Category: Weblog

This is my grandad, he was the guy who taught me how to build random things out of bits of wood and introduced me to the benefits of using a thumb stick when out randomly walking in the woods.

I guess out of all my family, my grandma and grandad were the the only ones that i was really close to. And i wasn’t even really that close to them to be honest. I spent a lot of time as a child in the school holidays at their cottage playing in the fields and down by this little stream that was a short walk out their back gate.

I have fond memories of me and grandad in his shed and he would let me use his tools to make something random like a box or a shelf. They were always terrible but he always said they were brill.

I remember going out in him in his car – a yellow nova sr! He would put his driving gloves on and set off to some mates of his to get some fish or into the local village centre to see a man about a dog. Ill never forget how popular and well known my grandad was around skegness, he used to cut hair back when he was in his prime, so got to know most of the families in skeg, and that filtered through over the generations till it got to the stage where everywhere we went he was saying hello to people. And skegness (and the surrounding areas) is not a small area!

We’d go to the woods and we would walk through with our thumbsticks, he was the thumbstick master! From time to time he would participate in the hunting in the local forests, and do some bush beating. He used his thumbsticks to hit the bushes to set the birds off. I didnt care about that though i just thought they were cool cos my grandad made them.

He has recently been ill due to old age, smoking 20 a day for 70+ years, and having a bad fall. He never really recovered from the first time he went in hospital a few weeks ago.

We arrived at the hospital about 5:20 after a call from my aunty M saying that he wasn’t doing well. There were a few of the family there just looking over this small figure that was my grandad. He wasn’t breathing well, and had his eyes almost shut. There was no sign of life apart from the occasional gasp for air.

His breathing slowed down, and at 6pm on the 28th March 2008 his breathing stopped.

The picture above was taken on his 86th birthday, which was on the 8th of December 2006.

One hundred and eleven days later and he’d dead 🙁

Rest in peace grandad.

You will be remembered and missed forever.

In an effort to save the world or something, were all supposed to turn our lights off at 8pm, till 9pm. I dont think we have to turn our computers off though so just move the keyboard near the screen or something.

Google have turned their lights out, and when you think about it if everyone in the UK (and in some parts of Europe) turn their lights off at the same time it would probably save enough energy to power the whole of london for a day, if not much more!

So turn your lights off at 8pm, and back on at 9 folks!

Ill be doing it!

Its pretty say to say that nearly everything will change at some point in your life, in one way or another. You change jobs, you move house, you put weight on, lose weight. And things like your morals change too as you become more wise about certain things around you. One thing i have noticed to change quite often through life is my priorities, i.e. the things that are important to me, and the things that are not.

It doesn’t seem 5 minutes ago when my only priorities were making sure my ped had petrol in it and making sure i knew what time i was meeting my mate for a joint after work. They soon changed to making sure i had petrol in my car, and making sure i was up and ready in time to get to work for 9am in order to earn money. Another big priority of mine for many years has been weed, and at some points in my life that priority has been at the top.

I will openly admit to anyone that at certain points in my life i have been addicted to smoking cannabis, it was the first thing i would do when i finished work, the only thing i was bothered about being able to afford – it totally took over my life. It got to that ever so familiar situation for many whereby i would come home, and need a joint in order to be able to have a relaxing night ready for another day at work the following day. I was forever chasing weed, and that left me stung a few times when i bought something that can only be described as the bits of crap left over when you tear carpet underlay up.

I have never been addicted to it in the sense i would steal in order to get it, no way! And all the way throughout my life i have been 100% employed in one way or another, including graphic design jobs, printing jobs, IT support jobs, and have never been fired in my life. But it was definitely at the top of my priority list for a very long time. I would probably say that it has held me back in certain aspects of my life, but im a strong beliver in that the people you meet and the things you do through life define who you are as a person, so i wouldn’t ever want to change anything i have done in my past.

Anyway, It took until i was living in a situation whereby lives partly depended on how i spent my money for me to realise that i had to call the shots and that the money i earnt was better spent elsewhere. Now, all the money i earn go’s on rent, and my few personal bills I have each month. If i have any more money then i give it to gem, as she can use it when we go shopping for food etc. If im feeling flushed, then i might treat myself every now and then, but its not even in my top ten priority list now.

The things that are important to me are Gem, Bonnie, Making sure all bills are paid, My Work, My Family & Friends, Bob & Marlon, My trainers and my Caddy, in that order too. Im not bothered about my appearance, or peoples opinion of me. im just bothered about helping those around me and protecting and providing for those that i love.

I wonder what my priorities will be in a few years?

I wonder if making sure i don’t park my porsche under a tree will ever be one of them?