Chezzy's Diary

Very Very long gap!!

2006-08-30T19:00:00.000+01:00

Yes I know it's a very long time since I last blogged, a fair bit has happened in the last 6 months but I will no doubt blog about that in a later post! Anyway i'm back!! I have a few things on over the next few weeks so I will report back again then and I'll let you know some of what i've been up to!!

Flying!!

2006-02-20T17:29:00.000+00:00

Forgot to mention yesterday...I have also moved into the world of broadband! The world of the internet is just flying by now...for the same cost as I was paying for my dial up until the end of the year...can't be bad!! ;-)

Back again!

2006-02-19T16:59:00.000+00:00

Ok i've been away longer than intended! I managed to get away on holiday, yes another working one. This time to Stonehenge area working on coppicing an area of woodland including a visit inside the Stone circle before it was opened to the public.

A break which was definatly needed! I'm also off to the York Viking festival next week which should be good fun as meeting up with a few friends and meeting up with other friends on the way/return so should be a few packed days ahead!!

Life has had a few twists and turns over the last few months and a few more bumps in the road ahead I suspect but seems to be settling down and ready to face an interesting new year!

Christmas wishes

2005-12-19T14:45:00.000+00:00

I would to pass my Christmas best wishes onto everyone who reads my blog as I won't be about much over the next few weeks. Sadly my mum passed away on Friday so I am going to spend a little time away with my family.

Also best wishes to everyone in the new year and i'm sure i'll be back blogging by then!

Christmas shopping..

2005-12-04T14:03:00.000+00:00

I have just got back from the shops and don't seem to have bought much at all! I decided to go in early to avoid the worst of the queues and bustle so got there for when the shops opened...remind me not to go on a weekend again, it was just as busy as in the middle of the day! I am used to going shopping early on a weekday when it's very quiet, I was ready today to do battle with the next person who walked into me as they were too busy in their own little shopping hell world...and i'm very placid!

Back to the early morning weekday shop I think, only problem there isn't many of them left now before Christmas! I'm going to have a cup of tea now..relax and watch a bit of rubbish T.V. to take my mind off it all!

Pause for thought!

2005-11-30T07:53:00.000+00:00

I have just put out the bin bag for the bin men to collect and it made me stop and think, last week on my holiday there was 9 people at our basecamp and between 9 of us we only just filled one bin bag yet my bin bag I have just put out was full to the brim and there is only 2 in the house, and I wasn't here all of the week either!

It just made me think I could do much better on the re-cycling front! Yes I do re-cycle glass, cans, plastic bottles, newspaper/mags and I have a composter but I have to put my hands up and admit on the odd occation a bottle or newspaper does end up in the bin bag if it's cold outside and same with the composter so I can improve in that area!

The basecamp we went to had a woodburner which was good for getting rid of those small bits of cardboard that you can't take to the local tip for recycling so if anyone has any suggestions in that area! I did find out that you can put egg boxes in your wormery if you have one...I have a chicken so don't have to worry about that bit!

I have to say my local council are good on the re-cycling front as they collect most from your doorstep and also did a great bargin on composters recently, although I do miss the sound of breaking glass that you hear when you drop glass bottles in the large containers!!

2005-11-28T10:30:00.000+00:00

Well it's that time again, 8 weeks seems to fly by sometimes! I'm back on nights again, part of me enjoys the peace of night shift the other part doesn't like the way as soon as you have got your body adjusted it's time to go back to a normal time zone!!

I went to bed very late last night and got up very early this morning so hopefully i'll be able to get a few hours kip this afternoon!! Which reminds me I'd better hunt out the spare duvet...great for putting over the window...it almost feels like night when it's up...however there is always that one crack of light that gets through however hard I try to cover the window completely!!

2005-11-27T16:53:00.000+00:00

Ok as promised, some photo's from my holiday...The week started off with fine if not cold and frosty weather! On the Friday we woke up to a layer of snow, and even though it was cold it was beautiful working conditions! A great week was had by all (I hope!)

Painting fence posts with some very sticky black paint!

Welsh museum of life (worth a visit!!)

Building board walk..before the snow!

A bit of team work going on!

Board walk after the snow!!

One of the stunning views!

Back again!!

2005-11-26T19:20:00.000+00:00

Yes I know i've been a little slack in recent weeks posting! I've just got back from another holiday...last of this year.

A great week in Wales with some really good company! It was my first as a leader and it went really well! (I think!) Hopefully I'll get around to posting some photo's tomorrow, I've got as far as downloading the photo's from my camera but as i'm tired I'll call it a day for now.

Promise I will try and post on here more often...I can't help being a busy popular girl....ok, ok just a busy girl!

Oops!

2005-11-09T11:50:00.000+00:00

I've just looked at when I last posted on here! Ok I was away for a week but that was a couple of weeks ago! My next one is just over a week away and I'll be leading that one...scarey but i'm sure after a few nerves on the first day i'm sure i'll settle in and enjoy it!

Veiw in the evening looking out to sea...working hard....and Charmouth beach!

Just a couple of days!

2005-10-19T17:33:00.000+01:00

Yep, just another couple of days before my next working holiday, it seems though that the weather is not looking promising! Rain is forcast for Saturday but dry for Sunday...don't know past that, fingers crossed it stays dry!!

I can't really complain as I have managed to avoid rain (a little snow on my first one!) so far this year...in fact sun burn has been the bigger issue on my previous ones ;-)

If I don't post till I get back I will hopefully come back with plenty of photo's and will post a few on here.

Now I had better get on sorting my packing!

Glan Feanol Hol

2005-10-09T12:30:00.000+01:00

I've now finished my write up on my working holiday at Glan Feanol, well actually I finished it a few days ago but didn't get around to adding it on here!

I've also booked my place on the Megabash at Craflwyn in North Wales which is a weekend of Rhody bashing. Click here to read more about why certain Rhododendron needs to be controled as it is destroying the natural habitats. Just waiting for my confirmation, hopefully will meet up with some of the volunteers from past holidays and new one's from different organisations, the last Megabash attracted over 600 volunteers!

Back on nights again!

2005-10-03T15:50:00.000+01:00

Well it's that time again, back on night shift for a week. It seems longer between the last on and this, probably going on holiday between helps! I have two more holidays between now and my next night shift (get back from hol and go on nights straight after if I have worked it out right!)

I left the office this morning to find it very cold outside, looks like the nice weather is ebbing away, just need 2 nice weeks in the next 8 or so weeks...somehow I don't think i'll be that lucky as I have had 3 weeks away in rain prone areas this year and only got wet on one of the days!

I found I had one talent i'd forgotten about when I was away a few weeks ago, I decided to make some cakes for tea breaks for the volunteers and they went down a hit...it's nice to be apreciated. I think I will keep it up, hopefully they will be as popular on my next Holiday, although as i'm not leading or assisting I might not take as many selections with me as it took a whole day baking to make a weeks worth!!

North Wales NT Holiday!

2005-09-28T02:30:00.000+01:00

As promised a quick lowdown on my holiday, I will do a full report on my Sniffy's Album site but as an inbetween I have put a few photo's on here! I have been lucky so far, my third NT working holiday, assisting this time and the weather held out with a bit of bad weather overnight and a few small showers on the last day! Just want to say thank you to everyone who was there and the wardens making my first assist a very easy afair..in particular to the Leader!

Getting ready to climb Tryfan with the John Muir trust on Sunday

Wardens working hard!!! (With a little of help from 2 volunteers!)

One of the stunning skys we had!!

Finished product (lower steps and rail)

I'm Back!

2005-09-25T17:46:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to say i'm back from holiday, I had a very good holiday despite having a cold all week and feeling tired!

Too tired at the moment to post any photo's etc as I haven't down loaded them off my camera but should have them on line in the next day or so!

Time to relax!

2005-09-11T01:30:00.000+01:00

It's been a very busy week, very short staffed at work so been hard work, then again the week went quick!

I must need my head seeing to, what do I do on my day off....No not relax, I spend the day cleaning the house!! However I do intend spending tomorrow as a lazy Sunday. I think I will have a lie in, maybe go for a stroll to get my appetite up and have a nice Sunday roast late afternoon then an early night, ready for a very early shift Monday!

Only one week to my holiday, I'm looking forward to it...I've already filled my car with petrol incase they decide to do have fuel protests next week so I have enough to get to North Wales, luckily my car is good with fuel. I have enough to get there with probably 1/4 tank spare...Will worry about the way back if they do have protests when I get there!

Um One last holiday!

2005-09-04T21:00:00.000+01:00

Ok I know I posted a few weeks back that I had booked my last holiday for the year...However I went in yesterday to find out how much leave I had left, I was thinking I would have about 4 days, turns out I have 7 so enough for one more week away!! Life isn't always that bad, makes up for the shitty days I suppose!!

Due to only 2 allowed off at any one time I have 5 weeks left in the year which didn't clash with A, Other staff and B, weeks I have already booked...Two working holidays back to back is a little to much even for me! I wanted to try somewhere different, there were no holidays I could lead or assist on available so I had a look through the paying ones and tossed a coin between west Dorset and exmoor...Very difficult to choose between the two, both looked great locations. I've never been to Exmoor but it's been 10 years since I had been to Dorset and even then it was a day trip.

After the coin toss I enquired about the one in Dorset, there was a space so I booked it, even though part of me still would have liked to go to Exmoor, I can always go next year! The one I have booked sounds interesting, working near Chesil beach by the coast stopping in an old radar base!! I now have one week away each month now until December then a week in Janurary, should be knackering but fun, you only live once so why not explore the countryside and enjoy what our special and unique British landscape has to offer whilst putting something back into it for future generations at the same time!!

2005-09-03T00:40:00.000+01:00

Thought I'd better pop my head in and show i'm still around! Been a busy week or so as we have two off sick and next week two are on leave as well. I'm feeling knackered now, dread to think what i'll be feeling like next week!

The boss is back and no bad reports whilst he was on holiday so I must have done ok looking after things, thanks to the other guys in the team of course!

I'm off on my working holiday as an assistant in a couple of weeks time, which although i'm a little aprehensive about, i'm looking forward to it! I guess I should get into training as not sure what activities they will throw at us, might have to dust my bike off and cycle places for the next few weeks as mountain biking is a possible activity, won't find out till I get there!

Now time to find a corner to drift off to sleep in as I was up at 3am and slightly knackered at the moment!

Interesting working week!

2005-08-24T19:40:00.000+01:00

Well been a bit of a interesting week, due to the boss being away I have been left to make sure everything is ticking over smoothly....it was going fine until, one of the staff had to to go to hospital with a possible fracture in her foot (will find out today what exactly she has done to it!)

So now the roster is out the window and so is the project we were working on as we don't have enough staff...oh well just a few days before the boss is back!

Another holiday!

2005-08-19T03:20:00.000+01:00

Well my final holiday for the year booked, although I do still have a few odd days left to book! Although not sure if my holiday is actually a holiday as it is another working one, back in the Brecon Beacons, but this time I am going as a leader...should be good, if not a little scarey as it will be my first one as a leader!

At least I know the basecamp and the wardens so a good start, and I can get the chance to see how my last bit of footpath is getting on!

Before then I have my holiday assisting in North Wales, oh and I have a long weekend off the weekend after next and fancy going off somewhere, historical maybe or somewhere with nice landscapes...anyone got any suggestions where I can go please let me know in the comments section! (not too far north or Cornwall as I'm on an early shift on the Monday!!!

Trip follow up..

2005-08-17T02:40:00.000+01:00

As promised I have now done a short report on my trip and more photo's on my other site Sniffy's Album.

Busy at work at the mo, boss is away and I have been left in charge for two weeks, within two days one of the other departments has nicked the room behind our office which my boss had his eye on for an admin room for us, photo copying room etc. I tried my best to get them to hold fire till he gets back, but lost the arguement. He will not be happy when he gets back, I know he won't blame me as I don't think he would have won the arguement either, I tried my best, lets hope nothing else like that come up whilst he is away!

Llangollen Trip

2005-08-16T01:00:00.000+01:00

As promised more on my weekend away! I will do a full report on my other site...not today though! A few sneak photo's below..

Valle Crucis Abbey, Llangollen.

Chirk Castle, Chirk.

Castell Dinas Bran, Llangollen.

Campsite, including rainbow!

Hopefully will have uploaded the rest of the photo's in the next few days.

Packed Weekend!!

2005-08-15T04:10:00.000+01:00

Just a short post (will write more tomorrow!). Just had a very packed, but enjoyable weekend! Started off by going to see one of my friends (who I don't see that often as we live 100 miles apart) and going out for a very nice pub meal and a good gossip on Friday evening, then Saturday picked my cousin up and headed for North Wales to Llangollen for the day to meet up with the NWFF group, first visiting Valle Crucis Abbey, (in the rain!) then a long lunch (trying to avoid the rain!) then going on to Chirk Castle (should have gone to Castell Dinas Bran as well, but raining too much!).

Then 3 of us camped under the shadow of Castell Dinas Bran (just a tad wet and windy!) , after brekkie the weather improved a bit and we made the climb to the castell before heading home! Will post photo's tomorrow!

'5 Q's 4U'

2005-08-09T10:02:00.000+01:00

Thanks to /T/BLOG I came across this (copy and pasting from T as when on nights brain is slightly slower!)

In this little diversion the "tagger" asks five questions of the "taggee," and then the "taggee" ends the post with the instructions for how the game works so that it propagates like any good meme is supposed to.

/T/ Asked me..

Chezzy here are your questions:

1. Have you ever gotten stuck on a road with your car so that you needed to either call road assistance, a tow truck or a friend to help you out?

A: Not with my present car, but had a few adventures with my old one, two that stand out (there are to many to mention!) First was I was driving round a very busy roundabout near Watford, England. Dome roundabout for anyone who knows the area, I pulled up at the lights part way round, as the lights changed I went to pull off my clutch cable snapped! I was on my own and had a mini panic as I couldn't move my car and there were cars stuck behind me and beeping at me!! I was rescued by a milkman who came and pushed me out the way whilst I waited for my rescue service. The second time was when I was driving to the Lake District with my hubby, picking my mum up on the way to give her a short holiday. I was on the M6 in heavy traffic going through Birmingham, I knew something was wrong, my hubby said I was being paranoid, as my alternator packed up as I was in the fast lane (fortunately traffic was doing about 2mph!) he had to push me to the hard shoulder...Right in view of the RAC building, how embarrassing, specially as I was with a different rescue service. All ended well, got my alternator changed and still made the holiday albeit a few hours late!

2. What does your ideal vacation look like, what should it definitely include and what not?

My ideal holiday (vacation) would have to be somewhere scenic and a little remote, it should defiantly include some kind of activities and defiantly not include 2 weeks worth of sunbeds!

3. If you could work to mend a footpath on one of your holidays anywhere in the world, what path would you be working on and why?

Not sure if they would have footpaths as such that would need mending but it would have to be in the Himalayas in the shadow of Everest. I wouldn't like to climb it, value my life too much! But to just be in the mountains presence would just be awe inspiring, if a mountain could talk what stories it would have to tell of the people who have walked it's paths!

4. What are your favorite clothes you like to wear when you are home and don't have to go anywhere?

Any old jeans, tee-shirt, just something comfy and un-work like!

5. What is the weirdest that ever happened while you were on a night shift?

Nothing really weird has happened on night shift, but I did have to work last new years eve, most of your night shift is on your own between aprox 1 am and 5 am which i'm used too, normally busy doing paperwork etc, but due to being a holiday I didn't see anyone between aprox 11pm and 7am, and very little work to do, it did seem a little creepy and weird, specially at midnight all alone seeing the new year in!

Thanks /T/ for taking the time to come up with these questions.

In accordance with the rules of the meme, I need to post these instructions:
Instructions:
If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying Interview me. (Tickle me or Caress meÂ are not acceptable substitutes.) You must leave your blog address so I can think of good questions for you!
I will respond by asking you five questions - each personÂs will be different. IÂll post the questions in the comments section of this post.
You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Don't forget, you will need to check back for your questions and it might help if you let me know when you have answered them.

Night's AGAIN!!

2005-08-08T19:50:00.000+01:00

I don't know if it's me but i'm on nights again and it doesn't feel like 6 weeks since I did them last time! At least I am only doing 4 nights instead of 5 as I have taken the last night off so I can go to Wales on the Saturday. Also I have a trainee with me for the last 2 nights so should be an easy week!!

Does mean my days will be back to front again and I'm killing time this morning before I go to bed at 1ish this afternoon. On that note I have been doing a bit of surfing and came across this site and had a go at a personality quiz. Not far off! Have a go for a bit of fun, there are other quizzes, some dafter than others!

Your Birthdate: December 22

While sometimes employing unorthodox approaches, you are capable of handling large scale undertakings.

You assume great responsibility and work long and hard toward completion.

Often, especially in the early part of life, there is rigidity or stubbornness, and a tendency to repress feelings.

Idealistic, you work for the greater good with a good deal of inner strength and charisma.

An extremely capable organizer, but likely to paint with broad strokes rather than detail.

You are very aware and intuitive.

You are subject to a good deal of nervous tension.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?