It's 'Sno' Surprise!

(Sunday) I watched church on-line from Milton Keynes Christian Centre, which is actually only a short walk from where I live in Oldbrook. I can watch via my Firestick in my Hitachi television and it has a YouTube app on it, so it has widescreen and sound through the sound bar connected to the television. At the end there was a Zoom hang-out which was a first, but seemed a good idea to get a chance to chat. I'm beginning to get the hang of Zoom. Afterwards I had to take Alfie out. I was somewhat surprised when I looked out of the kitchen window later to find heavy snow falling, and the garden below my window covered in a fairly thick layer of the white stuff. I got dressed up which included the dayglo yellow Regatta raincoat and got Alfie togged up in his Regatta jacket and we proceeded to exit Dexter House. I don't think he was particularly bothered by the snow, although, as I've mentioned on here before, he doesn't like rain and getting wet, but we walked towards Oldbrook Green and did our usual perambulation all the way round.

But it was really no surprise that we got snow over night because of the weather forecast yesterday which made sure people knew what was coming. I imagine there will be people who don't bother to watch or even listen to the weather forecast, rather like those who say they never listen to any news, particularly about the pandemic, and are surprised when they get fined for breaching the various regulations which have been bought in by the government.

(Monday) There's still snow on the ground. It's quite slippery on the path leading to Oldbrook Green. It is actually sunny as I write this, but still quite chilly out. It could be worse.

(Tuesday) Just wish I could be going to Camphill, as I would have been if things were normal, whatever 'normal' is with this confounded pandemic. I really miss those guys in the drama workshop. I just hope that it won't be much longer now there's a vaccine against the virus. I hope they are alright at Camphill. I have an idea they've all had the first vaccine injection.

It's another snowy morning, but it looks to me as if it's thawing. Still a bit slippery on the path towards Oldbrook Green.

(Wednesday) The snow is . . . gone! Not that I'm sorry to see it go. Scraping ice of the car is a real chore, generally getting the car going for example. Slipping and sliding all over the place as we walk along the path towards Oldbrook Green, getting togged up. Looking for hats and gloves. Well, there are worse things but snow is just a nuisance. Alright for children I suppose. Lovely to see my three grandsons, George, Eddie and Arthur, having fun building snowmen and other creatures, as Chloe sends me photos and videos of them.

(Later) I've been to Sainsbury's to do a shop. Virtually no other shoppers at 9a.m. on a Wednesday. That suits me. Having written a list, it means I don't waste time thinking what to buy which definitely speeds things up.

I have got the bolt and other bits which were missing from the coffee table. There was a package on the doorstep when I came back home from taking Alfie for a walk. I have also bought an electric screwdriver from Argos. I wasn't sure if such a thing was available and I was surprised to find it was. I had some of the voucher left on the Argos website so I ordered it. I then went to Argos to collect it before I went to shop in Sainsbury's and when I got home I charged it up as it comes with it's own charger as well as a set of interchangeable screwdriver heads. I was going to say drill bits, but it's not a drill. I have been able to put the drawer together and tighten up the screws, which was the whole point of the chargeable screwdriver. You can do it far more efficiently with this piece of kit rather than attempting to do it with an ordinary manual screwdriver. And I have completed the drawer with it's metal handle as well as finishing off tightening the screws holding the coffee table together. I have to say I'm really pleased with the coffee table. It's a good deal wider than the old IKEA coffee table I had when I first moved in, and came with me from the house in Eaglestone. I now want to get a replacement for the table next to my armchair which houses the wifi modem and telephone. 

I've managed to do a bit more writing. Been lazy really. I have a sort of storyline written and it's been on my computer for goodness knows how long, probably long before I moved out of the house in Eaglestone. It's just a matter of sitting down and making a serious effort to write, using the storyline as a sort of framework or even the scaffolding of a piece of writing. Glad I have as it went better than I'd hoped and the style is how I want it, if that makes sense. It may not to anyone reading this, but it does to me.

More . . . Of What? 2: The Sequel

(Friday) So, more of the same? I can't think what's likely to change. Not a lot. If anything.

We're being told that there's yet another variant of the coronavirus Covid19 virus. This time it's in South America, I think Brazil. Boris Johnson has closed the borders and nobody from those countries is allowed in. When I think of him closing the borders, it makes me think of him literally standing there, arms akimbo, one foot on British soil, the other in the sea, like one of those Gillray cartoons you see from the 19th century (or was it earlier?) with a defiant look on his face, tousled hair blowing in the wind and the virus held firm in a sort of fishing net. Or Winston Churchill, in similarly defiant mood, standing on the White Cliffs of Dover, with Vera Lynn's plaintive voice on the soundtrack of a scratchy black-and-white piece of British Pathe newsreel, with his words from his famous speech comes out of the loudspeaker of an ancient radio 'We will fight them on the beaches and on the landing stages. . . if England and  her Empire should last for a thousand years, men will say . . . this was their Finest Hour.' Not that in any way am I suggesting that it's Boris's 'Finest Hour.' Far from it. 

I can also imagine Boris as Gandalf, in the first of the "Lord of The Rings" books and films, "The Fellowship of The Rings." The party of dwarves, lead by Gandalf, enter the Mines of Moria and they get to The Bridge of Khzad Dum. It is guarded by the great monster, the Balrog, a fire-breathing creature which confronts Gandalf. He shouts at it 'You shall not pass!" In this case the Balrog is the coronavirus covid 19 virus, huge, round and covered in spikes things and bright green/blue. It is Boris Johnson who bellows at the thing "You shall not pass!" meaning it can't come into the United Kingdom. But in the Lord of The Rings, Gandalf fights the Balrog to the death and then he too falls to his death. But I won't give the story away as to what then happens. Poor old Boris. I don't envy him being PM during this pandemic. He's never going to be right, whatever he does. A very difficult job. Damned if he's right or damned if he's wrong, or words to that effect.

Strange thumping noises somewhere within Dexter House. I suspect it's the workmen who have been taking out asbestos from the ceilings along the corridor in which my flat is. That section is complete and now they are working on the other section. They had to keep tenants away and we weren't supposed to go out when it was on (I have mentioned this in earlier posts.) Another company came in to plaster the ceiling and then another company has rewired, ready to put in new emergency lighting.

I discover the thumping noises are from workmen digging a trench in the garden. Along the edge of a lawn area, with some trench leading towards the building. It might be something to do with the wiring for the emergency lighting, but I'm not entirely sure. Emergency lighting outside in the communal garden. I think they are replacing the old ones. Probably more cost-effective and lower carbon emissions or something. Anyway, at least I know what's going on, or I THINK I know.

(Saturday)I had ordered a new coffee table from Amazon and it turned up during the afternoon. I wasn't expecting it to arrive so quickly. Then the reading light arrived. I began working to construct the table. Not difficult, but it takes time and with so many pieces, in particular the screws and other bits and pieces, I assembled most of it and then left it, and as I write this these sections are leant against the bookcase. I will finish it off later tomorrow morning. The Tomshine floor reading lamp was easy enough to assemble. It works with a power pack which plugs into the mains. The metal sections screw together easily and it stands on a weighted base which is round. I soon had it working, a range of light intensities. It helps to make reading easier and the head is adjustable on a sort of flexible section so the light can be set to exactly how you like it. I am pleased with it. It had controls on it's upright, on/off and another to adjust the setting of the light, but it also has a remote control with is magnetic and will adhere to the metal stand. It needs AAA batteries which didn't come with it, so I will need to go out and buy some later today. I am more than pleased with it and I wouldn't have found this without Amazon.

(Later) I went out with Alfie at around 7.30 this morning. I knew it was likely to be raining, but it looked as if there had been snow in the night as some of the cars parked along Dexter Avenue had a sprinkling of the white stuff. It was really cold and wet and Alfie was more determined to return straight home, but I encourage him to make sure he did everything he had to. We crossed over Oldbrook Boulevard to put the pooh bag in the bin and he soon trotted back to the flat. I think we're likely to get heavier snow later in the day. There's quite a wind blowing as I write this (9.10a.m.)

I went to Waitrose and bought a pack of AAA batteries and when I returned to the flat I put a couple in the remote for the reading light. Bingo! It works! You can even dim the light using the remote! The only problem is I have so many remotes now: one for the Hitachi television, another for the Panasonic Freeview box, another for the Firestick and another for the Goodman's sound bar. The one for the reading light can easily be confused for the TV remote. Oh, does it matter? Just got to get used to all this technology.

I have now managed to finish off the coffee table. A good deal wider than the red IKEA table which I've had since moving to the flat. It's quite fiddly and time-consuming doing up the screws, which are in rather awkward places. I have still got the drawer to construct, but it's done. I am wondering if it needs the top covering in varnish or something, to protect it from the odd spill it's likely to get, as such accidents can be wiped off. I always think that it's best to build these flat pack bits of furniture to do it in stages, as it can become somewhat frustrating, what with all the pieces and reading the instructions. Also made somewhat difficult with Alfie getting in the way, so he was put in the bedroom with the door closed. Just makes it even more difficult with a small dog who wants to get under your feet. He just doesn't like being left out.