Monday 27th October 2014 to Sunday 2nd November 2014

Monday 27th October 2014 
Hell's teeth it's the last week of October already, where is the year going???  Up at 5.30.   Dog walked, papers fetched and into the office about 8am.  Not a bad day, well got through it anyway.  Got home for a bit after 6pm.  Had tea, took pooch a walk and then decorating again - painted otherside of Phil's door and the radiator.

Almost there, sanded a bit of filling I'd done as well as will need to do one last bit of painting tomorrow before carpet man comes on Wednesday.

Tuesday 28th October 2014
Up at crack of dawn. Dog walked, papers fetched into office for 8am. Got a lot to do as break up at lunch time on Wednesday for a few days.  Busy day in office got most of a big report done.  Aldi after work for bits and bob.  Home for about 6.45, Tea, Dog Walk then final bit of painting doing another coat on door and a bit on skirting board that wouldn't take and a quick coat on the door frame as bosskat has got a ruddy carpet coming tomorrow.  Marvellous.  Let dog out for a winkle at 10pm and then bed for about 10:30ish

Wednesday 29th October 2014
Up at 5.35.  Dog walked and back home for 6.25.  In the office for 7.30.  Only doing a half day today as got to get back to shift things about for bloomin carpet man.  Carpet man (lads in fact) arrived early so not moved everything out in time - they worked round the big wardrobe so that made things easier!! Off to Uttoxeter after to get a load of bedding and stuff (keeping the boss happy).  All good stuff. Lots of walks and stuff.

Thursday 30th October 2014
Up 6.30 (am on me hols).  Dog walking.  Bit of painting, bit of filling.  All good stuff.  Took Lucy to see the Book of Life at Cinebowl, Uttoxeter - which was grand. Took Lucy and bosskat to Stepping Stones for tea and it was alright.

Friday 31st October 2014
Last day of the month - gone already.  Up early, dog walked papers fetched, the usual routine.  Cars washed.  Lots of painting in the upstairs area.  Feels like the Forth Bridge at the minute.  Down to the lotty.  A bit of weeding, half a pot of the raspberries (which seem to have died back a lot in two weeks).  Potato project a total failure unfortunately. Finished painting bathroom door.   31 Days with no alcohol almost done!  Ever so mild today - T-shirt weather in October!

Saturday 1st November 2014
Hell's teeth first of November.  Up early dog walked, most of papers fetched.  Fetched brekko from Piccy Bs then up to Osmaston for footie.  Nine holes of golf a wee bit late then coffee in clubhouse before getting back to cut lawns front and back for hopefully the last time in 2014.  All good stuff. Finally, after stopping sober in October it was time for a mini-bender in November so hit the bourbon and coke like a good un before off to bed nice and early!!

Sunday 2nd November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked.  Around 10am took her a bigger walk along by the river at Ellastone.

Farm in the distance is where wee Phil used to work

Nice morning considering how much it rained first thing.

Then 11.30am on the road to Carlton for a family do (Ruth and Jim's Diamond Anniversary!).  Back home for 6pm.  Took pooch a walk then settled down to watch Dr Who and that was yer lot - didn't really achieve owt on the last day of the mini-break!

Monday 20th October 2014 to Sunday 26th October 2014

Monday 20th October 2014
Up at 5.35.  Dog walked. Papers fetched. Into office for 8.20.  Stressy day but that's what life is supposed to be about!  Never mind.  Home for 6.15.  Tea, then dog walk.  Then a last undercoat for Phil's cupboard doors.  Still dried cracky so top coat going on - am not putting a 6th coat on it and the missus likes it anyway.   Painted the skirting board that had the lovely green on it another coat and also put a coat on the radiator prior to a top coat tomorrow.  Helped Lucy with her maths homework, - find the mean - at last some maths I can do!  Huzzah.  Wanted to watch Man Utd game on the goggle box but Sky have switched off  the sports (was hoping the bleeders had forgotten but they ain't - anyway £23 a month from 7th November).  Took pooch another small walk then bed.

Cracking job done by Jason and Stuart last week putting backing paper on.  Will all be done by end of week

This is the cupboard that is being such an arse - losing count of how many coats of undercoat have gone on. 

Tuesday 21st October 2014
Up at 5.30, headache again - think the paint is getting to me!!   Never mind, took the pooch a walk up town.  Weather is a bit iffy today as we get the remnants of Ex-Hurricane Gonzalez (like an ex-Girlfriend,??).  All good stuff.  Got papers and got home relatively dry.  Little dog is on top form again. Got to work for 8am which was good too.  Funny old day at work.  Got home at 6.30, tea then dog walk in mad howling wind.  Wet feet but never mind.  Then put a coat of satin matt on the door and all the skirting board I'd already put undercoat on.  Pleased to say that it's taken very well so think a bit of touching up hear and there and it will be done and dusted! Had a few episodes of Count Arthur to keep me entertained in the background and tomorrow it will be the Planet Rock radio player running on me phone!

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
Up at crack of dawn.  Parked up near the rec for a change to walk the dog which went fairly well except for a police van had parked behind me when got back to car after getting papers.  So had to put pooch in the back seat (she normally rides up front with me).  Anyway, she was good as gold and we got home for about 6.20am.  Shaved then did a bit in Phil's bedroom, then showered, breakfast and off to work , in for 8.20.   Group after work.  1.5lb off - better than I'd hoped. Then home, tea, dog walk, sifting carpet and painting skirting board in Phil's bedroom.  Took door off again  bit of filling and sanding.  Hoped it'd dry to get a second coat on but it wasn't to be.   So... took dog another walk.  Bed.

Thursday 23rd October 2014
Up at 5:30. Dog walked.  Shaved, got stuff ready for work.  Put another coat on the skirting board.  Hopefully can get it finished off tomorrow.  Got to take missus to Nottingham tonight so not going to get at it later (at least don't think I'll have time).  Time-consuming day today.  Yikes. Got home, tea, no time for nowt else.  Nottingham so missus could see Peter Andre with two mates as Royal Concert Hall.  I went to Cinema over road to see 7.45 showing of Fury which started at 8.15 (30 minutes of ads and trailers and I didn't get in until about 7.55).  Anyway it was good but gory - not a hell of a lot of character development or plot but it was very authentic.

It finished and as I was coming out of Cineworld folks over the road were streaming out of the Royal Concert Hall so know for the future that a film starting at 7.45 and lasting 2hrs 15m should be just about right.  Also need to remember for next time to do a Tesco Clubcard exchange as then an adult ticket is £4.50 which would save a fiver!  Got home for midnight, took dog a little walk and then bed.

Friday 24th October  2014
Up at 5.30, dog walked papers fetched, into the office for 8am.  Got the numbers finished for September for a project I'm on.  Took a cake in for Cancer Research and Leicestershire Air Ambulance fund raising.  Got home - more work on Phil's bedroom.  8.59 got front row tickets for Count Arthur Strong next March at Buxton Opera House.  All good stuff.

Saturday 25th October 2014
Up early.  Last coat of paint on skirting board. Dog walked.  Papers fetched.  Breakfast fetched.  Took dog another walk while waiting for paint to dry.

Got back, started banging on White emulsion using a pad for the first time - after getting used to make sure you don't overload it, it worked grand. Got three walls and ceiling done and a second coat on a third of it later on.  Took dog a walk, noticed a sign to keep dogs under control was falling off so went back to get impact driver and a few screws to sort it out.  Got to post to screw it on and noticed had lost the bit to screw it with.  Great.  Scanned with torch a few times but couldn't find the bloody thing.  Watched Doctor Who with Lucy, tried to stay up a bit later so when clocks go back I wouldn't be too knackered.

Sunday 26th October 2014
Up early due to halfwits in the neighborhood whistling at 4.30 in the morning.  Took pooch a walk.  Came back to bed, got up at 7am, took her another walk.  Got painting to finish off the white.  By noon was banging on the blue after masking off all the skirting, finished pretty much by 2pm.

At 3.45 we took Lucy and her mate Grace to Middleton-by-Wirksworth for a sleep-over with her mate Philippa.  At 5pm we were at me mum and dad's for a bob-on tea.  Took pooch another walk while we there.  When got back to Ashbourne did some snagging where masking tape had taken paint off here and there - got to be careful as we have bugger-all white paint left in the can! Bed for 10.20.

Monday 13th 2014 to Sunday 19th October 2014

Monday 13th October 2014
Another alcohol-free weekend successfully negotiated. Grand.  Up at 5:50 after ignoring alarm clock twice.  Took dog up town to get papers then got stuff ready for Cycle2Work and into the office for a bit after 8am.  Busy day in the office.  Home a bit after 6pm, tea, dog walked, half an hour on Phil's bedroom.  All good stuff. Watched the 'Kill the Moon' episode of Dr Who with Lulu. Wanted to get to bed early but failed due to sorting stuff out online  birthday present etc and checking weather for Cycling to work

Tuesday 14th October 2014
A fortnight of no alcohol today and am just kicking on with it!  Up at 5.30, dog walked and papers fetched.  Then car loaded up for a cycle2work from Belper.  Light rain as forecast and a pain-in-the-arse wind however, if it stays in same direction for way home I will be well pleased (it'll turn round, have no fear).

On way home the damned phone broke down again.  Set off at 5:19, got back for 6:02 so approximately 43 minutes to get back - I think I had the wind with me and have been giving the bike a blast with GT85 spray after last few rides which seems to do it a power of good

Wednesday 15th October 2014
Kept having to get up in the night to sort the pooch out.  She's got the runs and wants out of her crate when she needs to relieve herself.  After the 3am walk I took her I left her out of the crate and got up at 5:50 to find she'd done another, bless her.   Never mind, took her up town at 6am, got papers got into the office for 8.20am straight into Countdown Analysis. Long day of data entry but it will be more than worth it when it's all done and dusted.  Hollie's group after work - 1lb on.  Not too pleased after giving up alcohol but such is life - the scales don't lie.    Dog still poorly - took her a walk after tea.  Did a bit more on Phil's bedroom  haven't even done any painting yet!!!

Thursday 16th October 2014
Woke at 5am, out of bed for 5:20.  Took pooch a walk. Loaded up bike and off to Belper to Cycle2Work.  All good stuff. Under 52 minutes so a good three minutes quicker than Tuesday but almost perfect conditions for it!

Had a top day at work doing analysis of stuff.  Getting it near done now and well pleased!  Set off home about 7.15 and in Belper for a bit after 6pm, home for 6:30pm all good - got over took by two road bikes  - am almost of a mind to .  Got a call to say Jason coming tomorrow to put paper on for us so a bit of a panic.  Had tea, took dog walk, got busy upstairs.  The good thing is though that once this is done we can really move on. 

Friday 17th October 2014

Dog still got the runs, bless her so first job at 5:30 was to clean up the mess.  Then a walk and papers fetched all good.   Did a bit of sanding as I had to do some more filling last night on bits I'd missed.  Anyway, off to work nice and early and first McDonalds big breakfast in weeks!  Busy day in the office getting out reports to FMs but cut short when had to take dog to vets.  She does not like having her temperature taken or having an injection of vitamin B12 but by crikey it was worth  the £52 (with a tube of probiotic stuff) as following day she was rapidly getting back to normal.  

Saturday 18th October 2014

Up early, dog walked, papers fetched.  Brekko fetched from Piccy B early doors.  Off to Ripley for football.  Took the pooch a good walk round Ripley of a mile and a half or so.   Lucy's team won 4-0 over Ripley and Lucy nearly scored so all good stuff.  Back to Ashbourne Golf Club for 1pm and nine holes with John - very slow again.  Shan't miss that. Took Poocher a walk over to Sprinkshill wood.  Then back home - did a bit in Phil's bedroom. Off for a barbecue(!) at Beresford Dale in October - what a mild day!  Back home at 11.30 knackered.

Sunday 19th October 2014

Up early.  Mini walk with dog.  Shoes polished.  Big walk up Bradley Wood with pooch.  Back home and started the undercoating mullarky in Phil's bedroom. Put many coats on Phil's cupboard doors over the day but still drying cracky - not pleased.  Skirting board looking grand! Took Lucy and pooch for a walk and we got a load of sweet chestnuts - millions getting crushed on road. Shame. Then another coat of undercoat on the doors before a trip down to the lotty.    Pulled up the pea row and the secondary bean row (that didn't work that well - note to self for next year).  Got another punnet of raspberries, bosskat had two small cabbages).  Tea, then another coat.  Watched last night's episode of Doctor Who which was jolly clever and all that. Then bed early and asleep in about three seconds (give or take). 

Poocher up Bradley wood, Sunday Morning.

Lucy and poocher walking up to Sprinkshill Wood, Sunday afternoon.

16/8.5

Monday 6th October 2014 to Sunday 12th October 2014

Monday 6th October 2014
Up early, raining, waited til 5:50 to see if it would stop (it wouldn't) .  Little dog went 20 yards from car, had a wee, turned round and then went back under car - enuff said!   Got papers, went home, got ready for work.  Talk her a better walk in the drizzle so that made it alright.   Into the office for 8.20.  Busy day at work.  Nipped into Aldi - no pound for a trolley so got what was needed in a basket - no queues really at 5.40 either which was nice.  Also bought a sledge hammer that had been reduced to a tenner - saves me having to keep borrowing me dads!

Anyway, back home for 6.30, tea, then dog walked then into Phil's shed to find a heat gun I bought. When we met Paula and Darren yesterday he suggested it and I'd totally forgotten about the heat gun so gave it a go and it worked a treat (apart from briefly setting off the smoke alarm).  Anyway a few more nights and we'll have the skirting boards and cupboard door all sorted.

Tuesday 7th October 2014 - end of week 1 of Stoptober/StaySober or whatever it's called!
Up at 5:40.  Dog walked (fee constipation issues for pooch to resolve - perfect way to start the day).  Back home, showered, shaved, breakfast then off to work.  All good stuff so far.  Looking at Thursday and Friday for cycling again - right miserable start for October.  Funny sort of a day - didn't get out of the office until gone 6pm then had to fix Doug's Ipad Mini's email problem on way home (done and dusted in five minutes - brilliant), then quick tea, then dog walk, the up stairs and finished stripping one of Phil's cupboard doors.  Getting there slowly.  Watched last two episodes of Count Arthur Strong and then bed for about 10.10

Wednesday 8th October 2014
Up at 5:40, knackered again - need an early night soon I think!  Dog walked, papers fetched, ready for work and at desk by 8am.  All good.  Not to mention first week of no-alcohol completed.  Bloody grand.

Cracking full moon - be a good night for fishing somewhere!

Thursday 9th October 2014
Up at 5:24.  Yikes, it's early.  Dog walked, papers fetched, all good stuff.  Cycle2Work day nice and steady; just over fifty minutes to do the ten miles with the killer hill that is Wood Lane into Pentrich (a 300 ft climb over a mile doesn't sound bad but my legs would argue differently).   Weather forecast for going home doesn't look too promising but then again it's supposed to be chucking it down now and it's nice and sunny in reality).

Despite the crappy weather forecast I got home nice and dry.  Got home, had tea, took dog walk, got working on Phil's cupboard doors.  Almost done going to do a last sweep over it tonight and hopefully get it nicely sanded down and then start on skirting boards.  Getting there slowly!

Friday 10th October 2014 - Ten days of zero booze.
Up at 5:30.  Dog walked, papers fetched, half decent weather forecast so Cycle2Work day!!

Misty morning - turnoff for Back Lane at Pentrich (not that I've ever been down it!)

Moon over the Chevin Road Ridge (I ran along there in 2013 Rugby Rover - them were t'days!)

Good day in the office - lots done.  Then cycle home - supposed to have been best day of week but copped for the rain on the way back. Same view 11 hours later...

Think we watched the end of Count Arthur series then bed.

Saturday 11th October 2014
Up early, dog walked, paper fetched - damned nippy out - about 4 degrees when me and pooch went up town.  Back early missus and Lucy off to London.  Did a load of jobs outside tidying up - took down the little greenhouse, chopped back the brambles on the back.  Moved the bbq and waterbutt from the front to the back.  Took the little shelve things down for greenhouse project next year.  All good stuff, couple more walks with the dogs then off to play golf with John and Doug.  Played okay think it was 29 points on 3/4 handicap - got four pars on the trot and missed a shortish putt for a fifth one - hit some cracking drives.   On way back picked up a Knog Blinder front LED flasher from Halfords, it's USB rechargeable and works a treat so have ordered another for the road bike.  Watched Doctor Who and thoroughly enjoyed, stayed up til about 11 but had to go to bed after that.

Sunday 12th October 2014
Up at 6:30, took dog walk.  Pottered all day really.  Took Lucy to her friends at Wirksworth at lunchtime. Me and the missus and dog went for a walk at Middleton top - bloody grand up there in the sunshine.

Then back home, did a bit on the lotty - wrapped up the IBC against frost.   Missus had the broccoli and we got a tub of raspberries - plenty of em about this time.  Got back went to Stepping Stones for tea which was okay.  Then walked dog.  Then as dog wouldn't go far enough I got the bike out and went in search of chestnuts.  Not many yet but need to be on me toes as it won't be long...

Watched the "Caretaker" episode of Dr Who - very good.  Bed late again at 10.30.  Tired