The Led Zeppelin concert is going to be soooo cool

Well its finally happening, the biggest rock reunion in the history of rock reunions. After the little hiccup of Page fracturing a finger the gig is finally on for Monday 10th Dec.

I entered the draw for tickets, and then every competition going to win some, but alas it doesn't look like I'll be going.

I still had a couple of other options though..

1. I now live within a 5mile radius of Robert Plant, so I've desperately been loitering around the market town of Machynlleth in the hope of bumping into RP or an old roadie, smiling sweetly and grabbing myself a couple of tickets. This hasn't worked.

2. RP himself actually opened the church gardens in Penal and the local Rector is a friend of mines Dad, sooo maybe just maybe, Ah nope seems he's not been round for beer for a while now.

3. Take up mountain biking again and start visiting all the old houses in the area that Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin wrote songs and filmed video in, in the hope that their having a nostalgic visit. Geeez you can knock that idea on the head after biking up to the Bron Yr Aur which appears on the Physical Graffiti album, I'm knackered.

Well on that note and before I get arrested for either stalking or trespassing, I hope everyone that goes tomorrow has a great time, and I guess I'll be buying the DVD.

The "This Isn't Just Food, This is......" Joke

Well as the weather has been that bad and BT have finally sorted my phone line out, but as yet Tiscalli haven't sorted the broadband out, I've had to revert back to text communication to occupy myself, my inbox is now full of the weired and wonderful.

So if your at all squeamish don't read this joke....and it must be read with the Marks and Spencer's "this is not just food" advert in mind, you know all sultry and breathy with long poignant pauses.


Fresh 9 inch cock covered in hot mustard sauce....
Pierced young nipples dipped in boiling hot toffee....
Soft virgin clits grilled on maple soaked skewers....
Freshly shaved bollocks marinated in garlic and ginger, battered, lightly fried and then served on a bed of crisp rocket....

This isn't just food....This is S & M food.



And low and behold the sun has come out and wind guru is forecasting 15knts. I'm saved.

Are we on the brink of a new ice age?

Do you really want to scare yourself?!

I do my bit for the environment, admittedly I could do more but I've got a fairly low carbon footprint anyway.

If I can I'll bike or walk to where I need to get.
My hobbies don't use any fuel or power (kites, hiking, biking)
Lights get turned off when I'm not in the room, as does any heating.
I'll buy organic or farm produced food when possible (no packaging)
I avoid unnecessary flights, it helps that I'm not that keen on flying anyway, but I'd still rather have a weekend away in one of the UK's wonderful cities than pop off to Paris etc.

So anyway I've far to much time on my hands since quiting my job and moving to Wales, so when the afternoons get cold after hiking or kiting I get to play on the internet (which would be even better if BT pulled their finger out and sorted my line out, but thats another story) and I've found these fantastic if not worryng sites.

Have a look and let me know your views on climate change.

Deaths births and Energy output of the world


Mega Disasters: Mega Freeze

Just a small exerpt from The World without us book by Alan Weisman

Big walk today!!! Tarren Hendre From Pennal

Good 4 and a half hour walk today, up Tarren Hendre (633) from Pennal. Tough in parts but with fab views and short enough that you can push it if you wanted.

We parked up in Pennal opposite the Riverside Pub near the church, don't ask me which church they must be big sinners in Pennal as for a small village there seems to be an awful lot of churches.

Then with the main road behind us we headed off down some narrow roads with the forestry to our right.

We continued over to the right and towards Pennal Isaf before climbing upwards to Mynydd Cefen Caer. Traversing to the right with the top of Mynydd to the right and the sharply dropping valley to the left, you can pick out the path on the other side that you need to follow up Tarren Hedrun.

You then follow a well defined path all the way round in a horse shoe shape until you start to climb again, this time all the way to the summit of Hendre. The path isnt great but its easy enough to follow as it runs along the side of a fence, you can also forget any form of sign posting from this point on.

About 15 mins in you come to a stile on the edge of a new bit of forest..ignore it! but do have a look at the fantastic view back across to Caider Idris (893) and the top of Tarren Gesail (667). Continue up the marshy path for 30min all the way to the top of Hendre. Here if your lucky you get awesome views back across to Borth and Barmouth, I wasn't it was getting very hazy and foggy on the top.



From here we started to wind our way along a flat summit back in the direction of Pennal, again forget any sign posts, just kind of vear diagonally across the top until you start to drop down towards 2 small hills. kind of do an S shape across the top of these and then continue dropping down to the right and onto a farm track.

Here it kind of goes a bit pear shaped as you now follow a private farm drive keeping your fingers x that the local farmer doesnt have an arse with you until you hit the small road that you started the walk on.

Keep an eye out on as you drop off the second of the 2 small hills and onto the farm track we saw 2 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards an Owl of some sort and to top it all off a Goshawk. How cool is that, all to the back drop of the Afon Dyfi .

Map

Dyfi Forestry

It was our 4th anniversary today

Today was our anniversary and we decided to celebrate it in style by going to the C.A.T. (Centre of Alternative Technology) cafe in Machynlleth. We sat with all the other ageing hippies warming our hands around a bowl of split pea and pumpkin soup and a homemade bread cheese roll...yummy !!!!! It always seems to take longer to eat our food in their than we anticipate and half an hour later we are still sat there reading the wall to wall advertisement flyer's....ranging from courses in stain glass window making to joining a seed collectors club.

I was on a mission to produce a card by the evening that did not have a picture of a bear on the front holding a heart, which contained the right words without being too soppy. An hour later I came out of a shop, with a smile on face with what I thought was the most unique and poetic card. It was only when I opened my card later that evening I discovered its identical twin in my hand from my girlfriend.

Oh my god !!! I thought...it's finally happened after four years...the transition to Lesbian Morph...my identity blended into her's to such a point that we can't even buy original things for each other. Oh well !!! at least I'll know what I'm going to get for Christmas. Love you baby!! Happy Anniversary.

I Am The Connect Four Champion!!!!

I am now getting my dinner cooked for me, due to the fact that I am the reigning connect four champion in this household. wooooo wooooo. Its all gone quiet over that side...hahahaha

Now I'm not a bad looser, just not a gracious winner. haha I won!

The reason behind it was the fear that now that we're not working we didn't want to become the stereotypical veg in front of the TV types, now personally I could sit on here twiddling with blogs, facebook and various forums all night, but apparently that's unsociable. What!

So we now have non TV days where we play games or plan extensive walking routes on OS maps. The only slight problem is that I'm very competitive and sporty and my girlfriend is strategic and loves to beat at something, anything, just to say she can because she knows its unlikely to happen on a bike or board.

The thing she omitted to tell me when she casually challenged me to chess is that she was a member of the chess club at college for 3 years and regularly played at home. This she tells me after toying with me for 2 hours, gets bored, wants to finish the game and check mates me in 3 moves.

Hence we now have to play slightly less strategic games ( connect 4, jenga, tiddly winks) to give me a fighting chance and I have to give her a head start on a bike to reciprocate. Were hoping this way we wont have to many fall outs, but still...I am the champion, I am the champion, No sign of losers cos I am........

How to use a naked lady to figure out if you use the left or right side of your brain

Yes your right I'm bored. Well not exactly bored its just averaging 30knts out there and I've scared myself silly kitesurfing for half an hour until I deemed that enough was enough and came in before I hurt myself. Well I wouldn't want to ruin the rest of my time off after quiting work to live in wales in traction would I!

So nice and showered and warm again, I was just perusing the net and came across this in the Australia Herald.

It shows a turning lady. Yep and she naked. You have to look at her and see if you see her spinning left or right.

This apparently determines whether you use your left or right side of the brain for your decision making

I'm not going to tell you anymore because I don't want to influence your view. It had me transfixed for about half an hour.

Check out the meaning of this at the Heralds Blogg and leave me a comment back here to compare results.

Oh yeah and I'm a righty BTW

F**K Biking Lets Go Kiting

Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo. It's windy!!!!

Off to the beach we go, of to the beach we go, hey hi yippie ho its off to the beach we go.

Local Foot Hunt Invades Residential site for the morning

Well at the moment I'm sat in the cabin waiting for it to stop raining so that we can go for the planed walk, using the local hunt as light entertainment as they run around the site like idiots after a fox that I've just seen duck under the cabin for safety

We've had random packs of hounds running round the site for the last hour now, more interested in fussing round us than they are tracking foxes. Things are a little different here then the hunts back in Leicester, just as disorganised if a little more interesting to watch. Its not that I agree or disagree with hunting I was just brought up used to seeing it and watching this bunch of tweed coated farmer types thrash around in bushes with a pack of unruly hounds, I'm sorry but its nothing in comparison to a full blown posse of red coats on horse back blowing horns thundering past following a pack of still unruly hounds, followed by 100 plus followers on horse back. Sorry but the two just don't compare.

So getting bored of that quite quickly and as the rain is set in for the day I think I'd better have a pottering about day doing a few jobs until its time to go to the Aberdovey fireworks show, which is suposed to be on Sunday night according to the Dyfi Diary but now it appears to be tonight and hopefully the bonfire wont be washed away by a high tide this year.

Top tips for the New York Marathon

The New York City Marathon

Boy its a killer, widely regarded as one of the toughest marathons on the circuit. I completed it a few years back for a local children's charity. The race its self was awesome, the training up to it was horrific, shin spits, colds, sore Achilles, bad knees you name it I got it. But fortunately it all paid off as I had a fairly comfortable race on the day. Mind you cant remember passing Columbus Circle???

So anyway I was out the other night and ran into a friend that mentioned they were doing the NYCM on the 4th of November, it was too load to talk (dodgy rock/country band ruining the Rolling Stones)
but I got to thinking about what I did when I did the marathon. There not race tips, bit too late for that now, but here's my top race day tips.

1. Drink lots of water on the plane on the way over, to avoid dehydrating.
2. Get more water and plenty of carbs don you for the 3/4 days prior to the race.
3. Avoid Tea, Coffee, Alcohol, Fatty foods
4. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, race day is a very early morning.
5. Get involved with the pre race parties, its a great atmosphere and will boost your moral.
6. Wear an old tracksuit/joggers on the morning of the race, its cold in NY in November, wear your suit until the start of the race or until you cross the Verasano Bridge, here you can take it off and just dump it, clothes get collected later for charity.
7. take foil blanket/ bin bag to wear to keep the wind and rain of as you hang around at the start, you will be waiting around for quit a while before the race.
8. If you need to relieve yourself the over the side of the Verasano Bridge is your last chance before the public can see you.(everyone does it)
9. If you are starting on the bottom layer of the Verasano Bridge, run in the middle you don't need telling whats coming over the side from the top layer.
10. Take it steady for the first 5-10 miles, really steady, there will be a lot of runners and trying to get round them by bobbing and weaving is just knackering and you won't gain much time for all your effort, anyway its good race practice to run the first half slower.
11. Split the race down into sections, don't run it as one whole thing. Say you know you can do a nice steady 6 miles in under an hour, split the race down into 1 hour sections run your 6 miles at your 1 hour target, then start again you've only got to do it 4 and a bit times, you know what it feels like to run 1 hour so your head can handle the times.
12. Enjoy Brooklyn and the Bronx its probably going to be the only time you see it without fear of getting shot and all the kids will be out giving you sweets and oranges and making there own refreshment stops for you, a lot of them cant afford it so give them some high fives and pocket the sweets for later (nice little glucose rush)
    
13. Look up as you cross the finnish the camera for the finish photo is on the top of the gates.
    
14. Arrange a meeting point for after the Finnish line, its chaos. The helpers are brilliant they get you to your bags that you stashed at the start give you a snax bag and get you through that bit where your legs just give out, trying to find your loved ones on the other hand is a nightmare, I ended up with some random New Yorkers helping me back to the hotel.
15. The most important one now Enjoy yourself! its a personal challenge yes, but your probably not a pro runner with a must have time to beat so don't get wrapped up in this I trained to run it 3h so I must do that! thing just do what feels right on the day. Its actually physically harder to run a marathon in 4 hours than it is 2 hours due to the fact the your body will have run out of energy supplies after 2 hours anyway.

Ok everyone have a great time out there, have fun, do some sight seeing, party after the race but most of all have a good race.

nice little session in the estuary

Well still no internet connection as such, well only the old hanging off the decking borrowing my neighbours one ( Ta guys) BT rang the morning to let me know thats its going to be another 4 weeks until someone can come out and dig a 20cm trench 3m long to put my line in!!!! come on I could do it myself in an hour, whats with the 4 weeks lark?.

Anyway, we had a nice bit of unexpected wind on Tuesday so we shot off to Borth (the dark side) and a little play in the estuary 4 a couple of hours until the wind dropped off..Brrrrr that water soon gets chilly after the summer, it doesnt seem that long ago that I was out in board shorts and Tuesday I could have done with my winter gloves to block that cold east wind.

Fingers x for the weekend, its looking quite good at the moment, but hey that could all change.

Keep kiting

Tata

looks like I'm living in Wales then

Well thats it, we shut the shop on saturday, I had an offer on my house on Tuesday, and I drove down to Wales on Wednesday.

I'm currently sat on my deck in glorious sunshine looking out at this......

I dont want to brag but I wake up every morning to this view, I can see it from my dining table, while I'm doing the dishes, and just out of the corner of my eye while I'm watchin TV. Ahh life is good, posting on the blog has been a tad difficult as I have no phone line yet, fortunately my neighbours are letting me borrow their wireless signal, I can get a whole 11mbps if I stand diagonally in the left hand side of the deck with one foot in a bucket of water while at the same time holding on to a wire coat hanger. Ah well I think I can cope things are just going to have to slow down a little bit, the more people I talk to about what I'm doing the more I'm convinced I've done the right thing.

20th Century Boy. A night with T.Rextasy

"Absolutely amazing! If there's anyone who can step into Marc's shoes I'd like it to be him." June Bolan


http://www.trextasy.com/

Wow, what a night and what a great excuse to brush the dust off my striped trousers and flowery shirt, at last T Rextasy were back in town. If you closed your eyes and just absorbed the music you would think it was the great man himself, Marc Bolan. As he gyrated himself around the stage with his guitar to songs like 'Telegram Sam', 'Children of the Revolution', 'Teenage Dream', he had the audience in absolute raptures and sitting in your seats was just not an option. The atmosphere was electric and it felt like the floor was moving as everyone jumped about, it was like being at one of those outdoor festivals without the beer cans on the floor. Throughout the two and half hour set his band of talented musicians didn't waiver in the least and more than kept up with the energy relinquished by Marc into the audience. T Rextasy
made me feel like I was back in that era where it didn't matter what you wore, music came first.
If you want a great night out they are an absolute must to see, you won't be disappointed and you'll be able to hear and sing along to all the lyrics.

Ahhhhhhh the last few days of the sale!!!!!

OMG, just sneaking a quick 5mins from the mad house that once was a shop. My lovely little gift shop that used to be the pride of Blaby is now resembling an indoor car boot sale.

I've got boxes of stock stacked in every spare corner, dayglo signs everywhere and still I'm getting asked if were closing down!!!! is everyone blind round here.

Well thats its, I'm being called again and I can guarantee that its for something like " you know these candles that were £19.99 and now £6 a customer wants to know if she can have one for £3"...WTF, are they having a laugh, I'd rather give it to charity than just give it away.

Must dash

Tata

DOCTOR DEE CLUTTER TO THE RESCUE

With just over a week to go before moving to my cabin in Wales I am walking around with that lingering feeling of ‘what if I forget to do something’ syndrome. I can’t remember the last time I had a full night’s sleep and the fridge has more ready meals in it than the single guy who lives next door. Today I have decided that I am going to take control of my life and organise this transition so it runs smoothly with minimum aggravation, demons of ‘House Move’ be gone!!!!

I don’t actually know how half of this stuff got into the house, everything was so minimal when I moved in, I could breath. Over the years the rooms have gradually become smaller and smaller, some of the clutter I’ve won from the numerous pub raffles supporting the local Morris Dancer’s and Farmer’s Union. The rest of it has filtered it’s way in from several Birthday’s, Christmas’s, so called eBay bargains, car-boots, family inheritances, BOGOF offers and all the things I have collected since the year dot ranging from my favourite teddy that has no eyes to my school report’s stating that I was inattentive in class. Why am I keeping these things??!!

This is my advice, divide everything into three categories:-

a) To be thrown

b) To be kept

c) To come to terms with or needs a good reason.

Category A – To Be Thrown - This covers items such as, I’m sure this is not mine, why do I need to keep something which is derogatory to me, I must have been drunk when I bought this and unwanted presents from people you don’t really know but it’s the thought that counts.

Category B – To Be Kept - I must be strict with this and make sure I only take what I need, it’s a new home and therefore new beginnings, the only allowance here will have to be unwanted items that I need to retrieve from the drawer quickly when the family come round for tea.

Category C - To come to Terms with / Need a Good Reason - This covers items such as, sentimental letters and cards from ex partners that I now can’t stand but I do like a good read when it’s about me. Gold Jewellery, which I couldn’t possible throw because it’s worth something even though I’m never going to wear it and it’s lived in a box for the last decade. Royal Dolton China that’s been stored away in the garage because it’s doesn’t tie in with my tastes but was my grandmother’s favourite on a Sunday.

Category A and B are quite straight forward regarding packing, as for Category C give yourself a time limit of 24 hours then make the decision whether they need to go into Category A or B. If you are having difficulty deciding then a list of the following excuses may help sort out some of those difficult items.

a) I’m a little short on cash so Ebaying it will contribute to my future well-being.

b) I don’t need to keep these; I have a strong self esteem.

c) I’d rather it was put to good use.

d) Knowing that someone is getting great pleasure from this is very rewarding.

e) These were made just for you.

f) I can always buy a new one if I really need it.

I know if I can get through the above the rest of my move will be an absolute breeze, just need to make a couple of calls to the utilities disconnecting my supplies, get my mail redirected and notify the TV licensing of my change of address. For the first time in ages I feel I’m in control of my stuff; it’s no longer in control of me. Tonight I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep, can’t wait for the lights out and pull the duvet over…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

RockShow! Led Zeppelin Rock and Roll

Ok figured out how to get video on here now..hahaha..now you get to see all my hours of holiday footage, you know like that really boring friend you've got, the one you try to avoid when they've been away cos you just know that they've got hours of un edited crap to show you..

No not really, only joking, but have some entertainment while you read the next post.

I didnt, Get Led Zeppelin Tickets

I'm currently crying into my imaginary beer, it would be real but I'm at work and things aren't quite that bad yet. ha but I'm only here for 9 more days.


I've been a Led Zep fan since a cool builder gave me two of his old vinyls as a birthday present, I was a reclusive teenager at the time and he was building an extension at my parents house and heard the usual heavy s***e banging out of a teenagers room, he thought I might like them so gave me a couple of originals. Cooool


Anyway on hearing about the Ahmet Ertegun tribute I was excited to say the least, being too young to see them in their heyday here was my chance!!! I proceed to spend the next 3 hours (and yes I was at work) trying to register on the website. You know when the big promotion Gods decide to do something like this does know body stop to consider the shear volume of traffic there going to get to their site and actually upgrade the server/ bandwidth etc in anticipation, come on!!!! this band are one of only 4 to have sold more than 100 million albums in the US, the other three being Elvis, the Beatles and Garth Brooks. Did the promoters not think that there might just a little bit of interest...Duh.. So I eventually register..then you wait.

Tick tock, tick tock, day after day you wait, until the 1st of October when in your inbox arrives.......NOTHING!!!! Crying in my beer again now hang on a mo.....ok so I wasn't lucky this time and the rumour is that they may tour next year so fingers x I'm in the same country at the same time as them.

In the meantime I hope all the fans that got tickets have an absolutely fantastic time and to all the people that simply registered, were lucky enough to get tickets and are now trying to sell them on Ebay, I hope that you are all as disappointed one day, as you have surely taken the place of a genuine fan that day and all for your own selfish monetary gains. What goes around comes around you know and we will get our revenge.

Oh and for anyone daft enough to buy from these people be warned, theres going to be a whole heap of passwords/ security questions ans ID required before your even aloud to pick up the tickets in person, yes thats right in person with ID proof


For those of us that wont be going here a little video taster.

So grumpy today

Sorry, I just am.
The big boss (Big Eagle as he likes to be called) I'm a little eagle apparently??!! Anyway has now got rid of the company secretary, he didn't think it was necessary for the last few weeks!!

So not only are we in the midsts of a closing down sale (oh they've all crawled out of the wood work, old customers that is) I'm now doing the accounts and the payroll as well as listing all the old fixtures and fittings on ebay, that I swear he thinks is a 2 minute job, yippee !

I'm concidering asking tomorrow if he'd like me to shove a brush up my A*** and sweep the floor too. You never know he might give me my P45 early, oh sorry no he cant I'd have to do that too.

My girlfriend must really love me!

Well she must!
Not only have my kites and boards took over the garage and bank account they have now started to creep into the kitchen...ooops

Due to the fact that I've been too busy at work to deal with it, my kite finally came out for a much need hose down on Sunday morning. I think I now have more Dovey sand on my lawn than is left on the beach and in every crevice is right, how does it get where it does? I was sand and salt free when I started and after, well I may as well have rolled down a sand dune. Fun that isn't it?

So anyway all hosed off and looking good, nice little breeze to dry it off and then the heavens opened. What should I do? pack it away? put it in the garage? or drape it all over the kitchen table to dry off over night?


You got it! draped all over the kitchen table it is all 12 meters of it. Starting at the door I have artistically arranged it over 4 chairs and a table before finally doubling it over in a big S shape. It sure looks good. I cant say my girlfriend was over impressed at having to hurdle over it for breakfast this morning but I wasn't ordered to get it out either so I might have got away with it this time. Cant wait to see her face when the estate agent send a viewing round and I'm cleaning boards in the bath. pmsl.

Time to re-design the site

Boring aint it!

I must apologize for the look of this blog, no excuse really, I've just been really busy. Not too busy that I couldn't go and have a little look at i mac's at the weekend...wow!! I want one. what I couldn't do with one of them.

So this week I'm going to have a little play with the layout and design of the site, if I find any cool tools I'll post em up

Tata

D Day -26, After the weekend

Is every muscle in my body supposed to hurt today or is that the trade off I've got to accept for having fun kitesurfing?

Theres a few questions I'd like answering if anyone can help?

Why is it when I take my 12m kite out I should have took my 9m out? and vise versa
Why could I do nice little backloops a month ago and now I'm incapable of even a nice little jump?
and Why oh why does everything hurt soooo much today....Am I getting too old for this?

Anyway it was back to work today, let me see now....for only 3 MORE WEEKS!!! sorry for shouting there, I'm just so excited, I've just got the sale at the shop to get through though. I nearly gave myself migraine from writing on all that fluorescent paper today, and the customers! Gee I know that technically the customer is God but good grief they can irritating, if I have to hear "Ooooo it's such a shame it was such a nice little shop, what are we going to do without it" once more I think I'll scream, what will we do, what will I do? its not them that's loosing their lively hood is it! their just loosing the convenience of popping down the road when it suits them. After all I haven't seen half of them in months, I like how they've crawled out of the woodwork now they think their going to get something for nothing.

I think I may just have to have some fun and games with them before I close. I've got this urge to start some rumours up, just to plant a little seed in someones head and see how long it is before another person asks me about it.

So, I'm closing because....

1. I've won the lottery.
2. I'm emigrating to New Zealand ( that may be too truthful though)
3. I met a rich Sheik in Dubai and I'm going to join his harem.
4. I think I can earn more money in the sex industry.
5. I'm joining a commune in wales where they don't believe in material wealth.

If I start this project tomorrow, how long do you think it will take before the rumours come back round to me? I'll let you know.

Tata

D Day - 30

Rang around a few estate agents to seek advice on the house property market and find how much they’re going to charge me for doing sod all to sell the house. Tell you what, they like to have a good slice of your cake but I’ve managed to get a decent rate with a reputable nationwide estate agents and I’m not hooked into a long contract either. Houses are slow to sell at the moment and estate agent are struggling, so if your thinking of selling you can negotiate a good deal on the rates don’t let them take control it’s your money dont think they’re doing you a favour your employing them!

Dont forget to:
Declutter the house
Wash windows and sills
Clean or repaint any marks on wallpaper and walls, but keep it neutral eh.
Pack thing away not just stuff it in the spare room, come on you know who you are.
Cover or clean any marks on carpets, these are a big cost to replace for a buyer
Dust ceilings and light fittings for cobwebs
Replace light bulbs
Get some windows open and a good air frangrance, you dont want to smell like the local pet shop or chippy.
Mow the lawn and trim any trees back, it will make your garden look bigger
Weed kill paths and gravel
Paint the front door and windows
Do any maintenace jobs you've been avoiding, you might be able to live with them but it will put a prospective buyer off.
If you've got a neighbour who isnt the best with their front lawn or an over hanging tree offer to do it for them, Yeah yeah I know its not on,but for an afternoons work it makes your house look soooooo much better.

Good luck, oh and if anyone fancies a nice 18th century cottage in Leicestershire leave me a comment I'll alway do a deal for cash.

Tata

At Last! - Time To Finish Work

Why do we repeatedly work ourselves into the grindstone every day and despise ourselves for this? It’s no different to putting your hands in the fire, over and over again. The big question behind this is, for what reason and why do we carry on doing something if we don’t like it. There must be some harmonious chord we can strike to find that happy medium. People live much longer now and I personally want to be able to do the things I feel passionate about now, not wait until the usual retirement age when my body says NO !! I can’t do this anymore because it will hurt too much. I am very lucky in that I can enjoy doing the things that interest me now, who says you can’t live each day to the full? Not me, that’s for sure.

Which one are you?

1. The lazy type – Has no aspirations in life and is quite happy drawing in state benefits, but moans about people who look like they have more than them. Doesn’t like to be responsible for their own actions and stays stagnant in their own safe little world winging about making ends meet because they’re not prepared to put the effort in. Guess what? They also think if they moan enough about this someone else will find the solution. What do you reckon?

2. Mr or Mrs Bling – Has worked like a Trojan all of their life for bigger, faster and slicker things, got all the gadgets and toys you could ever think of but has managed to trap themselves into a corner because they daren’t change the formula in case they lose everything.

3. The ‘Wish I Could’ – Has landed a great job, with fabulous hours and a wonderful boss. Continually dreams about the day they can escape to that place in the country with their own allotment and do the ‘Good Life’ thing. Doesn’t do anything about though, because they don’t really every believe in they can and its normal to carry on through life detesting your job and just managing.

Who do you pity the most?

I for one am not hanging around, I’m off. I had a regular job, scrimped and saved like mad, not have extravagant holidays, don’t drink a great deal, don’t smoke, don’t dine out that often, did manage to purchase a house as prices went up, so did get lucky there. Re-mortgaged and invested in another property, then struggled with a huge mortgage and ploughed every bit of spare money into it, been careful about my expenditure, until now !! enough is enough !! I’m going to sell one of the houses to free myself from the rat race, bank any remainder from the sale, live off the interest and do a few odd jobs here and there if need be. My friends may have had a bit more fun than me but the tables have turned, they will continue to lose themselves in their jobs and I will start to really live life the way I want, not dictated by the commercial world we are in…

Follow your heart!!! Not your head. I’m taking a year out, so I can place myself in a situation to be able to act upon exiting and new opportunities. No more 9 – 5 for me, they are other options out there, I can choose to accept them or not, it’s my choice. I can do voluntary work, something I am passionate about, anything I wish. Life has become exciting again, I feel like a child in a world of toys again, I can pick them up and play with them, just have a look or throw them away. Don’t miss that opportunity, live your life don’t let someone live it for you, they maybe doing what you thought of in before you get a chance to.