New job, new beginnings.

[Deleted User]

Well done, patman. Inspiring as ever:T. You certainly don't let the grass grow under your feet jobwise. Good luck with getting something permanent:beer:

patman99

Spent today finishing-off the demolition job i started o Monday (but couldn't finish due to rain). Have discovered that at least 2 of the battery packs for the cordless grinder and drill I purchased appear to be not fully functuional.

Luckily Ryobi have designed their One+ packs to be repairable as they are held together with screws rather than by being stuck.
Have looked online and it appears that the cells can be replaced with ones from laptop batteries (making sure to check they are the same voltage and amperage as those already in the pack).
As the packs have overload protection built in, any new cells I retro fit must be non-protected or the pack will shutdown.

This will be a job for another day, so will update as and when I do this.

patman99

Hmmmm...., been a while since I last visited this diary.

Since my last visit, I have had 2 deaths (1 funeral doen and one to come), had 2 contract extensions and have managed to hit my EF target of £1k.

I applied for, and was successful in, obtaining an interview for a trainee bus driver. However, due to what is going on in my life, I have withdrawn from the interview prior to attendance as I feel that in my current mental state, I am not ready to jump behind the wheel of a bus just yet.

My current job contract runs to 22nd April and I hope to get a further extension.

patman99

I can't believe it is almost a year since I last updated my diary.
In the last 12 months I have lost one job, started another, then moved to permanent employment.
My original job had 2 further contract extensions that took me up to the end of August. I then got tken-on as a Traffic Marshall on a site a mile from my house,but as this was only a temporary job, I kept my eye out for a permanent position and this came about this year.

I have seen my mortgage drop below £30k remaining and have got on top of my debts.

I have celebrated my silver wedding aniversary and have a 2nd honeymoon booked for May.

I need to start getting on top of the outstanding jobs around my flat.
Tonight, I stripped-down and repaired the hot water tap on the bath as it was running at a dribble. This just leaves the cold one to tacke anothe day.

That just leaves fixing the front door to stop the weather strip catching the weather bar at the bottom of the door.

After that, it is a case of painting the hall and bathroom followed by the kithcen and finally thr living room.

patman99

Made a bit of a boob at work this week. 2 of us were bending-up structural frame work and neither of us noticed one of the flanges was inward facing rather than outward facing on one of the sections. As a result, we wrongly folded over £500 worth of material.

patman99

Flip. Cannot believe I haven't visited/updated my diary for so long.

Still working for same employer, but now actively job hunting.

Debts are nicely under control.

Have completed a few building projects round my mums house, such as repointing a garden wall (having never done this before, I was pleased with the end result), constructed a new fishpond where she can actually access it, repaired the lean-to door so it no long drags on the ground (and fitted a new dog flap at the same time), serviced the mower and replaced the leaking washing machine connector in the garage.

Meanwhile, at mine, i have fitted a new toilet and basin (the £90 I spend on a basic plumbing course has more than paid for itself) and finally mamaged to fix my front door so it easy to open and shut.

Phew!!.

I am now in the middle of rebuilding my trailer (what started out as a simple 'replace the sides and floor' has turned into an 'as I have the sides and floor out, I might as well replace the bent drawbars and re-attach the braking system'). This has invovled the purchase of a welder (a new tool for me) which I am picking up fairly quickly.

My EF is growing nicely and I am even going to make small overpayments to my mortgage.