Flu

I've got a cold, and I'm a man, so its flu. So it must be bird flu...H5N1.. sniff.
Sinex please.

No.5

Full Moon

I set the alarm clock for 5:15 this morning, to go and pick up the wife at Heathrow, but I was awake at 4:13, and put the TV on. I checked Ceefax for flight arrival times and VS022 was on time (due to land at 07:05) from Washington D.C. I watched BBC news for a while then got up dressed, and made a cup of tea, before getting on the road at 6am.
As I got outside it was apparent it was a full moon, and was shining brightly. With a bit of moisture on the road, you could almost see the way ahead without the car headlights, it was like having a torch shined down on you.
There wasn't much traffic, both going and coming back, on any of the road (even the M25), and my timing was perfect. I was only waiting in arrivals for about 5 or 6 minutes before the wife came through from luggage reclaim, just after 8am.
When we got home I took a look at her photo's and there is literally only 1 that's outdoors and doesn't have a family member in it.

I'm not sure why she took a picture of these three vehicles.

Ohio is known as the Buckeye state, not as exotic sounding as the Great Lake state or the Sunshine state, a Buckeye sounds like it is something like a Deer, but is in fact a tree. There is a roller coaster park in Ohio called Cedar Point, and did boast the biggest, fastest roller-coaster ride, in the world, called The Millennium ride, which I have ridden.

It climbs up to a height of 310 feet before dropping 300 feet and hits a speed of 93 mph, on the bank of Lake Erie. I rode this with my arms up in the air, and when I got off I had dead bugs up my arms, like on a car windscreen. It has since been beaten by another ride.

Washed the car, and went for a pint. Day off tomorrow, so the wife will be fed up with me by dinner time.

No.5

Saturday Off

Day off today, and stayed in bed till 9am. Got up and done some housework, before going to Sainsbury's for some groceries. Filling up with Petrol (Gas if your American) and checking the tyre (tire if your American) pressures ahead of having to pick the wife up from Heathrow airport tomorrow.
Put the car back in my garage in case there is a frost overnight again, and went to the Local for a pint, with headphones connected to my phone to listen to the Ipswich game. Which we loose 0-1.
Back home and close the curtains, turn up the heating, switch on the TV and puter and get toasty for the evening.
Cumberland sausages and chips for dinner, watching X factor.

No.5

An Amusing Work Story

I was serving a lady today at work, and asked her to complete a form. She rummaged through her handbag and said "I can't find my glasses", usual story we get.
"I don't mind filling it out for you, pass it back" I said (unlike me).
"Can you put your name and address on this bit" I enquired. More rummaging in the handbag starts again.
"Are you looking for the glasses that are on the top of your head ? " I ask, and a bit of a chuckling breaks out from both of us.

With the wife away, I thought I might as well go out and watch the England v Croatia game. Something I don't regret at all. Despite the result, it was a good game, end to end. Unfortunately bringing to an end our hopes of being in the tournament. Hey Ho.

No.5

Back To Work

The alarm clock went off to get me up for work at 06:45 after a weeks holiday, and boy did I swear, at having to get back to the usual routine.
Last week had given me plenty to blog about every day, doing something different.
Its funny going back to work nowadays, because half my colleagues read my blog and know what I've been doing.
If any readers have got a minute, feel free to sign my guestbook, but any rude comments will be removed...hahahaha.

A Long Walk (2) Some pictures.

I liked the image of this tree against the skyline.

This is the autumn view in the opposite direction.

The Needle. A memorial to The Marquess of Bristol, Bishop Of Derry.

The plaque dedicated to him.

No.5

My Sunday

I got up about 9:30am, and a short time later went off to Sainsbury's for some groceries needed particularly as I go back to work tomorrow.
Having put the shopping away I went back out for a lunchtime pint. A bit later I'll be cooking myself a couple of pork chops.
I've also now got my bro's pic's from our walk yesterday, in Ickworth.
Enjoy.

No.5

A Long Walk

At 10am my brother and I got dropped off, by my sister-in-law, at the back entrance to Ickworth park, near Little Saxham, and entered the park for a morning of walking, despite it being just 3 deg C.
On the gate was a notice warning of Deer culling in progress and advising people to stick to designated trails, but it said it would finish on last Tuesday 13th Nov.
At the bottom of the long hill down we went off to the right following the stream that comes from the Lake, passed the bomb hole where my brother broke his collar bone many years ago, getting some big air on my mountain bike. About half way along before you reach the road that runs down from Ickworth church we went off to the right up into the woods, where we saw the 1st Deer of the morning, a large male complete with tall antlers. Bearing left through the woods to keep us heading in our original direction we saw 2 more Deer and also ladders against trees where the cullers hide up to shot them. We carried on walking until we came out onto the Chevington entrance to the park, and got on the parks red trail.
This part of the park I know much better, and it takes you past the Needle, a memorial to the Marquess of Bristol, but I don't know the theory for its location in a field. We stopped briefly while my brother took a photo (which I'll post if he emails them to me) before heading down to what I know as the fairy or blue lake in the park, the one that feeds by stream the main lake.
At the fairy lake we had a cheese biscuit and a drink and fed a couple of hungry white Ducks that liked cheese biscuits too, until the were all gone, then it was off in the direction of Horringer.
We came out of the park at the entrance that's after the last house on the right hand side, as you leave Horringer in the Haverhill direction, and walked down through to the village to the Six Bells, arriving there about 12:30pm after walking about 5 to 6 miles.
This pub changed hands a couple of weeks ago, and I hadn't been in there for a long while, and I don't think many of the villagers had either, so we got a pint of Old Speckled Hen and ordered the chicken curry each. The curry was just the right spice temperature.
Leaving the pub, we had planned on phoning my sister-in-law to come and pick us up, but I noticed a man at the bus stop and suggested we got on the bus back to Bury instead. When we boarded the bus, the driver didn't charge us either, I don't think his ticket machine was working.

I finished grouting around the bathroom tiles I'd had to put up where the old shower had been, then fell asleep on the sofa.

No.5

Makro

I drove over to my parents, this morning, and my mother and I went off to Ipswich. We turned off at the Sproughton turn off, where the Beet factory is, and pulled into Morrison's supermarket, for a breakfast. I had two sausages, bacon, egg, fried bread and toast with marmalade washed down with a cup of Tea.
After eating we had a wander around the rest of the grocery store, mum putting most items in the trolley.
Leaving Morrison's, we got back on the A14 and over the Orwell bridge to Ransomes europark, and to Screw-fix Direct to get some bits for my father's electrical work. (Need a Sparkie - see Ad in red side bar).
Then on to Makro. This is a wholesalers for anyone VAT registered, and you can get literally anything here, that you can by on the high street for a business. We must have been in there 2 hours and had lunch in the diner. I had roast Turkey, sprouts, carrots, roast potatoes, stuffing and gravy for £4.99. What did I buy in the store ? ... a bottle of windscreen washer fluid for £1.79.
Dropped mum back to their house, and then met up with the 5 o'clock club at my local.
Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with my Bro' . More about that, then.

No.5

Last Night

Last night, or rather this morning, I stayed up until gone 5am, and at about 04:30 I had a fry up before I went to bed. At 08:28 the bin lorry came along taking away the rubbish, and periodically after that I was woken up by people trundling their bins back up their driveways. That was until at 12:30 when the postman banged on my door with a recorded delivery, that needed signing for, that I never usually get. Then staring at this letter, I, bleary eyed, put my bare foot in some cold cat puke, Great ! That's the last time I stay up that late.
Deciding to walk into town, this afternoon, when I got to the junction of Mount Road with Eastgate Street, a car driver stopped to let me cross the road. It was about 14:30 by now and I got to the Angel hill traffic lights before the driver of this car, in the slow traffic.
Catching the bus back, it had to be diverted over Station hill, controlled by traffic lights outside the Linden Tree, as Tayfen road was closed off in front of Lucky Break. It would of also been quicker to walk back, and it costs £1.70 now !
I'm going to Makro (wholesalers) in Ipswich tomorrow, I really could of done with our camera this week, for some blog pic's, but the wife has it in the States.

No.5

Tuesday evening / Wednesday

Tuesday evening saw me having a lovely meal at my parents home, Lamb, mint sauce and the veg trimmings. Glad I'm not in the Jungle.
When I got home, I switched on the computer, for a while, and had a look at my blog, to find that Google ads had an advert for "vaginal photos" on it. Well I ain't no Gynaecologist, and emailed Google to remove it.
This morning, and I'm trying to lift the remaining floor tiles and they seem to be stuck down with more glue than the others were. The carpet fitter arrived about 3:30 pm to put down the Lino, right in the middle of Rosemary Shrager's school for cooks on ITV, I love daytime TV.
Pointed him straight ahead at the top of the stairs, and made him a cup of coffee, before watching the rest of the program.
Its amazing how the Lino makes such a difference to the room, it has a light in colour wood pattern. I asked the fitter if he liked a beer after work, and gave him a bottle of old speckled hen, when he said "yes".
Tidied up a bit after he left, and went for a couple of pints myself at the local, then back home for dinner, and managed to avoid getting any numbers on my lottery ticket.
Got a reply from my email to Google AdSense, tonight, telling me to add filters, which I didn't know existed, so if there's anymore rude adverts, I haven't switched these on.

No.5

Bathroom Flooring

I decided when I got up this morning, that the bathroom flooring was coming up. It has been the same flooring since I bought the house 11 years ago, cork tiles with a varnish over them. I don't know why I haven't done it before now, as I have had to re-varnish the tiles 3 or 4 times when it starts to blister and peel, and they have probably looked out of date since whenever they were put down.
I left 7 tiles still to take up, so I don't end up stuck to the floor boards while paying a visit, and went to Allied Carpets for some Lino. I need something like Lino so I can sweep up any spilled cat litter from the box I have in the bathroom.
I had been in the store previously with the wife so I knew already which one I was after, and made my purchase. I also needed to arrange a fitter to put the Lino down for me as there are many pipes, sink, and toilet to cut round. I asked if it could be fitted Thursday or Friday, appreciating that it was a bit short notice, and the shop assistant said, they were all to busy those days, would tomorrow (Wednesday) be alright.
So it had to be, because I'm back at work next week, but had wanted to finish up some tiling in the bathroom where the old shower was 1st.
Never mind, at least it shows good service can be got.

No.5

Playing Marbles On A Slope

1st day of my week off work, after the weekend, and my brilliant dad came round to replace my knackered power shower with a new one. I had to pop out and post off the jeans I'd sold on eBay, get a newspaper, half a dozen bathroom tiles and a 22mm ball valve. So having been to the Post Office, I called into Tesco express for a paper, Topps Tiles 8p per 6" 2 white tile, and Plumb Centre for the valve, and returned home.
Once back home, dad suggested that if I got another additional valve then they'd all be replaced in one go, so I go back to Plumb Centre for another. I pull up outside, walk towards the door and realise I have no wallet and therefore no method to pay, so back home I go again.
On the way back again, down past the Shell petrol station, I am not thinking about where I'm going, and I'm going past Sainsbury's when I realise I've gone past the turning, and am losing my marbles.

No.5

11-11-11

Just before 11am I was at home watching The Championship on ITV, as Ipswich was the main feature game on there today, and we had spanked Bristol City 6-0 yesterday, at the theatre of dreams (Portman Road).
When the program temporarily changed over to the chimes of Big Benjamin, and the two minute silence, I got up off the sofa to observe it, and saw the pictures of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, over 100 of them.
What a waste of life. Young men and women, in their prime, younger than myself, and not even really "defending their country" more kind of humanitarian reasons, needlessly killed.
So, who do you point the finger at ?
Nowhere near the numbers who died during the 1st and 2nd world wars. Thousands more than these recent conflicts, men of the same age, but you can say Adolf Hitler was to blame. So should it be Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, George Bush or..good old Tony Blair ?
Wear your poppy with pride and "salute" our heroes.

No.5

eBay

I'm selling a couple of pairs of jeans on eBay at the moment, and have had a bid on each pair. Now, on eBay, you get to see what feedback other people have been given to see how reliable someone may be, and also you can see what else they have bought and sold.
Well I had a look at one of the bidders of my jeans and looked at what else they had bought, and recently they had purchased an ear flesh tunnel (sounds gruesome) for £1.20. This is one of those stainless steel (for hygiene) rings that is force into the ear lobe to slowly make a big hole through it.
I do know someone personally who wears two of these, but I felt I had to click back off this item immediately, at the thought of it. I done a search for these similar items and found 144 other items.
But I don't care what people wear if they buy my old jeans...Laughing out loud.

No.5

After work

After work tonight, I parked the car in the garage, went in the house, changed the clothes I was wearing and left the house, to walk to the pub....happy days.
I have next week off work, and if you've read previous posts, you'll know I'm Macaulay Culkin (home alone) for three weeks at the moment, while the wife's away. I happened to find a pen advertising speed dating, on its side, at work today, and brought home with me. I wonder what will happen if I leave it in our pen jar.

No.5

Hhhmmmm

I got up this morning at 5am, to take the wife down to Heathrow (she's got the camera for 3 weeks). When I got up, I went down stairs, put the TV on, and then the Kettle, for a cup of tea. Once the wife had finished packing her case, I went back upstairs to brush my teeth, opened the curtains in the bedroom, and Fog !.....Great.
Because it was Sunday, and early morning, it was still possible to drive relatively safety at 70mph.
I generally have to do all of the driving responsibilities and am never aloud to choose the music in the CD player when we go anywhere, so it was Back Street Boys and Westlife during the Journey down.
Having dropped her off, in goes the ModFather, Paul Weller, in the stereo, and the speedo starts creeping up to 100mph on the M25, wooooo...ease off or I'll be walking if plods about.
Still patchy fog about, although its now daylight, I get back to Bury' and pick up some groceries at Sainsbury's before going home.
Having put them away, I try my 1st beer for 6 weeks, an Old Speckled Hen,...Hhhmmmm... that doesn't taste like I remember it.
After a swift Lager in the Moreton hall pub, I went across to the community centre to see the Narridge v Ipswich game. Half time and its 0-2 to the Super blues and all is well. But 2 goals in the second half to Norwich sees a 2-2 draw, D'oh.
Now tonight I'll have control of remote for the TV, so I can watch Top Gear from the comfort of the sofa, and some American football on Sky.

No.5

Derby Day

I sold a dining table and 2 chairs on eBay this week and the man who bought it came to collect today. So I can now get my car in the garage again, where I had been storing the table, just in time to avoid fireworks landing on the top of the car.
I bought some beer today, 8 bottles of Old Speckled Hen. This Sunday the wife is going to see her family for 3 weeks, and I'll be running her down to Heathrow airport. Then when I get home, what could be better, I'll be ripping a bottle top off with my teeth, and settling down to watch Narridge v Ipswich live on Sky at 12:30pm.
It will be exactly 6 weeks since the last beer I had, I reckon it will go straight to my head. Come On Ipswich ! Do it for Marcus Evans.

No.5

Sugar Beet Factory

The campaign is well under way, and the smell of the processing once again fills the air in and around Bury St.Edmunds. Its a smell I don't actually dislike, and when the wind is in the right or wrong direction, which ever way you look at it, the smell can enter my bathroom here at home, as I only live about a mile from the site.

When I was at school, at about the age of 15 in 1985, the whole of the school year had to choose where they wanted to go on their work experience. This would ideally be 2 weeks with a company that you felt would benefit you in your chosen career path. I'm not sure if the schools still do this ? I applied to go to the electrical department at the Sugar Beet factory, which was my 1st choice, and got to go there. On my 1st day I was given my card to swipe in with, so they know who's on the plant, and was taken to the electricians workshop. I was introduced to a man called Ozzie, who I would shadow for the 1st week, you can guess his surname.

During that week I went to the top of the silo's, that create the blot on Bury's landscape, but boy what a view from up there. That is about as much as I remember of the 2 weeks there, other than getting to see the Carp lakes and now and again walking past another male worker there, known as Marigold, who always wore pink rubber gloves of the same name.
On my last day they gave me a genuine Swiss army knife as a gift for my time there, which I had kept until January of last year. Which is another story.
My brother and I were on our way to Munich for 3 days and nights, which was going to involve taking in a Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen match at the Alliance Arena, and a few Steiner's of beer. At Stanstead airport I forgot I had thrown the Swiss army knife in my wash bag of toiletries. So having kept it nice for 21 years, I have it confiscated, did it piss me off.

No.5