I have narrowly survived an attempt on my life.
No not the sort of thing with knives coming at you on dark nights or axes silently taking you from behind, this was murder more subtle.
"Let's go for a walk" she said.
Thinking it was better than sitting here dwelling on the frozen up pipes and waterless house I got the camera and off we went.
Now there were two routes on offer, one was a pleasant little valley bottom ramble with a pub at the end.
The other, a vertical ascent up a mountain then back down again with errrh a pub at the end.
Trouble is though only one of those pubs serves draught bass from the barrel; mountain climb it was.
I had not realised what her real plans were when we parked the car at the bottom of the hill and the management was gone like a goat up the mountain leaving me to wheeze stagger and drag myself along with plenty of pauses to take photos of the magnificent scenery.
She was trying to give me a heart attack I am sure and in a place where the mobile phone would not work, to guarantee exanguination before help could arrive.
Her plan though was doomed to fail and I survived.
Sold one of my axes whilst I was in the pub too.
Then home to da man and sid having a huge sort out in the living room!!!!
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Driving Miss D. - again...
Now, those who read this all the time will know I wilt in terror at that experience which is called her driving, well OK wheel turning.
We have now for a little time been in the grip of cold, well OK very cold.
So of course management has made a managerial decision and I have been delegated to drive.
This in turn has produced occasions where roads have been ice coated and I have demonstrated how ABS is useless.
She didn't seem impressed.
How too much power applied on ice makes cars do strange things.
She does not seem to view this as learning.
More like terror.
Well she might learn a bit if she was not a little ball curled up in the footwell..
This could be payback time.
But I love her really..
And this is driving like I have not done it since about 1980.
Really tough road conditions
Now we have no water, nothing comes out of the tap when you turn it on.
Tomorrow looks really busy....
Rhys
We have now for a little time been in the grip of cold, well OK very cold.
So of course management has made a managerial decision and I have been delegated to drive.
This in turn has produced occasions where roads have been ice coated and I have demonstrated how ABS is useless.
She didn't seem impressed.
How too much power applied on ice makes cars do strange things.
She does not seem to view this as learning.
More like terror.
Well she might learn a bit if she was not a little ball curled up in the footwell..
This could be payback time.
But I love her really..
And this is driving like I have not done it since about 1980.
Really tough road conditions
Now we have no water, nothing comes out of the tap when you turn it on.
Tomorrow looks really busy....
Rhys
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
A fable - or is it?
<
Many many years ago in happy foster land there was a happy fostering
family.
Happy foster family had a happy foster child well he was until this day.
This day he had quite a small fall in the playground in school and,
unknown to anyone he had low bone density which caused his leg to break.
Now school had proper fully qualified first aiders and because the fall
was small and child very well known for crying wolf, they decided to
send him home to happy foster carer one.
.
So home he came and he lay on the settee until happy foster carer two
came home from work.
Now happy foster carer two had once been a proper first aider who had
seen a lot of real injuries and when he had a look at this something did
not add up.
Thing was, the mechanism of injury ruled out a break but this was a
child in a lot of pain and soon the house was lit up by the blue lights
of a big white ambulance which rolled up outside.
The crew agreed with happy carer two that this could not possibly be a
break and nominations for Oscars for foster child were being discussed.
Of course on going to hospital it was found to everyone's utter amazement
that the leg was broken but no one at believed it until the X ray was
on the screen.
For the hospital though this changed everything.
Being brought in from a foster home meant the hospital
immediately decided this was a "non accidental injury" and the size of
the small fall was obviously deeply deeply suspicious. The fact that
they themselves had not believed there was a break before the X ray
proved the case. Since of course everyone knows foster carers routinely
hurt the children in their care and this was obviously a cover up..
When records were consulted it was found that this was not the first
time this child had broken his leg in suspicious circumstances and the
picture was complete.
Not so happy foster carer was well into the routine when, she asked
innocently, whether they had check WHERE he fell and injured his leg.
She also thought it might help if they checked a bit more into the
first break, particularly who it was he HADN'T been living with at the
time.....
But of course I digress, meanwhile back at the ranch investigations were
proceeding apace. Social services were on the plot and, there were
serious questions to be answered, how on earth had carer one missed
something as "obvious" as a broken leg. This was incompetence and
irresponsibility. Someone might have to pay there would be repercussions.
There was a fair amount more in this vein, carer two listened quietly
then asked how could carer one possibly know what a broken leg looked
like, had the agency trained her in first aid?
Pause.
Had she acted according to the training she had received.
Pause and silence.
Was anyone in the house qualified in first aid by the agency?
Pause
Was it not the case that happy carer two had been trained in emergency
aid (not first aid) some years previously but that qualification had
expired some little while since.
Was there in fact no one currently qualified in emergency aid resident
in the house. Was it not one of their policies to have a qualified
carer in every household?
The agency might have a problem then. Failure to ensure this might be
deemed incompetence and irresponsibility. Someone might have to pay,
there might be repercussions....
Note wisely that a child suffering was not part of the equation.
Errr uummm. This was not the conversation the social worker wanted at all.
Fortunately for the agency, Carer two and his daughters had recently
completed a community first aid course.
Wasn't the agency lucky?
Carer two was not sure the social worker sounded relieved or even happy.
But all turned out OK in the end, child made a full recovery and the
tests revealed a previously unknown underlying illness.
The agency learnt too and they made sure everyone of their happy carers
was properly trained in first aid.
Or did they....
R
__._,_.___
Many many years ago in happy foster land there was a happy fostering
family.
Happy foster family had a happy foster child well he was until this day.
This day he had quite a small fall in the playground in school and,
unknown to anyone he had low bone density which caused his leg to break.
Now school had proper fully qualified first aiders and because the fall
was small and child very well known for crying wolf, they decided to
send him home to happy foster carer one.
.
So home he came and he lay on the settee until happy foster carer two
came home from work.
Now happy foster carer two had once been a proper first aider who had
seen a lot of real injuries and when he had a look at this something did
not add up.
Thing was, the mechanism of injury ruled out a break but this was a
child in a lot of pain and soon the house was lit up by the blue lights
of a big white ambulance which rolled up outside.
The crew agreed with happy carer two that this could not possibly be a
break and nominations for Oscars for foster child were being discussed.
Of course on going to hospital it was found to everyone's utter amazement
that the leg was broken but no one at believed it until the X ray was
on the screen.
For the hospital though this changed everything.
Being brought in from a foster home meant the hospital
immediately decided this was a "non accidental injury" and the size of
the small fall was obviously deeply deeply suspicious. The fact that
they themselves had not believed there was a break before the X ray
proved the case. Since of course everyone knows foster carers routinely
hurt the children in their care and this was obviously a cover up..
When records were consulted it was found that this was not the first
time this child had broken his leg in suspicious circumstances and the
picture was complete.
Not so happy foster carer was well into the routine when, she asked
innocently, whether they had check WHERE he fell and injured his leg.
She also thought it might help if they checked a bit more into the
first break, particularly who it was he HADN'T been living with at the
time.....
But of course I digress, meanwhile back at the ranch investigations were
proceeding apace. Social services were on the plot and, there were
serious questions to be answered, how on earth had carer one missed
something as "obvious" as a broken leg. This was incompetence and
irresponsibility. Someone might have to pay there would be repercussions.
There was a fair amount more in this vein, carer two listened quietly
then asked how could carer one possibly know what a broken leg looked
like, had the agency trained her in first aid?
Pause.
Had she acted according to the training she had received.
Pause and silence.
Was anyone in the house qualified in first aid by the agency?
Pause
Was it not the case that happy carer two had been trained in emergency
aid (not first aid) some years previously but that qualification had
expired some little while since.
Was there in fact no one currently qualified in emergency aid resident
in the house. Was it not one of their policies to have a qualified
carer in every household?
The agency might have a problem then. Failure to ensure this might be
deemed incompetence and irresponsibility. Someone might have to pay,
there might be repercussions....
Note wisely that a child suffering was not part of the equation.
Errr uummm. This was not the conversation the social worker wanted at all.
Fortunately for the agency, Carer two and his daughters had recently
completed a community first aid course.
Wasn't the agency lucky?
Carer two was not sure the social worker sounded relieved or even happy.
But all turned out OK in the end, child made a full recovery and the
tests revealed a previously unknown underlying illness.
The agency learnt too and they made sure everyone of their happy carers
was properly trained in first aid.
Or did they....
R
__._,_.___
Great gods and cold places.
We have enjoyed a day and a half.
Outside this morning and immediately it was clear that the world was cold.
The IVECO declined the invitation to transport the children to the bus, being quite absolute that it had not intention to start - period. Not wanting them home all day, sorry, I meant to say recognising the vital importance that children go to school, the Xantia was press ganged to take rather a lot of children to the bus.
It would have been easier if the heater were working but this of course is the real world and somehow with multiple stops to clear the screen we eventually got there.
There was a decided lack of bus lots of similarly keen parents, but no bus.
Eventually we got relayed a message that the proper bus had also, like the IVECO declined to function and they had press ganged a far smaller version. This in turn had produced some quite unforgivable behaviour from parents keen to be rid of their children and saying there was no way he was driving a bus with children sitting on the roof or hanging out the windows the driver had taken off with the bus officially full.
This left a child whose parent had dropped him at the bus stop before going to work at a bit of a lose end so I packed him into the non existent spare apace in the xantia and went for home.
Gwion enjoyed the luxury of a seat as he went to school and the others settled themselves into a day off with such enthusiasm that I willed the IVECO into life and drove them into school as well.
Onwards and Tesco, it was time we went so went we did and invested a lot of money in catch up from the new year.
Seems a lot of stuff on reduction and not a lot buying.
Then on to Bookers and not a lot reduced for the small shop.
Home again and off again.
An emergency chain saw of mature wood to fill in the gaps in the very wet softwood we have now.
Then down to get Gwion and home just in time to get the IVECO and off for the biggies.
It has been a quiet day aye..
The temperature is now in free fall.
R
Outside this morning and immediately it was clear that the world was cold.
The IVECO declined the invitation to transport the children to the bus, being quite absolute that it had not intention to start - period. Not wanting them home all day, sorry, I meant to say recognising the vital importance that children go to school, the Xantia was press ganged to take rather a lot of children to the bus.
It would have been easier if the heater were working but this of course is the real world and somehow with multiple stops to clear the screen we eventually got there.
There was a decided lack of bus lots of similarly keen parents, but no bus.
Eventually we got relayed a message that the proper bus had also, like the IVECO declined to function and they had press ganged a far smaller version. This in turn had produced some quite unforgivable behaviour from parents keen to be rid of their children and saying there was no way he was driving a bus with children sitting on the roof or hanging out the windows the driver had taken off with the bus officially full.
This left a child whose parent had dropped him at the bus stop before going to work at a bit of a lose end so I packed him into the non existent spare apace in the xantia and went for home.
Gwion enjoyed the luxury of a seat as he went to school and the others settled themselves into a day off with such enthusiasm that I willed the IVECO into life and drove them into school as well.
Onwards and Tesco, it was time we went so went we did and invested a lot of money in catch up from the new year.
Seems a lot of stuff on reduction and not a lot buying.
Then on to Bookers and not a lot reduced for the small shop.
Home again and off again.
An emergency chain saw of mature wood to fill in the gaps in the very wet softwood we have now.
Then down to get Gwion and home just in time to get the IVECO and off for the biggies.
It has been a quiet day aye..
The temperature is now in free fall.
R
Monday, 5 January 2009
Back to the grind.
The kids went off happily to school bright and early of a morning.
Management is up to some thing on Wii fit, I might say she looks ridiculous but that would not be nice so I am not going to.
The weather though is completely bizarre.
Took the big kids off to their bus and everything was fine.
By the time another half hour had passed all the rain water that was covering the road had frozen.
Got phoned by the little school to say one of the school buses had crashed into the gate and not to take Gwion to school.
Decided this was worthy of a recce and discovered that the bottom of the valley was an ice rink. The school bus had been removed from the gates and had driven half a mile then smashed into someones house.
The van was briefly completely immobile against the front of someone elses house and I had to struggle like hell to get out of the valley and come home.
Really odd, one minute the road is wet and half an hour later it's an ice rink.
Got home and saw a severe weather warning - that was some help.
Just waiting the call from big school that they are coming home early.
R
Management is up to some thing on Wii fit, I might say she looks ridiculous but that would not be nice so I am not going to.
The weather though is completely bizarre.
Took the big kids off to their bus and everything was fine.
By the time another half hour had passed all the rain water that was covering the road had frozen.
Got phoned by the little school to say one of the school buses had crashed into the gate and not to take Gwion to school.
Decided this was worthy of a recce and discovered that the bottom of the valley was an ice rink. The school bus had been removed from the gates and had driven half a mile then smashed into someones house.
The van was briefly completely immobile against the front of someone elses house and I had to struggle like hell to get out of the valley and come home.
Really odd, one minute the road is wet and half an hour later it's an ice rink.
Got home and saw a severe weather warning - that was some help.
Just waiting the call from big school that they are coming home early.
R
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Living dangerously...
Many many years ago I would spend my summers working in a friends restaurant in Brittany.
The sort of place you could only get out there, up a dead end, no signs, no adverts, 250 covers every lunchtime.
No menu, you got fed whatever took Patricks fancy that day simple paysyenne stuff that was both simple and fantastic.
Steak was a winter dish and in those pre health and safety days it was a lump of meat thrown on a mesh grill on the open wood fire with a hand full of spices.
It left me with a lot of skills and a taste for cooking.
So with management away today I have prepared a simple tea for her return.
This is always dangerous, if you make something simply wonderful there is a danger you might be tasked with doing it again tomorrow and worse still management might feel that she is not irreplaceable.
We could not possibly have that now could we.
R
The sort of place you could only get out there, up a dead end, no signs, no adverts, 250 covers every lunchtime.
No menu, you got fed whatever took Patricks fancy that day simple paysyenne stuff that was both simple and fantastic.
Steak was a winter dish and in those pre health and safety days it was a lump of meat thrown on a mesh grill on the open wood fire with a hand full of spices.
It left me with a lot of skills and a taste for cooking.
So with management away today I have prepared a simple tea for her return.
This is always dangerous, if you make something simply wonderful there is a danger you might be tasked with doing it again tomorrow and worse still management might feel that she is not irreplaceable.
We could not possibly have that now could we.
R
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Happy new ear.....
Lovely crisp start to the new year in West Wales.
Will it snow?
Who can know!
Camera at the ready!!!
R
Will it snow?
Who can know!
Camera at the ready!!!
R
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