Family Archives

The Weekend Report (On a Tuesday)

October 27, 2026October 28, 2026 Andy Young5 Comments

We are officially doing the Weekend Report on a Tuesday. The timeline is flexible.

Things kicked off with a proper storm. The wind was howling, the rain was lashing against the windows, and pretty much every remaining leaf has been stripped from the trees. I was holding out hope for a power cut or a full thunderstorm, but you can’t have everything. It was the perfect background noise for summarizing my week in this informal report over the weekend.

I’ve been dealing with the side effects of a seizure, meaning my left arm currently has absolutely zero power. The electric tin opener has officially become the MVP of the kitchen. Because of the fallout from it, Ben couldn’t come over, but my carers stepped in with four daily visits to keep things running. They’ve been brilliant, and in this latest report for the weekend I can’t overstate how grateful I am for their help.

Movies & the sofa

With a lot of sofa time required, I leaned heavily into background noise to keep the brain quiet. I cycled through Amityville, a couple of Halloween movies, and the first Wishmaster. I tried to read some classic Jules Verne, but my thoughts were too loud, so I had to switch to adding a podcast to finally distract myself. A batch of new books arrived on Sunday, which I probably should have reached for instead. As you can see, my summary of the weekend report often involves all sorts of entertainment and distractions.

Blobette and Mojo, meanwhile, had an excellent weekend. I gave them a mix of greens covered in water, which they happily ate before deciding it was actually a bath. They spent ages unceremoniously sitting in a puddle, rolling about while the other patiently waited their turn. On weekends, their antics are always worthy of a mention in my little report.

Today is also a big day: Suzi is 17. The trains from Congleton are currently a mess because of damaged overhead lines, so I made sure to post her presents ahead of time so she’d have something to open today. Hopefully, she can make it round here for a proper visit once the transport is sorted. Updates like these add a little spirit to my personal Weekend Report every week.

Cheese & wine

In other news, I am attempting to lose a bit of weight, which means cutting down on cheese and pivoting to low-fat options where possible. Tragically, I have completely run out of cheese again. I don’t think I can ever give it up entirely; it is practically my heritage. It takes me right back to being 12 or 13 at the farm. After my mum finished work, we’d sit in the dining room. She would have a big glass of red wine, a selection of little cuts of cheese, and potato triangle crisps, and she would share them with me. It was only ever a thirty-minute window, but I really enjoyed that time. By the way, these memories are always a highlight of any report I write for the weekend.

For now, I am back on the sofa, waiting for my stomach to settle from the anxiety. My physical and mental health are currently locked in a fierce competition to see which can be the most spectacularly uncooperative. It is a decidedly rough patch right now, but much like a stubborn piece of tech, I just need a firm smack on the side. I’ll bounce back. I always do. To sum up, this week’s edition of the report, Weekend style, has been a blend of challenges, comfort, and nostalgia.

Photo Talk Thursday: The 90s Farm Legends (Tabby & DJ)

October 22, 2026October 30, 2026 Andy Young5 Comments

Welcome to the very first Photo Talk Thursday, where I dig into the archives of my Google Photos to unearth real memories, questionable decisions, and the companion animals who ruled my life before the digital camera was even a thing. Indeed, Photo Talk Thursday is all about showcasing these treasured moments and memories.

Today, we go back to the 1990s on the farm with the original two family legends. Both lived to the grand old age of 17, and both possessed zero respect for rules, as many stories from Thursday’s Photo Talk series reveal.

1. Tabby: The Farm Queen (and Budgie Serial Killer)

Tabby was our cat from Peterborough, and our first real family pet. Looking back, memories like these stand out for every Photo Talk Thursday post.

She had thousands of fields to roam across the farm, living the ultimate feline dream. She’d spend all day patrolling her territory, but no matter how far she wandered, she always trekked back every single night to sleep on the end of my bed.

She was an absolute ruler, though she did leave my parents with a cold-blooded crime scene to clean up when she managed to eliminate the neighbour’s budgies. (Given that I am currently held hostage in my own flat by two feathered overlords named Blobette and Mojo, I appreciate the historical irony).

Tabby died peacefully of natural causes out in the garden after 17 glorious years. Tabby was awesome, just like many tales told on Photo Thursday Talk adventures.

2. DJ: The Beach-Eating, Farm-Hopping Sheepdog

DJ was our sheepdog—a big, short-haired, black-and-white force of nature. We got him as a puppy from the folks who owned the farm before my parents. You’ll see stories like this one often on Thursday Photo Talk features.

DJ had two primary hobbies in life:

Visiting his mates: We’d regularly lose track of him, only to find him a mile down the road at the neighbouring farm, sitting inside the pen hanging out with their farm dogs like he was popping to the pub.
Eating the beach: When we took him to Colwyn bay beach, he would merrily consume mass quantities of sand and jellyfish. The next morning, we’d walk downstairs to find half the Welsh coastline deposited across the kitchen floor.

He was a good, loyal dog who lived for farm freedom. I managed to find this photo from late 2004 of me giving him water on the farm—a great memory of a truly legendary dog. In summary, these kinds of stories are at the heart of every Photo Talk Thursday post I share.

Question for the Comments:

Did you grow up with a farm pet or a childhood companion who had an absolutely absurd habit? Drop their name and their weirdest trick in the comments to join the Photo Talk Thursday conversation!

Question of the Day: Why Can Nobody Give a Straight Answer Anymore?

October 18, 2026 Andy Young5 Comments

Is there anything more head-bangingly frustrating than trying to extract a simple, straight answer out of someone, only to get a bucket of absolute riddle-rubbish in return?

You ask a basic “yes or no” or “what is actually going on?”, and instead you get slurred mumbling, vague waffle, or a ten-minute run around that leaves you knowing significantly less than before you asked. It’s like people actively train to avoid making sense.

What really pisses me off is when someone rambles in total circles, hands you half a sentence, and then acts like you’re the thick one for asking what the hell they’re talking about.

So, today’s question for the comments:

When it comes to useless communication, what really angers you off the most?

Is it the cryptic puzzle-masters, the mumblers, or the people who speak for five minutes straight without actually saying anything at all? Drop your rants below.

The Weekend Report: Digital Freight, Nosey Cameras, and Ballistic Shields

October 11, 2026 Andy Young3 Comments

The weekend has officially concluded, the teenager has been successfully returned to his rightful owners, and I am currently pinned to the sofa by a necessary dose of diazepam (or Valium, for those stateside). I had to take it to calm my nervous system down after a post-visit, overwhelm-induced seizure. Project Zomboid is on in the background, and I am heavily contemplating a sofa nap that my brain will almost certainly refuse to allow. Not to mention I had terrible nightmares last night. I was exhausted from the lack of sleep so while it was good to sleep for six hours, the nightmares? so not worth it.

Ben made it home safely this afternoon. The trains were packed, which I’m sure made the 15-minute walk to the station carrying a bag stuffed with roughly 80% of my fridge’s contents an absolute joy. We had a great time, largely fueled by a newly purchased Steam sale game called Bering Tonnage. It is an incredibly complicated cargo shipping simulator that we spent five solid hours trying to figure out on Saturday. I tapped out at 11:30 PM. I found out today that Ben, left to his own devices, stayed up moving digital freight until 4:00 AM. That certainly explains his absolute fatigue when I woke him up this morning. I did actually play the role of responsible parent and made him proper bacon and fried egg sandwiches for breakfast.

Before he succumbed to the cargo logistics black hole, he did actually earn his keep. The new daylight lamp for the birds is officially installed and operational. Mojo and Blobette absolutely love it, and it is going to be a lifesaver for the darker winter nights (and for the days I simply need to hide from the world with the blackout blinds). I tried to capitalise on this good mood by enticing Mojo with some millet spray. He looked genuinely tempted to step onto my outstretched hand, but my FND was thoroughly playing up, leaving my arm shaking like a leaf. Mojo abruptly cancelled the negotiation—birds, it turns out, do not trust a vibrating perch. Thankfully, the diazepam is starting to calm those tremors down, so I will try again after his current snooze.

In other domestic news, we took some time to reposition the front security camera so it can properly see the steps leading to the main door. Why? Because someone was outside throwing up, and naturally, we had to stealthily pan the camera to get a better look at the drama. Am I nosey? Yes. Do I have any regrets? Absolutely not.

Looking ahead, I am very close to hitting my savings goal for Ben’s birthday and Christmas present. At the end of the month, I’ll be ordering him a £150 electric guitar bundle that comes with the amp and strings. He has been playing acoustic brilliantly for the past few years, so he is incredibly excited for the upgrade. His mum is picking up a floor stand and an effects pedal for him, because the walls in his new house apparently do not have the structural integrity to support wall mounts.

On the blog admin side of things, I had a very pleasant surprise. It turns out I have a Tumblr account that WordPress has been quietly cross-posting to, and it is actually getting some engagement. Even better, someone generously dropped a £5 donation in my Buy Me a Coffee. To whoever that was: you have no idea how much that made me smile. Thank you. It has given me the kick I needed to look into the platform’s features and figure out some actual reward tiers for the future.

Finally, against my better judgement, a brief foray into world affairs. I don’t usually talk politics or religion here, largely because it’s too polarising and life is exhausting enough. But the whole Trump taking Russia’s side thing is genuinely baffling to me. It also got me thinking about the UK’s nuclear deterrence strategy. Why are we relying on the frankly terrifying “Mutually Assured Destruction” promise of hitting back? Surely, building a ballistic shield to cover the UK and parts of Europe would be a much more sensible choice. Charge us all a fiver a month on our council tax bills to fund it. It would certainly belay a lot of the country’s underlying dread without relying on a standoff. But that is exactly as far into politics as I am willing to wade today.

Question of the Day: What do you think about the ballistic shield idea? Would you happily chip in a fiver a month to just intercept the problem instead of relying on the promise of blowing up the world? Let me know in the comments.

Now, if you will excuse me, my heavy-but-wired state requires some immediate attention. It is officially Cheese O’clock. Must be the half dutchness.

Time Team, 17th Century Farms, and the Art of Socializing

October 7, 2026 Andy Young1 Comment

The best friend visit has officially concluded, and I am currently back on the sofa—blinds drawn, brain rot playing on YouTube, and living on leftover naan bread while my nervous system slowly re-calibrates.

All things considered, it was a success. The initial five minutes carried the usual social awkwardness, but we quickly settled into a rhythm of red wine (me), beers (him), and an Indian takeaway. My disordered eating decided to crash the party, allowing me precisely five mouthfuls before declaring me entirely full, but Owen politely didn’t make a thing of it and polished off his own meal. The birds took to him immediately, and he genuinely loved the flat—particularly the lounge—which made the pre-visit panic feel a bit more worthwhile and made me happy.

We even mapped out a plan to alternate visits once a month, which gives me a structured, low-pressure way to slowly break out of the flat and rebuild a bit of a social life beyond my usual tight circle.

Naturally, the morning brought administrative chaos. Despite cancelling my care calls for breakfast and lunch, a carer materialised in my hallway at 8:00 AM while I was in my dressing gown thinking it was Owen. A second one turned up at lunchtime, requiring me to pull out written confirmation like a landlord conducting an inspection. They were apologetic.

We spent the morning drinking tea and watching Time Team, which ended up triggering a massive wave of nostalgia. It made me look back on my time living on a 17th-century farm—80 acres of land, natural water springs, and endless ground to explore. It’s strange how getting older makes you realize just how extraordinary certain periods of your life were, and how much I’d love to be out there today with a metal detector digging up history.

For now, though, the flat is quiet, the front and back cameras are watching the perimeter, and I am officially in recovery mode for the rest of the day.

Also, there was an email from one of ben’s teachers saying how well he is doing in class, that he’s putting in massive effort and that she’s proud of him. Well safe to say i am extremely proud given its only month two at his new school. Yay for him.

Cameras, Cleaning, and a 16-Year-Old Footprint

October 6, 2026 Andy Young2 Comments

It’s been a week of high security, deep-seated vulnerability, and preparing the bunker for human interaction.

First up on the home security front: I have officially installed a second camera out the front window. I now have the front and back of the house covered. Am I tracking local wildlife, or am I just establishing a tactical perimeter to monitor approaching delivery drivers and avoid unnecessary human contact? A bit of both. Either way, seeing what’s happening outside gives me a subtle layer of safety, which is always welcome when the PTSD brain decides to trigger a multi-day vulnerability spiral. This way I can still see what’s going on out there. Local wildlife includes the odd roaming crackhead.

Speaking of human contact: my best friend is visiting today and staying the night. I haven’t seen him in two years. I’m genuinely excited, but my nervous system is currently celebrating by generating irrational panic. Standard procedure.

To prepare, my weekly cleaning carer has been floating around doing the heavy lifting—changing bedding, hoovering, and tackling the bins. She is worth her weight in gold. Her English is minimal, but her ability to execute a immaculate living room refresh while keeping my tea mug constantly topped up makes her an absolute hero. I still refuse to let anyone else clean my bathroom—that remains a strictly personal domain that I insist on controlling—but I will gladly accept a tactical assist in the lounge and kitchen.

Meanwhile, we are entering the dreaded three-month gauntlet of back-to-back birthdays culminating in Christmas. Every spare penny is already spoken for, particularly as Rebecca is turning 16. Sixteen years ago, when she was born, we had a silver bracelet made featuring a tiny cast of her newborn foot, and I’ve been holding onto it for this exact milestone. It’s spent the last decade and a half in storage, so I’ve ordered a new presentation box and a silver polishing kit to restore it. Assuming I don’t accidentally polish off the footprint entirely, I’ll be posting a before-and-after photo once it’s restored.

For now, the flat is looking fresh, the front camera is operational, and I’m hiding on the sofa until the doorbell rings.

The Sudden Exit (2007)

September 30, 2026September 29, 2026 Andy Young1 Comment

So, this post is a long time coming, I’ve been struggling to process it until now. Back in December 2006 I was feeling deflated about everything and I was feeling weird physically then delusional behaviour so I went to the doctor. He prescribed me an SSRI for depression & anxiety. I didn’t tell many people about that. Sort of feeling like it wasn’t a real problem. The lying, the exaggerating all the time.

Then, I had this amazing idea in March 2007 to just abruptly stop taking them. Little did I know at the time that this is something you don’t just do. I can’t remember the exact dose I was on but I know now I should of weaned myself off it slowly. Anyway. I stopped taking it. Everything went manic. I would hardly sleep, I’d start having these weird delusions and I started to think it was normal. I was in withdrawal. I was in survival mode.

I met Rebecca’s mum. She came from Manchester to Llandudno on holiday and we hit it off. In my manic state I was beyond thrilled. I was all in. I was into driving two hours in peak traffic almost every day to see her. Then I just thought “Oh my god I’m not in the shire anymore” and decided to move to manchester and live with Rebecca’s mum. I was so high. Manic. I didn’t realise that I just picked up and left overnight.

To all my friends, to my parents to everyone I just went into radio silence. I threw away amazing friendships that I valued more than anything. I have for the two decades carried the lingering regret of doing that. I would never change meeting Rebecca’s mum. Ever. But I would change me stopping the medication. Especially now, knowing that it does help with mental health issues. I would text everyone back. I would still go to the cinema, go to the pub, walk up the orme and generally hang out.

Back in 2016, I think it was then, I arranged a get together with some of the people I hurt the most. It was a reconnection attempt but then a realisation that life and time had carved different paths and contact faded over that time. Life goes on. I get it. Time is precious.

After the divorce and moving into my own flat here in Bolton, almost three years has allowed me to look back at things with a clear head. I realise that I can’t change how unhinged my mental health was back in 2007. I’m so sorry for walking away. It took me twenty years to get to this point, to say out loud that it was my fault, I am sorry and I know it’s something I can never get back.

Doti and the kids have moved from Bolton to Cheshire. I don’t know anyone here. I have the carers all day, which is something I’m trying to get better for. This isn’t a weird demand for anyone to try and fix my social life. This is just a public acknowledgement and apology to lay that lingering guilt to rest a bit.

The Weekend Report (on a Tuesday)

September 29, 2026September 29, 2026 Andy Young1 Comment

I really enjoyed this weekend. B came round on Saturday and stayed till Sunday. He got the train here (an hour and a half away) but the train back on Sunday involved a replacement rail bus so I asked his mum if she could pick him up on the Sunday instead, which she did which was nice of her. Ben also wanted to take home one of his acoustic guitars. He has left me the half size one to play on when I’m bored. For the record, my fingers are too fat to play chords properly. I think I’m too old now to learn new tricks.

We spent the time together talking, laughing at youTube videos and watching a movie which for the life of me I can’t remember what it was called. It was about a casino heist and armoured money vans. It was good, we enjoyed it. It was nice while B was here as he was really helpful as usual. When he comes round I cancel my carers and he takes over the role. Which I appreciate. Plus it also means no one coming into the flat at 8am when hes sound asleep haha. I unfortunately have to wake up at 8am for the medication and things.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it anywhere but due to my health I have four carer visits in a day. On Wednesday’s and Friday’s I get a cleaning call where they help me with the tasks I cannot do (changing the bed, hoovering etc) and the shopping call is a collection from the local asda and they put it away for me. The medication calls are the most important as I’m under strict orders to be compliant. Which I have been. Usually I get bored or think “Medication is the devil” and then I stop. Then bad things happen. I’ll end up in hospital again and then cycle restarts. I haven’t done that in two years which is a record. I have been in hospital but that’s because of either the neurological disorder or the diabetes. Not sure I mentioned the diabetes. I’ve lost all feeling in the toes & digits of both my feet now. I failed the pin prick test and I’m waiting on the podiatrist to see if they can help.

So I bought a camera which works with double glazing, I originally wanted it for the lounge window. I live on the ground floor so I get people walking outside at all hours. Opposite is a crack den (to each’s own) and they are usually screaming and shouting all day. They also monitor the flat door because amazon leave parcels out there from time to time and they steal them. It’s very annoying. I would love to get those paint explosion fake boxes they use in America against porch pirates. Then the camera would be especially funny. Focus. I decided to install the camera in the back instead because that is more of a risk that the front. I don’t have a garden or anything, but there has been a few times at night that I’ve heard people back there. And so I installed the camera. We turned on the motion tracking and tested it. The next day I had a couple of alerts. Squirrels!!! They were running along the top of the fence, backwards and forwards, then they disappeared from view. That was nice to see. Unlike the front where the rats and magpies fight.

A successful weekend.

I don’t even think we played a game or anything, that’s a first!

Also I spotted this on Steam on offer, I really couldn’t say no for that price. I used to love the rainbow 6 series. So looking forward to playing this one tonight.

Did everyone else have a good weekend?

Today’s Random Post

September 25, 2026October 29, 2026 Andy YoungLeave a comment

So tomorrow B is coming round for the weekend. Now that they have moved, it takes him 1.5 hours on the train to get here. I do feel bad about the fact he has to make that journey, especially because he has to stop at Piccadilly, so naturally I worry. But I’m looking forward to it: playing games and watching random stuff on YouTube, then talking about random stuff. Maybe we’ll even do a Random Post together. The time flies by. Plus, I have all his favourite foods in again. Every morning he is here, he gets a fried egg and bacon sandwich for breakfast, which he enjoys. Granted, he doesn’t wake up till 12 p.m., so it’s not technically breakfast, but you get what I mean.

For the past two years I’ve been paying extra for a bill which I didn’t realise that I had paid off. Long ago. They never told me so it’s a good thing that I asked. I had amassed £230 in over payments so I got that back a few days ago. Win! I’ve spent some of it on a window camera for my lounge to add to the security and the rest squirrelled away for the birthday & christmas season. First Suzi in October, then the Rebecca in November and Ben in December. Then Christmas presents for all three. So the money will come in really handy. By the way, saving money means I may have time to write another random post soon.

I’ve successfully managed to do nothing productive today. That wasn’t the plan but I started throwing up & feeling sick around midday today so I have been wallowing in self pity. I’m feeling better now, of course naturally the whole day has gone. I wanted to do another archive post with photos but I’ve lacked the cognitive capacity. Maybe I’ll try and do one now—perhaps another post, maybe something completely random, could appear next.

I’ve been watching project zomboid play throughs again. The past couple of weeks it has been a constant. I don’t know why I find it so soothing to watch. Looting houses, killing zombies and building up a decent base. There is something about it that I just enjoy. I do actually own the game so I should try playing it at some point and see how difficult it is. I would probably last a few minutes. Still, when not gaming, I am usually reading a random post or two online.

So for the past week I have been trying to tame the birds a bit better. They just don’t like it when you pick them up or at least try to. They will tweet, sing, play hide and seek but picking them up instantly freaks them out. So I did some research and someone suggested sitting next to them and reading. So for the past week we have been reading war of the worlds. It’s a technical read, at least for me, as its written in a more traditional english.

The birds don’t mind m trying to sound out certain words but they seem to enjoy it. The fluff up, sit close to me and just listen for thirty minutes. I really hope it continues to make a difference. The other thing I read was to put your arm in the cage for five minutes every day to get them used to that. Not sure about that one as they will get distressed. In other news, maybe my next random post will be all about birds.

And this is where I leave you dear reader. I’m still trying to work out a schedule for my posts so I’m not just spamming every day. Maybe three times a week. That gives me a chance to read other peoples blogs, comment and like them. To sum up, I’m already planning my next Random Post for you all to read.

QotD Moments That Make You Feel Truly Alive

September 24, 2026 Andy Young4 Comments

What’s a moment in your life that made you feel truly alive?
View all responses

A moment in my life that made me feel alive would have to be the birth of my kids. Nothing can prepare you for the moment you come face to face with your freshly born child. It is such a natural, primal moment to happen. I say moment but I spent the first few years in sheer wonder that this child had seemingly just appeared and I was now partially responsible for.

I can still remember the first night back, the three of us just hugging and existing. Well, in my mind that was a moment when I felt truly alive.

Prior to that, when I was 13-14 years old I went to st Lucia with my parents. They were doing some consultancy work over there and brought me and my brother along. It was a brutal 12 hour flight in first class. When we got there, the person my parents were carrying out some work for took us to a small beach bar called Spinnakers. It was pitch black. I had never been in such a place with such little light pollution.

I remember standing on the beach and just looking up for the first time since we arrived. I was speechless. Well. I emitted an ‘oh’ sound. You could see everything. The sky was just filled full of stars, you could see the milky way, it was crazy. At that moment you felt alive but also so, so small in comparison to what you were viewing. Somehow I felt connected to everything. Its a hard one to explain, probably because I don’t have anything else more significant but to me it was.

They also made amazing banana milkshakes with freshly grown bananas from the plantations near by. We went a few times over the years, staying in various town houses not hotels and mixing with the locals.

So, what thing or event has made you feel alive?