MERRY CHRISTMAS TO
ALL OUR FRIENDS
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO
ALL OUR FRIENDS
(This page is not designed to be printed)
2007
- The Headlines
And now, in more detail Lynne - Still working for the same practice, part time. However, cutbacks mean she is no longer on the Retainer Scheme, which means the practice don't get any funding for her. Fortunately, they still want her to continue working, so she must be doing something right! After Christmas they are moving to new premises, which should prove 'interesting'. Her Mum is getting more frail, and suffering from poor memory, which is becoming increasingly worrying. She has good days and bad days, but is still stubborn enough to refuse help. In her spare time Lynne is doing a short course with the Open University now. It's all about the environment, energy conservation and the like - goes by the name of "Technology for a Sustainable Future" and is very interesting. Needless to say, we are becoming more conscious of our carbon footprint, recycling, green energy and so on. Ian - not much change here. Still troubled by kidney stones (3 this year) but fortunately they are not big enough to get stuck - in fact we haven't actually found one yet. However, they do cause great pain for many hours. But I guess we should be grateful that it's not a life-threatening condition. Travelling to Oldham most days is becoming a drag, and it would be good to work closer to home (all reasonable offers considered). In an ideal world early retirement would be nice, but I don't think it's financially viable unless we can get a good price for Peter on Ebay. Ben - Finished his job with the Post Office in February. He then took a job with Autism Initiatives caring for young adults with autism, while he continued to look for engineering jobs. They have a centre about a mile up the road so it was quite convenient, and he found it very enjoyable work. After a few months he was offered a Graduate Engineer job with a company in Preston called Assystems (what an awful name), who do a lot of work in aerospace for companies like BAe Systems. He was sorry to leave the caring job, but the engineering pay scales are much more attractive. As I write he is still settling in, but remains on the 'bank' staff at Autism Initiatives so he can still do a few odd sessions. On the personal front he is renting a house in Southport with a couple of friends, but still coming home regularly to raid the fridge and do washing. At first it was hard to tell whether he had moved out but was still spending nights at home; or whether he was living at home but spending odd nights away! He remains very keen on his hockey, but has not continued on to Phase II of the Marines training since leaving Newcastle. Still looking for Miss Right (just hope her first name isn't 'Always'). Susie - Returned from France in June after a very enjoyable and successful year. She has made lots of French friends and went back for their equivalent of freshers' week in September. The biggest change we have noticed is that she now drinks coffee and red wine. She spent much of the summer in Sheffield working for the University Maths Dept as a research assistant on a couple of projects they were doing. The main one involved surveying mainline stations to see if they were correctly advertising fare deals, and then going to the enquiries office to get prices for various test journeys. Rather worryingly, most of them got it wrong, and some said the tickets she was asking for didn't even exist! On the positive side she has developed an excellent knowledge of the rail network, and is a very confident traveller these days. Now she's back in Sheffield doing her final year. And next... who knows? Peter - Successfully negotiated his GCSEs and got his place at our 6th Form College to do his BTEC in Music Technology. He is really enjoying it so far, though his bedroom is increasingly coming to resemble some sort of recording studio. His skateboard and his guitar still consume most of his spare time. Most surprisingly (to us) is that he has managed to get himself a job at the YMCA and has done courses on coaching - not just skateboarding, but sports in general. It pays good money too, so he can fund his skating and music habits! We had a little scare in September, when he developed an odd rash and some bruises. It being a Saturday, Lynne whisked him off to A&E where a blood test confirmed her suspicions - low platelet count. (the bits that help blood to clot). It was low enough for him to spend 36 hrs in hospital, but then it started going up again so they let him out. It has now returned to normal over the last 10 weeks, so we're all relieved. Apparently it's just something that can happen in young people, and is probably triggered by a virus. (This means they don't know - Ed.) Holidays - Despite my comments last year about it probably being the last time we have a holiday together as a family, when Ben & Susie learned we were planning a week in Tenerife they suddenly wanted to come. I suppose it's my fault for paying their air fare. Still, we had a good time despite Ben spending every spare moment texting his then (new) girlfriend. It's a loveley island if you get away from the commercial bits, which we did in our hired Skoda (don't laugh). We thought we had got the only one on the island, but on the last day we saw the other one. And so, as the reindeer of time slips on the snowy roof of eternity, to plunge into the backyard of fate, smashing the sleigh of opportunity to smithereens..... it only remains to wish you all Season's Greetings, and a Happy New Year. With love from Ian, Lynne, Ben, Susie & Peter PS. If you are interested, follow this link to our Christmas Song Quiz. The object is to come up with the next line of the various songs. It's just for fun, and yes - I know you can find the answers easily by bashing the words into Google, but where's the satisfaction in that? |
Click
on any of the images for a bigger view
 Susie's 21st  Southport skies  In Grange, we wander onto the set of the remake of "The Birds"  Puerto de la Cruz Botanical Gardens  Masca, Tenerife 
Pensive Ben  Pete with baby Leon (Ian's great-nephew) 
Visitors took up residence on our pond |
