Time for change.

It's strange waving Martyn off to work looking all clean and smart - strange in a nice way though. For those of you who don't already know Martyn got a job! A very nice job too I might add and one that he said he would have moved here for anyway. The job is with a company that he used to deal with when we lived in Goole. They supply marine parts, engines, gearboxes etc. The coincidences just keep on coming on this adventure don't they?! He didn't even know they were based in Brighton when we first arrived and it never occured to him initially to take his C.V. in to them. We had set off on one of our 'exploration Brighton' missions armed with C.V.'s. The place took a little bit of finding as we left the map and couldn't remember the road name.... yes..... nothing much changes! I sat in the Herald as Martyn went in C.V. in hand. He was gone a good few minutes before returning with a strange look on his face. "They're looking for someone" he said. "oops!" I thought - this is the one! Later that day he had a call from the Director who he had spoken to asking for references.....! We could hardly contain ourselves, yet tried to! Then all went quiet. We heard nothing for two days then Martyn got a call saying the references were good but he would have to wait until the boss was back.... in two and a half weeks! We could do nothing but wait and try not to think about it too much. The crazy thing is he didn't even really know what the job was, he just wanted it and I so much wanted him to get it.

When we finally decided to lift that anchor and set sail for pastures new it was in the hope of finding a new path for our lives to follow. It was time to wake up and shake off the past and open our eyes to other possibilities. After seeing some of the places Martyn has applied for jobs I am very glad he didn't get them. Two and a half weeks later following a five hour 'interview' with the boss Martyn was asked to join the company. He answers the phones, takes orders and provides technical assistance amongst other things. He goes to work clean and comes home clean. The hours are long but he tells me the people are lovely. Today is Friday and is the last day of his first week and as I waved him off (in the dark!) I felt very proud of him. It's a brave thing to change your career in such a dramatic fashion. He was nervous of going into quite an alien environment but I think he's adjusted really well. He's swapped welders and grinders for phones and computers He still gets to indulge himself in the world of all things mechanical without getting burnt or cut to bits.

Proud as I am I miss him through the day. Since the day we left our jobs we have been together almost 24/7 and I for one have thoroughly enjoyed it! So reality bites and I am left still wondering what I'll end up doing. My idea for a shop is still top on the list but I need to build up some capital to take to the bank before I ask them for more. This is all work in progress..... The main thing now is that we have at least one source of income. I have applied for a few Christmas jobs in shops but as yet haven't heard anything. The one thing I won't do is apply for something that will make me unhappy - I didn't sail half way round the country to slip back into my old ways. This week I have cooked (usually Martyns job he he!), cleaned, shopped for groceries and made sure everything is done by the time Martyn returns home. I have even cleaned and organised the cupboard under the sink, a job I intended to do before we left Hull! I may be overcompensating on the house wife duties but it has given me a focus for this week and stopped me dwelling on the fact that the honeymoon is over.....!

I have had some time to take some photographs though and intend to start doing some writing next week. Who knows maybe I can sell a few pictures and a story or two whilst waiting for that call about the J.O.B.???

Brightona!

Good things come to those who wait, so we continue to wait! The news on the j.o.b. front is positive for Martyn but we have to wait until next week for the final decision. It's hard to plan ahead when you are waiting for the answer that decides the next direction life will take you. If everything works out the way we hope, it will be a great opportunity for Martyn and one he justly deserves. So, we wait!

In the meantime we have been out and about still looking at alternative opportunities and trying to discover as much of Brighton as possible. We had a treat on Sunday. There was a bike rally on Madeira Drive ' Brightona'. It was an event we had looked forward to for a while and we weren't disappointed. The sun had been shining for a couple of days before hand and made a much appreciated appearance on Sunday. It could have been August it was so warm. Madeira Drive literally runs from the marina to the pier and is a pleasant walk at the best of times, even more so when there are thousands of motorbikes and classic British and American cars to look at. I can honestly say I have never seen as many Harley Davidson motorbikes in my life. I didn't know there were so many different styles. Some of them had been customised with artwork etc. Others had been made into trikes and all manner of creations. I imagine that possibly up to 50% of the bikes there were Harleys - quite incredible really. There were lots of scooters there too, disappointingly mainly standard bikes, lots of lights and mirrors and only a couple of cutdowns. Maybe next year we'll be there on our scooters to even up the balance with something a little more interesting! There was the wall of death, which I chickened out of going to see. I could see the bike going round the rickety wooden creation from the outside, it sent a chill down my spine from there, never mind going up to the top of it and looking down! There were bands playing, stalls selling everything from cowboy boots to helmets as well as lots of companies promoting their bikes. The atmosphere was great, no hassle, nobody getting stressed even though it was absolutely packed. The bikes were parked from one end of the drive to the other. It took us over two hours to walk it, taking photos as we went. We finished with a drink in the town and a lovely meal. We walked back via Madeira drive as everything was being packed away, the odd motorbike parked up here and there as if abandoned after the chaos. There was a lovely sunset which seemed to mark a prefect end of a perfectly lovely day.

Even though we are not working Monday morning is still Monday morning. I didn't notice it so much when we were travelling but I do now. I guess it's because we allow ourselves the weekend off thinking about jobs and money so reality strikes again Monday morning. It's something I want to get away from if I can. I don't want that Monday feeling anymore, I want to be able to get up and feel happy that I am spending my days doing something I enjoy. I know we all do but I feel that I am in a very privileged position at the moment and have an opportunity to make what I want a reality. Martyn has taken on the responsibility of becoming the main breadwinner to allow me this luxury. He prefers the idea of at least one of us having a stable job with regular money. I just hope for him that he gets the job he wants and it makes him happy. So all in all I am a very lucky person - if a poor one!

Is it back to the mud......?

My enthusiasm for a market stall was still running high on Monday morning as we set off in the Herald to check it out. By 2pm in the afternoon following a disastrous first attempt, a disappointing visit to a possible supplier and another unsuccessful drive around Brighton we parked the car and started walking. Brighton is possibly one of the most confusing places to drive around. It's a bit like a rabbit warren and the lack of road names on actual roads coupled with the requirement to drive at 100mph everywhere means lots of beeping of horns and stress! As I have said before, Brighton is not a place to drive around - the best option is always by foot. So we parked and walked, in the wrong direction. I used to be so good at map reading and always considered myself to have a good sense of direction. Clearly, this is no longer the case - I had been taking us in all the wrong directions all day. Martyn took over the map reading and eventually we found it - closed of course - and run down to say the least. There is talk of a new one being built, hopefully somewhere people can find it! All in all a disappointing day. My hopes of becoming a market trader may not come to fruition, if I can't source locally and collect I'm stuffed! I can't really expect the office at the marina to take deliveries for me and most suppliers are online only. When did the world beyond online ordering cease to exist? I had a vision of getting up early hitting the wholesalers then off to the market to trade my wares, if I can find it......! My other concern is that if we couldn't find the market how do people new to the area even know it's there? The truth is, they don't. There isn't even a sign anywhere for it. I think the reality is that in order for me to be able to get my idea up and running I need a shop. The smallest one I can find. This is my new mission!

Tuesday was Martyns day for a mission. With nothing new on the job front and no calls from the advert he placed he decided to amend his C.V. slightly and get out there again. We made the changes, in hindsight much needed changes and took a drive down to Hove and Shoreham. Having left the amended C.V.s at the chosen establishments we decided to have a drive into Shoreham. We had been told about the houseboats in Shoreham on a few occasions and now seemed as good a time as any to take a sneaky peek. The town itself is quite pretty but the sight of the houseboats is something else! They seem to go on for miles. The tide was out when we visited so they were all sat in the (rather pongy) mud. I knew there were quite a few Military Torpedo Boats there but didn't realise just how many. They line the banks of the river one after another and accommodate some very interesting 'wheelhouses'! The superstructures that sit upon these amazing hulls are wacky, artistic and creative to say the least. I have to say though without wanting to be disrespectful to the owners / creators of these dwellings, it's not my thing. I would much rather see them with a wheelhouse in keeping with the boat and in a usable condition. I guess the answer to that from some would be that at least they are still being used. The jury is out....!
We had a walk into the town, it's quite a lovely little place with every shop you would need including gift shops and the like. It's probably not a bad place to live. Martyn has told me to get used to it because at the rate we're going we'll have to just sneak up on the mud and hope to stay there next year!! Harrumph..... not sure I like it that much....!
So today, well, there may be news on the job front for Martyn and he had two calls in the space of five minutes from people requiring his welding services - bit like buses! That's where he is right now, not on a bus but in Hove welding. Let's hope this is the start of things turning around for us. I really hope I haven't just jinxed it!

Water over the wall....

It's October already and still no sign of work. We placed an ad in the local free ad paper on Friday advertising Martyns' engineering skills. Fingers crossed, something will come through for him next week. I have given up on the job websites. It's very clear to me that I can't go back into an office environment, unless that office is my own! I have decided to go self employed and have begun to research the possibility of a market stall. I have an idea that I think will work, especially in the run up to Christmas. It will mean working long hours, being frozen cold, getting soaking wet but at least I won't be in an office being told how to think.

We haven't yet worked out why neither of us have been able to get work, it's always been quite easy in the past. It's easy to feel negative and wonder if there is something wrong with you but there are a lot of people out there looking for work and I have to say I really can't bear the thought of working for £5 an hour. If I have to I will, of course, but there are other options too explore first. Maybe it's because we don't really want to work for other people again, maybe we're just not trying hard enough because deep down it's not what we want. Either way it's making us think 'outside the box'(hate that phrase!). I have always believed that Martyn should work for himself, he's much more talented than he gives himself credit for. Hopefully this will give him the push to realise his potential and enjoy working again. Personally, I have always wanted to work for myself but until now didn't really have an idea of what I should do. We will give both ago and see what happens. There's no point in sitting around waiting for the next job, it's time to go out and make some money! Tomorrow we are going to have a look at the market (the worrying thing is that we haven't come across it before!) and then visit a possible supplier. There's every chance I could be up and running within a week or so - exciting times!

We have had our first real taste of what might be to come over the winter months. On Friday, following a glorious day on Thursday, a huge front came in. We had serious water over the sea wall and right over the boat! It was hard at times to move around the boat without hitting the sides. By Saturday morning however all was calm, dead calm. Boat owners around the marina were out in the Autumn sunshine washing the salt off their boats and discussing the weather, how well we do that in England. Whatever the reason, anything that gets people out of their boats and talking to each other must be a good thing. It makes you smile and you feel part of something because you have something in common and something to talk about. We discovered that one of our very close neighbours originates from Hull. If Martyn hadn't been out washing the boat they might not have got talking. He seems like a really nice chap and a good character. Hopefully we might get the chance to have a beer with him and learn a little more about how things work around here.

So far there hasn't been much to report. I really hope that changes for the better this week. I'm excited about the future and hope that at least one of us will be able to make a success of working for ourselves. It feels a bit like we have been given a second chance to make work an enjoyable part of our life. They say you either work to live or live to work. I just want to earn enough money to live and have some fun. I want to wake up in the morning and not feel sick at the prospect of going to work. At the end of the day there's only me that can make these things happen. If we can't make it happen in Brighton where can we?