Bah! Humbug!

 Monday. 10.15 a.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

I had to get a few things from Sainsbury's; milk for a start. Can't have milk for my morning tea or cereal. I had made out a list and then drove to the store at a little after 9. When I got there, I went to get a trolley and then discovered they were locked and you needed a £1 coin to release the thing. Fortunately, I had a coin-sized token on my key ring. Other people were annoyed at not being able to take a trolley as they obviously didn't have a £1 coin. Mine came from Nielsen, IQ, because I use an app from them to scan my shopping. You build up points which are then redeemed for vouchers. I have a second one from Kantar, which works the same way. Both are worth signing up for. I've been with both for a number of years.

I completed my shopping and used a self-service till, paid and then pushed my trolley down to the car in the car park, unloaded it into the back of the car, and then couldn't find a trolley with the coin lock in, so that I could release my token. I had to spend some time searching for such a trolley, and fortunately, I found one, released the token and returned it to my keyring.

I drove home and then discovered that a van was blocking my parking space outside Dexter House, and had to park in the road that runs down the side of Dexter House. I trust it won't be there when I want to get out later on this morning.

Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. Fortunately, the van I mentioned above had gone by the time I was due to drive out.

I haven't attended the Monday Club at the Oaktree Centre in over a year. I think the idea is great, being a place for those over 60 to meet up, have a chat and play games, as well as have a cup of tea and a sandwich, but, as it was a Christmas party today, I decided to go. My main reason for not going was that I didn't want to be with a group of other older people. I already live with a load of what I call fogeys, even though I am 75. I don't want to hear about their aches and pains, their hospital appointments and other illnesses.

I had a slight problem, more or less at the time I was about to leave the flat. I put on a pair of my distance glasses and one of the lenses fell out. Fortunately the lens is plastic, so it didn't break, because it fell on the floor. I didn't stop to find an alternative pair, so I drove to Shenley with glasses with only one lens in place!

The afternoon was really enjoyable. We played games, one of which I remember playing as a child, 'pass the parcel', where you have something, a box of chocolates, a toy, or whatever, and you wrap it several times, so that there are a number of layers of paper. The contestants sit in a circle, and you play music, and the parcel is passed around, and when the music stops, whoever has the parcel has to tear off a layer of paper. At the end, the winner is the person who opens the final layer of paper and finds the prize inside. Another game consists of everyone again sitting in a circle, and one person has a Post-It note stuck to his or her head, on which is written the name of a person, well-known, living or dead. Of course, the person who has the Post-It note doesn't know the name of that person, and the rest of the group has to answer questions regarding that person, and he/she who has the Post-It note has to try and guess. 

Then we had food! There was a table ladened with food: sandwiches, sausage rolls, mince pies, crisps and a good deal more! Everyone stacked up their plates, and we sat and ate.

People began to leave, and I went home in my car. By now it was getting dark and I don 't enjoy driving with lights.

The Rain It Raineth Every Day . . .

 Sunday. 7.40 a.m. The weather has changed. I woke in the night to use the toilet and there was an almighty crash of thunder and then there was a heavy rainstorm which went on for around ten minutes.

Friday. 8.40 a.m. We've had more rain, but as I write this, the sun is out, and it's really pleasant, but it's getting chillier. Well, we are now into September, so it's to be expected.

Yesterday I got a letter from the cardiology department of Milton Keynes Hospital. It was regarding the transmission of data from the implant I have. It says, 'We are pleased to confirm all checks and automatic measurements are within expected parameters.' Since this was several weeks ago and the fact that I had this information when I spoke to the receptionist on the telephone, it seems somewhat irrelevant. But at least it leaves my mind that things are fine and don't need to worry about it.

Another sign that Christmas is on its way. Not more mince pies, but in Sainsbury's the other day, I noticed a pallet with a pile of Quality Street. I think I have worked out why. It's so they can mark them up at a lower price closer to Christmas, and, to comply with legislation regarding sales, items have to be shown at a higher price for many weeks or months to then be offered at a lower price.

Saturday. 12.45 p.m. The weather is still pleasant, but there's a definite chill in the air.

I have been to Sainsbury's this morning. I needed to get some batteries and when I was in there I bought something extra, one of Sainsbury's delicious hot fudge puddings. I know, I should keep off this sort of thing, and keep out of the biscuit and sweet aisles. But I was shocked to see, as I came up the travelator from the car park, a notice informing customers that it was time to order their Christmas food!

On Thursday, I ordered some items from Amazon, using points I had from one of the survey companies I work for. Scanning my shopping on something called Nielsen IQ. I have been thinking of buying a dash cam for my car, but it's difficult to decide which one to go for. There was one on Amazon half price, so I decided on that one, as well as a book I wanted, related to a recent exhibition about the Roman army at the British Museum, which I would have liked to have gone to. Also, I wanted a King James Version Bible, and there was one called a Cultural Background Study Bible. So I went for that. The Roman army book, called 'Legion', was supposed to have arrived on Thursday evening, but I thought it was stretching it a bit, considering I had only ordered it at around 7-8 that morning. But, having looked via the Amazon website, I saw that it said 'Delivered and put through the letterbox', which I knew wasn't correct as I certainly hadn't received it and, anyway, the book in its packaging, would never have fitted through my letterbox. I attempted to contact Amazon and, after some effort, found that, if I sent my phone number, someone would phone me, which they did. It transpired that they would send me a replacement of the book about the Roman army. It didn't explain what had happened to the original book. I'm intrigued to know where it went.

The next day I was expecting the NKJV Bible and the dashcam to arrive, but at around 7 p.m. I just happened to check again on the Amazon website to see when or if these items were going to be delivered, and saw, much to my surprise, that they had been delivered, but not to my door. So I went down to the entrance of Dexter House and there I discovered a pile of parcels, and two of them were addressed to me. So much for me instructing delivery drivers to come to my flat to hand over my purchases. The Roman army book was delivered to my door. I wasn't too pleased to have my items just left where anyone could have stolen them.

I have managed to set up the dashcam on the windscreen of my car, although I'm yet to set up the rear camera, which I might do tomorrow afternoon after I get back from church.

Chloe WhatsApp'd me during the week and said she was coming to Stony Stratford, and we could meet up for coffee. She would be there at around 2 o'clock with George, my grandson.

I was getting ready at around 1.30 to leave to drive to Stony Stratford when there was a clap of thunder. I was thinking, just typical! No rain all day until I want to go out! But it didn't deter me, and I took my bright yellow Regatta raincoat with me. I had the new dash cam working as I drove up Watling Street. 

Sunday. 4.10 a.m. I awoke, as usual, to go to the loo. As I got back in bed, I heard the sound of rain. I wasn't sure if it was raining, so I went into the kitchen to look out of the window, and, sure enough, it was pouring. By the time I came through to the lounge to sit and write this, only a minute or two later, the storm had passed.

8.30 a.m. It's still raining. I expect there will be large puddles on the road when I drive to church later. They usually appear at the point where the roads meet the many and various roundabouts across Milton Keynes.