Good day Bloggets. The sun is shining through grey clouds.
It feels like it does when one walks into one of those huge walk in freezers. The
air is thin but so polluted. I’m truly a Northumbrian. I miss the air but not
the lifestyle, though I had a few good very good friends there, but we still
see each other and one of my dear friends from there now lives in London so we
will see more of her than what we would have done if she moved and we hadn’t.
Hub just left for Scotland. I bet it will be a great time
there. It’s for sure better than staying in the house. He doesn’t know how
lucky he is. He is back tomorrow and then Thursday away again but not for the
night, he will be away till late though.
He’s with his colleague who is a lovely lady so no stress
for me. Normally he travels alone. And with his brilliant guide dog, but still,
it’s a scary time for me. And when he used to have his old job where he went
abroad all of the time on his own, oh that was just painful. Some of the
countries he went to were not safe either. Like Africa, Korea and other
countries that had bad reputations for tourists, in groups let alone a blind
person on their own.
Thank God those days are gone. Hub tells me off for dwelling on the past,
but really he will never know how much I hurt inside with burning worry about
him. We had time differences and out of signal with the mobile so no contact
for up to 24 hours. It killed me. One time he did three countries in two days.
He didn’t sleep for two of them with the time change. He had five flights to
catch a train, tube and countless taxis.
In the later days he had kind volunteers whose flights were
paid for by access to work. Thank God for them. Sadly, this is one of the cuts
that the Government are going to make. They want people to work, an yet times
we need help to work, are going to be restricted. Some would say, well, if you
could see, you wouldn’t need Government handouts for a sighted person or some
technology, well, my Hub saved his company thousands of pounds with his
business and communication skills. He also had the ability to get signatures
and contracts that his sighted colleagues found impossible. Plus he put in the
hours I mean, when he left his last job, eight people took over his roll and
three of them went on sick leave with stress. Eight people doing my Husbands
job. I don’t think that job exists now. It’s crumbled just like the company
will do in time as the person who is driving the engine right now is running it
into the ground. Said so by people who are still working with that company and
those who needed that organisation are finding it impossible now to deal with.
So my Husband also made enormous changes for the better and took risks. No one
will do that now, he was passionate about what he did as he is for the job he
does now, it’s on a much lesser scale, but he can once again be in touch with
blind people who need help. Before it was all politics and Government papers
also working abroad rather than people in our own country?
Having said that he misses so much the children he worked
with in places like India. They were so
gracious. I miss his wonderful colleagues I spent that short time with in
Norway. Oh they were the most amazing people. I will never forget that time. It
was a breath of fresh air. I totally can understand my Husband missing that
lifestyle just a little bit. But the travel killed him and it was for sure affecting my health.
I’m proud of myself today; I actually opened a bag of crisps
and put them in the bin. Not proud of wasting them, but pleased I realised that
I wasn’t enjoying them and why eat them? I have lost a whopping half of a lb
this week. Whooped doo. Hehehe. But better than last week of putting on 2lbs.
Hub is looking great. He is now what I would call slim. He was about two and a
half stone overweight. Now possibly a few lbs over, but you would never know it
if you didn’t know his weight.
He got up early this morning to go to the gym before
starting work. So eight o clock in the morning our exercise machines were
getting woken up.
Teen at the gym now. After eaten his fried breakfast. Then
he said he was coming home for chicken. Then he is off to work and after a five
hour shift, will be coming home to eat again, shower and no doubt out again at
midnight even though he has college tomorrow morning.
It’s a nightmare. He will fail his course this year. I’m
sure of it, how on earth has he time to do all of that work, having said that,
last year at this time we were in a similar situation, and he got passes. Such
a shame this year he could have received all distinctions, but his lazy itus
has prevented that. If he passes this year, it will be a miracle. So close too.
Well, good news, he got his drawers done. They look really
lovely though there is a scratch on the top, whether he has done that or it was
like that when we got it? Not sure. Of course the hammer and screw drivers are
on my kitchen work tops rather than be put in the tool box. Well, when he
returns from the gym, I’m going to blooming stand at the front door until he
puts them away properly, even go to the garage with him to listen for the lid
to be lifted up and put back down. We have lost so many tools through to
workmen helping themselves with the box being left opened.
As for our gardeners? I text him yesterday to ask when he
was going to finished off the job and he hasn’t even had the decency to text
back so I’m not going to bother with him anymore. He did half a job and left so
much mess. I’m just so fed up. I wish I could find a Polish gardener. Seriously,
English tradesmen are the worst
Oh here is the rain. Really, you should have heard it last
night? It was as though someone had the hose on the windows on full blast.
Good news, but with the rain, I’m sure it won’t be for long,
but my neighbours builders are here. I bet they go now though. Half a day after
two weeks of not being here. They haven’t even started to knock into the house
yet and they have been on the job for about nine weeks. Possibly six of those
they didn’t turn up though.
Some odd facts about builders I have learned over the years.
1, they use machinery that could quite easily destroy your
house.
2, they don’t always wear protective clothing/footwear.
3, they like to show off.
4, when they try to show off, they make themselves look
foolish.
5, they are not always the brightest bananas in the fruit
bowl
6, The child labour laws don’t always apply to them.
7, they mainly disregard any danger.
8, they always want money up front and never buy the goods
you ask for.
Well that has been my experience and so many of my friends
too. And when I was young, the stereotypical English builder I would try to
avoid but in those days I had some not much but some sight, so oftern I would be
next to them before I knew it. Then I would hear
“Hi ya love, cheer up. Phwaa. Nice legs. Hey blondie, fancy
a ride? They even used to shout from the scaffolding made me wonder if their
eyes were on the job at all. The wolf whistles were totally cringing worthy. I
couldn’t stand it. At least now I have no chance in getting that shouted at me.
Hehehe.
Why is it that builders bring a flask for their hourly
cupper? A typical builder’s brew is a strong cup of tea with two sugars. There is even a teabag that you can buy in the
UK, called make mine a builders.
I heard that you can only buy this tea at Morrison’s? Notice
that snobby Waitrose hasn’t stocked it yet? I doubt they ever will.
One good thing about English builders is they are normally
really good looking. Haha haha.
Have I put any Brits off building that extension? Well, my
advice to you all is
1, only go with who have been recommended to you by at least
two other people / properties.
2, ask to see a portfolio
3 Don’t go with the cheapest.
4, if your builder says things like “Don’t worry about that
detail, we can get around that one. Or, I know someone who will sort that out
for you. You don’t need the paperwork for that. I have a friend”
Avoid that please for your own good.
5, make sure you ask will your build be the only one they
will do? This hopefully will sort out the ones who will do your job for two
hours and then bog off for the day and be back when they have finished their
other jobs. Only of course for another couple of hours.
And 6, make sure that your building company have people
working for them if they don’t have people like electricians, roofers and so
on, you will be waiting weeks until the
other people are ready, as because they
are not working for you, they don’t care when they get to you.
Gosh Bloggets, if only you could be here at my place of
writing, and see and hear what I go through during trying to write? I amaze
myself just how I manage to blooming publish anything.
We have just had hair gate. So teen gets his hair cut every
ten days. It’s ridiculous. If only he would go to a proper hairdressers rather
than a butchers? I mean, he would spend more initially, but in the long run,
less. He just told me after shouting downstairs to ask if I could make his lunch,
that he was going for a haircut tomorrow after college. I said what? It was
only one week ago when he got it done last time. He said no three weeks. Well
this is what he always says, so last Wednesday I wrote it down on my phone.
Showed him it and he just said I got it wrong. I know I didn’t I really get wound
up with him and his faults accusations. I mean he is spending £40 per month on haircuts.
I told him to go to a proper place and he wouldn’t need to go as oftern, he
said he couldn’t afford Toni & Guy. I said they would charge £39 and his
hair cut would last at least six weeks. He said “No way am I spending that. I
said but you are spending in six weeks £60 he said no he isn’t. But I have it
on my phone because I really don’t understand why he is spending so much and when
I told him how oftern he was getting a haircut a few months ago, he wouldn’t
believe me. I write it down and he still doesn’t believe me.
Oh my Goodness. Really, why do I care? I guess because I’m
trying to teach him how to save money. It looks like he isn’t going for a full time
job in the autumn. So money? As we have told him he is eighteen and a half, he
needs to have responsibilities. He talks about buying a new car. That’s a joke,
what with? I guess if he is buying scissor jobs, he has less to spend on drink
right?
OK, he has just left, after forgetting is car keys so having
to run upstairs on our cream carpets with his work boots on, so I guess I must
go up and remove all of the boxes from his drawers he has left scattered all
over the guest room and the rubbish bags he didn’t need so they are all unravelled
seriously, God help me?
He asked if Hub is away overnight I told him yes I’m sure he
will now plan an all-night outing, mind you not that Hub needing sleep for work
bothers him, as he went out last night though I asked him to keep to weekends.
I was just told no.
So why do I love him so much? Haha. Well, because he and I have history. He
was my life for so long and there was just the two of us. He is my only blood
and he does have a heart of gold. Just sometimes that gold gets melted down and
it disappears into the wiry veins and gets lost. Haha.
I love him because I believe he will return to the lovely
caring person he once was. When he gets over his angry selfish brattish
behaviour.
I have hope. He still shows signs of the loving wonderful
polite clever lad I brought up. The
simple fact is, he drives me crazy, but I adore him. I worship him. We are hard
with him, not at all soft, it’s not like we are pushovers, and we aren’t. I
mean, his eating, I made him go out and buy his own chicken the other day. He
learned that I’m not feeding imp meal after meal after meal. So he went to the
butchers and bought his own. For a brief moment I felt guilt, but that moment
passed and I told myself, we provide good breakfasts, lunch and dinners if he
wants more, he will have to buy it for himself.
I mean today, he has had bacon eggs and toast for breakfast.
Two bananas a huge dish of couscous with beetroot, chicken and fresh tomatoes
and it was massive. He ate it told me he was still hungry so I told him to have
fruit, no, he had one of his nasty shakes he has for the gym. Then he started
to get more food from the fridge. I asked what he was doing. He replied he was
getting ham for his break at work. His dinner is made. Mince from yesterday. It’s
a massive dish again with vegetables and he has asked for more couscous. He
loves it. So in total, in money today, he has had about £11 now if he has that
every day, which to be honest that isn’t the most he eats, but let’s say it is?
He will eat about £77 per week and a month? £308 and his Dad thinks the money
he pays is more than enough? He pays £180 per month. And we are not talking
about electric, heating he keeps putting on bus passes in the past holidays
days out clothes we give him an allowance, mobile phone each month, paying for damage
that has been done to the house for and so on. It’s so funny, his Dad has said
in the past that we as in Hub and I are spending his, as in the x money? Well a
joke, if only he knew how much it was to keep a child of teen’s age? When he
was at school we paid for holidays abroad with the schools, its not cheap
having a teen, that’s for sure. In fact for years now it’s been hundreds per
month.
I mean Hub paid over £1100 for his insurance last month. But
we are getting teen to pay that back and he has been really good about it. Most
of his friends owe their parents so much money and teen says they almost laugh
about it. So I’m proud of him for that. In fact I’m proud of him for so much. Going
back to how much I love him just I guess I never was a teenager. I mean in the
sense of behaving in such a manor. Having said that I was married as a kid, so
had my own house to run.
When I think of those days, gosh I was so young to have such
responsibilities. But my ex had a good life with me. He never cooked apart from
once, haha. That was enough. Bless him I never let him forget that day. He made
the worst meal. It was ready made food so all he had to do was open cans and
cut packets, but oh boy, it was dreadful.
When we split up, I did worry how he was going to manage to
cook. I knew his Mother wouldn’t bother with him and I was surprised that my ex
sister in law didn’t as shes very kind when it comes to cooking for people. But
she didn’t so he was on his own and I did so feel sad for that and so many
times I wanted to cook him something but somehow that wouldn’t be good with my
new love, right? But six years down the track, he is still alive and I’m sure
has learned to cook. Or what would he eat? It won’t be healthy food, and that
is a shame, but we did eat well so he had over twenty years of eating well.
Gosh, I really hope I’m not boring you to tears, haha.
Really, goodness knows why I’m rambling, it’s funny when I’m writing to you, and
I see in my mind your face, your reactions and imagine what you are doing
whilst reading this. I know a lot of people in the work place read these blogs
in their lunch breaks, well, sorry for taking up your whole break today, as this
is a bit of a long one. Some children read my blogs at school. I have received
lots of emails and messages from teachers saying that their children are
reading my words for their lessons. Oh heck, what are they learning? Hehehehehe
Would love to know when you are reading this, where are you
what are you doing? Would love to get your emails at
For screen readers, that’s
V I s I o n s for future @ googlemail.com
And if there is anything you would like me to blog about,
please let me know. Xxxxxxx
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