A Confession !

My name is Jim, and I am a gambling addict.....

.....but only on the 2p machines in the arcade at Dawlish Warren !

We have spent the last week there on a family holiday (in Dawlish Warren, not actually in the arcade!), and although Robbie was ill, and there was not a lot to do, and some of the people were very strange, we still managed to have a good time!

We went for a walk on the beach, played crazy golf, had a day in Exeter taking some pictures of buses (me and Rob), and played games and watched "Family Guy" dvds in the evenings.

In between doing that, we posted lots of 2p coins into the machine in the arcade which eats most of them, and very occassionally drops some 2p coins out. We did eventually end up with over 1000 token points, which we exchanged for some toys for the kids, and some other crap we didn't really need.

I will definately go to Dawlish again, hopefully when I am about 85, and I can sit on the seafront with my tartan blanket over my knees, complaining about the weather to anyone passing by!

Stroud Half Marathon, Hockey, and a Wasted Journey

After waving goodbye to Liz and the 3 children, who are off on holiday (I am joining them tomorrow), I continue with preparations for the Stroud Half Marathon, which is taking place tomorrow. I am not running in it (obviously !) and for the first time in living memory I am not the Duty Officer for St John Ambulance - this "honour" falls to Dan, who is taking on his second "big duty".

I set off down to HQ to meet Michael and Dave, to sort out the bikes, and pick up the response car. Michael had beaten me down there, and had already got both bikes out, and was going through the kit, so I start sorting out the response car, including replacing the defibrillator (the "Stand clear- Shocking" machine), which was complaining of low battery. Time for coffee and a cigarette next, while I have a chat with Coral, who has arrived to pick up an ambulance for a PTS job (Patient Transport Service) in Dursley.

Everything sorted here, so I head for home, via my parents house, where I pop in for a coffee and a chat, then off to St Peters School, to play hockey against a team from Stroud. As I get out of the car, the rain stops, and it loooks like we are going to be lucky with the weather.

We comfortably win the game 4 -0, and after a cheese salad baguette for tea, I head for home, planning to start the task of looking for my camera bits and pieces to take away with me tomorrow, but this is thrown into disarray by a phone call asking me to return the response car, as it is needed this evening. After a bit of internal swearing about piss - ups and brewerys, I headed back to HQ to drop it off, but what do I see when I arrive there, the crew member driving out through the gates in an ambulance. "Don't worry about the car Jim, I will go out in this" he said, and disapeared down the road. Cue a bit more swearing about having wasted half an hour returning a car that did not need returning.

Back home for some well earned rest- clocks go back tonight, which should cause some confusion tomorrow!

Now where is the camera tripod......