Lively Love Lunch

 Wednesdy 7th October. 6.10 a.m. Yesterday was another fine autumnal day, not too warm, but warm enough for me to continue wearing my shorts. Well, we may have moved officilly into autumn (Fall, if you're in America.) and I was waiting outside Dexter house, for the minibus to come and collect me for the drive to Wolverton, to  be part of the Love Lunch. It takes around 40 minutes for the journey, collecting other members who attend. I will say one thing, and thst is, I would never want to drive the minibus, because I would more than likely get lost, although, driving around Milton Keynes, even if you do get lost, you can always go to the next roundabout and then start all over again. Although, with a satnave, it can make it considerably easier.

I am still attempting to get my prostate exam. I have attempted to fill in the on-line form, but I have not been shown which is the correct way to do this and got s further telling off, in a text message, so this morning I shall drive cross Milton Keynes and visit Central Milton Keynes Medicsl Centre and confron the receptionist, and hopefully get the appointment.

10.05 a.m. I have been to the medical centre and I have returned and I have an appointment at 4.10 p.m. Which means that after this prostate exam (and there's no need to explain how this is done, but it's fairly obvious.) so that I can get whatever medication is necessary to slow down the number of times I have to run to the loo.

Then, on returning to Dexter House, I discover that we now have a new S.H.O., permanent and, as far as I can gather, working part time with someone else. I did like Vashti, but it would appear she is no longer coming back, for whatever reason. Having been a carer, I know what the work entails, but this is not a nursing home or a residential home, which were the types of homes I used to work in, so there aren't peple living here with special needs, such as autism, epilepsy or any type of leqrning diaability. I can't tell you this new S.H.O's name, but I'm sure we will learn soon enough. Perhaps he will be at the Wednesday afternoon tea party this afternoon.

8.45 p. m. I had to go into the mini Boots chemists next door to the Medical centre, to get the prescription made up and it was too much of a coincidence that the pharmacist was having his break, so they couldn't make up the prescription, so I had to go and sit in my car for twenty minutes or so, which wasn't a problem, so by the time I went back into the Boots brnch, they had the prescription ready and I could drive home.

It turns out tht a couple of residents of Dextrer House are moving out, one, Hilary, who has been quite instrumentl in getting some vital things done, including the regulr tea party on a Wednesday afternoon, and Dorothy, who has probably been here the longest and was here when I first moved in. I must have mentioned a certain male renant, who made such a fuss about Alfie barking when I used to take him out in the early morning. He went behind my back, and had contacted the houing manager at county hall, because the first I heard about this issue, was when the then S.H.O came to my flqt, to infofmed me thqt, if I didn't keep Alfie under control, he would ened to be rehomed. I took great offense at this, because all of this was done without my knowledge. If there had been a problem (which there wasn't, because Alfie only barked first thing, and only for minute or two.) and had spoken to me direct, instead of going behind my back, it could have been resolved far quicker. But, some people think they canawield some power over others, by taking matters direct to those in authority.

Sunny October!

 Sunday 4th October. 3.20 a.m. I am wide awake. I am shaved. I have had a cup of tea. I am listening to Andrew Neil  on a video on YouTube, discussing Andy Burman, our 'so called' Prime Minister, and the disaster that is coming, with the crazy level of borrowing and what he has said in a speech at the Labour Party conference which has ended in Liverpool. As a result if all of this, particulrly the fact that my megre pension (or rather the small amount I get from Carol's Teachers' Pension.) is now taxed, I am now a fully paid-up member of the Reform Party.  Burnham wants to have 'Bigger Government', which is, infact, reversing everything that Margaret Thatcher starterd, by privatising such utilities such as water, power, BT and a whole host more. It might not have been entirely successful, but why reverse everything that works, just because of Socialist dogma? Look what happens, every time we have a Labour government, they just wreck the economy of this country. I seem to remember, when Labour left government in, I think it must have been 2010, when David Cameron became Prime Minister, some civil servant left a message to the incoming government, probably in the Treasury, saying, something like 'sorry, there is no cash left.' 

Well, after all the above, my main bit of news is, I have virtually  completed the play I began just over a year ago, is now finished, apart from a bit of tidying up. It now has a far stronger ending (which I refuse to reveal.) So, once I can afford to buy ink cartridges for my Canon printer, I can then run off a copy so I can at last read the script  properly. Although it is great to be able to use word processing, it isn't that easy to read on a computer screen. Having said that, I find it better to read using my iPad. 

8.20 p.m. Well, that's it. 'Hiding In The Smoke' is now completed. I just need to buy those confounded ink cartridges for the printer and I can then print it off and put it in a folder and it will allow me to read it, as a 'hard copy'rather than via the computer screen.

Monday 5th October. 5.20 a.m. Here I am again, wide awake, fresh as ever. I can't sleep, so I might just as well add to this blog. I can't believe how many 'hits' it has had. 268 for today, so, if it's that number at 5.10 a.m., what figure will it have reached by midnight? It reached 2471 yesterday. The thing I want to know is this; why are they going to my blog? What is it that attracts them, did they find what they weere looking for and if so, why don't they at least leave a comment?

12.50 a.m. I needed to find an A.T.M. machine and take out £10, for various things I pay for. The nearest I could think of, which had a space to park the car, was at Morrison's, so I drove there and actually found a space directly in front of the A.T.M. Two actual machines and one had run out of cash, so I had to wait for the person using the other machine to finish, and I just made the remark 'typical state of things under our new 'so-called' Prime Minister, Andy Burman!' and it started  conversation which revealed the totql hatred of this clown of a 'Prime Minister' and how the country thad deteriorated under out wonderful Labour Government. Particularly how we are allowing illegal immigrants to come here, be given free housing, benefits and generally become parasitic, all at the British taxpayer's epense, while the government does nothing to stop these boats crossing the Channel.

Attempting to get an appointment to have my prostate examination, which was partially arranged at the last doctor's appointment.Let me explain the state of play over this matter. At the end of the appointment, the doctor gave me a slip, which I was supposed to give to reception, onto which they wrote a number, and then it was handed back and I was told to then go on line, this week and get the appointment. BUT, when you go on line, as this is now the only way you cn make  doctor's appointment, you have to fill in one of three boxes, which I did. I now get an email this morning, to inform me that I filled out the WRONG FORM! So, how am I supposed to know ehich is the correct one? So, by now I am seething, and about to blow a fuse, becaue of this stupidity. And they wonder why people loose their patience with the system and hurl abuse at the staff.

The number of hits up until now, as I write this post, is 2305. Why are so many people visitng this blog? 

6.00 p.m. I have mentioned my attempts to get a prostate exam done, but I had a text message informing me I had to fill in one of the wretched on-line forms on the CMKMCwebsite, which I did, and then, I got another email informing me IT WAS WRONG! This is driving me half insane (how tht works, I have no idea. I aiuppose if you can be fully insane, you can be half insane, but never mind.) But, if they never explain WHICH of the stupid windows on the website you're supposed to fill in, HOW ON EARTH are you supposed to know? This is just N.H.S. madness, and they wonder why patients loose their temper with staff. No wonder the N.H.S. has some sort of money pit. They keep asking more and more money, feeding it like some sort of rapacious dragon, endlessly devouring all before it, but never actually getting anywhere, and stqnding still, never improving. It isn't the actual service, the cqre, the quality of he nursing, but to keep throwing more and more down the hole in the ground, when it doesn't improve, seems senselsss.

I think I will have to go into the doctor's reception and sort this out, rqther thqn attempting to fill in the on-line form, and then get told off.

A New Day, A New Dawn

 Wednesday 30th September. 5.10 p.m. I have now purchased an external hard drive for the Macbook, with the idea of transferring any of the precious material, particularly the plays, onto it, so that if anything happens to the laptop, at least I have the plays safe. Well, it does make common sense.Having got the external hard drive, I could not understand why it did not appeqr on the computer's desktop, so I have been into the Apple store, and a lovely young lady showedme that these things don't show up on the desktop, and sre hidden in a different place in the computer, which has put my mind at rest.

I have never mentioned this before, partly because there has been no point, but I have four brothers, James, Robert, Andrew ans Sandy (Alexander). We have never been exactly close, but none of them have been anywher near me, comunicated by text, Facebook or other social media. I do have a sort of vague communication with Andrew, who lives somewhere near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. He sends me  Christmas card and will remember my birthday, which, by the way is 22nd October. He and his wife, Margaret, came to Carol and mine's wedding in 2007, and we went  to stay a weekend with them  a few years after we were married, but I have had absolutely no acknowledgement from them regarding Carol's death. Sandy, who, by the way, is gay, not that that bothers me, was invited to our wedding, but he made such a fuss, because we only invited him and not his partner, so he neve rcame. I am not expecting to get anything from any of them, nothing such as a present, or money, although I wouldn't object to anything. But it would be nice to be remembereed, to be supported, particularly when Carol was diagnosed, and even after she passed away, which was the worst time. But no, not a word, nothing. I think my mother would be shocked, but I cn see where this lack of communicstion and care comes from, because dad was like that. The old 'stiff upper lip' syndrom

New play written and ready for printing and then checking. It is called 'It Must Be Love', and yes, it is inspired by the Madness song, which will be used as its theme music.

I have now got the external hard drive working. There is written material on there I had forgotten about and so it's been a bit of a revelation to unearth quite a few pieces of writing that are actuallt quite good, so I can read them and possibly work with them.

My Canon Pixma printer needs ink cartridges installing before I can print any of my plays, but, since a double pack, which consists of  black and a coloured cartridge and costs around £45, I will have to wait, which is a real pain.

Saturday 3rd October. 10.10 a.m. I've been up and working on my writing, so, this isn't the beginning of the day for me. I am awake at 2.30, basically because I have to go to the loo, and getting back to sleep is unlikely. I have been watching the series 'Slow Horses' via Apple TV and it's somwwhat addictive. Gary Oldman as the thoroughly repulsive leader of the spies, Jackson Lamb, is amazing. He farts, burps, eats, looks, and probably smells disgusting, and breaks all the rules of any other spy drama or novel, and I think it's that which makes it so watchable. I have nevr been a fan of James Bond, basically becaue it is so corny. Spies are supposed to be furtive, lurking around in the background, secret, hidden. Bond is known by everyone, he is an unlikely spy, far too visable and in actual fact, the bond films are more fantasy than reality, which is why I love Slow Horses. The spies who have been relelegated to Slough House. The whole look and feel of the show has a film noir feel, everything is dark, in shadow, muted colours, quite the opposite of the brash, colourful world of Bond. I can thorougly recommend the show, now into it's sixth season, all episodes should be found of the Apple TV website, ready for streaming.