Archive for March 2017

That feeling..

Well today was the a day to forget, seems HSE are keen on making an example of me as I did not do up my immersion suit as it hurts my neck (due to my thyroid), so get asked about it offshore explain the situation to him and still get back to a load of crap from the office.. I’m not in the best frame of mind anyway with the next door neighbours deciding to build three houses on the hill right behind us.. And having to come back to work on a job I don’t want to do..

So close to just jacking it all in.. 🙁

Stacking shelves is looking very attractive right now.

And back to it again..

So March this year was supposed to be a slow month with only a little work at the end, however this has not been the case with me over in Belgium and now expecting to head to Grimsby for the last week in March and first in April.

Can’t say this year has been a good one so far either;
Found out Solar Panels never had the Feed In Tariff applied for so basically we should hammer the crap out of the electric during the day as we get no benefit otherwise.
Letter through the door yesterday with the farmer seeking planning consent to stick three houses on the hill behind us so blocking out sunlight and destroying our privacy.
Lawn Mower has decided to fail.
Feel extremely down.
Expected to share a room offshore with someone on the same rotation as me on this project (wtf).

Pretty sure I’m having the piss taken out of me.

Considering jacking it all in and trying with someone else, but don’t want to burn my bridges with the company I’m with as they have been good to me so far (although if it does change then I shall be flying back early stuff them).

So had a week at home feel worse than when I got back and now off again, when back next I have training and a load of DIY that MUST be done in one day, and then when I get back at the end of April I have just three days to remove a kitchen, including the floor and replace the floor and walls before the kitchen fitters come to put that in.

Lets not even talk about the cooker… I guess after that though I should be ok to start cleaning up the smaller jobs and making good on stuff.

Oh by the way don’t even bother with Hive from British Gas it’s a complete waste of time, ended up with a cold house more often than not as the stat said it was on but the boiler was just sitting there off.. What a complete load of poo!

Soon home again

Just finishing up the last day and a bit of work in Antwerp before heading home tomorrow, long day travelling tomorrow too with an early start to get a walkdown done before the train sitting about for a couple of hours and then flight home..

I general not enjoyed this trip at all, the team here have been ace and the work done is pretty good too. But I need some time at home and next week is all I’m getting before I have to rush off back to work, then back for a training course before I rush back again.. So next month is going to be brutal.

Really missed Angel and the hounds and my body is starting to complain about not running on the treadmill each morning, amazing how much energy you get from doing something like that.

Still a lot of little things next week should start to make the house better too and although this trip have been a nightmare it has, hopefully, put me in with a good chance of going to another project in July.. Lets see if it comes off 🙂

O.U. coursework has again taken a back seat as I have struggled with concentration when I finish in the evening’s 🙁

Soon to sign up for the next course, not sure what to go for but I think I’m going to be forced to do another maths one (gulp).

Howdy from Antwerp

Two updates in one month will wonders never cease.

I find myself with some time to fill so I thought why not?

I’m in Antwerp overseeing some last minute works being done on an Offshore Substation, mainly because the person who was here has very bad knees and is unable to make it, or the climb up and down the stairs each day. So here I sit just checking on the progress in the construction yard.

So the wood stove got put in, finished by O.U assignment and scored 81%, which frankly was amazing and a great boost knowing how I crammed most of it on the day. Annoyed not been able to do more at home and Angel has been left with a half finished, well, everything pretty much. Still not finished the garage, although got half of one of the four walls done. Not started on the static caravan yet and attempted to get some stuff out of the storage container only to have a ladder collapse on me… Not clever.

Still toying with the idea of a Turbine in the Garden but not sure how I will get it sorted as the one(s) I keep looking at are so damn expensive (if I want them MCS installed) non MCS approved one’s I can get for less the a quarter the price! So right now I’m toying with looking at an off grid solution and buying some batteries and a 5-10kw turbine.. But that’s months if not years away yet.

In other news.. Well not a lot to add really.. Here until possibly Friday (with luck may be able to get away Wednesday), then about a week at home before I have to go to Grimsby for the start of another project, then back from there for five days to do my offshore refreshers and then back again!!..

Finally home to rip out the kitchen and replace the floor and re-plaster the walls, before a kitchen is fitted on the 27th of April.. I’m tempted to maybe look to starting some of the works before then to reduce the work then, might be easier to just blitz it though. Next week need to agree on a cooker and get it fitted before the new kitchen (as it will have LPG gas hob) and of course the extractor hood and pipe work needs doing as well.

Not to mention I want to insulate the loft’s some more, check the floors to make sure they are insulated and if not insulate them too.. Oh and replace the boiler controls, fit a leaking rad, rip out the sauna, replace the bath. Redo the on-suite.. Lets see what else.. Oh yes the utility room needs a new floor and tiling along with the kitchen tiling too.. chortle.

Going to have to set myself a list of priorities I think as I’m not going to have enough time to complete them all so should do one or two at a time, no point leaving the place like a tip for Angel.. to be honest the front room looks good now and the granny annex is not too bad either.. little stuff to those and they are done 🙂

Anyway I’m waffling should really get back to the hotel and study, I’m still about 3 weeks behind on course work and have no excuse not for studying today 😉

One little thing it’s good to see Bubble posting stuff on facebook (welcome fella!).

Right back to the grind.

Welcome to 2017 and Scotland!

Yes my blog has been silent for quiet a bit hasn’t it?

Well a lot has happened so lets just have a recap –

Sold house in Lincolnshire in Dec 2016
Moving to Scotland in Dec while on the road house purchase fell through due to access issues and the sellers being muppets.
Spent from Dec until Feb bumping around holiday lets while waiting for new place mortgage to go through.
First week in Feb moved into new place..
And since then we have ripped out floors, painted walls, Angel has cleaned more than a cleaner for the NHS (ok that’s not too hard, but you get the idea). Had a stove installed, fiddling with multiple issues as in boiler/thermostat electrics.. You name it..

Probably going to have to sort out some underfloor insulation at some point too.. Which is going to be challenging.

On the bright side the views are astonishing, has BAGS of potential and isn’t next door to anyone or have people walking through the garden every five minutes..

Work has been on hold since beginning of Dec, but I’m hoping it starts again today with help on another project.. But won’t find out until later.

Broadband was only connected Tuesday..

My Open University course suffered hugely due to no/lack of Broadband.. Submitted after a day of cramming.. I know it’s going to be bad but feel it’s my fault..

Anyway starting to do major works in the garage this week with insulation and boarding going up and then going to use the remaining insulation on the house and whatever is left over goes to my brother for his place..

Still amazed how badly the people who lived here left the place, I mean BAD.. We would have been embarrassed to leave the place like this.

Anyway today is all about the office so later will be moving desks about and setting that up downstairs, fingers crossed I can keep updating the blog now I have reliable internet YEY!