Flat Tyre

 Sunday 23rd August 9.25 a.m. Did I mention the car had a flat tyre? I don't think I did. All the rushing about when my bankcard was frozen, and then having to drive into the shopping centre to get money out at the Nationwide branch and then drive to Sainsbury's. It was when I drew up at a set of traffic lights on the way, that some kind driver pointed out the flat tyre, that I realized that something had to be done, and quickly, such as, find a tyre replacement service, which could come out to Dexter House and put a new tyre on the car and, hopefully, not cost the earth. In all of nearly 60 years of driving, I think this must be only the second, or possibly the third, flat tyre I have actually had, so I can't complain. Well, I suppose I can, but I won't. There was no way I could drive the car with a flat tyre,because it would have been dangerous and the hub of the wheel might have been bent out of shape as a result.

Anyway, to cut a fairly long story short, I found a company through the internet, who could come out and take the old, flat, tyre off the car and replace it with a new one. Luckily I found the small box containing the nuts which allowed the old tyre to be removed, otherwise the job could not be done, but, fortunately I found them in the car and the job was completed and the whole thing done.

Monday. 24th August. 8.30 a.m. On Saturday I thought, for a change, I would go to Aldi and do a bit of shopping. It then occurred to me that Curry's was just along the parade of units, I could go in there and enquire about external hard drives for my MacBook, because I am keen to get all my written material,in particular the plays, put onto some form of drive, as an insurance policy against something happening to the laptop and all that hard work being lost forever. I have now got a tiny memory stick which shows up on the desktop of the Macbook. So, I now have some of the material saved to the stick, although it is so tiny I am more concerned about how tiny it is and how easy it will be to loose that, rather than the contents!!

I had developed a really unpleasant rash, in a rather private place. It had become red raw and was beginning to sting. The solution to this rash was to get a doctor's appointment and, hopefully, the doctor could prescribe something to help it heal. I filled out the on-line triage form, because you aren't supposed to ring the surgery for an appointment, unless it is for something serious, which this isn't. I completed the form and posted it. Then an hour and a half later,  I got an email, telling me there were no available slots for appointments, but if necessary, go to the Urgent Care Centre, at Milton Keynes University Hospital. Well, being told that made my blood run cold, because experience told me that I might be there for several hours before being seen. Also, I have memories of taking Carol there after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which weren't good. But, after some consideration of the matter, I plucked up the courage and drove there. Fortunately, the waiting room wasn't as busy as it was last time I was in there and, on arrival I had to answer a few questions and then I sat in the waiting area. It wssn'tlong before a doctor called me into one of the rooms, to be asked a few mor questions and to show him the rash and be told I would be given a prescription, one for some cream to put on the rash and some antibiotics.

Once I had the prescription, I took it to the nearest chemist I could think of, in Netherfield. The only problem was, that, just as I arrived at this chemist's, it was turning 1 p.m., and the pharmacist had gone for their lunch, and it wouldn't be possible to get the prescription made up until 2 p.m., because a pharmasist had to be present, by law, in order to administer the drugs on the prescription. So, I drove back to Dexter House to have some lunch and then make my way back to the chemist after 2 p.m. to collect the prescription. So, this is precisely what I did and when I eventually got back to Dexter House, I took the first dose of the medication.

One Love Lunch

 Thursday 6th August. 5.15 a.m. It seems to be mild and bright, a real relief after the blazing heat of the past few weeks. My infamous digital thermometer currently reads 26ºc. It was so hot at one point, just moving about the flat, I had sweat running down my face and I had to keep using a towel to wipe the sweat off my face. I was driving somewhere the other day when sweat ran down my face and into my eyes, making them sting horribly.

I haven't mentioned One Love Lunch Club. I had never heard of it, until I saw a flyer on the message board near the entrance coming into Dexter House. I didn't have to drive there, as I was collected by minibus and arrived at Wolverton. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, as people began to arrive, many of whom were coming with me in the minibus. I suppose, once everyone had arrived, about 30 people, many with a range of disabilities, some with autism and many with dementia. There is lunch, which we pay for, £5, which is great value, and games for people to play, music, dance and good conversation.

When they had discovered my background, in theatre, television walk-on, puppetry and even my connection with Shakespeare via his wife, Anne Hathaway, I had to give a sort of impromtu talk, covering all my background. It was an experience, and not something I have ever done before.

So, it looks like I have at last got something to replace Camphill in my diary. I didn't go this week, because there weren't enough people on duty who had the relevant qualifications to be there, such as, holding a D.B.S.certificate, probably because those people were on holiday. (D.B.S. stands for Disclosure and Barring Service. Without this check , you cannot work for a range of client-based occupations, such as those people who are vulnerable, learning  disabilities, elderly, and so on.

Wednesday 12th August. 12.20 p.m. I was going to give support during the Holiday Club, which started yesterday, but I don't have a D.B.S. check, which is a vital piece of paper, which you have to have if you are working with a vulnerable group, which is how the children are described in the Holiday Club, and because my D.B.S. is yet to be applied for, I van't be involved.

So, I have been doing more work on my play-writing, which is going very well.One play is a sort of modernisation of the play-within-A-Play of Piramus and Thisbe, from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I a have re-invented the characters, making them relevant to a 21st century audience. Bottom is now Barry Bottomley, a council worker who is so enthusiastic about his part in the play, he seems to think he can play everyone else's parts.

Gadzooks!

 Wednesday 28th January. 12.15 p.m. I went to Sainsbury's earlier. I was somewhat surprised that there was a thin layer of ice on all the windows of the car, but I soon dealt with it by spraying on antifreeze.

As I write this, it is sunny and bright out.

9.15 p.m. I had ordered a glass tea infuser and samples of different varieties of full-leaf tea from something called Teabox. It was advertised on Facebook. It was supposed to be delivered by Royal Mail this morning, between 10.45a.m. and 2.00p.m. The time came and went, and nothing arrived. Then, mid-afternoon, I got an email to say it would be delivered between 5.30 p.m and 7.30 p.m. It eventually came around 5.30.

Friday, January 30th. 9.20 a.m. Not a very distinctive sort of morning. No wind or rain.

The daffodil bulbs I planted are coming up. Hopefully, they should be in full bloom by the time of Carol's birthday on 7th March. She would have been 62.

The digital thermometer reads 20ºc.

Saturday 31st. 9.20 a.m. I have a feeling the sun is attempting to come out. I do hope it does.

10.05 p.m. The sun did come out, but only briefly. Not a particularly bright day. A bit overcast, but what do you expect on a late January day?

I ordered some over-the-ear, Bluetooth earbuds from Very yesterday and they were delivered this morning, much to my surprise. I thought they would take until at least the middle of next week to be delivered. They are Powerbeats Pro 2, and they were relatively easy to get connected to my iPhone. The idea is that I can go for a walk and have them on to listen to and they should help motivation.

One of the residents at Dexter House had a birthday today, and I was invited to a special dinner to celebrate in the communal lounge. There was plenty to eat and drink, and a good time was had by all.

Twixmas

 Tuesday. 2.05 p.m. I've just been to Mursley Farm shop with Margaret and Mike. We have been there before, with the Thursday Morning Lifegroup. I do know how to get there, but it didn't make a lot of sense taking two cars, so Margaret drove to Dexter House to pick me up, and then we drove on to the farm shop, which has a great cafe, serving a wide selection of goodies.

This post is entitled 'Twixmas', referring to the period between Christmas and New Year, 'Twix', having nothing to do with chocolate biscuits, but a contraction of 'betwixt.'

Wednesday. New Year's Eve. 7.55 a.m. Another unremarkable morning. I'm yet to see outside. It might be frosty.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

10.15 a.m. The sun is shining. But, when I went to my car earlier, the windows were covered in a thin layer of ice, which I got rid of with some defrost spray and a scrape with my scraper which I keep in the car for such eventualities. I drove to Sainsbury's for the final shop of 2025.

Sainsbury's now expect their customers to use a £1 coin to release the trolleys before you commence shopping. Fortunately, I have a token on my key ring, but the metal one I had seems to have got lost, unfortunately. I'm wondering why the need to lock trolleys and expect customers to use a coin to release them. Might it be that trolleys make a habit of losing themselves out in the community? People take them out of the store and don't return them? I often see supermarket trolleys left in odd places, far away from their natural habitat, the supermarket itself, quite often dumped in ditches, ponds and similar places.

Thursday. New Year's Day. 8.20 a.m. I sat and watched Jools Holland's New Year's Eve show on BBC2, which included the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne and The Band of the Scots Guards. The chimes of Midnight rang out, and then Lulu sang. I ate a couple of mince pies and drank a Whiskey Mac, Scots whiskey and ginger wine.

5.20 p.m. I've been to lunch with Margaret and Mike in Downs Barn. Plenty to chat about, and we went out for a walk around the block. It's great to get out of the flat for a while.

Friday. 12.15 p.m. It's bright and sunny, but it's been quite cold.

Christmas-Gone

 Sunday. 3,50 p.m. So, that's it. Christmas is done for another year. At church this morning, there were fewer people in the congregation than usual, probably because some people were away, for whatever reason, or returning. Next, we have the New Year, and I might be going to my friends, Mike and Margaret, but I won't know until early next week.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

Monday. 8.40 a.m. Well, I didn''t wake up until well past 7 this morning. It seems very quiet here at Dexter House. Not a mouse stirring, as someone said. I should know: it's a speech from the opening of 'Hamlet.'

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

11.15 a.m. I've been to Lidl to get milk and one or two items, such as biscuits. And why not, you may well ask? Just enjoy the occasional Hob Nob or chocolate digestive. I must have lost the trolley coin I used to have, which I had on my keyring, although I have a plastic one, which works just as well as the metal one, allowing me to use it to release a trolley before I enter the store. But I went inside and used one of the plastic trolleys,  for which you don't have to pay with a coin to release them. I don't like them, because they are low and it's far more difficult to manipulate in the store, but for the purposes of my current shopping trip, do well enough.

Tuesday. 9.10 a.m. Another typical late December morning. It's overcast, and not raining, frosty or otherwise.

The box of medications, which I inadvertently left behind in Worcester, arrived in the post yesterday, mid-morning. A very polite post lady knocked lightly on the door, and I was presented with the well-wrapped parcel. She said it was her first day doing the job. I think it is always a good thing to praise someone when they do their job well. It's easy to criticise when things go wrong, but more important to be kind and considerate when things go well. So, on opening the parcel up, I removed everthing necessary and was pleased that the unfortunate situation had a good resolution.

Time Goes By

 Sunday. 7.35 a.m. I was awake at around 4 this morning. You know how it is, you need the loo, then go back to bed, lie awake, not a chance of sleep. Someone in Dexter House, in a flat which is close to mine, has a radio or something on, not loud, but has a voice chattering. It's enough to keep me awake. I do all my washing up, which I normally do a good deal later. Tidying up my space in the lounge, my coffee table, which gets cluttered up, so I sort rubbish, which goes in the recycling bin.  I have a wash and a shave, then sort my medication out in the kitchen. I'm fussy, having it all in the same plastic box I bought just after I had my first heart attack in 2006. I have two glass shot glasses, which have measurements on the side, which I got from Amazon. The meds get put in one of those, and the other has Feroglobin liquid.I  do, eventually, go back to bed and sleep.

Monday. 8.35 a.m. A somewhat lacklustre sort of day. What more can I say?

The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

I have managed to finish the sequence I have been working on for months. Now, to develop the next stretch of writing. My creative muscles will be put to use.

4.40 p.m. I attended the U3A Shakespeare Group at Dovecote in Newport Pagnall. As I drove there, I was shocked by the amount of building work which is going on at the junction of the road I would have driven into from Bedford when we first went out before we were married. There is a roundabout on the A509, which, if you follow it on into Milton Keynes, becomes Monks Way. There are also traffic lights, which make it easier and safer to cross over into the road which leads into the centre of Newport Pagnall. So much building is going on, with vast warehouses on one side of the road and houses on the opposite side. Every time I drive around Milton Keynes, there is more building going on. When Carol and I married in 2007, we lived in Crownhill, and it must have been the last estate grid going out of Milton Keynes towards Stony Stratford.  That estate is called Whitehouse. Now, the farmland on Watling Street has been built on, and further along Watling Street there are more houses. 

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.

Comfort and Joy?

 Friday. 8.20 a.m. It's yet another somewhat overcast and uninspiring sort of day, here in Milton Keynes.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

3.55 p.m. I have been searching for a suitable present for my grandchildren. It has to be something they can share. I got them a game called Pirates, which was a great success. Chloe WhatsApped me this morning, saying she had found something called Chicken and Hotdog (I know, crazy!) I searched various toy websites, and eventually found it on Smyth's Toys website and ordered it via click and collect and then went to collect it earlier this afternoon. It is far easier to buy anything via click and collect, because it means you pay on the website and, as soon as it's ready to collect, you merely go to the store and collect the item.

I was staggered by the number of people in Smyth's store. For a Friday, in the middle of the day, it was a bit of a surprise. The carpark outside was packed, and it was difficult to find a space. I realise that Smyth's isn't the only retail outlet in that particular retail park, but the store I went into was heaving. Then, people went crazy, coming out laden with toys, almost as if there was some sort of shortage of toys (there wasn't.) It's only for ONE DAY, and they're likely to have paid on credit cards, which will have to be paid off over the course of 2026. Yes, they want their children to have a great Christmas, but to go to this extent is totally mad. The REAL meaning of Christmas is totally lost.

Saturday. 7.55 a.m. It's another rather dull morning. I haven't been outside yet, but I will very soon, as we have our monthly Men's Breakfast at the Oaktree Centre.

The digital thermometer currently reads 20ºc.

I have been reviewing the footage I recorded using the Osmo Pocket 3 when I was at the Central Shopping Centre the other day. I'm really pleased with it. I still need to do further tests before I use it for something more serious (or not!) The quality is amazing, considering its size. 

11.05 a.m. I went out to my car around 8.40, intending to drive off to The Oaktree Centre, but I found ice on the windows, so I had to spend around 10 minutes scraping it off. I then found that there was mist on the inside of the windscreen, when obscured my view. I can't drive if I can't see clearly, but by the time I had come out of Oldbrook, and onto Chaffron Way, it was clear enough to see clearly.

Sunday. 5.30 a.m. Far too early to be awake and writing this blog post, but does it matter? I think not.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

I must have mentioned how I get my medication. I would prefer if I could merely go into a pharmacy and pick the repeat prescription up, but things don't work like that anymore. We used to have its own pharmacy in its Witan Gate store, which was taken over by Lloyds, and even that has now closed. Sainsbury's used to have its own pharmacy in its Witan Gate store, which was taken over by Lloyds, and even that has now closed. I now order online through Pharmacy2U. To make sure I have never run out of medication, I need to get the order made at least a week before my stock runs out. I go online, tick all the relevant areas on the page and hit 'send.' This is sent to the doctor to approve, and then the online pharmacy makes up the repeat order, and then, eventually, the order is sent to me via Royal Mail.

I have had no problem with the delivery, and the meds are well packaged and normally come through my letterbox. Except yesterday. I knew the order was about to arrive, due to being sent an email. Then I got a notification that the order had arrived. It had not, so I went onto the Royal Mail website, and it showed the package had been sent to 6 Dexter Avenue. There was a photograph showing the house, so I went over to the house to ask the resident if the package had been delivered there. There was no answer, so I presumed they were out and I would need to go back when they came home.

I thought no more about it, until the evening, when I got a buzz from the door intercom. You press one button to speak and another to release the door so it will open. I waited in expectation for the delivery person to arrive, but nothing.

A while later, the parcel arrived, when the gentleman from 6 Dexter Avenue came and knocked on the window of one of my neighbours, and she came to my door with the parcel.

The conclusion of all this: the delivery person should read the address label and make sure the parcel/letter comes to my flat and not the wrong address. Crazy. Simples.

The Leaves Are Falling

 Wednesday. 8.15 a.m. It's my birthday today! I'm not giving away my age. If I asked my mother how old she was, she'd say, 'I'm as old as my tongue, but a little older than my teeth.' I never really understood this as a child, but I do now.

The weather is a bit wet. I think it might be raining as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

Thursday. 8.00 p.m. It's a somewhat wet and windy morning. There is a severe weather warning in place. I think it's a matter of 'batten down the hatches'! Probably more like 'prepare to launch the lifeboats!"

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

Friday. 9.10 a.m. I am waking up a good deal later than usual.

As I write this, the sun is shining, but as it's late October, it is likely to be chilly out.

Saturday. 8.00 a.m. The clocks go back tonight. I hope everyone at church remembers, or else some people will arrive one hour out.

The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

Sunday. 9.20 a.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this. The digital thermometer stuck at 22º

Tuesday. 8.15 a.m. It's sunny, but not particularly warm. The digital thermometer is currently reading 24ºc.

3.45 p.m. Vashti, the S.H.O. here at Dexter House, told me yesterday that there was a bookcase left in one of the flats, because the tenant has moved to a care home. I went to have a look yesterday, and there was also a chest of drawers. The family of the tenant was happy for me to have both items, so this afternoon we have moved these bits of furniture into my flat. The bookcase is now residing in a convenient space behind the television, but it will need a screw put into the wall to prevent it from tipping over. I will have to ask someone at church if they could drill a hole to fix the bookcase. Meanwhile, the chest of drawers is parked in the entrance hall and can eventually be repositioned on the other side of my bed, but there is a considerable amount of stuff in the way, which will need to be removed before the chest of drawers can be moved.

Wednesday. 8.40 a.m. A rather dull and overcast morning here in Milton Keynes. A thin fog lays over the garden as I stood and did some washing up just a moment ago and gazed out. Not exactly inspiring nevertheless.  The digital thermometer currently reads 23ºc.

12.15 p.m. I had an appointment at around 10.30 to have a covid vaccine (I don't want to call it a 'jab' as it is never a jab as such.) I had to drive to Jardine's pharmacy in Benbow Court, in Shenley, just off the main road. I've been there before to have another shot of vaccine, so I knew where to go and park. I went into the chemist shop and had to fill in a form and then sit and wait. I was soon called into the consulting room and the shot didn't take long and it was put into the upper part of my right arm. Done, left and soon back at Dexter House, but for some odd reason I missed the Chaffron Way exit and came back further along Watling Street, although there was a bit of a traffic hold-up, caused by roadworks. There were lots of orange cones in the road, but we've come to expect this around the grid roads in Milton Keynes.

The Land Where The Bong Trees Grow

 Tuesday. 7.30 a.m. I know, the title is crazy and will have nothing whatever to do with the contents of this post. But why not?

12.25 p.m. It's bright and sunny today. It may look warm and inviting, but I think it's likely to be cold outside. The digital thermometer currently reads 24 ºC.

I have had a visit from some Council staff, doing a survey about my impressions of living in Dexter House and other matters. I really don't see the point of all this. I seem to get sent endless surveys, although there is the incentive of possibly winning a draw for £150.

I have been continuing with my writing. I have spent a lot of time researching so that the information is accurate and convincing.

Thursday. 7.10 a.m. Alfie died last night. I'm devastated. He's been a huge part of my life. He has been a real companion and a source of support since Carol's death. Not only that, but he adapted so well when I moved to the flat. What more can I say? He has been mentioned so much in these posts. 

12.10 p.m. I rang the vet at 8.30 and took Alfie to be cremated. I needed to get this done as soon as possible. I don't like leaving things that need doing undone. I can relax now, even though it was heartbreaking. It is odd coming back to a flat without him there. I will give his things, bowls, and remaining food to a couple at church who have dogs.

Friday, 7.10 a.m. So, the first morning waking up without Alfie. It's strange, as there's none of his sounds, the hollow breathing, his tap-tap-tap of his feet on the floor. It will take a lot of adjusting.

Yesterday afternoon I went for lunch with my friends Mike and Margaret. On the way back, and driving along the part of Chaffron Way running past Oldbrook, I noticed that there was one of those digital displays that tells you to slow down. It has a smiley face that comes on when you reach the correct speed. The whole section has been resurfaced, and the speed limit has been reduced to 40. But then, when you go further on, past Eaglestone and on to the roundabout on Marlborough Street, there is no 40 M.P.H speed limit. Then, along Saxon Street, running past the Milton Keynes Academy and Milton Keynes Hospital, there is a further 40 m.p.h. speed limit, which a lot of people ignore, or pretend to, because when I have turned off the roundabout, there is almost always a car directly behind me, attempting, or so it seems to me, to get me to speed up.

The Cow Jumped Over The Moon

 Saturday. 9.15 a.m. I was due to take Alfie out, as usual. But there was a slight problem. Slight being the operative word; I couldn't find him. It turned out he was under my bed. Problem two: Having to get down on the floor is quite a problem for me. I left this until around 8.45 as I thought it was important that he went out. Eventually, I caught sight of his tail and grabbed him. I felt sorry for the old boy, as he was fast asleep.

Sunday. 3.15 p.m. We had Café Church this morning. That means that there wasn't a time of worship, but fellowship, allowing everyone to interact with one another, eat cake, drink tea and coffee and generally have a good time. It allows those who probably don't attend a church to come along and find out more about Shenley Christian Fellowship and discover that it's a friendly place. 

I arrived as I usually do on a Sunday and discovered that the place was locked.  At first, I had a thought that perhaps I was an hour to early, a bit like when the clocks change and we lose or gain an hour. But it wasn't that.   There are usually people there, some setting up refreshments and the band rehearsing in the main hall. Julie, who is one of the leaders at SCF, was sitting in her car. She couldn't open up the building, as she didn't have a key and also had no idea how to switch off the alarm system.

Monday. 9.55 a.m. Warm and pleasantly sunny. The temperature is currently 27ºc according to the digital thermometer.

Time to sort recycling. Not the most exciting of jobs, but it needs to be done, otherwise my cupboard overflows. Some of the cartons are difficult to either fold or tear. I have two plastic bins of recycling and one black bin of other household rubbish. I carry the black bin, together with one plastic bin, take it to the bin store, open the first door and leave the two items in the inner room and then go back for the remaining bin. I then return to the bin store and open the outer door, and then discover the row of bins for recycling are full and there's no room for my two worth of recycling! I put the black bag in another allocated bin and then haul the two full plastic bins of recycling back to the flat. I will now have to leave it where they are until tomorrow, after the bin men come and empty the bins and then return to deposit my two bins with the recycling in the, hopefully, empty bins. What a performance!

Alfie is currently fast asleep on the kitchen floor and somewhat in the way when I am sorting the rubbish, but it doesn't matter as I can step over him. He snores, and it is somewhat amusing.

3.35 p.m.Vashti, the S.H.O. at Dexter House, told me that I ought to take my rubbish to the bin store at the other end of Dexter House. I had never thought of it, but I have now got rid of it, and we aren't apparently getting a visit from the bin men tomorrow. Do I get the feeling that they are only doing collections fortnightly? If so, we're likely to be overflowing with rubbish, recycling, etc.

We are only having Vashti here for half of the week. It's due to Milton Keynes Council running out of money and deciding that sheltered housing will have to cut its staff's hours in each unit. Vashti will be here in the afternoons and cover other units for the rest of the time. This makes sense now. The Council is run by Labour, in a coalition with Liberal Democrats. Labour is useless at financial management. Just look at the current Starmer government. Total disaster, and we're heading for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, a replay of the 1970s when we had to go cap in hand to sort our economy out, and Labour had to make cuts to various services, and inflation went through the roof, and we had the infamous 'Winter of discontent.' I remember dustbin workers striking and going into London and seeing black bin bags piled up at the side of the road, the three-day week, shortages of things in supermarkets and television closing down at 10.30 because the miners and electricity workers walked out. They say, history repeats itself, but that's so true. 

Walking On Sunshine

 Monday. 11.50 a.m. So, here we are in another month, September. Supposedly the meteorological start of autumn, it's sunny as I write this, but it has been quite gusty, and it rained on Saturday.

Well, returning to my outing to the Buckinghamshire Agricultural Show, I drove towards Aylesbury and out on the road I knew towards Wing. I drove through Bierton but came to a grinding halt. I thought, not surprisingly, that it was due to an accident or maybe roadworks. I have driven this route on many occasions, and it has usually been a fairly straightforward piece of road. Now, for some strange reason, there was what's called 'traffic-calming' in place. This comprised a series of what I can only describe as half barriers in the road (I have since learned that these are called chicanes), which meant, the traffic from each direction had to wait until vehicles from the opposite direction had priority, and then, when that had cleared, you could drive forward. Which meant, if there was a large amount of traffic, then you had to wait longer, and because of these barriers, which were at around 200–300 yards, the tailback would get longer and longer. All I can say is, it's more annoying and is poorly thought out and designed. It must be infuriating if you had to go through this stretch of road regularly, or if you had to use it several times during the day.

Oh, dear. I spoke too soon. There's just been a clap of thunder. 

The rainstorm didn't last. It was over in a matter of minutes.

Tuesday. 9.50 a.m. it's sort of mild and sunny. Not really sure whether it's anything much.

The digital thermometer reads 25ºc.

I have been out in the garden and experimented with the bulb planter. It's easy enough to use, but then you have to put the earth back in the hole. I think I need a trowel for that job.

4.45 p.m. I have ordered a trowel from Amazon. It should be delivered tomorrow. I think there are plenty of places in the garden here at Dexter House for more bulbs to be planted, but I would like a certain amount to go around The Oaktree Centre.

Another Day Older . . .

 Friday. 1.50 p.m. I took my car to Anglo Motors to have its MoT. I had booked it via phone last week. I knew the old one would run out yesterday because I went online to check. I drove over to Mount Farm, the home of Anglo, at 11.45. I handed over the keys and then sat in the waiting area. After around 45 minutes, I learnt that it had passed! I'm so pleased, it's another thing to not have to stress about.

Sunday. 8.05 a.m. I woke a good deal later than normal. 

Yesterday evening, I lost Alfie. No, don't laugh. How on earth can you lose a small Yorkshire terrier in a flat this size? I think he was under my bed.

3.30 p.m. We have had extremely loud music emanating from the National Bowl, here in sunny Milton Keynes, both yesterday and today. Our ears were bombarded by the heavy beat of reggae music. Not my sort of music, but the whole area around the Bowl had been cordoned off with traffic cones and those plastic fences you see when there is some sort of incident. On my way to church, I found that Chaffron Way was closed off at the Grafton Street roundabout, which meant I had to make a rather circuitous route around Milton Keynes before I could get to Shenley Brook End.

Wednesday. 10.45 a.m. Where have I been? Why haven't I been writing stuff on here? Simples! Not much is happening around here. Well, this is Dexter House, centre of the universe, full of excitement- not. We need a resident artist here, say, David Hockney or Andrew Lloyd-Webber, doing art, writing music and getting things going. It would certainly liven things up. We should have an Olympic-size swimming pool in the communal garden, along with a gym and cinema complex. I have to say, as you will have noticed, if you read my posts regularly, that I can get carried away with my musings.

I went to Sainsbury's earlier. It was like a version of the Marie Celeste, virtually empty. I didn't get a trolley with a wonky wheel, which drives me nuts. It refuses to push without squeaking or just not moving at all. I think they should spend some time getting them maintained. So the wheels run freely and don't squeak.

Thursday. 8.45 a.m. It's another mild and relatively pleasant morning. I just hope it stays that way.

Yesterday evening, I was part of a Zoom meeting, which was for market research. I won't go into too much detail, just suffice to say, it was very interesting. I've done quite a few of these, some really boring, but this was fascinating, and what made it more interesting was hearing other people's opinions. I will get £60 for doing it, so that's great, and I want to get more of these, particularly when they're on Zoom, as it means you don't have to go anywhere, just sit and chat in the comfort of your own home. It ended relatively late, which means I slept well and didn't wake up until around 7 a.m. Until we had the coronavirus pandemic, I had never even heard of Zoom. I quickly got the hang of using it, and it has paid off to have the ability to use it. My various bits of technology, such as my MacBook Pro, iPad and iPhone, can be used to earn more cash. I have two apps on my iPhone, which I use to scan the barcodes of what I buy, using the phone's camera. I build up points which can be built up and then redeemed for various vouchers, such as Amazon, Argos, Sainsbury's, Tesco, etc. Well worth the effort. Another site I'm signed up to is called Consumer Pulse, which I've been with for years. When you buy clothes and other items, you record each on the site and, again, receive points which can be redeemed for vouchers. 

Another Day, Another Dawn

 Saturday. 10.55 a.m. It's hotter than ever. The digital thermometer currently reads 29ºc.

We have had workmen in Dexter House for the past week. So, as a result, there's a great deal of noise, the usual banging and scraping and the high-pitched noise of machinery. They are taking out windows along the corridor. Apparently, they are replacing the windows with glass that is fireproof, or so I understand. Bringing the place in line with current building regulations, no doubt brought in after the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed many of the occupants.

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 26ºc.

I woke up later than usual. I'm sleeping much better. I'm on sertraline, so I think that is why.

Monday. 5.45 a.m. Still cooler this morning. My thermometer reads 24ºc.

I've done some research online regarding sertraline. One of the side effects would appear to be related to heat regulation,  which then leads to skin irritation, so that explains things.

Friday. 6.20 a.m. For the past couple of nights, Alfie has slept on the floor. The night before last he was on the floor in the hallway, which is between the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. He has started to make funny little noises, sort of, as if he's moaning and muttering to himself. (I know that sounds unlikely, but it seems like it to me.) This sound kept me awake, so I at last decided that I'd pick him up and put him in his nice, sort, comfortable bed, which I did. Last night, he lay in the bedroom doorway, making it difficult to get in without treading on him. I woke this morning and couldn't find him anywhere, until I found him under the coffee table in the lounge! Why there, I have no idea, but fortunately, he came out without my having to extract him; otherwise, he would have been stuck.

Tuesday was Alfie's 18th birthday. I can't believe he's still going strong, although a bit wobbly on his feet, but not astounding considering his age. We got Alfie as a result of going to Crufts, which would have been the year Carol and I got married. We saw a Yorkie doing agility, which was brilliant, and it was shown on television. Carol said, 'Shall we get one?' and I said 'Yes!' and we found a breeder around March, in Cambridgeshire, and we drove to have a look at a litter of puppies, and that's how we came to get Alfie. As a young puppy, he really was tiny and easily fitted into a hat that Carol was wearing.

8.25 a.m. It's bright and sunny, and the digital thermometer currently reads 28ºc.

Saturday. 7.30 a.m. An overcast morning. When I ventured out with Alfie earlier, there was a thin sort of rain. There is the possibility of torrential rain and thunderstorms later in the day, and the possibility of flash floods.

The digital thermometer currently reads 26ºc.

11.55 a.m. There has been an amber warning because of the rain. What began earlier as thin drizzle has now become a good deal heavier. There is now a warning about the possibility of flash floods

Sunday. 7.35 a.m. A definite change in the weather this morning. It's raining quite heavily. As a result, there is a large puddle along the side of Strudwick Drive, and it has to be, because the roads in Milton Keynes weren't constructed with cambers, meaning water can't flow off as it should. Also, drains have got blocked with debris, meaning that there's more of a buildup of water. If the Romans could build their roads with cambers, why can't modern road builders do the same?

Bright and Sunny

 Wednesday. 10.15 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. The digital thermometer reads 26ºc.

I've driven to Sainsbury's. Driving away from Dexter House around Truman Place and then into Oldbrook Boulevard. Before I got there, I noticed a crowd of people on the pavement where the path alongside Strudwick Drive crosses Oldbrook Boulevard. As I got further, I couldn't help noticing one older man sitting on the ground, with a bloody nose. I don't know exactly what happened, but I can imagine this man must have fallen over and most likely he fell on his face, hence the bloody nose. I presume the crowd of people were helping him. It looked to me as if he probably needed first aid and possibly a visit to the A and E department at the hospital to get himself checked over just to make sure there were no serious injuries and some sort of dressing on his nose, to prevent infection.

I went on to Sainsbury's, did my shopping and around 40 minutes I drove past the other way and the man was still sitting on the ground and the crowd of people was still with him. I'm not sure how this incident occurred or how it played out, whether someone called an ambulance if he went to the hospital, or if someone dressed the injury.

Friday. 8.35a.m. I think the best way to describe the weather at the moment is sultry, hot, and sticky, which makes it difficult to sleep at night. I have an electric fan on in the lounge and another in the bedroom, as well as a hand-held chargeable fan, but even then it doesn't seem to cool things down. The digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc.

Saturday. 9.45 a.m. There is talk of rain on BBC Breakfast this morning. When it's likely to strike is a bit vague, but we do need a downpour. Everything looks parched and dry. The grass is shriveling up. The trees along Strudwick Drive are shedding their leaves, most likely because they need rain.

Sunday. 5.50 p.m. Today is Father's Day. In church, every father got a small gift, of 2 Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a card. The sermon was on 'The Fruit of the Holy Spirit' and people who were gifted by the various gifts were nominated and given small gifts. Also, anyone who is a volunteer got a small gift, which was a pen. I got one.

I spoke to a lady who was a visitor at church, who knew Carol. She is a teacher. I think she might have worked with her at Stantonbury or Milton Keynes Academy. She said she visited Carol when she was in Willen Hospice.

It's hotter than ever today and the weather forecasters suggest that it will get hotter as the week progresses.

Plan B

 Friday. 6.50 a.m. A rather dull, drizzly day. It can only improve. Digital thermometer reads 23ºC.

Saturday. 6.30 a.m. I'm sorry to say, the weather hasn't got any better. A rather dull and overcast morning and more drizzle. Thin and pathetic rain.

9.35 a.m. It would appear that the infamous scooter stores are in use! I have been following this saga for the past couple of years, and what a never ending saga it has been. I have seen Dexter residents on their electric scooters riding along the beautifully tarmacked paths, so I assume they can get out onto the path through the side gate into Strudwick Drive. How long has this been going on? I will have to look back at earlier posts on here to discover. I would say, probably four years, give or take a year.

I have sorted my recycling. What excitement! The problem you get, when you buy anything online, from Amazon (other online retailers are available.) is dealing with the packaging your purchases come in. Not just the box, envelope or whatever it comes in, but often the material which keeps the product from moving around in the package, usually bubble wrap or chips of some sort or other. So, quite a bit to break up and take to the bin store. We now have a new system for sorting recycling. Unrecallable stuff goes in one bin, the rest goes in the other. No sorting out cardboard, plastic, metal and glass. It's far easier than the old system.

4.50 p.m. A very black sky, which must surely mean we're in for a rainstorm. I do hope it more forceful than the pathetic thin drizzle we've had for the past day or two.  

8.55 p.m. We got rain. It has continued for most of the evening. It was relatively heavy. I don't dislike rain, in fact, I quite enjoy thunderstorms, but this isn't going to turn into one.

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. A bright and far sunnier morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 23ºc.

We had to endure the fire alarms going off mid-morning. Really ear-splitting and enough to erase your memory. Some people shouldn't be allowed to play with matches.

There is a print-out of photographs at the entrance, of people who mustn't be allowed to enter Dexter House. It makes me think of those 'wanted' criminals who are wanted by the police. These people must not be let in. So, how are we supposed to recognize them? I don't think I would want to challenge any of this motley crew. Above all else, what have they done to be put on this list? I imagine some of them might be aggressive if they don't get what they want. It doesn't bear thinking about, quite frankly.

June Is Bustin' Out All Over!

 Thursday. 5.35 p.m. Yesterday afternoon we had a tea party in the community lounge. It was provided by my friends John and Margaret who now go to Milton Keynes Christian Centre, which is along Strudwick Drive from Dexter House. We had a great selection of food, which included chicken drumsticks, sandwiches, cakes, sausage rolls, and pork pie. There was also a quiz, which I won. I seem to make a habit of this, and one of the residents said I must have cheated as I always seem to win. I don't think it would have been possible to cheat, even if I had wanted to. I got a prize of a box of After Eight mint chocolate, which I rather like.

Friday. 3.45 p.m. It's been a relatively mild sort of day today. The sun hasn't shone, but still quite pleasant.

Sunday. 7.30 a.m. It's the 1st of June. How quickly we seem to have got here. Time seems to be going quickly, and, appropriately, Doctor Who is in the news, Billie Piper is taking over from Naguti Gatwa. The ratings for the last season, or even the season before last, have been poor, probably because of the woke storylines. I reckon he only took on the role of The Doctor, as a stepping stone to a Hollywood career. He was in a production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' at the National Theatre, which I haven't seen, and really don't want to. It will be interesting to see how Doctor Who develops once the next series is shown.

It's sunny and bright outside. My digital thermometer currently reads  25ºC.

Monday. 10.25 a.m. Warm and sunny again this morning. I've been to Lidl for a few things. 

It has taken a while to get used to the layout of the  new store. There's a good deal more new products and a lot of branded items, such as PG Tips teabags. Stlll a good deal cheaper than elsewhere and you can be in and out quickly.

As usual, there were problems with the self-service till. I now know you scan using scanner in the base of the thing. No label on one item, so the girl in attendance had to help me. 

6.45 p.m. I have managed some writing. I had the next section written some while ago, but I am redrafting it. I have spent some time developing characters and from those characters I can give them a back story and it's easier to write with this new material. I even think I could develop a sort of spin-off project from these characters.

I have still not managed to get the new Sony camera to connect to the grip with Bluetooth. This situation is becoming somewhat annoying and very frustrating. I really need to find someone who has knowledge of such things to help we deal with the problem.

Tuesday. 6.15 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning and there's a breeze blowing.

Sunny But Mild

 Monday. 10.15 a.m. Yet another bright and sunny morning. There is apparently going to be rain later in the day, with the possibility of thunderstorms. My digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc.

Tuesday. 5.35 a.m. The rain, which was forecast, didn't appear. I don't know if the more westerly parts of the country had it, but not in Milton Keynes.

Wednesday. 3.40 p.m. It's really warm and sunny.

I have been to the centre to collect my new reading glasses from Boots Opticians. 

Secklow Gate was closed off with 'Road closed' signs up, so I had to get to the car park by a rather circuitous route, but I got to the car park without any trouble.

I wanted to park in my usual place, next to The Point (or what used to be The Point. It has become a real wreck, a blight on Milton Keynes. It needs demolishing and replacing. Disgraceful.) You have to pay for your parking at a new machine, which is at the exit into the main shopping centre. I paid with my debit card, but it's not clear how you do this, although you have to first type in your vehicle's registration number. I did succeed, and the machine printed a ticket, which meant I had to walk all the way back to my car to put the ticket inside.

The area around the shopping centre is beginning to look really scruffy and uncared for. The whole place needs a good clean-up.

I walked into Boots Opticians and I had to try my glasses on and they were good. I have them on as I write this. I left and went back to my car and drove back to Dexter House

It seems very dusty and humid. We haven't had rain in quite a while. I think other areas of the country have had showers, but not in this area.

Friday. 7.20 a.m. Where I park my car, just below the window of my flat, there is often a large lorry parked. On the back (it is a flatbed vehicle.) carrying equipment for what would appear to be road repairs. My car isn't parked on the road but on a parking bay within the boundary of Dexter House. I trust that nobody parks across the entrance, so I can't reverse out. But on one occasion this lorry was parked so close it was impossible to get out without scraping it. I think I did, on one occasion. It might have caused a minor scrape, but no more. It shouldn't be parked in a residential street such as this. I realise the lorry is needed by the young man who lives along Dexter Avenue, but I really believe it should be parked elsewhere.

Goody Goody!

 Monday. 7.30 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. The thermometer reads 21ºc.

A slight problem this morning. I have lost my keys. More correct to perhaps say, mislaid. I was at the point of taking Alfie out, part of my morning routine, and I needed the keys to get back into Dexter House through the door which I always go out into Strudwick Drive. But look everywhere the keys could be and nothing. The situation was not helped because, when I came back from church yesterday, some delightful person had parked their car across the entrance to my usual parking spot, so I had to park further along. I think it must have disrupted my concentration, and that incident made me put the keys in a less obvious place. Not having the keys means  I can't go anywhere in the car, because the bunch of keys has the electronic key which not only locks the car but enables me to start the car. It's a sort of plastic device that you use as a remote to open the car's doors and then, once inside, slot it into the place on the dashboard and start the car.

8.30 a.m. The keys eventually came to light, in my trousers pocket, in my wardrobe! I still say that I mislaid them because of the car which was blocking my parking space. Well, at least that's sorted, thankfully. I have a hook where they are usually kept, and on this occasion, they weren't put there, so causing something of a panic and some stress. Alfie has now been out.

Tuesday. 8.50 a.m. Yet another pleasant and sunny morning. The thermometer currently reads 22ºC.

Thursday. 8.20 a.m. I have been revising some of my writing. It has not been touched for some time because I had no idea how to develop it further, but the time has not been wasted, because I have now found a way to go with it. I spent yesterday writing quite a bit more and even, during this revision process, new ideas developed. It's surprising how you can be writing and ideas sort of spring into your head. You know the expression 'the lightbulb moment', I think that is very appropriate.

Saturday. 12.00 p.m. Yesterday, we had a social evening at the Oaktree Centre. I was expecting it to be for just the Thursday Morning Life Group, but it was for all members of all the SCF life groups. It was a pity that only two other Thursday Morning Life Group members when you consider that there are about 15 regular attendees. Cadian, who is a member of the leadership team at SCF and is in charge of Life Groups, said he wanted to have some sort of policy for Life Groups, which will come into force once all the groups have been consulted. Then we had a Bible quiz. 

The Whole Darn Thing

 Wednesday, 5:00 a.m. Well, I'm wide awake and thought I might as well do some more blogging.

I have mentioned in previous posts about the infamous electric scooter sheds (the scooters are electric, not the sheds. Well, I don't think they are. Oh, just being somewhat sarcastic.) The reason for them, so that these devices aren't in the way inside Dexter House and a hazard if there's a fire. We now have beautifully resurfaced paths, all with lighting and access to these lovely sheds (irony here.) has been completed at huge expense.  Workmen have been working on the external gates which open onto Strudwick Drive (or, at least, the path, which runs alongside the Dexter House garden, and where the scooters will get into the garden and, hence, the store sheds. But STILL, the work isn't completed! This whole situation has become farcical, to say the least. I don't think you can make any of this us, but if you did, nobody would believe it. 

I've been watching episodes of the BBC sitcom 'Yes, Minister', and the above situation could come straight out of one of the episodes. It may be over 40 years since this show was first shown, but I think it's probably more relevant now than it was then.

7.25 a.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 21˚c. 

Yesterday morning, I went out again with my DJI Pocket video camera. I went back to Campbell Wharf, which is on the Grand Union Canal where there is a marina, pub and flats. It looks as if it's being developed, with more buildings going on, a cycle shop and a One-Stop convenience store, a coffee shop and a barber's, which appears to have only just opened recently. There were workmen outside, putting up the sign.

I took some good footage, but I still haven't got the settings absolutely right with the gimbal. Having my iPhone connected to the camera on the new rig makes it easier to view what you are filming, by using the Mimo app. When I got home I managed to view the footage through the app and discovered you can even edit what you have filmed and also watch through my Apple Watch with the app.

5.50 p.m. It's been warm and sunny all day.

Alfie was due for a haircut at The Groom Room at midday, so I drove across Milton Keynes to the Pets At Home store in Bletchley. I took him into the store and got him registered. A trim around his face and body and then I went to Greggs, further along the parade of stores, for a drink and filled roll and then returned to my car to eat it. I went to T.K.Maax to have a browse. It seems the upstairs departments have been moved around and, as usual, there were no end of items I liked, but didn't buy. I went back to the car and a minute or two later the Groom Room phoned to say Alfie was done and I could collect him.