where has it gone

The year I mean,

anyway I wake up this last day of the year to a dark and very foggy frosty morning,(all through the holidays I have woke at the same time I do as if going to work) so no" lie In's" for me I guess.

I always tend to look back at the year gone and wonder what have we done?

well here in brief

January=it rained and we got our new doggy


February=it rained and took our doggyout in the rain and got wet.

March=it rained

April =it rained

May =I think we saw the "sun" but it rained

June =it rained

July= it rained

August= yes it still rained but but stopped long enough for my Daughter to be Married.

September= it rained But we mangaged to get out of he rain by going on holiday to the USA.


This is a pic of our last day as we traveled towards Lake Mead.

October= it rained

November= it rained and got cold

December= the rain has stopped but now everywhere is ice and cold.

Someone got a nice suprise with a hot air ballon ride on Christms Day
bet it was cold up there.

It sounds gloomy, but really the year has been good I have managed to get to work all year without a single day off sick, I still walk the dog every day and he is a good and welcome part of our family. I just wish it would stop raining.

The financial depression has hit a lot of households and appears to be getting worse, I don't know even if my job is safe as we go into the "New Year" but after working since I was 15 years old(42 years now) I not too worried if I lose it.

I have never been unemployed and it will be strange for me not to get up and go, and have to re- lie on benefits.

So at this point, I would like to wish everyone who comes in here from time to time a very happy New Year and hope everything goes well for you.

We won't be going out tonight it's too bloody cold for a start and anyway we like to watch the firework displays in Birmingham from our upstairs bedroom window, its warm and cosy and no doubt will be worse for the wear from alcohol abuse.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

RATS

We have rats under our shed in the back garden, so as my gas pistol is broke (been meaning to fix it for ages ) it prompted me to go to a place near Merry Hell in the Black Country WHERE THEY SELL BIG BOYS TOYS Yaaaaaaaaaaaa.

this gun needs fixing I need this bit for it I said, yes sure the bloke said I know just the bit you need, so I ordered it, anyway while I was there I could not resist to look at all the other BBT'S and ended up getting a new BBT.

So look out Rats I am gonna get ya

Who says you have to get old and grow up, and oh I fixed my pistol,

the holiday

well to save doing it twice and because I am a man,,,,and lazy to boot and of course "D" is the better writer look herehttp://www.brummieblogs.com/AMERICAN%20ROAD%20TRIP.htm for the holiday adventure.



full of pics and stuff enjoy

I think I might just stop here

here are a few more pics not in any order just us having a good time , here we are horse back riding


yes we did get to the Grand Canyon

as you can see

these roads never end

Oak Creek Canyon near Sedonna

today we have driven from the Grand Canyon to Kayenta and this is the view from our door. I f I turn left out of the Driveway I get to go straight through monument valley.

and this is me finding out that this is a dry city and can't buy a beer anywhere.

its big isn't it

look I took a small peek at the monument valley

Tomorrow I am going to drive all the way through it, seriously this is the best place to visit everyone is so friendly, but I didn't know they didn't sell booze here in Kayenta but it's a Navajo reservation, and the indians get a bit stroppy after a few beers.

we're here

wow I can't put in words what this place is like, just bloody wow.

not going to bore anyone with minute by minute, but we are having such a great time Arizona is the best place to visit.

we are at the minute staying in Williams N.AZ. about 60 miles from the south rim, this place is so easy to get to just about anywhere, going to go on a sunset horse ride tonight and tommorow check out and head for the south rim of the Grand Canyon Everthing we have seen so far has just been fabulous.

we stayed here in Vegas

Oak Canyon

A view from Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater and Hoover Dam

never thought I would drive on a high way like this

thats all for now ,,,,,

and it rained

bloody glad I am going away!!!!!!!!!

pictures show "small" stream close to us in full flow after the deluge it was a good five feet above normal and at one point must have broke the bank as the bungalows opposite were flooded

play this then read on

This is my freind LEE
he likes to polish his head
AND OF COURSE THIS IS A PRIVATE JOKE
this is Lee pretending to work

I like Lee and that is why I got his favorite song for him, I think he likes the Indian best,

Anyway he has asked me to keep in touch with him whilst we are away so I will be posting pics on our journey.
so look out for them.
I don't know when next post will be all depends on Wi Fi connections but will do our damdest.
bye for now


OH I FORGOT HE LIKES THIS ONE AS WELL

you would never guess

that in this country we have things like "this" in the urban districts.

I was walking the dog on Friday night and whilst crossing this

some small children playing on their bikes called me over, "Hey Mister there is a snake come and have a look!" they were all very excited and hyper and standing well clear of this snake, so I walked up to them, they had made a bike jump out of an old table,

and sure enough when I got there I saw it,was not the little grass snake I was expecting, but a bloody big Adder.

I am not prone to exaggeration but when I tell you it was about a meter long, it was big, as thick as the walking stick I now take with me.

(I don't need a stick to walk it is to keep the bloody stray dogs away)

fatter in the middle it had eaten you could tell,

I told the kids now just stay away from it they are poisonous and it is more frightened of you than you of it,

it can bite you and it will hurt you.

I carried on home and looked on the Internet to see if it was what I saw,

I was right a big male Adder

3 or 4 hundred yards from our home.

well bugger me I have never seen one also they are a protected species

walkies and other stuff

I have said before I quite often pass the Castle ruins with the dog , this is what it looked like this morning, quiet and peacefull.


and I know its the fashion for young people to have there pants down past their back sides nowadays but for gods sake.

you wouldn't want to mess with this guy would ya


I love these phone cameras always there just when you need them, what did we do before, well I used to carry a big 35mm film camera and no it wouldn't fit in the smallest pocket, and then wait days for the pictures, or untill you had finished the film.

wedding days

We have just spent a couple of days back in Yorkshire at my oldest daughters wedding, we have had a fabulous time the hotel was perfect absolutely without fault, I would recommend to anyone go there you will have a terrific stay the picture does not do it justice.

The venue (Ripley Castle) she choose was again without fault, the staff,food, and arrangements all went without fault, and is barely 100 yards from the hotel the Boars Head.

My former wife bride and groom and myself

Everybody had a terrific time,

there are far too many pictures for you all to see so here is a few of them

could I be happier

see if you spot "D" in this bunch of roses

apparentley

it was Sitemeter and internet explorer that was causing the problem, but it is sorted now anyway.
what a wasted day.

well

this isn't the Saturday I expected, I got up this morning expecting to do stuff and have been on this thing all day.

first of all we couldn't open certain web sites then started checking stuff like what the f**k is going on, we had a lightning strike hit a house a few doors away in the week, it set off the house alarm, knocked out the wireless modem blew up the big computer and completley f**ked the printer thingy,,,,,,,, the air was live with static energy.

Genius middle son fixed(replaced) the modem, and sorted out the alarm, but alas the big mother computer is gone we have to have a new one, luckily he will build it for us.

anyway I am rambling "D" had this good idea ,,,,try another web browser so we uploaded "opera" and bingo it worked, I don't like it much it's different, and doesn't seem as easy as explorer, but at least we can view page's.

we had to download adobe flash player ver 9 to get it to go but it seems OK.

the dog was ok about it all and he doesn't seem to be growing another head or anything.

apart from all that everything is ok and looking forward to the wedding next week at Ripley castle, although shock horror I have have not yet done my speech but don't worry kids if you read this I will be alright on the night, we didn't need any more expense before our holiday in the States but that is the way the cookie crumbles.

so enough grumbling for now

illegitimi non carborundum

its a beautifull day

here in the West Midlands the sun is out its about (phew its fuckin hot ) type of weather but I am not complaining.
Went to see my God child today as it was his mothers 40th no sorry 37th birthday anyway he's a good little chap, and don't ask me why I am GOD PARENT I don't go to church, but I promised I would be there for him and surely I will if it's needed.
So off we went using the new Sat Nav and it got us there a pub near Walsall had a couple of pints and floated back home having a Big Mac on the way for Sunday dinner, its too hot to cook.
so much for our roast beef and yorkshire puddings.
At the minute and I want you to picture this,,, we are sat quiet in our garden both doing our blogs on laptops not a lot of noise just the odd scream from a hot child,the dog is panting there is no way I am taking him on his mile long walk,and I am having a beer.
(swig,how good does life get).
Everthing in the garden now seems to be growing,,,,and fast, its amazing how 2 pints and a bit of warm weather can cheer you up.
But whats that I see dark clouds??? Jesus Christ there is going to be a thunder storm,
bloody bleeding British weather I am going indoors.

cus-o-meter

I have added this thing which seems to be going around, and it proves really I don't swear much.

The hell I do swear,,,,,,,,,, everyday you meet some brain dead stupid bastard with no dick who thinks he knows more than you do, bleeding hell fire I must work with 1/2 a dozen fuckwits just like that.

Also some of the so called drivers on the road where the fuck did they get the license, you only have to drive to the shop a mile away and you meet some twat on the road who can't get through a gap you could drive a tank through.

Something else, how the bleeding hell do they get jobs in shops, non of them can add up without using the till to add 2+2, what the fuck are they doing at school!

There thats better got that off me chest.

post script

Further to my post this morning, we are fortunate to live close to some Saxon ruins,,,,,,
ie: Weoley Castle, and every year they have an open day, so I took this video of the very practiced fight in armour,,,, just listen to the kids (not the adults) baying for blood ,,,,,,, I think my idea might not be so bad after all, its about 4 mins long and we are very lucky to have this so close by,
I walk the dog by this "Castle"(more a fortified manor house with a moat) everyday!

I have a good idea

there is a lot in the news about violent crime and killings in the UK, well I have the answer.

lets stop buggering around with these people, if you are caught with a knife or gun and using it for criminal intent or are caught for violent behaviour, we could build special places like this


and perhaps dress them like this,,,,,,
then send them all in at once on the basis that the last man standing comes out.


he would then be promptly arrested for carrying a weapon and shoved back in again with the next lot. It would be great, we could all watch, and take bets on the winner, it would be a great day out, and reduce the prison population straight away, so we wouldn't have to pay thousands out every year to keep them in there.


I know what your thinking


its all been done before


well it's not a new idea but a good one just the same

I wonder how many would carry knives and guns after seeing a few of these "games"

In the the UK at the moment we have weak government with weaker laws.

A very sad place to live.

if you ignore this

It still doesn't go away, so I have a day off from work to keep the few who might wander in here up to date.

We have not had a proper holiday all year but in the next 2 months are going to be busy.


My oldest daughter gets married in August and

we are looking forward to that, it's up north
some where a place called Ripley castle
and we will be stopping here a couple of days for the festivities



Also in September we are going away to Las Vagas and the touring around the Grand Canyon area for two weeks so that should put us right on the holiday front. we are stopping

here for 2 days then off touring in this

and when we come back we are stopping at the Stratosphere Tower for 2 days before we come home.
Am really looking forward to it and should have some good pics to show when we are back.
although at my current rate of blogging you will see them a year next Wednesday.

Other things; work is going ok, and I have just got one of those sat nav things,
bloody good them are, although I had to have the blokes voice on it named Ken because I just couldn't stand the woman telling me where to go, it works great even when I tried to trick him.
It also tells me where all the safety (speed ) cameras are, but then again when was the last time I got done for speeding (1970) so who cares.

there done it

I

am so laid back now I can't believe it myself.

(huffing and puffing at typing)


the months are just flying by and I don't notice

so just a few things,I think I will have a moan.

We ordered a new leather suite on December 29th


ok we have to wait 12 weeks

they phoned us to tell us it will now be April 10th


ok not so bad


The bloody thing is still in China !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


and will be sometime in May before we even sit on it


I could have reared my own cow skinned it and made my own by then.


The bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!

It snowed in April




the dog liked it,,,,,


it wore him out because we still went for walkies.

Anyway enough for now it won't let me put another pic on,,,,,, and I can't be arsed
but I am still alive.

is that a bald patch

or could it be just a trick of the light.

Any road up I'm not 21 anymore who cares.

Sam the dog is doing just fine, a fine and trusted pet, no mess, no poops in the house, no tearing and he is learning to walk just fine on the lead.

here he is waiting for dinner

We went out today to the Old House at Home and wacky warehouse for Grandaughters 2nd birthday.

Not a place I would choose to go and eat, the place was full of kids (not mine ) I think we have got to the age where we like it a little quieter.

So we got away early and went to Chiquito Restaurant And Bar and had some lunch there together, it was nice.

I like being older I can do what I want!