I consider myself to be a reasonably rational person. I didn't believe I had any irrational fears (well, only one but that is for another post) and was able to rationalise most situations. Something occurred last night though that has made me re-evaluate that opinion and, having thought back over the years, I seem to have a fear of the dark!
Now, this fear is not the kind where I cannot sleep with the light off. This holds no fear for me and nor does the occasional trip down the stairs in the middle of the night for a call of nature. It has manifested itself in two distinct areas.
1. When I am out alone at night - even walking along streets that I know.
2. In the house when I hear noises or (as in last night) when I see something.
Let me say, whilst I have watched horror movies, I am no great fan and don't watch everything in that genre. Also, I don't think, even as a child, I had a problem sleeping at night. So why this has arisen is beyond me.
The cause to reassess last night was quite simple but certainly put me on edge. My wife was in bed and I had come down to deposit the dog back in the lounge rather than on our bed and to fill a glass of water. I had turned on the kitchen light and turned to enter the lounge and make sure the dog was bedded down. As I stepped out of the kitchen, the lights flickered. I know that this is not a strange occurrence but it was the first time these new low energy lights had ever done it. This unsettled me slightly but, what happened next was what really freaked me out. I started to hear music! There was nothing outside, nothing on in the house and no lights on in the neighbours houses. I know that it was probably just ringing in the ears but it certainly put the willies up me I can tell you!
So, I now fess up and say, it seems that I am well and truly scared of the dark at 45, 6ft 2in and rather overweight. I feel a bit stupid really...
Keep loving.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Monday, 2 April 2012
Out of Season Rudolph
Sunday was my birthday treat at Brands Hatch to watch the British Touring Cars. I awoke early (something I rarely do on a Sunday) and my wife packed me some sandwiches while I packed some extra clothes - the forecast was for a maximum 10 degrees C. Off I drove looking forward to a day of petrol headed bliss.
I arrived, as I do for everything in my life, early and managed to get myself an excellent vantage point. I unpacked all my kit and smugly layered up as the temperature was around freezing point at 8am yesterday. I had three layers under my coat, 2 pairs of socks, woolly hat and gloves. I looked more like I was getting ready for a protest demo rather than to be entertained.
The racing started around 10am and did not disappoint all day. However, at about 12 midday, the temperature was rising quite rapidly (unless a cloud passed overhead at which point it dropped even more rapidly) and layers were starting to come off. I finished the afternoon with sleeves rolled up and sunglasses surgically attached to my head.
As I sat in my car during the one and a half hours it took to get out of the car park, I started to feel the gentle tingle that suggested I had 'caught the sun'. With very little to do whilst sitting in the queue, I risked a glance in the mirror. At 7.30pm last night, my nose was already glowing so I knew I was in for a scarlet appendage this morning and, true to form, my face feels like I am in front of a hot oven and the thick layer of cream I applied this morning was sucked up by my grateful skin within seconds.
What makes it better is that I have now brightened up the Monday of most of the office I work in. There are very few that have managed to walk by my desk without at least a wry grin and, at worst, a belly laugh :) I always wanted to make people laugh but, in my youth, I thought it might have been from my witty repartee - not a sun burnt nose. It only took 30 minutes for the first email addressed to Rudolph to land in my inbox - laugh? Well actually I did as I think I look pretty stupid too! If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at??
Keep loving.
I arrived, as I do for everything in my life, early and managed to get myself an excellent vantage point. I unpacked all my kit and smugly layered up as the temperature was around freezing point at 8am yesterday. I had three layers under my coat, 2 pairs of socks, woolly hat and gloves. I looked more like I was getting ready for a protest demo rather than to be entertained.
The racing started around 10am and did not disappoint all day. However, at about 12 midday, the temperature was rising quite rapidly (unless a cloud passed overhead at which point it dropped even more rapidly) and layers were starting to come off. I finished the afternoon with sleeves rolled up and sunglasses surgically attached to my head.
As I sat in my car during the one and a half hours it took to get out of the car park, I started to feel the gentle tingle that suggested I had 'caught the sun'. With very little to do whilst sitting in the queue, I risked a glance in the mirror. At 7.30pm last night, my nose was already glowing so I knew I was in for a scarlet appendage this morning and, true to form, my face feels like I am in front of a hot oven and the thick layer of cream I applied this morning was sucked up by my grateful skin within seconds.
What makes it better is that I have now brightened up the Monday of most of the office I work in. There are very few that have managed to walk by my desk without at least a wry grin and, at worst, a belly laugh :) I always wanted to make people laugh but, in my youth, I thought it might have been from my witty repartee - not a sun burnt nose. It only took 30 minutes for the first email addressed to Rudolph to land in my inbox - laugh? Well actually I did as I think I look pretty stupid too! If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at??
Keep loving.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Petrol, Politicians & Pensioners
As those of you from outside the UK may be aware, we are looking at a tanker driver strike here. This is not a strike over pay but one about health and safety of the drivers during, what can only be described as, their somewhat hazardous working day.
Unfortunately, some numpty politician here has sparked panic buying and, however many times he or his colleagues now talk to the media about him being wrong and there is no need for it, the damage has been done. You cannot now tell the driving public that, should the strike go ahead, there will be at least a weeks notice and that there are a number of military tanker drivers undergoing training in case they are called in to deliver fuel.
This morning, with less than 40 miles worth of diesel in the tank, I was forced in to visiting our local petrol station to enable me to continue going to work (a round trip of 130 miles a day). I was greeted at my first stop by queues onto the main road which prompted me to try another outlet. At the second there were still queues but these were by no means as bad. Whilst sitting and waiting for my turn, I noticed that, along with the obvious repmobiles and works vans, 50% of the vehicles lining up were pensioners. I also noted that, as they got to there allotted pump, nearly all these pensioners were also filling up the plastic petrol cans used for storage. Why is it that, these people who have all day to do things and, let's face it, very little distance to travel, feel the need to potentially bring this country to a standstill. They would be the first to complain that the buses were not running or that there was no food on supermarket shelves and yet, it is these very same, frankly selfish, people who will cause it with their 'wartime' mentality. Their cars have probably not used a whole tank of fuel since Christmas so why do they need it now? Is it so they can put their cars and petrol cans in their garage, lock the garage doors and then sit smugly in their homes knowing that at least they will be able to drive anywhere they like should the need arise - even if it is just to the local bingo hall.
On a purely selfish note, it might also stop me going to Brands Hatch on Sunday......but that's not the point!!
That brings my rant to an end for now but, as you can probably tell, it did make my blood boil. Now, I have to calm down and breathe :)
Keep loving
Unfortunately, some numpty politician here has sparked panic buying and, however many times he or his colleagues now talk to the media about him being wrong and there is no need for it, the damage has been done. You cannot now tell the driving public that, should the strike go ahead, there will be at least a weeks notice and that there are a number of military tanker drivers undergoing training in case they are called in to deliver fuel.
This morning, with less than 40 miles worth of diesel in the tank, I was forced in to visiting our local petrol station to enable me to continue going to work (a round trip of 130 miles a day). I was greeted at my first stop by queues onto the main road which prompted me to try another outlet. At the second there were still queues but these were by no means as bad. Whilst sitting and waiting for my turn, I noticed that, along with the obvious repmobiles and works vans, 50% of the vehicles lining up were pensioners. I also noted that, as they got to there allotted pump, nearly all these pensioners were also filling up the plastic petrol cans used for storage. Why is it that, these people who have all day to do things and, let's face it, very little distance to travel, feel the need to potentially bring this country to a standstill. They would be the first to complain that the buses were not running or that there was no food on supermarket shelves and yet, it is these very same, frankly selfish, people who will cause it with their 'wartime' mentality. Their cars have probably not used a whole tank of fuel since Christmas so why do they need it now? Is it so they can put their cars and petrol cans in their garage, lock the garage doors and then sit smugly in their homes knowing that at least they will be able to drive anywhere they like should the need arise - even if it is just to the local bingo hall.
On a purely selfish note, it might also stop me going to Brands Hatch on Sunday......but that's not the point!!
That brings my rant to an end for now but, as you can probably tell, it did make my blood boil. Now, I have to calm down and breathe :)
Keep loving
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Tin Top Time
Those of you that know me will be aware that, since a very young age, I have been obsessed with Formula 1. I have followed through the dark times when death was a frequent event, I have followed it through the wacky times as teams tried ever more outlandish ideas to get ahead (6 wheels, fans at the rear etc.), I have followed it even during the recent drab, processional years and into the current resurgent period.
Those that know me will also be aware that my wife cannot stand it and refers to the sport as 'wheem, wheems' as this is the sound that she hears on the TV from whichever room she has retreated to during the Grand Prix!
Well, this Sunday, I will be betraying my open wheeled mistress and attending round 1 of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch. I had sort of followed the series for a number of years, most closely in the late 80's and early 90's but had never been all that serious about the series. That changed last year when my wife (much to her chagrin) won 2 tickets to the same event in 2011. The tickets arrived on the Saturday with the main event taking place the very next day. I managed to get someone to go with me at the last minute, the weather was kind and we had a fantastic day. Three BTCC races, 2 Ginetta Juniors (kids up to 13 years of age racing in sports cars), 2 Ginetta Cup races, 1 Porsche Super Cup race, C2 Clio Cup races and a formula Renault open wheeled race. The crowd were friendly, you could leave your seat without fear of loss and, had I paid as I have done this year, all for £25 (plus fuel).
So, I shall be packing my rucksack with sandwiches and warm clothes in preparation for a reasonably cheap day out where I can get a live fix of petrol headed fun and, with the way the Touring car drivers race, plenty of paint swapping - I shall be in heaven :)
Keep loving.
Those that know me will also be aware that my wife cannot stand it and refers to the sport as 'wheem, wheems' as this is the sound that she hears on the TV from whichever room she has retreated to during the Grand Prix!
Well, this Sunday, I will be betraying my open wheeled mistress and attending round 1 of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch. I had sort of followed the series for a number of years, most closely in the late 80's and early 90's but had never been all that serious about the series. That changed last year when my wife (much to her chagrin) won 2 tickets to the same event in 2011. The tickets arrived on the Saturday with the main event taking place the very next day. I managed to get someone to go with me at the last minute, the weather was kind and we had a fantastic day. Three BTCC races, 2 Ginetta Juniors (kids up to 13 years of age racing in sports cars), 2 Ginetta Cup races, 1 Porsche Super Cup race, C2 Clio Cup races and a formula Renault open wheeled race. The crowd were friendly, you could leave your seat without fear of loss and, had I paid as I have done this year, all for £25 (plus fuel).
So, I shall be packing my rucksack with sandwiches and warm clothes in preparation for a reasonably cheap day out where I can get a live fix of petrol headed fun and, with the way the Touring car drivers race, plenty of paint swapping - I shall be in heaven :)
Keep loving.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Going Bald
This morning, as I looked in the bathroom mirror, I spotted a bald patch!! Not, thankfully, upon my head but on my chin.
After I shaved, I noticed an area on my chin that looked vaguely pink. I though I had probably irritated the skin slightly but no! There is a small, round area, about the size of a pound coin, where there is no stubble. It wasn't there yesterday and I can't remember having seen it happen before.
I have never been that hairy (except my hair is very thick) with my arms hardly showing the growth and it takes me three days to get a 5 o-clock shadow but now, it seems, my chin is trying to give up on all Maybe it will spread (that will save me time in the mornings) and maybe it will go away but, I hope it makes up its mind pretty soon. I don't want a pink circle on my chin any longer than I have to!
Keep loving
After I shaved, I noticed an area on my chin that looked vaguely pink. I though I had probably irritated the skin slightly but no! There is a small, round area, about the size of a pound coin, where there is no stubble. It wasn't there yesterday and I can't remember having seen it happen before.
I have never been that hairy (except my hair is very thick) with my arms hardly showing the growth and it takes me three days to get a 5 o-clock shadow but now, it seems, my chin is trying to give up on all Maybe it will spread (that will save me time in the mornings) and maybe it will go away but, I hope it makes up its mind pretty soon. I don't want a pink circle on my chin any longer than I have to!
Keep loving
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
The Rumour Mill
Today, a senior member of the management team left the company by the euphemistically titled 'mutual consent'. I won't go into the whys and wherefore's here as that is not what this blog is about. I would just wish him well in whatever he does.
What this post is about though, is the consequence of this upheaval. For some time, the company has been considering re-arranging the office to make the departmental arrangements more sensible. However, today, with enforced managerial changes taken place, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive! I have been approached by four different people, each telling me (in hushed and conspiratorial tones) the definitive new arrangements and that they are absolutely certain that these will happen. Unfortunately, all four have differed in some way and, if they are all to be believed, I will soon have four desks - one of which is on a different floor and one in a completely different building!
I shall now just sit back and await the next list of rearrangements and see if I can get a fifth position.
Keep loving!
What this post is about though, is the consequence of this upheaval. For some time, the company has been considering re-arranging the office to make the departmental arrangements more sensible. However, today, with enforced managerial changes taken place, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive! I have been approached by four different people, each telling me (in hushed and conspiratorial tones) the definitive new arrangements and that they are absolutely certain that these will happen. Unfortunately, all four have differed in some way and, if they are all to be believed, I will soon have four desks - one of which is on a different floor and one in a completely different building!
I shall now just sit back and await the next list of rearrangements and see if I can get a fifth position.
Keep loving!
Friday, 16 March 2012
Life's Little Dramas Part 23
Yesterday, I returned to the docs to hear the results of my shoulder x-rays (see earlier posts). The good news is that it definitely isn't - to use an expression we have in our house - 'a touch of the Aurthurs' or, to use more common language, arthritis. I am obviously much relieved but she couldn't tell me what the problem actually is. It might be something like a frozen shoulder (in both) or something else. In the meantime, I have some exercises - I had to look that up in a dictionary :) - and will be referred to a physiotherapist. If the physio doesn't work, I will have to have injections into the shoulder! I have never been good with injections and, when I had to have one in my heel a couple of years ago, I was lying on my front cringing and the doctor (not my usual one) said 'Don't worry, the anticipation of the pain is always worse than the actual pain' - he lied! The actual pain was far worse and, when I said words to that effect, he just replied that 'That's how we know we have hit the right spot'! Not only was he lying, he was deliberately misleading me!! So, forgive me if I am hoping that physio does the trick :)
Much relief though as I was concerned that, if arthritis was setting in now, I would have a long time to put up with it!
On a completely different subject, how many tradesmen does it take to fix a boiler? It sounds like the beginning of a particularly bad joke - and it very nearly turned into one. Two days ago, I was making my first coffee of the day prior to getting ready for work when I heard a dripping. Thinking that I hadn't turned the tap off, I checked the sink but there was no water in there and the tap was definitely not dripping. However, I could hear the noise much clearer and reached over to the cupboard above the sink that houses the boiler. Opening the door, I was met with the sight of water gently falling from the base of the unit.
I sorted a system of kitchen towels to wick the water into a bucket and decided I would need to contact the installers once I was at work. Then I went to the thermostat and turned it up to get a bit of warmth into the house, Grabbed my coffee and breakfast and sat down in the lounge to munch my cereal. After I had returned my dirty cup and bowl to the kitchen, I went to go upstairs and happened to brush the radiator - which was cold. I went back to the boiler and found it flashing an error message.
I followed the instructions, reset it and went upstairs to have my shower (not linked to the hot water system). When I came out, it was still quite chilly in the bedroom so, with some trepidation, I went back down to the boiler and, once again, it was flashing an error.
Once at work, I rang the installers and they could only visit the next day 'between 8am and 1pm' so I took the day off. At 9.30am, the van arrived and two chaps rocked into the kitchen. They stopped the leak, cleaned a few bits, ran the hot tap and pronounced the unit fixed. I saw the steam from the exhaust outside and agreed. I paid the call out fee and they went on their way. Then, to take the edge off the cold house, I turned up the thermostat and waited for the boiler to kick in - It didn't! I was straight back on the phone and, 30 minutes later, they were back. This time, they took more parts out tinkered about until they found what turned out to be the main problem - the electrode that created the spark was broken. Sharp sucking or air through teeth followed and they informed me that 'no-one keeps those in stock, you will have to get them ordered'. Their parting shot was to suggest contacting the manufacturer direct. I did this and, after answering a number of questions, the very helpful young lady asked if we had insurance. It occurred to me that we had amended our policy only last year to include this type of thing - in the words of Homer Simpson, D'oh!!
Next call was to our insurers. Apparently, Thursday is a busy day in home insurance claims as I was on hold for 22 minutes!
Once I got a real person, they went through the usual questions including was I permitted to discuss the policy with them as it was in my wife's name! It only took them asking her and her reply to allow me to do it so I can't see how that was security. But that is not the point. They agreed that they could get one of their approved engineers out that afternoon (just as well I didn't take only a half day off) and he would be with me before 4pm. I had the feeling that all that would happen would be a local tradesman would come out, look at the boiler, come to the same conclusion and go away muttering about how long it would take to order the part.
Happily I was wrong! The chap turned up in a van painted with the logo of the boiler manufacturer, had a quick look at the work that had been done on the leak and pronounced it a good job, asked what his fellow tradesmen had suggested was the problem, nodded, trotted off to his van and came back with a new part. It took him 10 minutes to fit, he tested the system and then left.
How I wish I had just contacted the insurers first! You live and learn I suppose. At least, at the end of the day, we had hot water and heat - and we could use the washing machine!
Phew! That was a long post to say very little. I think I needed to get it off my chest. Back to work now.
Keep loving
Much relief though as I was concerned that, if arthritis was setting in now, I would have a long time to put up with it!
On a completely different subject, how many tradesmen does it take to fix a boiler? It sounds like the beginning of a particularly bad joke - and it very nearly turned into one. Two days ago, I was making my first coffee of the day prior to getting ready for work when I heard a dripping. Thinking that I hadn't turned the tap off, I checked the sink but there was no water in there and the tap was definitely not dripping. However, I could hear the noise much clearer and reached over to the cupboard above the sink that houses the boiler. Opening the door, I was met with the sight of water gently falling from the base of the unit.
I sorted a system of kitchen towels to wick the water into a bucket and decided I would need to contact the installers once I was at work. Then I went to the thermostat and turned it up to get a bit of warmth into the house, Grabbed my coffee and breakfast and sat down in the lounge to munch my cereal. After I had returned my dirty cup and bowl to the kitchen, I went to go upstairs and happened to brush the radiator - which was cold. I went back to the boiler and found it flashing an error message.
I followed the instructions, reset it and went upstairs to have my shower (not linked to the hot water system). When I came out, it was still quite chilly in the bedroom so, with some trepidation, I went back down to the boiler and, once again, it was flashing an error.
Once at work, I rang the installers and they could only visit the next day 'between 8am and 1pm' so I took the day off. At 9.30am, the van arrived and two chaps rocked into the kitchen. They stopped the leak, cleaned a few bits, ran the hot tap and pronounced the unit fixed. I saw the steam from the exhaust outside and agreed. I paid the call out fee and they went on their way. Then, to take the edge off the cold house, I turned up the thermostat and waited for the boiler to kick in - It didn't! I was straight back on the phone and, 30 minutes later, they were back. This time, they took more parts out tinkered about until they found what turned out to be the main problem - the electrode that created the spark was broken. Sharp sucking or air through teeth followed and they informed me that 'no-one keeps those in stock, you will have to get them ordered'. Their parting shot was to suggest contacting the manufacturer direct. I did this and, after answering a number of questions, the very helpful young lady asked if we had insurance. It occurred to me that we had amended our policy only last year to include this type of thing - in the words of Homer Simpson, D'oh!!
Next call was to our insurers. Apparently, Thursday is a busy day in home insurance claims as I was on hold for 22 minutes!
Once I got a real person, they went through the usual questions including was I permitted to discuss the policy with them as it was in my wife's name! It only took them asking her and her reply to allow me to do it so I can't see how that was security. But that is not the point. They agreed that they could get one of their approved engineers out that afternoon (just as well I didn't take only a half day off) and he would be with me before 4pm. I had the feeling that all that would happen would be a local tradesman would come out, look at the boiler, come to the same conclusion and go away muttering about how long it would take to order the part.
Happily I was wrong! The chap turned up in a van painted with the logo of the boiler manufacturer, had a quick look at the work that had been done on the leak and pronounced it a good job, asked what his fellow tradesmen had suggested was the problem, nodded, trotted off to his van and came back with a new part. It took him 10 minutes to fit, he tested the system and then left.
How I wish I had just contacted the insurers first! You live and learn I suppose. At least, at the end of the day, we had hot water and heat - and we could use the washing machine!
Phew! That was a long post to say very little. I think I needed to get it off my chest. Back to work now.
Keep loving
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