Another Week

 Friday. 9.45 a.m. It seems bright and sunny outside, but I have a sneaking feeling that it's cold. I will find out when I take Alfie out again later. Currently, the digital thermometer, which incidentally is indoors and sitting on the television unit, is displaying the temperature at 23ºC.

Monday. 10.25 a.m. There's not a great deal to report on here over the last day or so, hence, nothing on here!

It's bright and sunny as I write this. It can be chilly first thing. So I put on a fleece and then, by the time I get back indoors, I'm really hot. I suppose it's just that time of year, moving into autumn, when the weather is undecided.

I have been doing homework for the Camphill World War Two project. Doing a bit of research on the internet on various aspects of the war, such as ARP Wardens, the so-called 'Phoney War' etc. I have got it on a Word-processed document and have printed it out and will take it with me when I go to Camphill tomorrow.

Tuesday. 4.25 p.m. I have just got in from Camphill. I have to say it has been really successful. We are putting together ideas for the World War 2 theatre piece and the group is suggesting what they want to put in it and how the story will be told. A lot of material about Bletchley Park and the Codebreakers.

Wednesday. 1.00 p.m. I have been having problems receiving some of my medication on order. I went to the doctor around two weeks ago and was prescribed tablets to help me sleep. I also had to order Atorvastatin, which I have been on for years, I think, since the time of my first heart attack in 2006. In fact, I was put on a different type of statin at that time, but that particular version had a bad effect on my stomach and I had to try several different statins before settling on Atorvastatin which doesn't have any side effects. 

I was also given a prescription for sleeping tablets. This prescription was supposed to be sent to me via Royal Mail, through Lloyds Direct, but I found out that there was a manufacturing problem somewhere in the system. I found this out because I was sent an email which had a barcode in it, which I took to the branch of Boots next to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. I was told by the pharmacist that I would need to contact the surgeon, which was closed because it was a Saturday. , 

Thursday. On Monday, I rang the surgeon and they sent me a code via text, which I took back to Boots on Wednesday and managed to collect the Atorvastatin. A long and complex situation. THEN I got an email from Royal Mail, informing me that the remaining medication, the sleeping tablets (called Zolpidem). Two of these are to be taken before retiring for the night, which I took at around 10.30 last night. I did sleep, but still woke at around 4 a.m. 

Autumnal Weather

Friday. 7.00 a.m. A good deal cooler this morning. There was a mist hanging over Oldbrook Green, when I took Alfie out at around 6.30. 

Saturday. 7.45 a.m. I didn't wake up until 6.30, which has to be the latest I've woken in goodness knows how long.

We are running an Alpha Course at Shenley Christian Fellowship. It's an introduction to the Christian faith and has been running since the 1970s, based at HTB (Holy Trinity, Brompton) in London. The team had been meeting, mostly on Zoom, for the past few months. It runs for around 10 weeks and is delivered by video, each video focusing on different aspects of Christianity. It was decided to begin the course on Friday 15th September, so that by the time it ends, it won't interfere too much with the build-up to Christmas. 

To make it viable, there would need to be around 6 people to sign up. At the beginning of the week, there were only two people signed up. We had a team of around eight people, including myself, so to have no more than two participants would not make it a viable and entirely successful project. 

By Wednesday, I hadn't heard from Julie, the leader of the Alpha Course, but then I got an email telling me that the course would go ahead. Around eight people were signed up. 

The course starts at around 7 p.m. when guests are welcomed, get tea or coffee and then, at around 7.30 they get a meal, so we can sit around a table and eat whilst we chat, get to know them and generally be hospitable. Then, a video is shown, focussing on various aspects of Christianity. This lasts around 20-25 minutes, and then the guests have a discussion, based on what they've heard and seen in the video. This will last around 30–40 minutes and then the evening concludes at around 9-9.15, so the helpers will tidy up and then go home.

Wednesday. 1.50 p.m. The weather has changed, not necessarily for the better. We had a scorching heatwave a few weeks ago, but now it's pouring with rain and there's a high wind blowing. Not something that Alfie appreciates, and neither do I. Oh well. I suppose it is typical autumn weather.

Yesterday I was at Camphill, working in the Performing Arts Workshop within the Chrysalis Theatre. We have lost a couple of the regular group, but it's still going strong. We were developing the World War Two project, with marching and other military training going on and then, after lunch. watching a television film of 'Goodnight Mr Tom', which starred the late,great John Thaw. It is set during the war, with the central little boy being an evacuee and the idea was to not merely watch it as a film, but to study what was going on, with reference to the war and how it might be inspiration for our project. I wrote quote a few notes as we watched and then, after the film was shown, we threw out our notes which can go into the 'melting pot' next week to begin the process of creating a working script.

Thursday. 7.25 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning. I noticed a certain chill in the air when I went out with Alfie about an hour ago.

I have a haircut booked at Central Barbers tomorrow at 1.50. My hair hasn't been cut for two months or possibly more, this due to me having had covid and then several days with a really unpleasant flu-like bug. I can park the car where I usually do, near The Point and pay using the RingGo app, but it doesn't always work, so I need to have a handful of £1 coins to use in one of the ticket machines. So, I have been to take out some cash from the A.T.M. machine outside the Tesco Express in Oldbrook Boulevard. I bought two packets of biscuits to take to the Bible study this morning and got a handful of £1 coins in the change, so that is one less thing to think about tomorrow.

Friday. 7.15 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning, as you would expect for September. Perhaps it's time to dig out my fleece or jacket.

Hot And Humid

 Friday. 10.25 a.m. The summer is back in full force. It's almost as if it never went away, even though, officially, we are now into autumn. I have both fans running at full force, one in the bedroom and the other in the lounge. The digital thermometer currently reads 27ºC, although, on BBC Breakfast earlier, there was mentioned the possibility that the temperature would reach at least 30ºC. 

Alfie went to have a haircut yesterday. He was booked in at the Groom Room in Bletchley several weeks ago, in fact, I went directly there to enquire about a booking after I had taken my car to Anglo Motors. The appointment was at 4.30. So I left in good time, hoping to arrive at around 4.15. The problem was, when I got to the roundabout which intersects with Saxon Street and Standing Way, I discovered that the road ahead was closed, and without any warning further back I could find an alternative route to Bletchley. I turned right onto Standing Way and discovered a more or less solid traffic jam towards Watling Street. I got to the car park outside Pets At Home, where the Groom Room is based and managed to calm down, because of the stress caused by the detour to get there.

Having dropped off Alfie for his haircut, I then went along the parade of shops to Costa to have a cool drink. I had at least an hour to fill until I had to go back to collect Alfie. When I eventually left Costa and walked out through the door I was hit by the heat, a bit like opening an oven door. I don't get on well in heat, and it's particularly dangerous for me, having a heart condition and having had two heart attacks.

5.15 p.m. As I write this, the digital thermometer currently reads 32ºC, which must be some sort of record. I know that is indoors, but I have an electric fan on and all the windows in the flat are wide open.

Sunday. 7.55 a.m. It wasn't quite as hot and humid as it has been overnight for the past couple of nights, but still, the digital thermometer reads 27ºC. Hopefully, we will get a rainstorm which will relieve the heat, but with storms will come flash floods.

Monday. 4.05 p.m. The temperature had dropped considerably, thank goodness. The temperature outside is a good deal lower than indoors. Even with the windows open and an electric fan running, the digital thermometer reads 28ºC. I imagine this is because the heat we have had over the past week or so has kept buildings hot and will take a few days to cool down to a reasonable temperature.

Tuesday. 7.00 a.m. Thankfully, it's a good deal cooler this morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 25ºC. I slept somewhat better than for the past week or so of this heatwave.

Wednesday. 8.40 a.m. A bright and sunny morning as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºC, so a far cooler temperature compared to the last week or so. I can sleep better in this sort of temperature.

A really good day at Camphill in the P.A.W department (Performing Arts Workshop.) yesterday (Tuesday.) We are developing material for the World War 2 project, which will be a play, running around 30-45 minutes. Many of the group went to Milton Keynes Museum to see the WW2 event. I went, but I wasn't feeling too well. As it turned out, I eventually had several days of a flu bug (which I mentioned in an earlier blog post) and I didn't stay at the museum long, unfortunately. I did manage to take some photographs with my Canon digital camera, but I have still got to transfer them onto a memory stick.

We had a long check-in. It went on almost to tea break at 10.30. Once back in the theatre after the tea break, Terrie set up a flipchart and the group was asked to give any information they had gleaned from the Museum visit regarding the Second World War. All these ideas and bits of information, however gleaned, would be put together to create some sort of script for the play.

After lunch, we got to the bit I have been waiting for for months, the first preview of the silent movies. Other Camphilll residents and staff came to see the films, projected onto the cinema screen. The first two films were created by a different group who meet on a Monday. The first was 'How To Rob A Bank', very much in the style of an early silent comedy. The second one, I don't remember the name of, and then we got to see the first of the three silent movies which we've been working on since around February, the first was a Western. Very amusing and I was intrigued by how the green screen process was utilized to create backgrounds, mostly sourced from what you would call 'stock footage', such as Western town backgrounds and steam trains. The second film was The Pirate Saga, in which I had a very small cameo appearance, although, at first, I did not recognize myself! Then we saw the third film, the science fiction 'time travel' epic, which I had been involved in from it's development and some of my ideas actually appeared on-screen. It was a somewhat complicated storyline involving, would you believe, Goldilocks, of traditional pantomime and fairy-story fame, time-travelling porridge (yes, you read that correctly!) space pirates (for want of a better word!) and in the past, zombies dancing to a rather weird version of The Macarena! But it all ended with the villains being defeated and everyone living 'happily ever after!'

Happy Talk!

 Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. I haven't been well for the past few days. I'd recovered from the covid I had around six weeks ago and as a result of that I had fairly severe back pain, although there's no genuine proof that it was linked, but it seems something of a coincidence that the back pain started up at the same time.

On Thursday, the Bible Study group, which has been meeting in different places in and around Milton Keynes during August, met up at Mursley Farm Shop. I wasn't exactly sure where it was, although I had a rough idea, but looking on Google Maps. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and was taken there by Jennie, who is the leader of the Bible Study group.

I've never been to Mursley Farm Shop. Like many of these places, it's not merely a farm shop, selling eggs, meat and other items, but there's a good cafe, which was where we met up with the rest of the gang and I had a very nice latte, although, having ordered it, it seemed to take an eternity to arrive at our table. The weather was miserable. A sort of thin rain fell as we arrived. In the field beyond the car park I could see a field with various animals in, including alpacas, which I love.

On Friday, we had a meeting at the Oaktree Centre about the proposed Alpha Course. As part of this, we did a fast (which is something I have never done before, but it was worth it, and it went well.) We watched a training video, which came on a memory stick which plugged into the television screen on the wall in the café area. It turned out I had seen it already on YouTube. We need at least 6–8 people to sign up to the course, otherwise it isn't really viable. It runs over 10–11 weeks and there is food which has to be provided for each weekly session, so it's quite a logistical issue to provide that, along with merely having support people to run the course, so, if we don't get sufficient people attending, it isn't going ahead. We will have to wait and see if the numbers increase in the next week or so, because it is scheduled to begin on 15th September.

Having finished the meeting, I drove to Domino's Pizza in Duckworth Court, which is over the road from Lidl and Tesco Express in Oldbrook Boulevard and ordered a take-away pizza, which I took home and enjoyed, actually breaking my fast!

On Saturday morning, I went to the 1940s weekend at Milton Keynes Museum. If you read my blog posts on a regular basis, you will be aware that I have been to quite a few of these events. This seemed to not be quite as good as the others. I went because of the proposed World War 2 project which is being developed in the theatre workshop at Camphill, so I took my camera and managed to take a handful of photographs, which I intend putting onto a memory stick and taking the next time I go to Camphill.

It was around this time that the flu-like symptoms began. I won't go into much detail (in fact, none at all.) I didn't eat anything until at least Tuesday and didn't go to Camphill. Well, it didn't seem such a good idea, as I didn't want to be responsible for spreading whatever it was around.

September Song

 Wednesday. 7.25 a.m. So, this will be the first blog post I write in the new month of September, although this is being written in August. That doesn't make much sense, but I know what I mean. I have two posts that I wrote as the month of August progressed, as quite a lot happened, and it's not easy to just ignore those incidents.

The title is a song from the Brecht/Weill musical show 'The Threepenny Opera.' Originally sung by Lotte Lenya the recording I found on Spotify has her singing in the original German. This show must have inspired such shows as 'Cabaret' and 'Chicago', which were both written by Kander and Ebb.

I went to Camphill yesterday, as usual. Several of the regular members of the theatre workshop were on holiday, and it wasn't exactly clear when they would be coming home to Camphill.

A new, permanent, member of staff, Craig, came for the first time, although he was involved with the 'Play In A Week' which took place a few weeks ago. Terrie, the workshop leader, took Craig off to do his induction, which appeared to be mostly showing him where the various departments within Camphill were how to open various doors and fill out forms for this and that, most likely, how to fill out reports and first aid forms, which is what I remember spending time doing when I was a shift leader within various NHS units I was a support worker in. 

The rest of the team spent the morning playing drama games. Terrie had compiled a list and Paul, another of the permanent staff, led the sessions. Some I didn't get involved in, as it is quite tiring. I will endeavour to describe when I can remember some of them!

The 'silent movies' are as yet incomplete, although the actual filming is complete. A wrap, as the correct term, is at the end of a day's filming or the entire production is finished. The editing is the most complex and time-consuming part of any production and then music has to be put on to the completed film and hopefully, we will be able to see the completed films in the next few weeks. It has been a long and complicated process, from coming up with the idea for the project, creating the stories and characters and then actually filming, so it will be quite exciting to see the results. Terrie wants to premiere the films in a sort of film festival and have all the Camphill residents come to the Chrysalis Theatre to watch, which should be amazing and to see the sort of reaction the films have, especially as most of the residents won't have any idea what the films are about. 

After lunch, we were split into two groups and I led one group on the stage. We were going to create a piece of improvised theatre, meaning, no script and made up as we went along. My suggestion was a hospital and someone suggested that it was haunted (not exactly my idea, but never mind, I could facilitate so much, and they had to fill in the details.

So, it went ahead. I was to be patient and arriving on the ward. The rest of the guys were supposed to be vampires and ghosts. The doctor wasn't a doctor at all. I was taken away by this doctor who attempted to make me into a vampire, but I resisted, in time-honoured Hammer horror film style!

The other group, meanwhile, were working on their improvised 'piece.' It was set in a nightclub. After the tea break we each had to show the other group our 'piece' and at the end of the afternoon, we had to say which part of the day was our favourite. Mine was working on the improvised piece of theatre.

Thursday. 1.05 p.m. The last day of August. Hardly seems credible that tomorrow will be September.

The Thursday Bible Study group went to Mursley Farm Shop, which isn't far out of Milton Keynes, going out of the road towards Buckingham, but I went with Jennie, who leads the Bible study group and she went a different way which I would never have managed if I'd driven on my own. It's great to drive out of Milton Keynes and into the countryside and see green fields and horses, cows and other animals grazing in the fields. Mursley Farm Shop has a nice cafe which serves delicious bacon rolls and lattes, which I had, and as we drove in we could see fields of chickens roaming around in the fields beyond as well as alpacas, sheep, goats and other animals. It did make me wonder, seeing all those chickens, how did they manage to get them to go in their chicken houses at night, before they started nesting in the trees so that they were safe from predators, such as foxes?

We left and drove back to the Oaktree Centre, where my car was parked, and then I drove off to Lidl in Oldbrook Boulevard to do some shopping and then back to Dexter House.

August Excitement! (?)

 Monday 14th August. 3.45 p.m. I'm not going to post this until the beginning of September. I will write as and when I feel I have something to write about. 

I have mentioned having to have a physiotherapy appointment, after the lower back pain I have been experiencing for the past month or so since I had covid. My appointment was booked around two weeks ago and today was the earliest I could be seen. It was booked for 10.20 a.m., but I am always keen to arrive in plenty of time, but, in general, it doesn't take much more than ten minutes to drive there, taking into account the several sets of traffic lights you encounter on the way, which seem set to take far too long to change, regardless of the amount of traffic, which is usually light at that time of day.

I got to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre and had to check in with a receptionist because the computerised system wasn't working. Around ten minutes later, I was being called into room 7 to see a physiotherapist. She did a sort of triage, attempting to find where the pain was centred, bending down to the ground and side to side, and then I had to lay on the couch. It wasn't actually long enough, as I'm over six feet tall. I was expecting her to get some treatment, but no. I have to have a telephone referral with a private company and do some exercises myself. So, it seems as if the N.H.S. seems determined to spend cash which they don't really have, for this sort of treatment from an outside business. So, it seems I will just have to wait at least a week before this treatment can begin.

I left the surgery in my car and intended to go into the city centre as I had to collect a polo shirt I had bought via the Marks and Spencer website and needed collecting from the store. I had to drive around the centre to get to the car park near The Point and fortunately, the RingGo app worked, so I could pay to park. I had done a survey online and earned a £10 voucher which I converted into a Marks and Spencer voucher and decided to buy a polo in their sale. I ordered with 'click and collect, which I have used before. The polo shirt was valued at £18, so I had to pay the difference. I went into Marks and Spencer and remembered that the click-and-collect desk was on an upper floor, but then I couldn't find it and then discovered it had moved to the ground floor. There are a couple of digital screens, onto which you key in your name, and your parcel is then bought out to you. All wrapped up and ready to take away with you. I was a bit surprised I didn't have to prove my identity, as I could have been anyone. 

Thence to the nearby Costa for a large caramel latte, cheese and ham toastie and slice of rocky road. Very nice! Then I walked back through the shopping centre towards Midsummer Place and then ended up browsing in Waterstone's and then back to the car park and drive home.

Wednesday. 6.10 a.m. Due to the lower back pain, I didn't go to Camphill yesterday. It started off very mild, at the time I got up (as it is, as I write this.) but it gradually got worse as the day progressed. I am learning to live with it, but I am hoping it is going to fade away so I can get back to somewhere near normal by, hopefully, next week.

I've only just got back from taking Alfie out. As we were walking back along the path towards Dexter House, I saw what, at first, I thought was a cat, staring at me, as it was standing under the overhanging branches of the tree which is on the grass, about halfway along. It didn't move for at least fifteen seconds, and then it occurred to me, it wasn't a cat. It was definitely a fox, because of the shape of its head, very similar to Alfie's and very prominent ears. It turned and then disappeared into the wooded area between the Dexter House garden and the SIA offices.

12.05 p.m. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. I had a Nectar voucher which meant, if I bought a certain brand of dog food, I would get 200 extra points.  If I hadn't used it today, it would expire today, so it seemed a pity to lose it and I did need some dog food as there were only a couple of pouches left. I bought a few other items. 

I had to use one of the self-service tills to pay. The manned tills had queues, so it was either that or a queue for so few items. All went well checking my items through until I had to scan the voucher, so I had to get a staff member to help. George, who is one of the drama group at Camphill, works in Sainsbury's, and it was him who helped with the voucher, so I was able to complete the transaction, although I almost left without paying! I almost forgot to put in my debit card and then put in my PIN, but I could then leave to go home.

Thursday. 2.00 p.m. I've been out this morning with my Thursday morning Bible study group. We went to Milton Keynes Museum. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and Jenny, who is the leader of the Bible study group, drove me and one other person across Milton Keynes, arriving at the museum at around 10.30, which was when it opened. There was quite a queue of people wanting to get in. I had a ticket which allowed me free entry, having bought it almost a year ago and, once bought, allows free entry throughout the year.

Friday. 10.20 a.m. I have just got back from a trip to Sainsbury's, to get a few items. I was reluctant to use one of the self-service tills to check out, so I went to a manned till and as I was queuing, I noticed that around six of these tills had been removed. I am beginning to wonder if this is a crafty manoeuvre on behalf of Sainsbury to get rid of staff and encourage their customers to use self-service tills. As I was waiting in the queue, a lady ahead of me was completing the payment of her shopping and seemed to be having problems with using her card, that is, putting in her PIN in the machine. I would say she was around 75-80, so probably not very confident with using technology. They should take into account this sort of customer when they are considering removing what I would call 'traditional' technology.

I cleaned out the fridge earlier. I know, rather a mundane and somewhat dull job, but it really did need doing. It's the sort of job that gets avoided, but then it gets to the point that it needs doing. Lots of food which is well past its 'best before' date, so it went in the bin. The shelves were removed, given a good wash in the sink, and then replaced. Job done.

Tuesday 22nd August.  6.55 a.m. The digital thermometer reads 26ºC. A really hot and clammy night. I have been up early, as usual. I took Alfie out at around 5.45. Done washing up from last night, put out a bag of rubbish and now made up my pack-up for Camphill. I am feeling a good deal better as regards the lower back pain. I would say it has actually disappeared. 

I got a text from the physio company, which came as a referral from my doctor's surgery. I attempted to complete this online, but it wouldn't work, so I rang and have a telephone consultation on the morning of 4th September. 

Adventures In Happyville

 Thursday August 24th. 12.05 p.m. Well, I had intended to not write any blog posts until September, but I have got into the habit of writing something virtually each day, so here I am, writing this.

On Saturday, I went to Stoke Mandeville Hospital to visit a lady I know who is in there. I had been considering whether to go for quite a while, but first I had to make sure the car was alright, since I had the MoT done, and it needed work done on one of the rear brakes, and then I had covid and the lower back pain (which, incidentally, still returns. But I am not letting it interfere with my life. It took less time to get to Stoke Mandeville than I imagined, as the visiting hours began at 2 p.m., and I was imagining that the centre of Aylesbury was going to be busy with shoppers, which it didn't appear to be. On arriving at the hospital site I had to find a car park and eventually found a space in car park C. I wasn't entirely sure where the ward was I wanted to visit, Ward 17. I thought it was in the main building, but it turned out to be within the National Spinal Injuries Centre block. The signage isn't very clear, and once inside it was quite a walk, and then upstairs.

Terri, the lady I was visiting, said to me, would I go and get something to eat, such as a take-away? She told me there was a fish and chip shop about fifteen minutes walk away from the hospital, basically because all she would have to eat that evening would be salad. So I walked to the chippy but wasn't entirely sure I was walking in the right direction, so I asked someone on the way. I was walking in the right direction and soon found it and bought two portions of fish and one of chips and walked back. She was asleep when I got back to the ward, and she was asleep, and it took a while before she woke up, and we ate the fish and chips. 

When I eventually left to go home, first I had to find my way out of the building! When I eventually did, I then had to look for a toilet and walked towards the main entrance and then decided to take a shortcut, which wasn't such a good idea, because it took me down quite a steep slope, and unfortunately I took a misstep and found myself falling over and landing partially in a rather prickly hedge and grazed my right elbow. I was unpleasant, and I think it was more embarrassing than anything. I managed to pick myself up and go into the main entrance and found a toilet, and then I had to get back to my car in Car Park C. Once there, I had to discover how I was to get out, with no indication of how or where to buy a ticket. I presumed that I would need to buy one from a machine, but there were none in or around the car park. I asked someone, and he told me I would need to go to the A and E department and find a machine in the entrance, which was what I did. The machine would only take card payments. By now, I wasn't in a particularly good mood, and a staff member showed me how to use my debit card to pay. It cost £6.50, which I thought was somewhat steep. Never mind. I returned to my car, quite a considerable distance, and used the ticket which the machine had issued to open the barrier and so drive out and then home.

On Tuesday I went to Camphill. I hadn't been the previous week, due to the lower back pain. The previous week the theatre group had been involved with the play in a week project and quite a few children had come in to take part. It would appear to have been extremely successful. We weren't starting work on the next project, but some filming for the silent movies was taking place, and we watched a video of the play which was created during the play-in-a-week project. It was quite amazing and all the participants did a really exceptional job, but it was a great pity that the sound was poor, which made hearing the dialogue more or less impossible.

I went home, and then I discovered that the door of my fridge/freezer hadn't been closed properly, which meant that much of the food it contained was thawing. I had an idea that some of it could be saved, and then I thought that it could go in the fridge, which is in the communal kitchen within Dexter House. I could take it down in the blue plastic box I had for recycling bottles and other glass, but when I went down to the communal kitchen, I found the door locked, so that idea was out. Then, I thought that I could ask Vashti the following morning if she would allow me to put my food in the fridge so that I could leave the fridge/freezer on for several hours to let it thaw out, but then I discovered that she wouldn't be in until mid-morning, so that idea was also a non-starter. My options were narrowing. Then, to make things worse, the strap on my FitBit came apart! The buckle came away from the rest of the strap, rendering it completely useless. So, as someone or other said, problems go in threes- 1-I fell over and grazed my elbow at Stoke Mandeville; 2- The fridge/freezer began to defrost; and 3- The FitBit strap fell apart.

So, I decided, fairly late into the evening, that the only alternative was to clear out the partly-defrosted food. My thinking was, if I was to eat it, there was every likelihood that I was going to get food poisoning, which I didn't want, as I know it can be quite unpleasant and, possibly, dangerous, especially since I have had two heart attacks. So, I loaded the contents of the freezer into two black bin bags and took it to the bin cupboard outside. I then switched off the fridge/freezer and left it to defrost. After several hours, it was beginning to drip and the ice to melt. I was left with a lot of water on the kitchen floor, but it was easily mopped up.

By around 6 a.m., virtually all the ice had melted, and I was then able to switch on the fridge/freezer. I was planning to go to Sainsbury's to buy food, some of which would go into the fridge/freezer. By around 9 a.m. the machine was working fully, with the temperature at at the correct level for restocking. Job completed!

On Thursday afternoon, we had a tenants' meeting at Dexter House. Exciting stuff about, wait for it, rubbish bins! I won't go into the gory details on here. Then, the question of Christmas came up, something I don't want to even consider, because, in all honesty, I don't really want to be here. We were asked for ideas and I came up with the idea of putting on a Pantomime. No, not seriously, but one of the women sitting around the table gave me such a look that it could have melted plate steel. She asked me what I would dress up as, and I said, the Dame. I don't think the idea will come to much, but it was worth a try!