Well, Did You Ever?

Thursday. 5.45 a.m. Well, I'm awake (let's say, almost!) dressed and already taken Alfie out. The pain in my lower back (I think, to be far more precise, my hip.) is still causing problems. I imagined it would be fading away by now, but it doesn't appear to be doing anything of the sort.

9.00 a.m. Goodness, gracious! The sun is out. It's almost (I do stress the word almost here!) the right sort of weather for August. Just don't hold your breath. I haven't recorded the room temperature from my digital thermometer for quite a while, but as I write this, it's currently 26ºC.

I have decided (now, there's a thing) that I will give this blog a break once I get to the end of this particular post. I will start it up again at the beginning of September.

Friday. 6.05 a.m. Spits and spots of 'sort of' rain when I took Alfie out. Apart from that, nothing very much to report.

Saturday. 11.05 a.m. Another bright and sunny morning. It is hot in the flat. My digital thermometer currently reads 27ºC.

I have reactivated my Netflix account. I'm glad I did because there are a couple of films I want to see, particularly the film version of Matilda, The Musical, and a stop-motion animation version of Pinocchio created by Guillermo Del Toro, and coming in December, a sequel to Chicken Run. I'm a bit of a fan of Aardman animation, who made those brilliant Wallace and Gromit films, which I really love and have watched countless times. Also, the spin-off series, Shaun The Sheep, which are so brilliant and funny. I have to say, their work outshines any of the modern Disney animations, doesn't have to resort to sentimentality and is so beautifully crafted and executed, the detail in the sets, props and puppets is remarkable.

I am currently watching the 5th season of 'The Crown.' I have seen all the earlier episodes. This season seems a good deal more intimate and doesn't seem to concentrate so much on the politics of the time covered. As usual, the detail is exceptional, and the costumes, production design and acting is really excellent. My only reservation would be that it's a bit boring. Some of it doesn't exactly grab your attention.

3.25 p.m. I have just been watching Guillermo Del Toro's film Pinocchio and I have to say, it's quite brilliant. It doesn't shy away from some difficult subjects, such as death, and is certainly not a sentimentalised version. The stop-motion animation is faultless, along with the voice acting of such actors as Ewan McGregor and David Bradley, while the set and production design give the whole thing a real depth. I think Disney might learn a thing or two from this film, If only they would just stop remaking their classic animation films, but messing them up by tampering with them and altering parts of the stories and characters which don't fit the modern politically correct agenda. It certainly deserved its Oscar win as Best Animated Film.

Another Fun-Packed Week?

Sunday. 3.10 p.m. I have done a Google search, because I wanted to know if there was any connection between Covid and the lower back pain I have been experiencing for the past couple of weeks, especially considering I tested positive for covid. It turns out, but I know that it's inconclusive, that there might be a link, because it came up on several websites. This might explain why this pain started at about the same time as the covid.

Monday. 6.00 a.m. I've had another session with the heat pad on my lower back. It certainly relieved the pain, but I will have to continue with it to hopefully end the pain.

10.15 a.m. I cleared all the rubbish out of the car, removed Alfie's cage from the back and went to get cash out of the A.T.M.at Tesco's at Oldbrook Boulevard and then drove into the centre near The Xcape to have the car valeted. I've been planning to do this for a week or two, but because of the weather and then the covid infection and finally the back pain, I was reluctant to go ahead with it, but because it was bright and sunny I thought I'd do it. I am more than pleased with the result, and it looks and smells so much better.

Tuesday. 7.10 a.m. The pain in my back is still causing me problems, but it's not as severe as it was earlier. I have been using the heat pad, and it certainly relieves the pain, but it still wears off. I am determined to let it keep me trapped within this flat, and I am going to Camphill in around an hour's time. My pack-up is done and ready to take with me.

4.50 p.m. I've only been back in the flat forty minutes, having been at Camphill all day. I very nearly didn't go, because of the pain in my lower back, but I was determined I would go.

I didn't join in with some of the more energetic activities, such as the drama warm-ups. There was filming of some of the few remaining bits of the silent movies and then time was spent developing ideas for next week's 'Play In A Week' sessions (I think the title tells you exactly what it it. It runs from Monday, through until Friday, when a piece of theatre will be performed, without an initial script. In fact, it won't have a script. There will be children between the ages of about 8-18 working with the performing arts workshop regulars. There's not a lot more I call to say on this.

Ideas were written up on a whiteboard and will be used as the basis for next week's sessions. Then some fascinating improvisation, which I did get involved in. Someone comes up with a character, just a 'job title, in this case it was a hotel owner. Terrie was a bank teller. The hotel owner queued up, as if waiting in a bank, at one of the teller windows. Another of the regular drama group then came up behind the hotel owner and played a bank robber, although at this point she wasn't obviously such a character. The hotel owner asked the teller for £150 out of his bank account, so the teller asked him to put his bank card into the reader and key in his key number. The teller looked at her computer and said there was only£5 in the account, but the hotel owner got irate. Meanwhile, the bank robber was behind the teller, attempting to steal cash. The idea was, that anyone could take over the 'plot' by taking over from any of the characters and in the attempt, change the storyline. It seems a good way to develop storyline for improvised plays.

Wednesday. 7.15 a.m. I am still in quite a bit of pain. It seems to be getting worse than ever, but I am determined to not let it interfere with my life.

I have to re-apply for my driving licence now that I am over the age of 70. You have to do it every three years. I got a letter informing me of this in the post the other morning. I knew I'd have to do it if I want to keep on driving, which I absolutely do. The thought of being tied to Dexter House and losing my independence would be devastating. I could do this reapplication online, so I started it off. It is generally so much easier to do these things online. It saves having to post everything off, and it's quicker and easier. I had my National Insurance number handy, because you have to put it into the system. The trouble is, I don't have a passport. I don't need or want one, as I'm unlikely to go anywhere outside the United Kingdom. The problem is, you need one in order to prove your identity, so the online system wouldn't allow me to complete the application. So, I will now need to go out and get a photograph done in one of those photo booths you see around the town. I believe there is one in Sainsbury's, so I will have to go in there this morning and use the one in there.

12.25 a.m. I have been to Sainsbury's and got the photo done for the driving licence reapplication. I have now filled out the application form and attached the photo to the form and put it in the envelope, together with my expiring driving licence. I was hoping to take the completed form, within its envelope, out to post, but then discovered it wasn't 'Freepost' or at least, ready to post, so I had to take it to the Post Office within the One Stop shop in Coffee Hall and was shocked that a First Class stamp now costs £1.10!

Wet And Miserable August!

 Thursday. 12.35 p.m. It might be bright and sunny as I write this, but the weather generally, according to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast this morning, is that we can expect rain for the next month, which might not be what those who have holidays booked want to hear.

2.35 p.m. I had the car booked in at Anglo Motors to have some work done on one of the rear brakes. It was scheduled to be done at 9 o'clock. I was there in plenty of time. Thankfully, the traffic was relatively light at that time. There was a problem locating the wheel nuts. Up until only a few years ago, I had no idea what 'wheel nuts' were, but then I found a small plastic box in the car containing these items. They are required if you have to take off the wheels of your car. I had to go into the workshop to look, and they eventually were located under the front passenger seat, when meant the work could continue. The work went ahead, and it was completed within an hour and cost a good deal less than I was imagining. I then drove over to the retail park at Bletchley to visit Pets At Home and the Groom Room which is within the store in order to get a groom appointment for Alfie. They are booked sold for weeks ahead, and I couldn't get one until early September. 

Saturday. 5.45 a.m. Where did Friday go? There wasn't anything worth writing about, which is unusual for me, as you would know if you read this blog on a regular basis.

I still have a certain amount of  discomfort in my lower back. It is worse when I bed, especially when I am getting dressed. I have ordered a heat pad from Amazon, because I was told, when using Voltarol, that it would help the healing process if I used a hot water bottle. But I don't have one, so I looked on various websites, including Boots and Superdrug, but they don't appear to have anything even close to a hot water bottle, except heated pads. I then went on Amazon and have found an electric heated pad, which I have ordered. I think it should be better than a hot water bottle because it won't lose its heat and has Velcro fastening to keep it in place.

10.00 a.m. Well, the weather is certainly doing it's 'thing'! The title of this post is totally correct. I went out to my car at around 7.45, removing the cage which Alfie rides in when he goes out with me in the car, with the idea of getting the car valeted, but I didn't realize until I got outside that it was raining quite hard, so that idea has to be shelved for now! I just thought that the car could do with a clean, inside and out, and as it hasn't been done in ages, I would get it done. Never mind, for now at any rate.

I've been to do a fairly small shop in Sainsbury. A good time to go, as the place is more or less deserted. The moving walk-way, which links the car park on the lower floors to the upper store is currently being repaired, so you have to use the lifts, which are busy. You would think there would be alternative stairs, but there aren't.

5.10 p.m. The intercom for the front door of Dexter House sounded at about 4.30. I answered it and nobody appeared with my Amazon parcel, so I went down to see if the delivery driver had come into the unit. I saw two parcels left on the kitchen window, one for myself. I took it back to my flat and set it up and after about fifteen minutes I had to leave it as I had to put my meal in the oven. I think it may be working as the pain in my lower back appears to be reduced. I will have to have some more time with it before I decide that it is doing it's job, which as I really hope it will.

You Couldn't Make It Up!

 Tuesday. 5.45 a.m. Up early, as usual, walking around Oldbrook Green with Alfie. A really dramatic cloud formation over Milton Keynes.

Yesterday, I think I got closer to upgrading my bathroom. Vashti (S.H.O. at Dexter House.) gave me a telephone number to ring, the Community Occupational Health department at Milton Keynes Council. I gave my details and that was the end of the conversation. I was surprised at how quickly I got through. Later that afternoon I got a call from a lady from Millbrook regarding having the bathroom refitted, although I couldn't understand why occupational health would be involved. Anyway, this lady made me an appointment in August to go for a bath test. No, I don't understand either, but if it meant I got the bathroom upgraded, with at least a decent shower, I can use it without stooping because the current arrangement isn't high enough for me. Crazy, but true. Continuing . . . She needed a photo of the bathroom and later, she texted me, so I sent a photo via text, which moved the thing further forward, with details of my height and weight, and she then told me I wouldn't need to visit, and that I could have a wet room rather than a bathroom, meaning I could have a shower unit, which I wanted in the first place, and it would need her manager's approval for the work to do ahead. Al this, running around in circles, when it needn't have to be so complicated. Considering what I have gone through to get this far with my bathroom, you certainly couldn't make it up!

1.30 p.m. I think the Voltarol is beginning to have a definite effect on my lower back pain. I haven't been to Camphill, because of this, but I do miss going, and I'm hoping things will have returned to near enough normal by next Tuesday, so I can go there again. Being stuck in this flat with covid was bad enough, but this new thing makes it even more difficult to put up with.

3.45 p.m. I have upgraded my details to be eligible to vote. I got a letter from the Democratic Service department of Milton Keynes Council and you can go online to a special website 'household response,' and enter two unique security codes and your postcode to make sure your name is on the database. I have done all this, and it's now amended.

Wednesday. 7.50 a.m. There was 'sort-of'' rain when I took Alfie out at around 5.15 this morning. What do I mean? Well, thin and wet dribbles, not a proper fall of rain. But as I write this, the sun is out, and it appears bright and rather pleasant.

The Voltarol is doing its work and I feel a good deal better. Considering what the pain was like only a few days ago, it is a relief to be able to bend, particularly when putting my clothes on, it is certainly better.

1.25 p.m. Around half an hour ago there was a tremendous rainstorm, which lasted all of two minutes. This delayed me taking out Alfie, but it appeared to be only a light rain.

6.35 p.m. I'm watching the BBC sitcom 'The Good Life' on Britbox. I have seen it before, and probably when it was originally broadcast in 1975. It seems to stand the test of time really well. We don't have this sort of show any more. It was produced when there were only three channels, BBC1, BBC2 and ITV.  It made a star of Richard Briars, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington. I must have seen Richard Briars in several Alan Ayckbourn plays, 'Absurd Person Singular' and Penelope Keith in one of 'The Norman Conquests' trilogy. Thinking about Ayckbourn's plays, I did the book for a production of 'Relatively Speaking' when I was A.S.M. at Liverpool Playhouse in the early 1970s. That play (although not that production.) would have been Ayckbourn's first major success, and in the West End, it starred a young Richard Briars. On a further note, I was working on some BBC show, as a walk-on, and one of the runners (or at least, one of the stage crew.) was one of Richard Briar's daughters, although she didn't want to admit to being his daughter.

Thursday. 5.35 a.m. Another relatively mild morning. The Voltarol is working well. The only side effect of using it is I think it's making me feel sick.