0910.25 WEEK OF HELL

It all started with me going back to work. I was really still too ill to go back but knowing that we have been understaffed I went back in anyway. Did I get thanks? Did I hell. There was a nasty atmosphere within the team and to top it I was refused leave for this weekend. I was not a happy bunny. I spent most of the week in a foul mood and did my best to keep out of everyone's way.

I was pushed hard despite telling my supervisor that I was needing to take it easy, I felt they were taking the piss. I needed to vent but had no outlet although I did have a private moment where I kicked the shit out of my locker (although the locker being made of metal won).

On appeal I did get my leave granted so at least I had this weekend which we had planned to drive to Morticia's mothers.
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So Friday night we set off (as we have done loads before) to visit Morticia's mother in St Neots. It's a tedious 125 mile drive down the A1 and to top it I'm not a big fan of night driving (although I enjoy early morning journeys).

The journey was going pretty well until we reached the A14 where the A1 closed (roadworks). I followed the diversion signs until they just vanished. We ended up at the border of Cambridge before I pulled over to check in we Google Maps. I plotted a route (which involved a certain amount of back tracking) and ended up getting to our destination about an hour late.

I'd like to thank the Highways Agency for pissing me off and wasting my time and petrol. Knobheads!

0910.19 BACK TO WORK

As I write this first paragraph I'm sat on a bus travelling to work. I'm not quite ready for my cycle just yet, I'm taking it one step at a time. I'm pretty keen to get back to work however I feel a little apprehensive to what awaits me. I've heard some rumours about certain staff being shipped out of the team for a transgression and other tit-bits. I'm not a fan of office politics an fear that there will be something of an atmosphere on my return.

0910.17 A DUVET & A BOX OF TAMIFLU

I thought I'd got a cold last weekend, come Monday morning I thought it was a bad cold. By Monday afternoon it was becoming apparent that this was no cold. I then learned I'd contracted Swine Flu. I got a reference number (you don't get a prescription) to collect a box of Tamiflu from the local collection point (luckily there was one in my village). I was then quarantined to my house until Friday.

I slept, I ached, I coughed, I sneezed, I sweated, I shivered.

So now at the other end, I still feel ill but not like I was. I'm still coughing but the muscles are no longer aching. I'm even considered going out tonight for a bit. I'm determined to be back at work on Monday but am worried about being fit enough for my bike.

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I recently got an invite to preview Google Wave, the new messaging system that the Google people are playing with. Unfortunatly for it to be effective you need people to talk to. I have one contact, the person who invited me - @JaneBunny, a twitter friend. Not really ideal to be able to give feedback.

0910.10 EXPLOSIVE!

Nothing much exciting happens around here, or so I thought. In the early hours of Monday morning I was woken rudely by a car alarm. I went through to the front of the house to see one of the neighbours' cars in flames. It was parked on the road (so little danger of the house catching fire). I rang 999 for the fire service, they had already received the call and a fire engine promptly arrived and began tackling the blaze.

So, what it an unprovoked act of mindless damage? An enemy of my neighbour? Or perhaps a racial attack (the owner of the car is Asian). After speaking to him he seems to think it's the first one. Who knows? Thankfully since then it's returned to the quiet, boring street and I like it like that.

0910.03 BACK TO NORMALITY

Finally I can relax, it's my 3 day weekend and the last 2 weeks have been particularly stressful. For the last month I've been 'acting up' at work (supervising the team I work in), work politics and staffing issues have made it challenging but enjoyable. From next week I'm back to being just a normal member of the team but for now I can look forward to relaxing this weekend.

Tonight I am going out for a chinese with Morticia, it's a friends' wedding anniversary and we've been asked to accompany them. I'll have to watch my drinking since I'm such a lightweight. Last thing I want is to be hungover for my youngest's birthday tomorrow.

0909.17 THE FINAL DESTINATION 3D

SAME AS OTHERS BUT GOOD 3D EFFECTS
The Captain's Movie Review in 7 Words

0909.15 UNLIMITED

After 3 years of active campaigning I finally got Morticia to agree to let me have any film fans greatest prize, an unlimited pass for the cinema. Many years ago I used to visit the local pictures at least weekly. I saw everything, including the low-budget Channel 4 funded stuff. I saw all the blockbusters and loads of shit too.

Family life, shift work and financial contraints meant that visits wained off a little but things are more settled these days and after loads of gentle hints and outright begging she finally gave the green light.

With this in mind I intend to review the films I see. I'm not about to turn my blog into a movie review site so as I have done in the past I'll review each movie in 7 words.

0908.31 THE BANK HOLIDAY LAW

I'm not the biggest fan of bank holidays, not for the extra day off work (I love that), I hate the obligation that we have to do something.....anything. Why?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy spending time with my family but really don't relish spending loads of cash to get into some over-crowded attraction for a few hours. Morticia has been wanting to plan a day out for today but after a weekend with trips to the zoo and an air show (and we're visited the Mother in law too) I'd rather just relax and enjoy my last day off.

0908.29 ANNUAL LEAVE

Since coming back from Wales I've been craving something for me. Some time to myself to relax and be me, not someone's husband or father. Life just gets in the way of living, I just always seem to have something to do. It just frustrates me to see others who manage to squeeze in activities outside family life. Why can't I manage it?

My holiday ends this weekend with some family activities. Today we went to Twycross zoo, tomorrow we're off to an air show. I'm back at work from Tuesday and it'll be like I was never away.

0908.24 WONDERFUL WALES

One of the first things a gadget minded type like me notices when you come to a place like Wales, particularly the quieter areas like this one is the poor mobile phone signal = lack of mobile internet access. The good news is that some of the pubs (including the one adjoining) has WiFi.

Part of me does yearn for my childhood when you went on holiday to the coast and had no contact with family or friends, in fact the post card home was the only way anyone knew that you'd arrived safely. I've never quite managed to have the nerve to leave the phone back home.

Weather has been good to us with only a bit of rain. Breakfast is included with the cottage and is an excuse to get us up in the morning. The cottage is located to the side/rear of the Penwig and has a sea view out of the windows at the end of my bed.

We had a day out to Cardigan Coastal Farm in Gwbert, it was a windy day and quite nasty down by the cliff edge.

I ventured in to the Seahorse Inn a couple of times in a break with tradition (we have always tended to stick to what we know). I'm glad I did, I discovered a 'proper' pub untouched by corporate hands. Friendly and some great real ales.

Wild dolphins are one of the attractions of the area, this year I think we spotted more than in all the years we've been visiting the bay. Not a day passed without seeing these wonderful creatures.

I don't follow cricket but following the English team's win in the Ashes I loved the Welsh attidude, they all were celebrating -the way it should be. The landlord of the Penwig is a wonderful bloke, really friendly, the girls thought the world of him. On Saturday night he gave me a gift. After telling him how much I loved Welsh beers and how much I'd miss them when I left he went off and brought me a party keg of Brains SA (about 9 pints!).

It was a long sad journey home, really love it in Wales. We've already booked for next year.