Visit to Glasson

Hello all.

Yesterday was an interesting day. Well, interesting is one word for it.

It started well enough: had a lovely lie-in. Bacon butties were cooked for lunch. Then it was time to actually be proactive and do something. My intention was to go to the boat as I hadn't been the week before due to my knee being dodgy and I thought I wouldn't be able to drive my parents' Rover, which is the car I normally take to see the boat, to give it a run.

So out I go to the Rover, take the cover off it (which is a challenge in and off itself, seeing as it is a large cover and it was windy). I moved my car out of the driveway and parked it to one side, then leave it with the engine running whilst I returned to the Rover to take it out of the driveway.

I put the key in the ignition, turned it over and ... nothing. Well, a slight hint of starting, and then nothing. Turning it over again just got a clicking noise and all the internal lights flashing on and off in time with the clicking. Marvellous. Apparently the car had a flat battery.

So I returned to my car to turn the engine off and went back into the house to enlist Jon into helping put the car cover back on. Finally, I'm away to the boat, not before topping up the oil and screenwash in my car and visiting the petrol station.

As I was in a bit of mood, I drove slightly more aggressively than I normally do (although I might add that I didn't break the speed limit, which seeing as I passed three police cars pulling over a car towing a caravan was a good thing) and made good time getting to the marina. It was actually quite a nice day yesterday: the sun shone for the most part, and although there was a decent wind, it wasn't too cold.

At the boat, I discovered that the bilge which collects water somehow when it rains heavily from a certain angle had managed to collect at least four inches. It is when I'm gathering the sponge and bucket that I remember I'd forgotten the jug that I'd brought home from the boat last (to wash it after using to bail out the bilge). So I employed a soup jug/bowl instead, otherwise it would have taken me ages to get all the water out with the sponge. After nearly 6 buckets (albeit small buckets) of very dark brown water, I have emptied one side. Luckily for me the other bilges were dry, and so I didn't have to do any more crawling around in confined spaces lugging around a heavy bucket.

I had plugged in the electricity to charge the batteries (and they were reasonably all right anyway, certainly they could have started an engine if need be. Obviously they are better than the one in the car!), opened some windows slightly to let in fresh air, and then left the boat to go to the office.

They had still been sending invoices and letters to my old address in Scotland (I am first point of contact for boat-related mail and anything else boat-related whilst my parents are away, since obviously they can't do anything) despite me telling them that I had moved. For some reason that info hadn't percolated through the system, but hopefully now it'll be sorted.

After that, I went on a run (with the car - my knee is still not quite right) around the dock area, taking photos for my local area report for my coastguard training. I did a bit of walking around and my knee started acting up again, so it was a good job I hadn't considered walking around, since it's at least a half hour walk. Then I returned to the boat, switched everything off, collected the few things I had to take home with me, and left. Fortunately because it was Easter Monday, there wasn't a rush of traffic, since it was about 5 o'clock when I left and the roads around there get awfully busy at rush hour.

I had had a craving for sorbet come over me that afternoon (I suspect because I passed an ice cream place whilst out taking photos and it was quite warm, so the idea of cool lemon sorbet was appealing) so instead of going straight home, I stopped off at the supermarket. Which turned out to not have sorbet of any description. Clearly I don't live in a place that is up-market enough for the supermarket to stock sorbet. After a phone call home, I zipped round the store to get essentials like foil and oil (and ice cream, because it's almost as good as sorbet). Then I eventually made it home.

A wee while later, I spoke to my parents to let them know about the car, and whilst I was talking to them, remembered that I hadn't shut the windows on the boat. By this time it was gone 8 o'clock at night, so there was no way I was going to hop back in the car and drive for 45 minutes back there. Unfortunately, I was in work the next day (today) and so wouldn't be able to visit the boat for couple of days. Hopefully the forecast, which was for rain showers and some strong winds, but not at the same time, wouldn't be any worse, and thus I wouldn't find a big pool of water when I did make it up there.

Also, whilst all this was going on, I had a sore throat on the right-hand side that had extended to a sore jaw and a sore ear to contend with for the whole day.

The rest of the evening was spent eating a lovely sweet and sour chicken and then watching films. We watched "Nightmare Before Christmas" (it had been recorded at Christmas, but we hadn't got around to watching it) and then "Blades of Glory" which was very funny. Having had a few late lie-ins we were still quite awake, so we watched a couple of episodes of "Family Guy" and finally went to bed at 1 in the morning. Me being me, I didn't get to sleep right away, and was tossing and turning. This meant that this morning I was shattered. Oh the joys of a 12 hour shift on about 3 and half hours sleep.

This morning, probably due to not a great day yesterday and also being tired meant that I had lost the will to live and perused job opportunities. I think I'm wearing out my time at the coastguard, probably due to the combination of the job that we do changing in a way I don't like, and having to work with possibly the most irritating person ever. Plus, the long commute is beginning to wear me down, mainly due to getting up ridiculously early in the morning and also the price of fuel is beginning to bite. Ideally I need to get a job closer to where Jon works and then we can move and neither of us will have to commute for an hour to get to work. That would be rather heavenly. Also, the shifts are beginning to grate (although the time off is wonderful). Sometimes the compensations of working shifts just aren't enough, and the supposed job security of working in the civil service isn't what it was (particularly with an election looming) and the pensions are no longer as wonderful as they used to be, which was the compensation for getting paid peanuts.

Anyway, I've perked up slightly now, and just want to get my training over and done with and be qualified. Once that happens, I'll see how I feel. I know that Jon is keeping one eye open about other prospective jobs, so if he goes for one that takes us further east, I'll have to leave anyway. Somehow I can't imagine my heart breaking over that decision.

Must go now.