February 2003
As the end of January rushes at me, I'm getting to grips with another Grass Roots Diary entry whilst enjoying the fallout from a hefty dose of flu.

I've been out of it for a week, most of that spent flat on my back. This is not good for a self-employed man as someone still has to do the work.

Luckily, head of silage distribution, Johnny, hasn't succumbed to the virus yet but having gone straight through his work (and mine) for over a week, I suspect he's ready for a day off.

In the meanwhile sawyer Barry hasn't turned up today, so I can guess what we're about to hear.

Not to be sneezed at
Indoors, Alison has also had the lurgy and the kids are in bogey over-production mode (Little Polly beckoned to our nanny and saviour, Jo, indicating that she wanted to whisper in her ear.
When JO presented said ear for this whisper it turned into a huge wet sneeze. Lucky JO!)

Bless you! Flu is doing the rounds

For good measure the electrics blew up last week with a lightning strike frying the transformer.

The phone lines are out, and have been for 10 days.

The water pump packed up sometime last week, manifesting its condition on Saturday night (no water in the cattle sheds) and the council decided that last week would be a good time to turn up and sort out a bit of subsidence under the lane, blocking the only road in or out for most of the week.

The accountant is in a flat spin over the accounts with only a couple of days left to avoid a 'fine'.

There's half a dozen building sites grinding to a halt for the want of a load of sawn Oak and the cattle have been out on the road!

And you know something? Until the last day or two, I have not cared one jot.

The real problem with the aforementioned list is of course, that Yours Truly has to play catch up for a month now.

I live in a constant state of being a fortnight behind ("management by crisis"), so this is only a kind of extension to the cosmic overdraft.

Besides why worry? I might go under a bus tomorrow! A very lost bus, true. One that had already negotiated several terminally narrow bridges and was unlikely to ever find its way back to the depot - but I just might!

Money for nothing? >>