Reflective mood....

       We’re having a quiet bank holiday down in Cornwall after a week of visiting various places in (and outside of the county), just nice to chill a little and plan the remaining days of our holiday afore the drive home and the return to the daily routine of sleep, eat and work. Whilst here we celebrated my birthday which was a milestone that I wouldn’t have imagined reaching during the very dark years after my breakdown and divorce. The milestone being…

 

      I don't remember getting this old and I certainly don't feel it (though my joints tell me differently) but here I am, smashing it as an old grumpy bastard. 

      The holiday (first decent break together for nearly a decade!) and the milestone has certainly put me in a reflective mood and thoughts of retirement are circling around the edges of my mind. I'm certainly not ready for retirement as I don't feel old, I thoroughly enjoy my work and financial it is certainly not an option at this moment in time. 

      I have thought though that now is the time to start preparing and also making small changes to my life. I definitely need to make time to spend time with G, as the majority of time we are living like two Japanese sewerage shift workers (two nips in the shite). So I'm taking every Friday off from the time we return home which means no garden work nor machinery repairs just time with my love. I also need to check upon the couple of factory pensions that I have ignored since leaving the grind those years ago. I am definitely improving in my financial control these days and it is nice to see the bank account increasing rather than alternating betwixt black and red.

 

     There is also the question of health, or in my case lack of health. I am, by my reckoning a couple of stone or 30lbs American, oversized and this needs to be addressed. Also I have, and for far too long ignored, the signs of an oversized prostate so I'm booking myself in to be checked out as well as I'm going to be screened for bowel cancer (tis a thing the Welsh NHS other every couple of years when the old age bus hits you).

      

 On a positive note I recently have stopped taking the happy pills for my depression and I am doing ok without them at the moment. I'm not saying that I have beaten the black dog but I do think that I have given the bitch a damn good kicking at least for now.

      So no thought of retirement as yet but definitely thoughts on making life a tad better and easier. Retirement, I like to think, may come around in another decade but obviously there are unknowns that may change that opinion. I actually don't think that I will ever fully retire as I would be bored out of my tiny mind.

      Time to sign off now as we're heading into Falmouth for a late lunch and a leisurely stroll around the waterfront.

Stone me...

       Just a couple of pictures from today's early morning visit to the 'henge'....

     It actually touched me on so many levels including the how, the why and with the deepest feelings of connection that I've felt in many a year... Yes I'll be back with G of course and it makes me want to do something....err.. something more with my life, don't know just cannot explain what or why and this is some hours later on the way back to the cottage we're staying at in Cornwall.

Phew….

     Well after the last few months tribulations I am finally able to draw a breath. My family (or lack of a family) issues are kind of behind me now, though certainly not forgotten and still festering within me with an internal anger that I think would be unwise to allow out as the damage caused would perhaps be irreversible. The gardening side of work has been extremely full on, especially with the unseasonably dry weather we’ve experienced over the last couple of months. The machine servicing and repair side of work has ticked over reasonably but has had to take a back seat somewhat to the gardening, as has household chores and improvements. To be honest I am absolutely bloody knackered, what with the amount of work I’ve taken on of late and with some health issues that I am currently struggling to cope with. On the other hand, for the first time in a millennium the bank balance is looking healthy although this is going to take a kicking this week as the work beast of burden (the frog van) is in dry dock for some prospectively expensive repair work. There always seems to be something to snatch the money from my arse pocket just when I think I might actually make a true success from my business, I guess at my age I should bloody well know better!

     But tis not all doom and gloom because I am scribbling this first post in a long time from sunny Cornwall on the first full day of our two week (yep that’s two weeks) holiday, hence the ‘phew’ title. Yes it’s two weeks without pay but the prospect of time for myself and the wonderful G to have a reset and for my worn out body to recover somewhat has been a long time coming and cannot have a price put on it. 

     I’ll leave you with a picture of the view from where we enjoyed brunch this morning and hopefully it won’t be such a long time until the next post….