www.bigrain@swindon.com

Thursday night was floor party night, a floor party is like a dinner party but there are no chairs, tables, glasses, or even any carpet for that matter. Not even any means to cook so its take out food, ie, Kebabs and Dr Pepper, great fun although most were more interested in watching sky TV on a 14" portable TV balanced on a rickety table thing, not sure if they were watching TV or watching to see if the TV would fall off.

Handed the keys over to the new owners on Friday and the rain was horrendous, the garage was flooded, the back yard was waterlogged and i still managed to smile as we wished the new owner many happy years in their new house, then we jumped in the car and high tailed it out, leaving Swindon for ever....................or so we thought.

After spending 2 hours in Staples sorting out a DHL delivery and 10 mins in PC World buying 3 webcams, we tried to drive out of the City.

By now, most parts of swindon were flooded and a lot of it was actually under water. We queued for about 2 hours to get out of town and took another 7 hours to get to Birmingham.

I was bad but at least we were lucky and didnt get washed away, here were a lot of abandoned cars on the motorway and we saw one car with just the roof showing above the water, i couldnt get a pic because it was getting too dark....i think that takes "dipping your headlights" to the extreme.

We are staying in Birmingham till 28th (next Saturday) and we fly out on Sunday morning, in the mean time i am limited to dialup connection speeds and my email is playing up so i apologise now if anyone is trying to email me, everything should be back to normal once we get to the hotel in Lethbridge.

Final week in our house

Wdenesday morning and its been a busy few days, i have been to Doncaster and Bradford twice so both shifts were 15 hours. Coming home to start work again on the house knowing you have to be back at work in 9 hours is a little demoralising but never mind, its got to be done.

The gardens nearly done and the sheds been ripped down, the house is practically empty so were almost done, hopefully we will be finished by Thursday night and we can all go up to Birmingham.

The new family move in Friday lunch time so the pressures on to get it all finished, luckily i am finished work for the day (its just gone 10:30) my trip was a short one, a delivery in Chepstow and colection from Llantrissant.

Busy weekend emptying the house

Well that was one busy weekend, we moved out all the items the kids wanted, the tumble dryer, fridge freezer, some carpet etc etc etc.

We've ripped up all the carpets now, smashed up the beds, took down the shelves and taken the lot down to the dump, in fact we have made about a dozen trips. i am so glad all that is done, we have a skip coming round tomorrow and that should take care of what is left.

Gizmo got a little upset when the carpets came up and refused to go in the house, he can sense that something big is happening. Now the beds have gone we are sleeping on mattresses on the floor and he tries to treat them like a dogs bed which is annoying. As i work nights, i normally sleep late afternoon into the evening but its difficult because of a certain four legged ankle biter who thinks the bed belongs to him.........................

Oops, got to go and fill some forms in, we'll carry this on tomorrow, se you all later

Scotch whiskey

We went to see the movie which Luke loved, personally i thought it was a bit naff but there again i am over 40 (just) which means i am all grown up but not quite senile. Ive seen them all but i thought this was the worsed. Im looking forward to the next film which i believe is called "Harry Potter and the Zimmer Frame of truth".

Just had another email saying the flights are confirmed so thats it i s'pose, were going, lots to do tomorrow but for tonight i am relaxing with a nice glass of scotch.

'nuther Canada Update

Recieved an Email saying our flights are being reserved for 29th July, my Wincanton boss is still refusing to let me go early, not only that but i still haven't got the reference i asked for 2 weeks ago, looks like i will have to go and remind him on Monday, it reall is amazing how unimportant you become when you are leaving.........as if i expected anything else !!

We're off to the cinema tonight to see the latest Harry Potter, its better than ripping up carpets which was the option.

Luke got whacked in the eye while he was at school yesterday, he said i could post a pic of it on the blog, we took him down the hospital but they reckon its okay, it looks worse than it is.

Smokin' New Car

Saw this as i was making my way back this morning

Wakey Wakey Wakefield

The Dedicated Drivers Waiting Room


Goods In Bays

I hate Morrisons supermarkets, they are pokey and awkward to shop in, and they are a nightmare to deliver to. If you read my post "Witches of Northwich" you get an idea of how helpful they are there, well now let me tell you about Morrisons Wakefield.

The idea is simple, drive into the compound, make your way down to "Goods In" and reverse on a bay and hand your paperwork in at the office. You then wait in the designated driver waiting area......and you wait.....and you wait....and you wait !!

Eventually a "Lumper" or should i say Oompah "Lumper" comes out, takes your keys and goes back in the warehouse to unload you.

Now heres the clever bit, if you go with them and break down the load pallet by pallet (in other words do their job for them)they will let you Drop & Drive which means you dont have to wait for paperwork and as soon as its all broken down you can bugger off on your merry little way.

However, if you dont do their job for them and you are prepaired to wait for paperwork they you park opposite and wait for the load to be checked off, sometimes up to 5 or 6 hours.

Today delivered 26 pallets to them and i thought"theres no way im breaking that little lot down", i would rather climb on the bunk, set the alarm clock and take pot luck with the paperwork. I was Tipped (unloaded) by 08:00 this morning so i had a 2 hour nap and went to see if the paperwork was ready.

The young lady the other side of the hatch was engrossed in a conversation with her colleague about what she and her boyfriend were up to last night, they both seemed to be talking at the same time. Anyway, she paused for breath and i pounced, i tapped on the perspex, gave a polite little cough and asked if my paperwork was ready yet.

The answer was swift and to the point "NO". Then turning back to her friend, she was off again" Yakitty Yakitty Blah Blah Yakitty Blah" By the way this was at 10:00.

45 minutes later i went back in and we had a repeat performance. As I was walking back out i saw the Lumper who tipped me, he reckoned the paperwork was ready at 09:45. I went and found a Manager who went in the office to ask where the paperwork was. Little Miss Chatty reached under a pile of paperwork and exclaimed "'Ere it is". She didn't even have to bleedin' look, she knew it was there all the time.

I finally got out at 11:00 Aaaaaaaaaaagh !!!

EDIT:

Oh yeah, see that coffee machine, do not, i repeat, do not get a drink from this machine, i have seen cleaners mop round the toilets then use the same mop to give the machine a little clean, the bit where the drink comes out.