Cold dark nights looking back

well its that time of year to close the doors turn up the heating and take a look back over another years biking achievements , for me a bit of a mixed bag one of the first outings on the Pan and she parked her self on my ankle pain full for ages then it was fast time for the TT and the Boss decided she would give it a miss and go and play at happy grannies with a new Grand daughter so it was me myself and I , a lot of backward and forward over that water by boat and plane to end up with the bike over to use while I was there I ended up taking the bike over and leaving it there a week early then taking the wife up to Ayr and then flew over from Glasgow for the two weeks TT staying with friends then do every thing in revers to get me and bike back , funny time for so mixed up great to have the big bike there but lost without the boss it was the longest that we have been apart for the whole of our married life 47 years , not some thing I would want to do again , then it was Scarborough and promoted to IO up at Mount Side , still not sure if I want it or not few issues that want looking at but will see how it goes , then the rest of the time in Orange was MGP and the BSB at Oulton park and Brands Hatch and a totally un planed till last min meeting in North Wales at Tonfanu that was fun got to wave the chequered flag , the MGP was a let down for me the new format did nothing for me at all ,the BSB was as ever top class , so all in all a busy year and one that has left me feeling as if the MGP may be dropped next year and do more BSB and try and do some more circuits that I have not done before Anglsey and Aintree spring to mind but as ever dates and fuel will put restrictions on what we do , but need less to say I will wring its kneck to the best of my ability

My year was too much stuff I didn't want and not enough that I did! However, thankful to still be able to complain!

Well, the wife and I have both had dramatic ups and downs in the job/work side of life. Other things have been mostly OK, but the job stuff heavily impacts the rest of your life too, like it or not.

Trips to the TT (and other fun things) run on money and vacation time as well as having a fair idea that you'll have a job when you get back. At least for wage slaves like me. So, you stick to cheap fun that doesn't require a lot of time off of work. So, fun is still had.

But the stress of the job stuff is grating, as much as you try to keep it locked in its own closet.

Good news is that, in this part of the world, it's time to take the bike out more often and enjoy the wonderful weather!

Ye I know what you mean for years that was us , till I failed the medical and they said that's it get lost , and that was a worry at first how on earth were we going to manage but we just dug in got on with it and ended up living to our means , cutting the cloth to suet , so to speak and once we got sorted out after the first few months it is the best thing going we are loving it and living life as it comes , if it ends tomorrow tell them I went out a happy man

Yup! A couple of smacks about the head (figuratively) make you sit up every once in a while and wonder about what is important now and what they will say in your obit!
I found myself thinking if they ever print "Jack loved puttering about in the yard" I WILL come back and haunt them for-EVER! I continually work 2 jobs and take care of a bunch of real estate. No wonder I don't watch too much TV! Time to branch out a bit and smell the roses... or the Castrol R... Looking in to flights from here to Iceland (!WTF?!). "Why?" You say, well, it's the cheapest way to get to I.O.M.... TT may be on the Bucket List... again!

ye you get in a rut slaving away for the money , but then when some thing kicks you up the ---- it is frightening at first but then as things settle down and you find a way through it , and ye money is still a controlling factor in your life but it aint life and death , I often see some of the lads I worked with same sort of age as me or older and they say oh I cant afford to retire I could not live on the pension bo--- says me and then you get the others they are bored dont know what to do with them selves ???? I may have to watch the pennies but bored I dont have time to be bored I dont know how I ever had time to go to work ,but I do admit I am lucky I have family and friends around me , and then being a junky!!! a two wheeled junky there is all ways some thing to tinker with or some ride you want to do , but top of the lucky list is that I have the love of a good women that has been with me through thick and thin and the all important anchor stone for the last 47 years , ye life has had its ups and downs but hey I have given it a good old kicking and I have no regrets what more can you want ?? than to be sat in your twilight years with a smile on your face and a head full of memories and daft plans for things to do tomorrow how many of them plans get past the anchor stone we will have to wait and see but one thing for sure it will be fun trying and sure as hell wont be boring Ha Ha Ha

Yeah, I've always tried to have a reasonable work/life balance. And I've been careful to stick to work that I (mostly) enjoy. The stress and frustration in this case is that my employer is making it hard on me through reorganization and crazy decision making.

I'm not ready to retire yet (unless I win the lottery or something), and it is tough to walk away on a moments notice. So, I'm just riding things out for the time being.

There's always other employers, but right now that'd be throwing out the baby with the bath water. Later, it may be a possibility.

As you point out the Life /work balance is all important , for many years that was my let down the balance was in the wrong direction , and was stuck in that rut of half frightened of jumping out of the fire in to the frying pan , but now sat on the other side I think to my self you b---dy fool and especially as I found out too late I could have retired 4 years sooner and been on the same money as I am now Grrrrrrrrr if only