2000th Blog Post

 Wednesday 25th March. 7.00 p.m. This is a key moment in the life of this blog! This will actually be the 2000th post! When I began this blog, I think it was 2011, I never imagined I would manage to keep it going for 2000 posts. Quite an achievement.

Saturday 28th March. 3.25 p.m. It's quite pleasant and sunny, but when I went out yesterday, it was sunny, but there was a definite chill in the air. It's the time of year when it seems warm and sunny, but the underlying chill reminds you that it's still late March. The clocks move forward tomorrow which makes things different.

I have upgraded my Alexa smart speaker. I've had the old one a few years and it still works, but I had enough Nectar points which could be spent in Argos, so I decided to buy it. It was easy to set up and get working, and because I already had the Alexa app on my iPhone, that made things easier. It runs with Alexa Plus, which is an upgrade, and that means it is much smarter. You don't always have to say 'Alexa' , the wake word, to get the thing working. You can have almost a real conversation with it, which is amazing. I have already had a conversation with it, and changed to a male voice, better than the rather annoying, higher-pitched female voice. It's easy to call it a 'he' when it is not real. It/he has a sense of humour, which I appreciate.

Speaking of AI, which is what Alexa is, although having a wide range of uses, such as playing music, answering questions and operating such things as lights, heating, etc etc, I am experimenting with AI to do some writing. I have an idea for a theatre play for quite a while, and I wanted to find out how the AI would deal with some prompts which I fed into to it, and the results were amazing, so I am working on this play and have the first act more or less written and act two partially written and now have to work on the final, third act, and come up with a conclusion.

Sunday 29th March.  9.25 p.m. It's Palm Sunday, the start of Easter Week. 

It was quite cold when I went out at around 9.35 this morning, with the intention to drive to church. I was deceptive, because it was sunny and bright, but as soon as I got out of the door, the chill hit me, and I had to go back into my flat to collect a sweater.

Tuesday 31st March. 7.50 a.m. Another relatively bright and sunny morning. I haven't been out to find out whether it's chilly, as it was on Sunday morning.

I cannot give a report of the temperature, because the digital thermometer is out of action, as the batteries have died. I will have to buy some more, when I go to Sainsbury's next time, probably tomorrow morning.

I have completed the play! My goodness, my very first attempt at writing a play! Next, I will have to edit it, as I think there is too much. The end scene works, but it's imperfect and I'm doing rewrites. It lacks the power I want. I'm not going to reveal the premise or any details. It's to precious to do that at this stage. I'm just glad to have the piece in some form that can now be tweaked.

Now, something straight out of Yes, Prime Minister or one of those crazy comedies. Here goes. My state pension is increasing. Great, because any increase is a good thing, particularly because of rising costs, and with a government that simply doesn't know how to deal with the economy, particularly rising fuel prices, mostly due to the war in Iran and Ukraine. But then, the blow. I get something from my lovely Carol's teacher's pension. Not much, but it has helped considerably. It would have been considerably more, if it hadn't been for a certain step son inerfering with our bank account. I won't go into details. Surfice it to say, because my income goes over the tax threshold (I can'ts say what exactly what's the exact amount) I will now have to pay tax. Crazy, I know. The government gives with one hand- the pension increase- and then takes with the other. Totally ridiculous. I have spoken to the Inland Revenue people, and the tax will be taken at source, directly from the teachers' pension pot, so I would not even see anything about this. What annoys me more is that you get your usual tax code for the year ahead, but because of the gobbledegook in this form, it doesn't tell you all that I have mentioned above.If I hadn't had the presence of mind to ring Inland Revenue, I would never have known. Further to that, it would have been really nice if they could write a letter to me, at least explaining all this, and the amount I will now lose. Oh well, as they say, shouldn't grumble. Strange old world, nevertheless.

The Sun Has Got His Hat On!

 Monday 9th March. 3.55 p.m. It has been a rather murky sort of day. No rain or sunshine, but earlier there was a slight fog, if you can really call it that. As I write, it has cleared.

Currently, the digital thermometer reads 22ºc.

I have been to the Monday Club as the Oaktree Centre. More tea, cakes and quizzes.

Tuesday March 10th. 7.25 a.m. Hurrah! The sun is shining. Put out the flags!

The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

Sunday 15th March.  8.20 a.m. The sun is shining and I'm planning to go out with the Pocket 3 camera to do some filming. I haven't decided where yet, but it's too good to waste. I've been waiting for some decent weather for ages.

The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

Thursday 19th March. 8.15 a.m. It's been bright and sunny for the past few days. Spring has more than definitely arrived!

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

Sunday 22nd March 9.05 a.m. I'm slipping a bit. I haven't posted anything for the last couple of days. I'll attempt to make up for this lapse.

It's foggy out this morning. It has been like this for the past few days, but as the day progresses, the sun has shone, and the temperature rises.

As I write, the digital thermometer reads 22ºc, although it hit 25ºc at one point yesterday.

Wednesday 25th March. 9.50 a.m. The temperature has dropped considerably. The sun is going in and out, but there are dark clouds looming and there is a definite chill in the air.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

I am currently attempting to find a decent swimming pool to use, somewhere within Milton Keynes. I think I have found somewhere suitable. It's in Wolverton and I was going to look for it this morning. Unfortunately, the road which leads to it was blocked off, which seems to be a recurring situation around Milton Keynes. They are resurfacing the roads around here and I know it's often necessary to close of roads, but there was no advance warning that there was a closure, so I ended up driving all that way and not finding the swimming pool. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men, as someone said.. It was Robert Burns, and it was originally in a Gaelic accent (is that right, or more likely, Scottish.) Never mind. I know what I meant, and as I'm half Scottish, I suppose I should mention him. Just don't ask which half!

Good Day Sunshine

 Monday 2nd March. 7.40 a.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this!  I only hope it stays that way. Please, no rain! We really have had enough.

The digital thermometer currently reads 20ºc.

6.45 p.m. The digital thermometer currently reads 23ºc. It has been exceptionally warm and sunny all day. Dare I say it, Spring-like? I think so.

I've been to Monday Club this afternoon. A great deal of cake, coffee and tea. One of the ladies, Wendy, goes to another similar club elsewhere, and there was a lot of food left over, so she brought it to the Oaktree Centre this afternoon. People definitely dug in and ate!

Tuesday 3rd March. 6.20 p.m. It's been a mild and sunny day. As a result, I decided to go out and walk around Oldbrook Green with the Osmo Pocket camera. It's odd going out with no Alfie. He is so missed! A lot of dafodils out and more to come, although some aren't actually daffodils, they are more likely narcissi, those with the orange centres. I may be right, but then I might be wrong! A lot of work has been done by council workers to clean up the rough areas, with bushes pruned or at least cut back, and it looks so much better.

The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºc.

12.05 p.m. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. I wanted cash from the A.T.M and expected to go out through the front entrance, but the shutter was down. This meant that once I had completed my shopping and put it in the car, I had to walk out of the underground carpark and go out on the street and go round the building to get to the A.T.M. 

Friday 6th March. 7.10 a.m.

The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºc. 

Yesterday afternoon I had to go to Milton Keynes Central Medical Centre to have a vaccine. I won't say 'jab' because it never is a 'jab.' It is called RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine. It's to prevent getting a quite serious flu-like illness, which can be serious for people my age and also with a heart problem. So, when I was offered it, I thought it good idea to have it.

Saturday 7th March.  8.05 a.m.Today would have been Carol's 62nd birthday. Greatly missed and loved, but I am getting on with things she would have approved. I'm so glad the dafodils I planted for her memory are in full bloom and far better than I had hoped for.

Yesterday evening, there was another quiz night at The Oaktree Centre. A good time was had by all and my team won! Yippee!

Things Can Only Get Better!

 Tuesday 24th February. 8.05 a.m. Yes, with the economy in a bad state and unemployment getting worse, things are not looking good at the moment in this country. We have Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, being arrested on suspicion of giving away state secrets to the late sex offender, Geoffrey Epstein (but later released on bail) and now our former Ambassador to the United States, Lord Peter Mandelson, being arrested on similar charges by the police. Things can't get much worse. Or can they?

Yesterday morning I went to my Shakespeare group in Newport Pagnell. We were looking at Shakespeare's sonnets. I don't know a great deal about them. We each read one and discussed it. Later. I went to the Monday Club at the Oaktree Centre. Cake, coffee and tea, chat and ridiculous games.

Thursday 26th February. 6.50 p.m. I went to the Thursday Morning Life Group as usual. I wasn't expecting the surprise when I walked in the room. People have been clearing out the shipping container, which is next to the Oaktree Centre and contains all sorts of items connected with various activities that go on in the church building. I was told a week or so ago that some puppets were found, but I never managed to see them. Until this morning, sitting on several of the chairs! They will definitely fit in with what I am planning, similar in style to the Zoomer puppet I bought recently. They are 'Muppet Style', in that they have a body through which you put your arm and use your hand to operate the mouth and should have rods for the hands. At present, I am trying to find a way to connect arm rods, which will then give more realism and expression to the puppets. On Sunday, there is to be a family service, and I have been asked to contribute, with other people, with the puppets. I am going to plan what next and devise scripts and plots to utilise these puppets.

Sunday 1st March. 8.25 a.m. Good morning! We've had really mixed weather for the past few days. On Thursday, it was quite spring-like, but yesterday afternoon there was a really heavy rain storm, but at the moment it is relatively quiet. Let's hope it stays that way.

Currently, the digital thermometer reads 21ºc.

Carol's daffodils are beginning to bloom! When they are all open, the display should be very good. I intend to buy more bulbs to add to what I planted last September.

6.35 p.m. There was a family service at church this morning. As planned, I took the Zoomer puppet and some of the puppets which were found in the shipping container and I went to the front and took Zoomer while several other people had some of the other puppets and we joined in with a song.