Where??

EST
Seemingly work could be available for me the world over - except the UK!! Following up on the old "friends and family" stuff, potential roles for me in Australia, Saudi Arabia, even Oman could be available. Can I get K2 to any of those? Someone took a Narrowboat across the channel - think the Bay of Biscay, or rounding the Horn could be tricky - not to mention the Southern Ocean!!
Still the job centre had some good roles - under Transport and Vehicle Management - "tractor driver" cool!! Ok so what about Finance and Leasing? - "bank cashier / administrator"
Hmmm - left to the job centre it could be a while before I get back to work!!
Oh - top job though... Under IT "data entry clerk"......

What day is it?

Trouble with being part of the great unemployed is that every day ends up looking like the one before it! So I know what day it is by the blog date at the top! It's the lack of brain power that kills me off, I need to be active and thinking, and at the moment the mind does somersaults as it has nothing concrete to concentrate on! At some point soon, I shall head off for something / anything to do just to get active again! There's only so many dog walks they want!
Don't get me wrong, I am well over the expected 3-5 things towards a new job a week that is expected - that happens before 0900 on a Monday morning!!
Well, to scratch some wicked rumours that have circulated that Ivor spent his 2 days reading magazines - here he is lock wheeling for me - well OK!!! Still it had lock gates and paddle...

Mini Cruise and future board.... ?

I love these autumn days of still water and sunshine! So K2, me and ex-colleague Ivor trundled off for a couple of days to "chew the cud" and discuss various opportunitues that could be ahead of us. It was great, and a number of "thoughts" came out the back of it.
Some of which included, on the water, activities, even more so, as he poured his way through the adverts in Waterways World!!

After the normal mooring greetings to fellow boaters in front of us, that lasted a good half an hour of chat and yarnings, and saw us popping back and forth between boats for a bit, Ivor concluded that he had spoken more to my overnight neighbours, than he had to his house neighbours - but that's the way isn't it?!!

The sun came up and lifted the dew, it was all too quick that we were back with another 2 inches of water in the dry bilge! Seems like it's not coming from the wasing machine, rather from one of the pipes under the engine room floor, connecting the calorifier up, that's a pain in the neck job... and I'm going to let someone else do it for me!

Statistics or Lies..

So - here's the selubrious offices of my new employer! The job centre (lol) where I have to go once a fortnight to tell them what I'm up to.

I am officially a statistic - a number on a screen, and they might even pay expenses towards interviews! Wonder if they will pay the fuel for my 3.0litre Car!!

Still after 2 hours in that place, discussing my new employment contract!! a nice cup of double expresso coffee on the canalside in the old Fellows Morton and Clayton warehouse made up for the effort!

Tomorrow K2 goes for a swim for a day or two....

Bar-B-Ques, Jamming and Yards of Ale

Saturday night was BBQ night, so we all gathered as the sun went down for an evening of revelry, MC'd very ably by Harbour Master Andy, and entertained on guitar and vocals by Eric, who completed two 1hour sets for us
Over 150 people were there, with some boats having found their way back to the Marina specially for the evening, as the word had spread along the cut that a great night had been promised...

The only thing that didn't go down too well was that elusive yard of Ale. With 4 candidates lining up for a go, it seemed the 2 cases of beer that I offered the winner was going to be safe, and would probably head back to K2. But with the party in full swing, both cases got used up as people tried for the ulimate prize!
However a good night was had all round, and it was the wee early hours that everything finally subsided, and beds were found for everyone, even those strays who as yet don't have a bed of their own in the marina managed to find willing owners to pull out the spare bed and put them up..

Sunday was the calm after the storm. A fantastic windless day. Here's K2 in a total flat calm, not sure I've ever seen her reflection like that in the marina!

So, into another week, in which K2 will become a cruising board room, as various business discussions that are under way will be continued, whilst drifting down the cut and back!! I like this life - but could do with earning some money soon!!

Stitch in time..... blah blah

Ever since I got K2, my washing machine has been leaking... still assuming it was leaking into the bilge, and assuming I was pumping that out - I haven't been in a hurry to fix it! So it came back to bite me...

After a weekend out - (more on that later) I was wondering why we seemed heavier than usual, so pulled up the engine room floor on my return, to find the dry bilge with 2 inches of water in it. being a high quality fit out, there is no inspection way in the back cabin (!!!) - so floor up, to find the 2 inches equated to 4 inches at the stern. So hand pump and bucket, and the water foamed up nicely to give away it's origins!!OK - so I'll fix the washing machine, once I've dried K2 and me out!

Now, being a responsible dog owner (and not wanting a £500 fine) we pick up our dogs poo - which is more than can be said for... now is it BW, or the local council?? Either way this poo bin at the stop house, show there are more responsible dog owners than binmen (sorry bin people!)

So back to work - and I'm liking my new office !!! If only it gave me an income!

Redundant - anyone got a job?

Well, after 12 years, seeing the business through many changes, and enjoying the challenges it has set me, today is the first day of a new future, without getting up and rushing off down the motorway somewhere for someone.
Over the weekend the business was sold to new venture capital funders, and despite rave reviews by the funders due diligence team of me, and my guidance of the business, the new owners wanted a slimmer business, and so 4 of the business directors find themselves looking for something to do.
At this stage I still can't realise the dream and vanish! having K2 to pay for, so it's onto the hunting for work thing.. something I've never done, as work has always found me!!
Hey well, meanwhile K2 will see more of the cut, not just the marina..!