Approaching Christmas

Monday. 10.25 a.m. It's a rather overcast and gloomy day. Certainly not as bad as it was a couple of days ago, but not what you would call inviting, by any stretch of the imagination. I have been to Sainsbury's, basically to top things up which were running low.

Tuesday. 2.55 p.m. I went to the Bridge Builder offices to complete my D.B.S. application. It appeared to go without a hitch, and I will have to wait until the certificate comes through before I can go further with my volunteering with Bridge Builder.

It is a wet and cold day. It has been raining more or less continuously since this morning.

Wednesday. 12.40 p.m. It was quite icy and slippery along the path towards Oldbrook Green when I went out with Alfie at around 7.25 this morning. It was quite deceptive and the leaves need to be more helpful. It really is about time that the Council workmen sweep them up. If they don't, they will begin to decompose and then become a hazard, becoming slippery, and then they will have to answer to those who fall over as a result.

I am learning the monologue I have been given as part of the Bridge Builder 'Christmas Cracked' presentation which we are taking into local Primary Schools. I have to wait until my D.B.S. certificate comes through before I can go to school. It's one of the formalities you now have to go through because of the possibility of someone abusing children. It's a sad world we live in, but without this piece of paper, you aren't allowed in and schools would want to see this.

Sunday. 8.45 a.m. I haven't written anything on here for a while. I did say in an earlier post that I wouldn't be writing much from now on.

Tuesday. 8.40 a.m. Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Carol's passing. I was invited to a Christmas meal at The Barn by Ross. He had texted me about this, which was for the Monday Club people. It was a really pleasant meal. I'm not used to eating a full meal at midday because I always have my meal in the evening so in that respect it was great to not have to make a meal in the evening.

Apparently today it was four years ago since the General Election. I had forgotten this fact (not that I'm that bothered one way or the other.) But Sir Kier Starmer, the Labour Party leader, was on BBC Breakfast, when I put the television on at around 7.15. He was speaking from Milton Keynes, but I wasn't sure where he was. From what I could see in the background, it looked like a warehouse.

Wednesday. 2.15 p.m. At 9 o'clock, my car was booked to have an oil change. The traffic driving there was a good deal quieter than I was expecting, especially at the roundabout crossing Standing Way. I sat in the waiting area as the work was done, and it was ready to drive away at around 9.50. Paid and went home.

As I write this, it's really windy and wet outside. 

4.30 p.m. We have had a group from M.K.C.C. ( Milton Keynes Christian Centre) come to give the tenants here at Dexter House, me included, a really great Christmas teaparty. My friends Margaret and John, who go to Shenley Christian Centre (and it would appear, M.K.C.C. I knew John from when I was a helper on Alpha, which was run at M.K.C.C.) Part of the proceedings was a quiz and I won quite a haul of prizes!

Saturday. 12.30 p.m. I went with group from Shenley Christian Fellowship to the Nut and Squirrel in Westcroft for a Christmas meal. The group was made of of mostly those who are in some way or other involved with the Acorns playgroup. We were scheduled to meet at 7.30, but some people were ill, I think probably with covid.

Two ladies were already sitting at the table when I arrived, and the rest of the party arrived over the next half-hour or so. But, due to some of the staff at the Nut and Squirrel ringing in sick, only one waiter was available to do the waiting duties. Not just for our party, but, it would appear, for the rest of the restaurant, and, for what I would tell, serving behind the bar. He was literally rushed off his feet for the entire evening.

All Is Fair In Love and War

 Thursday. 1.15 p.m. Last evening, the men's breakfast group had a curry night at the Nut and Squirrel pub in Westcroft. It's actually right next to the Morrison's supermarket. I wasn't sure where I could park before going, so I went on Google Maps and discovered the pub had its own car park. 

I went inside the pub, expecting to find some sort of reception, but there wasn't one. I waited for about ten minutes and then one of the 'regular' men's breakfast members turned up, followed by Richard, who is one of the people who lead the group. He spoke to a member of staff, and then they discovered that there was no record of the booking on their computer system. I think it was the manager of the pub. He said they had had problems with their fryers or something and there was the possibility that we weren't going to have our curry. But, eventually, the manager said that they would be able to provide our curries. We went through to the dining room where there were several tables we could sit at, but, unfortunately, not able to push them together to make a larger table. We had to wait quite a while before a waitress came and took our drinks orders and, soon, our food. Actually, a pleasant way to spend an evening, but not the number of people who usually come to men's breakfasts.

6.24. p.m. I went to help set up the Acorn's playgroup as I usually do on a Thursday morning and also, take part in a Bible study. When I came out and was in the café area, I was informed that there was some news for me. It was about finding someone to look after Alfie when, or if, I got to Worcester. As you may or may not be aware, this has caused quite a few headaches because it's not really a good idea to take Alfie as he doesn't settle at Chloe and Steve's. He barks continuously and can't cope with my grandchildren. So I have had to stay in Milton Keynes at Christmas. This situation would be resolved if I could find someone to have him stay, who is dog friendly and Alfie is settled with them. This lady lives in Shenley Brook End (not far from The Oaktree Centre, in fact.) and came to church on Sunday because we had someone preaching who did a presentation on The Persecuted Church and the work of Open Doors ministry. It just happened that my name came up during all this and that I needed someone to care for Alfie. I was given this lady's phone number, and I'm going to visit her on Sunday afternoon with Alfie and see how he gets on with her, and vice versa. Let's hope it goes well, so I can have a long weekend with Steve, Chloe and the grandchildren.

Friday. 5.20 a.m. So, once again, I'm wide awake and writing this blog post. I was out with Alfie at around 4.45. It's another bright and pleasant morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºC. The windows are open and the electric fan in the lounge has been on all night.

2.50 p.m. The thermometer currently reads 27ºC. 

Saturday. 5.25 a.m. I have taken a rather reluctant Alfie out, and we did our usual circuit of Oldbrook Green.

I'm intrigued by how the grass has been cut on Oldbrook Green. It looks far shorter cut and the loose-cut grass has been removed, making it look like a traditional cricket ground (is it pitch? I'm not sure. Not a cricket fan.) A lot of crows strutting about the further side, looking like military types, with their arms behind their backs, inspecting the troops.

Last evening we had another quiz night at the Oaktree Centre. My team didn't do particularly well. I think there were far more teams involved than the last quiz night.

The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºC. I really hope it doesn't get any warmer.

11.45 a.m. The digital thermometer is currently reading 26ºC. Please, don't get any hotter.

6.30 p.m. Not a great deal happening today. The heat has put me off. I was going to do some more videoing, but I decided against it.

The temperature recorded on the digital thermometer is currently 29ºC.

On The Street Where You Live

Saturday. 10.30 a.m. I have just returned from Morrisons, at Westcroft, where we had our monthly Men's Breakfast in what is called the 'Community Room.' It's scheduled to begin at 8.30, but there seems to be a hold-up regarding the food which we have to order and then have brought through by the café staff. That is fine normally, but as the session is only 90 minutes, it does rather eat into the time and so we don't get our full time together.

Earlier, when I took Alfie out for his first outing of the day, we were walking along the path that leads to the crossing onto Oldbrook Green. Alfie was doing his usual meander, sniffing every leaf, blade of grass and occasional weed which sticks out of the wall outside the S.I.A. building (Spinal Injuries Association), when a male rider on one of those electric scooters came shooting past. I didn't hear it, but, had I been standing a few feet further out on the path, I'm almost sure he would have collided with me. No sign of slowing down, making a sound to warn me of his approach, or anything. I think he drove onto the grass and then was off, crossing Strudwick Drive at 35-40 miles per hour. It was all over in a few seconds, but it was somewhat frightening. An older, probably more unstable on their legs, person, might have been knocked down and seriously injured, or even killed, by such an incident. Yesterday I saw a couple riding on one of these scooters, along the road. I don't know whether this is legal or not, but it does seem somewhat foolhardy or people to ride these things on the road, as there is no sort of safety feature on these things. If you were hit by a vehicle, the likelihood of you being killed would be quite possible.

Sunday. 6.05 a.m. Yet another mild and bright morning. One of those electric scooters almost collided with me in exactly the same place as it did yesterday on the path alongside Strudwick Drive when I took out Alfie. There was no warning from the rider and the thing was almost silent, so I couldn't hear it coming. I managed to get out of the way in time, before it was likely to run into me.

Monday. 7.40 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. My digital thermometer reads 72ºF, so a temperature it's easier to live with. All the trees along Strudwick Drive are losing their leaves. It's because of the dry weather and the fact they have had virtually no rain for weeks and are stressed. The whole of Milton Keynes, along the verges of the grid roads, looked so parched and brown as I drove to church yesterday morning.

Some Like It Hot!

Saturday. 6.10 a.m. The title is from one of my all-time favourite films, 'Some Like It Hot', starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.  It really can't be bettered and must never, under any circumstances, be remade. 

Another warm and sunny morning. The temperature, as recorded by my digital thermometer, reads 72ºF. This is about as low as it's been in quite some time.

We are being warned that the temperature is going to reach somewhere in the region of 104ºF on Monday and Tuesday. There is a red warning in place by the weather forecasters, which is the first time this has been issued in Britain. But do we really need to be warned? Can't we make our own minds up? It smacks of infantilization. This never ever happened years ago, particularly during the heatwave of the summer of 1976. The government has called a 'national emergency.' Crazy. Just going somewhat over the top.

2.50 p.m. We had another men's breakfast this morning. We met in Morrison's store in Westcroft. Richard, who is the leader of the group (whether he likes being called that is another matter.), but he has covid, so he didn't appear. This group is now officially meeting in the community room in Morrison's, but none of the staff seemed to know, even though it was clearly written on the whiteboard outside the room. Not really a problem. We all ordered our food and then it was bought in as it was ready by staff. When we finished at around 10 o'clock, a group of us then went to the Oaktree Centre to assist with the construction of a tent, or to be more precise, a 'gala' tent. It was/is made up of a series of metal tubes which lock together. A bit of an enigma until you begin to put it together, following a printed manual. Once the sections are connected one to the other, there are bolts that screw the various sections together and are then tightened with an Allen key. We only constructed the roof section and once this was assembled it was moved into the open courtyard space where it would be completed tomorrow. This is for an outdoor service tomorrow and is part of the summer festival.

The temperature currently reads 79ºF on my digital thermometer.

On the way home, I went into Sainsbury's to buy some food for the picnic at church tomorrow. As I don't have a working oven at the moment, I bought salad stuff, a sun hat (a rather natty trilby, by the way!) and some spray sunblock, which I find easier to put on rather than greasy sun lotion which I hate. When I got home I decided I needed a cool box for carrying food to the picnic and went on the Argos website and ordered one and immediately went to their shop in Grafton Gate to collect it. I was also hoping they might have some of those freeze blocks you can get which you put in your freezer, and they freeze and are used to cool your picnic items in your cool box. But they had sold out, not surprising because of the hot weather. I then went round to Morrison's, which is behind the Argos store and asked a member of staff, and she said they didn't have any, but I could have a load of industrial cool blocks they used to keep stock cool. I was taken into a storage area, not normally accessible to customers, and a young man gave me a pack full of these cooling blocks without me having to pay! 

'Ere We Go Again!

Friday. 10.35 a.m. I'm currently attempting to make a cheesecake. It's for the 'bring-and-share' lunch at church on Sunday. I made one some while ago and I was quite pleased with it. But it was an American recipe and all the measurements are in crazy American quantities. How do you interpret such things as 'a cup' or 'a spoon'? I would rather have a recipe which uses metric measurements, as they are far easier to deal with. I'm making the biscuit base but underestimated the quantities and so have had to make far more. I think the secret is to put the butter and caster sugar in the pan and heat it until it does a bit like toffee and then add the biscuit crumb. This is made using my food processor. Easy to make crumbs and very fast. The base is now cooling in the fridge, which I spent the whole morning the other day cleaning it out as it was a necessary task, but now it is sparkling. I know it's boring, but in some ways I find it therapeutic, because it turns a dirty or untidy situation into something better, cleaner and life is improved. In this case, the fridge is, hopefully, safer and at best, free from bacteria which can turn food that is stored in it, bad and possibly give me food poisoning. It also makes me feel better, and I look at it and think, 'a job well done!' Apart from that, it passes the time. How many jobs such as this have been done during lockdown, due to the pandemic? I imagine quite a few people cleared out stuff from their loft or garage during lockdown, or got rid of stuff which they no longer had a need for.

4.00 p.m. After quite a bit of effort, the cheesecake is finished! It remains in its tin and will remain so until I get to church and release it. The tin is one with a loose bottom and a spring catch which released the metal ring. Hopefully, and I say, hopefully, it should come out of the tin in one piece. I now intend to buy some raspberries which I shall get in Sainsbury's as I need to go and pick up a repeat prescription from Lloyd's pharmacy which is within Sainsbury's store. 

6.15 p.m. The flat is exceptionally warm-again. My digital thermometer currently reads 82ºF. That's with my electric fan on full, a window in the bathroom and absolutely no other heating on. Why would I have the heating on in the middle of summer? 

Saturday. 6.40 a.m. It's a good deal cooler in the flat this morning. The digital thermometer currently reads  77ºF. 

10.30 a.m. We met at Morrisons at Westcroft for our monthly Men's Breakfast. It was scheduled to begin at 8.30. I got there extra early and because it was a bright and sunny morning there seemed no excuse. This particular store has been upgraded, and the café is now far more modern and laid out differently. I used to bring one of my people here when I was a home carer for Guardian. He used to do some shopping and then we'd go into the café for a snack and cup of coffee. Another situation where they were short-staffed. This is becoming a real problem, not helped because of the pandemic and people either being laid off or leaving to work elsewhere. We had to queue up to order our breakfast and then go to another counter to get tea or coffee but there was a real hold-up. If they'd had a couple of extra members of staff it would have been so much quicker. Then we went into what they term the 'Community Room' which seems to be a new addition since the recent make-over. Like a boardroom with a large table in the centre with chairs all around, whiteboards and somewhere to make tea and coffee and a sink. It made me think of 'The Apprentice' on television and Lord Sugar pointing at one of the participants and shouting 'You're fired!" We ate our breakfasts and it was good to share stuff with one another. It looks as if we're going to use it on a regular basis and it's free which makes it even better.

3.25 p.m. A walk around Oldbrook Green mid-afternoon. A couple attempting to fly a kite and making a real hash of it. If he had a shorter string and walked backwards from the direction of the wind he might have got on better. 

Sunday. 5.40 a.m. Alfie and I were out on the grass alongside Strudwick Drive around 5.15 this morning. It's another really fine and sunny day and it looks like it's going to stay that way for the rest of today.

4.30 p.m. I have earlier mentioned the bring and share lunch at church. It was this morning. We had worship as usual and I don't think I've seen the Oaktree Centre so busy. Absolutely packed. I took the cheesecake with me and  all the food was stored in the kitchen ready for it to be put out on tables in the café area and then, once the service was over, everyone came through to serve themselves from the tables, which was set up as a buffet. I got to try the cheesecake. I have to say it was something of a let down. It tasted fine, but it was just boring. Pity it was chocolate or fruit flavoured, but there was a certain amount of lemon in it. It must have been a success in some way, because it all went and not a single bit left, thankfully, as I didn't want to take any of it home with me.

Change For Change Sake

I've been to Bleak Hall Motors after 9 this morning (Thursday) to book the Renault Captur in to have it's annual MoT. I discovered that the current MoT runs out on 8th August, so it's as well I had thought to have it done. It's booked in to be done at 1p.m. on Monday. I just hope it doesn't need much doing to it to pass. I have a feeling that the brakes might need doing as last time it was MoT'd they said one was in need of replacing. The other thing I was told was that, because it's a diesel car, the timing belt will need replacing before December, another expense, but it has to be done. It has something to do with how the pistons are timed. It can't be left, but with my financial situation, it will have to be done in the next month after my pension has gone into my account. It will cost around £300 or so.

As I was driving along Standing Way, going to Bleak Hall and was turning right on the roundabout, a car very nearly hit me, speeding across without stopping. Another couple of feet and he would have hit me. No wonder my nerves are a wreck after driving. Stupid idiot, it's people like him who make the roads a battlefield and are responsible for high motor insurance premiums. I wouldn't be surprised if this youth, because I saw him as he sped by, doesn't have any insurance, so if he had hit me, goodness knows what would have happened. Scary.

From Bleak Hall I drove to Sainsbury's. I had to collect medications I only recently ordered over the phone, one of them being Diazepam. I was surprised that the Bisoprolol which had only been ordered a day or so ago was ready for collection. I have heard from the pharmacist at Lloyd's that the procedure for ordering will be changing in September. I won't be able to order as I currently do, by merely ringing Lloyd's and giving them the medications on my repeat list. They contact Ashfield Medical Centre to get the doctor to provide the prescription, which is signed and then emailed to the pharmacy. But from September I will have to order direct from Ashfield. I can set up an on-line account with the surgery and use that to order what I need to have on repeat. It worries me that this isn't going to work. I don't think I trust the system. I will be on edge that if I order that the surgery will get the order and then contact Lloyd's to make up the order. I feel sorry for the older patients who don't have access to the internet, let alone a computer, and wouldn't have any idea how to use one, so how are they expected to reorder their repeat medications? Does it mean they have to go to the surgery and make a paper order? Am I expected to do that? Why change a system which is working so well? It has been so easy, just to ring in my order, which I do when there are enough days for order to go through before my stock runs out. Some crazy pen-pusher somewhere, with no idea of the dress and upset this will cause seems they have to change things for change sake. If enough people were to complain I reckon it could be left alone. It's the people who waste such things as appointments, make them and never actually go to them, wasting N.H.S. resources in a really negative fashion.

Friday. Noon. It's a bright and sunny day. But the sun keeps going in and out. One minute, Bright, the next, it clouds over. Never mind. I'm actually bored silly. If Carol was here, we'd be going out and about, to Whipsnade, probably London, one of the National Trust properties, Wimpole Hall perhaps. But she's not, and my life's empty. I mustn't get myself upset, but it's days like these when the loneliness is the worst.

This morning I was planning to go to the Oaktree Centre to sample the food in the newly-opened café. One of Shenley Christian Fellowship members, Tim O'Brien is part of a musical group called Fadin' Shoes. It was he who drove me to the John Radcliffe Hospital to have my stent fitted. I drove out of Eaglestone at around 11.40 which would have given me plenty of time to get to Shenley, but, driving down Chaffron Way, the road ahead, at the roundabout where it intersects with Fulmer Street, there was a road sign in red stating quite clearly 'Road Closed, and a gang of workmen, presumably resurfacing the road. There was absolutely no advance warning as I drove along Chaffron Way, so this came as rather a shock, to say the least. I turned left and came to Standing Way and eventually got onto Watling Street and drove as far as Childs Way with the intention of hopefully getting into Chaffron Way further up towards Morrisons at Westcroft, but even that road was closed off at the roundabout at the intersection with Fulmer Street. So, not feeling very happy that my day had been ruined, I decided to head home along Fulmer Street and get home. Annoyed isn't the word, because I have wanted to listen go the music and have something to eat in the newly-opened café which has been a long time in the planning.

Bonkers Retail

I have been taking something to eat at lunch-time in the ward where Carol is at the moment. I have usually bought a sandwich or roll from the Friends shop in the hospital, but, unfortunately, they haven't always come up to a standard which means I have enjoyed what I have eaten. Usually they are reasonable edible, but generally they are tasteless, the bread dry and not particularly pleasant. A lot of this is down to the fact that everything we have offered us has to be low in salt and sugar, low-fat etc etc. The health fanatics have had a field day, making food really dull and uninteresting. Any effort to make the food we eat, or at least, buy from supermarkets and other retail outlets, has had all the flavour sucked out of it. I know that it's best to eat healthily, but when you can barely taste what you eat, the enjoyment of food is removed. With this in mind, I have endeavoured to find somewhere to buy a snack for my lunch which is at least tasty. There are several choices for me as regards outlets for lunch snacks. First, Sainsbury's, but even there I have managed to drain the well dry, as you might say. You can have a 'Meal Deal' in most supermarkets, where you buy a roll or sandwich and have an additional bag of crisps and probably a drink for a reasonable price, of, say, £2.50-£3.50 or so. Then there's Waitrose, probably a bit more expensive, but with a more imaginative selection, or going further away, Boot's, but they only have a store in the city centre, or at Westcroft or Kingston. Lastly, Marks and Spencer, with outlets at MK Stadium, Kingston or the city centre, but it means quite an effort to get to them, first  drive there and then to park and walk into the MK centre.

With all this in mind, I went to the Kingston Centre in the hope of finding something decent to take with me to the hospital as a snack to eat for lunch. I wasn't intending getting to the hospital too early, just for once. I was going to slow things down as much as possible, particularly because of having my heart attack four weeks previously. No good getting stressed if it means getting myself into a position where I just become ill. No good at all.  I arrived in the carpark and got as close to Marks and Spencer's and Boot's and went into Boot's to have a look at what they had to offer as regards sandwiches. Nothing struck me as in the least interesting, so I left and went into M and S. Could I find their lunch-snack display? Not at all, Usually supermarkets set these sections apart from the rest of their displays so it's easy to spot when you enter the store. But I had to be shown by a member of staff. Actually, quite an inviting display, so I selected a baguette filled with egg and ham, and then selected a bag of crisps and found their cold drinks display, selecting a Belgian Chocolate milk shake and also a Coffee Latte milk shake which I knew Carol would appreciate. But when it came to pay I had fun finding the till. A crazy layout had to be negotiated, because of a sort of maze-like approach. I could see the lady at the till, but how did I get there? Round this idiotic layout. Enough to put off any customer. What on earth is the point of making the place where you have to pay so difficult to find? What is the matter with Marks and Spencers? They're having enough trouble keeping customers or at least getting people to shop in their stores (as many other companies are at the moment, not just M and S.) But this is crazy. Make it easier, not more difficult, for goodness sakes.

I wanted to get something to help relieve the wretched cough I have since I've been taking Ramapril. Well, at least I'm no longer taking it since I was put back on Candesartan. It seems I'm left with the cough which I trust will disappear eventually, but how long I have no idea. I thought Boots would be able to help and went to the counter which stocks cough remedies. There was no assistant to help, although there appeared to be several on the pharmacy counter. I stood and waited a few minutes, but still no one appeared. They could surely see me waiting patiently, but after about three minutes I decided it was no use and left and then thought I'd walk to Tesco's and try their pharmacy. A bit of a walk, but I wanted this thing sorted. I got what I wanted and began to walk out of the store. Carol had asked me to buy her some Maltesers and it just happened, as I neared the exit of the store, I walked past a display which just so happened to have bags of Maltesers in it. I grabbed two packets and decided to use a self-service checkout. I walked towards what I thought were self-service machines and attempted to pay for the two bags. I waved the bags in front of what I imagined was a bar-code scanner, but nothing happened. No sign of the machine springing into life. Nothing seemed to be working. I pressed a key on the screen and suddenly an assistant appeared. It would then become apparent that it wasn't a self-service machine, but a machine to use if you'd been using a scanner to scan your shopping as you walked around the store. I was totally unaware of this, I saw no indication that the machine was for that purpose, and, anyway, thinking about it now, why don't ordinary self-service machines have the added facility for you to use a hand-held scanner. I decided I didn't want to bother to buy the Maltesers and handed the bags to the assistant and left, no doubt somewhat shocked by my rather abrupt exit. But it was more than I needed at that particular time, with enough to think about without having to bother with using one of those machines. It was a further example of company making it very clear what they expected their customers to do and to provide clearer signage.

Morning Rain

As I write this blog post it's raining. (7.30 a.m.) Not very heavily, but certainly enough to refresh the grass around here. There's a certain amount of water running down the side of the road at the front of the house which I could see when I was in the bathroom having a shave this morning with the window open. Someone just walked past with an umbrella up, so it must be of a certain level to need to use an umbrella. I means I won't be taking Alfie out for his, by now, routine walk around Eaglestone Park, which he won't think too much of. I can always take him that bit later when it's stopped. I just hope it soaks the ground sufficiently to revive the grass around here. At the rear of the house the grass is looking somewhat shrivelled and brown, large areas have more or less given up, so a sudden soaking should do the trick. A lot of the Gridroads around Milton Keynes are looking decidedly patching and brown. 

We were going shopping on Tuesday morning and had intended going to Morrison's at Westcroft. . Carol was driving and we went along Chaffron Way but couldn't get through due to the road being closed off, most probably because they are gradually resurfacing the Gridroads, which in places are in a real need of this sort of work, but it was annoying and we weren't given sufficient warning in advance so we ended up going to Morrison's newer store near the railway station.

I spent some time on Monday and Tuesday morning tidying up the garden at the front of the house, using the Ozito cordless grass trimmer (not actually a Strimmer because it doesn't use the plastic fishing line that an actual Strimmer has, but a similar plastic blade like the lawnmower, which is better because you don't have to keep stopping to pull out the fishing line which keeps on breaking with a Strimmer.) As this machine is cordless it makes things easier when you don't have to connect it to the mains electricity supply with a cable connected to a power point. You just have to remember to keep the battery pack charged. I managed to cut the grass which has grown in the flower bed in front of the kitchen window (if you can really call it a flowerbed as it hasn't ever had any flowers in it, except a few pathetic spring bulbs which appear each Spring.) and then I hooked the cut grass out with the rake we got in The Range the other day. I got the mower out of the shed and used this to cut the lawn at the front of the house, although the grass wasn't really long enough, it's got very scruffy and most of the growth is tusky and tough weeks, giving rise to yellow flowers a bit like dandelions, but which I have an idea are actually called coltsfoot, but I may be wrong. Does it really matter? Our landlord's wife, who visited us the other Sunday, only had one comment about the house, not having done an actual house inspection, and that was 'have you cut the grass?' which is why I'd made this effort with the front of the house, as I imagine, when they'd drawn up in their car, they'd noticed how scruffy things were looking. I also had to hack down the saplings (no doubt they're called that, otherwise the tree-like plants which seem to spring up at the front of the house as well as in the back garden. They always appear along the left-side fence as well as under the lounge window.) I used the loppers to cut it all back and the  put the bits in the green Wheelybin. I've also managed to clear some of the weeds and grass that come up between the concrete slabs at the front of the house which is swept up and put in the Wheely bin as well as the brambles which put out runners all over the slabs and since cut down it all looks somewhat tidier and should now be easier to keep clear, but there is still more to be done to keep it clear. The Wheely bin isn't really large enough for this operation and is soon filled and then put out at the edge of the garden at the roadside, on a Wednesday so that the dustmen can take it to be emptied. So it's a limitation as to how much you can actually manage to trim each week.

I took Alfie out for his walk when the rain held off. It was actually drizzly as we crossed the road into the walkway down into Eaglestone Park. Alfie is generally a good complaint little dog. If he runs off and I call he almost always comes back to me. But as we got round to the open green leading to the shops he ran ahead of me and I couldn't see where he'd gone as there was another bend in the path and some brambles in the way. He ran towards the lady who has the two little chihuahua dogs we've met on a couple of occasions. When I called he just would not come back to me. Then I saw another lady with a Great Dane and Alfie ran away when he saw this dog. He doesn't usually run away from dogs, more likely he will run towards them and run in circles around them, attempting to make friends, which most large dogs don't like or are so stunned by his behaviour, he moves so quickly they haven't got a chance to respond, but this time he ran away. I wasn't sure whether the Great Dane scared him because I was further back on the path and could see, but it was odd that he'd run off.

Alfie got a bit of a soaking in the drizzle, not too much, but the wetting made his coat go all crinkly and wavy which always happens when he gets wet. Once we were in the house he tried to dry himself by rubbing under the over-lapping cushions on the sofa in the sitting room and upstairs he rubbed along the bannister rails which makes an odd sort of noise.

The sun has now come out (9.45 A.M.) so perhaps the day will turn out a good deal sunnier than expected.

Busy Week

So ends another week. It's been relatively busy, beginning with Carol having a blood test at the oncology department at Milton Keynes Hospital. I forget to call it Milton Keynes University Hospital, but it doesn't matter that much, as it's still a hospital, with or without the academic addition to it's name. Then we had to drive to Oxford to go to the Churchill Hospital so Carol could have a P.E.T. scan. All of this related in an earlier blog post. Then she had two letters to say she had two scans booked, one an M.R.I. and the other a C.T. scan, both at Milton Keynes Hospital. Just don't ask which is which, but it means things are moving towards the next stage of her treatment, but as yet we don't have conformation as to what it's likely to be.

I went to Aldi early this morning (Saturday), getting to their branch at Westcroft just after they'd opened at 8 o'clock. A good reason to be so early so as to beat the crowds as well as finding a parking space. At least you can get in and out of Aldi's relatively quickly and their prices are a good deal lower than Sainsbury's or any of the main supermarket chains. It's a small store, as all their stores are. A far smaller range of items, so you don't waste time deciding which item to choose. At the till they whip your items through and straight into your trolley and you pack it all yourself on a shelf away from the checkout, so this reduces the queues. Such a simple idea and it seems to work. They put larger bar codes on their packets which means it's easier for the checkout staff to put the items through. 

Earlier in the week Carol had a text message from Daniel, to say that he was going to visit on Saturday (today). He's got a new job, at long last. He's been doing night shifts in a hotel in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, a Holiday Inn. He's being attempting to find something better for some time. It's working as a bar supervisor at St James's Park, the home ground of Newcastle United Football Club. To him it's a dream job. He's a mad Newcastle fan and has been since he was a boy. Although he would love to find a job he's been to university to study, computing, this will at least mean he's doing daylight hours and will actually be in charge of staff and not just a dogsbody which is how he's been treated at the hotel. He texted to say he'd be arriving around midday, but wouldn't say exactly when, but got here around 12.30. He came from the station by taxi cab, arriving with a huge bunch of flowers for his Mum.  We didn't do much. We stayed in the house as Carol wasn't feeling that well as a result of the final chemotherapy cycle. Alfie, our little Yorkshire terrier was pleased to see Daniel. We weren't sure he would remember him as it must be two or three years since he last visited.

He has an odd way with males, not me, of course. He can be a little off when Chloe's husband, Steve comes to visit. I don't know why. He gets very close to your face and shows his teeth. Is it a sort of territorial thing or something? I'm not sure. Anyway, we took Daniel back to the station as he was going into London.

Technical Hitch with I.T. at Oncology

Another bright and sunny day. We had to be at oncology at gone 9 o'clock this morning. But as soon as we walked in to the unit, which was completely deserted, we were told by a member of staff that we could expect to be kept waiting as there was a problem with the new computer system which the nurses have to use to input data. It's the same old, same old. Whenever they decide to up-grade computer software, in whatever use it might have, there is invariably a problem. They'd changed passwords, which meant they couldn't get in to it and so there was the inevitable wait. But Carol was seen relatively quickly. A lot of patients coming into the unit to wait. Not a lot you can do when you are due for chemotherapy. With all this going on, it makes you wonder how much the N.H.S. pays out for this sort of thing, and to then have it fail miserably. And relying on a computerised system when it could just as easily be written on paper. Let's hope that the blood test shows enough blood cells for the chemotherapy to continue tomorrow, after the last two attempts didn't show sufficient cells for this to go ahead as planned.

I had put in a repeat prescription for Carol on Tuesday. I rang Lloyds at Sainsbury's. This would give the surgery ample time to sort things out and then allow Lloyds to make up the prescription. Then on Friday evening one of the ladies from Lloyds telephoned to say she'd picked up the prescription but that she could only have one item from the two I'd ordered. Ashfield told her they 'didn't have time' to do the second one. I don't know what to make of that, because Carol was about to run out of this particular tablet. It seems to me that the surgery is being run for the total sake of the staff, not the patients. Anyway, we drove to Beanhill after we'd done with oncology. On enquiring at the reception, Carol did eventually get the missing prescription, but she has to have a doctor's certificate as she's off sick. The receptionist said that 'all today's appointments are taken.' Also, when Carol said she needed the certificate by Wednesday, she was told that she couldn't book an appointment that far in advance. Would it not make patients' lives easier if they did let you book appointments in advance? But I don't get this, because we've managed to book appointments a good month in advance, when the doctor specifically asks you to do so when he needs to see you again for whatever reason. Seems a bit like 'the tail wagging the dog' syndrome. They love to make up rules just to be awkward.

We drove over to Westcroft to do some shopping in Morrison's and to take the prescription into Boots to have it made up.

On arriving home we put washing on, and since it was so warm and sunny it was all put out on the line in the garden. By around 5 o'clock I thought I heard thunder. It did cloud over somewhat and it was this that prompted me to rush out and collect up the by-now dry washing. There was further thunder but it didn't go on to rain. It has been warm and sultry all day, meaning we needed to cool the house so we've had windows open to attempt to cool the house. Not entirely successful, though.

We've got Alfie involved in what zoos call 'enrichment', that is, giving him some sort of activity which stretches him more than just giving him a treat. He has to work for his treats. So we put these treats in hiding places and he has to find them. He doesn't usually have a problem and he uses his nose usually to hunt these bits of food in various locations around the room (and in other parts of the house as he'd beginning to just go to the same places where we've hidden these treats.) 

Eighth Chemotherapy Cycle

A rather cold and overcast day. Some slight rain.

On Saturday Carol had a scan appointment at the hospital. At first, when the letter came, we thought it was to be at the M.R.I. place she'd had an earlier scan at, called In Health, just behind Sainsbury's in Witan Gate. It was as well Carol queried the location, as she rang and was told that it was actually within the hospital campus. I think I had an idea where it was, as I'd walked past on several occasions when Carol had been on Ward 19. The appointment was on Saturday and it meant that her parents would be able to come with us. The appointment was at 2.20, but we got there in plenty of time. Well over an hour in total. She got a second letter, telling her that she'd been given yet another scan appointment, at the same place, for this Wednesday. She queried it, because if her chemotherapy cycle went according to plan, she would have the pump with her she would be given as part of the treatment and it would be possible to have she M.R.I. scan with it in situ. She was correct as it was to be re-booked for 18th April, during the week between chemo treatments and when she didn't have the pump.

On Sunday Carols mum and dad went back to Bournemouth. We went over to see them at the hotel in Newport Pagnall. By now the weather began to change. Rain, although not heavy. We'd had the best weather when we'd visited Waddesdon on Friday.

Today Carol had to be at the oncology suite for a blood test, at the beginning of the seventh chemotherapy cycle. As it was gone 10 when we arrived in the hospital campus, it was quite difficult to find a parking space, but there was one available, fortunately.

In the oncology suite it was clear that there was a shortage of staff, particularly the fact that there was no receptionist. We had to wait quite a while before Carol was signed in. One of the nurses had to do this, which meant she had to leave off another job elsewhere. Quite a lot of patients waiting, coming and going. Carol didn't get taken into the room for her blood test until well past 10.30.

We left and drove to Rooksley because Carol wanted to go to Hobbycraft. We had a look around but couldn't find what she was looking for. We went into Costa in Next and had lattes, really nice cheese and ham toasties and chocolate tiffin. I was ready for something to eat as I was hungry by this time. We then drove over to Westcroft to go into Morrison's, to buy something for our evening meal and for the next couple of days.

Under normal circumstances Carol would have had the bloodiest on a Friday and then have the chemotherapy begin on a Monday. We were expecting the seventh cycle to start tomorrow (Tuesday) but thankfully Carol checked her paperwork to learn that this cycle will begin on Wednesday, so it was as well the M.R.I. scan she had booked was rescheduled. We trust that the bloodtest will allow the seventh chemotherapy cycle to go ahead as planned.

Woefully Awful Easter Telly

It's a Bank Holiday weekend. The weather's awful. If it looks sunny and bright, it might suddenly rain. We'd been shopping. We went over to Boot's at Westcroft as Carol had a prescription that needed making up. We parked and then walked over the carpark to Boot's. Having handed the paperwork over, we were told by the assistant in the pharmacy that it would take around ten minutes, so we went into Morrison's to buy a few items. Having then gone back to Boot's and collected the made-up prescription we returned to the car to drive home. The weather still not decided, so we turned on the television. Not the usual Saturday morning programmes, no doubt because it's a Bank Holiday weekend. Unimaginative scheduling generally, with cooking shows on both sides. James Martin used to be the host/presenter of 'Saturday Kitchen' in BBC1, but has recently decamped to ITV to do virtually the same thing but called 'James Martin's Saturday Morning.' How incredibly original, I don't think. Virtually the same thing as the BBC show, but because it's the commercial rival, it can have sponsorship. I don't dislike him, he's not what I'd call a 'celebrity chef.' Down to earth and all the rest of it (well, he's a Yorkshireman, after all.) And he does plain food, none of that poncey suff certain other 'chefs' get away with on other television shows. But do I sense that he's just gone to ITV because he gets paid a good deal more than he would have done on the good old BBC? It's similar to what happened over the 'Great British Bake Off' when it was revealed that the production company who make it, Love Productions, couldn't get a decent deal with the BBC as they wanted more dosh for making it, so it went to Channel Four. Another story for another day . . . Mind you, having seen some of the Channel Four episodes, it's not much different to how it was on BBC1, without Mary Berry or Mel and Sue, but never mind. Even with advertising, it doesn't seem much different.

The fact is, television just seems to churn out the same old stuff, no real imagination or originality. Too many game shows. Nothing wrong with one or two, things like Countdown, Only Connect or Mastermind. At least they have questions that make you THINK. But to just churn out endless stupid gameshows in the afternoon (Tipping Point, The Chase to name two that run one after the other.) While on BBC1, as the same time as The Chase, there's Pointless. No doubt these shows are cheap to produce. You don't have to pay your contestants (do they get expenses, for example, train fares to reach the studio for recordings? I doubt it somehow.)

Anyway, I digress, as I have a habit of doing. Never mind. On turning on the television this morning, we had to endure endless sofas adverts. What is it about Bank Holiday television? Why do we get a sort of traffic jam of sofa advertising in the run-up to Christmas, New Year, Easter and other Bank Holidays? I've discussed this matter in an earlier blog post. Do people honestly go out and buy new three-piece suites just because there's a holiday period coming up? DFS, SCS, Furniture Village etc etc all have those annoying adverts on again where you are supposed to get a sofa for ridiculously low prices. They're virtually giving them away. How can they do it?

Anyway, we turned on the television this morning, expecting James Martin, when all we got was another cookery show (of a sort) called 'Who's Doing The Dishes.' It's been on for several series, but we seem to have missed it. A load of celebrities have a meal in another celebrity's home. They have no idea who it is, but as each course of the meal is presented to them, and from various clues in the rooms they try to work out who the celebrity it is who cooked the meal. Really trite and awful. A sort of mash-up of 'Through The Keyhole' and 'Come Done With Me.' On this edition the celebrity who was the hostess was Lesley Garrett, the opera singer. I'd heard of hear, obviously, but the guests who had the meal she'd made I'd never heard of. Did it matter? Carol wanted to turn over to another channel as it was so dire, but I was determined to stay with it til the end, as it got worse and worse, just to see how it ended. The so-called celebrities could win £500, if they could guess who their hostess was, if they got it right, that person had to do the washing up. Such an unoriginal idea. It's sad that ITV has come down to producing this sort of stuff. No doubt it cheap and cheerful to make and gets high ratings. Talk of going down-market or merely dumbing down, but this is a good example.

Weekend Shopping and Completion Of Third Chemo Cycle

I've been out extra early this morning to do some shopping. I went all the way over to Westcroft to go to Aldi. Last week I went into the main shopping centre to buy Carol a diary as well as a calendar to mark in all her hospital appointments. I then went to Aldi at Bradwell Common and got there too later, so the place was heaving with customers and it was all but impossible to move around the store. Not entirely helped by the fact that there were no end of pallets and boxes being used to stock the place. All this was why I decided to go so early this morning and it worth worth it as I was in and out within about half an hour. We'd made a list which also helped. The one thing we like about Aldi, apart from everything being a good deal cheaper (around a third, I reckon.) their stores are smaller than the average supermarket so you can get around quicker and there's less to choose from. Why have so many versions of the same product, such as tomato ketchup? Just confusing and makes choosing more difficult. Mind you, we don't particularly like their tomato ketchup, so we have to go to Sainsbury's for Heinz ketchup. There are some products which you can't compromise on, such as tea (has to be P.G. Tips every time) as well as toothpaste (Has to be Colgate.) But Aldi's meat fruit and vegetables can't be bettered. They have a faster system at the checkout. You make sure your trolley is in place and they whizz your shopping through the scanner and then you have to pack it on the shelf which saves time.  They've managed to place the bar codes on the packaging in such a way that  the operator doesn't have to search for them and they're large enough, unlike on most products where you spend time looking for the bar code so it can be scanned, so wasting time and energy. It was relatively easy to park as well and it's not far to push the trolley when the shopping is done.

Carol had to go into the hospital to have the pump disconnected. We had to go to ward 22, which is over the Endoscopy department, and not the Oncology Suite. Fortunately I knew where it was as I noticed the signage for it when I walked through the hospital the other day. The chemotherapy makes Carol feel really awful, mostly dizzy. It was quite difficult for her to walk from the car into the hospital.

We didn't have to wait long when we eventually reached Ward 22. Carol was taken into a side-room and a nurse removed the pump. Unfortunately Carol was even more dizzy when she came out and sat on a chair in the corridor. We began to walk out, but the dizziness got worse, so she had to sit down again. A nurse rang for a porter to come with a wheelchair. I couldn't push a wheelchair because of my heart condition. After about 20 minutes or so the porter arrived with the wheelchair and we began the journey back to the entrance at Cardiology, where we had come into the hospital. The porter couldn't wheel Carol outside, so I was left with Carol to slowly return to the car. Fortunately, when we drove out of the carpark, the barrier was raised, so we didn't have to pay. At the weekend you have to pay and can't get your ticket stamped at Macmillan's unit as it's closed, so it was a relief to find we didn't have to pay.

Grass-Cutting and Hot Chocolate

I had put off cutting the grass for as long as possible. It was necessary to attack it at some point or other as it was beginning to get very long and if not done soon the mower wasn't going to manage. It's a right performance as you have to dig the mower out of the shed, un-tangle the cable and then run out the power cable from the house through the patio doors and plug it in near the fridge. I did around half of the grass-cutting yesterday morning and managed to complete the job this morning. I am hoping considering the weather and the fact that we will very soon be in November, that this will be the final cutting the grass will require until the Spring.

We went out for a short while. Carol's getting really fed up with being in the house all day, so we went to somewhere we haven't visited before. It's not far, within Milton Keynes and just up Chaffron Way and opposite Westcroft, where Morrison's has a branch. It's called Howe Wood and there's a café there. We've often mentioned it when we've seen the sign from the road but never visited. A real surprise awaited us as we drove into the carpark. The café is in the visitor centre and is called 'The Grumpy Cook.' I can't think why as the staff there are anything but grumpy. In fact I'd go as far as saying they're very pleasant. We ordered hot chocolate with marshmallows and had a large slice of coffee and walnut cake which we shared and then decided we wanted sausage rolls which we took home. They had a problem getting the card reader to work, so we couldn't pay using my debit card. Something about it not connecting but I don't know what is was exactly but we went back and had a second go and this time it worked.

Our neighbour on the other side has been cutting their hedge. It had got somewhat over-grown. She's an elderly lady and couldn't possibly do this work herself. The hedge is high and I imagine, because it's a laurel hedge (well, from looking at it I imagine it is as it has large shiny leaves which look like laurel.) It was certainly out of control and was in definite need of trimming. Her son had got someone in to do a lot of the trimming and there was a great pile of cuttings all over their drive-way (or, at least, their half of the parking space which we share.) Over the past few days our half of the driveway had been taken over by a large metal skip. I imagined it was there to take all the remaining hedge trimmings (the first batch had been removed by the man who did the first 'trim' of the hedge, but I don't know how he disposed of the bits of hedge, probably took it to the tidy-tip in his car.

Marion's son (our neighbour) came round to ask it we'd like our frontage trimmed up, as there a few rather nasty bits of tree that grow up near our front door which need the ocassional trim. I said I'd be pleased for him do it as the bits could go in his skip. The same in the rear garden, but I can cut them down and put them over the fence at the back. If we had a working side-gate at the rear of our house it would be easy enough to bring in a wheely bin and put the stuff in that, but our mean landlord won't pay to have it replaced, so I've no alternative method of removing garden waste other than shove it over the back fence.

The clocks changed this weekend. I can never remember if it's forward or backward. I know someone said that they 'spring forward' in April, which is spring- as a season, so it must be backwards in autumn. I have real problems adjusting my digital watch. It's difficult to get the thing set to an hour backward. I don't like it particularly when the clocks change as we have longer, darker days and I'm not a fan of winter. 

Some Like It Hot

We're currently having a bit of a heatwave. Although I like the weather to be bright and sunny, I'm not over-keen to have the temperature so high it make it difficult to manage your day-to-day things such as merely living, going shopping or whatever. Alfie hasn't been able to settle anywhere in the house and has wandered around in an attempt to find the coolest place to lie. He spent yesterday in and out of the house. The patio door has been open so he can get into the garden, then he was in his bed in the kitchen and then out in the hallway, at the foot of the stairs and eventually settled on the sofa, laying on his back. Poor little dog. He just doesn't know how to deal with extremes of temperature. Having had a heart attack I have to be careful myself when it comes to high temperatures. I was told that I could keep out of the sun and wear a hat when it was hot when I did a coronary rehab course after I had my heart attack in 2006 it was around this time of the year and it was probably just as hot. We did a lot of exercises in the heat and on one particular session I almost collapsed on the floor. The staff where very supportive and helped me recover. I think it was the shock of not only having such a traumatic 'event' (the original heart attack) but the fact that the heat had caused me to feel so unwell. It was then that I was advised to purchase a sun hat and, wherever possible, to keep out of the direct sun. Yesterday I had to drive to Waitrose to buy some things for our evening meal and the car, which had been standing in the sun all morning, was very hot.

We had planned to go to Nuffield Health for a swim yesterday evening. Someone who works with Carol at the Academy had a disaster. She came home to find her house had been burnt in a fire. I'm not entirely sure what happened but I think one of her children had set fire to the kitchen. A great deal of damage so they have to live in a hotel until the insurance company can come up with the cash to repair and replace things. Carol said to this lady, called Gladys, that she would give her some food to give her children (she has four children, apparently) and they are currently living in a hotel which is extremely expensive and she can barely afford food. So we went to Aldi at Westcroft after Carol finished work so we could buy them some basic items. When I think what we went through a few years ago, it only seems right that we do something to help. It was very hot when we got to Westcroft and parked the car. In Aldi I said I was thirsty, due mostly because of the heat, and then Carol said I should go and get some ice-cold drinks from Costa who have a branch near Morrison's. It sounded a good idea so I walked there and ordered iced coffee and caramel drinks. Really nice and cooling and something that I think I'll have again whenever the need arises. Probably not too long if the weather keeps up as it is at the moment.

Returning to the heatwave; when I worked as a Support Worker at the house in Everton, there was an elderly lady living there who, even when it was boiling hot outside, insisted on wearing her thickest, heaviest overcoat.  She was in her late 80's and she was extremely short sighted.We used to often take the residents out and about during the summer months. I think it's what made the job interesting and worth while. We went up to London (I think I might have mentioned this in an earlier blog post) when we visited Westminster Abbey and then London Zoo. We had to make sure the client group were well protected from the sun, and this lady whom I have just mentioned, must have sweltered in her thick winter coat. We not only had to make sure everyone wore hats but we had to provide sun cream. Not so easy when not everyone wanted it applied. You could never persuade  this lady that she would be more comfortable in something thinner or to dispense with the coat all together when it was so hot. Never mind. I suppose it was a sort of 'comfort blanket' which was why she didn't want to go out without it on. Actually persuading her to leave the house in the first place was a real problem, but just mention the magic words 'tea and cake' and she'd be out the door in a flash. I'm not saying she could move fast, because she couldn't poor old love, but any mention of a bun with icing and a cherry on top and she'd relent and go out for the afternoon.

Chest Pains

Incidentally, for those that know me. Don't be alarmed by this post. I am alright. Not in hospital or anything. Just my intention to journal everything that happens to me and this is part of that effort. I'm at home and fine as I write this. So, read on . . .

I've had a really annoying cough for the last couple of weeks. It's not connected to a cold, or anything else. I've been fine for the past couple of years.  No cold or anything similar. No flu, basically because I have a flu jab every year. I might have had a glitch as regards angina attacks, but they're under control. I was given isoborbide mononitrate by my doctor some while ago after I was rushed to hospital after a particularly bad angina attack that didn't go away. Those tablets do help relive the pain and act in the same way as the main ingredients of my G.T.N. spray.  In fact I have a couple which I keep handy. One lives more or less permanently on the bookshelf in the lounge and I have one in my bag for when we go swimming. I gave a few puffs under my tongue before swimming or if there's a chance of an attack, particularly if I need to exert myself which can bring on an angina attack. If I sit down for a couple of minutes the pain goes away. When the cough didn't go away I went to Boot's over at Westcroft and bought some linctus which helps relieve the cough. Carol did me a  hot lemon and honey drink which I had on Friday evening. But then I had a really bad attack. A really bad pain in my chest. It didn't go away, even with the G.T.N. spray. I have to admit that I did begin to panic. Usually these pains go off after about five minutes. Carol told me to just lay down on the bed and relax. I did this, but still the pain went on. I was reminded on how my heart attack began. I didn't realise that I was having a heart attack and thought that the pain I was experiencing was caused by indigestion. I know it sounds crazy, but heartburn and the feelings you have in your chest when you experience a heart attack are very similar. This time I took a couple of ranitide tablets, which are intended to relieve heartburn. It took several hours for the discomfort to go off, but I have to admit that while all this was going on, it was quite scary. I have done some research on the internet and found that I'm not the only person to find heartburn of this sort of intensity to panic somewhat. Heartburn isn't actually connected with your heart and is caused by acid or something.

Anyway, the heartburn gradually subsided. But it's not something that you want to ignore, particularly if it doesn't immediately go away. Would you delay calling 999 for an ambulance? It could always be a genuine heart attack and not just caused by a really bad dose of indigestion.

Christmas Countdown

The term has finished at Milton Keynes Academy and Carol is now on holiday. The Christmas countdown has begun. We do have advent calendars. Carol has one with little doors, which, when opened, reveal erasers which have a Christmas theme. Those that have been released from the confines of the calendar are now arrayed in a line on one of our bookcases in our lounge. One, a Father Christmas, has an excessively red face, and makes you think of David Dickinson, the former presenter of Bargain Hunt. Another has a similarity to Donald Trump (unfortunately). It has far too much hair (much as the Trumper has. Is it real or is it a wig or hair piece? Infact, is he real? Having watched the television series on Channel 4, called 'Humans' about very realistic robots that are synthetic humans ('synths') it makes me wonder if Trump is one. He looks and sounds very unrealistic with that stupid wig and the way he speaks. Hard to believe that anyone intelligent would vote for such a person.

Anyway, returning to the subject of Christmas, we have completed our Christmas shopping and went to Aldi at Westcroft to do some food shopping this morning, bright and early. It's not only a good deal cheaper than your average supermarket (Sansbury, Waitrose, Asda or Tesco.), it's a much smaller store and you don't have the range of products, but, being smaller, the whole process is so much quicker. They even have checkouts which allow the person on the checkout to scan your shopping faster. It goes straight into your trolley and you then pack it into your own bags on a special shelf. A very simple but efficient method which other supermarkets should adopt. Last week we bought our turkey, but there was one problem. We found that there was insufficient space in our fridge/freezer, so we took out one of the plastic drawers and the frozen bird sits on the shelf inside. It's a tight squeeze, but it's either that or it defrosts, which would be a disaster, well before Christmas Day.

Mothering Sunday and Marathon

Sunday was Mothering Sunday. It has been re-branded or re-named 'Mother's Day' so as to fit in with the American style of naming. Why do we in Britain insist on being driven by what America does and says? Anyway, Carol didn't get any sort of card, flowers or even a phone call from either Sam or Daniel. I'm afraid I'm a little disappointed. Considering that almost every shop you go in has some sort of recognition of the day you can hardly not know it's coming up. I know I'm being cynical when I say it's just another commercial day, much like Valentine's, Hallowee'n, and all the other 'days' so that businesses can push more products, be it flowers, chocolates or a hundred-and-one other items. but never mind.

We couldn't get out in the car on Sunday morning as there was another Marathon in Milton Keynes and the runners came past our house. It wasn't for long, and we were warned well in advance. There was a large yellow sign up along the road and the club who ran it did put letters through everyone's door who lived on the route, so we had no excuse to not know. Our dogs don't really like their routines being altered, particularly Alfie, and they started barking loudly when they heard the runners coming past.  Carol picked up Alfie and let him see what was going on through the kitchen window. He seemed intrigued to see so many people.

We did go out later, in the car, once the Marathon was over. Carol was shocked to see someone in a car stop outside the Academy and pick some daffodils, which were growing on he grass outside, and then get back in the car and drive off. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. Were these going to be  Mothering Sunday present? What a cheapskate? Do you mean to say this cheap individual couldn't be bothered to go and buy some flowers for his mum and had to pinch some from the side of the road? Almost as bad as stealing flowers of someone's grave! The we drove to Westcroft to try and find a replacement for the Comic Relief 'Giggling Ball' which Alfie loves and plays with happily. I We went into Jolley's but with no success, so we went next door to the Pricesaver store, or whatever it's called. The 'Giggle Ball 'is slowly coming to the end of it's life, so we have been attempting to find a replacement, without success. We did find a ball, made of plastic, into which you put treats, and it makes a sound when it's moved, and this allows your dog to work to get the treats out. Poppy seems to like it, and has been playing with it, pushing it along with her paw. She has shown no interest in the 'Giggling Ball.' As we got out of the car in the car park, there were lots of men walking along with bunches of flowers. I said to Carol 'It's a case of 'last-minute dot com.' Men who had forgotten to get their mothers flowers and needed to get some 'at the last minute.' Or else they wouldn't get their Sunday dinners, or something.

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.

Uneventful Christmas

Really not a great deal to report regarding our Christmas this year. We were on our own. Daniel stayed up in Newcastle, where he's completing his degree course. As for Sam, we don't have any address. We know he's somewhere in Wales, but that's all. He does communicate with Daniel but he's not connected via Facebook. He had his birthday on 22nd December.

We went to visit Chloe and Steve when they stayed at Louisa and Richard's in Stony Stratford a few days before Christmas and then went down to Devon to stay with Steve's parents over the holiday period.

On Christmas Eve  (Wednesday) we had to go to Morrison's at Westcroft to pick up the 'Turkey Bomb' we had ordered. This is a meat concoction which we found in the Morrison's Christmas catalogue and it is made of turkey breast, stuffing and bacon. We got to Morrison's far too early (6.30 a.m.) and didn't realise that they wouldn't be closed as, for example, Asda is open 24-hours a day. There were quite a few people waiting outside and we had to sit in the car so as to at least be warm. Eventually the doors were opened and we had to go to the Customer Services desk with our receipt so we could pick up the item we'd come to collect. We were told by the lady on the desk that we'd have to go to the back of the store to collect our 'Bomb.' Staff there were setting up a special table for these orders and one lady was incensed that I was in front of her. She was really quite rude and nasty. I can't think why as her order would have been ready just the same as ours, which came out after a minute or two. They make these items and they have to be ordered. We had quite a few more items to purchase and we managed to use the £25 voucher we had collected over the pervious 6 weeks having shopped each of those weeks leading up to Christmas and got the £25 off our shopping.