C.L. Peache's Blog, page 22

I miss a book anniversary and someone steals my jigsaw pieces!

Friday 15th December Day 146

As the weather seems to be being nice at the moment we decide to head into Lichfield and have a good old wander around the charity shops. I pick up some nice jigsaws, although just lately I’ve had 2 jigsaws from charity shops which have had a piece missing! Shocking how people can take them to a charity shop in this state! Chuck them away and spare the jigsawer the pain of a missing piece.  

Lichfield is a really nice place with plenty of shops and good pedestrian areas. It also has a cathedral which we have visited before when the Gaia was being displayed and some lakes and other building of interest we will probably explore over the coming months whilst we are in this area. The beauty about being in a marina is that it gives you a lot more time back to explore more. I’ve mentioned before you still have the usual boat jobs to do but they are all available when you want to do them although dare I say we are already feeling the need to cruise.

((Since Peachy forgot… her first ever horror novella Game of Souls was published on December 8th 2018! Only 99p on kindle… )) Thanks Brackets. I have plans to re-publish this at some point as I would like to change the cover as the one I created was right at the beginning of my writing journey so could definitely do with being updated to really do the story justice. It does have a Christmas theme to it so perhaps I really should have done some promotion weeks ago! ((There is literally no hope!)) In fact I might even go onto Amazon now and promote it. ((What would you do without me??))

Until tomorrow… x
P.S as i’m uploading this a kingfisher has just landed right outside the boat! I couldn’t get the camera out quick enough!

Cleaning and a new Patreon!

Thursday 14th December Day 145

Today I get the urge to clean! By that I mean that I end up taking out everything from the cupboards starting in the bedroom, sorting everything and cleaning ceilings, walls, floors and everything in between. It’s surprising how long it takes and how much stuff you can still fit on a boat.

In between cleaning, I decide it’s time to get my act into to gear and update my Patreon account and finally figure out how to add a vlog! Hurrah! It’s difficult when everything is self-taught. I don’t have anyone showing me how do navigate all of these websites so just learn as I go along. As part of the Patreon subscription if anyone signs up I wanted to be able to show the YouTube vlogs a few days earlier. This means Patrons get early access and they are Ad free unlike on YouTube, unless you have a subscription to YouTube so have it’s ad free. I leave the latest video to upload whilst I carry on the big ‘pre Christmas clean.’

I also manage to get some more writing done and the novel currently stands at 55,905 and I’m ready to get some serious word count done now it’s all coming together.

Day done. Until tomorrow… x

((Big thank you to Sandra for becoming a Patreon of the channel. Every penny Peachy receives makes a difference to living and sharing this life and it keeps me in your inbox each day and obviously the exciting merch to come which is in the planning stage! You can become a Patreon from £3 per month… Patreon account ))

Trains, buses and boats…

Wednesday 13th December Day 144

I’m not in too bad a state the next day, so when I return to Stafford Chris meets me and we have a wander around and visit the museum in town which is very interesting and well worth a visit before heading to the supermarket for supplies and then the bus and back to the boat. It’s a good job that they have the offer on the buses at the moment otherwise I don’t think we could afford all these journeys. Most journeys are £2 for a single ticket so very reasonable and as it should be for using public transport.

I film some content for YouTube whilst in Stafford so, you know… ((Do not say working. Do not even think that what you’re doing can be called work! I will not have it.)) working… haha… well it is Brackets! Don’t make me pull your merchandise page I’m planning. ((As if! It will be the only way you will ever make any money!))

Once back at the boat I might have succumbed to a power nap and then it was on to the dinette to blog, vlog and write. You know the drill by now. The blogs will probably be a bit shorter from now on as we are not cruising so not as much to share with you ((Hurrah)). Although once we are in Jersey and ‘on location’ for research purposes I can hopefully share those adventures!

Day done. Until tomorrow… x

Travel chaos…

Tuesday 12th December Day 143

Today I have a frustrating morning watching what’s happening with the trains. They are cancelling them all over the place or delayed and I need to get to Derby for a Christmas catch up with some friends. Finally, I see that a couple of them seem to be on time so head to the bus stop. From where we are it’s a bus ride to Stafford then train to Tamworth and a change to Derby. Again, I have to try and really focus on where I’m going and where I need to get off. You know it’s going to happen one day that I get off at the wrong place. It’s weird when you don’t have a permanent location because you’re always taking different routes on public transport. ((I cannot wait for that to happen!))

Finally, I make it to Derby and whilst I wait for one of my friends to kindly collect me to take us to my friend’s house I do some shopping in The Eagle Centre which is now called Derbion. I refuse to call it that as it’s a stupid name, and for anyone who lived in Derby back in the day they pretty much all still call it the Eagle Centre. It’s strange wandering around here. I used to work at The Works before I moved over to be a mortgage administrator and then mortgage underwriter at Nationwide and have fond memories of the place; other than the shoplifters I mentioned last week. In fact, I met my friend who’s flat I’m going to stay at in Jersey at The Works so funny how things work out.

Shopping done my friend collects me and then a great night is had by all with lots of giggles. Day done. Until tomorrow… x

We get told off…

Monday 11th December Day 142

OMG it’s Saturday 16th December and I haven’t even started writing this week’s blogs ((NOT AGAIN!!!)) I know, I was so much more organised when we were cruising as I made sure I wrote the blogs at the end of the day so I knew what had happened and now, every day seems to be merging into one… right, here goes trying to remember ((OH LORD, buckle up for the biggest load of nonsense you’ve ever read!))

Also, I think in the time/space continumumism it will actually be Christmas day when you read this if you’re reading the daily blog and not the weekly one, ((I’m confused!)) so Happy Christmas and more importantly; happy birthday to my friend Christine!

Right, to Monday the 11th Dec. Chris is in the bow grinding ((Erm, wait just one minute that kind of talk is for OnlyFans not this channel and certainly not on Christmas day!)) You have a dirty mind, I meant using the new angle grinder to grind the metal! ((Thank goodness I’ve got all sorts of images in my head. Think I need to book a counselling session!)) Are you finished? ((Well, my circuits have just exploded so yes)) He is cracking on with ANGLE grinding the metal in the bow when the marina boss turns up to tell him off. I’m inside in my dressing gown knuckling down to some writing when I hear voices so stay hidden.

It turns out we shouldn’t be using electric tools and doing noisy jobs like this in the marina. Which is a bit of a pain as ideally we need to be hooked up to electric. Other marinas haven’t had a problem with it as long as you’re considerate; which we are. Anyway, apparently it was in the terms and conditions but I checked and we never received those from what I can see in my inbox. The guy is not grumpy about it at all as we didn’t know it wasn’t allowed and we apologised. Luck was on our side though as Chris had literally just finished most of what he needed to do. It would have been a nightmare if he was part way through. He stopped work and hoovered the area clearing most of the dust away. It is now ready for the rust treatment and filler before painting. We might have to do a little more just to finish off so will have to cruise out of the marina, onto the cut and then come back again.

That’s pretty much it for the day as I crack on with some more writing and we tidy up from the boat jobs. Everything we normally have stored in the bow; coal, logs and bike stuff are now in the stern so it’s all getting a little cramped but we cannot put the stuff back in there until it’s painted and had time to dry so probably when we get back from Jersey!

We hope you’ve had/have a wonderful Christmas day and remember if you’re really bored and looking for something to watch our new Christmas vlog should either be live or will be live. ((I don’t like this time space continumuism it makes us all as confused as you normally are! Welcome to Peachy’s brain!))

Until tomorrow. X
Here is the link…. YouTube Channel

Narrowboat adventures… Day 142 – 148. Mon 11th – Sun 17th Dec

Monday 11th December Day 142

OMG it’s Saturday 16th December and I haven’t even started writing this week’s blogs ((NOT AGAIN!!!)) I know, I was so much more organised when we were cruising as I made sure I wrote the blogs at the end of the day so I knew what had happened and now, every day seems to be merging into one… right, here goes trying to remember ((OH LORD, buckle up for the biggest load of nonsense you’ve ever read!))

Also, I think in the time/space continumumism it will actually be Christmas day when you read this if you’re reading the daily blog and not the weekly one, ((I’m confused!)) so Happy Christmas and more importantly; happy birthday to my friend Christine!

Right, to Monday the 11th Dec. Chris is in the bow grinding ((Erm, wait just one minute that kind of talk is for OnlyFans not this channel and certainly not on Christmas day!)) You have a dirty mind, I meant using the new angle grinder to grind the metal! ((Thank goodness I’ve got all sorts of images in my head. Think I need to book a counselling session!)) Are you finished? ((Well, my circuits have just exploded so yes)) He is cracking on with ANGLE grinding the metal in the bow when the marina boss turns up to tell him off. I’m inside in my dressing gown knuckling down to some writing when I hear voices so stay hidden.

It turns out we shouldn’t be using electric tools and doing noisy jobs like this in the marina. Which is a bit of a pain as ideally we need to be hooked up to electric. Other marinas haven’t had a problem with it as long as you’re considerate; which we are. Anyway, apparently it was in the terms and conditions but I checked and we never received those from what I can see in my inbox. The guy is not grumpy about it at all as we didn’t know it wasn’t allowed and we apologised. Luck was on our side though as Chris had literally just finished most of what he needed to do. It would have been a nightmare if he was part way through. He stopped work and hoovered the area clearing most of the dust away. It is now ready for the rust treatment and filler before painting. We might have to do a little more just to finish off so will have to cruise out of the marina, onto the cut and then come back again.

That’s pretty much it for the day as I crack on with some more writing and we tidy up from the boat jobs. Everything we normally have stored in the bow; coal, logs and bike stuff are now in the stern so it’s all getting a little cramped but we cannot put the stuff back in there until it’s painted and had time to dry so probably when we get back from Jersey!

We hope you’ve had/have a wonderful Christmas day and remember if you’re really bored and looking for something to watch our new Christmas vlog should either be live or will be live. ((I don’t like this time space continumuism it makes us all as confused as you normally are! Welcome to Peachy’s brain!))

Until tomorrow. X
Tuesday 12th December Day 143

Today I have a frustrating morning watching what’s happening with the trains. They are cancelling them all over the place or delayed and I need to get to Derby for a Christmas catch up with some friends. Finally, I see that a couple of them seem to be on time so head to the bus stop. From where we are it’s a bus ride to Stafford then train to Tamworth and a change to Derby. Again, I have to try and really focus on where I’m going and where I need to get off. You know it’s going to happen one day that I get off at the wrong place. It’s weird when you don’t have a permanent location because you’re always taking different routes on public transport. ((I cannot wait for that to happen!))

Finally, I make it to Derby and whilst I wait for one of my friends to kindly collect me to take us to my friend’s house I do some shopping in The Eagle Centre which is now called Derbion. I refuse to call it that as it’s a stupid name, and for anyone who lived in Derby back in the day they pretty much all still call it the Eagle Centre. It’s strange wandering around here. I used to work at The Works before I moved over to be a mortgage administrator and then mortgage underwriter at Nationwide and have fond memories of the place; other than the shoplifters I mentioned last week. In fact, I met my friend who’s flat I’m going to stay at in Jersey at The Works so funny how things work out.

Shopping done my friend collects me and then a great night is had by all with lots of giggles. Day done. Until tomorrow… x

Wednesday 13th December Day 144

I’m not in too bad a state the next day, so when I return to Stafford Chris meets me and we have a wander around and visit the museum in town which is very interesting and well worth a visit before heading to the supermarket for supplies and then the bus and back to the boat. It’s a good job that they have the offer on the buses at the moment otherwise I don’t think we could afford all these journeys. Most journeys are £2 for a single ticket so very reasonable and as it should be for using public transport.

I film some content for YouTube whilst in Stafford so, you know… ((Do not say working. Do not even think that what you’re doing can be called work! I will not have it.)) working… haha… well it is Brackets! Don’t make me pull your merchandise page I’m planning. ((As if! It will be the only way you will ever make any money!))

Once back at the boat I might have succumbed to a power nap and then it was on to the dinette to blog, vlog and write. You know the drill by now. The blogs will probably be a bit shorter from now on as we are not cruising so not as much to share with you ((Hurrah)). Although once we are in Jersey and ‘on location’ for research purposes I can hopefully share those adventures!

Day done. Until tomorrow… x

Thursday 14th December Day 145

Today I get the urge to clean! By that I mean that I end up taking out everything from the cupboards starting in the bedroom, sorting everything and cleaning ceilings, walls, floors and everything in between. It’s surprising how long it takes and how much stuff you can still fit on a boat.

In between cleaning, I decide it’s time to get my act into to gear and update my Patreon account and finally figure out how to add a vlog! Hurrah! It’s difficult when everything is self-taught. I don’t have anyone showing me how do navigate all of these websites so just learn as I go along. As part of the Patreon subscription if anyone signs up I wanted to be able to show the YouTube vlogs a few days earlier. This means Patrons get early access and they are Ad free unlike on YouTube, unless you have a subscription to YouTube so have it’s ad free. I leave the latest video to upload whilst I carry on the big ‘pre Christmas clean.’

I also manage to get some more writing done and the novel currently stands at 55,905 and I’m ready to get some serious word count done now it’s all coming together. ((

Day done. Until tomorrow… x

((Big thank you to Sandra for becoming a Patreon of the channel. Every penny Peachy receives makes a difference to living and sharing this life and it keeps me in your inbox each day and obviously the exciting merch to come which is in the planning stage! You can become a Patreon from £3 per month… ))

Friday 15th December Day 146

As the weather seems to be being nice at the moment we decide to head into Lichfield and have a good old wander around the charity shops. I pick up some nice jigsaws, although just lately I’ve had 2 jigsaws from charity shops which have had a piece missing! Shocking how people can take them to a charity shop in this state! Chuck them away and spare the jigsawer the pain of a missing piece.  

Lichfield is a really nice place with plenty of shops and good pedestrian areas. It also has a cathedral which we have visited before when the Gaia was being displayed and some lakes and other building of interest we will probably explore over the coming months whilst we are in this area. The beauty about being in a marina is that it gives you a lot more time back to explore more. I’ve mentioned before you still have the usual boat jobs to do but they are all available when you want to do them although dare I say we are already feeling the need to cruise.

((Since Peachy forgot… her first ever horror novella Game of Souls was published on December 8th 2018! Only 99p on kindle… )) Thanks Brackets. I have plans to re-publish this at some point as I would like to change the cover as the one I created was right at the beginning of my writing journey so could definitely do with being updated to really do the story justice. It does have a Christmas theme to it so perhaps I really should have done some promotion weeks ago! ((There is literally no hope!)) In fact I might even go onto Amazon now and promote it. ((What would you do without me??))

Until tomorrow… x

Saturday 16th December Day 147

I spent most of this morning at the dinette scheduling the blog, which took me about 3 hours. ((I don’t understand how you have so many mistakes in your blog when you supposedly spend so much time writing, editing and uploading!)) You are so rude! Blogs done it was onto the vlogs which I realise tomorrow is a bit of a waste of time but hey ho, you live and learn!

The battery runs out on my laptop so whilst that’s charging I get some boat jobs done. I don’t have anything exciting to report today unless you want to hear about the messy job of tidying the stern as there is coal everywhere. ((Not really!))

Next week we are hiring a car again so we can go and visit family before Christmas as we are spending or first xmas day on the boat which is very exciting. ((I think you’ve mentioned this before!!)) Think?? Your memory is getting as bad as mine Brackets!

Right, that’s it. Until tomorrow… x
p.s. I keep meaning to say if you want to read any of stories which are available on the Saga Fiction App; link at the end of the blog. Basically you buy coins which you then use to buy the stories and you get free coins for signing up and logging on each day. ((That’s actually pretty cool. It’s make no wonder you cannot keep up Peachy you are literally everywhere!))

Sunday 17th December Day 148

((It’s the time/space continumunum again… It’s Sunday 17th December in Peachy’s world but actually it’s 23rd December she is uploading this but in yours it’s a Happy New Year from us))

Back to today… I wake up feeling a bit grumpy today. I get like this sometimes. ((SOMETIMES!!!!!)) I find myself needing time to myself, 98.5%  we get on fine on the boat and being together 24/7 but I get these times where I just crave not having to talk to anyone at all. Before that though, I pop and see my friend at the café again as she drops off some cards and pressies for me to take to mum’s next week. This time we manage to keep the visit to 2.5 hours of chatting and then it’s back to the boat.

I mentioned that I have a new Patreon ((Thanks again Sandra… we are one step closer to my merchandise going live! Let me know what you want to see in the merc shop!)) As part of someone becoming a Patreon I add their name to my website which is easy enough but I realised that I also need to add it to all the vlogs I’d already scheduled! It’s easy to do but then I’d already uploaded about 6 of them to YouTube. So now I will have them prepped and ready to upload but won’t schedule them until the Wednesday before when I add to Patreon and YouTube to go live on the Sunday and then I can add any new Patreons. Just another way of working smarter ((I spat my tea out then. Work smarter? Compared to who?))

Right, that’s another week done. I hope everyone has had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. Cannot believe that next week we will be into a 2024! Although in the blogging world we still have a few weeks left until next week. xxx
All the usual links below if you want to find out more. x

Links:
YouTube Channel
Patreon account – get early access to vlogs and you find out our plans first!
Game of Souls – Scary Christmas Book!
Saga Fiction App

Narrowboating is about to become expensive! Day 141

Sunday 10th December 141

Today was a mixture of washing day, writing and boat cleaning. I go upto the laundry room and the washing machine was empty. This is called a result people! I don’t know how many times when I lived at the marina in Newark we wandered up only to find them full. There were a lot more residential people there though and at this marina the only people living on their boats seem to be winter moorers like us.

Can you even call yourselves continuous cruisers if you’re in a marina for months? Well, if it means I get a cheaper licence fee next year then we might have to come in marinas. The increase they are planning to buy our canal and river licence is eyewatering over the next few years. The bubble has certainly burst for anyone thinking they will try this life as a cheap way to live. ((You know what that means people? Peachy has had a week of begging for money with her buy me a coffee/book promotions/Patreon and so on… imagine what she’s going to be like when the fees go up. I’m starting a petition to CRT to get the fees changed!)) Hey, I’m allowed to promote a few things on my own blog. Also, all the money I receive at the moment is going towards making my website into a business account, that way I can have direct links so people can buy signed copies of my book. ((Oh joy. We will look forward to that… not))

More writing was done today and I’m pulling together a list of places I need to visit when I go to Jersey. I said earlier in the week I’ve made some great headway with the book and now I’m starting to mess about with chapter layout, word counts and endings. As a reader I love/hate cliffhangers at the end of chapters as it means you have to turn the page and read the next one but as a writer I make sure that my chapters all lead the reader to do just that! There is nothing better than thinking you will read a couple of chapters before bed but then stay up until 2am reading ((Or falling asleep if they are reading yours! Don’t shoot the messenger; a friend of yours has admitted to falling asleep watching you vlog so it’s not a stretch to think the same about your books!)) Rude! Anyway I don’t mind to the vlog as they are supposed to be relaxing.

Right, can you believe another week done and before we know it, it will be Christmas! In fact in the real world it is Christmas eve! It’s been lovely to see so much more engagement with my subscribers ((Peachy means people talking to her)) on YouTube. I’m quite proud of how my little channel is doing. Oh, one thing… my mum said to me after watching one of them… ‘I won’t worry about my own memory after watching you’ ((Your mum is spot on their Peachy! People only watch it to feel better about themselves!))

Until next week… or tomorrow if you’re reading them daily and i hope you have a lovely Christmas. My Christmas vlog will be out tonight at 6pm xx

I battle zombies… Day 140

Saturday 9th December 140

((Peachy has just been writing and scheduling her blog and then come on here to update this and realised she hasn’t filled in her blog since Monday! Lord have mercy at what nonsense you’ve read up to now. It will be even more made up than normal!)) Hey, it’s not my fault, I’ve done what I said I would do and had some constructive writing days, jobs on the boat and also had to fit in some Christmas shopping!

A friend came over today and we played zombicide and Everdale as the wind and rain picked up outside and boat rocked from side to side. I don’t know if I mentioned that earlier in the week but I tried to sort one of the leaks on the hatch and it seems to have worked – hurrah! ((Too much socialising and not enough ‘doing’ if you ask me!))

Short one today as after my friend left it was updating and faffing with my website and this blog! Until tomorrow x

Narrowboat jobs… but we have a problem… Day 139

Friday 8th December Day 139

Today was a warm and dry day so we decided it was time to get into the bow and start getting the boat jobs done now we’ve had some time settle into marina life and we have a long list to get through whilst we have the luxury of being hooked up to electric.

It’s a tough, hard job to grind all the paint off back to metal so we can then apply filler and rust treatment but it has to be done to protect the boat from further issues. Then it will get it painted, which is the exciting part. I think I mentioned we also need to touch up the areas which have worn since we painted it at Langley Mill in august. Now we don’t have to move the boat the paint won’t be scraped by the ropes so should set properly.

Sadly, the grinder didn’t make it and broke before the job could be finished so we’ve had to order a new one from Argos to collect tomorrow!

We decided to go for a little walk across the bridge where the river is properly flooded after the snow has melted and the heavy rain we’ve been having and along the path alongside Shugborough Estate. They are just setting up the light show and it looks very christmassy. I would love to go but we cannot afford to visit the actual light show. It was weird the first night as the light shows cast shards of light into the sky and we left the boat and were like what the heck! ((Did you think the aliens were coming to get you? Don’t worry, they would soon send you back))

Anyway, day done and hopefully we get another clear day on Sunday to do some more work and get the bow finished. x

Seeing friends and we reach a milestone on YouTube! Day 138

Thursday 7th December Day 138

I met a friend who I’ve not seen for years ((Is this another invisible friend??)) at the local café at 11.30 and we didn’t leave until kick out time at 5pm! We talked for that long. It was lovely to catch up after so many years ((I pity anyone sitting near you two!))

But, I did still do some work that day… I achieved 500 subscribers on my YouTube channel… hurrah. Which meant when I got home I made the vlog showing the tour of our boat live! You can watch it below… ((Don’t forget to like and subscribe!)) Really chuffed the channel is doing so well, I’ve come to really enjoy creating them and documenting what we are doing even if it does take a long time. The next goal to reach is 1,000 subscribers as at that point you can apply to make money from the vlogs!

That was it for Thursday, another day done. x

A tour of our narrowboat