How to save a mint and then spend it!

When we came back from Spain last year, we were unable to get a cretificate of no claims from our insurers over there and so, when it came time to insure the cars we bought we were both on a full premium. This meant our insurance for both cars came to above £1,600.

This year we've managed to both gain a years no claims bonus and after a bit of work looking around we've managed to get our renewal for just under half the amount paid last year.

Result!

And so, I decided I could now book myself in for an eye exam and new glasses as the ones I wear have become covered in scratches making it difficult to see on occassions.

Although I knew my distance vision hasn't altered much in the last 3 years, if at all, I am stuggling with my near vision now and working at my desk can be quite difficult. I'm ok with my computer work but when filling forms in or writing at my desk I either have to take my glasses off and almost have my forehead on the desk or try and write with my arm at full stretch - and even then, it's not long enough some times.

At my eye exam last night I was told I needed intermediate glasses - now this is not something I've heard of before but they will allow me to work at my desk better and still allow me to see my computer screen. They are similar to varifocals, in that the lens is graded and I will look through the top half of the lens at my computer but the bottom half of the lens to see the papers on my desk. However, unlike varifocals, the change is much less dramatic and I shouldn't suffer the feelings of swaying and motion that I did when I tried varifocals.

And so, even with the discount for buying 2 pairs together I have spent the majority of the savings I made on the insurance.

Ah well, easy come, easy go! At least I'll be able to see the money flow away from me more clearly with my new glasses!

New Friends

Sometimes, Brinkley wakes me in the early hours and wants to go outside. Sometimes it's barely light enough to see him disappear up the garden. He normally mooches around a little, does what he needs to do and comes back in. But this morning somthing kept his attention beyond his normal curiosity level.

At the back of the house it was still quite dark and I could barely make out what was so interesting. At first I thought it may be something that had fallen from the roof. What ever it was, Brinkley would not come way from it. In the end I went into the house to get a torch and once there was a bit of light on the area this is what I saw.

It was very small and just sitting there. Not moving, it looked as if it had run out of energy and was in need of a rest, and the last thing it needed was some strange, hairy monster taking an interest. I kept a close eye on Brinkley to make sure he didn't hurt it but he kept getting closer and closer, until he got this close.

Eventually, I managed to persuade Brinkley to leave his new friend and come back into the house (well, I picked him up and carried him in, closing the door firmly behind us!) Brinkley paced around desperate to get back outside but I wouldn't let him and eventually he gave up and went back to bed.

In the morning, the little bird had gone. Hopefully, after a little rest it had managed to fly away to meet up with his family. All that was left of that early morning adventure was the photo.

Thanksgiving - USA Style.

As an avid fan of 'Friends' and many other U.S. sitcoms and Romcoms, I've always enjoyed watching the portrayal of Thanksgiving as a great, social, annual event.

We've visited California at a variety of times throughout the year. We've been to Yosemite in Spring when the river was vibrant with the melting snows and the wateralls beyond words.

We've visited California when the summer sun had baked the green, lush hills into the parched grasslands that give the State its name - The Golden State.

We've visited California in the fall when the leaves glowed with autumnal reds, oranges and yellows.

We've visited California on Labour Day weekend and got married.

We've visited California on Memorial Day and played in a golf tournament to raise funds for our friend's local church.

And now we're going to visit California for Thanksgiving. We're going to spend time with our friends and experience the tradition for real, rather than watching it on programs on TV.

The air tickets are booked, the visa waiver application forms submitted and approved.

We're definitely going.

And I am SO excited!

163 days and counting!

Go Ahead Please!

A couple of days ago I received a phone call at work which was a totally new experience for me. The operator asked me if I could take a text call and had I taken such a call previously. She explained that the caller may either be deaf or have difficulties speaking.

Yes, I can take the call and No, I've never taken one before. She explained to me that the person calling was using a relay service by which they typed the message and the operator relayed that message to me. I would then tell her my reply and she would type it back to the caller and so on. To signify that I had finished each part of my reply and to indicate to the caller that it was their turn to respond I needed to say 'Go Ahead'. Obviously the modern equivalent of 'Over & Out'.

It was important that I spoke my replies as if I was talking direct to the caller, as the operator would type exactly what I said, but it was initially difficult not to answer the operator and refer to the caller in the 3rd person. But, I soon got the hang of it and the conversation started.

There were a few complications in that the caller was having trouble with their text phone and we got cut off a couple of times, and there was an issue with our product that had not been resolved but, I was able to help sort out for a fitter to call to see them the following day and to hold the conversation as if speaking to them direct.

It was quite an odd conversation initially but, after a little while getting used to the delays while my reply was sent to the caller and for them to type their response, it soon started to flow. I remembered to thank the caller for contacting us and to finish the call correctly as I would with anyone and when I put the phone down I was just amazed at technology - it had never really occurred to me that this service existed.

For more info take a look at the link.

http://www.textrelay.org/using_textphone.php

Having a break.

Normally, I only have a break from blogging when I'm away but recently I felt the need for a break. I don't know why but I just haven't been able to summon up the energies to sit at the keyboard and write. I have been lurking, checking in on the blogs I follow and enjoying reading them as always, but for now I'm enjoying not having to feel compelled to write too. It's quite refreshing - but it's not a long term idea - I shall get back into it soon. But for now, be sure I am still following you all with enjoyment!

For Spanish Owner

This is done in Windows Live Writer, especially for you. Straight text is a doddle (unless Brinkley is trying to attract my attention as he is at the moment, must be close to walk time). It seems he is irritated by me typing text at speed as he’s laid right by the laptop.

Now, I can type in a different colour very easily, by selecting text type and colour as if typing in a work document. And just as easily I can change again.
If I want bold I can have bold – and Brinkley has decided enough is enough and moved

If I can find a video I’ll try and insert -

And that was a simple process.

So, if you are still having problems with Blogger I would suggest you take a look at this. I’ve not put everything in that you use – oh, you need a link to another webpage maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-MO7xVW-oU – yes, another easy process. (And by the way, it’s the link to the pups already embedded above).

And now to post it to my blog – I just click the publish button and it’s done.

Hope this gives you an idea in case you fancy trying it.

Challenges of a new job.

I am very concious in my new role, of not over stepping the mark. I have worked at a senior level previous to my time in Spain. I had responsibility for others, for systems, for making sure we had backups of data and in a crisis, I had responsibility for analysing the options and deciding which route to choose.

When I returned to work I wanted to lose all of that responsibility. I wanted a job where I went to work, did my job, enjoyed working with my colleagues and switched off when I came home at night. Where my weekends were my own and the 'life-work' balance that everyone talks of, and which I am very aware of, was in balance.

And so, to my current job. I love my job. I'm doing work I've always enjoyed and doesn't tax my brain too much. I have a good boss who is on the same wave length as me. I am in an industry that produces something which, after years in a service environment, I find enjoyable. The initial few weeks were a little stressful due to issues with my work colleague but she is no longer working there and her possible replacement seems fine. It was a challenging few weeks but we're past them now. It didn't help that the day after the agency had been asked to let her know she wasn't wanted back, she was sat at her desk when I got in to the office. The agency hadn't got around to phoning her to let her know her services were no longer required. How bad is that?

This is the same agency that I'm in talks with over holiday pay. They have a holiday year running from 6th April to 5th April - it follows the tax year dates. They have a rule that all holiday has to be taken by the 5th April, no carry forward - nothing strange in that. They also have a rule that says you have to work a month before you can take any holiday - again, nothing unusual in that, you need to accrue the holiday before you can take them but, there is always one that doesn't fit the rules - and it's me!

I started on the 3rd March, so my first month with them to accrue holiday is 6th March to 5th April. So I then somehow have to take the holiday accrued also by the 5th April. And, to make it even more difficult the 5th April fell on a Tuesday and my day off is Monday. I'm having trouble making the agency see that their rules mean that it was impossible for me to accrue and take the holiday by the 5th April, but they're having trouble understanding my problem and are telling me I must lose the days accrued - but that doesn't seem fair!

And so to the latest crisis. Last week we realised we had a problem with the software giving bad info. There was a rogue entry that had appeared and corrupted a load of data. No problems, back-ups are run automatically twice a day. Unfortunately, no-one was running the check-data program first to make sure the data being backed up was good.

And so, we had to go back a week to find a good back up. They could recover some of the data but other needed re-inputting, and of course the data that couldn't be done automatically made up 60% of the lost data. So last week was spent re-doing the work from the week before. The General Manager was on holiday so I found myself making the decision as to what options we chose. Needless to say I now do daily data checks before the backup is run, just so I don't end up having to repeat weeks.  One major difference this time - previously I would have spent the long holiday weekend working to get everything up to date. This long holiday weekend has been 4 days off for me. There is still work to do but it will get done on Tuesday.

Hopefully this week will see my new colleague starting, the system fully up to date and the job will revert back to being stress-free.