Doug Tait

Dear Mick, I'm at my wit's end and have nowhere to turn for advice, please help me, you're my only hope! I've been with my partner over 10yrs now but recently I'm feeling mildly disgruntled. I don't work at all because she does, but I'm not idle because I sometimes hoover the middle bit of a room and I constantly monitor the TV to make sure it's working for her when she gets home from a 12hr day at work. I appreciate she might be a little tired (women are quite weak that way) so I don't want her to worry about it not working properly once she's walked the dog and made my evening meal. She didn't used to complain much but nowadays she's become an utter whinge, just small things like not wanting to bring me breakfast in bed before she leaves for work at 5am which I feel is disrespectful to me, or when she does the shopping and gets the wrong type of lager, apparently I'm being ungrateful and she now refuses to go back to find exactly what I've decided I want. Worst of all the Doctor says she gets the menopause which means she is always angry or crying and is repulsed by my 'needs'. I feel the only option open to me is to take a younger partner instead, although none of the ones I've found so far earn as much or cook as well as the current one, and my mate said even a new one would end up being just as difficult once they've settled with me. Please help Mick, it all feels so unfair...

Better off getting her a climbing harness, so many more possibilities!

I'd suggest using a battery or corded saw to keep noise down and talk to neighbours about it so you don't become the enemy, people are more tolerant of someone they're communicating with rather than just being subjected to.

Jonny Stableford is very good if you don't know of him already, based near Falkirk. https://g.co/kgs/MDx2HJ

My dad had it on a record, used to listen to that and Billy Connolly recordings a lot. I posted "the sick note" text on this thread a while ago...

Think it's "the sick note" by The Dubliners

That's the sentiment on site Mark, not very proud of the work and things like that Beech feel ridiculous to do, but that's the job. It is a thought, we're doing this butchery so that turbines made in Holland can be brought on 5 oversize trucks per turbine to Scotland for green energy. Wonder how long a turbine has to operate before it makes up for the energy cost of its own installation.

We're doing around 6mls of A road like that for a Civil Engineering company. It's been chosen as part of an exceptional convoy route to take wind turbines from docks to their site. Each blade has its own trailer that allows the rear of the blade to be hydraulically lifted to negotiate corners. The spec is to clear everything in the airspace above the road, 3m from the white line out towards the verge on each lane, and at certain tight corners we're topping everything for a 70m stretch as well to allow for the trailer tailswing. Before they start moving any lines over the road will be dropped, I think we're riding shotgun in case they find something in the way. Interesting job, most of it is standard crappy roadside trees but some beautiful ones are going to get hammered.

Beech reduction today, didn't take long. A very sensitive 48.5% (approximately).

That could've been a real sore one. Been lucky a few times lately too. Had my helmet knocked off by an unintentional crane movement when chaining up, got dragged to the base of a tree (but not up it thankfully) by a rigging rope when the portawrap slipped, then nearly got hit from behind by a tanker speeding through our works at roadside. Some days the gods are on our side.

Unlike the furlough related stuff I think everyone is to receive the energy payments. Have had some discount applied myself.

Neither did I, can I be exempted too please

If you watch the news that's already how things are!

The Blue Tongue is in the black Friday sale but they're doing it during the whole month so you don't have to wait til Friday for the sale price. Yale XTC Blue Tongue 11.7mm climbing rope (spliced) – F.R. Jones & Son WWW.FRJONESANDSON.CO.UK

Meanwhile back in blighty it's raining, endlessly. Remember when all the talk was about drought...

I'd watch your step there, I suspect she's catfishing!

Hope he finds his way home somehow.

Of all the things someone could set alight in Edinburgh, to choose the wreaths laid on the war memorial for remeberance Sunday is pretty low. Edinburgh's War Memorial set on fire by vandals WWW.BBC.CO.UK It comes less than 24 hours after Remembrance Sunday services were held there.

Night of the living DED

Chris is one of the recommendations I would make, really knows his stuff and Treevolution are very good to deal with.

Freelance and furious

My workmates on wash day

I think the way to get better at climbing is to climb, if you're not getting the opportunity at work then try getting someone to go with you in your own time. You could offer to take down a rigging block at the end of a job, use your break to go up and down a stem on spikes...

Could cover the whole franchise... dieback with a vengeance!

Dances with timberwolf.