The diary of a cheeky chap: Winnie The Pooh

This chap has had an excellent time since his last post with only two minor hiccups! The first occurred this morning at work towards the end of my shift when for some reason I started to feel unwell. I could not put my finger on it as I have been good with my tablets and had eaten not an hour before. I did not have my blood glucose testing kit with me so could not check that it was that, mental note to take it with me where ever I go in the future. When I got home I went to bed and slept for a few hours that seemed to help a bit. The second concerns my classification as a character from the cast of Winnie The Pooh cast. Now I would have said that I am like Tigger bouncy, excitable and most of the time on the go, but sadly I am not allowed to be a Tigger! Apparently I am more like Pooh bear and that means I generally to be found strolling along whistling a happy tune, getting my head stuck in a tasty honey pot or pondering the finer points of life. There are some upsides to being Winnie The Pooh; he is cute, cuddly and happy go lucky sort of bear and is generally liked by all and gets to play Pooh sticks on a sunny summer afternoon with his friends. The problem is that he is not to bright, has got his head in the clouds and is a bit too soft natured. So we now have Si, Socks, Simon and now Pooh, next!

Either way this chap is on a good stroll or is well and truly stuck in a honey pot and is feeling very good at the moment. My self confidence is finding its feet and getting use to this new found freedom and space it has to roam around in. So much so that I have allowed myself to do a bit of forward thinking, going beyond the current day. I am feeling that there is so much more for me to embrace with this new level of confidence. I am beginning to wonder what effect it will have on things like my photography, hopefully the same as it has with my stature. I am discovering what I knew as a colourful and amazing world has a lot more depth and so much more to it. Exciting times ahead me thinks.

So what is this forward thinking about, well I need to sort out my financial situation for sure and this is not going to be helped if the planned changes at work go ahead and have the desired effect. As you know we currently have to work some very long hours in order to get the shopping done which can result in 10 to 13 hour days. This does not sit very well with the top brass and there is a goal to get all the online shopping completed by 10am each day although I think they are aiming for 8am. Given I am relying on the overtime I earn to get by and this is looking like it is going I need to do something about it.

I took the first step this week when I started my application to become a GOL backup driver. The first step was a risk assessment that asks you a number of questions about your driving style and the Highway Code. The outcome is high, medium or low risk; this chap came out of the test as a low risk and that is the best outcome. So the first step has been taken successfully, next one please but I am not going to leave it with just that. I am also looking at either extra hours in another departments or moving out of GOL completely to say night shift. The one thing I do not want to do is leave Sainsbury’s as I love working there far too much. I did ask if my hours could be extended by 2 each day that I work and my previous manager said yes but it would appear that with the new manager and new recruitment drive it has fallen by the way side. The one thing I do know is that since working at Sainsbury’s Newbury my life has changed for the better.

As you know or don’t getting a new job where the pressure, hours and responsibilities were reduced was the first step in me overcoming the depression that was dragging me down. Ok I have got 2 ½ out of 3 so that is not too bad. What’s the ½ I hear you ask? Well whilst I am not working the long hours I use to some of my days are pretty long and that is not good. There have been times when this chap has been too much work and no play. Well I am in the process of filling that gap to make it 3 out of 3. I am working out what I need to earn so that I can build a nest egg for whatever changes life has for me and to keep a roof over my head. If I can get myself into a position where I can focus on my photography and develop that further I will be a happy chap for sure.

I am also thinking that if this continues I might get myself an appointment with the docs and have a serious conversation about coming off the anti-depressants. I’ve tried this before and it did not work but I know that I was not ready but I think I am now so long as it is managed properly.

Now I have the next two days off and I intend to put them to full use. I have in mind to revisit my Royal Photographic Society distinction project, which I am basing on my church photography. I found a church not a huge distance from where I live that I am keen to include, St Margaret’s in Catmore. I have taken photographs of the church before and must admit I was very happy with the results but I want to revisit the church again and see if I can take the photographs to another level. So the aim is to go either tomorrow or Wednesday or both days depending on the weather. I also want to visit a church in the little village of Oare. I might also pay Hungerford a visit with reference to myself portrait project, busy, busy busy.

Here are some of the photographs I have taken before, I am hoping to create some better images next time around if not as equally good.