Boxing Day and Beyond. . .

 Thursday. 8 a.m. I went to the Christmas Day service at SCF yesterday morning. It was an hour and there wasn't any tea or coffee as we usually have after our services, so I came straight home afterwards. 

I had my Christmas Dinner at around 5.15. I had purchased all the bits that made it up from Sainsbury's which included a chicken breast (which turned out to have stuffing inside when I began to carve it.) Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing and bacon. I had bought a ready-made Christmas Pudding, but I decided to have it another day (probably this evening.

Later, I watched the new Wallace and Gromit film, 'Vengeance Most Fowl.' I'm a fan of the work of Aardman Animation, so this was something of a treat. I know it takes years to make an animation film, and probably more work goes into this type of stop-frame animation. It was so inventive and imaginative and hilarious. According to the over-night ratings, it got over 9 million viewers.

Friday. 1.40 p.m. It's been foggy and overcast for the past couple of days. Just typical December weather, I suppose.

Another trip to Sainsbury's this morning. The travelator was not working on the trip up to the store. They seem to have endless problems with this technology, but I can walk up the travelator, which is odd when it doesn't move, but the down one was working.

There seems to be a lot of Christmas stuff left over. Perhaps they should sell off mince pies and Christmas puds at half price, or even less.

All the tenants at Dexter House, including myself, have had letters from the maintenance contractors, Mears, today. Reading down the list of things they are going to do, caught my attention. It reads 'Slip and trip hazard free pathways from external doors to the scooter stores, from the fire exits of the scheme to external gates, and from the scooter stores to the external gates.' Which means, if I am right, but don't hold your breath, they are actually going to do the work, which has been held up for at least 3–4 years! SOMEONE in the hierarchy within Milton Keynes Council, has decided to act on this work, or at least, signed the piece of paper which means that, at last, the work can be done and the electric scooters, which are stored at the moment, in common spaces, for example, the corridors, and were deemed a fire hazard by a fire officer years ago. I have been watching the brilliant sitcom 'Yes, Minister' on BBC iPlayer. This business of the scooter stores seems very much like a storyline straight out of this series. 

Well the work begins on 6th January, so I will report on here how things progress, but don't hold your breath.

Saturday. 9.45 a.m. It's yet another gloomy and overcast day here in Milton Keynes. I see from BBC Breakfast, that vast swaithes of Britain is covered in thick fog, but this area seems to have escaped. There are problems with visability as airports and flights have either been delayed or cancelled. Drivers have been told to be careful on the roads, and, in particular, because visability if poor.

I went to the prayer meeting at SCF this afternoon. A lot of the people who are in the Thursday morning group were there.

Sunday. 7.35 a.m. I've been out with Alfie. There's a bit of fog hanging around although it's thin and is likely to disperse as the day progresses.

Monday. 9.35 a.m. A bit of a misty, rather than a foggy day. Overcast and murky is the best way to describe it.

I found that I was running low with some of my medication, so I decided it would be advisable to put in a repeat prescription. I went on the on-line pharmacy I use, Pharmacy2U or whatever it's called. When you can order, then those medications which you have signed up to a 'clear', but those they say you can't have yet are screened out, being 'greyed out.' As most of my repeat medications were 'clear', I clicked to order. I thought to myself, 'ok, that's done!' and they will arrived in a few days time through the post. But a few days ago, over the Christmas period, I got a text message from my surgery to tell me I had ordered too early. Which bothered me, because, by this time I had finished the Bisoprolol tablets I take, which I think are to control my heart rate and, hopefully, prevent me having a further heart attack. This morning, rather than ringing the surgery, because I knew it would likely take me about 45 minutes for them to respond, hence causing stress, it was far simpler to drive to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre and get the medication ordered, which I did. I was concerned that they might not be open, due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. But I needn't have worried, as they were open, and I spoke to a receptionist, who did the order on her computer and I will hopefully receive the medication in a couple of days, maybe a bit longer than usual due to New Year getting in the way.

Wet and Cold

 Tuesday. 3.25 p.m. I wasn't going to keep this blog going over the Christmas period, but I now think I will write something. It has been raining continuously since early this morning. It hasn't been heavy rain, but thin and miserable nonetheless. I have taken Alfie out several times, but whenever he discovers it's raining, he turns tail and returns indoors. I can't blame him.

Wednesday. 3.35 p.m. Not a particularly exciting day today. It has been a good deal milder than of late. The sun even shone, which always lifts my mood. The last couple of days have been overcast and gloomy, which is definitely par for the course in late December.  I will be glad when Christmas is over, basically because when Carol was around things were busy, with us going out to visit such places as Waddesdon Manor, where they always put on some sort of extra effort with decorations in the manor and a Christmas market within the grounds. 

I have now watched the final episode of 'The Crown.' I have seen all six seasons of the Netflix series. I have to say, the final season wasn't up to the high standard of the earlier seasons. It seemed to run out of steam and I think they should have ended it with the fifth season. For all that, it had extremely high production values, such as sets, costumes, photography and so on. You could definitely see where the budget was spent. 

Thursday. 8.50 a.m. I am about to go to Sainsbury's to do a bit of shopping. I'm rather concerned that it might be extremely busy, considering we are only days away from Christmas. 

The weather has done another flip. From bright and sunny yesterday morning, to wet and windy this morning.

1.55 p.m. I went to Sainsbury's. I picked up everything I wanted, which was on a list. I would have preferred to have used a manned till to complete my shop, but, as usual, there was one of these tills open, but it had a long queue of customers waiting. I was left with no alternative, and so regrettably went to use a self-service till. All went well to start off, scanning each item and placing them in my shopping bags. But on three occasions the confounded thing stopped working, for the slightest fault, and I had to get assistance. This is why I don't like using self-service tills; they keep on breaking down, and you have to wait for assistance from a member of staff.

3.50 p.m. We've had a tea party here at Dexter House. As we sat and stuffed our faces with mince-pies and drank tea, a raffle was drawn, with the proceeds going to Willen Hospice. I have won a battery-operated fan, which will be useful in the summer when we get warm weather.

Friday. 10.30 a.m. It's my turn with the washing machine. I had my laundry ready and in the machine at around 7.40. I am supposed to start it at 8, but I'm not very good when it comes to waiting. I went back an hour later, to discover the machine stopped and nothing to indicate it was working, whether it had finished the wash cycle, with the clothes rinsed. The door wouldn't open as it should. As you can imagine, I wasn't a happy bunny, because I wanted my clothes out and in the drier. My only answer to the problem was to ring Mears, who are responsible for maintenance at Dexter House. I went back to my flat and rang their number. I'm sorry to say, I wasn't polite to the woman I spoke to, although I did apologize. She was going to email Vashti, the S.H.O., to see if she would be able to get the washing machine opened. I was concerned that, if the clothes were left inside the washing machine, wet. If they were left long enough, they would get mouldy and I would be without anything clean to wear. Well, that isn't exactly correct, I do have SOME clean clothes. It was because everything will close down over the Christmas and New Year period and nothing would be done about the washing machine. The woman I spoke to told me it 'wasn't an emergency.' Well, it wasn't a life-and-death matter I suppose, but to me, it was an emergency.

I returned to the washing machine, and it was working! Apparently, there had been a power cut, but then I discovered that there were workmen in Dexter House, and they'd turned off the power! But nobody told me, hence the situation with the washing machine. I managed to get the clothes spun and when the cycle was over, I put the clothes in the tumble drier and the situation was resolved.

Water, Water

 Saturday. 12.30 a.m. It rained really heavily yesterday evening. So much so that I couldn't take Alfie out, as he really does not like getting wet. Come to think of it, neither do I.

We reached the fifth session of the Alpha Course this week, and I was due to go to the Oaktree Centre at around 6:40. I was in my lounge, watching television, and then I heard a tapping sound. At first, I couldn't work out where it was, or, indeed, what it was. Going into the flat's entrance hall, I noticed a dripping coming from the ceiling. 

Vashti, the S.H.0. (Sheltered Housing Officer) of Dexter House, had gone home. It was around 5.30. I decided to ring the Mears helpline and was told that someone would come and inspect the leak, but it might be 4 hours before they arrived. It was around an hour later that a man knocked on my door, looked at the place where the drip had come through the ceiling near the smoke alarm, and told me that it wasn't his responsibility and rang the contractor who was responsible. He did a check of the light fitting, which isn't far from the smoke detector, and did a safety check and found no sign of water or anything dangerous and then left.

I mopped up the water from the floor and that was the end of it, although I think there must be a blockage and possibly an overflow somewhere in the roof space due to the heavy rain.

Sunday. 9.25 a.m. It's bright and sunny, but chilly. At least it's cool enough to sleep. The digital thermometer currently reads 19ºC. 

Tuesday. 7.40 a.m. I went to Camphill yesterday evening. The silent movies we have been creating since February were premiered. Actually, not just the three the Tuesday group made, but several others which were produced by the Monday group. There was a red carpet in the foyer of the Chrysalis Theatre, and as people arrived, they were photographed by Craig, so it was a version of the traditional Hollywood 'Red Carpet' treatment as celebrities arrive at a premier.

Thursday. 7.40 a.m. The Zolpidem tablets which I have been waiting for arrived in the post yesterday morning. I took two at around 10.30 last night and slept well, waking around 5 a.m. I have to say, as a result, I feel a good deal better.

Friday. 7.25 a.m. A wild and wet night. It probably was nowhere near as bad in other parts of Britain, especially in Scotland.

I have mentioned the problems I've had receiving the Zolpidem which II have done a repeat prescription for. I got one delivery, then yesterday morning the larger order I made a few days ago arrived, including the sleeping tablets, (ie, Zolpidem.)

All Is For The Best, (In The best of all possible worlds)

Monday. 4.55 a.m. Here we go! Yet another fun-packed week at Dexter House. I'm being very sarcastic, but life goes on. What else to do? I have a hospital appointment this morning at Milton Keynes University Hospital at 11.50 a.m. It's not so much the actual appointment which is the problem, it's managing to find a parking space which causes stress which is more of a problem. I'll just have to get there in plenty of time to make sure I can park the car and then walk through to the department where I have to have a kidney scan. The letter I got, which rescheduled the appointment for 16th June, tells me I have to drink at least a litre of water. Well, as I'm keeping hydrated because of the hot weather, that's not going to cause much of a problem.

12.25 p.m. I have been to the hospital for my appointment. It was scheduled for 11.50, but, because of finding a space in the multistory car park, I went earlier. Fortunately, I found a space, which relieved the stress. When it came to walking to the ultrasound department, I at first went in the wrong direction and had to be directed by a helpful man who sent me back to the reception area and I soon found the department.

I was met by a lady who asked me my name when I walked through the door. It turned out that she was going to do the scan, so I was checked in and then the usual wait. Not long after I was called into the room and had to lay on a narrow couch/bed thing and the scan began, laying on my left side, then my right. The reason for this scan was that when I first moved to my current surgery, my doctor got me to have a blood test, which showed up something related to my kidneys and possibly caused by a side effect of taking some of my heart medication, which I have been on since my first heart attack in 2006. The technician doing the scan said this 'thing' was like a birthmark or tag, and was about 5 cm across, but when she did the scan it wasn't viable. In fact, she had to have a second look and still, nothing! So hopefully that's the end of that. No more to be said on that matter, but I should get a letter from my GP surgery with details, which will have been sent from the hospital.

I took Alfie to the dog-sitting lady at about 1.50 and left him to find out how he would behave, rather, if he would settle. I then went to Monday Club at the Oaktree Centre, which is on the opposite side of Shenley Brook End, and returned when that ended at 3.30. I was pleased to find that Alfie had done well, although he did bark a small amount. So it looks as if I can leave him there, so I can go to Worcester.

Tuesday. 5.15 a.m. Thankfully, it's a good deal cooler this morning and, as a result, far easier to sleep. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºC.

4.25 p.m. A relatively straightforward drive to Camphill this morning. I know that it will be somewhat easier when the schools are on holiday, but it couldn't be that, as schools haven't broken up yet for the summer holidays.

Most of the theatre workshop gang was in the theatre today. We got to hear some of them talk about their holidays when we did check in. It seems to take longer and longer each time, probably because there are far more members of the group, and certainly more than when I first went to Camphill in 2019. It took a good hour today. 

I was moved to another of the silent movie projects. I was with the time-travel movie, and last week, when there were so few people in the workshop because they were on holiday, we didn't rehearse that project so I had to take over the pirate project. I have to say I'm disappointed because I had been working on developing the story with the gang and would have loved to see it completed. 

Terrie had managed to construct sets for the time travel movie on the Chrysalis Theatre stage so that some of the movies could be filmed using an iPad. I can say that it's so easy with modern technology such as iPads and iPhones, and editing is relatively easy. 

Because the time travel set had a prison set, the Western video group used it to film footage for their project. It seemed to go well, and they got all the materials they needed. While all this was going on, the pirates' team rehearsed in the hall part of the theatre. Terrie had gone off to have supervision with the manager of Camphill and came back a good deal later than expected. Her supervision was supposed to last an hour but overran by about thirty minutes, so by the time she returned we had more or less finished and there wasn't time to start anything else. So, it was a day of bits and pieces, but in some respects, successful, considering some filming was done.

Wednesday. 5.30 a.m. Yet another mild morning. I slept a good deal better than I have for the past couple of weeks. The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºC. Alfie and I did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, although he was somewhat reluctant.

12.55 p.m. I knew I was due to have a glazier come and replace the glass in the window of the kitchen this morning so that an extractor fan could be fitted. The man was due between 9 and 1. He turned up at about 10.30. It was done really quickly, the old glass taken out and the new one, including the cut hole to replace it. He then went off, mumbling something, which I didn't catch. So, I am now with a beautifully cut round hole ready to receive the extractor fan. But when is it to be fitted? Presumably to be done by a different contractor. So I rang Mears, yet again about this situation (I have now lost count), to be put through to a lay, who said she'd raise an order for the fan. But my question is, when can I expect this? It seems to go around in circles, a bit like a dog chasing its tale.  I JUST WANT MY EXTRACTOR FAN. But, whilst they're at it, what about my bathroom? It's no good asking. When this confounded fan (more of a FAN-tasy than an actual fan- get it? A pun!) I can actually use my George Foreman grill, which is waiting to be used, without setting off the fire alarm.

The Sun Has Got His Hat On!

 Friday. 9.10 a.m. Having made all those scones yesterday (by the way, how do you pronounce 'scone'? Is it with an extended 'one' to rhyme with gone, or 'scone' to rhyme with cone? You decide.) Anyway, having made them I then realized it would be a Bank Holiday Monday on Monday, and so, no Monday Club. Pity. It means I will have to eat them or share them with other people. They have been a success, apart from being somewhat difficult to split in half. They just crumble. Maybe I should make the dough a bit stickier with some milk before I roll it and then cut the scones out. 

Saturday. 10.10 a.m. I had a further text message from Mears. It was to tell me that someone was coming on the 7th of June to measure the kitchen window, which will have the extractor fan installed in it. At last! After all the phone calls, it looks as if the fan will be installed. But I won't hold my breath and will only be entirely satisfied until the thing is in and working, which means, hopefully, I will be able to use my George Foreman grill!

12.20 p.m. I had a doctor's appointment at 11.30 this morning. I was all ready to go out at around 10.50, but Alfie decided to do a whoopsie on the floor, so I spent some time clearing it up. He didn't appear as if he needed to go out, but nevertheless, it was a bit of a bother. Never mind, it's mopped up now.

I drove over to the Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre and parked and then walked into the surgery. I signed in and sat down. Almost immediately, I was called into the doctor's room.  Well before the time I was booked for, so I'm really glad I got there early. Blood pressure, heart rate, and all the usual observations were done. My weight was taken, and he made a sort of oblique reference to it. I'm not sure if I'm within the normal weight for my age and height, but I mentioned cakes, and he 'sort of' said I shouldn't eat too many. Everything healthy. No swollen ankles or something. I left and then drove home.

Sunday. 5.20 a.m. It's no good, I simply can't lounge about in bed when it's light outside. Alfie in a good barking voice as I got dressed and a circuit of Oldbrook Green. Not much else to report, except an exceptional amount of rubbish falling out of the bins.

1.25 p.m. I managed to do the washing up from last night's meal, take Alfie out twice before I went to church and write a bit more of my project and then transfer it onto word processing, managing to edit as I went along and insert several paragraphs from an earlier draught. I am feeling very positive about this writing and, as I walked around Oldbrook Green with Alfie, I managed to come up with another character, so my perambulations with Alfie are never wasted.

The title of this blog post is very appropriate. It is really warm and sunny and as a result, I wore my shorts to church. I have to admit I sometimes struggle to come up with appropriate titles for my posts and often just pluck anything out of the air.

Not Even For Ready Money

Thursday. 9.30 a.m. I've been busy this morning. I have been making a batch of scones. I have made them before, following Delia Smith's recipe. I got most of the ingredients in Sainsbury's yesterday morning. I actually made a double batch, because the amount of scones you get from the measurements the recipe gives only makes a few, so it wasn't much of an effort to double up the quantities. They have come out of the oven looking good. One was not a full scone, so I ate it! Tasted good and far better than what you can buy in a supermarket.     They are intended for the Monday Club.

4.30 p.m. I managed to get an appointment booked with someone from Mears to come and look at my bathroom, because, when I rang the other day, enquiring about the extractor fan, which is supposed to be installed by an outside contractor and who should ring me regarding this installation, I then mentioned the floor in the bathroom, which is a total disaster, caused by the former tenant of this flat who put the floor in, but didn't make a very good job, as the tiles are lifting and have lifted in certain places and this makes cleaning the floor extremely difficult. I got two text messages from Mears, the first saying they were coming to do the work on 16th June and a second one saying someone would visit to survey the bathroom today at 10 a.m. I waited in expectation for a visit at 10, but nobody arrived, so I rang Mears to be told that the lady who was to come and visit was held up, which is what I thought must have happened. The lady turned up at 11, and having looked at the bathroom, she told me that it was in definite need of being upgraded. There is absolutely no way I can have a full-sized bath, unfortunately, and it is unlikely I would have a shower cubicle installed. I am not bothered by this if I only had a shower which was installed at the correct height so that I don't have to bend to get it to work on me, as I'm a little over 6 feet tall. It now depends on the Council deciding what I can have, so I wait with bated breath to see what I eventually have.

Friday. 5.05 a.m. Today would have been Carol and My 16th wedding anniversary. I'm not going to mention it again, as you can imagine it's pretty difficult since she died.

Well, I've been out as usual with my lovely Alfie, and we did our usual circuit of Oldbrook Green. 

I'm intrigued by the way the grass has been cut. The furthest side from The Cricketers has been cut, and the grass is laying in strips, similar to when the grass is cut for bailing. It seems such a waste to just leave it laying on the ground and not use it. It would make feed for horses or cows. 

I stopped on the path to see a crow which was sitting on the fence. It must have been at least a minute before I move away, and it makes a loud noise which I think would have been an alarm to other crows because Alfie was with me.

As we walked along the path towards Oldbrook Green, I could hear birds singing and some sounding remarkably like the sound you get from a range of electronic devices, such as mobile phones. I watched a video on Facebook about a starling which can mimic the human voice, and its voice was remarkably human-sounding. Also, a very clever raven called Loki can make a range of sounds which he must have heard and then mimic. 

9.05 a.m. It's really sunny and pleasant this morning. My washing is in the drier at the moment. It should be done at 9.30, hence I have time to sit and write this blog post.

All The World's A Stage

 Monday. 5.15 a.m. Up and out early once again. As they say, 'the early bird catches the worm.' I'm not the sort of person who likes lounging about in bed. When I was growing up on a farm, there was absolutely no chance of a lie-in. Things to do outside, such as feeding animals. No, we didn't milk cows. It wasn't a dairy farm, although there was what was called a 'house cow', which was milked specifically for the house. More or less straight to the table. I doubt very much that you'd be allowed to do that now. Probably too much red tape. It wasn't processed, not filtered or pasteurized. It was put in large aluminium bowls in the pantry, where it was allowed to stand. The cream was taken off and scooped off with a sort of large spoon with holes in it.  No delivery from a milkman. 

12.05 p.m. I must have mentioned in these posts regarding Mears, the contractor which deals with the maintenance in Dexter House and was responsible for my refitted kitchen last year. They were supposed to be giving me an extractor fan so that I can use my George Foreman grill without setting off the fire alarms. I have phoned on several occasions and at one point was told that they had put an order in for the work to be done. But I haven't heard a thing. After some thought, I decided this morning to see what the situation was regarding the extractor fan. It took some while to get through and the lady kept me waiting as she had to ask someone else in the office about the matter. Apparently, they contacted me back in September regarding this, but I wasn't aware. It was an outside company and not Mears, but I wasn't aware of this. I may get a call later in the week to arrange a new appointment, but don't hold your breath. Then I asked about the bathroom refit. It turns out that the Council hasn't allocated funding for this. A bit strange, that, considering other people in Dexter House have already had their bathrooms refitted. I said the floor was in a poor state, due mainly to the fact that a former tenant had put down tiles on the floor, but, because they were so poorly laid and some were coming up and there were even gaps, it was virtually impossible to clean it properly, I was told that it might be replaced and someone would come out to have a look and then decide whether it needed replacing. Well, if that was the case, why not rip out the old flooring and the bath, toilet and sink at the same time, if they put in a new floor, it would only need taking up so the bathroom could be refitted.

5.40 p.m. Following on from the above, I had two emails from Mears. They have not listened to what Itold them, regarding NOT visiting on a Tuesday to survey the bathroom floor so that it can be replaced. So, another day will have to be organized.  Watch this space for an conclusion to this situation.

Things Can Only Get Better?

Tuesday. 4.30 p.m. Tuesdays are my Camphill days, as you will know if you follow my blog posts regularly. I volunteered to work as a support in the theatre workshop. I've been going there every Tuesday since around April 2019, although I didn't go during the various lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The regular group have been working on a production of 'Twelfth Night', and there are two performances this Friday and Saturday. Today, far more residents were involved, bringing the total in the group to around thirty. Their job is to be the orchestra, provide some music and various sound effects, and be sailors and party-goers in a couple of scenes. Today, the group ran through the play and was supposed to have learned their lines. Some managed really well, although a couple really needed to spend a bit more time learning their lines and also the cues where they were supposed to enter and exit.

Wednesday. 8.35 a.m.  Goodness grief! I was sitting in my lounge, reading. Actually about Milton Keynes, in a book called 'When The Lights Went Out: What Really Happened In Britain In The Seventies,'  written by Andy Beckett. It was a gang of three Mears employees, who come to check the fire alarms. I was told they were coming today when I had a telephone call last week. I was hoping that they might be able to fit the extractor fan in the kitchen, but, pigs might fly, as they say. No hope of that happening any day soon. Now I suppose I'll have to sit in here all day for them to actually do some work. But I thought I had new fire alarms fitted, some time ago. 

It turns out that the old fire alarms were faulty! New ones have been fitted, even one in my bedroom. So, someone sold Milton Keynes Council fire alarms which are not fit for purpose. The Mears electricians have also fitted a device to my alarm system, which I call if I have a fall or some other incident, which automatically calls the system if there is a fire and they call me to find out if I'm alright. I think all this is after the devastating fire that killed 72 people in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Thursday. 2.00 p.m. I took out Alfie at around 1.30. I saw a van draw up and a host of bright orange hi-vis-clad workmen get out and it was clear that they were going to be litter picking. The amount of litter which is left around Oldbrook Green and on and around the path alongside Strudwick Drive has got worse recently. I think people have just become lazy and the same applies to dog walkers who don't pick up after their dogs. It's not the dogs' fault and the owners should be entirely responsible for their dogs. The green dog bins which are scattered around Oldbrook Green used to have bags which dog owners could use to pick up after their dogs, but it seems they are no longer provided by Milton Keynes Council. No doubt in an attempt to cut costs, but, as a result, it has meant owners have become lazy and don't provide their own bags, hence, no doubt, the increase in dog fowling. There are clear signs around the green that there is a fine if you are caught not complying, but what is the point of this if there is nobody around to police this?

Hey ho, The Wind and The Rain!

Tuesday. 10.00 a.m. I should have been going to Camphill this morning, but there's been a problem with one of the payments for my car insurance. It wasn't taken out of my bank account. I had thought I could drive without any concerns, but then I thought, on the one day my insurance isn't absolutely cut and dried, I could have an incident, either me colliding with another vehicle, or someone running into my car, scratching either vehicle. It would be very stressful and I preferred to not risk it, so I'm at home. 

It's a really stormy day, wet and windy. Alfie keeps looking at me and almost saying, 'please, take me out!' but I know he won't like it. He's not a wet-weather sort of dog, so here we are, staying in the flat. 

I have rung Mears again, regarding not only the extractor fan, but the bathroom refit. It didn't take long to get a response, fortunately, but the line was indistinct. On the extractor fan front, apparently the company who will install the fan are waiting for glass to arrive. Which I wasn't aware of. I assumed that they would cut a hole in the existing glass in the kitchen window, but no, they will presumably take out the glass already in the window and put the new glass in, with a hole cut in it to take the extractor fan. I also asked about the bathroom, and I am still on the waiting list, but no word as to when the work will start. One lives in hope.

12.15 p.m. I have been experimenting with the Procreate app on my new iPad. It's actually quite easy to use, once you've been through some of the things it's capable of. I have been following a couple of YouTube videos and have actually posted my first piece of work on Facebook. Once you have mastered the fact that each colour you use can be adjusted separately,  because it's on a different 'layer', it means that it's possible to redo any of the layers, which means you can improve things easily.

Wednesday. 8.45 a.m. It seems like quite a calm sort of morning on the weather front. Let's just hope it stays that way.

11.05 a.m. As mentioned above, I had a missed payment for my car insurance. I had to ring the AA, my provider, and sort this payment out, as I was concerned that I wouldn't otherwise be covered if there was an incident. I rang the number on the AA documentation, but I got a menu which asked me which number to key into my phone. I went round and round, and it became really difficult to get to the right department. After several attempts, I did manage to reach the right department and explained my difficulties getting to the right place. I eventually had to key in the long number on my debit card, but the computerized system wouldn't work for me, regardless of how many times I attempted. Then the lady at the call centre told me to speak the numbers, which I found quite difficult, but eventually the payment went through, thank goodness, and the situation was rectified.

3.35 p.m. The weather has got worse. Wind and rain as I write this. 

I have been into Central Barbers to get my hair cut. I booked online, as is my custom now. At least, if you book this way, you know you'll be attended to quickly and there's no waiting.

I had a conversation with the young man who cut my hair. We got onto discussing things, and he mentioned a book he had read, about five young daughters who were going to be married off by their parents. I immediately recognized it as 'Pride and Prejudice' and I said it's not the sort of book that most men read, if they read anything. I know it's more of a female readers choice and Carol enjoyed it. Anyway, I am pleased to have had my hair cut and, after leaving Central Barbers, I walked through the shopping centre and had a browse in some of the shops, T.K.Maax in particular.

A Bureaucratic Nightmare

Thursday. 7.30 a.m. It's a great deal colder and far wetter than it's been in quite some time, so it was something of a shock to myself and Alfie when I took him out at around 7 o'clock. He didn't intend to hang around too long outside and soon took me back inside and, as I write this, is tucked up on my bed.

Friday. 4.00 p.m. Some things defy description or logical explanation. Let me elucidate further. I may have mentioned them in these blog posts before, so, if you have read about them before, bear with me. The first is Mears, the contract company who do the maintenance in Dexter House. You may recall that my kitchen was upgraded during the summer. In fact, the work began at the beginning of July and went on for around a month or more. Before the work began I had a visit from two ladies who set out my options for such things as the type of worktops I could have, the cupboard fronts as well as handles on the drawers and cupboards. I asked at that time about the possibility of having an extractor fan fitted, because of the fire alarms being set off when I burnt toast or something in the oven. This has already happened and it means the entire place has alarms set off and the arrival of a fire engine which can be very embarrassing. I was informed that, yes, I could have such an extractor fan and that it would be fitted in the window near the sink. All well and good. There was even a special socket installed near the window, which was where the phantom extractor fan would be located.

Work on the kitchen was completed. I was told by the foreman or manager of the work that the extractor fan would be installed once the kitchen was finished. But nothing happened. And nothing happened, and I waited and, nothing happened. This went on for weeks. I rang Mears and got nowhere. I rang a few weeks ago and had another go and was told 'an order has been raised.' Which raised my hopes that the work would be done. How long would it be before I heard anything? Pigs might fly. Who knows? Then, a day or so ago I was speaking to Barbara, the SHO here at Dexter House, and she told me a workman had turned on Tuesday, totally unannounced, when I was at Camphill, ready to do the installation of the extractor fan. My question is, why just TURN UP unannounced? Did they just expect me to be at home, ready to let them in and do the work? Why did they not contact me via email, text message or phone, to arrange a convenient time to do the installation of the extractor fan? I still await some sort of communication regarding this issue.

The next issue regards my glasses. I had my eyes tested by a visiting optician and around a week later the completed glasses arrived at my door. I had distance glasses as well as reading glasses, but the reading glasses fell apart around six weeks ago. The lens of one side just fell out of the frame. I hardly touched them and I have to wear a pair of ready-made reading glasses I bought in Sainsburys.

I didn't have any idea what the name of the company was who tested my eyes, or any idea how to contact them, but I have now found it, thanks to Barbara, the SHO (Supported Housing Officer) at Dexter House, who has given me a card with the optician company's name on it, together with two telephone numbers to ring. (The company is called Kindsight.) So, I rang the first number and, lo and behold! There was nobody on the other end, just a recorded voice. (How many companies work on this principle? Just a remote telephone number, not even a call centre with a human answering the telephone, and working from 'computerized 'voice activation'?) I had to 'speak after the tone,' and then press the hash key on my telephone keypad to 'save' the message. Will I get a response and get my reading glasses repaired? It is, as they say, in the lap of the gods. When these companies rely on digital or telephone communication, I'm not sure how much you can actually trust them.

The third and final issue revolves around one of the medications I take and have on repeat with my doctor's surgery and then made up at Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's. I have Atorvastatin which I take in the evening with other medications. I do a regular check to see what I have left and whether I need to do a repeat prescription. Having been a carer, I used to look after peop-le's prescriptions and medications and in some cases do reviews for them. I do the ordering via an app called Airmid, which is connected to my doctor's surgery, Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre in Bradwell Common. You used to be able to contact the pharmacy and then would put the order in, but now you have to go direct to the surgery and they do all the ordering (they use electronic prescriptions which, I presume, saves paper and should, in theory, be far more efficient.) 

I found, when I came to do the order on the Airmid app, that Atorvastatin was 'greyed out', meaning I couldn't order it for some reason or other. I did put in the order through the 'message' feature on the app and assumed that would be fine. On picking up the order the following day (they seem to be able to make the prescription up relatively quickly these days. It could be up to a week after I put in a repeat order.) Atorvastatin wasn't included. I was told by the pharmacist that I needed to have a review, and then I thought I might be able to have that done by Lloyd's. But apparently not. The doctor needs to do it. WHY? I would have thought the pharmacist, whose job it is to know all about the various drugs they deal with, could have done that. Then it turned out that the surgery had rung me so I rang (a day or so after the message had been left as a voicemail, which I never think to listen to. Perhaps, on reflection, I ought to.)

I rang the surgery and got through relatively quickly and spoke to a receptionist. I was expecting to have to make some sort of appointment with a doctor to review the Atorvastatin, but the receptionist ordered the meds for me and the repeat has been sent to Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's and, as I write this post, the order is ready to collect from Lloyd's as I had a text to tell me it was ready yesterday. So, what's this about a review? Have I still got to have an appointment? What ON EARTH is all this about? I just don't understand any of this. It's no wonder the NHS is in such a mess. Far too much bureaucracy. Things have really got worse, not better. It is stressful, first off, not knowing if I will actually GET the meds, and attempting to be offered some sort of appointment at the surgery. Even now, I don't have any idea of the outcome of this issue.

All In A Day's Work

 Saturday. 7.20 a.m. I woke up really late for me, around 6.30. 

8.55 a.m. The sun is out. It would appear that it's warm, but I have a feeling, when I go out, it will most likely be chilly, so I will need to put on a fleece or something. It's very deceptive.

5.15 p.m. I have no end of 'bits' of my manuscript, which are the various elements of the writing project I have mentioned in these blog posts. I use what is called 'clip' folders, which means you don't have to punch holes into the printed pages which you have to do if you use a ring binder, which I absolutely hate because the pages get torn and then look tatty. I remember from my days in college, years ago now, and my problems with the ring binders I used for the notes I had from the different classes I went to. So, being able to put my printed pages into the clip folder and no need to punch holes in the pages they are helped securely with a sliding metal clip and come in a neat and professional plastic folder with a transparent cover so you can see the title page through this clear cover. Problem solved. I have been searching all over the place to buy these folders, in W.H.Smith, Sainsbury's, Asda and anywhere else I could think of. We used to have a branch of Staples in Milton Keynes, but that has since closed down and gone online only. I think Staples merged with Office World, which had a warehouse which I used to past when I used to drive to Milton Keynes when I lived in Bedford. I'm not entirely sure if they still exist. I have bought stationary from a company called Viking, so I looked on their site, and, hey presto! They had clip files, so I have ordered a few and hopefully, they will arrive in the next couple of days.

Sunday. 12.40 p.m. There wasn't any worship as such at The Oaktree Centre this morning. Instead, we had what's called 'Café church, which could be described as 'open fellowship', with coffee, tea, pastries and biscuits and a chance to chat with anyone and everyone. The idea is to invite the 'unchurched' and be in a relaxed situation. It certainly was all that, and more. So much so, that there were so many people around in the café area that at one point you couldn't hear your own voice. Not that I'm complaining. It was good.

Monday. 7.25 a.m. A very mild and pleasant morning. The trees around Milton Keynes are rapidly changing colour, with amazing browns, yellows and a whole host of variations in between. Looking back towards Dexter House as I walked along the path beside Strudwick Drive, I could see the sky, which was a beautiful red. Where does the old saying go? 'Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning?' It also goes on 'Red sky at night. Shepherd's delight.' We'll just have to wait and see if all that is accurate as the day progresses.

10.25 a.m. I may have mentioned in these posts, the fact that I was supposed to have an extractor fan fitted in the kitchen window when my kitchen was refitted. As I write this, no extractor fan has been fitted. It was at the beginning of July that the work was done on the kitchen and a good month or so before that, the two ladies who did the initial assessment for the refit came to see me and I mentioned the possibility of having an extractor fan installed, basically because without one, when I cook and there is the possibility of smoke or steam being produced, it sets off the fire alarm with all that entails, the arrival of a fire engine and the annoyance and embarrassment that causes. I rang the company responsible for this work around a month ago and I was informed that they would contact the installers, but nothing happened. I have this morning contacted Mears yet again and this time they tell me 'an order has been raised.' So, let's hope that this time something eventually gets done. But don't hold your breath.

In The Loop

Friday. 6.25 a.m. I'm just thinking of relevant titles for each of my blog posts. This one, 'In The Loop', seems relevant, in relation to the lack of communication I have had regarding Mears and the work done on my kitchen. In the leaflet they sent, entitled, 'Mears: Resident Information Pack-Kitchen Refurbishment,' there is mention of the 'Role of the Customer Care Officer.' I quote 'The Customer Care Officer should be your first point of contact if you have any questions regarding the work to your property, however trivial they may seem.' Then, further on it says 'Your customer Liaison Officer/Planned Works Supervisor, will visit each day to check that you are happy with how the works are progressing.' Well, I haven't seen this person in all the time the work has been going on, and they certainly haven't been to see me in my flat. Then, I didn't get a reply, as promised, to either of the two telephone calls I made yesterday. There is no indication regarding the electric works that are supposed to be happening, either yesterday or today.

11.20 a.m. Still, nothing doing as regards completing work on my kitchen, even with an electrician in Dexter House. This seems to get worse and worse, even though I have telephoned Mears again.

4.35 p.m. The electrician has been, replaced the board and the fridge/freezer and oven are back in their original place in the kitchen. Someone is coming next week, hopefully on Monday to 'sign off' the whole process and finish off things like the power sockets which need screwing fully into the walls and there's a certain amount of finishing at the skirting board level regarding the floor which needs doing, but that is it. I have just moved the freestanding unit back into the kitchen, which takes the microwave. Just great to have had the oven and fridge/freezer and oven moved as you had to manoeuvre around them when they were in the hallway.

Saturday. 2.30 p.m. The kitchen is more or less finished, as I've mentioned above. We had our monthly prayer triplet on WhatsApp at 10.00 a.m., although I had fallen asleep on my bed and the sound it makes woke me up. Then I went to Sainsbury's to do a top-up shop. Having spent the past week or so eating microwaved meals, it certainly will make a change to eat proper, cooked meals again.

Sunday. 3.30 a.m. I hope we're not heading for another excessively hot period. I say this because my digital thermometer is currently reading 80ºF. The temperature had gone down considerably since last Monday, when we had record temperatures in this country, which made life very difficult.

Monday. 7.25 a.m. A milder morning, but the temperature in the flat is 78ºF.

There was a problem with the electric supply yesterday evening. I couldn't understand why the reading light, which is next to my armchair, wouldn't work. Also, this MacBook and my iPad wouldn't connect to the internet. It would appear that the circuit that they were on had tripped out, but I had no idea why. I have since managed to get it back working, by flicking a couple of switches on the new panel which was installed on Friday afternoon, but now I can't boil my kettle to make a cup of tea, so I imagine the kitchen sockets are on a different circuit. I'll just have to wait until the workmen come later to sign off the kitchen work and, hopefully, get that circuit operating. I'm concerned that the fridge/freezer goes off, and I lose all the contents if it defrosts, but it appears to be functioning properly at the moment.

A Good Deal Cooler!

Wednesday. 10.15 a.m. The painter is here! So, we're on the final lap and hopefully, by this evening, if all goes according to plan, the entire kitchen should be back in working order. That is, provided an electrician comes to turn on the power so all the electric points are operating and my fridge/freezer and oven are put back in their spaces. By which time I'm hoping I can go to Sainsbury's, so I can have some proper food and not microwaved.

12.00 p.m. I have just looked in the kitchen. It looks amazing with the fresh paint. I can't believe how light and airy it has become. It's amazing how just a lick of paint can improve things. It was getting incredibly scruffy and out of date, but now, with all the new units in place, it's modern and far more inviting.

5.45 p.m. I was hoping an electrician was going to arrive to sort out the power points in the kitchen so the oven and fridge/freezer could be moved back in, but no sign of such a person. Let's trust this will happen tomorrow.

Thursday. 3.50 a.m. Yes, I know. It's extremely early. But Alfie doesn't know that. He just needed to go out, and urgently. I had to get dressed hurriedly, and he doesn't give up with the barking. I had a rather nice electric torch, one of those LCD jobbies, but where it's gone I don't have the faintest idea. So we managed to get out and I was pleased to get back indoors, as I write, Mr Alfred is curled up and asleep on the sofa. Job done.

10.30 a.m. I am sitting here, in my flat, with the work on the kitchen completed, but still no sign of an electrician coming to connect the power so I can have my oven and fridge/freezer reinstalled. I have started to move a lot of stuff back, particularly saucepans, which are back in the sink unit, in virtually the same place as they were in the old unit. I have since telephoned Mears about the current situation by, as I write this, there's no response whatever. Just annoying me as I want to go to Sainsbury's.

1.15 p.m. I rang Mears again and got to speak to someone. Apparently, the electrician needs to change the fuse board for this flat and they should be coming tomorrow. The job will take four hours. She said that she would phone me back to tell me what time they would come. I'm still waiting. I was hoping I would be able to buy food and stock up the fridge/freezer, but it looks likely that won't happen today, now the electricity isn't being put back on in the kitchen. I have been to Sainsbury's to get something for lunch and I'll order a takeaway for tonight's meal.

6.00 p.m. Still nothing from Mears. I really hope this business is sorted out tomorrow.

My digital thermometer currently reads 77ºF. Thank goodness it's cooler than earlier in the week.

Friday. 5.30 a.m. I was awake earlier than usual. It was too good to lie around in bed, so I was out with Alfie around 5.10. I don't think he was fully awake, but nevertheless, I just didn't want to hang about. It is mild, and the thermometer currently reads 69ºF. Now to get Mears to get the electricity dealt with, so I can get the flat straight.

Getting Plastered!

Wednesday. 8.50 a.m. No, not drunk and disorderly, but having the kitchen walls plastered. The man who is doing this arrived at around 8.15, came to look at the kitchen briefly and then disappeared. The problem we have is that the workmen are doing two flats at the same time, which is all very well, but it means you don't know when they are going to be working in this particular flat. Then he has gone off to work somewhere else, and Barbara tells me he will be back 'within an hour.' If Mears, the company doing all this work, had a project manager who kept track of the work and coordinated things and then kept the tenant informed, things would be far better. As for the sink being reconnected, Barbara has rung the office and the contractors will organize the reconnection. It can't come fast enough, as I have a pile of unwashed pots and plates, and I'm slowly running out of things to eat off.

The temperature currently in the flat is 77ºF.

1.20 p.m. I now have a temporary sink in the kitchen, which means I was able to do the washing up, which was beginning to build up from Monday. Then the plasterer came, and he did his job and soon left. The next stage of the kitchen renovation is to come tomorrow, with new flooring being laid. According to the leaflet that I was given by Mears, once it's down I can't walk on it for five hours.

I went to Sainsbury's to get something to drink and ice cream. It looked as if there was a run on ice cream in the freezer section of the store. Possibly caused by the current heatwave. Or perhaps panic buying. Could they perhaps freeze the price?

6.00 p.m. Temperature on my digital thermometer currently reads 83ºF. 

Thursday. 6.30 a.m. Here we go again! I know, this is getting incredibly boring and somewhat monotonous, but it's a bright and sunny morning here in Milton Keynes. Alfie is asleep on my bed. I don't really blame him. We have been out, as usual, but it was a very short outing. 

I am waiting for the next stage of the renovation of my kitchen. Today, apparently, the flooring will be laid and I have been told that I mustn't walk on it for five hours, as I have already mentioned earlier in this post.. I have washed up everything from last night and breakfast things and I am ready for the person who will lay the floor to arrive, hopefully after 8 o'clock. The plaster on the kitchen walls looks as if it is drying well, so the next stage, presumably tiling, can go ahead. Things seem to be going well. Oh, the excitement of it all!

Oh! What A Scorcher!!!

Sunday. 8.40 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning. The digital thermometer reads 75ºF, which tells you all you need to know about the temperature of my flat.  

Monday. 7.15 a.m. This morning, the thermometer reads 74ºF.  So, the temperature in this flat is going down gradually. It is a far more workable temperature. It's no use me working in Centigrade. It doesn't really mean a lot to me. A bit like metric measurements. I can imagine inches, feet, yards and miles, not kilometres etc. 

Tuesday. 6.30 a.m. The thermometer currently reads 77ºF.  

I'm continuing to clear out the pantry (if that's what you call the small room next to my kitchen. Probably just a cupboard.) It's surprising what I'm uncovering. Stuff I have probably lost and forgotten about, which is suddenly coming to light.

Wednesday. 11.30 a.m. It's a much warmer day. The digital thermometer has stopped working, most likely because the batteries have expired. I will need to buy new ones when I got to Sainsbury's next.

I am currently waiting for Mears to arrive to do an assessment of my kitchen ahead of it being upgraded. Someone is supposed to come between 9a.m and 2p.m., but considering I was supposed to have someone come to look at the bathroom and then didn't come, I have my doubts that they will arrive at all, unfortunately.

3.15 p.m. Two lovely ladies turned up at my door at around 11.30 to do an assessment of my kitchen. I was expecting two grumpy men!  They did an exceptional job, and it was done in around 20 minutes. I am having new units, worktops, tiling, sink unit, flooring and an extractor fan which will go in the window so any steam or smoke will be vented out into the garden, something I was hoping to avoid, setting off the fire alarm. What I mean is, if I accidentally burn my toast, mid-way through cooking it, any smoke created won't set the alarm off if an extractor fan takes out the smoke. The work takes around the days and will begin on 11th July, a good deal sooner than I expected. They will remove my cooker and fridge/freezer as I can't do that on my own, but I will have to clear out all the cupboards. 

I have virtually finished clearing out the pantry, and it's just as well, as I will probably have to put some things from the kitchen in there when the work starts on refurbishing the kitchen.

We had a tea party this afternoon. I had no idea that this was going on until I went down to tell Barbara about my kitchen being upgraded. Nothing to get too excited about, but quite a pleasant enough experience all the same. 

Too Darn Hot!

 Friday. 9.30 a.m. Last night was incredibly hot and sticky and somewhat difficult to sleep, even with a window open and an electric fan on in the bedroom and lounge.

I have rung Mears, having had a letter telling me about having my kitchen upgraded. I have rung and someone is coming to see me next Wednesday between 9a.m and 2 p.m. to discuss my options, which must refer to the colour of worktops and cupboard doors etc. I'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

11.00 a.m. It's hotter than ever! My beloved digital thermometer currently reads 80ºF. Getting hotter than ever.

I took Alfie out for a whirl around Oldbrook Green. On the way back inside, I was walking along the corridor when there was a loud sound like a gun going off. It almost made me jump out of my skin (well, it would, understandably.) Workmen are currently replacing the glass in the recently newly replaced front doors in all the flats in Dexter House. The glass has become cracked in mine and probably in many of the other flats. I was at the point of going out to Sainsbury's when there was a knock on my front door and a workman told me he was going to replace the glass. Just as well I was going out as the noise would have been unpleasant. As Alfie was in the lounge with the door closed, I don't know what he would have made of the noise. Having just got back from Sainsbury's, the glass has been replaced and the job completed.

Saturday. 8.10 a.m. It's a good deal cooler out this morning, thank goodness. It was far easier to sleep. That is, outside. Meanwhile, within this flat, my digital thermometer reads an exceptional 81ºF. I still have one electric fan running.

My Goodmans soundbar stopped working. What is it with technology? One minute it works perfectly and the next it won't function. I put new batteries in the remote, but still, it refused to work. I decided that if that was the case, the thing needed replacing. It really improves the rather tinny sound you get from a television set. So I looked on the Argos website and, as I had enough vouchers from doing surveys, I decided to cash some in. The cost of the actual soundbar was actually a few pounds more than the one I had my eye on. My thinking is it's better to go for a better model as it will have more features, such as Bluetooth connectivity and generally better quality build etc. So I ordered the vouchers and thought I won't get them for a couple of weeks. That is if they were paper vouchers. But I then found an email had come in informing me of the online codes for Argos. So, I wrote down all the codes and then ordered the soundbar, the make being LG, and put these codes into the relevant online space and was able to go to the Argos store in Milton Keynes to collect the item. All done, collected and the soundbar is working and I'm really pleased with the thing!

1.45 p.m. What a difference a day makes, as the song goes. And it's true. From baking hot for the past couple of days to a good deal cooler and wet! Not bucketing down, no cats and dogs, stair-rods, or whatever, but still moderately wet. I have taken Alfie out twice and on each occasion, he has turned tail and come back indoors when he's felt even the slightest drop of moisture on his back!

May Day, May Day!

Sunday. 7.10 a.m. I was going to close down this blog for a while, but I find it virtually impossible to ignore things that are going on around me. I've been writing this blog for so long, and it has become so embedded in my life that it's very difficult to let go of it, so here I am. 

Why do we have May Day in this country? I know in Russia (which, with the war going on in Ukraine at the moment, is non persona grata.) they had May Day as a celebration under Communism, but why on earth do we have it? I think it's an ancient fertility festival, probably going back millennia and dancing around the maypole was part of the festivities, which also included the crowning of a May Queen (one of the few remaining May Day festivals is or was held in Ickwell, Bedfordshire and was quite popular and probably now held on the May Bank Holiday Monday, although I wouldn't be too sure of that. The Bank Holiday, not necessarily in Great Britain, is a celebration of working people. On the other hand, 'May Day', as a distress call from a ship that is perhaps sinking, is based on the fact that the French term 'm'aider' which sounds similar, translates as 'help me!"

As I write this, my digital thermometer reads 82ªF and I see no attempt by anyone who should be dealing with this matter (shutting off the heating, full-blast in the middle of summer when the temperature outside is relatively high.)

It looks as if the workmen have at last finished painting the corridors and other areas within Dexter House. I must say, it looks a good deal better than it was. The dull, brown, wooden staircases which lead up to some flats, including mine, are now painted white. Now I want all the tat which fills up a lot of the spaces along my corridor removed. I know doey-eyed puppies and pussycats, ceramic boots with artificial flowers in them, Disney characters with awful grins on their faces aren't everyone's idea of style, but they really need disposing of. Just a lot of clutter and dust traps. 

I had someone from Mears come to look at my bathroom a few weeks ago.. It appears that I can't have a bath fitted as they would need to make 'structural alterations to the space, ie; remove the airing cupboard, in order to install a decent sized bath. I can have a shower unit. So, in that case, there is no choice. Rather like Henry Ford when he was asked about the colour of the Model T, you can have any colour, so long as it's black. It is supposed to take between two weeks and six months before I hear when the work is likely to take place. Well, ticking the box, it's more than two weeks since they came to see the bathroom, so it would seem I have to wait the obligatory six months to get any sort of response. WHY??? I appreciate it's not Mears who decides this matter, but it has to go through goodness knows how many departments within Milton Keynes Council to approve the work, but, let's be honest, it's just giving someone a job deciding the matter. They are upgrading this place, so they have already decided the matter, so they're just dragging their feet for no good reason.

I have a shower curtain on a rail which is kept in place by being screwed out and just pushed against the wall at each end. More by force of effort rather than having a sort of screw or bracket on the wall. I have hung clothes on this rail because there is absolutely nowhere else to hang clothes. I have put over-door hooks on the back of my bedroom door and of course, I can hang shirts and other clothes, on hangers, within the built-in wardrobe in my bedroom. I was awakened the other night by a sound, which I couldn't at first identify. I thought it might have been something being blown by the wind, as I have all the windows open because this flat is so excessively hot (as I've mentioned on numerous occasions in these posts.) I went through to the lounge but could see nothing which might have caused the sound. Then I went into the bathroom, to discover that the shower curtain, along with the rail, as well as some clothing which had hung on the rail, had fallen into the bath. So, it was that which had caused the sound I had heard. I went to The Range and bought a new shower curtain rail. I was surprised how scarce these items are, for whatever reason. I looked in Homebase, which is just over the road from The Range. Nothing to see there. I have since managed to install the new rail, and it's doing its job, not exactly perfectly, but working nonetheless. Well, you may be asking, what more can it do? Just not fall out of it's position.

1.15 p.m. I've been to church this morning. We have a computerized system which means the words of songs we sing are projected onto a screen and other information is used to be presented via this system. But today it wouldn't work. We are drawing to the end of The Prayer Course: Part 2, which will be this Thursday. The videos which we use at the beginning of each session are on YouTube and usually, there is no problem with the system, but this week there was a problem with it as there was last week when we used my iPad, connected to a Bluetooth speaker. I think there must be a problem with connecting to the church wi-fi system. Although we didn't have the lyrics of the songs this morning, we seemed to manage really well, probably as most people, myself included, knew the words of the songs and things went better than it might have done. Just shows that you don't really need all that technology at certain times.

I have mentioned that I have windows open to let out the heat (crazy when you think about it.) I wanted to have the kitchen window open to its fullest extent, but for some reason, it will only open a few inches, which is really ridiculous. Is this to prevent me from jumping out of the window, or, for that matter, people climbing in? I doubt it. If I intended to jump out (which might be possible, considering being copped up in here for two years due to pandemic lockdowns.) my fall would be impeded by a rather large hedge below the window, although you would have to roll down a few feet of a roof before you reached the hedge..So, it wouldn't be a very good place to fall out, as a means of escape or a means of ending it, although being confined with a load of fogeys might be one of the reasons to end it all (no, seriously I have no intention of so doing.)  although it might possibly be a reason just to get away from endless bingo Zimmer frames, electric scooters and being treated like a zombie. No, only joking, but that's what being cooped up in here does to you.

Monday. 6.25 a.m.  Bank Holiday Monday. My digital thermometer currently reads 78ºF. I still have two electric fans running at full blast but nothing seems to cool this flat sufficiently. I was out with Alfie at around 5.30. It was light outside and there seemed no point in sitting around when he needs to go out. But Alfie didn't really appreciate me taking him around Oldbrook Green, but I was determined to get my step count up to my target of 10,000 so I insisted, although his nibs was more than reluctant to go. Around five circuits of Oldbrook Green more or less produces the desired step count.

Goodbye, and Thanks For All The Fish . . .

Friday. 6.25 a.m. It's another cooler morning. My digital thermometer currently reads 72ºF. I have found that the radiator controls in the flat are totally ineffective. They will not allow me to adjust the radiators and are thus at maximum temperature, and this is what is making the flat so overheated. I have now told Barbara, and she has contacted Mears, so hopefully, something can be done about the heating in my flat. Let's hope that this will resolve the issue once and for all.

Saturday. 6.45 a.m. Another bright and sunny day. My thermometer currently reads 74ºF. 

Tuesday. 7.25 a.m. Another bright and sunny morning. I think I'll resist the temptation to add further on this post for a while, so shutting down. Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish (as someone or other said.) I'll be back, but not sure when or even if. I have found this blog has become somewhat repetitive, and I don't have much to write about at the moment.

A Mad World, My Masters!

 Tuesday. 10.45 a.m. I had a visit from the gentleman from Mears about my bathroom. I would appear that I can't have a bath, unfortunately, as it would mean some structural alterations to the flat (ie: removing the airing cupboard. What use does it really have? Somewhere to store towels and bedding and not much else. )I can have a shower unit. I don't mind, so long as it's arranged, so I can actually stand under it. But I would love to be able to have a soak in a bath, but no hope. I may hear in either two weeks or as long as SIX MONTHS whether the work is going ahead. Someone in the Council has to make the decision whether the work has to go ahead. Why? Everyone else in this unit is having new bathrooms and kitchens, more because the old ones are well past their best. Some bureaucrat who sits in an office, pushing paper over a desk. Just there to make themself look important and just slowing down the decisions, a bit like Sir Humphrey Appleby in the sitcom 'Yes, Minister' but more likely some underling who would do the job. 

I was really unwell overnight. Really hot, painful joints and so on. I was wondering, as you would if it was covid, so I reluctantly did a test. I hate doing it, as poking swabs in my throat and nose is really unpleasant. I waited the obligatory 30 minutes for the result and only one red line showed up, so a negative result. But I was still feeling awful, so I did a second one yesterday evening. Another negative test. Then, when I was eating my evening meal, I had to be sick. Not nice. 

Wednesday. 8.40 a.m. I'm still feeling queasy. Still have aching joints, but it seems to be clearing up. I'm not going anywhere today. I will just stay in the flat, I think.

The stairs up to my flat are painted. I should actually be far more precise and say the bannisters and not the actual treads. They've been sanded and have the first white undercoat. 

Thursday. 7.00a.m. I'm not feeling as bad as I did yesterday morning, but I still have aching joints. I'll just have to let this thing run it's course.

I took Alfie to The Groom Room in Bletchley for his haircut. It's was going to take a good deal longer than it usually does, around an hour. As usual, when I went to collect him at around 4.45, he was just looking amazing. It's great to see his face properly as his eyes were lost behind a rather untidy fringe if you could call it that. And he smells better! And they managed to clean his teeth, which is a job I could never even attempt.

I had to wait for around 20 minutes before I could take Alfie into The Groom Room. It was surprisingly busy, which must say quite a bit about the quality of their work. People won't use a business, such as dog grooming, if the service is poor. The staff really seem to enjoy their work and the dogs they groom are well looked after. Alfie seems to love going there, and I think treats his grooming sessions as if he's being pampered and cared for, which I suppose in some ways he is.

Sunday. 2.20 a.m. Well, here I am, sitting and writing this. Just not getting back to sleep.

I have taken the confounded Canon printer back to Argos and got a refund and put it towards another printer, this time an HP model, paying around an extra £15. I have spent most of yesterday setting it up and I had most of it done within around an hour of unboxing it. It now prints from my iPad and iPhone and I have yet to sort out the MacBook, but I think I have that sorted. It's so much easier to set up than the Canon and I honestly think it's a better machine. A few differences, for example, the paper goes into the machine at the rear, but it really makes no difference.

I didn't go to church this morning as the fluey 'thing' is still hanging about. My leg muscles still ache, and my throat is dry, which is making my voice sound very odd. Actually be quite good for doing villain type voices, which I might try on the microphone if I can get it set up. 

I have managed to print some pages using the new HP printer. Success at last! I'm so glad that, after more than a week, I have got to 'mission accomplished.' All that annoyance with the Canon printer wasn't actually for nothing and it looks as if I have a far better printer as a result.

A Slight Chill

Friday.3.10 p.m. It's April Fools' Day. I have seen so many that are so obvious they don't deserve to be even considered as 'April Fools' stunts or jokes. I think if you spot them immediately, they haven't worked. It's the ones that more or less merged with the rest of what's in the newspapers, then they're worthy of the title of 'April Fool' and people are more likely to be sucked in and fall for them.

3.50 p.m. I'm attempting to connect my new Canon printer to wi-fi. After a great deal of searching, I found a video on YouTube which shows how to do this. But attempting to put my wi-fi router's password in it is next to impossible as the digital screen is very small, so it's extremely difficult to key in the upper and lower case letters and numbers of the password. I suppose if I keep on with it I will eventually succeed, but it really is hard work and my eyesight isn't good enough to see it. Ho-hum! What do they say about persistence? 'If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again!' How very true! It seems to be the same with most gadgetry you buy these days, you never get a printed manual of instructions. As with this Canon printer, you get extremely basic 'set-up' instructions with the item and some of it online, but then you really have to search the internet to get more detailed instructions, such as I have on YouTube. The printer is supposed to 'find' the wi-fi signal by showing the username (for want of a better way to describe it.) but when I attempted this it would find everyone else's Wi-Fi signal except my own.

Saturday. 2.45 p.m. I found I have several voicemails on my iPhone. One from Mears, asking me to phone to arrange an appointment for them to come and inspect my bathroom ahead of having an upgrade. I was near the phone when they rang on Friday afternoon, so I don't understand why I didn't hear it ring (actually, it doesn't 'ring.' It plays music from 'Star Wars.' I think it's the Darth Vader theme.) Well, does that mean I'm a step closer to them actually doing something about my bathroom? Don't hold your breath, but it does look as if my emailing that parish councillor has probably paid off.

Sunday. 8.05 a.m. Golly gosh! The sun is shining, even though not very powerfully. Another church service on Zoom this morning. Not entirely sure that it works, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Next week we're back at the Oaktree Centre.

Monday. 4.45 a.m. It's still too dark to really know what the weather is doing. As far as I can tell, no rain, and it's probably windy, but I'm not entirely sure.

It's raining, although not a heavy downpour. Alfie was not amused and was out only briefly and then shot back indoors when he felt the rain. Who can blame him?

8.30 a.m. I have responded to the voicemail from Mears, It was from a mobile number and there was nobody there to answer (now THERE'S a surprise!) so I have left my name and number. So do this mean I have to sit around with my mobile waiting for a callback? The plot thickens as they say . . .

8.55 a.m. Goodness! A fairly rapid callback and I have someone coming from Mears tomorrow at 9.30 a.m. to inspect my bathroom. Things are moving forward at last.

6.15 p.m. I have again attempted to try to get the Canon printer to connect to the router so I can in turn connect my iPad and iPhone so I can print from them, but no go. It remains stubbornly resistant to working. I am going to leave it so that I don't end up throwing the thing out of the window. Can you blame me?