Another Lifetime to go

13th March 2024

Today was a meeting of my old school friends from the Bath Art School at the Holborn Museum. Miraculously we have kept in contact over the past few years, and although the whole class(the ones that are left) have tried to get together as often as we can. The others are on a Greek island, Australia, Canada and the USA.

It is special, and although we all have stories to tell, many repeatedly, but we enjoy each other’s company so it doesn’t matter.

I decided to take the bus, and to flash my new bus pass. As it pulled up at the stop, I got on, and was faced by loads of old folk. I don’t consider myself old yet, but I thought I was on an old people’s day out.

Mercifully I got to the city and wandered about until I was due to meet up with Rob for lunch and a long awaited Masala dosa. After enjoying that we had a coffee and headed down Pultney street for our reunion.

The group were huddled outside, it wasn’t the warmest of places, but the heat from our coffee cups gave us some relief.

Eventually we moved inside and took over a large table, that was a lovely warm place.

After several hours we hugged each other and said our farewells.

I walked back with Rob until we parted ways with me heading towards the bus station.

I had an hour wait, but soon I was on the way home. The bus stopped at ever single stop on the way back, it felt like a long long journey.

12th March 2024

It’s the end of the another day, and rain stopped play. I had made good progress so far, but this was a drag. It cleared up at lunchtime, and rather than setting up the saw outside I decided to do it in the shed. Of course all the timber was wet, but I was determined not to be put off by that. I cut the banding on the timber bundles and started the residing.

I would have to climb the ladder each time, first to mark the length, then get down, walk to the shed to cut and drill, then back up and fit. I did this for twenty times, judging by the number of pieces that I have to fit, I will be doing this for one hundred and twenty times.

I did it until me knees let me know they were fed up, so I stopped. As there is a total of four panels, I have planned to do one panel a day, knees permitting.

I looked across the valley where some major building works was being done. In October builders were demolishing a building that was pretty ugly. This was an opportunity to construct a really modern building, instead it looks like something equally grotesque is taking its place, what a waste of effort.

My old friend from school, Rob came to visit. He brought with him a couple of Brie baguettes which made him very welcome. He had spent a month in India, so I was keen to find out how that went. He visits a retreat close to the Himalayas and has alway been involved in Indian religion. He has alway told me that his lifespan has already been designed, and that he has another ten years to go. I look forward to calling him in eleven years to tell him he was wrong.

11th March 2024

I was expecting the boiler to be serviced today between eight and twelve, I decided to do some CAD work whilst I waited. After completing a tricky design problem, it had gone past ten, I decided to make the last two frames and finish that part of the project. When I finished it was coming up to twelve with no sign of the boiler man.

I then put all the stuff back into the shed and did a bit more computer work.

As the clock passed one, I called the office.

I was told that the service man had knocked on the door and got no answer. My response was that I could see my front door all morning and no one turned up. There were many apologies and a promise to reschedule. The girl on the other end then put me on hold whilst she tried to contact the technician, a few minutes later she told me he would be with me in five minutes.

The guy staggered up the path telling me they had given him the wrong address. I get that all the time, remember my new phone debacle?

Anyway he got on with the task, and I waited for him to finish.

As soon as he left I drove over to Wickes to get the feather board, and they had plenty of the stuff. I loaded up the truck and drove back, unloading five bundles and carrying them up the steep slope ready for the next part on the project.

10th March 2024

I was lazy, I slept late wand wasn’t feeling guilty about it. I had my breakfast and then took the green waste to the tip. The place was exactly the same as last time, people will always find things to throw away.

After that I went to Lidl’s for some supplies. It certainly wasn’t like the Aldi back in Holland, the place looked a mess with boxes blocking the isles. I collected the things I needed, including a sourdough loaf, paid and went home.

I wanted to make some frames that the new feather board cladding would attach to.

I set up a small manufacturing cell outside. I had my mitre saw and an assembly table, I felt so efficient. I even managed to fit two frames to the side of the shed, one day ahead of schedule.

I got frequent updates from Kelli, actually many updates, it was like Breaking News all the time.

It’s not easy for her, but she is getting things done.

9th March 2024

This was not a work day, instead I was travelling to Whitney on Wye to see my friend Martin.

From my previous blogs, I have mentioned this is the guy who has suffered most of his life with Tourettes. He has battled for years with many other illnesses, the latest, bone cancer.

It is a long drive, observing the speed limits in wales, makes the journey seem even longer.

Once there it is an intense period where we cover everything possible, his health, his doctors , dentist and don’t mention politics.

I try to stay as long as I can, and promise to visit again before I go back.

It feels a long day, I’m exhausted, not sure if it’s dealing with his situation, trying to remain positive, or that I’m old and gets tired easily.

I don’t think that’s the case, I have energy but sadness and driving home in the dark is taxing, but I owe him my time especially now.

8th March 2024

It was a tidy up day, I needed to bad up all the stuff I cut down yesterday. All the tree trunks were cut up and stacked in my little cart, this has been so useful for carrying all the building crap, it’s a little battered but still functional.

I cut everything small so I could maximise the space in the bags.

I couldn’t take them to the dump as they are closed today. Instead I made my first visit to Wickes to buy timber to make new supports for the new cladding.

Derek came over to return the hard drive with an adapter so that I could plug it in to my other machine and transfer the files I thought I had lost. Everything fired up perfectly and I was able to retrieve the CAD files I had spent a lot of time on, a great relief.

7th March 2024

With a good breakfast inside me, it was day 2 of vegetation clearing.

I felt like an explorer cutting through the jungle, it was a battle. I was well armed, with my saw, loppers and snippers.

First to go was the holly bush, that had sprouted wildly out of control. It was pretty dense in there, everything fought me all the way.

I was wearing thick gloves as the thorns were everywhere, and had to be handled with extreme care. That is when I discovered that one of my gloves had a hole in a finger, ouch!

I worked my way down the side of the shed creating a good space to do my re-cladding job next week.

By the end of the day there were huge piles of various vegetation stuffed into large garden bags ready for the tip.

If you recall, I had problems with the laptop that I have been using in the US, stopped working. I had idea what was wrong, but I knew someone who might.

So I brought it back with me. It was an old machine that weighed the equivalent of a paving slab.

I had arranged to meet Derek, my sister’s ex husband who I had promised to gift him a wooden guitar that I had made as part of my Guitar shaped project. He had repaired another laptop the last time I was here in October, so the timing was perfect. He kindly took my old machine back to his home to check if the hard drive still worked. I kept my fingers crossed that the data on it could be saved.

He later messaged me to say that the hard drive was okay, but the laptop was not.

6th March 2024

First day on the job. I was ready straight after breakfast, bow saw in hand to tackle the trees in my neighbour’s garden, she had agreed for me to cut them down, as the place was a little overgrown.

I then encountered my first problem, I couldn’t get my work boots on.

It was not that my feet have grown, rather it was the thickness of the socks I was wearing.

Holland winters require some serious feet warmers. The kind I wear are Scandinavian, and are as thick as a moose’s hide. After struggling for ten/fifteen minutes, and fearing that it might bring on a heart attack, I loosened the laces, and my feet slid inside.

I am not a tree feller, fortunately the trunks were thin but tall.

One by one they came down, I was careful that they didn’t fall across the path and damage a neighbour’s fence.

The only tool I had was a small bow saw, and it was difficult, progress was slow, but I kept at it.

It was exhausting work, almost the second time I could have had a cardiac arrest. There would have been a bit of credibility in dying on a proper job rather than just putting work boots on.

Once they were down came the cutting up and separating the thick bits from the thin. I used my chop saw to cut up the trunks.

I then had the idea to burn the thin twigs in my incinerator, but I didn’t have any paper to start it.

I looked in the letter box, there is usually some junk mail in there, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I screwed the paper into tight balls laying the thin twigs on top and striking a match to get it going.

There were flames and smoke, but it didn’t last long. The wood was too damp to catch, it needed something extra. I looked in the shed and found a bottle of white sprit, hurrah! I thought, this will get it going.

I sprinkled the liquid all over the twigs, lit another match and dropped it in expecting a sheet of flames singeing my eyebrows.

Nothing happened, then I checked the bottle, and found that it was non-inflammable.

That is when I gave up for the day.

5th March 2024

As flights go, this was a good one, everything was on time, and it wasn’t full.

The person in the window seat in my row was sitting behind his wife, who had a complete empty row, maybe she had enough of him.

The cabin crew on American tend to be a little more mature, but they were friendly and attentive.

Once we reached Heathrow the fun started. The passport control was buzzing with activity.

The processing is mostly done with scanners and facial recognition these days, which in this case confused a bunch of old dears that couldn’t get the hang of the passport scanner. They kept pushing it in and out with no idea what to do.

My small case made it through, was one of the first off, so that made me happy. I made my exit looking for a place to have breakfast, and I couldn’t find one. I’m sure there was a place, but not any more.

So disgruntled, I made my was to the bus station hoping there was something there, and there was, but cash only.

So I didn’t get any refreshments as I waited for the coach to arrive.

I read my book for an hour then the coach was announced.

I did try to sleep on the coach, but I kept nearly falling off the seat.

Eventually I got to Bath Bus Station and Nicola was waiting.

Arriving back at the cottage was great to see. Nicola had already left some food for me, they are so thoughtful and kind, so that first cup of coffee was like nectar.

I relaxed for the evening speaking to Kelli many times as I planned my jobs, that start tomorrow.

4th March 2024

As human beings we tolerate a lot, and that is tested at the airport.

Gerald Ford International has changed out of all recognition. For one thing you could always find a parking spot close to the terminal, not now, you are lucky if you find one on the first floor.

Next, you could arrive quite late and still get checked in, now it is different.

I got there with forty minutes to go, and was told by a young uniformed Asian lad, that I had missed the baggage check. At least I think that’s what he said.

My option was to take it all through security and try to get it tagged at the gate.

Of course they found my shaving foam.

“ That container is too large to take through” the officer said, “I will have to confiscate it”.

Fortunately that was the only issue, but then I had a long walk to the gate.

It certainly has changed, it is all very modern, It used to be a small cosy place with plenty of seating to wait, if you were getting up courage to fly, or wait for people to arrive.

The flight was full, and I hate it when someone has the aisle seat and immediately close the shade. They don’t own the bloody shade, that and the baby crying made the start of the trip annoying. I was watching a girl in a row in front constantly on her phone furiously typing messages then opening up other apps, all the bloody time, there was not a break, it was like her life depended on it.

Once in Chicago, I called Kelli to let her know I had arrived, and stopped for a coffee at Starbucks, but they were only accepting cards, I had a crisp twenty, another annoying situation.

There are Asian people working everywhere, and I was fed up with asking them to repeat everything.

All this trauma, and I wasn’t on the big plane yet.