Still in one piece

I completed my driving assessment this morning. I arrived in good time and met a fellow trainee driver who had recently joined and was learning to be a PCV driver. He came with me together with the guy from HR and the driving instructor. We took the coach to the outskirts of Peterborough, my new (soon to be) colleague driving. Near to the A1, we parked up and it was my turn to take the controls. The size of the vehicle was daunting at first, but I soon found my confidence and managed a good hour's driving without any major problems. I did clip the curb a few times and managed to select the wrong lane using a roundabout, but on the whole I was quite pleased with my performance. I didn't hit anything and no harm came to my passengers - all three of them. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is certainly the biggest vehicle I have driven to date - a Volvo B10M coach, but it handled much like a large car but not as fast of course.
I was told I would hear about my start date as soon as my medical is complete. I'm really looking forward to starting and knowing there is someone else learning to drive, I don't feel too bad.
I did try to get a photo but my phone had run out of memory. There'll be plenty more opportunities I'm sure
So the medical is next on my checklist. Get through this and my new career awaits...

Assessment

I took a call yesterday from my (soon to be) employer in Peterborough. They have asked me to take an assessment drive tomorrow. I believe they use a coach for their training and this will involve driving it around Peterborough to assess how much training I will need and how confidently I handle the vehicle. They also told me my medical will take place on 8th August in Peterborough. Assuming this goes OK, I hope to hear from them soon after to let me know my start date. At last things seem to be coming together. I can finally begin the see the culmination of two year's effort to get where I want to be. I can't wait to post an entry of my first day and a photo of me with my bus. But first thing's first. Get the assessment and the medical done.

Worries? I have a few, but the thing I'm most worried about is my rather patchy knowledge of Peterborough and its maze of roads. I know I am going to need a good knowledge so I am using Google Maps to navigate the roads from the depot and around the city centre. It's an invaluable tool and very effective, providing an all round view of each route. I will certainly be making good use of it as I suspect the use of a Sat Nav will be somewhat frowned upon...
I need to be at the depot for 9am so I will be leaving around 7.30 to ensure I get there on time. Everyone else will be travelling in the same direction at that time so the roads will be very busy. I have a worry too about the car, it got a little hot earlier (I had to drive to Spalding to sign-on), and the engine fan was running constantly. The coolant is certainly low and I suspect there may be a leak somewhere, possibly in the radiator. I've topped it up and we'll see how it is tomorrow.
So, provided I don't prang their coach tomorrow, I should be able to post some good news very soon.
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors & MSM...

Play quietly

Living as I do quite close to a bombing range at RAF Holbeach, it is quite normal to expect a degree of noise from various fighter jets, helicopters and the like. This morning however, they must have some new toy to play with for it is far louder than anything I have heard before. Double glazing, normally an adequate defence to their antics is absolutely ineffective and the sound seems to pervade every wall and ceiling. I have nothing against what they do in principle but I do wish they'd do it a little more quietly. There! My Monday moan.

Micro self-sufficiency update, roofing & the news

I've been a busy bunny today. It's funny how you wake up wondering what you're going to get up to and resign yourself to doing little or absolutely nothing. The Sunday blues as I knew them...
Well I've actually done rather a lot on my vegetable plot and it's nearly ready for planting my first crop.

I needed to move an enormous pampas grass from the plot which had taken root. It used to be home to a particularly lively swarm of bees but other than that has served no practical use whatsoever.

I managed to uproot it after some considerable effort and I've simply rolled it out of the way until I can decide what to do with it.
My seedlings are also doing very well indeed. The rocket is shooting up and my other herbs are also beginning to sprout small shoots.

I was very surprised to see three shoots in my honeydew melon propagator appear this morning. They look strong and healthy so I'm hoping I will producing my own melons in a few months time. I will have to give serious thought to a frame for supporting the plants and fruit though I will continue to grow them in the conservatory as the temperature is ideal.

In separate news, we've had the roof to the model railway cabin re-done, and very nice it is too. You'll recall from previous posts that it was prone to leaking. Thankfully this has now been fixed and it is fully water-tight.

Finally, in the last week, we have seen what can only be described as 'news overload'. There have been local and international events which have angered us, amazed us, shocked us and saddened us. I do hope we can return to some level of normality, whatever that is. But it will certainly be a week remembered for all sorts of different reasons.

A sad week

This week will I think be remembered for all the wrong reasons. We had the phone hacking scandal hearings at the beginning of the week, we’ve seen evil at its very worst in Norway and now one of the finest singers of our generation has been found dead. Amy Winehouse, Rest In Peace. What a terrible waste of life and talent…

A special day for my Son

Today was my son's final day at Playgroup. I hadn't really prepared for the emotion of the event. Parents were invited along at lunchtime for an indoor picnic and for a short ceremony where each child was presented with a record of their time with the group and a gift of a pencil case which of course is symbolic of their early school years. As each child was presented with their gift,  they gave the head teacher a hug. As we sat watching, I could see eyes filling up with tears and a lump gradually rose in my throat as it dawned on me the significance of the occasion. Of course this was lost on my son who saw it simply as a slightly unusual day when parents were allowed in school. But for my wife and I, this was an enormously significant occasion. I began to realise just how long he had spent attending the playgroup and how much of his early development was due, almost entirely to his time there. I realised also the dedication and professionalism of the teaching staff and particularly the very special relationships that had been built between them and the children. For one of the staff, this day had particular poignancy as she had looked after our son since he was about a year old, before joining the group as a full-time member of staff. This was reflected in her face as tears began to stream down her cheeks, the emotion of the moment clearly too much to contain. We hugged and promised to keep in touch.
For my son, it will be many years before he is able to understand how special today has been. We have an excellent paper record of his time there, with many photographs charting his development. I am indebted to the staff for producing this and shows the enormous amount of effort that the staff put into their work and the level of care and attention afforded the children who attend.

It is very odd to think that my son won't be attending playgroup ever again. He has six weeks between now and when he begins 'big school'. I will certainly make the most of it as I know that when I start work again, my hours will mean that I will see far less of him than I do now. This I know is going to be difficult for him as he has become so used to me being around. I know for sure that it will be very difficult for me also. I will miss him dearly though I hope there will be times when my wife can bring him to meet me from work or to even ride with me during the day on one of my buses. He'll love that. We'll see what happens...

A very important period of my son's life ended today. Where did all the time go? He's too young to understand why his Mummy and Daddy were so upset... I hope that one day, he will discover for himself

Another step forward

Today I received a letter from the bus company I'm soon hoping to be working for. It asked for me to sign a copy and return which I did straight away. It also said that they would be in touch to let me know the date and time of my medical. Provided I pass this, then they look forward to welcoming me to a 'rewarding and enjoyable' career. Little do they know that this has been my career of choice since I was old enough to speak. So I'll wait now for the appointment details for my medical. As I mentioned previously, I am on a strict diet in the hope that I can get my weight down. I'm not starving myself but I am cutting out all the snacks I used to eat during the day and the evening. I've actually managed to supplement them with carrots, which I do enjoy and also find quite filling.

In other news, my parents today received a letter from their bank telling them they had credited their account with the money paid to those crooks at First Class Trucking Ltd, who recently went into administration whilst owing tens of thousands of pounds to many unfortunate people. What I do find ridiculous though is the fact that having credited the money they also threaten to take the money back if it's found that the course was made available. I would have thought common sense would dictate that the money should be credited once the investigation was complete and the bank had no doubts whatsoever that the vendor was at fault...
Call me Mr Picky but surely that's normal practice?
So I'll be writing a further letter to them pointing out the error of their ways.
Some good news then and certainly a significant step forward in my grand plan but an erroneous outcome with the bank...

On the vegetable garden, birds have been eating my seedlings so I have deployed garden netting in the hope that I can prevent them from getting close to my plants.

Having blamed the birds, I have just caught a slug on its way to munch through another of my seedlings. Luckily I was able to stop the bugger and deploy him swiftly to next door's garden...

Vegetable Garden Update & Some Possible Good News

I had a call last Thursday from the guy that interviewed me the previous day in Peterborough. He had an odd question to begin with - my weight. Apparently there is a weight limit for driving that I had to be under. I told him I was and he replied 'thank God' followed by 'provided you pass the medical, you've got the job'. That was fantastic news. They are sending me a letter which should arrive in the next few days. It should tell me when my medical will be. Hopefully it will be next week and provided I pass this I should start training soon after.
It'll be great to get back into work doing the job I want to do and be able to help my wife with the bills. Needless to say, I'm chuffed to bits and can't wait to start training behind the wheel. The medical is the only thing standing in the way at the moment. I am diabetic - type 2 treated with tablets - and I do take a good few tablets each day. It shouldn't prevent me from driving though, provided I keep the diabetes under control.
So, I'm just waiting for the letter now. Peterborough is a good 45 minute drive from where I live but provided I leave enough time, it should be fine. After all, I enjoy driving and I used to do the trip to and from work for several years previously.

My seedlings are really starting to shoot up. I have broccoli, spinach, carrots and cucumbers on the go at the moment as well as my tomato vines. I'll prepare the ground in the next couple of weeks to receive the plants once they're a little stronger.

I'm also having a go at growing some herbs - rocket, thyme, coriander and mint. At our local 99p store, I picked up rather a nice honeydew melon growing kit so I'm giving that a go too! Well, why not? What we don't have a use for I'm sure the rest of the family will be glad of.

Oh, in preparation for my imminent medical (whenever the company decide to let me know), I am on a strict diet. Basically, I'm eating loads of vegetables and steering clear of anything fattening. It's not easy but it's certainly worth doing. My aim is to lose about 6-8 lbs. I've developed an odd craving for carrots which do an excellent job of keeping the hunger pangs at bay.

So now I'm waiting for that letter to arrive, to confirm to me that I didn't imagine the interview I had last week and subsequent phone call offering me a job pending a medical. I really hope it arrives soon. My mortgage insurance company are getting picky, more so than ever it seems, so any good news I can give them will be a good thing.

I'm keeping a close eye on the weather. It's bright, sunny and warm. In fact the sun is quite hot when it emerges from behind the clouds. The storm clouds are gathering though - we are forecast very heavy rain this afternoon and thunderstorms in places. I'm holding off watering my vegetable seedlings and tomatoes just in case.

OK, that's an update on where I'm at right now.

Interview

I was surprised to get a call this afternoon from the company in Peterborough I had applied to only yesterday for a driving role. What's more, they wanted to see me at 3pm giving me a little over an hour to get ready and drive to their offices in Peterborough. I arrived just in time having been diverted via Cowbit and I was seen straight away. The interview went well. I was tested on basic arithmetic, highway code and health and safety. Despite having no time to prepare, I did manage to pass, which I'm pleased about. I suppose the more interviews and tests you have, the better you get at them.
After a few more questions, I was told that I would know if I've been successful in the coming five days. It's a training role to begin with but once training is complete and I've gained my license, I'll be put on a 'nursery' rota. This consists of a variety of shifts starting at 5.30 in the morning and ending at 12.30 at night.
I'm not going to get overly-optimistic at all as I've been bitten too many times in the past. I did my best - at short notice - and that's what matters. I know I'm a good driver and I know I can better myself to gain a professional driving license. I hope they know that...

Thoughts for a Tuesday

Things are pretty OK at the moment. I have that comfortable feeling that tells me everything's all right - not perfect - just all right.

I applied for a position at a bus company in Peterborough today. They are looking for people who want to complete their training for their full PCV license. It'll be nice if they invite me for an interview but I will write to them if they turn me down as I'd like to know why.

Financially it's a struggle as usual. We're forever having to budget and economise wherever we can. I imagine many households are the same at the moment and I expect there are people in a worst state to us. At least we currently have our home and should be OK for the next few months, insurance company permitting of course.

I planted a load more seeds this afternoon. I was encouraged by the fact that most of my seeds have started to grow. This time I planted five trays of large King Carrots. They should grow during the next few months. I'm going to cordon-off my vegetable patch as soon as I have the materials. It'll keep the dog away plus segregate it from the rest of the garden. I'll do a v-log nearer completion.

Sunday was a great day. We visited Sacrewell Farm for the second year running for the Peterborough Bus Rally. The weather was very good - we had no rain while all around us it seems there were storms. It wasn't until we left and headed for Wisbech did we then drive through what I can only describe as a monsoon.
There was a fantastic selection of vintage buses and we took full advantage of the free rides to Wansford and the Nene Valley Railway. I'll be uploading a short video compilation to YouTube in the next few days.

It's a nice feeling when, even though your son is at school, you can hear him from the garden. This is the case with my son and as I work in the garden, I can hear him shouting a few hundred yards away. It's comforting to know that he's not far away and I'm lucky to be able to hear him having fun with the other children instead of worrying that he's OK.

Good luck to everyone planning to have a shot at the Euromillions lottery tonight. Frankly whoever wins the jackpot could probably buy Greece or at least one of it's islands.

The News of the World

OK, I have to comment on this story as many others are currently doing. As far as I'm concerned, The News of the World is where it belongs - in the gutter and washing down a drain. It is appalling that newspaper investigative practices have infringed on the privacy of so many people. I cannot understand the claims that no one running the paper knew nothing of the illegal practices and a full inquiry - private and impartial - is urgently needed.
I do agree sadly with the suggestion that the paper will simply be re-branded and that this is just a stunt by Rupert Murdoch. It's important that any boycott is carried forward to any re-born publications.
I have enormous sympathy for all those affected so far and all those wondering if their phone messages were hacked. A lot is unknown currently and the investigation will no doubt unearth more wrong-doing and malpractice. If anything good comes out of this, there should be strict regulation on how newspapers operate. The BSkyB deal currently pending should be scrapped at least until the investigation is completed. There needs to be accountability for the illegal practices uncovered so far - not just a slap on the wrist. There needs to be a realisation that this country can do without Rupert Murdoch. The government should not be in a position whereby it is scared of Rupert Murdoch and his media empire. We managed before, we can manage now.

P.S. The Internet domains for the 'sundaysun' and the 'sunonsunday' were registered two days ago by 'persons unknown'...

A good news story...

I was really pleased to stumble across an article on the BBC News site this morning... it's all about a new cable car system that's been installed in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro Complexo do Alemão slum district. 

Source: Wired.com
The 3.5km system negates the need for residents to spend hours on foot traversing the steep narrow lanes and stairways on foot.
It's normal to associate this part of Brazil with drugs and violence so it's really marvelous to see something like this - provided by the government at considerable cost for the benefit of its people. It's not every day you see something like this...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-14055490

Preparing the vegetable patch

I'm exhausted, really exhausted. I started work on my vegetable patch this afternoon so it's ready for my seedlings when they've matured a little. I made a good start - until my aged ground fork decided to snap... Luckily my father had one or two spare so I popped over to collect it and I was up and running again.
I've made quite good progress. The soil was far better than I expected. We had covered the ground with gravel so I removed as many as I could before digging. I was pleased to see the soil was actually very healthy - not clay-like at all, full of worms and nicely aerated.

I need to turn over the remainder of the patch but I'm seriously considering using a small rotavator as I really want the soil turned well and fully broken down ready for planting. I'll have a look around to see if I can hire one locally for a day or two.
The weather for the next few days is changeable with lower temperatures and rain, some of it prolonged and heavy. My seedlings should benefit well. The pampas grass will be a challenge to move. We've tried burning it and poisoning it but it just won't die. We've even had a colony of bees set up home in it. It has to go I'm afraid as it's now sitting on my vegetable patch.

Garden update & an odd looking visitor

I’ve been quite a busy bunny. Yesterday I bought a selection of seeds from our local gardening centres at Spalding. They really needed to be planted straight away - I have cucumbers, spinach, carrots and broccoli. I did also buy some onion seeds but I cannot plant them until next January.

So I have spent the afternoon planting seeds. I even managed to use some of my own compost so I’m feeling quite good!

I did see a very unusual vivid red and black butterfly. I’m convinced it’s rare as I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. It lingered long enough on some bamboo for me to capture it on film. 

If anyone has any idea what it's called, do please let me know.

Sunday update - Vlogs

I like blogging. It's a way for me to keep a record of the things I do and the things I think about. I also like v-logging but I really don't find it very easy to do. I'm a big fan of v-logs and watch several channels on YouTube run by everyday folk. They are interesting and it's possible to learn so much from them. The problem I have is that I'm not really any good at expressing myself on a video as I am here in text. I like making videos, particularly about my meagre efforts at self-sufficiency and of course my model railway hobby. I just don't like to see or hear myself in them. I suppose I'm a bit of a perfectionist. If I'm reading from a cue then that's fine, I'm quite comfortable with that, but freestyle and I'm all over the place. I suppose practice could possibly make perfect but I'm too impatient for that. I have tried reading from a cue - it works provided you like your videos very documentary-style. The thing about the videos I have seen posted on YouTube is the ease in which they've been made and the rapport between the 'presenter' and the camera. Maybe I should just practice some more...
Another important factor in all this is that the v-logs I watch are made by people who live alone. They also have very few distractions around them. Maybe that's where I'm 'going wrong'. I have family around me - my wife and son. We have a dog too but she doesn't get in the way at all and is probably used by now to hearing me talking to myself...
A channel on YouTube I'm enjoying a lot is 'rickvanman'. There are hundreds of videos on a range of interesting topics and they are made by a guy who some years ago decided to ditch his humdrum factory job for the life he now enjoys. It's well worth a look. It did take me a while to understand what this guy was all about but I think I now understand him and appreciate his videos all the more for it.
I'd really like to start looking seriously at expanding my self-sufficiency project and seeing if it's possible to grow some other vegetables. Cucumbers certainly interest me as do onions so I may look into starting these relatively soon.

My tomato plants have really shot up in the last week. There are new shoots, leaves and firmer looking stalks. A couple of the plants have also begun to flower which I'm really pleased about. There's an area of the garden I've been told by my wife I may be able to dig over for planting. Ideally I would really like to construct a large frame which I could then cover with plastic. We'll see. The ground will be challenge enough and a lot will depend on the quality of the soil.

I hate flytippers

Among the many things I dislike, some of the highest rating have to be flytippers. The area I live is sparsely populated. Most of it is farmland and marsh but all of it beautiful and at times quite tranquil. It is however becoming more and more common to find people's unwanted appliances, car tyres and furniture dumped without a care at the side of the road or down a dyke. Why these mindless idiots cannot simply drive a few miles to the local recycling centre is quite beyond me. The latest item to be dumped at the side of the road between here and Sutton Bridge is a leather sofa.

I suspect it will sit there for quite some time before it's removed. There is a real and sad lack of interest in the countryside and our surroundings in general. If it's not on their doorstep then people don't care where they dump their rubbish.

A turn up for the books...

I visited my mum this morning with my son. I often go on a Friday and we have breakfast there. My mum cooks a mean breakfast. While I was there, my mum asked me to check her lottery ticket. She had tried to check the numbers on Freeview but was having problems. The truth is that despite being shown hundred of times, she cannot grasp the technology. So grudgingly, I brought the numbers up on the kitchen TV and started the check the ticket. As I read across, each number matched those on the ticket. I continued circling them until we had five numbers circled - five out of a possible six. Unable to believe my eyes, I checked and double checked before calling to mum. At first, neither my mum or dad believed me but we agreed I would shoot down to their local store to get the ticket checked. As they aren't on the Internet I couldn't do it there.
Arriving at the store I asked the assistant to runt he ticket through the machine. I could see the look on her face as the winnings were displayed on the screen. She excitedly informed me that we had won £1,076!
I had to wait a few minutes for the store owner to return to the shop. He needed to get the money from the safe.
I returned to my parent's home and gave them the money. Kindly, they let me have £150 and put the same to one side for my sister. Despite their faults which often drive me to the edge of despair they are certainly very generous and I love them dearly.
So, it just goes to show that I can happen to you...