The 18 year escape plan

When I first started working in my current job 18 years ago, I thought at the time that I would only do it for 2 or 3 years and then go onto something different. I beavered away at it and when I paused for breath, 5 years had gone by. So for the next 6 years I started applying for jobs, none of which I got.
The rejection letters piled up and I resigned myself to the fact that I was getting too old for the job market and I would probably retire from the current job in 13 years time.
Then, last month, I got a phone call out of the blue from one of the photo managers at Head Office. My current company was setting up some photolabs to process film from stores that don't have an on-site processing facility, they needed a manager to run it and would I be interested in applying.
After much deliberation I sent my cv off. I didn't think for one minute I'd get the job after my past experiences but at least it was a day out and a free lunch as well.
My worst fears were confirmed when I saw the calibre of the candidates at the selection day. Oh well, give it my best shot, I thought, and make sure I'm first in line for the buffet.
The selection day was at the end of September and I hadn't heard anything since, which made me feel even more that I hadn't got the job, so imagine my surprise when the same manager phoned me up on Thursday offering me the post. I start the new job on 14th November. It had taken so long because, with 14 labs going in they were still interviewing up until Wednesday.
Apparently I had shone through and beaten off some stiff competition. I must admit that I thought I was destined to stay in my current job for a long time yet so I really am chuffed to get this.
I have sent my plan to the store escape commitee and they have approved it.

All I need now is to dig the tunnel.

"Last of the Summer Wine"- town

On the 3rd Sunday of the month, a local town- Holmfirth- holds a farmers market. Farmers markets are very popular because the farmers and local producers can sell their produce direct to the public, without using the middle-men. The public like them because they can get cheap, mainly organic produce which tastes ten times better than what you get in the supermarkets.
The Holmfirth market is a well established one with about 40 stalls selling anything from veggies to Venison steaks.
The gang and myself went out there today and came home with loads of veg, free range eggs, homemade bread, some jars of pickles and some parkin, ( a Yorkshire cake made from treacle and ginger.)
Holmfirth itself was made popular because of the long running tv series, "Last of the Summer Wine." The BBC used the town and surrounding area to shoot most of the scenes. Click on the links to learn more about the town and tv series.

And by the way, I got some lovely carrots to juice.

To Stoodley Pike and back

We parked the car at Withens Clough resevoir and took the old packhorse route from Cragg Vale to Mankinholes en-route to Stoodley Pike.
This is a picture of the Te Deum stone which is at the top of the track before you descend into Mankinholes. Apparently, if anyone died in Cragg Vale, they had to be buried in Mankinholes and the shortest route was over this hill. The undertakers used to rest the coffin on the Te Deum stone, so they could have a breather.
This was our objective for today. Stoodley Pike monument has stood on the top of this hill for over 150 years. The Pennine Way, one of the National Trails, goes past this place before dipping down into Hebden Bridge.
I took this of Withens Clough Reservoir as we were descending down to the car park. The sun gives it an eery effect as it glints of the water.
And a picture of the gang, glad to have found the car again!

Hello Again

Well, Autumn is upon us in this neck of the woods, the trees are shedding their leaves, the nights are drawing in, there's a definite chill in the air, our squirrel is hiding the peanuts we put out for it and it's also hidden some acorns we brought back from one of our walks. I hope it finds them again because I don't particularly want Oak trees growing in the back garden. The frogs have vanished from the wildlife ponds, probably to hibernate. You can't see a Swallow anymore, all gone south. The remaining tomatoes in the greenhouse aren't ripening fast enough to keep up with demand but had a bumper crop of plums which has been made into jam, and the silly season has started already, a month before bonfire night.

And I've finally posted on the blog!

Jody who lives in Iowa and maintains one of my favourite blog reads, wonders if I've over-juiced (previous post) because I've not posted for a while. Although I'm still juicing and enjoying every last drop of the scummy, yummy liquid gold ( 30lbs lost now and still going down), I've not posted because...erm, I can't actually think of a reason why I shouldn't have done. I could use the excuse that I've been busy doing other things but I haven't, or because I've been too lethargic, but with all the veggy juice flowing through my veins, I really can't use that excuse either. Let's put it down to me not realising how much time had passed since my last post, heh.

My lad has joined the local Cub Scout Pack and the little lass is jealous as anything because she can't join the Brownies until she's 7 in January. To add to her misery, she has had to start wearing spectacles to correct her eyesight. Must be hereditary, because I started wearing them when I was 9. Poor lamb.

This week I'm on a Union Reps course in Leeds a year after I started doing the job.

And for breakfast I drank 2 carrots, quarter of cucumber, 2 celery sticks, 1 apple and a courgette.

Lipsmackin, thirst quenching, green coloured, scum forming.. veggies.