Spring Sprung and Smart Meter No Go

(Monday)We were out earlier than usual this morning. Alfie can't wait to get out the door, he barely give me time to eat a bowl of breakfast cereal and drink a cup of tea. It was bright and sunny, but stlll chilly.

(Tuesday) I was surprised that there was ice on the car's windscreen this morning. I soon got rid of it with a spray of antifreeze. I had a good time with the drama students at Camphill. They are really good at remembering their lines. I had to stand in and speak for some of those who weren't available to rehearse.

(Thursday) Taking out Alfie for his early-morning walk (more like trot.) around Eaglestone Park, and we have been out well before 6.30. I don't know what the local residents think when they hear Alfie's barking as we leave the house. The trees are well and truly coming into leaf, intact the whole place is greening up well, so I think it's very clear to me that spring has sprung.

I'm clearing out more of Carol's stuff and have another two bags to take to Barnardo's in Oldbrook. The job is going slowly, but I'm getting there. Still not entirely sure what my situation is regarding accommodation, because I can't afford to stay in this house. I think I need to find a smaller home with one bedroom and with an enclosed garden for Alfie's safety. Infact, it needs to be dog friendly.

I've seen more birds on the feeding station. Although the lounge window is difficult to see through because the double glazing has got damp inside it and it's not possible to clean off. Whoever put in the double glazing in this house had absolutely no concept of the idea of how it works and the seal which is supposed to create a vacuum has been broken and this is what is causing the damp inside the air space between the two layers of glass. It looks really horrible, but there is very little I can do about it, and as a result it's difficult to get a clear view through the glass. It's a great shame, because it means I don't get a decent view of the bird station. It's the same with the window in my bedroom. That is really dirty and damp, meaning you don't get a clear view out.

I was expecting to have a smart meter installed tomorrow. This was after I got a telephone call from the company called Boost, who are part of OVO, around six weeks ago. We have been with Utility Warehouse in all the time we've lived at this house, but Carol was reluctant to change to a different supplier for our electricity and gas. We had a supplier come out around 2 years ago to install a smart meter, but when they inspected the cupboard (which is on the front outside wall of the house, facing the road.) they decided that it wouldn't be possible, basically because the gas meter is in the bin cupboard (outside) whilst the electricity meter is on the inside. If the new smart meter was to be installed they would need to drill a hole in the wall because they would need the cable to be installed in the smart meter. When Boost originally rang me, I told them there would be a problem, but they wouldn't have it. But the installers came TODAY! I had only just got in from doing some shopping. It was well I came back when I did otherwise they wouldn't have been able to inspect the cupboard. I never got any sort of communication from Boost to remind me which day they were supposed to visit, either a letter, an email or even a text message. I had to find their telephone number on line and then ring to confirm the day and time. It seems crazy that they couldn't communicate and then come a day too early! So, I will have to continue topping up the gas and electricity with the keys and card although it won't be in  smart meter which would make it easier as you can pay in a variety of way, via an app, or on line as well as with key and card, which you top up at a local shop.

Later. 3.25 p.m. It's really warm and sunny a few more birds flitting on and off the bird feeding station. I will have to fill the peanut feeder up. It's very low on food. I think the blue tits like this particular food. The other newer feeders don't seem to be so busy, or busy at all as I don't think any birds have visited them.

Later still. I was watching 'Money For Nothing' on BBC1. I had made a lovely cup of tea (actually a mug, but never mind) and had one of my own chocolate chip cookies to munch on. I was around five minutes into the programme (one of my favourite daytime shows.) when there was a knock on the front door. I was not best pleased that I had to get up to answer the door, but when I got there I discovered a man trying to encourage me to have a smart meter installed. What is going on here? He knew that I am on a pay-as-you-go tariff. I explained that I'd had engineers here this morning inspecting things with the idea of installing a smart meter and that they said it couldn't be done (see the above.)  He told me that I should get a lower tarriff because I couldn't have a smart meter installed. Whether this is going to happen I don't know, but this is beginning to get about as annoying as the constant phone calls telling me I can claim PPI. Which is crazy, because I have never had a loan on which PPI would have been paid.

(Friday) I've been attempting to get up in the morning a good deal later. I think it was habit to be up and about before 6 a.m. because that's what time I got up when Carol was going to work as a science teacher at Milton Keynes Academy. We would always start our day at around 5.45 with a cup of tea and watch BBC Breakfast. We'd then have a bowl of breakfast cereal and then Carol would go off to the Academy by around 7.15 a.m. She was always there about an hour before everyone else. Typical of Carol, working hard and usually sorting out other people's problems for them and not really getting any sort of reward or acknowledgement. So, this morning, I was more than keen to not get up quite so early, even though Alfie wasn't too pleased. So we went out at around 7.45. A lovely bright and sunny spring morning. It's certainly a good deal warmer than it has of late. The clocks move forward an hour on Sunday, so it will be light even earlier by this time next week.

Clearing Out

(Wednesday)I've managed to take two boxes of paperbacks and DVDs to the Barnado's donation centre in Oldbrook. They were more than happy to receive all these items. But there's quite a considerable amount yet to sort and possibly dispose of. I should have a lot more space to play around with. It is stuff that has either been watched once, such as DVDs, and books that have been read- once- and probably won't be read again. But I'm not getting rid of any of my history books, paperback or hardback, as they are good reference material.

I've been looking at some of the written material I have saved on my laptop. I am beginning to continue with what I started, but had been delayed, for want of a better word, when Carol was diagnosed and then spent so much time in hospital, that I didn't have the time or either inspiration to continue with it. Having read a lot of it back, and in particular, a lot of the notes, I'm going to pick up where I left off. I wanted to print out some of this material, because it's easier to read as hard copy rather than on a computer screen. The problem was that I couldn't get the Canon printer to print, basically because the ink cartridges had run low or had barely enough ink to do the job. Then I wasn't sure how to open the printer to gain access to the cartridges, but after some effort I managed to open the printer and extract the empty cartridges. I decided to visit what used to be Staples, but has since become Stationary Outlet. When this transformation happened I don't know, but it was the only place I could think of where I could obtain the ink cartridges. I then got close to the store and the road was blocked off with a temporary fence and a large 'Road Closed' sign in place. Did they not want my custom? Why the need to close off access? What annoys me most of all is that there's no sign of any roadworks, no men with picks or shovels, wearing hard hats and hi-viz jackets, no sign of any sort of work. So, I had to go back the way I had come, turning round in the road and going into the estate where Stationary Outlet was situated. On parking the car and walking in through the entrance, the whole place has changed. Shrunk, more like. I don't know what was going on. Presumably they didn't required such a large store or 'footprint' as I think the term is, but I managed to find the two appropriate ink cartridges, but somewhat shocked at the cost of them, but as they are a necessity, there's no point in complaining.

Anyway, I got home and managed o put the cartridges into the printer and it's now working successfully.

I've been for the last bereavement counselling session at Willen Hospice. The lady who has been helping doesn't think I need any more support in that respect. I think she is right. I'm definitely moving on. The first time I went there it was quite difficult but this time it seemed easier. She rang last evening to tell me about the appointment today, but I knew we'd arranged it to be the 6th March, because it's the day before what would be Carol's 55th birthday. I had an idea it was wrong but it didn't matter particularly. Because it has been so sunny and warm and there are no end of daffodils out, it made it so much easier. Carol loved daffodils, which is why I'm putting cut daffodils in the vase on the widnowsill in the lounge because that is what she loved. I will keep them going until they finish and they're nearly always displayed in the supermarket near the till so there's no excuse not to buy them.

I came home from Willen and took Alfie out for a walk. We came across a lady walking to little terriers (I think they were terriers of some sort.) Alfie was off his lead and ran rings around them, but they didn't seem in the least bit interested. Alfie always wants to make friends with the dogs he comes across in Eaglestone Park, but it seems not many want to be friends with him, which is a real pity.