Wednesday, 31 December 2014
All the small things
Its been a very long and eventful year for family OTW and as good as its been I'm happy to see it draw to a close. In the last month I have wrapped up my company and the last of my employees have departed meaning for the first time in 30 years I don't have to meet a wage bill on Friday!!! I do have a project running in Liverpool until april but I can finish that with the help of subies so I'm...unemployed? retired? I'm not sure how to describe myself. I have been working solidly towards this moment for 7 years and now its here I feel rather strange, I have never defined myself by my work but not being a builder or whatever I have put my hand too is I must admit rather uncomfortable. Its not like I won't be busy as I've named 2015 as the 'year of a thousand small things' as the various properties here and the grounds all need attention both large and small.The fact I have 4 children between 1 and 7 who haven't seen enough of me is also something I've been planning to happily rectify so there is plenty of room there for filling up my days and weeks. Long term I do hope to look at another couple of large (by my standards) projects and in fact I drove over to north Wales (20 mins drive) today to look at this. Its a once nice Georgian house with some interesting features and grounds that would stand some tlc...and cash.I'm going to see this one later in the week and its a bit more of a challenge in several ways and so of more interest. I would love to rebuild the rather plain buildings in stone with more liveable and energy efficient interiors.Long term I'm pretty certain a property in California is on the cards with hopefully the experience of building in new materials holding out the promise of a new set of challenges. So there you go...an eventful year gone and a busy but more of a family orientated year to come. I hope all who visit here have had a good year and that 2015 brings them happiness and contentment....cheers!
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7 comments:
Happy New Year bro!
Thud, I've always admired your lifestyle, and congratulate you on getting this far!
I just cannot pick up an electric saw without wondering what you might do at that particular moment, and your design skills are second to none!
No doubt, you're saying you'll retire, but already, your eye is on the next project!
My projects are lining up as I speak, as I finally retired today as well, and the jobs are in the pipeline just now!
Tomorrow, I dismantle my desk, which will be a huge occasion! I'm making tables and shelves from the timber, and reorganising my old office back into a bedroom, for when the grandchildren come to stay, and there will be much love and design put into all this, much as you have done for your dear Mum, who somehow, I identify with as a lovely lady - especially as she has such a grand home to live in at The Bothy which you have charmed from a small shed!
Good luck to all of you for 2015; you are a lucky and talented man and with such a fond family, I couldn't consider a better thought than you all enjoying the big jump into 2015!
Best wishes to you all!
Happy New Year to Thud and mrs Thud and family.
If your unemployed you will soon find a job, if your retired you will wonder how you fitted work side by side with the other things you did, retiring is a continuation of work except you end up "volunteering" your expertise to projects you never had time to do when working, your problem will be visiting public buildings on your travels with mrs Thud and family and not getting involved in getting volunteered to help, I do know a lovely local Napoleonic fort in New Brighton that needs your expertise in stone, but stay far away from the place as it will end up in a job for life, with all this planned "free" time come and see some "volunteers" on the BAR Lightship PLANET in Canning dock next to the Strand in Liverpool and have a tea or coffee with us, Tuesday or Friday as retirement keeps us busy with other things the other days of the week.
Wow. Will you look out for a smaller (and cheaper) one for me.
Both look absolutely splendid, but if they need fixin' then you've got a project! Both appear to need a bunch of horses to go along, so get some cowboy boots? ;-)
Wow! How exciting! My husband (sort of) retired this year. Actually looks like he's going back to do PHD, but we're not sure what we did before he was at home all the time, his days are filled with form filling with kids' sports and carpools. Still its a great time for the kids. Sounds like you have loads more projects in the mix! How exciting about the California thing!
And the Flintshire one is awesome - cannot believe you get all that house for the price of a two-bed flat in Notting Hill. Brilliant!
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