CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

A 4 post lift could well be the end to your parking 3 cars problem

That's very true Chris In fact there's a company who make them especially for storing one car on top of 'tother. I've seen their ad in Practical Classics. Price is a bit spicy though...

[CitroJim]

Touch-wood and cautiously I'm noting a distinct improvement in my health lately I'm not being optimistic and it may be that I'm on a bit of an 'up' but this past week or so things are definitely going the right way... No real reason as far as I can identify - perhaps all the rest and taking great care is finally coming good...

Main thing is, I'm sleeping a lot better and waking up more refreshed than I have in a long while.

At this rate I may well be able to resume work in the next few weeks

Shame really as I'm getting very used to being semi-retired

[Citroenmad]

That is excellent new Jim

[citronut]

you must watch you dont drift into you old routine of over doing it then hun, as none of us want to see you like you were every again ,

so just behave your self if thats possible

[CitroJim]

you must watch you dont drift into you old routine of over doing it then hun, as none of us want to see you like you were every again ,

Not least me but yes, you are absolutely right Malcolm! It's the one thing I must very carefully guard against... So often in the past as soon as I've started to improve it's been straight back to my old ways and straight back down again...

I'm just beginning to get the hang of this relaxing lark It's still a bit of a stranger tome but I'm getting there

[CitroJim]

The re-worked Activa cat on the XM is not to my satisfaction. It sits too close to the ARB and subframe and bangs on it from time to time. It niggles me so I've bitten a bullet today and bought a new cat for it. I'm expecting it to be a kitten judging by the low price I've paid but running on LPG that'll be no worries. All the MOT tester needs to see is there’s a cat fitted.

Whilst I had the plastic out I went to the Bilt Hamber Website and bought a load of Dynax S-50 and Dynax UC to do a bit of XM and Xantia rustproofing...

In other news, my GP has released me to resume light part-time working so toward the end of the month I go back to work

[lexi]

Are you back at work Jim?

I have a nice book here called " For Men who do too much" but I ain't had a chance to read it.......too busy

[CitroJim]

Are you back at work Jim?

Not yet lexi, I have that 'fun' coming toward the end of the month I'm currently busy learning not to give a toss about it and working on how to get away with doing the minimum consistent with remaining in full-time employ until proper retirement. I know that sounds terrible but it's what I must do to to preserve my health. It's taken a bloody long time to climb out of the pit this time and I'm not going back there... End of... And as soon as I can retire I will.

A colleague of mine has a sign above his desk that counts the days since he last gave a damm. I must get hold of one of those...

In fact this sums it up pretty well...



In other news, I've taken a decision to SORN the V6 at the end of the month. Yesterday I brought the Activa out of storage and popped the V6 in there where she's likely to stay now until whatever and whenever really. I can't get nearly as comfy in the V6 as I can the Activa or the XM and that's really quite critical for me nowadays. the XM is like an old armchair and the Activa I can get very comfy in a car that's an absolute pleasure to drive so that's decision made. XM with LPG economy and stupendous cruising comfort for long trips and the Activa for day to day hooning around.

I'm not sure of the future of the V6 now. I can't afford at the moment to tax and insure her due to a need to save hard for whatever the future holds and the continuing need to (partially) support two expensive daughters through Uni...

So, she's going on SORN for now pending a longer-term decision on her future. I only wish I had under-cover storage for her.

Basically, if anyone were to make me a sensible offer I'd be quite amenable to letting her go but given her condition and provenance the offer would have to be very sensible indeed.

Off to Aberystwyth on Friday. Can't wait. The temptation to pack everything up here and move to that part of Wales and put two fingers up to this crowded urban jungle that this locality has become is getting to be rather irresistible...

[RichardW]

"I'm currently busy learning not to give a toss about it and working on how to get away with doing the minimum consistent with remaining in full-time employ until proper retirement. "

There are plenty of people manage that from the outset Jim - however, if you care, it might be a bit difficult to get to. Worth working at though! My dad used to call it ROTJ (Retired on the job)! Bear in mind that come difficult times the company only sees you as an asset and will not hesitate to dispose of you at the drop of a hat.... if they complain, just mention the words 'stress' and 'time off' and they will go away

Pleased to hear you are on the mend! Trouble is your talk of 50mpg equivalent from an LPGd V6 is doing curious things to my mind. I. Must. Resist.

[CitroJim]

That's the problem Richard. I do care and I care greatly about everything I do and it has to be said that my level of caring has got me into some rather bad places in the past.

I love that acronym ROTJ And I know a few people who practice it with some skill too. The trick I have to learn is how to do it without actually letting on I am.. Ahh well, practice makes perfect

Seriously for a moment, I'm returning to work part-time five mornings a week to light duties to see how I can cope with it. The problem with ME is it's a very unpredictable up and down sort of condition and is never consistent despite efforts to make it so. I can be fine one day, bad the next and can go for reasonable periods of being good to unreasonable periods of being bad all in the space of a week and sometimes in the course of a day. Trying to hold down a job under that is not easy and it takes a good bit of understanding on the part of my employer; luckily mine is pretty good up to a point but as you say, I'm only an asset to them and if my value as an asset falls too low then I'm quite sure it'll be a case of 'so long and thanks for all the good work you once did...'. Hence the saving I'm doing and the hard decision to SORN the V6 for the time being.

LPG is beguiling stuff I thought the other day I'd better just top up the XM with petrol. It was on a quarter full and it took £25 worth of finest premium unleaded to take it to just about half-full. It took about the same amount of money to fill the LPG tank from around a quarter full to full

I like to carry a reasonable amount of petrol as although normally it only starts and runs on it for a few minutes when cold I'm soon off to a land where LPG stations are few and far between and if the only one in Aberystwyth is out then I'll likely be forced into using petrol at some point in the adventure and I'm not sure how the XM will like their Dragon stuff...

[ragger]

Feeling well enough to go back to work is excellent news - going back to work, not so good.

After a third of a century in the classroom (as a teacher I hasten to add) I decided quite suddenly that it was time to go. I was still loving the bits of my job which involved the actual teaching and the mentoring of newly qualified staff but I wanted my Sundays back and I wanted to feel human again, so two years ago I took early retirement. At the time we had one daughter at uni, and then the next year two, and now back to one (with at least another year to go), financially it is not great but I'm certainly happier and healthier.

I wish you luck with your return to work and continuing improvements in your health and temper.

Rob

[CitroJim]

Thanks Rob

Today I've learned the details of my return to work job and it certainly is a nice light one but yes, sights are definitely set on retiring as soon as I can and then if at all possible doing as discussed over on Club-XM - packing up and going off to Wales...

[Xaccers]

Feeling well enough to go back to work is excellent news - going back to work, not so good.

After a third of a century in the classroom (as a teacher I hasten to add) I decided quite suddenly that it was time to go. I was still loving the bits of my job which involved the actual teaching and the mentoring of newly qualified staff but I wanted my Sundays back and I wanted to feel human again, so two years ago I took early retirement. At the time we had one daughter at uni, and then the next year two, and now back to one (with at least another year to go), financially it is not great but I'm certainly happier and healthier.

I wish you luck with your return to work and continuing improvements in your health and temper.

Rob

With the average life expectancy post full retirement for a secondary school teacher of only 2 years, I think you made the right choice!
I used to date a deputy head (with a real &$%@ of a head) and the 14 hour days were a killer.

I did bump into my old music teacher a few years after leaving school, he was busking in town, thoroughly enjoying himself and said he often made more money a day than when we was teaching little toe rags.

[Citroenmad]

I'm very pleased to hear your on the mend Jim Hopefully your light return back to work will agree with you, no doubt these past few months have taught you something about how much your able to take on.

I think taking your V6 off the road for a while is a very good decision. Less to think about, less costs and more space if its away from home. For a few reasons we are trying to get my dad to see something of a similar perspective at the moment. Which part way expains the sale of the XM, well I say sale, i'm really just advertising it at the moment ...

Teaching is no fun, my mum was a primary school teacher, head of Maths and Science. it was far too much, she would work right up to midnight, most of the weekends and be totally run into the ground by it. She retired last year but went back part time, as she still likes the teaching and didn't want to cut it out all together. As it is she has very little work to do at home, maybe an hour a week and has much more time during weekdays too. No doubt within the next year she will retire fully, but sometimes it can be better to ease out of a job, rather than finish it all together. That appears to be the case for my mum, no doubt by the time I'll be anywhere near retirement age it will have been pushed up to 95!

Moving to Wales sounds like a great idea Jim! Getting out of this congestion and over crowded areas will do anyone the power of good.

[andmcit]

Mind. Some of the (let's just call them 'special') drivers encountered sometimes
on some of the roads in Wales may not be your normal Muppets found on your
crowded/congested central England roads...

just saying.

And if they're driving whilst wearing a hat, immediately find somewhere else
in the opposite direction to go to!