Have you reclaimed PPI ? & The Unicorn

Sunday 1st May.

Bed 12.15 am
Read to 1.10 am Ready for sleep.
Up at 6.18 am Miraculous.

Straight through to take my morning meds then grab a coffee to bring back. I signed into my mail and was horrified it was already over the 100 mark and the new stuff hadn’t even arrived. I got stuck in. At 7.00 am Mike’s alarm went off . It was dry outside despite the forecast but I just went through to his room and told him to turn the alarm off when it rang again. He could sleep in. By the time he got up at 9.40 am I was practically done so I let him make his own coffee and went through when I’d  done. I was tired out as though I hadn’t had my own lie-in this morning. I had to fight the idea of snoring in my chair.

There was a little mix up as to whether we were going to take some things over to Yvonne this morning, but it seemed they were going out. Then this afternoon they were going to a street fair. We could have taken the things in between their two outings but I thought that would make our timing very tight and we couldn’t enjoy a visit. Mike offered to drop them in on his way home by which time they’d be back from the fair.That was great. It was as well things worked that way as he nipped out to help the daughter of a neighbour move a piece of furniture they’d got jammed in the door. Thankfully he got dressed first.                                                                                                                   We left to go for lunch about 11.40 am  and ended up at the Bells of St Mary’s. It was good timing as they were just opening the carvery. A bit of a queue but not too bad. I’d been telling him to prepare for a shock, they’re introducing a pizza bar with help yourself salads. I should have let him sit down first. I noticed that they’re closing tomorrow until the 20th to prepare. We spent half out lunchtime speculating as to where it will go.

After lunch we headed for Prestatyn and a shop I hoped would give me some inspiration with gift ideas for my niece. It did.  I got two nice things the equivalent of the head I got Jo, only these weren’t broken yet. I thought maybe delivering by hand might prevent that from happening. Mike was asking if there was anywhere else I wanted. I answered “No thanks but I’m happy to carry on if there’s anywhere you want.” When we got back  in the car he brought us home which I thought was unlike him but when we were in the football went on and I understood. That gave me chance to work for an hour and a half though I kept nodding over the keyboard so we’ll re-assess that to an hour. When the football was over I went through and found he’d done the flowers already at half time. We started watching a Steve Martin film which would go off the minute Mike left unless he stayed till the end. He did leave at 5.20 pm so the TV went off and we carried the bags out to the car . There were quite a few and it would have made my journey on Tuesday quite difficult.

Once he’d gone, I put some episodes of NCIS on and settled until 9.00 pm. I locked Joey in, took my evening meds and came through. I went back long enough to  demolish a piece of rhubarb tart Mike had left me. I settled to work again. Another chunk. I was done with mail by 11.05 pm and able to start the blog. Early finish with luck.

Mates Day.

Teething troubles

 

Monday 2nd May.

Bed 11.55 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Read till 12.45 am                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Up again at 1.53 am. I hoped to be able to try again in a couple of hours.

I found myself working until 6.51 am on the existing posts but there was a mysterious gap between about 3.00 a and 4.15 am where nothing was done though judging from the fact that the mouse was hanging off the desk until 4.15 am an attempt or two might have been made. What struck me as particularly lucky is that I hadn’t been answering a message or commenting when darkness struck or another famous ‘coded’ message might have appeared in Australia or somewhere. We’ll say there was just a Zzzz bridge between two periods of useful activity. As I finished that last period at 6.51 am, at 6.52 am new mail began to appear. I took a two minute break then jumped right back in the pool.

By 9.30 am I was stretching and pulling the ‘I’m so tired I’d better relax in the lounge’ card but that may have had something to do with HUtH being on early today. I went to watch it and only returned to work at 10.45 am. One thing I notice is that not enough people are taking advantage of the holiday to go out. The volume of mail is at an all time high today. Bargain Hunt was on early too at midday so I gave up in here at 11.45 am and went to make myself some lunch in the shape of some very healthy beef salad baps followed by a strawberry yoghurt. Once Bargain Hunt was over I found my jeans superglued to the chair and sunk into deep thought for a way to get out.              I woke had revelations at about 2.20 pm and found my hot-bot must have melted the glue and I could move. That saved me getting a hernia trying to climb out of them where they were. I went back to the office to work yet again. I worked hard until 4.30 pm then returned to the lounge for PYMWYMI, they were in an antiques market on the Continent today and the envy was dripping from my chin. So many nice things, not too expensive and me here.One of them got a beautiful figure of a greyhound.life size for £15. I had a work break from 5.15 pm to 5.45 pm while the quiz was on then I made tea (healthy ham salad baps this time, with a rhubarb yoghurt). I watched Without a Trace then SG1 before watching Sanctuary apart from the last two minutes when Joey set up a huge racket so I have no idea who is invading who but I know it’s in Indonesia. Thanks Joey. It’s possible this was because I was due to lock his cage and say goodnight but as he was already in there when I did it I’m not sure. When I got back the in box was overflowing again. I had to ignore many of the ‘likes’ and quite a few of the reblogs where I’d seen the original. Also if people had done a lot of posts I couldn’t go through them all so I did just some of them. Sorry Peeps but I’m tired. It still took me till 10.35 pm.  This blog has been shorter than usual but has still taken till 11.20 pm. I just have to add pics and music and I can go to bed. Out in the morning.

Look of expectation.

But I’m hungry……

THEN 1960’s

Tuesday 3rd May.

Bed 11.30 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Read to 12.35 am Ready to sleep.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Woke at 1.18 am and thought B*gger this for a game of soldiers, and refused to move. Up at 3.12 am. Could live with that.

Though accepting my wakefulness, I did sit on the edge of the bed for a minute or two trying to decide in which order to do things this morning. I settled on work, meds and dressed so turned on the computer and signed into my mail. 42 since I closed down last night. I had my meds and some breakfast at 5.00 am then came back to work 30 minutes later. I worked until 6.38 am when I finally finished the first batch- plus the answers they generated, and stopped to get dressed. It’s possible I won’t get more now until about 7.10 am, but they’ll have to wait until I return from Chester this afternoon.                                                                                                                                                                                I left the house at 7.30 am and walked to the bus stop. Naturally the bus beat me to it and I had to speed up but the driver was outside having a non-smoke when I got there gasping for breath. We were soon under way and I sent Yvonne a text to let her know then shut my eyes. When I arrived in Chester a couple of minutes early there was no sign of them but then got a text to say they were on the way. I walked the length of the street to meet them. I spotted Yvonne texting and guessed it was to me so got my phone out. The message said ‘Just round the corner’, I was going to text back ‘So am I’ when she saw me and laughed. Her morning crisis, she’s left her purse in Ugo’s car.

We went to get a coffee and give me chance of bladder relief which is not some new kind of health cake. any more than bladder wrack is some kind of health issue or torture, though some people may not agree with me. After coffee I had a quick look upstairs at the clothes and the bedding but didn’t see anything. I did however manage to persuade Yvonne to let me get her a couple of things downstairs.We didn’t even come to blows about it. From there we went to another shop as Reuben had been promised the chance to look for alizard. He didn’t find one but did find some Power Rangers figures instead. Another shop where we bought nothing and then a wander downstairs in a WH Smith’s where there id often a lot of clearance stock. Today was no different and I managed to get as few little things for the kids and craft stuff for Yvonne. Then Reuben saw something he wanted. Yvonne patiently explained maybe next time as he’s chosen a toy today. That got thrown to the floor, he didn’t want it now. Yvonne was very patient but the screams started so we had to take him away from the toy altogether. Up in the lift, through the shop and outside in the street the screaming persisted, though not altogether convincing but he wasn’t backing down. I was delighted to see neither was Yvonne. Eventually the tantrum ran it’s course but not before every window on the street was wide open and people leaning out wondering where they air raid siren was.                                                                                                                                                                                 He’s a beggar for trying to force your hand by playing to the crowd but I’m so proud of Yvonne for the way she handled it because all parents know how embarrassing it is when the howling starts and the world and his wife thinks the child is being mistreated rather than the parent is.

When it came time to go I was at the bus stop about a minute before the bus was due to go. It was ten minutes later I realised it had gone. RATS! I had to say my goodbye’s and walk to the main bus station to try for one of the company that has a different route and takes longer. I got there about 12.05 pm and had to wait until 12.30 pm. Fine. I got on the bus and wondered if I should have waited another 20 mins and got my usual from there. The journey wasn’t too bad but I’d done my usual hour’s journey and only got as far as Flint, and that’s where my normal bus number passed us. It took another half an hour to get home, till 2.00 pm. Lucky for me the chippy doors were still open so  I went and ordered chips, sausage and curry sauce. I told her how upset I’d been to find myself pouring gravy instead of curry sauce last time. She took it in good part. Despite an argument she charged me less and also gave me an extra sausage. I was the last customer of the lunchtime session.

I came home and ate as I was apologising to Joey for deserting him so much later than usual. Then I had to desert him again to come back to work. I worked till 4.30 pm and then again between 5.15 pm and 6.00 pm I managed to get the post down but not complete it. At 6.00 pm I put Without a Trace on but don’t remember seeing the end. I missed SG1 and also Sanctuary. It was dark when I woke and some kind of haunting thing was on. On the TV that is, not in real life. I have Joey for that. Neither of us were happy. Me because I’d missed my programmes and slept past 9.00 pm, Joey because I hadn’t put a light on so he could come out to play. I had to shut his cage door before I dared put the light on. I took my meds and came through.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          It took me until 11.15 pm to clear the accumulated mail before I could hit the blog.Consider this a late one.

Tickle Attack

Faintly amused.

FROM 1981

Still there in 2015 LIVE

Wednesday 4th May.

Bed. 12.06 am Legs slathered.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Read 1.13 am Book 4 The Burning Land and still as exciting. Fairly quickly to sleep.                                                                                                                                                                                  Up. 2.27 am  A trip to loo land then back to sign in to mail. I hoped to doze off again before breakfast.

The first round of mail kept me going until 4.50 am so that was the perfect time for breakfast and medications ( to keep The Hulk chained). At 5.20 am I thought trying for an hour in my chair was a good idea.It was an idea that didn’t come off as I remembered while I had breakfast to put the washing machine on. I returned to work after breakfast until the washer was due to finish, when I put the washing on to dry. As I was already around, I checked the post box, saw more had arrived and just sat to do it which covered me until 6.52 am. I got dressed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              At 7.00 am I sat in my chair in the lounge, stretched out my legs and closed my eyes. I must have been giving secret code signals in budge because Joey chose that exact moment to start attacking his swing which has bells on, his ladders which have bells on and in turn his two mirrors which also have bells on. All this accompanied by his rather melody free singing.  I talked gently to him and I tutted and even imitated the budgie squeaks for “Your place or mine” but I couldn’t shut him up. I had to sit it out until he went quiet. I nodded off but at 8.05 am was woken by the phone. It had to be a stranger as everyone I know avoids ringing me as I don’t answer the phone. I had to go and check for messages anyway in case it was urgent but it was  the millionth call to ask me if I’d reclaimed my PPI. Let me make this as clear as I can, SOD OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE. Don’t call me I’ll call you (never).

I got the now dry washing out and put it on the airer. Then I returned to work to deal with the latest stuff. There was quite a lot of it but I was determined to pace myself. I paced myself up to 9.55 am then went to watch my HUtH. Joey was having a fierce argument with the bird that inhabits the big mirror. He kept rapping his beak against it but the other bird countered with precise raps of it’s own. I don’t know what he’ll do if I ever take that mirror down and replace it with a big picture instead.                                    At 11.00 am I returned to work for a while trying to clear as much as I could before lunch I finished at 11.45 am to go and start it. I was having the liver and onions today with some micro chips. It was very nice. I watched Bargain Hunt until 1.00 pm. Jade had sent a message to say she was coming today which shew changed to say she ‘d come tomorrow instead if that was OK. I had to say it wasn’t as MuJo may come Thurs or Friday and I don’t know which. So,it was change back to today again and about 1.30 pm. Fine, that would leave me clear for Dil’s arrival.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               It was 2.10 pm before she arrived and I was worried that if she did her two hours it might just conflict with Dil’s arrival. When she did arrive I said I was going to try and get my head down for a while in my bedroom because I was short on sleep. That was OK she told me. Beggar me, I’d nodded off nicely when at 2.35 pm the hoover started up outside my bedroom door. I returned to work again. At 3.30 pm Jade asked if there was anything more she could do. I should have gone and checked but I just said not if there’s nothing she could see. I passed her pay and she left. I carried on working until 4.15 pm then decided that was enough and went through. Dil arrived at 4.25 pm so I made him a cuppa before the PYMWYMI started. He’d been to see his grandson, my great nephew Nathan before coming to me. Nathan is 1 today. I’ve got his gifts here as I haven’t been able to get them to him. Lee says it’s not a problem, he can have them on 22nd when we get together for his and Karen’s birthdays. Not a solution I like but the choices are few.

When TV went off at 6.00 pm the ritual humiliation started. I was beaten 7-5 at Yahtzee. I was beaten by just one slice of pie at Trivial Pursuits and then hammered at cribbage just to put the boot in. Somebody left for home whistling. I nailed the door shut hoping he might have left his car keys behind then I went and did a quick tidy up, washed the pots, took my meds and then locked Joey in his cage. I put the landing lights on in the hall then went through to my room.                                                                                 I worked on emails until 11.00 pm then started on the blog. I intend to be in bed for midnight and will catch up on the remains of the mail in the morning.

Wide Eyed.

The slippers that tickle.

Thursday 5th May.

Bed .12.00 am                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Read 12.58 am.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Up at 2.21 am though in fairness that should read awake at followed by up at 2.33 am when I knew I wasn’t going to fall asleep again..

I can’t recall a time when I didn’t get up early. In the RAF, I never had a problem being up before the sergeant came in to suggest that we’d better be holding our socks. I suppose the only difference I can recall is that I had to get dressed early whereas now I can lounge about for hours before I need do that,unless I’m going out of course. Most of our supermarkets have a strict no pyjamas policy. Of course they don’t enforce a strict policy of battledress or best blues like the RAF did but standards are dropping everywhere. I wouldn’t mind going back to those days when I had a 28″ waist. . I still have the 28″ waist of course but now it keeps warm wrapped in another 10″of blubber. Anyhoo, back to today,I worked until glancing up at the clock it was 4.37 am. Unfortunately, what made me glance at the clock was stretching my neck after having nodded off over a hot keyboard. I don’t know how long I’d been out but I came up like  unicorn where I’d been resting my head on a pen and the skin had grown round it. I just hoped it was still the same day.

At 5.45 am I went to take my meds and get some breakfast. It was getting quite light and when I’d finished Joey had changed position in his cage so I opened his door so he could exit when ready. When I returned with a coffee, my face bearing a grin that despite the shakes here was still some coffee in the cup, I just continued where I’d left off. Post was coming in all the time, especially at the 7.10 am mark so it was 8.25 am before I had an empty mail box. I’d make an effort to keep on top of it, but for now I could get dressed ready to go to Pauline’s at 9.00 am. I want to get back as I’m expecting deliveries today with luck.                                                                                                                                   I got back from the shop and unpacked my bag. After just finishing a couple more pieces of post I headed fro the lounge to sit with Joey. If he started squawking again I was prepared to sit on him. My HUtH cme on and I was enjoying it. Naturally that meant I started to nod but I came awake with a start when I heard something. When I finally realised what it as I almost broke my neck dashing to the front door. The Postman had turned away to leave but I did the only thing I could and jumped on his back. I spent three hours explaining to the police I wasn’t trying to steal the mail. I got all the parcels I was waiting for and sat opening them while HUtH was still on. Once it was over I came through to leave feedback and to deal with any mail that had come in. I worked until 11.50 am and then being clear I could go and see to lunch. I settled on salad baps again today. My oh my, I’ll be so healthy. I must be miles ahead on the 5 a month thing now.

Following lunch and Bargain Hunt I returned to my room to see if there had been more mail. I really didn’t want to get behind today. By 3.00 pm I was clear and thought I might just treat myself to Escape from the Country. I think I got as far as Escape before my eyes went and the picture taped to the inside of my eyelids became fascinating again. My ‘Put Your Money Where  Your Mouth Is’ started at 4.30 pm but I was still practising  with the buzz saw at that point and didn’t regain consciousness until 4.43 pm. No way was I leaving the screen to come and check my monitor then.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Mike arrived for the last 15 minutes so I quickly made him a coffee so he could enjoy it. We caught up with a natter during the start of the quiz Countless which was on next. I knew I wouldn’t be returning to my room for a while yet. At 6.00 pm I turned over for Without a Trace which had quite a sad ending this time. Part way through Mike refused my offer of making him something to eat ( he’s no fool) and opted for the chippy. Let me be totally clear now, I did not have anything after showing how healthy I could eat at lunchtime. ( Just as well he hasn’t seen the last couple of days). At 7.00 pm he was back with his meal and watched The Great Antique Road Trip with me. Two good competitors and a great show.( Charles Hanson wasn’t on this one).

At 8.00 pm I channel hopped again to ‘Sanctuary’ which I’ve started following. They were being audited by a particularly unpleasant Government lackey who was making threats. How dare they threaten Amanda Tapping like that. I’d love to go and live in that house she and the others occupy. I’m guessing it must be a massive landmark in Canada though at first I thought it was a church. At 9.00 pm as it ended I went through to take my meds, locked Joey in his cage and deserted Mike. Ireturned to pay the price for being absent so long. It took until 10.57 to clear the mail and be able to start the blog. I think I’m online for an 11.45 pm finish if I’m lucky and if not a lot more mail has arrived.

Enjoying the Spring sunshine

Reuben makes a conquest. Cor…..

Friday 6th May.

Bed. 12.05 am  Mike had been talking to me bout the terrible effect the non-smoking tablets are having on him. Bad dreams and depression. I told him to stop taking them.  Read until 12.58 am was probably asleep before the light finished fading after I switched it off.                                                                                                                                                               Up at 2.25 am. A trip to tinkle land didn’t mean I could go back to sleep where I left off. If I was having a mucky dream I’d have to catch up later.

I’d finished the first lot’The Overnighters’ by 4.15 am so went through to the kitchen to take my meds and refill the trays with another week’s worth. I thought I might as well have breakfast while I was there so toasted a bap and smothered it in butter. It was 5.00 am before I returned to my room with a coffee and started on the mail again. 5.43 am and I was clear. I was going to sit in the lounge with Joey and hopefully get the buzz saw out but I decided to search ebay for Reuben’s birthday gift. Yvonne told me he wants a giant Hulk so I’m watching one now at 12″ tall, I haven’t seen anything bigger.                                                                                                                                                                                   At 6.30 am I did go to the lounge and nodded until almost 7.15 am. Joey seemed to say “About bloody time” when I came to, but he soon kicked up a stink when I left to come back to work.  There was quite a lot in but I could only work until 8.55 am then go and make a coffee for Mike which I took through.  I was waking him early as when MuJo had arrived last week it was round about 10.00 am . I wanted him semi conscious and at least dressed before that happened. But, he did say he had a meeting to attend this morning so in fact he must have been glad to be up. He left at 10.00 am and I sat watching HUtH. When there was no message on my phone by 10.30 am I came back here and checked Facebook where John insists on messaging me. There was a message to say they weren’t coming as Muriel was unwell. I said I hoped she’d be OK and signed out.

Once 11.00 am arrived I knew I could return to work so had a blitz to bring me up to date for 11.50 am. It was time to rush and peel some sweet potatoes then but I just didn’t fancy sausages so I had corned beef, mash and beans. It was lovely. Bargain Hunt came on and I waited till it was over to settle in my chair for a kip. I only got half an hour then but it helped. I had more work in to do and I needed to go to ebay as well. Instead of watching Escape to the Country at 3.00 pm I lay on the bed for a while. I times it well as I got up at 3.55 pm which gave me time to hammer at the mail I’d received before leaving at 4.30 pm for PYMWYMI. Mike sent a message to say he was on his way back and he arrived at 6.00 pm just after the quiz. We watched Without a Trace then I went for a shower while Mike fell sleep in his chair.                                                                      After the shower I went back through and watched the rest of SG1, and Mike woke up at the end. I made us a sandwich each to eat while we watched Sanctuary. At 9.00 pm I came through to my room for the final assault. It took until 10.42 pm to finish the mail and then it was blog time. Bed by 11.30 pm.

Champion of The World

At the Farm.

Saturday 7th May.

Bed. 11.40 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Read until 12.45 am sleep didn’t come easy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Up at 3.05 am . An improvement again? 2 hours + maybe. I think I’d like to be starting this conversation  from 6 hours +.

I wonder if it might be possible to change the sleep pattern without the pressures of a deadline to keep. Perhaps I should try it for a week or so. A proper break.                          Anyhoo, I started work on the mail taking a break at 4.50 am to take my meds and get some breakfast. The time had no relevance but I’d just finished a personal message and thought it a natural break point. I returned to work at 5.20 am with a coffee for company.                                                                                                                                                                  I was up to date at 6.15 am and as Mike’s alarm hadn’t gone off I carried on with getting the rubbish and the recycling out. I came back to find an interesting post about tweaking Amazon’s listings by Nicholas C Rossis  http://nicholasrossis.me/2016/05/07/how-to-tame-amazons-algorithm-to-increase-your-sales-rank/ it made interested if a little complicated reading. I think I’m glad I don’t write any more and have to worry about things like his. I had finished reading by 6.30 am and was just waiting for the alarm so I could do coffee for Mike.

No alarm came so I guessed it hadn’t been put on last night, or been put on to go off later ( the latter proved to be the case). At 6.40 am I took a drink through and woke him. I spoke loud and long enough so that he had to form answers and therefore wake up. He did, and even got up within 5 minutes too..no reminder…no alarm…no kidding!! What’s more, we were out of the house by 7.30 am and on our way.We were out of ASDA by 9.05 am and hadn’t bothered with a drink there so that Mike could have a bacon bap at The Range. While he did so I chose a couple of throws for the two armchairs in the lounge and a cushion which I couldn’t resist even though it doesn’t match with anything at all.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          From there we drove to Flint. A walk around my favourite shop Homies got me a few items then a visit to Jolley’s next door sorted Joey out with a couple of seed bells. We took the bag back to the car, picked up the chocolates for Temptations and went for a coffee. Ceri and Kyle were on duty this morning . I ordered the drinks and passed the chocs over. Kyle took for the drinks and put the receipt on the tray so Ceri knew what to make, though she could have done it blindfold. She came over for a chat when we sat down and told us she’s handed in her notice and leaves in a month. It’s good news for her but not great for the rest of us. Most of the customers enjoy the banter with her and she does draw in custom.

After we left there we paid a visit to B&M (known as BUM Bargains) which is a great shop and even Mike bought things there too. Time was getting on now at 12.35 pm so we decided to go for lunch. A game of rock, paper, scissors , lizard, Spock ( Thanks Big Bang Theory) didn’t get us very far so we decided to stay local and go to The Bells in Holywell. It’s quite basic but it’s cheap and cheerful. After lunch I got to go to the much bigger Homies  here which was good, I managed to get a few things here as well including something no home should be without…..an extending fork.!! Great for pinching chips off someones plate in the restaurant and looking innocent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      After that we came home, getting in about 2.00 pm. The shopping was soon put away and I came through to work. It took me to 6.00 pm to clear the mail and then when I got into the lounge I just nodded off in my chair. About 7.15 pm I made us a sandwich and got our cakes out. We watched half a DIY S.O.S and then a full one which took me up to 9.00 pm when I  went through my usual routine before coming through. It had been a beautiful day but outside it was pouring down with a lightning storm from France (Thanks a lot Mel). It took until almost 11.00 pm to deal with the mail before starting the blog. Mike has promised to do my legs before I publish so I have to be quick.

I’m in need of a break and I know I’m becoming a bit more insular again at the moment. I’ve decided not to blog for a while or deal with any messages or posts. Please understand that if you comment on this post and don’t receive thanks, it’s not a lack of manners on my part, it’s that I’m trying hard not to live my life in front of the screen making sure you all know I care. I do care, but you’ll have to take it on faith for a while. Please forgive me and look after yourselves.

Cogitation.

Some of you wondered what the front of my nieces birthday cake looked like recently and until now I only had pictures of the back. Here it is….

Front of Jo’s cake.

Hugs to you ALL. I hope you have a wonderful week full of dreams come true.

 

 

Jigsaw Gift &The Return of the Prodigal

Sunday 10th April

I put my book down at 1.15 am and lights out. It was a while before I slept and when I did it wasn’t for long as I was awake again at 1.47 am. I don’t think it was for too long. The day began again at 5.24 am. I went straight to the kitchen for my meds but couldn’t face breakfast this morning though I bet it might have been different had bacon been on offer. Maybe I should go and see if Pauline has a small pack this morning. I’d finished with the meds and made my coffee by 4.45 am so I put the washing machine on and brought the coffee back to my room. Once I started with the mail time just ran away with me and I only remembered about the washer at 7.00 am so I had to go and put the drying cycle on. That was going to take three hours. I’d have to see if I could remember it at 10.00 am. I finished the first wave of mail at 9.35 am and took a break to change Joey’s seed and water. I stayed there for a while in the hopes of nodding off but I suppose the thought of Jade turning up and me missing the doorbell put the mockers on that idea. At 10.00 am I watched a programme asking if Shakespeare was ahead by touting equality for women in his characters, black guys can be good and not slaves and other forward thinking in his plays. This was compared to the bible and whether it promoted the same or whether all the characters in the bible are one sided and uninteresting. Not my usual fare but some good points were raised. At 11.00 am I came back to work in case more mail had come (it had). I worked until 11.50 am then went to see to lunch. Today a pre-done roast beef dinner from Tescos. Not bad but maybe ASDA have the edge on meat quantity.

At 1.00 pm I returned to work again. I was still living in hopes of Jade coming and giving me a hand with the bed at that stage. There was plenty of work coming through but as Jade hadn’t come ( and my will to live was rapidly disappearing) I decided I wanted to see a film at 2.30 pm. The film finished at 4.20 am and I’d been so distracted I hadn’t noticed the deadline for Jade had come and gone. A surprise is no phone call of apology for letting me down or of hampering any plans I wanted to make. I wonder if I’m just accepting girls who are too young, who don’t yet have a work ethic, but then again they’re the only ones who seem to be advertising. I wonder if she’ll text about coming this week? I am paying over the odds so she may not want to lose the money and to be fair she isn’t overworked here. Anyway, I came through after the film ended and worked on post until 5.15 pm. Then it was time for tea. I had a corned beef and pickled beetroot bap and some chineapple punks to follow. That’s part f my five a month taken care of.      I want to say that I sat there watching TV until 9.00 pm. I want to but I can’t. I watched something unmemorable (Rango??) early on until about 6.30 pm then turned over to watch Snow White and the Huntsman. I don’t know why as I missed about an hour of it when the Zzzz’s were flying overhead. When I woke it was quite dark (poor Joey) but at least we hadn’t had the final battle scenes. I put the light on and watched the rest including the killing of the Queen and the new coronation of Snow White. It’s lucky I knew the storyline.

I turned the TV off and went to take my meds. As I came back through Joey had gone into his cage so I was able to wish him goodnight and turn the light off again even though I felt I owed him some light time. My work was awaiting me, and what a lot there was. That took me until 10.45 pm and before I started the blog I got undressed. I don’t have any mirrors in here in case I catch a glimpse and know I need an iron. Before I got into my night attire I tried the trousers and waistcoat I bought last Tuesday. What? Of course you remember, the Prince of Wales check I told you about. I thought to wear them tomorrow to show Yvonne if it isn’t pouring down. They fitted fine so I spent two hours removing labels and unstitching the waistcoat pockets. Then at last I was able to start the blog. It will be done by 11.30 pm or at least before I’m due out in the morning.

The Happy Reader

Pops’s little Beauty.

This is for all my Australian friends with thanks for the great music

Monday 11th April.

You should never tempt fate in case one of the small gods is listening, and if they are it might be Somnos. He has less a sense of humour than a sense of spite. I;m never sure what the lesson is I’m supposed to have learned at the end of it and it’s no use asking because he hasn’t either.                                                                                                                                  I was in bed at 11.40 pm with one greased leg outside the covers for a while. I stopped reading and put my light out at 12.29 am. I couldn’t sleep and my mind was racing with thoughts of Ju and Yvonne. I turned the light back on at 1.48 am and had a cigarette to calm myself. The light went off again at 1.57 am. I saw 2.02 am roll past and must have slept…….until 4.01 am when I got up. I knew then I was looking forward to the bus journey when I might nod off again.                                                                                                               After my usual Olympic Triple Jump I signed onto me post box and started on the mail. I was doing quite well when I stopped at 5.00 am to take my meds and have some breakfast which today was a toasted bap. It was while I was leaning on the food counter eating that I looked at the kitchen windowsill and realised I hadn’t done Ju’s flowers from the new ones I’d bought on Friday. I brought her vase in so I wouldn’t forget. Once breakfast was over I put all the old flowers in the sink and sorted the dead from the live. Then I snipped all the old ones and put them back in the vase. I had two bunches of new ones, one of which was the same carnations that I already had in the vase so I just opened those out into a vase on the kitchen windowsill. The bunch of mixed flowers I arranged among the old ones until it looked artistic enough. Fresh water and some flower food then I put them back where they belong in the lounge.

I took my coffee and returned to work. I was done with the mail by 6.30 am apart from odd ones coming in. I wouldn’t touch the flood as I’d be almost ready to leave for the bus stop then. I’d be wearing my jeans after all as it was bucketing down outside. I got dressed. As time went on I left the house and half way to the bust stop the rain ceased. How typical is that. The bus was a few minutes early so I put my cigarette out and got aboard. The bus sat there for five minutes before moving off again. I can see a pattern emerging for today. The journey was at least restful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     In Chester we were a couple of minutes early and there was no sign of Yvonne so I lit a cigarette and walked to meet them, hiding behind a column when I saw them coming so I  could say ‘BOO’ to Roobs. It was good he reacted with a smile. Things looked up for me a bit when I was successful at finding a gift for my great nephew’s birthday and was able to get a tee-shirt for Roobs and a little dress and cardie for Amelie from the same place. No arguments from Yvonne. Wow!! We went over to our usual shop for coffee an I was able to hold Amelie. Poor little lamb is still coughing though the doctor says she’s OK. She hasn’t slept well either but it doesn’t seem to have changed her happy nature. While Yvonne fed her I had a little look round and picked up a couple of nice cushions, a single bed set and then some shoes for Ami that Yvonne found and I snatched off her. I know it’s rude to snatch but it’s the only way to win an argument with her.

A Wander down the street because Yvonne wanted some things for the changes she’s having in her kitchen. Washing up bowl,plate drainer, cutlery holder etc and Roobs wanted a toy crocodile. I managed to hand cash over to the young assistant while she saw me confiscate Yvonne’s credit card. Winner again.YES!!  I shut my ears and started to hum then. Amelie was coughing again and I agreed it was worrying so Yvonne spoke to the doctor and made an appointment for this afternoon. We visited a last shop when I managed to find a leather belt in the sale and a pair of braces (suspenders) and I think another tee-shirt for Roobs. Then it was time to walk to the bus stop again. I had a nice journey home but didn’t sleep, probably the excitement at being so successful this morning. I managed to call in on Pauline on the way home then went home to have some lunch.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             After lunch I had to walk to the chemist’s to hand in my repeat prescription request and on the way back I saw Bert by his door. He indicated a parcel had arrived for me. When I got it home I opened it to find the gift I’d chosen for Jo’s birthday in a million pieces so had to start trying to get hold of the seller . I took photographs to send and that meant messing about with batteries in two cameras before I managed it, then having to connect a multi usb port to the computer so I could link a card reader to that. I did that and linked a report. Later on they responded they’d try to get another to me. It looks like I don’t have to post the pieces back to them as it wasn’t insured anyway. I hope they’re able to do it as I think it’s the perfect gift for her.

Finally I was able to start on the mail. It was about 2.00 pm. I had to work through until 5.00 pm to break the back of it and I’m ashamed to say there were ones I just deleted today rather than deal with them. I had a message from Yvonne that the doctor had sent them to the pediatrician who is keeping Ami in overnight. They say she has brochiolitis (which I’ve never heard of) with a reflux problem. I hope they manage to fix things quickly and it doesn’t lead to asthma later like her Dad.                                                At 5.00 pm I broke off to watch my Cold Case. I was there till 9.30 pm tonight as I fell asleep at the start of Sanctuary. Joey kindly woke me up nattering, probably to tell me it was his bedtime and I was snoring or something. I took my meds and came through. It was 10.51 pm when I finished the mail. Or at least what had come through till then. There may be more by now. It’s 11.40 pm and I’ve nearly done here so should I go to bed or check to see id there’s more mail to do? Hmmm, quandry.

Feeding squiggles

I shouldn’t watch horror stories before bed.

Tuesday 12th April.

12.05 am into bed after dealing with a little more mail. I read until almost 1.00 am and turned the light out. Sleep wasn’t far away. I woke this morning convinced it was 6.05 am but I was either telling a lie or living in Hope. Since Hope is a village in Wrexham and the saying goes, Live in Hope , Die in Caergwrle  which is the village next door, I preferred the lie. Ir was actually 3.26 am. I  started on the mail and had a couple from Yvonne to show she’d not getting much sleep in hospital with Amelie. Am has had 2 coughing fits and one big reflux vomit which have all been missed because she isn’t hooked up to any monitors. Here’s hoping they do something right and get to the bottom of this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 At 4.30 am I went through to take my meds and have breakfast. VEGETARIANS PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW AND KEEP THINKING CORNFLAKES.  It’s been on my mind so much lately and I’ve seen so many cruel blogs mention it, that yesterday I bought a packet of bacon. Knowing I had it made the need much greater and this morning I had two bacon baps for breakfast. An even worse confession……..I wasn’t even enjoying them and almost gave up after one, but the last few mouthfulls did it, they restored my faith, well that and tomato sauce. I returned to work, complete with smirk at 5.01 am. I was done with the first batch by 5.55 am. I went to sit in the lounge for a while.

When I returned at 7.00 am there were just a baker’s dozen to be done. By 7.15 am that was up by 100. I made the scream as silent as possible though I know my right hand neighbour is currently in hospital, I didn’t want Bert to wake up and be jealous I had a girl in here. I got stuck in. Poor Joey , I’d opened his cage but not stayed with him and he was creating decibels of grumbling. Still, I carried on and worked until 9.56 am then left the rest and went through. He shut up for all of 30 seconds when I arrived then started with the recriminations about giving him time. I put HUtH on and thought that might soothe him. Not one iota. He went on and on and on right up until I left the room again at 11.00 am and that finally shut him up because he hadn’t finished. I finished the work that I’d left and most if the new mail before I put my shoes on at 11.40 am for the second part of the promise to myself. The Chippy for some curry sauce.                                                                                                                                                                                              Disaster struck. I took my pre-foodies and dashed to the chippy.Sausage, chips, mushy peas and curry sauce all safe in my bag. Another dash home before the 15 minutes is up where I have to eat. I just about made it. Chips out on plate, add sausages, add mushy peas, add cur….What! This is gravy Gahhh. Don’t get me wrong I like gravy but if I wanted that I could do it at home. It wasn’t a very happy meal with me chunnering away on one side of the room and Joey chunnering away on the other. To add insult to injury, Bargain Hunt was presented by the one so called expert I really can’t warm too. He’s annoying to the N’th degree and I haven’t met a fan yet. I wasn’t keen but I really went off him when he broke something in someone’s shop on The Road Trip and tried to hide it……..in front of millions of watchers!!

Before 1.00 pm I’d had enough of my lunch and of the presented so I went to put the rest of my chips in the food recycling bin and then washed up. I took my two post-food tabs and came back through to my room until 2.15 pm when I’ll either see the Dr Blake mystery or sleep through it. I made it in time for Dr Blake though it’s one I’ve seen before and I didn’t sleep through it. Nor did I sleep through the Indian Doctor. At 3.45 pm I was back on another catch up mission till 5.00 pm and found out that they might let Amelie out of hospital this evening as the x-ray is clear and the blood tests aren’t conclusive as they keep coagulating. Now it seems though that they think she has whooping cough which is news to me as there’s none of the distinctive sound at all, and she’s been innoculated against it. Anyway I disappeared at 5.00 pm for my usual shows…and I slept through none of them…… and came back to my emails to find that they’ve released her from hospital and told Yvonne to carry on with what she’s doing and that if there’s still reflux and no weight gain she’ll have to wean her. They’re to go back in 6-8 weeks for a check to see if her weight has gained (Amelie’s not Yvonne’s). I can’t really tell how happy Yvonne is (except to be home again) but I know it leaves me a little confused

Back to the plot.For some reason there was a lot of mail at 9.00 pm and it’s not like I’ve ignored any worse than usual. I ignore all equally. It was 10.47 before I was straight again. Then on to the blog with the bad news that I’ve run out of photographs and Yvonne hasn’t had chance to take more yet. Make this one last.

Almost fluorescent.

This is special

This is your Music.

Wednesday 13th April.

Bed 11.45 pm.Light out 12.30 am as I thought I was ready for sleep. When I slept there was a minor hiccup at 2.18 am which was over quickly. I slept until 3.36 am without another problem. A quick hop to the loo and I was back in my chair ready to do battle with the mail like I’dd never been away. At 4.40 am  I’d dealt with the 22 that were there and decided it was time for meds and breakfast.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    When I came back after my cornflakes there was fresh mail waiting which took me till 6.25 am so I nipped to my chair in the lounge and got my head down while I’d a chance. Like an infernal alarm clock Joey woke me at 7.30 am so I let him out and came back to work. The floodgates had opened. I worked till 10.00 pm when I’d almost done and went to watch HUtH. I had a text from Jade to say she’d be here at 12.30 pm.                                                                                                                                                                                                    I returned to the labour at 11.00 pm and worked until 11.45 pm when I went to feed myself on a minced beef hotpot with a buttered bap and a Rolo pudding for afters. It took a while to do after I’d taken the pre-foodies but I was still in time to see Bargain Hunt from the start. Annoyingly I was still there to see Bargain Hunt at the end too.

I came back to work. About 1.15 pm though Jade arrived with her young stepson in tow. First she helped me make the bed I’d been fretting about then I left her to carry on with the lounge while I occupied myself with the thoughts of all my friends. All I can say is, Stop thinking so much will you, or at least stop writing it down. If you must write it down, write slower as I can’t read very fast. I could hear Jade getting on with the cleaning in the background, the hum of the hoover and the swish of the mop on the kitchen floor. Heavens, such descriptiveness, I should write a novel. When she’d finished I still had a few messages to do but nothing to worry about. I went through to pay her and also to give him a little something for his help. I know he carried polish and dusters for her. As soon as they left I was settled in my chair to watch The Indian Doctor. I was there until 4.00 pm which hopefully gave me enough time to finish whatever messages there were before Dil’s arrival. I just about made it for 4.30 pm and got through  to the kitchen just as he arrived. I was making his tea as he entered the lounge.                                                                                                                                                                                                   We nattered a while about our weekends and he told me his fitness regime had now lost him a stone and 5 pounds. He has a watch on his wrist that counts his steps- he has to do 10,000 a day Tells him how many calories he’s burned off so he can be sure to eat less that that amount during the day. It can tell him how many sets of stairs he’s climbed. It’s really quite amazing, but it can’t wash the pots. Anyhoo, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is appears to have replaced one programme and I didn’t realise it until I turned on for our quiz. I must be sure to try and see that tomorrow.

After the quiz was over the TV went off and the Yahtzee came out. That bit of lead I poured into the dice last week is working, the bandages didn’t get in the way too much. The first set finished 3-3 but the second set was 4-2 in my favour. I forgot the weighted dice would work for him as well. That went away and we both made a bolt for the loo, I don’t know why as the key works perfectly well. Out came the Trivial Pursuits. What a chase. Dil landed on the segment questions and got 3 in short order. I could answer questions but not get on the important ones. Before too long I caught up and then took the lead to 4-3, 5-3, 5-4 and 6-4. While Dil struggled to get his last two pieces I struggled to reach the middle. If I needed a 2 I got a 3 always I went straight over the middle. I actually got there when Dil had earned his last two pieces. Naturally he asked me a sports question which I wasn’t going to get. Dil worked his way round trying to get to the middle and he actually got there before I managed my second visit. He didn’t get the question right though and had to leave with a curse. I didn’t get my second question in the middle right either. He had a horrible smug grin on his face as he landed there again. Time was getting on so I didn’t go for the worst question on the card. He answered it and won. Reasonably honours even again.

After I’d said Good riddance bye and Dil had gone, I tidied up, washed the pots and closed Joey’s cage. Wishing him goodnight I came through to start work again. The mail took me to 10.40 pm then I was able to start the blog. It’s going to be about an hour in total so I can get some sleep before MuJo tomorrow.

Ambition.

Terrible miming but a fantastic song and a film everyone should be made to watch.

Thursday 14th April.

In bed by 11.45 pm and light off at 12.30 am. I stopped reading when I realised I was happily reading the same paragraphs more than once. Sleep wasn’t too long in coming once the light went off and I turned on my side. Up time was 3.58 am so quite a reasonable night. There were a few false starts at the Triple Jump Olympic pee trials this morning so it was a few hours minutes before I got to log on. While the mail was loading I went to my bank and checked the pension had gone in. Next week I shall be checking on my private pension and seeing if that’s increased so I can notify the housing benefit people again and the Council Tax. I think all benefits will probably end from then. It’s strange that so often the only way I know  about an increase in my private pension is when I get it  rather than be notified in advance. That always means when I notify the relevant bodies and the increase is processed it creates an overpayment. Whereas if I knew in advance, I could get the notifications in before an overpayment happens and just adjust my payments. Some years there have been no increases so there’s no problem.

Once I’d finished with my banking I signed out and started work on the morning mail. At 5.00 am I broke off to take my meds and have breakfast. I was also able to set the washing machine going with yesterday’s bedding. I’m so glad I don’t I*on ( I can’t bring myself to swear) it as that pile is getting ever higher. I may have to raise the roof soon. There was a fair bit of mail, a lot of which had links to other blogs I needed to check out but I didn’t feel under pressure and in fact had caught up by 6.15 am. I tried laying on the bed and seeing if I could manage a little more sleep. It worked, I was there till 7.05 am. Then as I was working on the post some fool opened the floodgates and I was stuck at my desk until 9.32 am before I could go empty the washing machine. Once I’d emptied the machine I flitted up to the chemist and asked of they could deliver my drugs last thing because I’d be out with my visitors. They know which side of their chocolates are buttered and said No Problem. I had my lottery done at Pauline’s and was still home before HUtH. I only got half way through it today before MuJo arrived.

I went to see to drinks while Joey told them off for talking while he was interrupting. We had a good natter about what’s been happening in the fortnight since we’ve seen each other. Muriel loved her books but John really loved the canvas I’d had done of him in his black robe, he looks positively sinister and he loves it. We went out at 11.30 am and headed to Holywell so Muriel could go to the Post Office, it gave John the chance to visit the three charity shops he likes so much and as usual he came out with a couple of things. We went into the chippy which was pretty empty for a market day but it meant quick service and I finally got my curry sauce. Muriel managed to snaffle the bill this time by colluding with the waitress. After lunch we headed off to Flint. We hit two places for Mu to do some shopping before going to the retail park and having a coffee at Temptations. At least I got to pay there. I handed over the chocolates to Ceri and Sian and Ceri asked when Mike would be back. I had a text to say he was home and would see me tomorrow night after he’d been to Manchester to see his Dad. Ceri isn’t usually in on a Saturday morning these days so won’t see him anyway.                                                  We went off to B&M where John got some plastic flowers he wanted and I found a blue poppy design throw which I want to try on my settee with the two beautiful blue cushions I bought in Chester on Monday last. What, you’ve forgotten already?

It was gone 4.00 pm before we headed home and I was a bit worried about my drugs but it was OK, Pete came about 4.45 pm which was perfect. I’d found a note through the door to say a delivery had been left next door so I went to ask Bert about it and left MuJo being told off again by Joey. Bert didn’t seem to be in, but as I closed the door at home the bell rang and there he was. They were two small parcels and both for John’s birthday so not the replacement head (intact) I’d been hoping for. MuJo left me about 5.00 pm. I made a sandwich then watched the last few minutes of PYMWYMI before going to my Cold Case, (awake) Without a Trace (awake) and SG1 (I saw the first 15 minutes). When I woke it was 10 minutes into Sanctuary so I just turned off knowing there was a lot of work waiting for me after my outing. It took me from 8.20 pm after my meds until 10.50 pm to reach any semblance of order so that I could start the blog. I’ll either carry on with mail afterwards or finish it tomorrow morning. The worst news in my post is that Amelie is back in hospital again having spent last night throwing up again. This time she’s being fed on a drip to give her some nutrients to stop weight loss and to prevent dehydration. I think they’re treating it more seriously this time. I feel sorry for Yvonne if it’s another overnight stay as there’s no sleep to be had on a ward like that unless you’re a baby.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         To cheer myself up here are two pics Yvonne sent me of when she was OK. I just love this face.

Gorgeous.

Gorgeous at play.

For Fun…..

Music….

Friday 15th April. The Prodigal’s return.

Well, nice and easy last night. I stopped work at midnight regardless of what post there was and went straight to bed. I read until 1.05 am so I could finish a third chapter. My brain wasn’t too unkind and I managed to sleep right through to 4.29 am. I must have been really tired. I started on the mail as soon as I’d been to the Piddle Palace then broke off at 5.15 am so I could take my meds and prepare next weeks lot in the empty boxes. I also had some breakfast then returned to my room ready to carry on at 6.00 am. From about 6.30 am I spent time cropping a photograph that was taken some years ago on a good camera that didn’t have a lot of megapixels going for it. It’s a very rare thing to have a photo of MuJo together so I was using the old one but trying to get rid of so much background to concentrate on them. I was worried that two crops would mean they couldn’t do a canvas so I’ve submitted the end result to them to find out before placing an order. I’ve been pleased with what I’ve had from this firm so far. I’ll wait and see what they have to say.

The new mail started coming in as I was working so even though I suddenly felt like a kip I carried on until clear at 9.18 am. I ran from the room to make sure Joey was OK and thought I’d stay a while in case he needed me. cough. I actually stayed until HUtH was finished at 11.00 am before running through towards my room. I didn’t get further than the front door because at that moment the bell rang and I could see the postman’s coat. Yay, a parcel. And that was it, a parcel singular, not what I’d expected or hoped for today. I thanked him and came through to open it, I knew it wasn’t the replacement head which was just as well because I could hear movement. It was a window washer and all was well. Feeling a bit uninspired I sat at the computer preparing to beat out my masterpiece of such biting wit when the doorbell went again. This time it was the postman from the post van , not the foot soldier and I knew he had in his arms just what I wanted. I shook it gently but heard and felt nothing so signed my name and brought it in to open. It’s a bugger trying to use scissors with your fingers crossed. It was in one piece so I packed it away safely until I can wrap it.                                                        It was now almost 11.30 am and I’d done nothing. I started work but had to finish at 11.55 am to go and start peeling my potatoes for lunch. Bangers, mash and beans today and I just managed to finish preparing them before the goods went to the auction on Bargain Hunt. The first thing I see when I turn on is Charles Hanson, I swear he’s haunting me now, on so many shows, and presenting it again today. I’ll have to start giving it a miss.

At 1.00 pm I returned to work and just managed to bring myself up to date by 2.25 pm. Relieved I took a break and found The Indian Doctor was on, a double bill  so I enjoyed myself. Between 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm I got my head down and finished the fresh mail so I was free for the evening and the promised return of the prodigal. The message came at 5.40 pm ‘On my way Bro’. I thought it would take him till about 6.30 pm if the Friday night traffic wasn’t too bad. At 6.30 pm during the adverts in Without a Trace I put sugar and coffee in his mug an set the kettle to boil. SG1 had started at 7.00 pm before he finally arrived wearing his striped blazer like he was on holiday or something, in our climate too. Naturally he was talking ten to the dozen. Worse than Joey he was. At 8.00 pm we watched Celebrity Mastermind before I went for a shower. But he came to wash my hair like old times before I washed which made my life so much easier. Much less chance of an angina attack.                                                                                  After the shower I went back through to the lounge and watched Have I Got News For You with him before coming through to work. Plenty of emails waiting for me then. It was 11.15 pm before I was clear. Fast typing gibberish on the keyboard means bed will be about midnight with luck. I think I’m on target for that if I can find a good song tonight.

No photos of the kids today as Yvonne and Amelie were in hospital again last night and a good bit of today. But they let her out this afternoon again as she must be breathing a bit easier. Yvonne has been told though not to hesitate to go back if she feels things aren’t any better. I hope that’s not going to happen.                                                                         So, I’m going to share a picture with you of Julia an the day she was a very excited Mummy at our daughter’s wedding.

The embodiment of pride and excitement.

Saturday 16th April.

Bed 12.05 am, lights out 12.55 am Zzzzzz to 3.56 am. Is the condensed version, but I’m happy with that. A swift skip to the loo and at 4.05 am U was signing into the mail. Makes you wonder what life would be like if I actually lived it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I worked until 5.00 am then broke off for breakfast and meds .When I returned about 5.30 am there had only been another 6 delivered so with what was there I was free at 6.15 am to do the food bin and the recycling bags. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Before Mike had gone to bed last night he’d asked me what time he was to get up. To be fair, I’ve never specified a time, he just knows I like to shop early away from the crowds. This time I just answered “When you get up” because  I’ve no idea what jet lag does to a body. This could be dangerous as you can tell from what time he often rises on a Sunday, heck, it could even be Sunday before he gets up. All I can do is prepare his mug and take a coffee through as and when his alarm rings.

Mike dragged himself out of bed at 6.30 am and with a bit of effort was ready to leave at 7.10 am. I’d done all the rubbish by then and was raring to go. When we arrived it was just like we’d been there before, him trolley, me cash machine. I picked flowers for Ju and then we had a look at the sale where I picked up a sweet little outfit for Amelie. Roobs wasn’t so lucky this time. After w e’d finished there Mike put the shopping in the car. He’d mentioned last night needing a set of shelving, freestanding and solid as his wall wouldn’t take the weight of shelves attached to it. I asked whether he’s checked Argos and he said yes but he didn’t like what they had. He had a specific type in mind. So, leaving there we headed for the new store The Range, no joy. The same at B&M and then Charlies. Mike suggested a second hand place close by and on our way to Temptations. No joy there either. When we reached Flint I suggested we have a look in a Trade place for builders etc but nothing doing. We went to Temptations so he could let them know he was back and use that as an excuse for a quick grope. I don’t know how he gets away with it…..but he does. Ceri was amazed I didn’t order a teasted toecake for him but little did she know he’d had a huge breakfast bap in The Range.

Coming out I just checked again whether he’d been to Argos and he admitted he hadn’t but thought they wouldn’t have it. I marched him there Toot Sweet ( what a linguist) and we checked the catalogue. I found what I thought he wanted and it was. And the price wasn’t bad either. Even better when we typed the number to see if they had one in stock it was a third off ( No missus, all the shelves were there, I meant the price) a full £13 off. No hesitation he bought it. Feeling greatly relieved we went to lunch at the CookHouse in Prestatyn. The sun was shining and there was a little warmth in it so quite a few people were eating in the garden, most managed to ignore the little tinge of blue to their skin. Mike and I sat inside to make sure the food didn’t run away before we got ours. The meal was lovely and the meat as tender as usual. When we came out Mike commented I should now get rid of the red cushions (my contrast) from the settee now the throw is blue and there are two dark blue cushions. Being close to a shop I’ve used before I begrudgingly bought four lighter blue ones, two for the settee and one each for the armchairs. Now he says he doesn’t like the feel of the cushion behind him. When I suggested another place for it he moved out of reach.

We came home and once the shopping was away and Bert had been with my parcels (more canvases) I was able to come and work. I did from 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm then went and joined Mike for a break. I had another little stint between 8.00 pm – 9.00 pm when there was nothing within the range of my patience on TV. I know some very funny naturally funny people ( Mike is one) and many write blogs. Chris, the story reading ape is one and like me, many of my friends follow him. But fairly recently I cam across a gem of a man with impeccable timing. Some of you will know him and follow him but for anyone who doesn’t please allow me to introduce you to Bun Karyudo                             on https://bunkaryudo.wordpress.com/2016/04/16/pockets-hugs-and-the-onset-of-spring/    enjoy!                                                                                                                                                When I went back to the lounge at 9.00 pm Mike had put a film on which looked interesting enough for me to stay around so I did . When it finished at 10.00 pm I shut Joey’s cage, took my meds and came through for the rest of the night. Mike stayed put until 11.00 pm then came through to say goodnight.It was about that time I started the blog and I’m fast approaching the end of it now. I’ll be in bed around midnight I think.

Poorly Granddaughter

Sympathetic Grandson

New Queen of Bacon & Unbeatable

Sunday 3rd April.

I turned my light out at 1.02 am last night. This morning I’m still this week’s sacrificial lamb with getting up at 2.42 am. It isn’t that I’ve fallen out with sleep, heck I haven’t even fallen out with Somnos or his kin for a change ( as far as I know). I think sleep and I are playing hide and seek and he’s winning. I opened the mailbox and started to work. I don’t know what has come over me last night to do two blogs when I have enough with one. It’s all the fault of youtube reminding me about John Farnham. And could I just skip onto a different song?  Oh no,I had to listen didn’t I and then start thinking (actually that’s when I stopped thinking properly) and do a blog.                              Of course I’m paying for it this morning in comments. I’d ask Joey to give me a swift kick up the rump if I wasn’t afraid he’d lose it.There must be middle aged spread+ from all this sitting down.

At 5.45 am I was clear and decided it was a good time just to relax for a minute so I lay back on the bed. I woke at 7.32 am. It  was the triple jump to get to the loo while holding my knees together. Once back I opened the mail box again and decided I felt unwell. Unfortunately I didn’t believe me and had to start work. The doorbell rang at 9.00 am and it was my neighbour Bert come to check I was OK  as he hadn’t seen me all week. ( His kitchen window is whited out pending the arrival of new blinds). I asked if he wanted to come in for a cuppa but he declined in case he had a visitor. I had to stand letting the heat out and the chill pervade the bottom of my dressing gown for 15 minutes as we chatted instead. As he left it reminded me that I hadn’t had a coffee this morning nor taken my meds so that was the next thing to do before resuming my seat. My seat was in fact pretty numb by the time 10.48 am came round and I’d cleared things enough to go through to Joey.

I watched a DIY SOS while I was in there and then at 11.55 am took my pre-foodies and put a meal in the micro, a Beef Sunday Dinner. I enjoyed it while I watched a second DIY SOS.At 1.00 pm I left the room with a large lump in my throat at people’s kindness. Then, working on the mail I found a comment on the blog which left me with a lump in my throat like I’d tried to swallow a large and very hot roast potato. You can tell I’ve tried that before can’t you. I worked until 4.30 pm then disappeared back to the lounge to have a break. I watched some tripe on the TV (Why are Sunday’s so bad?) then made some tea. A piece of gala pie ( pork pie  baked with a whole egg inside it) some strawberries and cream and a doughnut. After washing the pots I returned to the TV to see what I could find, answer virtually nothing and I amazed myself by sitting there with Disney’s Snow White on. At some point before too much singing started, but after the Queen had poisoned the apple I nodded off. Then things got surreal, because in my mind I came though to work, turned round and saw my bed had just one pillow and went through to the lounge to ask where the others were of my mother? I sat down while she was on the phone and then woke up in the chair to find I was on my own, it was 9.10 pm and I was very surprised. I took my meds, said goodnight to Joey and came back to my room still convinced I’d been here working before I’d seen the bed.                                                                                                                                                             Fair play, the pillows were back which was a comfort but seeing the amount of mail waiting was not. I had no choice but to plough on. I finished those at 11.02 pm and started straight on with the blog which is now well under way and I can safely see myself in bed with a book at midnight.

You talking to me pal?

They call me mellow yellow.

Monday 4th April.

I finished my book at 12.50 am last night. I chose a new one to start tonight them turned the light out. Sleep didn’t come easily and at 1.32 am I had to get up,take a drink, smoke a cigarette then nip to the loo before trying again at 1.51 am. I chose my left side and that seemed to do the trick. I woke at 4.38 am  and knew that was it, or for now at least. I think the sleep I had yesterday has thrown me out or I’d have slept longer.                                                                                                                                                                               Anyway, I was up so I might as well sign on and check my emails.. I was distracted when I got on with the news bar do had a quick peep at the weather. It promises rain for today, how bloody unusual. Before starting work I suddenly decided to take my meds and while there to put the washing machine on. I added breakfast to the list. So, I headed for the kitchen, took my pre-foodies, put the washing on, had my other meds and left the kitchen. Fortunately I hadn’t quite reached the bedroom before I remembered breakfast and went back. I had a toasted bap, made a coffee , took my post food tabs and checked I’d done everything before leaving this time.                               The overnight mail took until 7.10 to finish and I took a break not knowing how many would be thrown at me by the morning rush. I went to see to Joey’s seed and water before opening his door.

When I returned to my screen the tide level was rising,slowly at first and then getting bigger. It took me until 9.43 am to clear them and still allow me time to go and empty the washer/drier to put everything on the airer. I was grateful to the little fairies who live in the non-run sheets that keep my colours intact. I had new red bedding in the wash alongside my partly white ( red dragon) lounge pants, and somewhere in the mix a maroon shirt. I was safe, my pyjamas stayed white.                                                   The window cleaner came this morning and so did the Warden after missing the last 2 weeks. She stayed chatting almost an hour this morning.I didn’t realise until she’d gone it was 11.55 am . I was peckish anyway and ended up having another roast beef dinner. Two down, one to go.                                                                                                                    Once Bargain Hunt was over I had to return to work before I fell asleep as I’d dodged missed so much of the morning . There was a tidal wave waiting to swamp me but, after checking to see if there was anyone outside who wanted to earn a few bob answering my mail, I buckled down to it. I even tried the Blind Beggar, Oops, no, that’s the Inn in Treasure Island isn’t it. OK I might have exaggerated a little bit. I worked until 4.20 pm and as the box was empty decided it was an appropriate time for a break          (for four and a half hours).

I made myself a sandwich and chose a strawberry yoghurt for afterwards then sat and annoyed Joey for a while until my Cold Case was due to start. Once it was on I showed him who’s boss by hushing him, and he showed me who’s the bigger boss by carrying on chunnering. I lip read the programme instead so he didn’t beat me. Next was Without a Trace and I wouldn’t have minded falling asleep then, but didn’t. During SG1 I was wide awake and was a bit annoyed that it said To Be Continued as I’m guaranteed to fall asleep in the next one. Then it was Sanctuary and again I didn’t nod off and that also ended To Be Continued which no doubt means I’ll sleep through two programmes tomorrow.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Joey was in his cage so I just closed his door then went to take my meds in the kitchen. I came out and wished him goodnight saying I’d let him out in the morning before I leave. It’s going to be very awkward tomorrow that I’ll be leaving just as the new mail now  comes in and it will gather more and more to it before I get home wanting some lunch tomorrow. Maybe I should have breakfast and then starve myself till tea time. I checked my mail box tonight and it wasn’t as bad as I feared with only 49 waiting. By the time I’d finished those another 7 had rolled in. It was 10.26 pm. Time to start the blog. I think 11.45 tonight with luck, a prevailing wind and no more mail.

About a foot apart, six inches deep in sandy soil. Water well….

Again with the camera? I’ve not done my hair yet.

Tuesday 5th April.

11.45 pm was close enough last night. I started my new book ‘A Pale Rider’ the second n the Last Kingdom series, and read until almost 12.55 am.  I had a series of mini sleeps when I dozed off for a few seconds then woke again before I managed a deeper sleep. I woke at 4.42 am but lay until 4.44 just luxuriating in the warmth of my little cocoon.It ejected me and so it was the new triple jump record to the loo and back and a sign on to the computer. I worked until 5.45 am then went to take my meds and have breakfast, it was to be cornflakes today with fresh cold milk. I returned to work at 6.17 am and worked until 6.52 am when the box was clear. When the flood starts I shall be on my way out so it will be waiting for my return, hiding in the dark of the base. slowly multiplying ready to create creases in my brow and drag the screams from my lips. Still, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my eating.

I left at 7.25 am and walked up to the bus stop. The bus must have reverted to it’s proper time and not be fighting for trade with the other company, I had time for a cigarette after I’d got my breath back from the walk. The bus came at 7.40 am. I was the first passenger but I didn’t get a prize. When we reached Holywell I sent Yvonne a text to let her know I was on my way. Then I rested my head on my sticks and feigned sleep. A text came back from Yvonne that things were going well and she’d meet me on time if poomageddon didn’t strike. When I arrived in Chester a few minutes early at 8.40 am she texted again to say she shouldn’t have tempted fate, poomageddon struck them both as she closed the front door. I told her it was OK I could look round Wilko’s while she caught up. We met up at 8.57 am just in time for Primark opening so I could use the loo then have a coffee to refill me. That was nice.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I’d said I wanted another single sheet to match the bedding I got in the Primark sale and I found a sheet and some pillowcases I liked. Before going to pay for them I found a lovely pair of trousers in Prince of Wales check but I was cross that I couldn’t find a waistcoat in the right size….just before I did on the wrong hanger. Both in the sale so I was very pleased.

When we left there we had a wander round another shop as Yvonne had a few things she wanted like a years supply of bum wipes. Then we headed for a supermarket which has a clothes shop attached for sale items……….no, I was very good and some random bully wouldn’t let me buy the kids anything today. Inside the supermarket the same random bully bought two packets of bacon, TWO, and she, I mean the bully, is the only one who eats it. You know, it’s not like I was invited back for BLT’s and I swear there were eight slices in a pack. I’m going to join this fatness, fitness, diet club if you can eat lots of bacon and as many potatoes as you like. Mmmm potatoes. It soon got to time for me to walk back towards my bus stop. They walked with me (to make sure I left I think) and waved as I left.  With my eyes closed the journey was over in no time. I called in at Pauline’s on my way home and got some micro chips and bread etc. When I got home and calmed Joey down I put one of my beef joints on and then had the micro chips with it. With apologies to Joey once I’d eaten, I had to come and see to the post.

I worked from 1.50 pm to 4.35 pm to clear the backlog and then took a break. It was a chance to check out my ebay. I wanted to order a canvas for John’s birthday. After doing that I turned the TV on for Cold Case.  Quite a sad one today with someone dying from a brain tumour killed by too much morphine. It was a mercy killing in the end. Then Without a Trace came on. I’ve said previously I’m a bit unconnected to the characters /the actors in this, I can’t quite put my finger on it as though they don’t exude any real warmth. So, as it was on I happened to look at Joey’s cage- he wasn’t in it at the time- and noticed a lot of little white pyramids below his favourite perch. I lefted the who cage down to the floor and scrubbed the deposits off the ladders etc then took all the dishes out to wash then finally removed the base so I could dispose af all the seed husk and put in new sandpaper. I might as well use newspaper really as he never goes down to the base so his nails don’t benefit. I did all that, replenished the seed and water and replaced the cage. Then had to sweep up the mess on the floor before Jade comes tomorrow. I got back to the show before it fisnished and Joey went in to check out his new surroundings, or more correctly to fill his face with seed.

Next was SG1 which was even more annoying than last night as it’s another to be continued which I’ll miss because it’s games night. At least with Sanctuary the two parter finished tonight so skipping an episode won’t hurt. I was now on 9.00 pm so went to take my meds and open a new spray for beside my bed. I said goodnight to Joey and came through to take up the slack again. The mail was done by 10.40 pm and the blog started. I’m predicting an 11.45 finish, mainly because that’s in 5 minutes from now and I’m not far off finishing. I just hope there are no more emails to spoil it.

Utter contentment.

Comparison of them both at about the same age.

I like this song but I wish they’d stop putting people on top of tall buildings. I have trouble holding on to my stomach when they go to the edse.

Bonus.

Wednesday 6th April.

I was in bed by 11.50 am and picking up my book to enjoy. Lights out 12.45 am Lights on again 4.08 am but I didn’t wriggle my l’il bottom out of bed until 4.22 am. After turning on the computer a message flashed up to say Adobe needed updating. I really didn’t trust the message and refused to do it from that so spent ages checking the Adobe site to see if I could see a critical update. 3 hours ago they were talking about getting one out on Thursday. I decided to download Adobe again making sure to give permission for them to update automatically so I shouldn’t get notices anymore with luck.                                                                                                                                                                    When I got as far as my messages I was gobsmacked to find a wonderful review of My Barsetshire Diary by another author/blogger whose blog I follow. Donna D Vaal of the excellent My Heartstrings…Fiddledeedee ,   https://fiddledeedeebooks.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/my-friend-lord-david-prosser/ author of The Living Miracle, a love story.Her blog is very diverse and covers a multitude of subjects. I was so taken aback by this wonderful gesture I even re-blogged it.

Naturally there was plenty of other mail as well which I started doing,taking a break around 5.30 am for breakfast and my meds. Back to work at 6.05 am until I was clear about 6.50 am. I went to sit in my chair in the lounge until the new post was in. At 7.30 am I came back through and wished I’d got something bigger than just a canoe because the waves were threatening to overturn me. Each wave deposited a new batch of mail on the beach. I was paddling like mad until it was brought under control at about 9.50 am when I had chance to nip to Pauline’s. Oh fabjoy, the cigarettes, MY cigarettes hadn’t been delivered yesterday because they had no price marked packets. I know my kind , considerate Government increased the price in the budget so I know I’ll have to absorb an increase. Why not send the non-price marked packets?                   I came back and watched HUtH with Joey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Part way into the programme the postman came and I really felt sorry for him. There were 5 books (2 missing as yet) and 4 canvas prints A3 size, which weren’t light, in his bag for me. I really liked the quality of the prints too, they improved on the original pictures, and I can happily recommend deco_matters from ebay if anyone wants a canvas doing from a photograph.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        At 11.00 pm I returned to work to try and clear the mail before lunch. Since it took till 11.45 am I was a little pushed but managed to stick the third and last roast beef dinner in the micro. I watched Bargain Hunt and woke near the end with a start when I burnt my finger again. No warning I was about to go.

Since I’d had no word from Jade and she hadn’t arrived ‘Same time next week’ as mentioned last week, I sent her a text. She replied hoping that tomorrow afternoon would be OK. I said “No problem” but in fact it’s good news and bad news. The bad is that I have to clean up more of the mess I made doing Joey’s cage last night before my brother arrives tonight, the good, at least I don’t have to change Mike’s bed today as I’ll ask for her help tomorrow now. During lunch of course more mail had arrived which needed to be dealt with, and I also needed to leave feedback on the goods that had come so I was stuck back at my screen again from 1.00 pm. At 400 pm I stopped work and went to the lounge. I’d no sooner turned an episode of The Indian Doctor on when Dil appeared. I went to make him a drink hen we nattered about our respective weeks since last Wednesday. He’s still wearing the watch that counts his footsteps and works out how much energy he’s used up as it also checks his calories taken in against the allowed amount depending on his days exercise. He said he bought a new set of scales at the weekend that must have been a bit wonky, it added 5 stone to his weight after a long walk on Sunday. Proves what I always said, that exercise is bad for you.

While watching one of our programmes I must have nodded off and come to before the quiz was over, but realised Dil must have changed channels to the quiz while I was away with the fairies. I do feel guilty but I have to get my cat naps where I can. At least I was ready for battle. On the Yahtzee I won the first round 5-1 and the second 3-2 with one game drawn. I won the Trivia quite convincingly too. Going on to the cribbage we end the evening with I won both games. Dil said about the only thing he won was the cut to see who goes first. Just to add insult to injury, it was bucketing down outside when he left.                                                                                                                                       Once he’d left for home I tidied up then made myself a corned beef sandwich before washing the pots. I closed Joey’s door and wished him a goodnight. At 9.50 pm I started on the mail and finished at 11.05 pm. I think it’s going to be a midnight bedtime the way things are going.

Ready to Charm…

Looking very tall.

Thursday 7th April

It was midnight ass predicted before I got to my book  last night. I read for the full hour almost, putting the light out at 12.54 am.  I stuck a new battery in the internal alarm clock hoping to get a small lie-in this morning but instead it became the infernal alarm clock and woke me at 4.03 pm. I didn’t shift until 4.12 am though. I sat for a moment and tried to concentrate on teleporting myself to the loo but it didn’t seem to work and the time wasted meant I now had to run. Lucky the runway lights were still on  or I wouldn’t have noticed the large candle that was lying in my path ready to stub my toe. I replaced it on the console table and carried on my journey. My deep sigh moments later spoke of great relief.

I came back and turned the computer onto mail and I also opened my ebay to check how my bids are doing on birthday prezzies. Mail first though. I worked until 5.05 am and then went for breakfast and to take my meds. It was 5.30 am before I got back and carried on. By 6.50 am I was clear. On ebay I was outbid on one item, winning on one and on one hadn’t reached the reserve price. The latter one really annoys me, why not set the start price as the reserve price so everyone knows where they stand. I never understand setting a start price of 99p if no-one can win the item until it’s reached £20. Just stop wasting my time and/or building up my hopes please. A couple of times I’ve had the highest bid when an item ends but I can’t have it because the reserve hasn’t been reached. I might not have bothered if I’d known what the reserve was.      OK,gripe over. Coming back to the mail at 7.30 am I found it had crept in quietly while my back was metaphorically turned. I wish it had just cr*pped and crept out again.

I got dressed before tackling the new day so if I lost track of time I wouldn’t get caught out  at the front door in my ‘Animal’ lounge pants aka my pyjamas. At 9.50 am I came to one of those natural breaks where you know the next one is advertising junk.I checked outside and there was a short lull in the rain so I put my shoes on and went to Pauline’s for my lottery and some ciggies and bread. I wasn’t too long and got back in time for the postman with the missing two books and a parcel for Mike. I gave him a box of sweets and apologised that I have two heavy months of birthdays coming up. I was also in time for HUtH with Joey who was really very raucous today. Someone was getting a major telling off. I hoped it wasn’t me. Typical though, I nodded off a few minutes before the end and was there till 11.30 am. I couldn’t get stuck into peeling my sweet potatoes yet as I needed to check the post. I cleared what I had by 12.05 pm.                                                                                                                                                                                           Then it was time to start peeling and putting the sausages under the grill ready. As soon as it came to first turn on the sausages the potatoes went in the micro for 8 minutes   (they were big chunks). They were done a couple of minutes before the sausages so I had time to put the veg in the micro and mash my spuds. Potatoes on plate, add the sausages then the veg. At that point I did some instant thick gravy and poured it over. It was only 12.30 pm so I still had most of Bargain Hunt to watch. I left the washing up till the programme was over.

At 1.00 pm it was back to my desk. A message from Jade says she’ll be here about 2.30 pm so I could take my time with work. I was tempted to nod off again but I didn’t. When the mail was done at 1.40 pm I checked a couple of pictures to see if they’d make good canvases then put an order in. At 2.25 pm I had a text tom say Jade was stuck in traffic on the M6 but would def be here by 3.30 pm or tomorrow afternoon if I prefer. I told her I don’t mind which but that I couldn’t be late tomorrow as I have been threatened that Ugo is coming to take me shopping as Saturday morning isn’t possible. I’ve said not to worry but since when did anyone listen to me. I guess Jade had chosen tomorrow afternoon as well when she hadn’t arrived by 3.40 pm either. That’s OK for me but I must remember to get some help to change the bed before Mike is back and I don’t want to take chance on another week where the appointment keeps changing or as once before moving to the next week instead. No use if he comes back and finds me dead, wrapped inside his duvet cover because I tried to do it alone. I know him, he’s use my duvet cover instead.

I knocked off at 4.30 pm when there were no more messages and I’d stopped spending on ebay. If I buy my gifts too far in advance I’m likely to give them well in advance of the day just a ‘coz presents and have to start buying again. As it is I’ve nearly got this month covered but once they’re done will need to start on next month when I have Karen, Lee , Nathan, Matt and Jess to contend with. I ate a yoghurt and a piece of chocolate cake then washed my plate just in time for the start of Cold Case. I thought I was OK but there must have been a lazy bug flying around which stung me because I fell asleep during the last ten minutes. I completely missed the next hour of Without a Trace and woke up ten minutes into SG1. It’s awfully hard to make sense of the third programme when you’re still expecting the first. The costume is different for a start. You don’t expect  Tilk, with the metal logo in his forehead to be investigating a Cold Case. I managed to get my head round it  and to watch Sanctuary without getting any more confused even though we were left wondering which orifice a bug had entered someones body without being noticed ( answers on  postcard please). We do at least know it came out again via the mouth. At 9.00 pm the TV went off and I wished Joey goodnight. I took my meds and came through to work. Mail was done by 10.20 pm and the blog started. I’m looking for an 11.30 pm bedtime with fingers crossed I can sleep tonight after having so much earlier.

I nose you know.

I’ve got a tip for you.

Tonight’s song is dedicated to my good friend Merril at   https:// merrildsmith.wordpress.com for her post Railways

Friday 8th April.

It was close to 11.45 pm last night and I read until 1.00 am. here was lots of yawning once the lights went out but sleep was along time coming again. I was paying the price for so much sleep yesterday I think. When I did nod off it was only to wake at 2.18 am where I refused to get out of bed and managed t sleep again, then again at 2.57 am  and finally at 4.59 am when I knew I wasn’t going to be lucky a third time. I decided I’d have to stand all day to make sure I didn’t sleep this time. Ha, fat chance.                                      A visit to the loo was followed by a trip to the kitchen to take my meds, and once done, to replenish the pots for another week and prepare a prescription request to go in on Monday. Looking at it I got a little cross because I realised how long I’ve been taking statins now and yet my surgery refuse to issue co-enzyme Q10 to offset the damage they can do despite me having given them the research done on the combination and the fact that some countries don’t issue one without the other meaning they take the research seriously. Australia and Japan are two of those countries if my memory serves me rightly. Even more annoyingly, my B/I/L’s surgery took the research seriously and issued them to him and just recently he’s changed surgeries and the new one has also agreed to issue them. For a long time I bought them myself but had to stop as it was too expensive to do so. It’s time the National Health Service issued instructions that co-enzyme Q10 should be issued with all statins and showed they’re not the penny pinchers many people think them at our expense.

Another gripe over. After doing the drugs, I made a coffee to take back to my room where I started on the mail. There was enough to keep me going until 10.00 am with a slight pause for the postman who brought me another picture which is a gift for someone. Nothing was going to stop me breaking for HUtH though which I enjoyed even more when I got Joey out of the cage so I could replace his millet and also  get part of the cage back in correctly that I notice I’d ballsed messed up the other day when I cleaned it out. After the programme, which I managed to stay awake in, I came back to work on the post I hadn’t managed earlier and the new post just in. It was just enough to keep me until 11.35 am and let me see to my lunch. I want that out of the way before Jade comes and I don’t know what time that’s happening yet.                                                   Well, I quite enjoyed my lunch and the episode of Bargain Hunt before coming back to work. I found an order I made to Zazzle this morning hadn’t completed. I won’t be buying from them again if they only ship from the US as the postal price doubles the cost of an item which in this case was just too appropriate to refuse as a birthday gift.

It was a funny old afternoon. I worked till 3.40 pm all the time expecting Jade to appear. I know she’d had an appointment at a Manchester hospital on Wednesday which is why she didn’t come and I just hoped she was OK. I did a quick catch up from 4.30 pm to 5.00 pm then sat and watched my Cold Case. I guessed she wouldn’t be coming at that time. But because they can’t take me shopping tomorrow, Yvonne had said Ugo would take me this evening.There were messages going back and forth between us with me saying “He’s worked all week, feed him and let him put his feet up” and her saying “He’s coming and that’s that.” Time went on and ‘Without a Trace’ came on. I though it was Yvonne to say he’s on his way and I was getting ready for another try but it was Jade to say Sorry and could she do me (Oh fan me I’m fainting) Saturday or Sunday. I said of course. At 7.50 pm Yvonne did text to say Ugo had left and my pleas fell on deaf ears. He arrived at 8.20 pm while Sanctuary was on. I said to check my local Supermarket rather than go to ASDA and I was in luck it’d late night on a Friday. I was out before 9.00 pm and home not long after. I’d even put the shopping away and taken my meds by 9.20 pm. By the time I’d got my coat and gloves off and settled at my desk it was 9.30 pm.  Into the valley of death rode the 600, well OK there was only me but I should get credit for dramatic effect. Perhaps I should have tried, Into the Valley of the 600 rode me. It felt like that many though of course there weren’t, it was just about 10% of that but that makes for a lousy poem and virtually no dramatic effect at all. Banging my head on the wall would be better, but not necessarily from my point of view.                            Anyhoo, I was clear by 10.50 pm and able to start the blog. At least I won’t still be working come the morning.

Babywalking duties.

They’re always rabbitin’.

Saturday 9th April.

Midnight in bed last night as I’d spent a couple of minutes putting cream on my legs. I was actually able to ignore them after that. I don’t mean I didn’t make use of them as I walked to the loo afterwards or I’d be as close to the ground as Michael. I stopped reading and put the book down at 12.59 am and settled to sleep.I didn’t have too long to wait.This morning came at 4.53 am with no disturbances throughout the night. Not too bad at all. After a hop, step and a jump I made a start on the mail pausing at 6.00 om to take my meds and fill my face with cornflakes. Then I did the bins and the recycling bags in case the lorry turned up early again (no, not on it’s own, that would be creepy). Once done I sorted some clean lounge pants out for tonight and some clean clothes for the morning before making a coffee to bring back to work. It took until 9.35 am to to empty the box. I joined Joey for a while.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             At 10.15 am the postman arrived with two more gifts for birthdays. Things are coming along nicely. Not too heavy for him today. The binmen arrived and remembered to empty mine this time. Even the recycling lot came early and left me a bag more than I’d left out. I hope someone claims it later.

I checked the deliveries were unbroken and that they were suitable as pictures online don’t always give the full story, but all was OK. I left them in Mike’s bedroom which is where I always store gifts. I must try to leave him room to get into bed when he’s back next week. More mail had come in so I dealt with that while I had the chance. I know you’ve heard this before but Jade might come today and I don’t know what time. At 11.25 am I knocked off so I’d be free to see to my lunch. I was undecided what to have but I know I miss going out to eat. I’m glad that will be resumed soon.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In the end I had braised steak and mashed potatoes with onion and carrots. Very tasty. With no Bargain Hunt on a Saturday  I checked TV and found a film to watch for a while. Every adverts I came through to see if there was any mail. All the time I wondered if Jade would arrive and I wouldn’t see the end of the film. I saw two! By the time 4.00 pm arrived I knew she wasn’t coming today and so it must be tomorrow. With luck she’ll text me a time.

So, at 4.15 pm I came through and settled to get up to date again and managed it by 6.40 pm and decided at that point to lock the front door and go for a shower. I thought it might be an idea to do the washing tomorrow as next week I’m out on Monday instead of Tuesday. If Jade come’s tomorrow and I get her to help me make Mike’s bed I can do that washing on Tuesday. I know if she doesn’t come I’ll have to do it myself which I can manage slowly. The shower went well but I hate getting in as that’s when all the bits of cold water spraying from the edge catch you. When I was out and dry, I got my fresh night clothes on- Minion lounge pants and a tee-shirt with a lightweight dressing gown.I hope it’s going to start getting warmer again. I stayed with the film channel for a while then watched a sci-fi TV programme which took me to 10.15 pm, a full hour later than I usually stay there. I had to get a move on to come through. It would have been awful had I not spent so much time catching up at shorter intervals and If I’s been out during the day as I usually am with Mike here.It still took me until 11.05 pm to finish before I was able to start the blog. Since I post around midnight on a Saturday I should be able to finish by then.

I’m sure someone called me a cheater.

The dino-mite dancer

Curry and Chips have Gone. & The non 24 Hour Clock.

Sunday 13th March.

I was in bed a few moments after midnight and read until about 1.00 am before settling down to sleep. The first wake at 2.03 am was a loo call only so I was able to settle again after a few minutes. The next wake was at 4.28 am  and the perfect time to make a start on the mail.  I had to break off at 6.00 am for meds and breakfast. I knew the post box would refill while I was away. It did. I returned to it about 6.30 am and had to grab a rogue pair of underpants to fan myself with when I saw the new total. But like everything else coping mechanisms can be applied which I did as soon as I got the underpants to the washing machine.                                                                                                            Joey was pretty happy when I arrived at 9.20 am to let him out and stay for a chat because I’d managed to bring everything under control. I stayed with Joey and was tempted to have a power kip but at 10.00 am Mike got up and came through. I made a coffee and sat in he lounge as he started to come awake, We had a couple of episodes of 8 Simple Rules (9 if you allow for inflation) before I left to have a shave and get dressed. The new jeans I put on were a mistake though completely my own fault. I could have forgiven the description being skinny leg, stretch material even though they were in no way skinny but I couldn’t get over the fact I’d bought them with a button fly. Just imagine if you can the sheer hell of wanting to go and having to get to the loo on crutches then start hopping up and down trying to unbutton yourself before you go by accident. Added to which, I undid my belt to get at the top of the fly and that meant my trousers could fall down as a 38″ waist appears far too big to stay up without some form of support.

11.15 am and Mike was ready to go. It really looked nice outside so I opted for a sports jacket again. It was even quite warm so I was glad I hadn’t bothered  with a jumper. We drove to Prestatyn ( Press wot in?), found a place to park and had a little wander. I’m still looking for a little inspiration for Easter gifts to go with the eggs. (No Yvonne, you read it wrong, I never mentioned eggs. I’m still paying for the meal instead). I wonder if I got away with that after my quick thinking? Towards midday we drifted over to the CookHouse. Mike reserved the seats with his hat and I went to place our order though the lady behind the bar knew it anyway. I sat down and waited for the drinks to arrive. I need my lime and lemonade to take the pre-foodie tablets. While I took my tablets Mike was on google trying to find Will Young’s name as I could only remember the Will part. One of his records had just been on the loudspeakers and Mike had thought it was a girl. Once he’d given up, we went to collect the meal. As usual I chose beef and Mike had beef and gammon. Back at the table Mike put an extra potato on my plate he’d got for me. Miracle of miracles, I couldn’t eat it.

After lunch we had another wander as my eagle eyes had spotted a liquidation sale. Judging by the prices I wasn’t convinced it was true as they were the same as before. I did buy myself some more ‘shreddies’ ( see blog cast list) though due to my stomach getting bigger after eating at the CookHhouse.  We had a look in another shop and were tempted by the heads again but I behaved and since Mike was hopping from foot to foot I said I’d buy him a coffee. He went to the loo then brought the drinks outside to where I was sitting. We were doing OK until I heard a sound and looked up. Mike’s cheeks were like a chipmunk and his face was radiating red, I thought he was holding back a coughing session. All of a sudden he let go and projectile vomited in front of me. He really started coughing. By the time he’d cleaned up and calmed down he wasn’t sure what had caused it though I thought he’d tried breathing the coffee rather than drink it. We were parked near a £1 shop so picked up some wet wipes to clean himself properly then we got in the car and headed home.

He seemed to be well recovered as home got closer and he pulled into a place called the Pit Stop to see how much he’d saved on the console table he’d bought yesterday. In the booklet inside it was £99 and he’s paid £25 so he was well pleased. Back at home again I got changed and Mike suggested I have a sleep. He was going to head off home and listen to his football game as he went. Once he’d gone I had some nitrolingual and started work. I worked from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm then went for a rest with Joey to talk to then at 9.00 pm I called it a night. Joey didn’t though. I had to keep popping through but he stayed on his mirror until my 10.30 pm nip and he was in so I shut the cage and said goodnight. I was clear of post at 10.30 pm and able to do the blog. 11.30 pm bed it will be.

Personal Taxi 1

Personal Taxi 2

Monday 14th March.

Yes, I was in bed, freshly gunked at 11.45 pm. I asses a little reading time to my hour because I was so close to finishing he book. Not so much that I hadn’t enjoyed the book by Gerald Seymour an ex TV journalist and News man famous for ‘Harry’s Game’ which was televised with the theme music by Clannad. But, because I was anxious to start my next read.It’s from a remainder bin by an author I haven’t heard of before, Tim Willocks. The title, The Twelve Children if Paris with a picture of a  Templar  Knight on the cover fascinated me. So, it was almost 12.55 am before the light went out. I slept, I woke. The first time was at 1.48 am but I turned over in disgust and went back to sleep. Actual time of getting up was 4.27 am.

Once up I visited the Piddle Palace then returned to sign on . The mail initially lasted me until 5.20 am when I decided to have breakfast and take my meds. By the time I eventually returned I was due for the daily influx of mail but thought I’d have a lie down first. Big mistake. It lasted from 6.10 am to 7.01 am and when I looked at the computer I had facing 117 already. I worked  till 8.45 am then got dressed ready to go to take my prescription request to the chemist. I let Joey out first.  On the way back I stopped at Pauline’s for cigarettes as I won’t have time in the morning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                Back here it was head down and work hard again. I didn’t get my HUtH this morning because I needed to get the mail down. I just carried on until 10.50 am when Bev came for a chat. She chatted to myself and Joey equally and was with me until 11.25 am. The moment she left I came back to work until 11.45 am when it was time to look at lunch. I fancied nothing but had a small cottage pie in the end with buttered barm cakes and a rhubarb yoghurt. I watched Bargain Hunt until I couldn’t keep my eyes open longer and returned to the world again at 1.35 pm.

It was back to work again for the afternoon and i was only about 3.00 pm I seemed to be making any real progress. For once, less were coming in than were being done. I felt happy about stopping at 4.50 pm ready for my Cold Case. I wouldn’t stay away longer than 9.00 pm as mail was still coming in even if in dribs and drabs. The break in front of the TV was great, just what I needed. I’d been far too long in front of the other screen today. It made me think about the people who say I should give it up and that it’s too hard and I should just spend more time concentrating on them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                I dutifully turned the TV off and locked Joey’s cage door, first making sure he was on the inside, then I took my meds and came through. I had a fun time with catch up and read some interesting posts, one that more or less stated that Jeremy Corbyn is rudderless and that the early days of the Blair governments was where he should be for the sake of the labour party. Corbyn’s success appears to have been because of support from various communist factions. That may well be true and I wouldn’t argue the point, after all I’m no fan of his but the early days of the Blair governments is what led to people’s disaffection for the labour party. I’m not in any better a position  as having been a Tory all my life I haven’t been able to vote for them recently having seen a whole new side of the current party. Gone are the days of Labour piling on the taxes to overspend and the Tory’s lessening of the taxes to put money back in our pockets and still not having to borrow as heavily.                                                                           The other one I read was about a female journo in the US suggesting Donald Trump’s men should develop a little more fight, and that the gun toting crowds are just high spirited. I wasn’t sure if she was a Trump supporter or just a very dry comedienne. What she seems to be inciting is riots and in riots people get hurt so I thought that was illegal. My idea that the world is really about caring for one another seems to be proving me wrong as usual. It seems the world is about looking after Number 1.

I was finished with my mail by 10.50 pm and able to come on to the blog. An eye opening evening to share.

More Outing.

More, More Outing

And here is an idea I borrowed from another blog today.Thank you

Tuesday 15th March. 

OK. Fair enough, I offered to find the small gods a great holiday and somehow Australia fell through. (Thanks Andrea), but I never expected them to be so vicious in return. I was in bed, degreased this time, at 11.45 pm and I read until 12.35 am before settling down for the night. I was up at 2.18 am and that wasn’t even my first time awake. I signed in and started work. By 4.15 am I was up to date and decided to look at the new(old) computer. I managed to get the internet YAY and managed to get skype only it didn’t want to know my passwords so I’ve had to sign up for a new account and sent a message to MuJo for connection. Then I managed to get Barsetshirediaries on and also my email. It’s very funny working with new things. I can’t tell what’s different and Windows 7 and what is just orientated differently because this computer screen is square rather than oblong horizontally like my current one. They’re both 19″ but the view is so different. At 5.00 am with a little smugness and self satisfaction I took a break to get breakfast.

Going back to my normal desk after breakfast with a coffee I realised I’m in trouble. I’m happy to continue using my existing screen but everything else needs disconnecting and moving then the new base unit needs to come through and get connected up. It’s going to be a real problem in terms of my back and bending down behind my desk. Maybe it can wait a month for the return of The Man. As long as he isn’t gored by a moose while he’s out there he should be OK. I’m not sure you get that many mooses in casinos. I spent a few minutes with Ebay just for fun but didn’t buy anything. I left it open for later though. At 6.10 am I was sitting at my computer waiting for the deluge. I worked as hard as I could but by the time I was due out for the bus I still had 62 left.                                                                                                                                                  As I left I met Bert going for a paper. We chatted almost until we were due to cross the road when I suddenly recalled I hadn’t got my bus pass. A sharp about turn and an apology and I came back. On my way out again I was well on the way to the bus stop when one bus ( not mine) shot past without checking to see if anyone was at the stop. I was a little annoyed as I could only have been going to the bus stop and the driver never thought to stop and ask if I needed the bus. A minute later another one came and I was sure it was mine as I saw a message on the window about the T1 which mine has. Shoulders slumped I stopped to breathe. My own bus came, and it stopped.

The journey  to Chester was full of little power naps which I was grateful for. When I actually arrived I had a message to say progress was slow this morning as Reuben hadn’t wanted to get up. I had a quick look round one shop then walked towards where they’d come from, to meet them. Roobs saw me and galloped  towards me like a Sumo and tackled my legs. I, standing firm like an oak tree in the wind, did not go down. The first thing he saw was my bag with gifts. There was a remote control plane (on wheels) and he tried everything in his arsenal to try and get it out of the bag. Being told it was Pops’s didn’t deter him either, as he just started offering t get it out for me. Distraction tactics had to be brought into play. Poor Amelie has a nasty little cough but no tears . She sat on my knee with a glum face, pretty much like all females do I suppose. We went to our usual shop for coffee and a second breakfast I didn’t want. While Yvonne fed the baby I went for a wander and came back with two sets of single bedding at £2 each. It must have cost more than that to make. Quite a nice blue stripe. Downstairs I got Yvonne some jeggings after a battle.

After battle we moved on to another shop where I got Reuben some chocolate.There were tears when I wouldn’t let him have it until it had been paid for, but we got by. Yvonne bought a few things there. Amelie needed a bit more food and as she was awake again we headed for the local Supermarket and it’s cafe. They’d opened a clearance shop next door and I managed to get Ugo a nice jacket there. I picked up my bread and some yellow roses to replace the daffodils I’d got for Ju on Saturday. They hadn’t lasted at all. By now it was time to start heading for my bus so we set off on our way again. At the bust stop I managed to get a smile  from Amelie and a kiss from Rueben and of course from Yvonne. She thought we were seeing each other on Sunday but I had to point out it’s a week on Sunday, the 27th which is also the day they lose an hour’s sleep though maybe I’d better keep that to myself for now.

The bus ride back was pretty good as again I slept a good bit of the journey. I had time to call into Pauline’s for my new TV magazine (she’d run out of curry and chips) and get home without the discomfort of my bladder threatening to explode. I put my bread away in the kitchen and could tell Joey was happy to to see me as he was bobbing up and down on the mirror and giving me a good telling off. Since it was gone 1.00 pm I’d missed Bargain Hunt and I didn’t need lunch straight away because of  my second breakfast. I just went straight to work. I stayed in front of the screen from 1.20 pm to 4.30 pm before I went and had something to eat. I watched the first half an hour of Cold Case then slept through the other half hour plus an hour of Without a Trace before waking in time for Star Gate SG1. At 8.00 pm I thought I’d spent long enough away and returned to work. First I went to check on the new computer to see if the Skype was still OK and whether MuJo had responded. The computer was OK’ish but struggled to boot up at first. MuJo hadn’t responded to my Skype request but while I was there I was able to Bookmark a few of the pages I use most often, including this one so now I can update from almost anywhere………..well, from within two rooms at least. My empire. Tomorrow I want to put a programme on that I have the disk for as it’s the place I do my silly poems on and get my clip art.

I returned from the wilderness room at 10.15 am to play catch up again and to come on to the blog. It’s looking hopeful for  midnight.

The Deadly Duo.

Hippy ready for Spring

This treat is from a film I really enjoyed.

Wednesday 16th March.

I’d got to bed at 11.50 in the end. I read for just over the hour and lights went out at 12.45 am.

When I woke I knew I wanted more sleep which I wasn’t going to get.  It was 15.39 am on my clock glowing malevolently in the dark. I went through to the toilet and noticed as I did that I hadn’t turned off the light in Mike’s room. Sticking my head in I found the computer still on as though the shut down I’d ordered last night had not been actioned.  I turned it off completely which means I shall suffer when I next reopen it. I returned to my room and caught the face of my clock, the time read 1.56 am meaning somehow I’d seen 1.53 am before but imagined something different. The small gods must be laughing again. I turned the computer on to see if there was anything of great import I needed to see. The answer struck NO, but I wasn’t sure that was the whole answer. I was there and might as well work on the mail.

In a hideous coincidence (?) the first batch of mail took me until 3.39 am to do by which time Id been kicking myself for my own stupidity. My clock is set as a 12 hour one, not a 24 hour one so it couldn’t show 15.39 am.  I found myself in a sort of half doze at the computer.I was not quite there yet able to deal with each message as it came in. Sometimes there were a few to deal with and at others just the odd one. At 5.00 am I took a break and went for breakfast and to take my meds. Cornflakes today and I quite enjoyed them. I was faffing around as my friend Judy would say http://edwinasepisodes.com/2016/03/16/wacky-word-wednesday-26/  so I didn’t return to my desk until 5.55 am. I had 15 minutes to clear the boards for the daily flood. I made it. Just. It was a close run thing. When it arrived it took me until  9.20 am to be clear again.

I had HUtH on with Joey but must have nodded off half way through as it wasn’t there when I woke up at 11.15 am. I dashed through to play catch up and found a message on my phone that Jade would be here about midday. I texted back, ‘Magic’ and wondered what to do about lunch. I put my shoes on, took my pre-foodies and went to the chippy only to find it closed until 11.45 am. I walked back to Pauline’s and bought some microchips and a sachet of curry sauce then hurried home to do them. They took 9 minutes between them so I hoped I hadn’t been out longer than about 7 minutes. Whatever, I enjoyed the end product and I had washed up before she arrived. I left her doing the lounge then came through to deal with the mail again.

A Motown boxed set I got on ebay arrived a day after I found I’d already got the same set. I’m wasting time on ebay as I’m having no joy at creating anything towards Amelie’s book. I wonder if I  can pick up a second hand brain anywhere, mind you this one’s male so it’s hardly used. I’m looking at some jewellery at the moment but I still haven’t managed to find Easter gifts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Jade left at 2.10 pm and I sort of relaxed a bit though I carried on working. At 3.00 pm I broke off to watch Escape to the Country. It’s always interesting to see what kind of house they want and what the mystery house is that the team present them with. At 3.45 pm I did come back though so it wasn’t a big skive. At 4.30 pm Dil arrived so I went to make him a cuppa. I had to replace all my vases onto the windowsills and bring back my measuring and pouring jugs that Jade thought looked better there. I need to do the kitchen floor tomorrow. She washed the net curtains from the kitchen and lounge today. Dil and I watched our usual programmes then out came the games. First the Yahtzee which he won the first game 4-2 despite me squealing like a girl at his double Yahtzees. I won the second set 4-2 despite him sounding like a big girls blouse and howling at my game even though I won with no Yahtzees at all. The Trivial Pursuit went to him. I was still a piece of cake short when I chose to ask him the final question which I was sure he wouldn’t know. Dalmations! The cards came out and I won both games of cribbage. He seemed to think I wasn’t putting the fives back in the pack. Doesn’t he know that’s what long sleeves are for? He left at 9.30 pm and I had a quick tidy round before shutting Joey up (in his cage) and going through to take my meds. I came though to start on the mail and the blog. The mail took until 11.05 pm. I’m writing fast now to finish before midnight.

I’m so excited and I just can’t fight it, I’m about to lose control ……………

Apprentice dog walker

Thursday 17th March

Greased up ready for a channel swim and climbed into bed at 11.55 pm. Was texting Mike to wish him a nice holiday today and the replies were going back and forth for a few minutes so that I didn’t start reading until 12.10 am. Book down, lights out at 12.57 am I woke this morning at 5.02 am. A wonderful 4 hours of unbroken sleep. Yay! I logged on and started the mail which somehow I finished for 6.08 am. I went to the kitchen for my meds before the new batch arrived.                                                                          There was no avoiding the fact that the new lot would arrive so I returned ready for battle. I worked until 9.00 am then went off to the chemist’s. And before some bright spark among you asks, Yes, I did get dressed. I’d put my scrip in on Monday and nothing been received yet. It turns out it was still at the surgery and unsigned. From Monday. That’s idiotic! The chemist said I cold have it as soon as received but of course that may be tomorrow. I called in at Pauline’s for my lottery so I may not have to go out at all tomorrow now then returned home to work again. I worked until 11.40 am before I was up to date enough to go and make my lunch. The usual Thursday treat of bangers and sweet potato mash, throw in some mixed veg and I was a happy man as I poured thick gravy over the lot.

I watched Bargain Hunt as I ate then did the washing up and returned to my seat for the auction. As soon as it was over I was out like the proverbial light. I didn’t hear Joey complain about snoring so it must have been OK. I didn’t rouse myself until 2.05 pm, then I shuffled my feet as fast as I could back to work. I was just passing the front door when my drugs (75% anyway) were delivered. No doubt the rest will arrive tomorrow. I started work again, it was a bit of a slog but at 3.20 pm when there seemed to be a natural lull I was able to sign into the other one to see if there was a skype response yet. That would be a no then. I shall have to risk disturbing them tomorrow to see how they are and that always worries me because  John’s health is not fantastic and his mother is well into her 90’s. Still, sending one text doesn’t seem out of order.                I started loading things from the disc I’d done onto my desktop. Once I discovered it was drag and drop my confidence soared. While it was doing and before I went to start my evening viewing, I started to load another disc on my normal computer. I need to get as many files off as possible.

At 5.00 am I made a sandwich to go with my BFG (Oops, didn’t I mention that before) then sat and enjoyed Cold Case. I started on Without a Trace but that woozy dust must have risen when Joey flew, it invaded my nostrils and I was gone. I was ten minutes into StarGate SG1 before the dust settled again. I watched an episode of Sanctuary which isn’t turning out to be like expected and then even though I should have packed up and come through I turned over (The channel, not me) to look at the Shannara Chronicles as I was a big fan of Terry Brookes books. It seemed OK but I confess to not remembering this story.I was glad to see one of my favourite actors there, John Rhys-Davies who sounds the same but isn’t looking well these days. Maybe it’s time for me to reread the books. I only watched half way though as I was conscious of the time and even Joey had gone in expecting me to close his door. So at 9.30 pm I did. I took my meds, called goodnight to Joey and came back to my room. The disc I’d left downloading that said two weeks 3 days to go was done. Liars.

I caught up on the mail then at 10.40 pm started on the blog. I expect I’ll be done by 11.30 pm if I make up my mind about pictures and music.

The Fairy

The little monkey.

Friday 18th March

Bed at 11.45 pm but some of the extra time was because I was doing my legs….no, not shaving them Madam, putting cream on. I must be enjoying the new book because I read till almost 1.00 am to get to the end of a long chapter. Lights out and sleep came quite quickly. Alas so did wakefulness again, at 2.27 am. Somnos has got it in for me big time at the moment. I used the time to put some more files on the new computer and ballsed it up in a big way. 3.20 saw me having to create a new disc with the files I thought I had. 2 days 20 hours was the predicted download time ??? It did it in about 20 minutes or so though the next two downloads to the same disc ,the full 2 days. At least it felt that way, they were still going when I returned from my breakfast at 5.30 am. I think I’m done now. I just need to transfer them to the correct place on the new base.

At 5.00 am I went through to see about taking my meds and doing my tabs for the next week. I decided against breakfast as I could have tea for a change. Then I decided lunch was too far away  and changed my mind. Rice Krispies today. Funny how I always find myself with a wart on my face when I finish. Because the files were still transferring on my return I went and filled the mop bucket and did the kitchen floor. I really must get a squeegee mop. There were a few more messages to take care of when I returned but at least I’d be clear for the new stuff when it arrived.                                                                                                                                                                                                          When it did arrive it got my full attention. I worked through to 9.50 am before I’d finished and went to watch HUtH. As soon as it was over I was back though to catch up again. I managed it by 11.40 am and decided to celebrate. I put my shoes on and my jacket, took my tablets then walked up to the chippie. By the time I got back my fifteen minutes was up so I tore through the wrapper to the food and ate. Difficult when you have curry sauce but hey ho.

I was about half way through lunch when the doorbell went, I had to put my tray down and answer it. There stood standing on my doorstep was a stick insect thin man with a drippy nose. I could sympathise with that as it was cold out today. He was from the National Office of Statistics and had come to make an appointment for me to answer a questionaire. To be honest I’ve sort of been expecting him. As it’s here, I think I’ll be OK and have agreed to do it (if only to get back to my lunch). I sat back down and watched Bargain Hunt. Once that was over I knowingly with no malice aforethought shuffled my bottom on the chair and closed my eyes. I slept,oh how I slept, it must have been for all of five minutes before I was startled awake by the doorbell. This time it was the chemist with the missing part of my scrip from yesterday. My doorbell so rarely rings I never take precautions like pulling the wires out and sticking it in the bin. I came back to work instead.Once I’d caught up I headed for the other computer to put some more files on.

At 4.30 pm I needed a break which I almost got tripping over the hall carpet. I went to sit in the lounge with a rhubarb yoghurt. It was no company at all so I talked to Joey instead. At 5.00 pm I watched Cold Case which of course was followed by Without a Trace aka Power Nap time, it had a very good ending. That in turn was followed by Star Gate SG1 which brought me to 8.00 pm.  Knowing there is an R in  the month I decided I’d better have a shower or the underarm spray won’t be enough any more. I fully intended coming to my bedroom to catch up again after the shower but I must have got water on the brain and turned right instead of left, either that or I was walking backwards. Finding myself in the lounge again I sat and watched Sanctuary, or as much as there was left. Finally I shut the TV off , closed Joey’s cage door and went to take my meds. I was ready to go into battle. I worked on mail till 10.35 pm then started on the blog. Things are going well so far and I’m looking at 11.30 pm approx if I can decide on pictures.

St Patrick’s Day snooze

St Patrick’s Day smile ( I get the feeling somebody’s watching me…)

Saturday 19th March.

I didn’t actually know what day to write this one a it could be classed as a continuation of Friday really. However I’ll let you decide for yourselves.  Without being accurate on the timings, the reason I say that is as follows. Roughly 11.30 pm bed. Roughly 12.30 am lights out for sleep. Roughly 1.30 am back up again as I couldn’t get to sleep and both legs were playing up despite having been creamed. I thought if I got up, maybe I could make myself tired enough to sleep anyway. As I was up, why waste time? I might as well start answering mail albeit piecemeal.  Hmm, just using that word made me hungry but my willpower will succeed. Anyway, I don’t want indigestion thanks.     At 3.00 am all was quiet so I lay on the bed and succeeded in nodding off until 4.27 am.I didn’t complain at what was after all a victory of sorts. Once I was ‘compost mental’  again I spent time on the new mail that had come in then I went to make payment on Ebay for some things I’ve won.

At 5.00 am I had breakfast and my meds. I opened Joey’s cage and replaced the water and seed for him. It was perhaps a little early to let him out but he’d decide for himself when it was light enough to come out. I returned to work and got my mail box clear at 9.20 am. I just had a text to say Yvonne and Ugo had a bad night with Amelie leading to little/no sleep and that Reuben was in stroppy mode today. Ugo was just getting himself ready to come to me. It’s going to be difficult to shop this late with crowds around but he’ll stay with me. I shan’t have long as he needs to be back by 11.50 am. I shall be shopping on the run. Just as well I only want two shops.                             It was 9.40 am I got a text to say he was on the way. That meant about a 10.10 am arrival. I went to wait outside to save time and he was very close to the ETA. After a short but violent discussion about where we were going, (it turns out he’s frightened of ‘er indoors when he’s there and of me at this end so my suggestion of Tesco’s won out. He’s a very gentle and considerate soul.

I got everything from my list that was due from there, I didn’t pick flowers as the current vase seems to be doing OK. I can get some any day it looks like we need replacements. At the till we were served by my favourite young girl who Ju and I loved to go to if we could. Always  as bright as a button and so pleasant. After Tesco we moved on to Homies. Luckily, he needed to be home at 1.00 pm instead of midday so we weren’t so pressed for time. I got my squeegee mop from there and my pop plus my mini cereals. I hadn’t been able to get any cash at Tesco’s so I used up my supply of readies. When we came out of Homies I went to the bank in the town centre very close to where we were at Homies. Then Ugo brought me home and we proceeded to put things away.  I thanked him for the help, he said goodbye and left. Only after he’d gone did I notice he’d forgotten some things like biscuits and chocolate. I’ll have to take them next week. (I’m sure they’ll survive )I let Yvonne know he was on his way in case she worried about the time. It was just midday.

I came through to do some catching up before taking a break at 1.00 pm for lunch. I’d picked up a braised steak and mash meal for today. It was really nice and I know Joey enjoyed the company. I even watched a bit of TV before succumbing to whatever had been put in the mash and dozes off for an hour and a quarter. I’m afraid it was the need to have a wee rather than a guilty conscience which made me leave my seat so I eventually returned to catch up on emails. I spend most of the afternoon here partly trying to figure out why John hasn’t responded to my Skype request yet he’s tried to contact me twice on Facebook where he knows I hardly ever go, and since he wasn’t on when I was, we couldn’t connect then either. It would be easier just to send me a text.                                                                                                                                                            Late afternoon and I had a temporary lull in proceedings so I made a bolt for the lounge, it didn’t fit though. I stayed there with Moaning Mike Joey watching a couple of films and then the start of a programme on The Jackson 5/Jacksons until 9.30 pm. Then it was time for the final battles of the night, no, not to stay awake. I needed to get the mail down and the blog done.

Mother and child

The Happy Day.

Have a Fantastic New Week all of you. I wish you Dreams Come True and Hugs Galore.

 

Scrooge is alive and Well & Dongle Dismay

Sunday 6th March

I was in bed at 12.17 am last night and my light out for about 12.45 am due to being tired. I hate being deprived of my power naps and sulk so much you could rest a cuppa on my bottom lip. Wake up time was 4.36 am but I didn’t feel begrudging. Maybe I’ll get double the power naps today. After the inevitable skip to the loo (my darling) I started work on the mail. At 5.15 am I broke off to take meds and make a coffee to bring back then returned in the hope of clearing all before 6.10 am. I finished my last post at 6.08 am. Of course my break was only for two minutes before it all had to start again. I just carried on and was clear at 8.55 am for a while. I’d just stood up to go to the lounge and see Joey when I heard Mike’s alarm go off. I was shocked. Joey got his cage door open but I had to go and put the kettle on.

I took a drink through just as the second alarm sounded. A few burbling sounds greeted me and I knew he wouldn’t be up in a hurry. It was 9.30 am with the last bit of his alarm ringing in his ears. By that time I’d almost snuggled down in my chair and nodded off but he wasn’t having that. I left him in the lounge with his coffee while I went for a shave and to get dressed. We were out of the house a little after 10.30 am and on our way to the Greyhound Retail Park in Chester. We had a good look round the shops for a console table or something similar to hold the heads he bought yesterday but nothing seemed to please him. We both ended up buying another head each, me a very slim Buddha’s head and Mike a skull with inscriptions all over it. Gruesome but intriguing.                                                                                                                                                                        Dinner looked like it would be a problem as Prestatyn is in the opposite direction to where we were. I din’t want a pizza place again and wasn’t keen on going to Frankie  and Benny’s. I suppose we could have gone a short distance into the city for a pub meal but we settled on a cafe inside ASDA. Mike was really taken with the coffee.

Afterwards I suggested a look round one more shop for ideas if nothing else. It was remarkable, all the time wasted earlier and I take him there. He picked up a box of three children’s wall cubes down from £15 to £5 and decided they’d be perfect ( Scrooge). A head on each. From now on I’m going to plan the route and then cross off everything except the last. We came home again and I leaned against the front door (the inside or I’d have fallen over) and refused to let him go until he’d done the flowers. I stuck around till they were done then threw him out. He was intending to listen to his team play as he drove home. I was able to start work. It was 4.00 pm.

I worked until 6.00 pm then went and made some tea. I remained with Joey through Beowulf and then The Midwife but gave up at 9.00 pm and came to start again. That took me until just gone 10.30 pm when I was able to at least start the blog. It should be an early night hallelujah.

It wasn’t me!

Monday 7th March.

My early night was so much wishful thinking thanks to a late flurry of mail, but I suppose 11.55 pm counts. It was just gone midnight before I slid between the sheets and I use that word advisedly since I’d just slathered my legs in gunk. I enjoyed a read despite thinking I’d be too tired for that and the light went out at 12.48 am. Even then it was a while before I could sleep as I had to find cold spots for my legs to help stop the itching. I woke this morning at 4.53 am.                                                                                                A quick hop, step and jump to the loo and then to the kitchen to take my meds. I didn’t bother with breakfast as I wanted a run at my mail first. I brought a coffee back and signed in. There was more mail than I expected with friends still commenting on Saturday night’s blog post.  I got stuck in but couldn’t clear them all before the new day’s mail burst into being.

At 7.30 pm Joey was tweeting again without even using a computer. The mornings are much lighter for him now. I opened the cage and returned to work. At 8.45 am I went to start the washing machine, something I should have remembered to do when I first went to the kitchen. When I came back I worked until 9.20 am to finally get up to date. Time to go to Pauline’s. There was quite a queue in the shop but I wasn’t in a rush. When I got to the counter I expected conversation about the weather but it was actually about chips with curry sauce.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The tumble drier went on when I returned as the wash cycle had finished. I did that then went to Mike’s room and put the box with the computer on the bed and carefully unpacked it. There was a little table there which I set up close to the plug. Lee said I should check it before he comes to be sure I have no problems with the seller. I didn’t have time to do it just then as the warden-Bev- arrived earlier than usual. She stayed for a good half an hour chatting before going off to meet a social worker.

Joey came out and landed on the mirror (as always) and started tap-tapping his beak against the beak of the impertinent bird the other side of the glass. I took the opportunity to bring his cage down to floor level so I could remove the base totally and take it through to the kitchen for cleaning. Before that I had cleaned all the detritus off the objects under the place he often sits in the cage. With the base replaced and fresh sand paper added I put the cage back and went to pick up a fruit and honey seed stick for him as I’d run out of seed bells. He didn’t even seem too bothered as I replaced the cage right under where he was sitting. At 11.00 am I went through to set up the computer to test it. An older desk top base and a slightly newer monitor but the necessary cables were there so despite problems I managed to put it together. The most awkward problem I could see if that there were just two USB slots. With the mouse and keyboard in place I’ll have problems. The printer should be OK I hope as I don’t think that’s USB but my webcam will be and so will my speakers I think. Now I think about it, I don’t recall a place for my headphones either. Still, these are minor crises that can be overcome. Since there isn’t a slot to read memory cards I’ll need a USB for a card reader too. Ebay here I come.

At 12.15 pm, assured that everything was working OK  I broke off to watch Bargain Hunt. Before it started I grabbed my pre-food tablets. As the start of the show isn’t (to me) as important as the finish I was able to put my meal in the microwave and empty the drier, putting everything on the airer. I dashed through once the microwave binged me and got my meal to eat in front of the TV. I didn’t miss any of the auction nor one team making £135 profit on one item. An antiques show and the best profit is on an item made from  resin!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     At 1.00 pm  I turned the TV off much to Joey’s disgust and came through here adding to his disgust and his squawking displeasure. There was plenty to do which also included a visit to Ebay as I’d promised myself. I was spoiled for choice.                                                                                                                                                                                                           At 3.00 pm I started playing yo-yo by going back to the TV for  A Place in the Country  until 3.45 pm then back here until my regular departure at 4.30 pm. The cycle then proceeded as usual, Flog It, Cold Case and Without a Trace until 7.00 pm and then new to this channel for me Stargate. The only problem has been that I saw the start of Without a Trace then nodded off until halfway through Stargate. Two programmes where I couldn’t follow the storyline.

At 9.00 pm I reminded Joey it was bedtime and like a good lad he went into his cage. I wandered through to the kitchen and took my meds with my eyes roaming everywhere for something to chomp on. I wasn’t hungry, just a greedy pig. In the end I had nothing as my willpower shone through. Lights out I came through to work knowing there would be a good bit to catch up on. Who cares, sleep is overrated anyway.

That crockledile is ready for those fingers. Any mo’ now.

Note, I wore a more conservative yellow for St. David’s Day.

  Sorry,it’s the best version I can find.

Tuesday 8th March.

Bed was around 11.30 pm and of course I had to read for a while. Two chapters of this one took me more or less to 12.25 am and lights out. I didn’t have much wriggling last night as I’d read with my whole body out of the covers and my legs were col. Some nights it’s just too nippy to do that. I was up at 3.09 am this morning so had time to clear a few items of mail before having to leave for Chester. I had my fingers crossed for a nice day as most of yesterday had been. Bright but with a crispness in the air. I’m fed up of the damp now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Once the triple jump to the Kingdom of Karsie was done I came back and logged on. There was plenty of mail and I had a good start with it. I did break off at 4.00 am though to go and get my meds and have breakfast. Indecisive as ever I couldn’t settle on either cereal or toast so my wonderful diabetic intuition told me Both. The cereal was Rice Krispies ( come on Kellog’s, I’m doing product adverts for you here). Things were going well Having had a spoonful of cereal I went for the toast next bu dropped it from a height. Somebody’s law (Murphy’s?) dictated where it had to land and moments later it looked like I had facial boils, including my glasses. Oliver Cromwell and his ‘ Paint me, boils and all’ would have been proud. I looked like a plague victim and so did the surrounding work surface. Fortunately for me I didn’t have to have reconstructive surgery (though many say I should) nor even go round with a sterile needle.

It was about 4.45 am when I returned to the computer which I thought should have come awake a lot quicker given that it had slept longer than me. I continued with the mail and was clear at 5.35 am though stragglers kept coming in. I opened up Ebay and started looking for coz presents ( here’s a present coz I love you). Sometimes it’s nice instead of an egg at Easter. Hm, sometimes it’s nice as well as an egg at Easter.I had a message from Lee who said he was surprised I could only find 2 USB ports on the new computer since it’s standard to have more. Knowing I’d ordered the hub with 4 on I didn’t worry too much but something made me go and take another look. First off, there are two USB ports on the front of the base which is magic for putting my card reader on, but on the back I found 4 more (I think) apart from the two I’m using. How the heck did I miss 6 ports like that? Tomorrow night it should all be up and running and I don’t mind admitting I’m nervous. I almost tried to persuade Lee to put Windows 7 on the existing computer and I’d carry on with it for now, perhaps update the memory and the HDD at a later date. What surprises me is how blase he is about the change. He reckons 10 minutes to download the files I want to the slave HDD and then just attaching that to the new one and uploading them. It will take a while but doesn’t need my attention. The thing I want most at the moment is my SKYPE back.

At 7.20 am I got my coat on and made ready to leave. I opened Joey’s cage so he had freedom while I was out, closed the lounge door and left. I’d put on a sports jacket because it looked quite nice but of course it started raining half way up the hill. I tried to speed up, I may be shrink proof but I’m not sure about the clothes. Two other buses stopped to see if I wanted to get on but I waited for mine who was almost back to the old time of 7.45 am. The journey was OK except I had to keep trying to do a Whoopi Goldberg and get the traffic lights to change. There were delays with roadworks. Somehow we were only about 3 minutes later than usual. I thanked the driver and got off. They were waiting for me in the bus shelter as it was raining in Chester too.                                                                                                                                                                                       There was a big grin off Reuben and a lovely hug from Yvonne. Amelie snored gently in her pram. We headed for an old shop in new premises to get out of the rain. It was very nice, a lot more stock and very roomy. Once we’d had a good look round and Reuben had a new toy we left to go for coffee. He really showed his displeasure when we bypassed a toy shop he wanted to go in even though Yvonne said we could go there after a drink. Heavens, Reuben can throw a better tantrum than me when he doesn’t get his own way. Take me out of a shop when I’m looking and watch me perform.

We had our coffee and I had hold of Amelie who’d woken up. She wanted her breakfast too. When it came to feeding time Roobs was watching something on Yvonne’s phone and she was obviously otherwise engaged, I said I’d take a walk. Now you have to be fair here. I found some nice bedding in the sale but didn’t buy it. However, I walked round the gents section and came out with a shirt and 3 jumpers for less than 20 quid. It’s not my fault, If Amelie didn’t want feeding and if Yvonne didn’t give in to her, I wouldn’t have been alone and seen this stuff. Yvonne looked very surprised when I returned with my bag and said t was time to go. I didn’t admonish her as I’m a very generous chap.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      We moved on to the shop Reuben had wanted before and I found a book there for emergencies. He got another toy. Again we moved on, this time to the Grosvenor Precinct which is the main shopping centre on Chester. I managed to get something nice for Amelie and some lovely long gloves Yvonne liked as well as a watch for Ugo. Then it was time to go for my bus. I was on time and had a decent journey home. I called into Pauline’s and for some reason bought 3 scratch cards. When I got home and had a tongue lashing from you know who, I took my pre-foodies and set a chips and curry sauce on. It’s a new make and the timings are very different. It has more chips and more sauce and the latter has a very fruity genuine curry taste though still very mild. I enjoyed it. Once lunch was over I couldn’t go to sleep so came through to see what the damage was.

I worked from 1.30 pm  to 5.00 pm before having a break. I hadn’t caught up. I had my programmes from 5.00 pm until 9.00 pm before coming back to have another go. More had come through since the world never sleeps. It kept me going until 10.40 pm until I was clear and able to start the blog. It’s a midnight finish.

At Betws y Coed

Also at Betws y Coed

Wednesday 9th March

I made it to bed at 11.50 pm  and read until about 12.30 am when I put my light out. Falling asleep wasn’t a problem, staying asleep was though. I’d fall asleep for to or three minutes and was then awake again. That must have happened 5 times. Eventually I fell asleep and stayed that way until 4.18 am when I woke properly and ready to face the new day. Well almost. First the Piddle Palace and then the kitchen where I took my meds including my pre-foodies and then had breakfast, a toasted bap today with strawberry jam. I came back to start work coffee in hand. I worked until about 5.00 am when Microsoft informed me it was closing down for updates. I told it to postpone for 4 hours and threw myself into the mail. After about 20 minutes it suddenly closed down. I hate that happening. Luckily when it came back it brought the appropriate pages where I’d been back up again.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I started again and finished at 6.05 am. I sat in my chair head back, relaxing. Not enough to nod off though. Eventually the new lot came. 14 at first and I thought all would be OK. I’d only done 2 when it jumped to 33, to 64 and thence to 97. I just kept going and had to fight the urge to nod off, especially as I relaxed and burned my hand on a cigarette I was holding in the other hand. 9.42 am showed on the clock before I finally finished. Joey was delighted.

I did watch HUtH with Joey but as he yattered all the way through it I’m beginning to think he doesn’t care about the programme, just about me being in there suffering earache. Some gratitude that is. At 11.00 am I returned to work and wondered why I hadn’t heard from Jade who assured me last week that it would be Wednesday this week. Mind you, she did say that the week before as well. At 11.45 am I was clear again and went for lunch. I took my pre-foodies then went to the chippie. I’d just got back when Jade sent me a text to say either 3.00 pm today or 2.00 pm tomorrow, she’d let me know within the hour. By 3.30 pm it was pretty clear to an intellect as sharp as mine that she wasn’t coming today. A fair chance she wasn’t letting me know either. Fine, next week I’ll work on ESP alone maybe.                                                                                     I kept the mail down as much as possible all afternoon and only stopped at 4.00 pm when I wanted to be handy if Dil came. He turned up at 4.30 pm so I made him a cup of tea and we chatted. At 5.15 pm we watched out quiz but Lee turned up at 5.25 pm. He and I deserted to look at the computer. I thought all was going to go well now and that Lee would show me how to get the files I wanted onto the slave drive and then I could bring the new one through and transfer the files. I think there must be a new small god I haven’t met yet. My computer wasn’t recognising the slave drive. Lee spent as long as he could trying to find out why not and see whether the problem lay with the computer or the drive. Typically it’s the computer. Quite a major glitch if something has crawled into the woodwork on the back of something else.                                                  He decided the way forward was to put the files I want onto discs and so he showed me drag and drop. That seemed to work. I did one disc and thought I’d try the transfer when it finished. He looked at my skype problem and said just download it as new on the new computer as it’s a bad problem on the current one preventing it. By 6.30 pm he had to go, understandably as he’s been at work all day.

I left all computer related stuff and rejoined Dil for our games. Is there by any chance a small god of the dice too? In the first Yahtzee run I lost 4-2. Not too bothered I started the second run hopeful and won the first two lines, then we had our first ever draw and he won 2 lines. I was determined the last one would be mine. I can still hear the mocking laughter. A disaster. And so, out came the Trivial Pursuit. I was able to answer questions no problem as long as I wasn’t on the square that won me a coloured piece of pie. Dil just romped away. He had 5 pieces in before I got my third. I almost grovelled at his feet when it was time to go and he said “We’ll have to call this a draw” or this would have been the worst day in a long time. Once he’d gone I had a very quick tidy up then washed the pots. I came through and got the disc which I took through to the new computer. I managed to open it no problem but couldn’t find a way of downloading the files. It was quite hard in Mike’s room as I have no computer table in there. OK, forget the files, let’s see if we can solve the Skype problem. I opened the Google Chrome button but it said there was no internet. WHAT !!? I came back here and sure enough the internet is live. On the new one it said no internet detected, none available to connect to. I haven’t an ethernet cable and if I had it’s too far to the box. I think I need to call a professional in to sort it and pay through the nose. Sobbing and chewing a cushion to drown the noise I gave up and came back through to see to the mail. It took until 11.08 pm to clear the last of that and start the blog. Midnight is going to be touch and go.

Scared at the cinema but Roobs is OK.

Looking out for l’il sister.

Thursday 10th March.

Well, midnight came and went and I got to bed at 12.28 am. I read until 1.15 am or until my eyes were ready to close so I didn’t even finish the chapter.  It was another of those nights where I slept for a couple of minutes then woke again as though I’d heard something, I hadn’t.  I woke at 2.28 am as though it was time to get up but I fought back. Eventually I slept again as I knew I would. I woke at 5.12 am and it was getting up time and not in  the delicious sense that means you have a partner still. I did the triple jump to Pee Hall and came back to log on. I was part way through a response to a message when without warning, Grrrr, Microsoft decided to provide some updates. My computer closed down and not a thing I could do about it. That really annoys me. Sometimes I get warning and can postpone things but not today.                                            I headed for the kitchen and took all my meds then made a coffee to bring back. When I got here the screen was waiting for me to log back in. It was 6.15 am and going back to the net I found I’d lost all the response I’d made to the message I’d been reading and had to start again. Worse still of course was that my mailbox was filling with the daily deluge.

At 9.15 am it was time for Pauline’s for my bread and lottery tickets. I walked back with Margaret, one of my neighbours, and we nattered all the way back.I have no idea  what we spoke about so it may have been talking for talking’s sake. So much for my inner calm this morning. At home I managed a few more messages before deserting and going to watch HUtH on TV. The postman brought my USB hub during the programme. I won’t tell you what Joey did on one of his bombing missions. Suffice it to say I hope it’s lucky and that his pocket money will be stopped to pay the cleaning bill. At 11.00 am I returned to work and stayed until 11.57 am when the box was finally cleared. Now time for lunch. I peeled the sweet potato, put the sausages under the grill and when they were due to be turned put the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 7 minutes. I’d just finished plating up when I found myself glancing at my pre-foodies which I’d forgotten to take. No way was I waiting for 15 minutes so I settled on 15 seconds today. I enjoyed my meal and at least remembered to take the two after meal tablets.

At 2.30 pm I received a text saying Jade had been asked to cover for sickness and would be here on Saturday instead. I explained I’m not in on a Saturday but I’d see her next week. She promised Wednesday 100%. I told her I’m keeping the text handy. I spent the next hour online trying to find out which end of the feather duster I hold, it only took so long as I found a few novel ways and enjoyed them. I plugged the end of the hoover wire into the wall but no noise issued forth nor did it pick up anything from my carpet even though I tested it with a plate of biscuit crumbs. I started to put it away and found a little switch on the wall which I clicked. No, still no noise but the music from the radio was nice. I had to take a brush to the crumbs in the end but even though it was specified as a crumb brush it took forever. I need help or at the very least written survival for a single man instructions.

Crumb brush and tray, late Victorian Art Nouveau.

I alternated the afternoon between bouts of working while sobbing uncontrollably at the unfairness of it all and joining Joey for a bit of leisurely TV watching.I the end when I’d vented my frustration on all you in the unreal world, I stayed with TV starting at 5.00 pm with my Cold Case. It was good but I can’t say the same for Without a Trace as I only saw the first ten minutes and fell asleep. The last five minutes at the end made no sense as I made tea in the kitchen instead. Mike had sent a text at 5.00 pm to say he was on his way so I expected him about 7.30 pm. I was watching Star Gate when he sent another text at 7.30 pm to see if I wanted anything from the chippy. My hand acted independently from my brain and sent ‘No thanks’.  He arrived at 7.50 pm and I had to sit here watching him fill his face. It almost made me miss the beginning of Sanctuary. At 9.00 pm I said I was coming through and I waited for him to complain, he must have known I’d stick my arm down his throat as he didn’t say a word.

He went to bed about 10.45 pm and I nipped through to tell him about the scratch cards (which I see I forgot to mention to you). Each card had 4 lines on. On the first card I had one line winning £2 on the second card I had a line of £1, another of £1 one of £2 and the last was again £1. On the third card I won nothing. Can you imagine it, taking my money under false pretences like that. Mike pointed out I’d won £7 for a £3 outlay as though that made a difference, and where was his share. At that point I remembered the bread baking in the oven and had to run. I was done with mail at 10.57 pm and able to start the blog. I’ve assured my fingers of a rest at midnight.

Time for sleepy byes.

The gardener to be….

Divine.

Friday 11th March.

Midnight it was. I crawled into bed and read for slightly more than an hour then lights off and settle down. I must have slept fairly quickly which was good.  I woke up at 2.18 am. I knew there was more sleep to come but first I needed to scratch the skin off my leg then apply some cream  which stung. Not exactly the way the treatment plan was supposed to go but it works for me. I had a cigarette, hobbled to the loo and back then settled down again at 2.30 am and tried to ignore the itching. When I woke properly this morning at 4.43 am I saw that I’d better put a dressing on my leg. I found some steroid cream to hold the dressing on while I taped it , crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. It was itching again before 5.00 pm as I walked towards the kitchen but with a display of will power I ignored it…..for a minute.

I took my drugs, then being Friday I needed to replenish the drug tray. I got my drawer from the lounge and started to stock up, marking the repeat prescription with things I needed again next week. It’s ready to go to the chemist on Monday. Once done, I set the Tassimo to make my coffee, returned the drugs drawer to it’s home, disposed of all the empty packaging and was back just as my coffee was ready. I came back to the bedroom and signed on. It only took until 6.07 am to clear the existing mail. Time for a breather. A short breather by necessity as within minutes the box was filling up again.                                                                                                                                              By 9.20 am I was free to go see to Joey. He’d been very quiet so far which was strange. No admonishment for leaving him locked up in daylight. He was still subdued as I opened his door and as I sat in my chair talking to him, and before you say it,Yes, he could get a word in edgewise. All I could wonder is whether it was the sound of a drill from next door upsetting him, but it wasn’t loud. I put Frasier on the TV. At about 9.40 am Mike emerged from his pit and went straight to the kitchen to make a drink. Up at that time with no alarm, I wondered if it was the end times. You know, the Mayan calendar not having made an allowance for leap years all those centuries ago.

At 10.00 am HUtH came on but Joey still kept quiet. Mike didn’t though, he chose that time to go into a very detailed explanation of something and I almost missed a property in Tonypandy. Joey came out and sat on the mirror and did a headbanging spectacular with his oppo in the mirror. Ah, maybe it’s concussion keeping him quiet. After the programme I returned to work and Mike went to get dressed and go off to Manchester and his father. Margaret who I’d talked with yesterday called round with details of one of the computer repair shops in he area. I’d meantime found another one much closer but my emails were being bounced back. Maybe I’ll have to deal with the one in town. I worked until 11.50 am then went to start seeing to lunch. I actually remembered to take my tablets 15 minutes before I’d eat today. I ate very quickly so none of you would see what I was eating (again) then sat watching Bargain Hunt. Joey never made a peep. I fell asleep in my chair ( the next one who says ‘How unusual’ in a voice dripping with sarcasm is in trouble) until 2.03 pm when yet again I returned to work.

Messages consumed me until 4.30 pm when I knocked off till late evening. A few minutes of Flog it before my Cold Case came on. Mike sent a text about 7.00 pm to say he was on his way.I saw my Without a Trace peacefully and also Star Gate. I was watching the semi final of Mastermind when he arrived.  He sat and watched with me as he likes quizzes as much as I do. At 8.30 pm I went to get a shower. Instead of having a coffee Mike was there to wash my hair to try and prevent more angina attacks this week. After that, I watched half an hour of football with him then disappeared to work. The mail was clear before 10.30 pm and I was able to start the blog. Woo Hoo, it’s an early night for me.

Erm’ has someone forgotten my seat belt?

Mummy said I could slip into something comfortable. I did, their bed!

Saturday 12th March.

Bed at 11.45 pm, read till 12.50 am light off. Sleep. Wake at 2.12 am. I decided just to class this as a trial run for the real thing so after a visit to the loo and a ciggie I got back into bed. I next woke at 4.41 am and this was the real thing. Bright eyes and bushy tailed are just two of the things that didn’t apply to me this morning. I got stuck into the mail until 5.30 am when I went and had some toast and my meds. I took a coffee back with me to carry on knocking the post out of the court but I knew I’d be defeated soon. At 6.10 am the mailbox was filling up nicely and at 6.15 am Mike’s alarm went off. I went to do his coffee and take it through to him. The usual grunt in reply and after 5 alarms he got up at 6.50 am. I’d done a bit more mail by then.

While he was perched in his chair with matchsticks holding his eyes pen I did the bins, household and food and took them outside. Once that was done I just had to wait for Mike. He came to move me along at 7.00 am. On our way out I met my other next door neighbour Dorothy who complained that despite living next door she never saw me. Mike suggested she count herself lucky. Dorothy could chat for Britain and rarely pauses for breath but he’s a delight and I didn’t want to be rude. Bert came along and gave me the excuse I needed. Mike complained that despite being dressed and ready early, we were actually still only getting out at our usual time.                                                    At the supermarket not long after I got the cash while he got the trolley then we went to select Ju’s flowers. We ended up with two nice though small bunches. Further into the store Mike went to find some deodorant to take to Canada ( don’t they sell it there?) While I went to  find some dressings and some micropore tape. Next is round the corner and a few degrees due West to the kiddies clothes. Amelie was lucky today. We edged towards the gents clothing as Mike still needs some things to take away.

Once Mike is sorted we move towards the object of this exercise-Food. But first we pass the toys and I find something fun for Reuben that makes up for not getting any clothes. I know which he’d prefer anyway. As we pass more shelves with food, the trolley starts getting less and less room. In goes the bread, the cakes, the sweets, the pop, the coffee pods, the milk, micromeals, roast beef slices, sausages and we mustn’t forget biscuits and yoghurts. I paid up and we went for coffee.                                                            When we’d finished we headed for Flint and undertook a minor detour to ALDI so I could look at Easter eggs. I decided they were unusual enough that I got four from there and Mike added a bunch of daffodils to my basket for Ju’s vase to add a little colour at the front. We headed off again and parked up by Temptations. Making sure I had a bag in my pocket we walked over to Homies enjoying a cigarette. There I got the last of the Easter eggs I needed. They made me pay for them before I could leave the shop though. I must get bigger pockets.

We walked over for our coffee and Mike’s breakfast. Ceri was on with a young lad we hadn’t seen before. It turned out he’s Sian’s son. We were gobsmacked to say the least as Sian never seems to be over about 25 and this lad was not in nappies.( at least as far as we could tell). We said hello to quite a few of the regulars and enjoyed some banter with Ceri that can’t be repeated but which was funny. When we left we had a look in a large catalogue returns shop at computers and TV’s for no real reason then got in the car and had the usual ‘where to now’ conversation we have every week. We settled on going to Holywell where I think Mike hoped to persuade me to visit one of the computer service shops but which I was in no mood to do. He took the opportunity to visit his building society and then we walked down the street. There in the window of a charity shop was the perfect console table and instead of it’s usual £100+ price, it was £25. The only problem was it wouldn’t fit into Mike’s car unless it could be disassembled. He went in to ask about it. A few minutes later he was out again. He’d paid, and they’d agreed to take it apart while we had lunch. We ate in the top Bells.

Coming out Mike walked up to where we’d left the car and drove round to the other end of town so he could access the main street which is one way when it isn’t fully pedestrianised. He parked in front of the shop. There was a youngster of about ten helping , ready to open the door for me. First Mike and I took all the shopping out of the boot and put it on the pavement then he set the roof to lower into the boot space. The youngster was fascinated. I told him Mike was preparing for space mode. We brought the table out and packed it behind the front seats. It was a tight fit. Then out came the roof again and back into the boot went the shopping. I gave the youngster £1 for his help. I know he’d have done it for nothing if he could have retracted that roof just once. We came home and emptied the boot.

I put the shopping away and made my excuses to come away and start work. I made Mike a coffee while he tried to move the table to the boot though I warned him it wouldn’t go, he swore it would. I was disappointed that my card reader still hasn’t arrived though it was due Thursday. Anyway, I started work. There were over 100 messages and they kept me pinned to my chair from 1.45 pm to 5.55 pm when I needed a break.Mike had been in a couple of times to see if I was awake and whether I was coming through. I stayed watching the box with him until 9.00 pm and then had to come and start again. I won’t have this problem for the next month. I’m trying to keep pace with the mail as I do the blog tonight so there’s nothing there when I’m ready to turn in.

Wishing you all a Great New Week and the opportunity to spread a few more hugs around.

What shall we talk about next?

Share my food. What choo talkin’ ’bout?

A bonus track by the same beautiful lady, taken from us far too soon.

 

 

 

A new Computer ( just not unpacked yet) & Predictive Text.

Sunday 28th Feb

I was actually in bed close to midnight, or at least on bed as I slathered myself in enough gunk to do a Channel swim. When I’d thrown out a couple of anchors to keep me in place I started reading which I ended just gone 1.00 am. It took a short time to find a cool enough spot for my legs and then I slept. The first period lasted until 2.28 am and then I woke ready to go to the loo. No problem as I hopped back into bed straight after a cigarette and was able to sleep again. The second session ended at 5.01 am which seemed on a par with usual really. This time I didn’t need an immediate visit to the Piddle Palace and so was able to log into the computer. I made a start on the mail from overnight but broke off at 5.45 am to get my meds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        When I came back I was heading towards completion when the new batch arrived.  I ended up working until 8.15 am before the first clear patch and the chance of a break so I disappeared to the lounge to let Joey out and sit with him for a while.

At 9.15 am there was a knock at the front door. It was my neighbour Bert to see if I had a mirror he could use to see the back of his head as he trims it. I do have one somewhere but I couldn’t find it so he left empty handed. I did say if he had no luck later, to call and I’d trim it for him.                                                                                                             As soon as he’s gone, Mike got up. Very unusual for a Sunday. I made him a coffee while he asked what Bert wanted. We watched a couple of episodes of 8 Simple Rules from the early series while John Ritter was still alive. Then I went to get dressed. When I was done, Mike toddled off to his room and got ready. At 11.00 am we left the house in search of mirrors. We went to Tesco where we found two mirrors on stands at £2.50 each which were good but I asked to go to Home Bargains in case they had a hand mirror. The first think I found were two mirrors on stands like the Tesco ones but with a magnification of 3X on one side and they were just 99p each. Mike found one hand mirror.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When we’d finished in Homies we gave some thought to lunch. Knowing Mike wanted to get away early this afternoon I didn’t want to suggest anywhere and he didn’t want to decide either so we gave the car it’s head. The Cookhouse was the choice. Wise decision, there were so many moans of ecstasy coming from our table at the taste and tenderness of the beef (plus pork in Mike’s case) we were getting a lot of funny looks. Four people just ordered “Whatever they’re having.”                                                                   After lunch we came home and I fell asleep the minute I hit my chair. Not too sure when Mike left but he’d gone when I woke. I was glad as I hoped it would give him time to get the problem sorted with his visit to Canada in a couple of weeks. He’s been given 10 days to sort it yet it took them 3 weeks to notify him there was a problem.               I turned to work. It was 3.15 pm and I stayed until 6.00 pm when I went to have some tea. I stayed there until after Beowulf and then came back through to make sure the mail was cleared before starting the blog. It took until 10.49 pm but I’ll be in bed before midnight I’m sure.

Feel the force

Getting the punch line.

Monday 29th Feb.

T’was a funny old nite. I was in bed for 11.45 pm and I could only read until about 12.15 am as I did feel tired…of what I’m not sure. I don’t imagine it took me long to get to sleep but waking at  2.01 am came as a bit of a shock and didn’t feel right. I sat and had a cigarette while I decided what to do and after some consideration, going back to bed seemed favourite. I lay there for some time willing sleep to come but it obviously missed the first few buses so I took to my chair in the lounge. That worked  and it was 5.34 am before I resurfaced. Despite the fact I was still yawning it didn’t seem a bad length of sleep.                                                                                                                                                    I went straight to the kitchen and took my meds realising that I’d completely forgotten last night’s again. Oops! I made a coffee to bring back to my room stopping off on the way at the House of Pee when I realised I was hopping from foot to foot.

I signed on and started on the mail. I was making real headway before the new batch arrived but they didn’t seem so bad this morning. I was finished by 8.50 am and able to get dressed ready to take my prescription request to the chemist. Mail was still coming in but in much smaller , more manageable batches. I went to let Joey out and tell him I’d be back to watch TV with him later, then walked up to the Shop Parade as it’s known and tucked my prescription request in the box provided. I know it will be back on either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. It was cool out but fairly bright so I chanced a sports jacket instead of my leather one. I was well layered beneath it though. It was really nice and it seemed a shame to be coming back indoors. I hoped tomorrow would be a similar day so I could dress as though Spring has sprung.                                      When I got back in I returned straight away to the mail to keep some kind of control on it. At 9.55 am I went through to join Joey for HUtH. I know it’s his favourite because he chirrups through it.

Once it was over and I’d taken in a parcel from the postman I returned to my mail. Quite a few in while I was away. One I found absolutely amazing was here….                           https://meatdoesntgrowinmygarden.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/ausones-notebook-22-nd-instalment-amwriting-mondayblogs-cats-iartg/    It seems that in Belgium in the town of Linkebeek there were elections at which the same French speaking candidate was elected 3 times but was not empowered as Mayor by the Regional Dutch speaking Authorities who instead appointed the second place man who then had to step down as he had no majority. The area is predominantly French speaking of course. And people wonder why I laugh at the idea of a United Europe and want to leave the fold.                                                                                                                                                                         I thought I must have missed my warden again despite telling her (by text) to come in if the door is unlocked, but even as I thought it she knocked. We had a good natter then she left to go elsewhere and I saw to my lunch which today was a beef stew and dumplings. I watched Bargain Hunt and enjoyed seeing two teams of youngsters make a small profit each.

I came back to work again and found a message from Yvonne asking me about a new coin the Royal Mint are going to do. Grandparents it’s time to prick up your ears or maybe your eyes. What a delightful keepsake for a child and possibly a small investment too.  Maybe a full set of 4 of the general coins in uncirculated condition?                     http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/royal-mint-making-coin-honour-10963753  I only needed to work until 3.00 pm and the box was empty again. I was supposed to be looking at starting something creative but after staring at the screen for about 5 minutes I gave up the ghost and went to talk down to Joey. He doesn’t like it but he’s not big enough to matter. See how brave I can be ! I fell asleep, but then you expected that didn’t you. I wasn’t out for long as I wanted to spend from 3.45 pm to 4.30 pm in here in case more mail came and also to leave feedback on ebay for this morning’s parcel. From 4.30 pm I fully intended to be watching Flog It, and I was. For tea I had some biscuits and a yoghurt so I could take my tablets For a change I had dark chocolate digestives and was so proud of myself for having the half chocolate covered item for a change. Talk about health conscious.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I watched Cold Case, Without a Trace and then an ancient episode of Murder She Wrote with Malcolm McDowall, It was one of the early Iron Age Episodes and I think we’d just started occupying roundhouses. The various grunts and beatings of the chest left me a little confused so at 8.00 pm I locked Joey in, took my meds and came through on another catch up with my peeps who I can at least understand. Well, some of you anyway. I’m tired and intend to have a very early night. Fingers crossed it doesn’t result in a very early morning too.

Mum, Amelie is going to pick her nose.

Tuesday 1st March. St David’s Day.

10.40 pm bed and I only read until 11.15 pm before attempting to sleep.  I know midnight had come and gone before I was able to do so as despite the applied creams my legs, especially the left, itched like mad. It was difficult to even relax when all I wanted to do was scratch. At some stage I fell asleep but woke again at 1.12 am, it was the itching. I was still tired so I moved to my chair in the lounge and fell asleep with my pyjamas legs rolled up to the knee. I slept until 3.17 am and that was the end of sleep for another night. The early night had been countered by the early morning. Ah well, at least I was guaranteed an early start on last night’s mail considering how early I departed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The mail took me until 5.20 am and I chose to go have my meds and breakfast then. I was surprised just how awful it sounded outside as I hear nothing in my little room usually. When I’d eaten my toast I sent a text to Yvonne to see what she wanted to do today as I didn’t want her to get drenched bringing the babies out. On the other hand I haven’t seen them for a week and I do have some choice prezzies to take. By joint agreement a few minutes later I’m not going to Chester today. No point in all of us being wet and miserable, I can do that at home. I will ask Mike if we can meet up with them on  Saturday morning after Reuben has been to the cinema.

So, I was able to stay with the mail  until completion. I had a small break at 9.00 am to go to Pauline’s for chips with curry sauce and some cleaning materials. Then I came back and continued until 9.40 am when I could shout Huzzah from the rooftops, or I might have done if I could have reached one of the perishing things. The mailbox was empty! Temporarily I know, but for now empty. I went to talk to Joey who was actually having a (not very intelligent) chat with his friend in the mirror. Isn’t it amazing how they’re both as aggressive as each other and he still hadn’t noticed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                At 10.00 am I put on HUtH to distract him. It did, he flew from the mirror straight into the kitchen and straight back out into his cage. Even Bev yesterday noted how much he loves his cage. Strange when the door is open and there are a multitude of perches in the room he could try if he wanted, including my head and/or shoulder. After a while I was distracted from my programme when he came out of his cage and landed on the chest of drawers to the left of the cage, plopped himself down in front of a photo of Ju and tried to start an argument. Of course it may have been his reflection in the glass again but who knows.

At 11.00 am I returned to work and turned the TV off. Joey shut up immediately I got out of the room while the miracle was still happening. There wasn’t too much post I’m glad to say so at 11.40 am I was able to give some thought to lunch. Ha, don’t make me laugh, I’ve been thinking about chips and curry sauce since I bought it. I took my pre-foodies and buttered some baps before doing it so it was 12.10 pm before I was ready to sit and eat. I saw Bargain Hunt out.                                                                                  The minute it was over, I rushed back, found 3 pieces of mail only and decided to have a power nap first. Back in my chair I closed my eyes and blinked…..one long blink until 12.55 pm.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Then I came back to try and decide whether to risk buying one of the computers I’m looking at on ebay. They call them refurbished and they have 8G of RAM and 1TB of memory, Windows 7 and are dual core. My nephew is trying to dissuade me from getting one of these and suggests another site but they’re twice as much and more there. I think he may have relented a little as I sent him the details of two more a little later, both on ebay. He must have realised my financial limitations and said whichever one I chose he’d help me with.

The afternoon was charged with little darts back and forth between the lounge and work. There seemed to be less to do today which was great as most Tuesdays are frantic. So, had I gone to Chester I wouldn’t have been too stretched when I got back. There was a knock at the door about 3.00 pm which because I was expecting my drug dealer I answered. There was a man in a white coat and I panicked. But when he spoke it was someone from Grimsby selling fish. I’m shocked since we have Conwy a few miles down the coast with it’s own fishermen. Grimsby is a long way from here and there must be somewhere between here and there that they could market their fish without driving this distance. Perhaps not. Approaching 4.00 pm the doorbell rang and this time it was my dealer. In exchange for  a month’s supply I passed over a box of Quality Street. I’m sure most dealers don’t work so cheaply.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      At a few minutes to five I had some chineapple punks and then watched Cold Case which was really quite sad as it involved lobotomies. Then it was Without a Trace which I missed the very last couple of minutes of by dozing off. It’s bloody annoying. Why I punished myself by watching another ancient Murder She Wrote where our heroine played herself and her London cousin at the same time I don’t know. But I did. I have actually enjoyed this series in the past  but some are really old hat.

At 8.00 pm I came through intending to stay and make sure the mail is kept down before doing the blog. It’s possible I may have slipped into ebay here and there purely by accident of course. Actually I was sending a friend the number of my Himalayan Salt lamp which she’d never heard of. It’s supposed to help the air when it’s on. But it’s really quite pretty too. I also ordered a new computer which will arrive Thursday.

Not for sale.

Kraftwerk?

Wednesday 2nd March 

I got an early night and was in bed by 11.00 pm . I read until 11.45 pm, it’s a book by Gerald Seymour and promises to be good. Sleep wasn’t as hard to come by as last night but a couple of times I dropped off only to wake up seconds/minutes later.Eventually after a proper sleep I woke at 3.13 am in my chair in the lounge. I sort of have memories of  going there but can’t remember when or why.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      It being far too early to take my meds I picked up a fresh bottle of Pepsi Max and went back to my bedroom to sign on. I did my gmail first then at 4.25 when I had emptied that, I turned to ebay to check out the temporary insanity of yesterday and ordering a new refurbished computer like I did. Since it’s Windows 7 and has 8 Gig of RAM and 1TB of memory I’m hoping for more speed out of it and perhaps being able to get my skype back. Lee says I should back up my files to the slave hard disk drive but I have no idea how to do that. This Silver Surfing thing only goes so far with me.

At 5.00 am I went through to the kitchen to take my meds and have some breakfast. Toast again this morning, but a bap rather than sliced bread. When I came back with my coffee afterwards I took the bull by the horns and decided to learn how to back things up. I started it going but am not sure if I’m backing it up to the right place- the internal or external HDD. The choices were limited to 2 things and one of those was the DVD writer so I opted for the other with was labelled D Drive. I’ve set it to do a weekly back-up from now as well.

I started again on the gmail stuff that had come in. At 6.10 am more and more started coming until I thought I’d be here all day. As it was, I was clear by 9.40 am. As it was very light now I went through to let Joey out of his cage and to change his water, seed and millet. Obviously I had to wait for him to come out before putting the millet in. He was in a very good mood this morning, very chatty. As usual all I understood was Joey,Joey, but he seemed to enjoy me repeating it to him when he said it. He could just think I’m a trained parrot of course. I stayed with him until 11.00 am when it was time for another turn in the trenches. This time I was occupied until 11.50 am when I thought it time to start my lunch or I’d miss Bargain Hunt. Today I had some corned beef, micro chips and a small tin of beans. I’ll use another one of the micro meals on Friday but tomorrow is my bangers and mash day. At this rate I’ll only need to buy one meal for next week.

1.00 pm should have been a return to the computer but my backside just sidled down the chair and I closed my eyes. Forty minutes later I was as fresh as a daisy. I wnt back and worked until 3.00 pm when Escape to the Country was due to start. I had everything under control so I was happy to leave a few till later and disappear to watch it. Big mistake! I returned to the bedroom at 3.45 pm and sat down. I had just opened the first email when I heard the front door open very quietly. As I leaned over and looked towards the front door, there was Dil almost an hour early. I’ve asked him whether it’s worth working these days. He’d been on a site meeting fairly local and just finished. It wasn’t worth driving all the way back just to finish and come back here again. Anyway, the boss said it was OK and he’s the boss so who’s going to argue.                So, I went through and made him a cup of tea while he took his coat off. We chatted about our weekends then watched half a quiz, an antiques show and then our usual full quiz.

At 6.00 pm as the TV went off the table came out- the top fell off- it was replaced and I put the Yahtzee on the table. OMG, he won the first sheet 5-1 I didn’t know what had hit me. I won the second sheet 4-2 giving him the over all win. The Trivia came out. the opposite of last week Dil was the first to start collecting pieces and he had 3 in before I got my first. I did manage to get the sixth and last piece just before him but that didn’t help much. We shuffled round trying to get to the centre. I missed an answer and then Dil missed two on the trot. Finally I managed to get back thee for another try and he asked me one I knew. That’s one game each. We had time for one game of Cribbage before he was due to leave and he beat me with a street to spare. I swear he’s better at cheating than I am these days.                                                                                               I waved him off, quietly regretting it wasn’t raining harder then came back in to tidy up and wash the pots. I wished Joey Nos da but all he did was hop into the corner of his cage as the cruel master locked him in for the night. A quick nip to the kitchen to take my meds and then through to the bedroom to start work again. It was bad. It’s going to be another midnight finish.

Masterchef.

Is it love I see?

Thursday 3rd March.

I was in bed at 11.50 pm and had a good read for an hour before turning out my light. Sleep wasn’t too long in coming once I made myself comfortable. No wake ups in the middle of the night and I slept until 3.11 am. After a nip to the loo I came back and signed on. First job was to check the bank. My pension was in OK but there was no deduction for further rent or Council Tax so it looks as though they’ll have to take everything on 15th March so I don’t end the year in debt.  That could be a fair old chunk of money from January.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I started on my emails but broke off around 5.00 am to take my meds. I also filled 3 small Pepsi bottles from a big one and put them in the fridge. A much easier size to keep next to my bed or on my side table in the lounge. After making a coffee to bring back I returned to work. I finished the emails before the next lot were due to arrive so I started looking at ebay. At smart TV’s of all things. I was so tempted last Saturday at Argos, a 43″ screen at a cracking price that would have been like the cinema in my lounge but I reckon my ‘bro’ wouldn’t be able to say he couldn’t read the quiz questions on Pointless any more.

I worked until 9.15 am then nipped to Pauline’s to get some bread and other things including my lottery. I had to leave a note on the door to say I was out for 5 mins unless Jade turns up. I still have no idea what time she’s working today. When I got back I’d had an email to say my computer will be delivered between 13.28 pm  and 14.28 pm which I thought was very specific . I did some more mail until 9.55 am then left the rest while I went to watch HUtH with Joey. Once that was over and the turning off of the TV stopped his running commentary I went back to do some mail for about 40 minutes then went through to the kitchen to peel my sweet potatoes. At 11.15 am I had a text message from Jade to say she’d be here at 2.00 pm. Good, I thought in case I needed someone to carry the box. (joke).                                                                                                  At 1.00 pm I started to clear the next lot of emails that had arrived and since there was the opportunity to follow the driver of the van bringing me my computer I decided to  do so. It showed our relative positions on the map. Alan is currently delivering parcel No 43, you are No 38, Alan will be with you in approx half an hour. I followed him along the coast road until he ended up a little past me doing drop No 40. Alan will be with you in approx 15 minutes. At 1.35 pm he arrived. I signed for the box thinking it was a bit small but of course there won’t be all the polystyrene to get rid of if this is a refurbished model. I slid the box along the carpet to Mike’s bedroom and left it hopefully where he’ll catch himself on it. If he breaks it I can sue him for a better model. If he breaks a toe I can laugh.

I was tired this afternoon but as Jade would be coming I wasn’t going to get any rest until she’d gone and before Mike arrived. That’s if he”s still coming today. At least I could stay up to date with my mail. Jade arrived about 2.15 pm and got straight down to work. She was going to top up the lounge (naughty Joey) and do Mike’s bedroom today. She didn’t need me underfoot. I slipped into the lounge about 3.05 pm when she’d left so I could see Escape to the Country, my emails were up to date so I wasn’t exactly skiving. She came back through after seeing to Mike’s room about 3.40 pm and knowing she had another job to go to I sent her away. She offered to reduce the rate for not doing the full two hours but I told her to buy a box of chocs for herself.                                                                                                                                                                                              Since I knew I would be skiving at 4.30 pm I checked on the e.mails but I only needed to do about 5 so I dodged off earlier and watched a different quiz to my usual. For some reason I stayed awake. At 5.00 pm it was Cold Case and at 6.00 Without a Trace. When I checked my phone during one of the advert breaks (it was in the kitchen on charge) I saw Mike had sent as text at 5.50 pm to say he was setting off.  I got his cup ready about 8.00 pm but it was half past before he arrived. It seems it was filthy weather out and had been all the way. I hadn’t heard the rain until that moment beating against the windows. We chatted about his week and at 9.00 pm started watching Law and Order. I had to make a sandwich in the break and that should be against the law sometimes. At 10.00 pm I came through to start work and Mike followed me to ask about my Skype. I told him I removed it completely and then tried to download it again but it still won’t work. Amazingly there wasn’t much mail to deal with ‘cos I’ve sent everyone to Coventry this week so I was able to get to the blog much earlier. Perhaps even an 11.30 pm bedtime.

My lovely Great Nephew Nathan. 10 months old.

Slurp!

Friday 4th March.

I got my bedtime around 11.30 pm as hoped and I only read until 12.15 am before settling down, albeit on my wrong side, for the night. When I woke up at 3.41 am I was on my right side which is the right side and tells me I don’t keep still at night and my  body ignores it. I still don’t understand how it can ignore moving as far as another room though which at least wasn’t the case today.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I paid my all important visit to the Piddle Palace and realised my intuition that there was someone else in the house was correct for a change when I passed Mike’s open bedroom door and I saw a misshapen lump in the middle of the bed. That could only be Mike. I came back and started work on the mail until 5.00 am when I went through to take my meds, prepare my next week’s meds in their container and then have some breakfast. It was 5.50 am before I returned and started work again but I was done by 6.05 am and just sat enjoying my coffee until the next batch arrived.

At 8.30 am Mike’s alarm went off. I knew he had to be gone by 10.00 am but that was early for him. But,I took his coffee through and made sure I woke him properly so he knew it was there. I even got a sensible answer but he still didn’t get up until 9.10 am. I went through to the lounge and woke him by standing on the toe he didn’t break on the box. He was out at 9.55 am and promised to text when he’s on his way back.                                                                                                                                                                                              I went back to work and cleared the box at 11.00 am. I know Joey is disappointed to have missed HUtH but we all make sacrifices don’t we?                                                                By 11.45 am I was clear and able to think about doing lunch. Lamb and colcannon today. I very much enjoyed the latter but I’m going to say my imagination let the lamb down, the thought of all those little white clouds sproinging (I like this word ) along in their fields in a few weeks………  I watched Bargain Hunt and then allowed myself a power nap. Oops, when I woke up Doctors was on and I found myself watching it before I realised. I managed to break away before 2.00 pm though. Work until 3.00 pm then Escape to the Country. At 3.45 pm I did some other work and wrote a few personal emails before clearing the decks again in time for Flog It.

I ran the gamut of my ‘almost’ usual Friday viewing,  Flog It, Cold Case, during which I had a very late delivery of pyjamas for Amelie and  at the end of which Mike sent a text ‘On Way Bro’, Without a Trace, an episode of Mash during which I got another text to ask if I wanted anything from the chippy. Naturally I said no because of my diabetes but for some reason the predictive text wrote Yes, chips, get here now, then A Question of Sport which was halfway over before Mike arrived back from all the way round the corner. I almost tore his arm of helping him put the food out with one hand and buttering a bap with the other.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         At 8.00 pm I went for my shower aiming to be back for Mastermind. It turned out to be a special for celebrities rather than a semi final or the final but hey,it was OK. At 9.00 pm was the important bit of the evening, no not more food, the last episode of  Shetland. Fair play to the writers, they’re excellent and just when you think you’ve the story figured out ( and you’ve translated the Scottish accents) they put another twist in the plot. Look away now if you don’t want to know whodunit. It was, Aaaarghh. Is there a doctor in the house, oops, perhaps Jessica Fletcher or  detective then?                                                                                                                                                                                                As always on a Friday I knew it would be a push to catch up on my mail and do the blog. Midnight tonight I reckon.

Wot a larf

Nursery with Bug Boy

Saturday 5th March.

I managed 11.33 pm bed and enjoyed my book until about 12.30 am when I paid my last visit to the loo with my light going off a minute later. I woke mid-dream at 4.35 am hoping I had time to make it to the loo. I actually wanted to go to the cellar first (?) but the need was greater. By the time I reached the loo I was aware that the cellar didn’t exist and was just a lingering past of the dream, but I was glad I hadn’t tried to make the detour first.                                                                                                                                                  Vastly relieved, I washed my hands and tried to get a grip on the dream. I know Ju was there and I think it was for her I was going to the cellar to collect something but I think it was for someone else, possibly Mike. That sounds reasonable I suppose, him using my legs rather than his own. I gave up and headed for the kitchen where I took my meds and then made myself some toast for breakfast. It was 5.50 am before I got back to my room, just enough time to finish the last of this morning’s mail before the new lot descends. I’ll be a little stuck when that happens I think, making Mike his coffee if he’s set his alarm. I need to get the rubbish and the recycling out ready for collection then.

The alarm went off and I made and took through a coffee. I know I reached into his sleep because my bellow got a grunt in return. However, as always it’s all promise, no action with him. I listened to every alarm he ignored until 7.00 pm before he finally moved.I dealt with all the bins while Mike went to sleep in the chair but I turned the light on, made a noise with the bins and coughed a fair bit. We left the house at 7.35 am. At the supermarket we decided to buy the flowers last today, on the way home so they didn’t get knocked about in the boot. We carried on and I bought a bunch of kids clothes so they’ll be OK till they’re about 14 now. Once all the shopping was in and Mike had insulted another Mike who works there and we’d got insults in return, we went for a coffee. It was much needed.                                                                                                        From there we headed for Flint and Home Bargains, then B & M then finally Temptations taking a box of chocs in for the girls, who just happened to be Ceri 1 and Ceri 2 this morning. After he’d filled his face with teasted toecake and we’d finished coffee we stood outside for a cigarette. I realised how late it was getting and we set off for Chester to be there ready to meet Yvonne and the family. They’d taken Reuben to the cinema this morning.

When we arrived at Broughton Park Mike and I went into Tesco where he found some good items in the sale to take with him on holiday.Two or three jumpers, a pair of jeans and I think a teeshirt. He was just in the queue to pay when I had a text to say they were out of the cinema and where did we want to meet. I suggested a pizza place close to where they were standing so they could get out of the cold. Just a couple of minutes from where Mike and I were. We found them OK and I had hugs from Reuben and from Ugo but Yvonne was wedged in her seat with a fast asleep Amelie on her knee. We ordered drinks and when those came I was able to take my tabs and we ordered food. I wasn’t pleased to find I couldn’t have an Hawaiian pizza as they don’t use pineapple.It was a shame we hadn’t chosen the pub where we used to meet. Anyway I took Amelie and passed Yvonne the gifts. She seemed to love all the clothes and all the baking /cake decorating and mini wines for herself. Ugo liked his shirt and tie and his chocolate puddings. The meal came, Ugo took Amelie and we ate.

Once finished Ugo was taking the family home then going to play football. We were very close to a shop we both like so Mike  suggested we go there before going back to Tesco’s to buy the flowers. It could have been a mistake. Mike saw a phrenology head he liked though he didn’t buy it. I pointed out a glass head, and said I wouldn’t mind having it and using it as an ornament/hatstand, alternating the look by changing hats. I decided to buy it. Mike loved the idea so when I saw another one round the corner I said I’d buy that one for him, then he found a third which he’d buy himself. Of course then he had to have a discussion with himself about whether to buy the phrenology head to put in the middle. Something caused a break in concentration and it didn’t get bought. We had to go and look for a console table next to stand them on but we were in a very expensive shop and he blanched at every price ticket. I was following behind with a bowl expecting him to throw up. He nipped next door to look and while he was away I got the heads and met him outside.  Headhunting over Mike took the bags to the car while I walked slowly to Tesco’s. He met me there and I got the flowers needed for Ju. We came home.

Joey was over the moon to see us poor soul.It must have been a long lonely day for him from 7.00 am to almost 4.30 pm. We unpacked the shopping and got it put away then I left Mike with his football results and came through to start work. I’ve had two bouts of angina this week, when I saw the mail box with letters bulging from every seam I nearly had a third. I was tired following a 4.35 am start and having missed my power nap this afternoon. I worked till 7.00 pm then made some tea and took a break. Unfortunately the break lasted until 9.00 pm and I almost nodded off but Mike decided it was a good time to talk to me. When he goes to Canada on 17th he won’t be able to moan at me working or wake me when I’m going to catnap. YAY. At 9.00 pm after watching a programme of Dusty Springfield songs I came back to work and have put my nose to the grindstone. Anyone got a spare plaster? At 11.00 pm I had to break off to start the blog but I’m still hopeful that I’ll finish before it’s time to get up again.

Wishing you all a Wonderful New Week full of dreams come true. Hugs Galore one and all.

Happy Girl.

Engrossed.

 

Getting Plastered & American Mancunian, Australian?

Sunday 21st Feb.

The oddest thing. I read until about 1.00 am then settled to sleep but it was a while in coming because I couldn’t get comfortable. I heard Mike get up and come towards my room where he asked if  I’d heard an alarm go off. When I answered no he returned to his room muttering. Then he came back again, not thirty seconds had passed and asked if I was awake??? He thought maybe he hadn’t locked his son’s car because his own locks itself when he walks away from it.  He trotted off out in his dressing gown. True enough he hadn’t locked it but at least we found out it wasn’t his car alarm that had gone off.                                                                                                                                                          I fell asleep. Then I woke again to go to the loo about 2.15 am despite having been before I went to bed. I climbed back into bed and just dropped off again and didn’t wake up until 7.11 am. That’s a remarkable sleep and over 5 hours. It really has been a long time since I achieved that.

So, at 7.11 am I got up, went to the loo (again) and then carried on to the kitchen where I took my meds and made myself a coffee. Having logged in next I attacked the mail. 97 it read at that time. 99 it read half an hour later.Then slowly but surely the levels came down. I was determined to carry on working until Mike got up but I did go through to let Joey out at about 8.30 am. Just after 9.30 am I heard Mike wake up coughing, but I thought he settled down again so I carried on. At 10.00 am I heard Mike go to the loo so I went through to make him a coffee. In the lounge I saw he must already have been up because his cup wad there almost fully drunk. I waited.                            When he came back I asked why he hadn’t come through to say he was up  and he said he thought I was asleep because he couldn’t hear me tap-tapping. ( Put your hearing aids in Michael and then turn them on). He’d got up when the coughing had started and crept through in case I was asleep. No way would he catch me asleep at that time.    I stayed in the lounge with him until 11.00 am and then went to get dressed as he’s said yesterday that he wanted to go looking for a safe this morning. By the time I’d got dressed he’s changed his mind and wasn’t feeling well. I don’t know if it was because he’d had to make his own coffee or at the thought of spending money(not even his ).

Mike suggested as we weren’t going out that maybe I’d like to work for another hour and he could do the flowers. Half an hour later he’s in the bedroom bending my ear about politics and he hasn’t even  started the flowers. After a quarter hour he left me to carry on. At 12.30 pm when my hour was up  I went through to see to lunch and he was in the kitchen doing the flowers. The savage made me stand there holding a bin bag open so he could add his flower waste to it. Then left me to carry the full bag to the bin with not a thought for my back.Savage. I made lunch, a beef and black bean concoction he’s chosen yesterday and for me a boeuf bourgingnon and mash. We both quite enjoyed them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Unfortunately I stayed in the lounge with him and after a while he looked sleepy. But, it was me who nodded off for an hour. Sometime during that hour he made his escape. I knew he was going back to Manchester to collect things from his dad’s flat before going back home to Rugby. I texted him there to say sorry I missed the big farewell scene. When I woke I came straight through to work. I stayed until 5.30 pm then went to get some tea so I could have my other diabetic meds. I found a film to watch until 7.00 pm.

I saw a film advertised for 9.00 pm with Simon Pegg which I thought I’d try so I devoted 7.00 – 9.00 pm to work so I could stay up. By 10.10 pm I’d given up as I’d not really been enjoying it. I know people swear, and I’m no prude but sometimes it’a overdone and I find it wearing. So, goodnight to Joey who’s been great today and I took my meds before coming through to work. As it happens for some reason the mail was mounting up again. Should still be n early night though about 11.30 ish.

Over the Garden Wall.

The knitted baby. Outfit by her Auntie Lynne.

Monday 22nd Feb.

When reading James Patterson, his chapters are so short you just fly through them. It’s so easy to get carried away and promise yourself ‘Just another two.’ I was in bed at 11.15 pm but read until 1.00 am because I couldn’t put the damned thing down. My right hand almost had to wrest it out of my left hand, put it down and turn the light out. I could not sleep on my back and had a bit of a time turning on to my side. Eventually I slept and as luck and maybe kindness would have it (thanks Somnos) I didn’t need a middle of the night loo trip. I woke and got up at 5.14 am. I made the morning pilgrimage and then came back to log on. 5.30 am came quickly so I nipped through to the kitchen to take my meds and make my one-a-day coffee. I was soon back in my seat attacking the mail.

There were about 20 pieces of mail left when I returned to my chair and by 6.10 am I as down to 11. Whenever I did one it seemed to be instantly replaced by a new one but instead of the new day’s mail coming in the usual rush, it took me up to 20 and then seemed to hover around that mark no matter how many I did. It always felt like less work. The highest it got was 31. At 7.45 am I put the washing machine on to complete while I worked.  I was finished and clear by 8.52 am and rapidly got dressed ready to go to the Post Office with a letter detailing my recent changes of income to the Housing Benefits Dept of the Council. I did that and then called at the sandwich shop for a sausage bap having decided that I wanted breakfast after all. I came home and took my pre-foodies then sorted Joey out with a new seed bell and had a shave. I ate the bap while working on mail that had come in while I was out, then took my post-foodies. It doesn’t matter now if I have my lunch a little late which is always likely anyway since Bev seems to be calling later this last few weeks.

After I was up to  date again I saw it was almost time for Homes Under the Hammer so I went through to join Joey. He became animated when the music came on and with me talking to him, but not for long. He soon adopted his crosspatch squawk that says he’s peeved at someone. I started falling asleep but he wasn’t having that and squawked louder still. There’s no ignoring him as he sounds like a torture victim from outside. I had to stand by the cage talking t him so he’s shut up. At 11.00 am I came back to the bedroom to work but I was trying to listen out for the drier finishing. I didn’t hear it so I went to check it at 11.30 am and folded all the bedding on to the airer. There was a programme on TV about people who put in false claims to insurance companies which was quite good. Surprising was the man who put some cars down as his on a multiple insurance for a garage business. He then created documents and sold policies to unsuspecting drivers for their cars who 18 months down the line tried to claim after accidents only to find they weren’t insured at all. It’s evil. I watched Bargain Hunt while waiting for Bev to come but no sign so at 1.00 pm when I went to work again I sent her a text to see if she was off. She texted back that she’d called on me about 10.30 am and used the bell. That was while I was watching HUtH so I was in. Perhaps I was in the kitchen and heard nothing because of the washing machine or maybe the bell didn’t work, though it did when I tested it later. At 1.45 pm I went for my lunch.

At 2.55 pm I finished my lunch. OK, I confess, I finished the kip after my lunch. Instead of returning to work I just watched Escape to The Country. When that was over at 3.45 pm I found more work than I’d expected in the mailbox. Since those fools in the BBC didn’t consult me first they’ve taken off my Road Trip so there was no need to return to  the TV until 6.00 pm when Missing-Without a Trace came on. I waited until the first adverts came on and made myself some tea. A packet of Cheddars, a chunk of Cadbury’s chocolate cake and just to show how health conscious I am, a rhubarb yoghurt. The second of my two shows has been removed by another channel, again without prior consultation with me, and replaced by something I don’t watch so I came back through here at 7.00 pm for a change. Poor Joey must think he’s in trouble. It gave me chance to finish the earlier work I hadn’t completed and also the new stuff you sadists had sent when my back was turned. I do need a life you know.                               I did find a couple of very interesting blogs. That of Opinionated Man  https://aopinionatedman.com/who had a fascinating childhood as an American child who didn’t like baseball! But whose wife is an accomplished artist with a very striking piece for sale. Also the wonderful Donna Parker http://yadadarcyyada.com/ who paid me the highest compliment possible in the comment section of her hilarious blog today. Donna and others are living proof that friendships as strong as those in everyday life are quite possible built on the net. I am possibly the luckiest man on the planet. Now if only I can find a blind lady with a dog that doesn’t bite, how nice that would be.

Early bed tonight and I hope the latest blustery rain had beaten itself out and we have a start like we had today. Sunny and bright but with a wonderful fresh nip in the air.

Monday Sunshine start.Fair of face and fffreezing.

A born salesman or Knowing How to Regain First Place.

Tuesday 23rd Feb

I got my early night and was in bed for 11.15 pm . I read till 12.30 am and didn’t want to stop but I’m on my last few chapters with no books in reserve. Out went the lights and I settled down. I don’t think sleep was long in coming. This morning I woke at 3.47 am and though I knew I’d be getting up I didn’t want to move from the warmth and just lay there plucking up courage to move until 4.13 am. When I did move I donned my dressing gown and paid a visit to the loo. From there I went to the kitchen and had my foodie tabs so that I could eat breakfast, Shreddies today, and then I took my morning meds and made a coffee to take back to my desk.

I logged on and started work on the mail. Things were going pretty well but my attention must have wandered because without me noticing it had suddenly reached 6.20 am. With shock and horror I noticed the dozen or so I had left was now 84. I had to break away for a quick weep while I got dressed. As I came back the number was now 92. I did 2 and that left a balance of 92 ……again? By the time 7.20 am came and I had to get my coat on to head for the bus stop I was leaving just 80. It wasn’t light enough for Joey to be out yet but I did open his cage ready before I walked up the road.                                                                                                                                                                                             I got my favourite seat on the bus. Stuck my shopping bag of gifts between my legs, put my chin on the armhole of my crutches and nodded off. Not heavily enough that I could sleep through my stop but enough to discourage conversation. The journey wasn’t bad and we arrived on time. Since Yvonne wasn’t at the bus stop I started walking in the direction they’d appear from. When I saw them Yvonne spotted me and was telling Reuben Pops was coming. It was an age before he saw me but what a roar he let out. I hope she never takes the chains off…….. When we were closer he was able to run up and grab my legs. It was a rugby tackle I think. I got up off the floor to hug Yvonne and to look in the pram at Amelie as we decided where we were going.

We settled on our usual shop first Primark, which meant we could go for a coffee and toast (insisted upon even though I’d had breakfast) and a sit down while Amelie was fed. I knew Yvonne needed some more bodysuits for Amelie. Once we’d had coffee and Amelie was getting her milk straight from the source, I told Yvonne I was going to have a wander down and see if they were doing any summer colours in the men’s jeans ( as if) which meant I could get the bodysuits, some shoes and a little dress for Amelie as well as a gilet, teeshirt and some jeans for Roobs. Fait accomplis means no arguments. Mind you, she did finish feeding baby and try to have a race to the till to stop me. Downstairs I was able to get a nightie and a top for her while her eyes were otherwise occupied. She was a very close second at the till though so I know the back is slowing me up.

Yvonne needed a visit to NEXT next (echo) at which point the pram in my hands exploded in a earful rebuke that a. I wasn’t feeding her and b. I wasn’t rocking the pram hard enough. We weren’t too far from a little Methodist church that has a playroom and a small cafe. Roobs would be fine playing with the toys there, Yvonne and I could have a drink and she could also feed Amelie again, after which I would get to hold her again. It all depended on me being able to get into church without being struck by lightning or scarred by holy water though at the price of water these days I reckon the one who bought it was more likely to be scarred. It was after the drinks that I saw I needed to depart so I said good bye and galloped off as best I could. They were about 10 seconds behind me at the bus stop, just as my bus arrived so I got another goodbye.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             By this point you’ll realise I’ve had two drinks and am about to spend an hour or so on the bus. For most of the journey it was a repeat of the inward one, eyes closed, gently nodding. quietly seething that someone else nicked my seat……. but somewhere it started to get a tad uncomfortable. When I got off the bus I blanched at the thought of how far it was to the house. I had to pass the shops and I had to ask myself if I was prepared to go home and come out again or would will power win out. Idiocy certainly did because I went into Pauline’s. She was in chat mode…aaarrrrggh….and I was so glad when another customer reached the counter. I got home as fast as I could. Transferring my shopping bag from right to left hand while in motion so my right hand was free to dip for the keys was an accident waiting to happen. I reached the front door. By now I was hopping up and down on alternate legs and my body was writhing but I managed to open the door. I didn’t have time to remove the crutches and the shopping bag was thrown anywhere as I darted for the loo. I was a fraction of a second away from not needing too dart there, but to dart for the mop and bucket instead. I wee’d for about an hour. Joey had heard me and was tweeting like billyo to remind me he was there. ‘Drained’ in more ways than one I went through to the lounge,collecting the abandoned shopping on the way. I talked to Joey for a minute and then apologised and said I’d be with him asap.                                                                                                                  I went to remove my crutches, my gloves, coat and shoes then checked the new level of post. 84 ,where I’d started the morning.

It was 1.05 pm so I just sat and worked. By 4.30 pm I was getting there and by 4.55 pm I’d only 20 left. I went through to the lounge and put the TV on to a programme I haven’t seen in a long time, Cold Case. While I was watching it I’d put a chips and curry sauce in the micro for tea and taken my tablets. I enjoyed it. I watched Missing, Without a Trace then Murder She Wrote before coming back through at 8.00pm. I’ve spent till 10.30 pm emptying my mail box and now started on the blog. Fingers crossed for 11.30 pm bed.

The Understanding

Contentment with a mouthful of bib.

And this is for the Beautiful Donna, my friend.

Wednesday 24th Feb.

Bed at 11.40 pm after plastering my feet in gunk and applying a Chinese herbal plaster to my back….or rather to my pyjama trousers and my teeshirt . I finished my book and made a start on a new one and read until 12.30 am. Then it was lights out and settle down. I found it easier to sleep on my side because I kept sticking to the bottom sheet with the plaster which seems to have got as wrinkled as heck in the process of settling.  It seems to be one of the most awkward things in the word, trying to slap a large plaster on your own back straight. I’m sure there’s a knack but I don’t have it. I slept until 4.48 am with no interruptions which is around the four hour mark and not too bad.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I paid a visit a visit to the loo and then carried straight on to the kitchen where I had a toasted bap for breakfast. I found this morning how true it is tht men are not capable of performing two tasks at once. I put a tablet in my mouth and a sip of milk then started to shake two little sachets of my sugar substitute to get it to the bottom while I tore the top off. So intent was I in performing that simple task that I quite forgot to swallow the tablet and the damn thing dissolved in my mouth.                                           When I returned with my morning coffee I logged on to the computer and my gmails. It was not too bad and just took me nicely to 6.08 am allowing me a slight breather before the deluge.

After the new mail came the only break I got was at 8.30 am to let Joey out of his cage. I was kept hard at it otherwise until 10.10 am so I missed the start of Homes Under the Hammer. Joey didn’t seem to mind. What we did wonder though was where the heck the new cleaner is. I wondered the same thing at 11.00 am as I returned to my room. I sent a text to make sure I had the day right and she responded she was in a meeting but would be here. At 12.30[pm I was in a panic as I wanted to go to the chippy for some lunch but a new text arrived to say she’d be here at 1.00 pm. I went to get my lunch, came back and ate it. She arrived about 1.15 pm and went to work on the bathroom almost straight away. Down came the curtains which were give to me to put in the wash, which I did. She did a very thorough job in there and I’m afraid to go in now in case I  dirty it again. I’m not sure how long I can keep these legs crossed though. I wonder if Bert next door will let me use his. Joey was in his cage so I cleaned off the mirror above which sent him flying out of the cage and in circles above my head gasping for breath. The loon didn’t even have the sense to find a different perch. The minute I stopped cleaning, even though I was there next to the cage, he landed on the mirror near me. Panic for nothing.

Jade left at 3.00 pm and after I’d paid her I settled down with Joey. I watched A House in the Country where a mother and son viewed properties which were to include his wife and his mother in law. They had a budget of £1.2m and saw some fantastic places. At 3.45 pm though I went back to catch up on any outstanding mail before my brother arrived. At 4..30 pm I went to watch Flog It.

As I reached the lounge Dil arrived. I made him a cup of tea and we watched Flog It together then Pointless. As soon as that was over the grudge matches started. Out came the Yahtzee and of the first six games I deservedly won 4-2. In the second six games something went awry and Dil undeservedly won 5-1. It was a fix and I’m sure he used weighted dice on his turn. When we eventually finished that and I’d stopped communicating with him in sign language, using only one finger mainly, out came the Trivial Pursuits. I gained my first four slices of pie before he’d got his first but then things turned a bit and he pulled three back. I went to five, he went to four. I got my last piece and started heading for the middle. It was outrageous, I couldn’t land in the middle to save my life and Dil managed to get his last two pieces of pie. It was a desperate battle ensued then as we both struggled for the centre. We both made it and asked each other questions we didn’t think the other could answer. But with a bit of judicious reading upside down I was OK in the end. I WON!!!!! Unfortunately someone had taken so long playing that we didn’t have time for any cards and Dil had to return home where it was snowing and his wife phoned to let him know. Here it was just bucketing down with rain as usual. Dil left and I tidied up and washed the pots , took my meds and came through.

There was plenty of post to do But hey, I have the time don’t I. Who needs sleep anyway. I started the blog at 11.12 pm so I should be in bed around midnight.

Before climbing into bed I removed the plaster which had been on he prescribed 24 hours. It came complete with hairs and I bit my tongue rather than scream.

Confirmation of the haircut and shave, Spring is due.

Family Group. Me and my Fan Club.

Thursday 25th Feb

I could only read until 12.35 am last night as the yawns were threatening to unhinge my jaw. I hadn’t got to bed until 12.08 am so it wasn’t much of a read, and it was mid chapter, but it promised to be a good sleep. I snuggled down and slept. It was 3.53 am when I woke and a couple of minutes was enough to convince me I wasn’t going to nod off again. I trotted off to the loo to widdle for Britain before carrying on to the kitchen to make breakfast and have my meds. As yesterday I had a toasted bap to use the last one in the packet and also to preserve the milk for when Mike arrives. I returned with a coffee to log onto the computer and attack my mail. I was about 3 in when the system shut down without warning compliments of Microsoft. There was  a little blue tinge to the air above my head as I logged on again.                                                                I worked and worked. At 7.30 am I must have glanced at the clock then whoomf I was gone and didn’t wake until 9.05 am. I was horrified, all that time wasted and a mail count now of 81. Joey wasn’t happy with me either as I ran to open his cage door. I didn’t know budgies could scowl. I came back and got dressed then went to Pauline’s for my lottery , some ciggies and a BFG that accidentally fell out of the freezer into my basket. I was charged for it at the till before I knew it was there. It would have been inconsiderate to ask Pauline to knock it off my bill so I just handed her the money. I was doing a good turn anyway since I am a founder member of SOG and I’m a proud Soggie. (Save our gateaux).

I returned to work, even giving up my HUtH . Until I was clear at 11.20 am. Time to see to Joey’s water and seed before starting to peel my sweet potatoes.                                 I made my usual Thursday lunch bangers and mash (sweet potato) with mixes veg and onion gravy, I used a whole onion for that. I’d finished making it in time to sit and enjoy Bargain Hunt though I got up and washed the pots before the auction. I didn’t even sleep through it. At 1.00 pm I returned to my room knowing some post would have accumulated since I’d left.It had. Doing it presented no problem though, I was in no rush. At 3.00 pm I went to watch Escape to the Country. The mystery House was an oast house conversion and it was beautiful.The couple searching for a house understandably fell in love with it . At the end of the programme it said they had put in an offer and had it accepted. 13 weeks after moving in there was a devastating fire. That leads me to presume they don’t live there now but the programme did say we’d be catching up with them in a couple of months. I hope to see that and hope neither was hurt. At 3.45 pm as I was just about to leave the room, Mike sent his usual ‘On my way bro’ text so I’ll expect him around 6.00 pm with luck. In the meantime I worked until 4.30 pm and then went to see Flog It.

After Flog It was part way over I turned to Cold Case and then Without a Trace. Mike arrived a few minutes into Cold Case and I had to explain it. In Without a Trace I had to point out Anthony la Plagia out to him a we’d had a conversation a few weeks ago about Frasier. In Frasier the character Daphne Moon was preparing to get married and her loutish brother from Manchester comes to stay, played by Anthony la Plagia. I’d said the accent was atrocious and instead of an American, surely they must be able to find a Mancunian actor over there. Mike looked him up and it seems he’s not an American either but an Australian.                                                                                                         While Mike watched Manchester United win on his ipad I watched MASH until it was time for Death in Paradise. I’m so envious of the actors who get to stroll around in the sunshine and the beauty of wherever it’s filmed  that I’m half tempted to go and bump them off and just let the director know I’m available for a small fee.

At 10.00 pm I came through to deal with the post and the blog. I was doing OK until Mike came through to ask how my hands are shaking at the moment. He wants me to trim his beard. I’ll do it gladly, but not until I’ve been to the chemist tomorrow to stock up on a styptic pencil and a lot of plasters (band aids). I was finished with the mail at 11.04 pm and ready to start the blog straight away. Midnight is my target.

Just in case you forget

King of the Castle

Friday 26th Feb.

12.02 am to bed, 12.47 lights out, and because I was tired, 12.48 sleep. I was up at 4.03 am again and went straight to my mail box. I kept going until 5.10 am then nipped to the loo and then to the kitchen to take my meds and start the Friday routine. That meant refilling my meds tray for the next week so I got my medicine drawer from the lounge and started the process, filling the drawer from my latest batch of drugs as needed. Then I suddenly decided to have breakfast and thought while I waited for the pre-food tabs to do their job, I’d spend the 15-20 mins rehanging my bathroom curtains I’d washed on Wednesday. That was knocked on the head when I realised I’d need the ladders and I didn’t want to get those out and risk disturbing Mike (by screaming as I fell off). That job could wait. So, I had a cigarette for timing and then ate a bowl of cornflakes (but not the bowl as well). Coming back with my coffee I found it was 6.01 am and I just had the chance to finish the last of last night’s mail before the new batch arrived.

There was a lot of mail this morning but at some point after 8.30 am I packed in halfway through one and lay on the bed before I fell out of my chair. Tiredness just hit me like a sledgehammer. I slept till 9.15 am then got up and finished the message I was working on. I only managed to do one more before at 9.35 am Mike got up. A big surprise. I went and made his coffee. As he sat down with it, I went and got the ladders out and set them up in the bathroom. I’d just started to put the first curtain back up when Mike appeared needing the bathroom and I had to depart. Getting down the ladders in one piece was a miracle. I went to talk to Joey for a few minutes. When I heard the bathroom door open I went back just as Mike was climbing the ladders to finish the curtain I’d started. He asked me to pass the second one which I did and up that went too. I thanked him and put the ladders back……. I wish I’d let him get off first, they were really heavy. We went to watch HUtH before he finally went to get dressed to go out and he suggested I get dressed too. Good idea really as the postman came minutes later, and me opening the door in my dressing gown might have been a shock. After all, not many dressing gowns have a door do they.

I returned to work and Mike left to travel to Manchester. I was determined to make up for the skiving this morning and worked until 12.10 pm before going through to get lunch and watch Bargain Hunt. I’d made a good hole in the numbers by then. When I went back at 1.00 pm the numbers had gone up a bit but were still manageable. I was done by 2.30 pm. I did Joey’s seed and water so he thought all his birthday’s had come at once, Who’s a cheeky boy then. I caught the latter half of a programme called Moving On which was excellent and then sat through Escape to The Country.                                                                                                                                                                                                 Knowing I wanted to be back in there for 4.30 pm and Flog It I spent up until that time catching up on mail, doing some Facebook messages (I don’t go to Facebook unless forced) and leaving feedback on ebay.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Part way through Flog It I received a text to let me know Mike was on his way. I was surprised as he’s not usually this early. At 5.00 pm I watched Cold Case then just as it finished and Without a Trace came on Mike arrived do I made him a coffee and he told me about his day. We were expecting a Road Trip at 7.00 pm but it had been replaced with the biography of an amazing man who Mike tells me died last week. A man who was in Berlin at the 1936 Olympics and saw Jesse Owens, who flew with the second highest air -ace from the Luftwaffe WW1 and then returned home to fight in the Navy as a pilot for WW2. He landed planes on aircraft carriers. After the war he was the first person to land a jet on a ship. We watched Mastermind still a bit open mouthed.

At 8.30 am I went for my shower. After it was over Mike kindly applied a new plaster to my back without attaching it to a single item of clothing. He made me promise it would hurt to take off and he wants to be within earshot when it does. I don’t see why, the hairs have already gone.                                                                                                                   The film Philomena came on at 9.00 pm and I watched with him until 9.45 pm then made him a drink before disappearing to my room. Lots of mail again and very strangely more new followers. They seem to be getting younger and I don’t understand the appeal. It was almost 11.00 pm before I finished though and had to go straight to the blog. I’m setting a midnight limit as it’s shopping day tomorrow.

Down by the River Dee

Welcome, do sit down.

Saturday 227th Feb.

Midnight bed, well a couple of minutes later maybe after getting the gunk on my legs. I slid between the sheets, I read until 1.05 to finish a chapter. It took ages to settle again, perhaps because I kept sliding down the bed. memo to self, use less gunk on legs. 2.24 am I awoke but after a trip to the loo I knew I wasn’t staying up. I couldn’t get to sleep though so moved my ‘booty’ to my chair in the lounge. I soon managed to nod off there. It was  4.29 am when I woke there knowing my night was over. Not a problem though as I could probably clear the outstanding mail before the new batch (no, not the Gremlins). I did manage to clear it, but what a close call it was.

Mike’s first alarm went off at 6.15 am. Knowing they could fly to the moon and open an Edam Cheese Mine before he’ll move I strolled to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Let’s skip to the chase eh, it was 6.50 am before he got his a*** into gear and brought his rapidly cooling coffee to the lounge so he could promptly fall asleep hunched over in his chair. I turned the searchlight on to hit him full in the face and reminded him not to forget his coffee as I took the food waste out of the kitchen to the bin. When I returned things had changed. He was asleep hunched over in his chair but now he was holding his mug in both hands. I daren’t speak for fear of startling him and of course it would be my fault there was a broken mug and a brown puddle on the floor to go with the spilled coffee. I tried to lift the mug from his hands first and his eyes flew open straight away. He lifted the mug to his mouth saying “I haven’t finished it yet.”                                                                                                                                                                                                I took the rubbish out next and when I got back he was having a huge coughing fit ( drink it Michael, you can’t breathe it). He went off to get dressed.

We left the house at 7.30 am today and it was almost 7.50 am when we reached the Supermarket. Mike got the trolley, I got the cash. Time for a change of role I’m thinking. We started with flowers for Ju and chose what I think looked a nice bunch. Then it was the normal clockwise tour picking items I needed as we went. I won’t bore you (this time) with what I bought but we were soon at the checkout where I’m afraid he was disappointed again at how little I had spent. Then coffee time. While Mike ordered,I got my cigarettes. When we’d done, Mike picked up something from the ciggie counter while I had a look at the photography section to see if there were any nice frames on a special. They are good to have in for gifts or if I need them on the wall of shame.                                                                                                                                                                   After packing the car we called in at Pets at Home where I got Joey some seed but Mike didn’t get what he wanted. I suggested the internet. Then it was on to Flint and a coffee at Temptations, he had his usual. We found out a member of staff is single and he registered an interest with the others to put in a good word for him.I didn’t know it wasn’t just sailors could have a girl in every port, or in his case a port in every girl to ease the mood. We avoided being thrown out.

From there we looked at a few shops while a decision was made about where we’d eat today. As we left Flint it seemed the car had it’s own ideas and pointed in the direction of Prestatyn. But, when we got there, Mike didn’t park in the usual place but did the guided tour version until he found a pay and display car park we’d already passed once. We visited a little cafe we’d been to a few weeks ago. Both of us ended up with braised steak, I had chips and peas with mine, he had boiled pots and peas with his. It was very nice and it meant I’m in with a good chance of a Sunday roast dinner tomorrow now. We had a very quick look round one shop after leaving the cafe then headed for home. We struggled in with the bags at the other end and I almost tripped over a copy of The Watchtower on the mat. Religion had been out to get me for years. I didn’t venture further into the house until Mike was in and I could close the door. He went through to the kitchen , passing through the lounge first. I winced as the expected happened. Squawks and screeches galore, Joey really let rip at him. I came in a little more slowly, dumped the bags in the kitchen and came back talking in my most soothing voice about how he was my best boy Joey, Joey, Joey. He wasn’t hoodwinked for a minute and upped the tirade a notch or three. I backed gently away and started unpacking shopping and putting it away. I had the upper hand. Mike moved the car as the bin men were coming. I put the last of the shopping away and as Mike returned I said I was going to start work and not to forget to look at ebay for his fish food. That left him with Joey and me in complete peace. He does not like being left on his own for long which is strange as he never comes to either of us.

I worked from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm without a break and just left a few undone. When I went through, Mike had found what he wanted, managed a kip though he wouldn’t admit it and then sat playing computer games. We turned TV on and found an easy programme to watch which also gave me chance to make some tea. Then we watched the last episode of Beowulf that Mike had missed. Then, a huge mistake, I turned onto Inspector Alleyn which was from the ark and badly overacted. I went to sleep in desperation. Unfortunately it was still on when I woke half an hour later. At 9.00 pm Mike wanted to watch an episode of something called The 100 so I was given the chance to leave and come back to work. By 10.40 pm I was up to date finally and able to look at the blog.

The new jumper

First library card

 

Does Anyone Ever Listen? & Bacon is Best.

Sunday 7th Feb.

Quite a bitty night followed my lights out at 1.00 am. But at least when I got up at 4.14 am I was able to smile. I got out of bed wearing my slippers which I hadn’t worn when I went to bed. I listened to Mike coughing a lot too, I dare say he wouldn’t have had a lot of sleep either. I paid my visit to the loo and came back to log onto the computer. I like to open Skype too but it refuses to open and keeps telling me to check the internet- which is fine.                                                                                                                      On gmail I was horrified by the amount of mail and did my best to get going but I had to think of everything twice to be sure I had it fixed in my head. Like a OCD, I think there may have been a little residual tiredness there. I worked away until 6.00 am then went to take my meds and get a reviving coffee. When I came back the next batch had downloaded and I was way up high again.  I really wasn’t in the mood for it this morning. But, remembering how much might be there later, I carried on. By 9.00 am I was making headway and by 9.40 am I was up to date. I almost scorched the carpet leaving the room so fast.

I let Joey out and sat talking to him with my eyes closed, relaxing in the chair. Damn, it didn’t work. I put the TV on instead, there were two DIY SOS Big Builds on which meant I got interested and couldn’t go to sleep then either. The first one came to an end at 10.00 am and left me with a lump in my throat. At least Joey wouldn’t poke fun. The next one started and I really got involved in the family story, a youngster born with spina bifida whose brain had been largely destroyed by a cyst. Then you see this bright little smiley boy who tries to talk ( he’s only 18 months) and obviously understand much of what’s said, it was amazing. Then, despite being paralysed from the chest down was trying to pull himself along the floor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Mike got out of bed half way through and sat down to watch it with me. Questions, questions but he soon shut up when he saw the youngster. When it was over I removed the fly from my eye(s) then passed Mike a tissue. We were talking about his night when the next programme started and it was Move to the Country (or something) and a couple with a budget of £1.2m , our collective jaws dropped. , even Joey’s.

At 11.30 am I had to (reluctantly) drag myself away and get dressed. That forced Mike into action too so he headed for his room. By midday we were both ready to go out. As usual we didn’t know where but it turned out that the car knew where to take us anyway……Prestatyn. In the CookHouse we were seated in a different place as our usual seats were occupied by fans of the rugby, and Wales were playing Ireland this afternoon.Look away now if you don’t want the results a week late…….it was a draw. We had a nice lunch and a wander round a couple of shops, Mike got himself a couple of tops for his holiday and I bought a couple as a gift. We came home.                                              Mike went into the kitchen to do Ju’s flowers for me and I came through to work. It was 3.00 pm. Next thing it’s 4.00 pm and Mike is about to go. I waved him off and returned to work. It took until 5.50 pm to get back up to date then I could go through and have something to eat and watch some TV with Joey. I watched till 8.00 pm, came through and cleared the decks again so I could stay with Joey till later so at 8.40 pm I was back with him till 10.00 pm. At that time it was definitely “Nite nite Joey, see you in the morning.” and I came back to deal with both mail and blog. Given time I was going to see if I could solve the Skype problem as well. I think I’ll have the time, just not sure about the patience.

Are you serious……………………………………?

…………………………………………Oh good, you’re not.

And for all the World’s grandchildren

Monday 8th Feb.

It was the Worst of times. It was the best of times. (Apologies to Charles Dickens).The worst of times was settling for sleep at 1.15 am and being brought back to the surface at 2.05 am.The best of times was sitting having a cigarette and clearing my mind (THAT didn’t take long believe me, I have a head start) before finishing the cigarette and just lying on my back and hoping for the best. Since there seemed to be no lunatic women around at that time, I settled for what I could get, a bit more sleep. I woke again at 5.34 am.  I headed for the kitchen with my usual detour on the way. Once I’d had the morning meds I was able to take a coffee back to my room and make a start.

First job I tried to load Skype again but it wasn’t having any. Then my system wouldn’t move and ctrl/alt/del had no effect. I had to wait for the ‘System not responding’ to clear which took ages. I gave up on Skype and went straight to mail. By now it was almost 6.30 am so the new day’s mail had started joining last nights remnants. It took until 9.28 am to clear. I went through and opened Joey’s cage, washed my mug then came back and got dressed. Better to present myself as human (approximately) when Bev gets here, if she’s coming today. I went back to the lounge to watch Homes Under the Hammer with Joey.                                                                                                                               I worked again at the end of HUtH and since Bev didn’t call I assumed she must be off this week. About 11.50 am I made myself some lunch and stuck an episode of Murder She Wrote on to give me company while I ate. It was just typical that I got down to about a quarter of my steak in ale with mash when I saw Bev approach. I almost threw my tray into the kitchen and dashed to open the door.

She stayed a good 20 minutes chatting and we had a laugh about music from the 60’s which came about because I’m wearing one of the shirts Yvonne got me for my birthday. The only thing missing is my bellbottoms and I’m not missing those much since I like the slim or skinny leg jeans now. Don’t tell any teenagers I’m wearing them though or they’ll never wear them again. I remember a pair of flared trousers I used to have 60’s/70’s that were tight down to the knee and then just flared out from there. I loved those trousers which I think came from C & A. They got harder and harder to replace once styles changed, the manufacturers never seem to think of the generation who wore them still wanting them. It’s all about the next style down the line. While I’m ranting about style too, why is it women have so many more styles and colours to choose from? It doesn’t just affect me during the normal year but at sale time too as there’s hardly anything for men. In the 18th C men were the peacocks, why not now? Since my daughter and wife used to pinch my shirts it seems we can all wear and share a lot. No skirts with my knees but load my shirts with colour.

Bev left and I attempted to finish my now cold lunch. I washed the pots and went back to work. It was pointless going back to Murder She Wrote as I’d missed so much. Anyway, I noticed Twiggy was the subject of a Who Do You Think You Are at 2.00 pm so I’d come back and watch that instead. I finished in time to go back and enjoyed seeing Twiggy trace her maternal ancestry with one or two surprises. I also saw Escape to the Country before making myself go on a catch up session. I was surprised I’d stayed awake throughout. It was a close call this time in catching up with mail and watching my Road Trip and typically I enjoyed the start very much but I never reached the auction before falling asleep. I slept through the quiz ‘Pointless’ too.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Somehow I managed to wake in time for 6.00 pm and instead of having the second quiz Eggheads I watched Missing followed by Bones. Then the TV went off and I had a period of just trying to persuade Joey to say Best Boy. I was flogging a dead horse and I don’t see things changing now. He seems to be in a pattern that suits him. I wished him a good night, turned the lights out and went to my room. I worked till 9.30 pm then broke off to take my meds and just be sure I have everything I need for tomorrow in my coat. Judging by today’s weather I’m going to need it. That done I returned to work and just kept going until I was clear and able to do the blog.

The Happy Flower

The Mudlark

Tuesday 9th Feb

I was in bed by 11.45 pm last night. As usual I had a read and turned the light out at about 12.45 am. It took a while to get comfy as whichever way I lie, I manage to push the fat to the highest point and it’s all bone at the point that touches the mattress. I can feel every spring. Anyway I must have managed it as I was woken up by a loud sound. It took me a while to realise it was my phone telling me I had a text. It was 1.12 am. I smiled and answered then settled back down. Ten minutes later as I’m nodding, it went again. After responding to that one I thought I was safe and settled for the third time. All remained peaceful. I woke by the natural order of things at 5.01 am. Not bad at all.

I went straight through to take my meds and have some breakfast. This morning I did two rounds of toast as usual but could only eat one. I felt sick. I don’t want to jump the gun or anything but I do wonder if I’m pregnant. It would have to be a phantom pregnancy of course since I could only possibly ever have relations with a ghost. Isn’t it strange to hear it called relations as though we do it in front of an audience? No wonder male impotency is such a problem, the thought of the in-laws being there.                     As usual you’ve made me digress. It’s a couple of days I’ve felt a little off first thing and I wonder if my anti smoking tabs could be doing it even so late as 3 weeks after starting them.

I went through and signed on. The first thing I did was set the computer to restart from a previous date to see if it would solve the Skype problem. It actually brought back to old Skype logo to my screen but whatever the problem is, it’s still there. I’ll have to ask my nephew about a downloader. Ignoring that problem as something I can do nowt about, I went into my mail and almost fell off my chair. There were a lot and at 6.00 am I had ten minutes and there’d be a lot more too. Unfortunately I wasn’t going to make much of a dent in those before going out. I  got dressed so there were no last minute complications about getting on the bus then I started. By 7.15 am I’d dealt with 32 and was quite pleased but there was still twice that to go. The thought of making them go crossed my mind but I decided against that way. I opened Joey’s door and left the house.

I caught the bus without a problem though it might have been easier if he’d lowered the step. He was in a race with another bus from a rival company so I just sat forward, head resting on my crutches and drifted away. I got off in Chester at 8.45 am and as Yvonne wasn’t there, starting walking to meet her. I thought she’d have Reuben with her this morning too, but when she came into sight it was just Amelie again. Roobs would be joining us a little later it seemed. We went into a shop close by where we met to give Yvonne chance to use her phone, it’s like a telephone exchange sometimes. I pushed Amelie round until she was done. Once she was and took the pram back Amelie woke and with a cry said she was hungry. We headed for our favourite shop and the cafe.                                                                                                                                                                          I nipped to the loo while Yvonne ordered then took baby on my lap for a few minutes. As soon as Yvonne had donned her cape she fed Amelie and I ate my toasted sandwich (that I hadn’t wanted and had refused. Doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?) Once she’d been fed, I had Amelie back while Yvonne ate. I was pleased to get one or two little smiles (From Amelie not Yvonne, she scowls/growls to keep you away from her food).

Once we’d finished coffee and breakfast we went to get Reuben some pyjamas and I also found a sweet pair of pink dungarees with a cat’s face on for Amelie. I found a gilet for Roobs too for when it gets a little warmer. We went downstairs so Yvonne could get something and then out to another shop and another. Then we took a slow walk down to a cafe within a church which has a playcentre. I had another hold of Amelie while Yvonne ordered me a cup of tea. A few minutes later Roobs and Ugo arrived. Roobs was quite taken with the goat figure I’d bought his last weekend when shopping and Ugo seemed more than pleased with the chocolates I’d taken him.The special toys with a penguin and an owl that have 55 songs and can sing singly or in a choir we left with Ugo to read the instructions and sort out rather than let Roobs see them yet.

Once I’d finished my tea I saw it was time to go for my bus. Yvonne walked with me to the stop and out timing was perfect. The idiot driver didn’t lower the step again and this time I didn’t even have the aid of a pavement. Then he was so anxious to go, he moved off while I was still retrieving my travel pass. It was a job to reach a seat upright. Still, I did and assumed the position on head on hands and eyes shut to speed the journey.                                                                                                                                                                        When I got off the bus I called in at Pauline’s before dashing home to have a wee. I said hello to Joey, put my shopping away, took my coat ff and started work. That was at 1.10 pm. I didn’t get to move again until 4.20 pm just before the Road Trip. Not that I’d finished work but as a reward for having done so much. I fell asleep during the auction (Damn) and slept through the quiz as well. I woke up to realise the news was on. When that fact penetrated my brain I realised Missing had started on another channel and grabbed the remote. I followed that up with Bones and thought maybe that was enough of a treat for one day. So at 8.00 pm I turned everything off, made sure Joey was locked in and came back through. I spent until 10.15 pm getting finally up to date with mail before starting this, my blog. Early night I hope and no going out tomorrow. I want to get some washing done.

Gorgeous

My baby and her baby

Wednesday 10th Feb

11.30 pm to bed and a read till 12.20 am so I could finish the book I was reading. I woke once in the night to  visit the loo but had no problem dropping off again. 3.28 am was my time of being awake even though it was 3.31 am before I swung my legs out of bed. I logged onto the computer and headed straight for my gmail messages. There were just 27 this morning. By 4.35 am I’d finished those and moved on to the kitchen to take my meds and have breakfast. I put the washing machine on a quickwash. Today I had some Shreddies but after half an hour felt nauseous and had a bad headache. I wonder if it really is a reaction to the Champix I’m on to give up smoking. My mood is pretty low still too. I put the washing on to dry, went searching for batteries for an automatic air freshener and then found it was empty before taking a coffee back to my room. There were just 8 more messages to deal with which were done with by 5.40 am. I decided to lie down to try and clear my head.                                                                I rose again at 7.10 am and after checking my in box, wish I hadn’t. I went to empty the drier instead.

There was no use hiding. I worked till 9.00 am then stopped long enough to get dressed and to open Joey’s cage and make vague promises about HUtH at 10.00 am. I needed to get a move on if I wanted to see that. I did the best I could but was still 22 adrift. Still, I went to see my programme anyway. At 11.00 am I apologised to Joey and came back to work. I was clear at 11.50 am and wen to see to my lunch. I was going to have a cottage pie with two baps but when I buttered them I thought how nice they’d be with bacon on. It just so happened I had a packet in the fridge that had to be eaten by 13th. If ever a sign was needed, that was it. So that’s what I had for lunch.Two rashers of bacon on each bap and a little tomato sauce.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I watch Bargain Hunt while I was eating and I knew that one team made a record profit at the auction. I wanted to see that but fell asleep just before the auction and didn’t come round until 1.55 pm. I slunk back to work.

At 3.45 my work was clear again and I decided to take a break. I wandered through to the kitchen and laid out some new coffee pods for the Tassimo machine as I used the last one this morning. I tidied the tinfoil from the grill where I’d done my bacon and tried to make he room look like someone cared. Then I went to the lounge and chatted to Joey. The conversation lasted about 10 seconds as I saw Dil approaching half an hour early. I bolted into the kitchen and started making him a cup of tea determined not to appear surprised at seeing him. He told me he’d been to a meeting in the Heritage Park over the road which finished early. There was no point in driving nearly an hour back to work then out again.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      We managed to have a good chinwag about our weekends, his being much worse as he’d been laying laminate flooring in the bedroom and redoing his bathroom floor. He still has twinges. We watched both our programmes, The Road Trip and Pointless before turning off and getting the games out. I believe the term they use is ‘least said, soonest mended’ so we won’t dwell on tonight’s results. I’m sure you’d only be bored. To put it another way, when he got up to leave at 9.30 pm I was ready to give him his birthday card to take home but keep the present to give to the first deserving person to walk past the house. I thought better of it but only because I’m a good brother who isn’t always out to beat his brother in every game.

After Dil left I did my usual tidy up then closed Joey’s cage before he came out to taunt me, washed the pots and then took my meds. Turning the lights off I was free to go through to my bedroom to start catching up again. That took me till 11.10 pm and then a quick blast at the blog means I hope to be in bed about midnight.

My delight.

Having a chat.

Thursday 11th Feb.

I made the midnight target with minutes to spare. I started a new book Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. So much of it is familiar that I’m not sure whether I’ve read it before or whether it’s because it’s only recently I saw the excellent TV adaptation. (roll on the next series). I only read until about 12.45 am because the chapters were long and I prefer to finish reading at the end of a chapter even though on occasion that makes it very difficult to stop reading. Getting to sleep didn’t seem to be a problem.            No trips to the loo overnight but I did go when I woke at 4.28 this morning. Then it was a case of signing on and attacking my gmail messages. There were only 27 and I was clear by 5.35 am. I checked my bank and my State Pension had been paid , now based on a weekly payment rather than 4 weekly thanks to Yvonne. At 5.45 am I went to the kitchen for breakfast and to take my meds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         After my cornflakes I was back in time for the deluge.

I thought I was prepared but I wasn’t. Things started slowly with just 1 then 6 but before I knew it they were on 57, 62, 71. I countered a threat from Microsoft of an update that would close my system in 4 mins thus kicking me out in the middle of something. I managed to put it on hold for 4 hours. I was done by 9.12 am and quickly got dressed and went to Pauline’s to do the lottery and get some bread. It turned into a bread only mission when I learned the lottery machine was down. When I got back I took the bread through to the kitchen then opened Joey’s cage door and refreshed his water and seed. He still hides in a corner when I approach the cage as though I’d hurt him. I’d have to catch the beggar first. I returned to work and found Microsoft was back on it’s 4 minute countdown. This time I left it and used it as an excuse to watch Homes Under the Hammer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When I came back it was finished and I had to sign back in again. There were only a dozen messages awaiting my attention which didn’t take too long to deal with. My postman came with details of my tax allowance for next year and then the both phones rang. I checked the mobile and it was an unknown (even though it was a local number) I refused the call and deleted it from the memory. I checked on the house phone and there was a message waiting. I always listen to them in case it’s something Yvonne has to deal with. No, it was yet another annoying message called at random to tell me I can claim from my bank. Well I can’t so bugger off will you !                                At 11.30 am I went through to the kitchen to peel my sweet potatoes and ready my sausages.

By 12.15 pm when Bargain Hunt started I was sitting down with my lunch. Ax the contestants were only part way through their buying when I finished eating I took my pl;ate though and washed everything I’d used. When I returned, they we’re ready to buy their last items each before going off to the auction. I tried really hard, honestly I did but I still managed to fall asleep before the auction. I didn’t wake until 2.05 pm and found Doctors on the TV. Disgusted with myself I turned the TV off and came through to work Joey squawking at my retreating back. He really doesn’t like the lack of sound around him when the TV goes off or I close my mouth.                                           Work was steady in the afternoon and I got a text at 4.00 pm to say Mike was on his way. I said I’d expect him about 6.30 pm ish. At 4.30 pm I abandoned all ideas of work to watch the Road Trip. I saw it to the end. I watched pointless almost to the end then must have nodded off just before 6.00 pm. I came round about 6.45 pm and perched next to me in his chair watching me was a Gremlin in the form of Mike. Guiltily I got up and made him a drink. By this time I’d missed most of ‘Missing’ but still had time for ‘Bones’ followed by ‘Would I Lie To You’ and then Murder in Paradise.

At 10.00 pm I locked Joey in, sent Michael to his bed and came through to work . My only interruption was when Mike got irate at the programme on TV and the contract they want ‘Junior’ doctors to accept and I went through thinking he’d called me. I finished the mail about 11.10 pm and started on the blog. I’m still hopeful for midnight.

Little Man

Coquettish.

Friday 12th Feb.

Midnight bed, read until 1.00 am then settle down.  Up at 2.10 am for a wee but I knew that wasn’t time to stay awake today. Back to bed and warmth.                                     Next time was different though, that was AWAKE time 3.44 am it read on my clock and I did verify it with my glasses on before moving. I powered up the computer and logged on going straight to my gmail.  Wonderful, only 32, I could knock those off in no time. In fact it took until 5.20 am with one or two more coming in.                                   Next I went through to the kitchen to take my meds. I decided against having breakfast as this is the morning I do my drugs for the week. I got my drugs drawer from the lounge and started. First of all one of my capsules split and started spreading powder everywhere then two tablets broke as they were being pressed out of a blister pack. Next, one got away and skittered across the floor. Naturally it played hide and seek before I finally found it. I was sorry I’d started. Then I prepared my next prescription request ready to deliver to the chemist’s on Monday. All of a sudden I started dry-heaving. All I’d had was the milk I take my meds with but I realised it was probably the anti-smoking drug as some people say you need to eat with it.

My coffee seemed to settle my stomach and I returned to the bedroom. I’m off to the nurse this morning and wondered what to do about these tablets. For a couple of weeks now I’ve known and others have mentioned that my mood isn’t as usual. For once they’re not being insulting. I’ve been low, I am low and the direction it’s taking isn’t what it should be. I’ve had some terrible nightmares which in one actually had me being violent towards someone else, that’s never happened before except towards myself. I’ve also been hallucinating- unless I’m being haunted that is. Seeing things running across my floor, seeing people approach in my peripheral vision who aren’t there sometimes even hearing things that aren’t there either. I think they’re all related to these tablets and I’m thinking I should stop them while I still have the common sense to do so.But, I have to ask. I may not have stopped smoking while taking them but at least I’ve cut down by two thirds which is pretty good.                                                      I carried on working.

At 7.15 am Mike’s alarm went off despite me telling him he needn’t set it. He wasn’t intending to go to his Dad’s until 11.00 am so he could have stayed in bed a while. Setting the alarm for that time meant he was intending to take me to the doctor’s.  If I were paranoid, I’d think he didn’t trust me to go. Anyway, I made him a coffee and took it through. It was up to him whether he left it and went back to sleep or got up. Eventually he got up. At about 8.10 am he ran me up to the surgery and then as usual carried on to his Dad’s or to Manchester at least.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Inside, it took Sister S about ten seconds to tell me to stop taking the tablets. She could see things weren’t right and said here was always the chance it would happen but we’d given it a good go. She didn’t harp on about carrying on with the non-smoking but said how pleased she was with progress made. She was there if I wanted more help and to ring if I needed her. I nearly laughed as I haven’t rung anyone in years so I’d be stuffed. When I left there I headed towards the bus but decided to go to the LIDL Supermarket as it would be warmer than outside. I got Ju’s flowers a day early. I still froze to death at the bus stop. When it came I was glad to sit down. I called at Pauline’s when I got off and did the lottery before going home to Joey and Homes Under the Hammer.

After my programme I came back to work to try and clear this morning’s batch. It took forever, or at least it did except for the break I took from 11.45 am to 12.30 pm when I had lunch. Today I just couldn’t be bothered so I went to the chippy. The curry sauce was terrible, like water with a raisin in. I couldn’t eat all the chips of course so the waste bin saw the rest as I’ve put Joey on a diet. I did return to work after lunch even giving up my Bargain Hunt as I wanted to reach the point of being clear before I did take TV time out and before Mike returned.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I was clear by 3.00 pm and to celebrate I had a break to watch Move to the Country then I worked again from 3.45 pm to 4.30 pm and went to watch my last Road Trip of the week.I managed to see it all the way through tonight and started on my quiz. Part way through that I lost the plot and Zzzzz’d away for a while. I woke at 6.15 pm having missed the first quarter of my Missing Without Trace ( or whatever it’s called) but at least I caught the rest. Mike sent a text at 7.00 pm to say he was on his way so I watched Bones alone. Then ten minutes into Mastermind he arrived. I made a coffee and we watched the rest of it.

At 8.30 pm I went to get a shower.My mood was so low I didn’t even ask Mike for help with my hair. I noticed however that I’d have to ask for a haircut before the weekend is out. Between 9.00 – 10.00 pm I saw Shetland which is a really good thriller before finally closing Joey’s cage door ( don’t worry, Mike made me go back to let him in) and returning to my room. I was working on my mail when Mike came in and sat on my bed. He was worried my mood could mean I was cross with him despite knowing there was no reason. Once he was sure he was OK he decided to get up my nose in general by talking while I was trying to work. He was still there when I finished the mail and started the blog.  I had to physically overpower him, truss him in a sack and roll him along the passageway to his bedroom.  I still think there’s just a chance I might make midnight.

What Pops bought me.

With Bunny ears tucked under my chin.

Saturday 13th Feb.

I was in bed by 12.10 am with so much cream on my legs I almost slid right out again. I went for two chapters last night but had to settle for one and a half or I’d have been awake all night. The chapters are so long. So lights out about 1.00 am  and though I saw 1.20 am come and go I must have been asleep soon after. I woke at 4.48 am and don’t recall any nightmares but I know there were a few dreams that were uncomfortable though I can’t recall the content luckily. I attacked my gmail messages and cleared them by 5.50 am so went straight to the kitchen to have some breakfast and take my meds. I was just coming back to work when I heard Mike’s alarm for the first time. I know he didn’t sleep well last night so I took him a coffee and decided to leave him without a second call. If he got up great, if not, well so what.                                            He did get up 5 alarms later at about 6.50 am. By which time I’d been in hear over half an hour with the mail. He was ready to go by 7.20 am.

Having been to LIDL and got the flowers yesterday I didn’t want much main shopping this morning. Mike got a trolley, I got my cash and we bypassed the fruit and veg and went straight for the children’s clothes.  We made our way round and picked up what I needed and then after paying went through to get a coffee at McDonalds. My phone went with a text. It was my niece Karen who wanted to know if we were going over to collect the pies she got for me yesterday. I confirmed YES and arranged to meet at lunchtime. Off we went to Flint where we looked for a trolley for Mike to move a washing machine. We had no luck at what Mike thought was a reasonable price. Then it was coffee time so we got the chocolates from the car and headed to Temptations. Double trouble today as Kyle was off so we had two Ceri’s to contend with. One we don’t usually see as she usually does afternoons.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   We had a drink and Mike had his teasted toecake while the girls raved about the chocolates which were special handmade ones (not by me I hasten to add). Afterwards we looked at a few more shops then realised how late it was getting and had to head off on the next stage of our journey. Mike was worried our 40 minute journey to Colwyn Bay wouldn’t be done in the 45 minutes we had so he took the route I hate most-The Expressway- donned his cloak of invisibility with fingers crossed and revved the car up to a minimum of ten miles above the maximum speed all the way. I was really worried the g-force might leave me with a smile that ended round the back of my head when we got there. We made it with about thirty minutes to spare……..on the day before we left. I knew that electric storm was trouble.                                                                           Karen was already there when we arrived, but it’s only two minutes walk to her home from there. We were meeting in a pub called The Plough in Old Colwyn. First we traded kisses then we traded gifts so I had my precious pork pies. We chatted for  a few minutes before I ordered drinks and the food.  I had steak and ale pie with mash and it was excellent. Karen had a chicken burger which came with fries and a big side salad while Mike had fish and chips and he later said the fish was great. We were there for about an hour and a half.

Eventually we had to go as we still needed to find Mike’s truck, get back home with the shopping and see to Joey. I needed to work. Having said goodbye to Karen we drove into Colwyn Bay Town Centre and looked in a few shops before eventually finding one the same and at the same price as we’d seen in the morning. He took it……then thought better of it and paid. Back to the car again and this time without the cloak of invisibility and crossed fingers  we drove home the pretty route and as sedately as Mike ever drives ……..up every other driver’s exhaust pipe while cursing every driver on the road as incompetent, female or as a granddad (which he tends to forget he is).  At home we unpacked the car and put the shopping away. I released Joey but he wasn’t speaking to me and didn’t move from his perch. I had to leave to start work. Mike did Ju’s flowers into a lovely display for her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     It was 3.00 pm and I worked like a Trojan ( not the virus honestly) till 6.00 pm then went to watch TV with Mike . NCIS then two more programmes I’ve forgotten already. At 9.00 pm I cam back through again to try and keep up with the mail to give me a clear run at the blog.

Face Off

Howdy pardner

 

 

 

 

MuJo returns & Scratch the Verbal Abuse.

Sunday 31st Jan.
well I read until 1.00 am as usual buy as I turned my light out I found I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was. It took a while to get off to sleep. I woke at 3.30 am and was convinced I was fully awake. After visiting the loo I signed on and made a start on the mail. It must have been about 5.30 am I thought of going for my tabs but I suddenly found myself coming awake at the screen fifteen minutes after that. I was back at my desk for 6.00 am and started on a message. Suddenly the message wasn’t on my screen and it was now 6.15 am. And so it went on with me having little ‘blackouts’ at the keyboard. Sometimes the same message would be there to finish (yay) and sometimes it would be gone ( possible Oops). It went on like that until about 9.30 am. I really don’t know how I made any progress (  IF I actually made any progress) but after that I heard Mike try to Die by Coughing and get himself up. I went through to make a coffee.

I don’t think either of us was at our best and I’m sure we got by on part conversations and part telepathy ( spelled pathetically). We ascertained I wouldn’t mind a couple of extra birthday presents as I didn’t think my choices yesterday were very inspired. Struggling to stay awake we went off to get dressed. When he came out of his room later it smelled like a Burmese Bordello I wondered who he intended to meet today. About 11.00 am we went out and drove over to The Tweed Mill that I’ve mentioned before. It’s like an outlet village under one roof. I found a couple of things for Dil’s wife Lynn and put them behind the counter then we went in search of some lunch. We both settled on steak and mushroom pie with roast potatoes and veg. Mike had an egg custard pudding and I had a strawberry tart and cream. Afterwards we went outide and had a cigarette, the woman on the main tills must have thought I was running out on my purchases.

When we went back in I concentrated on something for Dil. It didn’t take too long to find, and Mike took it over to add to the other saves while we carried on looking in general. I had meant to get a ladies scarf but totally forgot so I may look on Tuesday. We looked upstairs at the leather jackets and outdoors stuff plus my favourite Brakeburn shoes but as Mike refused a coffee (gasp) we went back downstairs (via the lift) I paid for my goods and we left.                                                                                                    I knew things would be fairly bad when we got home but even so, I couldn’t just leave Mike in the lounge and disappear to work so I stayed with him and fell asleep instead. While I slept he did the flowers and was bringing them in when I woke. He sat down and fall asleep himself. I suppose I couldn’t complain. I turned the Simpson’s on instead to entertain me. When Mike woke we watched half a film before he decided about 4.00 pm it was time to go. Once I’d seen him off I was able to go to work.                                  The was Beowulf on at 7.00 pm so I intended working just until that time and then making myself some tea to have my second food tablets of the day. As it happened I was finished by 6.40 pm so I stuck TV on and went to the kitchen to do tea.

When I took my tea through there was a film on that had already started. It was called John Carter. I have seen it before but quite a while ago so I decided to stick with it instead of Beowulf. I can’t say how much I enjoyed it. I suppose it’s CGI but the aliens look thoroughly real and I love his interaction with them, Martians all. I was really entertained. I had another hour of TV until 9.00 pm then came through. I was working well on the mail when John got in touch via skype so I was with him and Muriel for ages seeing how they are. It was 11.30 pm before I was able to break away to do the blog. It will be late to bed but maybe I can have a lie in tomorrow.

Keeping watch

Seeing the joke.

Monday 1st Feb.

Well, it wasn’t too late to bed at 12.20 am. I still read to just 1.00 am though and then settled to sleep. It wasn’t too long in coming. Nor did it stay long as I woke first at 2.00 am and refused to budge. After getting back to sleep I was expecting ructions from the small gods and some spite by allowing my just half an hour. Instead I was in bed till 4.30 am. I didn’t mind moving too much then.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 After signing in I worked on my mail till 5.30 am then went to take my meds and grab some breakfast. Two rounds of toast slathered in butter was plenty. When I returned I couldn’t seem to make any headway and it took me a while to realise it was because every time I did one, more came in on the flood tide. I’d passed the 6.10 am marker. At 6.30 am I was so desperate for a cigarette I got dressed and went for a packet then came back and carried on.

At 9.00 am I went to the chemist to hand in my prescription request. I was lucky to keep my feet the wind was gusting so strongly. I was glad I had no further plans for going out. Once back I started again and by 9.55 am I was down to the last half dozen. They could wait as I packed up and went through to see Homes Under the Hammer. When I say see I use it figuratively since after the first 15 minutes I fell asleep until the last 5 minutes. When I woke I didn’t know where I was or even what day it was. I was sure someone was here with me and quickly picked up the things on the couch I’d dumped last night for wrapping. Realisation took a while this time, but at least the settee was tidier. I’d decided not to wrap today in case I managed to find a scarf tomorrow in Chester.  I returned to work.                                                                                                                      At 11.50 am I went back through to the kitchen to make some lunch. A cottage pie today which I ate with Bargain Hunt on the box.

When Bargain Hunt ended I returned to my room and any waiting work. I was chuffed to find it didn’t occupy me past 2.05 pm because I really felt like getting my head down. I retreated to my chair and did just that. It was 3.20 pm before I raised my head again. It was good to get it out of the way before my 4.30 pm Road Trip. I upset Joey by sweeping up around his cage, he plays the martyr by flying round the room as though he can’t land on his mirror yet I’ve passed closer without disturbing him. Anyway it’s his own fault for being a messy eater.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I did a little tidying and then went to make sure any incoming was cleared before my programme.  I was there ready for the start. The show was excellent  as was Pointless which followed. Unusually then I didn’t have my second quiz but turned over for ‘Missing’ followed by ‘Bones’ and then a programme about pyramid cities in the Mississippi Delta. Then I had to call a halt and return to work or it would be a late night.

I was left feeling very introspective after a friend Judith B of New Zealand posted on her blog about telling people you love them. She mentioned when her husband who she refers to as the Architect was in a hospice and she relied on hearing being the last of the senses to go. It brought back so much about Julia’s time there too where our family gathered to say goodbye.

Tonight I thought I’d offer something different in the way of music. The first is not one I can claim to remember from the 60’s and as it’s classical music may not be to everyone’s taste. For those who prefer something a little later I offer a second option which I think is from  70’s and may suit better. Oddly enough it tells the same story.

https://archive.org/details/UnVelDiVedremomadameButterfly

Tuesday 2nd Feb

I read till only 12.30 am and out went the light. Sleep wasn’t easy but it came. Some humorist thought getting me up again at 1.30 am would be very funny but other than a trip to the loo I resisted. After a cigarette while sitting on the edge of my bed, I climbed back in and settled. My next time up was 4.34 am. None too shabby really I suppose. At 5.30 am I went for breakfast and the morning meds and brought a coffee back. I got dressed so I wasn’t struggling for time after. By the time I’d finished the amount of mail I had left was being multiplied by the 6.10 am rush. I was able to plough into them until 7.15 am when I had to get my coat on and set off.                                       There was a bit of a mathematical problem this morning. As I walked up the hill at 2 mph I was met with a gift of wind from the US (Thanks America) at 70 mph. What time did I get home? And yes, the answer should be, before I left. It was a real struggle but I made it to the bus stop. I did wonder if the bus might make it or not since the firm that runs them uses cast offs from some African nation that haven’t been worked on for years.

The bus came and got me to Chester a little early so I had a cigarette before I found out Yvonne was late anyway. We had a bit of a session trying to text each other till she left me a voice mail. I was listening to it through one ear as she was shouting into the other one that she’d arrived. We picked up a couple of things for baby from the chemist and then went to our favourite Chester store for coffee and breakfast (whether you want it or not). I had Amelie on my lap as I drank my coffee and she was as good as gold- fast asleep. I bought the kids a few things there then a pair of jeans for myself before going down to get the scarves that were the whole point of going  to that particular shop.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               We were on our second shop when Amelie showed signs of waking. There were a few subtle roars of hunger and a denunciation of her mother for not walking round with her boobs out and at the ready. We quickly hid our faces and scuttled out, well OK, I quickly hid my face and scuttled out. I suggested we go to a cafe over the road (appropriate yes) where they can settle down and where Yvonne and I can have a drink too. It’s very clever. They have like a rather large bib that drapes over Yvonne from the neck down and Amelie is hidden behind it. Yvonne just looks rather deformed and people do glance sideways at us when they hear her chest slurp and burp. The feed had just finished when I realised how close we were to bus time. We had a very quick walk down the sale rails and then straight out to my bus which was already at the stop.

I nodded off for some of the journey home but I was checking constantly that we weren’t pushed into any temporal time zones by the wind. I didn’t want to get back to a time before chips and curry sauce were invented. When I got off the bus I called into Pauline’s for some bread, cigs and my TV mag before hurrying to let an unhappy Joey out of his cage. Having had breakfast twice today I was in no rush to have lunch so I concentrated on work. It took me from 1.10 pm to 4.30 pm without a break to put most of the work away. I watched my usual Road Trip though didn’t hear most of it thanks to Joey complaining. I made myself some tea and took the appropriate tablets then settled to my quiz which I confess I fell asleep in. I woke up ten minutes into the news and Joey was still going ten to the dozen, he really doesn’t like his own company much. I found that Missing was on again as was Bones which until tonight I didn’t realise was a young Temperance Brennan who without looking is I think Kathy Reich’s heroine. I was a little surprised they played so much humour into it because I don’t remember the adult books that way.

Anyhoo, I turned the TV off at 8.30 am and locked Joey up again. I came through to start work. There was a lot of mail and the blog needed to be done too but I think it’s going to be an 11.00 pm night tonight. Aw heck, if only there was a woman here to occupy all this free time.

In repose.

I may be asleep Pops but you’re going nowhere.

Wednesday 3rd Feb.

I actually made the 11.00 pm deadline last night and was in bed as it came round. I opened my book to read and carried on until 12.02 am when the light went out. My gyrating mechanism must have been fixed as it worked very well in trying to settle until I must have been exhausted enough to sleep. 1.24 am was the first time I rose. A ciggie on the side of my bed seemed to settle me enough to try again.The next time and my up time was a fun 3.33 am.                                                                                                             A visit to the loo was in order before I came back and signed into my gmail account. Oddly enough I had 33 messages at that time. They were done and dusted at 4.56 am at which time my eyes started leaking copious amounts of water as I yawned, and boy did I yawn. If it was an Olympic sport I’d be winning for Wales.  There was a temptation to lie on the bed and sleep again but I decided to have breakfast and take my meds so I’d be awake for the daily deluge. Rice Krispies did the job of filling me today before I brought  coffee back to my room.

I finished the few messages that had come through since before breakfast and then signed into Facebook for the things apparently waiting for me which were said to include two messages. I dealt with everything that was there but could not find the messages which I’m quite sure I must have done before. I couldn’t put off the inevitable any more and went back to the deluge. Ouch, it hurt. If you think Joey was mad yesterday you should have seen him at lunchtime because thanks to you lot it was 11.35 am before I left my room this morning  and got to say good morning to him. OK, I’ll admit that maybe once or twice I might have nodded off over my keyboard but mainly it’s down to you. The post is usually only this bad after I post the blog.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I sat in the lounge for 15 minutes telling Joey you’re not all that bad and you didn’t mean to deprive him. After that I had to give some thought to lunch and went to take my pre-foodies. I ate while watching Bargain Hunt which even Joey admits I’d be better at than some of the numpties they have buying things. Mind you, to be fair the premise of the show which is buying antiques at either antique fairs or antique shops to sell at auction is a little spurious considering that’s almost buying high and selling low as is so often proved.

At 1.00 pm I returned to clear up any outstanding ,ail and then at 1.35 pm allowed myself a sleep in my chair. I came to at 2.05 pm but stayed for Father Brown. I came back to work again at 3.00 pm until 4.20 when I wanted to be ready for Dil’s arrival. I put stuff in his mug ready and then watched the start of the Road Trip. Dil turned up 5 minutes later and I almost had his drink ready for him. After Road Trip we watched our usual quiz but I nodded off part way through and only came to at the end for the final. I felt awful about it. Dil was understanding though.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            As the TV went off out came the table and the first box, the Yahtzee. I had to dash off to quickly run some more score sheets off. First sheet of six was 3 games all but as usual we carried on for another sheet which I won 4-2 despite some people having more jam than Hartley’s where Yahtzees are concerned. We turned to Trivia. Though I was answering questions it just wan’t when I was on the square that gave me a piece of pizza. Dil on the other hand answered everywhere he landed. We both had all six slices but he got to the centre first and answered the question I asked with ease. Rats!! There was time for cribbage and though I made him suffer by beating him by a big margin in the first game he came back in the second game with a 20 score and two 16”s as well as a 12. He sailed round the board and was safely at home a full street ahead of me. The evening was a draw though I felt trounced.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Dil left and I set to tidying up and washing pots. I locked Joey in, took my meds and went through to my room where I’ve been catching up ever since. It will be midnight tonight. Tomorrow I think it’s MuJo at last. He seems better.

Yay, the winner !

It was this big, honest.

Thursday 4th Feb

I didn’t read for long last night and the light went out at about 12.30 am. Someone tried teasing me with a 2.28 am get up but I was in refuse mode today so I just visited the loo then climbed back into bed and turned over. Next thing I know it’s 5.03 am. That’s anything up to four and a half hours, wonderful. I went straight to the kitchen,had breakfast and took my meds. Coming back here I ploughed into the remnants of last night’s mail and everything till the time I got up. I was trying to have nil in my box before the flood started. I almost made it. But, when the flood came it could be handled. I had the time and the determination today.                                                                 Because I needed to visit Pauline’s before MuJo arrive, I worked on finishing before then. I managed it for 9.02 am, got dressed and went out. I hurried back as a priority was cleaning Joey’s cage out today. That involved new sandpaper at the bottom, new millet, seed and water  and I needed him out of the cage for some of that.

I was nipping between my bedroom office and the lounge, doing a message then trying to coax him out of the cage. He showed absolutely no signs of moving. At 10.00 am though when the mail was up to date I turned the TV on for Homes Under the Hammer and the little rogue came out. I was able to get everything done I wanted to even at the expense of missing my programme while he watched it. I’m sure he’s checking out auction prices before he moves. I only just finished doing everything before MuJo arrived at about 10.40 am. They came bearing gifts for my birthday and I had great pleasure in bringing all their Christmas gifts out for them. They wouldn’t open any though.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 We caught up on how everyone was, in particular John who has been ill since before Christmas hence the reason for no visits. I plied them with drinks and at 11.10 am Muriel asked if we minded going early as she needed the Post Office in town . That meant John and I would visit the first two of his charity shops before we met up and went to lunch. It was the chippy naturally. I had mince and mushrooms with chips and peas but couldn’t finish it all. (I left a chip). John had fish and chips and Mu had a piece of chicken (the breast) and peas. We all had mugs of tea. It was a nice meal right up until the delivery of the bill. I didn’t see it coming and Mu all but snatched the poor girls arm off to get it. As we left the place she was still cowering in a corner saying “Do you want gravy with that madam?”

We made our way back to the car. Next stop Flint. We called at ALDI first so Mu could pick up some shopping and I picked up chocolates for Temptations. That was our next stop and we even had another battle at the counter when Muriel got her money over the counter first in contravention to the rools, he who pays for lunch, t’other pays for coffee and cake. I should have bought stake for her black eye, and don’t bother telling me I’ve mis-spelt that, I know what I mean.                                                                              We had a short wander afterwards as John still can’t do distances but eventually he and I went to sit in the car while Mu went to get some clothes for Amelie. We drove home again and took our shopping in. Muriel brought the bag in with Amelie’s clothes and there as also a black fleece of MYOB size which wouldn’t fit her till she’s 80. Another birthday gift for me or some terrible idea of how a baby dresses these days. They left at 4.00 pm while Muriel still had sight in one eye.

I had half an hour to get as much work done as possible before my Road Trip started and I hadn’t even packed a case yet. I made a start and promised myself I’d give up the quiz and do some more. At 5.15 pm I duly reappeared and did some more till 6.00 pm then disappeared till 8.00 pm. ‘Missing’ and ‘Bones’ were calling out to me. I enjoyed both shows and then to keep my word I turned the TV off and came through. I left the light on for Joey as Mike would be along later and would drink his coffee in there. It was 9.58 pm when Mike arrived so I went to the kitchen and made his drink. I sat with him till 11.00 pm to learn about his week and he mine ( It’s been fine is what he learned from me). At that time though I needed to come and finish what I’d started and get the blog done. Midnight bed probably but no surgery in the morning.

I’m keeping an eye on you.

First trip to the dentist. Where’s the FEAR?

Friday 5th Feb.

I read until 1.00 am though Mike maintains I only look at the pictures and risk going blind. I took a chance on one eye. I’m not sure how long exactly it took to go to sleep but I was still awake at half past. As I was trying to sleep on my stomach around then it was difficult to look at the clock. I contemplated getting up gain and having a cigarette but it was too much effort. When I woke up I was on my back again and it was 4.57 am.                                                                                                                                                           It was loo time then signing onto the computer and getting gmail up.I decided to work until 5.30 am and then go and take my drugs followed by preparing my drugs for the next week. My first management decision of the day was not to have breakfast as I’d either have to time the taking of my pre-foodies for sometime during the tablet sorting or after that which meant I’d be in the kitchen at least a further half  hour. I did what I had to do and made myself a coffee to bring back.

I checked my mail again and I just had a few to finish from earlier. Part way through them the deluge started. I was still sitting there at 9.50 am when Mike’s phone went off. I headed for the kitchen to put the kettle on and I opened Joey’s cage at the same time. He just sat and sulked. I took Mike  coffee through to the lounge as I heard him up and about, then turned the TV on to Homes Under the Hammer. When that was over I returned to work and Mike prepared to go off to see his father. He said goodbye about 11.15 am.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                It was about 11.40 am when I finally managed to get up to date after which I had to go straight to the kitchen to start peeling sweet potatoes. I had my bangers and mash day today and made myself onion gravy to go with it, and it was definitely more onion than gravy. I ate while watching Bargain Hunt with it’s third or fourth different presenter this week. Reluctantly at 1.00 pm I went back t check on work. A miracle occurred as there wasn’t too much so at 1.50 pm I decided I needed to nod off. I took to my chair. It was a success, I nodded until nearly 3.00 pm. I watched the last  one of What’s it Worth then checked my mail again. This time it caught me unprepared but I would only work till 4.30 pm anyway. Mike had said he was calling in on friends in Manchester and didn’t know when he’d be back so I knew he wouldn’t join me for Road Trip. I started watching it and hoping Charlie was going to catch up and win but I didn’t fancy his chances.                                                                                                                                       Ach, I’m a disgrace, I never saw the end of it. I fell asleep again. The next thing I know is I’m waking up and Pointless is on then a voice from beside me said “Oh hello”. He’d forgotten his friends are abroad this week and had come home early. Damn, caught out! I can’t say how hard I’ve been working all day now.

At 6.30 pm I went for my shower and a verbal abuse session from Mike while he washed my hair about scratching. Once I’d recovered from the hurtful shock, I made myself something to eat for my second set of tablets then watched an episode of MASH with Mike before Question of Sport then Mastermind. The next programme was a comparison between three differently priced items like food processors to see which gave best value for money. Finally we got to the latest serial to grip us which is Shetland. It’s really good though sometimes we need a translation from the Scottish accents to the English. They might as well be speaking Gaelic.                                                   Finally at 10.00 pm, to my great delight -of course- I was able to return to my much missed post and blog. Hmmm, do I detect a faint whiff of sarcasm round here?

I like the joke…….

….but I love the punchline!

Saturday 6th Feb.

1.00 pm book down, lights out, wriggle and wriggle and wriggle. Sleep overcame me at some point. Have you ever had a night where you just can’t get comfy in bed? It’s a pain. I woke at 2.10 am and was tempted to stay up rather than go through the wriggling again but after a cigarette sitting on the edge of the bed I thought I’d be OK. I was. Next time I woke was 4.50 am and this time I didn’t mind staying up.                                                                                                                                                                                                                After a visit to the loo I signed into the computer and headed for my gmail. First I encountered a message to say I won’t be receiving updates any more as my version of Windows won’t be supported. In gmail I was pleasantly surprised by how few emails had built up while  was asleep….or at least away from the computer. I was clear by 6.00 am which gave me chance to get my meds, have breakfast and make a coffee all before Mike’s alarm goes off.

I was just leaving the kitchen with my coffee when I heard his alarm. I made a drink  and took it through getting the usual grunt when I told him it was there. After that I was safe to take my drink back to my room and start work. There would be at least 4 repetitions of the alarm before he moved. It was 4, and I’d finished my drink and washed my cup out by then. And yet he can move like a well oiled machine when he wants, well perhaps more half cut than well oiled. His coffee finished, dressed and ready to go by 7.15 am despite having only got up at 6.50 am. We were at the supermarket for 7.40 am.                                                                                                                                          Unfortunately there was a sale on children’s clothes again which delayed me a while but at least it kept me from some other shelves and away from the gent’s department too ha ha, of course it didn’t but there was nothing to interest either of us. By the time we actually hit the food part of the store I could literally sail round. We know those aisles like the back of our hands. Soon we were through the checkout and into the cafe. While Mike got the drinks I bought some cigarettes. He didn’t enjoy the first couple of sips of his drink and said he was leaving the rest so naturally I carried on with mine and enjoyed every mouthful.

Leaving there we went to another store where Mike was still looking for a specific shopping bag for his sister, he found it in this one and we were able to continue our journey to Flint. Because of the disaster with his last coffee he wanted to go to Temptations first. I agreed just to get him to stop crying. Kyle was in the process of making the drinks before we reached the counter and Ceri had put a teasted toecake in for  him. We sat and enjoyed the drink then took a walk round the shops including Argos for a change where I picked up something I think Roobs will like given his fascination with penguins currently. Mike specifically wanted some innersoles in leather and we were able to get those.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Eventually time started running away from us and we decided we had to go for lunch. It took another twenty minutes to decide where and given that we selected The Dragon’s Rest again which still may not be open, we had to have a list of contingencies. It was open. I rejoiced in the fact no more discussion was needed. We both had a roast lamb dinner though I was very indecisive at first as bacon was on the menu. Still, we got a cloth and wiped it. The meal was nice and after it settled a bit we decided to have pudding. I selected rhubarb crumble and custard and Mike said treacle sponge and custard. Ten seconds later they came out to say they had no rhubarb crumble  but they had rhubarb and apple. I had treacle sponge and custard.

Eventually we were able to leave our seats and stagger to the car. We were home in 20 minutes. The car was unpacked and the shopping put away. I took my courage in both hands and let Joey loose. He was very subdued for a change. At 2.00 pm I started work leaving Mike in the lounge with the TV and the bird. About 3.00 pm he came and said he wasn’t feeling well and was going back to bed to lie down. He was asleep in no time at all. I worked till just before 6.00 pm when I finally got up to date. I joined Joey in the lounge and put the light on so he could fly about again. I was watching a quiz when Mike came back through. He thinks he should see a doctor next week which I’ve said he should do this last two weekends. Finally he’s put batteries in his hearing aids.                                                                                                                                                                        I stayed there until 10.10 pm before taking my meds and coming through to attack the mail again and the blog.

Fluorescent

Sleepsuit.

Wishing you all a fantastic new week full of dreams come true and Hugs Galore.

 

Competition for Breakfast & Pension Idiocy.

Sunday 24th Jan.

03.38 am was son up this morning, at least this son. It hardly seemed fair since I’d only turned my light out to sleep at 1.00 am Even by my standards it was a little on the mean side. Still, there was every chance I’d make up for it later.I didn’t realise that I’d start about 5.00 am by falling asleep over my keyboard and my typing fingers would fill my screen with lots of stuff from the deep background of the computer. At least my head didn’t hit either the keyboard or the desk since I was sitting so close my fat stomach wouldn’t let me fold that low. I was awake again and trying to sort the screen out by 5.45 am and I drifted to the kitchen to take the morning meds.                                 Coming back with my coffee afterwards I ploughed into the mail as there were still over 100 pieces left. Some of the mail came from comments put on the blog last night.

There was work enough to keep me going until 10.00 am but I had a quick break at 9.00 am to wash my mug and to let Joey out of his cage. It seemed a big lighter earlier this morning. After 10.00 am I’d had enough and needed a break so sat in the lounge talking to Joey. That can’t have lasted long until I was asleep again. I came to at 10.50 am and wondered where Mike was. The answer it seemed was still in his pit. I mad a coffee and took it through to him. Once I’d woken him I went back to my bedroom to see if there was more mail. I heard Mike go through to the lounge and a “Bloody Hell” when he saw the time. I went through to see he was OK.                                                                By 11.30 am he’s asked about our plans for the day and been told we had none but going through to get dressed I’d said I wouldn’t mind finding a jumper somewhere. He reminded me he’d bought me two for my birthday. They’re nice but not the colour I wanted. However I decided to put one on. The other we found was the wrong size and like so many f us had relied on the coat hanger rather than the ticket. That changed the tone of the day as Mike wanted to get it changed at Marks and Spencer. That would mean Prestatyn which dictated where we’d eat.

By 11.45 am we were on our way and were parking up about 12.10 pm. We went straight for lunch at the CookHouse first and found the beef was just falling apart it was so tender. Mike was sorry he’d had half and half gammon and beef. We finished there and went back to the car to collect the bag with the jumper and then into M & S. It didn’t take long to get permission to change it and Mike said I could find a different one If I wanted but I decided to stick with his choice and just got the appropriate size.                  From there we drove home but Mike stopped at LIDL so I could get a brochure. I picked up some pyjamas for Reuben at the same time.                                                                       Back at home we suffered a telling off for going out from the demented green thing before I stuck on indoor bowling and fell asleep. I don’t know if Mike slept too but he was awake when I woke up and said it was time he left. I helped him carry his bags out and waved him off before coming back in and locking the door. Straight in to start work then.

I worked from 3.30 pm to 5.45 am then went to get some tea. I was late with my antibiotic too so I was glad I’d gone. Somehow I got caught in  what I was watching on TV and missed half of Beowulf. Mike texted to say he was back home safely and suggested I just watch it an hour later on the catch up channel. Doing so would have meant I’d be out of the room until 11.00 pm as Endeavour was on straight afterwards and I wasn’t missing that too as it was the last one of 4. So I came through here at 10.00 pm and started work on the mail and then the blog. I think I might just make midnight in bed.

Monday 25th Jan.

I made the midnight deadline and had a good read until 12.55 am. It took some wriggling to find a position comfortable for sleep. I did drop off and the next thing I knew was waking up at 3.02 am. Not the best time of the night but not the worst either. No doubt I’ll be able to extend the period today sometime. I’ve become quite adept at the power naps. Mike would probably tell you that few people have as much power. Mind you, he’s no slouch in the power stakes either.                                                                                I set to at my gmail account and spent until 5.05 am reading posts or comments and making comments of my own where appropriate. Then I went to the kitchen to take the morning round of meds. I couldn’t be bothered with breakfast so I’ll have to eat at teatime but that’s no problem. I hung around there filling small bottles of Pepsi Max from a big bottle and trying to get them in the fridge. One I took back to the bedroom with me for my nightstand as I ran out last night.

When I got back to my room it was almost 6.00 am so I just completed the post that was there while waiting for the flood. What flood? The 6.10 am lot came through in small easy to cope with parcels so that it never seemed too much. They still took until 9.52 am to clear though. Time to give Joey fresh water and seed as well as a bit of attention. I turned the TV on ready for Homes Under the Hammer and missed half of it asleep. I was woken by the closing music so turned the box off in disgust and came back to work, putting the washing machine on before I left.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Work had accumulated again so I cleared that up in time to see to lunch at 11.55 am, and put the washing on to dry. I was a little distracted as Val hasn’t been this morning. If she calls and gets no answer she usually texts to say she’s been. I had lunch and watched Bargain Hunt. Joey wasn’t interested and just went for a kip in his cage. I showed him what will power is all about when I returned to work at 1.00 pm.

By 2.30 pm I’d returned t the lounge and shown Joey the proper time for 40 winks. I was still there at 3.45 pm and had to motivate myself to move by reminding myself I wanted the TV again at 4.30 pm. I got back up to date and then checked Facebook which I rarely do, but some people choose to message me there instead of my email. I caught up there too. I enjoyed my Antiques Road Trip and then made myself some tea, baked beans on toast which I’d fancied all day. I had a bit of trifle afterwards. There was still time to enjoy some of the quiz. Then came Eggheads which was good but between 6.30 pm – 7.00 pm I had to play catch-up again as I intended to be away from the computer until 10.00 pm. First came the Celebrity Road Trip which was followed by an episode of Lewis where he returns from retirement. That means that I’ve had to dash to make sure all the mail is done and the blog tonight. I’m off out in the morning and don’t want to leave anything behind except tomorrow’s mail.

First they tell me about the Big Bad Wolf, then they dress me as dinner.

It’s OK Daddy said I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Tuesday 26th Jan.

Despite pushing my luck a bit last night I still managed to scrape to bed at around midnight. I still managed to read until almost 1.00 am before I turned my light out. I was ready to get up when I woke until I saw the time was 1.38 am. That’s the kind of sick puppy joke of Somnos himself. I just swung myself back into bed and willed myself back to sleep with laughter ringing in my ears. I was ready to get up when I woke at 3.22 am though. I didn’t dare go for another session just in case I ended up missing my bus later.   Anyway, I was due for an antibiotic at 4.00 am. I wandered through to the kitchen, filled a couple of small Pepsi Max bottles then took an empty bottle and an empty milk bottle through to the plastic recycling bag.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Going back to the kitchen I took the antibiotic and the first of the two anti smoking tablets then opening a fresh bottle of milk I took the rest of my meds. Because I intend to have some breakfast with Yvonne this morning I had nothing at this time. That meant I was able to get back to my room much quicker with a cup of coffee.

After signing on it only took me until 5.05 am to clear the gmail box. After that I got dressed and then either did each piece of mail when it came in , checked the live feed on Facebook or checked out Ebay. Nothing too strenuous. When 6.10 am arrived I was put to work on the new post. There was just so much of it. At 7.10 am I had to stop and get my things together ready to go. I’d have to leave the house at 7.20 am as the bus is getting their earlier in competition with the other company. They say the other company has changed it’s timetable to go early to try and put them out of business.                                                                                                                                                                                      I left the house and reached the bus stop in time. The journey was beset by problems, mainly roadworks, and I had to text Yvonne to tell her I’d be late. I suggested she head into Boots the Chemist and find something nice for Amelie that I could pay for when I got there. That caused the first disagreement of the day…… by text.                       When I did eventually get there fifteen minutes late I joined them in the shop and found something for both Amelie and Reuben anyway. We went off to get breakfast. It was just as well as I needed a wee and then a cup of tea.We ordered breakfast and then had argument number 2 about who was paying. I gave in with good grace as it was a battle and I needed to win the war. That came next when I gave her £60 that she’s posted to my bank account to pay for meals on my birthday. I wasn’t having that when everyone else had let me pay. Eventually she took it back.

I has Amelie on my knee and she was as good as gold except she let me know when she was hungry. Frightened she might be competition for my breakfast I foisted her back on her Mum who fed her. Then she came back to me. Breakfast came and  Amelie went in her pram while I ate. It was lovely and filling. After we’d both done, we took a walk out to our favourite shop just like old times. I was able to buy a couple of things for Yvonne as well as things for the children. Arguments ensued but it was good to be back and even the staff raised their eyes when they saw who was coming to the counter arguing as usual. I just ignored the arguing and went my own sweet way as usual.         We were on the way out of the shop when we saw what time it was. The morning had flown by. My bus was drawing in over the road. I kissed them both goodbye and sent a hug back for spotty Muldoon. I got on the bus and waved as it drew away.

The journey back wasn’t too bad but having been without a cigarette the whole time I was out I called into Pauline’s and bought some. After a visit to the loo it was the first thing I did, light a fag. Bliss. Breakfast having been late there was no need to eat so after releasing Joey from his cage I went straight to work. I worked from 1.00 pm to 2.15 pm then from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm to clear the backlog. Then I stayed in the lounge from 4.30 pm to 9.00 pm before closing Joey’s door and wishing him goodnight. I came through to work for the last stretch.

Oi ! Stop looking up, I’m down here.

It’s such a hard life staying awake.

Wednesday 27th Jan.

I was in bed before 11.30 pm last night and my light went off when I’d had enough of reading (is this possible?) at 12.15 am. The next thing I knew it was 3.14 am though it didn’t feel like that. Before swinging my legs out I put my glasses on and the time now read 1.34 am. I turned over,plumped up my pillows and waited to go back to sleep. It obviously happened because I next woke ( verified by wearing glasses) at 3.48 am. I paid a visit to the loo and came back to sign on to the computer.                                               I checked last night’s Eurolottery and found I hadn’t won. In fact no-one had again and there was yet another rollover. It’s estimated to be something like £113 m on Friday night. Still dreaming of how far I could spread money like that I went to my gmail and started reducing the bulk.                                                                                                                          At 5.00 am I went for breakfast and to take my meds. I was obviously not concentrating as I took my two post-foodies before I even started my breakfast instead of two painkillers.

Returning to my screen I carried on working and watched the flood at 6.10 am without worry. After all, I had time enough today. That was what I thought right up until I got dressed at 8.00 am and remembered I needed to go to the hospital this morning. I managed to open Joey’s cage before I left at 8.20 am. The bus came at 8.30 am bur when I managed to get on, sat there until almost 8.45 am. When I got to the hospital through the wind and rain I didn’t have long to wait before being seen. It was the same nurse and this time she was much more chatty, talking about her own success using Champix, the same non-smoking drug I’m using. She did say I was doing well but that this week I should have nominated a day to quit and suggested Sunday. She told me to return to the hospital on Saturday to have the leg checked again.                                         I left and walked back to town. It wasn’t especially cold but the wind and the rain were unpleasant. I had half an hour to wait for the bus. I called in at Pauline’s on the way home and bought a chips and curry sauce as well as my bread.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Back at home I had chance to do just twenty minutes work before watching Homes Under the Hammer. Then I intended to return to work but fell asleep until 11.45 am. That meant I had to start thinking about lunch so had a cottage pie. Of course I watched Bargain Hunt but I made sure I didn’t fall asleep after that and returned to my desk. I had to fight all afternoon to get the messages down to a reasonable level and then to finish them completely but I was done by 4.05 pm. I had no idea what time Dil would appear but I wanted to be ready.

I was ready. I’d just started watching the Road Trip when I saw him appear. I got up to make him a drink. When he came in I was able to say the contestants were local in Ruthin and working their way to an auction where he lives in Colwyn Bay. We spent ages looking for people we knew. We caught up on our week since last Wednesday and exchanged news. We watched Pointless as usual before turning the box off and starting the gaming. As far as Yahtzee, Trivia and Cribbage are concerned, we played and I never want them mentioning again. Needless to say it wasn’t my day. When Dil left to my cheers and his crowing like a cockerel, I tidied up, washed the pots, took my meds and locked Joey away for the night. I came through to start on the mail and the blog hoping I’d get an early night. I think I will with a bit of luck.

So what d’you want to talk about Pops?

And who gets the prize for Most Surprised Look?

Thursday 28th Jan

I was in bed by 11.30 pm last night and had finished reading by 12.15 am as I was tired. It didn’t help much by getting me up at 2.13 am this morning even though I fought a valiant fight for more sleep. The small gods probably want me disappointed for longer. That’s because when I’d signed into the computer I went straight to the bank, my Pension Credit payment is £102.80 less than usual based on my new State Retirement Pension award, trouble is, the SRP people haven’t told me yet what my pension is  and it certainly hasn’t gone in the bank today. I’ve heard of other people having to survive on no income for 3 weeks until the SRP people get their act together. I seem to remember that Mike had problems with them. Not the best news to wake up to. That could severely curtail what Mike and I do at the weekends, like eat for instance.

I started work on the inbox of my gmail account and just broke off at 4.00 am to take an antibiotic. I was clear by 4.35 am. I lay on the bed and willed myself to sleep, just as well I’m strong willed. I was out until 5.40 am which was great. There was time to take all the usual meds before the post started pouring in.                                                             When I got back there was just one in my box. I quickly did it hoping that was it until about lunchtime, but no, that one was just the cork holding the flow of others back. It quickly grew to over 60 which even so was quite light by normal standards. I just kept going and going till suddenly there wasn’t one left and it was only 8.45 am. I let Joey out early in celebration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I didn’t know what to do as I’d promised myself I wouldn’t go out today (except maybe the chippy at lunch time) and there was no washing to be done. I couldn’t hoover the lounge because I’d let Joey out. He panics if the hoover goes yet in his cage he goes to his little corner and is fine. I was almost grateful when I saw more emails beginning to trickle through. I just sat there dealing with them one by one as they arrived. Anytime there was a pause I turned to Ebay, there were some fantastic bright red grandad collar shirts on there. What a temptation.

At 9.00 am I went through to chat to Joey, he really likes company. I stayed to watch Homes Under the Hammer then I returned to work for a while. It was daft, I’d been away 2 hours and only 12 messages in all that time and the ones I expected weren’t there. So at 11.15 am I went to the kitchen and peeled my sweet potatoes and an onion. After laying my sausages out to cook I had a cigarette before taking my pre-foodies and starting to cook the sausages. A quarter brown I turned the sausages and put the potatoes on. When they were done I mashed them while the onion cooked. I plated up the potatoes and then the sausages , added the onion to some gravy and poured it over the meal. I really enjoyed it. There are even sausages left in case Mike wants a sandwich tonight. Provided he’s coming tonight, I haven’t heard yet.                                        At 1.00 pm after Bargain Hunt I returned to work again. There was plenty in but still not some I expected. I hoped everything was OK.                                                                          There was a message from Yvonne though who’d had some success with the Pensions Service this morning having found out how much they’re paying me. They’re supposed to be writing to me. The only problem I can foresee , and I think this is ridiculous, is that they’re going to pay me 4 weeks in arrears. Why don’t they prepare you for that after having paid weekly before. How do they expect many people to survive without money for 4 weeks?

At 2.00 pm I was free again my mail box empty. I was just wandering back towards the lounge when I heard my mobile beep a message had been received. It was Mike to say he was on the way. I could expect him around 4.30 pm then. I watched The Father Brown Mystery then had a short catch up period before watching a bit of the new antiques programme. I spent another half an hour or so clearing mail then went through to wait for Mike. Unfortunately I fell asleep for a few minutes and when I woke up he was in his chair next to me. Luckily the kettle was still hot so I knew I hadn’t been gone long. I made him a coffee and we were able to see Road Trip together.                        We chatted through our programmes and I was there until 10.00 pm after Murder in Paradise.                                                                                                                                                             I took my meds and came through to catch up on any new mail. I was glad to see that which I’d missed during the day was there. Then blog time. Bed by midnight I’m sure.

It’s boring doing nothing at all.Maybe I’ll just……

Hang on, did someone mention a party?

Friday 29th Jan.

In bed at 11.44 pm and lights out at 12.45 am. Sleep must have come reasonably soon since I remember just a short period of annoying, repetitive thoughts.                               The lark was up and bade me follow at 2.43 am even though I tried to make my way back to sleep instead. Sometimes the small gods are truculent beings because further sleep was not on the menu despite an hour after moving I was yawning my head off. At 4.0 am I took my antibiotic which meant I couldn’t have breakfast and take my other meds for an hour. In fact cross breakfast off the menu altogether (pun intended) as today is the day for doing my drug tray for the next week. That takes so long to do I can’t afford time to eat as well. I had my surgery appointment at 8.30 am again and I needed to clear as much work as possible before leaving. I decided to take my other meds at 4.00 am as well and go straight into doing the replacement tray.

When I returned at 4.40 am with my coffee I was amazed to find no more mail waiting for me. I was tempted to try for sleep but was afraid if it happened it might make me late for the surgery. Mike wouldn’t get up of his own accord even with an alarm to remind him.                                                                                                                                                            Instead I looked for and found a free crossword site and sat doing those until I saw any new messages enter the box. At 5.30 am I got dressed just to give my bum a break from the chair. I was wearing one of the jumpers Mike got me for my birthday. I think they call this a cowl neck.                                                                                                                          At 6.10 am the mail started coming through and unlike yesterday it came virtually all at once. Whoosh 80 short pause 94 then trickles. I had almost an hour so I started and just kept going. When 6.25 am arrived and I had to make a coffee to take through to Mike I was still on 73 outstanding. His alarm went off to coincide with the arrival of the coffee, I still announced it in stentorian voice of course. After the third ignored alarm I was going to go through but he stirred and went through to the lounge. I was down to 61 by then but I had to leave it to be sure we’d get out on time for the appointment. Thanks to him shaking a leg we did.

I’d only just confirmed I was there and sat down when S. called me. I didn’t check my watch. Really there were only a few questions to answer,How was the leg? How is the non-smoking going? Any change in mood noted? All my answers were positive, well I was positive they weren’t exactly lies anyway. She was pleased and happy to leave me on the drugs for another week, and I needn’t see her next week but the week after. (Now that’s a shame). I said goodbye and left. At the reception desk I noted I was leaving before I was even due in this week. I cancelled one appointment and made another. Then battling the strong winds I made my way slowly into town. I decided to call into the supermarket rather than freeze in the bus shelter so I picked up some strawberries for Mike’s supper. Later I didn’t have long to wait at the bus stop and was able to call into Pauline’s for my lottery tickets when I got off the bus.  Then I bought a bacon bap from the sandwich shop.                                                                                                                           I reached home and checked Joey was OK. Having half an hour to spare before Homes Under the Hammer I restarted work and ate my bacon bap as I did. That way I’d only be a little late with my antibiotic and I could take my time over my second meal of the day now breakfast was done. At 10.00 am the number was at 58 which accounted for more having come through and not that I’d only done 3 messages.

After HUtH I came back to work ready to concentrate only to be frustrated as they took so long to load and messages came up to say no internet connection. The little arrow at the top of the screen was going anticlockwise and refused to budge. Each one was excruciatingly slow but I persevered. Finally just before 1.00 pm I cleared the box. I went through to watch the news which included  tales of this latest bout of inherited weather sending atrocious winds to batter us. I was going to watch Father Brown bu found my eyelids were in the way. I was awake before the end and found I’d seen it before anyway so I watched the antiques show instead. I cam back to work from 3.45 pm to 4.30 pm just to  be sure  I’d cleared what I could then went to watch my Road Trip. No text from Mike so he was going to miss it. Perhaps he’ll stay out as Man. Utd. are on TV tonight and he’d have to watch it in his bedroom.

I was cross at 7.00 pm when I turned over for my Celebrity Road Trip only to find it wasn’t on.  It’s annoying when the TV companies make changes after they’ve given the programme details to magazines . We sit there like lemons waiting for something to come on. Mike sent a text about 7.15 am to say he was on his way. I was surprised as he’d miss the start of his game. I’d nodded off before he arrived back and only woke to see him leaving the room to go ant turn the TV on in his bedroom. I went to do him a coffee. There was a programme at 8.30 pm putting certain products to test which I watched then at 9.00 pm told Mike he could watch the main TV while I went for a shower.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Following the shower I came through to start work on the accumulated mail and the blog. Nice clean mail from me now. It’s currently 11.20 pm and I expect to be in bed no later than 11.45 pm.

Is this a raspberry on my head?

Oh wait, I’m a fashion icon not a fruit bowl.

Saturday 30th Jan.

I made it to bed by 11.45 pm and started to read. I was going to put the book down at 12.30 am but found I wasn’t tired. Moments later Mike came in to say he couldn’t get to sleep. He’d heard a short time ago his Dad was at the hospital again after another fall and he’s hurt his head this time. Mike’s sister has gone to the hospital and will be keeping him up to date.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I finally put my book down a few minutes after 1.00 am. Sleep didn’t come easily but come it did. I woke exactly at 3.30 am no question but it was time to get up. A quick visit to the Piddle Palace and I was ready to start work. First of all I checked Skype to see if there was a new message from MuJo. I haven’t seen them since before Christmas and their gifts are still here waiting for them. John has been quite poorly though it took him a long time to admit it.  Judging by the frequency and type of his recent replies he’s well on the road to recovery. There was a new response which said ‘See you soon’ which is great, maybe they can open these gifts before the next ones are due.

I went onto my gmail next and started work there. It only took until 5.10 am to finish that lot and it seemed a good time for a break so I wandered through to the kitchen and took my meds and had breakfast. At 5.30 am I returned with  coffee to see what else was in until it was time to start taking bins out and getting a coffee to Mike to kick off the process of him getting up. At .15 am the alarm went and I was running to get the kettle on. The coffee was delivered with the second alarm. Amazingly he got up with the third. More amazingly we were out of the house at 7.15 am playing dustbin men and dragging the bins t the end of the path. The winds were so bad this morning I’m not putting any recycling out, they can have it next week instead. Otherwise I could end up looking for the bags the next County over.                                                                                     We were almost pulling into the store car park when I remembered I was in a different coat and hadn’t transferred my Blue Badge disabled parking permit over.Still, at this time we weren’t exactly fighting for space. We ended up very close to where we normally are.                                                                                                                                                                 Going round the store was quite quick which I put down to my organised list but I was horrified to have spent £70.00 bar pennies and of course Mike was delighted. I did get the kiddies some clothes.

We had our usual drink before setting off again, this time in the direction of Flint. Mike detoured to ALDI so I could get the latest brochure. We parked outside Temptations as usual and headed for Homies to get a couple of things I needed. Instead of carrying on round the shops we decided to go for our drinks and see Ceri. Plus it was warmer in there than outside. After teasing her as much as possible we left in search of a bag Mike wanted to take to his sister in Canada when he goes in March. We could get everything except what he wanted.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    We upped sticks and headed off to the hospital in Holywell where a lovely nurse removed the dressing and said how well it was doing. We decided to leave it open to the air now. I’ll just have to keep my fingernails to myself.

We drove over to Kinmel Bay to get fish food for Mike ( for his fish really) as it’s the only place we know that stocks the brand he wants. Then as it was lunch time we headed back towards home and stopped for a meal at the Bells of St Mary’s. Not up to scratch today but worth the visit to see the new meals they’re doing now.                          At last we came home and after unpacking and putting away the shopping I was allowed to come to work. I started just before 2.00 pm and finished at 5.50 pm. It turns out that was handy as the Road Trip I was deprived of last night was on tonight. I managed to stay awake through that and turned over afterwards for a detective show. I seemed to sleep through most of that just waking once in a while to try and convince Mike I’d been following the plot all the way through. It didn’t work.                                       At 9.00 pm I came through to catch up but that didn’t take as long as expected for some reason so at 10.15 pm I was able to rejoin Mike for a while. Then I had no choice but to return to battle and do the blog.It’s been a good day.

Roobs celebrates his recovery at the beach.

My wunnerful niece Karen with Amelie.

I wish you all a wonderful new week full of dreams come true and with Hugs Galore.