Middleagedbloke

Took these pix on a wonderful stroll from Saltburn to Redcar this afternoon, with a quick fuel stop at Marske.

It was blowing about a force 4 all day from the SE and bloody cold with it. None the less a blooby fine day by the sea.

Job for the agency this week was to fold and deliver 1600 information packs and questionaires for the local council to 2 different neighbourhoods here in Darlo. As I was folding and stuffing I realised that there were not enough envelopes for the job. Phone the agency who contact the council department who say just deliver the info packs then, don't bother about the envelopes. This mornings meet at agency, Council has decided that the envelopes need to be delivered too. Another 6 hours work for me but what a bloody waste of resources by our elected representatives employees, i.e. my de facto employees.

Another 40 odd quid in my pocket so I'm happy but makes me wonder how much else is being needlessly wasted by lack of forethought.

Nigel

Just to note that Mallorca interview has been put off until 9th of Feb due to adverse weather out there and owners business commitments. I live on in hope but am still unsure how much I want this job.Nigel

Can't recall if this was posted yet

If you have'nt seen these blokes on TV make the effort, on of the best things in years. Their series Still Game was essential viewing in my local in Benalmadena!!!

Well I had a bloody good day, the air was cool and crisp, the delivery drop went better than expected, and the evening session at the WMC was enjoyable. The walk home was pleasant and this afternoon bought myself a mini deep fat fryer from Wilkinsons for 9 quid. Made a wonderful chip butty as well.

Oh joy of joys. I'm going to have a good week and year and bugger the bloody recession. Miserable sods please leave the planet at the next stop.

See ya all tomorrow.....

Nigel

Just woken up after the best nights sleep in ages! The sun is shining and it looks crisp out there. I am actually looking forward to todays exertions.Got to go and deliver 400 + leaflets for the agency then works do in function room at work tonight. Some days it is just great to be outdoors even if not in a particularly wonderful environment. Have a wonderful weekend everyone, I will.Nigel

So now the bloody second home owners in the Cornish fishing village of Helford are objecting to the local council building a jetty for the local fishermen to bring their catch ashore!! These guys are the guys who keep the village alive and without them it would become an abandoned area for most of the year. Who then would keep the place so picturesque. Once again these bastards stamp on the livelihoods of the locals.Hopefully this link to this mornings Today programme will work.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7841000/7841721.stm

If it does'nt it was broadcast at 08:25.I do get so annoyed at these people. I am inclined to go down there next winter and find the smug Mayfair bastards home and squat it!! That'll bugger his tranquility up!Nigel

JUST IN FROM THE CITYCEO - Chief Embezzelment Officer.CFO - Chief Fraud Officer.Bull Market - A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.Bear Market - A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no pocket money, the wife no jewellery and the husband no sex.Value Investing - The art of buying low and selling lower.P/E Ratio - The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.Broker - What your broker has made you.Standard and Poor - Your life in a nutshellStock Analyst - Idiot who just down graded your stock.Stock Split - When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between them.Financial Planner - A guy whose phone has been disconnected.Cash Flow - The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.Yahoo - What you yell after selling it to some sucker for $240 per share.Windows - What you jump out of having just paid $240 a share for Yahoo.Institutional Investor - Past year investor who's now locked up in the nuthouse.Profit - An archaic word no longer in use.

Dear Government,
I've not managed my money very well over the past few years. Can you please loan me 20 billion quid to get me through this temporary hiccough.
By the way, 10 billion pounds is just going to disappear.

Thanks a lot,

Nigel

Nigel

Just finished shift at local WMC working the function room for a private birthday party, in they came dolled up to the nines and the local WMC to go to.

I start work at half 7 but got in 15 mins early having taken advantage of a break in the rain and my colleague was snowed under! I kid you not this mob started panic drinking at 7 and it was non stop until 11 when we closed the bar. Great for me as the time flew by. God knows what the take was but I would guess at over £700. Strange thing was although they were all getting quite drunk no one was really pissed! I would hate to take this family on in a drinking contest. Whats more the place was clear by 11:30 and they all said thanks to me and Shirl as we were cleaning up the mess and decamped to taxis and Darlingtons nightlife.

Thats it really, another slice of boring life in Darlo

All in all an interesting night

Sorry not blogging much at moment, tied up with new biz start up which I am blogging else where and reading a bloody good book by Anniruddha Bahal called Bunker 13.

Nothing more to report but I am keeping an eye on you all

Nigel

Just had an interesting conversation with Dave the driver I work with escorting the child to school. Dave is a wealth of knowledge about Darlington and its recent history. Whilst driving to pick the child up this morning we got to chatting about some of the businesses that are no longer here in the town. Massive employers each and every one of them and of course with each factory came the sports and social clubs.

Where the old sports grounds were are now new housing estates, with no facilities for sports activities. Our point was that this must be one of the reasons for the decline in the standard of our national sports teams. In Daves youth his dad worked at one of these leviathans of the industrial age and Dave and all his mates and their families belonged to these sports and social clubs. They had football, cricket and rugby teams for all ages. These clubs were the backbone, the grassroots of our sporting heritage which are now lost for ever. How many footballers of the past age were nurtured through these clubs. Where are todays youth to go. It could to be argued I think that the failure of the manufacturing sector is also a contibutory factor to the failings in social behaviour, and sporting prowess we see in modern Briish society..

This is'nt well written but I hope you get the drift of what I'm trying to say.

Nigel

PS Could also blame Thatcher for this!!!!!

Today started off so well, in fact right up to 4 O'clock this afternoon it was a decent enough sort of a day. Then I popped into the agency for whom I do the escort work to inform them that I would not be available for the afternoon shifts on the 19th and 26th as I have boked myself onto a training course for latest venture. Christ you'd have thought I'd told them that the world was ending. "where will we find someone else?" Bloody hell girls get with the programme!! I have given you a week and there is an ever growing list of people seeking work. Any sort of work, be it for an hour or 40.

Then popped into one of the countries major jewellery chains to get a new battery fitted. Ah yes that'll take 2 weeks. Fuck me sideways but I only want a bloody battery fitting, at most a 10 minute job. My local jeweller in Almunecar does it in no time flat and charges 2 and a half euros. The watch does not require recalibrating until next year and does not need to be sent to Casio for a battery change. Eventually found local key shop who did it for a tenner.

Trying to calm down before off to work at WMC.

These were from last year, hard work but someone has to do it and it might as well be me

Just found these photos from work a couple of summers back. Hope you enjoy them.

Photo specialists could you let me know how to make them available larger than this!!

Enjoy,

Nigel

Oh whatever next? So the news of the screws has outed Prince Harry for saying Paki! Just listening to Today Prog and Kieth Vaz claiming this is evidence of ingrained racism within the armed services. What complete bollocks! OK I have not read the article but from what I gather he was chatting to colleagues including a fellow officer from the ethnic minorities in normal army chat. I do not think that this shows PH as a racist but a lad in touch with the real world.

There are times and tones of speech which this phrase can be considered racist. This was not one of them.

Nigel

Most of these you may have seen before, but maybe not.
I like this sort of thing.

DORMITORY = DIRTY ROOM
PRESBYTERIAN = BEST IN PRAYER
ASTRONOMER = MOON STARER
DESPERATION = A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES = THEY SEE
GEORGE BUSH = HE BUGS GORE
THE MORSE CODE = HERE COME DOTS
SLOT MACHINES = CASH LOST IN ME
ANIMOSITY = IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS = LIES - LETS RECOUNT
SNOOZE ALARMS = ALAS! NO MORE Zs'
A DECIMAL POINT = I'M A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES = THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO = TWELVE PLUS ONE
MOTHER IN LAW = WOMAN HITLER

Thats the ones I got sent to me, any more folks?

Nigel

Just heard on the news of a divorce case in New York (where else) in which the husband is demanding the return of a kidney he donated to his wife several years ago.

Now thats what I call getting your own back

Ony a couple of things to jot down tonight.

1. Has any one else who reads these pages heard 'Calm Down Dad' by Helen Love? Its fantastic and have told my daughter she should have sent it to me, not me inform her!!

2. As those who peruse these jottings on a regular basis will know I have recently just got a part time job in one of Darlos WMCs after just over 13 weeks on the dole. Got an e-mail this evening inviting me for an interview for job in Palma de Mallorca next Tuesday week. Shit it never rains but pours in my bloody life. Will have to take at least 1 day off work to attend, will new bosses understand? Bollocks bollocks bollocks.

Just strolled through town on way home from quiet night at work and noticed that even one of the Poundshops has a 50% off sale!!
Along with all the other sales I thought this quite a piss take on their part!!

I just received an e-mail from Flybe offering me redundancy protection on any flight bookings made with them this month.
A sad reflection or in sightful on their part?

I have in my possession a form from those wonderful peoples at HM Revenue and Customs. This is to give me some tax credits to top up my wages from new part time job, good news there I just got another 6 hours.
On the form there are a couple of questions about which I am unsure of how to answer so thought that I would phone the help line. Got through quite quickly but then was told that I am not who I said I am and that the details I have given do not match what is on the computer and therefore they cannot assist me at this time! These people have sent me the form! I have spoken to a really helpful person there in the past. Bloody hell these pen pushing jobs worths are annoying me again!!

Ah well going to bed did'nt work and now the player is into a salsa mode so I guess I'll be sashaying around the grotty flat for an hour or two......
Brian Wilson
Frank Black, (Not Dancin')
Alice Cooper, Only Women Bleed followed by another non dancer, Janis Joplins One Good Man
Ah the Stones , Mothers Little Helper bopping away..
John Martin, discordant for dish washing..
Massive Attack. Angel bugger the dishes
JJ again
Green Day, Are We The Waiting. Dishes reprised..
The Cult, dishes finished, bopping again
Coldplay
jefferson Airplane, time to clean kitchen floor
back to the Cult, carry on mopping
Bob Dylan, start tidying cupboards
Beatles, where did all this shit (in the cupboard number 1) come from?
Bad Company, skip this one too many memories...
Stones Again
Frank Black again
Max Romeo, putting shit back with reggae rythms, mon
Jools Holland and Ruby Turner, cupboard almost done, mmmm what to do next?
SAHB, Next, dance time again!!
Eddie and the Hot Rods, boogie boogie
Vinegar Joe, getting tired now, Maybe start Ironing
Dr John, Voodoo Blues, Ironing tomorrow, I'm off to bed with KT Tunstall warbling away in my head.iI started at about 20 past 3 and its now 0500

Odd. Thats the only word for it. Odd. I have the media player on random play thingy and still it seems to play the same things over and over again. Not only that it seems to reflect my mood as well which is a tadge disconcerting. Tonight for instance, a lot of jazz and blues with some John Martin and Aswad thrown in for good measure. Is my laptop reading my mind??

Funny about the Aswad track popping up as I'd just finished mailing mate in SA who starts a new job on Monday and whom I first met working together at an Aswad gig in Uganda. I mean that is spooky to the nth degree. Think I should retire for the night...
Nigel