Monday 24th November 2014 to Sunday 30th November 2014

Monday 24th November 2014
And so the countdown begins - fetching Phil back from Heathrow on Friday.  Plan in place - up at 4am, dog walk, 4:30 set off for a McDs on Bath Road ten mins from Heathrow.  Watch him come in on flight monitor and then set off for Terminal three.  Anyway, back to today, got up at 5.35am - got ready and then scraped the car (-1 Celsius when set off) got papers and walked the pooch.  Got back - had a bath as the shower room still not 100% dry - think it will be dry tonight.  Think I'm going to need to get the skirting done though for the sake of completeness.   Funny day at work - couldn't quite get what I wanted out of Access but will get there - I have a plan.  After work did another rehearsal - finding out a feet a bit still but we'll get there!  After rehearsal got home for about 7:30, a naughty chippie tea but such is life when you is late.  Took pooch a walk.  Then painted skirting in shower room.  Quite pleased with all that, tomorrow night will need to get door frame done and then we're just about done. An episode of West Wing before bed time.  Bed a few mins before 11 o'clock.

Tuesday 25th November 2014
Up at 5:40.  Dog walked and paper fetched by 6:30.  Got all the masking and other decorating debris out of the bathroom.  Got one little bit more to do tonight then 99.21% of painting before Xmas is done.   Into the office for 8.25 all good.  Funny day in the office, all manner of hassle with Access but some good brand protection work done (I like to think).  Rehearsal after work - coming along nicely.  Back home for 8.45.   Missus told me to have a night off - so I did.  Two episodes of West Wing and in bed by 10:40.  Marvellous.

Wednesday 26th November 2014
Two more sleeps and I'll be fetching the wee lad back.   Bit tired this morning but up before alarm went off.  Walked dog.  Fetched papers in the office by 8.20.  All good. Group after work 3lbs lost somehow. Not complaining.  Got home. Had tea. Took Dog a walk, watched two possibly three more episodes of West Wing.  Marvellous.

Thursday 27th November 2014
Up before alarm.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Did a bit of fillering in the shower room - a bit more to do there.  Breakfast, shower and then into work for just gone 8am.  Good day getting a report off and working on an analysis - quite pleased.  Not in the office tomorrow as am fetching the boy from Heathrow.  Can't wait!  Will be early to bed tonight and no mistake as it will be very early to rise!!!

Friday 28th November 2014 - Return of the Firstborn
Woke up with the alarm at 4am.  Had put coffee and what have you ready the night before.  Got dressed, took dog a quick walk.  Set off for Heathrow at 4.20.   Down A515, A50, M1, (got off at junction 15a and went cross country to get to  M40, M25 and then headed for a McDonalds on Bath Road a few miles from Heathrow.  Had a big breakfast and waited until about 8:40 before setting off for Heathrow, got parked up, waited a bit collected the cowboy.

Anyway, got the lad, paid £6 for an hours parking and set off.  Stopped at Beaconsfield Services and got him some Gregg's sausage rolls which he was happy with.  Got home for a bit after 1pm all good stuff but was seriously knackered.

Saturday 29th November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Piccy B all round - JAS and Lucy off to football.  Painted the door frame for the downstairs loo so painting all but done. Golf at 1:15.  Did just nine holes and had to pay the pound out to John!   Hit the ball fairly well but no touch with the putter at the moment costing me dear.   All good stuff.   Back home more dog walks and West Wing.

Sunday 30th November 2014
Got the shower room dried out by having windows open all the time and a nice day meant I could put some bathroom paint on the ceiling above the shower area that hadn't worked the first time (I think we went back in too soon and used shower before it was totally dry).  So painted that. Took Dog four good walks during the day so she was proper knackered by the end of it.  Top tea over at me mum and dads, back home for 8pm.  Another dog walk.  West Wing and bed by 10pm.

Monday 17th November 2014 to Saturday 23rd November 2014

Monday 17th November 2014
Last night I pondered not bothering with setting Alarm clock as I always seem to wake up on time.  I set it anyway.  Woke up about 5am and it was hammering it down so went back to bed for a bit.  Dreamt the missus was shouting at me to "get up it's 5:30" - it wasn't it was 5:33am and it wasn't the missus shouting but just goes to show how ace the subconscious is!!  Anyway rain petered off a bit at 5:45 so took dog to get papers as usual.  Got back, put Uncle Peter's barometer back up.  Into work for just gone 8am.  Moved my stuff over to a different desk. Busy day. Got home for 6:30ish.  Fitted 2 smoke alarms.  Replaced 2 coat hooks (why do they always break - they used to get broken when I was at Churchtown Primary School 40 odd years ago).  Did a bit of sanding - took pooch for two dog walks.  Did most of work on an electronic cymbal - soldering and what have you. Went bed at 11pm after two episodes of West Wing.

Tuesday 18th November 2014
Up at 5:40.  Needed the alarm this morning - it's catching up on me. Walked pooch and fetched papers.  Put some gubbins away from previous night.  Got to work for about 8.20. At lunchtime me and Chris Hall moved a ton of kit up to the rehearsal space.  After a busy day of work it was rehearsal time and we got the big old pa set up and did the stuff til gone 8pm. All good.  Got home, took pooch a walk.  Watched a bit of Scotland vs England (3-1 to us, Rooney scored twice) then watched two episodes of the amazing West Wing - seems even better the second time round!

Wednesday 19th November 2013
Woken by the alarm again - very tired indeed at the moment.  Up town fetching papers and walking the pooch and then off to work for 8:30. Tired, tired, tired. Busy day crunching numbers.  Went to group at Belper on way home - stayed the same (another whisky miracle).  Stopped at Doug's on the way back to sort his Ipad mini out.  Got home for about 6:30.  Tea, dog walk, painted one side of toilet door.  Watched two more episodes of the West Wing.  Took Pooch for a final walk before bedtime and tucked up at 11pm again.

Thursday 20th November 2014
Up at 5:20am, switched alarm off.  Took pooch up town to get papers.  Into office for 8.10am.  Another frustrating day crunching numbers but am getting there I tells ya! Got the numbers done at end of day and sent on to boss.  Got home for about 6:20, tea, dog walked, painted half of skirting board in Toilet and one side of Lucy's door.  Made the mistake of putting BBC 6 Radio on while did the job - what a pile of manure they played.  Jesus and Mary Chain - give me a break.  Put Planet Rock on and listened to Dave Gilmore talking about the new Floyd album and listened to a few tracks from that - bloomin marvellous,.

All done by 9.20.  Two episodes of West Wing and then off to bed.

Friday 21st November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Into the office for 8.20.  This time next week I'll be waiting for the child at Heathrow. Busy day in the office.  Off home for 6ish.  Painted t'other side of Lucy's door the minute I got home so it could be hung before bedtime (got into trouble for it not being in place night before even though she has the door open every night0 hmmpphf.  Dog walked. Couple of episode of WW and bed time.

Saturday 22nd November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched.   Breakfast fetched at 8:30.  Took our bedroom door and got it painted on one side.  Off to Alvaston Park, Derby for Lucy's football - she was made captain but things conspired and they were well beaten and missed a penalty along the way.  Such is football. Back home, painted the other side of the door.   Dog walked.  Tea.  Adam's 21st - stopped for an hour or so - the disco was abysmal so glad to get away.  Watched a bit of MOTD and then bed.

Sunday 23rd November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked.  Decided I'd paint the shower room - initially was just patching it up here and there but got a bit carried away!  In the afternoon took a ton of rubbish down to the recycling. Sainsburys on way back to get some bread and used the opportunity to use up Nectar points for Xmas Wine.  All good.  Dog walks, painting.  Got Phil's computer and miscellaneaous tat out of the Attic so need to get that setup in due course. Dog walks, painting. Bed.
   

Monday 10th November 2014 to Sunday 16th November 2014

Monday 10th November 2014

Up early (before the alarm) at 5:25ish.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Car loaded up with drum junk.  Took all masking tape up off stairs carpet.  There will be some touching up to do.  Not too bothered about that.  Into the office before 8:30.  

Alesis DM6

After work got all the gear to the reheasal space and tested it out.  It works thank heavens!  Got it for a song, spent maybe £30 to sort the new crash and fix the old one (now working as ride cymbal).  Anyway it's all working now!  

Got home and had tea about 7:30, took pooch a walk round, then did a bit more work on the stairs skirting and put the carpet fastener-downer strip on our bedroom door down again.  Moving along a bit now. 

Phil got a bit of work done in Texas - 120 acres before a dust storm hit! - still looks nice out there but apparently going to be minus 5 tomorrow there!

Tuesday 11th November 2014
Up at 5:40 with the alarm clock after a few sherberts to round off last night.  Funny dog walk - pooch went mad for eating grass then was mega sick and did an about turn.  We then went a funny route down mayfield road up towards the old St Oswalds Hospital and then down the super steep path.  All in all okay and into office for 8:20
Funny day at work - loads done but loads still left to get done.  Home for 6:30ish.  Tea. Dog walked then painting banister.  Watched same damn episode of Elementary (which was billed as New Elementary) that I watched the other day.  Then watched the excellent "The Walshes" on BBC2 - very good craic!  Bed for 10.45 

Wednesday 12th November 2014
Up before alarm clock at 5:30.  Dog got a bigger walk than usual as she wanted to go a different way.  Back home, brekko, shower into the office for 8am.  Bought tickets for DCFC vs Brighton on 6th December.  Good seats in East Stand right in middle, fairly high up in case it rains!  Group after work.  1lb off - that's the whiskey plan that is!   Back on the wagon next week fo sure!   Anyway got home about 6pm - tea, dog walk in the dark.  Then overalls on and a bit of painting.  Then upgraded the firmware on the DM6 no less to Alesis DM6 Firmware v06 - always a bit worrying when you mess with firmware.   

Thursday 13th November 2014
The usual.  Papers, dog walk. Work.  First rehearasal.  Back late.  Dog walk, bed.

Friday 14th November 2014
Up early. Dog walked, papers fetched. Home.  Prep for Decorating. 

Saturday 15th November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked, most of papers fetched - Saturday Times missing the supplements for third weekend running.   Piccy B breakfast fetched.  Missus and Lucy off to footie, me up a ladder painting.  In afternoon me mum and dad popped over bringing a cool little computer desk that's gone in Phil's bedroom.   Painted the stairs and landing today.  All good stuff. 

Sunday 16th November 2014
Up early dog walked.  Started moving stuff from bottom of stairs so could finish the job off.  Got in trouble for waking the missus at 8:30.  Pressed on, got first coat on.  Dog walked at 11am.  Hoping to get second coat on nothing doing.  Painted upstairs toilet  




16/8.5

Monday 3rd November 2014 to Sunday 9th December 2014

Monday 3rd November 2014
Up early but bucketing down with rain so waited til 5.45 before taking dog out and getting papers. Into the office for 8.20 after some queuing on the crappy A38. Funny day at work.  New software release is doing what it's supposed to and revealing what I expected.  Nipped out at lunchtime and got some bits and bobs.  Didn't really get anything done in the evening.  I found my components tin in the shed and it's not got any of the piezo things I want in it so am going to have to get some bought on Tuesday to be ready for rehearsal on Wednesday. Watched Toast of London on C4 - not sure what the fuss is about it and why it's won awards? Anyway, off to bed late with a wee bit of whisky in me again.  Not good, need to snap out of it.

Tuesday 4th November 2014
Up at 5am.  Somebody tooted an air horn on the A515.  Bosskat reckons it's my cousin but she can't know for sure.  Anyway, parked up town, took pooch a walk then back home, ready and off to work to get there for 8am. It also turned out not to be my cousin so that's ace!  Went to Derby to get some bits for the annual Xmas racket at work. Got home.  Tea. Dog walk.  Bit of sanding and put door back on bathroom - got two more doors to asap.  Then got busy with the Alesis DM6 cymbal fix.  Took it to bits and found it was the 1/4" jack connection that was no good - think am going to have to replace it.   Bed late after more than enough whisky and a final dog walk at 10pm (she's not done her business today so we're a bit worried).  Dropped really cold today but the clear days mean we're doing better on the solar generation front (in fact after four days we've generated 25% of the November total so hopefully might pull a little bit back after a disappointing October)/

Wednesday 5th November 2014
Not mentioned it before but last week on Thursday 30th October I bought an Aves Argon DAB radio with alarm function.  As yet I've not actually heard the alarm function work as I seem to wake about 5am and switch it off so it doesn't wake everyone else up.  Got up, took dog walk as usual - have found a way to get me socks on (been struggling with my back you see) by putting whichever foot it is about three steps up the stairs and it's working quite well.  

Anyway, got the papers, got ready went to work (after emptying half the shed to get an amplifier out!  In for 8.20am - no traffic problems if I set off 10 minutes later than I have been doing. Practice was cancelled which is good as I've not got all the leads I need yet.  Anyway, went to group after work - 2.5lbs on - that because the Sober in October has finished and the Bender for November has started! Need to get a grip and best way is to get something done so I put a 10w LED PIR security light from Maplin up on Phil's shed which is something bosskat has been wanting for a while and it works a treat (which is nice).  I am going to alter it a wee bit as the wire is going to take rainwater onto the shed the way I've done it which isn't ideal.

Single LED but bright as anything and only 10W power being consumed

Thursday 6th November 2014
Up before the alarm clock again - have had it a week now and still haven't heard the alarm tone!! ?It's called  an AVES Argon and has a port for charging an IPOD/IPHONE which I'll never use but am not overly bothered about that. There was a choice for one just the same without the port but as the price for the more expensive model in BM Bargains was the same I thought I might as well have that one.  The sound quality is really good but although it finds Radio Derby it won't ever play it which is a bit of a pain.

Anyway such is life.   Up at 5.30, dog walked, breakfast, into the office. Jobs getting done.

Friday 7th November 2014
The usual!  Bit of decorating. All good stuff.

Saturday 8th November 2014
Up dead early as always.  Dog walked papers fetched. Piccy B.  No footie - raining too hard.  No golf neither, not really bothered.   Decorating to do.  Getting the job done.  Watched Doctor Who - a really odd ending I couldn't help but think.

Sunday 9th November 2014
Up early.  Dog walked. Polished shoes.  Decorating.  Put curtain rail up in Phil's bedroom.  Painted wood skirting board down stairs and one bannister.  Missus put hand on bannister - sand and repeat!  All coming along nicely. Lots of do walks - scraped car first thing so damn cold.  Took a picture from top of the little hill over the field from our house - was amazed at the size of the Leylandi (no idea how it's spelled hedge next to Denise and Paul's House!

Central heating on for second time at night! Did some soldering to fix one cymbal and make a new one for the Alesis DM6 Drumkit I bought for £60 but will probably end up costing me about £80 - which is not bad if it all works okay!

Get the size of that Leylandi Hedge thing