Heart attack

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Too Darn Hot!

It's been exceptionally hot for the past few days. Trying to keep cool has been quite a problem, not just for both of us, but the dogs too. They just don't know what to do with themselves. Alfie keeps wandering around the house, attempting to find a cool spot to lie, but not achieving anything. Poppy keeps panting, but she won't let us cut her thick coat, which would alleviate the problem. We have got windows open in all the rooms and have an electric fan on in the bedroom. This morning, as I write this, there is a gentle rain falling and the sound is almost musical. It's cooled the air considerably, thankfully. We just don't seem to be able to cope with warm weather in this country. Having had a heart attack, the excessively warm weather is quite dangerous. We don't want to go out in it. Alfie was whittling to be taken out for a walk, but he can't cope with it so we stayed indoors all yesterday, but hopefully we will go somewhere tomorrow. I spent a good deal of the night reading. I'm continuing with Bill Bryson's book "The Road To Little Dribbling: More Notes From A Small Island." It's definitely one of those books that, once you start reading, you can't put it down.

Carol has gone into Milton Keynes Academy at around 8.45 because today is G.C.S.E. results day. I have no idea what sort of results they have achieved, but I expect I'll learn when she returns later in the morning.

A bit later. Carol returned at 11.45. She was expecting her friend Pauline, who she used to work with her in the Science Department at Milton Keynes Academy. Pauline was expected to arrive at 12.00 to collect Carol so they could go to Waitrose and have coffee in the cafe. You get free coffee if you have a My Waitrose card, but you now have to buy something to eat if you sit in their cafe. Not a bad idea.
It turned out that the G.C.S.E. results were considerably better than expected, so that's good for all concerned. Pauline arrived about three-quarters of an hour later, in her flash new convertible car. Carol was much taken with it and they drove off to Waitrose. The perfect car for a sunny summer's day. I'm not that impressed by cars, I'm afraid. But it is nice all the same. I bet the insurance is high, though.

I was scheduled to go and collect Carol at 2.30 from Waitrose. I left a bit later than I had anticipated and was prevented from getting to Waitrose via Chaffron Way, just below the roundabout, as it was shut off with a 'road closed' sign. I went in and drove through Woolston, a very up-market area of Milton Keynes which I have never visited before. I have had no reason to. All very large houses, many hidden by either high hedges or walls and set back a long way from the road. Exclusivity is written all over the place. No piles of rubbish piled at the roadside as you get in Eaglestone. No abandoned cars or any broken furniture laying around. Anyway, I had to drive right through and exit the opposite side to which I'd gone in and had to drive right round to get to Waitrose at Oakgrove. I was about 20 minutes late and I found Carol, Pauline and another teacher from Carol's department waiting outside and Carol had done some shopping in Waitrose for our tea. We left them and Carol drove back into Oakgrove to show me how they are still building houses and flats in this area of Milton Keynes. Very modern design. Including what looked like a new school or college, probably the 6th Form block for Oakgrove School.

The road being blocked off is because they are currently resurfacing most of the Grid Roads around Milton Keynes. Certainly needs it as a lot of the roads are badly pot-holed.


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