Life, The Universe and Something or Other . . .

(Thursday) My hair is in need of being cut. I can't remember when it was last cut. I know so many businesses are closed due to the confounded coronavirus lockdown, but going without this necessity means my hair is getting really annoying. Under normal circumstances I would have it cut around every 4-6 weeks. I have booked an appointment for 14th April through Central Barbers website. Paid and booked, so all I have to do on the day is merely turn up on time. Don't even have to worry about payment as it's done. A good deal easier and you don't have to wait. I think in the future I shall keep doing this.

Later. I turn on the television with the expectation of watching the latest edition of The Repair Shop, when the announcer says ‘there’s a change to our schedule with another coronavirus press conference.’ My heart sinks, as I really don’t need to listen to the doom mongers droning on relentless. Pointless is transferred to BBC2, but I just switch off the television instead.

I've signed up to a streaming service, much like Netflix, called 'BroadwayHD,' which works through my Fire Stick. As a result of the pandemic lockdown, which means that all live theatres have been closed, I am more than delighted to be able to enjoy recorded theatre performances through this service. I have already enjoyed a performance of Noel Coward's sparkling comedy, 'Private Lives,' and I'm currently watching the RSC's amazing nine-hour version of 'Nicholas Nickleby' which was one of the earliest productions shown on Channel 4 when it opened in 1982. I did watch it then, but am so glad to be able to revisit it now. Ideal material to enjoy, done in 9 parts and a definite binge-worthy piece of theatre or television.

(Friday)12.55a.m. I've woken up. The usual thing, wander to the toilet. I can hear the wind whistling around the building. It's quite an odd sound. No rain, as far as I can tell. I hope it stays dry, but somehow I doubt it. Alfie comes into the bedroom to find a comfortable space next to me. Then I get a sudden urge to cough. I've had this annoying cough for some while, and I'm more than certain that it's caused by one of the medications I'm on, one of the side-effects. Having done a search on-line, I find that it is one of the side-effects. I bought Robitussin, a cough syrup, in Lloyd's in Sainsbury's and it seems to keep it in check so I've just taken a dose, finishing off one bottle and I have another in reserve.

I had to order atorvastatin, one of my medications. I realised when I did my evening meds that the one I took yesterday evening was the last one, so I went on the appropriate app on my iPad and ordered it. I was more than a bit surprised to find a text message from Lloyd's pharmacy telling me the meds were ready to collect this morning so I went to Sainsbury's, where Lloyd's pharmacy is to pick it up. I did a bit of shopping, milk in particular. I parked as normal in the underground carpark (that's not actually correct. It isn't 'underground,' It's underneath the store.) Usually the moving walkway or travelator (I've spent some time on Google trying to find the right word for this.) whisks you up to the store, along with the annoying voice which keeps on telling you that you must 'stand still and hold onto the rail' or whatever it is and reminds you to 'push your trolley off the walkway,' rather like some teacher taking to a classroom full or rather dim primary school-age children. As if you're going to forget to push your trolley 'off the walkway,.' What do they expect you to do, crash onto the floor in a heap? It is somewhat patronising. Never mind. Enough digression. The aforementioned walkway wasn't operating as it should (it seems the lifts and walkway in Sainsbury's has a habit of failing when it shouldn't.) So it was odd walking up the walkway when it wasn't moving. 

When I had finished my shopping, I paid, having used a self-service till (getting quite good at using these things by now, and the thing seemed to work perfectly!) I pushed my trolley towards the top of the travelator and almost got on it, as a member of staff stopped me, so I had to go down in a lift to the carpark. It's virtually impossible to go down on the travelator with a trolley when it's not running, because the wheels get caught in the grooves on the surface and you can't move the trolley off until you get to the bottom.

Even More Rain

This is beginning to get a bit repetitive, but looking out of the window into the space which purports to be a garden (!), it's raining. It's raining as I type this, at 6.40 a.m. And it doesn't look as if it's going to stop any day soon.

Shelley and Gary, our neighbours, have given us their old garden swing. They were clearing out, and it would have been taken to be dumped at the tidy-tip. No doubt it would have been re-cycled in some way or other, but we were offered it. It was passed over the fence and is now ensconced in the newly-barked (!) section of the garden near the lounge window. I had the foresight to bring the padded seat into the house as I didn't want it to get wet when it rained, which it has done for the past couple of days. Gary has offered to come round and cut the grass with his far more powerful mower, but, as yet, due to the rain, he hasn't been able to. The grass is getting far too long for our poor little mower to get through it. Unfortunately, some of the grass is seeding and if it doesn't get cut soon will be virtually impossible to mow.

I got my hair cut yesterday morning. I know, exciting, but it was in real need of a trim. The last time I had it cut was in February and I usually have it cut every four to six weeks. There was no point going to Monkston Park, because the barbers there has closed down, so, for a change, I decided to go to the barbers in the Food Centre near the Milton Keynes shopping centre. Fortunately I had the sense to get there just as they were opening up, so I didn't have to wait too long. It's no good letting my hair get too long before I get it cut and most certainly won't wait so long before I next have it done.

It's turned out really hot and clammy so I expect we'll have a further downpour before the night's out.

Alfie hasn't been feeling himself this afternoon. Just not behaving in his usual way, with his ears laid back, which usually indicates that he's not feeling well. Hw sat on my knee and then moved over to Carol. He hasn't been moving around very well, so we suspect it might be his joints, possibly his back hip joint. Well, he is 11 years old, or will be in August. I gave him some of the ibuprofen liquid we had left over when he went to the vet's. I mixed it in with his dinner and now he seems quite happy, moving about as normal and behaving as he normally does.

Hair Cut

I went to get my hair cut yesterday. My hair was beginning to get untidy and as the weather was a good deal milder and sunnier it seemed a good excuse to get mine cut.  I have been going to Essential Barbers in Monkston for a couple of years now. I used to go the the Central Barbers in the Food Centre, the shopping centre near the main Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. But then we found ourselves in Monkston a couple of years ago, I don't remember how or even exactly when and we came across a Budgen's and I think did some shopping for essentials there (the unit is now a Cooperative store.) We found that there was also a fish and chip shop along from Budgen's which we tried (but decided that it wasn't anywhere near as good as the Brother's fish and chip shop in Eaglestone and haven't returned since. Also, between all these, Essential Barbers. I found that they were far easier to get to than the barber's in the Food Centre, gave a better service and above all were cheaper. The other one kept putting their prices up which wasn't a particularly good selling point in my opinion. I know these companies have to cover their running costs, and in particular things such as Business Rates, rent, electricity etc. but if you keep putting your prices up then you risk loosing customers. As I'm now retired I get a reduction in the price which is a good enough reason to go to Essential Barbers. I can park the car immediately outside and, if I arrive at 9.30 I can usually get my hair cut immediately. I'm all for being punctual and in this case, it pays off, because yesterday, even though quite a gathering of customers arrived well before they opened up at 9.30 and was in the chair having my hair trimmed almost as soon as I walked through the door. My hair usually needs cutting between every 4-6 weeks. It hadn't been trimmed for much longer than that so I was in a serious need of a cut. If I keep it short it's easier to dry when we go swimming so I did need it done particularly for that reason. I'm probably more fortunate than a lot of men my age in that I have kept my hair, although it's gone grey, I haven't had to suffer baldness, thankfully. I think I owe that to good genetic material, passed on I think from my maternal grandfather who had plenty of hair on his head. Although I think through him I probably inherited my heart problems. Carol has her hair done at Arcana which is at Shenley Brook End. She last had it done a couple of weeks ago. They have started doing men's hair their, and I had considered going to get my hair there, but I think it's a question of what you know and trust, as Essential do what I like with my hair as I'm a bit fussy about that sort of thing. No point changing just for the sake of it.

Haircut

I got my hair cut yesterday morning. The same place I usually go in The Food Centre near the Milton Keynes  shopping centre. I didn't have to wait  long and I feel a lot better after I had my hair cut. My hair had become very long and unkempt and I really like it kept short. I suppose at my age I should be lucky that I have any hair at all, so I shouldn't complain. Most men of my age have very little hair, or they are bald, but I don't have to worry about such things.  

Anyway, they have this incentive scheme there to encourage you to go back again. You are given a card and each time you have your hair cut (or any other service they offer.) you get the card stamped, and then, after you have six stamps you can have a free haircut (or use it for some offer they might have on.) Seems a good idea to me to keep your customers loyal. I have a Tesco Clubcard and a Nectar card and collect points on them, but, to be honest, as a family we're not that loyal to any one supermarket. In Milton Keynes we are spoilt for choice as we have a large Tesco at Kingston, and another at Bletchley, a huge Asda at Bletchley, near the football stadium, a Morrison's at Westcroft (where we did our main shop on Saturday.) and a newish Sainsbury's at The Hub, which is near the City centre, as well as Lidl (see below) which is what you'd call a budget supermarket and they have remarkably good products. Then there are quite a few mini Tescos, or Tesco Express stores dotted around the city, which we use for basics such as milk and buying a newspaper or items we might run out of if the supermarkets are closed.

It's surprisingly mild this morning. It was fairly windy in the night, and there was some very slight rainfall, but certainly nothing to write home about. 

I went to Lidl for some milk and cheese crackers on my way back from the City centre yesterday and  I found that they've rearranged the store. Doesn't it annoy you when you go to a store regularly and you know exactly where everything is that you want and then they have to move it all around? Well, it was like that. They can't move the milk as the refrigerated units are fixed in one place, but I had a good idea where the cheese biscuits were. I had to walk up and down the aisles several times in order to find what I wanted. I have a good idea why it's been rearranged like this. It's partly because they have to bring in Christmas stock, and partly it's because most shoppers only go in (like I do) and by the essential items (ie. bread, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables.) and if you know precisely where they are, you just go to those places in the store, pick up your items and then go to the next place. It's to make you look at other items you might not necessarily want to purchase, and you search for your essential items. I found the cheese crackers and I was annoyed. They had moved them right next to the entrance! The last place I expected to look for them!

For those who are interested, the barber's website is at www.centralbarbers.com.