It's quiet my end Chris because I have so much on at the moment. Car failed its MOT then it passed its MOT, going to run it for another year..... no point getting a new one just yet only 113,000 on the clock and runs like new. My first EVER MOT failure, it failed on a tie rod bush..... not a biggie BUT a fail nonetheless.
I fitted a new exhaust system in February and 4 new tyres in March, gave it a full service in April (plugs / oil / air filter / oil filter) and all the trimmings so to replace it with a new car is foolish IMO..... never misses a beat / reliable workhorse / drives like new.
The garden has gone into overdrive.... spending most of my free time getting down and dirty with it (it's almost a full time job)..... decided to rip out all the "bushes" / rip out all the weeds and deck most of the pine trees...... £4,500 worth of tree felling so far (and counting)..... the damned pine needles were perma blocking the gutters and getting everywhere. A few days out in the fresh air has done me the world of good! I have planted 9 different varieties of potato and am experimenting with growing them in the soil / in bags / in pots and in rubber tyres.
My local tyre fitting place are happy to give me as many used tyres as I want..... it's quite an interesting way of growing potatoes:
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=growing+potatoes+in+tyres I've got about 10 tyres planted so will need to pick up another 20 used tyres to get 10 x 3 tyre stacks. I'm saving them £1.50 per tyre disposal fee, saving on buying tubs so essentially only the seed potatoes and compost to pay for...... actually, the compost is free as I make my own.
I reckon the garden soil crop will give the biggest yield but it will be interesting to see how the tyre crop / bag crop / bucket crop fare too...... as is always the case with me, once I find a new interest I go at it hammer and tong (which is not always a good thing!)..... the latest craze is "potatoes" / potato growing methods / potato fertilizer / manure etc. etc. etc......... a lot healthier than my "Vaping" craze though so harmless AND healthy at the same time
Factor in the friggin' dentist and I have basically no free time....... I'm in the final stages of having top and bottom implants fitted (some people buy a new car!) and it will be a real learning curve with all that non removable hardware packed into my mouth..... I entered into it looking like a toothless scurvy ridden sailor and hope to come out of it with a smile as white as Donny Osmond.
Not quite sure why Donny Osmond came into my mind there but......... let's digress.........
The NHS Doctors are obviously on an earner..... all this crap about "overloaded waiting rooms" is just that. I haven't been to see my Doctor for a year and out of the blue I get a phone call from the surgery:
"It's Riverbank surgery here is that Michael?"
Yes
"When can you come in for a review?"
A review of what?
"blood test, urine test and a general discussion about your medication with a nurse"
OK, I won't go into detail but I went in, let them take blood out of my armn (I hate giving blood away) and was told, a week later, that everything was OK.
3 weeks later:
"Hi, is that Michael?"
Yes
"Hi Michael, when can you come in for a review?"
What sort of review?
"blood test, urine test and a general discussion about your medication with a nurse"
I've already been in for a review.
"We didn't take your blood pressure, we need to take your blood pressure"
OK.
Sooooo.... I go for this "second" review and the first thing the nurse does is weigh me...... she then asks if I have bought a sample of urine with me....... I replied "not the usual thing I do on a first date" she then takes my blood pressure (tells me it's a bit high) and then asked me to put my arm on a pillow.....
I was like "eh? more blood? No way, I'm sorry, I hate needles penetrating my viens, makes me feel sick.
She was fine with that but insisted that I brought in a "mid flow sample" of my urine so she could do a dip check of my urine........ booked in again tomorrow at 12:15 for a nurse to dip check a bottle of my piss.
WTF!!!!
?
Nothing wrong with me (apart from looking forward to a fast "moonwalk" shuffle off this mortal coil), fit as a fiddle (as fit as any 56 year old boozer / smoker can hope to be) yet called in to the surgery on a few occasions to check my fluids?
The health service has gone tits up.