Started the morning by taking Dillon to the vets. Had his checkup, all good. Going back again next week. Came back and we all had breakfast. Usual Monday problems, took me ages to get into work so ended up working far too late to make up for it. Walked Sasha, kept threatening rain. Walked to gym and did Combat. Nick was standing in and did a custom mix of all 3,000BPM tracks. Jesus I was fucked by about track three. Got into it though, it’s the first time I’ve been able to do jump kicks since April. Took a few tablets before hand mind, but all good. Walked home, kept getting distracted by Squirtles and Koffing that kept popping up on the radar. Worked far too late. Got everything checked in though, so will have a bit of a break doing bugs tomorrow before continuing with Bokeh on the DX platforms.

Started this morning with coffee and a phone call to a fellow pilot who was worried about his telephony exam. Walked Sasha and then drove up to Staverton. Long day today. Started at midday with a one hour session on the R44. This time it was with Ben, and we’ve done a hell of a lot of flying together. Did some confined areas, some engine off’s, all good. Had lunch and it was straight back out again for another hour. More of the same, all good stuff. It was a fun way to blow just over a grand in an afternoon, but once you have the type rating, it’s yours for life. Providing you do an LPC every year you can fly the thing until you are just a distant memory. Met Steve on exit, still worried about his telephony test. He sent me a text later to say all was good and he passed no problem. I have a feeling that Steve and I will be doing a lot of flying together in the R44 to keep the costs down. We met on the away trip to Padstow, he’s a dentist. He promised not to ask me if I could get a Playstation at a discount and I promised not to show him my teeth, so we kind of hit it off. I have a feeling we will both be doing our tests on the same day. Drove back home, had a short break and picked up the dog poo. Then drove to Ashton Court in Long Ashton, was on the quest for some Mankey’s. It was a good call, all the required were caught on what can only be described as a truly beautiful afternoon and early evening. Drove home, got petrol and had my first bath in a couple of weeks as my tattoo is now healed. We’ve missed Sasha’s birthday yet again, she is now six. The most pain in the ass and intelligent dog in the world, god I will miss her when she’s gone. A nice day and a nice weekend. I know that sounds rotten because Jamie is not here, but to be honest apart from the evenings we would have probably just done are own thing for the rest of the time anyway. I think that’s the secret of the success of our relationship, we are there for each other, but we also not there for each other, long may it continue.

Started the morning far too early dropping Jamie and Megan off at the airport. All the bloody roads were closed due to the ‘Tour of Britain’ bike race thing, so was a major pain in the ass. Came back through town, it was easier, went back to bed. Had lots of coffee and breakfast. Took Sasha out and then drove to my usual spot. Did a scan while still in the car and there was an Aerodyctal just round the corner, got it second ball. Walked into town round millennium square area and the docks, picked up a lot more. Then a Dragonite came up, thirty ultra balls and a lot of raspberries later and the fucking thing got away. Really pissed off with that. Still, got a few more Dratini’s so I can always get one the very long way round. Fitted mothers battery, she works again, okay it was her car battery. The bloody clamp bolt sheared off, so if anyone has some small bungie’s….otherwise the bloody thing will rattle on the plate, the way she brakes it will join her on the passenger seat. Popped into Tesco’s and picked up some Phal sauce. Busy day tomorrow, will try and pick up some Mankey’s in the evening if I get a chance.

So spent all day working on bokeh, and it all finally worked. Must say I’m quite impressed with it overall, screenshots look nice. Everyone likes it, even if some are somewhat more pedantic in their comments. Dillon went in for his bum operation, he’s had a protruding polyp for quite some time. He was ready to pick up at three, so walked Sasha first then picked up Dillon. Shaved arse and a cone of shame, but he seems happy enough. Walked to the gym, did Pump. Managed to hatch another Pikachu, so have enough to evolve now. On a bit of a mission tomorrow, a lot of things to get round, plus I have to drop Jamie off at the airport at some ungodly hour. Lots of flying booked for Sunday.

Managed to spend a good working day with few interruptions for once on bokeh, it’s a sprite based approach. It almost works. Nice day weatherise again, walked Sasha. This evening I visited the golf course again and got my remaining three Machop’s. I then ended up working more. I think I’ve already done over forty hours this week and still have a day to go.

Work was lets just say ‘interesting’. I’m still keeping my options very open at the moment. Nice day though. Walked Sasha. This evening I actually headed out to the local golf club, it was supposed to be a Machop nest and indeed it was. I want about three more now, so probably another visit tomorrow evening is on the cards.

It started all fairly dull. Working on bug, needed testing, got it sorted. Walked Sasha. Then shit kicked off big time. I must admit I’ve stayed mostly out of the politics but can’t really stand it much more.

Went for a run. First time I’ve actually managed a mile in under ten minutes. Dillion is booked into the vet for his bum operation, he will be thrilled.

Not a fantastic work day. I got stuff done, just not as much as I’d like. Weather was a tad grotty. Walked Sasha. Managed to get a couple of Koffing and a Geodude. The end is very much insight as far as Pokemon Go is concerned. Twenty to go, two of those are pretty much in the bag. Walked to Combat, I’m pretty much attacking that as normal now after about five months of pain.

Don’t know if to continue with the R44 type conversion, it will be about another two and a half grand. Not sure. Mind wandering this evening back over past events, never enjoy that, you search FaceBook for people who are either well dead now (well I hope so anyway), or more likely guests at HMP somewhere.

So started this morning early with coffee and cereal. Then headed straight to Staverton. I was flying with Leigh today. I had Steve in the back, he’s a dentist and I think I’m going to end up doing a lot of flying with him in the future. So first time in the R44. It’s very spacious compared to the R22. Adjustable pedals, air conditioning, cup holders…. Startup procedure is slightly different, but had it going and then the pick up into the hover, strong wind today. It kind of handles like a large bus with a rocket attached. It’s sluggish. It has hydraulics. Started into the takeoff roll and lifted, by god does it climb quick. Almost two thousand feet a minute. We did some cloud surfing (basically you enter cloud and then spin it with the rotors and then turn around and see what pretty patters you made). I also did a confined area landing which was pretty much vertical. It used so much power that an R22 would have fallen out of the sky, the R44 didn’t miss a breath. Did a few auto’s, got is it sedate. Zero speed auto, pick a field, fall asleep, go back to sixty knots and then land it. Hover autos are just stupid, so much inertia, kill the throttle, there is a slight yaw to the left, balance with peddle and then slowly apply collective. You do the same in a 22 and you have to stamp on the peddle to stop it turning like a spinning top and yank the collective up so it hits your armpit. We then did an auto into the airfield, so used to doing progressive flares, this was just stupid, I had it pointing nose high for about five seconds. Trying to hover without the hydraulics is an interesting experience though, it’s like trying to learn to hover all over again.

After my flight I then sat in the bak while Steve did his IMC stuff. Leigh demonstrated some very very steep turns. Rollercoasters had nothing on these, we were pulling some serious G’s. Great fun.

Drove home. Let the dogs out and then drove to Bath. Parked up at Royal Victoria Park and had all my Cubones in a couple of hours. Came home and did the accounts. Missing my bath, can’t at the moment due to tattoo, but that is really healing nicely now. A great day. Really enjoyed it.

Yes I know I need to fit my mothers car battery and if the weather was better yesterday then I would have fitted it then. But today was all about me, and I really like ‘me’ days. I need more of them.

Started this morning with cereal, coffee, the paper and a hand job. So quite a good start. Managed to get Sasha out for a walk before it absolutely hammered down, it caught us in the last few minutes. We then picked up my nephew and headed to Cribs. Had lunch at Wagamamas, which was nice. Went for the hot and spicy curry, it was quite mild by my standards, but then again I like a curry that can melt steel. Went to ‘build a bear’, looking for the Pikachu and Eevee. Then had one Eevee left, so I let my nephew have it. We took out a couple of gyms, as you do. Came home, watched a bit of telly and I ordered both the Pikachu and the Eevee online. Jamie is now cooking. Looks like we have enough ravioli to feed eight.