To move or not to move

I managed to blagg a mooring in Thrupp for the month while I was recovering from my eye ops. That time is now at an end, however I have since broken my hand and am not really fit enough to move my boat alone. The mooring warden has said I can stay on the mooring for another month @£25 p.w. which isn't a bad deal, but do I want to stay?

I really should get on my way the trouble is I am reluctant to move. I have become very fond of Bones this year and am wanting to stay in this area for a while but I know her parents are not happy about the possible situation we could be in, me being 23 years older than she is. The last thing I want to do is risk upsetting her parents who are good people and have been very kind and generous towards me.

Nearly thirty years ago I allowed a girls parents to influence a relationship I was in and I have deeply regretted it ever since, never waking or sleeping without seeing her in my minds eye. Leaving her was a very hard thing to do which I thought was for the best at the time, but if I could turn back the clock. . . . . . . . I am reluctant to let this happen again. What to do, that is the question. Would Doctor Bones want me to stay anyway? Prolly not, but who knows?

Oh I do get me in some pickles don't I?

DANGER ZONE

It would seem that boating is not for me. I am thinking I should sell the boat. Being a boater is not good for my health. Whilst I have not had a cold of flu since I arrived on the boat I seem to have been inundated with injuries.

It all started when I fell off the roof on the Leeds & Liverpool late last year and tore a cartilage in my knee, that has only recently repaired itself enough to be not painfull when I walk. That has been because in since September I have hardly moved due to having tore my retina on (I think) the K&A and knocking it loose on the Oxford which required two eye ops to correct it. I have lost count of the rope burns, stove burns, cuts and bruises, and how many times have I fallen in?

Last Sunday I fell into the boat breaking a Metecarpal in my right hand which has now truly left me single-handed. DOH!

If you add to this the number of other injuries sustained by others near and dear to me I should make the Milly M a DANGER ZONE.

Behind the times

Today Wednesday I recieved an email from Narrow Boats And Canals Of Great Britian .

In a post entitled "RED DIESEL...read now 'cos we wont be getting any after November 2008"

It opened "It has been announced that from November 2008, it will be illegal tobuy or to use RED DIESEL in privately owned narrowboats."

Now I know I am not the most upto date boater on the cut but we have known about this for nearly two years.

Later it says, "The hire boat companies are sitting pretty as usual, not only do they get a lower rate of BWW licence, but they will also still be allowed to purchase and use RED DIESEL after the November 2008 deadline for everyone else to stop using it."

Since when did the Hire companies pay a lower licence fee than private boaters? Is not a hire boat licence about £1500 as opposed to my £650ish?

It goes on to say, "It is also clear that a number of private boat fuel outlets who also serve hire companies will not have the tanking facilities to store both RED DIESEL and ordinary diesel, so we are going to find it difficult in some areas to obtain fuel at any price."

Who says so? Is it that clear? Is red diesel going to be avialable to anyone or will it be a case of claimng back the duty on white? Yes there will be problems in the beginning but the Law as it is being written is taking so long because these things all have to be addressed. I would doubt that the needs of 30/40,000 boaters will not be taken into account especially given the revenue that will be generated at the increased rate of duty.

Lastly the writer asks, "Any comments or ideas what we can do??? other than give up private boating???"

Given the out of date information and mis-information I would have thought the writer had already given up boating if not why not?

Ice Thursday again

Bridge 223 near the Jolly Boatman Thrupp

This morning was very cold at Thrupp. Ice had formed across the whole canal attaching itself to the boat proving I think that Millly M is well insulated. Moving around the boat one could hear the ice cracking giving doubt to the security of my blacking so I went back to bed.

This boating malarkey is grand!

FONT

You may have noticed that the font on my blog has changed from Ariel to Times Roman. This has happened since I started the Google Ads. I don't like TR so if any one can tell me how to put it back to how it was I will be most greatful.

Addendum Hurrrraaaaahhhhh I fixed it!

Who's PC is it anyway

Sometimes I jut don't quite understand who this computer belongs to. I know I bought it sometime ago but I am absolutely sure I paid for it with my own money. So why is it that it wont do what I tell it to. When I want it to switch off I press the off button and it takes ages to shut down. I would have thought if I press the off button then that is what I want it to do and being only a dumb computer it would do as it is told, but no I get messages asking me if the non responsive program should be shut down now or later.

What part of OFF do you not understand Bill Gates! Perhaps it is because Americans dont speak English. Maybe they just dont understand that OFF means OFF, not why don't we play mind games with the dummy.

I switch my computer on and it takes an age. Then finally when the T-mobile loads I need to press connect which I do. Then and only then does it decide that 'I' should have loaded the drivers for the T-mobile and tells me that 'I' should have known that myself. What is the point of hiring a servant if you are going to do all the work.

Have you ever had that little box pop up which say illegal action you cant do that, when all you asked it to do was something that you have asked it to do a hundred times before, but today no chance.

There is nothing wrong with my computer that I am aware yet every few minutes something else decides not to work. You cant do that, not this time, Oi what do you think you are doing are some of the many 'prompts' I get during the day and to be honest I am fed up with it. If these odd quotes must appear on the screen there must be a 'PISS OFF I'M NOT INTERESTED' button to allow you to take back control of your computer. How can BG and his cohorts claim that their system is a true multi-tasking system when it has to bother you with niff-naff and trivia. How about a YOU FOUND IT YOU SORT IT button.

Bill, in as few words as possible, I paid my hard earned cash for MY computer and your software. All you have to do is make your software work for me that's what I paid for that's what I want. What I don't want is your system to tell me I CAN'T, that is defeatist and very bad programming from your company. FIX IT!

Dusty does it again.

Dusty came down the canal today with some much needed diesel. I was close to sucking air out of my tank having already transfered my central heating fuel across to the engine tank.

Passwords

For the second time this week a password I have used for several years has not worked.

I am a simple character my passwords tend to be the same for most things, that way I don't have much to remember, after all it is not like I am protecting my bank details is it? Today I typed in my normal 'username and password' only to be told "do not match", so I tried leaving the mail provider off the username, again "does not match". Back to what I know it should be "email address does not exist". OK so now I hit the 'forgot password button', this is designed to make you feel that you are a dummy when in actual fact the company that own the site have changed their password policy. I seems that my 6 digit password that has been quite adequate for the last three years is now not secure enough, 8 digits are now required. FFS it's a blog who is going to steal it.

It would be so nice if they said in the beginning that the site would continuously change their password policy instead of making me feel like I was loosing my marbles.

Do these people really feel this is necessary or are they just jumping on the band waggon. My banks all being part of the HSBC chain of money grabbers have changed my access codes several times over the last 5 years. It seems now that in order to find out how much money I have in my account I have not only the 2 original 8 and 10 digit codes but I need the name of my dog, my favourite singer, my mothers maiden name and my grandfathers NI number all of which I find.......... well actually no I don't find them at all so I always spend half an hour on the phone to the customer accounts department which requires yet another set of memories before they can reset all the security info to a series of new information I will promptly forget.

STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF!

Dud's visit

Neil came on Wednesday for a short visit on his way back from a meeting in Brum. He came bearing flowers and chocies, he can come again. Last saw ND on the K&A down at the Barge Inn Seend with his faily and friends in August or was it September.

Nice to see you again Neil.

Swan (local hard boy)

This Swan has been giving me grief over the last few days. My brother Allan fed it while he was staying and Natalie fed it, as this picture shows, while she was here. Now it expects to be fed every day. If no feed is forthcoming it violently attacks the boat. Opening the side hatch to shoo him away only opens up one to attack. It will not be long before he comes in and helps himself to the larder.

Ice Thursday

This morning there was sheet ice on the canal. It only covered about halfway across the canal where I was but more later as I reversed up the cut for water and a pump out. Mort was very poorly this morning, she has a sore throat and a temperature but she came with me any way.

At the lift bridge I met the ex-commodore of the Sale Crusing Club who gratiously opened the bridge as he told me he had read my blog the night before. I keep forgetting to get peoples names, silly me! A lot of the people that do normaly talk to me on the cut read the blog so I don't really need to intro though most times I do try to it depends if I am busy on the tiller or not.

Mike the Mooring Warden came to chat. This is the second time he has spoken to me, I dont have a problem with that, but it would be nice if he introduced himself first. I hate talking to nameless folk whatever their job. Mike could have been the local murderer for all I know, had it not been for Mort telling me who he was I never would have known.

I am a dumbass

Somethings are so delicate. We have to take care to look after our treasures. If we take our eye off the treasures that we hold most dear we will break them. Last week I managed to break two hearts because I relaxed into my comfort zone and allowed a special person to feel unsafe when she needed me most. Now the only thing I have to take care of is, what to do for Christmas on my own? Am I a dumbass or what?

Sorry Puddless XXXXXXXXXX

It was my birthday

With all the side issues associated with my dear friend Mort getting a bang on the head Monday last week I forgot to write about about my family lunch the day before my birthday. It was all Morts doing she was speaking to some of my young 'uns on MSN Messenger and got them all to come by on the Sunday.

Kim and Jim, Kirsty (my oldest) and her youngest daughter Natalie, my lad Toby all turned up for lunch at the Jolly Boatman. My brother Allan was already here. And Mort completed the group (well I couldn't not ask her she did all the work).

First near all family lunch I have had in a long time.

After lunch we repared to the boat where Natalie fed the Swan at the side hatch.

Not much to write really but I sadly have forgotten most of it worrying about my friends head.

HALFIE

I have had a few emails back and fourth from John nb Lee Swallow but never realised that he had a blog. His blog is called Halfie though new to blogging (NOV) he has been boating for some time.

Me and Big G

We, Mort and I, spent a few days at her family home in Cambridge. Mort spent the time resting following her crack on the head [she is on the mend but it may take a little time].

Friday I dug the vegetable patch. Having not had much exercise of late it was a much needed interlude. Morts dad has some trouble digging such a large patch so me and sister E's husband B did the rest of the digging on Saturday that I had not managed on Friday. By the time J and E arrived on Saturday the job was done.

Mr and Mrs A, being the good people they are, showed me nothing but good manners and good hospitality despite the fact that they doubt the sincerity of my friendship with their daughter.

Sunday we went to church. While there a man who I did not know told me I was a sinner. Where he got that from I will never know, unless he had been tipped the wink from on high. Silly me there was I thinking that JC died for my sins so I didn't have to, yet this stranger stuck the knife in and twisted it. I try, I am not perfect but I try. I would never knowingly do someone wrong and always try to help people if I can. So how come he thinks I am a sinner?

I think the answer is because I don't at this time choose to worship the God of his choice. As I see it I didn't ask to be born into this world yet I am expected to worship God. I can understand some have a personal need and I wouldn't poo poo them for that, but what I don't understand is 'What kind of god want us to worship him constantly?

My thinking, at this time, is he must be very vain. Why create something as complex as man just to have him spend his days worshiping him. Surely he has better things to do with his time than to constantly watch what 6 billion people are doing with their lives. Would it not be better to issue every one with a set of rules, on a sim card, at the time of their birth and it could zap them every time they break a rule, sorted.

I think I need God in my life, but as yet no one has given me the real reason in a manner I can understand. I did do the "I love God thing", not that long ago as it happens, and probably still would if only I could stop this thought I have that religion, all religion, is a controlling organisation to suppress the masses.

Christmas

This is a Christmas tree.

It is not a Hanukkah bush,

it is not an Allah plant,

it is not a Holiday hedge.

It is a Christmas tree.

Say it... CHRISTmas, CHRISTmas, CHRISTmas

Yes. CHRISTmas - celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ!!!

Oopsie!

My birthday celebrations culminated with a bang. Fortunately for me it wasn't me that got the bang but Mort. While she was trying to turn the engine off I pushed the slide back to get on the boat not knowing she was there. Her head was in the line of travel of the slide and the inevitable happened. Had it bee me I would have been in tears, these things really hurt. Bones however, though in some pain, kept the tears at bay.

She was a bit dopey that night and the next day so I took her to the hospital where they were concerned enough to give her a CT scan. All proved OK and we were allowed home.

TLC is flowing by the bucketful and Mort is resting. Today she seems a bit more like her old self, which is good.

Visitor

So I have a visitor for a few days. My brother Allan came down this way. He arrived Thursday night and will leave whenever. He learned a valuable lesson about the silent footfall and now has long sticks planted down the towpath beside all the p(sh)itfalls. Ho ho ho.