Posted in September 2007

Sunday 30th September - Sunday's Grinding Day!

Source: knightrider45
Sunday 30th September 2007, 8:58am

No car boot or Sunday Market today - we've had a bit of a dispute with some neighbours over our fenceline and today, I've got to take the fence up and bring back into our boundary by just three inches in parts!

We aren't the neighbours from Hell - far from it. We actually got permission from the then estate owners to fence our drive in, as the locals were using our drive to take a short cut, and cut a corner out of their journey.

So it's got to be rectified. And all because the man we got permission from couldn't be ar*sed to register the permission with anyone.

Middle Daughter is coming across later this afternoon at Dinnertime (Lunchtime in Norfolk) with her partner, and son is also honouring us with a rare Sunday appearance along with one of his friends.

There'll be four of us on the Fence Mission - we're taking the fence down, getting rid of the old concrete posts with a grinder, and then, finally resiting the fence back onto the original boundary.

The wife will be busy doing the wifey and mother thing - she's going to be cooking for lots of people today.

So, if you're driving around Fakenham today, and you see a large group of people gathered around a fence, with the smell of a Sunday dinner wafting out of the back door - congratulations, you've found us.

Ebay

I've loaded up something like 70 things at the moment, and I've had two bids already on a video called the Missing Postman, an old BBC TV programme. Still got loads to sort out.

But I'll start with the fence.............On Guard!

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Thursday 27th Septeber -Too Busy Earning A Living To Make Money

Source: knightrider45
Thursday 27th September 2007, 4:24pm

Well, I’m still, slowly, working through my evaluation of my life and I’ve identified the job I do as the major cause of dissatisfaction in my life.

But that's not a negative statement - that's constructive. Because I'm using this job as the motivator to get my backside into gear and making my life run the way I want it to. I want to control my life, not have my life controlling me.

That's the wife's job!

A couple of quick updates here - firstly, the new mortgage hasn't been approved yet, at least as far as we know, so I can't move any further in that direction yet. But the rep dealing with our case has rang today saying that the offer has been increased by almost £2,000 cash because of the value of the house. That's more power to our elbow then for when I talk to the current lenders. Hopefully it won't be too long in coming through now.

And, secondly, I'm upgrading my web site, adding more lines - like DVD's and Computer software, for the time being. I'm also looking at selling older, reconditioned PC's for those who just want a computer for anything and everything except playing the high end games.

So, I'll be uploading some new sales pages upto the American servers over the weekend, and getting a few things on eBay that I spent all day taking photos of and measuring the other day.

Then, on my next days off, I'll be promoting & advertising. Here we go!

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Planning My Actions And Actioning Plans

Source: knightrider45
Tuesday 25th September 2007, 5:46pm

Well, my new goals list is written out and I’m working to sort my life –and finances – out, starting off slow and trundling along.

We've had a phone call today from the new mortgage company saying that everything's gone through OK and the new loan will be cleared tomorrow, hopefully. So I'll give the present lenders the courtesy of one more phone call, each, when the approval comes through and see if they're willing to work with me. If not, we'll complete with the new company.

I'm still planning on clearing the mortgage down as soon as I can - I definitely want to be clear of all the crappy liabilities like this when I'm 50, but, realistically speaking, I think this has set me back by another 3 years. Time will tell. If I'm not clear until I'm 53, so be it.

But it won't be through the want of trying. I'll still aim to pay £1000 monthly to the mortgage, but save the difference in a high deposit account. Or invest it to make more money through the business.

Talking of the business, I've just opened an eBay account, and I'll be using this alongside my "proper" web site for stock clearance. My car boot plans are going on OK, I spent all day yesterday photographing stuff for both the web site and eBay. I'm hoping to do my first car boot this Sunday IF I can swing things around fast enough - and sort out some more stuff. So I'll be clearing both new and used stock through the web site, eBay, and car boots & markets.

I'm still volunteering for overtime as well, and I'm working this Thursday night as an extra shift - then I'm off for the weekend (and car boot).

And I'm working on another new project that, for once, I'm really enjoying - but I'll tell you about that if I can manage to pull it off.

I've promised myself I will leave my job, going full time in the business, on 1st October, next year. This, by far, is my biggest incentive to get my backside into gear. For the first time, in ages, I'm more confident about the future. I've planned my actions, now I'm starting to action my plans. And, apart from the mortgage issues, because I do want to stay as I am and clear things off in 7 years - I'm starting to make progress.

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Life Insurance - Pants!

Source: knightrider45
Saturday 22nd September 2007, 10:37pm

Remember what I've said on this blog before about Life Insurance companies not paying out after you've gone? Well, now I've seen proof. And it stinks.

Enter a company called Scottish Widows. A report in Thursdays Daily Mail reports that this company is getting famous for not paying out when you've karked it.

They call it "Non Disclosure of Material facts." Basically what happens when you die with this company (and no doubt many others) is that the company concerned checks your application form against your medical records.

And, if you haven't declared EVERY Single thing on your application form, irrespective of whether the case is linked to your death or not, the company doesn't pay out.(Remember that dose of measles you had when you were four and a half? Did you declare it?)

This is common practice amongst the insurance companies. This odious practice is devasting for your next of kin who face repossession and hardship, no matter how long you've been paying your (often inflated) premiums.

Doesn't this just stink? Especially, according to the same report, one in five life insurance claims are never paid out for this reason, called `Post Claim Underwriting` by the industry.

Best Insuarance policy.....life savings in a joint high interest account, or buy property for selling off by your other half after you die.

Life Insurance companies..........never have trusted them in the past - and certainly never will now. Bloggers - check your records & make sure everything's declared. Otherwise, your other half will regret it - for life.

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Saturday 22nd September - A Change of Subject - Understanding Women

Source: knightrider45
Saturday 22nd September 2007, 5:59am

Regular readers of this blog will know I'm into pyschology in a big way - and I've recently read a report that will help the single men amongst us in the dating game. Ready?

Women hunger for hunks - by instinct

Its not just men who aren't built to stay faithful to one partner for life - its natural for women to have a roaming eye as well - at certain times of the month.

Biologists say that women, just like other female animals are friskiest when they are most fertile - but women are more choosy, having distinct preferences in the mating game.

They tend to home in on ruggedly handsome men in the unconscious belief they with provide them with the healthiest children.

Biologist Randy Thornhill told an Association for The Study of Animal Behaviour in Newcastle that it's wrong to think women were exempt from "oestrus" - the hormone driven surge in libido - similar to animals going on heat.

This explains studies that show women are more attracted to the macho types when their chances of pregnancy are highest, but at other times of the month, they are more at home with "wimpier" types, who despite their lack of "Macho-ness" are judged as being better material for a long term relationship.

And believe it or not chaps, we lot recognise this by instinct. We men instinctively turn on the charm and try be more macho on the days we "know" the ladies in our lives are more likely to stray.

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Friday 21st September - Pondering Life

Source: knightrider45
Friday 21st September 2007, 6:04am

Thanks for the comments yesterday guys - please be assured that they're really welcome at the moment.

I'm letting the new mortgage application trundle through it's process, but only as a last ditch, desperate, thing. Hopefully, I'll pull this thing off, and I'll be able to urn around to the new company and say "thanks, but no thanks."

As I spent most of yesterday wasting my life away at work, I got to thinking about how I got in this position, and whether I could have done things differently.

I don't think I could.

You see, I moved down here with just £40.00 left from my last Midlands month's wages, and I've never recovered the situation back from then. The house took virtually every penny I had back then, and that's before I'd even moved here. Debt from Day 1 in Norfolk, and now, ten years on, this is where I find myself.

And, it's other things too. Such as, when the heating system runs out of oil in a cold January - do I pay the mortgage, or miss a month and keep the house warm? And what do I do when the heating oil runs out again 6 weeks later - instead of three months later - or the car breaks down - or whatever else.

It seems that I can pay a mortgage, or run the house, but I can't do both together. That's why I have to earn £100 a day, every day, for the next 7 years. Both to run the house, and pay the mortgage, AND put away emergency reserves.

And I can't do that working for someone else, can I?

Okay, enough whinging. I'm off to work.

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Thursday 20th September - Looking at options

Source: knightrider45
Thursday 20th September 2007, 5:55am

Woken up this morning at 5.15 am with a massive migraine. Not what I need at the start of a 7 days, 84 hour shift really is it? If I was "normal" I'd go sick today, but of course, I have no choice but to go in.

I'm on four days, starting today, then switch over to three nights starting Monday. Roll on next Tuesday morning!

I've had a valuer come around yesterday morning to value the house for the new mortgage . Turns out the house is now worth £155,000. Not bad considering it only cost £40,000 (just under) to buy it 10 years ago is it?

The new mortgage consultant came out to see us Tuesday night and, apparently, things are trundling along just fine.

BUT:

Because of the wife's age, I can only have a ten year mortgage. We can't afford a repayment one over 10 years (£1600 per month repayments) so we're having to settle for an Interest only mortgage, which then has to be paid back after the ten years. It will "allow" us to keep the house.

BUT:

This option ruins my 7 year mortgage clearance scheme. and worse, puts me in debt for another, extra 3 years initially - realistically, when we're sorted out a bit better, we'll go back on a repayment mortgage, my name only - which means I'll be in debt until I'm 65 plus.

AND:

We can only raise £4,000 cash as a result of the new mortgage, so I can't take any time off to live my life, instead of my life living me. Which means we'll be stuck in the same situation for all the rest of my life.

Isn't that frightening?

I'm trying to raise the cash I need to pay off the arrears on the secured loan account as the mortgage have accepted our proposals, then we keep the house as it is, and I'll be able to go part time in,say, 7 or 8 years.

So, following E2Socks suggestion, I'm aiming to start car booting the last weekend of this month so next week, I'm clearing out/sorting out the loft. I need to raise an extra £700 over the next month. Here we go!

If I don't do this, I know I'll be in debt, and a wage slave, for the rest of my life. Wish me luck!

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Monday 17th September - Battle Stage 1 commences

Source: knightrider45
Monday 17th September 2007, 8:50am

Turning adversity into success, or trying to anyway.

So, over the weekend, I've spoken to another lending company to re-arrange the mortgage, clearing both my outstanding accounts.

Hopefully, if this one goes through, I'll raise enough funds to cover three months bills - then I'll take three months off work and concentrate on building & restarting the business. Full time.

As I've said before, I'll never earn what I need to earn to cover the bills working for someone else. I must make my own future, and my own money, to stand any chance of success.

Hopefully, my new start will start today.

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Friday 14th September - Normality's keeps on keeping on at me.

Source: knightrider45
Friday 14th September 2007, 5:51pm

Nothing changes, does it? The Struggle still continues with me - but I'm drawing up the battleplan at work tonight to sort out the latest round of crap to hit me!

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

That quote says so much doesn't it? And as my life keeps on keeping on at me, it seems to apply to me more and more each day.

I've won the second repossession order for the house - they've accepted a settlement proposal, for now, anyway, so I thought that that was that, all sorted, although I've got to work like crazy for the next 18 months to make all the repayments.

But yesterday, I received court papers from the secured finance place, who have, I think, decided to push for repossession despite the settlement offer, which I thought had been accepted.

On the other side of life, my second place of work is now fully manned again, so there won't be any part time work coming from there again. I did manage to get one overtime shift there this month, which was Wednesday just gone, so it's helped out a bit, but not enough by far.

Because I've been bankrupt, one of the management jobs I applied for - as it later turned out - involved cash handling, and although my bankruptcy has been "spent", I'm still disqualified from such positions, but only in the minds of the young, uneducated personnel "managers".

I can't summon the guts at the moment to talk to the finance company again, but I'll do that on Monday. For the time being, it's back to the drawing board this weekend, devising a massive battleplan to get us out of this mess.

Letty, thanks for your reply to my last post here, voluntary repossession is an option. Only thing is, THEY take the house off you, put it through auction, leaving a massive gap between sale price and what you owe on the mortgage, so the mortgage companies still end up chasing you for the balance - for years to come.

If they do take the house off me, I'll file for bankruptcy when they start chasing me for the money again. I'm not going to struggle to pay for a house I don't have any more. Stuff that for a lark!

But I'm hoping it won't come to that. Operation Battleplan Commences. NOW.

Sorry if this blog comes across as negative - it's not meant to - that much. But there's no point in painting a rosy glow on it, is there? Not yet, anyway.

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Friday 7th September - Back to Normal

Source: knightrider45
Friday 7th September 2007, 5:24pm

Okay then, time to get on with life. The fun has ended, and routine takes over again. So here we are. Back to Normal.

I've kept this bit of the blog separate from the last three weeks postings because I didn't want to taint them with my normal, debt ridden, mortgaged to the hilt, life.

It was good to escape my life for a while, and live a bit. Now, normal routine is back and part of the problem of writing this blog is that the writing forces me to acknowledge that fact.

I'm back on a set of four night shifts, of which tonight, Friday, is the second one. Before beginning my daily logs again, I thought I'd post a summary to catch up on normaility first.

First thing, I must say, is that I know I'm not alone in facing these debt problems, indeed my Austrailian cousin, Lawrie, has ben bankrupt - twice. He's back on his feet, although it's took him years to achieve this, so I know it can be done. Lawrie went bankrupt through marriage breakdowns, nothing else.

So, I know it can be done. I've changed my attitude consciously, but I am still struggling with my unconsciousness, and waiting for it to catch up with my new line of thinking.

I can do this.

Over the last three weeks or so, I've been served with two repossession notices for the house. I've sorted one of them out, for the secured loan company, but the mortgage company are pushing through with it, with the court hearing set for the 15th October.I have put another offer forward to the company, and am waiting for their response.

Obviously, the simple, fast way to stop the action is to pay the arrears off, which I'm fighting to do - I have two pay days to do this (or most of it, anyway). I owe £2,600. Not much, is it?

So, I'll keep on keeping on. From my cousin, I've learned that resilience is the best way forward, never giving up. I have one hundred per cent belief that I can do this, and it starts today.

Just watch me go. I must serve my family, that's what I'm here for, my sole purpose in life.

Paul

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8.30pm Monday 3rd September - The adventure ends

Source: knightrider45
Tuesday 4th September 2007, 9:34pm

I have not seen as much of Norfolk since we moved here as I have over the last three weeks with our cousins. But the adventure ended at 8.30 last night as we said goodbye to them as they went to the departure lounge.

Swaffham, Kings Lynn, The Poppy Line railway, Routemaster buses, gardening at home, big family reunions, suprise birthday parties, grave hunting, family tree connections & visits, shopping trips, Collectors World, Swaffham Priory & Castle, workhouses, Norton Hill Light Railway - we've had an action packed three weeks.

Not forgetting the pub dinners along the way, mixed in visting some of our markets.

I've had a whale of a time.

But that came to an end yesterday afternoon. We set off with the cousins in the car along with their humongous cases in the boot for Birmingham Airport after a tearful goodbye between Mother In Law and Cousins.

I and the wife coped with the farewell admirably. Or, we did, until our cousin Laurie asked his wife a question watching the aeroplane taxi around, and on getting no answer, looked around with the rest of us to find her in tears. Which set my wife off. Which then set Lawrie off. I must confess I had no tears - but God, it didn't half come close to it.

I and the wife said our goodbyes, complete with long, lingering hugs that should not have ended, and left them walking to the departure lounge.

I and my wife walked back to the car park in silence, neither of us willing to talk in case we set the other one off.

And now, the house is strangely incomplete. No Australian accent. No laughter. The inflatable mattress I was using has been consigned back to it's cupboard. The table and garden bench I and Lawrie pulled down to the back door is still there; but the chairs are empty. This is where I and the cousins put the world to rights into the early evening, until it got too cold for Lawrie.

The planting ceremony went ahead as planned. I have a new flowering plant and a shrub in the back from my cousins, that I have photographed as they planted them. Every year as they grow, I shall remember my cousins visit. And two very special people who,four weeks ago, were total strangers.

And now, life gets back to normal. I have had a bit of a run of bad luck over the last three weeks, but have not written about them in the blogs; I wanted these special blogs to stay special, away from the (my normal) life problems. I'll write this up tomorrow.

The Cousins left us making a promise that they will be joining us again for Christmas, 2009. I have promised them that I will take my lot over to see them in 2010. I have also promised them their first ever white Christmas when they join us (I'm going to buy a snow maker - just to be sure) and that I'll take extra special cae of their plants for them.

Thanks Simon and Letty, especially, for reading and your encouragement over the last few weeks. I know I'm going to need more over the next few weeks as I carry on trying to sort my life out.

And I'm honoured to have been able to share this one big event with you all. Including the sadness at the end.

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The Last day - Muckleburgh Collection

Source: knightrider45
Monday 3rd September 2007, 12:52pm

Our last full day together. We decided to show our cousins some more of our English history so we made today Muckleburgh day. We were also honoured by the prescence of our son and The Teenage One.

This is the first time either of the kids have been out with us and their cousins on our adventures. Although the Teenage One did take some coaxing (having had to wake her up three times) we considered it important that the whole family spent the day together.

So, at 10am (ish) we set off in two cars. The family comprised of me, the wife, the two cousins, The Teenage One, the son, and the Mother In Law.

Muckleburgh is a brilliant collection of miltary and air force vehicles, neatly arranged in clean displays. Collectors World - are you taking note? Although the vehicles are good, it was the World War Section that really got my attention.

For the first time in my life, I have actually seen a ration book and a set of call up papers (one white, one green) and Montgomerys actual, real signature on some demob papers.

Each display could have told a hundred different stories, the displays of medals won by men far greater than I could ever be have been preserved for prosperity, as I believe all the men have now died. The military ambulance especially, complete with it's field medical kit and stretchers in the back would have some horrendous tales to tell from it's working life.

The photo attached to this blog shows our two cousins standing by the Muckleburgh entrance sign.

I have, also, preserved yesterday for ever. As it was our last day together I recorded everything on camera and camcorder. The day went by in a flash, I wanted it to last forever.

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Saturday 1st September - Ghost Hunting Expedition

Source: knightrider45
Saturday 1st September 2007, 11:45pm

Yesterday, Friday, we took our Australian cousin Home properly as we went grave hunting searching for her ancestors in our graveyards.

Armed with a list of burial grounds from their family tree, I took my wife and the two cousins on a long grave hunting campaign, looking for the Double family ancestors.

Over a period of 7 hours, we visited graveyards at Horinger, Wickhambrook and Hawkedon and we were sucessful in locating 4 family graves, going back almost 200 years.

The village churches we visited were beautiful buildings in their own right, but not so the graveyards. Overgrown, unkempt and neglected. And in the last two graveyards, bulldozers had been used to level the ground and old gravestones just swept away, in pieces, up into corners.

Isn't that wrong? There are actual people buried there - families who had paid extortionate amounts of money for gravestones that were to be disregarded like last weeks rubbish.

And now, with cremations becoming the norm, future generations of our children won't even be able to go around visiting their relatives graves, both because of the local councils 30 year(?) reuse policy and the cremations that leave no markers, no remains, almost as if the person never existed.

Okay, I'm getting down from my soap box now.

Today, our lady cousin spent the day with the Mother-in-Law who took her around her past world, as my M-in-L's brother is our cousins father. So our cousin saw where her dad grew up. Another piece of the jigsaw put in place.

Tomorrow, we're off to visit the Muckleborough collection, stopping off at Wells on the way back so our cousins can see our sea. That's our last proper day together, as we're leaving for Birmingham airport at 3pm Monday.

Now that's something none of us are looking forward to. At all. Monday will be extremely sad and gut wrenching. How come we can grow to love people we've never met before in just 21 days?

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