the man that booked me and organised it phoned me to ask me if I would take part at an X Factory style event at the Annual Compliance Officers Gala Dinner at a posh London hotel in a couple of months, to raise money for charity.

He thought after my presentation, where as always I came out with a few funny one-liners that most people laughed at, that I could do a 10 minute Peter Kay type comedy act that would fit in with the other singing & dancing acts they have from some of the high street banks.

As tempted as I am for a new life style I don't really think a life as a stand up comedian is for me.

Then off to Preston for the week.

Day 1386 & 1387 (12 & 13/10/2013)

Thomas was off early to Plymouth to photograph a match and I spent the day doing a few reports.

I'm really looking forward to a few hours off tomorrow as the next two weeks will be very busy, with a three day course and a mornings presentation in Preston, then two days off then a four day course in London.

Day 1385 (11/10/2013)

Well it was an early morning and a train to London where I was giving a talk at KPMG in Canary Wharf, to a group of straight laced Compliance Officers concerned with Anti Money Laundering.

I was only doing it for expenses and thought i t might be fun but couldn't be arsed to wear a suit which clearly upset the man who booked me.

I made a few fun comments at the start of my presentation and most people seemed OK and I was only half happy with my presentation. Halfway through doing something on-line, which was being displayed on massive screens to the whole room, I became aware of a somewhat pornographic photo which was on the web page I had clicked on. It took a few seconds before I realised that this was being displayed to the whole room and I closed the page.

Thankfully just about everyone in the room laughed at my situation and took it in good spirit but I doubt the chap will book me for any more events.

As well as a nice lunch there were some lovely canapes afterwards.

Day 1384 (10/10/2013)

If I was to write what I've been doing it would basically be deja vu.

Off too London tomorrow, so another first class train but I'm not getting paid so I can't be arsed to dress
up.

Day 1383 (09/10/2013)

Much the same as the last couple of days, slowly getting up to date with things; although I did have an interesting meeting in Bristol in the morning.

Day 1382 (08/10/2013)

I've nearly caught up with my work but as I'm going to be away for the next two weeks then I know I will soon have another backlog of work back in the office.

There might be some good news on the work front with a the possibility of doing quite a few courses near to Heathrow, not just the one that I'm doing in two weeks time.

So good for the money but not good for spending more time with my family, which is a battle sometimes but at the end of the day if you have bills to pay and people who are reliant on you then you have to earn the money. Very Norman Tebbit but needs must.

I've bought a ticket to see Richard Herring's new show when I'm in in London next month doing some training, which will at least give me something to look forward to when I'm there as I being away from home is no fun when you've been doing it any time.

Day 1381 (07/10/2013)

I'm desperately trying to catch up with stuff from being away last week.

Every year I say hopefully I will be less busy next year, earning more but working less. But at the moment if my new venture works I will be a lot more busy next year which will be good as I need the money but bad as I hate being away and it will mean a lot more courses around the country.

If my new venture doesn't work then I will need to work harder with my other stuff, which won't be fun at all. So I'm really hoping that this new venture takes off but it is very very reliant on a lot of financial support from others, so it might not even get off of the ground. Fingers crossed.

I've been so busy I've not gone to the gym for months and I know I will be away for the next two weeks so my hair will be annoyingly long when I 'm next free to go for a hair cut.

Day 1379 & 1380 (05 & 06/10/2013)

Saturday morning and it was lovely to all be back together for breakfast. Then I was watching Jesus Christ Superstar on DVD, it is one of my favourites and I'm so glad that I got to see the show in Cardiff last year.

Then in the evening we all went our for a meal with my Mum & Dad for their 50th Wedding Anniversary, with Kelly being their as a surprise for them.

We went to the Wine & Sausage Restaurant at The Corner House Hotel, which has really nice food but it would be fair to say the service was a bit crap as they brought the wrong meals.

Then back to Mum & Dads for a few presents and some cake (well a lot of cake actually)

Thomas was at Bournemouth v Millwall and had his best ever match with a total of 8 online publications within a few hours of the match.

 And his clearest ever appearance on the telly.

On Sunday Thomas went off to try his hand photographing the rugby whilst we had a nice roast dinner with Kelly before she had to go back to Brighton.

Day 1378 (04/10/2013)

The course finished and handily I was able to grab a few of the left over sandwiches & cakes for the drive home.

It appears that once again whilst visiting a big city for a course that I have inadvertently bought a parking space, as surely £72 for 4 days can't be the charge for parking, I must own that space for ever.

Anyway got home and it was great to all be back together as Kelly is home for the weekend.