2013 working months?
01 January 2014
Life in the Uk?
This is the bit where I fill in the missing months/weeks away from Nanjo?
It's been a great time back at work in all honesty. I'm very lucky to have walked back into my job, but better still a better duty and for me better hours. I'm now a spare driver and work a 4 x 10hr split week night shift. My week at work goes very quickly, with the split shift, I'm making enough money to avoid having to do extra overtime, which is great. And being a spare driver means I get to go to places I've never seen before. My work mates are all a laugh and I'm lucky to be in a very stable job, perhaps to stable as I was hoping to get voluntary redundancy?
My flat is just perfect for me, reasonably cheap to run and just a haven to chill out in and relax. My sister did me proud finding it for me. It's really because of the above that my plans have changed again regarding going back sailing full time. The new plan is to work now until March 2015, then hopefully apply for another year career break? I have no plans to launch Nanjo in 2014, just going out a couple of times for some work and checking on her. I thought very carefully about this, and had intended to try and get a month of work to launch and do some sailing. But when I really thought about it, it just didn't make sense. It would be a week getting her ready for launch and then stripping down again. In the remaining three weeks I would probably just visit places I sailed to already? So, a no brainer really. I've now applied for my leave in six individual weeks, and spread them through the year. At the moment I'm looking at 2 weeks out to Nanjo, a week in Devon/Cornwall touring around, and three separate weeks visiting friends. After all, once I'm out for good in March 2015, I won't have any plans to return home hopefully. So friends will have to come out and see me?
I managed to sell my old banjo on e-bay for a silly amount of money, and it allowed me to buy a Seyvlor inflatable canoe. I had seen several while travelling around, and they looked ideal to have on board for exploring. I've had a load of fun with it so far, my plans are to try and canoe the River Nene this year bit by bit. Everybody I've taken out in it so far has a great time. A good buy for future use in Greece.
I'm constantly checking e-bay and other sites for bits for Nanjo. I've now bought all the small items I think I need/want? It's the big ticket items I now have to buy, and intend getting them new. Because of this, I won't buy them until the month before I leave the UK. Purely for the guarantee they give and storage. My list so far includes the following items: fridge compressor/evaporator plate kit, calorifier, hand held vhf, new perspex windows, mainsail (UK/Greece depending on price?), inverter and a few other bits. I'm hoping to get my white van man to ship it out for me when I leave. Think Nanjo will need the waterline moving up?
I've spent 2013, trying to learn to play the guitar. I bought a small travel acoustic, but it's hard work. A chance viewing of the for saleboard in my local Sainsbury and I picked up an electric guitar with amp for £50. I can make a lot more noise with that for sure? I've not even played my teach yourself Greek cd's, so no surprise there then. I did manage to tick of one of my bucket list items recently. My first opera, Aida was playing for one night locally to me so I booked a great seat. To be honest, it was superb, I loved the voices and over the top acting. The male tenor and baritone were amazing, along with the female lead soprano. I will try and see another one for sure.
I've managed to get out and about on the old Yamaha, to several bike race meetings. I picked up a cheap semi serious camera a Fuji Finepix and have been enjoying taking hundreds of photos just trying to get the hang of it. I was never really happy with the pics I took while on Nanjo, fingers crossed this will make them better?
I've been having a great time meeting up with old and new friends, and even now I'm busy recruiting new crew for when I return. And meeting new people all the time.
I managed to stay healthy in 2013, not one days sick leave? But as expected, my weights started to creep back up again. Sitting in a truck most of the night does not help, even though I've still managed to avoid munching excessive amounts of Yorky bars. But, I'm not back to my old weight yet luckily. My hair has not been touched, by that I mean trimmed. It's not growing anywhere as fast as I hoped, and I think the Gandalf look I want might be a long time coming?
I guess my one extravagance as been buying a car, I know that I said I wouldn't and managed to do that until late October. It was the onset of the wetter/colder weather on the Yamaha that started me looking. Plus the fact my savings are earning absolutely no interest in the bank. After some looking and trying cars, I stumbled across the one I've bought. It will probably be my last car, so I fancied a convertible for fun, having had an old Triumph Spitfire years ago, and loved every minute with the roof down. I picked up a gorgeous old Z3, and it's just so much fun. Bit like a 4 wheel Yamaha, it's now on my bucket list to take it to the Nurburgring in 2014, so fingers X.
Hopefully 2014 will be spent, as 2013. Being healthy and in employment, having fun on my own and with friends. Roll on March 2015 and my return to long term sailing.