The End!?

The posts have been getting sparser of late. Sorry about that. You deserve more than monthly pictures of my daughter, no matter how cute she is!

So, I'm knocking this blog on the head. Finito. This blogging lark was more like a therapy for me: it's become more of a chore now, alas.

On a positive note I begin a new chapter in my life very soon. I may share my thoughts on these very pages in the future.

You never know.

Thanks for reading,

A.

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I'm getting my legs waxed!!

A.

A piece of Ventnor which is forever Dizzy

The roadworkers left us a trail of paint which we used to our advantage. I'll be curious to see how long it lasts...

Ventnor summer evening

Forget the sun cream. A log fire would be nice!

Dizzy in the meadow that is our garden

I'm starting to realise the imminent nature of our move. On sunny days like this it sure gets me down... I did mow the lawn shortly after this picture was taken.. In case you were wondering!! 

My new back window ornament

She is still alive, by the way...

Visiting the Wishing Seat, The Landslip

Let's hope I can send some vibes out to help us. What would you wish for?

Two years ago we lost someone just as decent.

There's nothing that marks the passage of time like the passing away of major cultural figures. I was brought up with Wogan on the telly, I thought his TV show was crap as a kid but grew to appreciate the man muchly in recent years. You'd kind of expected him to live for ever. To become a disembodied head in a jar like the famous historical figures in Futurama. 

Nonetheless he followed Bowie and Rickman on to wherever we go when we pass on. Time moves on for all of us and we give our sympathies to those left behind. A long standing friend left this life two years ago and is still missed. Patch didn't have a breakfast radio slot to fill but was as made a difference to people in equally enriching ways. Rest on, buddy.. I hope you get the football on the radio wherever you may be.

A.

Sunshine amongst the clouds..

I hope 2016 has started well for you. We have news..

Looks like we're moving out. Our landlord is very unwell, he needs to sell up his house (and ours) to pay for care. Our contract runs out end of July and we'll need to look for somewhere else to live.

This is gutting. We've spent the last two years in our clifftop idyll and I guess I'd hoped it'd last for ever. I don't know where we'll end up if I'm honest. Worst case scenario we pack up our chattels and head back to the mainland.. you can shoot me if that happens.

When X heard the news he was distraught. E and I have been planning for all scenarios and will act accordingly. Best case an angel investor comes along and buys number 68 up and we continue living there. An outside chance but we live in hope!

It makes me want to appreciate where we live all the more. We have work and school links here so hopefully we won't end up too far away. I had a dream the other night about me and a group of people creeping round a house trying to spy a black panther lurking nearby, perhaps this is a sign of my anxiety?

On an unrelated note, do you have any idle thoughts you cannot share with those around you? I had one which made me chuckle, but which I couldn't share with my work colleagues who are lovely but resoundingly normal:

At our work conference the organisation who I work for (who shall remain nameless) were projecting tweeted images of goings on to the big screens in the conference room. 'Do they vet these pictures?' I mused. What would happen if I sent a picture of something inappropriate, would it appear behind the stage in front of 400 people??!! Just imagine the response!!! 

Anyway, that's your lot for now. Hope all is well.

A.

MB Latest - December 2015 £660.15

Wow, what a month.

December has been good to me. I come into 2016 with plenty of extra cash due to the largesse of Baldie, Billies et al. This has been my best month ever and has proven that with a little lateral thinking profits can be made.

This year I intend to pay off some bills so have decided to get creative. January has started with some tasty acca refunds coming in and a few quid from casino offers too. When I started this lark in 2011(really??!) I had no idea of what could be achieved and ended up flittering away most of any winnings I made.

The world may not be my lobster, but there's some juicy morsels out there!

Cheers,

A

Christmas adventures 2015

Happy New Year to you all,

I'm still full of wine and chocolates and have a health food craving. Here are some pics from the last month:

Boxing Day on the beach at Shanklin

Xander guards his presents...

...whilst Diz's pile is much bigger than she is!

'Smell my stinky feet!' Dizzy at her charming best.

A.

MB Latest - November 646.70

Bumper month in November, passing all expectations:

PP provided me with a big chunk of this - £400 of fb last month alone! This is an account I've managed to keep for about 4 years and has served me well.. With careful management I intend to keep it for a bit longer.

Other goodies include regular specials from SkiB3t and a five team acca bet which I planned to lay. I didnt and it came in for a 50 quid profit!

So onto December; the bookies have been known to spread the xmas spirit about. Hopefully I can get some of their love in the festive season.

Stay Lucky,

A.

A blood curdling shriek from up in the woods...

We spent a delightful evening in Shorwell this week. Fish and chip supper followed by a tour of the village's haunted highlights.. Nice!

You might not know this, but the Island is jam packed with tales of ghosts, unworldly creatures and creepy occurrences. Gary Baldwin (google him) takes parties around the spooky spots of the Island and recounts the tales whilst his assistants leap out from behind trees, reach over walls and shriek for added effect. It's all great fun and I'd recommend it.

I went running yesterday and heard a loud cry. I thought it was someone messing round. Then another. It sounded like someone in pain and distress. So I warily made my way up the footpath from the beach to find an older lady wrapped round a wooden fence post at the bottom of a flight of stairs. She had slipped and bounced down most of them with only a cut finger for her troubles luckily. To be honest, I was thoroughly spooked after the previous night. Hearing the wail of misery I'd been expecting a pool of blood but she was remarkably unscathed. I dusted her down, helped her down the slope a ways before continuing on my journey.

It's funny how imagination can play tricks on you. I heard a lady screaming and expected to find a bigfoot eating her or something!

A.

MB Latest - Oct 2015 - £220(?)

Well I finally got my money out of that bookmaker which offered me a nice freebee which I had to turnover a grand to unlock.

They're demanding mucho ID which is frustrating. However I wouldn't be surprised if they kept hold of my funds for some reason - they're a Latvian bookmaker after all!

I've been the recipient of a smattering of freebet offers from an Irish bookie. Some tasty enhancement from a generous bald man too. I've been looking at my commitment for Nov/Dec and see I need to increase my targets from 300 to 400 quid per month. November has started well but I'll keep you posted on how the rest of the year pans out.

A.

Man Cave-on-Sea.. Behold!!

It's been a long time coming, but Man Cave 2 is now fully operational. Here I can drink tea, listen to the rain fall and watch the buzzards perched in a tree outside the door.

I sh*t you not with that last point by the way..

Today is Friday. The second day of one of my extra long weekends which should be dedicated to doing something productive. So far not very much has been accomplished. I had an operation to remove a lump from my forearm and now sport a tidy scar and bandage which disappointingly does not revolt the children in any way. Sadly though, strenuous exercise is a no-no, so my thrice weekly runs are verboten for a while. 

This is Not A Good Thing. Exercise is something I need to retain my sanity so I'm feeling particularly twitchy today. This is the first day of me trying the 5:2 diet again, something I did with some success a little while back. Perky moobs and a tidy potbelly are not an appealing sight as far as I'm concerned... despite E's sweet words to the contrary.

Besides I kinda like a bit of hunger, it keeps you focused. It makes me realise how much I eat throughout the day... just because it's there. If I can get through to bed time on a handful of bananas and one of E's foil packed diet meals [pasta bol at 180 calories, yummy!] a fry up will be my prize tomorrow morning.

A.

MB Latest - YTD about £1,500

Figure has been adjusted downwards..

I thought I'd been making money like it was going out of fashion lately. After a bit of thinking and adding up I've proved it not to be the case. October has been good so far, I'm £200ish up but with money tied into a bookie which gives you £100 free.. if you bet 10x that amount in 60 days. Normally you bust out pretty quick, I had about £40 left to get out then won bets at 4.9/4.2/3.5 and 2.0 to be well up with said bookie. I will bet at low odds next week and clear out from the bookie or be quids in at the exchange. Its tied alot of cash out of my float over the last few weeks but I'll chalk that one up to experience.

This weekend I attempted the 'extra place' in golf offer for the first time for a small loss. My golfer needs to finish sixth (or in a share thereof) and with a round to go is tied 27th on seven under par. Once again, chalk that bet up to experience - Ive tied money if for several days I could have deployed elsewhere. Will stick to extra places on the horse racing methinks...

A.

When you pump the breaks and...

..nothing happens...

I did something stupid this week. I'm very lucky to come out of it unscathed, as is my car...

I was rushing back to work for a parent meeting lunchtime Wednesday. It was chucking it down.

I took a hairpin bend in the road a little faster than I should've. Not overly fast, but I hit the break and the wheels lost traction. 'Sh*t.' I thought, 'Thats not good'. I turned the wheel sharply to the right as the roadside bank was now approaching me faster than you'd like.

I then span across the road in what felt like slow motion: 'You stupid idiot!' I thought, foot now jammed onto the break for dear life (for what good it would've done'. Thankfully I clipped no one in the oncoming lane (traffic or pedestrians) and landed in a ditch with a resounding 'Thwack!'

I was pulled out by a passing tow truck and eventually the Old Bill turned up to escort me home. Thank God I escaped with only shock and sore neck for a few days. It could've been alot worse, I was alarmed when the car started creaking slightly like at the end of the Great Escape.

Anyway I've learn my lesson. My lunchtime commute which I normally take on autopilot has gained my respect alot more. What good will saving a few extra minutes on the road if you end up dead??

Stay Safe.

A.

.."Where will we be? When the summer's gone?'...

I taught X about The Doors last month. He was telling me about his heavy heart due to school starting again. No more all day Netflix and dairy marathons for the boy till Christmas I guess. I can understand his sadness..

Well it feels more Autumn today. The shade is cooler. The sunshine is hazier. The crowds of families have returned to the Big Island leaving bemused pensioners and fishermen in their place.

We've been exploring our patch of coast from Shanklin down to Bonchurch. The cliffs overlooking the sea are home to buzzards, peregrines and the like which are a joy to see. If you're feeling adventurous, one can don walking boots and clamber over boulder fields for the final stretch. Few people in their right mind do the final hour so it has a desolate prehistoric beauty to it.

Talking about dinosaurs, long dead trees litter the route like ancient sauropod skeletons.

Its a striking sight for the adventurous (and well shod). Next time you visit come check it out. 

A.

MB August - £338 - £2,113.68 YTD

Hit my target this month.

Lots of football offers at the start of the season (an Irish bookmaker was very generous). I tried in play betting to my cost with B3tfred but was saved by a high street bookmaker who threw wedges of money my way. (no goals=plenty of money).

International break this weekend so I'll have to cast my net broader than usual. May dip my toes in tennis offers due to action at Flushing Meadow this month.

A.

Electric 6 - Dirty Dick had it goin' on!

Along with 'Gay Bar' this track ran through my mind alot when it came out..

Was it really 2002/3? Disappointing that a band could produce something so catchy yet so saucy, then disappear from view. Their output since has been.. mediocre.

I love the fact Dick Valentine looks so seedy in this video - the fact their bits light up is an added bonus.

A.