14th - 28th. November 2007

I have quite a few good news items for you in this entry.

First of all, it appears I am actually quite well off, even though I don't have any money.
I read yesterday that the average British person owes £33,000! Well, I don't own any near that, so I guess I'm closer to the David Beckham bracket than I am with .Mr Average Bloke' who's earning a hundred grand a year.
I will convey this message to my Bank Manager the next time I see him and not get the usual refusal of being allowed a £50 overdraft because I've got to pay the Electric Bill or get cut off.
Also, surely this deams a personal Bank Car Park slot inbetween the 4x4's who journey a huge drive of 3 miles from their town house every day.
Cynical - Me!!!

The next piece of good news is that I'm now having my teeth done next Monday, rather than Wednesday. This will enable the Dentist to check things over before I away myself to Southampton for 5 days.

I have contacted my daughter in Southampton for an up-date of the Grandchildren Virus situation. She couldn't avtually tell me very well because she'd lost her voice due to a heavy cold caught off the kids!
So, it would appear that by the time I get down there in 6 days time, they should be clear of the existing illness, but have something else for me to chose from.

Once again, I've been working silly hours, but this is necessary to pay the final bill next week. Also, being casual labour, I will lose one weeks pay for the rest!
But, referring to the first good news item, at least I am paying for something I'm getting and not something I've already got if you see what I mean.

I did squeeze a day off in last Friday and relaxed by doing the following; went down town for Appointment, three hours collecting and sawing wood, cleaned out the chicken sheds, cleared a path of moss (paint scraper), fixed a new curtain pole and curtain and  burnt the fire resistant sofa I got off a Charity Shop 5 years ago - boy did that blaze!!!
After that, I thought I'd take in an hours TV and dozed off for two. Woke up, drove out to fetch my son, got home, went to bed and couldn't sleep.
Ah, don't you just love days like that.

Of all the chickens, only one is laying at present, the Moran. The ex-battery hens appear to be taking a well deserved rest. Even if they never laid again, they are all very welcome to spend the rest of their days grazing and scraping between the Nettles.
Some of them could be over five years old now and I know they were all laying 4 / 6 eggs a week each during Summer.

With me working a lotin the kitchens at the Cricket Club, the chickens are getting a banquet every day with the left over vegetables and bread etc. I think they'll get the shakes next week when I'm away!

Tomorrow I'm assisting Chef. If he goes sick, it's Scrambled Egg on Toast for 96.
I must admit to liking it there solely to watch what they do and ask questions. You also learn a lot. Trivial maybe, like I wondered why the Plastic Cutting Boards were all different colours; it's red for certain foods, blue for others etc.
With the versitility of my work, I'm becoming a geek for fairly useless information.

All this work has meant not a single new page has been written this month, so no up-dates to speak about.
What I can say is that Down the Lane, in the last two weeks, has gone over a quarter of a million visitors since 2003 who have read over one million pages.
The forum has now over 200 members since it began in May. This is the most pleasing as the members are a wealth of experience and many a good discussion takes place.
We've ample room for more!

The final fact I have read this week is that over 80% of the Nation's wealth is in the over 55 age bracket.
I'm four years into the category and I haven't found any of it yet!

Life and many other thing's have made this year one to remember. It started off with many problems, but by a quick bit of gear changing, change of approach and ducking and diving, it could end up good.
Not only financially, but in some approach and even (not like me atall) future plans!

It would seem that for me, not having a constant challenge makes life more interesting. Easier, maybe not, but interesting!

31st. October - 14th. November 2007

My plans for writing loads upon loads of web pages in the last two weeks have diminished with the want for work!

In fact, today is my first day off for 13 days and with a twelve hour day yesterday, I'm ready for it. The only problem being is that when you stop, the bones go to 'normal' and - it hurts!

I managed the four day decorating in Ramsgate and even got my son out of bed at 6am on the second day to come and help (help means pay).
Beside that it's been regular work behind the Bar at the Cricket Academy and Kitchen duties in the Conference Centre there.
At present I have virtually as much work as I want which is so useful as 'Teeth Day' is approaching.

Because of extremely poor communication from the originally planned Dentist (like none), I got nervous about such a long trip and asked a Dentist locally if he could help me out.
I was completely honest with him and he was completely honest and positive back and I'm having the whole thing done in Ashford on 5th.December.
I wonder how many people get childishly excited about having nine teeth out! But I am, can't wait, completely fed up with them.

I haven't been completely stagnant on the web site though. I am writing the new section 'Growing up in the 50's and 60's' when I get home every night. I think I've done about nine thus far. The more I write, the more I remember though and yet another new page is born!
I shall put the 50's pages up as soon as they're done. Probably next week.
Looking back all that way seems in many ways like yesterday, but seeing the pictures and recalling how we lived, seems like another Planet!

Having a day off today, I thought I'd whip round a few shops. After falling over the Christmas ideas stacks in all the entrances, I eventually came home with a piece of carpet (free - see Members Only section in Forum - join if you haven't yet!!), a Swiss Roll and Cat Food.
It seems daft there's this big early 'push' yet everyone is still going to leave it til the last minute - especially us blokes!
I'm buying my huge stack of 4 presents on-line and avoiding the shops until about next February!

It is interesting to see that the most recent outbreak of Bird Flu this week hasn't produced the plethora of newspaper articles of how we are going to all die a horrible lingering death.
Although this should be taken very seriously indeed (and it appears it is by Government), there has been terrible scare mongering in the past.
It is also interesting that it's in the same vicinity of the last outbreak (caused by humans) and again on a Farm, albeit not a Factory Farm as we know them.
So, the cases we've had haven't been wild birds, back garden chickens, but in places of imported products by human beings.
and we blame the birds !!!!!

Personally I don't eat Turkey and for Christmas would rather have a really nice cut of Beef (isn't anything they're going to pass onto us is there!).
Last year I had a most enjoyable Pizza but hope to plan things a little better this year! At least I have four wheels to go about with whereas last year it was two, or the Train.

Enough of Christmas, it's light years away !

I received the fixture list for Kent season 2008 this morning. Now that's better, happier news than the previous two paragraph's.

Tomorrow I'm diversifying my work even further. I'm digging up a large tree stump and clearing out loads of weeds from the Stream opposite. My son won't be assisting me with this duty, working in a dry warm house doing undercoat is a much better option!
I always enjoy some outdoor work, you soon get warmed up and I find I can think thing's out far better in a place of nature made thing's.
It's like collecting wood. I can do a five year plan in only 30 minutes doing that.
Also, you get so many 'visitors' to gladly distract you. The Robin's nose around and other creatures you can hear but not see.

It seems though that my own abode pays the price. It isn't untidy, but I've promised myself to paint the bedroom for the last three years now. At least I've had chance to spend time in the chicken run early mornings and see them scurrying out at the sound of the shaking saucepan!

Maybe if I pay myself for doing all the jobs around the house I'll get paid then. Cor, the answer was there all the time!