Hello World meet tay tay

OldEric says ;-) Yes World, this is Tay Tay text messaging. We love getting emails from Tay Tay. Give her a call World p.gwillis@xtra.co.nz This is an email we just received from her. She will stay with us after Xmas for the next 2 years, completing her schooling. Tay Tay is her on line name on hotmail.We are Tay Tay's Grandad and Nana and we love Tay Tay.

Hello its me tahlia!
ow are you both?
well im fine, i got my ski trip photo's developed the other week so when i see you next i'll have to show you them :)
So what have you been doing?
I've been working at the cafe for the last 3 days so i earnt myself $70 which is goos so im going to go into town tomorrow and bank that, and im also going to go adn get a hair cut because im trying to grow my hair and it needs a cut because its got to the pint where its not going to grow anymore untill i go and get it cut hehehe!
i've also got to babysit caitlin tommorow so that should be fun, but not really hehehe, she hit her foot just before so she is walking around with a bandige on her foot, gosh i dont know, she is a bit of a drama queen, hehehe.
well dad just got home, he's been out to watch the rugby some where so he just got back and mum is sitting out in the lounge in the dark watching t.v, and ashlee went through to hamilton today to stay with debbie and luke for the week so i think she is going to go to the movies with luke, i think shes going to go and see stewart little 2.
well i better go now i think that we might get a power cut soon im not sure because the weather isnt to great and before the lights were flickering and the t.v was getting these fuzzy lines through it. :)
so i will catch you later.
bub bye.
love from tahlia! x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Sunday Mornings

OldEric says :-). Yes It's Sunday once more. Often once a week, if we are home we will have full English breakfast and Sunday is the day. We will dine on eggs, fried or scrambled, we will have sausages, baked beans and bacon and HP sauce complete with hot buttered toast. We will set out the table formally on old Mary's table cloth with the best china and tea strainer and have expensive Darjeeling tea from the slopes of the Himalayas. We eat leisurely and talk and enjoy our 20 minutes of pleasure.
Then comes the washing up, a small price to pay for those minutes of pleasure.
After my heart problems, I was told to keep my cholesterol levels lower than considered average. The levels were not high in the first place but I found it a little difficult to keep them lower than average. The Statin family of drugs became available but they are expensive and, to apply for a health service subsidy the cholesterol levels have to be high. The test was 3 readings high taken at 1 month intervals. The previous evening to my test I always had a high cholesterol meal and this pushed my readings just over the threshold level. I know, not a very ethical thing to do.
Old Mary’s table cloth belonged to my mother, vintage ‘50s era, linen, orange and blue flowers and an orange border, with a few small holes now. Long ago, on Sunday evenings when my brother John and I would were leaving for our distant employment she would invariably get the tablecloth out when setting table for our pre-travel dinner. During my brother Johns last visit to NZ with Edith, his wife they presented the tablecloth to me. They had kept it in a drawer all these years. Now it is one of my treasures.

Daisies and Lawns

OldEric says :- As I look down on our rear garden from the windows of our dining area I look over the undulating back lawn. Our house is on 2 levels and the living area is effectively one storey up and I look down on the lawn. We had it mown on Monday and by Friday the damp daisies were twinkling through, just like little stars or like the small reflective pieces shining when the lights are on in our textured ceilings. Some people spend a fortune in time and money trying to rid themselves and their manicured lawns of daisies. I don't, I like daisies, I always have. I let them grow and I take pleasure from them in idle moments. Long ago in idle moments, in summer, we would pick daisies and make daisy chains like countless children before us. As I looked I looked out of the window yesterday, a thought of those far of days came back to me. Do children today make daisy chains?
Our lawns are cut as required by the IHC boys, a gang of 4 will turn up with their carer, Alan and 4 lawnmowers will roar into action. One lawnmower is loud, and 4 .... It is all over in 20 minutes. It used to take our boys, Ian then later Tony (there I've said "it", not Anthony) a good hour to mow the lawns.
Occasionally I would mow the lawns too and it used to take me an hour also. Now it is all over in 20 minutes. As the IHC boys complete the mowing Alan follows them with his weed eater and trims the lawn edges and the little corner pockets. Alan then comes in, collects his cheque and we have a chat. As Alan leaves, I sometimes think another worthwhile donation to charity with something in return. The boys wave as they go, we have become fond of the boys over time, each with their own personality. All monies earned goes into a pool for extras, for trips and other things they would not normally receive. The ones unable to mow lawns share too. Yes, I’m glad the daisies return, a small thing perhaps, but likes and dislikes, even small, are all part of living. pat.eric@xtra.co.nz

Square Pegs and Round Holes

OldEric says :- I am sure we all know the saying. Robbo was a square peg in a round hole. Robbo worked for the British Post Office as an accounts and counter clerk and his hobby was electronics. I met him in my early, late 20s he would have been in his mid 30s. At that time I was working as an electronics engineer for a TV relay company branch in Kendal, Cumbria. The company were in the process of great expansion and we needed part time staff to modify TV sets to work on the relay system. Although this job tended to be somewhat repetitive it needed people able to read electronic circuits and modify circuits as appropriate. Robbo with a young family and expenses needed extra income and he applied for a position and used to come in after hours or at weekends. This suited everyone fine as the company worked semi shift work up to 10pm 7 days a week. Robbo quickly adapted to the work and supervision need only to be minimal. My work was semi shift and I spent all my time in the workshop and working in close proximity of Robbo, and over time I became firm friends with Robbo.
I would sometimes visit his home and we would often discuss electronics and his other love-- hi fi music to which he tried to improve his amplifiers and speakers. Robbo would often lament about his Post Office job and wish he could have trained to be an engineer and be employed in electronics. I used to say "why not, Robbo", The local polytechnic ran electronic courses, then mostly in the evening and he had the intelligence to do it. It would have been slow but quite possible. Robbo used to say "but.....".
Robbo's problem was he was tied to his job, by superannuation. He and the Post Office had been paying into the superannuation fund since he was a boy of 15. Leaving he would have lost the lot. Yes, Robbo unfortunately was tied to his job by family commitments. In today’s environment superannuation is often portable and retraining is the name of the game. Even so before we go down an employment road we should ask our selves the question. Will I be happy in my chosen work even after the novelty has worn off? Will I be unhappy? Or, will I be somewhere in between? To look in hind sight is easy to look ahead is not.
We left Kendal in 1966 to come to New Zealand and I would occasionally think of Robbo and the job he disliked and could not easily leave. As far as I know he did not. He will now be retired. Yes Robbo should have been an electronics engineer, he had the aptitude, intelligence and the analytical mind.
In my children I tried to point them in the right direction to suit their make up to the best of my ability. It is difficult in teenage years to do this, it is a turbulent time. Did Robbo's parents try? Did they try and get it wrong? Or were they ruled by convention of the time? I don't know , I don't suppose I ever will.

First draft

Ullswater: Lady Lowther and Thwaitehill Farm

Lady Lowther was the estranged wife of the then Lord Lonsdale and when she came to Thwaitehill farm to live she had the house extensively altered. Thwaitehill was just up the road from our home at Sharrow lodge and Lady Lowther liked young company. So we spent many happy hours there. She had 2 sons and a daughter. James, Anthony and Ann. James I knew little about except he eventually became Lord Lonsdale. Anthony I knew little more, he was at the time an army captain. Lady Lowther always called him Captain. Ann was in her early, late teens and at boarding school, we saw her when she came on school holidays. I learnt in later years that she married and was in Germany. There, she died in a motor accident in 1966. I visited Askham the home of the Lowther’s with John in 2000 and at the church saw Lady Muriel Lowther's grave also Ann's grave.

In the early, mid 1940s, we boys spent many hours up at Thwaitehill farm. Lady Lowther seemed to enjoy our company and we hers. Thinking now, I would say she was lonely. Other than Secarno and her busy farm manager there was no one else. We boys were my brother John, cousin David Bell, when on holiday, Peter Embley sometimes and I. Later years there was also Mason Wear whom I met on the Penrith secondary school bus from Patterdale, we became friends. Mason was the son of Joe Wear, Huntsman of the Ullswater Foxhounds in the 1930-1940s. We were all welcome.

Sometimes with Lady Lowther, we would go round the farm with the old Fell Pony each of us taking rides in turn, whilst she taught us how to ride correctly. She in her warm suede jacket and wellingtons (gumboots). Going round the farm, her dog loved the outing as she checked the fences, hedges and stock.

Sometimes if it was raining, we would skip the walk and she would sit down and teach us to play backgammon, I enjoyed this game. (presently we have the game in the house here. It belongs to Ian. Each time he comes home from over seas, it always seems he has too much other stuff to take back with him). Sometime back, Pat and I talked about taking the backgammon game out and I teaching her to to play. That is if I can still remember after 60 plus years.

Other times when raining, if Lady Lowther was busy she would point us to one of the 2 big sheds at back of the yard, they housed the overflow of stuff she brought with her when she first arrived at Thwaitehill farm. In one shed there were many boxes of children’s stuff. Near the back was a trunk of all kinds including postage stamps, both British and foreign. She said that I could have them if they were of any use to me. Some where but may were not. What I did find was a block of six unused

later British penny reds, they became the pride of place of my collection. The only thing was they had some “rust” on the back. There was also quite a few old Turkish stamps which I acquired, not because I needed them but for the reason that they they were unusual in that they were 8 sided. I kept them for many years in my odds and end box.

Most of my life I have been interested in stamps, I started collecting when I was 7-8. I was given a stamp album for Christmas. Like most children, I initially used glue to place the stamps into the album until I discovered stamp hinges.

Lady Lowther, through questions found out I collected stamps. One day she took me upstairs and out of a cupboard took out a large Gibbons stamp album. Page by page she turned over the leaves. I was enthralled. At the last page, she closed the album and put it back into the cupboard. Periodically, I would ask her if I could "see the stamps" and we would go upstairs and she would drag out the albums to show me, always a fresh one. After a while when I asked to look at stamps again,she said “you have seen them all, now”. I remember, I felt disappointed, my face must have fallen; then she smiled and said “would you like to see them again”? I nodded, vigorously.

All were from the British Commonwealth and Colonies, all were in full mint sets, including all the expensive values. I often used to wish they were mine. I could not afford to buy them on my meagre pocket money and earnings. I was limited to “short sets”, that is without the high values A short set is up to about a shilling value only.

Sometimes when we went up to Lady Lowther's she said she was going out shortly. It was not an excuse to get rid of us. Next breath would be, do you want to come for a ride? We would call at the Lodge to tell our mother. Often these rides would be to distant farms in the Ullswater area. Lady Lowther was writing a history of the area, at least I understood it was. Usually the door lintel had the date on it and before writing the date down, she would ask to do so first. Then she would ask the occupants various questions after telling them the reason for her interest. She often asked about finding anything strange in the vicinity or such-like. As the conversation warm up all kind of information was teased from the people. At the end of the conversation she politely thanked them for their time before we drove away.

Many years later in my business I used this technique to prise information from customers and others using short questions even sometimes if I already knew the answer. I always politely thanked them for their time. I learnt it all from Lady Muriel Lowther.

Lady Lowther had 2 cars both the same, Red and Black. Ford Anglia's, I think. She was a heavy smoker and in the car it used to get so fugged up. After a while she would shout over the engine noise “can one o f you boys open the window”, then she would say “ah, that's better”! Sometimes she would shout “pass me my cigarettes, they're in the glove box” She would wrestle with the packet with one hand until one would pop out and she would stick it in her mouth. Then she would shout again to who ever was in the passenger seat “hold the wheel while I light the damn thing”. Cars didn't travel very fast in those days and not many were on the back-roads. Sometimes the car would head for the grass verge and hedge, she would then grab the wheel.

During Christmas time Lady Lowther usually had a present waiting for us when we visited. One year I remember, there a flat parcel for me, as I felt it she said open it. I did and there was 3 thinnish books, Bird books. Opening one I saw a vertical line of birds eggs, beautifully painted and the bird, too. Also a short written piece describing where to find them. The 3 books covered Common Birds, Uncommon Birds, and Rarer Birds. Each with their egg pained. The paintings were so real.

Some time ago Lady Lowther had been quizzing me about my interests and I hadLady Lowther told her about egg collecting and she said her boys, when young also followed this interest. I was so pleased with the books.

First draft

Ullswater: The Story of Secarno.

Secarno was Polish and had been a member of the Free Polish Army during WW2. He became the man servant of Lady Lowther who lived at Thwaitehill Farm on the shores of Ullswater. Secarno would be in his mid 30s when I knew him. He was pleasant man, medium height, round faced, broad forehead and lanky hair. We used to spend considerable time at Lady Lowther's home, my brother John and I. John more than me. I remember Secarno as being a lonely man and though he smiled often, a sad man. His English speech was broken and spoken with a thick accent. He had contact with Poland by mail and used to get letters regularly from which he would always give me the postage stamps from the envelope. I may still have them today, I must look. To combat his loneliness he used to visit the Howtown Hotel 1.5 miles away seeking company, his transport an old bike.

The route there was easy riding, down the hill and then flat almost the way to Howtown. Coming home was a different matter sometimes. On the last lap home was the hill. As we all did up a hill, we rode our bikes from side to side to lessen the incline. Secarno did also and sometimes, he forgot to turn, he and the bike would land in the ditch. Occasionally, worse for ware he stayed there until morning. In my 2000 trip to England I visited Martindale church I stumbled on Secarno's grave. He was born in 1910 and died in 1960 aged 50.

Thinking about his life, the memories came flooding back of those times. Much later after we left Sharrow Bay in 1948, I learnt he had committed suicide. Was it loneliness or something else? On my visit to Martindale church I had found wilted daffodils on his grave and as I exchanged the wilted flowers with Bluebells the only flowers to hand, I wondered who had put the daffodils there. As I stood sadly by the grave my eyes were moist; as a boy I had liked Secarno.

A Short note

OldEric says :- I've 10 minutes only. Pat needs the computer for the local bird club newsletter. I shan't stop her ,as co-newsletter publisher, it is less for me to do,hi. Then I can spend more time opening up my mind to the Blog (just joking, of course). Some say, if the thoughts there....... Spent time on my 2000 trip journal. this afternoon. I close down at 3 pm most days but today I closed my work a little earlier.
Had Emails from my son Ian and also my niece's husband Pete, otherwise known as Nomad, when surfing the net. They have both found my other website and hence the Blog. I have a link to it.
Well 10 minutes have elapsed and I wait for the shout from upstairs, "Eeeeric, will you be long?". Goodbye for now.

Exercise

OldEricsays :- I discovered exercise when I was 56. I was'nt a couch potatoe by any means, I was reasonably active doing "things". At 56 I had, out of the blue, a heart attack which laid me low for quite awhile. I now have a dead area in the middle of my heart. On the plus side I learnt the rest of the heart was fairly good condition. The cause was probably a blood clot sticking in a narrow part of an artery. When I was on my feet again I asked the Specialist all the usual questions which he answered to the best of his ability and he finished with the word WALK, which I did. Every morning at 6.15am rain or shine for 20 months I walked. Never missed. I bought rainwear and went out even when the rain was horizontal. Pat would say "leave it this morning, its too stormy" I went, I walked. I would walk 4 to 5 kilometers. The hell was scared out of me. Somtimes I would be so tired I would stop 2-3 times coming up the hill on the last lap home. I walked until it hurt and then stopped. The Specialist had said walk up to the point of angina.
5 years after my heart attack I was in hospital again, but just for a check up. The heart was probed up through the main artery from the groin and the results logged. A sound scan was done also. The Cardiologist showed me the results, pointing out the dead area and the expanded small arteries round the dead area, carrying the blood to other parts to the heart. I'm felt lucky I walked and today I still feel lucky, I Walked.
After 20 months I was fit and although I would get tired as the day progressed I felt I had acheived somthing. I continued walking 3-4 times a week and have in the main, continued to do so ever since. Even now at 68. About 5 years ago I broke a tendon in my thigh lifting and turning with the load. The tendon would heal then I would damage it again---lifting. Scar tissue built up and it became a vicous circle. Visits to the doctor and therapy helped. Suggested advise did'nt. Eventually a new young therapist took over, Jennine, she was interested in sports medicine and she pin-pointed the problem. After her manipulation and advise my leg was much improved and stays that way although as she said "it would never be the same again". I hold much respect for her.
For the past 16 months I have been walking round "our" lake, 300 metres away as the crow flies. A kilometre by road. I drive down and park. The track round the lake is, so the signage says 3.62 kilometres around and I walk that 3-5 times a week. More on the lake later.

Anthony and Ian

OldEric says :- We had a visit from our youngest son Anthony (call me Tony) yesterday, just passing through with Craig. Busy day for visitors. They had been up Port Waikato and other places, looking over the secondhand shops, old pottery, etc . He says he will come soon to take the electronic rubbish to the refuse centre if there is a full load. He is very helpful with this chore as I find it difficult to manage heavy stuff now. He is now looking much better after his bout of illness. We will need his help with our new aviary sections soon. We bought a commercial one this time and the sections need an extra pair of hands. I can use Jim across the road, I do occasionally but he is inclined to know best and take over.

An email from eldest son Ian waiting for us this morning. It looks as if we will be sailing the upper reaches of the Thames when we visit next year. When we visit, an important place to visit and photograph will be the source of the Thames, not too far from Cricklade. My old camera gave problems last visit and I should get a new one. Should be a digital one, but a good one is a little too expensive for the use I would put it to. They have reduced in price some time ago but still too much. Prices in hang mode. Still we have Pat's compact one. It takes very good photos. Getting exited as I think of our trip more and more. The places I should have visited last time and did'nt. If we go to Edinburgh as daughter Gillian wants to do ---- she is coming with us this trip for just 3 week only, we will return via Newcastle. I would like to visit cousin David, He has had a stroke recently and lost his speech. We were very close as boys.

The Lake

OldEric Says :- Yachts back on the lake this morning.New season must be starting. From our lounge window we overlook Lake Hakanoa, small, about 250-300 acres I think. We are on high ground about 250 yards away. Just the small yachts this morning. I like it best when the big trailer-sailers are on and spinnackers up. Beautiful picture. They are big enough to sleep on board and often have all weekend. Yes, there are a few more now with at least 3 trailer-sailers with spinnackers up. late this morning Geoff and Anna with Bob , 5 called in to see us. They had been staying over the weekend at a friends place south of us here in Huntly and were on their way back to their home in Waiuku near Auckland. We talked as we watched the yachts. Geoff is my nephew and we enjoys their visits.

Our Trip

OldEric says :- Been thinking of our overseas trip this morning, in April 2003. We will go to England only this time. Back early July. Pat is a church synod cordinator and the yearly meeting is in mid-July. The following year 2004 we will visit Singapore again for a couple of weeks. I like Singapore and the people. Little crime there and not much hassling from street traders. Very safe for lone women. Often see late night workers going home alone through empty streets. We love to visit Little India district. The bazaar style trading with each shop extended over the pavement to the road edge gives the impression of one continuous shop. The music, smells of spices and incense, the little workshops and a myriad other things make it a facinating place.

Its Saturday morning in NZ

OldEric says :- Yes, Saturday morning, up at 6.30am. An email from Ian came in as I read the Telegraph so sent him a short reply back. Gillian phoned yesterday and happily told us Tahlia has been accepted for Sacred Heart School. She will start in the 5th form. Now we will have a boarder for the next 2 years. Pat seems quietly pleased. Her maternal instincts to the fore. When children mature and leave home it is a wrench for parents especially the mother. A void is left. Tahlia will help to fill that void, as a little girl she always enjoyed staying at her Nana's and Pat enjoyed having her. I'm glad.
As I look out of the window, in the quiet of the early morning, the sun shines through the Rimu tree and a Thrush keeps flying into its thick foliage with nesting material. I like Spring, a time of new life, my favourite season. On the distant hill two cows stand feeding outlined on the skyline. A calf scampers around one. At times like this I feel at peace with the world and glad I am part of it.
We have had stormy weather, rain showers these past 2 days, the beginnings of the Equinox winds and temperature variations. We will have unstable weather for the next month or so. One year we did not get the Equinox rains and we suffered a severe summer drought. Now its time for breakfast.

Joy and Frustration

OldEric says:- Last night I decided to start building my new Website. I used Microsoft Word, I cannot program in html----yet.Everything went fine, just a few hiccups. Multi-pages, menus, hyper links, etc. Experimented with different aspects and made myself familiar with all its aspects.
I continued this morning, producing, converting pages to html and doing trial installs and checking links. All no problem.....easy. Until ......I wanted to convert a Works flat file database to html and link. Brickwall. tried everything. Read help, consulted manuals, wracked the grey matter, experimented to no avail. Don't like to be beaten. Frustration go and tell the Blog.
I often do, when at the brink of defeat in my workshop with an electronic problem, kick it under the bench for a few days. I then go back to the problem a few days later and often solve the problem quickly. The unconscious is a wonderful tool.

Ullswater

 I lived at Sharrow Bay on the shores of Ullswater from the age of 5 until I was 15 during the WW2 years. I look back now and realize the idyllic existance we lived in those far off days. We swam, we fished and we climbed the fells, we built tree houses and caves. One year it snowed and we were blocked in, no school. The lake was frozen over and we crossed from one side to another. We were snowbound so long we ran out staple foods so with Dad and I went down the lake centre to Pooley Bridge store and carried back our groceries on our backs in a sack. All the way we could hear the ice groaning and grumbling from its own weight. One year we were snow bound and the local farmers and workers decided to dig the road out.We helped too. The day we finished, a futher snow storm occurred that night and next morning the snow, blown down off the fellsides filled the road again. Just as it was before we dug it out. There was no road, no fences, gates or hedges to be seen. Just a contiuous expanse of pristine snow. And during the morning, the sun shone and sparkled over natures work.

A quiet day

OldEric says:- Yes the day is quiet. Not many jobs waiting and all run of the mill. The sort you do with your mind on other things. This afternoon continued writing up our 2000 Uk trip notes and amplifying the interesting bits.
We had a phone call from Gillian last night. The school interview had gone well. Just one little slip using Yep instead of Yes. Minor really. The girls were suprised at the tidy school and the quietness. Sister Pauline stressed to Tahlia the strict work ethic and the will to achieve. Sadly lacking in todays state schools. It will be a little hard for Tahlia at first but I'm sure she will pull through. A little love and encouragement goes a long way.
Got a post card from brother John this morning. He lives in England. He has joined The National Trust. A birthday subscription. John and Edith have gone on a 2 month tour of National Trust houses and mansions. 2000 houses to get through!

Its Monday morning

OldEric says:- I wander down stairs to my shop. Just another day for me. Is it Monday or Tuesday?
Gillian left this morning with her girls. The all important interview at 9am sharp. Tahlia has had much advise for the interview. Tahlia, address the principle, Good morning Sister Pauline or just Good morning Sister. Dont sniff in her presence, I know you have a cold. On leaving this morning she hugged and kissed me . Good bye,grandad. I said butterflies and she whispered lots.
It will be all over now and they will be on their way back to Whitianga.

Family Visit

OldEric says:- Today Gillian visits with our grandaughters Tahlia and Ashlee and all are staying overnight. Tomorrow is a big day for Tahlia. Gillian will take her in for an interview for starting at Sacred Heart Girls College in nearby Hamilton. The same high shool Gillian attended. The standard of Whitianga High school has been falling of late due mainly to poor staff plus lack of subjects. Tahlia at 15 has 2 years high schooling to complete. Gillian would like her board and I understand Tahlia would like that too. I think the cost of boarding will be too great plus school fees. A second option is to stay with us and travel daily as Gillian did. Tahlia seems to get on fine with her Nanna. The decision rests with Pat. Would she like to handle teenagers again? Pat has certainly not said no. Time will tell.
Ashlee is 2 years behind at 13 and Gillian has brought her along to give her an in sight into city schoolling. The school is netball orientated and fields 30 teams each Saturday in season. Both girls play netball. No doubt number 3 grandaughter will have wanted to come too but she will stay home with her father!
OldEric's thoughts on the subject? In all probability Tahlia will go on eventually to Polytech and it will give her a good insight into city living with all its temptations and other "things". Would she find us (me) too "old"?..... to live with.

OldEric says:- The Spring sun is shining and the sky is wall to blue again. A cool breeze from the central NZ North Island platau snow. Tahlia is coming back today from the Whitianga school ski trip. Much snow up there. Silence from the family, trying to figure out what blogging means. One up for OldEric so far!

Superstition
OldEric says:- Friday the 13th., that is today. Are you superstitious? I'm not. I will walk under ladders if no one is up there. Up at 6am this morning. I like mornings best, I think best in the morning. The sun is up over the hill, the air crystal clear and the sky wall to wall blue. Not a breath of wind and the birds are welcoming our Spring once more. Moments like these and New Zealand is truely paradise. Iraq, Saddam and the rest of the world evil is a long way, over there. Yes, I'm glad I live in NZ. Well, I'm now going to read the world news from the world papers and I suppose feel even gladder.

On a High
OldEric says:- I'm on a high today. no, not that high, just feeling pleased with my self. At last got my Home Page under construction and the first thing I did was link my blog to it. It worked, at least for me it did. Been on the web for I think 5 years or is it 6? Never had a yen before. Blogging one day and Web pages the next. What next? I'll have to give Nomad a hurry up not much movement on his wed site.
Feeling better now that nine eleven is over. At least that is what they call yesterday down here in NZ. Don't feel like working today so I did'nt. Sorted 2 customers out and fired up the computer. Here in NZ Spring has sprung and that feeling is in the air. Work is often quiet this time of year. Must be feeling tired this afternoon, I keep having to rectify typing errors. I was up at 4.40 am this morning, could'nt sleep so fired up the computer wrote up some of my 2000 trip journal from the notes I kept. Boy, am I a sluggard. I only do it when I get the urge.
Its 3pm, time for a coffee and then I'm going to link my 2000 Journal to my home page.
Not bad for a 68 year old!!

EVIL
OldEric says: Today in New Zealand it is September 11 and a day of Evil is remembered. The perpetrators burn in Hell.

I am ME
OldEric says: At 68 I guess I'm getting old. I don't feel old. I'm an electronics tech., somtimes think I must be the oldest one in the business. Will close my business down when I'm 70. Going for a world trip first. Came across blogging yesterday and thought it will give me a buzz. Been trying to write my life story for a while, for the kids and grandchildren. Maybe this is the way to go. Most people say my life must have been interesting, the bits I've told. I've travelled the world and done many things, I guess, in my younger days. Well I'm going to send an Email to my eldest son living in England and ask him if he knows the term blogging. If he dos'nt there is always Google, my favouite site.