Christmas

I don't deal with Christmas very well.........
As far as buying gifts......... very bad.

It's not the money. I wander around the shops........ Why would anybody want this stuff? ......... The times I've tried very hard, and there has been times I've tried........... I once bought my wife and my daughter ( they never mix together, so I did not expect them to see each others gift ) the same pullover ( we call them Jumpers ). High quality, nice colours . They had this very large neck opening, the type that shows the bra straps, with a roll neck. .... I always associate them with classy elegant slim women. ........... which they both are. ............. They hated them.

I've got more stories of wrong thing for the wrong person......... I could go on for hours but you get the picture. 

It's the run up to Christmas. ........... You know the thing. ............. 'It has to be done by Christmas.'

'I think we should decorate for Christmas.'................ 'What?'.............. 'It would be nice.' ............. ..................... 'No it would be hell.'
It's the time of the year when the Boss wants everyone to do more work, it's the time of the year when a 12 minute drive takes 35 minutes.

I'm going to stop here with that track................ HUMBUG.

Okay, I'm retired now, well I get my pensions. I work one day a week. I don't know why I do it but I do. When I try and tell people why I do it, I say.............'You know them people who work in charity shops, just for something to do............... Well I drive a bus, for something to do............ and get paid.'

When you get to 65 years old the NHS (health service) kicks in. They ask you to come in for a check-up. ............. They measure this and measure that, then they ask you questions........... like how much do you drink............. how much you smoke ........... then this nurse with a nicker size of about 44 tells you your over weight, you should drink less........... and a load of other things that I'm going to ignore.............. 

It's New Years eve .............. I'm going to put on my party clothes. ............. Just hope for the best. ......... ........... We are going to Ponteland. A town just outside of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Get drunk, try not to get arrested, into to many fights and find my way home safely. ............ Well that is the plan.

Enough said.

Well well.

I've been locked out of this blog for quite a while.
I probably wrote some very unsavory posts, so I've learnt my lesson.
I will bring you up to date in the future. 

At Last.

3 Day week.

At last, after a rocky start. I've got my 3 day week.
Why did it take so long. Well mostly my fault.
The Sheet clerke (he's the man who does the rota, makes sure every duty is covered). He has been ... lets say manipulating me. Plus I need some brownie points on the board, I need to show that I'm flexible.
It's a hard company to work for, the rules are rules and if by chance you don't do something, a slight oversight, it's classed as ............' Disobedience'.

I'll give you an example. We have to wear a high viz jacket anywhere in the depot, even in the canteen (just in case a bus was to run us over while we are having our lunch).                               But you can not wear a high vis while driving a bus, a van or anything to do with the public. So, your in the yard, (I'll try and find a photo, just to give you an idea of how big it is) and you're checking your bus over, remember there are eleven camra's on every bus and they get samples off the buses and check our ........... performance.                                                                             You check the outside, you now check the inside and get in the cab. At this point you have to take off the high-viz ...........and at this point you remember that you need some extra tickets, you have not filled your water bottle or you need to visit the bathroom. So your near the door to the offices, you jump out and enter the building. 'Hey, where is your high-viz?'............... You have not forgotten to put it on, you have been ....... disobedient. 

So, that's the working environment............. the only place in the depot without camra's is the toilets, every other place is covered and they are good cameras. I was clocking on at the window and they were wondering what the bus on the far side of the depot was, some 120 yards away, one of the management used a joystick to focus in on the bus............... he zoomed right in. On the screen you could clearly see the fleet number. So, they can even tell if you've had a shave before you enter the building. George Orwell was right, just a few years out. On that note, I need to tell you, when I bought a new computer (a machine from hell) I noticed after a few days that it had a built in camera.......... I looked and sure enough it's looking at me?? .......... yes a bit of paranoia, so I stuck a sticker over the lens. Straight away the computer started to play up, it did not like it one bit, every task I tried to do............. it did something else. I took the sticker off and it did almost what I wanted. Sticker back on it misbehaved. Eventually I've stuck a postage stamp over the lens while the computer was off, it has not noticed................ No, I won't tell anyone about this, ......... if I had a shrink, I'm not sure I would tell him.

Heart break.

I'm heartbroken, and once again it is my fault.

We've golf partner and me have been going to his home village on Friday nights.
It's friendly, same people in the same place drinking the same drink. The band always changes, but that's the only thing.
In a way, that's the attraction, we could go into Newcastle and join the very busy night life (and we do sometimes) but to go into a few pubs. Know a lot of faces and names, chat and catch up with the local gossip, know that there will be no trouble. We get some great bands on, and I do like heavy rock and that's what they book the most.
It's not many times in your life you fall in love instantly. The Italians call it 'The thunderbolt' ........ but it happens. 

One night about 18 months or so we were stood at the bar. In our normal place, with all the same people around us and I noticed a woman, she was with a man just chatting away. I was smitten. I would sneak a look at her every now and again, yes she did something to me. I told golf partner and he looked. He was not impressed, I didn't care. 

At sometime in the night she noticed, she smiled back................ Thunderbolt.
I'm not overly aggressive when it comes to the love game. It's simple, the woman selects ...... it's as simple as that. I know .......... 'Faint heart never won fair maiden' but I won't put myself where it's not wanted.

So, over the next month or so, I kept an eye out for her. She came every Friday night, never with a man but with her girlfriend.  They stood at the far end of the bar. I can't remember who talked to who first but we ended up chatting. Her girlfriend approved of me, so would conive to get us together, slip me little bits of info............ 'The man she's with is a dickhead, and it's on the rocks' that sort of stuff. 

We flirted, had a dance now and again. Once we were outside having a cigarette and she started to ........'Talk dirty' to me. 

All the signals were good. All the time her girlfriend was keeping me informed about the imminent disintegration of her relationship with 'Dickhead' 

All this time I'm ignoring all other women. I'm keeping myself pure, ........... well this is not strictly true. I've had 3 , yes three mini flings. Nothing to write home about, a bit more than a one night stand, but not much more. 

So, 3 weeks ago, golf partner and me are in the first bar (we start off in the pub over the road, then go to the bar with the band). The husband of her girlfriend comes up to me and tell me that 'She has finished with 'Dickhead'...... and she's over the road with his wife'. He winks at me. 

I could hardly contain myself, drinking up as quickly as possible we went over the road. In all of the flirting, she had made it clear,.............. she's with Dickhead, nothing would happen while this state of affairs was on going. 

She's there, she has a new hair cut, it's nice......... she looks great.
She's in a group of girls who I know by sight, I'm on nodding terms with, but I don't know all their names.
I go over, she's ....... apprehensive, but I don't notice it. I give her a peck, something I've never done before. I'm too cocky, I nod or peck (kiss on the cheek) some of the other girls, I've never done this before either. Far too cocky for sure.

Golf and I stand in our normal places, our end of the bar. 

After a suitable length of time I decided to go for a cigaret, I have to pass her on the way outside. As I go past her and her friends I say.....'I'm going for a cigarette' too cocky. Her friends come out as well, they want to see what happens. 

She's demure, we stand around chatting. The subject of her needing a date comes up. This is brought up by Girlfriend, I make a fool of myself by offering ........... No positive response. I miss all the signals. After a while I sit next to her, I'm oblivious of whats coming.

At some point in all the chit chat she quietly says ' How old are you?' I tell her, she says ...... ........... the killer blow. I'm only (she tells me her age).

I know at this point .......... the age gap is too much for her. Not that I'm to ugly or unsuitable for any other reason............. I'm too old. 

I let the penny drop............. It takes a while, ............. I'm in some sort of shock. I am too old, she can not bridge the gap in her own mind. .............. I sneak back into the bar, I don't know ........ I'm not watching myself from this point.  Golf buys another round of beers. I'm quiet. 

It's been a long story, I hope your still reading, but I have no other way of knowing, does anyone read this? I have no feedback. I've not written for quite a long time and the viewing figures have dropped down to .......... nil. 

I do have lots of other stories to tell you, so hopefully I'll bring you up to speed.

I do have more time on my hands now. 

Topics ............ my sisters,...... the house next door ( for sale)....... and my daughter. 

Remember, I write for future generations not for today. This idea came about when I read some of Niccolo Machiavelli. My wife was studying history and politics and she used to point out some interesting stuff. It got me thinking.............. in a hundred years time, a historian will be looking through old blog sites. Just a thought. 

So, I've been writing this for over an hour, time to do something else. It's 11.30 on a Sunday morn. 

Thanks for reading. 

I'll post this without editing, I can't be arsed. 

 

A new life.

New Start.

I know, I know, I'm a lazy git.

I start the 3 day week this week. Well who would work 10 hours a day for 5 days if they did not have to?

I do need a work/lifestyle balance and a 3 day week is mine. Four days off every week (Yippee). It means I can get some golf in, write a bit, sort out other things in my life. Instead of coming home having started at 04.52, which means I have to get up at 03.52, which means (and I'm a night owl) I have to go to bed at some ............... some horrible hour, say 21.00`. 

Okay I'm not going to have much money, yes, I think I'll be able to afford to go skiing, yes I think I can afford to pay my golf fee's (currently about £700 P.A.). It's other things that will have to go. I'll worry about that at a later date.

I'll have more thinking time, yes, I need a lot of thinking time. I can study music, .......... paint, I do want to paint more. I've not painted since I moved into this house (from next door). I can stop making excuses about that one.
Talking about next door, it's still not been sold. It just sits there .... empty. I pay the bills, keep it clean, keep the outside tidy. Nothing. I know it's a bad time to be selling, so it stays empty. 

I'm going to have to go, singing tonight. At 19.45, .............. it's 19.37. 

Bye. Paul.

Things......

Things are getting better.

 4 months ago I put a note in to the Boss. Everything has to be put on ..... 'A special report form'...... 

Dear Sir, I would like to be considered for the next position on the 3 day rota, thank you in advance.

 Regards Paul. 

I put it in the special report form box on the wall, then forgot about it. Then about 2 weeks ago I came off my shift, half way. You get a tea break, I'm sure they wouldn't if it was not law, but they do.

Most half shifts are about 4 hours but some are up to 5 hours, imagine that 5 hours no fluid, no toilet, not much of a chance to stretch your legs. 

'Paul, come in to my office' everyone in the main hall look at each other ( it's a big hall with men stood around either waiting to clock on or clock off, plus men on their tea break who don't go to the canteen).

I sat down, .............. 

'There is a 3 day week coming up on 24th December due to someone retiring. It's Monday to Wednesday, 3 ten hour shifts with a 2 hour break in the middle. I'm going to give it to you ........... ........... but you have to keep it quiet.'

Me keep something quiet.............. I'm excited, it's just what I want. 

4 days off a week, no late work, same route every day, same time every day, same passengers every day, and ...... and it's only ten hours short of a normal week. So they pay will be less, but not enough to worry about. Things are running though my head ............. no Sunday work, no Saturday work ( I can get to every football match) I'll be able to play golf on Thursday ( my mates play Monday and Thursday).

So ............ where better to keep quiet about my new shift......... here.

Next door.

I've had the house up for sale next door for a while now. I've only had two viewers. It's stood empty, cold, ............. but clean. You don't buy a house because it's clean. 

Then next viewer I'm going to have the heating on for half a day before they come. 

Okay, so after the New Year I should start posting on here a bit more often.

10.52 25 November 2014.

 

Long time.

It'd been a long time coming. The good news is, I may be finishing work soon, or at least doing a lot less work. 

I've been asking the boss for a 3 day week for a while and he explained to me that as soon has he enough man power he will let me go on a short week. I've told him that I don't mind working Friday and Saturday night, so he was happy with that.

What I do find strange is .............. in the middle of a pretty hard recession he still can not get enough drivers in and people are leave in their droves. One driver was telling me that he had applied for a job stacking shelves at a small supermarket near to me. The money was better and it's a lot less stress than driving a 89 seater bus with standing passengers. ............... Yes I do know the feeling. 

Next door.

I've got next door up for sale, I'll be glad when it's gone.

Feeling as though I'm not being watched.

I do feel as though my Boss has lost interest, so I will write soon.

Sorry for the delay.

Good night.