02/22/2010: "where does time go?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

the year starts with fresh efforts to get more things done here at hoover towers... stacks of plastering, new wiring, lighting, plaster boarding, then more plastering to be done.
just for good measure, there is even some copper pipe work to do...

the first week of the year is frozen off, the inches of snow and no gritting for the lowly street where i live see to that, next week then...
the next week im back at my little job, seems like an age since i was there, but something comes up and i agree to step in and help them out, another few weeks gone
i tell them i cannot keep helping them out as i have far too many jobs on, "can you give us another two weeks please?" okays, two weeks cant hurt can it!

im thinking... two weeks, then its a week off so ill be good to go.

then i get the beginnings of a cold, but i carry on regardless.
the following weekend it becomes apparant that mother nature is telling me not to do owt. laid up for the next week i am, doing nothing at all (not in a fit state to for once) a nice double infection, so for 7 days i grow a tramps beard and every four hours i fall asleep for two then im wide awake, a brew and a tablet later, im dozing off again.
not to worry.... the next week is a holiday week, i can start, ive got all the house stuff i can make a start on, ive got the websites to build and get live, blah blah, i dont mind as its stuff for that could benefit ME.

still a bit ropey at the beginning of the week, finally by thursday i get my act together and get the aa out to the b-team van thats struggling to move as the handbrake has seized on.
the aa bloke is great, hes a top fella and one i used to work with back during my halfords day!
he removes the brake disc (instead of just calling for a tow truck as any other patrol would have done) spots that the wheel cylinders have leaked and contaminated the shoes and seized the handbrake on, new cable needed, no probs, he will follow me down to the garage and bring me back - plus im insured for the work, no bother.
i rang john at the garage, bring it in and leave it with us well sort it out for you no bother... got in the b-team van to fire her up (shed been running not 20 minutes earlier) nothing! zilch! nada!

apparantly, the van has an immobiliser!
and guess what... the immobiliser has broke and the vans going nowhere!

so now i have to pay for an auto electrician to sort it out, then pay part of the brakes job as well, not being in the mood, i get the van towed to the garage and tell john to take his time with it and ring me when its sorted out.

i get home and go through the routine of the weekend shopping and the footy bet (4 out of 5 up this week - should make a profit instead of just breaking even)
sunday comes, i get grief at home, so spend the day in silence and being ignored.

monday comes.... not a problem, as i am back to my normal 1 hour per day little job, the help i was giving has finished.
into work i go, they need another week's help, including 2 full days, so thats my driving gone out of the window, thats the house jobs on hold for another week, thats the websites only getting little bits done on them for another week, in between sorting out tammy and trying to stay awake in the afternoons so i can get some shut eye at night, yet another week has gone.

we are already at the end of february - when people used to tell me that as you get older the days fly by much faster - i used to laugh at them, not believing it for a second, now i know exactly what they mean!
i still havent got into the plastering, wiring, websites, more plastering, etc, and with february coming to an end, we have van stuff and mot's to sort out and then we are into planning and preparing the gardens and putting the veg and flowers in so i can sit back in summer and pick and eat.

i seriously need to organise my time better, or learn to say "no"