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Thread | Great North Run 2024...
at 20:40 7 Jul 2024
Well, I've made a daft decision again.
I'm on a superyacht, with no working treadmill. I'm currently at 94kgs and not my fittest. But when the MS Society emailed asking if I would like a place in the GNR that somebody had vacated, I said absolutely.
My posts about the GNR 2018 are archived, in 2018 I wrote
"This year will be 10 years since my Mother passed away. In 2008 I was training to be an officer in the Merchant Navy. I started that job as it gave me the opportunity to earn a lot of money, and the best possible chance I could have to provide decent care for her.
She had Multiple Sclerosis. She died during my first week back at the Marine school. I spoke to her hours before she died. She was crying on the phone telling me she loved me. I told her not to worry, I had an overnight bus (megabus) booked from Newcastle on the Friday and I would see her Saturday morning. I had dinner with my flat mate, we watched some TV and did a bit of study. I woke up the next morning, had a shower, got ready and started walking in to the college. I phoned my Mum on the way. My Father answered. He and I hadn’t spoke for years, I didn’t even know he knew where my Mother and I lived. He said “I’m sorry son, she’s gone”.
My world fell apart."
To be honest, I've never really gotten over it. I've just gotten used to it
https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2024.enthuse.com/pf/kenneth-magee
Look after each other TWTD, I must admit I'm in bits writing this and thinking about it all again.
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Thread | Middlesbrough parking
at 17:43 4 Dec 2023
I was in Boro earlier, Zetland car park by the train station is £2.30 all day, including match days. This is just a couple of minutes from the A66.
Most car parks in Boro can be paid for using the RingGo app.
If going up by train, there are works to the train station going on, with one of the entrance/exits closed.
If coming up by car my advice is to take A1/M18/M62/A1/A19 there are major roadworks from Barnsdale Bar that cause a fair bit of delays!
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Thread | TWTD is everywhere
at 19:12 18 Mar 2023
The first weekend of March I went down to the British Motor Museum for a Jaguar Breakfast Club gathering (yes, I know it sounds cool!).
The evening before I met up with a Captain that I had sailed with for dinner. He was also going to the JBC. I met him at a restaurant just off the M1 on the way down to my overnight stop.
He introduced me to Mark, and didn’t really give much of a background. Eventually it turned out that they are on the same Jaguar forum.
I got chatting with Mark and it was dropped in to conversation that I was formerly a resident of Suffolk. After a little while he asked if I was a Town fan, and then if I used TWTD.
It was MarkTWTD. A very random dinner with a colleague, and I got to ask MarkTWTD what his favourite cheese is. Disappointingly he’s not much of a cheese fan. He’s not into football either.
He’s a thoroughly nice chap, although didn’t let on to any TWTD technical secrets. |
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Thread | Alright chaps?
at 20:07 2 Aug 2022
Well it’s been a fun few months.
Seb had his cousins living with him whilst their mother was waiting for court and the closer it got the happier he was. Eventually their mother was told she was not guilty of inflicting injury on a 2 month old baby (her son) whilst she was in a different room. Her ex-partner (the boys father) was found guilty.
So after 7 and a half months Seb finally got his bedroom back to himself. And his mother. He’s still not sleeping over. I just think he’s got so much leeway at his mums house that he can’t abide the rules and routine here. I was pretty sad about it to begin with. I’ve gotten used to it now. He’s 9, he will be wanting to go out to his mates houses soon rather than spend any time with us. Unfortunately the court case started the Monday after EdwardStone’s BBQ. Seb wouldn’t have enjoyed going down, and the twins and MrsN aren’t much fun on long car journeys!
A few weeks back he went to see one of his aunts. Everyone knew she had covid. Apart from me. He was then sent round to see me like normal. We weren’t told. Rather unsurprisingly we got covid. The twins got it pretty bad. Ended up getting them large pet cooling gel pads for them to sleep on. That wasn’t a fun time.
Speaking of covid. It ran rampant through my last ship. I managed to stay clear of it, and thought I must have been immune to it! We went from a crew of 28 to 5. We could barely run the ship. We were in dry dock. The superintendent told us he didn’t care about covid and work must go on.
When I saw him a few days later I left him in no doubt as to my feelings. The company didn’t really care. They didn’t want us to test or report to port health. It was a case of if you don’t test then it isn’t confirmed. It was quite a stressful time. On top of that I had to do stability calculations to make sure that when the dock flooded again that the ship didn’t fall over. Spoiler alert. It didn’t.
Right now I am still testing positive by PCR. The company has recently decided that we can only join if we have a negative PCR. So it looks like more time at home. I’m having to pay for weekly tests at a centre in Newcastle. The guy on the desk doesn’t bother asking for ID any more.
I’ve seen a lot of the MS threads during my lurking. Obviously donating to the cause was a given. It’s a disease that I watched my mother suffer from. She had primary progressive MS. My high school girlfriend got in touch with me in February. She had been diagnosed with MS. I feel like the Brody family in Jaws. But instead of a shark it’s MS.
Speaking of MS. There is a fantastic lady called Leila Ives (who used to play for Leicester Womens football team). She has MS and is competing at the CrossFit Games this week in the Neuro Adaptive division. She was fundraising, before linking her page on here I managed to get in touch with a massive CrossFit news outlet in the states and told them about her. They ran a feature on her and she managed to raise the funds she needed to travel to Madison, WI to compete.
You can read more about her here
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-ne
So this week, I’ll be doing some housework and tuning in to the CrossFit Games from Thursday. The mother in law is coming to visit on Sunday. Bringing MrsN’s youngest sister. Which means I’ll be firing up the pizza oven and trying to hide outside.
I hope you’re all well TWTD. Take care of each other.
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Thread | Patience - The Sebby Diaries
at 23:52 23 Mar 2022
Hey Seb.
It’s been a while. I was home for Christmas, it was my first one for a good few years.
You’ve been having a tough time on your Mam’s side of the family and it had a bit of an effect on our time together. My patience with you is pretty limitless, not so much your Mam.
It’s been hard watching you suffer, especially knowing I can’t really do much other than support you and give you the space you need. Sometimes in life adults make poor choices, your cousins living with you for months has been a necessity whilst court decides what to do. Maybe one day we will talk about it. But for now, I’ve been doing what I can to help you.
Christmas was over quite quickly, and before we knew it I was back away. Joining in dry dock. I’ve been working harder than I’ve worked for a long time. I hope I can show you how hard work pays off, and that you must also remain humble during the good times.
It’s been a hard couple of years Seb. Your brother and sister were born and very ill. Covid lockdowns, having to quarantine to join ship, delayed getting home. My new job meaning we can’t speak as much. Your Mam making things difficult. There has been a lot of change in the world, and our world. The one constant being that you’ve always got us, you’ve always got your own space with us, and you’ll always have me.
I should be sleeping right now, but I wanted to write to you. I’ve not done it for so long and for that I am sorry.
I’ll see you soon Seb, hopefully next leave will be better.
Take care of each other TWTD. I hope you’re all well. I’ll see you soon too. Maybe. |
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Thread | I’ve been in quarantine for a week so far
at 16:50 7 Jul 2021
I’m in Montevideo, Uruguay.
I received an email last Saturday telling me that somebody in the office had forgot to inform me that I needed to be outside of the U.K. before joining ship. A Brazilian regulation states that people can’t have been in various countries 14 days before being in Brazil. One of those countries being the U.K. Our next port after Montevideo is Itajai, Brazil.
So, here I am. Forced to leave my family 2 weeks earlier than planned. Not entirely happy about that and am having words with my company about it.
The food that I get given every day isn’t overly delightful. It’s slightly better than the food on the ship, but not by much.
I am managing to get over 10000 steps a day whilst locked in my room, a room that is 12 steps wide.
I can see the approaches to the port from my hotel room.
How’s everyone else doing? |
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Thread | I suppose an apt day for an update….
at 18:24 20 Jun 2021
I got home mid April, receiving a text message a week later telling me that I had been in contact with somebody who had tested positive for Covid. Giving me an instruction to self isolate for 36 hours (that was the end of the self isolation period after being in contact with said person). I had flown home from Montevideo, Uruguay. Had a bit of a journey getting home.
We decided that we would isolate when I got home despite being exempt. I took lateral flow tests and all showed negative. The person I was in contact with had been on one of the many flights I had been on or an airport.
The twins just grow and grow. MrsN has done an incredible job. Seb was a bit of a pain when I first got home, his mum didn’t help.
At the end of April I ventured north to Scotland to collect my fathers ashes. I saw some family, heard some things about my father. That was all a bit of a mess too, the man that took care of my fathers funeral and estate passed away whilst I was at sea. I had no way of getting in contact with his family.
Getting that sorted was a bit more stressful than it should have been.
So, the kids…
Seb - he has been a bit of a pain, kept refusing to stay the night. I never made him, but I did tell him that he couldn’t pick and choose. His mum disagreed…. Until she wanted to go away for a weekend. Then she decided that he had to stay with me. I said to her that she couldn’t pick and choose either. That’s seemed to have resolved it b
He’s doing ok in school, although he doesn’t try very hard. His mum has given him far too much screen time during the lockdown.
He’s still a wonderful little boy, who I am just having to be a bit firmer with when it comes to screen time and exercise, and sweets…
Madeleine - my little girl. She has grown. She’s just utterly beautiful. Her smile and laugh make me want to cry with happiness every time. She has started chatting away in the baby babble lately. She finds stuff so funny too. I love cuddling her. She’s sitting up, and doesn’t like being on her belly. But she is standing and trying to take steps. She’s going to walk before she crawls!
Michael - he laughs at everything, he is so relaxed. He still has a few reflux issues. A surgeon consultant is seeing him towards the end of the year for hypospadias. He has no interest in sitting up, or standing. But he will cuddle for hours if his mam would let me! His excitement to see me in the morning absolutely lights up my world. I love my mornings with them both.
Maddie and Michael had no centile when they were born, as they were almost 2 months premature. They’ve both tanked on weight despite the cows milk protein allergy. Both of them are fantastic eaters, we cook for them every day. I’ve got the oven on for making vegan pesto pinwheels as finger food for them right now. We are just starting them on the milk ladder, which introduces cows milk into their diets.
I’ve been called back to sea for 13th July, which is a shame. But I can’t stay much longer in the country due to tax reasons. I’ve been requested back to my last ship, they want me back, I put in a lot of work there, I will go back.
As for all things ITFC… an exciting future lies ahead.
There are many on here who have helped me in many ways, helping me become the man and father that I am.
Obviously Hoppy is in my thoughts today, CT would be proud.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet many on here, all who I am looking forward to the twins calling Uncle Mullet, Uncle Hoppy, etc.
I’m exhausted. Three kids. Plus me. Poor MrsN.
All the best TWTD, look after you each other. I’ll see you soon.
Happy Fathers Day, and Happy Summer Solstice for tomorrow. Enjoy the longest day! |
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Thread | Sometimes there are no words
at 11:35 10 Feb 2021
I’m sure I saw a loaf of bread with his name on it, then I realised it said “thick cut”. |
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Thread | I’m having a pretty shoite night
at 02:45 21 Jan 2021
We are in Santos, Brazil. I do day work in port. So I came down to the office to check on things at 0700 before I went for breakfast. I finished at 1800, after being around for the handover between the junior officers. Cargo in progress, 3 cranes, departure at 0630. Everything else complete.
I was about to get some kip at 2020hrs when my phone went. The third mate giving me the good news that our heeling pump is no longer working.
The heeling pump keeps the ship upright in port. We have a panel that has sensors to sense how much of a list the ship has, and then pumps water from one side to the other when that list exceeds the limit that I set.
When I joined I was told that this pump is leaking water into the oil reservoir of the pump. The engineers say they just change the oil when it stops working.
Oil is changed and they say everything is fine. I test it and it’s still not working. Yeah he engineers say it must be working. They have a new mechanical seal for it, but it’s an 8 hour job and they want to do it when it properly fails. Which annoys me as it will “properly fail” in port when it is needed.
After some back and forth the 4th Engineer goes back down to the heeling pump. Apparently it’s making an awful noise.
So now I am the heeling pump. Moving ballast from one side to the other using my ballast pumps.
I imagine I will finish tomorrow once the pilot is off, so that will be around 0830.
I would leave my duty officer to do it, but I need them on deck monitoring cargo and checking the cargo securing as we are going on a 24 day crossing to Singapore.
Balls! |
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Thread | I thought there wouldn’t be much that could surprise me...
at 23:23 6 Jan 2021
But...
I have had one of the crew come to me complaining of stomach pain, acid, and heartburn. Complaining that it’s after eating the food.
The food is pretty oily, fair bit of spice put in it too.
Unfortunately the person complaining that the food is making him ill is.... the cook.
I am not kidding.
It’s really quite something. |
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