I resign from work a week today....

Well its been around a month since my last post so I thought I best update the blog with my latest ramblings. In the past month, I've been to the South of France to see my Bro and Sis in Law (the rinky dinks were holidaying in the UK with Grandparents). I've been to see the Chili Peppers play, been to the Lakes with younger Bro, Sis in Law and their rinky dinks. I've also put the house up for rent, booked the packers for the 23rd August, got myself a NZ$ Bank Account in Auckland and sorted myself some accommodation. Later this week I have the dinge knocked out of my car after reversing into a stupid metal post in a car park. Doh !! Once the car is spick and span again I can put the car up for sale. I need to start cancelling DD's and fill out some tax forms.. Its stupidly busy... I only hope it's all worth it ??



France was a very eventful weekend. On the way out to Nice from Liverpool I ended up sitting next to a couple of delightful girls from Bolton. They were on a weekend trip to Nice. Anyway, it turns out that Kate was the Sister of one of my work colleagues ! Small world isn't it ?? But I wouldn't want to paint it!! Anyway, on the flight home there they were again and they very kindly invited me to sit with them for the return trip. So a big hello to Kate and Rachael from Bolton ! You girls were tops.

Anyway, after meeting Mark and Sheila at the airport we went to their village where there was a Queen tribute band on. It was Bastille day in France so everyone was having a party. I did find it ironic that Queen were playing on a day marking the French Revolution ! The funny thing was that the on duty police officer was the most p*ssed person there, falling down, slurring his words, talking gibberish in various languages and to cap it all, totally missed a fight breaking out behind him ! Classic !!! Young sir, we salute you. Great night, great company and didn't get home until 1am. We were supposed to be going to Italy on the Saturday so set off in the Renault Scenic with the sun in the sky and the wind in our hair when the car chose the section of road near Antibes to have a blow out. We pulled over with the intention of changing the wheel but clearly the wheel had other ideas. Despite Mark and my best efforts we couldn't move any of the wheel nuts. They had obviously been put on by those wheel nut guns. We had no alternative but to march the 1km to the nearest emergency phone box and request assistance. Now in France they don't have the RAC or the AA, they have private companies to take you off the motorway and they don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts either. They do however do it for extremely large amounts of Euros, more if its a weekend. Anyway, having removed the said euro from Sheila credit card we were deposited at what can only be described as a French Halfords (other car parts and accessory shops are available of course). They said they'd have the tyre replaced in, oh, 3 hours ! Now Michael Schumacher can have his done in 7 seconds so why it took 3 hours I really don't know but at least it meant that we had time to go shopping in the hypermarket, perving on the beach and sample some French ice cream. Anyway, to cut a long story short we never made it to Italy for our Italian, instead we headed back home whereupon the temperature gauge on the car hit about 1000 degrees due to a cooling problem which required us to stop every so often so the car could stop sizzling. We could have had a barbecue on the bonnet if we'd bought some sausages !



On the Sunday, we went horse riding in the morning, well Mark did, I just watched for a bit and then went shopping with Sheila for barbecue food. Lunchtime was spent at home having a barbecue with Natalie, Lauren and their rinky dinks. After that we had to get back to the airport as I had to get back to work (boo !!) so we set off for the airport in their second car, a Volvo. How we waved as we sped past the scene of our blow out the previous day ? Only to come to a shuddering halt about 1km down the road !!! Another breakdown..... This time we were up against the clock as my flight was leaving shortly and we needed to get to the airport. The Volvo refused to start and once again we had to call the rip off tow truck to remove our sorry arses off the motorway. Mark and me walked off in search of the next exit and a possible taxi. Sheila waited for the tow truck. After a while Sheila, the tow truck and Volvo passed us and we all met up at a junction at the bottom of the slip road. The topw truck duly removed even more hard cash from Sheila and we went off in search of a taxi. this shouldn't be difficult, thriving tourist country in the middle of Summer,ten minutes from the airport there must be hundreds of taxis about. Surely we'll be knee deep in them ? But no, nothing, not one for over 30 minutes. Eventually we got one, issued the French instruction for "step on it, good fellow, we've a plane to catch" and off we set. We arrived at the airport and I ran like a rat up a drain pipe only to discover that the flight didn't close for another half hour !! Doh !! Anyway, we'd managed to break 2 cars in 2 days. Mark hired a car at the airport to get them home which worked out well as he was flying the following morning himself. When mark got back to Gatwick, he found his car in the airport car park and the battery was flat ! 3 cars, 3 breakdowns, 3 days (are you keeping up ?). He gets the car going and is driving up the motorway when the clutch goes !! 3 cars, 4 breakdowns, 3 days (you couldn't make it up).

What else ? The Chili Peppers were cool.... thanks Kerry you're a star !! The lakes were fab.... thanks Si, Em, Jake & Sarah. All of the photo's today are taken around Lakeside (steam trains) or Grasmere (scenic shots). Tea with Shorty was great as always.
Things I've learned this week:-

1. I'm a jinx in a car with Mark and Sheila
2. You never know who you're sitting next to on a flight
3. That the weather in the Lakes can be inclement even in Summer


Until the next time !

John