Bank Holiday Monday

Sunday. 7.00 a.m. It's a cool and misty morning. 

I've now taken Alfie out twice, the first at around 6.15 a.m. and then 9.30 a.m. He did his usual staring at me and what I call 'clucking' sort of chicken noises, which generally alerts me to to the fact that he needs to go out. So, we trotted down Strudwick Drive (I say trotted, but more of an amble and excuse to sniff virtually every leaf and blade of grass and we went along (I mean Alfie and not me, you understand.) He did need to 'go' as I politely refer to 'it' and 'it' was disposed of in its biodegradable bag and put in the bin at the entrance to Oldbrook Green. We walked home and I decided to sit down and read my book. It was then that Alfie began to clank around in his feeding bowl, which is hidden behind the sofa under my desk, along with his drinking water bowl. I attempted to ignore him, but it was virtually impossible, so I put my book down and thought I'd put some food in his bowl. He usually only gets fed in the evening, but on this occasion I thought he must be hungry, attempting to glean a morsel of food from the bowl, which is why he was pushing it about on the floor and making the clanking sound. I put a dry mixer in as I usually do and then food from one of the pouches I keep stored in the kitchen. When I put it back down for him on the floor, he soon scoffed the lot and returned to his place to lay down on the sofa, and as I write this he appears to be asleep. Problem solved and perhaps I should give him food in the morning as well as the evening.

3.40 p.m. I didn't go to church this morning. I would have like to have gone, but wearing a mask isn't exactly helping with the confounded cough I have at the moment. I mentioned this in a few posts back, caused by taking oxybutynin, but now stopped since I mentioned this to my doctor a few weeks ago. I was told that it would take a while for it to disappear completely, as soon as the medication is out of my body. No sign of that at the moment. Wearing a mask means you are breathing in your hot breath and that sets of the cough. Apart from that, it steams up my glasses. Just not pleasant having to wear the things for any length of time. Regardless of all this, I managed to see the service via Facebook. I have discovered that if I set things up correctly if I open Facebook on my iPad and set my television with the Fire Stick set up, then I can 'cast' the live video to the television. Surprising what you discover when you least expect it.

Monday. 5.20 a.m. Well, I'm wide awake and already done all my usual morning routine things, shaved, dressed, done my Bible reading, dressed, and even done washing-up, so the kitchen is tidy. I always feel that if all this is done, I can start my day better. Particularly shaving. I don't feel right if I miss a shave in the morning. When I was in the hospital the last time, after my second heart attack, I had none of my own things with me, not even clothes. I didn't have shaving items, so I had to endure several mornings without having a proper shave. I ended up being given a disposable shaver by one of the nurses on the ward, but it was like shaving with a blunt tin lid! (not that I have actually done that!). It wasn't pleasant. 

6.20 a.m. I took out Alfie at 5.50. It must be the earliest we've ever been out. It's still misty and quite chilly, but I have a feeling it will be warm today, and as it's a Bank Holiday, quite a rarity, as most Bank Holidays are wet and miserable. Add to all that the fact that lockdowns are being lifted gradually, it would appear that tourist areas will be crowded. But then the question is, will that mean that there will be an increase in coronavirus infections as a result? Only time will tell. PLEASE, can we avoid further lockdowns? I don't think the British people can take anymore. Patience is at a low point, but surely with so many people vaccinated we can climb out of this hole and ESCAPE!

4.50 p.m. I'm sitting here writing this with my Macbook Air on my knee. Alfie has had his dinner and has been whittling to get a couple of treats. I asked him what he wanted so he glanced at the tin which is on the top of the bookcase. I took three out of the tin and put two on the edge of the coffee table and another on the back of the sofa. He finds the two on the coffee table. He sticks his nose up over the edge of the coffee table and manages to grab one of the treats but doesn't find the second one. He then jumps up onto the sofa (which can cause him problems, probably showing his age.) and soon discovers where the third treat is. He eventually sniffs it out and has to reach up by standing up on his back legs and snaffles it without any problems.

It's been extremely warm and sunny today. What a real Bank Holiday Monday should be like. Walking around Oldbrook Green earlier this afternoon and there are people all over the place, even laying sunning themselves on the grass. The same old same old, men not having any idea they look ridiculous in shorts (not all by the way.) but that's just my opinion. Shorts only getting worn when the sun shines and they (and myself!) not always brave enough to wear for the first time this summer (I believe we are now in summer, officially.) But those infamous shorts not always in perfect order, often worst for wear and not up to standard in the fashion or sartorial stakes.

6.45 p.m. Just been watching Wallace and Gromit in 'A Close Shave.' I've seen all these brilliant animation films I don't know how many times, but it's so clever and imaginative. All of the Ardman Animation films are so well made and creative. It's all the little details that make them special, some things that you don't notice the first time around and add to the fun, for example, the headlines you see fleetingly in the newspapers that Wallace reads or the books they read.

Watching BBC news, which came on after Wallace and Gromit. There are some scientists who say that the 21st June deadline to end lockdowns may need to be postponed until data suggests that the Indian variant of the coronavirus is under control. Oh please, no! I think that if that happens and for a length of time there will be civil unrest. I think we've had our patience pushed to the limit. Surely, with the vaccines being delivered so successfully and the possibility of people not being infected, then there is no need to have further lockdowns.

I watched an episode of 'Miranda', the sitcom performed and written by Miranda Hart. I have seen it before, but it's so funny. She talks directly to the camera, 'breaking the fourth wall' in much the same way as Lovejoy did in that great series (I worked on quite a few episodes, filmed in and around Norfolk and Suffolk.) She is very self-deprecating, making comedy about her height and tripping over things. A great deal of visual comedy, which we don't get nowadays. They also showed an episode of 'Fawlty Towers.' One of the classic comedies of the 1970s. It must be because the BBC doesn't have enough new material to put out due to the pandemic.

Alfie- Trimmed, And Other Less Important Matters

(Wednesday) Alfie was booked to have a haircut at The Groom Room within Pets At Home at the Beacon Retail Park in Bletchley at 2p.m. I had a telephone call from the Groom Room to ask me if I would like to move the appointment to 12 o'clock which I immediately agreed to. I had to contain Alfie within his cage in the back of the car as it just won't sit inside the car. Safer for the both of us. within his cage. What amuses me is that he makes a tremendous noise when he's put into the cage and the door is closed. But once I'm driving along he is extremely quiet. It's when I stop the car that he then starts up barking and getting excited. A bit like when I move to go out and pick up his lead he starts barking loudly.

I got a phone call from the Groom Room at around 1.15 to say that Alfie was ready for collection so I drove back to get him and it's always a shock to see him when he's well and truly shorn. Quite short, and it's great to be able to see his face properly.

(Friday) I am continuing to write. I had a storyline which was on Pages writing processing software and saved on my MacBook.

(Tuesday) Boy oh boy, this is getting so boring. Which is why I haven't written anything on here for a while. Not like me to be unable to write SOMETHING, even if it is just a load of repetitious rubbish. It's a week since Alfie went to the Groom Room to have his trim. The weather has become decidedly unsettled. We had a Facebook Rooms meeting of the creative writing group on Saturday at lunchtime. Not sure it was entirely successful but it was just great to have some sort of conversation with other humans.

The door leading out of Dexter House into Strudwick Drive, which I use to take out for his walks has decided not to function successfully. You have to more or less break your hand to get the catch to release the door, so this means I have to carry His Nibs out through the front door which is a bit of a hike and even though he is small, he is a weight and is a bit of an effort. Carrying Alfie stops him barking. It may sound crazy, but it would appear he can't, or won't, bark.

Oh dear, am I that desperate for something to write, having to describe the above problem with a door? It would appear so. Then, a couple of days ago, I decided to have a bath and, having run the water and put my bath gel in, I found that the water was barely warm, and certainly not hot enough to have a decent wallow. What is going on? And to cap it all, Barbara, the SHO (sheltered housing officer) told me that there was a leak into her office as the flat about had a leaking toilet (or sink or bath, one or the other) and it came through the ceiling and ruined some paperwork which needed to be reprinted. The company who is supposed to do the repairs (I shan't mention it here) was called to repair someone's light fitting and it two FOUR WEEKS before they came and sorted it out. The door which I mentioned above is not to be used and has been reported, and no doubt it will take weeks before it is fixed and it must be done because it's a fire exit.

Bright and Sunny

I've done a great deal of writing in the last couple of weeks. Some of it rewriting and editing material which I have handwritten in a couple of notebooks. I'm transcribing it onto my MacBook and using the newly-acquired iPad. Dictation is speeding things up, but I have to keep checking as it has a tendency to come up with some hilarious alternatives to some words.

The idiot building the shed in the garden along the street is banging and sawing like crazy. I think it's a substitute for something, working off his frustration with the hammer and saw, but it's annoying me. I think some people don't realise that their D.I.Y. activities can be so irritating and annoying, they are so focussed, sort of O.C.D., that they don't realise it has an effect on those who are close by. Probably due to having to endure lockdown.

I've taken Alfie out but I am beginning to get somewhat bored with Oldbrook Green. Alfie loves to stop and sniff virtually every tree and lamppost, as most dogs  do, but I'm concerned when he picks things up in his mouth, and on several occasions he's picked up what I suspect are chicken bones, thrown aside by people who buy fried chicken. But they can be lethal to a dog as the sharp bits can get stuck in their throats or further inside their system and could kill them. I have had to extricate several bits from his mouth when he's picked them up and it upsets me that they could have devastating effects on my best pal.  I don't think people realise the danger of their actions in this regard and I have to be vigilant in removing these bones when Alfie picks them up.

Yesterday morning it was misty as I stood and washed up at the kitchen sink. I can see quite a distance from that standpoint. It's not so clear now because the trees are in more or less full leaf. You can see the Milton Keynes shopping centre and Debenham's building, but the mist was obscuring most of the distant buildings, which includes Sainsbury's. I know that it's that because it has an orange block of colour which stands out quite clearly.

This morning (Saturday) as I write this, it's again quite over-cast, but it's mild. Not exactly as the title of this post states, but at least it's mild.

I've been watching the BBC sitcom 'My Family.' First two episodes of the first series, which are on BBC iPlayer. I had seen later episodes, but not from the beginning. I can't believe there was so many series and episodes. It's not actually a brilliant series, but Zoe Wanamaker and Robert Lindsey are great actors. Any other actors in those parts wouldn't have made it as good, as Ben and Susan Harpur. It's actually being rerun, on Fridays, on BBC1. I image the BBC is running short of new material to show, because so many shows are furloughed due to the pandemic lockdown. It seems amazing to think that this series began 20 years ago and ran for an amazing 11 series. Some really hilarious lines and good storylines which other sitcoms can't compete with. There is one thing that bothers me, and that the actors who play the children seem far too old, or at least seem too old, for the ages they're supposed to be playing, and why is Nick still living at home with his parents? How old is he supposed to be? Surely in his twenties. The daughter seems far older than 16. Just not realistic, but does it really matter.

I have also watched the first episode on 'The A Word,' which, again, is on iPlayer with entire seasons available, so it's possible to binge watch. A drama series which I haven't seen before and interested me because it features a child who has autism and that was the specialism I dealt with when I worked in care with people with learning disabilities, so I have a fair amount of experience of the subject. It's great to have a drama series which isn't about cops and robbers, car-chases and men in lycra and is believable and the characters interact well and is well written and acted.

(Sunday) The iPad has decided to go into dull mode. What I mean is, I want to use it early this morning and I can barely read the screen. I can't reset it so it's bright enough to read. I think it's supposed to do this to allow you to read it at night without eyestrain, but actually it's making it worse so I can't read it and it's creating more eye strain. I'm going through the various settings to allow me to re-set it to counteract this, but, as I write this, that is not possible.

(Later) I managed to sort out the iPad. It was obvious really. I just restarted it and it came back on in the bright mode. I can't think why it wouldn't work with the brightness setting because I hadn't set it to be in dark mode. The problem was that I couldn't see what was going on and it was more or less impossible to read anything on it. Never mind, it's now fixed.

I've carried on with more transcribing of hand-written material, but I have now found quite a lot of my stuff on Google Drive, which I had forgotten about. I think it's like iCloud, meaning it will work across different computers and saves having to store on discs or other media.

The lovely D.I.Y. I have mentioned earlier has continued, but at 3.45 this afternoon, there is no sound, fortunately.

I took out Alfie and I saw people playing some sort of ball game. Oh dear, they're not supposed to be doing that. Either they are ignoring the legal requirement to not be gathering in such places as Oldbrook Green, or else they have not seen the sign (a permanent one, no doubt erected by the Council, either Milton Keynes or the  Campbell Park Parish Council cil, which clearly states that 'no ball games, barbecues etc.' in a very curt and rather puritan sort of fashion, as most of them do.) The notices which are put up around the park, on the outdoor gym equipment, are written in the typical officialese sort of language, but it wouldn't hurt to put 'Please' and 'Thank you on them,' but I don't expect the bureaucrats who write these sorts of notices to do such a thing.

The Sainsbury Shuffle

I have attempted to avoid going out to shop too many times, but there comes a point where I simply need some basic items, such as milk, bread and potatoes. I did some washing this morning and had things back, dried and put away by around 9.30, so it seemed a good idea to go to Sainsbury's as early as possible. On arrival at the underground carpark, I found a space on the upper level and had to join the queue that had formed around the outer edge of the carpark. I had thought the end was part-way back from where I had parked the car, but I was wrong. I had to walk down the slope to the lower level and was shocked to see the end was a good way further back, where I stood with everyone else, with the recommended 2-metre (six feet) gap between myself and people in front of and behind me. The queue shuffled along, hence the term 'Sainsbury Shuffle' which I have used as this post's title. It makes me wonder what a docile nation we are in Great Britain. We seem to put up with a great deal, including queuing. But today people don't seem to have the patience. If the coronavirus pandemic is to be bought under control, people need to obey the social distancing advice in order to prevent the virus spreading. I think it's asking a great deal of people if the government expects everyone to just sit at home and do very little, even though the weather is fine. It is, as I write this. The sun is out and there's no wind. Let's just hope and pray that this situation improves or, better still, comes to an end.

My FitBit has been playing up. I can't get it to function, even though it appears to have a charge. My only real complaint about it is that it only keeps a full charged battery for a week. Why can't it be for longer? You never know exactly if it has started charging when you put it on the charging device. There are three metal pins (Brass? I'm not sure.) which are supposed to align with pins (prongs?) on the actual device. If it was a Apple device it would make a very decisive sound, which my MacBook does as it starts up, but the FitBit only makes a sort of shiver or vibrate which should denote it is charging, but the screen makes no sign of life. I haven't therefore been able to wear it when I take Alfie out for the past couple of days (more like, a week or so.) I emailed FitBit and got a response and have had the thing charging connected to the MacBook. It is now showing 99% charge, so something must be happening, so it would appear that all is well, or so I hope.

Later. The FitBit is back at full charge and is on my wrist and working as it should.

The sun is shining and we're stuck indoors. We're not supposed to go out. What? Indoors on a bright sunny day? That's awful. It may be to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus, but how long does the government honestly think the average person is going to endure this lockdown? Let's be perfectly honest, not long I would imagine.

Alfie can't seem to understand why we're cooped up indoors. I am sitting and watching a programme about Waitrose and he sits on the sofa next to me, staring. It's actually quite intimidating (how can a small Yorkshire Terrier be intimidating, you may ask? Well, when that dog stares and whenever you move, he follows.) In the end, once the programme was over, I just gave in and put him on his lead and took him out.

(Sunday) It's bright and sunny and we're still locked inside. We mustn't go out . . . But I hear the police, who have been given powers under new legislation which has recently been bought in by the government, to make sure people don't gather in groups, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But I am hearing reports that the police have been somewhat heavy-handed over this.

We're now being told that the government may even prevent us going out to exercise. My goodness, we're slowly but surely becoming a police state! So, how on earth will this be policed? Doesn't bare thinking about. . .

(Monday) I've found it difficult to know what day of the week is is, as they are beginning to blur into one another. Having my Tuesday as a sort of focus of my week, and now that it's gone (but I quite intend continuing there as soon as things get back to normal, whatever 'normal' is now.) that focus has disappeared.

I have been out with Alfie, at around 7.15, and I found it quite over-cast and it would appear that it must have been raining, if only slightly, over night.

Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital, as he has tested positive with the coronavirus. We haven't been told what he's been admitted for, but he is still in charge of the government and presumably keeping in contact with the cabinet and other politicians.

Keir Starmer has now been elected as leader of the Labour Party. An improvement on Jeremy Corbyn, who, quite frankly, wasn't Prime Minister material. He had a sort of 'couldn't-care-less' sort of attitude, well, at least that's how he came across. Untidy. His scruffy appearance didn't help. Remember what happened to Michael Foot and his donkey jacket? Well, I do and it's similar with Corbyn. Also, his crazy financial policies didn't help, particularly as he had no idea how to pay for them. Tax those who make wealth, those who set up businesses which create jobs, not a particularly good move.

I'm getting on with my writing. I seem to have found a way forward and as I write this I'm doing some research and have done quite a few pages which I'm writing in pencil, as I usually do and it will eventually get transcribed into word processing.

It is reasonably sunny at the moment and I will make something to eat for lunch and probably watch 'Bargain Hunt' as I eat. I hope it's a new episode rather than a repeat, but I suspect they will have suspended production because of the pandemic.

Later still. We may be in what is being called 'unprecedented times,' which is becoming something of a cliche and, frankly, rather an annoying term to describe the lockdown, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we may be able to watch free presentations of theatre productions as a result. Most have been recorded with the intention of them then being broadcast in cinemas, although some have been 'live' broadcast. As all theatres are closed due to the pandemic, this is a good chance to see many of these theatre productions, and this evening I am watching a production of 'Hamlet,' which is a recording made at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre.

Busy At Camphill

I haven't written a blog post for about a week. There wasn't a great deal to write about, but now, thinking about it, I can tell you what we've been up to at Camphill.

Last week there was a bit of a panic at Camphill, due to the fact that they were to have an inspection (I think it must have been C.Q.C. (Care Quality Commission) who do annual inspections and give a few days notice (I actually think it's rather pointless in that case, because if it was a secret and they just tuned up they would get a more accurate picture.) We had to do something, a piece of learning (for want of a better description.) taking it from the beginning and through to completion and then show evidence for that 'piece.' In this case it was to start by writing an introduction to read to the audience over a microphone and then do just that. We sat around a table to start thinking of what should be said and once it was decided and completed, each resident in the drama workshop had to speak it through the microphone which was set up on the stage. Paul, who is Teo's assistant in the drama workshop, did the first announcement, and the others had to follow, doing it in their own style. Even the Co-Workers had to do this, including myself. I have to say it's not as easy as it might sound, particularly as it's odd having your voice coming back at you through the 'live' speakers in the theatre auditorium. I'm glad I had a chance to try this. As I say, it's odd to hear your voice coming back through loudspeakers. I've recorded my voice onto tape and then heard it back afterwards, but it's unusual to speak on an 'open' microphone and hear your voice come back at you, but it was a good experience and worth doing. Then they had to write a report on each individual resident as evidence of the task being completed.

Not all the co-workers were available last week. A couple of the drama regulars were away or ill. One, who has attached himself to me somewhat, is diabetic and his sugar-levels were too high and didn't come to the drama workshop. I had to read in his lines but he did appear with a co-worker during yesterday's session.

We couldn't use the stage in the Chrysalis Theatre because it was set up for the Milton Keynes Theatre of Comedy production of 'Blackadder's Christmas Carol.' It was therefore important that we didn't disturb the props for this show which were set up around the back-stage area. We had to bring out chairs which are stored either side of the stage. I know, from my own experience of prop-setting, that you don't want anyone to disturb your setting, particularly if actors need to find a specific prop and it's moved to a different position.

This week we had to complete forms which would be used to show how each individual resident who participates in the drama workshop was developing. I had the task of using a MacBook and using the software and inputting details of the various residents. My main concern was that I wasn't going to save each individual resident's details, but one of the co-workers was able to show me where on the programme I could save the work. It was quite a long process and took more or less all day. Then there were a couple of residents who usually join us on a Tuesday where weren't there or at least came in later in the day. Fortunately I have the I.T. skills required to do this work and am so pleased I did something called a C.L.A.I.T. course(Computer Literacy and Information Technology) as well as learning the basics of computing when I did my abortive degree course, one at Luton and then DeMontfort University (both now merged into what is now The University of Bedfordshire. You couldn't hand in work that wasn't word processed in whatever system.

All this material would no doubt be inspected by the C.Q.C. inspectors because they would need to see such things as care plans and these documents would be included as being such material.

After lunch on Tuesday we did three run-throughs of 'Stranger Danger,' but missing out scenes where the actors weren't available. It seems to go really well. It has now been decided that there won't be  performance for Phoenix Rising on the last day the workshop meets before the Christmas break on 17th December, because not all the actors have been available to rehearse, along with some co-workers being on holiday or off ill. Then we sat in a circle and played the game 'fortunately/unfortuntely,' and ended on the game whereby you tell of two real things and one unreal (fictional/non-fiction.) which we've played before. By this time it was around 3.45 so each resident and volunteer or co-worker had to talk about that they were going to do for Christmas. Place tidied up and returned items to their places and by then it was time to go home!

A Little Bit Wet!

(Monday)A bit wet when I took Alfie out this morning around Eaglestone Park.

I needed to make a doctor's appointment. I have had a sort of rash on my neck. Scaly skin that irritates slightly, but not too much. I was going to leave it to clear up itself, but I thought that it might be better to get a doctor's opinion. I can't think where it came from. I was going to leave it until Wednesday and then make an appointment, but then I thought that, once I've been I can forget about it. I began ringing the surgery at 8.15, but the surgery phones must have been switched off as I only got a sort of 'engaged' tone. I rang about every 5 minutes after that and it wasn't until about 835 that I eventually got through to the system and then another 10 minutes of just hanging onto the line until a receptionist answered. I eventually got through and told the receptionist what my problem was and she said I should go to a pharmacy. I wasn't convinced that a pharmacist would be any use. If I did go I could only have 'over the counter' medication so I said I'd prefer a doctor's appointment. When I got the 'ring-back' from one of the doctors about an hour later, I was given an appointment with one of the practise nurses at 11 o'clock. So I had to sit and wait which is a bit annoying, but if you need a doctor's appointment you have no alternative, unfortunately.

I got to Ashfield Medical Centre in good time. I don't like the carpark at the rear of the surgery, basically because there's very little room for manoeuvring your vehicle and when you come out you have to be careful because you can't see cars coming in. And, walking round to the front, why is there a really unpleasant pile of cigarette ends as you walk round? I do think if people insist on smoking and have to go outside for a smoke, they shouldn't just throw their cigarette ends on the ground.

I didn't have to wait too long util I was called in to the practise nurse's room. Infact, a good 10 minutes before 11, so it was worth arriving early. I got a prescription for a cream to put on the dry skin on my neck. I took the prescription to the pharmacy next door to the surgery to have it made up. I didn't have to wait long and then drove into the city centre and parked where I usually do, near 'The Point.'

I've signed up to a walk-on agency called Universal Extras. I had one of my photographs approved by them and another of the shots my friend John did for me a few weeks ago has also been approved. But I needed to prove that I could work in the UK (as I think I've mentioned in an earlier blog post.) I have had a copy of my birth certificate returned from Bedford County Council Records department and I had to photograph it and then upload it onto the Universal Extras website, but for some reason it wouldn't upload. I took several photos with my iPhone, but I imagine it was too large and after several attempts it still wouldn't work. I needed to use my Canon digital camera to take further photos and then upload those. I don't really understand the technology. I had been looking around the house for the cable to allow me to upload photos from the camera onto my MacBook, but I couldn't find it, so I had to go into Jessops's shop in he central shopping centre to get a replacement lead, but they don't stock them and had to buy a card reader to do the same thing. I just took the card out of the Canon camera and put it into the card reader (a bit like a memory stick) and plug it into one of the USB sockets and upload the photos via that. It worked, thankfully. Then I had to find out how to reduce the size of the photo I wanted to upload to the Universal Extras site. I managed to get the photo taken but then it would not upload to the site. I think the photo is too large, and by going on Google I managed to find out out to reduce the photo file, but still it won't upload. I have not attached it to an email and sent it to Universal Extras, but I don't know whether they received it as I have had to response from them and it doesn't show on their website. Come back to find out whether this situation is resolved.
Tuesday morning. It's been raining all night. Not just rain, but a strong wind. It was so cold I was tempted to put the central heating on, but I didn't. It was raining so hard when I eventually got up that I decided not to take Alfie out for his customary walk. He was not pleased, as you can imagine. There was no way I was going out to get soaked and to have Alfie come home like a drowned rat. I am hoping (as I write this at 8.20a.m.) that I can take him out when I return from Camphill around 4.30 this afternoon. I'll just have to wait and see if things get better.

Fixed MacBook

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, my MacBook Air has been playing up for the past few days. I couldn't get the Safari browser to open and eventually the whole laptop seemed to freeze up. I had taken it into the Apple store in Midsummer Place in Milton Keynes and it seemed as if it was solved by one of the staff members, but by the evening of Thursday it was playing up again. To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. As I had to phone to get the appointment and then go in, park the car and then walk into the shopping centre, it didn't please me to have to go through the whole process yet again. I rang after 9.30 this morning, having discovered, when I rang at 9 o'clock, that they didn't open up until gone 9.30. When I eventually got through I was speaking to this lovely lady from Apple Care. I had given the serial number of the machine and she talked me through what was likely to be wrong and it appeared that I didn't have the latest up-date of the operating system. Mojave. I had the earlier version. I had attempted to download the latest update, but each time I attempted it I kept getting a message which told me I didn't have enough space on the machine. This lovely lady showed me how to remove unnecessary files and software to make space which would all0w the upgrade to take place. I found I had loads of podcasts which were taking up a lot of space and then I was able to download version 10.14.4 of MacOS Mojave, which took around 30-45 minutes and once the machine was restarted, everything functioned perfectly and Safari worked as it should, although it now appears in the Dock at the right-hand side, where previously it was at the left. So, all present and correct. I has taught me, if anything else, that it's advisable to keep removing unnecessary files from your computer.

Having dealt with my MacBook, I decided to have a bath this evening. I usually listen to Classic FM when I'm in the bath. Nothing beats a good soak in a really hot bath. Why anyone thinks a shower is a substitute for a proper, old fashioned bath I can't think. Anyway, I'm a classical music fan. But Classic FM spoils things with their awful adverts. I know that it's funded by advertising, but do they have to be so dumb? The worst thing is having a sort of bunch of them running up to the hour, something like 5 minutes of mindless pap. The worst of those for P.P.I. 'Doris from London didn't thin she had P.P.I. . .' Well, Doris, where were you when the brain cells were handed out? Why didn't you think to keep the paperwork? Well, just text '1234' and the words 'Idiot' and you could have the dulcet tones of some person working in an overcrowded call centre bothering you. They can do the search for you, and if you get you money returned, they'll take their vast percentage for doing the work for you. Now they're telling me and all Classic FM's other listeners that you can claim back thousands if you were mis-sold an investment. But, please, if you invest in stocks and shares, they have a habit of going down in value as well as up, so it's your silly fault if you don't make a million from your aunty Dotty's money you got left in her will. Silly you. All these adverts get in th way of the music, which I generally love. In the end I just turn the radio off. In the case of listening in the bath, I connect my iPhone to a bluetooth speaker, using the Classic FM app. It works really well. The speaker came from Sainsbury's and is a Boombar.

MacBook Madness

My MacBook Air has been sick for the past couple of days. Yesterday morning I attempted to open up the Safari browser so that I could do some work, as I do most mornings. I've had this laptop for over three years. It was a birthday present from my lovely Carol, so it means a lot to me that it's in good working order. It gets a far bit of work, used for surfing the net and writing this blog. (Before you ask, this is being written on Carol's MacBook Air. I had to really think what the password was before I could get into it, but after some serious thought, I soon got it up and running successfully.)

I really had to scratch my head attempting to solve what what was wrong. I hadn't downloaded anything that might have conflicted with the browser. I restarted the MacBook,but still nothing. I didn't have anyone around with whom I could ask, such as my stepson, Daniel, who knows virtually all there is to know about computers and computing. After all, he should know, considering he went to Newcastle University to study the subject. But, as he's not here, I can't ask him. Then I had a brainwave. I know that Macintosh computers are used at Shenley Christian Fellowship, and that Ross Dilnot, Pastor, uses a MacBook, so I texted him and he said that he didn't use Safari and suggested I download and use Chrome. Which is what I did. It took a while to set it up and got it working successfully.

But later in the day I tried to get into the MacBook to do other work and then found the whole thing had frozen. It just would not do what I wanted. I attempted to reboot the thing, but nothing. It wouldn't even close down. So, after some thought, it occured to me that I ought to take it into the Apple store in Midsummer Place in the shopping centre in Miton Keynes. I could always just go in and enquite, but I might not be able to see anyone who could fix it, and maybe not until a few day's time. I thought it perhaps better to ring and get a definite appointment. I had to look for the telephone number using the smaller MacBook which had belonged to Carol. I found the number of the Apple store and then rang. Then I had to listen to what was obviously a computerised voice. Very convincing, but it made me think of either Alexa or Siri, the computerised voice 'helpers' on my Kindle Fire and on my iPhone and MacBook. You have to speak very clearly and deliberately, otherwise 'she/it' can't understand. It took a while to get anywhere, but you also have to know more or less exactly what it is you want and use simplified sentence structures. As it happened, 'it/she' couldn't understand and I was transferred to a human. A young man with a definite American voice. He didn't seem to know where Milton Keynes was and how far I was from the Apple store. I got an appointment for Friday at 1.45, and then I asked where he was. It turned out he was actually in America! I assumed when you rang the telephone number, which was definitely a Milton Keynes number, but would never think I was actually speaking to someone in America. Just shows the crazy technological world we live in. It was such a clear line, another benefit of how the technology improves things.

Friday morning. I packed up the MacBook Air in my newly-aquired computer case, which came from Amazon. I have to say I'm rather pleased with it. It's always a bit of a risk when you buy something on line, that what you see in a photograph on a website, a product doesn't always come up to expectations, which means you end up having to return it. Not so with this case. I bought a holdall from Amazon when I needed to take stuff with me to the John Radcliffe a few months ago when I had to have the stent procedure done, and that has turned out to be a good buy as well as more or less exceeding expectations.

I digress. I parked the car in the carpark near The Point. The appointment at the Apple store was for 1.45, so I had ample time to walk into the shopping centre and waste about half an hour browsing. I headed for Watersone's, not actually such a good idea, because me and books are like a magnet, and I have to be careful I don't buy something which takes my fancy. I already have a considerable stash of reading material, so anything I buy will merely add to that. But, as it happened, I didn't see anything that I would buy. I have ordered an Ian McEwan novel which I want to read called 'Machines Like Us' which sounded to me as if it would be something I would like to read, so I have ordered it through Amazon.

From Watersone's I walked through to Midsummer Place and ended up at the Apple store and signed in. It seemed extremely busy in all of the shopping centre. I couldn't see why, considering it was a Friday and the schools would have returned on Tuesday.

I eventually got one of the staff to have a look at the MacBook and he managed to get it up and running successfully, but when I got home some while later, it went back to not opening correctly, so it looks as if I will have to return to the Apple store to try again to rectify the problem.

Claiming Benefits

As I explained yesterday (Wednesday) I went in to the Milton Keynes Civic Offices to attempt to deal with what I was told was a sort of discretionary top-up to my housing benefits. Milton Keynes Council will not pay all my rent, for some reason best known to themselves. I need to have the rest paid from this, whatever it's called. I drove back in to Milton Keynes centre for the third time this week, parking as usual near The Point (oh dear, what a sad sight it has become! A once major Milton Keynes landmark, a sort of iconic Milton Keynes building with it's metallic pyramid-shape now little more than a rusting hulk, the rest of the multi-screen cinema complex deserted, boarded-up and looking a real mess. Totally sad and a disgrace to let it rot like this. The first multiplex cinema complex in the United Kingdom. I could go on. No doubt the owners waiting until the price of this prime location goes up before selling it off to the highest bidder.) Anyway, rant over. But you have to admit that it rather lowers the time of the area and doesn't exactly give Milton Keynes a very good image if you were to arrive via bus and then see this disgrace. I walked in through the shopping centre. There are no end of black crows perched in the trees and you walk across the road, some strutting around on the pavement, giving an air of impending doom and disaster, rather like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's film 'The Birds,' based on Daphne DuMaurier's  creepy story.

Having reached the Civic Offices, a good walk through the shopping centre, I had to sign in using one of the computer terminals. The thing issues you with a printed ticket with a number on it and then you have to wait in the seating area and wait for your number to come up on one of the screens and a computer voice to call you to whichever desk. There weren't that many other people waiting, fortunately. A lot of odd people wandering about, a large party which was going to the offices upstairs presumably for some sort of meeting and signing in at the furthest desk. They don't have such a thing as a reception desk anymore, a similar system they have at my bank, the NatWest, which is right next door to the Civic centre. Someone sort of 'floating,' with a clipboard or an iPad, to greet you as you enter, and make sure you're signed in and on the correct 'path', either to sign up for benefits or something else. It amuses me the way the computerised voice gives you instructions as to where to go when you number is called. I'd be interested as to how it works. Does someone sit and record all the numbers and then they are stored in a computer system? I don't know how it manages to decide which 'chunks' of dialogue to broadcast and in which order. The voice doesn't manage to sound too realistic when it gets to the end of a sentence. It should go 'down' rather than 'up.' Which gives a somewhat weird style of delivery. Why is it a female voice? Do people react to a female voice rather than a male? All these sorts of things go through my mind as I sit and wait.

I had to wait about half an hour and then my number came up. Number 208. I could see the numbers going down on the screen. One of the reasons I made sure I was at the office early enough because the last time I went in there it was mid-morning and I had to wait a good hour-and-forty minutes, with screaming babies and people talking with loud voices on their mobiles.

So, I walked to the correct desk and sat down and told the clerk or whatever his title would be, why I was there, to be told that any discretionary payment applications could only be done on-line. Which annoyed me considerably, considering I had to drive into the city centre and park and then walk through to the Civic offices and wait in the queue. So, I left somewhat disconsolately. But at least I could do the application on this MacBook Air.

I was taken to Marks and Spencer at the shopping mall near the football stadium. for lunch by Ross Dilnot, Pastor at Shenley Christian Fellowship. He and other church members have been extremely supportive during the last few months and particularly at the time that Carol passed away.  This is one place that Carol and I came on a regular basis for coffee and something to eat.

When I got home I had to search on-line for the Milton Keynes council website and the discover how to do the application for the discretionary payment I mentioned earlier in this blog post. I got part-way through the application and then the site would not move on to the next page, with the 'spinning ball of death' refusing to allow me to continue with the application. After several more attempts (I refused to give up as I wanted the application done in it's entirety.) I eventually managed to complete it. I have also done an application for the Teachers' Pension in the hope that I might receive some sort of payment from Carol's pension from working as a teacher at Milton Keynes Academy. I had to include a copy of the death certificate as well as our Marriage Certificate. 

More Weird Sports

So, we've spent the last couple of weeks watching the European Championships 2018, mostly from Glasgow, but some from Berlin. So, how weird is it to have something like this from two cities, hundreds of miles apart? Just think of the coordination. We turned on the television to be confronted by what was called a 'Walking Race'. Really? They didn't look as if they were walking to me, more like waddling. Who on earth invented this strange contest? Over, wait for it, 24 km? Did I read that right? What's that in miles? I don't know, but it certainly wasn't walking. If I was to walk like that, I'd get an awful stitch, or my hips would ache. Then, apparently, they had two events of this sort at the same time, the men and women. How did that happen? Something to do with there being an incident with gas or something. But it just looked so odd. Is it me, or was it odd? It was, no doubt. How come none of them just began to run? I know, it wouldn't be in the rules, but walking? Doesn't make any sense at all.  Then, a bit later, the B.M.X. something-or-other. Young men, on bicycles which looked far too small for them (most of them must have been around my height, around 6ft plus, on bicycles that looked to me as if they were build for children), then they hurl themselves down a very steep slope (!) and then bounce around jumping over what look like little more than concrete-coated waves, along the course, going round in circles. Land badly and you ruin your chances of fatherhood. No, seriously, or have a nasty accident, which several of them did. I just hope the saddles on those bikes were comfortable, although, most of the time, they didn't actually sit down on them, a bit like jockeys in horse races, when they don't actually sit in the saddles on those horses, sort of perched at a rather peculiar angle on top of their mounts. 

The decathlon is another event which is quite entertaining ( more than 'quite.' It's very entertaining.) Who invented this? Swimming, running and then cycling? None of the different 'parts' is exactly a walk in the park. Figuratively or literally. I mean, a run, swim, or cycle in a rather attractive Glasgow country park. Makes football look more like a game of tiddlywinks by comparison. And none of these competitors earn a penny, unlike those footballers who earn telephone numbers. Crazy. They'd have a hissy fit if they so much as got mud on their over-sponsored football boots. In the olden days, back in the mists of time, footballers earned realistic salaries and then had proper jobs in factories or coal mines and played football as a sort of hobby at the weekend.

Thinking again about the road races. I'm intrigued by the camera-work involved. No, really. The actual racing is fantastic, which is odd for me, particularly as I'm not really that interested in sport, particularly those sports that go on interminably, such as tennis, or cricket or, for that matter, football. The last lot we saw, was it during the World Cup from Russia, a couple of weeks ago, (although most of it I watched whilst looking at email or other stuff on my MacBook laptop.) I have to say, looked really bland and could have just as well been a computer simulation or a computer game. The grass looks unfeasibly green and more like astro turf of even fitted carpet and all that advertising that they had all around the pitch was a real distraction. What I meant to say, before I digressed, was the way they shot the events for television. They had a sort of camera fitted to a line stretched across the course, and a camera ran along this line, which must have been quite distracting for the competitors. Then, during the road-races, they had cameras on scooters. How on earth did those cameramen manage to balance on the back of these scooters, and how did they manage to not fall off? I couldn't see how they were sitting on the back of the scooters, usually several yards in front of the leading competitors,  then shooting backwards at them, managing to keep the camera steady, and, by the size of them, along with the lenses, managing to keep hold of the camera and focussing on the competitors and generally taking decent shots. How did they avoid all the 'health and safety' rules and regulations regarding this? Just think of the risk assessments for this, or if it comes to that, the B.M.X. events.

Well, if nothing else, I've managed to get quite a lot of blog posts out of watching these events. And, very surprisingly, become something of a fan along the way. Probably because they've had several sports involved, and you can enjoy the scenery if you get bored with the actual sports, which is quite breathtaking. Perhaps it's my Scottish ancestry coming out, because my father's side of the family came from Glasgow, or at least, just outside somewhere or other.

After so many weeks of scorching hot weather, it's actually pleasant to be having rain, as we had yesterday. I can't believe I just wrote that, because, generally, if it rains in this country, it brings doom and gloom. At first we had a miserable rain, no more than a sort of dribble, but it's now a good deal stronger. I just hope it's enough to freshen up things because the grass looks dead and shrivelled all along the Grid Roads around Milton Keynes. I had hoped to take Alfie for a second walk this afternoon, but it really wouldn't be such a good idea, because both of us would only end up soaked to the skin.

I took the car back to Bleak Hall Motors to have the work done so that it could have it's MoT certificate. Got there by around 7.50 so I had to wait until they opened up. Considerably cooler so I wished I hadn't worn my shorts. Anyway, round about 9.30 they told me it as completed, so payed using my debit card and left. I'm just glad that's done. Fortunately the brakes don't need any work doing, they seem o.k., so that's less of a worry, although the car could do with servicing.

I took Alfie was a shorter walk than usual, because of the on-and-off rain. He'd been expecting to be taken out earlier, but there wasn't time before I had to take the car to Bleak Hall Motors.

Saturday morning. It's a bright and sunny morning. No sign of rain. What rain we had over the past couple of days hasn't made much of an effect on the grass, the garden or any vegetation around where we live. Yesterday afternoon there was a quite violent rainstorm, with fairly high winds, but nothing too dramatic. There was quite a cascade of water running along the front of the house when the nurse came to give Carol her antibiotics. It seems she will still be getting visits until Sunday, so these visits haven't finished as we'd expected on Friday.

Setting up New Canon Printer

Carol had hoped to spend the day doing preparation for lessons before she goes back to work at The Academy next week. It does take some considerable amount of time and energy to plan lessons. Which is why I get annoyed when she comes home and tells me she's had to deal with behaviour issues with the children she teaches. Not all of them, of course. It's usually a very small percentage who play up. They don't care that it's taken so long to plan a lesson and then have it disrupted. Carol uses the internet and her lap-top and needs a printer to produce her resources for the lessons she plans. So, it was somewhat annoying for her to discover that the printer we had was not working properly. I had only bought ink cartridges myself a week or two ago so I could print out material I needed myself. Then the H.P. printer, which is housed in the spare room upstairs, began to make some awful noises. As if something was caught in the paper feed. It wasn't going to stop. So, it was decided that we'd need to buy a new one. It's crazy that the ink cartridges cost more than the actual cost of a brand new printer. We decided to go to Argos and check out prices. We went for a new Canon printer, actually a fairly reliable brand, one that I knew well as I used to own one myself. Also, my digital camera is a Canon, which is good and has no end of features for what it cost. Amazing how technology improves as the years pass. The printer is not only a printer but can scan and copy, so it's actually a 3-in-1 device. Also, it's wi-fi connected so there's no need to plug in bits of cable. The same with our internet connection. This laptop, a MacBook Air, is connected to the internet through our Sky router. We had to download the drivers onto this laptop and Carol's laptop, a Toshiba, because the printer came with a CD ROM with the software on it and neither laptop has a CD drive in which to put the disc. So, we had to download the drivers from the Canon website and then spent a good two hours attempting to get the software to connect to the wi-fi system. I can also link my new iPhone to the printer if I want to print anything off from that, which is actually unlikely.

Mind you, I'm annoyed that the old printer has packed up. It's only a few years old. Having said that, I suppose it has done reasonably well. There is also the fact that technology changes so rapidly and it's quite difficult to keep up with any changes. Generally the changes are for the better. Computer operating systems change so quickly you have to keep things up graded otherwise they don't operate properly or even efficiently. I often think it's a cynical device set up by manufacturers to get you to part with more cash. My MacBook upgrades without any further payment, thankfully. So parting with some more cash for the new printer isn't such a bad idea and the new printer costs a fraction of what one would have cost 15-20 years ago. I remember when I bought my first Macintosh in the mid 1990's the printer, which was only a black-and-white model cost around £400. Today you can print, scan and copy from one machine, on two sides of the paper and in near-perfect quality as well as print photographs and graphics, which that old model wouldn't do.

Annoying Phone Calls

I'm sitting at home, either writing or attempting to write, or I'm reading or watching television. The telephone rings. As it is, we don't get many telephone calls. I go to answer it. Sometimes there's nobody on the end of the line. I say 'hello' or 'yes' when I answer, but when it's just nothing, or if it is anything, it's just a strange electrical 'burr' noise or a sort of humming sound. What is the point? If it's a cold call, for P.P.I. (payment protection insurance. They will say you could be owed thousands of pounds. But that's another story.) Or they say that your Windows computer is at risk. It needs up-dating or something. Which is crazy as this is a Macintosh. They will speak in an incoherent foreign accent and say they're from the Microsoft something-or-other. Which I know full well is a lie. It's a scam. I do watch television consumer programmes which often mention such scams. They think you'll hand over your bank details and believe every word they say. I'm not that stupid, thanks all the same.

The other week I got a telephone call telling me I could claim thousands of pounds for an injury I received after our car accident. I tell them I haven't had a car accident. They say we put in an insurance claim for the damage that was done to the car when we ran into a pot-hole almost exactly a year ago. I say that was correct. I just don't like this and ask how on earth they got our details. It must have been passed on to another 'body' who are little more than sort of ambulance-chasers. I wasn't injured in the incident with the pot-hole. It set off an alarm in the car which had something to do with the E.S.P. (Electronic Stability Programme) and we didn't get repaired for a long time because it was going to cost £350 for the excess on the insurance. Anyway, they said to me that I could claim quite a hefty amount, well in excess of £1000. As I was a passenger in the car. I told them I didn't receive any sort of injury. Perhaps it was rather a nasty jolt, but I wasn't hurt in any way. Did I need any sort of treatment? Did I take paracetamol or any other medication for my injury? Up to six weeks or more after the accident? I told them, no, I didn't. I wasn't convinced that this was real, I was concerned that the whole thing was a scam, so they said they'd ring back to confirm this. They continued to attempt to get me to virtually lie so I could claim the compensation I was owed. But I wasn't convinced. I had most definitely had not been injured during the incident (I wouldn't call it an 'accident' as no other vehicle was involved. The car was damaged and we eventually got the thing repaired, which was back in November.) I wouldn't lie to get any sort of compensation as I wasn't injured. So I wound up the conversation and ended the call. I am now more than ever convinced that they wanted me to tell a lie and get the money so that someone got a cut of the insurance claim, possibly a solicitor or other legal institution. If that is really the case, it's disgraceful that there are people 'out there' who are quite happy to let people lie for them just so they can line their own pockets. In the end all it is doing is putting the cost of insurance premiums up quite considerably.

On a slightly different subject, the MacBook Air has decided to open. Why on earth it has been playing silly games with me I have no idea. I think it may be something to do with the battery, but I'm not sure. It does seem to get quite hot as it charges. This means that I can get on with transferring my writing to word processing. I have learnt to keep saving what I've written onto the external hard drive which I have. I'm not going to loose all that work because of some sort of technical glitch.

Sunny but Cold

It was deceptively cold first thing this morning. It seemed, on first looking out the window at around 7.15, that it was sunny and warm, but I was really surprised that there was ice on the car's windscreen that needed melting before we drove off to the Academy. There was a definite nip in the air. I suppose it's to be expected at this time of the year. It might appear sunny and warm, but when you get outside it's quite cold.

Carol is home about an hour later than usual today. They have teacher training at The Academy until 5.45.

The MacBook Air laptop, the machine I usually write this blog on, is playing up again. I don't know why. It will not boot up and all you get is a grey screen. It seems to have a charged battery, but it's a case of  'the lights are on but there's nobody at home.' I'm not entirely sure how to remedy this problem. I'm using Carol's Toshiba laptop to write this and do any of my usual stuff on a computer, such as looking at emails, but for the past couple of days, before the MacBook 'died' on me, I had been transferring a lot of my handwritten writing onto word processing on the MacBook and it was going surprisingly well. I am concerned that I can't continue with this work with the confounded thing not working. I think it may need taking to an Apple repair shop to have it dealt with, but I'm reluctant to do that as it's likely to cost a great deal to have it fixed. There is a considerable amount of material which needs transferring to word processing and this is why it somewhat galling to have the computer not working. If I'd thought that it was likely to breakdown again I would have saved the work onto an external hard drive or memory stick. As it is, I can't get anywhere near the word processed stuff until the computer can be opened up again, but as it is I've no idea when this is likely to be.  Just very annoying, to say the least.