Another Fun-Packed Week?

Friday. 7.05 a.m. I have come to the conclusion, after a great deal of stress caused by the HP printer which I have been battling to get working (not actually too much for something which isn't doing what it is supposed to do, that's print.) that I replace it with another machine. I have quite a lot of Nectar points, which means I can use them to buy a new device from Argos.

6.20 p.m. I eventually got a new Canon Pixma printer from Argos. I used virtually all my Nectar points, ordering it through the Argos website, I then drove to the Argos store to pick it up. I have set it up and even printed off a couple of pages. It was relatively easy to get set up, and I have downloaded apps onto my iPad and iPhone, which means I can print directly from them. 

Saturday. 8.00 a.m. A mild and rather boring sort of day on the weather front. There's nothing more I can say at the moment.

3.30 p.m. I took Alfie out mid-morning. We did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, and on the opposite side to The Cricketers public house, I saw some snowdrops, just beginning to show. So, the first signs of spring! It is definitely getting milder. Well, compared to what the weather was like around a week ago. I think the temperature is around 10 degrees warmer. 

Sunday. 8.15 a.m. It appears to be another relatively mild morning. 

Monday. 7.15 a.m. Alfie insisted on being taken out earlier than usual. I had only just woken up, and he was still poking me with his paw. I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but when you have a small Yorkshire Terrier poking you on the shoulder and then standing in the open doorway barking at you, I really didn't have much choice. So, very reluctantly, I got dressed and picked him up, and we went out of the side door of Dexter House. I had my small electric torch in my pocket, which was absolutely essential, as otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see to pick up after Alfie.

10.15 a.m. We went out again at around 9.15. It is currently sunny and bright, but once you get outside, it turns out that it's quite chilly, so we didn't hang around.

Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. Yet another mild day. What more can I say?

A Foggy Day In Milton Keynes

 Sunday. 8.10 a.m. I awoke around 4.30 and then went back to sleep. I felt the wrath of a small Yorkshire Terrier who came in and poked me, which got me viewing my watch. I thought it was 6 o'clock but found it was 7.20. As it was getting light outside, I quickly got dressed, but not quick enough for Alfie, who was barking vigorously when we went out onto the path alongside Strudwick Drive, I discovered it was foggy as well as crisp under my feet, meaning frost.

Monday. 8.00 a.m. A bit of light relief this morning on BBC Breakfast, about a duck who lives in Chorley, Lancs, and with a name, Ham. He lives in a run, or, at least, he should, but he has a habit of escaping and wandering around the neighbourhood. He has quite a following, on TikTok and Facebook. It seems he's quite a character and wears a scarf. 

It's quite clear and fog-free this morning, but frosty nonetheless.

11.05 a.m. My HP printer is causing problems. I last used it quite some time ago, but it just refuses to cooperate. I really need to print out some material. It seems to be fine taking to my MacBook Pro and connects wirelessly, but then it will not go on and print. It appears to have plenty of paper and ink, but when I hit 'print' it refuses to do just that.

1.30 p.m. The workmen are back today, repairing the roof along the corridor. A great deal of noise, currently what sounds like drilling or something. They have brought in a load of wood and tiles and a machine which I can't identify.

Tuesday. 8.05 a.m. It doesn't seem as cold as it has been over the past few days. Looking out of my window at my car, which is parked below the window, it didn't seem to be as frozen up as it might have been earlier in the week. I have just been down to spray the windows with de-icer and scrape off the ice, the idea being that I can drive off to Camphill in about 40 minutes without having to clear the windows.

Wednesday. 1.50 p.m. A great day at Camphill. Most of the play was rehearsed and some of the actors knew their lines, but not entirely. There was some sort of incident with one of the residents. I'm not entirely sure what it was. I think someone got hit on the nose or something. I don't think it was intentional, more likely an accident. Staff had to deal with it (away from the theatre, in one of the houses.) I have a feeling Terrie, the lady who leads the theatre workshop, had to fill in accident forms, so was out of the theatre during the early part of the afternoon, but soon joined us after we had done some fun warm-up exercises. 

I have been attempting to get the HP printer to work, to actually print. I managed to find the helpline number, after a lot of searching online. But as a result, I didn't get the confounded thing working, but I did discover that this particular printer has to print on far thinner paper. I went to Asda to buy a packet of far thinner paper than I had in stock and, as I write, I have tried it and still no results. Also, following advice sent via email from HP, to check the paper intake slot and underneath the machine to check if there was any debris. I found a piece of sticky tape which is used to secure the machine in transit and which should have been removed before installation. Still no success printing.

Thursday. 8.00 a.m. It's a good deal milder this morning. No fog, no icy-frost. Hopefully, no need to scrape ice off the car! According to Carol Kirkwood, the BBC Breakfast weather lady this morning, it is going to get milder as we approach the weekend.

4.40 p.m. I am still struggling to get the HP printer to work. I have no idea what to do with it next.

A Cold and Frosty Morning

Thursday. 8.10 a.m. It's another cold morning. The car windows are again frozen up, and I have been down to spray it so that it is easier to defrost when I drive off to the Oaktree Centre in about an hour.

Friday. 6.20 p.m. I am continuing with some more writing. I have done a first, although incomplete, draft, and then I did a second (also incomplete) and managed to put it all into word processing and by then I managed to edit it slightly, actually merging both drafts as I went along. I have changed one of the characters' names, which I have been meaning to do for a while, and I think it works better than the original name.

Saturday. 8.00 a.m. It was something of a surprise to discover it was foggy when Alfie and I ventured out at around 7.25 this morning. It was a little thick and gave a very subtle and attractive view across Oldbrook Green, with the lights in and around the green and along Strudwick Drive giving a blurry glow.

1.20 p.m. We had another mens' breakfast at The Fountain in Loughton. As usual, most of us met up in the carpark. As it was cold, icy as well as foggy, we soon went inside and the table we usually have was ready. The staff seem a good deal more 'on the ball' and we were able to order our breakfasts relatively quickly. I think we had around 15 people, which is more than we usually have. It's the fourth year of my being part of the SCF Mens' Breakfast and the first I went to was the Saturday after Carol's funeral, 11th January 2018, which isn't something I will forget in a hurry.

After men's Breakfast, I went home, basically because I needed the loo! Then I went to Aldi and did some shopping. I am attempting to wean myself off Sainsbury's, not that there's anything wrong with Sainsbury's, except it's cheaper in Aldi. I do like a specific type of bread I can only get in Sainsbury's, a malt loaf with multi-grains, and their fruit and vegetables are better. I bought easy peelers in Aldi a few weeks ago, and they went off really quickly, rendering them inedible and most had to be thrown away (for those who don't know what easy peelers are, they are small oranges, like satsumas or tangerines, which have thin skin, making them easy to peel. I have at leat two a day and I've been eating them since the beginning of the pandemic. I think that eating them daily has helped keep my cholesterol level low, as mentioned in an earlier blog post.

Returning Winter

Monday. 7.00 a.m. Breakfast, on BBC television, when I turn on the television just now, telling us that it's going to get wintry. After several weeks of relatively mild weather, it will be something of a shock

3.05 p.m. A lot of clanging and other extraneous noises were coming from the garden below my kitchen window as I stood at the sink and did some washing up this afternoon. I saw a workman outside, walking across the grass below, dressed in a yellow day-glow jacket. Then scaffolding poles appear over the edge of the roof below the window, and it was clear he was putting up scaffolding. I've been told the roof along the corridor, which is where my flat is situated within Dexter House, has a serious leak. It has taken some time for the Council to get this situation under control and actually get something done regarding the leak, as it is causing further problems because it has been left. There is another workman somewhere about and between them, these two workmen have a radio on which I can hear as well as what sounds like drilling, presumably something to do with putting together the various sections of scaffolding. Probably not drilling, but screwing together the sections. I just hope I don't have to have people looking into my kitchen window, which is likely to happen when they get around to the actual repairs of the roof.

Tuesday. 6.45 a.m. BBC Breakfast is celebrating its 40th anniversary this morning. They have the original blue clock in the bottom right corner of the screen rather than the digital one which is usually in that position. Looking at the footage from that time, it really looks amateur and not the slick professional look we have come to expect.

Wednesday. 8.05 a.m. It was a bit of a shock when I went out to my car yesterday morning at 8.20. I was about to drive off to Camphill, but I found the car's windows frozen, not just on the exterior. There was ice inside, and I had to go back into my flat to fetch the spray de-icer and scraper. It took around fifteen minutes to clear the windows sufficiently so that I could see out and then drive to Camphill.

On arrival at Camphill, I was greeted by some of the theatre gang, who were pleased to see me and when we went into the check-in which is done at the beginning of each session. Terrie, the leader of the workshop, had some great news. Sales of tickets for 'Twelfth Night' are going exceptionally well and some £400-worth of tickets for the two performances. Also, BBC Look East, the local news programme which is on BBC1 at 6.30 p.m. throughout the week, came a few days ago and did interviews with some of the performers and the report will be shown on Look East sometime in the next two weeks.

All the actors have now been given folders with the adapted scripts of 'Twelfth Night', and the rest of the day was taken up with rehearsals of the play.

12.55 p.m. A lot more clanging and banging from the workmen repairing the roof. I wish they would use rubber hammers. The scaffolding has grown considerably overnight.

I have bought a ticket for the matinée performance of 'Twelfth Night", on Saturday, 4th February. This is done via the Q code on the poster.

Blow Winds, and Crack Your Cheeks!

Thursday. 8.10 a.m. Another Shakespearean weather quote is used as a blog post title. This time it's from 'King Lear.'

It's been extremely windy all night. I could hear it as I lay awake at around 2 o'clock. But as I write this, it has calmed down.

1.05 p.m. This morning we had the first poetry session, which is part of the U3A. There were only five people there, including myself. The idea is to read poetry you might have written (I haven't, but one Dexter House tenant had.) We took turns reading our favourite poems, taken from a handful of poetry books the two leaders provided. I will have to browse online and possibly print off some pieces for the next session.

Saturday. 8.20 a.m. It's really windy again. The path along which I walk with Alfie when I take him out, which runs alongside Strudwick Drive, has a really wet patch under the trees which overhang. It's not currently raining, but it must have rained overnight, which must have been the cause of the puddles.

1.30 p.m. I had a doctor's appointment at the Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre booked for 10.00 a.m. It was raining quite hard as I drove across Milton Keynes and got to the car park in good time. I was good and put on my face mask, as requested by the surgery and then found that the computerized system was not working so I told the receptionist that I had arrived, which sounds crazy as I was standing directly in front of her (that's me being totally literal if you see what I mean.) I sat and waited and then the doctor came out and called me into his office. He took my blood pressure (131/67 mmHg. Sorry, I don't understand these measurements.) Then my pulse (56 bpm) and I discovered my cholesterol level is 3 mmol! I have to say I'm really pleased, as they tell you it should be less than 5 mmol. It's all my hard work paying off it would seem, drinking cholesterol-busting drinks as well as 2 or 3 easy peelers (small oranges with thin skin) as well as an apple or other fruit. At least 5-a-day, as recommended by the NHS. My weight is currently 104 Kg, which sounds about right for my height and age.

There is a new show on at around 4.30 p.m., immediately before Pointless on BBC 1. It's called 'Make It To Market', and it's about creative people, for example, artists, sculpture, carvers and so on, and how they are mentored and supported to develop their careers and become successful. One artist was on this programme and she used 'Procreate' the painting and drawing software which I have on my iPad. It just goes to show how this can be used to create and design material that can be sold.

I discussed the horrible phlegm which is produced at the back of my throat, and he examined my throat (I had to 'say aah!' when I opened my mouth for him to see. I think that was the first time I've had to do that since I was about 12 years old, so a good many years ago.) He told me there was no inflammation to be seen and that I should drink plenty of water. Generally, it would appear my health is in good order. I also discussed the fact that I can experience fatigue from mid-afternoon onwards, and he told me that would be a result of my taking my medications. 

Sunday. 8.30 a.m. It's decidedly colder this morning. I have a feeling we'll be having more snow.

Hey ho, The Wind and The Rain!

Tuesday. 10.00 a.m. I should have been going to Camphill this morning, but there's been a problem with one of the payments for my car insurance. It wasn't taken out of my bank account. I had thought I could drive without any concerns, but then I thought, on the one day my insurance isn't absolutely cut and dried, I could have an incident, either me colliding with another vehicle, or someone running into my car, scratching either vehicle. It would be very stressful and I preferred to not risk it, so I'm at home. 

It's a really stormy day, wet and windy. Alfie keeps looking at me and almost saying, 'please, take me out!' but I know he won't like it. He's not a wet-weather sort of dog, so here we are, staying in the flat. 

I have rung Mears again, regarding not only the extractor fan, but the bathroom refit. It didn't take long to get a response, fortunately, but the line was indistinct. On the extractor fan front, apparently the company who will install the fan are waiting for glass to arrive. Which I wasn't aware of. I assumed that they would cut a hole in the existing glass in the kitchen window, but no, they will presumably take out the glass already in the window and put the new glass in, with a hole cut in it to take the extractor fan. I also asked about the bathroom, and I am still on the waiting list, but no word as to when the work will start. One lives in hope.

12.15 p.m. I have been experimenting with the Procreate app on my new iPad. It's actually quite easy to use, once you've been through some of the things it's capable of. I have been following a couple of YouTube videos and have actually posted my first piece of work on Facebook. Once you have mastered the fact that each colour you use can be adjusted separately,  because it's on a different 'layer', it means that it's possible to redo any of the layers, which means you can improve things easily.

Wednesday. 8.45 a.m. It seems like quite a calm sort of morning on the weather front. Let's just hope it stays that way.

11.05 a.m. As mentioned above, I had a missed payment for my car insurance. I had to ring the AA, my provider, and sort this payment out, as I was concerned that I wouldn't otherwise be covered if there was an incident. I rang the number on the AA documentation, but I got a menu which asked me which number to key into my phone. I went round and round, and it became really difficult to get to the right department. After several attempts, I did manage to reach the right department and explained my difficulties getting to the right place. I eventually had to key in the long number on my debit card, but the computerized system wouldn't work for me, regardless of how many times I attempted. Then the lady at the call centre told me to speak the numbers, which I found quite difficult, but eventually the payment went through, thank goodness, and the situation was rectified.

3.35 p.m. The weather has got worse. Wind and rain as I write this. 

I have been into Central Barbers to get my hair cut. I booked online, as is my custom now. At least, if you book this way, you know you'll be attended to quickly and there's no waiting.

I had a conversation with the young man who cut my hair. We got onto discussing things, and he mentioned a book he had read, about five young daughters who were going to be married off by their parents. I immediately recognized it as 'Pride and Prejudice' and I said it's not the sort of book that most men read, if they read anything. I know it's more of a female readers choice and Carol enjoyed it. Anyway, I am pleased to have had my hair cut and, after leaving Central Barbers, I walked through the shopping centre and had a browse in some of the shops, T.K.Maax in particular.

Wild and Windy

Friday. 9.10 a.m. It's quite mild and pleasant today. I'd almost go as far as saying it's almost spring-like. That being the case, there are signs of green shoots coming out all along the hedge as we walk towards Oldbrook Green. (No, no signs of economic revival. You know, the cliché that is used during times of depression. I won't use it here.) But it does look like spring, even though, officially, it hasn't. Well, it is only the 6th of January. This reminds me, my Christmas decorations have to come down today, as it's Twelfth Night.

Saturday. 7.20 a.m. I'm sitting here, writing this, waiting to take Alfie out. I can hear the wind roaring away outside (well, I'm glad it's outside. I'd be worrying if it was inside this flat!)

10.10 a.m. I ordered a case for my new iPad Pro on Amazon on Thursday, and it arrived around midday. It's made of fairly substantial material and has a Van Gogh painting on its cover, the one with swirly clouds. Its title is 'The Starry Night.' I simply cannot have a plain and boring cover for any of my devices, and I really like Van Gogh's paintings. The iPad fits inside perfectly and there's a convenient space for the Apple Pencil, which remains fully charged and doesn't fall out. I can use the iPad flat or in a position which raises it up, which is convenient for such things as Zoom or Facetime calls. I am really pleased with the cover, and it should keep the iPad reasonably protected, and safe.

I've been to Waitrose to buy one or two items. On the way along Chaffron Way I had another driver tailgating me. I was driving at what I would call a reasonable speed, no more than 50, but this driver insisted on coming up behind me and then putting his headlights on full (I assume it was a male, I couldn't see the face of the driver.) I refuse to be intimidated by such people and I'm not putting myself at risk of an accident. There are a few people that simply don't like having a car in front of them.

It's still wild and windy outside. I came back from Waitrose and took Alfie out, but he didn't intend to remain out for long and did a wee on the grass and immediately came back inside. Who can blame him?

When we went out around 7.30 this morning, I noticed that the rubbish left by those who were letting off fireworks the other evening has now been removed. It's good to see it gone and no doubt Council workers picked it up, but there's still the thought that those responsible should have dealt with it.

Sunday. 6.30 a.m. I can hear the wind, but I don't think its as strong as it was earlier in the week.

8.20. I went out an walked around Oldbrook Green at around 7.35. It's now a good deal lighter earlier and earlier as we get further into January which was the reason for the circuit of the green.

4.15 p.m. The wind has stopped. It's a good deal calmer now.

6.20 p.m. I've been working on further developments of my writing project. I had an idea, which came to me whilst walking around Oldbrook Green, and then got somewhat stuck with it (I won't mention any details here, for obvious reasons.) and then came up with further ideas when I was laying in bed. I think it's because I can relax when laying down and let my mind wander. I am now beginning to write using these new ideas. 

Another Year Older. . .

Monday. 10.40 a.m. I've just come back from taking Alfie out, and the amount of rubbish left after the fireworks is more than ever. Do the people who are responsible for the appalling racket the other night think it's acceptable to leave that amount of rubbish? Well, of course not. There is broken glass across the path at one point, and I'm certainly not walking across it with Alfie. I don't want his feet cut. 

Tuesday. 9.30 a.m. It's a rather wet and cold morning here in Milton Keynes. Alfie really didn't appreciate it one little bit when we went out at around 7.30. Never mind. He's back inside now and curled up on my bed, which, incidentally, I changed yesterday, not a job I relish. Putting a rather thick duvet back in a clean cover takes a great deal of work.

1.20 p.m. Almost exactly the same as in the last paragraph when I took Alfie out. 

Wednesday. 2.35 p.m. Mid-morning, I took Alfie out around Oldbrook Green. I saw a man taking photographs, with his mobile, of the litter which has been left by those responsible for the fireworks. There's still a great deal of rubbish all over the grass and by the bins. I spoke to him and his wife and they said they would send a photograph to the Council via email. I doubt anything will be done about this rubbish, but it seems a bit pointless having notices which clearly state that there should be no fireworks on Oldbrook Green, similar to picking up after your dogs. There is still an element among dog walkers who deliberately ignore the signs regarding this.

I was in Sainsbury's. Most of the Christmas stuff has gone. No Christmas trees or decorations to be seen, although there might be some decorations at a reduced price, hidden away at the back of the gift and stationery department. But it was a shock to find Easter stuff already out on display, bunnies and other items, including Cadbury's cream eggs. So, just days after the festive season comes to an end, they can hardly wait to stuff the shelves with Easter things. How crazy is that? How about hot cross buns?

Thursday. 8.15 a.m. A mild morning on the weather front.

1.15 p.m. I had intended to take Alfie out at around 9 o'clock this morning, but when I heard a strange noise somewhere along Strudwick Drive I decided to leave it a good deal later. I could see from the kitchen window strange lights flashing and then I saw one of the Council machines, probably a tractor, moving around. It was cutting the hedge around the tree which is in the middle of the grass area along Strudwick Drive. The Council has cut the hedge along the fence which encloses the garden of Dexter House. Actually, not so much cut as a tear, because the stumps of the branches of the hedge are left as if they've been torn off or at least broken. I think the intention is to promote new growth, but I have to say it does look rather ragged.

I had a telephone call mid-morning, from Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre, inviting me to a doctor's appointment on Saturday 14th January. It's because I have a heart condition. She said it was because I'd had heart failure, but I said I had had two heart attacks. I don't think it made a lot of difference, but it's great to get some sort of checkup to see how I'm doing. I had a blood test a few weeks ago, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, but it would appear that nothing untoward showed up from that. 

Happy New Year!

Thursday. 9.00 a.m. I haven't written any posts for the past few days, as you will have realized if you read them regularly. There has been little to report, so there is no point in writing.  

I went into the central shopping centre yesterday, more to escape Dexter House than anything else. I bought a Rugby shirt in the Marks and Spencer sale. I do like their shirts, not just Rugbys, but also polos, of which I have quite a few. They are quite expensive, but they last through many washes, so in the end, they are worth every penny.

I have ordered a new iPad. I have been considering upgrading my current iPad, which is somewhat basic. I want to be able to do painting and drawing, using an app called Procreate. It is somewhat confusing when you start on the journey of buying these devices, as there are so many in the Apple range I went into the Apple Store in Midsummer Place and asked a staff member what was the minimum requirement for drawing and painting with Procreate, and using an Apple Pencil. I have now ordered an iPad Pro from Very, and it should be delivered within the next week, and I don't expect it to turn up this side of the New Year bank holiday. I can't wait to have it and to start experimenting with its various features. I can get the old iPad recycled and should get a price for it in much the same way I did for my old MacBook.

I washed Alfie's bed yesterday. It went into one of the machines in the laundry room. Fortunately, I took out the padding, which zips out. If I hadn't, all that padding would have come apart in the machine and might have caused problems. I was wondering if the bed would come out any cleaner, and, it did. It's so much cleaner. I'm really pleased with the result.

2.00 p.m. It's actually quite bright and sunny, but it's really deceptive, because, once I went out with Alfie, I found it was windy and chilly.

Friday. 7.40 a.m. It's cold, dark and somewhat dreary windy out, but I took out Alfie a bit earlier than usual, the main reason being that I need to load up the washing machine and I like to have it done around 7.50. 

Saturday. 3.10 a.m. Here I am again, wide awake and writing this blog post. I have been looking through emails and found one from Royal Mail, telling me the iPad I ordered is on its way. Lovely. The only trouble is, there have been strikes by the Communications Union and my parcel is probably stuck in a sorting office somewhere or other. Okay, these people have a right to strike, but I'm concerned that my parcel is in danger of being damaged. I'm hoping it's likely to be delivered to me today and not held up too long.

12.40 p.m. I had a further email from Royal Mail, informing me that the parcel from Very, containing the iPad, would be delivered sometime today. There was no indication of what sort of time to expect it, not even a window of, say, an hour or two, so I can't go out, as the parcel has to be signed for.

New Year's Day. Sunday. 12.15 p.m.  So, another year begins. 

There have been fireworks being let off yesterday evening, starting around two hours before midnight. It was more like bombs going off, quite loud and disruptive. I imagined it was in and around the open space of Oldbrook Green. I couldn't understand the sense because it wasn't like an organized firework display, just a couple of quite spectacular displays of rockets going up over Milton Keynes, which I could see from my kitchen windows. Then it went on for a further hour and a half after midnight. 

I went out with Alfie as usual around 7.30 a.m. and we walked around Oldbrook Green I was shocked by the debris left by those setting on fireworks, as mentioned above. No attempt to clear up after themselves and boxes of rubbish were left by a couple of the bins around the green. I would have been only decent of those responsible to clear up after the fireworks were let off. It does say, on the signboard on Oldbrook Green, that you aren't supposed to let off fireworks in and around the area, although who will prevent you, such as the police. Those responsible for the fireworks would have been better off giving the money they had spent to charity.

I have now set up the new iPad. I had a few issues getting the Apple Pencil to connect to the iPad, but with just a bit of effort, it connected and I have tried it out, quite successfully and will have to spend time experimenting with Procreate. I bought a manual for its use on Amazon, and I can use that to take me through the various functions. I will post how I get on with it on here, so look out for more on how I get on.

Quite a traumatic time at church this morning. There had been problems in the servery area of the cafe, as there had been flooding from the water boiler, which had been the case on Christmas Day, so it wasn't clear whether there would be tea or coffee to serve after the service, although it got resolved. Then, the lady who was due to lead and do preach wasn't able to get to church as her car broke down and had to wait for Green flag, the rescue service, to arrive. She had to sit in her car in a lay-by near Crownhill, and wait for Green Flag, so someone stepped in at short notice, but you wouldn't have known it.