Sunday 29th December 2013 to Saturday 4th January 2014

Sunday 29th December 2013
Not much to report.  Up early.  Dog walked.  Went to lotty - took all rubbish to tip. Put the last panel on the IBC cover.  Fixed the missus' throne.  Took greenhouse down (shutting stable door after horse has bolted a bit).   Dug the other half at the bottom.  Still plenty to do.

Took lil dog a big walk.  Listened to football results - Derby win again - eight out of nine games I think.  All good stuff.

Monday 30th December 2013
Up at 4am.  Got Phil up.  Got up proper at 5:30.  Took dog walk, fetched papers. In the office for 8.15 all good.

Tuesday 31st December 2013
Up early. Dog walked. Papers fetched.  Day off work.  Birthday.  Went to Stepping Stones for Lunch.  Long wait and other jip.  Never again.

Wednesday 1st January 2014
Up at the crack of dawn (went to bed at 9.30! Party pooper).  Dog walked. Hacking it down with rain all day.  Took Lily on a 1.5 mile walk in afternoon before over to me mums for new years day tea which was very nice.  Bit of a hoo-har at it that will take a lot of getting over.  Such is life.  Went to bed early again - woke up to watch Sherlock at 9pm but too tired so back to bed!

Thursday 2nd Janaury 2014
Up early.  Dog walked. Over to Darley Dale to pick phone up that I'd forgotten (halfwit).   Into office for 8.30 though all good stuff.  Went to group after work rather than Friday morning - managed to scrape a maintain which will have to do for now!  Xmas drinking will be coming to an end real soon!

Friday 3rd January 2014
Got up at the crack of dawn.  Got Phil up.  Went back to bed, got up at 5.45, let the pooch out then off up town to fetch papers and give the Lil dog a mile or so of early morning walking.  Weather much better than forecast so that's good.   Food optimising breakfast of weetabix, banana and yogurt then off to work.  All good - back in control perhaps.  100 days to London Marathon - think I need to start making every one of them count!  Porridge for lunch - 3 apples, 2 bananas during the day.  Zero alcohol.

Saturday 4th January 2013
Up early.  Didn't walk far first thing as was so wet the dog turned back.  Can't fault her.  99 days to London Marathon.  Found out early that golf was cancelled so that was marvellous.  Took Dog lots of walks.  Went and did a little tiny bit down at the allotment.  Went to Hangar 4 and got an 8 x 2 loft flooring board to see if we could get it up into the attic.  The good news is that yes, we got it in the attic.  So now going to get the attic semi-floored before the solar guys come.  Zero alcohol.

17/1.5

Sunday 22nd December 2013 to Saturday 28th Decembeer 2013

Sunday 22nd December 2013
Damn tired so I am.  Up at 4am to make sure Phil got up.  Up at 5am when panicked that Phil hadn't gone to work but it turned out to be Lucy in the loo.   Finally up proper at 6.40 and took the pooch out.  Tired though.  Did a slow slow run (full of cold and out of shape) round Mappleton and back.  Just under 6 miles in about two weeks I think.  Popped over to have a look at the lotty in the afternoon.  IBC filling up nicely.

Over to me mum and dad's for tea.  Very nice.  Bit tiddly when all done but such is life and it is Christmas after all.  "Get dressed ye merry gentlemen" as they'd say on Cabin Pressure.   Took dog a walk while over in Darley as well.  All good stuff.

Monday 23rd December 2013
Up at 5:30, dog walked nice and early.  Into the office for 8am for a early reheasal but nothing achieved until 9am as bass player was late. AAAgggh.  Never mind. Last day madness at work.  Soon be all done and dusted.  Set list was Disco 2000 (Pulp), Under Pressure (Queen) going into Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice) with a slight tempo slowdown, Acoustic version of Somewhere only we know (Keane) then Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin Stevens) before finishing off with Merry Christmas Everybody (Slade). We had to do the last two a second time as we'd only got what we'd got.

Tuesday 24th December 2013
Couldn't get out of bed. 6am before I got going.  Dog walked, off to work by 7.20am.  In Aldi at 8am in the office by 8.30.  Bedlam in Aldi.  Never mind.  Taking kit down first thing.   Kit all packed away and stored until next year.   Got stuff down ready for Xmas dinner out of t'attic.

Wednesday 25th December 2013
It's Christmas..... Up early doors as usual to take dog out.  Kids up eventually.  Pressies opened.  Got a wonderful hat and lots of other cracking good stuff.  Little dog got a jumper:

Fetched Janette's brother, mum and dad came - everything went tickety boo.


Thursday 26th December 2013
Didn't do much.  Got up dead early, took pooch a walk.  Fetched papers.   Did very little for rest of day. Took Lily on her longest walk yet for got to take phone so mapped it on MapMyRun as being 1.93 miles.

Friday 28th December 2013
Pleased with myself for going and facing the music.  5lbs on at group.  Has to be done.  Did a top day's work then took the family to Stepping Stones - had a top tea.  All good stuff.  Took Dog walks but nothing good to report other than that.

Saturday 29th December 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Jobs done.  Made brekko for Lucy.  Went to do golf.   Played rubbish again and got beat.  Got back with an hour of light and a nice day so went to allotment to do some measuring.

17/1.5

Sunday 15th December 2013 to Saturday 21st December 2013

Sunday 15th December 2013
Woke up full of cold.  Great.  Took dog walk.  Down the Lotty with Phil getting IBC finished off, dug a load of the plot as well.

Knackered and feeling like death warmed up. Grand

Monday 16th December 2013

Up at 4am to make sure Phil got off to work.  Still not feeling good at all but have rehearsal at work so got to go in.  Went in and found out rehearsal cancelled due to someone not being well.  Great.  Such is life.  Dog walked when got home.  

Tuesday 17th December 2013

Up at 4am again. All good stuff.  Still feeling rough. Dog walked. Into the office for 8.15 so not bad. Lot to do and dentist appointment later.  When got there the Dentist was bare - sorry, closed due to a power cut. Marvellous, couldn't even get me hair cut as the barbers is on the same side of the street and all that side was out. 

Wednesday 18th December 2013

Up at the crack of dawn.  Dog walked. Into the office before 8.30.  Still full of cold. Such is life.  Rehearsal after work for the works do.   All done and dusted now - it will be okay, confidence is high. 

Thursday 19th December 2013

Up early, dog walked, into the office early.  Skipped the XW meeting as didn't want to infect anyone and had some words to sort out for a press release on a project I'm involved with.   All good stuff.  Diabetes clinic after work.  Everything fine - cholesterol good, blood pressure good 134/70, blood sugar good 5.8 (I think - probably remembered that wrong).  Anyway if the doctor's happy I'm happy.    Me and Phil put a new blind up when got home - that was a lot of fun with supervision from she who must be obeyed. 

Friday 20th December 2013

The usual in the morning.  Up early door, dog walked.  Wrote some more Xmas cards.  Went to Hollie's group in Belper.   A pound on this week which considering I've not been running due to cold but have been whisky tasting on an industrial scale due to cold  - I am more than happy with.   Into office for 9:30, final rehearsal tonight.  All good stuff. 

Sunday 8th December 2013 to Saturday 14th December 2013

Sunday 8th December 2013
Up early as always Phil gone to work bless him. Back to bed.  Dog walking at 6:30 all good stuff.

Did a 3 mile run in 35 minutes out of shape and protecting right knee a bit never mind.

Cut up wood for IBC we're one piece short but getting there.  Bit of work on the lotty getting there gradually.  We've got a roof over it.  Wind has moved shed a fraction so the door's a bugger to open now.

Monday 9th December 2013
Up at 5:40.  Dog let out and walked by 6:40  In the office by 8am.  All running sweet. Rehearsal with the Xmas special band after work.  All good stuff.

Tuesday 10th December 2013
Up at 5:40: Dog walked by  6:45.  Run two miles (it's a start 2.05 in 22m 29s) by 7:10 in office by 8:30.  Bosskat going to see Westzone at Nottingham Arena so home from work early.  Sorted PJs godparent's computer - malware stopping IE working but not Chrome.   Dog walked some more. All good stuff.

Wednesday 11th December 2013
Up at 5.40 (habit).  Dog walked by 6.50.  Run two miles (2.09 in 22m 33s).  In office for 8.30 everything ticking over nicely.  Visited Lynn SW group up in Eckington - mega busy at 3pm!  Went to Hollie's SW group for weighin on way home from work in Belper.  Lost 4lbs from Fridays very poor starting point!

Thursday 12th December 2013
Up at 5.40 (deffo habit).  Dog walked. Run two miles (22:27 getting fractionally quicker each day!).  In Alfreton for 8.30 before shop even opened - got missus an Xmas present nice and early.  All ticking over nicely.   In office for 8.45, bit later than usual but you can't be everywhere all the time can you!  Saw an old work colleague, Alan,  after work which was nice.  Must make more of an effort to keep in touch. Trouble with life is there's so little time.  Back home for 9.30, fasting for blood test in the morning.

Friday 13th December 2013
Got up at guess what time.  Yes, it's habit.  Took lil dog for nearly mile and a half, bless her.  Back home in time to get Phil up. Blood test at 8.40 so did another 2miler in 22m 17s - see getting quicker all the time.  Doctors and bloods took then off to work.  Things to fix again.

Saturday 14th December 2013
Up early. Dog walked.  Golf at Lunchtime - very windy, very average.  Down the lotty doing guttering on IBC before dark.  More dog walking.  All good stuff.


16/9.5

Sunday 1st December 2013 to Saturday 7th December 2013

Sunday 1st December 2013 to Saturday 7th December 2013

This is entered a week late.  Did a bit of work on the lotty.  Found out we had to move the IBC which didn't go down well with Phil.  Still we get on with it.
Went to mum and dads' for tea.  Lots of dog walks the usual stuff.

Friday 6th December 2013

Back to group for first time in four weeks.  Not surprised to have put 5lbs on.  In the time the brother-in-law went in to hospital (five weeks) have put on half a stone.  Got to change - got to get ready for London Marathon in April.  So stopped the booze.

Saturday 7th December 2013

Up early.  Got Phil up (but he was already up). Dog walked.   Had another solar quote - much better and happier with supplier - very thorough and much more cost-effective.  Golf at lunch time - slow and did 14 holes before we called it a day.  Nice coffee in the clubhouse then back home.

Sunday 24th November 2013 to Saturday 30th November 2013

Sunday 24th November 2013
Took the dog a walk first thing then lots of little jobs.  Got rid of some garden waste - nistertians and sweet peas now frost has had em.   Washed both cars.  Tidied up the little mini-greenhouses.   Did some work on IBC with young Phil.   Walked dog another two times.  Bath.  Bed early.  All good stuff but no run.

Monday 25th November 2013
Up at crack of dawn. Dog walked, paper's fetched and back home for 6:40.  Just in time to get the boy off to work.  Got into work for 7.45 - best for a while.

Tuesday 26th November 2013
In Manchester for training.  Made the mistake of going by train from Buxton to avoid the traffic - it took days both ways.  Although it was rather cool to see Picadilly. Did all the walking stuff so good stuff as well.   Cracking course on E-crime and social media.  Found some good stuff out.

Wednesday 27th November 2013 
Up at 5:20, dog walked, papers fetched, in to office for 7:45am.  Good.

Thursday 28th November 2013
Same sort of stuff.  Brother-in-law out of hospital hopefully stuff get back to normal now!
Band practice for xmas madness - all good stuff.

Friday 29th November 2013
More of the same stuff.  Very tired.

Saturday 30th November 2013
Fur and feather at golf club but not allowed to play it on my membership.  Shame as me and John racked up 40 points which would have been quite handy.

Solar Project

Looking into getting some quotes for Solar Panels.  Dad has just had em fitted and you can get cash back on what's known as a feed in tariff.

It only takes a couple of weeks and you become an expert in all things solar.  We've got a great quote for Panasonic Hybrid panels which are a bit smaller than standard ones so should fit really easily on our roof.   The invertor will go in the attic.  We've had a new meter fitted already which is a backstop meter apparently so we prepd for that.  Next we need an EPC doing which is where someone comes and tells you how efficient your house is we have double glazing throughout, cavity wall insulation, roof insulation, low power lights so it should be a formality all being well. 

Feed in tarriff is what you get paid for generating your own leccy - you get 14.9p for every killowatt hour you produce you also get an extra 5p for half the kilowatt hours you produce which is what the power company estimates you feed into the grid.  This is the first interesting thing - it's not metered so ideally you want to use every bit you can generate. 

In winter there won't be much but come summer it will be time to make hay!

Saturday 14th December 2013

Have sent cheque off for deposit.  The system we will have installed is a 16 panel 3.84KW panasonic Hybrid panel which will go on the ESE roof - which isn't ideal but I can't see the missus letting me rotate the house to suit.  It'll be about 12% less efficient that facing due south but we are where we are. 

Sunday 17th November 2013 to Saturday 23rd November 2013

Sunday 17th November 2013
Didn't get up til nearly 8am!  Took pooch a walk.  Did a few jobs, made Lucy Breakfast.  Finally when Phil was risen we took the IBC stand down to the Allotment and got that done.

Bottom layer of IBC support on two 3 x 2' paver which are a smidge too small, really.

IBC stand and IBC in place - pretty damn solid all in all 

Monday 18th November 2013
Up at 4am to get Phil up (must stop doing this).  Up at 5:45 proper, dog walked and papers fetched nice and early, tired though!  In to the office before 8am all's well with the world.

Tuesday 19th November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Work.  Home early.  Kids sorted.

Wednesday 20th November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Work.  Home early.  Kids sorted.

Thursday 21st November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Work.  Rehearsal for Xmas do after work. Went really well all things considered..

Friday 22nd November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Training at work - interest stuff.

Saturday 23rd November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked.  Nipped to Allotment to get PTFE tape out of shed.  Took a couple of bags of rubbish to tip.  Golf at lunch time - five pars, one birdie on S.I. 3 ninth hole.   If had parred the 16th (missed greent and chipped to about five feet I'd have parred or better all the par three holes on the course.  Missed some daft putts.  Was at side of the par five 2nd hole in three shots then took five more to get it into the damned hole.  Happens a lot with Winter golf that.

Sunday 10th November 2013 to Saturday 16th November 2013

Sunday 10th November 2013

Up at 5:30!  Shaved, showered, packed and ready to go.  Quick walk to take some stuff back to the car and then breakfast at 6.40.  On the road and back home for 8:10am.  Six mile run 45 minutes later!

Did some jobs and bits and bobs then at 4pm had a reheasal for the Big Lix 21st Anniversary gig this coming Saturday!  It all went surprisingly well all things considered so am not as apprehensive as I was and am quite looking forward to it!

Monday 11th November 2013

Up at crack of dawn (well 5:30) got some jobs done, shoes polished, Dog walked, papers fetched.  Got into office a fraction after 8am so all good stuff so far.   Got home to make kids' tea did some bits and bobs. Walked dog. 

Tuesday 12th November 2013

Up at 5:30.  Did some jobs. Took dog walk.  Got to work early. Bloody tired though I can tell you. 

Wednesday 13th November 2013

Up early. Dog walked early. Off to work early. Back home early.  Kids fed on time.  Off to Buxton Opera House to see Reginald D Hunter. 

Am convinced I saw Nigel Clough in the audience but it's possible I may be mistake.

Home a bit late but such is life. 

Thursday 14th November 2013

Up real early to get Phil up. Dog walked Early.  In to work earyl.  Tons of good stuff done during work. Very pleased. Rehearsal after group only two of us but a start none-the-less. Back home for a bit after 7pm.  Dog walked again - all good.  Bed earlier than has been the case most often so that's good. 

Friday 15th November 2013

Up at crack of dawn.  Baked two loaves for IT Depts bake auction thing.  All good stuff.  In to office for just after 8am all going well. 

Saturday 16th November 2013

Up early.  Walked dog, fetched papers.  Fetched Piccy B. Did some working on the IBC platform - tomorrow it will be done.   Helped Phil with initial re-roofing of his shed(s).  Golf - some not too bad stuff and some rubbish as usual, think had three pars on front and four pars on back nine so not too bad considering hadn't played for a week or three!

Big Lix 21st Anniversary reunion gig in the evening.  Played four or five songs - I remember Rock'n'Roll Damnation - AC/DC, Movin On - Bad Company, Rock'n'Me - Steve Miller and Alright Now - Free - Phil said I did five though so not sure what I'm missing?   Anyway it went really well, it was great to see Ray Hirst, Rip Hirst, Jon Bigland, Rich Mellor, Andy Smith, Neil Burgess, Jason Callear and all the friends and family and folks not seen in a hundred years!  Good stuff. Didn't leave til gone midnight - very tired. 

Sunday 3rd November 2013 to Saturday 9th November 2013

Sunday 3rd November 2013
Up early.  Dog walked. Fetched more pavers with Phil.  Went to Allotment took one 2x2' on trolley but it's too soft by far.   We brought base from IBM back home.  Phil set about making a stand for the IBC - I need to get two 3x2' slabs up to the plot for the IBC base. Over to mums for tea.   Back home for 7:30.  Bed early.

Monday 4th November 2013
Up early.  Got Phil up for 4.25.  Got up at 6am took dog out, fetched papers, shower then straight off to work.  Need to leave early to get back home for Lucy.  Bosskat not going to be back from Derby City Hospital until late.

Tuesday 5th November 2013
More of the same, in early out early, dog walkings. etc.etc.

Wednesday 6th November 2013
More of the same but went to ATP Tour Finale at O2 arena incorporating a meeting with Barclaycard so all good stuff , Think we saw David Ferrer vs Someone Berdych.  Got home at 2.15am!  A wee bit late for me.


Thursday 7th November 2013
Ditto.

Friday 8th November 2013
Up early to get Phil up at the crack of dawn.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Three mile run done (first of November - life is a bit mixed up at present).  Popped in on Hollie at Belper - 1.5lb on - not good but that's what you get when you're not focussed.

Plenty of getting ready for the big Slimming World Woman of the Year awards at the NICC at Birmingham. Got me hair cut on way home.   All set.

Saturday 9th November 2013
Up at the crack of dawn as usual - got Phil up at 4am.  Got papers at 6am, got off to Birmingham at 8.30 there in good time for doing the business with the shop at the awards.  Lunch in the Slug and Lettuce - not bad and good value for money I did think.  Shop in the afternoon.  Do in the evening, in bed for 10:30.

Gormless Selfie

Mean

A good sleep then off for home in the morning I reckon.