Dad's Birthday

Today, 7th October.  I really wanted to be away with mum and to have a day out, nice meal maybe or just doing something.  As luck would have it she is out with my brother and his family, one of the grandchildren hosting a meal for her so that will be good.  I just know it isn't going to be a good day but I'm sure that she will appreciate not being on her own later today.

It was good to get mum out of the house.  It has been 12 years since she had a holiday of any sort and we learnt just how reliant dad had become on mum especially in the past 4 or 5 years especially.  It's easy to see given the 20/20 vision that hindsight provides that he had been ill for quite some time, he even knew himself but could never quite put his finger on it.  Mum did well considering that Mrs. F. and I are walkers and we did wear her out a bit :-) What was nice was that she wandered around with us and we had a good time.  She even got herself back to the apartment on her own by bus whilst we walked about 3 miles back around the coast.  This is good news as the one thing we want is for her to get out and about and not to be stuck at home.  It wasn't the sort of holiday that we normally have but it was fun nonetheless to go around and see the north eastern edge of England and the Scottish border country.  

Highlights included a trip to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and seeing a Pod of Dolphins leaping about in the bay.  We had an apartment directly overlooking the sea and just a stones throw from the Promenade.  It certainly was nice to have the sea so near but quite interesting to have the constant sound of waves breaking as a background soundtrack.

I've settled down a bit during the week and had the time I want to think things through.  A couple of job offers have come my way which I need to follow up this week.  I've got some clarity in my head about things but I need to ask some searching questions of those around me and I need to broach some difficult subjects.  I'm pretty much resigned to go along with what may happen in the short term with these job prospects but feel that I might prefer to run my own show still and perhaps doing the research business.  Alternatives still include working further out in the country or abroad for a while or (if my brain will let me) just take on a job that I'd enjoy doing rather than one that pays any real money.  There were jobs I saw on holiday that seemed interesting to do but probably wouldn't pay much where you could enjoy the work although wouldn't have much to show for it :-)

More as an when...