My job may have some pretty significant disadvantages (none of which I’m really able to go into here), but you’d be very hard pressed to find an alternative that offers quite the same level of perks.
Trust me, I’ve tried.
The main advantage of course is that I only have to work three days a week. This both gives me the opportunity to be a part time stay-at-home dad, and also the time to engage in whatever obsession I happen to be consumed with at the time. There’s no way I’d be able to hike, blog, garden, build chicken coops, take photographs and play the ukulele if I was a nine to five Monday to Friday workaday Joe. Not and sleep as well at any rate.
But that’s not the only advantage to my job. While working I spend most of my time driving round the wilds of Halifax visiting my patients in their own homes. Therefore in their infinite wisdom the NHS have designated me an “essential car user”. Which basically mean that they give me a free car. Hurrah!
Well, ok they don’t. But they do contribute a rather nice proportion towards the cost of a lease car. Bloody marvelous!
At three years old my previous lease car, a 1.4 VW Polo, was getting a little long in the tooth and so on Friday I went to Castleford to pick up my brand spanking new VW Golf 2.0 TDI.
And very nice it is too.
I even went for the slightly upgraded model, mainly because that means I can plug my ipod directly into the radio rather than have to mess about with FM transmitters.
Of course we’d never be able to afford a brand new car if we had to pay for it ourselves. To be honest even the subsidized lease payments for it are going to be a bit of a stretch. But our other car, a bruised and battered Skoda fabia is well past it’s best and the intention is that the Golf is going to assume the role of family car, with the Skoda relegated to runabout.
It’s all very exciting.
In other news, I bought a new pair of swimming shorts yesterday. This wouldn’t be worth mentioning if it wasn’t for this:
I’m pretty sure these shorts are the first item of clothing I’ve bought smaller than an XL since I was in my teens. Hell, I was pretty chuffed with myself when I moved down to XL from XXL.
Things are pretty good in the Hughes household at the moment.
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cool car! a 2.0 should be able to pull up quite fast.
For a moment there..I thought you were going to talk out the flower design on your swimming shorts..but I guess the size is a better subject.
Beware that your bones won’t be sticking out after your next big walk though, gotta keep some healthy weight :)
Arjans last blog post..Mr Carnifex
That feeling of going down sizes is always nice. Congratulations!
Avitables last blog post..RIP Bea Arthur
Nice to read the good vibes. And congrats on the size-dropping. You’ll be bounding over the dales like a gazelle at this rate!
Steves last blog post..Hayley’s Birthday
Nice! And the shorts match the car. Even better.
Ed (zoesdad)s last blog post..And Could You Get Me a Magazine?
Woohoo! Congratulations on both fronts.
Bad choice of words there, Oli.
Wow, congrats on the upgrading and downsizing!
How’s the t-shirt situation? Are you at XXL or XL now?
Idaho Dads last blog post..Baby Shaker
That’s great. Now you just have to start hitting the brakes so you don’t overshoot the target and whiter away to nothing.
Jamess last blog post..Think Out Loud Sunday
And ‘Asda price’ as well. Double bonus.
Sams last blog post..Its Competition Time!
Arjan – My bones are quite a long way from sticking out, trust me.
Avitable – Thank you sir.
Steve – A gazelle with four crippled legs maybe
Ed – I try to make sure everythign I drive matches my clothing.
Idaho Dad – I’m officially an XL, but still like wearing my comfy XXL shirts.
James – I think the dangers of that are pretty remote.
Sam – Aye, you have to be frugal these days.
Now had you bought those shorts in the US you could have had them in medium. Bet you looked ‘just a slim lad’ over there. (or here to be correct since I am still there and not there where you are)
Nice car! I’d buy one just so I could plug my iphone straight into it too. It isn’t the same colour as your last one though is it? Oherwise neighbours don’t know you have a new one.
Gails last blog post..Thoughts of Home
Congrats on both the waist, and the car.
I had a new Golf once upon a time, a GTI no less, that was a company car too. Really nice motors, mine was very reliable.
SingleParentDads last blog post..Things I Repeat, Say What? Things I Repeat
As the yanks say, sa-weet.