International retirement day?

well it seems to be, about four people are retiring in our building today; it's like we're having a cull of old stock or something.

In other news i drove to Harrogate yesterday, 16 miles each way, a three hour round trip; proper lost! First experience of nightime, country road driving, something of a nightmare.

Oh, did I say I'd passed my test? Not everyone knew on here I guess...

Tidying Up

Morning.
So me and the wife have spent a few weeks tidying up, or attempting to keep the house tidy. Now that the kitchen and living room are OK, we've moved upstairs, and there's a lot of crap. Partly thats to do with me being a hoarder, although I can't throw stuff away willy nilly. So, after a bit of advice from Sarah, I went out and bought a filing cabinet, holding all the usual payslips etc. but now holds 'toni's veggie stuff' and 'shit to look at'. Anyway, I've got a lot of stuff that I don't want around but I want to keep it, the old tobacco tin, this piece of memorabilia, that badge you picked up and really liked on your 21st birthday etc.
So, what do you lot do? Do you hoard a lot of crap? Do you just bang it in the attic and forget about it? If I don't use it for 5 years, should I stop being sentimental and get rid like birthday cards etc.

Taxes

After nearly a year of phone calls to correct my address time and time again, 28 days of waiting till they'll acknowledge that they've not sent me the paperwork I need, but it's too late now so I'll have to start again, 6+ months of them threatening me with heavy fines if I don't fill in the paperwork that they admit they've not sent me because the computer system ate my US address AGAIN as the new system they had wouldn't accept non-UK postcodes(zipcodes) for a bit, requiring them to take the details again and again and again. Receiving mail with a fine in that had the last date I could complain against the amount 3 weeks before the postmark. Being told I can't sign up for the on-line version of the account as my postal address wasn't recognised being in the US (the WHOLE flippin point of online, it's to stop me popping round the office for a chat). Eventually receiving some paperwork (the wrong ones with me not actually living in the UK for 3 years now, but at least it was a start, or so I thought, next paperwork went missing and on further phone calls, they had the wrong address for me again somehow, even though the last stuff had somehow magically arrived on my doorstep).
After a years worth of this, holding up my US taxes to the point I couldn't wait anymore and had to file, gosh knows HOW many tons of paperwork they've sent to someone else (who's probably got all my social security/National Insurance details now), the HOURS of being on calls to get it sorted, I got my tax bill I owe the UK Government.

88pence.

They can go do rude things to themselves for it.

Congratulations

to Dean and Sue, who are now officially man and the wife.
I would put some photo's up but I haven't got a camera. :)
Lovely day was had by all, and it seemed Ma Nature smiled on you cos we had fantastic weather. Hope you two have a good honeymoon, and when you get back, you'll be like us with nowt to do! :)

Muzak

OK so I spent today arranging the main music playlist for the wedding. Requests will be met if possible/permissable but otherwise we have about 10-12 hours of music sorted! Hopefully a good variety for all tastes too.

We also made a sign to help people find the location and sorted a few other bits today. It's all coming together...