New Year, New Blog - Day 113

Day 113.

A very relaxing Sunday. I spent a good time in front of the TV watch 2 cycling classics races. They were both excellent and really quite exciting! 

I have spent a few hours on COD with Mark but not done a great deal else. I'm thinking that a weekly blog is a great idea now. I would have lots to put in 1 blog rather than 7 crap blogs. I'm getting pretty tired now so I'll be off.

Until next time

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 112

Day 112.

Sorry everyone that was expecting a blog yesterday. I was asked to look after our neighbour last night and we got carried away playing COD until 1.30am. By the time I got home it was almost 2am. I'll do a short review of the play that Sam and I went to see before I get on with the catch up from yesterday.

The play was called All New People and was written by and starred Zach Braff ( JD from Scrubs). It was quite a good play, but I wouldn't know as it was the 1st play I've seen. In the opening scene, Charlie (played by Zach) tries to hang himself and the noose got caught up inside his jacket and he couldn't get it off. It was perfectly safe but funny at the same time. When he finally got it unhooked, he apologised to the audience and started the whole play again! Needless to say when he unhooked the noose for a 2nd time, he got a huge cheer. The play was about a man who wants to kill himself because he is lonely and 3 other random people turn up at his place. They all try and help him, but in odd ways, and it works. Seeing Zach Braff not play JD was very weird and he is bigger in person. Also his voice is deeper. After the play finished we waited outside the stage door and he came out to sign autographs and do photos etc. Sam and I got within a few feet of him and it was awesome! 

Yesterday was a normalish day apart from the evening. Work was fun, being a Friday, it was pretty easy. The past few weeks of blogs have been less than boring if I'm honest and I feel that doing a weekly blog would be much more interesting and exciting that a daily one. I'll keep doing a daily one until I get some feedback from you to see what you want. It would be great to hear some of your views so let me know either by Facebook or Twitter.

Until tomorrow

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 110

Day 110.

I have just got back from London as I was at the theatre watching a play called All New People with Zach Braff staring in it. I'll review it tomorrow as its kinda late now.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 109

Day 109.

Today seemed to go really quick. As Wednesdays go it was a good one. There were a few minor meltdowns from 1 student. They happen so often that they are quite amusing now. It was good to see my year 10s again in Science. Believe it or not, I actually miss most of the students I work with. 

I returned to spinning tonight after a 3 week absence. I thought it was easy. Lots of endurance work tonight. I probably could have pushed myself harder but not that much more. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 108

Day 108.

A very good day. Work was easy, I had a few easy lessons as various people wern't in. Again, nothing exciting except people keep commenting on my hair. They say it looks fluffy and soft. I have even been asked if it grows into an afro. After work was kettlebells. It wasn't that difficult as I've kept fairly active and working hard. It did make me tired though. Once I got home, it was COD for a few hours. Mark and I are getting pretty good at it. 

Nothing exciting happening this evening, just going to get an early night ready for tomorrow. I have spinning and I'm looking forward to it.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 107

Day 107.

Back to work today. I wanted to go back to work for a rest but I found myself yawning all day and my eyes hurt. It was nice to see everyone again and share stories from Easter. A pretty normal day with nothing exciting happening. 

When I got home I played on COD for a few hours and now I think its time for bed.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 106

Day 106.

Keeping it short tonight. I drove to grandads to have a bonfire at the field and see cousins of course. Lots of petrol was used and managed to cause an explosion as well!

This afternoon was spent in front of the tv watching another cycling classic, the Amstel Gold Race. It wasn't as exciting as the Tour of Flanders or Paris Roubaix but it was still bloody good!

I went to a friends tonight and drove in the dark. It was slightly scary but I'm glad my lights worked! It was a good feeling having that little bit of independence and not relying on others for a lift.

Back to work tomorrow. I'm glad to be going back as I've worked hard this Easter and will miss the physical work. But I'm glad to be seeing everyone again.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 105

Day 105. 

I got my lay in this morning, it was needed! I was still up at 8 delivering papers for dad. An extra 45 minutes makes all the difference. I was working with Chris today. I was very upset to see that the escort was back in the workshop. I do sympathise with Chris and who he has to put up with. It not worth the effort to go into details. Chris and I are narrowing our search down for another car to buy. We have a few in mind.

My dinner was the best! I had a real Cornish pasty from Cornwall! It was like a mouth orgasm! It was amazing! I can't describe the taste but it was awesome!

Thats it for tonight, I'm still tried from the past week.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 104

Day 104.

Such a long day! Woke up at 6am, couldn't sleep. I played xbox for a bit then showered. I got a phonecall from Jeff at 7.20am saying that a delivery of timber was on its way. At 7.30am it arrived. So since 7.30am I've been lifting timber, so many scaffold poles, more timber and scaffold clamps. There were a few RSJs that needed moving and a couple of big big buckets of sand that I moved. We finished working at 4.30pm. Thats a long time working. I don't notice how tired I feel when I'm working or lifting anything but as soon as I sit down at the end of the day I feel exhausted! I get a precious lay in tomorrow, 8am wake up for me. 

Mum and dad are now back home from their holiday. I missed them but I didn't  really notice until the evenings when the house was quiet. I'm glad their back. They said they had a fantastic time and saw/did some wonderful things. They brought some cool stuff back, mainly Cornish pasties, beer and beer related apparell. 

Right, bedtime. Absolutly beasted! 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 103

Day 103.

Another long day. Up at 7, work at 8. It wasn't as tiring as yesterday as there wasn't so much lifting involved. There was lots of cutting, hammering and splinters involved. We managed to get the struts up and plywood sheets nailed on. Jeff used his nail gun and I don't like it. Its loud and scary. I only hit my thumb once with the hammer and I was pretty impressed with that. We had to put covers over the roof as it is only plasterboard. It has since rained and I have had to empty some carefully placed buckets a few time. I really hope it doesn't rain tonight. I need a lot of sleep and don't want to but up half the night making sure the kitchen ceiling doesn't fall through. 

Another blooming long and very hard day tomorrow. Lots more lifting and carrying to do. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 102

Day 102.

A bloody long day! Was up at 7, builder here at 8 and sit down 10.30pm. We removed the roof of the kitchen today and nailed some wood to some other wood. I don't really know whats going on, I'm just told to lift stuff and pass things to Jeff. 

I spent the last 2 and a half hours putting leaflets together for the paper rounds that need to be done tomorrow and Friday.

Anyway, I have to be up at 7 so good night all.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 101

Day 101.

Wow a busy day it was! Today was the first day of our extension being built. I woke up at 7.45 and let the chickens out. Still I'm my pjs the builder turns and I'm drafted in to work! Boots, hat, hoody and shorts and I was good to do! We put the scaffolding up today which was fun and the poles are really heavy! I found out that it hurts quite a lot when you trap your finger between two of them!
It was hard work and I'm totally shattered! Tomorrow it's another early start at 8 so I better get some sleep.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 100

Day 100.

Happy 100th blog entry!! 

Thank you for all those who have read the blogs. Hopefully there will be another 100 entries and more.

Today was pretty darn good. The weather was rubbish, rain and wind this morning. So I went on a bike ride with Greg. We did a little over an hour but it was enough for us. I got soaked and the bike got filthy but it was great fun. When I got back and showered, I made eggs benidict. Proabaly not the best thing to eat after exercise with all the butter in it. It was yummy though. The rest of the day has been a combination of Call of Duty and finishing the Star Wars saga. I have the last film to go and I'm done. I do enjoy watching them every couple of months. It would be so awesome if it existed. I would be scary at the thought of other creatures just casually landing on random planets. 

Now I'm off to watch the last one. 

Until tomorrow 

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 99

Day 99.

A very relaxing and lazy day. This morning I watched the track cycling world championship followed by Paris-Roubaix this afternoon. It was amazing. The last of cobbled classics was won by 3 time winner, Tom Boonen. He attacked with 54km still go with a team mate who was unable to keep up with him and put in a massive effort on his own with 50km and stayed away until the end. He is the in form rider this year and has dominated most of the early season classics. I wonder if he will be able to keep his form for the next few weeks of Ardennes classics.

This evening Sam and I went to dinner at the Bells house. It was great to spend some time with them and their kids. The food was wonderful and I'm still full! I'm sleepy now so an early night for me.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 98

Day 98.

Yeah, a good day. Penny started first time after changing the battery for one that works. So when its fully charged I can go out but only turn off the engine a few times. I spent the morning at Simpson Autocare. Chris was polishing Victoria the Volvo ready to get her back to her owner. She was shiney afterwards! She did look amazing. The rest of the day was spent looking for a new project. We have found a few that Chris and I would be interested in looking at. Its just a case of deciding on one and hoping we win the auction. 

Tonights plan is for more ebay searches for cars and other random things that I want.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 97

Day 97.

And rest! I think its Friday today. All the days seemed to have merged together and I don't know what day it is. Another great day at Simpson Autocare. Penny wouldn't start again this morning and I had to jump start her from Sam little Clio. Once she was started she was fine. I just keep telling myself that I have an electric car that need charging every night. 

Chris painted Larry the Lotus wheels and they look amazing! I will try and get some pictures of them tomorrow. The colour is spectacular and I might have to get Pennys wheels painted the same. He also finished Victoria the Volvo side, door and boot lid. That colour is wonderful and both jobs look so professional. Its impossible to see the repair.

Anyway, enough for tonight. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 96

Day 96.

Another long day!!

Mum and dad have left Sam and I at home for a week to go to Spring Harvest, a Christian concert/weekend for Easter. They are going on to Cornwall or somewhere down that way for a few days after. I hope they have a great time!

I tried starting Penny this morning. No joy. There was nothing in her. I will try again tomorrow and if she doesn't start then I'll use an Irish screwdriver (hammer) on her!

I spent the day at Simpson Autocare. Chris and I were rubbing down Larry the Lotus wheels and they are ready to be painted tomorrow. Victoria the Volvo door and wing is ready to be painted as well. Hopefully tomorrow we can get another car purchased ready to fix and sell on.

Tonight Sam and I went to the cinema to watch 21Jump Street. It was hilarious! Laughs from start to finish!! I think I might have to go back and see it again!! Close to 9 out of 10.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 95

Day 95.

Another long day at Simpson Autocare. I watched Chris work his magic on a set of lotus wheels. They look pretty cool and will look even better when they are finished tomorrow. That that took a little bit of time as there is lots of prep work for the primer and paint.

Anyway, it was a fairly tiring day and I need my sleep.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 94

Day 94.

A long, long day. I was up at 5.15am and couldn't get back to sleep. So I finished watching the second Star Wars film. I spent the whole day with Chris at Simpson Autocare. I was hoping to get my car sorted but we were just too busy working on other cars! Victoria the Volvo was the first to get prepared. She had a few deep scratches, dents and a big knock in the rear. It was fun trying something new and different. Victoria is all ready to be painted tomorrow. The biggest part of the day was cleaning and rubbing down the wheels of Larry the Lotus. Those wheels were so hard to clean and each took about 1-2 hours! My fingers and hands are so sore from it all. It was hard work and so tiring. 

I was meant to go to the cinema with Sam tonight to watch 21 Jump Street but I wasn't home in time to go. I owe her a huge apology and with buy her something nice.

Until tomorrow

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 93

Day 93.

Another chilled out day for me. I had another wonderful lay in with no pressure on me to get up! I started the day with a few games on Call of Duty then spent the entire day cleaning Pennys engine and everything under the bonnet. She looks so much better all clean and tidy. My fingers are sore now from all the rubbing and polishing. I dropped one bolt (which has happened a few times) behind the engine and I couldn't get to it so I had to take a few parts off just to reach it. All was good after she was put back together. I took her for a spin and there were no problems with her. Fingers crossed everything has settled! I shall hopefully have some idea tomorrow what is happening. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 92

Day 92. 

It was a very good day. The weather was beautiful, I wasn't tired and it was a pretty chilled out day. I was woken up by one of our chickens clucking very loudly and I rushed out the back to kindly ask her to be quiet and realised the time was 8.45. It might not seem like much of a lay in but it certainly was for me! Shortly after that I was on my way to grandads field to meet with family and we planned a big bonfire! There was loads of dry branches and  wood that needed to be burned so me and Jared were on the case! Unfortunatly we only had a small amound of petrol, 1 pint, but we made it last. Dad found some more petrol and I 'borrowed' some of it and chucked that on the fire. Next time, were going to try and make Molotov cocktails. 

When we got back, I had another cycling classic race to watch. The Tour of Flanders. Its the one race of the season that cyclists will want to win. It was a brand new course this year and it was equally as hard. Lots of cobbled sections made for an interesting race and it was full of crashes that made Fabian Cancellara retire from the race with a triple fracture to his collar bone. Another rider, Sebastian Langeveld was taken out by of the crowd and also broke his collar bone. It was a spectacular crash and he is very lucky not to have come away with anything more serious. It was a very good race and the winner was the favourite and local boy Tom Boonen. This was his 3rd win and that puts him in the record books. 

The usual routine followed from there. Call of Duty which I sucked at today and then to finish off the day was Star Wars. I'm going to watch them all in order. Maybe I'll watch the other 5 tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 91

Day 91.

The first day of Easter and I didn't wake up until 10! That was an awesome feeling! I got very little done today except cleaning the conservatory roof with Sam. We didn't know what to use to clean it so Sam used some shower gel. The conservatory roof is now smelling rather nice! This evening I played on Call of Duty and spent a good deal of time on it this morning as well.

Tomorrow will be more interesting I hope.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 90

Day 90.

Easter break is finally here!! There are lots of us that need the time off to rest after what seemed a long term. Work was quick today. I did nothing for the first 2 lessons and then not a lot happened in hte next 3 lessons either. I just look forward to the next 2 weeks. 

I went to the workshop after work to try a new battery in my car and see if that solved the problem of it not charging. Nope. It seemed to last a bit longer before the warning light came on and then it went off within 20 seconds or so. It means that if I stall the car when I'm then I wont be able to start it again. I got home from the workshop and the battery light had been on the entire journey back. I tried starting it when I got back and there was nothing in the battery. It would just about tick over and that was it. A day on charge tomorrow it is then.

I almost forgot about writing this blog tonight. Its not been much of a blog recently, more like a diary. Oh well, I'm still pleased and happy that people are reading it :)

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 89

Day 89. 

A long day it seemed. That sounded like Yoda. It got to lunchtime and I was expecting to go home but I had 2 more lessons to go. Work was good for me and I was informed that today was in fact Thursday. Wednesday was yesterday. Did anyone spot the 'deliberate' mistake in yesterdays blog? Still, I don't care, its Friday tomorrow and then its 2 weeks of kid free freedom! 

I went to Chris' workshop after work to put the new alternator in Penny in the hope that it would solve the problem of the battery not charging when I'm driving the car. All was good until I started on the drive home. The same thing happened again. The battery light came on. This is where Chris and I are running out of ideas. I'm hopefully going to the workshop tomorrow to try a different battery and see if the battery is the problem. Needless to say I'm a bit disheartened but I know that Chris will get it fixed. 

Anyway, I need some sleep and hopefully something will get sorted tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 88

Day 88.

Today was pretty good and really quiet as Thursdays go. I got a fair bit accomplished with the 10s and 11s which is comforting as the 11s only have a few weeks left after Easter. A few of the 10s were missing today which made the class more managable. The louder ones were not in which meant less shouting from the teacher! I bet a few were skiving. The year 8s made chocolate rice krispies cakes in food tech. It was fun helping to make them and even more fun eating the mixture. Although I wasn't given any cakes at the end of the lesson which was sad. 

I drove to work this morning which was satisfying. The car park was empty so I was able to park pretty easily and without crashing. After work I drove to the workshop as I have to have new or refurbished alternator fitted. So we had to take that off of Penny and will replace it tomorrow. In the process of taking it off, I managed to crush my little finger. It hurt a lot at the time and now its still stings. It makes typing very interesting!

Chris also fitted my new CD radio. It looks stunning and I'm really pleased with it.

Tonight, I have have a lovely Chinese while watching Avatar and I'm going to have an early night as it feels like its been a long day.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 87

Day 87.

It was a great day! Fantastic weather, work was awesome, workout was hard and I rock at COD!

Work was interesting today. One of my boys managed to get 2 units of coursework completely finished. He only has 3 more to finish and that is his BTEC Sport course passed.

There was an incident in one lesson with a student getting sent outside, causing trouble, walking out and punching a hole in one of the doors. I'm not sure why he did it but he will no doubt be in a lot of trouble.

After work, myself and a few others had a tough workout with the kettlebells. It was harder than usual because 1) I was late out there and had to go straight into the warm up and then into the workout itself with out a break, 2) I was using a kettlebell with a bigger handle and it was affecting my grip and my forearms were fatiguing really quickly. At one point I was gripping so hard that I got a blister and pulled the skin away. It stung a lot but I'm a real man and didn't let it bother me. 

When I got back I was straight on the xbox with Mark smashing it on Call of Duty. We were on fire tonight and managed to reach wave 32 or there abouts. It was hard for sure but we worked well together.

Tonights plan consists of Facebook for a while and I might watch an episode of Alcatraz with dad and Sam. 

I hope you all have a good evening!

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 86

Day 86.

An awesome day for me. Work was very good, although nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was just a good day! Everyone was in a good mood, no stress from staff or students and sausage, yorkshire pudding and veg for lunch. 

After work I sacked off the gym and was going to install a cup holder and tray for my car but ended up having a race with Sam to the local farm shop. I was very casual, wearing flip flops, which I have decided already that I dont like driving in. I won the race of course. 

When I got back from that, I went on COD with Mark, we like to play survival and we do pretty good at it. Its quite fun until wave 26 where we just get ruined by jugganauts and helicopters!

This eveing I went on an 11km run with Greg. It was great. I didn't think I would have it in me to go over 10km but I managed to get it done. My calf muscles are sore now and very tight so tomorrow I will be in so much pain! It took us about 1 hour and 20 mins which was good for a first time. Just need to work on bringing that down to under an hour and I'll be happy!

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 85

Day 85.

A very chilled out day. That hour we all lost last night was a killer and seemed to effect me more today that it should have. I watched another cycling classic today, Gent-Wevelgem. Eurosport wernt showing it live so I found it on the Internet but with Belgium commentary. I couldn't understand what was going on really and lost interest. I had a nap through it as well so I missed the finish!

I didn't take Penny out today, she has been charging all day. Hopefully she'll be better by the end of the week.

That was about as exciting as my day got.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 84

Day 84.

It was a very good day!! I drove Penny! My first time driving her and it was awesome! I was so scared but so excited! I did a wheelspin at one point, oops. I helped Chris from Simpson Autocare change a clutch on Suzie the Suzuki which was good as I have done a few of those and sort of know what I'm doing. That took a few hours after all the cups of tea and lunch. We took the exhaust off of Suzie as a few holes needed welding but as we discovered, Suzie needs a complete new exhaust. It was rusted all the way through. When Chris drove her out his workshop she sounds amazing without an exhaust on! I want to take Penny exhaust off although that will most likely cause more problems! 

After we had put Suzie back outside, I drove Chris to Chase Autos to see if we could pick up a cheap car with minimal damage. There was a Fiesta there that looked pretty simple and easy to do. Chris and I will have to look at how much parts are for it. I drove Penny for the first time on my own back from Simpson Autocare which was pretty awesome but I did feel like a little fish in a big pond. There were a few problem with beeps and flashing lights coming from the dashboard but I'm sure it will get sorted during the week. I won't mention the stalling and not being able to start her again.

My plan for this evening is to play Call of Duty with a friend and chill out for once this week.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 83

Day 83. 

Friday at last! The week seemed to drag on a long time and today was no exception! The weather was beautiful which was a bonus. I woke up feeling extra tired and sore from running last night. The coffees at work were much needed today! It was an easy day, every lesson was very quiet and laid back and it was enjoyable. In one lesson, we finished off watching a film called Holes. Its really quite good and my taste in films is apparently shocking! Its about a boy who is arrested for stealing a pair of shoes and his punishment is to go to a character building camp for 18 months. All these young boys do there is dig holes in a desert all day everyday. It gets very good at the end of the film and you should watch it.

I was expecting yesterday and it came but no one was here to pick it up so dad had to get it from town. When I got home after work, Sam told me the parcel was still in the back of her car and I casually walk out the back to go and get it. What I saw next made me ecstatic and overjoyed! Penny was sat out the back, all nice a shiny thanks to Sam washing her, she had her vehicle check and been taxed and is now totally road legal!!! I couldn't stop smiling! 1st thing I did was take her for a ride around the block with Sam. I think I was more scared than she was! It was awesome!! I loved it! Tomorrow I'm driving her to Chris workshop. Mum will be coming with me and dad will follow in the car behind, just incase. 

I don't care how big the picture it, she is AMAZING!

So that was the big news! I'm one happy chappy!

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 82

Day 82. 

A brilliant day at work. It was half decent weather, lots of lovely kids to work with and no problems or issues! Some of the year 10s had an art exam today so there were only 10 in the science lesson. It was a great lesson. The highlight of my day was going with the year 7 rugby team to play at Chelmsford Rugby Club against William De Ferrers school in the Essex under 12 final. The boys can play amazing rugby at times and it was a fantastic game. Some of the team put in awesome tackles and didn't give an inch when they were in defence. Baddow won the game 19 - 12 to become Essex champions for there age group. I was so please for them and the coaches for all the hard work they have put in since September. 

When I eventually got home from that I was straight out again for another run with Greg. Thats twice in 4 days! We ran for longer, over a bigger distance and run quicker. We did 5.5km in 33 minutes with an average speed of 9.9km. My goal is to get up to running 10km in an hour. I ache SO much now and think I'll be walking funny tomorrow! I will let you know how much I ache tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 81

Day 81. 

A much better day at work. All my lessons were great and really pleasant to be in. As the end draws near for the year 11s, the amount of coursework they are finishing and handing in is making it all seem worth while. That last lesson was a cover lesson and the work that was set was for the wrong class. So we all moved rooms and used some computers to design a sweet box. Now usually its hard enough getting kids to start work, but one of them didn't want to stop working and he is known for not working. 

After work I tidied my room (yeah thats right, I can tidy) and dusted. I now have a BOSE surround sound system set up in my room and everything sounds so much more awesomer. It goes perfect with Call of Duty!

The hardest part of my day was spinning. Oh my goodness I thought I was going to vomit! Jo was back, the normal instructor and she just doesn't get tired! She was relentless and doesn't like people who don't give it their all. Well I did give everything and it took 10 minutes before I was ready to walk home. I might have made things worse because I decided to run home. Every little helps. 

This evening was spent playing COD with Mark. We dominated everything and did awesome! Pure geekness.

Anyhow, legs are tired, brain is tired, eyelids are heavy and I certainly need sleep!

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 80

Day 80. 

It was an alright day apart from one lesson which ruined my day. Everything was great up until then and that lesson really put a downer on my day. It was years 9s and they wouldn't be quite for the teacher or each other, a few of them didn't have pens and the teacher had the cheek to ask me to lend pens out and they didn't even get there infringement cards struck! Thinking about it now, I should have said no or that cards needed to be struck. I hate some kids! There are ones that I don't like or get on with, but there are a small number that I hate! I'm sure they don't speak to their parents like that. I never spoke to my mum and day in such a horrible way. If they do speak to their parents like that, then they deserve to get shouted at. Rant over.

After work was the usual kettlebell workout. It was a tough one today and I can certainly feel the effects of the the run from yesterday. We learnt some new moves and I got them really quick. The finisher was squats with 16kg in each hand. It was hard but I powered through. 

Tonights plan is to get this blog done nice and early, play a bit of COD with Mark and then watch Alcatraz with dad.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 79

Day 79.

A very good day for me! Work was awesome. It seems that when the weather is good, all the kids are good. It was Jennys birthday at work today and she is only 21. I couldn't believe it when she told me how young she was! I found a video of her favourite actor, Nicolas Cage, singing happy birthday. She will treasure that moment forever! So a special happy birthday to Jen. 

After work I headed to the gym. It wasn't as busy as it usually is and I had a good weights session. I'm starting to get past the achey stage and past the point where I do a couple of exercise and feel drained. I worked on my biceps and triceps today. Last week I was able to do a couple of sets with a light weight and that was me done. This week I was able to do a lot more but nothing compared to what I used to be able to lift. I enjoyed it tonight. 

After the gym I went for a 5km run with Greg. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. It was amazing to get out and do it. I now feel that I can do it again with no stops. I just hope my legs will be ok tomorrow and not ache at all. 

It was a very good day and I feel good that I can get fit for holiday.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 78

Day 78.

Woke up feeling good this morning. After yesterday being a bit negative, I felt quite positive today. I got up and stuck the TV on to watch another cycling classic. Its the biggest, longest and most prestigious race in the cycling calendar. The Milan-San Remo is well over 300km long and 298km of that is the racing. I only managed to catch the last 50km of the race due to Eurosport ALWAYS showing something longer than they say they will. By the time the coverage started on the Eurosport HD, most of the exciting racing had happened. The peloton had already split with one of the big favourites left trying to chase back into the leading group. For Mark Cavendish, the race was over. There were other big named riders who stood a chance at winning in that group as well but no one wanted to take up the chase. In the leading group, most of the big names and contenders were battling it out on the last few climbs. The king of the classics last year, Philippe Gilbert is always going to be a contender and he has proved how to win classic races. Unfortunatly he crashed on the assent of the Poggio with a few other riders and was out of the running. The other contenders in with a chance of winning were Fabian Cancellara, Vincenzo Nibali, Simon Gerrans and Tom Boonen. All team leaders for this race, all the strongest riders from their teams. There were others that were in with a shout, John Degenkolb, Oscar Freire (3 time winner of Milan-San Remo), Matt Goss and Peter Sagan. 

On the final climb up the Poggio, Nibali showed that he was in great form and went for it with about 9km to go to the finish. Cancellara went with him and Gerrans somehow managed to tag along and stay with 2 of the best decenders in cycling. All 3 stayed away until the end with Cancellara doing all of the work, pulling the other 2 along to the finish line. It was at this point the TIVO box stopped recording and I had to finish off the race on YouTube. Gerrans is the stronger sprinter of the 3 and showed it when he out-sprinted Cancelara and Nibali to the finish line. A deserving winner? Yes, he had to deserve it, he dug deep and his legs didn't fail him at the end. Simon Gerrans was the winner last year as well and is most certainly an early season rider. It was an exciting finish.

My cousins and I tried to have a bonfire this morning at Grandads field. We didn't have an petrol so it didn't last very long. My Aunty thinks my pyromaniac skills are getting rusty as I rely to much on petrol to light things.

This afternoon I cleaned a big brass doortop. We have had it for about 10 years and it was filthy when we got it and I decided to clean it with Brasso. I spent a good 6 hours with cloths and a toothbrush getting it shiney. Its not perfect and still has dirt on it but its a totally different colour and looks good! My room smells of Brasso now and it has made my nose go a bit funny. I did a before shot but I havn't done an after shot yet so I'll get those up tomorrow. I watched Daredevil. It was an alright film but not one I'm going to watch again in a hurry and then I watched Gone In 60 Seconds. I do like that film purely for Nicholas Cage. He is an awesome actor and makes that film work. My dream car is in that film. A 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500. Google it.

I hope tonights blog has been a little more interesting for my dedicated readers.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 77

Day 77. 

A day of mixed emotions I guess. I was working with Chris most of the day at the workshop. I have a date when Penny will be back on the road. The 2nd of May. That is the date Chris was given by the people at VOSA (who check vehicles) when their next available appointment is. Its a lot longer than I had hoped to wait but its a start. Chris has some other options and I hope that they will be sooner. We did a little bit of tidying up on Penny today and at the end of it all, she didn't start! We think the battery was dying so it had to but put on charge. I just keep telling myself its nearly finished. 

This afternoon I watched Wales beat France to win the 6 Nations Grand Slam. It was a brilliant game. Wales just keep getting better and better. They do deserve the win and the Grand Slam. It was such a good game that I wasn't really interested in watching England v Ireland. That game was very scrappy and full of mistakes. The rain didn't help the flow of the game. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 76

Day 76.

A good feeling as its Friday. I'm gong to keep it short and sweet as its late. It would have been on earlier but I decided to be an Xbox geek and play COD with Mark. A very good day. Feeling positive about work and enjoying it more. I think the better weather helps.

Ok, its late and I'm falling asleep. I'll have to do an extra special blog tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 75

Day 75.

An awesome day! I woke up feeling pretty tired from spinning still but buzzing because ITS MY BIRTHDAY!

Work was really good. I made sure to tell as many people as I could that it was my birthday. I got a card off one of my year 10s. That made me smile! I got some really cool cards from people I work with. So thank you for those. I took part in a quiz at work against some students. It was a team of staff and we had harder questions and only just won! It was quite difficult some of the rounds. I made cup cakes for everyone at work and they were a massive hit! Although someone couldn't handle her sugar and it sent her a bit hyper. 

On the left, strawberry cheesecake. On the right, red velvet.

After work I opened my presents. Was hoping that my car would be waiting for me all ready to go but I can wait a little longer. It shouldn't be much longer. Back to the presents, Sam got me some t-shirts which are amazing! 

From The Big Bang Theory

From Scrubs

Do I need to say where its from?

They are so cool! Perfect for me! I also got a rubics cube key ring. It work properly and looks so cool. I havn't messed it up yet but I'm sure that will happen soon. Mum and Dad said they would buy me an iPad 2 or if I wanted the newest version I could pay the rest. Alternativly, if I wanted a new laptop they would put some money towards that. I am very grateful for this and will get thinking about what is best. 

We all went to Prezzos for dinner tonight. It was delicious! I have never been before but it was amazing! Certainly going again. For started I had Calimari and garlic mayonnaise and for main I had a massive pizza, which I couldn't eat all of. So that is muy lunch tomorrow.

Proabaly the best thing until last. The Cake. It was gigantic! I couldn't believe the size of it! We measure it and is a little over 6 inches! Inside the cake it was multicoloured as well! Sam made it all today and she has done a bloody good job on it! I am so impressed.

The birthday boy

The beast

Its a rainbow cake!!

Heaven? Yeah!

So today has been excellent and I have loved every single second of it! I have some wonderful friends and and a lovely family. Thank you all for making it special.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 74

Day 74.

I'm going to keep it short as its late and I'm tired.

Work was fun today, I made cheese and tomato pizza. I then ate said pizza. It was delicious.

Afterwork mum, Sam and I went to the Bells house and had tea and cake. It was Aarons birthday yesterday so we sang happy birthday to him. He is 10. I can remember him as a baby and he is now in double figures. Life has flown by.

I went spinning tonight for the 1st time since before Christmas. It wasn't as brutal as I thought it was going to be but I guess I shall see tomorrow.

Its my birthday tomorrow. I'll be 23. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 73

Day 73.

Pastoral day at work and it dragged! I was with year 7s and they were discussing health, hygiene and puberty. It was weird to hear the questions being asked on all topics were the same questions being asked when I was that age. 

I had some good news about Penny today. She passed her MOT with a few advisory things to change or watch out for. I was so relieved that she passed, Just 2 more things to get sorted and I'm away. They are the vehicle check and tax.

I finished watching Immortals. It turned out to be a really good film. I don't want to spoil it or give anything away but there were some awesome fight scenes.

This evening dad and I finished off season 6 of 24. I'll be glad to have a few weeks rest from it but I'll miss it until we start the next season. After that, we started to watch the new series called Alcatraz. It has potiential to be something unique and brilliant but it could also go way over the top. I liked what I saw and I hope it continues to be a great new show.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 72

Day 72.

An ordinary day, not much to shout about. I took my external hard drive to work and asked the tech guys to have a look to see if they can get anything off it but that was unsuccessful. I shall try my next option of taking it to somewhere in town. I don't have any plans for salvaging it after that so lets hope that someone out there can help me. 

I started watching the film Immortals this evening. I was quite impressed with what I saw. The story seems easy to follow and its the kind of film I like, about myths and legends. I havn't finished watching it yet but will finish it tomorrow and let you know about it.

I played a couple of hours of COD with Mark tonight. I think were getting a little bit good at it. 

Anyway, time for bed. 

Until tomorrow.

Jim.

New Year, New Blog - Day 71

Day 71.

An unusual Sunday compared to what I'm used to. I woke up at 8 (as usual) and had 1 stage of Paris-Nice to catch up and 3 stages of Tirreno-Adriatico to watch. The 2 races are similar in both being early season stage races in preparation for the longer stage races later in the year. They both have some pretty long grueling climbs and some short but very steep climbs. They both have flat stages too. Yet they have been raced so differently. Paris-Nice race was won by Bradley Wiggins, the first Englishman to win since Tom Simpson in 1967, was a race that didn't offer a lot in the way of attacks by the big name riders. Bradley missed out on the yellow jersey by 2 seconds in the opening individual time trial stage and on stage 2 he took the lead by only a handful of seconds. The next 5 stages were all about Team Sky defending the lead that Wiggo had. There were no real attacks and any rider high in the General Classification (GC) was followed sharply by Team Sky or Wiggo. Comparing this to Tirreno-Adriatico, there were a lot of attacks by riders high on the GC and the jersey has changed hands a few times. Both tacticly different yet equally as exciting. I do love cycing!

The next thing on the cards for today was to watch France v England. England were clinical in attack and very very strong in defence but lacked dicipline. They gave away 7 penalties in their own half and France scored from 5 of them. Charlie Sharples yellow cards was harsh considering a French player had been warned for doing the same thing 2 minutes earlier. England were lucky to come away from Paris with a win which boosts Stuart Lancasters chances of getting the job full time. 

Sam made fajitas for dinner tonight and they went down a treat! I could eat them all day if I was given a chance. 

Now it is time for sleep.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 70

Day 70.

Today was a great start to the weekend... I should have made the most of a great lie in but instead was up at 8am ready to start the day!
I am glad the weather has started to improve as it means I got to do something that I enjoy the most-cycling! Not only that but today I got to do it with a great friend-Mark! I headed out mid morning and cycled past his house then made the 'I think I've gone past your house' phonecall. All was sorted in the end and off we rolled. We headed out towards Latchingdon and Mundon before heading back.
 We had a great ride and then found myself back at home thinking if I could have done a little more and maybe got a little more hot and sweaty.
Strange as you may think... I did wear my shorts and flipflops today! It may only be March..but hey lets make the most of it!
This afternoon I watched Wales v Italy. It was a fantastic game and Italy defended brilliantly. They didn't really have a choice as Wales were by far the dominant team. Wales deserved the win but I don't Italy shouldn't have won by so much.

Next week is my birthday...the grand old age of 23....but anyhow age is just a number..and your as old as you feel! Although I'm not even sure about how old I feel.
 I'm not sure how exactly how im going to celebrate it this year, I will be at work alday afterall. I am hoping Penny the Peugeot is all mot'ed and ready to be driven!  So yeah....my birthday Thursday....so feel free to suprise me in any way you wish! :)

Great end to a Saturday....Indian...Beer.....film what more could I ask for!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend all!.........

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 69

Day 69. 

The last day of the week never fails to disappoint in the fact that we all know tomorrow will be a lie in and no kids for 2 days. That feeling of knowing its the last day is amazing. 

Work was good, it always is on a Friday. I helped one small child learn to swim, well, sort of swim. I helped get him working on kicking his legs. It was awesome to help someone who 2 weeks ago wouldn't get in the water to getting in and using a float to swim. Well done little man. He also splashed me quite a lot. After that, the rest of the day was a breeze and went really quick. 

After work, the beasting began with a tiny 7 minute workout. It wasn't that hard so I guess I was doing it wrong but it was a long 7 minutes. It was only burpees and they a press up into a jump up with a clap above your head and then back to a press up. Not a lot but getting up and down takes its toll.

Not a lot went on this evening, I just helped at F@ST club. Its a youth club at Tile Kiln church for those aged 11-16. Thankfully it was a quite and relaxing evening as there were a lot less youth than usual. Although a relaxing evening has made me tired. I was going to stay up at smash it on the xbox with a few beers but the increasing number of yawns is slowly tempting me to bed.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 68

Day 68.

A great day! Work was cool, a little loud in one lesson but it was still a great day. 

After work I went to Simpson Autocare to fit the replacement injectors into Penny the Peugeot and see if that fixes it. We fitted them, put everything back in place, connected the electrics and air hoses and then the moment of truth....

I'll tell you if she started or not tomorrow.... Only joking. 

She started and sounded marvellous! There were no knockings and clankings, no miss-fires, leaks, shakes, rattles or anything that shouldn't be there. There was no thick smoke coming out of the exhaust either. This made me so happy! Chris and I were both so pleased and really happy that we can finally get her away from the workshop. All that is needed now is an MOT and VIC (vehicle ID check) and then taxing. I am so excited about this!!!

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 67

Day 67.

All better now. I'm rid of the cold at last. I woke up feeling very sore though. My back was really stiff this morning from kettlebells yesterday. It has been stiff all day and has made moving around the classroom quite difficult.

A good day at work. It was loud as wednesdays usually are but it was still a good one. Lots of work is getting finished this week from my year 10s and 11s. One of the year 9s wanted to cut my hand off in textiles and he even got the scissors and went for it. He had a smile on his face and he was joking about it (I hope!) Then he wanted to stab me with the scissors and slit my throat, thats when I took the scisssors away from him. 

There was no rugby for year 7s after school as they had a rugby 7s tournament at another school. I don't know how they did but I shall find out tomorrow.

When I got back, I caught up with stage 3 and 4 of the Paris-Nice race. Bradley Wiggins is wearing the yellow jersey which really suits him. Some exciting riding in the early season and the peleton seems to be flying faster than I've seen for a few years. It does seem weird seeing the peleton without HTC Highroad/Columbia. Something I will have to get used to though.

I decided that I wanted to go spinning again tonight. I got to the gym and find out it has been cancelled for a few weeks while they refurbish the spinning studio. I was quite disappointed really but I still did an hour on the bike. I was hoping to get a bit more out of it but the gym was getting busy and the bike was squeaking.

I have a picture that I though was really quite funny.Click on it to make it bigger.

Until tomorrow. 

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 66

Day 66.

Felt better this morning when I woke up. I'm happy about that! I think I have failed, or at least going to fail, with my aim to put something interesting in my blog today. 

Work was pretty good today and I managed to help get 4 different bit of coursework completed for my year 11 boy. I don't think he has completed that much in a single month let alone day! A very productive day for him. 

I experienced a new class today. A year 9 maths class that I'm going to be in every week. Some lovely students in there and some that were close to being thrown out the window! It will be interesting to see if attitudes change towards maths over time. Probably not.

After work I did workout with Woody, Jools and a few others outside in the sun. It was good to get back exercising after having the sodding cold. I felt great afterwards and I feel almost 100% better too. My back is a bit tight now though. I'll soldier on.

Not a lot else to report on. I might get to the gym tomorrow after work so I will have something at least to write about tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 65

Day 65.

Still felt quite rubbish today and my throat has gradually got worse and worse as the day had gone on. A good day at work though. I was in charge of an exam just after lunch and that involved sitting down in a room with 2 candidates for an hour and a half, doing nothing. I was almost ready to fall asleep but thankfully I didn't.

Its mums birthday today. We celebrated it by ordering in a Chinese, but as mum and dad have both given up meat for lent and Sams a vegetarian anyway, it was all vegetarian food. It was still good though. Mum got a few books for her craft stuff, some more craft stuff and some flowers. Sam made an amazing gigantic cup cake for mum and it was delicious. 

Mother with her cake.

The big cup cake with baby cup cakes around it.

The inside of the cake. Yum!

 Dad and Chris went to get the replacement injectors this morning and fingers (and toes) crossed, Penny should have life again sometime this week. There is a small small chance she will be here for my birthday next week.

I just realised, I didn't post a picture of dads birthday cake last Monday.

Dad with his blueberry cake.

Well the internet is being gay tonight and very slow so I shall end here. I'm determined to put something interesting in tomorrows blog.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 63

Day 63.

Woke up still feeling quite rough, my neck was sore and felt pretty much the same as when I went to bed. Lets hope I'm better tomorrow. 

Today I went with Chris from Simpson Autocare to pick up some new injectors for Penny the Peugeot. We found a set for £95 from where we purchased the engine from. We got back to the workshop and Chris started to fit the injectors and found out that 2 of them were ******! 1 had a chunck of the clip missing that holds a fuel pipe on and 1 of the injector ends was so mangled that it was only good for a landfill site! We were both in a state of shock really that we had been sold them in that condition, and were both unhappy with the company we got them from. Do they think that a company that claims to be 'specialists' can get away with selling broken parts to a repeat customer? I guess a bit of the blame has to fall on me for not checking them while we were there but I really didn't think I needed to. I won't be using them again unless its the last option I have. They have shockingly bad reviews on their Google page. Bunch of cowboys! Still quite upset about it.

Once I got home I watched the Strade Bianche, a classic cycling race from Tuscany and the finish in Siena. I was only able to watch the final 20km or so and was glad I was able to. Fabian Cancellara made a break about 15km from the finish line. He attacked on a small climb and no one with him and no one was able to catch him. He used his time trialling skills well and powered his was to the finish line, finishing 42 seconds ahead of 2nd place. I love the early part of the cycling season. Its when all the classic one day races happen. There is so much history and tradition around these races. 

Well its getting late and I'm still feeling really tired so I'm off to bed.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 62

Day 62.

Manflu strikes again. I had the day off work whick was a shame because Friday is the best day of the week for me and I missed it. I felt as if I have let those I work with down. I want to apologise for not being at work because I do feel bad. I have been under the covers all day nodding off while watching tv. I have been drinking lots of honey and lemon and I think its been working. My throat isn't as sore but my nose is always running. I had a proper sleep this afternoon and that seemed to do me the world of good. I had a bad afterwards which made the aches go for a while but my neck is a little sore. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 61

Day 61.

I have felt rubbish all day! I think I'm getting man flu. My throat is getting sore and everything tastes bitter. My nose has been running all day and is also getting sore. I have to try and soldier on for one more day. It's Friday tomorrow and then the weekend.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 60

Day 60.

A pretty good day I think. Work was a bit loud and tiring and by period 5 I was ready to fall asleep. I don't know why I'm feeling so tired this week. Everyday I have been fine when I've woken up but then it gets to about 6pm and then I just feel exhausted. Hopefully I will be ok next week. 

After work I helped out with the year 7 rugby training. They have a rugby 7s competition next week and were learning about that. There are some very talented young players and they will do well next week. 

Tonight I started watching Breaking Bad. I wasn't too sure about it until half way through the 1st episode. Its a very unusual series but at the same time its quality. Its about a chemistry teacher who finds out he has lung cancer with only a few years left to live. He decides to go into business with a drung dealer making crystal meth. I have only got through the 1st episode and its getting better.

I really hope that I will be awake enough soon to get back to blogging about something interesting.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 59

Day 59.

Feels like the world is against me at the moment. My wisdom teeth have been coming through for the past 3 years and every now and then it gets really painful. The past week, they have been coming through again and causing quite a lot of discomfort for me. So this morning I went to the dentist and I have been given a course of tablets. Fingers crossed they can sort things out for a while. 

Work was ok today. I am getting a bit bullied in the staff room because of my car. A few people find joy in my misfortunes. After work I watched a film called The Departed. An exciting film which could have easily gone over the top and been too confusing but it wasn't. It was about an undercover cop in the Irish mafia and a dirty cop tipping off the mafia about the police. Out of 10 I would give it 8. 

Ok, I have been extra tired today and need more sleep.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 58

Day 58.

A special day today. Its my dads birthday and we celebrated it by having pizza for dinner and Sam made a massive blueberry cake. It was all rather delicious. Mum got dad some turkish delights, which are his favourite sweets, A book about Essex that shows importants dates and what happened. Sam got him a cricket t-shirt and a stirrer that you can put in a saucepan and it stirs itself. That is really cool! I have been really busy recently at the workshop and down the gym that I didn't have the time to get anything but I will be getting him something really soon. I just need to know what to get.

My eyes are really really sore today and I think I need a good nights sleep. Also my wisdom teeth are being super painful this week and that is rather annoying!

I will try and write something proper and structured tomorrow after a few days of short blogs.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 57

Day 57.

Last night was pretty good with my cousins. The reason I know it was good because I was hanging bad today!

I didn't do anything today, just sat under my duvet watching tv and not moving.

I'm really tired so off to bed I go.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 56

Day 56.

At last, some good news about Penny the Peugeot. Chris and I have found a place that can sell us a set of 4 used diesel injectors for £95 + VAT. That is brilliant news considering I was looking ar around £500 for a set of new ones.  I have some pictures of Elvis the Escort getting painted but I will put them in tomorrows blog as I'm going out tonight. More on that in a bit.

This afternoon I watched Ireland v Italy and England v Wales. England v Wales was a very very tight game. It was quite evenly matched and both sides were not afraid to put in the big hits. I think that Wales did deserve the win but England didn't deserve lose. A draw would have been a fair result for both teams but England made one mistake that cost them the game. Steve Walsh, the referee, didn't seem to be neutral as a ref should. There were lots of things that Wales got away with and at the same time, lots of things the England got pinged for. Maybe I just saw them as I wanted England to win.

Tonight, I am of into Chelmsford with my cousins. We're going out for Tom's and Jared's birthday and it will be messy I'm sure. So happy birthday Tom and Jared.

Until tomorrow.

Jim

New Year, New Blog - Day 55

Day 55.

A great day as its Friday and made extra special as its payday! I'm struggling to think about what happened today, I switched off somewhere along the way. I don't think it was that interesting. The topic at lunch time was how much I had spent on my car. I was getting a fair bit of abuse from Ian about but I know he didn't mean any of it. 

After work, I took charge of the workout as it was just me and Woody. It was tough and I'm paying for it now but I feel good for it. We mainly worked the legs today and did a small amount of chest and core. It did seem like we were going in at the deep end as next weeks workout has to be a little harder.

I had a little bit of bad news about Penny the Peugeot. All 4 of her injectors need either refurbishing or replacing, whatever is the cheapest. I phoned the Peugeot dealer in Chelmsford and they quoted me £441 per injector. Errrr.....No! Not at that price. The cheapest we can find (other than ebay) is about £105 + VAT. So its going to be £500 or there abouts to get them fixed/new ones. In a way, its good that I'm spending lots to replace everything. That way I know that everything is new and will last as long as I don't drive like a nutter. I just have to find a way to make some extra money. Any ideas anyone?

Friday night is youth club night and my sister, Sam decided it would be a good idea to colour in my tattoos.

The black line are my tattoo, the colours thankfully, are washable! There is fantastic attention to detail and the artwork was done by Emily, Henry and Sam.

This is pure genius! Emily came up with the idea for a mermaid and done a great job of it! I'm not sure if I will keep them yet.

 That is all for today. There is no discussion as I'm too tired from my workout and I did give it my all. I had very little left in the tank.

Until tomorrow.

Jim