Car Booty & Priya and Penny Depart

Sunday. Since Mike’s phone said thunderstorms today and mine said very overcast, both for the same area we felt justified in going out in short sleeved shirts and lightweight jackets. We were not disappointed. Maybe we didn’t tempt fate by putting the top of the car down but we did travel mainly with the windows fully down. Very handy too when Mike’s stomach isn’t up to much. We traveled into sunny Cheshire to the hidden ( shopping) village of Blakemere for a car boot sale. It may not have been as big as our local one at Rhuddlan or even the Countess of Chester Hospital one we went to last week but this was Cheshire and the goodies on offer were good. There were a couple of things I’d love to have got for Reuben if only they hadn’t been PINK, his father wouldn’t have approved at all. But I did manage to get a great pop-up tent and also a crawl through tunnel that also fitted onto the tent.

For myself I found a wooden hand which could hold a candle but also ( and this is what I’ll use it for) an incense cone, a wooden box with a Buddhistic image in gold on the lid. I paid £2 for the latter item and later saw them on sale at £12.99 in the shops at Blakemere. I also bought two nice ( and expensive) tapestries at £1 each. I got a really nice CD/Radio player that Mike wanted for just £4. All in all a very productive morning. I also found but didn’t buy a game called Scrabble Trickster which allows players to get cards which lets them among other things, spell a word backwords, put a word on the board wherever they want, turn a tile over and use it as a blank and steal the previous player’s last score. What a game that could be. I’ll have to think about it though I’m actually half regretting not getting it now.

 

Scrabble Trickster

 

 

 

 

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Naturally our first stop after the car boot was the cafe scratch that, loo, after which came the cafe. A nice cuppa revived us for a walk round the shops. Two fantastic shops which sell imported items, mainly wooden from Indonesia and Thailand, 2 antique shops, a craft place, a huge pet shop, complete with some pets, I think there’s a baby shop( though I’m fairly certain you can’t buy or sell babies there) and then an attractive courtyard filled with shops with gifts, a tea room, an ice cream place, sweets and various gift places. It’s a great place to visit though I aim that more at the ladies than the gents, Mike says I must be more in touch with me feminine side but the sarky beggar forgets it was his idea to go the last twice.

It took an hour to get back home and on to lunch at The Ivy. Yes, today I remembered the chocolates. Shella was back at work after hurting her back and we had a nice chat. Angie was there and Mike put a smile on her face with a Terry’s chocolate Orange I got yesterday. The meal was lovely, though very filling. My first ever panini which was filled with road beef, fried onions and mushrooms and a dish with coleslaw,( I didn’t have the cheese and the horseradish sauce Mike had) , a small side salad and some chips. I didn’t know paninis were so big. Neither of us could manage lemon meringue pie which was perhaps as well since by the time we’d let our belts out a notch there was just one piece left and I’m not noble ( or daft) enough to say “After you bro”. I did leave there disappointed though. Oh, not because I didn’t get my hugs, there was no problem on that score. Yesterday I’d asked Tariq if he could put some glass into a picture that Yvonne had bought me and which had been damaged for some time. Tariq does all his own framing so has a lot of glass about. He made me shake hands that he wouldn’t argue about accepting the money for lunch (YAY) on the understanding that I only paid him for materials and not for his labour. Reluctantly I agreed after getting agreement he would take payment. After the job was done he told me the charge was 55p which is probably about 35c U.S. The man is a horse trader. I shall think of some way of getting a gift.

Mike ran me home and disappeared quite quickly. ( I have that effect on people) giving me the chance to catch up on the 132 messages in my box. That took a while and it was nearly 6.00 pm when I went through t wash up from this morning and then to watch an episode of Midsomer Murders for relaxation. At 8.00pm I came back through to start again.

Monday. Not every day starts with good news. I’ve heard from Jo, one of my wonderful nieces that Penny and Priya (pictured) have departed to join Ju so they can play inside her dressing gown again. You’ll remember no doubt that Jo took over looking after all four of our special girls after Ju passed away. Amy and my beautiful Bernie passed away a while ago  so now the last two have gone to join them. So sad.

Priya enjoying her morning cuppa Tea. R.I.P

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Feeling unwell today I went back to bed after doing my mail and then carrying out kitchen duties. I was woken by a knock on the door, not that I knew that’s what it was at the time. Only when I sat up and my mind began to work ( despite what A C Flory says) did my mind begin to twig some poor soul was stood on the doorstep. It was my nephew David ( do I really have a nephew approaching 50?) and there he stood despite me telling him just to walk in. He’d brought a batch of Sheet Music dating from around 1905 for me to see. There was only one that meant anything to me by Gen. Lew Wallace , the theme tune to the book he wrote ‘Ben Hur’. It had a very frameable cover as did some of the others. I wasn’t able to help him really as I know nothing of music other than some I like, some I don’t. I suggested taking it to a specialist music shop as they may be interested in displaying it or even playing it.During the time we were chatting David reminded me he’s promised last week to buy me lunch today and despite my saying there was no need he went off to the sandwich shop for some filled baps. He also went shopping for me to Pauline’s. As soon as he mentioned the brand and his Uncle ‘Dave'(I hate it) she knew who it was and just said “100?”.   David was taking one of Ju’s prized horse figures today for himself but I also found some old jewellery boxes filled with costume jewellery he could take for the stall. I finally got dressed !

David was due to be home for 1.00 pm but while we were talking about car boots I’d told him of the two tapestries I go yesterday and he asked where I was putting them. I explained where and why and that I’d bought a pole to put them on as well. He offered to do the job there and then. I refused as it was already 12.25 pm but he said it took no more than 20 minutes to drive home.(They haven’t invented a car that fast yet except in F1). We did the job regardless and I’m afraid i was 1.00 pm before he left so I hope the motor mechanic at his end was a patient man.

I came back to the computer to clear what I could and was forced to go to my chair at 2.45 pm. I had my lunch but by 3.45 I was asleep again. I woke just in time for my 4.30 pm Antique show and then came back to mail at 5.15 until 6.00 pm. I’ve managed to stay pretty much abreast of it today somehow. I watched TV from 6.00 to 8.00 pm and then came through for the night sessions. I’d had a text from Mike to say he’s been granted an exchange on his flat so he’s moving as we speak and won’t be down this weekend. That will be good in a way as he’ll be with his son for Father’s Day. If he does finish moving early, he and his son will be going to Manchester to fix his Dad’s washing machine, otherwise it could be the next weekend and I’ll have two very quiet weekends. At least he won’t be moaning I’m getting him up in the middle of the night for shopping.I won’t get any done. I’ll still be going to the Ivy though for my Father’s Day treat.

Tuesday. After finishing my mail this morning I became tired and nodded off in my chair in the lounge. That was about 6.30 am and I didn’t wake until almost 9.00 am. I doubt I’d have moved if it hadn’t been for the repeat prescription request lying in front of me on the coffee table. I got washed and dressed before dropping it off with the chemist and went straight back home as I wasn’t going to Yvonne’s today. The air had revived me enough to stay awake long enough to catch up on the mail again. Four messages suspending my online account with Santander. Do these moronic con men think I’m more likely to believe a message if I read it more often? The postman came with a new batch of keyring blanks for me and I was able to make up nice ones for my nieces.

By 11.00 am I was tired again and back to the chair I went. Zonk, I was out till 12.00 pm and though I didn’t feel like lunch I made something anyway. There was a made for TV film on at half past which I watched till it ended at 2.20 pm when I thought I’d better make serious inroads into the mail or I wouldn’t see my Antiques Show at 4.30 pm. I made it by the skin of my teeth. In a repeat of last night I went back to the computer at 5.15 pm till 6.00 pm and then TV until I called it a night at 8.00 pm. I’m following a couple of items on ebay at the moment so I checked up  on those before doing a few searches for things I like, walking sticks for one. After that I spent time concentrating on the mail again which included a further two notifications that Santander don’t love me any more. If I actually had an account with them no doubt I’d be heartbroken.

Wednesday. Such a major disappointment this morning to find in my mail box 5 separate messages directing me how to get back into my suspended Santander account. If they can’t get me with threats they’ll try to get me by being helpful. I also had 3 messages of love which was a surprise since as usual I’ve never met the ladies (?) in question. There was also a message with just one word…Hello. That went the way of the others. I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much as at least Mystic Myfanwy hasn’t been predicting my future fortunes again.

I had to get dressed and go out this morning though just as far as the corner shop. The sun was shining and it was really quite warm despite a breeze. We’re officially into Summer now so maybe this is it. Back home I decided to stay up and stay dressed in case my drugs were delivered ( they weren’t). I also decided to put a bid in on a game of Scrabble Trickster due to end this evening. The rules sound just about crazy enough to be a good laugh. While doing my post I came across a problem I’ve had before where my ISP suddenly decides not to send messages to any hotmail addresses. Everything I tried was getting returned as undeliverable and the steam was starting to seep out of my ears. In the end the only thing to do was create a new email address with gmail so now I have the same post going to both places and confusing me. Gmail breaks mail down into type, Social and Promotions and each is held as a separate list. The contacts list isn’t in an obvious place either. Somehow I managed to clear all the mail I save like payments to ebay until the goods arrive. Plonker.

I slept a good deal  of the afternoon though I did keep going to the computer when ever I was awake for more than 30 secs. At 4.30 pmm I went to enjoy my antiques programme and found I’d missed two messages on my mobile. Mike to tell me the move is going well but he won’t be here this weekend. Lee James to say he can’t make it tonight. A shame. At 5.45 pm though the door opened and Dil and Matt arrived. I made drinks as the Scrabble was set up. I don’t know why I bothered. It was a slaughter in the first game- Matt, and a massacre in the second game-Dil. I was demolished in the Nomination Whist-Dil again but I did win the cribbage so didn’t need a new pack of tissues. There’s a lot of humour expended on these games nights and I love them for that reason. We could be playing Snap  for all I care ( as long as I’m winning of course). They left as usual at 9.30 pm and after washing the pots and having a quick tidy round I came through to start the assault course of mail again. Now it’s time to go to bed and have a short read before witching hour is upon us.

Thursday. I won the Scrabble Trickster last night. Let’s see them beat me next week. If it comes early I’m memorising the rules.That should last all of half an hour. I’m still working out the differences in gmail but there are some definite pitfalls for me. I can’t find a way to  change the font style or size and two people I write to I layer the mail. They write a one line answer to my part of the message underneath mine, and I do the same to theirs. That seems to be a major faff. Currently I’m running between programmes dependant upon the message.

Since I put my prescription request in on Tuesday morning I the drugs back yesterday. It didn’t happen so when I went for bread this morning I stuck my head in the chemist. I let them know I needed a full spiriva kit and not just refills and that my gliclizide had run out. I was told they’d be here this afternoon. They weren’t and I’m not best pleased. This has happened before where they didn’t deliver because one item was missing. That’s not much good to me when I’ve run out of a drug. I shall have to pay another visit in the morning. There’s been a lot of mail today for some reason so a lot of time has been spent in here. With the heat I’ve been wanting to nod off more than once. I’ve been very good, and waited until a programme I wanted to watch came on TV. Then the rafters reverberated to my Zzzz’s. I did manage to see my new Big Bang Theory tonight though.

It’s been a funny day though. A message from Yvonne about Sunday. Ugo has to go away and needs to catch a coach so they’ll be with me from about 10.00 am Sunday till 1.00 pm. Not great but I can cope. I tried to tell her not to bother and save themselves the dash but NO, they were coming. Now a new message to say they’ll be here after all as his trip is put off by a week. If all those Nigerian con mails start again I’m going to get very suspicious. The window cleaner came and yes, I’d nodded of. I’ve decided never to clean the insides again so he can’t see me sleeping and think I do it all day .

Right, I’m off to bed. Sleep well all  !.

Friday. I’m really struggling with this gmail account. Not only do all my emails not arrive there, I don’t have the option of how to answer them ie. as layered answers, I write a line or two and then the recipient writes a line or two on top. Instead I have to write at the bottom of a long list of ongoing messages between us and scroll back up everytime I want to make sure I haven’t missed something. Within the last ten minutes I have at least discovered how to change the font, size and the colour. Yay.

After the usual morning jobs ( like waking up and dressing) I went to the chemist to find out what had happened to my drug delivery yesterday. At first I got some very blank looks like I hadn’t put the request in at all but eventually I was told they’d do what they could and bring my stuff round. Fair enough about an hour later Dawn arrived at the house with a bag. I asked her to hang on for a minute while I checked it in case I’d been given just the refill capsules for the spiriva. I hadn’t. In fact the spiriva wasn’t there in any form so I had to query that with Dawn. It wasn’t even sowing on the bag as an item owed. She said she’s go back and check for me and I’m sure she doubted I’d ordered it.  At least I had the now three drugs I’d run out of and I hadn’t run out of the spiriva. Just as well really as she didn’t return with it for me. And before you ask, I know I ordered it as I wrote on the request that I needed the full kit. The senility hasn’t hit quite that bad yet.

Yesterday I trawled through all Julia’s crafting stuff to find a machine I’d promised Yvonne. It took a while to find all the different plates that fit it it but eventually I managed it and prepared two big bags for her on Sunday. Picture if you will a wall. From right to left are a five drawer chest of drawers, a slight gap, another 5 drawer chest then a set of three plastic drawers full of craft material. Righto, got that? I need to get rid of the 3 drawer craft set so that I can move the left hand chest to the left  ( change partners do se do) so that there is now a larger gap in the middle. I want to fill that gap with a set of bookshelves which ebay kindly furnished me with this morning. 4 shelves high that fold down and the sides fold in over them. Amazing value at £23.99 and I had the option of free home delivery or delivery to an Argos shop for collection. I took the home delivery option and they should be here by Tuesday. With any luck that”s the day the game will arrive too.

There have been a lot of messages today. Only one from Santander to say my sign in is now blocked but one from Barclays again to say they’re having problems paying money into my account. I suggest they gather cash and send me that instead. I don’t mind if they close a non-existent account really. Regretfully there have been no declarations of love or offers of marriage today so during a gap between Antique Road Trips I took a shower. I removed the shampoos and bodywashes from the seat and used that to sit on this time. I still had to bend over to keep my arms from being above my head since there’s no Mike to scream for. It’s been along day and I expect a fairly long weekend but he does have a life of his own out there as well. I hope the weather stays nice and you all have a Great Weekend.

Cheese String Thing with cheese string

 

The laundryboy

Mucky Face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday. Dawn came sneaking round a corner this morning and crept up behind me with a hammer. Dame Aurora can be a devil like that, one minute a headache, next minute the sun is glaring down saying get your lazy arse out of bed. I complied yet it was no later than 5.00 am. I wasn’t actually in bed anyway which is how the sun caught me. I’d been sleeping in my chair after sleep and I had an altercation in the bedroom. Sleep wanted to plague my rest with dreams and I’m like the BBC- no adverts. I returned to the bedroom where at least the sun wouldn’t bother me. It would take more than that to get through my curtains.

I turned on the computer, opened both my email programmes since the new one doesn’t seem to bring all my mail over and because some I prefer to answer in the format I use on TalkTalk. I was heartbroken to see that Barclay’s have also decided to suspend my sigh in but even worse, the Halifax are now saying they have problems with my account. This is getting so bad that yesterday I deleted a message from Paypal about a refund to my account before I realised  it might be genuine. Once I checked with Paypal it was. Another beggar has reused to honour the ebay agreement to supply goods after an auction and after I’ve paid. This lot haven’t even had the manners to respond to messages. Ebay raised a case, gave them 5 days to respond and then refunded me. I’d much rather have had the goods though as it was a lovely mirror clock with the Welsh Dragon at the centre. Last week I had a similar problem with a case for my phone. I’m waiting patiently like an idiot until I realise nothing is coming. The firm did initiate a refund very quickly but no apology or explanation of why they didn’t send it. I had to start again with another firm which firstly sent the wrong one and quickly corrected it. Once before I bought something, paid for it and waited. The seller marked it as dispatched. Three weeks later she admitted it hadn’t been sent an d she wasn’t going to as she didn’t like the price she got. Put a bloody reserve on it in that case!

I had breakfast and then put all the bins and rubbish bags out. At 7.30 am I went out for the bus. At the supermarket just up the hill ( one of two…Supermarkets, not hills) I got cash from the machine. I could almost hear it say “The Bank Manager- He say YES” and I considered shouting “I’ve won” but it was still quite early. I grabbed a  shopping trolley, loaded my sticks aboard and set off. The vases at home weren’t looking too bad but they were perhaps a little crowded and all four contained the same plants. I was bound to be able to weed some dead stuff out so I bought a nice bouquet of mixed flowers and a bunch of carnations. Then I edged up the vegetable  aisle, and note this….I stopped. I bought lettuce, tomato, cucumber and some Jersey potatoes. All bets are off if it rains though !! Baps next, cakes ( for my neighbour who is always taking in parcels for me or returning my bin from wherever the binmen leave it),a rhubarb pie, butter, milk, ( I considered cream but decided not), yoghurts, round the corner for bacon and lemon meringue pie. Then I needed biscuits, crisps, sweets and a bottle of beer. Somehow I managed to forget coleslaw and pickled beetroot.  The girl on the till waited until I had my bags set out in the trolley before ringing the goods through which was a great help. Then I got cigarettes from my friend who called me a taxi…No, she didn’t say “You’re a Taxi”, she made a phone call to get me one. He arrived a couple of minutes later and I was home for 8.30 am.

It didn’t take too long to unpack and put away the shopping but it took forever to get rid of some of the old flowers, trim the others and arrange the new ones so it didn’t look like I’d just bunged the bunches in a vase. I had to get very arty-farty. Mike usually does it so he must be more in touch with his feminine side than me. I knew I’d need the coleslaw for lunchtime so I went to Pauline’s, forgot the beetroot and bought more cigarettes instead. I think my mind might be elsewhere.  Perhaps a little worried about tomorrow? Back at home I laid into the mail again and by lunchtime was back up to date. I ate lunch watching an old film but don’t ask me what as I’ve no idea now. After lunch I just zonked out anyway.

When I woke I knew for sure I’d been out an hour and the mail would be there again, I had another catch up session. As long as I was free for 5.00 pm s there was a Miss Marple I haven’t seen. After that a Jack Black film was due to start. I managed less than ten minutes before I had to turn it off or bang my head against a few walls. So, I came through and I’ve been keeping pace with mail ever since.

I wish you all a wonderful week.

A killer smile

First Nursery photo

 

Funny Monster

Sticky fingers

Fart City & The Lost Sock Dimension.

Sunday. It was actually quite lonely for much of the morning today. Of course there’s no verbal chatter when I’m working on my messages from what Mike calls pre-dawn. The fish don’t talk to me much either even when I feed them after a day of starvation. I wish I could say the various snores, grunts, shouts and farts emanating from Mike’s room are comforting but it’s not true, that slightly dense fog creeping it’s way over the doorway lintel is actually quite threatening. Left alone the beast emerged from it’s pit about 1o.30 , like a new born kitten it’s eyes still closed but with all the menacing size of the tiger waiting to pounce. Part way through it’s first coffee it was heard to say “I’s awake now” and you ‘re sure you can hear the claws as they are drawn and withdrawn from their sheaths. When you least expect it, a strike,  ” When was the last time you weighed yourself?” he asked. “Years ago” I responded,”why?” “Because how’re we to know if your diet is working without a weigh in.”              I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to explain it’s not exactly a diet, just an attempt to eat more healthily but if I used that word I know very well it would be countered by the mention of chocolate. I wondered whether it was too late to distract him and add laxitives to his coffee but no need, the god of bowels was on my side as the hot coffee sent him off at the run. I’d hoped to distract him but when he came back he brought up a height and comparitive weight health chart of his phone. “Right” he said,”weigh yourself.” I was not afforded privacy for that. “13 stone 2 AND a quarter pounds” he said in a very specific way. ” Take off a couple of pounds for your clothes” “Ahem, how about five pounds”I asked. Begrudgingly he agree because he was sure I’d cross the unhealthy line. “Right, five foot eleven inches and just short of 13 stone, oh” he uttered ” you’re just in healthy.” “And you?” I asked. “Erm 13 stone, and I’m 5 foot almost five inches” he had to answer honestly. “So by rights it’s YOU that should be on this DIET” I said smiling sweetly. There was a period of quiet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       It was a little later when the mention of lunch came up that Mike decided to question me about where to go. Would I like to go the Bells where I could have a Sunday roast and (as usual, whispered under his breath) pile on the potatoes. Would I prefer the Blossoms with their Sunday roast where I just had my potatoes allocated or maybe the Ivy Emporium where I could stick to the Baked Potato diet. I said I didn’t mind, I’d be happy to eat any though perhaps the temptation of the Bells should be removed. We set off and withing a few minutes it was clear the Ivy Emporium would be the choice. Great, I like it there.  When we arrived I got out of the car and headed towards the door. I stopped to see whether Mike was behind me and had a strange sensation of sinking. My crutches had hit some wet moss on the path and were doing the splits away from my body. I was moments way from toppling when Mike’s hand grabbed my collar and drew me upright. I got my crutches back on the path and set off again. We got in and found it more crowded than usual but got a table anyway. Just settling down and the table by the log fire was vacated. He was up like a shot and I struggled to follow knocking the menu’s everywhere in the process.He came back an d picked them up and I’m sure I heard the word ‘Oaf’ somewhere. We settled at the new table and I removed my coat knocking the menu’s over. With a roll of his eyes he picked them up. The owner came to wipe the tables down from the last customer but didn’t even say hello. It took me a few seconds to realise it wasn’t him. Like him, but not him, deduction Sheerluck, a brother! Quite right the owner said as he came out. Roped in to help as it’s busy, did we fancy washing up?       There was a specials board today that included a smoked pork steak with bbq beans, jacket potato and cole slaw. It sounded ideal and we both settled on that. I had a tea and Mike his usual Americano with cold milk on the side. The meal was freshly cooked but not too long in coming and we both enjoyed it, so much so that he had apple pie to follow and I was forced into lemon meringue pie. Diet beggared yet again. Mike in pedantic mode pointed out a sign that I’d mentioned to him which said White hot………….chocolate rather than white………hot chocolate. I swear he wants to get me banned from every eating establishment possible. We drove home he dropped me off and set off for his dad’s.  I caught up on mail, went to watch TV through closed eyelids and went back to mail again. A beef and tomato sandwich for tea followed by a strawberry yoghurt and a strawberry smoothie done in the new (fantastic) toy then I watched a little of the story of the two girls who had photographs of themselves with fairies at the bottom of the garden. Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan-Doyle were taken in by the convincing pictures. Another catch up so that I can see a film at 7.00 pm. Despicable Me, I keep hearing about how good it is. Well I saw it and fair play it’s very entertaining. Rather than come through straight away I thought I’d channel hop a bit and came upon another film just starting called Kick Ass. Paint me Prude. What’s the matter with people today that they have to put foul language in the mouth of kids on film. OK, so there are kids that use it ans some kids will hear it in the playground but they’re more likely to use it when they see it on the screen used by other kids surely? It’s a poor day when our language skills are so poor we can’t find alternative words to use than the same bad language they employ. OK, rant over. I turned off pretty quickly and came through to see what new mail I had. One was a joke about the very elderly ill man lying in bed who smells his favourite ‘cookies’. He manages to make his way downstairs and gasping for breath reaches the kitchen where he sees row upon row of chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. He silently blesses his loving wife and reaches out for one only to have his knuckles rapped by a spoon. “Hands off those, they’re for the funeral” he hears. Night All.

Monday. 4.17 am. Looks like my period of lie-ins wasn’t destined to last. When I woke I almost fell over as I found I’d slept in the bed last night instead of on it. My legs didn’t move free as expected. I pressed the computer on as I passed by on the way to the loo. After proving my bladder holds the equivalent of Niagara I went back and signed in. Only 47 mail today, there’s a treat and I was done just before 7.00 am . Feeling in a very generous mood I turned the tank light on and fed the fish early this morning. I had my tabs and brought a coffee back to the bedroom. There was a sudden temptation to go back to bed but I fought it and unfortunately won. After catching up on the new post that had come in it was time to get washed and dressed. Too early to pop out yet as there are a lot of children pass close by going to school. I don’t want stories spreading that Father Christmas lives here and adults claiming they were only in my garage to give Rudolf a carrot. I wandered back through to the kitchen with my dirty mug ( oi! The one I’d been drinking from) and my eyes landed on the piles in the 2 I***ing baskets. It was time to do something. So, I sorted the bedding which had been folded coming out of the washing machine and decided the creases may stretch out when on a bed. I stored it away. Underpants and tee-shirts were treated the same way. Towels went to the airing cupboard leaving me with shirts that have to be I***ed about 10, and socks which I proceeded to pair up. True to form there are about 20 socks without a matching partner. What dimension do the ones that disappear get to? Feeling less guilty now I mopped the kitchen floor using my new Flash gel and then while it was drying went out for fresh baps and some cigs. It might save me having to leave the house tomorrow.                                                              I checked for more mail and dealt with it. I have a true friend who half my mail gets to and the other half is returned undeliverable. We’re testing out different methods to see if we can get it all through. That done I had time for a couple more poems before lunch. As usual now it was baked potato and beans to which I added ham and coleslaw. I’m not sure if I’m losing weight or the jeans made by a couple of firms are just more generous than usual but at least two pairs I can remove without unfastening. My friend suggests I may not be far off mooning at everyone. I’ll wear braces just in case, I don’t want anyone thinking there’s an eclipse. During lunch I watched an old Burt Lancaster film I think it was 10 tall men.After that I washed up and then inspected my eyelids for an hour before going back to the computer.At 5.00 pm I knocked off and had a banana for my tea with a smoothie and a yoghurt. I could have put the yoghurt in the smoothie I suppose. I had half an antique programme, a quiz, law and order then Murder she Wrote before deciding I’d had enough TV and coming back through. I’ve read a few interesting blogs and commented on some as well as answering some personal mail. I’m still early enough tonight to get the blog done before 11.00 which is a rarity so it looks like I’ll get some real reading time tonight. Nos da.

Tuesday. Up very early. I’ve decided it’s a residual effect of Oscar my alarm cat waking me. It’s probably why I get out of bed so quickly before he goes for my feet. I’m on my way out of the room before I realise he’s gone. QUICK ADVERT. Which reminds me that his book is still available for all cat lovers and sadists alike.                             http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memoirs-Superior-Lord-David-Prosser-ebook/dp/B00EJ9FNWS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390942104&sr=8-1&keywords=memoirs+of+a+superior    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sorry, but I don’t want to die starving in a garret somewhere. Available in paperback in two sizes  of print.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..As usual I dealt with my messages and found my friend’s computer had literally blown up on her. That’s going to curtail a bit of the gaming so maybe she’ll get down to writing a bit now. Mwah ha ha , I don’t do that half as well as she does which sends a chill down my spine as I’m usually in trouble of some kind. The fish got their second treat of the week and I had an early coffee after taking my tablets and sprays. As I turned to leave the kitchen I was taken ill, that’s the only possible explanation for what happened next. I opened the pantry door and got out the I***ing board then opening one of the cupboards I got out the lethal instrument itself. I recovered enough to put it down and make a run for it. By 9.00am I’d finished my mail, couldn’t think of an animal beginning with N to do a poem on so decided to get washed and dressed. I was determined not to go out anywhere today though. My cup had to be washed and doing it in the bathroom left me with the problem of no draining board and the floor of the shower didn’t seem appropriate so I walked through to the kitchen again. I’d just placed the mug down when I saw the postvan pull up and the driver headed here. YAY, parcels, good old Amazon with perfect timing. They didn’t delay me for long and Darren hadn’t stayed to make conversation except to wish me a Happy New Year. It felt like he was mocking me as I wandered back into the kitchen to wash the mug. I could avoid it no longer. I erected the board, put smelly water in the instrument and turned it on. I started on my shirts. I ended up doing 8 and putting them on hangers on the back of the door. That was about all I could manage but there were tears in my eyes as I checked the basket, my estimate of 10  yesterday was way out. There are still 8 more to go. It’s no good I shall have to call in the services of a professional I think. A neighbour uses a service which washes and presses ( I can cope with that word) everything for him. It takes on a Wednesday and delivers on a Friday. I’ll see if I can catch their van tomorrow. Trouble is it’s  MuJo day and I have no idea how early they’ll be.I’m sort of looking forward to this visit to as I made a gift basket up over the weekend with Mike, everything in it is made by a firm called Bonner’s which was Mu and Ju’s maiden name. It’s also not a common name so for some reason I thought she might enjoy this. This year I got MuJo some Christmas tea which they really enjoyed and I couldn’t find it again except in the US and with postage I’d be paying nearly £ per teabag. So, I’ve been buying some boxes of different teabags in the hope they’ll be pleased, then I had to try and find a Teabag box to put them in but they can be £30 or more so last weekend Mike an I bought a plain box which I hope will do the job. This is like OCD in that once I started I couldn’t seem to stop. Tomorrow it ends when I finally hand things over and won’t be buying more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I had to skip the letter N since the only thing I could think of was narwhal, so next on my list was O. I’d already done P. Q was impossible so I went to R and I did poems for those two letters. I have U, X and Y left so that’ll be a no then unless I go with Yak. I have two left to do and I’ll need a couple of spares in case more are rejected. I’m still struggling with the best size to do the book, small like a ladybird book or larger like a painting book. Larger seems to be the type favoured by many of the shops I’ve been in. I’d love a hardback but think the cost will be prohibitive If I put the book on general sale. After lunch I spent some time in the lounge looking through the new Argos catalogue but saw nothing exciting. What is exciting is that I’m expecting three more parcels from Amazon. My wonderful nephew and wife who gave me the  gift vouchers for my birthday will be pleased to know I’ve put it to good use, some long handled, long bladed toenail scissors and some extra strong spring nail clippers. He may not be as pleased to learn I also ordered two memory sticks to download the family tree onto but will be asking his help in doing it. It’s a joy having a computer expert so handy. Teatime was a banana and a strawberry yoghurt again. Perhaps I shouldn’t buy in bulk. Afterwards I checked the mail till 6.00 pm and then had two hours slobbing in front of the TV. At 8.00 pm I came back through and have been listening to Motown classics on Youtube as I dealt with more mail. I had a quick skive to bring you all up to date so now I’m going to finish up with The Four Tops ‘I’m in a Different World’ and see if I can find William Bell and Judy Clay with ‘Private Number’ as I do the last of my mail and go for a read………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Enjoy  http://youtu.be/X9uvmca5WF4     …….. I’m your Puppet. James and Bobby Purify……………………………………………………………………………………………………………  http://youtu.be/yDtTVYHOBZI     ……… I’m Doing Fine Now. The Pasadenas …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..   http://youtu.be/weGiFoK4JeI       ……… Loco in Acapulco . Four Tops ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  http://youtu.be/ubDVUQon5BE   ……… Young Gifted and Black. Bob and Marcia……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  http://youtu.be/53u7LuGJecw …………. Let your Yeah be Yeah. The Pioneers ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  http://youtu.be/Tj96QFzOL5Y …………. Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye. The Manhattans ………………………………………………………………………………………………..    http://youtu.be/jPnZZTVp_2A …………. Heard it Through the Grapevine. Marvin Gaye …………………………………………………………………………………………………….  http://youtu.be/v78-ftcqpNw …………… Midnight Train to Georgia . Gladys Knight and the Pips………………………………………………………………………………………….

Wednesday. Oh dear. I had a poor night which resulted in me lying in bed semi with-it until gone 7.00 am. It then became a rush to get as many messages done before the fish deadline and my first coffee. I didn’t do badly since I just deleted anything that came from a bank (3) and decided not to fully read those that I opened unknowingly but which turned out to be African cons. In fairness they’re trying harder, asking me to believe I’ve already dealt with them on somebody else’s behalf and now this person wants to pay me. It’s trifling amounts below the million now and obviously not worth my time. Obviously once I’d done the fish I had to come back with my coffee to finish off. By then there were 20 more but at least they were genuine.                                                                                                                                                                                   By 9.10 am I’d cleared the last of that lot but was afraid to refresh until I’d washed and dressed. MuJo were coming and there’s no telling what time. I didn’t want to be found sitting at the computer in my dressing gown. I’d just finished dressing when the postman arrived but I was grateful he didn’t knock. Just one package today, the long handled, angled toenail scissors in a posh little pouch. I didn’t try them out. There was time to do a few more messages of the normal kind and comment on some blogs before I thought I should prepare for the visitation. Get milk in John’s cup and decide what coffee I’m giving him today, and take the cap off Muriel’s J2O so she’s able to pour when she’s ready. I’d just done that when they arrived at half ten. I handed Mu the packets of teabags and the box and also the basket of food made by Bonner’s which she thought was great. Then I went looking for two tiny gemstones which could be used as eyes on John’s wolfshead waking stick. Luckily I still have most of Ju’s craft stuff and found two small red ones. We chatted for a few minutes and at 11.15 they decided it was time to lave for lunch…….a bit earlier than expected but at least I hadn’t had breakfast. We went to the Ivy as they haven’t been there. Plenty of room at this time. I kept to my baked potato and beans while Mu had the meal I’d enjoyed on Sunday and John had the same but with chips instead of baked potato. To me that’s awkward but my friend was very obliging. It was a good size meal though John wasn’t impressed with the quantity of chips. I certainly would have been happy with any of them today. They were very impressed with the atmosphere and comfort there.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Afterwards we took a ride to Prestatyn to see the new shopping precinct we’ve heard about. I managed to find some nice clothes for Reuben in Boots but shock, horror, wasn’t especially impressed with any of the other shops. I don’t think it compares to Flint. There was however a Costa so John was able to have a breakfast sausage sandwich and I got Mu a small cake. I was glad of the points. We started for home and in half an hour we were here with John ready to drink again. I think he’s showing signs of the diabetes coming on. They left at about 4.00 pm giving me an hour on the computer. I managed everything but one I couldn’t get my head round. I had some fruit for tea and watched a quiz show till the next visitors arrived. Dil and Matt arrived about quarter to six but no Lee tonight unfortunately. Still at least he didn’t see me sobbing to win just one game of scrabble the whole evening. They ganged up on me unmercifully. Typical father and son tag team tactics. Heartbroken I was and promptly showed them the door at half nine, they both said they’d seen it though. Back in here to attack mail and frustration as it keeps stopping and asking me if I want to close down. Doesn’t it know I’m big enough to do so if I want to? Ah well, I’ve had a little break from it so now I’ll have another try. Night all.

Thursday. No visitors, no events, just a quiet day. Great. I dealt with mail very early and had seen to the fish, sorted my next weeks tablets and made a coffee by 7.00 am. Instead of going back to refresh mail I just sat in the lounge watching it become lighter outside. It wasn’t easy to start but after finishing my drink I got washed and dressed. At 9.00 am I walked to the corner shop to renew m lottery tickets and renew my hope of winning naturally. On my way back I met a neighbour who asked me whether a woman had knocked on my door last night about 9.30. It seems this unexpected visitor  had called on her and demanded details of her bank account. Had it not been for the fact her son was there it’s possible she would have caved in. Another neighbour did so last year. I don’t know whether my place was avoided because I’m male, had visitors last night or just that it’s not my turn yet. They get short shrift from me if they call here.                                                                                                                                  I don’t need to bore you with today. Mail, meals and a bit of TV about sums it up. Not at my best today so I’ll leave you with a song instead……………………………………….  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDUmT3wm-0A&list=FLykLqhnwlNz3Qz3GX3qyuXw&feature=share&index=11     …………………………………………………………… Queen- These are the Days of Our Lives.

Friday. That was an unreal night or brief interlude as it should be known. Light off to sleep bout 1.00 am and up and awake at 3.45 am. It’s as well I live alone as I was miserable as sin too. I dealt with emails, blog comments and everything and round about 6.00 am the fish thought it was their birthday. Early food. I took a shower, well you have to show willing in the New Year don’t you. Who knows, I may even indulge in the summer if it’s warm.                                                                                                                      Had my tabs, made a coffee and came back to the computer to keep up. I corrected a few poems I found where the final line had been cropped on the Jpeg copy and then did a count. YAY, all 32. I’ve now sent them off to be edited before a friend creates a cover for me. I’ll send her the poems at that time in case she wants to use any of the clipart. How does ‘Odd Animal Rhymes for Toddlers’ sound as a title. Suggestions welcome ( as long as they don’t include Close the Blog and Go).

The last one. I’m not going alphabetically.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………I kept up most of the morning as I have no idea how long I’ll be out this afternoon. The postman came with some nail clippers but disappointingly not the DVD of Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal. I’ve managed to pick up another of his from ebay too and am bidding on a third. I don’t want the cartoon ones especially.                                              Ju upset me today merely by not being here. Funny how it gets you sometimes. Lunch at midday and I don’t even need to tell you what I had any more. I need to restock on potatoes and beans tomorrow though. At just gone 1.30 pm there was the honk of a horn and I saw Ugo’s car outside. I went to the door to ask if they were coming in or was I going out. I got my coat. We drove to the Ivy  Emporium where as it happened people were coming out as we were going in. A coincidence honestly. We were the only customers just then but Gary gave us time to settle before coming to take our order. I just had a latte but they chose burger meals while I got to hold Reuben. What a little gem. no squawking at all, smiles and giggles all the way though I’m not sure he was happy at not being offered a chip butty. Gary was as nice as usual and his wife Helen came through once she’d finished cooking. She’s nice too. They deserve to succeed.                                                                                                                                                               From there we shot to Flint for a little shopping then they ran me home and came in for a cuppa. I’d bought a Galt box game of animals to fit together for Reuben’s shelf at home as he’s not old enough yet. I’ve never seen such a reaction. H tried to hold the box and was making excited noises as he touched the pictures on the box, it was almost as though he was trying to do the noises.We hugged, they left and I attacked the post that had mounted up while I was out. There was a particular post I became involved in. Spain’s decision to end abortion will affect 100,000 women a year.My friend was appalled at this, especially as it’s being done by Cardinals etc of the Church so it’s more a religious decision than political. One particular person was arguing in favour of it and coming out with the biggest load of religious claptrap I’ve seen in ages. More so to my mind because there are many non-Catholics in Spain these days and this will hit them despite Catholicism not being their religion. This action makes the wealthy go outside Spain for their operations and the poorer element are pushed to illegal back street methods. This decision is best left to the women who’s bodies they are rather than a group of religious people who supposedly have nothing to do with sex but can decide that a human life is created from the moment sperm and an egg meet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     At 8.30 pm Mike arrived. He says it was a slow journey because of the rain. It took him two and a half hours for what most consider a three hour journey. I made coffee while he fiddled with the TV and got us two episodes of a forensic crime series and one of QI. At 11.30 I was allowed to escape to come here to do this and any emails. It’s now 12.55 am and I’m off to bed.  Hugs all.

Saturday. Mike paid me an undisclosed sum of money today not to tell you he slept through two alarms and it was all his fault we left to go shopping late. Please consider yourselves not told. Before evening drew near though, I had managed to clear my mailbox, prevent myself from busting a stitch laughing at an email purporting to be from a woman who was obviously a man telling me how much she.he regretted never having received an answer to the heartfelt outpourings of love sent previously. Believe me there haven’t been any previous messages from this one or it would have gone straight to the slush pile. I had also taken my tabs, seen to the fish and read War and Peace in the original Russian.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         We did eventually get out and arrived at the shops before they closed for the day.There wasn’t much to get as my shopping list currently reads potatoes, beans, oh and milk. It was done so quickly that we had time for breakfast and I am forced to confess ( before he tells you) that it wasn’t perhaps quite as healthy as baked potato and beans. There was a small detour before going home to unpack so that someone nameless could banter with Ceri over the Coffee, sounds like a line from a song. Ceri asked if I was OK as I was very quiet. Mike had said something similar but it’s probably just because I can’t get a word in edgeways. We also had a look round the local shops for a cross cut shredder as Mike had burned out the motor on his last one.                                                                                                                                                                                   At home the shopping was put away and the post opened to reveal the two films of Terry Pratchett books I ordered. I was just going to start on emails when Mike announced a trip to Rhyl might find the shredder so it was coat on time again. The weather was foul, really cold and damp up to the kneecaps. It takes forty minutes to get there, we park in the open on the roof of the shopping precinct a target for incontinent seagulls though in this rain it was more likely to be albatrosses as anything smaller was sheltering. We hit a stationers and found just the thing, only two let and the offer ending on Monday. Bright spark said he’d wait and see if they had one left in the branch near his home to save him carrying it. The car is about 200 yards away. Instead we have a short wander round the town centre in the pouring rain, get in the car and leave. We’re wet, have driven a fair way and have left without anything. On the way back we stopped at the Ivy for a drink. If Gary thought I was bad subjecting him to three visits in a week he now knows it for sure since I not only took MuJo once but now I’ve taken Mike again, though  to be absolutely correct, technically he took me so it’s his fault.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Back at home once again I made tea though I co-opted Mike into buttering the bread and then we settled in front of the TV for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and then The Tomorrow People. Mike started complaining of a vicious headache and Is suggested he went to bed to watch Vera with the light off and I came through here to catch up on my mail. I brought my mobile through since I’d forgotten to take it out today and found I had a message. My niece let me know that Amy has died now. Just Penny and Priya left of our happy bunch. It’ s really sad………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Holiday clothes.,

At the Ivy with Pops.