I thought a treat is what is needed today. So here's some Hugh Laurie...he cures the lame as well.



He is also a talented musician..



...and bloody funny as well.



That's without including Blackadder, movies, novels, etc...
TTFN.

Yep...the above sums up work over the past week.
We are either inundated with work or very little happens. However, it has given me time to consider my options seeing as how I am stuck there for the duration. My OU studies for next year will be a return to history because quite clearly my nursing studies haven't helped me to progress my career. Roman history appears quite appealing although there is a course about European identities and culture which also interests me. Either of these will contribute 60 points to completing my degree at long last.
Apparently I can retire in nine years time at the comparatively young age of 57 years. Having mental health officer status means that every year after twenty years service counts as double. Unsurprisingly this has been phased out and there are a few old buggers like me who still have this status. Although I have nursed for 23 years I had a year out doing agency work so my current pension status is 22 years. By the time I have thirty years completed I am entitled to a full pension. What worries me is that every person I know who has retired on a full pension has died soon after. The cumulative effects of mental health nursing has obviously done for them. I have no desire to join them so other options include considering my health now when I have the opportunity to prevent problems rather then having to do so because the grim reaper is sharpening his scythe just behind me. Mind you, I might not be able to retire because mortgages and loans will still need to be paid. I might be able to retire and collect trolleys in Sainsbury's instead. C'est la vie.
TTFN.

Yesterday was spent re-installing my PC. No 1 son said it "froze up on me and kept restarting". Despite various interventions from the safe 'follow the instructions' to the dangerous 'what if I try...', but nothing worked. So a re-install was required. So a pristine XP operating system and a near virginal computer. Time I bought an external hard drive to back everything up. I am also considering whether a computing course might be useful so I can tackle these problems before they get out of hand. Although I saved some important info to the usb dongle, a couple of hundred CD's, photos, downloads, etc have been lost and need to be downloaded again.
Sigh...back to Parking Wars.
TTFN.

The perfect song to describe work at the moment...




....and from the master himself..



I never tire of Jimi Hendrix.
TTFN.

When I was a nipper way back in the sixties and early seventies I was an avid comic fan. Both British and US comics although I preferred the whimsical British comics. If you'd said whimsical to me back then I would have assumed it was some sort of bicycle...I whimsicaled to town today. The Beano, Dandy and Topper were avidly read and re-read but my favourite was the Sparky. Puss 'n' Boots always reduced me to fits of laughter. So I scoured the net and found a few references to them including this.



















Every week there would be a punch up and children being generally conservative in nature, with the inevitable punch up I knew that all was well with the world. I wonder if the elf & safety would ban it nowadays: corrupting impressionable young minds and encouraging violence towards animals.
Oddly enough I have an orange dog and a black & white cat...they get on like a house on fire but that's another story.
TTFN.

We saw the 'King' last night...one of the many thousands worldwide. This is not what we saw last night...Baz left the guns at home.



A good night out with excellent company, good beer and fine entertainment with a cheese factor of ten. Wonderful. It cheered me up no end and made me realise there is more to life than work and ambition.
Here's the real article.



TTFN.

I did not get the job.

So I have adopted the sensible approach and I am slightly drunk and playing maudling music. C'est la vie. I'll ask for feedback next week and take time to reflect.
At least I'll be watching Elvis tomorrow night.
I'm off to bed.
TTFN.........Hic!

If this claim is genuine then Grimsby is doomed!
This vicar must be heading to a less evil parish...Trumpton or Toytown. I wonder if he left on the last stage coach out of town as the wind bowled dust devils down an empty sun burnt street.
Cue music....



Life is definitely stranger than fiction...

Also appropriate for today...



TTFN.

Scrolling through the net for information on renewable energies I came across this..



He has an even more wacky (lovely word) solar powered 'chariot'. Now, if someone can harness the power of rain they'll make a fortune over here.

Yes, my electricity bill came in with a glossy magazine extolling the virtues of solar panels for the home. I guess another ten years and they will be a common sight on most houses. If the government was truly serious about renewable energy and 'carbon footprints', they would give loans and tax breaks to people who want to buy into this technology. What they do offer is this, usually home insulation and advice to the over sixties to wear a woolly hat when it's cold out. Grants are available but I do believe low interest loans repayable over a reasonable period of time would attract more people, rather than grants with the usual social engineering eligibility prerequisites.
Stray dogs and the unemployed could play a big role here. Giant hamster wheels or exercise bikes feeding into the national grid. If you are unemployed for more than three months, two hours a day in the wheel with music of your choice and cold drinks available. Six months plus unemployed and your contribution is three hours a day. Contributing back into society so the stigma of unemployment is reduced. Obesity is also tackled and neets could be gainfully active without causing problems on the streets. I guess it would be a non-runner with the 'I know my rights no responsibilty' attitude fostered by the human rights lobby. (It's funny how scrotes, thieves and criminals always appear to have more rights than the law abiding people. I'll stop there before I step into rant mode).

















I bet more people will complain about abuse of stray dogs rather than humans.
TTFN.

Still no news re. the interview and of course I have begun to think the worst. However, as Mrs C. has pointed out, several times in fact, they may be interviewing all week and will inform me next week. To add to my woes today a bloody great filling fell out during my dinner. Bloody Hell! I will be toothless at this rate.
On a more cheerful note I did attempt to watch O limp dicks opening ceremony. I fell asleep after 20 minutes and missed most of it. I can blame the noisy tossers in their cars last night who woke us all up at 2 am, but I had really lost interest in the whole shebang. A lot of money spent on running, jumping and throwing things around with a lot of excitable, over paid commentaters stating the bleeding obvious.
Happily, the football season begins tomorrow and I might even drag myself over to watch real sport live. Mind you, our local park has a 'Fun Day' tomorrow with a grand opening of the new play area. According to the leaflet there is a dog show, BBQ, beat the goalie, bag pipes....all with qualified first aiders on hand (for beat the goalie?). I might wander along to that instead and bring the mutt along for the dog show....do the losing mutts end up on the BBQ? Can we also play beat the politician; bring your weapon of choice.
£16.00 to watch Town play or a free fun day? I'll decide in the morning.
TTFN.

Rain stops play.

Donner und Blitz! Wunderbar.
It's a good job I tackled the garden yesterday. As for today, I don't much fancy the chances of an ice cream on the beach in this weather. Indoor activities it is then.
Tiddlywinks, carpet bowls*, bridge....

TTFN.
*

Today I have been mostly gardening. That is, Mrs C. directs and I dig here; weed there; plant in that there spot. The above is not our garden but it looks a damn sight better than the mess that is.

Mrs C. "It's a weed".
Me. "It's got flowers on and looks very nice...we'll keep it".
Mrs C. "It's a bloody weed and needs to go".
Me. "Butterflies and bees have their needs and are threatened by....where are you going with that trowel?"
A brief tussle ensues which I win by reaching for the hose/ large spider/ frog.

Mrs C. has asked that I confine my 'wild garden' to a specific area rather than my recent effort. The free packets of wild flower seeds shall be saved for pots and the neglected bit of the garden next year. I shall also avoid the accidents with the bird table and the scattering of seeds. Some plants were unrecognisable although I liked them. We were also inundated by poppies and now have enough seeds to replant Afghanistan. Poppy seed cake and opium sound like good by-products although my preference is for the cake.
We have also decided on an apple tree but we are going to place it in a large pot. Something tasty so a bit of research is needed to pick the right variety. Sadly, my miniature olive tree appears to have snuffed it, despite my efforts to save it. But the autumn and winter will be spent preparing the garden and planning the plants / vegetables for it next year. The raised bed for vegetables beckons.

On the interview front...no news as yet but I hope to find out in the next day or two. Rather than mope about the place waiting for news I may take a trip out to the seaside. Walk the mutt along miles of sandy beach and paddle my feet; eat an ice cream or drink a cool beer. Talking of the mutt...walkies.
TTFN.

I'm a well bunny today but anxiety has set in, for tomorrow I have the job interview. 1 and a 1/2 hours of questions, role playing and other assorted tortures at the hands of psychologists. I've done some reading around the job itself plus general background stuff. Otherwise it comes down to 'Showtime' and "Act baby, show 'em your stuff".
















It's odd really because my interview a few weeks back I was quite relaxed prior to the interview. Maybe it's because I have invested a lot in this exercise, a desire to succeed and a recognition that this is one of those golden opportunities. Whereas the last interview was something I thought I would 'just have a go at'.


















Apart from some reading today I have attempted to distract myself: entering the Sunday paper crossword with a prize of £1500 and a lengthy walk with the mutt. She is now sprawled at my feet fast asleep and I am resting my aching feet. Looking up obscure North American Indian tribes and nineteenth century writers via the 'net. What did crossword cheats do before the internet? Have an extensive library I guess.
Oddly enough, many years ago, I gave support to a work colleague to prepare for her job interview. She did well and got the job. Ironically, she interviewed me for a job years later and I was dreadful. My mind went blank and I dried up completely. Her words of encouragement stayed with me and the next two interviews I sailed through. They were "You were rubbish Del, I'd have thought you'd do better. We certainly don't want someone like you". Needless to say our friendship ended that day and I console myself with a doll in her image and sharp pins the knowedge of her being stuck and unhappy in a dead end job. There is a famous saying about the people you step on to get to the top. You will meet them on your way down. It does amaze me that in the 'caring professions' there does seem to be a large number of thorough going bastards who, in their scramble for power and status, will kick others in the teeth to get there. They tend to get into managerial positions although there are exceptions to the rule....counts fingers on one hand.
Time for tea and to read another research article. Roll on tomorrow evening....
TTFN.

No 1 son has returned from his week long camp and, apart from a prolonged session on the PC, he has slept and ate. Sleep did not figure large during the past week and the amount of energy he expended in various activities has finally caught up with him. I wish I had a quarter of that energy.
















Today I have been mostly worshipping at the altar of armitage shanks courtesy of a mild bout of food poisoning. The world outside may have gone up in flames for all I know. So the Catto household has been very quiet today and Mrs C. has watched big brother to her hearts content.
Time for further rehydration - lime squash.
Listening to Genevieve Tudor's Folk Night.
Feeling discombobulated.
TTFN.