Hey...thought I would change the display picture...this was from my last outside activity at Hazlehead...a Forest School session with a school involved with children/young adults who have sever behavioural issues. Instead of a restraining room, this emergency shelter (where we store the kit) was also to double as the same thing. I never needed it..although one of the kids was taken away to chill out around the wooded area..i think it was a way for the tutor to go back to her comfort zone as it was all a bit new...hey ho.

I ended up tidying up this and 2 other shelters on my own..which ended in me being ill again (the snood thing mum got me for Christmas is worn at all times outside now... but it was really nice...a fine rind of snow..low light levels...and no dog walkers..so nice and quiet..it was mine all mine. It has been a while since I had put up a shelter on my own...check out the knots..nae bad if I say so myself...design is a bit pants but there you go.

My funding application still sits in the in tray of some legal bod in the council..so..I don't expect that to be submitted afore the new year...which makes everything a bit tight to be honest..for a smooth transition after March 2009. This "new post" has to go before Committee before they can advertise and then hopefully give to me..the next meeting is in February..so they won't be able to advertise until March..and this is not taking into consideration The Lottery may not agree to fund their part..as Forestry Commission Scotland have already agreed their part ages ago. The word on the street is that the Heritage Lottery Fund has been criticised for underspend..so here's hoping. My colleagues have been experiencing the unsettling feeling from funding issues as the whole department has been put on the "cut list"...suddenly my boss and his boss are running around trying to justify the team's existence..and everyone else is suddenly worried...walk a day in my boots mateys!!

All I can do is keep going..although I can't take bookings after March as I don't know what is happening..as for work...I need to keep the money coming in...to be explained later....so I will go to some agencies now in anticipation for next April.....or I quite fancy a bot of van driving...if it is going to be short term...if it just doesn't happen then I will have to rethink and very quickly!!!

I don't want to leave here...I have had enough of that...also..this lass...you know the story...I have a good feeling about the situation..different than before...different than when I was engaged to be honest...I would like to see how it all goes. So, the plan is to stay.

Financially, pressure is mounting...after settling the refurbishment bill for Edinburgh AND getting a tenant in on a 12 month contract..how good is that!!!..I would have struggled otherwise..so my liability for that is done with although I expect residual council tax to come in..I would have thought towards saving money for the Capital Gains Tax which will be due in tax year 2009/2010..but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..lady fate parps in my face again...the boiler in Glasgow went on the blink...has been fixed but with a recommendation to replace....1st quote in was for just under 4K..bearing in mind I have no spare funds...2nd quote came in for just under 3K...the Bank Of Scotland will not give me an overdraft for even 2K so I need to save up..although alternative sources of funding are being looked at!!!...at the same time I receive notification from the tax office that some git in the Payroll Department for the Council gave me the wrong tax code so I now owe the tax man £1,650.00 which they will collect in the tax year 2009/2010 or reduce the deductions by half if done over 2 tax years..my God..will it ever be easy for me?

Once again, had I not the foresight to sell a Perth property when I did...before the property market completely imploded...or...decided to downgrade and ledge again...there is absolutely no way I could even consider to keep things going...I truly believe I would have lost all 3 remaining properties...this is the only thing that keeps me going to be honest. I am currently looking into Scottish gas Insurance so that may mean a significant saving of costs...need to call them tomorrow.

I have been delivering phone books to get some extra money...unfortunately the timing was exactly after my second bout of man flu...so it wasn't a pleasant experience...good for the exercise though...some of the places I delivered to were not where I would usually choose to go...but hey...some were nice enough....£75.00 is not a lot but..I usually find that..if you don't go for it...it usually ends up that you have a priority bill but your funds are £75.00 short...if only I had....nah...prefer to make the effort now.

I helped out at the Baptist Church Christmas meal for the homeless..I tell thee...I may have concerns and challenges but these guys have it so bad...after the meal they all left and went out into the cold cold night...be thankful for small blessings I say..then I went off to do some market research about crisps...yum yum...again..more for the potential income in the future...£35 for 1 hour gabbing about crisp packets...hell...if your opinionated...why not get paid for it?!!!

Basically...I am looking ahead...keeping on going...knowing that all is being done to keep me here..but looking at alternatives for if not..I really have landed on my feet here with Joyce..we get on fine...I sit in the easy chair with beer watching the tv and she sits on the couch knitting..and I mean CONSTANTLY knitting...watching the tv. We chat but spend time in our own rooms when we feel the need..it is fine...the house is fine and the lack of travelling is even better. I would rather not try and find somewhere else!!

One other major financial drain was the car. I wasn't using it as all my travel is in the city...I don't use it for property now as that is sorted in terms of what needs to be carried to them...a big estate car with one person driving..not the best...the tax and insurance was coming up so the plan was to put it through it's MOT and get rid....last year it went through the MOT with no problems and then 1K of repairs a month later..so..getting rid was the best idea. So the plan was to use an internet based firm..book an appointment in Edinburgh after a website quote..I booked it in for 9am last Saturday...then realised I would need to get up at idiot o'clock and drive for that time...didn't want to work on Friday then stop over at dad's having arrived late..more unsettling for him...so, I went there for 9am...their pc system was down and they couldn't do anything..pah I thought...I am going to have to tax and insure unless I move the thing that very day...DISASTER!!!..the guy offered..turns out he was the boss...to book me in Belshill, Glasgow for that morning..I had come that far so I agreed and headed further south..found the place..did the business..took a discount due to a few dents...but they never checked the mechanics..they don't have garages....a saving grace as I suspected issues with the engine...I signed on the line..thus removing any need for insurance and tax and repairs...and hightailed it out of there...I had booked a one way ticket from Edinburgh to Aberdeen for 4.30pm...I needed ti get a train from Belshill...not the most upbeat of places!!!...to Glasgow central..then..after buying a Smiths CD...to Edinburgh...walked up to Hogs head and bought some more cds..then walked to Waverly to get my train back here...I slept all the way...kept waking up at stops and then back to sleep...wonder what my passengers thought!!!...Joyce came and picked me up from the station and took me to Doonies...in a typhoon!!!...really bad...then i picked up the van and drove home...up at 5 am and out by 6 am...back in the house by 10 pm...a long day indeed..but a successfull one...that is a weight off my mind and money in the bank. The guy never tried to fiddle me...they have their set discounts which he applied...he never even bothered about the MOT notice regarding new tyres for the front..and..he never checked for the oil leak...I got a fair deal. What an adventure!!!

Right, that will do for now.

Tara