Suffering from the Wind & A Mouthful of Tea.

Sunday 15th November.
After finishing the mail last night, I went to bed and enjoyed a read until 01.10 am. There’s been a gale howling all night long. I was up at 4.18 am and was surprised after signing on to get a skype from MuJo as they’d been up all night with the storm. Sometimes it gets quite concentrated where they are. I started on the mail which was gentle enough at that time then as 5.00 am rolled round I went for my meds and some breakfast. I brought a coffee back with me.  When I got back all the Daily reports had been released to me and the mail outstanding was at 122. I must have done about 50  I thought before stopping for breakfast.                                                                                                          I remember seeing 8.15 am when I was working.All of a sudden I was coming awake and it was 9.25 am. Oops. I went through but Mike was still sleeping. I put the kettle on anyway. He got up at 10.10 am. I went through and joined him and also let Joey out of his cage. The storm was still blowing outside.

I managed to nod off in my chair for a short time too. I was tired but with lunchtime approaching I went to get dressed. Mike did the same. He said it was time for a drink as I was saying it was almost time to decide on lunch. He asked for bacon sandwiches at home instead of going out. I was happy to agree. While I  did the bacon, Mike cut and buttered the baps. I put a feel-good Christmas film on the TV and we ate.                                                                                                                                                                                                           We decided not to go out at all today but I suggested Mike went home early so he could travel while it was still light enough to see branches brought down by the fierceness of the wind. For once he agreed with me. So  , at 3.30 pm he gathered his stuff and said goodbye. As soon as he left I said my goodbye’s to Joey and came through to work. By that stage of the day It was already over 300 pieces of  post, not counting what I’d already done. I ploughed in and worked till 5.30 pm when I went in to give Joey a surprise and turn the light on. I had a piece of strawberry and rhubarb tart for my tea and watched a little TV.

At 7.00 pm I went back through to work and to see how my bid was doing on a snow suit for the baby to be. In the end I could have bought a baby for less so I searched for a couple more to bid on. Next one 8.30 pm. I caught up on mail and at 8.05 pm went back through to the lounge and my flight instructor. I’m apparently spending too much time in front of the computer,I know my rear end would agree.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The TV turned on alright but I was a little puzzled when it wouldn’t turn to the channel I wanted. I sat on my chair like a lemon trying to find the right position where it would work. It wouldn’t. It kept skipping between a channel showing a fishing competition between 3 men somewhere in Africa and The Antiques Roadhow ( not to be confused with the Road Trip). I might have lived in peace with one or other selection but my head was close to exploding when it would change channel in the middle of a sentence I wanted to hear the end of. I think I’m haunted. I even changed batteries in the remote in case that was the problem. Still,it forced me out of the lounge earlier than it would have. No doubt Joey will complain he was locked in and the light turned off but as I’ve already warned you, he exaggerates.

I was back in time to bid on a snowsuit for a baby which I won. I was also in time to put as bid on a Le Creuset casserole dish that I didn’t mind if I won or not. Mainly because I hadn’t 100% convinced myself it was exactly what the person wanted. I won it anyway so that rounded my night off nicely. I changed my  email address with ebay and then remembered to do it with paypal too.

Monday 16th November.

Last night I got up to date with mail, had a read and still managed to get the light out at midnight. Granted the light was only out a minute before I remembered I hadn’t taken my meds. The terrible thought that maybe it could have me standing naked in the rain beating my chest as a coachload of returning female bingo players passed by, made me get up and take them.  I’m not sure what time I eventually got to sleep but I’m sure it wasn’t long.                                                                                                                                     It was 3.53 am when I got up. I would normally be glad of the chance to attack my post as I should have been going to Chester today . Yvonne and Reuben are booked for their flu jabs tomorrow when I would normally go. However I’m not going because poor little Roobs isn’t well. He seems to have a chest infection and a bad cough. He seems prone to things like this.It obviously runs in the family though I’ve been fine recently ( touch wood). So, I have all day to keep the mail in check now.

After a flying visit to the loo I came back and logged on to the computer. At that time there were only 20 emails which took no time at all. By 5.30 am I  was clear even with another batch of emails in. At that point I decided to go for breakfast and to take my morning meds. I was back by 6.10 m and mail was still a steady trickle until 7.00 am today, then it was an avalanche. It came, it came and it came. I remember a point where I read 83 so I worked on about 6 of them and checked,it was now 97. The more I did the more that came. At about 9.00 am I realised I’d made real headway and had just 26 again. As I checked them I found they were responses to the ones I’d already done and I was just creating an email echo. No  matter what I did something would come back at me.                                                                                                                                                  It was 9.55 am when I was able to go through to release Joey, see, it’s all your fault he complains not mine. As a treat I hung a new honey seed ring in his cage.He’s given up on the main one since he found the fruit in it. He’ll have scurvy soon if he’s not careful. I quickly swept the floor around his cage to get rid of the seed husks and then turned on the TV for Homes Under the Hammer.

I had time to return to work at 11.00 am and play catch up but my warden came at 11.30 am and was here chatting for half an hour. It’s great, some weeks she’s the only company I have bar Joey and he bullies me if I stay with him too much. After she’d gone I made lunch, watched Bargain Hunt then nodded off for an hour. I had to play a lot of catch up after that to make up for the sleep.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I didn’t return to the lounge until 5.15 pm when the quizzes started. I was there until 6.30 pm then legged it before Come Dancing or whatever came on. Again I worked until 8.00 pm when I went to watch two DIY SOS’s. I have to be reminded of the goodness still in the World and what people are capable of.                                                                 At 10.00 pm I said goodnight to Joey, turned everything off and came back through to do the blog and any remaining mail.

A cough won’t keep me down.

When Mum asked if I wanted a penguin I thought she meant the chocolate biscuit.

Tuesday 17th November.

I managed an early night last night. Even though I read quite a bit I was still  able to turn the light out at midnight.  I had a small comfort problem which took a while to adjust to but I did get to sleep….until 1.00 am. After a visit to  the loo  I went to sleep the rest of the night in my chair. I woke at 3.03 am. I was still tired but that was the sleep for that part.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        It was time to log onto the computer. I was quite surprised just how much mail had accrued in gmail. It took until almost 4.30 am to complete. It seemed a good time to try and get another 40 winks so I lay on the bed, shut my eyes and was away. The next time I woke felt much better, it was 5.42 am. Before starting work I decided to go for my meds but didn’t want breakfast this morning. I brought a coffee back to face the fray.                                                                                                                                                                          It started well enough. Just ten messages on screen. As I worked my way through them the numbers increased. I had done a lot and saw the balance was 68 to go. I did a load more and the balance was now 66, and so it went on. The last one to be done at 8.36 am when the squawked demands of Joey sent me through to open the cage door. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t come out yet as it was still dark and overcast but he’d won his first battle of the day just getting me there to  talk to him.

I stayed with him a while and then at 8.50 am I got ready to go out. I started out fully intending to get on the bus but once outside started diverting myself towards Pauline’s instead. I gave myself a massive mental kick and moved back towards the bus stop. I stood far enough away that no-one in the queue would talk to me but I didn’t see a face I recognised anyway. When the bus arrived I let everyone get on so I had chance to change my mind at the last minute, but I did make it. In town I intended letting everyone get off and go about their business but someone kindly stopped and indicated that I could go first which was really nice. I got off at the best speed I could manage and walked towards LIDL.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A quick waltz round the shop brought me a few things I could use for Christmas and I was able to get the weekly special offer brochure too. I left and started taking a slow walk down the High Street. The sky was looking grim but the rain held off. Half way down the street is a passage between two buildings. I went through there , through the library car park and into the new Home Bargains. I spent a full half hour in there and got a few nice things which will be perfect as stocking gifts. I felt much happier knowing I’d done it , scared and proud that I’d managed a trip alone albeit a short one and I’d stayed clear of people.

Heading back up the street I was thirsty. There was a little cafe with no-one in. I think I know why there was no-one in. I asked for a tea. It was a cup rather than a mug but I could live with that. First two tries though the man held the cup under the machine and pressed a button for water which came from another nozzle  from where the cup was. Third time lucky ( and he was bloody lucky not to have scalded himself) and he got water into the cup. It was a small cup and he only half filled it. He dropped a tea bag in the water, gave it a few stirs with a spoon took the tea bag out which now included some of my water, added milk (without asking) and charged me £1. It was as well I  had some saccharine with me as they had none. There was just about a mouthful in the cup ( now now, no need to be rude to me) which was gone almost as soon as I reached the table. Oh yes, I’m on crutches and carrying two bags but there was no offer to carry my tea over for me. There were some nicely handcrafted things in the shop but I didn’t stop to really look at them as I didn’t feel like buying there again.

I walked slowly to the bus stop and didn’t have too long to wait before one came. Ten minutes later I was walking into Pauline’s and picking up my TV mag, some micro chips and some chips with a certain added subject that some think I over-indulge in.  Back at home it was 11.00 am and I stood unpacking the shopping as I talked to Joey. He seemed quiet this morning. I left to do 45 minutes on the post before going back to do lunch. I can’t mention what I had but the two baps I had with it from LIDL’s fresh bread range were beautiful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Bargain Hunt was on as I ate and Joey didn’t make a sound. Afterwards I closed my eyes in the chair and didn’t hear a peep from him. I slept till 1.55 pm and then had to return to work. I was away until 5.15 pm and expected a fuss when I got back to the lounge. Not a sound though he’s still moving around as usual. I had the last of the strawberry and rhubarb tart for my tea and just sat talking to him. I was there until 9.00 pm and though he came out to sit on the mirror he was quiet all evening. I really must be in the dog house. Just as well I’m in all day tomorrow.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                At 9.00 pm I took my meds, turned the TV off and said goodnight to Joey. I left the lounge door open so I could hear him but he’s still been quiet. I had a good catch up on mail then did the blog. It will be an 11.30 pm bed night I think.

Dick Turpin’s ride to York.

Black Bess, the faithful steed.

Wednesday 18th November.

I achieved my 11.30 pm bed more or less. I read till 12.30 pm, turned my light off and settled down. I woke up at 1.21 m thinking it was later, once I’d focused I suggested Porcinus ( for it could only be he from the laugh) go away and procreate. I didn’t even bother swinging my legs out of bed I just went back to sleep.                                                   I woke again and my bladder suggested I get up, so I did. It felt as though it was light outside as I moved but on reaching the bathroom I could tell it was not. I could also tell from the fresh laughter that Somnos was on the case and I was now wide awake. It was now just 2.01 am.                                                                                                                                I refused to show any disappointment or anger so I just signed onto the computer and started on the mail. By 3.15 am I couldn’t stop myself yawning and as I  got up to date on the mail decided to go sit in my chair in the lounge and see if I could sneak a little more sleep in. I couldn’t but at least I couldn’t sense the presence of the gods. By 3.30 am I was back at work which was still trickling in. At 4.15 am I lay down on my bed, pleased the mail box was empty. I closed my eyes and woke up at 5.00 am refreshed.  Time for my meds and some breakfast, Rice Krispies today since I don’t want to hide another tub of butter in my moustache.

I return complete with coffee at 5.35 am and pick off the odd email whilst waiting for the onslought of the daily notifications. It started at 6.05 am and grew and grew. I was thinking I’d never leave this room today but of course I did the moment Homes Under the Hammer was due on. That was the time Joey decided I was worth talking to at last.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       At 11.00 am I came back and started again. This time I made real progress and cleared the last one at 11.55 am in time to do lunch. One noticeable thing was that there had been no sign of the postman up to that time but I suppose I could have missed him as the weather was foul out there and for a while I was concentrating on the TV screen to try and hear what was being said. I just got yup to walk to the kitchen when there was a knock at the door which made me jump about three feet in the air. The delivery of some green baize to cover the card table.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Lunch was pleasant and uneventful. I left a lot but it was meant to feed two so that was expected.  I watched Bargain Hunt and saw it to the end but did manage to nod off in the chair after that. Even half an hour perks you up  so I was twice as perky as that. I came back through to leave feedback and to deal with more mail. I’m glad some parts of the world must be asleep now. I’ve decided that I should ask that people who want to write do so between 12.00 and 12.02 am BST and if they can’t manage that not to bother. I’m sure I’d cope fine then.

At 5.00 pm I went back to the lounge. Dil had sent a text to say he was running late and would be there between 5.00 – 5.15 pm. I prepared his cup and put the TV on ready for our quiz. He was there in time for the start. We watched that and then out came the games table and the Yahtzee. In the first game Dil won three on the trot and I won the next three. There was no chance he’d want to leave it a draw so we started a new game.  One of the gods must have felt they owed me a favour as I won the first 5 of the 6 games and I’d had Yahtzees in 4 of the games, one even having 4 Yahtzee and a score of over 600. Dil tore up the score sheets at the end smaller than confetti so no-one could see them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             We moved on to Trivial Pursuit. We both managed to get 5 of our segments pretty quickly but struggled to get the last. I achieved it first then Dil a few goes later. Then it was a struggle to land in the middle though when I did he asked me a sports question knowing I’d blow it. As it was approaching his time to go, when he reached the middle I asked a  reasonable question which he answered. At least now I was sure he wouldn’t kick a cat on the way out now. Honours more or less even again.                                              I had a quick tidy up then washed the pots. I took my evening meds and went through to close Joey’s cage door and wish him goodnight. It was time to come through and catch up on my mail and write the blog. No problem, I reckon another 11.30 pm bedtime but I’m not sure I’ll read tonight.

I’ll take a running jump I think.

You watching Mum in case I whiz past?

Thursday 19th November.

I slept until 4.07 am today from about 12.30 am. Not too shabby for a change. My snoring obviously didn’t disturb Joey and his occasional chirp didn’t disturb me. Though I must add that it’s funny, the past twice I’ve slept in my chair,Joey hasn’t come out of his cage early on but has stayed in a little fluff ball, head down, asleep. I paid my morning visit to the Piddle Palace and then came through to the bedroom to sign on. As with most days there was plenty of your post to keep me going but today I only did half so I could break off at 5.00 am for meds and breakfast. Cornflakes today, heck I’m so health conscious.                                                                                                                           After that I made a coffee to bring back and start the second half. A few more had trickles in but I wasn’t worried. I was making some progress when at 6.10 am the deluge started. Over 100 messages in about five minutes. I started working in earnest ( a little village in the back of beyond) but by the time I finished at 8.40 am I was workimg on answers to the ones I’d just done.

I went through to the lounge to open the cage door for Joey. He looked at me as if to say ” Shhhh, budgie sleeping” then curled his head back under his wing and ignored me. I sat down and had a cigarette trying not to disturb him. As soon as the cigarette was out I went to put my shoes on and my coat then headed for Pauline’s. I needed bread and milk as well as the lottery tickets. I left a note on the door just in case any parcels came while I was out. They didn’t.                                                                                              Back at home I unpacked in the kitchen. I told Joey I’d be back in time to watch TV with him then came through to answer the next set of mail. My wonderful friend in Australia had written her usual comic responses to my emails to  her. That kept me going for a while. In fact just long enough for ‘Homes’ to start.                                                      After my programme was over I was well behaved and returned to work without complaint. No audible ones anyway. I knew I had only to work for three quarters of an hour and I’d be off again, this time to prepare lunch. I peeled sweet potatoes, set the sausages going on the grill (or under it if you prefer) and opened a tin of veg. In the very last minute I made myself some onion gravy and I was set. It was wonderful.

I came back through at 1.00 pm with the intention of staying here until 5.15 pm but was rewarded when my hard work meant an empty box at 4.45 pm instead so I got some Flog It. The only time I made appearance in front of my desk was from 6.00 – 6.30 pm because after that I had an antique show, The Big Bang Theory and The Last Kingdom. Once 10.00 pm and I stopped swinging my seax (no that’s not a dirty word) at the Danes (sorry Birgit, you know I love you) I came back to my room. I didn’t know what time Mike would arrive tonight so there was no point in staying up. I might as well work till he got here which as it happened was 10.30 pm. I made his coffee  and had a quickish chat with him before coming back to finish off the right side of midnight.

Oh, there was one thing I wanted to share with you all tonight…

Five weeks tomorrow is Christmas Day !!!! But less than that when you get to read it. he he

Advert. Stuck for gift ideas?  Ebay is full of them. I was looking for a personalised box the other day and came across this gem

A brilliant personalised gift.   Number  371469034697

Filled with a variety of teabags or maybe sweets this could be a very special gift. Check the size of the sections first as there are others specifically for teabags.                              P.S. I understand you don’t have to have a friend called Samantha, he he.

Friday 20th November.

Lights out about 12.40 am, I was ready to sleep. Up again at 2.21 am but not ready to wake. I nipped to the loo and saw Mike was still on his tablet. It seems like me he’d been to sleep and the woken. He couldn’t get back to sleep though and was waiting for sleep to come and drop  the tablet from his hangs. After my loo  visit I went back to my room and took up the book again for a short while, about a cigarette’s worth. I turned the light off again and slept. Up again at 3.33 am  but this time I knew I was awake. I went through to check on Mike and at last he’d fallen asleep again. Great, I couldn’t cope with the two of us wandering around and bumping into each other. I may be awake but I’m not sure I’m sociable.

I opened my email on the computer and there were enough to keep me going until 4.51 am. I had a cigarette then went through to the kitchen to take my meds and to prepare my pillboxes for next week. That’s my boxes for pills and not machine gun nests. I returned coffee in hand about 6.40 am and just took my time with the emails that trickled in. At 6.10 am the flood started when all the daily notifications from WordPress posts were sent to me.. As I worked I watched the numbers jump,23, 49, 67, 93 until finally they started responding to my work and coming down. It was 9.20 am before I managed to get clear and release Joey from his confinement. ( no , he wasn’t having a baby).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           After a major struggle with his alarm clock and with me bringing him coffee, Mike got up around the same time as I went through to the lounge and joined me. He was really pushing his luck as he had an appointment in Manchester at 11.30 am and he was still sitting with me at 9.55 am. I’m not sure how he did it but he left the house at 10.05 am. He has a turn of speed Superman would be proud of but it’s one I’ll never see on a Saturday morning.                                                                                                                                         After he’d gone I watched Homes Under the Hammer with Joey doing a running commentary in fluent Budgie. Then I came back to my room and started catching up again.

I wasn’t clear until 12.05 pm and had to scoot to get my lunch.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Once lunch was over I fully intended returning to work straight away but somehow I just ended up dreaming about it. I know you’ll find it hard to believe that I could fall asleep in the middle of the day ( cough) but it just happened. If it’s of any comfort I missed the auction part of Bargain Hunt again.                                                                                    The long awaited return didn’t happen until 1.50 pm so to make up for it I did without my early entertainment and waited until my quiz at 5.15 pm. At 6.00 pm when I could have worked I got hooked on a programme about King Arthur which was interesting and left a lot of questions at 7.00 pm it was the Celebrity Antique Road Trip and Mike returned halfway through it and then at 8.00 pm was Mastermind. Such hard work all this viewing.                                                                                                                                        At 8.30 pm I went for a shower and Mike washed my hair for me to save me putting my arms above my head. We both know I’m in a delicate condition today. Then I went back to the lounge, made a sandwich for us and watched Michael Portillo’s train ride through Germany until 1.00 pm when I came back to work. I was pretty sure I’d be in bed before midnight at that time but Mike came and did my legs afterwards and now I’m not so sure. There was a fair bit of post.Still, if you all read a bit faster than I type maybe I’ll make it yet.

Saturday 21st November.

Lights out 12.30 am. Lights on 2.10 am I was having doubts about Somnos’s parentage. After another try I gave up and went to sit in the lounge. I smoked a cigarette for the heat and light as it was freezing last night. I’d have snuggled up to Joey but he was having none of it. I did drop off again and woke at 4.50 am. Now I knew for sure that Somnos worked behind a bar. Saturday, the day I shop early and he allows me to sleep late. I had to have breakfast , take my meds, do all the bins and recycling bags and then try to get Mike up at 6.30 am as well as try to get some mail done. It’s not like the small god doesn’t know that I have a flood of mail at 6.10 am. I don’t know where or when but there will be a reckoning. It’s not even like I’ve refused him any favours recently, mind you, I haven’t done him any either.

I’ll make it easy this week and just tell you the score with Mike was 1C -3A  I would have called him more than once but I was busy. Anyway to be honest, taking first the food waste and main rubbish out and then the recycling bags ensured blasts of cold air right into his bedroom which I’m sure worked better than a call. The three alarms were all it took then. I left him alone while I tried to shift some post but he got dressed and presented himself ready to go out at 7.25 am.                                                                        I had only to throw my coat on and add a dashing flat cap and we were away. Though there were cars with snow on there was no snow on the roads. We got to the supermarket safely. Tatws first and then flowers. I was ready to leave then but Mike suggested some food first. I went to the chocolate aisle. OK, I added some meat and sausages to the mix and even some biscuits, milk , butter and yoghurts. See,you’re surprised now. I bought a couple of nice candles for Christmas too.                                            We sat with a coffee and discussed our next move. It was as cold as ice (cue for a song there) outside but the sun was blazing down in our eyes. We headed for Flint.

We parked up outside Temptations then walked over to Homies and then to B&M (BUM) where we both picked up a couple of things. That went in the car and out came the chocolates for the girls and Kyle. Kyle saw us coming in and mouthed to me  “Usual”, I nodded yes and worked my way to the counter through the puddle of drool Mike was leaving as he spied Sian on the front counter. I paid Kyle, passed over today’s chocolates and picked up the tray of drinks with Mike’s teasted toecake.                                    Once we left there it was the Original Factory Shop next where Mike persuaded me to buy myself some new slippers as it seems my old ones have been disturbing him walking about on their own at night. Mike bought some gloves. Then we went to Poundland for some paintstripper anti-deodorant for Mike. He usually squirts it and applies a naked flame so he can get rid of the five o’clock shadow on his chin and that’s 5.00 am !

We were due to meet up with Yvonne in the afternoon and as yet didn’t know the time so we went home at 11.30 am to unpack the shopping. I had time to hit a bit more mail and at 1.00 pm when we went out I had it just below 100 left. We went to the chip shop in town and as we sat I had a text from Yvonne to say they’d just left Old Colwyn. Fine, allowing them half an hour travel we had time to eat so I texted back, “Meet you outside Homies at 1.40 pm” Mike and I ate and went up to the shop a little early. Note this daughter, UPHILL for two old men gasping for breath, I know this as we were right behind them. I checked my phone which said “Reuben’s gone to sleep, will drive slowly and meet you at 2.00 pm”. With a pair of deep sighs we walked back downhill to go round town . We were just coming out of the pet shop when my phone went again. It was 2.50 pm. “There now, a little early”. I’m bloody positive a feral growl came from my mouth as we walked back up the hill.                                                                 Ugo got Reuben from the car as Yvonne stood there shivering. We ushered her into the shop. It’s a huge shop which is why she wanted to see it. Mike and I bullied Reuben, Yvonne got to look round and Ugo got to nip to the loo nearby.I had Mike’s help to bully Yvonne so that I was able to buy a few things needed for baby to come and managed to fill a basket. I was really pleased. I said she’d pay for that bank transfer !!!!!!

We parted at 3.00 pm and Mike and I came home. I was straight onto the computer until 6.00 pm. Celebrity quiz time followed, Sharpe’s Rifles then Murdoch Mysteries which had quite a heartbreaking ending this time and I greatly appreciated the talent of the acting in those final minutes. After that I was free to return to work to ensure I was post free and blog free before midnight. And I’m going to make it too.