Another Day Older . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Carol In Theatre

Carol was violently sick several times on Sunday afternoon. It got to the stage, by around 11.30 that evening for me to ring 999. There was very little I could do to help and it was at this point that I decided she needed professional support. I was really surprised by how fast the ambulance arrived, but perhaps not when you consider that we live so close to Milton Keynes Hospital. She went off in the ambulance and I followed in our car. To cut a long story short it was around 4 a.m. that she was finally admitted to Ward 20 and as she was handed over to the nursing staff I returned home but only had around 4 hours sleep before I returned to the hospital. It's somewhat annoying to think you have to pay to park, but there it is. It's around a pound an hour and at £4.50-£5 a time it soon adds up. A disgrace when you think you don't choose to be in a hospital, for whatever reason. Perhaps it's to deter people who park in them for non-hospital reasons, for example, to go shopping.

As I write this blog post, Carol is in theatre. The surgeons are working to remove the bowel obstruction which has been causing her so much pain for the past three months or more. Yesterday evening the surgery team came to her room in Ward 20 to say that they had discussed how they were going to treat Carol. This is an emergency operation but they are yet to find a way to treat the cancer. It's a bit worrying, but I'm sure this will be dealt with in good time. We have been waiting for at least four weeks to get some sort of response in regards to Carol's treatment, and had hoped we would hear by at least last Wednesday or Thursday.

The operation was set for this morning at around 9.30. Carol was prepped by the team and a surgeon came to discuss the procedure. They had got the consent form signed by Carol yesterday afternoon. Carol had quite a few visitors as the afternoon progressed. I went home to have a rest as well as go to Sainsbury's for some food for lunch and then returned to hospital later, this time not driving but walking. Well, as the hospital is so close and it's only a 20-minute walk not only is it good exercise but it saves on having to fork out money for the privilege of parking on a bit of tarmac. We've been going to another church recently, Shenley Christian Fellowship. We actually used to go to this particular church when we lived in Crownhill. It was when they used to meet at Shenley brook End School and then they managed to build a new church on a piece of land not far from the school. We went for a couple of weeks together and then Carol was so uncomfortable when she sat for any length of time that we didn't go again until the cancer diagnosis was given and then I decided to go on my own. I've got to know what a few people there who've been really supportive, including Ross Dilnot who is the pastor. He's been to see us and prayed and he was with Carol when I arrived back at the ward later in the afternoon. After he left I got a call from Bed Searle from M.K.C.C. and she turned up about an hour later and then Lois and her daughter so we had a prayer session and then Pauline, Carol's friend from Milton Keynes Academy who left to get a teaching job who is coming back to work there in the New Year. Apparently Carol discovered via Lois, but Pauline, being the person she is, had to tease poor Carol, who is excited to have her back working with her in the science department. It's a really positive thing and will encourage Carol to get fit enough to be able to return to work. Pauline stayed with us, chatting to well past the time they allow visitors at the hospital and she  said that I could be given a  lift home because her husband, Paul, came in their car to pick Pauline up and it saved me having to walk home.

On Tuesday I got to the hospital very early because Carol had rung me as she was scared about the operation that was to take place later in the morning. During the morning Carol was being prepared for the operation. It had originally been set to be at 9.30 but it was at about 10.15 that she was eventually taken to theatre. I went with her and I left her just as she was wheeled into theatre. I went home and intend telephoning the ward to find out whether she had returned after the operation. It wasn't until 2.15 that I got the news that she had been taken to the recovery room and that some while later she would be bought back to the ward.

Carol was bought back to the ward but she's not in the side room when she first arrived on the ward. She's now in the main ward, which is probably better, as she can at least have some sort of company as most of the other patients are communicative and so she can have a conversation. Unfortunately, though the patients either side of her are noisy. On one side is a girl who I assume has a learning disability and makes odd noises, as well as having a radio on constantly. But I think, in general, Carol prefers to be able to see what is going on around her. Who can blame her? When she was in the side room she had to contend with a next-door neighbour who was always shouting and being offensive and quite abusive to the nursing staff. I don't think they have to put up with this sort of treatment as they do a very good job.

Hair Cut

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

A Little Fall of Snow

We went shopping at the brand new Morrison's store at the leisure plaza. We have shopped at the Morrison's at Westcroft and did so in the build-up to Christmas when they ran a promotion whereby you had to spend at least £40 a week for six weeks and got a voucher for each week and then when you had six of the vouchers you got £25 of your Christmas shop. Carol had a hair appointment at 9 o'clock at her usual hairdressers in Shenley Brook End at Arcana, and that was completed by 9.15 and then we drove to Morrison's (Westcroft Morrison's is a good deal closer to Arcana, by the way.) We parked in the car in the underground carpark which is similar to Sainsbury's in Witan Gate (around a mile away, and was a brand new store around two years ago when it moved from the Food Centre in the centre of Milton Keynes. Likewise, Waitress moved to their brand new store earlier this year from the centre of Milton Keynes.) We went to give it a try the other evening after Carol had finished work. It's a very much bigger store and seems to have all the services that we have got used to but we weren't all that impressed by the meat section as some of the meat, displayed in refrigerated units, didn't look very inviting as some had turned a nasty colour which denotes that maybe the refrigeration isn't cold enough which put us off buying. They will have to check that their units are cold enough because we had a similar experience in Asda a while back and meat that looks the wrong colour to be stored at the correct safe temperature isn't going to help anyone as who wants to get food poisoning?

We got home and unloaded the groceries we had just bought in Morrison's and no sooner than we had sat down to have a cup of coffee than we saw it snowing outside in the garden. It didn't last long and didn't settle, so no inches-deep blanket all over the centre of Milton Keynes and no closed Milton Keynes Academy on Monday as expected and, indeed, forecast on the local television weather forecast. Never mind, it may cause havoc over the next week or so.

Can't Start . . . won't start . . .

Drove over to Arcana Studio hairdressers in Shenley Brook End early this morning. Carol wanted to get her hair done and we went on the off-chance she could get an appointment. We arrived in the carpark at 8.30 and they weren't yet open, but once they came to open up we went in and managed to get her an appointment for 11.30, which meant we could go into the city centre as we needed to go to the bank. On returning to the car we then found it wouldn't start . . . we're back on this again, unfortunately. After several more attempts it still wouldn't play ball. Our car insurance is with Swinton and fortunately we have breakdown cover and after a bit of phoning we managed to get a call-out and the breakdown truck arrived. Carol re-arranged her hair appointment while the driver tried to get the car started. Still nothing as regards getting the car to start. He suggested it was something to do with petrol getting into the engine or something. Having spent quite a bit recently, first getting the car through it's MoT and then getting the clutch cable replaced, we imagined the car was going to be fine for a little longer. It had been fine yesterday when we went shopping in Sainbury's and then when we went to Toys R Us for the bicycle. To cut an extremely frustrating and drawn-out story short . . . the car was put on the transporter and I went with the car back home where it was dropped off while Carol remained to have her hair appointment and came back via taxi . . . we later telephoned Mark who had repaired the clutch cable and who told me on the telephone that we we attempt to come out and look at the car-not-starting situation and, hopefully, tell us whether he could resolve the said situation. So our outing to Whipsnade is on hold until the car is back up-and-running, which hopefully won't be too long or costly. The joke is, now we've got the bikes we probably don't need the car as much. We need to get locks so that we can cycle to various shopping centres and leave them and lock them without the fear of them being stolen. Also, I would like some sort of pannier-attachment on mine so I can carry shopping. It will also be easy to cycle to church on a sunday and leave them outside as there are cycle racks. No point going to all the effort of getting these bikes if we don't use them. We should also be able to get to D.W. Fitness near the stadium which will mean we get a double benefit of exercise- swimming and bicycling there and back. I have noticed that there are cycle racks outside when we've been recently. Also, when we were waiting for the bus to leave the shopping centre I saw quite a few cycle racks near the shopping centre.
No sooner had the car been unloaded from the wagon than Carol turned up in the taxi. I was surprised how quickly she had managed to order the taxi and the then get her lift home. On arrival back home we decided to get the bus into the city centre as we still needed to get to the bank as we are going to need to pay our landlord our deposit in monthly instalments and needed to get to the NatWest branch in the centre to set up a direct debit.
We got the bus from the bus stop near the Academy. We went a different route into the city and got off the bus near Midsummer Place shopping centre. We walked through the shopping centre to NatWest and managed to get the direct debit set up. Having finished in the bank we came out and went back into the centre, going through Marks and Spencer. On the way through there was a lady doing market research on a new range of Mexican food, and it was great to be asked our opinion on this. I did think, though, that some of it was very expensive. For example, a sort of 'mix-and-match' platter of food 'bites' was rather over-priced at £7. I think they are getting customer feed-back on future 'buy two meals for £10' or something. Actually very good value when you consider they usually include a bottle of wine which separately costs around £4-£5. It seems most of the major supermarkets do these 'meal deals.' We quite often buy them, especially at the weekend.
Having bought a card for Steve and Chloe's first wedding anniversary which is this weekend (can't believe it will be a year.ago. How time flies.) we decided we wanted something to eat. At first we were going to go to Pizza Hut, but there was a queue and changed our minds and opted for Giraffe where we've been before. We soon got a table and the meal was served quickly. Having been somewhat frustrated and annoyed with the car breaking down it was good to relax for a while.
We walked down the shopping centre and ended up in Waterstone's and looked at their 'buy one get one half-price' book offer but then decided we'd go to The Works where we ended up buying three books for £5. Then we walked down towards John Lewis and out towards the bus stop near the theatre and caught a bus back home.