Sunshine On Milton Keynes!

 Monday. 6.15 a.m. It's May Bank Holiday Monday! For a change, it's dry and mild. Not so sure if it's going to remain dry, although traditionally (sorry, a bit of irony creeping in here!) it's supposed to rain.

2.15 p.m. I had to buy milk and dog food for Alfie. He would be most upset if he didn't get his dinner, so I went to Sainsbury's. Being a Bank Holiday, the underground car park was virtually empty, so it was easy enough to find a space. 

I am currently reading a book I have recently bought on Amazon, about the 'Ascott Martyrs', some of the ladies involved were ancestors of mine on my mother's side, and I discovered this when I was doing family history research. The book is entitled 'The Ascott Martyrs: Why Did the Rural Establishment Imprison Sixteen Women and Two Babies in 1873?' and it is edited by Keith Laybourn. It's actually a series of essays written by historians and others who have a background in the various elements of the story of these women.

Tuesday. 8.00 a.m. I woke up, went to the loo, went back to bed and, instead of remaining awake, I went back to sleep because when I eventually woke up, it was around 5 a.m. Alfie had to go out, so we went out briefly as we usually do. It's mild as I write this and the sun is out.

Wednesday. 5.25 a.m. I was surprised to find it was foggy when I took Alfie out about half an hour ago. It's not thick, but nevertheless, hanging over Oldbrook. It is mild and quite pleasant.

9.14 a.m. I had a text message from Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre a couple of days ago, telling me that an appointment had been arranged for me, for 8.20 this morning. I had no idea what it was for, but I imagined it was for a blood pressure test or something, I arrived in good time and found out that I had to go to room 21, which is on the first floor. I went upstairs and waited and, no more than five minutes later, I was called into the room. I then discovered that it was to have a blood test, blood taken to check my cholesterol level. The nurse told me that it was supposed to be a fasting blood test, but I hadn't been told, I decided to go ahead and let her take blood, but she couldn't find a vein in my right arm, so I had to lay on the couch, with my feet on the raised bit, where you normally put your head. Fortunately, she was able to find a vein and take some blood. Now I'll have to wait for the results and see if I have to go back for another blood test and make sure I haven't eaten anything beforehand.

From the surgery, I drove back along Witan Gate and went into Sainsbury's. (I seem to spend a lot of time, and money, in there. I was thinking, as I was driving, perhaps I should buy some shares in Sainsbury's, because of the amount I spend there. Just an idea. Anyway, having parked, I had to use the infamous travelator, and then discovered that the UP side wasn't working, and I had to walk, which was odd because you think it's supposed to move.

Elephant In The Room?

Saturday. 5.40 p.m. Elephant? What elephant? If it's in the room, I definitely can't see it. There's no connection with the content of this post to elephants. It's just that I couldn't find a better title, so that's that.

Sunday. 6.15 a.m. It's early, but I'm awake and refuse to just lay in bed when I can be at least doing something. I took Alfie out, and we discovered that it was pouring rain, which was something of a surprise. We didn't stay out too long, and anyway, Alfie doesn't like getting wet. He is now fast asleep in his bed.

Monday. 7.05 a.m. Up early as usual. The sun is out. It's pleasant, but not exactly warm. I suppose, given time, it will eventually warm up. On BBC Breakfast, Carol Kirkwood, the weather lady, said that the temperature was going to warm up as the week progressed. I have taken Alfie out and sorted some of the recycling and washed up from yesterday evening.

I have started watching a drama/documentary on Netflix, 'The Last Czars', about Nicholas II of Russia and what eventually led to the Russian Revolution in 1917. I know the story, having read several books on the subject, and the 1970s film 'Nicholas and Alexandra.' I do have a slight connection in that when I was A.S.M. at the theatre in Harrogate in the early 1970s, my landlord was somehow or other involved in drama. I think he was a playwright. I have a feeling he wrote several musicals, one, I think, based on the J.M. Barrie play, 'What Every Woman Knows.' It is some 50 years ago, so my memory is somewhat fuzzy on the subject, so bear with me. He also did another show, based on a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of 'The Secret Garden', 'Little Lord Fauntleroy. The little boy who played the central character in that show was then cast in the part of Alex in 'Nicholas and Alexandra.' He's the character who has haemophilia, a disease which means his blood didn't clot, and even a slight knock would cause bruising and many other problems. The film also featured, amongst others, Tom Baker, who played Rasputin, and it was this performance which led him to eventually play The Doctor in 'Doctor Who.'

10.00 a.m. I have just been to get a few items from Sainsbury's. Milk and bread, you know, the essentials. Alfie has got some treats, which he doesn't know I've got at the moment. He will have a couple during the day. As I drove towards Sainsbury's, along Evans Gate, which is the road that is the entrance into Oldbrook, I noticed that repairs have been made to a couple of the potholes as you approach the roundabout on Childs Way. But I didn't see any such repairs being done to a really large pothole which is difficult to avoid along Witan Gate, virtually opposite Sainsbury's. I do hope Milton Keynes Council can see fit to get around to sending some workmen to fill in that particular pothole, and, indeed, to repair any or all the potholes around Milton Keynes.

Yesterday evening I turned on the television as I was about to eat my meal, and what came on was the new David Attenborough series, 'Animals.' We get swooping shots of ice in either the Arctic or Antarctic. It doesn't matter which, but there was lots of snow and a few polar bears wandering around, and the wind must have been blowing fairly strongly as snow and ice were flying about. In the voice-over, done by Sir David, he says, ' The Arctic. It is intensely cold' 'Now, surely, there's no need to make such a statement. It's cold in the Arctic. So WHY ON EARTH do you have to state the *&@@%=1% obvious? It's the BBC, playing down to the thick audience that they think is watching. Just a bit of an insult, and why on earth did David Attenborough have to say it? It's almost like saying that there are people 'out there' who don't realize that it's very cold in the Arctic. It just shows how down-market the BBC has become. I think John Reith, the first Director General of the BBC, would be spinning in his grave.

The Pressure's On!

 Wednesday. 7.45 a.m. The sun is shining! It might not be a heatwave, but at least it's not raining and no strong wind to almost blow your head off!

I am coming to the end of the 24-hour blood pressure test. I have got on remarkably well, having the portable device connected to my arm. Sleeping wasn't too bad last night, which was my main concern, and not getting the thing wet, or it's becoming disconnected. I remember when I was in the hospital, and having a heart monitor connected with the type of connections they put on you when you have an E.C.G., and finding it very difficult to lie in bed and sleep, and the confounded thing beeping whenever a connection came off. This thing is only connected to my upper right arm, onto the 'cuff'. It hasn't come off.  I will have to take it back to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre at around 10 a.m., and someone in reception will receive it and then the data it contains, which has been 'saved' inside the device, can be uploaded onto a computer (I presume that's what will happen.), so that it can be looked at and see whatever can be done to help with my blood pressure, more than likely some sort of medication.

10.30 a.m. I have been to the medical centre with the blood pressure device. I had to use the toilet in the centre to disconnect the thing. It wasn't difficult, and now I have to wait for the results.

On the way, driving along Witan Gate, on my way to the surgery, I once again had to avoid potholes, something I have mentioned in earlier blog posts. As I got to the crossing near the police station, I was stuck behind a lorry with 'Road Maintenance' emblazoned on its side. It went over the roundabout and into the estate where I was going but then made a right turn, so I didn't have to follow it on to Bradwell Common Boulevard, where Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre is based. I thought to myself, with all the potholes I have to avoid, all around Milton Keynes, the workers on that lorry should spend some of their time filling in those confounded potholes.

Thursday. 12.10 p.m. I had an appointment at CMKMC (I'm not writing out the entire name of Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre from now on. It's far too long and a real mouth full if you have to say it.) This meant I couldn't go to my Thursday morning Bible study, unfortunately.

I got to the surgery in good time. The appointment was scheduled for 10.50. I was called into room 12 at approximately 10.55. I was to have another E.C.G., which went well. I can't see how it could have gone otherwise. Just laying on a couch and having sticky contacts put on you and not moving or talking for about 2 minutes, while the machine does its work. The nurse then told me that a doctor would need to check the read-out just to see whether my heart was all right. I had to go back into the waiting area and sit there and wait for her to speak to a doctor, and after around five minutes I got the all-clear and drove home to Dexter House.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

3.15 p.m. I have been walking Alfie around Oldbrook Green this afternoon, as usual. I got a flash of inspiration for my writing, which is often what happens as I walk. I think my mind can wander, and I'm sort of inspired by being outside. I think Carol would be pleased that I've moved forward with this writing.

Furthermore, I got on with my writing since I got the sudden spurt of inspiration, and it's probably better to get it down on paper before it evaporates and gets lost, which would be a pity.

Tuesday. 7.00 a.m. I have a perfect idea for my writing. I just need to get on and get on with writing.

On BBC Breakfast this morning, the weather forecast said that the temperature in Milton Keynes is likely to be 14 C this week. It's mild at the moment, so I don't see why it should reach that temperature. It is getting more spring-like as the days pass.

I went to Sainsbury's as I usually do once I get my pension. I had come back with my trolley laden with groceries and put it all in the car when a car drew up with the intention of parking in one of the vacant spaces a few spaces along from where I was. Now, you would think it's quite easy to park in space by merely driving in forward, which would then make it easier to load your shopping into the back of your vehicle, which I had done. But no, this driver spent around five minutes attempting to reverse into the space and making what I can only describe as a pig's breakfast of it. Why make your life difficult when there's an easier way to do something. Several attempts and even more attempts at various angles and the car was parked. But it was amusing, to me at least. Making a mountain out of a molehill. What with pigs' breakfasts? Why do we say such stupid things? Have you ever seen an actual pig having breakfast? What's wrong with them if they . . . don't go right? Or words to that effect. I love to learn about the background of certain idioms. 

It looks to me as if Sainsbury's is going to change the layout of the store. I noticed numerous signs up saying that new products are about to be on the shelves, or words to that effect. The café has been closed for some time now, at least since the pandemic started. It seems to have become a storage area for stock before it gets put on the shelves. A pity it's closed, as it was great to be able to have a coffee or cup of tea and a sandwich when I had done my shopping. I have heard that they are planning to close around 200 of their cafés and turning them into Starbucks coffee shops. I'll be perfectly honest and say that their cafés were never up to much, so I don't think they'll be missed. I just wonder if the Witan Gate branch which I shop at will have a Starbucks within it. It seems an odd position to have it, at the rear of the store. It should really be at the front, where the flowers and plants are at the moment. You have to walk the length of the store to get to the (now closed) café.

The Rain It Raineth Every Day!

I start off with a Shakesperean quote! And why not? I think The Bard got it right. It's from one of Feste's songs from one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, 'Twelfth Night.' The quote is now a bit out of date because as I write this. . . . it's bright and sunny!

(Saturday) Well, typical British weather! Today it's foggy when I took Alfie out around 7.15 this morning. No sign of it dispersing. And to cap it all, on BBC Breakfast they're saying there's snow coming in over the next couple of days and an Amber Warning.  Being referred to as 'The Beast From The East.' Seems the trend nowadays, to give storms a name of some sort. So, we're likely to be skating all over the place and snowed under-literally! Just shows how quickly our weather can change from day to day.

10.20a.m. As I write this, the sun is out! Not very strong, but it's dispersing the fog. 

Alfie happy to go out and walk around Oldbrook Green. Stopping every couple of yards to have a good sniff, which to him is happiness. One contented little dog.

The trees and bushes around Oldbrook Green and along the edge of Evans Gate, the road which runs alongside the Green and going up towards Sainsbury's in Witan Gate, has been trimmed by council workmen. They have been using a chipping machine to dispose of the branches of the trees and the chipping are distributed over the ground. Also, the other day they were using a powered cutter on a pole to cut off over-hanging branches on some of the trees alongside the path Alfie and I walk along. It all looks neat and tidy.

(Sunday) Well, after all the expectation of snow, no sign of the white stuff when we went out at 7.30a.m. Apparently Kent is under snow, so there's a chance we'll soon be under six feet of the stuff. But there's a chill wind blowing, so that may bring it in later. Watch this space! The 'Beat From The East' is also called Storm Darcey. I'm not sure whether it's male or female. Is it named after the character from Pride and Prejudice or even Darcey Bussell, the former ballet dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge? 

(Monday) A fall of snow in the night, but only what I'd term a smattering. We went out as usual, around 7.15, as it's getting lighter earlier and earlier, thank goodness, and there was some snow, but not what you'd call a heavy snow or even much of a covering. But, for all that, it's chilly!

12.25p.m. It's still snowing, but it's a rather thin and pathetic sort of snow. Not the big and bold sort with huge fluffy flakes. Just doesn't cut the mustard and hardly worth getting excited about.

There's a large puddle in the middle of the grass on the opposite side of Oldbrook Green to Oldbrook Green. It seems to appear every winter and was frozen the other day and there have been ducks on it and the other day a large retriever dog was splashing about in it. Typical of this sort of dog, no doubt a Spaniel of some sort. My brother used to have a Springer Spaniel and she loved water. Not sure that the owner was bothered with his dog having a paddle, but I don't think he would have been too pleased with a soaking wet dog and having to get it dried when he got home and the mess the dog would have caused, soaking furniture etc etc. Also, there is a puddle in the middle of the path, near the bench where we've sat on several occasions. The grass on either side is soaking as is most of the grass and it's like walking on wet carpet. There are wheel marks where someone has driven a fairly large vehicle over the grass. No doubt a Council worker, but it has really churned things up and as far as I am concerned, it was irresponsible to damage the grass and mess up the environment. They could surely driven the vehicle around the Green without churning up the ground.

(Tuesday) Out with Alfie at 7.15 this morning. I got ready to go out, all togged out as usual, walked through to the lounge. No sign of Alfie anywhere. Under other circumstances he would have been barking and jumping on the sofa ready to be taken out, but I find him sleeping in his bed! Then he sees me and starts his barking and excitement. So we go out and find that most of the snow has gone, although it's still chilly. I think we're bound to get more snow. Just seen Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, giving the weather forecast and saying it's likely to get worse.

Doctor's Surgery Visit

As mentioned in an earlier blog post on here, I have transferred doctor's surgeries from Ashfield Medical Centre to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. My first doctor's appointment lead to me having to have blood taken for a blood test, to check my various functions and in particular my cholesterol levels. So the appointment for the blood to be taken was today, at 9.50. I was concerned that I would be late and, knowing the level of traffic in Milton Keynes and the aggression of some drivers, I left at 8.40, giving me plenty of time to gently drive along Witan Gate and directly into Bradwell Common, location of the surgery. There are several sets of traffic lights along Witan Gate and each set seems to take a long time to change. Why is this? There isn't a need for them to take so long, the flow of traffic is relatively light, so why does it take this length of time? When I eventually got inside the surgery, I thought to myself 'I'm far too early! I'll have to sit and wait for over half an hour! How boring!' But to me, in some ways, these opportunities aren't in the least bit boring, because they're an ideal opportunity to observe people, which can lead to story and character ideas.

So, I signed in on the computer screen (it seems most surgeries have these self-service screens) and then sat and waited. It was at this point that I needed a toilet. I was dying for a pee (I'll be honest. Well, we all have to, so there!) I scanned around the reception area and the waiting area and the old toilet I could see was thorugh a door which required a Radar key, which are usually held by those with some sort of disability. We got some for Carol's use, and one used to be on my key-ring, but I took it off because it was too large and got caught in things, and the chance of me needing one was unlikely- until now. I then saw a door a little further into the building and headed for it, only to find a notice attached to the door saying, 'Out of order. If you need a toilet, ask for the Radar key and use the disabled toilet.' (Incidentally, I have no idea why it's called a Radar key, although it is probably going to have some sort of meaning based on disability.) So, I didn't feel inclined to go to the receptionist and ask for he aforementioned key. Who wants to be seen or heard to do so and then be seen opening the door to the disabled toilet? Well, it's not exactly discreet and private.

I was surprised when my name came up on the digital display. It was 8.55 and I wasn't scheduled to have my appointment until 9.20, but I wasn't complaining. It seems getting to the surgery early was worthwhile. I had to explain to the nurse that I would need to lie down to give blood, which wasn't unreasonable. Which is what I did and she managed to extract the required amount without too much trouble. I was told it was to be a fasting blood test, meaning I wasn't supposed to eat for 12 hours before hand which was exactly what I had done. I still don't know why you mustn't eat for this particular blood test. I was told that the results of the test would be ready by Monday afternoon and if I went on-line I could see the results and if necessary, I would have to have another doctor's appointment. I am most concerned about my cholesterol levels, which have been low (around 5, whatever that number indicates, I have no idea.) As I have been eating plenty of fruit and veg recently there should be no problem, or at least I hope not. Measured in Mol or something, but not entirely sure what that means, per Mg or something.

I was still in need of a toilet. I thought that I could wait until I got home. It wasn't far. I had wanted to shop in Aldi, which was directly opposite the doctor's surgery, but I knew there was no toilet inside the store. So I aimed to go to Sainsbury's and avail myself of the conveniences there. I could also do a small shop, for something for lunch and Alfie's mixer was running low. Which is exactly what I did, but the traffic lights along Witan Gate were being particularly aggravating and preventing me from reaching the necessary facilities within Sainsbury's, around three sets of lights away. As I've already mentioned, why DO these particular traffic lights take so long to change?

I parked in the underground carpark beneath Sainsbury's. It's relatively easy to park at that hour of the day, fortunately. I grabbed a 'bag-for-life' out of the boot of the car and rushed into the store, availing myself of the plumbing arrangements (don't be to detailed on this aspect of my visit!) and then wandered around the store in search of, first, a bag of mixer for Alfie and then something for lunch, a loaf of bread (entitled 'artisan,' which really means handmade and looks somewhat rustic with a crunchy crust.) and then some paté to spread on it. With few items to pay for, there was no point queuing to use a human-operated checkout, so I plumped for the self-service tills. But some items in my basket would not scan, so assistance was required. I think the thing wouldn't scan because the barcode was printed on shiny paper. I am put off these self-service tills because they rarely work as you would expect, some just refusing to scan correctly and then  you get a stroppy voice telling the whole world that you've made some sort of mistake. I wish they'd just turn the voice off.

Sunny But Windy

I had a really great morning at Camphill yesterday morning. I am definitely going to be a more permanent volunteer there. I have do provide identity material so they can do a disclosure and it takes a while to do this. It's because of working with a vulnerable client group. Next week I will be doing a short induction, which gives information regarding the principles that underpin what Camphill does, how it was set up and other matters. They now tell me that they would like me to do a whole day there, not just up until midday which I do at present. I was really just testing to see whether I would get on there, and the only real reason I don't do a longer day is because I get so tired, due, I'm certain, because of the medication I am on and more likely due to my heart condition. I think I might mention this when I see the cardiologist at John Radcliffe in a couple of weeks time. Perhaps he will recommend me having a change of medication or even a reduction of the dosage of some of them or even withdrawing one completely.

I'm continuing with the house search. I had a look on-line earlier to see if I could find any agencies within Milton Keynes who did private rental properties. I discovered half a dozen, one being within Oldbrook so I drove there and attempted to use my iPhone to track the place down. If it was there, I couldn't find it, so I went to park in Sainsbury's carpark because another agency was further down the street, actually on the corner of Witan Gate and Childs Way, called Luminous House. I don't think it glowed in the dark (ha!ha! But why call it that?) I asked at the reception desk and was told that one, called Prestige, wasn't actually at that address? Why? I did find that there was another agency on the corner, so I went in and asked about rental properties, explaining my situation. Not really a lot of help, but said I should try Gumtree. So, on returning home, having been into Sainsbury's to buy something for lunch, I went on the Gumtree site and set up and account and also downloaded their app onto my iPhone. As I write this, nothing of any use has come up when I search, but I will have another go at seeing if there's anything suitable on this site.

It has been suggested I contact AgeUK as they might be helpful in pointing me in the right direction regarding this matter. Their office is very close to home so it would have been an easy matter to drive or even walk to them. I went on line to find their website and on searching I found the telephone number of their Milton Keynes branch. On ringing I was told that they have an advise person with whom I could explain my situation. I was given this number, of another office in the Food Centre in the middle of Milton Keynes and got an appointment tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 11 o'clock. I just trust I'm given some helpful advice so that this situation can be resolved.

I've at last managed to track down distilled water!  (As discussed in an earlier blog post.)What excitement, you say, in ironic tones. Well, having spent around a week attempting to track this down, it was with some relief when I went on Asda's website and managed to see that they had it. I just had to visit their store in Bletchley to make sure it was actually on the shelves. And it was, within the motoring section, but in far smaller bottles than I usually buy. I bought two, just for good measure. 

Early Morning

It's early morning on Wednesday. I've tried going out a good deal later with Alfie, but he has sat on the sofa beside me and has been staring intently at me, expecting something to happen. I tried my hardest to avoid eye-contact but it wouldn't work. So, I got dressed, having had my bowl of Shreddies and my mug of tea. Alfie's not satisfied until he gets the dregs at the bottom of my mug. I know, I know, tell me off for sharing my mug or my bowl or plate with a dog? It won't hurt. I know Chloe was horrified when I went to stay with her over Christmas. It was difficult for Alfie to not have his tea in the morning or when I'd finished. But does it matter? I don't think so. Having dressed and taken my medication, I got Alfie hooked up with his lead on his harness (a better arrangement than using his collar because it doesn't put stress on his neck.) The whole neighbourhood knows when Alfie's about because of the noise he makes as we go out of the front door. It turns out to be a good deal milder this morning. No frost on the car.

We do our usual walk around Eaglestone Park but go a good deal further. We get as far as the Redway which runs along the side of Marlborough Street. The traffic is relatively heavy. It's going much too fast. People seem to treat the grid roads like a speedway. Then we come out where the Redway goes under the grid road, and back towards home along the Redway behind the houses.

I've been to put diesel in the car this morning. I go to the BP station along Childs Way. It means I will earn extra Nectar points. I then drive out and onto Marlborough Street and then round into Witan Gate as I want to get to Sainsbury's. I have to collect a repeat prescription from Lloyd's which is inside Sainsbury's. I have a further repeat prescription to collect but that won't be done until later in the week.

I've been asked if I'd like to take part in the quiz night at the Oaktree Centre on Friday night. It seems that someone else can't take part. I say yes, because I haven't ever been involved in a quiz before. I love television gameshows such as 'Eggheads,' where at least the questions are relatively hard. Even being able to answer some of the questions on 'University Challenge' surprises me because some of them are really hard. Then there's ''Only Connect,' where the questions are notoriously difficult, having to find the link between three questions or other things. It's compered by Victoria Coren-Mitchell. Some of her remarks are what you might call 'off the wall.' These were some of Carol's favourite television shows. I'm also doing a course at church on Thursday evenings, called 'Freed To Lead.' Who knows what this may lead to? I'm also going on the 'set-up' team to being involved with setting up for Sunday services, so I'm not sitting around doing nothing at the moment, as well as going to the coffee morning which meets at John Lewis's café for people who've been bereaved and connected to Willan Hospice.

I've been to Willen this afternoon. I was annoyed to discover that Chaffron Way was once again closed off at the Marlborough Street roundabout so I had to get to Willen along Childs Way. It would be nice to be informed of such closures well in advance of the actual road closure. It seemed that the same was going on the other way along Chaffron Way. Whether it was for resurfacing or some other matter I have no idea, but still, it must be annoying for any businesses in the area. 

'Flu Jabs and Wild, Windy Weather

It's that time of year when I have to go for my free 'flu jab. I knew it was coming up and eventually I discovered they would be holding the annual 'flu jab clinic at Ashfield Medical Centre. It would be held this Saturday and next between 8a.m. and 12 noon. I always want to be there as the doors open at 8 so as to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Alfie was disappointed that I couldn't take him out for his walk around Eaglestone Park, but it wasn't light enough at 7.20 as well as a howling gale lashing the trees outside. I wasn't going to be able to get round the park and back in time to leave for the surgery at 7.45, so he was going to have to wait until I got back.

As I came out of the house and ready to drive off to Ashfield it was bright sunshine over the tops of the houses and a really amazing rainbow across the sky. It was a complete arc and quite unusual because you never seem to see a complete one, probably the end as it touches the ground, but this one seemed to arc over all of Milton Keynes. I rushed back into the house to find my digital camera and attempted to capture it, but it wasn't easy. I couldn't manage to fit the entire rainbow in but i think I got some of it in. Such a rare thing to see and it was gone very quickly so I'm glad I managed to get some of it before it disappeared.

I drove to Beanhill and got to the Ashfield Medical Centre carpark in good time and parked at the rear of the unit. (There is also a dental surgery as well as a Cox and Robinson pharmacy within the block of premises with Ashfield Medical Centre being the largest unit.) I prefer to park at the rear as generally there is more space and it's easier to park and get out than at the front.

As I got to the front of the surgery there were a few people gathering, one lady had an umbrella up because it began to rain. Thankfully the practise manager came to open the door up so we could go inside to wait. I really didn't fancy getting soaked so it was as well we didn't have to wait in the rain, although I don't think it lasted long.

They couldn't begin giving the jabs until 8 o'clock. Would it have mattered if they had? What reason was there to not begin? Some formality or other. I won't ask, being Ashfield Medical Centre. Anyway, they allowed us to register, or at least, report to the reception desk to sign in which would at least record that we were there. Then, to have to sit and wait until 8 before the flu jabs began. I wasn't bothered at all that some people went before me. Who cares? They had tea and coffee to drink before and after you'd been for your injection, but, to be honest, I wasn't bothered. Then the clock ticked over, 8 o'clock and bingo! People were called, or at least there name and which person was doing the injections and which room came up on the digital screen. You'd have thought it would have been in alphabetical order, but no, a sort of random name came up, although, now thinking about it, the names were probably just in the order of people being signed in. About ten minutes later my name came up on the digital display, to go to Room 4. One of the doctors. She asked my name and date of birth (which seems to be the standard way to identify you in the N.H.S.) and I sat on a chair and she administered the injection into my left arm, without me feeling a thing, which should be how it's done and I was out and driving on to Sainsbury's.

It wasn't 8.30 when I got to Sainsbury's store in Witan Gate and it was great to be able to move around the store easily without hoards of other shoppers. Having completed my shopping I returned home and because it had, by now, shown signs of being quite bright outside I decided to take Alfie for his delayed walk, much to his complete and utter happiness. It was quite windy and we came across quite  few bits of twig and benches which had been bought down by the wind. But by the time I came to leave the house to see Carol in hospital the skies opened and it rained, so there was absolutely no way I was going to walk, which was what I had intended. It is, after all, a mere ten-minute walk there along the Redway and it would at least mean I wouldn't have to pay parking (you have to pay, because the Macmillan Unit isn't open over the weekend so you can't get your parking ticket clipped which means you can't get free parking, which is a bit mean.) But by the time I'd got to the park park near Cardiology, which is where I generally park, and then walked in to Ward 9, it had stopped raining and the sun was out!

More N.H.S. Waiting Rooms-1

Carol still continues to have pain problems. No amount of medication seem to relive this awful situation. She's been on some really powerful medication. We had to ring Ashfield Medical Centre yesterday to get a repeat prescription of Tramadol. You have to go through a really tortuous process to get anywhere near a doctor for an appointment as I've explained in earlier blog posts. A triage system, meaning the receptionist who answers the phone asks you what your problem is and then assigns a doctor to ring you so that he/she can decide whether you need a face-to-face appointment. I think it's to weed out time-wasters (those who have minor ailments: a sore throat doesn't need an appointment: just go to the nearest pharmacist and get an over-the-counter medication, cough syrup or other product. It obviously doesn't need a doctor's appointment and certainly doesn't need a prescription for antibiotics, as an example.) Generally it takes a couple of hours before you get a ring-back and you see a doctor that day. We did eventually get through and she was able to get the doctor to agree on a prescription for Tramadol. We were told that the prescription would be ready for collection 'after 2 p.m.' All very well and I went off to pick this up, hoping that I could then go to the pharmacy which is near the surgery to get it made up and then return home. When I got to the surgery I asked the receptionist for it and she looked for it on the computer system and told me 'it's gone to Sainsbury's (sent electronically). I was somewhat annoyed, as it then meant that I would have to drive to the store in Witan Gate to collect it. (Actually the pharmacy is now run by Lloyd's and not Sainsbury's but is within their store. Don't ask me why it changed. It seemed fine as run by Sainsbury's.) On arrival I asked if the prescription had arrived and I was told it hadn't. It was then that I couldn't for the life of me remember what the drug it was that he prescriptions was for. I knew it was a fairly powerful drug for dealing with pain, but I simply could not remember the name of it. I suggested the pharmacy ring Ashfield M.C. and get them to tell them the name, but they wouldn't without the name of drug the prescription was for. My only choice was to return home and ask Carol what the drug was. When I got home she told me it was Tramadol and I rang Sainsbury's back and when I told them I was informed that, as it was a controlled drug, the surgery couldn't send the prescription electronically. This made sense, because, having been a carer and administration of medication to the client base I worked with was part of my job, I was totally aware that controlled drugs had to be stored carefully, in a locked cupboard, but also had to be carefully signed for, usually by two members of staff, so it was no surprise that they would not send the prescription electronically. By now it was clear that we weren't going to get to the bottom of this situation unless we went to Ashfield Medical Centre and find out what on earth was going on regarding the prescription. The girl of reception said that, having looked at their computer, they had sent the prescription to Sainsbury's. It turned out to be for two other medication that Carol has, but nothing of the Tramadol could be found. Then we said, no doubt it was because it was a controlled drug. After a great deal of scouring around the various files and other places, it turned out that the doctor who was supposed to deal with signing the printed prescriptions hadn't done so and after a further search, the tramadol prescription had somehow slipped through the net. The receptionist said she would go and speak to the doctor, but at the time of speaking she was with a patient. We had to sit and wait in the waiting room whilst all this was going on.

How is it all N.H.S. waiting rooms have such un comfortable seating in them? We've had to endure several of them over the past couple of months, in A and E, at the Urgent Care Centre as well as another out-patient department we went to last week that Carol had to attend following her time in hospital (to see a consultant). They seem to make these facilities as unappealing as possible, the seating in particular as uncomfortable as they can. If you're in A and E as long as we have and you feel like lying down, they've made the long stretch of seats which you'd feel like lying on, have metal bits that make it virtually impossible to lie on as they really cut into your back. I think they deliberately put uncomfortable seating into N.H.S. facilities in a vain attempt to put people off using them. At any rate, the seats I've had to sit on in the last few weeks at least are so designed to make you only want to experience them for at least 20 minutes and certainly no longer. How difficult can it be to have them with at least padded seats? Those plastic chairs in hospital wards don't allow for long sitting as they have a slippery surface that makes you slide off and are extremely uncomfortable. I realise that the N.H.S. is keen to have every surface cleaned in an attempt to combat cross-infection and reduce the risk of N.R.S.A. (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)  spreading, so plastic surfaces would be easier to keep clean, but do these chairs have to be so uncomfortable

The receptionist eventually returned with the printed, and signed, prescription form, so we could then go to Cox and Robinson a few yards along from the surgery, to get the thing made up and could at last go home.

Swimming, Shopping and Eating

I haven't posted anything for the past few days, as you will have noticed if you are a regular reader of my blog. Well, there isn't a great deal for me to write about. I know I can write about the most trivial of things, which actually makes a blog interesting, because life is made up of the most mundane of things. It's not actually the big things that are so interesting, it's the minor incidents, those things that we all recognise, that makes a blog interesting. It's what they say about drama, 'life with the boring bits taken out.' Unlike a soap opera on television, 'life with the boring bits put back.' In the future people will be looking at such things as blogs, diary entries, journals and so on, when they are researching material to attempt to understand how we lived in the early 21st Century. Attempting to understand why we spend so much of our time looking at social media, texting endlessly on mobile devices, working out how we managed our lives, so a blog like this is likely to be used in that research. One wonders how it will be preserved, how will digital material, most of it archived on computers, hard drives and serves. Will it actually survive? Unlike all those documents which were written on such material as vellum, parchment and paper, stored in the archives of countries, great estates etc etc. which have survived for hundreds of years.

Well, we are continuing to go swimming at Nuffield at Kent's Hill. It's a nice place as there's little noise, no loud music and no noisy children (no under 16's allowed.) Also, there is a sauna, spa (Jacuzzi) and steam room as well as a far deeper swimming pool which is better for me to swim in. You get a towel when you arrive, which means you always get one which is dry, although we take our own towels. We have also now bought our own pad locks, which have combination locks, so no having to have a key on a wristband, you just have to remember the combination lock, and, because mine is red it's far easier to find when you return to the changing room as you can see it clearly. I had to remember the number of my locker when I swam at the other gym, D.W. which could be a problem as you couldn't get your clothes out if you couldn't open your locker.

We went shopping at Morrison's on Saturday morning. We like to chop and change where we shop for our groceries. Usually we go to Sainsbury's in Witan Gate in Milton Keynes. It's not too big as supermarkets go. If you compare it to Asda near the stadium, it's about the right size, or there again the big Tesco at Kingston. Those two supermarkets sell a wide range of non-food items, which include clothing, which takes up a fair amount of space at Asda and Tesco, as well as stationary, newspapers and magazines, homewares, besides the general groceries that you'd expect to find in a supermarket. It means when they are so big, that you can spend forever walking up and down the aisles. You can become totally distracted by all the non-food items. When we go to Sainsbury's we do tend to spend a lot of time browsing, particularly the clothing. Also, we have our repeat prescriptions made up in the pharmacy in Sainsbury's. The staff in there know us well. You just have to ring up and they take the repeat prescription order which is sent through to the doctor's surgery at Ashfield Medical Centre and the doctor signs the prescription (which is electronic, which saves on paperwork) and they send it back to the pharmacy and they make up the prescription. This takes around a week and we just have to go into Sainsbury's to pick up the medication. The pharmacy in Sainsbury's was recently taken over by Lloyd's. I'm not sure why, because it was always, up until then, a Sainsbury's pharmacy. Something to do with being taken over as part of being a monopoly or something, and giving it to Lloyd's makes it less of a monopoly of ownership or something. No, it doesn't make sense to me either, as there are a few other Lloyd's chemists around Milton Keynes already.

As I have mentioned already, we decided to go to Morrison's to do our weekly shop last Saturday. We like their meat and cheese, infact, most of their range of such things as meat, cheese, pies and particularly fruit and veg. In Milton Keynes we're spoilt for choice when it comes to grocery shopping. There's not only Morrison's and Sainsbury's, who both have two supermarkets in the Milton Keynes area, but Tesco at Kingston (as well as at Bletchley and Wolverton, as well as the smaller convenience stores dotted around the city at such places as Oldbrook. Then we have Waitrose at Oakgrove, as well as the cheaper end of the market with Lidl (having a store near Tesco in Oldbrook, as well as Aldi, with stores at Bradwell Common and a newer store at Westcroft, we we occasionally use.

When we arrived at Morrison's Carol suggested we go into the café and have something to eat. As she's diabetic, sometimes she needs to eat something to prevent her blood sugar level dropping too far.  Having got a trolley for our shopping, we needed to put it in one of the lockable cupboards they have so that nobody can run off with your shopping without paying. It took some while to work out how the locks worked on the doors. It needs a £1 coin in the slot inside which releases the key which you then use to lock the door with the trolley inside. On arriving at the café we then found that there was a long queue at the counter. It wasn't moving, or if it was, it was incredibly slow. I suggested we just wait a while as it would soon move. It didn't, after five minutes. The staff in the café were either incredibly  disorganised or the café was understaffed. As it was a Saturday, would you not think the management of the café would have put on more staff to deal with the amount of customers? Or else the girl on the till had no idea how to cope with the pressure of numbers. Or something else. Whatever it was, we didn't find out, as we left to get on with our shopping. At that rate Morrison's will have lost a great deal of custom.

On Sunday morning we went to Nuffield at Kent's Hill. It was reasonably empty, but there's always someone or other who insists on hogging most of the pool for themselves, forgetting that they take up some much of the space as they swim up and down. The last time we went the steam room wasn't working properly. For some reason it wasn't making a great deal of steam which meant it wasn't as efficient as it might have been. But on Sunday it was back up to temperature. Certainly good for my back and shoulder injury. Still manage to swim around 15-20 lengths of the pool. But I must remember to take and use my G.T.N. spray before I get in the pool to prevent having an angina attack.

From Nuffield, we decided we needed something to eat, so we went to Frost's Garden Centre at Woburn Sands. We haven't been for a while, and were struck by the improvements that have been going on there. The restaurant has had a complete revamp. They've always had a good restaurant with a great selection of food, not just snacks, but the lunch menu looked good. I had a toasted sandwich with bacon and cheese and Carol had a baked potato and tuna and we both had lattes. Good and hot and a treat after our time at Nuffield.

A Little Fall of Snow

We went shopping at the brand new Morrison's store at the leisure plaza. We have shopped at the Morrison's at Westcroft and did so in the build-up to Christmas when they ran a promotion whereby you had to spend at least £40 a week for six weeks and got a voucher for each week and then when you had six of the vouchers you got £25 of your Christmas shop. Carol had a hair appointment at 9 o'clock at her usual hairdressers in Shenley Brook End at Arcana, and that was completed by 9.15 and then we drove to Morrison's (Westcroft Morrison's is a good deal closer to Arcana, by the way.) We parked in the car in the underground carpark which is similar to Sainsbury's in Witan Gate (around a mile away, and was a brand new store around two years ago when it moved from the Food Centre in the centre of Milton Keynes. Likewise, Waitress moved to their brand new store earlier this year from the centre of Milton Keynes.) We went to give it a try the other evening after Carol had finished work. It's a very much bigger store and seems to have all the services that we have got used to but we weren't all that impressed by the meat section as some of the meat, displayed in refrigerated units, didn't look very inviting as some had turned a nasty colour which denotes that maybe the refrigeration isn't cold enough which put us off buying. They will have to check that their units are cold enough because we had a similar experience in Asda a while back and meat that looks the wrong colour to be stored at the correct safe temperature isn't going to help anyone as who wants to get food poisoning?

We got home and unloaded the groceries we had just bought in Morrison's and no sooner than we had sat down to have a cup of coffee than we saw it snowing outside in the garden. It didn't last long and didn't settle, so no inches-deep blanket all over the centre of Milton Keynes and no closed Milton Keynes Academy on Monday as expected and, indeed, forecast on the local television weather forecast. Never mind, it may cause havoc over the next week or so.