Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "winter"

What a great day for rugby last Saturday was. Even though Scotland was beaten by the French it was still a good game. Italy started the days sport by giving us a edge of the seat game where they beat the Irish in Rome. Wales then snatched the championship from the English in an impressive show of strength in the scrum. England struggled to fight on in the second half but Wales really began to dominate them. As I said Scotland was beaten by a resurgent France though they still weren’t the same team from last year. The Scots did fight till the last but it wasn’t to be our day or should I say night.
No rugby this weekend so I will get back to my game of Civ V. With winter still biting here, we’re to get more snow over the next few days, there will be no gardening. I did see that my strawberries have faired better than I though last week. The dead leaves and runners have helped shield them from the worst of the frost. Luckily I left them in place planning to clear them this week which won’t be happening now due to the weather. So it means that I will be having another of those lazy winter weekends perfect for gaming on the computer.
I do hope that spring start to show soon. Next week I go on holiday from work for Easter so I am hoping to get to the garden centre to get prepared for the growing season. I will also still need to spray my trees but the still looked winter dead last week with little change viewing them from the window today when I got home. Not surprising as it is baltic out today. Let us hope this is the last of winter’s blast so we can see life spring again. Winter is getting very weary now.

Each day seems just like the day before. I get up, have breakfast then search countless websites for a job. Once that is done I play Settlers Online. That is how things are unfolding in my life at the moment. When there is something of interest on TV I watch that but as Christmas speeds towards us there is less on TV.
Yes the telly schedules are wrapping up ready for the festive season. That is when we will have a glut of specials most of which we won't watch as we never gazed upon those shows anyways. We will have one or two that we all look forwards to. Things like Doctor Who or a favourite comedy show. Plus there is always one gem we find while channel surfing. That movie we haven't seen since last year, at least according to the wife. Though we are always sure it has been longer since it was last aired, right.
One good thing is we don't really need to go shopping for all those presents. Well not out into those wet cold days as we used to. Now we do most of it from the comfort of our living-room as the wind howls past the window. It almost sounds like it was demanding that we remember those blue handed shopping trips as kids. Being dragged from one stall to another. How grateful we were when we finally found ourselves being marched into the warmth of Woolworth's. Even if it was only to take a shortcut through the store back into the dark winters day. Those few minutes in the heat I'm sure saved us from turning into icicles.
Now though it is the poor delivery drivers we should feel for. Jumping in and out of their heated vans must make them prone to getting the flu a lot. Maybe not. But I for one am glad that I don't have to do more than answer the door to get the gifts for loved ones in.

Winter has finally hit my part of the world. After all the recent rain the snow began to fall yesterday. I didn't expect it to lie but I was wrong. Just in case it did I gritted the path which was a good thing. Really I only gritted it because Calum nagged me over it. He didn't want to have to clear it after the frost hardened the slush. That is a harder job after all than throwing down some salted grit. Mind last year we didn't have the grit until the snow gave way to spring melt or should I correctly call it pre-spring melt. After all Ayrshire's salty air usually means that the snow never lasts long, unlike winter which is always seems too protracted. At least for me. Maybe that is because I was a summer baby.
My job search has continued. In the past week I have lost count of how many applications I have filled out. That doesn't count the number of times I have sent out my CV to employers. I had a renewed effort this week after the quiet start to the year. Though I do feel a little despondent after not hearing anything back from the interviews before Christmas. Though when I think of it I shouldn't as it was just before the festive break so that would have a delaying effect on hiring new staff members. If right then with luck and a prayer I might hear something soon.

The cold snow falls outside. Our heating is off to save it for later. Extra layers help a little but I still hate the chill. It holds on to your bones for hours after the heating does come on. Being chased off just as the radiators begin to cool again. So as winter finally snaps at the northern hemisphere I am reminded, as if I needed it, of why I hate the darker, colder season. We have been lucky as the week did warm after last weeks bite. Unfortunately it has snapped back to being colder than it was last week. I'm just glad to know that the radiators will come on soon and I'll rest my self against one for a few minutes to warm.
My job search continues fruitlessly. More applications have been sent though no replies received. I was informed that I will be getting sent back on work placement soon. At least it will give me something to do other than just sitting around. Though I will still be expected. as before, to do a full job search every day. It is one of those conditions that the jobcentre expects from me so I get money. Well it is a small price though so is the amount we have to live off of. Mind I shouldn't moan as it is better than in some parts of the world where there is no safety net. And you never know maybe I shall turn that corner to find a job before I am placed on the work placement programme again. I can hope.