Fiddlesticks!

 Wednesday. 9.40 a.m. Well, another soggy day in fun city, Milton Keynes. The days are beginning to draw in as autumn catches hold.

The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºC.

I wanted to use my Canon printer, but the ink cartridge was more or less finished. When I attempted to print something the other day, it came out very faint, so I suspected that a replacement was necessary. I have this morning ordered one on the Argos website and gone to collect it after 9. I am now back in the flat, and the cartridge is installed in the printer.

Alfie is asleep in this bed. I am taking him to The Groom Room for an appointment at 11 a.m. I have already put the cage in the back of the car, ready to take him.

7.30 p.m. I came back from taking Alfie to The Groom Room, and hoped to have a cup of tea. I went to the fridge and found it was thawing out. How this happened, I have no idea, but all the contents of the freezer part have thawed and, as a consequence, can't be used. After the incident which happened a few weeks ago, when my chopping board and the handle of my best sharp knife melted because one of the rings on the ceramic surface of my oven was accidentally turned on, this was something which I hoped would never happen. As a result of the oven incident, I now turn the oven off at the wall point, but this doesn't explain how the fridge/freezer was turned off. It means I will have to throw away more or less the entire contents.

Thursday. 2.40 p.m. It's another very autumnal day. It's mild but bright. The digital thermometer currently reads 26ºC.

I have been to Sainsbury's and have bought my shopping home; it has been checked off, and two of the freezer drawers have been cleared out. It's not good to eat food that has been frozen, re-frozen and then thawed, as it would make me ill if I ate it, so I have accepted that it is wasted and put what I bought in Sainsbury's in the freezer.

Friday. 1.45 a.m. I couldn't sleep. Alfie was snoring like crazy and was sleeping on the floor, right in the middle of the threshold of my bedroom. The usual thing that wakes me is a need to visit the bathroom. (A thought: why do Americans always refer to the toilet as the bathroom? It just sounds so pathetic, a euphemism.  A bit like the Victorians covering the legs of furniture. Why don't they just say toilet and be done with it? The other one, said by women, is 'I'm going to powder my nose', when in actual fact, they're going to the loo.) Anyway, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to make myself a coffee and watch something on television. With such things as BBC iPlayer, Netflix and other streaming platforms, you are really spoilt for choice. I went on iPlayer and decided to watch one of my favourite sitcoms, 'My Family', which stars Zoe Wanamaker and Robert Lindsay. The actual sitcom is rather mediocre, but it is the acting of these two which makes it worth watching.

Cold and Frosty!

 Wednesday. 2.20 p.m. There was a slight frost when I took Alfie out at around 7 this morning. I had to clear off a thin layer of ice from the car's windows because I had to take Alfie to The Groom Room to have a trim. We were due there at 11.30 a.m. It was fortunate that I had bought spray for exactly that job.

Saturday. 7.20 a.m. It was a bit of a surprise to discover fog when I went out with Alfie about 20 minutes ago. Also, a crisp frost. Walking on the grass there was a real crackle. Alfie was keen to get back inside to the warmth, but who can blame him?

12.00 p.m. It's sunny but still chilly. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning and it took about 15 minutes to clear the ice off the windscreen and windows. I just cannot drive if I can't see clearly.

In Sainsbury's, the travelator was running, but what was formerly the up one was the down one and the down one was the up one. Goodness knows why. There always seems to be a problem with this technology, as you would have read if you had been following my blog over the years.

Wednesday. 7.55 a.m. It's still mild. That's good. We definitely don't need high winds, rain or snow.

The workmen are still here, digging trenches, making holes and generally getting on with the work in the community garden. It sounds to me as I write this that they are using some sort of drill or machine that makes a loud noise.

Thursday. 7.35 a.m. It's foggy out this morning. It's not thick, but foggy nevertheless.

I have bought an air fryer. I had points to spend, which included Argos, so I looked at their website and had first intended to buy a Ninja one, but after some thought, I decided to go with one where you could see the food cooking inside, so I decided on a Tower one, which utilises halogen as it's heating source. I am gradually getting the hang of how it works, but I keep thinking that it's like a microwave and that you can't put anything metallic in it, but my thinking is wrong, and you can. It will take me a while to get used to it and, as usual, the instruction manual that comes with it is of very little use and it's written in very small and faint print so that makes life difficult. I shall watch YouTube videos and now bought a recipe book on Amazon, so that will help matters, or, at least, I hope so.

Electronic Appliances Failures

 Tuesday. 6.30 a.m. Oh, dear! The new year hasn't started well for me. Yesterday I wanted to make some toast, so I took the toaster out of the cupboard and then discovered that it wouldn't work. I thought at first that there was a problem with the power supply, that maybe the workmen who were around Dexter House had turned off the electricity for some reason. But I tried other electronic devices that used the mains supply, such as my fridge-freezer, but it was working as normal. 

I was thinking, I want to make toast! I would need to replace the old toaster. I bought this one from Argos, and I had sufficient points on something called Consumer Pulse. I have been part of this for years, recording things I have purchased and earning points which can be converted into vouchers. So, I went onto the Consumer Pulse website and ordered Argos vouchers. Unfortunately, I will have to wait around 5 days before I receive them. They used to send you these vouchers via email and you put a code into the Argos website in order to pay for whatever you wanted and then go to the nearest Argos store to colled the item. So, I will just have to be patient and then order the new toaster.

That was the first failure. I have my main meal in the evening. I was going to have meat pie, chips and green beans. Everything was ready to cook, but then I couldn't get my electric oven to work. Again, I thought it must be the power supply, and I tried the oven several times, but it wasn't going to play ball. So, no meal. I thought I could order a take away using an app on my iPad. Deliveroo or something similar. I have used it before, with no probloems, but I could not get it to work. Password or something annoying like that. I attempted to resolve the issue, but it would not work, even trying to use the 'forgotten password' function, which is supposed to send you and email and then set up a new password, but it wasn't going to work.

So, it seems as if my devices were being decidedly awkward today.

In the end I just made myself a cheese sandwich. 

As regards the electric oven, I thought the only solution would be to replace it. I have an on-line account with Very, so I went on their website and found what looked like the perfect replacement oven, in their sale, as around £150 off the price, the right width to fit in the space in my kitchen, ceramic hob like my old one and fan-assisted. So, after some thought I went ahead and ordered it, which means I can pay in installments, which is how I bought my fridge-freezer when I moved into Dexter House. I paid extra to have the old oven removed, but I will have to find someone, probably at church, to come to my flat to install it, as I'm not able to do electrical stuff like connecting an electric cooker. The new oven isn't likely to be delivered for around two weeks, so I will have to figure out a way to cook my meals, although I can use my microwave oven.

6.20 p.m. The situation regarding the toaster and oven. I spoke to Vashti, the S.H.O at Dexter House. She spoke to someone at Mears (I imagine it was them.) about the situation and I was told it might have something to do with the fuse box, although it isn't a traditional fuse box, which was renewed a few months ago. The box contains several rows of switches, and if an appliance is faulty or fails in some way, the circuit it is connected to will fire the switch. It turned out that the oven and toaster (or, in that case, the socket in the kitchen.) had shown up with a light which was orange, so we pushed the switch and the light turned to red. As a result, the oven and toaster worked. As a result, I have cancelled the order from Very, because a new oven is no longer required. Situation resolved, thankfully.

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.

Into A New Year!

Monday. 1st January. 9.55 a.m. I didn't SEE the New Year exactly, but I definitely HEARD it. Fireworks were going off outside and being set off until the very early morning hours. They should last at most 10-15 minutes after midnight. I have only just got back from taking Alfie out around Oldbrook Green and there were the remains of many fireworks scattered all over the grass. There are several quite prominent notices which have been put up by Campbell Park Parish Council, who administer Oldbrook Green and the surrounding area, stating quite clearly that it is an offence to let off fireworks and that you can be fined quite heavily and even imprisoned for so doing. But some people will never obey such rules. But, saying that, there is really no point in having such rules and regulations if you don't enforce them.

4.15 p.m. If you read these blog posts regularly, and there's every chance that you might have read at least some of the 1,800-odd posts, (and believe me, some of them are very odd,!) you will have discovered that I am a creative sort of individual, writing, theatre, film, animation. I bought myself an iPad with a fair-sized capacity and downloaded an app called 'Procreate' which, with the addition of an Apple Pencil, allows me to do all sorts of art, not just drawing, but painting. But now, the company who developed 'Procreate' has introduced the world to 'Procreate Dreams' which will allow you to do 2D animation on your iPad (incidentally, these two apps will only work on an iPad. I don't think they intend rewriting the software to work on Android tablet computers.) The only problem is, that they never bring out a print manual to help you learn these software packages, so the only thing you have to guide you and discover all that these amazing apps will do is to look at videos on YouTube.

Tuesday. 1.20 p.m. It's a really overcast and dull day. Wet and not pleasant underfoot.

Wednesday. 10.40 a.m. I have been attempting to get through to my doctor's surgery. You aren't supposed to telephone to book an appointment and you are supposed to go online, having set up a username and password and make your booking from the appointments which should be shown there, but, even after all the rigmarole of password and username there were no appointments to book. The medication I'm on has to be reviewed, after three months. I at last got through to a receptionist, and she managed to book me a pharmacist's phone call tomorrow, so I will have to see what that person suggests.

The reason for all this was that the medication I was put on, Mirtzapine, was supposed to be for three months and after that time, I was to have a review, basically, to find out how I was getting on with it. The truth is, they are antidepressants and when I first took them, I felt a bit woozy, to put it mildly. When I was at Chloe's in Worcester, on Saturday afternoon, when we went out for a walk, I felt really awful. Over the next few days, things settled down, but last night I woke at around 4 a.m. and I could not get to sleep. Then, as the morning progressed, I felt more and more drowsy and it was quite pronounced and unpleasant. 

Thursday. 10.05 a.m. I have discovered an organisation called Simply Forward, which has outings and events for my particular age group. I have been sent their application form via email, but now the confounded printer refuses to function! As Victor Meldew would put it so succinctly, 'I don't believe it!'

Friday. 10.15 a.m. My Canon printer has been playing up. So, what's new? It doesn't get used much and sits on it's unit, all ready for when I need it. It's plugged in to the mains, connected via Wi-Fi to my laptop and when I require printing, it's easy enough to set it up. So, yesterday I needed an email printing, so I can join Simply Forward, the group that I discovered via AgeUK. I had the email sent which had the application form and a list of activities they do for a few months ahead. The idea was that I could print this off with my printer as well as the application form. Then, for some stupid reason, I thought it a bright idea to delete some of my emails. Well, they do mount up and it seems a good idea to do a bit of housekeeping sometimes. But I also deleted the email from Simply Forward so I had to text the lady who had sent it in the first place.

The printer would not work properly when I went to attempt to print the email. I kept getting a message on the digital display, telling me that the ink was running out. I thought at this point to buy a new cartridge. Which you will imagine to be a relatively easy process. I looked on the Argos website, which is where the printer had come from originally, but I got a message on there which said 'out of stock.' Then it occurred to me that John Lewis would be a good point of call so I looked on their website and it showed they stocked them. So, on Friday morning I went into the shopping centre and in to John Lewis, but they had none in stock! So the only alternative was Amazon, which had the right cartridges (black and colour, in the same package.) So I ordered it and I couldn't believe it arrived that evening, barely hours since I had ordered it!

Spring Has Sprung

Sunday. 6.15 a.m. I don't think Alfie was in the least bit interested in going out this morning. He was in his bed next to the television in the lounge and behind the trolley on which my Canon printer sits. I had to pick him up to take him out. No sound, no barking or anything. We did an Oldbrook Green circuit and then returned to the flat.

Bank Holiday Monday. 6.15 a.m. It's another warm and mild morning here in Milton Keynes. I think I must put on my electric fan to cool down the flat. Yet another circuit of Oldbrook Green with Alfie. I am shocked by the amount of litter which is all over the grass around the place. The rubbish bins are overflowing. It is really unpleasant.

Tuesday. 5.10 a.m. I had the electric fan on all yesterday. I also had the lounge and bathroom windows open and the flat is now a good deal cooler.

I have had a refund for the gimbal, which I returned to Amazon. I was surprised at how quickly the refund was made and in my Amazon account. I have just ordered a replacement and it should arrive tomorrow. I just could not get that model gimbal to work as it was supposed to. The one I have ordered is a completely different make and model. I had considered ordering it last night, but I have to be at home in order to sign for it, as it is quite expensive. I should be going to Camphill today, which is why I've delayed the order. I think this is to assure that they deliver to the correct person. You get sent a code which you have to give to the delivery driver. It assures security, and I'm fine with that.

6.10 p.m. I have been to Camphill as I normally do, and worked in the theatre workshop. I had missed the previous week, and the gang knew that it was because Alfie hadn't been well last Tuesday. 

The morning was taken up with fire training. How to recognize fire hazards and how to deal with incidents of fire. The theatre workshop group sat in the 'gods' section of the seating, whilst the Camphill care staff sat below in the body of the hall. At the end of the morning, staff had the opportunity to operate a couple of fire extinguishers. I have done this type of course before, which was done at Bromham Hospital when I started working as a support worker for the  Bedford Hospital N.H.S. back in the late 1990s. As a result of all this, although very necessary, we did no work on the silent comedies we are developing. 

After lunch, Terrie (the leader of the workshop.) produced some props from her own collection, which could be used in the silent comedy films we are creating. 

Later on, my group went downstairs to the costume room to select costumes for our films. The guys seem to find suitable costumes for themselves, but I was searching for a suit. There is a whole rack of suits, but nothing in my size, so I will go to a charity shop and see if I can find something there. It's quite likely I can get something for around £10-£15.

Wednesday. 6.00 a.m. I was wide awake at 4.45 and couldn't get back to sleep. This is quite normal for me. I decided to clear up the kitchen from last night and sorted my recycling and rubbish. Tied up both bags and took them out to the bins later on. Then I took out Alfie at around 5.20. Another circuit of Oldbrook Green.

10.30 a.m. I purchased ink cartridges for my Canon printer. As it gets a fair amount of use, and it was likely that the ink would get used up rapidly, I thought it might be a good idea to have some set by in storage for the moment the ink was running low. You used to be able to buy these cartridges from Sainsbury's, but they no longer have them on the shelves. The reason I was told, by a member of staff, was that they get stolen by shoppers. It's the same with Gillette Pro and Mach cartridge blades, which are quite expensive. It would appear that some people will steal anything if they imagine they can get away with it, which is why this sort of item tends to be fitted with an electronic device that will sound an alarm if they don't go through the check-outs in a correct manner. I ordered a couple of these cartridges from Viking, an online retailer which sells stationery items. The ink cartridges have remained in the drawer of the printer unit for a couple of months. I have used the printer several times and the ink cartridges which came with it when I bought it have not been replaced. Until yesterday, when I wanted to print and the printer showed that the ink was running low. It wasn't until I opened up the printer, ready to put in the new cartridges, that I discovered that they were the wrong type and wouldn't work in the printer. I really wanted to be able to use the printer, and it's no point in having the thing if it doesn't work. I imagined that Argos would have ink cartridges, the reasoning being because that was where the printer came from. 

I drove to Argos and went inside the store and had to look for the ink cartridges on one of the computer screens to then discover that they didn't have any of the types I wanted in stock. I then decided to drive to the shopping centre to go to W.H. Smith's to find out if they had ink cartridges. I made a mistake and had to drive around the centre of Milton Keynes to arrive at the car park close to The Point and had intended to use the Ring Go app on my iPhone, but for some reason, I needed to put in the password and when I     attempted this, it wouldn't work. Frustrated by this, I decided to return home and think about where else I could obtain the ink cartridges.

I will have to leave the purchase of the ink cartridges until I can find somewhere that stocks them. There is no 'bricks and mortar' stationer anywhere in this area, unfortunately.

Tiresome Tech

 Monday. 7.10 a.m. I have spent the past two days (actually, I have a feeling it may be far more than that.) attempting to get my Canon Pixma printer to work. When I first bought it home, having purchased it from Argos, I had absolutely no problems setting it up and actually managing to get it to print. But now it simply refuses to work. I have now bought it into my lounge from the bedroom, where it has sat on its trolley. It is now plugged in, and I will have another attempt to get it to work. I think I will probably have to ring the Canon helpline and get a technician there to sort the problem out.

10.30 a.m. I have the Canon printer working. I rang the helpline and the technician on the other end of the line went through several options to get the thing up and running. I am not going to describe everything on here, suffice it to say, we went through around three options and the final one worked, much to my relief.

I've been to Sainsbury's, as I needed some food items to take with me in my pack-up when I go to Camphill tomorrow. When I got back to Dexter House, there were workmen in the entrance, with the manhole covers removed, and it looked as if they were about to put something down the drain to unblock the system. This has been on the cards for months, so perhaps the water from my bath and sink will flow better once this has been done. Having spoken to Barbara, the SHO (Sheltered Housing Officer) she told me that they had put a camera down the drain. What on earth were they expecting to see down there? One dreads to think. Does it now mean they are going to use some sort of rod to unblock the drain? But, more importantly, what is blocking the drains within Dexter House? The excitement is just overwhelming. I know, but someone said that sarcasm was the lowest form of wit. You just need some of that around here.

Tuesday. 7.00 a.m. Today would have been Carol's 59th birthday. I am staying at home and not going to Camphill. I am fine, just having a day to myself. They have raised the age when you can retire. I'm not sure what the current age is, but she kept saying that, because of the age being raised, she was never going to retire. For women, the retirement age is currently 67.

I was awake at around 5.45, and I looked out of the window and saw snow falling. But it hasn't settled. Apparently, according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, we're likely to get more snow across the country in the next couple of days and it will settle. There was a warning that transport will be disrupted.

12.20 p.m. I am beginning to write new material which will link to the new character I have developed. It means I have to unpick some of what I had already written in order for this material to be put into my writing and introduce a new character.

Wednesday. 3.30 a.m. Well, here I am, in the middle of the night, sitting here on my MacBook, writing this blog post. My pension has gone into my account. I have checked the balance of my account via the bank's website. I have paid my service charge (monthly payment for such things as water, utilities etc.) and done my daily Bible reading, I had drunk a mug of tea and now I can't get back to sleep! 

Practically Perfect!

 Tuesday. 7.17 a.m. It's a rather drab and dreary day. 'Quite cold generally', which is how Carol Kirkwood is describing today's weather, as I am watching BBC Breakfast as I write this.

4.35 p.m. I have only this minute got back from another day at Camphill, working in the performing arts workshop in the Chrysalis Theatre. Terrie, who is the leader, wasn't in charge today, because her father is ill, and she was with him. Paul was in charge. One or two of the regular team didn't come, for whatever reason. A new young lady came to work in the workshop. She is a regular support worker at Camphill. I don't know what she thought of the theatre workshop, but she seemed to fit in really well.

The morning got started with the usual 'check-in,' when every member of the team talks about what they've been up to and how they feel. This can take some time. 

Then we did several games, the famous EastEnders game, which I've mentioned in an earlier post and 'Bananas' (which I won't attempt to describe on here.) All I can say, very good to break the ice, and they can be a bit daunting if you've never done anything such as this before, but it certainly gets everyone 'warmed up.' A great deal of this is to get people's voices ready for any speaking they are likely to do, which can be good for anyone with a learning disability. When I rejoined the theatre workshop back in November, after almost two years of being away because of the various lockdowns bought in because of the coronavirus pandemic, I was a bit overwhelmed when I started to interact with the group in these games, particularly as I didn't know how they were played. I intend to get involved in as much of this sort of activity as possible, although some of the games I withdraw from.

The rest of the day was spent watching a range of silent films, a couple with Laurel and Hardy, one of which was the famous film, ''The Music Box,' where they have to deliver a piano to a house up some steps and the series of blunders they make in the process. Typical Laurel and Hardly material. Then, some films with Buster Keaton and then Harold Lloyd. 

After Lunch, we had yet another 'check in' and then we watched one of Morecambe and Wise's famous sketches, the one where they are having breakfast, and all their actions are done to the music of 'The Stripper.' Then, we did some exercises whereby we emulated Laurel and Hardy, with the scene in 'The Music Box', where they are clearing up after the disaster in the house they are delivering to, where Ollie is shifting wood from one place to another and Stan puts it back in exactly the same place, so it ends up with them not getting anywhere with the clearing up. We did it with two teams, with moving chairs and it turns out that they end up back where they started and then another with washing up, with the washed-up dishes are being endlessly recycled and washed. We then had to enact what we'd developed to watch the other team's efforts and then they watched ours.

Wednesday. 7.05 a.m. It is getting light earlier and earlier each morning and this morning, as a result of it being light out, I was out with Alfie at around 6.40 this morning. We did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, because I didn't see the point of wasting the early hour to not build up some footsteps with my FitBit. Looking at the FitBit I have on my wrist, it reads 2081 steps.

10 20 a.m. I've just been to Sainsbury's mainly to pick up a repeat prescription from Lloyd's, whose pharmacy is within the store. I now learn that this pharmacy is going to close in July. We have been ordering our medication from Lloyd's for I don't know how many years and know the staff well. They have been very supportive, particularly when Carol was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and always manage to get whatever medication we need. So it will be such a shame for this facility to close. I can move to another pharmacy, but it's so easy to park, with the car park underneath the store. There is the option to set up delivery from Lloyd's and have my meds delivered direct to my flat, but it won't be the same without the personal touch. It seems so many companies are disappearing altogether or moving their businesses online. Argos is owned by Sainsbury and its head office is in Milton Keynes, just a stone's throw from Sainsbury's. Many of their high street stores are closing, and Sainsbury's will have Argos pick-up points in their stores. No doubt all this is as a result of the infamous pandemic lockdowns as well as Brexit.  I will be able to adapt to the new way of receiving my medications, but there will be some people, of a 'certain age' who will prefer to have the human contact of going into a store to pick up their medication and might not be able to use the internet to set up their accounts to have their medication delivered directly.

2.05 p.m. I am continuing to transfer handwritten material into word processing. This particular piece of writing was written some while ago, but it seems to fit as the backstory of the new character I want to bring into the project. It may need to be slightly adapted for that use, but, as it hadn't been used or transcribed, it seemed a good idea to use it.

Another Fun-Packed Week?

Friday. 7.05 a.m. I have come to the conclusion, after a great deal of stress caused by the HP printer which I have been battling to get working (not actually too much for something which isn't doing what it is supposed to do, that's print.) that I replace it with another machine. I have quite a lot of Nectar points, which means I can use them to buy a new device from Argos.

6.20 p.m. I eventually got a new Canon Pixma printer from Argos. I used virtually all my Nectar points, ordering it through the Argos website, I then drove to the Argos store to pick it up. I have set it up and even printed off a couple of pages. It was relatively easy to get set up, and I have downloaded apps onto my iPad and iPhone, which means I can print directly from them. 

Saturday. 8.00 a.m. A mild and rather boring sort of day on the weather front. There's nothing more I can say at the moment.

3.30 p.m. I took Alfie out mid-morning. We did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, and on the opposite side to The Cricketers public house, I saw some snowdrops, just beginning to show. So, the first signs of spring! It is definitely getting milder. Well, compared to what the weather was like around a week ago. I think the temperature is around 10 degrees warmer. 

Sunday. 8.15 a.m. It appears to be another relatively mild morning. 

Monday. 7.15 a.m. Alfie insisted on being taken out earlier than usual. I had only just woken up, and he was still poking me with his paw. I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but when you have a small Yorkshire Terrier poking you on the shoulder and then standing in the open doorway barking at you, I really didn't have much choice. So, very reluctantly, I got dressed and picked him up, and we went out of the side door of Dexter House. I had my small electric torch in my pocket, which was absolutely essential, as otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see to pick up after Alfie.

10.15 a.m. We went out again at around 9.15. It is currently sunny and bright, but once you get outside, it turns out that it's quite chilly, so we didn't hang around.

Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. Yet another mild day. What more can I say?

Grills 'n' Spills!

Tuesday. 6.30 a.m. I have a cold today. I have been sneezing a lot and as a consequence, I won't be going to Camphill. I don't think it's a good idea to go and then spread it around an already vulnerable group. 

I may just add, as a sort of footnote, that there may be grills, or at least a grill, mentioned in this post, but nothing about spills, whether slipping over in the ice and snow or any sort of spill requiring me to clear up something spilt. Just thought you'd like to know. Well, it's not a footnote, come to think of it, as it not at the foot of the post. Just to clear things up before I get into this post.

I purchased a George Foreman grill from Argos a few days ago. I had around £ 40 worth of vouchers, so I didn't actually pay with cash. I have mentioned the monthly men's breakfast which we have where we usually go somewhere such as Morrison's at Westcroft or The Fountain at Loughton but we had discussed having it in the café area at The Oaktree Centre once again. The main obstacle to this is not being able to use the kitchen, which is fully equipped but hasn't been gas safety certified. (Actually, it wouldn't be a problem if the certification didn't cost in the region of £250.) I thought that a George Foreman grill would be handy as you can cook paninis on it and some fried/grilled food such as sausages. 

Wednesday. 6.45 a.m. On Monday evening I was going to have pork chops for my evening meal and I usually sear them in a frying pan before I put them into the oven to cook through thoroughly. Because of having the George Foreman grill sitting on the shelf and unused and the fact I was determined to try it out for the first time, I got it out and set it up on the work surface in the kitchen. It didn't take it long to warm up and when it was ready I put the chops on it. But, as it began to cook, it produced steam and a bit of smoke, which set off the smoke/fire alarm. It didn't just go off in my flat but throughout Dexter House. I waved a tea towel under the fire alarm in the ceiling and I think it cleared the smoke. But thinking about it now, why did nobody come and see what set the alarm off? Fortunately, it didn't go off for too long, otherwise, we would have had a visit from the fire engines which is what usually happens when a fire alarm is set off. I was supposed to have an extractor fan fitted to my kitchen window by Mears, but I am still awaiting this installation so that this sort of thing doesn't happen. Pigs might fly!

Another box ticked. I have ordered my grandchildren's Christmas present from Smyth's website and the present will be delivered straight to their home in Worcester. It saves me having to go out and buy it and then wrap it and then go wherever (probably not a Post Office, because of the current strikes.) and have it sent by whatever means. All this was done at around 3 a.m. because I was wide awake and couldn't sleep.

10.10 a.m. Yet another snowy day, although we haven't had any more fall. Probably just as well. As I write, the sun is out and I have been out to clear the car of ice. I have sprayed the windows and had the heaters on, but I have mislaid the scraper. I'm keen to have it clear enough to see out properly as I am going to have the blood test at 11.20. I don't relish having needles stuck in my arm, as I must have explained in earlier posts. If it's done quickly, then I don't mind. It's when they say 'I can't find a vein' that it worries me. After I'd had my first heart attack back in 2006, they wanted to take blood and at one point the nurse (venipuncturist? Is that the correct name?) had a problem taking blood and wanted to take it from one of my hands. No way would I allow it. It would be far too painful. It should come from a fleshy part of your anatomy. They took it from my leg. I left the hospital with one arm looking black and blue where they'd attempted to take blood, and more like I'd been in some sort of accident, or a battle. Yes, the battle with a needle. All this because I have narrow veins and at one surgery they decided that they needed to use a needle which was really narrow and suitable for taking blood from babies!

1.45 p.m. I have been for my appointment to have blood taken for a blood test. It was scheduled for 11.20 a.m., but I almost always attempt to arrive at such appointments early, so that I can possibly be seen earlier. I signed in, using the computerized system, but then I had an urgent need for a toilet (I'm afraid age has a large part to play in this.) To be honest, I prefer to look for toilets on my own, without having to ask. Well, it can't be too difficult to find such facilities without having to ask. Most toilets are well enough signposted or at least, market 'Ladies' or 'Gents.' But when I had a wander, the only one I could find was locked. You needed a special Radar key, which I know about, having been a carer of people who require facilities and so have the special key with me for such an eventuality. But, in a doctor's surgery, you would imagine that toilets would be easily accessible without having to resort to such a key. So I had to go to the reception desk and ask where the nearest toilet was and was then told to use the Radar key, which was in a special container at the front of the reception desk. Which is what I did and was able to use the aforementioned facilities.

I returned to my seat in the waiting area and then someone came out calling for 'Mr Gillespie.' It made me look up, as my middle name is Gillespie, which was the surname on my maternal grandmother's side of my family. At one time I even double-barrelled it and called myself John Gillespie-Murdoeh, but looking back that sounds somewhat pretentious. I went with the nurse to the room and told her I would need to lie down to have the blood taken. So, I lay on the couch and she started to look for a vein in my right arm. It was then that I began to worry that she wouldn't be able to find a suitable vein and be able to take blood. She then decided to have a go at my left arm and after some effort, she did manage to take some blood. 

When I go for such an appointment, I am usually able to start some sort of conversation, but she wasn't going to communicate in any other way except about the job at hand. I find, in such situations, that some sort of rapport can elevate the tension, particularly as I have terrible experiences with giving blood (as mentioned earlier in this post. She seemed in rather an uncooperative mood and a bit glum, to say the least, but at least the blood sample was taken and I should get the result in a couple of days. I said 'perhaps I am bloodless' and 'I wouldn't make a very good vampire,' but to no avail. Never mind. Some falls on stony ground. I just have to accept that some people just don't appreciate my sense of humour, such as it is. 

Another Week Of Excitement? Don't Bank On It.

 Monday. 6.40 a.m. Here I am, early morning, in my sitting room (lounge to some. Makes me think of someone laying nonchalantly on a chaise lounge or sofa, literally lounging.) It's dark outside. I'm not good at this time of year. Lack of light or something.

10.10 a.m. There's an annoying sound outside in the street. It's a high-pitched drone. I think it's council workers cutting the hedges along Dexter Avenue. The hedges are definitely in need of a trim, but at the moment it's really getting on my nerves and not helping my concentration. It is a continuous drone sound, a single note that goes right through your head and, as a result, clears all the ideas you ever had out of your brain. Just horrible.

I have been transferring some more handwritten material onto word processing. It's a piece I started and had more or less forgotten. It relates to what I have already written, but you would call it 'meta.' That is,  set in a sort of parallel world of the central character of the longer piece (if that makes sense. Meta, referring to the fictional world.) Much like in Shakespeare, the 'play-within-a-play' in 'Hamlet' uses theatrical metaphors as a device. I'm not going to discuss it further on here as it is still in development and I don't want to give away any plot details.

Tuesday. 7.45 a.m. Did I say, a week of excitement? But this is Fogeyville (my name for Dexter House.) I don't think there's any likelihood of any sort of excitement, except for the regular Wednesday afternoon tea-and-biscuits session in the communal lounge. I did go the first week, and I attempted to start some sort of intelligent conversation, and I drew a complete blank. There's to be a Christmas party on Friday afternoon, but I will be elsewhere at that time.

It's another relatively mild morning, although I have found my gloves, and I'm wearing one of my long-sleeved Marks and Spencer Rugby shirts. Really warm. I wanted to iron it, using my steam iron, but it just won't work properly. It won't reach a high enough temperature and therefore produce steam to work efficiently, so it looks as if I'm going to have to replace it. Looking on the Argos website, I have discovered you can get a cordless steam iron, which would make things easier without the electric cable getting in the way. I did set up my ironing board in the kitchen, but there's so little space, it makes it very difficult. 

4.45 p.m. I've just got back from Camphill, after another good day in the theatre workshop. I'm so impressed by these people, most of whom have some form of learning disability. Some have real problems with communication, but they manage to get up on stage and perform, have to remember not just lines, but where to stand and then create a character. Just quite emotional. There's one lady who came in to see whether she would like to be part of the group, and, after only a couple of weeks, she's contributing, taking on a part and by now is really confident. The group works so well, and it's a real delight to be part of it all.

Time and Time Again!

Friday.7.00 a.m. I woke a lot later than usual, so it took me longer to get going. You know what I mean, not exactly 'with it', but, there again, not 'without it', either. Alfie barked and made a strange noise, which sounded as if he had bronchitis. Not his usual loud barking, but we still managed to get outside.

Friday. 8.20. Another bright, but not necessarily warm, morning. 

Yesterday morning I had a bit of survey work to do. I do many of these online, and I've earned quite a bit in either cash or vouchers, mostly Amazon vouchers. This was actually done in a place in the centre of Milton Keynes, Margaret Powell House. (Incidentally, who was or is Margaret Powell? Her name seems to pop up all over the place around Milton Keynes. I will have to do some research and then let you know here.) Anyway, this session was to test pizza (I'm not going to go into any more detail than that.) There were quite a few other people signed up, and we were given pieces of pizza to taste and then evaluate via a survey done online (as most of these are done.) It took around an hour, and I've been paid with a £20 Amazon voucher, which came in an email earlier this morning. I participated in two online communities during the past week, one on insurance and another on pet food. Again, I won't give any more details than that. I have done several of these, where you spend a week or a few days discussing things, uploading videos or photographs and answering questions. I am still waiting for payment for both of these, but I trust they will send me my vouchers within the next week or so.

I have been looking for a new digital camera that will not only take still photographs, but also video. It seems that these cameras have developed to such an extent that the quality is incredibly good. I bought a Canon digital camera at the time I officially retired, as a sort of present to myself. It is good, but being over seven years old, it is somewhat limited. It will take digital video, but I haven't really tried it out to push it to its full potential. Now there are people who vlog, that is, upload videos to YouTube. I have watched a lot of this material and can show it on my  Hitachi HD television by using an Amazon Fire Stick.   I have looked at Canon and Sony digital cameras, some come as part of a kit, whereby you get a camera, but also a microphone, a special light and a tripod, so you are more or less ready to shoot 'out of the box.' 

I have since found that you can have a similar kit for your mobile phone, which comes with a mini tripod which allows you to attach your phone and connect a small LCD light and microphone. So, I found one on Amazon, the brand being Rode, a reputable brand and I ordered it, and it was delivered yesterday evening. I have to say, when you buy on Amazon, particularly this type of item, you are inundated with a vast array of similar items, not just the more reputable brands, such as Rode. There is the temptation to buy a cheaper, possibly, unknown brand, which, once you receive it, turns out to be of very cheap quality, most likely made in China, and not up to scratch. They seem to think it's fine to make an inferior copy of a reputable brand, without any respect for patents or copyright. You then discover that it doesn't deliver on quality in any area, and probably fails miserably, probably falling apart after only a couple of uses, probably because they cut corners and use poor quality materials. The Rode vlogger kit I ordered seems made of quality materials and engineered to high standards.

As with so much of what you buy these days, the instructions you get are very basic. In some cases, if you go on YouTube, you can find a video which gives good instructions on how to set up most gadgets. I managed to put the Rode vlogger kit, but not to complete it. But this morning I found out how to finish it and I'm more than pleased with it. Now to do some filming. I'm not sure what as I write this.

Earlier in the week, my FitBit failed. At first, I thought it hadn't got enough power, but the screen went like an old-fashioned television, with lots of lines and the clock face showing up behind these lines. It just wasn't going to resolve itself, so I went on the FitBit website. I wasn't entirely sure whether it had been registered, but I discovered I had bought it back in February, having got it through the Argos website and, fortunately, there was a record. I didn't have a paper receipt. I got on the live 'chat' and the agent told me I could have a replacement. So I filled out my address via an email I was sent and will now await the replacement's delivery. But now I am without any sort of wristwatch because I have been using the FitBit's time-keeping facility and I don't know where my red Casio G-Shock wristwatch has gone.

Some Like It Hot!

Saturday. 6.10 a.m. The title is from one of my all-time favourite films, 'Some Like It Hot', starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.  It really can't be bettered and must never, under any circumstances, be remade. 

Another warm and sunny morning. The temperature, as recorded by my digital thermometer, reads 72ºF. This is about as low as it's been in quite some time.

We are being warned that the temperature is going to reach somewhere in the region of 104ºF on Monday and Tuesday. There is a red warning in place by the weather forecasters, which is the first time this has been issued in Britain. But do we really need to be warned? Can't we make our own minds up? It smacks of infantilization. This never ever happened years ago, particularly during the heatwave of the summer of 1976. The government has called a 'national emergency.' Crazy. Just going somewhat over the top.

2.50 p.m. We had another men's breakfast this morning. We met in Morrison's store in Westcroft. Richard, who is the leader of the group (whether he likes being called that is another matter.), but he has covid, so he didn't appear. This group is now officially meeting in the community room in Morrison's, but none of the staff seemed to know, even though it was clearly written on the whiteboard outside the room. Not really a problem. We all ordered our food and then it was bought in as it was ready by staff. When we finished at around 10 o'clock, a group of us then went to the Oaktree Centre to assist with the construction of a tent, or to be more precise, a 'gala' tent. It was/is made up of a series of metal tubes which lock together. A bit of an enigma until you begin to put it together, following a printed manual. Once the sections are connected one to the other, there are bolts that screw the various sections together and are then tightened with an Allen key. We only constructed the roof section and once this was assembled it was moved into the open courtyard space where it would be completed tomorrow. This is for an outdoor service tomorrow and is part of the summer festival.

The temperature currently reads 79ºF on my digital thermometer.

On the way home, I went into Sainsbury's to buy some food for the picnic at church tomorrow. As I don't have a working oven at the moment, I bought salad stuff, a sun hat (a rather natty trilby, by the way!) and some spray sunblock, which I find easier to put on rather than greasy sun lotion which I hate. When I got home I decided I needed a cool box for carrying food to the picnic and went on the Argos website and ordered one and immediately went to their shop in Grafton Gate to collect it. I was also hoping they might have some of those freeze blocks you can get which you put in your freezer, and they freeze and are used to cool your picnic items in your cool box. But they had sold out, not surprising because of the hot weather. I then went round to Morrison's, which is behind the Argos store and asked a member of staff, and she said they didn't have any, but I could have a load of industrial cool blocks they used to keep stock cool. I was taken into a storage area, not normally accessible to customers, and a young man gave me a pack full of these cooling blocks without me having to pay! 

Too Darn Hot!

 Friday. 9.30 a.m. Last night was incredibly hot and sticky and somewhat difficult to sleep, even with a window open and an electric fan on in the bedroom and lounge.

I have rung Mears, having had a letter telling me about having my kitchen upgraded. I have rung and someone is coming to see me next Wednesday between 9a.m and 2 p.m. to discuss my options, which must refer to the colour of worktops and cupboard doors etc. I'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

11.00 a.m. It's hotter than ever! My beloved digital thermometer currently reads 80ºF. Getting hotter than ever.

I took Alfie out for a whirl around Oldbrook Green. On the way back inside, I was walking along the corridor when there was a loud sound like a gun going off. It almost made me jump out of my skin (well, it would, understandably.) Workmen are currently replacing the glass in the recently newly replaced front doors in all the flats in Dexter House. The glass has become cracked in mine and probably in many of the other flats. I was at the point of going out to Sainsbury's when there was a knock on my front door and a workman told me he was going to replace the glass. Just as well I was going out as the noise would have been unpleasant. As Alfie was in the lounge with the door closed, I don't know what he would have made of the noise. Having just got back from Sainsbury's, the glass has been replaced and the job completed.

Saturday. 8.10 a.m. It's a good deal cooler out this morning, thank goodness. It was far easier to sleep. That is, outside. Meanwhile, within this flat, my digital thermometer reads an exceptional 81ºF. I still have one electric fan running.

My Goodmans soundbar stopped working. What is it with technology? One minute it works perfectly and the next it won't function. I put new batteries in the remote, but still, it refused to work. I decided that if that was the case, the thing needed replacing. It really improves the rather tinny sound you get from a television set. So I looked on the Argos website and, as I had enough vouchers from doing surveys, I decided to cash some in. The cost of the actual soundbar was actually a few pounds more than the one I had my eye on. My thinking is it's better to go for a better model as it will have more features, such as Bluetooth connectivity and generally better quality build etc. So I ordered the vouchers and thought I won't get them for a couple of weeks. That is if they were paper vouchers. But I then found an email had come in informing me of the online codes for Argos. So, I wrote down all the codes and then ordered the soundbar, the make being LG, and put these codes into the relevant online space and was able to go to the Argos store in Milton Keynes to collect the item. All done, collected and the soundbar is working and I'm really pleased with the thing!

1.45 p.m. What a difference a day makes, as the song goes. And it's true. From baking hot for the past couple of days to a good deal cooler and wet! Not bucketing down, no cats and dogs, stair-rods, or whatever, but still moderately wet. I have taken Alfie out twice and on each occasion, he has turned tail and come back indoors when he's felt even the slightest drop of moisture on his back!

A Mad World, My Masters!

 Tuesday. 10.45 a.m. I had a visit from the gentleman from Mears about my bathroom. I would appear that I can't have a bath, unfortunately, as it would mean some structural alterations to the flat (ie: removing the airing cupboard. What use does it really have? Somewhere to store towels and bedding and not much else. )I can have a shower unit. I don't mind, so long as it's arranged, so I can actually stand under it. But I would love to be able to have a soak in a bath, but no hope. I may hear in either two weeks or as long as SIX MONTHS whether the work is going ahead. Someone in the Council has to make the decision whether the work has to go ahead. Why? Everyone else in this unit is having new bathrooms and kitchens, more because the old ones are well past their best. Some bureaucrat who sits in an office, pushing paper over a desk. Just there to make themself look important and just slowing down the decisions, a bit like Sir Humphrey Appleby in the sitcom 'Yes, Minister' but more likely some underling who would do the job. 

I was really unwell overnight. Really hot, painful joints and so on. I was wondering, as you would if it was covid, so I reluctantly did a test. I hate doing it, as poking swabs in my throat and nose is really unpleasant. I waited the obligatory 30 minutes for the result and only one red line showed up, so a negative result. But I was still feeling awful, so I did a second one yesterday evening. Another negative test. Then, when I was eating my evening meal, I had to be sick. Not nice. 

Wednesday. 8.40 a.m. I'm still feeling queasy. Still have aching joints, but it seems to be clearing up. I'm not going anywhere today. I will just stay in the flat, I think.

The stairs up to my flat are painted. I should actually be far more precise and say the bannisters and not the actual treads. They've been sanded and have the first white undercoat. 

Thursday. 7.00a.m. I'm not feeling as bad as I did yesterday morning, but I still have aching joints. I'll just have to let this thing run it's course.

I took Alfie to The Groom Room in Bletchley for his haircut. It's was going to take a good deal longer than it usually does, around an hour. As usual, when I went to collect him at around 4.45, he was just looking amazing. It's great to see his face properly as his eyes were lost behind a rather untidy fringe if you could call it that. And he smells better! And they managed to clean his teeth, which is a job I could never even attempt.

I had to wait for around 20 minutes before I could take Alfie into The Groom Room. It was surprisingly busy, which must say quite a bit about the quality of their work. People won't use a business, such as dog grooming, if the service is poor. The staff really seem to enjoy their work and the dogs they groom are well looked after. Alfie seems to love going there, and I think treats his grooming sessions as if he's being pampered and cared for, which I suppose in some ways he is.

Sunday. 2.20 a.m. Well, here I am, sitting and writing this. Just not getting back to sleep.

I have taken the confounded Canon printer back to Argos and got a refund and put it towards another printer, this time an HP model, paying around an extra £15. I have spent most of yesterday setting it up and I had most of it done within around an hour of unboxing it. It now prints from my iPad and iPhone and I have yet to sort out the MacBook, but I think I have that sorted. It's so much easier to set up than the Canon and I honestly think it's a better machine. A few differences, for example, the paper goes into the machine at the rear, but it really makes no difference.

I didn't go to church this morning as the fluey 'thing' is still hanging about. My leg muscles still ache, and my throat is dry, which is making my voice sound very odd. Actually be quite good for doing villain type voices, which I might try on the microphone if I can get it set up. 

I have managed to print some pages using the new HP printer. Success at last! I'm so glad that, after more than a week, I have got to 'mission accomplished.' All that annoyance with the Canon printer wasn't actually for nothing and it looks as if I have a far better printer as a result.

Irksome Inking

Wednesday. 7.15 a.m. My Canon printer is being annoying. I don't think it's just my printer that plays up relentlessly. I have been fiddling with it to get it to work, but it still won't play ball. All I want it to do is print out some of my work, but it refuses. As a result, I have decided to replace it and have looked on the Argos website and have found what I think is a better printer, also a Canon, which can be connected to my MacBook via Wi-Fi and will also connect to my iPhone and iPad via an app. Just shows that if you upgrade technology, there are benefits. I have been looking for a way of connecting my iPad in particular to a printer, as there is material on there that I would like to print out.

Still no word from Mears regarding my bathroom being upgraded. I live in hope that something might happen regarding this, but I don't put a lot of faith in any of the organizations involved.

Thursday 7.20 a.m. It's icy this morning. My digital thermometer currently reads 55ºF. It was well over 70ºF up until only a couple of days ago. Mind you, that's indoors. It was something of a shock to find it bitterly cold when I took Alfie out around an hour ago. Then I discover ice on my kitchen window, which is left open to, ironically, let the heat out, because the flat is so over-heated. 

I have now purchased a new inkjet Canon printer. I am signed up to something where I use an app on my iPhone and scan the barcodes of everything I buy, and I earn points which can be redeemed for vouchers and other items and I had enough to transfer into Argos vouchers, which I did yesterday and ordered the new printer on the Argos website and collected the printer from the Argos store. This printer will work using wifi and can be connected to my iPad and iPhone, but I have only managed to get it to work via a cable. I hope to eventually get it connected to Wi-Fi, which would mean not going into the bedroom, where the printer is set up and being able to print from the lounge via Wi-Fi.

9.00 a.m. Goodness, gracious! It's now snowing. I think it's a good idea to turn the heating up and probably diving back under the duvet for the rest of the day. I can't take Alfie out in this. He won't like the wet or the cold, and neither will I.

4.50 p.m. We had a tenant's meeting this afternoon. There was a lady there who is from an independent organization researching tenants' grievances about Mears, the maintenance company who are supposed to look after Dexter House. They don't seem to have a very good reputation, and it's not just this project which is having problems with them.

A Little Of What You Fancy

I think the Partygate scandal, if indeed it can be termed a scandal, just shows how much Boris Johnson can obfuscate. Now there's a good word. I think I will henceforth attempt to find a 'Word of The Week. This word.

So, obfuscate. Wording something in such a way that it is so excessively complicated that nobody really understands it. This can be said of the crazy and somewhat pointless regulations regarding the pandemic lockdowns. Then, why on earth are there different regulations in the various constituent countries in the United Kingdom? Why are they not consistent throughout the whole United Kingdom? Then, on top of that, we have Boris Johnson who waffles on and seems to evade responding to the various questions in Prime Ministers Questions and debates in the House of Commons, such as, was he at a party in 10 Downing Street or other government establishments?

Wednesday. 2.50 p.m. So, Denmark has got rid of all its pandemic lockdown rules and regulations. So, when can we in Great Britain remove all of our stupid restrictions? Boris was more or less bludgeoned into introducing them in the first place, by the scientists who should have known better.

I think it's time to drop any more mentions of Partygate. It's getting really boring. 

Thursday. 7.45 a.m. Quite mild as I write this. I just hope it stays that way, at least, for the next week or so.

I've bought a Fitbit Versa 2. It replaces the old one I've had for a couple of years, which stopped working. This model isn't merely a step counter, but a watch that measures heart-rate, and many other things. I bought it from Argos, using my Nectar points and points I had collected doing various online surveys. I was surprised how quickly I was able to get it up and running and using it. I had ordered it via the Argos website and collected it from their store in Milton Keynes yesterday morning ('Click and Collect' I believe they call this.) Argos have stopped their catalogue and seem to only work with their website. I suppose it must have been extremely expensive to create these catalogues which came out twice a year and then distribute them. If you have the internet it's far easier to find and order items which you can then collect from their showrooms or have delivered.

I went to my first lecture of the National Trust Association at the Oaktree Centre at 2 p.m. It was somewhat off being there, but not for a church event, but nevertheless it was interesting. It was a talk by someone who used to work for Charles Ross fine art auctioneers in Woburn. Charles Ross is a regular antique expert on such television shows as Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. This gentleman, by the name of Evan Willison, gave an amusing talk (he didn't like it being called a lecture, and I can see why. Smacks of 'education' and it being somewhat po-faced, which this certainly wasn't. He mentioned many and various incidents which had happened to him over the course of working as an auctioneer for over 30 years. Very amusing. I was surprised by how well attended the event was. There are regular talks given on a variety of subjects as well as outings to various places, one coming up to the British Museum and another to Chartwell, home of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. I don't think I will be going on that one, having already visited and the fact that it would take a good two hours to travel down to Kent and then another two hours back on a coach. Not my idea of fun, particularly as I'm over six foot tall and sitting on a coach for any length of time would be uncomfortable. Most coaches aren't designed with any thought for someone my height. I may wait and see what other outings they have and decide to go one something else, especially if it's to one of the National Trust properties.

June Is Bustin' Out All Over!

Okay, okay! Another blog post title quiz question. . . Where is this title from? Another musical . . . written by Rogers and Hammerstein. . . It's from their musical 'Carousel.' I actually thought it was from 'Oklahoma!', but after a Goole search, I found out my guess was wrong.

Saturday.7.10 a.m.  Yet another bright and sunny morning. It does seem that June is definitely 'Bustin'' out all over Oldbrook and further afield. Trees in full leaf. Flowers popping up all over the place. Birdies building their nests and fledglings taking their first flight. Goodness knows what else, but things are definitely bustin' out all over!

10.25 a.m. I decided I needed a hand mixer for use with my baking. Something simple, a hand mixer, which would make whisking up cake mix, batter, and other items far quicker and easier. I had a look on the internet, Amazon as a start-off, but so many brands that I haven't heard of, some cheaper than others and some definitely more than I was willing to pay. Then I thought of Argos and the fact I had quite a few Nectar points which I've collected through shopping in Sainsbury's and which I get with having a home contents insurance policy with Sainsbury's Bank. I had a look and then read the reviews of some of those hand mixers, the cheapest not having very good or at least, mixed (sorry about the pun! Just couldn't help it I'm afraid.) one saying it was liable to over-heat, so no good. I expected to pay a bit more, so I found a Kenwood model, a good brand, and supposedly reliable, so I decided on that one and at £22.99 seemingly good value. Multi-speed and you can store it with the whisks disconnected and stand on its flat base. So, it seemed ideal for my kitchen which has limited storage space.

I wanted to pay online and use the Nectar points and buy it through 'Click and Collect,' which I have done with some other items I have bought recently, such as my electric kettle, toaster, and more recently my food processor. It took several attempts to get the website to function and I had to pay 49p with my Debit card as the price of the food mixer was that much more than the number of nectar points would allow. Only possible to use £2.50 worth of points at a time if that makes sense. I eventually got the site to work for me, paid, and then an email to say that I could collect the item after 9 a.m because that was when Argos opened on a Saturday morning.

I needed to go to Lloyd's pharmacy in Sansbury's to collect a ready prescription, Beconase, which my doctor had prescribed when I mentioned the coughing I am experiencing at the moment and discussed during the telephone I had with her on Friday afternoon (I will mention this in the next blog post.) I also needed some shaving gel, because I had reached the end of the current pack and I cannot shave without gel, together with one or two other items. In and out relatively quickly and from there I had intended to drive to Argos, a short trip down Avebury Boulevard, or should have been until I discovered that the road was closed off due to work being done to construct a roundabout and traffic lights on the intersection with Avebury Boulevard and Grafton Street. It took me quite a while to work out a route to Argos, eventually driving further up Child's Way and going 180 degrees round the roundabout on Watling Street and then back towards the city centre and into the turning for Morrisons and through the car parks and park outside Argos. A good 20 minutes wasted in the process and several extra miles are driven somewhat unnecessarily, but I managed to collect the Kenwood hand mixer and return home, having completed the mission. 

later. I had been searching for cardboard bowls. For what purpose? Well, having made those scones I have mentioned in earlier posts, I found what I wanted in Sainsbury's this morning. I am giving them to my neighbours in Dexter House. I am putting the two halves of one scone in each bowl, buttered (actually it's Sainsbury's Olivia spread, but it's about as close to real butter and made of olive oil.) along with a teaspoonful of raspberry jam in an improvised kitchen foil container. I am attempting to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, having my containers fully recyclable wherever possible. My first delivery was to two tenants in the flat below me. I shall continue with further flats as the week progresses.

Now I have the mixer I want to experiment with other recipes. I have done scones before as well as brownies, which I may attempt once again and probably try something slightly more complicated, such as a fruit cake. I've made Victoria sponges, but I will need to buy some new baking tins and I think it's worth buying better quality, made of higher-grade materials because cheap, thin tins rust quickly and don't last as well as better, higher grade tins. It will be worth visiting T.K.Maax or Homesense, which is a subsidiary of T.K.Maax. You can buy some really good quality homeware items in both stores and at great discounts, up to around 60%. Never pay full price on anything if you can get something for a reduced price. 

Silly Title For A Blog Post!

I can't think of a better name to put in the title of this blog post. And why not? I may think of a better one, but it doesn't really matter.

Wednesday. 10.55 p.m. I was sitting waiting to go out after 9 o'clock this morning and as I waited, the telephone rang and it was the renal unit at Milton Keynes Hospital. My appointment with a consultant there is cancelled. This is a relief to me as it must be due to the consultant there looking at the results of my recent blood test. I was advised by the nice lady I spoke to that I should contact my GP at Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre to discuss where my care will go next. Just a relief that nothing suspicious was discovered.  I then drove to Aldi in Bradwell Common to do a top-up shop. 

I attempted to telephone Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre this afternoon. I could not get through, even after around three attempts. You get through to the appointments line after you get the 'menu of options, but after being held with nothing but a voice telling you which options to select and that you can make your appointment online, I just gave up. Well, I did attempt to make an appointment via the online facility, but for some reason, it has been blocked, so it annoys me that they tell you it is an alternative to the telephone system. I shall just have to have another attempt tomorrow morning.

Thursday. 12.20 p.m. It's a strange sort of day weather-wise. It started out dry and mild, but as I write this the weather has changed for the worse. It's howling a gale outside (just as well not inside!) and I reckon it will rain before the day is over.

At long last, after around half a dozen attempts, I have managed to get through to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. I will get a phone call from my doctor on 11th June between 2 and 6 p.m. 

I have bought a food processor. I have spent vouchers I earned from doing online surveys, one of which is something I have been on for around 10 years, where I have to log anything I buy, books, CDs, clothing etc. As you log your items, you earn points and then, when you have enough, you can cash them in for vouchers The site is called Consumer Pulse. The only way you can get involved is to have an invitation, which I did. Over the years I have been able to trade my vouchers in for a Panasonic Freeview box, a Hitachi HD television, a Panasonic microwave oven and several more items. I got most of these items from Argos, and recently I bought myself a new electric kettle, toaster, kitchen knives and more recently the Bosch food processor. I am with other online survey sites, each earning points which can be converted into either cash or vouchers. If Amazon points, it allows me to buy books and virtually anything on their site. I have today ordered a digital kitchen scales which I intend to use to do some baking. I have also done some market research where you chat via Zoom (which is convenient since we were in lockdown at the time.) and earned considerably more than doing the straightforward online surveys. The cash from those has gone into my savings account. I would like more similar surveys.

Later. 2.30 p.m. The post came at around 1.30. I picked it up from the floor after it came through the letterbox. One envelope, with an address window in it. An appointment has been made for me at Milton Keynes Hospital on 21st June. Wait a minute. Didn't I have a telephone call from the hospital to tell me there was no need for the appointment and that it had been cancelled? What is going on here? No wonder the NHS is always in such a financial mess, with this sort of craziness going on. It just seems a waste. A definite case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing.

It's 'Sno' Surprise!

(Sunday) I watched church on-line from Milton Keynes Christian Centre, which is actually only a short walk from where I live in Oldbrook. I can watch via my Firestick in my Hitachi television and it has a YouTube app on it, so it has widescreen and sound through the sound bar connected to the television. At the end there was a Zoom hang-out which was a first, but seemed a good idea to get a chance to chat. I'm beginning to get the hang of Zoom. Afterwards I had to take Alfie out. I was somewhat surprised when I looked out of the kitchen window later to find heavy snow falling, and the garden below my window covered in a fairly thick layer of the white stuff. I got dressed up which included the dayglo yellow Regatta raincoat and got Alfie togged up in his Regatta jacket and we proceeded to exit Dexter House. I don't think he was particularly bothered by the snow, although, as I've mentioned on here before, he doesn't like rain and getting wet, but we walked towards Oldbrook Green and did our usual perambulation all the way round.

But it was really no surprise that we got snow over night because of the weather forecast yesterday which made sure people knew what was coming. I imagine there will be people who don't bother to watch or even listen to the weather forecast, rather like those who say they never listen to any news, particularly about the pandemic, and are surprised when they get fined for breaching the various regulations which have been bought in by the government.

(Monday) There's still snow on the ground. It's quite slippery on the path leading to Oldbrook Green. It is actually sunny as I write this, but still quite chilly out. It could be worse.

(Tuesday) Just wish I could be going to Camphill, as I would have been if things were normal, whatever 'normal' is with this confounded pandemic. I really miss those guys in the drama workshop. I just hope that it won't be much longer now there's a vaccine against the virus. I hope they are alright at Camphill. I have an idea they've all had the first vaccine injection.

It's another snowy morning, but it looks to me as if it's thawing. Still a bit slippery on the path towards Oldbrook Green.

(Wednesday) The snow is . . . gone! Not that I'm sorry to see it go. Scraping ice of the car is a real chore, generally getting the car going for example. Slipping and sliding all over the place as we walk along the path towards Oldbrook Green, getting togged up. Looking for hats and gloves. Well, there are worse things but snow is just a nuisance. Alright for children I suppose. Lovely to see my three grandsons, George, Eddie and Arthur, having fun building snowmen and other creatures, as Chloe sends me photos and videos of them.

(Later) I've been to Sainsbury's to do a shop. Virtually no other shoppers at 9a.m. on a Wednesday. That suits me. Having written a list, it means I don't waste time thinking what to buy which definitely speeds things up.

I have got the bolt and other bits which were missing from the coffee table. There was a package on the doorstep when I came back home from taking Alfie for a walk. I have also bought an electric screwdriver from Argos. I wasn't sure if such a thing was available and I was surprised to find it was. I had some of the voucher left on the Argos website so I ordered it. I then went to Argos to collect it before I went to shop in Sainsbury's and when I got home I charged it up as it comes with it's own charger as well as a set of interchangeable screwdriver heads. I was going to say drill bits, but it's not a drill. I have been able to put the drawer together and tighten up the screws, which was the whole point of the chargeable screwdriver. You can do it far more efficiently with this piece of kit rather than attempting to do it with an ordinary manual screwdriver. And I have completed the drawer with it's metal handle as well as finishing off tightening the screws holding the coffee table together. I have to say I'm really pleased with the coffee table. It's a good deal wider than the old IKEA coffee table I had when I first moved in, and came with me from the house in Eaglestone. I now want to get a replacement for the table next to my armchair which houses the wifi modem and telephone. 

I've managed to do a bit more writing. Been lazy really. I have a sort of storyline written and it's been on my computer for goodness knows how long, probably long before I moved out of the house in Eaglestone. It's just a matter of sitting down and making a serious effort to write, using the storyline as a sort of framework or even the scaffolding of a piece of writing. Glad I have as it went better than I'd hoped and the style is how I want it, if that makes sense. It may not to anyone reading this, but it does to me.