This is my original blog for all our non-caravanning trips since 2009 and more recently posts about coming to terms with being single again having been widowed in 2018. And anything else too really!

My caravanning blog is (Get Your) Legs Down and all our trips in the caravan are there. My grog blog is The Ale Archive where I list every beer I’ve ever tried.

Saturday, 9 January 2016

One down, five to go.

Those who know what I do for a living – or indeed any parents – may deduce that I am talking about weeks, and the number there is before the next half-term break. It’s one of the consequences of working for a school – you tend to divide your life down in to terms and half-terms.

Anyway, it’s my plan to bring you a weekly’ish update on what’s happening while we ain’t away in the caravan. We do spend more time at home & work than away, although anyone reading my caravan blogs could be forgiven for thinking the opposite.

Work wise, it’s been ok so far, although the hardest bit has been prising my head from the pillow at silly o’clock, even though I’ve been lying awake waiting for the alarm to go off. Ring any bells?

Many will know that I drive a school minibus – and traffic this last week has been a little kinder than I anticipated, particularly given the weather. Having said that, I did get my first ever complaint after an alledged ‘incident’ Tuesday night. Apparently, according to the message left on the college answer service I overtook a line of traffic and cut in at the last minute. What actually happened was, I decided to utlise the empty outside lane of a dual carriage way, indicating, waiting for a gap, then merging when a space become available as the lanes merged. I wonder sometimes what some people think the second lane is for, decoration? Anyway if the caller thought I was speeding, he clearly hasn’t driven a new type Transit. The transport supervisor and manager wern’t concerned, and the caller didn’t even leave his number.

The overtime has been coming in, though is not as plentiful as last term, due mainly to a change in the sports that the kids do. Although given that our main sports field is waterlogged and currently unusable that may change. Extra work, generally is increasing year on year though. There are less teachers that are old enough to have the automatic ‘D1’ entitlement on the driving licence that enables us to drive  17 seat minibuses, and even less that actually want to take the test. All the better for us, and the extras make the job a viable alternative to something more traditionally ‘full’ time.

A tentative stepping on the scales this morning was a pleasant surprise – 13 stone & 4 pounds – down 6 pounds from this time last week, so I am well happy with that. I’ve been avoiding the snacks, and sticking to a bowl of soup for lunch, along with a mile or so walk first thing in the morning when the weather has allowed. Probably the greatest reduction in my calorific intake though has been down to the fact that i’m going ‘dry’ for a month. Not a drop of ale – or any other grog for that matter – has passed my lips since New Years Eve. That’s longest period of time that I’ve gone without a drink for many years. I’ve not been temepted, though we called in a pub last night for a bite to eat with a friend and Trev’s pint looked very inviting! By the time the month is out I shall be an expert on lime & soda!

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