Lockdown Frustration

I entitled this blog 'Frustration,' because I'm still cooped up like a battery chicken in a relatively small space, I speak to very few people during my day, each one becoming an exact copy of the last one, the fact that it's almost a year since all this lockdown business began (well, it will be by the end of March.) and there seems to be no sign of an end to this situation, even though we now have several anti-coronavirus vaccines being rolled out. There is no evidence, as yet, that these vaccines will actually make a vast difference, particularly whether they prevent cross infection between people, or, indeed, how long their effects last. I could go on, but I won't.

 (Monday) My  Apple MacBook Air needs to be charged, as any battery-operated laptop computer does. It has around 10 hours when fully charged. I like to keep it as fully charged as possible. It has a charger which has a magnetic plug which fits into the side port. Unfortunately, due to fair intense use over the years (it is around 6 years old.) But unfortunately, due to the constant use, plugging and unplugging, the cable has got worn. The actual metal cable had worn through and on some occasions I have felt a slight shock. Although not dangerous, I had meant to replace it. I think we had to replace the same cable on Carol's smaller MacBook, which was purchased through a scheme they had at Milton Keynes Academy, where by Carol paid in installments, take monthly from her salary. The MacBook I have (and on which this is being written.) was a birthday present she gave me.

I bought my iPad from Very, the on-line retail outlet. We bought quite a few items through them when we lived in Eaglestone. I had to buy a fridge/freezer when I moved to Dexter House and once it was paid off I decided to treat myself to an iPad, and since the lockdown which began in March 2020 it has been really useful as a tool to aid communication. I am still paying for it in instalments. I discovered that Very had Apple accessories, including the MacBook Air charger available, At £79 it's expensive, but at least I could buy it and add it to my account and pay that in instalments. It's quite a large outlay to pay for that if I'd gone to John Lewis or the Apple store which is in Milton Keynes shopping centre, so it was the right option. So, I ordered it and it arrived last week. I was a bit concerned that it might not be the right item, but when it arrived I opened the package and it does work and the old, worn, adapter was put in the recycling. 

The MacBook charging device arrived on Friday when I was out walking Alfie. It was left with my neighbour and he gave it to me as I got back. I was glad that it was the right device and I immediately had it connected to the laptop and the old, worn device has gone in the recycling. Then the next day I came in again and my neighbour presented me with exactly the same package, the same shape and wrapped in blue plastic. A sense of  de javu. Why would I have a second parcel containing exactly the same device, particularly as I hadn't ordered it. I immediately opened the parcel to discover, to my annoyance, that it was indeed the same items as the first parcel which I had received. So, I would need to send it back to Very, as I didn't need it. Perhaps I could have kept it as a spare, but as these things cost £79, I wasn't keen to have to pay out twice for the same thing. 

I managed to wrap the MacBook charger in wrapping paper and got it sealed up with a healthy amount of Sellotape, having put  the returns form inside, stuck the return label on the top and left it to take to post in the morning. This morning, Monday, I drove to One Stop in Coffee Hall as there is a Post Office inside. I had to wait for a good twenty minutes as someone had goodness knows how many parcels to go through the system. The man behind the counter had to weigh each item and then put sticky tables on each one and it went on interminably. It was then my turn to hand over my parcel, and the man told me he couldn't take it! It had a pre-paid address label and he said I should take it, I'm not sure exactly because, having to wear a face-covering I think effected my hearing. I left, not exactly pleased, and drove to the next Post Office I knew of at Netherfield. He had said, next to the Coop, so I assumed it was there that he meant. I went into the Coop and soon realised it wasn't where the Post Office was. I then realised it was only a few shops along, so I went in and the lady behind the counter told me she wasn't supposed to take my parcel (for whatever reason, I can't think why. After all, that's what the Post Office is for, or I assumed it was. Anyway, I handed over the parcel, and that was the end of the matter, thankfully.

(Tuesday) It's 7.25a.m. I'm sitting here in my armchair typing away at this. It dark outside and I'm about to take Alfie out. He won't like it, because it's raining. At least, I have a good idea that it is, because earlier, when I was in the bathroom, there was rain running down the outside of the window, but as far as I know, it might have stopped, but I'm not entirely sure.

I had to order medication which was on the point of running out. On Sunday I went into the app I have on my iPad which allows me to order my medication and make appointments with my doctor as well as see my notes etc. But when I went into it on Sunday I found that Bisoprolol couldn't be ordered, for what ever reason. I attempt to make sure that I have enough of my medication on hand and that I don't run out. It can sometimes take a week for an order to go through, from the doctor authorising a prescription to it being sent to Lloyd's Pharmacy in Sainsbury's, to them making it up and then texting me to say it's ready for collection. On Monday morning I attempted to ring the surgery, but, unfortunately, after listening to a long splurge on this and that and in particular, information about Covid 19 and not going to the surgery unless it was an emergency, the system hung up on me. Not what I needed at that precise moment. So, after some thought, I decided to go into the surgery website and managed to leave a message on the site. Which must have been read and acted upon, as later in the afternoon I got a text message saying the prescription was made up and ready for collection. Bisoprol is a beta blocker, meaning it slows down my heart rhythm and hopefully, helping prevent another heart attack, which was why I was eager to have a plentiful supply as I take one tablet each morning and I don't know what would happen if I was to not take it for more than a day. Might be unpleasant and a bit dangerous.