Day 783 (17/02/2012)

I have a nice amount of work coming in at the moment and might, fingers crossed, even have the weekend off.

Thomas was in Bristol last night, clubbing with his friends. He came home for a few hours this afternoon and has gone back to Bristol for a party. I suppose its best to make the most of your youth whilst you can as when you get older it takes a week to recover from a late night, let alone drinking.

I feeling quite confident about the changes I am making to my courses, hope it goes OK.

Day 782 (16/02/2012)

Working in the office.

Thomas is staying over in Bristol with his mates, going out to a club, hopefully it will be trouble free.

Life seemed so much easier when we where his age. No-one had photo ID and very few had driving licences, so bouncers used to allow you in on the understanding you didn't cause any trouble. Nowadays it seems harder to get into a club than it does to open a bank account.

Heard back about my wife's car, it should be just less than £600 to get fixed, so next week her car should be worth around £1,000 as long as the tank is full of petrol.

Day 781 (15/02/2012)

Well we had a lovely Valentines Day meal at Tramontes.

We even went for the liquor coffee as Kelly was acting as our taxi driver.

Been very busy in the office today. I seem to be getting more work in and have a lot of training stuff to put together.

Day 780 (14/02/2012)

Valentines Day and we are a off to Tramontes tonight.

The wife's car is still in a sad state waiting for a gearbox, hopefully they will be able to find a reasonable one or it is new car time and she has expensive tastes.

Day 779 (13/02/2012)

I answered the door first thing to the deliveryman wondering what my wife had been ordering now.

OK, I forgot the 250 usb drives I had ordered for work.

Just a nice amount of work at the moment but you know the flood gates will open again soon.

Day 777 & 778 (11 & 12/02/2012)

Think it may have been quite cold overnight (bloody freezing), thankfully I wasn't outside.

Update - Saturday 20:45 - I think the year will end work wise a lot differently to how it started and not in any way that I had foreseen. A few different possibilities with vastly different possible outcomes. Which way should I go or push for, quite a few pros and cons. No immediate rush and maybe not all bad but just there are going to be changes and things can not stay the same.

Day 776 (10/02/2012)

Nice to have a lie-in after getting up at 5:45am yesterday. I am definitely not a morning person.

Still keeping up with the no polo's, no bags of crisps, no food after 10pm and slightly less of things diet. I think I deserve a treat, how about a few large polo & crisp sandwiches. If I keep this up till the end of the month (and I will) then I shall also bring in a no alcohol and no afters during the week rule (unless I am out). By the end of March I should be at least 1 pound lighter and the weather should have improved so will then start cycling during the week.

Who knows if I keep this up for another 5 or 6 years then I may get down to just being a standard XL, we can only hope.

Update - 15:00 - Just heard back about my wife's car, apparently it needs a new gear box, which is neither cheap or easy. They are looking for a second hand gearbox, which hopefully will only be a couple of hundred and it will then take about 5hrs to do. Oh what joy.

Day 775 (09/02/2012)

Early start (up before 6, not good) going to Cardiff to give a days training.

At least the hotel had very nice food.

Dark, cold and wet by the time I left.

Day 774 (08/02/2012)

My wife's car has always had a problem with the gearbox, but today the gearbox seems to have gone on holiday after she reversed off of the driveway and was stopped in the middle of the road.

What a heavy car to push on a freezing cold morning.

Hopefully it will be something quick, easy and cheap to fix (you know it wont be).

Early morning tomorrow as I have to be in Cardiff for about 8am but don't want to stay away.

Day 773 (07/02/2012)

Still avoiding the worst of the weather.

I went to dump some stuff today and was asked to pay £2.90 to get rid of some hardcore / rubble. I can understand during these times of austerity being asked to pay for something that this time last year was free but I didn't have my wallet with me so had to drive home and then back to the tip again just to pay the £2.90 to dump stuff. It is understandable why people fly tip, it wasn't the cost it was the bloody inconvenience!!!!!!!

Funny how seeing as I only have to prepare my course material rather than actual reports over the last few days but have actually achieved very little. I could have done all I wanted in a few hours and now be sat downstairs relaxing (it's 8:30pm).

Day 772 (06/02/2012)

Well after all the hype we appear to have missed all the snow and freezing conditions.

Still no polo's or packs of crisps and I have added a no food after 10pm rule. I know that sounds obvious but I sometimes keep funny hours and there is nothing like a few cheese and biscuits just before midnight.

I am also going to try a new rule this week, only to have one of something. Not like on my trip to America where I was offered one whole family cheese cake.

I mean I will only have one sandwich instead of two or only one sweet at a time, at least that way I will have to walk down from my office to get another one afterwards.

Up to date with my work which mean I can actually spend time on my course material, which is a nice luxury.
 

Day 770 & 771 (04 & 05/02/2012)

Today I have started a small new years resolution. I thought it was pointless starting them in the new year as that is bound to fail. Before last year I hadn't had mints for years but a side effect of the medication I was on was that you had a terrible taste in your mouth, so I was having loads of polo's. I have not had any tablets for a few weeks and have finished my polo's and am not going to get any more..... ever (maybe).

I have also decided to add packs of crisps to the list but am still allowed the occasional crisp if they are out on a buffet or whatever but I am not going to actually have any whole packs.

In a couple of weeks I will try to add a few other items to the list of things I am giving up.

Apart from that it is very cold and going to snow and I am preparing stuff for my courses.

Day 769 (03/02/2012)

Another cold morning, where I had to scrape the ice from my wife's car before she went to work.

About 2 o'clock in the afternoon I went to do the recycling and had to scrape the ice from my car, which was fair as it had been in the shade during the day. But what I hadn't expected was after I had done the recycling I went to wipe my hands, using the pack of wet wipes I keep in the car but it was a frozen and like a solid brick. I hadn't thought it was that cold.

Up to date with my work now (first time in ages) so now I can concentrate on my courses & presentations over the weekend.

Day 768 (02/02/2012)

Dare I say I am just about getting up to date with my work. That is just as well as I have two talks to give next week so have lots of preparation to do for those.

Still very cold so kept the heating on all day.

Day 767 (01/02/2012)

Golly its cold, well freezing to be more exact.

Work Work Work.

Thomas didn't make the paper this week but was on the website instead.

Day 766 (31/01/2012)

Well after about only a week of trying the online version of the theory test and only reading his highway code on the way to the test centre, Thomas passed his theory test.

What a jammy sod.

In other news I'm arranging a course myself so have to sell places on it to make my money. I'm not a natural salesman and have trouble setting a price and haggling with people. I only need a few people to pay me to cover my costs but basically want to sell 12 places to make my money for the month. Hoping this one goes well so I can arrange a few more. Fingers crossed.

Day 765 (30/01/2012)

Happy Birthday to my Mum.

I know I work for myself and could pay myself whenever I want but I get paid quarterly and I always get really excited when my accountant sends me my pay slips, even though it's me that has to pay it, to me.

Update - 21:45 - Popped over to Mum & Dads for Mum's Birthday this afternoon / evening. Had a nice tea (northern dinner) and got her a cake.

Thomas drove us there & back, first time driving in the dark, not too bad.

Day 763 & 764 (28 & 29/01/2012)

Well Alistair McGowan's show about Noel Coward was quite good.

We have a busy few days (along with a load of work for me to do) as it is my mum & mother-in-laws birthdays coming up. Tonight we are going to see Lord Of The Dance with my parents at The Hippodrome in Bristol.

Before hand we are all having dinner with Gary & Elaine at The H Bar at The Colston Hall. We have eaten there before but it was a while ago, I just hope it is nice tonight.

Tomorrow I am going out for Mary's Birthday with all of my wife's family. I have purposely not met them or spoken to them all (apart from Mary) for years but am going along to make my wife happy. I hope I manage to last the day without explaining why I don't bother with them any more but I think th ey may have guessed already.

Update - Sunday 18:30 - Well Lord Of The Dance was a fantastic show and we all really enjoyed it.

The food before hand was nice but it would be true to say the service was a nightmare.

On Sunday I went out with my wife & kids to meet up with her family for Sunday Dinner. I have avoided her family for the last few years but thought I would go to he Mum's 80th Birthday, it wasn't that bad.  

The food was OK but they had run out of roast potatoes so had chips with my roast pork.

Day 762 (27/01/2012)

I am supposed to be hard at work but it's nearly midday and so far I have only updated my old netbook so it can run the iplayer & twitter so my main computer will work a bit faster when I'm actually working. It is a quick computer and I should just clear out all the old software slowing it down.

I am off to The Brewhouse tonight with my wife to see Alistair McGowan in a one man show about Noel Coward.

Hopefully it will be good.

Day 761 (26/01/2012)

A bit of a busy day as I had a meeting at Birmingham City University this morning to talk about giving a few presentations to journalism students.

On the way back there was a big hail storm, where it was like a snow blizzard but hail, thankfully I was in the car, though driving was a bit difficult.

Come on Mr Sunshine, come out to play, we want the summer not the winter.

Home in time to catch up with even more work.