Elephant In The Room?

Saturday. 5.40 p.m. Elephant? What elephant? If it's in the room, I definitely can't see it. There's no connection with the content of this post to elephants. It's just that I couldn't find a better title, so that's that.

Sunday. 6.15 a.m. It's early, but I'm awake and refuse to just lay in bed when I can be at least doing something. I took Alfie out, and we discovered that it was pouring rain, which was something of a surprise. We didn't stay out too long, and anyway, Alfie doesn't like getting wet. He is now fast asleep in his bed.

Monday. 7.05 a.m. Up early as usual. The sun is out. It's pleasant, but not exactly warm. I suppose, given time, it will eventually warm up. On BBC Breakfast, Carol Kirkwood, the weather lady, said that the temperature was going to warm up as the week progressed. I have taken Alfie out and sorted some of the recycling and washed up from yesterday evening.

I have started watching a drama/documentary on Netflix, 'The Last Czars', about Nicholas II of Russia and what eventually led to the Russian Revolution in 1917. I know the story, having read several books on the subject, and the 1970s film 'Nicholas and Alexandra.' I do have a slight connection in that when I was A.S.M. at the theatre in Harrogate in the early 1970s, my landlord was somehow or other involved in drama. I think he was a playwright. I have a feeling he wrote several musicals, one, I think, based on the J.M. Barrie play, 'What Every Woman Knows.' It is some 50 years ago, so my memory is somewhat fuzzy on the subject, so bear with me. He also did another show, based on a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of 'The Secret Garden', 'Little Lord Fauntleroy. The little boy who played the central character in that show was then cast in the part of Alex in 'Nicholas and Alexandra.' He's the character who has haemophilia, a disease which means his blood didn't clot, and even a slight knock would cause bruising and many other problems. The film also featured, amongst others, Tom Baker, who played Rasputin, and it was this performance which led him to eventually play The Doctor in 'Doctor Who.'

10.00 a.m. I have just been to get a few items from Sainsbury's. Milk and bread, you know, the essentials. Alfie has got some treats, which he doesn't know I've got at the moment. He will have a couple during the day. As I drove towards Sainsbury's, along Evans Gate, which is the road that is the entrance into Oldbrook, I noticed that repairs have been made to a couple of the potholes as you approach the roundabout on Childs Way. But I didn't see any such repairs being done to a really large pothole which is difficult to avoid along Witan Gate, virtually opposite Sainsbury's. I do hope Milton Keynes Council can see fit to get around to sending some workmen to fill in that particular pothole, and, indeed, to repair any or all the potholes around Milton Keynes.

Yesterday evening I turned on the television as I was about to eat my meal, and what came on was the new David Attenborough series, 'Animals.' We get swooping shots of ice in either the Arctic or Antarctic. It doesn't matter which, but there was lots of snow and a few polar bears wandering around, and the wind must have been blowing fairly strongly as snow and ice were flying about. In the voice-over, done by Sir David, he says, ' The Arctic. It is intensely cold' 'Now, surely, there's no need to make such a statement. It's cold in the Arctic. So WHY ON EARTH do you have to state the *&@@%=1% obvious? It's the BBC, playing down to the thick audience that they think is watching. Just a bit of an insult, and why on earth did David Attenborough have to say it? It's almost like saying that there are people 'out there' who don't realize that it's very cold in the Arctic. It just shows how down-market the BBC has become. I think John Reith, the first Director General of the BBC, would be spinning in his grave.

Ups and Downs

 Wednesday. 7.45 a.m. Here I am, up bright and early. I don't actually know whether I'm feeling bright, whatever that means, but definitely early. I've taken Alfie out, and he's now fast asleep in his bed, which is in front of the window and next to the television unit. I've washed up, sorted the recycling, which goes into three bags, and taken it to the bin room. I think you call it that, anyway, the unit into which your rubbish goes. 

10.10 a.m. I had to go to Sainsbury's. Alfie needed his mixer, which goes in his bowl, and then I put a pouch of food on top. He then has something to nibble throughout the day if he feels hungry. There was more I needed, just to top up, so I shouldn't need to go again until next week

Thursday. 1.35 p.m. I went to the Thursday morning Bible study, which begins at 10.00 a.m. Before I got there, I went to Boots at Westcroft, which is a short distance from the Oaktree Centre. I wanted something to relieve the horrible cough I have had to endure for quite a while now. When it starts up, which it does frequently, it's difficult to stop. A lot of phlegm at the back of my throat seems to be what causes it, so I mentioned this to the doctor when I had my appointment last Tuesday, and she suggested I go to a pharmacy and check with the pharmacist there, so I could have a suitable cough mixture. She also listened to my chest, but could not find anything that might suggest it was caused by an infection. Which was a relief. So, in Boots, I was recommended Benylin non-drowsy. So, I have started taking it, every four hours. I have had another unpleasant coughing fit, so I can't say exactly whether it's working, but here's hoping.

Friday. 6.20 a.m. It's another bright and mild morning. The sun has been up for quite a while, and it's attempting to shine. At least it's not raining!

I took a dose of Benylin at around 8 p.m. yesterday, and it appeared to ease the cough, although I did get a coughing fit during the night, and I'm due to take another dose at about 7.30. You are supposed to take it every four hours.

1.50 p.m. It's surprisingly sunny this afternoon. I took Alfie a few minutes ago, and I didn't put a jacket on.!

I am reading a book at the moment, written by Ruth Goodman. It's called 'How To Be A Victorian', and covers how the Victorians lived, how they dressed, ate, and far more. She bases a great deal of what she writes about on her own experience, and, having seen many of her television programmes, including 'The  Tudor Farm' and the 'Victorian Farm', as well as a pharmacy seen over several eras, she does what I would term 'learning by doing.' Many archaeologists use a similar method to find out how certain functions were managed throughout history. Again, learning by doing. It's interesting because it's how ordinary people live. Most history is about those in power, kings, emperors, and Prime Ministers, so to learn how those lower down the pecking order lived is in some ways far more interesting to me.

Saturday. 9.40 a.m. Another unpleasant coughing fit, but I think the Benylin is beginning to have an effect. The phlegm is loosening. 

I finished watching 'Ripley' on Netflix. It has been a real treat, lots of twists and turns with the plot and I hope the next novel in the Patricia Highsmith series of novels, which feature Tom Ripley, gets made. Such an interesting and multi-faceted character.  I have watched a video on YouTube, which explains the ending of this series (I won't mention too much of the content here, as it would give away the plot.), but it also provides a critique of the production, symbolism etc, which makes viewing more interesting.

All Over The Place!

Tuesday. 6.15 a.m. I'm not entirely sure what the weather is doing at the moment. As I write this, Carol Kirkwood is doing the forecast on BBC Breakfast. It looks as if the weather is going to get warmer.

I mentioned in the previous post how I have been doing online paid surveys and getting paid in cash and vouchers. I also mentioned buying some books with some Amazon points. Several of these books turned up yesterday. Three came in the morning, barely 24 hours after they were ordered. But then I had a second delivery, mid-afternoon. The book I ordered was called 'Churchill's Most Secret Airfield: RAF Tempsford,' by Bernard O'Connor. I bought this, because I had only recently found out about this airfield, which is in Bedford, and very close to Everton, where I worked in the early 2000s, as a Support Worker at a residential home for people with learning disabilities. I was using Google Maps, and searching for something (I forget what now.), but I saw RAF Tempsford marked (it had been closed down sometime after the war.) but there was a building marked which mentioned 'S.O.E.' (Special Operations Executive. the organisation which sent agents into France, during World War 2, to assist the French resistance.)

So, you may be asking, where is all this going? Digression, to say the least, but I have to explain the following. The book which I mentioned seemed to be something I should read. I am interested in history and Bedfordshire had many connections with activities connected with the Second World War, most particularly the band leader Glenn Miller and, closer to Milton Keynes, Bletchley Park and the Enigma Machine, codebreaking and lots more. In fact, there appear to be many more places around the area which were connected to all this, and only recently have these activities been revealed, because so many of them were top secret. So, having found this book whilst browsing Amazon, I decided to buy it. Unfortunately, for some reason I can't quite work out, somehow or other, instead of ordering one, three copies got ordered. Before I clicked on the 'buy now' button, to set the ordering process in motion, I attempted to remove the two excess copies. After several goes, I thought I had removed them. Then, yesterday afternoon, the package arrived from Amazon, but with THREE copies of the book inside! So I went on the Amazon website and set in motion the process to return the two copies of the book. I found that I could take the parcel, which I had packed up and taped up with parcel tape, in the packing which they had arrived, and found that if I printed the QR code, I just had to go to the post office within One Stop in Coffee Hall and the man behind the counter would scan the code and he would pack the parcel in a special Amazon bag, so my parcel could be returned. When I got home, I then went on the Amazon site and found that a refund had been made to my account, which can go to another purchase.

6.05 p.m. I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. I was telephoned yesterday morning and was told I had an appointment. I arrived at the surgery around 4 o'clock, but the appointment was scheduled for 4.20. I was eventually called into the doctor's room at around 4.35. The doctor checked my blood pressure. It seemed to be fine. She told me that she had looked at the printout from the E.C.G. from the other day, and she said that something was showing up that suggested that I had a slightly abnormal heartbeat. I have experienced a rather odd heartbeat, a sort of strange missed beat if you like. The doctor then checked my oxygen level, with that thing which fits on my finger. Is it called an oximeter? It is. I have just looked on Google. There appeared to be nothing wrong in that area. Then she said that I ought to have a cardiology appointment at Milton Keynes Hospital, to get checked out and find out what can be done to prevent another blackout, which I did when I collapsed on the floor and ended up in hospital. So I just have to wait for a letter to arrive from the cardiology department.

Oh, What Fun!

 Monday. 6.15 a.m. A new week! But does the week start on Sunday or Monday?

It appears to be quite mild and pleasant. 

10.45 a.m. How wrong can you be! It's been several hours since I wrote the above. I've taken Alfie out. It wasn't pouring rain, but there was a light drizzle if I can use that word.

I have never mentioned here that I do online surveys and earn cash and vouchers. It's not likely that I will earn a great deal, but certainly, I can make perhaps a few hundred pounds a year as well as quite a good amount in vouchers for such companies as Argos, Amazon, Curry's and other businesses. I have been signed up to two of these survey companies, one called Valued Opinions and another called Lifepoints, for several years. You register to join and fill in your demographic details, such as age, employment status, area of the country you live in and various other details, which are then the basis for the type of surveys you are likely to qualify for. You are then emailed and there is a link in the email which you click on to start the survey. At the beginning, the survey will then be on basic details to find out if you are eligible to complete the survey. Quite a lot of the time you won't be eligible, but you need to be patient because eventually, you will be able to continue with the survey get to the end and then receive your reward. Don't expect to receive a great deal, probably in pence, or if you are lucky, a pound or two. There are survey sites which do reward with higher amounts, such as YLive, YouGov and Newvista (this one pays out with a variety of vouchers.) but you have to reach a payout point of around £50 before you get paid, either by cheque or directly into your bank account, although some sites pay using PayPal, so you will need to set up an account first before you receive cash into your account and then set things up so you can transfer cash into your bank account. I am also a member of something called Consumer Pulse, which I've been with for around 10 years. You have to be invited to join this. The idea is that you log in to the site and report items you have purchased, such as clothing, books, CDs, DVDs etc. Each item has a value in points and when you reach a certain amount of points, you can redeem them for vouchers, for companies such as Argos, Curry's and so on. 

There are other market research sites which pay in both cash and vouchers, but many rarely offer you surveys, so it will take you a long time to reach a payout, nonetheless, they are worth signing up to. A couple of the better ones are Opinium, which has a payout of £25 and another called SurveyBods, which has a payout at £15, paid in Amazon vouchers or cash.

I mention all this because I recently had two survey sites payouts, one being Lifepoints, where I received £85 and Valued Opinions, with Amazon vouchers to the value of £100. Mind you, I had to work hard to receive these payments. I think it took me probably six months to achieve these payments. Not without a certain amount of patience and endurance, with quite a few times being rejected, for whatever reason, probably age, gender etc etc.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I purchased a new electric toothbrush, from Argos, and paid with around £40 of vouchers from Consumer Pulse. The Amazon vouchers (not technically vouchers. You get a code which you put into your account on the Amazon website. The cash from the Lifepoints surveys has gone into my savings account. 

I have put the Amazon codes (I should say codes rather than vouchers, which are usually printed.) and then ordered some books which I had already seen on the Amazon website. I was excited to find one book which is about my ancestors, which I think I've mentioned elsewhere in blog posts here. It's called 'The Ascott Martyrs', and edited by Keith Laybourn, and the subtitle is 'Why did the rural establishment imprison sixteen women and two babies in 1873?' This historic event was discovered when doing research on my family history, and this was on my maternal side. Then, two books about William Shakespeare, both written by Shakespeare authorities, David and Ben Crystal, 'The Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary' and the other, 'Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion.' This one will be useful, as it details the words that are obscure and difficult to understand which are used in Shakespeare's work. This book in particular will be invaluable when I read or see performances of the plays and want to find out what certain words mean and where they originate. 

All In A Day's Work

 Friday. 12.20 p.m. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I kept hearing a strange noise. A sort of whirring noise. I think I may have mentioned this in a previous post but never mind. I thought it was outside, probably a lawn mower or hedge trimmer.  Then I decided to check in the bathroom. It turned out to be my electric toothbrush! I know it sounds crazy, but somehow or other it had turned itself on. It's an Oral B model, and I suppose I've had it for around six years, probably bought around the time I moved into Dexter House. I have attempted to use it, but it now doesn't work, and it has been on charge overnight, this morning I tried to use it, but it just wouldn't work. I presume the battery has stopped charging, but that doesn't explain why it comes on by itself. It really is very odd. So, I came to the conclusion that it needed replacing. I have a lot of Nectar points, collected when I shop in Sainsbury's, so I could spend some of them in Argos, so I checked their website to find out if they sold electric toothbrushes. They do, and then it occurred to me that I could add Argos vouchers from something I am signed up to called Consumer Pulse, whereby you register items you buy, like clothing, books, CDs etc. and you gain points which can be redeemed for vouchers, which include Argos. 

It took me a while to discover how to redeem the points from Consumer Pulse and then input the voucher codes into the Argos website and then add around £5-worth of Nectar points to make up the difference in the price. Quite a long and laborious process, but I managed to do it. But now I have to wait until Tuesday to be able to go to the Argos store to collect my purchase of the Oral-B electric toothbrush!

Saturday. 6.30 a.m. It's a bright and sunny morning here in Milton Keynes. Alfie is curled up in his bed and fast asleep. As the saying goes, 'Let sleeping dogs lie.' 

1.25 p.m. Yet another trip to Sainsbury's. I needed to buy at least a week's worth of food, along with dog food and loo rolls.  These items now come in much larger rolls, supposedly with the idea that they use less packaging as well as the central cardboard core. I arrived in the appropriate aisle, but I couldn't find a pack of just four rolls. You can buy 9, 12 and more, but what is the point of so many, and I don't have the space in the flat to store large quantities. 

I'm having salad for my evening meal, so I bought all the ingredients, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, radishes, lettuce, red peppers etc., along with chicken and potato salad. It should make a change from cooking, so I have already made up the salad, and it's in the fridge and when I'm ready, I only have to put it on a plate and eat.

6.20 p.m. I got a text from Argos at around 4.45 to tell me that the electric toothbrush was ready to collect from their store. I had originally been told it wouldn't be ready to collect until Tuesday morning, so it was somewhat surprising. So I went to collect the thing, as I found out that Argos was open until 8 o'clock. So, I went to collect it and, when I got home, I put the thing to charge, although I discovered that it was already charged.

The Pressure's On!

 Wednesday. 7.45 a.m. The sun is shining! It might not be a heatwave, but at least it's not raining and no strong wind to almost blow your head off!

I am coming to the end of the 24-hour blood pressure test. I have got on remarkably well, having the portable device connected to my arm. Sleeping wasn't too bad last night, which was my main concern, and not getting the thing wet, or it's becoming disconnected. I remember when I was in the hospital, and having a heart monitor connected with the type of connections they put on you when you have an E.C.G., and finding it very difficult to lie in bed and sleep, and the confounded thing beeping whenever a connection came off. This thing is only connected to my upper right arm, onto the 'cuff'. It hasn't come off.  I will have to take it back to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre at around 10 a.m., and someone in reception will receive it and then the data it contains, which has been 'saved' inside the device, can be uploaded onto a computer (I presume that's what will happen.), so that it can be looked at and see whatever can be done to help with my blood pressure, more than likely some sort of medication.

10.30 a.m. I have been to the medical centre with the blood pressure device. I had to use the toilet in the centre to disconnect the thing. It wasn't difficult, and now I have to wait for the results.

On the way, driving along Witan Gate, on my way to the surgery, I once again had to avoid potholes, something I have mentioned in earlier blog posts. As I got to the crossing near the police station, I was stuck behind a lorry with 'Road Maintenance' emblazoned on its side. It went over the roundabout and into the estate where I was going but then made a right turn, so I didn't have to follow it on to Bradwell Common Boulevard, where Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre is based. I thought to myself, with all the potholes I have to avoid, all around Milton Keynes, the workers on that lorry should spend some of their time filling in those confounded potholes.

Thursday. 12.10 p.m. I had an appointment at CMKMC (I'm not writing out the entire name of Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre from now on. It's far too long and a real mouth full if you have to say it.) This meant I couldn't go to my Thursday morning Bible study, unfortunately.

I got to the surgery in good time. The appointment was scheduled for 10.50. I was called into room 12 at approximately 10.55. I was to have another E.C.G., which went well. I can't see how it could have gone otherwise. Just laying on a couch and having sticky contacts put on you and not moving or talking for about 2 minutes, while the machine does its work. The nurse then told me that a doctor would need to check the read-out just to see whether my heart was all right. I had to go back into the waiting area and sit there and wait for her to speak to a doctor, and after around five minutes I got the all-clear and drove home to Dexter House.

War Is In The Air

 Monday 6.20 a.m. I've been out with Alfie. It's warm for the time of year. 

I woke up to the news of Iran attacking Israel in retaliation for an attack on Iran's consulate in Syria and killing diplomats who lived there.  The world waits, with bated breath, to see what moves Israel is likely to make, and whether this situation escalates into a dangerous war situation. I personally don't understand the situation, and I'm generally fairly good at understanding such situations, with my interest in both politics and history. Whatever is going on in the Middle East at the moment, things are getting tense. There has always been some sort of tension in that area and it doesn't take much to set off a war.

8.55 a.m. I should have kept quiet about the weather. It has changed dramatically. As I write this, it's pouring rain. Quite a violent storm. I intend to go to Sainsbury's, but I think I'll wait until the rain passes, or, hopefully, stops.

10.15 a.m. The rain stopped! It is bright and sunny, but there's also a strong wind.

On my way along Oldbrook Boulevard, as I drove to Sainsbury's, I saw what at first I thought was pink paint across the road, near the primary school. As I drove over it, I realised it wasn't paint, but pink blossom, blown there by the wind. I'm not exactly sure what sort of tree it's from, but either a flowering cherry or almond.

2.15 p.m. The wind is currently blowing a gale. Things are being blown around, such as wheely bins.

Tuesday. 6.25 a.m.Yet another mild morning on the weather front. It's still, no wind, so let's hope it stays that way.

10.25 a.m. I mentioned a few posts back, that I was going to have to wear a blood pressure unit for 24 hours. This morning I went to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre and a nurse fitted me up with this device. It has a cuff, similar to any other blood pressure unit, but it also has a small 'box' which I wear, as it has a strap which goes around my neck and hangs down my right side, with the cuff on my upper right arm. I have to leave it on and let it pump up every hour or so over the 24 hours. (As I write this, it has done exactly that.) The 'box' device will record each time the machine measures my blood pressure, so when I take it back to the surgery tomorrow, they can upload the data and the doctor can then decide if I need to be put on new medication.

The nurse then did an E.C.G., and I still have some of the connections for the E.C.G. stuck on my chest!

I have just heard a strange noise, a sort of whirring, electrical noise. I thought it was coming from another flat, or outside, but then I thought it might be in the bathroom. I have had a look, and it turns out to be my electric toothbrush! Somehow or other, it had managed to turn itself on! Don't ask me how, but very odd, to say the least!

12.55 p.m. The blood pressure monitor has been going off roughly every 45 minutes or so. At one point it went off and then, almost immediately, it went off again. It's not uncomfortable, but a bit surprising when you'd do something else, such as reading or writing this.

3.15 p.m. There has been another violent rainstorm. I'm not sure if there are puddles all around Oldbrook, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Health Issues

 Thursday. 3.00 p.m. I have a cold. I haven't had one in years. In all the time I was with Carol, I didn't have one cold. I can't think where it has come from, presumably caught from someone at church or perhaps in Sainsbury's or the shopping centre. It's not heavy, but I keep sneezing and have a sore throat, and it's just unpleasant and makes sleeping at night difficult, because of a really unpleasant cough. I have sweets to suck and I've taken Paracetamol. I'll just have to put up with it until it clears up.

6.30 p.m. I have been for an appointment at Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. It was scheduled for 4.30, but I was still waiting at 4.50, so I asked the receptionist and was told that they were running late. I eventually got called to go to Room 16, which came up on the digital screen. I had assumed that I was going to have an appointment with a doctor, but when I walked through the door, I then discovered that I was seeing the pharmacist. I was to have my blood pressure taken.  The pharmacist lady did my blood pressure sitting down, but, after looking at the results, I had to stand up for the second test. It was shown that there was a difference in the readings between when I sat down and then stood up to have my blood pressure taken. It would have been blood pressure which was the cause of my collapsing on the floor and then being taken to hospital.

It was odd seeing my writing on the computer screen when the pharmacist had a look at the blood test results when I had to check it over a week.

As a result of the blood test results, I am going to have to wear a blood pressure cuff for 24 hours, and this will begin next Tuesday. It doesn't concern me, but it will be quite difficult to have to wear it in bed. Then I will have to go back to the Medical Centre to give the pharmacist the device so it can be checked to see what the results find and have an E.C.G. done, which will check my heart health.

Friday. 7.30 a.m. I have put my washing in the machine. It's supposed to start at 8 o'clock, but I can't be bothered waiting. Just get on with it and start the machine. No point waiting, I say!

It looks like another mild morning. Please, no rain or wind!

Saturday. 12.25 p.m. It's bright and sunny. I can say, for the first time this year, that I've gone out WITHOUT A JACKET ON!

This morning we had Men's Breakfast at the Oaktree Centre. I arrived at 8.40 and the smell of frying bacon as I approached the building. So, a superb cooked breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausage and tea. I rarely eat fried food, so it is a treat and great to not have to cook it myself.

Richard, who usually leads this event, wasn't in attendance, so someone else was leading.

Sunday. 1.15 p.m. I haven't been to church this morning and attempted to watch the service via Facebook. I say 'attempted', because of technical issues. I have a Portal, which sits on the top of my television set and has a camera and microphone in it. It should allow you to communicate using Facebook (it is a product of Meta, the company which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. At one time you could view video from Facebook on it, but for some reason, this feature has been removed. You can use Zoom on it and other apps, which was handy during the Covid pandemic, when we weren't supposed to meet 'face-to-face.' 

I started watching the service through my iPad, but part way through things went pear-shaped, I lost video and only had sound and then that went, by which time I gave up, unfortunately.

Eclipsed!

 Monday. 6.20 a.m. There is a solar eclipse today. I have an idea it would be seen in Great Britain. No doubt, if it was, it would be obscured by clouds and there would generally be poor visibility.

Tuesday. 5.25 a.m. I know, it's far too early to be writing this, but never mind. It's blowing a gale outside. I woke up and thought I heard rain, but it wasn't.

5.55 p.m. It has remained windy all day, but the sun has been shining.

I haven't done a great deal today, apart from going to Sainsbury's. I wouldn't normally have gone there on a Tuesday, but since I've stopped going to Camphill (I can't believe it's more than six months since I went there last.) I have time on a Tuesday to do my shopping. I completed my shop, and there was a free manned till (actually operated by a woman. (Thinks: are we allowed to say 'manned' in these woke-filled times? Better be careful. Might get arrested for having a thought that someone else doesn't like.)

The travelators were working, both the up and the down! I can't believe how often these have been out of service and how long each one has been worked on by engineers. 

Wednesday. 6.35 a.m. Another mild day. 

I've been watching the new 'limited drama' on Netflix, 'Ripley', which is based on 'The Talented Mr Ripley' by Patricia Highsmith. I have read the novel and seen the film version which came out in 1999, directed by Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. I have to say, it didn't really have much of an effect on me at the time. It didn't seem to work for me, but then I saw the Hitchcock film 'Strangers On A Train', based on another Patricia Highsmith novel, but not realise it was based on one of her novels at the time. I read that novel and then read 'The Talented Mr Ripley' and enjoyed it immensely. It's so tightly plotted, and Ripley is such an engaging, clever character, that I got hooked and have since read several more of her novels, so I was fascinated to learn that Netflix was doing an adaptation, done over several episodes and starring Andrew Scott as Ripley. I think it would be described as a psychological thriller. I think what interests me, is that we, the reader, know that Ripley is the instigator of the drama in the story, but most of the other characters, do not. Also, how Ripley gets away with what he does. They have kept the period it is set as the early 1960s. It wouldn't work if it had been set in the 21st century, because Ripley would have been found out due to technology such as closed-circuit television, the internet and mobile phones.

2.55 p.m. The on switch on my electric kettle came off. It just wasn't substantial enough for the purpose it was made for. It is a Russell Hobbs, and its main body is clear glass which lights up blue when it's working and has a Brita water filter inside it, so when you fill it, the water gets filtered. You have to replace the filter around every month. There is a sort of meter on the lid, which you set up when you put a new filer in, press the thing and four blocks show, each one disappears as each week ends, so, when the thing is blank, you know to put a new filer in. As this is a hard water area, it means all the minerals that produce limescale is removed, making your cup of tea taste better. You don't get that horrible scum on top of your cuppa.

Anyway, I digress. I was mentioning the on/off switch breaking off. I've put up with it for about a month, but I decided to attempt to repair it. I thought I'd try super-glue and went into Sainsbury's the other day (I know, I seem to spend a lot of time in there.) and looked in the stationary department and found Loctite, which is one of those special glues which you have to be careful of when you use it, otherwise, you could stick your fingers together or any other part of your body, which could be rather unfortunate. Well, having bought this tiny tube home (no, a tube is the wrong word. It's not your traditional tube, just a tiny plastic job, with a nozzle. Well, I did read the instructions and was attempting to open the confounded thing. What an effort! I could not gert the contents to come out. So, I left it on the kitchen work surface, and haven't attempted again until this afternoon. I took it to Vashti, our SHO at Dexter House, but she couldn't get it to open. Then, I suddenly had a brainwave. I remember Carol using some sort of long needle when she used to do crochet, and, with a bit of effort, it worked! Glue put on the aforementioned on/off switch, and, having only just checked, after the required 10 minutes you are supposed to leave it, it has held. So, mission accomplished!

Spring Has Sprung!

 Saturday. 8.10 a.m. It's bright and sunny. Mind you, it can be deceptive and might well be chilly out. I won't know until much later.

1.00 p.m. It has turned out to be quite warm. Not sunny, but mild nevertheless

I've been to Boots Opticians to collect my new glasses. I had two pairs made up, one for long vision, for driving and every day, and the second pair for reading. I was shocked to find when I put on the long vision pair, how sharp and crisp everything was. 

I then walked through the shopping centre and went into Midsummer Place. Just inside the doors, a man had set himself up, with an amplifier and microphone, and was singing. I say 'singing', but, let's be perfectly honest, it wasn't very good. One of the pieces he mangled (for want of a better word.) was a song which Carol and I had as our 'sort-of' song, 'Chasing Cars,' originally done by 'Snow Patrol.' Brought back some memories, and happy, but it upset me to some extent, not more so than having some idiot mangling it. 

I walked back to the car and, just as I was about to get in my car, t a really large car turned up, I think it was one of those huge 4-by-4 monsters. The driver was attempting to reverse into a space, just opposite where I had left my car. As the car began to manoeuvre, I saw that one side was heavily dented. It looked as though something or someone had run into the car, or else, the driver had smashed into another vehicle or run into a wall or something. The way the driver was making a complete hash of reversing into the parking space, it was no wonder the car got dented. 

Sunday. 8.00 a.m. I was woken in the night by a very heavy rainstorm. I'm not sure what time it was, but I think it must have been around 2 a.m. I went into the kitchen to look out of the window, and it was difficult to see across the garden (obviously not helped by the fact that it was dark, although there were very bright lights along the various paths. Bright enough to guide any passing aircraft into land, or even some alien space creatures.) The rain was so violent, there was a sort of fog. It was extremely noisy. Fortunately, it didn't go on for more than five minutes. I expect there will be a great deal of standing water on the roads around Milton Keynes, no doubt there will be vast puddles in and around the roundabouts, pooling where the water can't run away. The roads in Milton Keynes were built without cambers, and gutters which allow water to drain away. It seemed more like a cost-cutting exercise when the city was built, but it was a mistake. If the Romans could build their roads with cambers, why aren't modern roads built with them? I actually think most roads are. 

As I write this, the sun is shining.

1 p.m. I was on refreshment duty at The Oaktree Centre this morning. I've been involved with this for several months now. I used to be on The Genesis Team, which is responsible for setting up the Sunday services and setting out the chairs, but I was beginning to find it quite tiring, as it involved lifting and pushing, the chairs on trolleys and then lifting the chairs off the trolleys. 

Today we had what's termed 'Café Church', which means there was no service, but a chance to fellowship with church folk and, hopefully, allow those who don't generally go to church, to come along and enjoy coffee and tea, pastries and cookies, in a relaxed and totally informal setting, with some live music. I got to the Oaktree Centre at around 9.40 and had to start filling the coffee urn. This takes at least an hour to warm up sufficiently before a decent cup of coffee can be produced from it, but for some reason, it didn't seem to warm up properly. It would take at least the whole length of a normal Sunday service, to be ready for people when they came out at the end. I wasn't on my own doing the refreshments. A lovely lady who is in my Thursday morning Bible study, Hyacinth, was with me. But there was real, what I call 'frothy coffee' being made, a la Costa or Starbucks, produced by a proper coffee machine. Several people have been trained as baristas to make this coffee. The machine they use is in the cafe area and is a Gaggia machine. But most people would seem to prefer this coffee, rather than what we had to offer. Because the urn wasn't functioning properly and not heating up sufficiently, we could only offer Nescafé. Nothing wrong with that, but when you've got coffee which is as good, if not better, than what you could get in a high street coffee shop, such as Costa or Starbucks, who could blame them?

The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring!

Friday. 6.20 a.m. It's another relatively mild morning on the weather front, but Storm Kathleen is on the way, with high winds expected. This, according to BBC Breakfast this morning.

7.30 a.m. I think I made a mistake. It might be mild, but there's been some rain in the night. I can see the pavements outside are wet, so that would indicate rain.

I have a load of washing in the machine. It takes an hour to do the wash, and then into the drier. Just as well we have a tumble drier, otherwise, it would be dripping clothes in the flat, on the drying rack, something I wouldn't want.

(Note: The title for this post is the title of a song from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, 'The Mikado.' I'm trying to find quotations from various sources, which are appropriate to the content of each post. Not always successful, but I do try. The flowers are blooming  all around Milton Keynes at the moment, so the choice of title is more than appropriate.)

8.45 a.m. On BBC Breakfast, they mentioned the fact that Abba won Eurovision 50 years ago this year. They had a reporter in Brighton, where the final of Eurovision was held in 1974. I was a D.S.M., working at Ipswich Theatre at the time and I had the radio on in my car and was driving home to my parent's house near Huntingdon and I heard the result of the competition on my car radio. It's just incredible to me that it was 50 years ago. I can't remember what show I was working on at the time. I do recall the first show I was involved in when I arrived, a production of 'Roots' by Arnold Wesker. I was put on sound operation. The sound deck was at the back of the auditorium, up several flights of stairs. I put together several sound effects tapes for several of the plays that were produced. At one point towards the end of the play, the central character, played by an actor called Jennie Quayle, puts on a record on a record player. I have a cue on my tape, which is supposed to come out of the record player. For some unfortunate reason, I had wound on the tape to the next cue (each cue separated by red tape, spliced into the recording tape.) The music that was supposed to come out of the record player was Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite, but, because I had wound on to the next cue, which was the sound of rain, that was what was played through the speakers on stage! I immediately ran down to the stage and apologized to Jennie Quayle, saying I had made a bit of a mistake. I think she was quite happy with my apology, but from then on, I was careful to make sure I had the correct cue lined up each time

10.40 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's. The place seems to be falling apart. The travelator wasn't working, so I had to use the lift. It seems as if these travelators are always breaking down. There has been work going on with them for months, so it makes you wonder why they are always malfunctioning. I then went to buy some frozen veg at the far end of the store, and a whole row of freezers were empty and none of the frozen veg I had wanted anywhere to be seen. 

When I came to pay, I pushed my trolley into the self-service area and then found that most of the tills weren't operating. There were a few ar the far end, and several people waiting to use them. When I eventually got to start scanning my shopping, the machine wouldn't work and the lady who is there to assist when there is a problem had to get the machine working several times. There should be far more staff to help with this problem. I think problems such as this are caused by Sainsbury's getting rid of too many staff and expecting customers to scan their own shopping instead of having manned tills. I think it is so they can cut prices and compete with other supermarkets for cheaper items. But, as a result, customer service suffers and the shelves aren't filled up when items run out.

The Whirligig of Time

 Easter Sunday. 7.40 a.m. It's Easter Sunday morning.

The clocks have changed. We are now, officially at any rate, in Summer. 

 As I look out of the window, I can see that there's fog covering Oldbrook. It's not particularly thick, but it's still foggy. I expect, as the day progresses and the sun comes out, it will clear.

Bank Holiday Monday. 7.25 a.m. I got up a good deal later than usual. It's relatively bright and sunny. 

I'm shocked by the number of potholes around Milton Keynes. I went into the centre of the City the other day and I unfortunately drove over a large pothole. I couldn't avoid it, and I was somewhat concerned that it would damage the car in some way.

Tuesday. 10.10 a.m. Another trip to Sainsbury's. I don't normally go on a Tuesday, which means it was easy enough to find a space to park. I suppose most people shop later in the week, on a Friday or Saturday. The 'up' travelator wasn't working, which meant, at the end of my shop, I had to go down via the lift.

I was more than ever aware of the number of potholes in the road as I drove to and from Sainsbury's. It seems to be getting far worse and it won't just me who has found this problem. If I damage my car from driving through a pothole I shall not be very pleased and I would expect compensation from Milton Keynes Council if my car is damaged.

Wednesday. 6.40 a.m. It's another mild and pleasant morning. As far as I can see, there's no fog.

Yesterday evening, just as I was starting my evening meal, I got post. I don't think there's been a post-delivery so late in the day. There was a time when you could more or less tell the time by the postman delivering. We had a delivery at around 7 a.m., and then a second one at around 11 a.m. It would seem that now they only deliver when they want to, with no sort of reliability. Anyway, I picked up the post and one of the letters was from Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. Having read it, I was shocked that it was telling me off for missing my appointment. I think I mentioned this appointment in an earlier post. I didn't know whether it was a face-to-face or telephone appointment. I did put a message on the website, asking me which form the appointment would take. I didn't get a response before the appointment time. So, in that respect, it's as much their fault that I didn't go for that appointment. I have to say, it makes me feel like a naughty child, the way they had to write a letter to me. Why not merely ring me? Well, that's far to easy.

Thursday. 6.20 a.m. I have taken Alfie out. There was a thin rain falling. Not really rain in the normal sense. Having come inside the flat, I sat down and started using my laptop and there was suddenly an almighty rainstorm outside, (just as well it was outside!) It didn't last long, but it was very noisy and violent.

Bright And Early

Thursday. 5.40 a.m. You know what they say 'It's the early bird that catches the worm', or something of that sort. Well, it's early (probably far too early!) but I'm here and writing this. 

2.15 p.m. It's turned out to be wet and windy. I have just been to Lidl. I wanted some raspberry jam for my hot cross buns and the Lidl jam is such good value. You get a much larger quantity than you would in Sainsbury's or any other supermarket, for that matter. It also has a higher fruit content. Also, I wanted cream for my pudding. Chocolate fudge something-or-other.

As I was waiting in the queue to pay at the till, the man in front of me had a vast quantity of tomatoes, peppers, of various types and colours and lettuce. I thought to myself, 'he's either going to make a very big salad or else he has lots of rabbits that need feeding' Crazy, I know, but that's the way my mind works.

7.15 p.m. At around 6 o'clock this evening, I was in the bathroom (I won't give too much detail . . .) when there was a flash of lightning and then the most enormous thunderclap. Then, for around 5 minutes or so, there was a very heavy downpour. As I write this, the wind is howling outside.

Good Friday. 5.25 a.m. It's really peaceful on the weather front.

6.40 a.m. The sun is shining as I write this.

I went to the Oaktree Centre for the Good Friday service. It was about an hour long and afterwards, there was tea and coffee, as usual, and hot cross buns, although they weren't hot. I have bought hot cross buns in Sainsbury's and have put them in my toaster and eaten them with raspberry jam.

Saturday. 7.25 a.m. I have mentioned that I lived in Cardington Village, near Bedford, as a child. (there is plenty more about this period in an earlier blog post.) The huge airship hangers are in the distance and dominate the landscape for miles around. The area is known as Shortstown, after the name of the company which was responsible for the building of the airships, Shorts Brothers. It was from these hangers that, in the 1920-1930's that several airships were constructed, notably the R100 and R101. As a result of this, I have been fascinated by the R101, and its later demise, when it crashed near Beauvais, France, on 5th October 1930.  I have found several fascinating videos on YouTube, one showing the inner workings of the earlier airship, the R101 and video footage of the R101 being built. It seems amazing that men who constructed the airship clambered up the sheds and worked on the girders and metalwork without any sort of safety measures in place, something which would never be allowed under 21st-century health and safety legislation. 

I also discovered something else, which has amazed and somewhat shocked me. The internal gas bag of the R101 and, I presume, the R101 and other airships at that date, were made of cow intestines, but, more precisely, the caecum.  In fact, around 50,000 cows' intestines were used to make these gasbags. I imagine that there were no materials, as we have today, such as man-made plastics, which might  have been used. I can imagine today if something was built of cow intestines, there would be outrage from vegetarians and no doubt animal rights campaigners. Not surprising, when you think about it.

12.20 p.m. I've been out with Alfie. We went as far as the rubbish bin on Oldbrook Green. It really is time the Council replaced this bin. It's rusty and falling to pieces. The bin on the opposite side of the Green is also in a dilapidated state. Both have great gaping holes in them, rusty and unsafe. Alfie insisted on cocking his leg against it, probably not helping the rust. I notice some delightful soul has left a bag of, presumably, doggy pooh, in a black bag, tightly tied up neatly, right next to the bin. Could they not have possibly made the effort to put the bag actually IN the bin, or is that asking too much? It has been bright and sunny for most of the morning.