423rd of January

 We made it.....

The end of a very l  o  n  g  month.  A very long month indeed.

It's been a month of Mondays.

Today has been a bit of a non-runner.

Need to give my head a shake and start getting on with stuff.

I updated my CV, went for a catch-up with some lovely people at a company that used to look after the goods we shipped out, got an appointment to meet a guy about a volunteering post I applied for, fed the dog, fell asleep...... wished it wasn't January.

Looking forward to walking the penultimate leg of the Calderdale Way (it's a 50 mile circular that's taken us far too long to complete) which is the first long(ish) circular I've ever attempted..... it's taken us months to get the right dates to meet up and complete, but we're near the end now....

As a wise man once said..... "It won't be long......"

I am sure it will clear my head when i get some lovely fresh air - we're doing Brighouse.... through to West Vale tomorrow.

Here's a little picture of the way marker of the Calderdale Way - we thought, for a period that was far too long, that the emblem was a carpet beater..... I am sure it's a tree with a carefully embedded C and W in it.... very clever.

out in t'cold

Today I went for a walk.

It's not difficult, you put one foot in front of the other and repeat.... and before you know it, you're back where you started.

Took the dog, and my recently estranged work colleagues.

Walked around a reservoir.  Past a sailing club.  Through the churchyard, between the graves.

Ice on the floor, water in front of us, fire in the sky, earth between our toes.  Elemental my dear Watson!

During such a time of flux when the carpet of work has been whipped squarely from under our feet, it's good to see the guys I called my "family", in a social environment.   We've shared some times together, and one of the things that hurt me the most about the whole disappearing carpet trick, was the thought of not seeing these lads any more.

I don't think I need worry.

Anyway....

The walk was pleasant, as was the company, apart from my snarling, reactive, slobbering hound, whenever someone or something approached us.

I'll introduce you to the dog at a later date.

I omitted to take photos - and for this, you have my sincere apologies..... I will try harder in the future.

I thank you.

(here's a pic from a few days ago when ice crystals formed horizontally on the branches - taken at Wholestone Quarry looking towards my old stomping ground of Worts Hill - which we referred to as Cornish Pasty)

end of an error

one door closes, another door opens.....

Or so they tell me.

I've been meaning to resurrect the old "blog" for quite some time.  A lot has happened, and of course, in the grand scheme of things, nothing has happened.

I'm still here, you're still there.... even if you're not.

There isn't an easy way to re-start something like this.  For enough time, I used this space for getting things off my chest, for pouring my thoughts out of my head and onto the screen.  It WAS cathartic.  I am sure in the future it will, again, provide some comfort and joy to me, but not today.

Let's just get this thing back on track.

I recently lost my job.

Not through any fault of my own, just because business is business.  What used to be a "family business" model was acquired, and although they took the "family" bit out of it, they were quite touchy-feely for a while.... and then it was acquired again, and it was reduced to the more formal "business" aspect, and the owner(s) were not good business-people.

They drove it into the ground.

We all saw it coming, but the thing that made us believe in the "family business" model gave us a weird sense of "community" and the belief that, having built it once, we could rebuild it again......

I don't think we ever had a chance.  The real competitor was within, and when you can shed your debts and keep buying your own business(es) back for a song, then you're gonna keep on doing that.

They don't see people.

It's too much to unpack.  It would make very boring reading.  Perhaps over the coming days/weeks i'll eventually start to explore some of the smaller eddies that are all playing out this year, and perhaps you'll be here to read about it..... or not.

Welcome back.... ish?