Spring-like Weather

(Saturday) It's a really sunny and bright morning. There are even more flowers thrusting their way through the soil. Not just snowdrops, daffodils (though I don't reckon all of them are technically daffodils) but also what look vaguely like bluebells and violets and there are catkins on some of the willow bushes (I imagine they must be because willows have catkins) and there is blossom coming out on the May trees. Well, I think they're May trees or Hawthorn. Since looking via Google I learn that they are one and the same.

(Saturday) From bright and sunny yesterday to being chilly and foggy this morning. I imagine that it will burn off if and when the sun comes out.

(Sunday) Another foggy morning. It hadn't burnt off when I went out with Alfie around 9.15.

I've seen several of the little robotic 'pods' over the last few days. One crossing over Strudwick Drive from the path leading to the primary school. It waited at the kerbside to cross over. How on earth do these things 'know' when it's safe for them to cross the road? I presume they have some sort of sensor which can tell when something or someone is close. But how far away? It then crossed the road and went in the direction of Fishermead. For some unexplained reason I can't use this service as they won't take orders within Oldbrook. Which seems odd, when I see these 'pods' going through the estate. I saw another one further down Oldbrook Boulevard, crossing from Oldbrook Green towards the school. I would like to order something just to give it a try. A newspaper of some sweets. Just seems ridiculous when they come through Oldbrook.

(Monday) Another Monday and a new month. I find it really hard to believe that we're three months into 2021. Christmas, such as it was, seems lightyears behind. It's cold out, and there's a thin fog hanging over Milton Keynes. I imagine it will burn off when, or if, the sun breaks through.

Later. I have managed to transfer all my handwritten material into word processing. I have used speech to text, which saves a good deal of time, as I merely read it out and it appears in more or less perfect word processed text. Mind you, it has a habit of mistaking some words and I need to check it, but apart from that, a few tweeks here and there and it's done. Around 27 pages and 7,000 words.

We're now being informed that there's yet ANOTHER virus variant. So? What do you expect me to do about it? If we keep on running away from this 'virus', in whatever form it's in, we'll never get out of lockdown. We should get some form of herd immunity as we do with any virus, be it from flu or other winter bugs that are flying about. You can't keep running away from it forever. I'm sure mankind has been able to survive for thousands of years with various viruses and bacteria. I remember my mother exposed us to all manner of bugs when we were children, having every sort of ailment going, from flu through mumps (not nice, I can tell you.) so we got through all those illnesses when we were young and built up an immunity. Also, living on a farm exposed us to dirt and muck and must have helped up build up immunity. As it is, today we're far to obsessed with cleanliness, anti bacterial this and that, which, in the end, does more harm than good. Killing off the natural flora which the body needs to fight infection. Look what has happened in hospitals with MRSA, the over-use of antibiotics such as penicillin and other similar drugs.

(Tuesday) A relatively mild morning with no fog. We were out around 6.30, which is great, because it's getting lighter earlier and earlier each morning. Very spring-like. Not much else to report at the moment.

The 'New Normal'

What on earth do they mean when they say 'The New Normal'? It's such a stupid expression. It is related to the current situation regarding the lockdown which was introduced to attempt to slow the spread of the corvid19 virus? So, what was the 'normal' before the pandemic? Going about your business without social distancing? I give up because nobody seems to know. I have come to the conclusion that it's a rather empty term anyway, so I'll forget it.

Wednesday. It's somewhat miserable, overcast with a 'sort of' drizzle. We didn't exactly get drenched when I took Alfie out around 6.45 this morning, but there again we didn't come back dry. I now realise that what I have written in that last sentence doesn't make a lot of sense, but who cares?

I intend walking into the main Milton Keynes shopping centre later as I have a haircut booked for 10a.m. I don't really want to drive as I'm not sure whether I have enough change to pay using the ticket machines in the usual carpark, although I do have an app called RinGo (who comes up with the names of these apps? What a silly name. Never mind.) but it doesn't always work so I can't trust it although it saves having to take change with me. I prefer to walk and I don't want to have to think about parking and, after all, walking is good exercise.

I'm really struggling to write anything vaguely interesting in these blog posts and had considered resting this blog until things change. It seems unlikely that this will happen any day soon, although I do miss my Tuesdays at Camphill. I can't believe my last text to Teo, the leader of the drama workshop, was in 30th March 4 months ago!

Later. I've been into the shopping centre to get my hair cut. I used the RinGo app to pay for parking, although I got there far too early. I had a chance to amble around the centre before walking along to Central Barbers where I waited about 10 minutes before my appointment, which was well on time and done to perfection and I'm so glad it's done. Over 4 months of hair being cut was wonderful and it makes me look about 10 years younger.

(Saturday) A mild day, but looking at the sky there are dark clouds so it's difficult to say whether it will remain dry or not. Quite a strong wind blowing.

I was planning to go to the creative writing group, which was meeting in the Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. At first I thought it was meeting in the Midsummer Place branch of Waterstones, but I got a message via Facebook which said they would meet outside Costa near Midsummer Place. It occurred to me that we would be able to sit in the seating area either outside or in the mall. As it was a pleasant and sunny afternoon I decided to walk and got to Costa but then saw that the seating had been removed in both places and even inside I could see that seating had been removed. I could have checked my mobile to get some idea where the meeting was going to be and would have sat and looked at my iPhone but all seating in the shopping centre had been restricted so that was out. So, I gave up on the idea and began to walk home. It was then that I needed a toilet but the main one in the shopping centre had a long queue outside and even the one in Midsummer Place was closed off to the public. Not a good idea. I suppose I could have tried the toilets in the upper floors below the carpark near Debenhams but I didn't bother so I began to walk home.