Nil November

 Wednesday. 10.25 a.m. Yesterday I didn't feel all that well. I had what seemed to be a migraine, which I rarely get. It seemed like the flu or possibly covid. This morning it seems to be gone, but it wasn't pleasant. A short time lying on my bed did help, but not entirely.

There was quite a heavy rainstorm early this morning, around the time I woke up, but at the moment, there is no sign of rain. The Environment Agency has declared a flood warning for Milton Keynes and the area, no doubt because the River Ouse flows through Newport Pagnall.

I've just come back from a shopping tip to Sainsbury's, and it looks as if Christmas, or at least, the run-up to the festive season, is in full swing. There are Christmas trees everywhere, of varying sizes and presents, or at least, the options for presents, very much in evidence.

Thursday. 4.10 p.m. I now have the bookcase I was given screwed securely to the wall. I am slowly moving the piles of books I have around the flat into the bookcase. I am so glad I was given this, and I have the chest of drawers parked in the entrance hall of the flat, and that will be moved into my bedroom once I have cleared a space on the furthest side of my bed.

Friday. 10.40 a.m. It's a bit miserable and wet. It's pouring with rain and not good out. Just as well it's rain and not tea or orange juice! I know, I'm silly, but after all, why not?

I'm gradually moving the piles of books into the new bookcase. The place looks so much better, but actually not particularly tidy!

Saturday. 12.25 p.m. It's a very grey and gloomy day. It makes me think of this poem, called 'November' and very appropriate for the sort of day it is. When I was at school, we learnt poetry and sometimes had to read it aloud.

No sun — no moon!
No morn — no noon —
No dawn — no dusk — no proper time of day.
 
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member —
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! —
November!

It was written by Thomas Hood.

There is a fog, not exactly thick, but as I look out of the kitchen window, I can see that this fog is obscuring a good deal of the view. Some of it has been Tippexed out, as you would if you made a mistake on a typed letter, long before computers and word processing.

Happy Talk!

 Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. I haven't been well for the past few days. I'd recovered from the covid I had around six weeks ago and as a result of that I had fairly severe back pain, although there's no genuine proof that it was linked, but it seems something of a coincidence that the back pain started up at the same time.

On Thursday, the Bible Study group, which has been meeting in different places in and around Milton Keynes during August, met up at Mursley Farm Shop. I wasn't exactly sure where it was, although I had a rough idea, but looking on Google Maps. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and was taken there by Jennie, who is the leader of the Bible Study group.

I've never been to Mursley Farm Shop. Like many of these places, it's not merely a farm shop, selling eggs, meat and other items, but there's a good cafe, which was where we met up with the rest of the gang and I had a very nice latte, although, having ordered it, it seemed to take an eternity to arrive at our table. The weather was miserable. A sort of thin rain fell as we arrived. In the field beyond the car park I could see a field with various animals in, including alpacas, which I love.

On Friday, we had a meeting at the Oaktree Centre about the proposed Alpha Course. As part of this, we did a fast (which is something I have never done before, but it was worth it, and it went well.) We watched a training video, which came on a memory stick which plugged into the television screen on the wall in the café area. It turned out I had seen it already on YouTube. We need at least 6–8 people to sign up to the course, otherwise it isn't really viable. It runs over 10–11 weeks and there is food which has to be provided for each weekly session, so it's quite a logistical issue to provide that, along with merely having support people to run the course, so, if we don't get sufficient people attending, it isn't going ahead. We will have to wait and see if the numbers increase in the next week or so, because it is scheduled to begin on 15th September.

Having finished the meeting, I drove to Domino's Pizza in Duckworth Court, which is over the road from Lidl and Tesco Express in Oldbrook Boulevard and ordered a take-away pizza, which I took home and enjoyed, actually breaking my fast!

On Saturday morning, I went to the 1940s weekend at Milton Keynes Museum. If you read my blog posts on a regular basis, you will be aware that I have been to quite a few of these events. This seemed to not be quite as good as the others. I went because of the proposed World War 2 project which is being developed in the theatre workshop at Camphill, so I took my camera and managed to take a handful of photographs, which I intend putting onto a memory stick and taking the next time I go to Camphill.

It was around this time that the flu-like symptoms began. I won't go into much detail (in fact, none at all.) I didn't eat anything until at least Tuesday and didn't go to Camphill. Well, it didn't seem such a good idea, as I didn't want to be responsible for spreading whatever it was around.

Another Fun-Packed Week?

Sunday. 3.10 p.m. I have done a Google search, because I wanted to know if there was any connection between Covid and the lower back pain I have been experiencing for the past couple of weeks, especially considering I tested positive for covid. It turns out, but I know that it's inconclusive, that there might be a link, because it came up on several websites. This might explain why this pain started at about the same time as the covid.

Monday. 6.00 a.m. I've had another session with the heat pad on my lower back. It certainly relieved the pain, but I will have to continue with it to hopefully end the pain.

10.15 a.m. I cleared all the rubbish out of the car, removed Alfie's cage from the back and went to get cash out of the A.T.M.at Tesco's at Oldbrook Boulevard and then drove into the centre near The Xcape to have the car valeted. I've been planning to do this for a week or two, but because of the weather and then the covid infection and finally the back pain, I was reluctant to go ahead with it, but because it was bright and sunny I thought I'd do it. I am more than pleased with the result, and it looks and smells so much better.

Tuesday. 7.10 a.m. The pain in my back is still causing me problems, but it's not as severe as it was earlier. I have been using the heat pad, and it certainly relieves the pain, but it still wears off. I am determined to let it keep me trapped within this flat, and I am going to Camphill in around an hour's time. My pack-up is done and ready to take with me.

4.50 p.m. I've only been back in the flat forty minutes, having been at Camphill all day. I very nearly didn't go, because of the pain in my lower back, but I was determined I would go.

I didn't join in with some of the more energetic activities, such as the drama warm-ups. There was filming of some of the few remaining bits of the silent movies and then time was spent developing ideas for next week's 'Play In A Week' sessions (I think the title tells you exactly what it it. It runs from Monday, through until Friday, when a piece of theatre will be performed, without an initial script. In fact, it won't have a script. There will be children between the ages of about 8-18 working with the performing arts workshop regulars. There's not a lot more I call to say on this.

Ideas were written up on a whiteboard and will be used as the basis for next week's sessions. Then some fascinating improvisation, which I did get involved in. Someone comes up with a character, just a 'job title, in this case it was a hotel owner. Terrie was a bank teller. The hotel owner queued up, as if waiting in a bank, at one of the teller windows. Another of the regular drama group then came up behind the hotel owner and played a bank robber, although at this point she wasn't obviously such a character. The hotel owner asked the teller for £150 out of his bank account, so the teller asked him to put his bank card into the reader and key in his key number. The teller looked at her computer and said there was only£5 in the account, but the hotel owner got irate. Meanwhile, the bank robber was behind the teller, attempting to steal cash. The idea was, that anyone could take over the 'plot' by taking over from any of the characters and in the attempt, change the storyline. It seems a good way to develop storyline for improvised plays.

Wednesday. 7.15 a.m. I am still in quite a bit of pain. It seems to be getting worse than ever, but I am determined to not let it interfere with my life.

I have to re-apply for my driving licence now that I am over the age of 70. You have to do it every three years. I got a letter informing me of this in the post the other morning. I knew I'd have to do it if I want to keep on driving, which I absolutely do. The thought of being tied to Dexter House and losing my independence would be devastating. I could do this reapplication online, so I started it off. It is generally so much easier to do these things online. It saves having to post everything off, and it's quicker and easier. I had my National Insurance number handy, because you have to put it into the system. The trouble is, I don't have a passport. I don't need or want one, as I'm unlikely to go anywhere outside the United Kingdom. The problem is, you need one in order to prove your identity, so the online system wouldn't allow me to complete the application. So, I will now need to go out and get a photograph done in one of those photo booths you see around the town. I believe there is one in Sainsbury's, so I will have to go in there this morning and use the one in there.

12.25 a.m. I have been to Sainsbury's and got the photo done for the driving licence reapplication. I have now filled out the application form and attached the photo to the form and put it in the envelope, together with my expiring driving licence. I was hoping to take the completed form, within its envelope, out to post, but then discovered it wasn't 'Freepost' or at least, ready to post, so I had to take it to the Post Office within the One Stop shop in Coffee Hall and was shocked that a First Class stamp now costs £1.10!

Covid Causing Havoc

 Monday. 9.15 a.m. I have done a second covid test, and it's positive, which means that Camphill is definitely out tomorrow as well as Monday Club at the Oaktree Centre. I was convinced that it would be negative, as some of the symptoms have reduced, but I still have a temperature.

12.00 p.m. I have now been told I should have done my test tomorrow and not today! If I need to do further tests, I will have to buy them. I can go out and don't really need to isolate, but I definitely can't go to Camphill and won't be going to Monday Club this afternoon at the Oaktree Centre. Well, this doesn't make a lot of sense to me, because I wouldn't want to infect others and certainly not a vulnerable group, such as the residents at Camphill.

Tuesday. 5.40 a.m. I'm not feeling quite as bad as when this covid thing first struck. My temperature has more or less fallen to normal levels, but, as I don't have a thermometer, I can't say for certain what it is currently. But I still have brain fog and doing things seems to take forever. 

Wednesday. 5.15 a.m. I've been out with Alfie. It seems quite mild and somewhat overcast. Nothing else to report at the moment.

1.25 p.m. I've booked my car to have the work done on one of the rear breaks, which bind, according to the report which was done when it was given its MoT three weeks ago. It's going to be done a week tomorrow (3rd August.) 

I bought a covid test kit from the branch of Boots next to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. It is easier to go there as you can park directly outside. I have now done a test, and it was negative, which is good news.

Thursday. 7.40 a.m. I may have tested negative for covid, but I feel downright awful. In some pain in my lower back and as a result, it took me considerably longer than normal to get dressed, so I could take Alfie out. I have now taken paracetamol and will just stay in the flat and see how this develops. I will take paracetamol every four hours as recommended.

Friday. 7.30 a.m. Another day. Been out with Alfie as usual and we walked around Oldbrook Green. A couple of dogs were being walked at the same time, but no communication, although I reckon Alfie might have liked to say hello to them.

Covidivisation Takes It's Toll

Friday. 8.50 a.m. Covid doing its worst. The night was better than the night before. I have finished the packet of Paracetamol, and need to get more. 

10.40 a.m. I needed to know what the situation was regarding isolating because of my positive covid test yesterday. I went online to an N.H.S. site and found 5 days, which I am adhering to, but no real advice, so I thought I ought to speak to my medical centre. I rang, but waited ten minutes to speak and even then the lady didn't seem to know the answer, so I rang N.H.S. 111. I had to answer a load of questions, but because I have had two heart attacks, they recommended I speak to a doctor, so rang surgery again, but they said no doctor could speak to me, not even for a telephone consultation, but a paramedic could ring me later.

5.25 p.m. I needed paracetamol, but I couldn't go out, so I had the idea of putting a message, asking if any of my friends on Facebook could get me a couple of packets. My good friend, Margaret, who goes to Shenley Christian Fellowship, must have seen the message, and she rang me, although at that point I was asleep on my bed, I rang back, and she said she would go and get me some paracetamol, which she came to Dexter House to deliver. I took some, and they do relive some of the more unpleasant parts of the covid. Shivery, flu-like, pain in the back, sort of, kidney area. Just keep taking paracetamol every four hours. I have slept a great deal. 

Saturday. 1.15 a.m. I have been trying to sleep, but, considering I slept a great deal of yesterday, it's really not surprising. I was having a sort of dream, more likely part awake, about a play called Noises Off. Why that, I don't know, but anyway, I decided that, because I couldn't sleep, together with coughing and needing the loo (just one of those things, people!) I got up, but painful getting off the bed, discomfort in my lower back, but, after a bit of effort, I managed it.

6.00 a.m. I've taken Alfie out, had a shave and put out the rubbish. I have taken a further two paracetamol. I am feeling slightly better, no shivering and sweating, which was the main feature of covid yesterday. I will do another test on Monday, but it seems unlikely I will be able to go to Camphill on Tuesday.

11.15 a.m. Not a great deal to report, except I've taken another two paracetamol. Not feeling so hot and sweaty, but still not one hundred per cent.

5.45 p.m. I've spent the afternoon watching Laurel and Hardy films, from my DVD collection of all their films. I bought it a couple of years ago on Amazon. I had known years ago that there was a complete box set of their films, as I love their films. But at that time the set cost around £200. Then they were on offer at around £50 in the HMV shop in Milton Keynes, but the set was sold on Amazon for around £30. I have been drawn back to these films because of the 'silent comedy' video project we have been involved in at Camphill in the performing arts workshop. The films I watched this afternoon were: "Them Thar Hills" and it's 'sort of' sequel 'Tit For Tat" and "County Hospital." They may be near enough 90 years old, but they still make me laugh and compared to a good deal of modern 'comedy' need a great deal of beating.

Sunday. 5.35 a.m. I had an idea that this bout of covid was coming to an end. How wrong could I be? I woke this morning with more pain in my lower back and the cough again wreaking its havoc. I took about three times longer than normal to get dressed, so I could take Alfie out. Any idea that I would go to church this morning is totally out of the question, and my weekly Camphill session on Tuesday is even more unlikely. Although having said all that, I don't feel as bad as I did when this thing started on Thursday. So, it seems I'm just going to have to endure this thing for the long haul. No way is it going to end soon, but I wish it would.

8.50 a.m. As I write this, it's 'sort of' raining. I mean, drizzly rather than pouring rain. Something that Alfie won't like, although he wouldn't get much of a dousing.

Monday. 5.35 a.m. It was something of a surprise to discover it was raining fairly hard as I looked out of the kitchen window this morning. I thought I could go out without a coat, but on arriving at the bottom of the stairs and seeing rain through the double doors which lead into the garden, I had second thoughts and returned to the flat to get my bright yellow Regatta raincoat. Alfie was not much bothered by the rain when we eventually hit Strudwick Drive and we were soon back inside.

As regards my covid infection has continued, although I'm not as hot and sweaty, brain fog has left me sort of in a sort of, well, fog. It takes ages to think and get dressed about three times the usual, length of time.

Pandemic . . . Over and Out?

So, is that the end of the covid-19 pandemic? Is it now an epidemic rather than a pandemic? Boris has always said that he would 'follow the science.' The data shows that infections have fallen.

Sunday 6.30 a.m. I woke a good deal later than usual. I waited to take Alfie out and when we did, we found it quite windy. Alfie obviously doesn't like the wind, so he took us back home. When he doesn't want to do something, he makes sure he gets what he wants and that includes not getting wet or enduring wind. Funny little person!

I arrived at church at around 9.50 this morning and I was somewhat surprised that there were no chairs put out. So myself and several other people were drafted in to bring them in on the trolleys. It's surprising how quickly this was completed when everyone works together. No restrictions! No horrible masks! Ability to sing properly! Just great to have things almost back to some sort of normal. Then, after the service had finished, we had to remain to clear up the chairs and put them away on the trolleys. Twenty-two on each.

Monday. 6.20 a.m. Alfie was just not bothered about walking this morning. He's just becoming rather lazy. Not like him at all. I found him on the bed, in my usual place. Curled up and fast asleep. I attempted to move him but he growled at me. Not his usual behaviour.

I've spent most of the morning moving half of the furniture in the lounge so that I could sweep up the dust and other bits off the floor and then steam mop the floor with the Vax steam mop. It's quite a military exercise as the armchair was quite difficult to get through the door and put it into the hallway. No end of cables for such things as the floor light, the wifi router, and the chargers for the iPhone and iPad. I've already cleared out a lot of paperwork and generally cleared away clutter. It now means I have the second half of the room to clean, which will mean moving the television unit, the desk, and the sofa. 

Tuesday. 6.36 a.m. Another relatively mild and pleasant morning. But, saying that, just as I settled down to go to sleep at around 10.30 yesterday evening, there was an almighty rainstorm. It seemed to go on for quite a while, but there wasn't much to suggest rain when Alfie and I went out before 6 o'clock this morning. He really is getting reluctant to walk the entire circuit of Oldbrook Gree, but I am really determined to do the steps which are being recorded on my FitBit.

11.10 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. I had to collect a  repeat prescription which was ready and pick up some bits and pieces, particularly milk and dog food. I can't have Alfie going without, now can I? I was surprised by how many gaps there were in the aisles, breakfast cereal being one. No doubt this is because of people being 'pinged' by the ridiculous app which tells you to self-isolate if you've been near someone who has been found to be infectious with covid or whatever. No end of the staff in various industries have had this happen, in what is called the 'pingdemic.' Crazy.