Plumbing Epic Day 4
Hey, so close to Day 5 and I still can't believe it will be done by tomorrow. What has been achieved today? The tiles are almost done. Kevin has done the tricky ones over the top of the window frame. The heating is on and the hot water is working! How could I forget. Mind you we are on the verge of another heatwave so am hoping that Deborah won't want it on too long. Must ask Jono to show me the controls.
The floor is down but that was a bit of a palaver. Carpetright man came and had a look and then said "Mmmmm you'll need some plywood under that before we can lay the lino". Excuse me isn't that part of your job? "I'll have to go and get some from Ferndown Industrial Estate so might be some time". Don't B&Q have the same stuff down the road? "Yes, but that is £5 and I cna get it for £2". Aaargh just get it from B&Q, I think the budget will stretch the extra £10.
Anyway job done.
I am staying home Friday so that if they need any help then I am here on tap ( ooh no pun intended ). And Ju is due in about 5 hours!
Plumbing Epic Day 3
Is it Day 3 already? And it is supposed to be all done by Day 5! The tiles are further up the wall, with both patterns on the walls, the bath is in and full of water ( I think that is to bed it in and to make sure tiles don't shift when bath goes down later when it fills up ).
Oh and the toilet that was flooding on Day 2 was down to the higher water pressure that we have now. I see that as good news and yes my PMA is brimming over at the moment!
Dublin ( did you guess? ) was pretty boring but a very long day - to be sure.
Hopefully Day 4 will include great news about the rest of the bathroom suite, the flooring and the broken toilet, otherwise we will be very smelly and walking around with legs crossed.
Ju is down on Friday so not sure what state the place is going to be as she arrives!
Plumbing Epic Day 2
Top of the morning to you ( guess where I am today! _UB__N : fill in the missing characters).
Cold water back on tap. Kevin has presed ahead with the tiling and has got about halfway up the walls. Deborah worked miracles yesterday as Jono had assumed that I had already ordered the bathroom suite. She got that sorted and even contacted Carpetright and got the lino done as well. It is now the central attraction in our bedroom at the moment. They are due to come and fit it first thing Thursday morning. Then the bathroom suite goes in. So exciting.
On the bad news front we have found a problem with the existingupstairs toilet. The water seems to be filling up too high and goes straight down the cistern overflow and even onto the floor ( unless we have another leak somewhere ). Jono please help!!
I think the old boiler is out now as well but not sure. Not even sure what to expect from Day 3.
Plumbing Epic Day 1
Jono and Kevin arrived early to assess nature of the beast within and to get any final clues from ourselves as to what is going to go wrong first. I show them the new pattern of the tiles and believe that we have consensus on that. Also show Jono the bathroom suite and get a thumbs up for that as well. I show them where the tiles are stored ( Michael's bedroom ) and go to work happy and content that Plumbing Epic Day 1 has finally arrived.
Arrive home at end of cracking day at work ( yeh right!)
Oh congrats by the way to Nicola and Alan on obtaining their karate black belts. We are not worthy!Anyway arrive home.... and Oh my God they have done loads! Old bathroom suite is out. Kevin has plastered the holes in the wall, of which there are many around the new window frame. He has also had to plaster in the recess that was in old shower cubicle. No-one noticed that one coming. The new water cylinder is up and running so we were without cold water for less than a day. The airing cupboard is no more. The old water tank is now dry and just waiting for a
Hammer To Fall on it.
The loo outlet is sticking out of the back wall waiting for its 4 inch connection. I have just noticed that there is an old window on the other side of the old boiler cupboard that we will need to renovate. I think tomorrow is tiling day. Ooh it's so exciting.
Water water everywhere?
Water seemed to be the key ingredient in everything that has happened over the last 24 hours or so.
I started to tackle the jungle at about 10:30 and at about 10:35 down came the rain. So I think someone up there is telling me that I did wrong!
It was Club Champs night tonight at Littledown swimming pool. Michael came out with 1 gold,1 bronze, 2 4ths and a 7th. Not a bad night's swimming. He seems to have got his enthusiasm back for swimming at the moment.
Then it seemed like only minutes after I had gone to bed that we were up and off to the pool at 4:30 this morning.
And water had the last laugh this monring as Jono arrived to start the bathroom and heating system rebuild. No water at all today and no hot water till Wednesday. Boo hoo!
I think the kids can handle it somehow. if they start niffing then we can take a trip to Littledown and have a quick family shower!
Swim Weekend
Just couldn't resist this picture when I saw it. It reminds me of all the American Pie films. ( snigger snigger ).
OK I promised the results from Southern Junior League :-
1.
Ferndown
2. Tornadoes
3. Swindon
4.
Bournemouth5. Thornbury
6. Keynsham
We were 2nd at one point in the proceedings but 4th was the best that our Chief Coach, Graham Bassi, thought we could attain this year. So we have achieved our potential at least.
All the kids swam really well and I lost my voice after 2 hours of loud shouting. Well done guys.
I think this just shows what a force a combined Ferndown / Bournemouth club could be.
So Sunday is upon us and it is Club Champs day today. The only problem we have is the clash with
England vs Ecuador in the Football World Cup. Maybe I can take a portable TV in with me to watch while I am helping set up the pool for the CCs.
Everyone had a sleepover last night so I was Mr Lonely last night. But have just picked Scarlett up for dance class and got a major hug and an "I really missed you" from her. Now David has been picked up and I think he was up watching horror films for most of last night. He said he missed me already. They certainly know the right things to say.
Next week should be a good week. Ju is coming down and we are going to watch Elton John at
AFC Bournemouth's Dean Court ground at the weekend, the bathroom is being completely redone all week,
Speedway on Wednesday. Shame work has to get in the way.
Right I need to get on with the garden, now that I have put both feet into it and said that I will do it myself. Oops here come the rain!
DIY Man
Today is one of those productive days where I listed down 6 or 7 things that I know I need to do - and I did them!
- Hire skip.
- Buy bathroom tiles.
- Buy bathroom light.
- Go to motorbike shop.
- Clear drain.
- Sort out the Southern Junior League swimming team and print it off ready for the big day tomorrow.
- Do the day job.
The top 3 are ready for Jono the plumber to come and do his stuff on our bathroom upstairs. ( photos before and after to follow ) so we will be without water for Monday at least. I am sure the kids can manage!
#4 is another step toward my dream ( see previous post )
#5 ( OK so I haven't done them all )
#6 is all about taking a team of kids from Bournemouth Dolphins to a regional swimming gala In Bristol. They are all aged between 9-12 and they are a great bunch of kids. We were delighted to get through to the regional "A" final and any position out of the 6 teams will be a bonus, We are there to have fun. Tell you the results next week.
#7 Mmmm, having a bit of trouble with that one. But I did have an interview yesterday for what sounds like a very exciting post at Bank HQ here in sunny Bournemouth.
OK better go and do #5 now. Ciao for now.
Following the Tao
I have been influenced by the contents of the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu in Chinese medieval history, for a while now but it has been really just a passing interest.
Yesterday was a "divine intervention" day for me in that I felt really low for a number of reasons and, after having read a number of passages from the Tao, I realised that this was commenting on they way I wanted to lead my life.
I do not believe in, or follow, any kind of religious doctrine but I have always believed that there is a Way that one could follow to make this life a better place for me and for others.
I long for a peaceful, intellectually stimulating life where I can reason sensibly with people who I come into contact with and with whom I have some influence. Every day is so precious and it seems such a waste of each day fighting, arguing, sulking, and then that day is gone never to come back again.
My, my, I must be careful not to sound as if I am preaching here but this is really more for my inner happiness and future than anyone else's. Now that sounds really selfish! But then happiness has to start from within!
Dream Machine
Naughty but definitely nice! Sorry "nice" is not supposed to be a word in the English vocabulary is it? Any "nice" should always be replaced by something meaningful.
"Exciting" is much closer to how I feel about this bike. It has got my juices going again to learn how to ride a motorcycle. So step 1 is probably either to get myself onto a training course so that I can get qualified straight away or to buy a smaller bike ( a 125 Trials bike will suffice ), get some experience and the go for the Steve McQueen inspired
Triumph Scrambler jobbie.
I am sure people are lining up ready for the " what is someone your age doing with a dream like this"? or "this is definitely an old man grasping at youthful straws thing" or "it's a deathtrap on 2 wheels, are you sure this is what you want"? But hey, life is for living and I am in the mood at the moment to start living the dream. What dream? Any dream! What do I dream about? Saving the world from climate change / saving Africa from drought and AIDS / saving myself from rampaging senility. This dream fits into the latter!
I dream about a lot of other things besides but that's for another day!
Pirates On Song
Highlights of the day.
- being very rude to a prospective gardener (goes against my nature and will probably be eternally damned for the act)
- getting very excited about the forthcoming England vs Sweden game. I must wear my new England shirt that I got for Fathers Day.
- watching the
Poole Pirates trounce Arena Essex at Wimborne Road last night.
I watched the speedway with Michael last night and it was probably the most exciting meet for a long while for a number of reasons. Both teams had a couple of riders missing. Krzysztof Kasprzac ( great for a scrabble score ) is still getting over his collar bone fracture. Greg Walasek was not available either. So Poole had Gary Havelock making a guest appearance for them. Those of you who are interseted in speedway will have seen Gary Havelock either in Scott Nicholls' pit team or on the Sky speedway coverage commenting on the state of the tracks.
Well he came out for his first ride with Antonio "Rio Rocket" Lindback and had a first start practice at the last corner and he looked as if he hadn't handled a bike for years. So I told Michael that this was not going to be a good evening. Then the race started and..... he was like a man possessed. No style but was he ever going to win that race! he ende up with 4 races and 4 wins. I am not worthy!
Unfortunately Arena Essex's reserve Marius Puszakowski fell twice and teh second fall was not pretty and you could tell that he had broken his leg and the ambulance took him away to Poole General. It is a hard sport.
Poole ended up 66-24 winners, including 8 out of the 15 heats going down as 5-1 scores. Poole need to pull off a few away wins with the same panache and we will be up in the play-offs again.
It has tempted me to start looking for a trials bike again so move on over Rio Rocket, the Bournemouth Bullet is coming through.
LOVE – WHAT IS IT?
- Love is having someone to share your life with and grow old with.
- Love is feeling safe and secure at night when they are holding you close.
- Love is having someone who loves you when you are sick and loves you when you are well.
- Love is having someone who loves you for WHO you are and not what you are!
- Love is being close to someone; being connected so closely to them it’s like your hearts beat as one.
- The best part of love is THEM LOVING you back!”
The World As We Know It
Just read a really scary
article on BBC website today about Greenland's disappearing glaciers. Take a look at the map above that shows how the Ilulissat Icefjord glacier has disappeared over the years. Take a look at the recent couple of years though and it starts to bring home what we are doing to the world.
I don't remember reading when I was young about as many weather-related world nightmares as I have since I became an adult. But maybe that is just part of the act of growing up in a world with information overload.
My choice of what to do with my life for the next 50 years is down to 2. It's either kids in Africa or the climate.
I have already applied for a job with Prince Harry's charity
Sentebale but I don't think that will happen somehow. But helping try to educate people about climate change may be just as useful, and even my own kids in a more direct way.
OK all I need now is a push in the right direction!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY !!!
Dad,
Here is my way of saying thanks for being my Dad. Hope you like the cartoon. If you think that's bad how about these
Father's Day jokes??!
I had a lighting up card from the kids and an England shirt that I just have to wear with pride on Tuesday.
Anyway enjoy the day and maybe my memories of growing up in the bosom of my extended family will be the subject of an in-depth post one day. oryou could get there first and post how it felt for you to grow up with 1 really well behaved son and 2 really naughty daughters ( Only joking sis and sis! )
Post from Home
OK, Frederick the butler here, having returned home to the family home and sitting at the computer completely kernackered, having done a trip to the tip and spent 3 hours pruning the leilandi out the front. Hey, we have a bigger drive now!
This collective blogging works and now I can tell you all.
THREE LIONS ON MY SHIRT !!!!
Come on! The boys did us proud. Well, they stuttered and gave us a few heart attacks but we got there in the end. John Terry saved the day again and Wayne was in a class of his own even with nackered feet. A solid result against Sweden will start to give them the confidence that they need to go all the way.
Poll downloaded from BBC Website today shows:-
How far will England go at the 2006 World Cup?
Final: 27% Semi-final: 21% Quarter-final: 31% Second round: 21%
Where does your vote lie?
I would like to go all the way ! 
Gone With The Wind
Let me introduce the family to the outside world. Then when they have their 15 minutes of fame I can embarrass them by pointing back to pictures like this. The picture was actually taken about 3 years ago so the kids have sprouted since.
Starting from left to right :-
Scarlett: now 9 and definitely well on the way to being a star of stage and screen. She is the drama queen of the family.
Me: now 49 ( yes I am REALLY looking forward to next year's birthday but then that will probably be the subject of further posts. ) currently working for a major Bank but hoping to be able to completely change my career path and start saving the world. Watch this space.
Michael 14, the mean man with the gun and now towering over me so this photo does not do him justice. Swimming is his life at the moment, again more posts on that one later.
David 12, he is destined to be the James Dean of the family. Mr handsome but with a kill 'em dead moody look that will come in very handy later on in life.
This was taken in Orlando Florida in a place called Old Town and fingers crossed that we can get there again in 2007.
Welcome to the first post of the rest of my life ( or even life as we know it ). What is this going to be all about? Honest answer is ?not a clue. I want to set out on a journey and enjoy the sights and scenery along the way. I want the rest of my family to join me on the adventure. So come on in, the water's lovely, here in Bournemouth anyway!
Hey, so close to Day 5 and I still can't believe it will be done by tomorrow. What has been achieved today? The tiles are almost done. Kevin has done the tricky ones over the top of the window frame. The heating is on and the hot water is working! How could I forget. Mind you we are on the verge of another heatwave so am hoping that Deborah won't want it on too long. Must ask Jono to show me the controls.
