Watching Katie Hepburn, I wish!

Sunday 4th October.
I made it to bed by midnight though it meant typing with one hand while undressing (and redressing) with the other. I did have a short read and my light went out about 12.30 am. I think sleep came quickly but so did dreams. They were unpleasant and woke me in a sweat at 1.20 am. I had a cigarette and went to my chair in the lounge to try and nod off again there. Next thing I know it’s 7.44 am and I’ve just had my longest sleep for months. Maybe I should dream more often.
As I was already by the kitchen I went to take my morning meds and make a coffee to bring back to my room where I could start work. Power up, log on and into battle. Plenty of mail being a Sunday morning and as I worked I realised just how many of my friends are still missing comments as I’m not getting their posts. I don’t know how to fix it.

I was working when I heard movement . It was 9.30 am and Mike had just got up. I nipped through to make him a coffee and ask for an extra ten minutes indulgence while I just completed a few more messages. I went through when I was clear and he suggested I have very stretchy time periods in Wales as it was now 10.20 am. I bullied tempted Joey out of his cage so I could see to new millet and change his seed and water. I wish I’d got him back in the cage so I could clean the mirror. I went through to get dressed. Mike did the same and kindly stripped his bed for me and put the bedding by the washing machine. I thought it was a bit much that he didn’t carry on and actually do the washing but it seems I expect too much.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                We left the house at 11.15 am and headed off for Prestatyn. We were there about 11.40 am and as we parked up saw Karen not too far away. Mike beeped the car horn and she turned round. Out of all the tens of people in that area, how did she know it was her we meant? Anyway, she explained Jo wasn’t coming as she has fleas………..or more to the point her cats currently do. She’s in the middle of a big clean up operation. Karen walked off ahead of us so we had chance to get out of the car and bring in the prezzies for the youngest kids.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    When we were catching up with Karen we could see she was talking to someone over a low fence by the playground of the carvery. I was delighted to see Dil and his wife Lynne were there as were two of their children. Matt and Jess plus Jess’s partner Paul and her son Rylan whom I’m sure I last saw on the maternity ward. He’s 3 now.              Just a few minutes later Yvonne, Ugo and Reuben arrived. Yvonne looks quite large now, it must be uncomfortable in today’s heat. It was hugs all round.

We went inside and I saw my brother had been crafty and already got drinks and ordered meals for them all. That meant he avoided an argument with me when I wanted to pay. Luckily I was able to bully everyone else to list the meal and drink they wanted including Dil’s oldest son Lee, his wife Jen and their  baby Nathan. OK ,Nathan didn’t exactly list anything but the offer was there. I went up with Mike to place the order and we felt redundant when the staff offered to bring the drinks over and deliver the non carvery meals when they were ready. Mike and I thought if we got our carvery’s now, we could taunt those who had to wait. It was a very long and very pleasant mealtime and I was able to persuade 4 people ton have a pudding afterwards, granted in the case of the 3 year old and ice cream not a lot of persuasion was needed.                  Finally at about 2.45 am we all had to bid each other farewell though Yvonne came to the £ shop to pick up a drink and a trolley full of other stuff. She had a bottle of Lipton’s lemon tea, I had a cold Pepsi Max.

Mike brought me home and I expected him to leave straight away to visit his Dad but before he left he insisted on helping me make his bed ready for my visitors. Soon enough he was on his way leaving Joey and myself alone for the evening. I worked hard until 6.10 pm when I was pretty clear and decided to go and have some tea.I watched nearly two hours of Come Dine With Me and suffered badly especially because the contestants were Welsh and two let the side down badly.                                               I was then fascinated until 9.00 pm by a programme about the tomb of Cleopatra. A South American lawyer and amateur archeologist has a theory about where the tomb might be. And despite excavations having taken place in the same area in the past for different reasons the area has been written off as unimportant. This girl is a genius as the longer she’s there, the more possible her theory becomes though when first given permission to dig the archeological community and the Egyptian authorities are skeptical to say the least. I believe 2015 was about her tenth year, dring that time she found a stone very like the Rosetta stone but which predated it by at least two years and she’d recently found a new and very deep passage.The problem was, the programme came to an end with the end of this digging season and I have to hope that her progress continues to be filmed next year, and that there’s still something to be found. After all her hard work I wouldn’t like someone else to take over from her for the sake of a major discovery.

At 9.00 pm Joey had already gone to bed. I tried an Adam Sandler film against my better judgement, That’s My Boy. I didn’t even last ten minutes this time. Ben Stiller is another one that leaves me cold but there’s no accounting for taste. I could happily watch Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy films all day long though. I turned to work for solace and then to the blog.

Cousinly Love. Reuben and Nathan.

Monday 5th.

I was in bed before midnight again and despite my long sleep of last night I was still tired. It must be because there was no power nap. I read till 12.30 am and turned the light out. I was up at 3.46 am and felt great. Rested with no disturbances. I beetled to the bathroom and then came back to power up and log on. By 5.50 am I was up to date with my mail in both accounts and with the comments on my blog. Keeping pace from this point should be easy so I went to take my meds and have an early breakfast.  After breakfast I put the washing on then brought my coffee back to the bedroom. Talktalk had logged me out (naturally) and when I signed in said it couldn’t connect to the right server and to check my account settings. Ridiculous since I’ve already been in there once this morning and if I don’t have an account how can I sign in? I just took a deep breath and carried on with my gmail instead. It wasn’t long before an email had me scuttling to ebay though. Yvonne had found a sheepskin muff that attaches to the handle of a pushchair or pram to make sure hands don’t get cold.

I took a break to see to Joey then worked until 9.45 am, took a birthday card to my neighbour Dorothy then settled to watch Homes Under the Hammer.Darren came and brought my latest parcel and thinks he’ll be bored over Christmas with no deliveries here.  It was just before the end that the knock on the door came and there was the lovely Val, my warden. She came in to say hello to Joey and find out how things are with me. It’s only while chatting to her I realised I was actually shaking. I was obviously not in a people kind of mood this morning. Once she’d gone I went back tot he computer to deal with the mail, looked on ebay for stocking gifts then finally went to empty the drier and put the stuff on the airer. Time for lunch before Bargain Hunt starts. Beef in ale with mashed potatoes. I’d be surprised if the alcohol didn’t send me to sleep. Well it did, but during the programme and not afterwards, though I was awake for the final auction so it can’t have been for more than about 5 minutes.                                           I did quite fancy another little sleep but I fought the urge and came back through to check the mail. There was quite a bit including one from my daughter three times. I’m not sure whether she thinks I have a memory retention problem. My response was the same each time anyway, I am buying you a bl**dy coat for Christmas !! Her Christmas suggestions are about £5 a go as though I’d let her get away with that.

After working I couldn’t help but do another trawl on ebay where I ordered the pram muff Yvonne had pointed out. I ordered a couple of other things at the same time.As far as I can gauge I need Yvonne’s coat and one more major prezzie before having just stocking presents to get. I shall have to keep an eye on finances now but at least I’m not under pressure. I suppose the worst part of this is that I still have 11 weeks left to buy more things as I see them and poor Santa will get backache delivering them. Maybe I should start a Santa franchise and deliver them myself. I refuse to buy a sleigh though just in case it doesn’t snow. Maybe I can persuade Mike to get an all-terrain vehicle.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I went through to the lounge at 4.30 pm to watch The Antiques Road Trip and to have some tea. Since I’d already had my pre-foodie tabs for the day I had two crumpets with jam (jelly for my friends in America) on. I might have followed up with a few jaffa cakes.                                                                                                                                                                 I returned to the messages at 6.30 pm  after Eggheads which had a surprise ending today when just two people beat 4 Eggheads to win £12,000. It was unexpected because they’d lost three of their team and I think they were all over 70.

At 8.00 pm I watched a programme where they were trying to find the site of an ancient battle in Gotland near Sweden and prove or disprove it had taken place. It seemed the battle had taken place where the Danish army attacked and slaughtered the villagers in order to win a wealth castle for trading purposes.                                                                 At 9.00 am I watched a fascinating programme about the Celts. It seems that maybe we didn’t come from Central Europe to Scotland , Ireland, England and Wales after all. The new scenario is that we may have come from the Phoenecians trading and perhaps adapted culture from their goods. Then it looks like Middle Europe may have become Celtic from Britain as it seems early grave goods there were based on a leaf blade design from here. It also seems that the Roman’s portrayal of the Celts as savages was just propaganda and that we had an ordered society with sophisticated tastes. The Celts sacked and burned Rome when a chief was killed by a Roman ‘Diplomat’ and the Romans wouldn’t hand him over for punishment. I loved a side story that the Romans paid a vast weight of gold to rid themselves of the Celts in some kind of peace but that the Celtic leader used fake wights to up the ante.

Tonight’s music is a request from my friend Suzanne at apuginthekitchen.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Tuesday 6th.

Light’s out 12.50 am. Suddenly awake 1.35 am. In chair at 1.45 ac (after ciggie) and slept till 6.44 am. That settles it, I sleep better when I’m upright. I really must give up drinking!(joke). Joey is amazingly well behaved. He doesn’t utter a peep during the time it’s dark and I never have to cover him up. No unwanted alarm calls from him. So much better than the four legged pet that used to own the place. Not that I’m getting the idea I’m in charge here, just that there’s someone like Mike who could sleep for Britain should it ever become an Olympic event.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             As I was already close to the kitchen I went to take my meds and make a coffee . I happened to glance at the calendar while I was waiting for the machine to finish and realised I’d taken Dorothy’s card a week early. I must hold back on one for another neighbour I was going to post on Thursday as she’s three days after Dorothy.                      It seems I’ve woken up in a bit of a low mood this morning. I’m going to Pauline’s to restock my cigarettes this morning ( and other things but I thought I’d mention that one) I have no idea what to say if she asks how Kelly is working out as my cleaner. She’s known both of them and is going to find it a bit strange that both have just walked with no explanation. Will she believe I’ve done or said nothing to cause it?

Taking my coffee through to the bedroom I logged on and started on my mail. I worked until 8.45 am when I got dressed and went to Pauline’s. She asked me about Kelly and all I could say is that I liked her but I haven’t seen/heard from her since she left on Thursday. She thinks it strange that Kelly should leave without a word too. I’d love to be there when she sees Kelly and asks why, maybe it would answer my query as to what I’m doing wrong.                                                                                                                                     Back at home again I put my shopping away then scrubbed the bars in Joey’s cage and changed the sandpaper at the bottom. Then I had to sweep the carpet and floor below his cage to make the place look respectable. As soon as he moved back to the cage I cleaned the mirror above, where he likes to park his bum. After   that he went and sat on the mirror again and seemed hell bent on making it s dirty as before. I reckon it’s all to do with the budgie on the other side teasing him. Once  I’d finished there I left him in peace for a minute and went to answer the door to Darren. Two more parcels today, I had to open them to see what they were so I could leave feedback later. I’d tell you what came but it’s a secret.

At lunchtime I couldn’t be bothered and just stuck chips and curry sauce in. I didn’t really want it but had to eat to take the diabetic controls. I watched Bargain Hunt but since the one ‘expert’ I really can’t stand was on didn’t pay close attention. Joey was quite entertainment enough fitting himself through the hoop of one of his toys, then battering his little mirror as though announcing the end of his race. Talking of mirrors, the main one above the cage upon which he rests his posterior is as bad as before I cleaned it thanks to is beak battles with his mirror image.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           At 1.00 pm I struggled back to the bedroom instead of taking my nap. I started to catch up on all the messages I’ve neglected today. I need to shake this current mood off and do some work. I stayed until 3.00 pm  then escaped to Escape to the Country where someone was looking for a property £900-950,000 in West Sussex.Some beautiful places there and it seems the best weather in the UK which title I always thought belonged to Cornwall. The show didn’t manage a success today.                                 Back to work from 3.45 pm to 4.30 pm at which time I decamped for my Antiques Road Trip, and quiz, and quiz then work and film and search for the Holy Grail all of which brought me to 10.00 pm and my final goodnights to the faithful (choke) budgie.                                                                                                                                                                               I started the blog first and will move to the mail afterwards time permitting which it will of course.

Nathan my great nephew
Lee, my lovely nephew and Jen his lovely wife.

Last night’s request reminded me just how much I loved the fantastic Simon and Garfulnkel.  This is for you Suzanne for the reminder. Thank you.

Wednesday 7th.

Lights out 12.25 am lights on 2.42 am. The loo, the kitchen for a cold refill and then a cigarette before trying my chair again. I woke at 5.42 am. I’m no accountant but I reckon that’s getting on towards the five hour mark. Result!  Maybe I should use the bedroom as just the office and stick to my chair at night. Mind you, if I woke up in my chair middle of the night, I wonder if I’d have to try my bed next? Joey as usual didn’t utter a sound which was very considerate unless he’s such a heavy sleeper he didn’t notice.

So, at 5.42 am when I got up I wandered trough to the kitchen and took a pre-foodie followed by the rest of my morning meds. I put some bread in the toaster, had a cigarette timer then enjoyed creating a series of mini-Alps in butter on each slice before eating it. I took a coffee through to my room and then went to wash off the excess butter from my moustache for when I kissed Muriel today. Yes, today was a MuJo visit as well as games day so I’m sure you all felt my panic as the post increased and I wasn’t able to touch it. Telling myself not to worry, there’s always tomorrow doesn’t seem to work. Tomorrow brings it’s own post.                                                                                     I kept things up to date as much as possible until MuJo arrived but had to break to let Joey out and replenish his food and water supplies. I also had to clean the floor area around the cage again and did so by crawling around on my hands and knees with a dustpan and brush rather than use the hoover and upset Joey. I did a little dusting too. I found the time at some point to get dressed as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Darren knocked on the door about 10.15 am with two more parcels for me. One in particular I was very pleased to get. I’d just turned Homes Under the Hammer on so was trying to watch, listen to Joey and open the parcels at the same time.One house was massive and had last been used as a day nursery. It hadn’t been left very tidy but at least no heavy structural work needed. I think it was a couple of friends bought it but I couldn’t hear too well over Joey’s argument with his reflection again. Anyway, they turned it into a superb 5 bedroom house very much in an Edwardian style but with modern fixtures. As we were getting to the point where they get valuations from two estate agents to see if there is a profit to be made, MuJo knocked at the door and came in. I had to go and see to drinks.

I dragged my feet a bit when Muriel asked if I was ready to go and eat. It was too early for me at 11.00 am So I managed to make us leave at 11.20 am instead. We were still entering the chippy at 11.45 am even after having gone round a couple of charity shops. We had a nice meal though I’m concerned that Mu isn’t eating enough at the moment. After lunch we took a walk round another shop then walked up to the new Homies. It’s quite a hill and obviously had an adverse effect on John as he had to leave to sit in the car. We went with him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          By the time we reached Flint John was feeling better. Muriel and I went round the ALDI supermarket where I bought some bread and found some chocolates for the girls in Temptations. That’s where we went next and Muriel passed them over to Sian as she ordered drinks. We did a couple more shops afterwards before John felt the need to sit down again. I bought Christmas gift wrap??                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                We arrived home at 3.45 pm and Muriel asked if it was Dil’s car parked outside. “Never” I said, “far too early” . But of course it was. He’d been working locally and it wasn’t worth him travelling all the way back to work only to come back here again. MuJo said their goodbyes and left with my thanks ringing in their ears. Dil and I were able to sit and chat about how nice Sunday had been and how his grandson, my great nephew Nathan is growing. We watched part of a programme about swapping homes for a break then the Antiques Road Tip and finally our Quiz.

The moment I clicked the TV off Dil put the card table up and I got the Yahtzee out. It was a very tense, give and take session for the first 6 games and ended 3 all so Dil said there was no need to destroy the papers. He got fresh papers out as we can’t play that  game and end up even. More nip and tuck, Dil won one then I did, then I did then Dil did then it was me again The last one should have been Dil’s and he started well but it’s all about finishing and I’m sure they heard his howl of dismay in Flint as I pulled the bird from the hat to win 7-5 overall.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I was feeling guilty then. Out came the Trivial Pursuit and I started well getting 3 segments in quick succession including the hated sports category. But he soon caught up. I did manage to be the first to get all six segments but he was giving nothing away.As Dil finally got his last segment we were both heading for the middle and the deciding question. Time was getting on and I’d failed to answer his choice about 3 times so had to go out and come back in again. He finally made it to the middle and I just asked the first question on the card. No hesitation he gave me the right answer and could go home a winner. After he left I tidied up and washed the posts before wishing Joey a good night, taking my meds and coming through to start work.124 messages, and still nothing like I’m used to getting when WordPress notify me of posts by my friends. It still took me until 11.24 pm to get clear and be able to start the blog. It’s a late night tonight so I’m hoping for some unbroken sleep.

Thursday 8th.

It was a late night work wise but because I didn’t read my light still went off around the usual time at  12.50 am. I also got my wish of some unbroken sleep as I was up at 4.16 am. Still in my bed too. Once I’d done my trip to the loo I knew I was fully awake and not ready to go back to sleep. Before dealing with mail I powered up the computer and headed for my bank account  just in case the DWP (Dept of Works and Pensions) had performed a miracle. They hadn’t.                                                                           I logged on to talktalk first to deal with the mail, and then at 5.30 am onto my gmail account for a catch up there. At 6.15 am I was able to go and have breakfast and take all my meds having temporarily got up to date.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    After eating I filled up some small pop bottles from larger ones as I keep the small ones beside my chair, beside my bed and beside the computer. Plus decanting it into smaller bottles releases some of the fizz so it’s more or less flat when I come to drink it and I don’t sound like the bullfrog chorus. At 7.15 am I went to sit in the lounge waiting for it to be light enough to open Joey’s cage door. The earlier I do it the less of a roasting I get. Naturally having just eaten I nodded off before I opened the cage. I woke at 8.05 am mid-bollocking. He was not a happy bunnie budgie. I did his food and water but he wouldn’t exit the cage so I could replace the millet spray. I’ll have to catch him later.

I dressed and did a catch up on the mail till 9.00 am when I went to Pauline’s to renew the lottery. I was a little worried as she said she hasn’t seen Kelly (cleaner) which for her is unusual as she’s usually in 3-4 times a week.(Oddly enough Kelly does work in a very similar shop directly opposite Pauline’s called the One Stop that I occasionally drift in to. I also bought the local rag this morning to see if they have any adverts for cleaners. There were none I could see. I was trying to watch Homes Under the Hammer and double check the paper when my postie came with two more parcels. One was actually a free razor from Wilkinson to try. I think it may have to wait till Spring now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The other parcel was more of a puzzle in that it contained what I’d ordered (baby related) but also contained a free gift because I’d ordered two of the original item. But, no-one told me what the free gift was. It’s certainly not the fingerless gloves their packing note seems to indicate. I think it could either be seat padding for a car seat or perhaps for a high chair. At least that’s what I’m going to tell Yvonne and just hope she doesn’t come back and call me an idiot because it is fingerless gloves after all. The main gifts are quite clever. An attachment to a pram or pushchair handle that allow the pusher to tuck their hands into a sheepskin lined interior for warm fingers. Of no benefit to the pushee though.

After my programme, paper checking and parcel probing I returned to work and the little pile-up of messages accumulated in my absence. Now there’s a thing, why is there always a pile waiting when I go away, but very little when I actually sit here? I think there’s a little gremlin inside my desk top that holds back armfuls of mail until I leave the computer. The moment I do, it’s all released to wait for my return. At 11.50 am I dropped it all in favour of lunch. I put some Irish sausages under the grill while I quickly peeled some sweet potatoes and an onion which I then put in the microwave for 7 minutes. I kept the sausages turning and once the 7 minutes were up I put some beans in the micro, removed the onion and put it on my plate then drained and mashed the sweet potatoes with some butter.They joined the onion and I added four of the sausages. While the beans finished I mixed a small amount of onion gravy. I added the beans and purse the gravy over the sausages and the mash. It was a feast and if you’re hungry now I’m sorry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I watched bargain hunt and managed to wash up before the teams went to auction. What an unmitigated disaster. None of the items chosen made a profit and the only reason one team took some money home (£27) was because one expert made a huge profit of £120. That gives you the scale of the losses. Once Bargain Hunt was over I made a move. I wriggled my bum into a softer spot and nodded off for almost an hour. At 1.50 pm though I suppose conscience got the better of me (chortle) and I returned to work.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Fair play, there was work waiting to be done and I needed to get down to it. I spent until 4.30 pm and the start of The Antiques Road Trip catching up and trying to remember what the heck I wanted to do an ebay search for, that I’d thought of either last night or early this morning. I should carry a pad and pen with me all the time as I’m getting very forgetful. Maybe I was going to look up a pad and pen?                                                                                                                                                                                                             I enjoyed the Road Trip and the quiz that followed. I also enjoyed Eggheads before nipping through to see if I could catch up before 7.00 pm when I noticed a film I fancied. I couldn’t catch up fully but I did make a huge dent in it for later on.With Mike due (I think) there was no telling when I would get back to it of course.                          The message from Mike came at just after 8.00 pm and said he was on his way. That meant an arrival somwhere about 10.00 pm. I watched the film ttill 9.50 pm, ran into my room to do a couple of random messages then went back to catch WDYTYA (Who Do You Think You Are) until 10.00 pm which also gave me time for some supper and to tame my meds. Mike arrived almost on time and wasn’t very happy as he’s had a week rushing back and forth to Manchester to his father. He didn’t know my visitors hadn’t come or he’d have stayed here.

His dad is back in hospital again for various reasons and Mike, never the most patient of people finds himself getting annoyed at having to fill out questionnaires for admission to hospital when he was there so recently. He’s fed up of answering questions that he feels should be a computer click away. He was even more vexed to be asked to sign for an MRI scan when his father has had two so recently. They shouldn’t be asking if he has dementia in the hospital where the dementia was diagnosed just a couple of weeks ago. When he saw him late yesterday he’d just been transferred from A & E to a ward. Mike had gone up with him and waited in a side room as asked and been forgotten about so that when he came out to see if his Dad was ready, no-one knew he was there. We’re very lucky a large mushroom cloud didn’t appear over Manchester last night. From what he says,his Dad may be returning to the nursing home tomorrow. Watch this space.

Sunshine in the Park.

Friday 9th.

My skiving last night made it a late one. After doing the blog I didn’t get to bed until 12.35 am and after a short read my light went out at 1.15 am. It was fantastic to have a disturbance free night and not to wake up until 5.17 am. After skipping to the loo, hey ho, I came back and logged into my talktalk mail. There was no way I could finish it because at 5.45 am I went to go and deal with taking my morning meds and doing my supplies for the next week. It also mean preparing a prescription request ready to take in on Monday for another 4 week supply on the half of the drugs I run out of before next Friday. So far I’ve never been able to get all the dates to coincide on the one prescription but at least I’ve got it that I apply for a different half every two weeks . I also decided to have breakfast so part way through filling my drug tray I took a pre-foodie and stuck a piece of bread in the toaster.

It was almost 6.30 am when I left the kitchen.Still too dark and too early to open Joey’s cage. Even replacing my drug draw in the cabinet near him didn’t seem to disturb him and my presence didn’t bother him either. In the light he’d have been trying to hide behind his mirror if I got that close. Strange, you’d have thought he’d have been more alert to possible danger in the dark.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       So, I took my coffee back to my room after taking my two post-foodie tabs. I carried on with my talktalk mail and at 7.20 am when that was clear, changed to my gmail account. That was temporarily empty at 8.05 am. I took my empty coffee cup back to the kitchen and then opened Joey’s cage door. If I was expecting a grand entrance from him I was to be disappointed. He sat on his perch un-moving and ignoring the open door.                                                                                                                                                              I turned the TV on as it was too early to wake Mike and my interaction with Joey was zilch. I couldn’t turn up the volume while Mike was asleep but oddly enough Joey’s volume control worked on the up and seemed to stick. It’s just as well I wasn’t really watching what was on. Eventually he came out, flew one circuit of the room and landed on the mirror. What a row he had with his opponent. It gets so bad I’m sure he doesn’t like him. I’ve no idea why he keeps going back.

I’d no idea what Mike’s plans are today regards timing so I took a coffee through at 9.00 am and woke him. Then I went back to work on my mail. A knock at the door 9.20 am and there was Darren with another package. This time a remote control light bulb that changes colours to suit moods. I know the one I bought MuJo brings a lot of pleasure.I’m afraid quite a few of us males are gadget mad. Mike got up while I was opening my package in the bedroom. I put that away and left feedback then went to warn Mike to ignore any strange noises in the next few minutes s I cam through and jumped on the bag containing all my plastic bottle waste. I needed more room having not put it out last weekend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I finished off the last couple of pieces om mail then went through to the lounge. Frasier was on and Joey was still trying to talk over it. I tolerated the noise until Homes Under the Hammer came on then I started tapping my knee. It distracted him and the movement kept him quiet without it creating any noise of it ‘s own. The times I forgot to do it he started again.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             As the programme finished I said I was coming through to get dressed (at10.00 am !!) and left the room. Mike decided to do the same and called after me to see whether I wanted the TV off. I answered “Yes please”. Perhaps that shut Joey up having no competition. Once dressed I concentrated hard on work. Mike came through to say goodbye as he trotted off to see his Dad. I worked until 11.55 am then gave thought to going to the chippie for lunch. Instead I had one of the chips and curry sauce packs I get from Pauline’s followed by the last of the rhubarb and strawberry tart from ALDI. I just hope Mike doesn’t want it tonight.

I washed up during a lull in Bargain Hunt which was quite handy as had I left it there’s a chance the tray would have slid off my knee the minute I fell asleep which was the moment Bargain Hunt ended. The noise would no doubt of woken me and I’d have been even more grumpy old man than usual. The sleep lasted until 1.35 pm and was invigorating. I was ready then to come back to work until 3.00 pm when I had a small break and until 4.30 pm when I knocked off for my usual programmes. Once the Antiques Road Trip was over I kind of lost interest and took to inspecting the inside of my eyelids intermittently. At 6.15 pm I came through to catch up on emails.  I showered at 7.00 pm so I’d be in time for Would I Lie To You.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I made it in time for the programme and just a few minutes into it Mike sent a message to say he was on his way. I also saw Mastermind and considered going back to work but just after I’d put the kettle on and done Mike’s mug in he walked. I listened to the latest part of his saga with some disbelief. His Dad is still in hospital because the home he was in has had an almost total change of staff- from the top down- in the few days he’s been away. They insist on reassessing his needs before allowing him back. The new assessment is on Monday.If all is well he can move back to the home and complete his respite/convalescence/holiday whichever it’s necessary to tell him at the time. And just to prove me wrong about saying how antisocial he is, Mike saw him eating with the other residents last Sunday. It’s now a case of seeing whether he adjusts to the thought of full time care or is unhappy if he can’t leave when the holiday is up.

I put the England match on for Mike at 9.30 pm and came through to work. It took some time to deal with the mail and some time to show Mike the contents on an online magazine that fascinate me ( No madam, it’s NOT that kind of magazine at all). Finally I was able to get at the blog and I’ll still be in bed for midnight.

Gruffalo love

Count the fingers Gruffalo.

Saturday 10th.

I made the midnight deadline with minutes to spare. I was tired, and though reading a book I really didn’t want to put down ( The Right Wrong Man by Pamela S. Wight) I had to force myself to read two short chapters and turn the light off at 12.25 am. Waking up was at 2.17 am and it dawned on me dawn was along time off. I knew I was still tired and decided to try my chair in the lounge. Bingo, I fell asleep again until 4.46 am, a much better time. Too early to start putting the rubbish out maybe but just right for getting up to date on the mail. So, after the obligatory diversion to the loo I reached the bedroom to power up and log on.                                                                                              A slightly silly post I’d done on the Buthidars blog had received a few likes but attracted no comments thus far. Maybe I sounded too serious which beneath the joke I suspect I was.

Once the talktalk lot were out of the way I opened the gmail and started on those. By 5.50 I was clear on both and able to go have some breakfast and take my meds. Somehow I also remembered to refill my outside pill container in case I ate out. An improvement on Wednesday when I forgot it altogether but still filled my face with sausage and chips.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         As soon as I’d finished eating I emptied the food waste bin and put a new bag in and took the contents outside to the bin for collection later. Then I did the main bin , remembering to empty the bathroom and bedroom bin into it before taking it out. Now it’s just a case of remembering to take the paper waste and plastic waste out when we go. The glass and the tins can wait another week or so. As I came back in it was time to put the kettle on for Mike’s drink. When I took it through and woke him it was about a minute before his first alarm went off so I hoped the combination of the two together would have worked. Not a chance. I determined not to go and remind him about the coffee until I’d finished work on the emails but I heard the alarm go off twice more before he moved. Today’s score. Calls 1-Alarms 3, Winner-Mike.

Despite the late start we were still out for 7.30 am and shopping by 8.30 am. There were a few little extras I needed today but even so  I knew there would be tears before bedtime when I found how much I’d spent. Mike was delighted of course and told the lady on the till it put me nearer the heart attack than before,Yay. I have no idea at all why I bought him a coffee.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       We packed the car and headed towards Flint making a slight detour to a shop called Charlie’s to get ideas for gifts and just to generally see what was around. After we’d been there we continued on to Flint. We went straight for our coffee and his teasted toecake  and waited till we’d come out of there to go round the shops. Naturally I forgot I needed pillows at Asda, Charlie’s and all the Flint shops despite having it written on my list.                                                                                                                                                                    As the morning drew on we decided to headed to the Dragon’s Rest for lunch and then go to The Tweed Mill. The food in the Dragon’s Rest was good and in my case very welcome not least because somehow bacon had made it to the plate. It enabled me to have my second set of foodie tablets anyway. The Tweed Mill was full of so many things I’d like in country clothing and full of excellent gift ideas too. We had a coffee before Mike tried on some shoes. He has a problem in that he has small feet for a man. Today he managed to find a men’s size 6 to try but it rattled about on his foot. That left me with a sinking feeling which needs explanation.                                                                    I wanted to get him something nice for his birthday and chose some shoes I was sure he’d like. I took a chance on a man’s size 6 which is a 40 rather than the continental size 6 which is a 39 (also a ladies size 6). After the performance today I thought the shoes I’d bought would be too big. So when we came home I knew I didn’t want to disappoint him on his birthday, I got them out for him to try. At least if they were too big I could find an alternative. As luck would have it, I’d chosen a winklepicker toe and with a little insole he said they were fine. I was prepared to let him have them now but he insisted I take then back and he’ll try to forget about them for November.

We’d obviously put the shopping away before I passed the shoes over. Once they were away again I was able to work from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm on some of the mail. I joined Mike in the lounge, technically I suppose I joined Joey as Mike was asleep. The minute he heard the start of the quiz he usually calls me for he woke.                                               I stayed until 9.00 pm then came back on the attack again. Things went well and I rejoined Mike for  another show we generally watch together. At 11.00 pm though there was no choice, I had to work. I concentrated on the blog and have left the mail for either Tom or Ron.(TOMorrow or lateRON). This brings me nicely to the point where I add my final music of the week. This time I’m finishing with a Motown record as I’ve always been a big fan. There are some fantastic artistes like Smokey, Four Tops, The Supremes and many others but this man had such a talent especially with duets but this is one of my favourite songs by him.

Have a wonderful week full of dreams come true. Don’t forget to  HUG, make the Buthidars proud.

When the Postman knocks twice….

Sunday 21 st June.

Another night sleeping in my chair in the lounge ensured I got some sleep and kept breathing.It was a long night though and I didn’t want to turn the TV on even quietly in case it disturbed Mike. As it happens, he tells me he had a poor night listening out to make sure I was still breathing.  I got up at 6.00 am and started taking meds and making myself some toast to take the steroids with. I didn’t know they needed feeding first.

I was in my bedroom on the computer when Mike stuck his head in about 9.30 am. He’s getting very good at getting himself up. He’ll be getting himself dressed soon as well. We had plenty of time this morning as we weren’t meeting anyone for lunch until 12.30 pm so needn’t think of leaving before 11.30 am. By the time we’d faffed about shaving and getting dressed it was 11.45 am. We took a slow drive down the coast road to Prestatyn and parked up in the car park of the new place. It looked much nicer than it had when it was the worst pub in the town. A new extension made all the difference. Mike and I were a bit worried that no-one was inside when we got there, especially Karen and Jo who’d made the booking. I was beginning to think I’d directed Mike to the wrong place. Then Lee , Jen and the new baby arrived so I thought we were OK. The booking was for 12.30 pm and at 12.40 pm we’re on the steps being told there’s no booking and heck No Karen and Jo, no Yvonne, Ugo and Reuben either.

Karen and Jo were last to arrive. I expect it of Yvonne/Ugo but not usually them. Anyway, the booking was sorted. The Manageress had taken it and not written it down. The staff couldn’t argue with her. They found us two tables to push together, Reuben was brought paper and crayons and things were looking up. We still had the argument about who’s paying to go through and someone rugby tackled my legs when I tried to do a runner. Of the 8 adults 7 chose a carvery and Ugo chose a lamb burger meal. The fathers amongst us were given vouchers for a free drink ( but only alcoholic?) so I passed my voucher to Ugo and had a lime and lemonade. He was having a pint of beer anyway but could maybe take a bottle home. He ended up with two of those.

The carvery was fantastic and I was worried when the manageress came round to help me fill my plate because of the crutches. When that’s happened in the past  the ‘helpful’ ones have restricted my intake. She was amazing offering more and more which had I accepted would have looked like The Great Pyramid of Giza and she’d have broken a wrist carrying it. I tell you this so you can see how restrained I am. I take a lot of strength from being with my family like that, they’re special people but before too long I’d had enough. I asked for another lime and lemonade then we all went our merry way. At home Mike was going to watch the grand prix but my eyes were tired and heavy and I fell into a deep sleep that lasted over two hours he told me. At least I woke up in time for him to go this time. After waving him off about 6.30 pm I sat back in front of the TV  and coughed, coughed and coughed some more till it was bedtime.

Warpaint on.

Ready for wandering

Monday.

On this Date, at this Place, at this Time, nothing extraordinary happened. I should have a plaque put above my front door. I had managed to get some sleep in the chair but was still up and about before 5.00 am.  I had a pre-foodie to have breakfast to take the steroids and then took all my other meds. I took a coffee to the bedroom and had a half hour on the computer before getting dressed. At 8.50 am I started walking towards the Chemist/Post Office. I needed to hand in my request for repeat prescriptions and then also to post a parcel. I hope early next week a friend may get a nice surprise and have a giggle. On the way back I called in at Pauline’s to buy a few things. After I’d paid for them I handed over my lottery ticket from Saturday to collect £25 I’d won. Nice to leave the shop with a profit.

Back at home I was knackered. I sat in my chair to watch a programme on buying houses at auctions. I fell asleep. A good thing maybe as sleep is the great cure-all, but I didn’t hear the warden at the door and so missed her visit. Yvonne texted me to say she’d had a message on her phone from the DWP ( Dept of Works and Pensions) which must mean they have more questions. But, they hadn’t phoned my house phone and left a message, and nor told Yvonne anything on the phone. Annoyingly when she tried to phone back during a work break she just got a recorded message to say if they required anything else they’d phone again. That leads me to think they’ll actually waste more time now and write to me.  I’ve nothing left to give them, they already have all the proof I had to give them. I just want to hear they’ve sorted the mess that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

After lunch I managed a read , a sleep and a bit of TV. Then I had the worst coughing fit yet which completely blacked me out, but I don’t know how long for. Probably a matter of seconds I suppose. For my tea I took my Oz Doc’s advice and indulged in a little BFG. I’d forgotten how good it tasted. Later in the evening ,well after my quizzes and a really upsetting Who Do You Think You Are with Stephen Fry I came back to the computer for what should have been a half hour but which turned out to be an hour and a half. At least I managed to get some work done and my conscience pricks less.

Tuesday.

At 2.00 am I gave up trying to sleep in the bedroom. I kept sliding down the bed and trying to roll onto my right side which is how I sleep usually. Pure Bert next door must be fed up of the constant coughing now, and mine’s no better. I went through to the lounge and slept there till 5.00 am. I had an early breakfast with my steroids and left the rest till later. I’m still not up to spending all my time on the computer keeping up with emails so am still limiting my time. But, from 5.30 am to 7.00 am didn’t seem to bad. Then I took the rest of the meds and nodded off in the chair for another hour. I’ve no intention of leaving the house today so got dressed leaving my socks off, I’m such a Bohemian. I saw one of my neighbours going out and a few minutes later saw the warden going to his door. I opened the front door to apologise for missing her yesterday while I slept. She came in today and we had a good old chinwag which also involved her persuading me to wear my alarm pendant while I’m still below par. Any repeat hiccups like yesterday and I may need help. Once she’d gone the postie came and he brought the leather jacket I’d ordered just yesterday morning. Talk about speed. Now I must try and see Karen and Jo before they go away next week.

I had corned beef hash at lunch time and watched my Bargain Hunt then back on the computer for a while but at 2.30 am I’d had enough and went through to the lounge. My timing was actually perfect. The phone rang and when it stopped I checked and it was the DWP (pensions) who next rang Yvonne and told her yes, there had been an error and they hadn’t allowed for my tax, hence a large deduction and an overpayment. It seems the fault was actually mine though for having provided them with too much information. i.e. I told them the percentage increase and I told them the gross amount. At that point I had already given them the nett amount showing my new rate but the gross figure just threw them. I shouldn’t supply that next year. I can just imagine myself doing that and being accused of not providing enough information. Still, hopefully that’s one problem that might have gone away by Thursday, before the non-existent debt recovery starts. I hoped my drugs might have arrived today but for some reason not. I shall have to walk to the chemist tomorrow to make sure they haven’t been held because they’re waiting for one item again. I am in need of one item. It looks as though we may ( ha, why do I say we when I mean Yvonne) have to phone for more anti-biotics and possibly steroids again in the morning as the chest is still not right though my breathing is much improved.

Wednesday.

I read quite late last night, took off the alarm pendant and tried to sleep. It was impossible to get into a position where I didn’t cough so it was back to my chair again. That worked out quite well as I slept until almost 6.00 am. The sun was up and it looked glorious outside. I took my meds and made a coffee to bring with me into the gloom of my bedroom where the curtains never get opened. I hate the glare of sunlight on my screen. The post wasn’t too bad especially when done in bite size chunks and by 8.00 am I’d actually completed on of the mailboxes. I celebrated with some smothered toast for breakfast.

At 9.00 m I took a slow walk to Pauline’s for some bread and my TV mag. I went in just a tee shirt ( yes, I was wearing jeans too) and there seemed to be some warmth from the sun. It was really pleasant. Aldo pleasant was the ability to breathe again. Though the walk left me breathless, it wasn’t the same as the oppressiveness of the bronchitis. The cough and it’s content are still there though so Yvonne had spoken to the surgery and asked for another home visit to see if more steroids & antibiotics are needed. We’ll have to see who I get this time.

The postman came when I got back but still nothing from the DWP who have supposedly put a letter in the post for me. A text from Dil putting tonight off was disappointing but then he rescheduled for tomorrow and that was great. I watched TV during the morning and occasionally nodded off. During Bargain Hunt the doctor chose to appear so I missed the auctions at the end, Bummer. She was nicer today and almost pleasant after the lecture about you know what. Anyway, she left me a prescription for more steroids on a declining dose after 5 days and some more antibiotics. I also have to give a sputum sample but it didn’t occur to me to ask what she wanted me to do with it after I’d given it. Anyway, once she’d gone I got my shoes on and trudged up as far as the chemist then stood gasping for breath while he filled the prescription. At the same time, my drugs from the Monday morning request had been dealt with and I was able to bring those home too. I had some beef stew and dumplings for lunch which was quite pleasant then even though I wanted a nap I decided to come through and heck the post so I can get back to normal, if you can use that word and me in the same sentence.

I stayed answering mail for almost 2 hours and it left me weary. ( my excuse and I’m sticking to it). Back to my chair in the lounge and I flaked out for over an hour and missed the start of my quiz. After Quizzes 1 & 2 I moved on to a show called Wheeler Dealers for half an hour and then came back for another attempt at the mail. By 8.00 pm I’d succeeded in clearing one account out but didn’t have time for the other just then. I needed a cold drink and the chance to watch some more TV , in particular at 9.00 pm is the show Auction Hunters I mentioned last week. It’s excellent. And it was, excellent I mean, lots of enthusiasm from the two buyers but lots of humour too. And no nastiness towards the others trying to buy the ‘rooms’ which many of the other shows seem to feature. I have a particular dislike for Lori and Brandon off a different show and I’m ashamed to be British when I see the competitors on the UK version. Nasty, Nasty, Brashty. At 10.00 pm I came back through to check my mail boxes and unbelievably they were clear so I took the opportunity to get an early reading night.

Thursday.

I did a fair bit of reading in bed last night. It was getting on for 3.00 am when I turned the light off and since I seemed to be well propped decided to sleep where I was. It was lovely to wake this morning to quite bright sunshine, even if I was seeing it at a slightly odd angle- sideways on and through a ferocious coughing fit. Obviously the two were related since I’d toppled over at a right angle and my lungs weren’t able to get any air. I struggled upright and swung my legs out of bed. The coughing subsided on the way to the loo which was just as well as I wasn’t wearing the alarm pendant. I came back and cleared my office chair to let me sit down and log on. It was then I noticed it was only 5.20 am. I felt cheated. Anyway, at least there was chance to sign into my bank and see what’s happened with my pension payments following the DWP conversation with Yvonne a couple of days ago. Firstly let me clear up that my maths wasn’t very accurate. They’ve been taking £25 pw from me not £30 pw. And they’ve done it for 4 weeks so far so they should owe me £100 plus this week’s money at the rate before their mistake. But,though they have in fact paid me arrears, it’s very confusing because the figures make no sense. I shall have to try and decipher the letter when it comes.

At 6.00 am I went through and started lobbing pills down my throat in order to have breakfast. I couldn’t be sure of eating at the other end of the day with Dil coming for games night so breakfast and lunch seem the most appropriate meals today. Coming back after my Cornflakes I started an assault on the mail. Things were going so well I was able to get dressed at 8.30 am ( in actual fact I did have the ability to get dressed before this but chose not too) and at 9.00 am I was ready to brave the Mother’s Mafia to get my lottery tickets. It was really odd that as I approached the road I needed to cross a large estate car turned partly out of the traffic coming down the hill as though to turn into my road but then started trying to u-turn back into the flow it had just left. Then the brakes went on where she was, across the junction. When I came out of Pauline’s minutes later ( I got to the front of the queue) the car was now on my side of the road, facing the traffic going downhill but backing into a position on the other side of the road as though trying to park up. She then shot forward and edged into the downhill flow where she’d started from and all without a single signal.

The postie came not long after I arrived home and yes, it was a big brown envelope. Here I was hoping for an explanation of what’s happened with the pension and all I got was a letter regarding the start of recovery on the £142.00 I don’t owe them. The letter says they’ll start next week but hopefully by then the whole thing will have been ironed out. Still no sign of the letter supposedly sent to me on Monday. I had a little time back with my mail and then retired to the lounge for a look at a property programme and one re-uniting missing family members both were followed by my Bargain Hunt. The property one I really enjoy and slept through most of it. The family one I was awake for but missed chunks while I did my lunch of sausage, boiled new potatoes and beans and then I was able to watch Bargain Hunt in full- Yes, you heard me, even to the auction phase though I don’t remember the results so my attention may have been elsewhere. I turned off after that and came back through to see how much damage the morning had wrought on my post. Answer, A lot. I could only allow an hour as I’d promised myself Who Do You Think You Are with the great Annie Lennox as the subject. Fascinating.

I had a text about 2.30 pm to say Mike was on his way so hopefully he’ll be here by 5.30 pm. I also had a text from Dil to see if other visitors were here today. He’s now coming about 4.30 pm which is brilliant. My brother is one of the nicest people I know.Very laid back and even tempered which is not to say he can’t get angry when the occasion warrants it. We have been apart for many years living in different places. Never kept in touch except for the odd Christmas card but I’ve never disliked my brother or not been glad to see him. Our closeness over the last four years or so since they moved back into the area has been great, especially with the institution of this games evening after Ju died that he seems to enjoy as much as I do. Anyhoo, Dil and Matt arrived about 4.20 am, I’d forgotten he was off this week. Mike strolled in at just gone 5.00 pm so I got his drink and we all sat to watch the quiz. At 6.00 pm when the quiz was over off went the TV and out came the table. I can tell you we played Yahtzee, Chase the Lady and Crazy 8’s. I can tell you also that if I have to mention the scores I may well have to jump off a high bridge. Even my constant coughing didn’t distract them, merciless as they are. Are you beginning to get the gist of this conversation and an idea about the type of people I play games with?

At 9.30 pm Dil and Matt left a lot smugger than they arrived. I tidied up quickly and then made Mike something to eat though actually I just told him how much time to put on the microwave. I had a sandwich and then we settled to watch Person of Interest. It’s a shame I’ve missed so many of them and can’t follow the story anymore. At 11.00 pm I said goodnight and came through to have a last go at the mail. It’s 3 mins to midnight now and I’m heading off for a read.

Friday.

A slightly surreal start to the day.I went through to the lounge and my chair when I finished reading at 1.00 am. I slept until 3.40 am then came through to the bedroom. Immediately there was a coughing fit which was followed by a huge sneeze and my glasses shot off my nose. I have shocking eyesight without the glasses and having a rough idea of direction I got down on my knees to search. I was praying for no accidents as my spares are a dark lens and inside the house not ideal. Even sunny days look grim. The area to search wasn’t very big since it’s a small room and I sit in the middle of it, but, no sign of the glasses. I moved a pair of shoes to see if they’d gone behind but instead found they’d landed, properly folded ( and intact) inside the left shoe. I turned the computer on and headed for the bank. No more from the DWP but at least my normal pension has gone in and I can eat again. Once I’d done that I signed into the first of my mail boxes and started clearing what I could.

At 6.10 am I went through to the kitchen. Had my normal sprays and my usual tablets then added the antibiotic to the mix. I took a pre-foodie,put two pieces of bread in the toaster and put the steroids and post foodies to one side. Being Friday it’s renewal day for my drug container. Yesterday when pushing an antibiotic out of the foil I’d split a nail well below the part where skin joins nail and had to apply a plaster immediately. This morning I found I couldn’t use my right thumb for the job without bending the nail in a way I really didn’t want. I had to resort to useless left hand and the job ended up taking until 6.55 am,way outside the 15 mins between pre-foodie and eating. I think I inhaled the toast it was gone so quickly. I made my coffee to take the other tablets with and left the kitchen.

It was still too early to wake Mike no matter how much the temptation rattled round my cruel head, and I didn’t want to start watching TV so it was back to work. At least no-one can moan when I’m alone. By 8.30 am I’d actually got more or less up to date and I knew my life was returning to normal as within a very short space of time I was notified of a $25.5 m payment due to me, told I’d need to clarify certain information with The Bank of Ireland  despite not dealing with them and also reminded that I didn’t have long left to pick up my £25 voucher from a clothing store even though I could patently see they hadn’t sent it. I think the silly season is starting again. I got dressed. There had been rain outside ( huh, how unusual- sarcasm) but it was still warm enough for a tee-shirt. At 8.45 am I put the kettle on and made Mike a coffee which I took through. He doesn’t use an alarm on a Friday so I knew he’d not catch me being early unless he got up immediately. Ha, I should stop this, I don’t specialise in fairy stories. I woke him , told him the drink was there then left him for a few minutes. At 9.00 am I called to him that his drink was going cold and that I was going to Pauline’s for milk.

No mother’s mafia today but there were a couple of customers in. Pauline greeted me and served me with milk, a small bottle of pop and two ice lollies since I was so thirsty and warm. Mike was up and in the lounge when I got back. Judging by his state of dress he was warm too. I remember he told me his lady friends said he has the body of a god. I can see that for myself now, it’s Buddah. Not that I’m any better, just longer so the fat is a little better stretched. I’m the Michelin man with a few extra spare tyres. I sat down with him for a while but this morning he got himself ready to go early as he was dropping a sputum sample off at the surgery for me. I suppose I should put it in a jar? He left at 9.45 am and I’m afraid I turned the TV on to watch a property auction programme and promptly fell asleep. I woke for the last 15 minutes then nodded straight off again missing all the next programme and woke up just at the start of the reuniting family programme. I managed most of that before dropping off yet again and missing most of the antiques show. When I finally woke there seemed no reason to watch the end of it so I turned off and went to make lunch which today just happened to be cottage pie.

After lunch I went back to the computer for a while but I was still tired and now had indigestion which stayed with me the rest of the day. I had my lollies to try and ease the situation but no joy and a drink of pop just made me hiccup and burp. At 3.30 pm I gave up and went back to my chair and the sleep it seemed I needed. Any Zzzz’s floating round must have been mistaken for the insect population so there were no complaints from outside. At 5.00 pm I readied myself for the quiz and got a message from Mike that he was on his way back. Should be here about 6.30 pm then. Idle beggar took an extra ten minutes. I did his coffee and when my episode of Big Bang Theory was over went to get a shower. Mike did my hair for me to save me stretching and then bollocked me for flooding the bathroom floor- don’t ask ! We watched some TV together until 10.00 pm when I decided to come through and attack the mail again for the last time.  I wanted my bed but the mail kept me till 11.00 pm. The bully said I could have an extra half hour for this and left. Just as well he can’t hear me from his room but I’m tapping very lightly just in case.

Statue of ballerina

 

Statue. Your Country Needs You !

Saturday.

Again I read till one. I turned the light out but couldn’t get to sleep. About 2.00 am I went through to the lounge and about 2.30 I heard Mike go to the loo. After that I nodded off until 3.40 am when I though I might just give bed one more try. I propped myself up and zonked. The next thing I know is Mike’s alarm is going off. He’s ignoring it two rooms away and it’s waking me up here. I must have stung someone nice as a wasp in my previous life is all I can say. I galloped to the kitchen and put the kettle on and the stuff in his cup. Then I started taking my tabs. I had a pre-foodie so I could take my prednisilone afterwards. The kettle boiled and I took his drink through more or less as his alarm went off the second time.Back to the kitchen where I finished taking sprays and had a round of toast to take the last of my tablets with. I made myself a cup of coffee and went through to give Mike his second call for me and remind him the coffee was going cold. I got a perfectly viable answer from him which let me think job done but no, his bloody alarm went for the third time and he still went back to sleep. I was trying to get my rubbish bags together and the recycling stuff. I dropped it at the end of the path and when I came back in his fourth alarm coincided with me asking if he was going for a new record this week. He moved, it was 7.00 pm. Mike 4 A 3 C  a new low I think.

By the time we were both dressed and ready to go it was 7.40 am but we were there by just past 8.00 am thanks to Mike having permission to travel at the speed of light and the luck to get there in one piece. I got money from the machine and we started.  Typically my shopping list was still sitting on the table at home, but I had last weeks I could play around with. I got every single item on there spot on.Mainly because the only foodstuff was milk, but hey you can’t have everything. Mike had needed some slacks as he’d forgotten to pack a spare pair and he was lucky to find some. We needed some nice chocolates for Ceri’s 40th tomorrow and we found those too. We’d have to leave them for her today as she’s on a weekend off and I don’t usually get there on a Sunday anyway. I should tell you also I got a round of applause on the bread aisle for not being in a wheelchair this week. I didn’t tell them it was because I don’t trust someone’s driving. Keep backing up and locking the wheels etc. Or ditching me mid -aisle while he runs to the loo. I’m not naming names though. After the checkout it was time for a drink and I had a nice- but very thick- chocolate milkshake while Mike had his usual coffee.

Off to Flint next where we parked up and walked over to Homies for a card and gift bag. Mike sat on a bench and wrote them out before we went to Temptations for our usual. I say our usual but I don’t usually have a piece of lemon meringue but I did today. We went to the frozen food shop where I stocked up on ice lollies because of the fantastic temperatures they’ve promised sometime during next week. Most of which will probably be gone this afternoon during the moderate heat of today. When we’d unpaacked at home I opened my mail. The promised brown envelope. Would you believe the letter says my money has been adjusted from 23 May but will go down again on 03.Jul to start recovering the non-existent debt until October. I didn’t know whether to laugh hysterically or weep with frustration. How can they balls up something so simple a second time?

Mike wanted a specific thingamabob to fix his whajacallit so we decided to head towards the Greyhound Park in Chester and we were wondering where to eat today. Passing through Flint we spotted a little cafe and tried there. Not too bad. We carried on to Chester  and I showed him one shop to price them up. Then we could go to another hop to price theirs and pick the best. It was the second shop for him and while there I bought a fan as he complains he gets too warm to sleep at night. Funny. I always thought it was too warm to wake he got. We went into a large  new shop there where I also found a pedestal fan at a good price which I picked up so I have a reserve should I need one. We sat in the car with an ice cream and then headed home.  I needed to get a look at my mail if nothing else. He allowed me from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm on the computer which seemed a real treat until I tried sitting down for that long to do  it. I managed to do it. We watched Avatar which he hadn’t seen before then a topical subject programme/quiz. Eventually I managed to sneak away again to look at the mail and to do the blog. I think he must have fallen asleep again.

Struttin’ his stuff.

And modelling this season’s latest…

Have a wonderful new week full of Hugs.

 

 

Boggled & Pinocchio is found.

Sunday 17th May 2015.
I was woken by such a cacophony of sound I thought my friend Lottie had sent the village choir of peacock, donkey and assorted wildfowl over so she got her well earned rest, but no, the sound emanated from a bedroom close by where Michael must have been conducting composition for old wheezy bellows and badly tuned violin. We both must give serious consideration to giving up smoking. It’s no good, I can’t keep a straight face this long. That’s a pipe dream since I don’t have the willpower to go cold turkey and none of the other remedies seem to have had the least effect including hypnotherapy which I feel just wasted my money.
So here I was at 3.23 am with an early start at my mail. I must admit that since I didn’t turn my light off until 12.30 am I don’t feel too bad but maybe it’ll catch up on me later.
I cleared the first mail box by 5.45 am and went for a break in the lounge, pleased with myself ( smug little ****) I restarted at 6.30 am and had a break at 7.00 am to take my meds and make a coffee. Still by 8.20 am I was clear again. All was peaceful since the background ‘music’ had ceased so while the boxes started filling up again I headed for ebay to do a few searches just for fun. One thing I do need are some new Stubbi pouches so I have somewhere to deposit the end of my cigarettes when I’m outside. The ones I’m currently using have been going continuously for over 5 years and their lifespan is supposed to be much less. The price on ebay varies so much it’s ridiculous from about 60p each to a whopping £2.25. Maybe I should buy 10 and pass a few out to the idiots who litter the streets with ‘dogends’ and risk the fines if they’re caught. Currently running at £60 I think. I bought some. I was just in the process of paying for them when I heard a cough at my bedroom door. By jingo, 8.29 am and he’s up. No alarms , no callings and he’s up. The shock nearly finished me but I rallied. He disappeared to make his own coffee while I finished off then I joined him.

The silence in the lounge was deafening though he didn’t fall asleep again. I put Frasier on the TV until he came round.At 9.30 am he was close so I went and got dressed. He wasn’t far behind me and came through to find me working again. He asked what I wanted to do. I had nothing in mind but offered options like going to Chester so he could get some jumpers like mine he liked, or perhaps heading in the other direction to The Bells of St Mary’s and having breakfast rather than lunch. I let him strain his brain while I put my shoes on. At about 10.00 am we were on our way, but I had no idea where until we’d made our way up to town and turned left. I knew then we were on out way towards Chester.It was then I wished we’d brought out the jacket for Yvonne and maybe we’d have caught hem before they left to go out, or Lee’s birthday present and perhaps seen the baby for a minute again. We parked down by the river in Chester because it’s the only place I knew where I could park for a while using my blue badge (disabled parking permission).From there it was a long, hard, breath dragging slog into the shopping area of town. We still managed to be in the shop we needed before 11.00 am but they were allowing people in to view before the official opening time.

It took a lot longer than expected for Mike to choose his jumpers so the shop was open a long time before he came to pay. We stopped for  quick coffee then left the shop for a cigarette. It was only as we were walking back down the street when I realised it was midday. We walked through the precinct in search of the public loo, for once it wasn’t my bladder had given way on more than a thimbleful of fluid. We headed back downhill (yay) to the car to deposit the shopping and find somewhere for lunch. As it happens there was a place at the far end of the embankment we’ve been to in the past. The Blue Room, which has a fifties theme and pictures and toys everywhere from that era. We started walking. As we approached the end there was no sign until Mike called out they’d given the outside a lick of paint. That’s not all they’d done. It had been remodelled throughout and was now a very upmarket establishment. Would they even let two old farts in? They would and did. As it happened as far as meals went, only the prices appeared to have changed. Anyway I had a nice pot of tea and an enjoyable meal and Mike had his coffee and a big breakfast. We left there and headed home. We got back about 2.30 pm and we sat in the lounge together for a while and then I left Mike to the TV while I came in to work. I knew his football was on his table at 4.00 pm and it would only bore me. I was actually up to date before I expected though and went back through at just gone 5.00 pm. I was tired and started to nod in my chair so Mike actually turned the sound down a bit and was a bit less enthusiastic with his bellowing. I came too as the match was ending on a one all draw which didn’t please him. I was able to block out the blow by blow commentary of who was an idiot luckily.

Somehow we got into a discussion of routes home for him and that led to other things on the map including the whereabouts of a giant car boot sale that Ju and I along with MuJo could never finish. Mike left at 6.30 pm along one of his routes and that left me the chance to work- only I didn’t want to as there was a film on at 7.00 pm I wanted to try so I made myself some tea so I could wash the pots before it started. Thanks to my weak bladder I almost missed the beginning. It turned out to be a kids movie really but I was too idle to move or find something else. I persevered. It was passable and I suppose left me with a smile on my face until the last two minutes or so when suddenly there were so many religious references . So, I was less pleased when I came back to work at 9.00 am but the smile was soon back after reading some of the messages there. They kept me late.

Monday.

I managed to get to bed a little earlier last night but was I sensible and go to sleep sooner? Did I heck, I read a bit extra instead and the light still went out at 10.00 am. I got an undisturbed sleep with no early morning lo calls. When I woke up at 5.09 am though that wasn’t the case. I had to march quite smartly in that direction. I’m quite sure it wasn’t the reason I woke just then though as I wasn’t unpeeling sleep from my eyes. I may not have been ready for the Times crossword but I was quite awake. I went straight onto he main mail box and worked there until 7.00 am when I went to take the morning meds and make a drink. I also put the washing machine on knowing the wash cycle would end before 9.00 am so I could have them dry by midday. I took my drink back to the bedroom and got dressed before going back to work. I think that was more to combat the cold that anything. It’s dull, dreary and wet this morning. I’m glad I don’t need to go out. I forgot to mention I didn’t win the jacket I was after on ebay yesterday,I’m not surprised that it went from £15.01 to £32.00 in the last 10 seconds. I’m trying for a different one today that doesn’t finish until 7.00 pm but I must remember to be back in here in time for that. I’m determined to get my nephew one but I can’t afford £120 to go new. Anyway, when I logged in ebay this morning I had a notice that they’ve issued some money to paypal for the first of the two jackets I ordered from China which never came. I suspect there will be a second notice tomorrow morning for the second one. They’ve really been quick over this one since it was only today that the chance for the seller came to comment and of course he hasn’t done so. Once I’d dealt with that I went back to my mail and worked steadily all morning from one email account to the other.

The warden came about 10.15 am and was here almost an hour today. We were talking about pets. She has a toy poodle and was telling me how she acquired him and how the family adore him. She remembered Oscar but wasn’t warden here when we had the rats and the degus. She didn’t seem to keen on the idea of rats so I brought her through to show her my screensaver which is of Ju with Bernie on her shoulder as she was walking round the room talking on the phone. Bernie loved being with Ju of course and would happily run up and down sleeves and in and out of clothing all day. The most gentle and beautiful of creatures. After the warden (Bev) had gone, I congratulated myself on having a woman in my bedroom for the first time in years.( remind me to brag about it) sat down and did a few more of the accumulated messages then went to do my lunch. I had beef steak and boiled new potatoes, veg and a chinese chip shop style curry sauce that I made instead of gravy in the last minute. I emptied the washer and hung my stuff on the airer while the food was cooking. Once I’d eaten and washed up I watched the end of my antiques show then promptly fell asleep watching a programme about Cleopatra the murderess ( of her sister). I was asleep until 2.10 pm and then with no sign of a conscience at all walked slowly back to work.

I was busy but not pushed for the rest of the afternoon until I broke off at 5.00 pm. I intended to have a light tea while watching my quizzes and see if I can manage a break later to watch a film perhaps. A sandwich for teas and a small trifle went well.I saw the first two quizzes and then darted in and out to see the ebay bid. I didn’t feel too bad about losing the other one because the price shot so high in the last ten seconds but tonight didn’t look like it was going to do that.In the last minute it doubled in price but that was OK it was still good value. I poised with an increase of £6.01 over the last bidder within the last minute and at ten seconds pressed. Damn, whoever it was had bid higher and all I’d managed to do was make them pay more. No doubt the seller was pleased but I wasn’t. I think I’m down to two chances his week now. If I don’t get one of those I’ll have to either give up or revert back to China in the hopes of finding a more honest firm than he one that let me down.

Once the auction was over I went back through to the lounge and instead of waiting for a film later I watched The Antiques Road Trip until 8.00 pm then settled back to work. As you can imagine I was to pay for being away since 5.00 pm. At 10.30 pm I threw my hands up in defeat which is nothing like throwing de’feet up in de hands which can be very painful unless they’re someone else’s. I started doing the blog instead and hoped I might have time to nip back to the post for a few minutes after. I was intending to write very quickly but was defeated by the fact I’m a slow reader, especially of my own mistakes.                                                                                                                               Since a certain someone was pleased with the Spandau Ballet record on the last blog I thought I’d go for the same era tonight. This could be a mistake as this groups fans and Spandau Ballet’s fans often did not get on. I’m not sure how the groups felt. But let’s try.

You’ll understand why there are no new pictures of Reuben at the moment when I say it hasn’t stopped raining yet for him to go out.

Tuesday.

I’m not sure it was worth going to bed last night. The light went off at 12.30 am and went back on at 2.44 am even though I could see fairly well from the clock light and was wide awake. I just thought as there was no-one else to disturb, why not. Since I felt no desperate need for the loo I decided to log onto the computer instead and start on the mail. That poor internet postman could hardly have taken his shoes and socks off before I was there asking him to start his deliveries again. Actually there was just enough in my primary email address to keep me going until 5.00 am when I decided to go take my meds and have breakfast prior to going out. I got to the kitchen, took my pre-food tablet, put two slices of bread in the toaster then spun on my heel and headed for the loo where my bladder showed me who was boss. Not that I was in any doubt about that. The answer is practically anything and anybody except me.

I had my meds and smoked a cigarette while I timed the wait until I could eat. As I buttered the toast I set the Tassimo to start making my coffee, a Kenco medium roast this morning. Once the toast was eaten I was able to take my two post food tablets and head back to work. I cleared the few that had come in from my primary box then opened the secondary box and started there. By 6.35 am that was done and I entertained myself on ebay for a few minutes before getting dressed. I was sorry to note that it won’t be until tomorrow that ebay asks me to close the case of the second missing coat and refer it to them. If it’s like yesterday they’ll refund my payment before the hour is out. I’ve noticed a different firm in China ( I know it’s a different firm I just hope it’s different owners)  that does quite smart leather jackets also at a fraction of the price they are here. I’m tempted again. I know that the Customs Service are quite likely to open the parcel and impose an import duty if one came but it could still be much less than buying one from here new. That’s not always the case. Ju was once sent a gift from the U.S which was about $100 to buy and was declared. They opened it here and I had to pay an import tax of £40 ($60) on it. If I’d bought the thing myself, with our tax it just wouldn’t have been worth it.

Once dressed I was ready and raring to go, it would have been nice if the rain had stopped though. At 7.30 am I went out for the bus and started walking up the road towards the stop. The rain stopped. What a difference it made for the few minutes it took me to reach shelter. Once I was there down it came again. The bus pulled up and I got on. The driver commented on what a pig of a day it was and I sort of half agreed.  I actually nodded off on the journey despite my chin keep bouncing out of the armpiece of my crutch every time we hit a bump. I knew there were people around me so I was hoping the sleep was too light for snoring. When we pulled into my stop at Chester the rain had stopped again and I was able to start smoking a cigarette until Yvonne arrived a few minutes later. Roobs did not look a happy chappie and I wondered if it was because of the rain but Yvonne said he hadn’t slept much and was a bit sneezy. We were about 50 paces down the road before he suddenly pointed and said Pops with a big smile on his face. Poor Yvonne had forgotten her handbag and wanted to run home for it. That could have been a half hour round journey and I wasn’t having that. I thought it would give me the opportunity to pay for the drinks and breakfast.

We had a few minutes in a £ shop while waiting for our usual haunt with the cafe to open. When we got in there I gave her the money to order what she wanted and my reward card to pick up double points for ordering between 9 am – 10 am. I’ve got enough for quite a few coffees at the moment. Roobs decorated the windowsill and floor with his jam on toast and preferred to drink the foam from our coffees than the frothy little chocolate drink that was his own. Yvonne opened the bag I’d brought with her leather jacket and a couple of tops for Reuben. She liked it so I was very relieved.  After breakfast we wandered down to the gents section when I got two more jumpers, one at half price because it was on the wrong stand YAY, and two shirts which were a real bargain. From there we went to get some cakes Yvonne needed as well as some giftwrap and cards. It’s quite a big supermarket so we had a little wander too. Then over to a sports shop that’s closing down, All Stock Must Go, but not at those prices. Yvonne liked some sandals fro Reuben but wouldn’t let me get them. We were going to wander to the precinct but I suggested a cafe in a local church hall so Reuben could play on the floor with toys they have there and I could take a look at the fair trade shop.He had a great time and was really well behaved and careful round the other children there. Yvonne sorted the bags so our shopping was separate. I had a cup of tea. We left when I had 15 minutes to catch my bus.

Back on the bus I waved at them both and hoped it didn’t rain again on their way home. The bus set off and I settled my chin back into the crutch and closed my eyes. Once we crossed the border I relaxed and at the end of the journey I walked down to Pauline’s before going home. Maybe I won’t need to go out tomorrow now. I made lunch the first priority and settled down to eat in front of another Mummy programme but since this was just a possible gunfighter from the ‘Old West’ I wasn’t really interested, especially when it turned out he wasn’t a gunfighter but just someone who’d been embalmed and then stuck in a sideshow with a fanciful story to make someone a lot of money. Once I’d eaten I washed the pots and went through to work. By then of course I had to hold my fist in my mouth to stop from screaming at the result of six and a half hours away. I worked from 2.00 pm to 5.15 pm then had my quizzes and an Antique Road Trip before coming back and working from 8.00 pm to 10.30 pm at which time I stopped to do the blog. Anything left over I’ll do in the morning.

Wednesday.

An improvement today at 3.22 am and I actually put the light off at midnight too. You feel so much better for a proper sleep, or so I’m told! I shouldn’t complain really as I was awake at that time and felt fine.I set the computer to come on while I went to the loo with a  hop, step and jump. I can’t hear the rain today, and the forecast on my phone is sunshine. Wake me again when it comes through will you. I worked on mail until 5.00 am when I went and had some cereal and toast for breakfast and a second helping with all my meds. I brought a coffee back to my room. By 7.15 am I’d dealt with both mailboxes and was up to date. Time to play on ebay. Yep, there’s the message I was expecting asking me if the seller has responded to me. Well that’s a big fat NO then. I filled out the online form which was very small and submitted it. I carried on then to look at the jackets I was following, one due this morning and the price is as yet OK, one due tomorrow where the price is already too high so time to do a new search for that size. I managed to find a few more to follow.

I took a break to do some washing and a little light dusting. Then I washed the kitchen and bathroom floors. I like the new rug for the loo I got at the weekend. It’s a great match. It was now 10.10 am so I went back through to get dressed and clear the post boxes again. I’d just got dressed when there was a knock at the door. Darren my postie had two parcels for me and I was so pleased as I hadn’t expected them before Friday at least. They’re both excellent. and I’ve left Mike’s jacket in his room. With that extra time wasted I had to get a move on with the e-post,,just as well Darren hadn’t brought me any mail as well. At 11.45 I called a halt though no-one heard me ( so did I really say it?) and decided to prepare for lunch. I started that by finding something to watch and that choice ended up being ….Bargain Hunt, so there’s a surprise. A bigger surprise is that I couldn’t eat all my lunch today, except the veg. I never believed I could over face myself. Pity no-one was here to witness it. I washed the pots and settled to watch the rest of the programme but it was a losing battle Zzzzzzzz. I was like that until 2.05 pm and very slow to realise not only where I was but that the post wasn’t doing itself.

I lumbered back through bringing a bottle of Fanta Zero as I’d finished my Pepsi Max earlier. A quick drink then I started.It was bad, very bad in fact almost as bad as bad gets, both boxes were bulging.I worked until 4.45 pm and they weren’t bulging anything like they had been but neither was empty because as soon as I reached the point of one being empty and started another, some bright spark wrote something for the first one again. When I finished I estimated about twenty in one and perhaps half that in the second. Heaven knew what they’d be like when I got back here about 9.30 pm.  Dil and Matt turned up about 5.10 pm, I was already in the kitchen when I heard them and already had their mugs ready so I started the drinks straight away. They must have thought me efficient for once. Not being out of breath trying to rush to the kitchen before they reached the door. They were in time for the start of the quiz so we sat down to watch it together.  Dil and I are OK on music unless it’s very modern when we’ll bow to Matt, Dil deals with football and I stand a good chance with art and literature. General knowledge we all have a go at. Once it was over and we all understood we knew absolutely nothing about anything Dil got the card table out and pulled out the Yahtzee to play first.  Let it be known throughout The Shires that the Age of Miracles is not yet past. I won 4 of the 6 games to give me first blood. It was Matt’s call as to what we played next and out came the Boggle. I knew this one was going to be a struggle, not because I don’t know any words but because I lack the speed to follow the convoluted paths some of the letters take to make a word. That was game to Dil. Game 3 was cards and because it’s Matt’s favourite he chose Crazy 8’s and then had the cheek to win it in short order. That left time to play a fourth game though I’m sure Matt hadn’t expected that. We settled on Nomination Whist but only played from 8 down and back up again.  It was nip and tuck with us all taking turns at the lead until we passed the halfway mark. It was then I started to make a break for the front and despite the evil intent of my brother and nephew I managed to get enough of a lead that no matter how many times they messed up my call, I would win. So for once it went my way.

They left at 9.30 as usual so I was able to tidy up and wash the pots before coming through for the night.  I had to work on the post until 11.00 pm so I could see the wood for the trees then I daren’t leave the blog any longer. The rest of the post will have to wait until morning.

Thursday.

I read for the shortest time last night and my light was out by 12.15 am. I think I was asleep as my head hit the pillow, or concussed anyway. I slept until 4.17 am and think that was pretty good. As I left the bedroom to myrinate ( I don’t see why it should be Ur inate )I turned the computer on and stuck it near a radiator to warm up. When I came back all I had to do was sign in. I opened the first mail box and was quite pleased to see I might just finish the messages today, at least last night’s stuff. Actually it might be a slight exaggeration since it took me to 6.55 am to get up to date including today’s. I went to the kitchen and took my meds and made a coffee which I brought back with me. I opened the second mail box and went on the attack. Joy of joys there were a lot of duplicates and so at 8.00 am I was able to sit back and open ebay. I kept myself to doing nothing but look this morning doing searches through all my favourite products to check things out.  The pleasure of that time didn’t last long.

The postie arrived with what looked like a letter from the Pensions Service no doubt re-assessing my benefit based on the 1.2% increase in my private pension this year. That works out at less than £2 per week so shouldn’t make a big difference. I couldn’t have been further from the truth. The letter was from the Pensions Service but was not a reassessment of benefit as such, it was a bill for an overpayment of benefit from 03.04.15 to 05.05.15 for over £142.00. How a figure that doesn’t reach £142 can create a bill for that amount is beyond me. The bill takes in a period I wasn’t aware of an increase and in fact had not received it since it’s only payable on 28th of as month and I got it before I was told I was getting it. Needless to say I notified the Pensions Service straight away in a recorded delivery letter. What I believe has happened is that someone has put the gross amount of pension in but not the nett amount after taxation. They were also notified of the taxation level as soon as I had confirmation of it. This letter confirm the overpayment and what deductions will be made from my money to recover it. I went into the bank to check what they’d paid me this week and it was £30 down. So that amount down plus the amount they intend to start recovering at means until this is sorted I will receive about a third of what it should be. One very long letter later and another trip to the Post Office and I had sent in an appeal for a re-determination also by recorded delivery. Lets hope they can manage to correct this in record time and not claim the letter has never been received.

Between one thing and another I was busy all morning and only stopped for lunch at 11.55 am. As I went through to take my pre-foodie I turned TV on ready for Bargain Hunt. I was ready in time for the start and before the auction started I’d washed my plate up. I saw the auction and one team making a nice profit on everything just before someone turned the lights out. It was nearly 2.10 pm before they were turned on again. I turned the TV off and let my conscience walk me through here to start work again. It was just as well since the sides of both the mail sacks were bulging. It took me some time to get them down again, almost 4.30 pm. In the meantime I had a text from Mike to say he was on his way and I reckoned he’d get here about 6.30 pm. I wandered off to watch my first quiz then the second and followed that up with the start of a Big Bang Theory when at 6.30 pm in he walked so I made a coffee while he put his case in his bedroom and tried out his new jacket. Since Mike was here I couldn’t possibly just walk away and leave him yet so I stayed and forced myself to watch two episodes of the Antiques Road Trip with him. Then I was able to disappear because my new Big Bang Theory was on at 8.30 pm so I’d only be away half an hour. As it happens he thought I looked a bit down and came through to speak to me for 20 mins which left me just 10 minutes to work!

Once the Big Bang Theory was over I came back fully intending to stay and catch up.Which apart from a minor diversion to take my meds I did. At 10.30 pm I quit the mail ( not much left anyway) in order to do the blog. I should apologise for the lack of photographs this week but the weather hasn’t been appropriate. Maybe if things pick up a bit this weekend………

Friday.

That was an awful night. Asleep around 12.30 am and up again at 1.15 am. Eventually I had to go to my chair in the lounge. Thanks to the light that comes on to scare off burglars  I was able to see the time was 2.03 am and I’m sure that was perhaps about when I nodded off again. Time to get up at 3.50 am and starting to get light outside. I’m only used to drawing the curtains in Winter to make it cosy so I can’t sleep with the light. I came through and logged on then went back in that direction to the loo. I was so long with the stop-start that the computer had gone back to sleep when I returned. That’s just not on, the computer is not going to get more sleep than me. I opened my first mail box and immediately regretted it. There was a lot from last night to deal with before I could get near today’s. I tripped over my own feet trying to get away and since that was a failure, stayed.I was finished and up to date with the first box by 6.55 am at which time I went through to take my meds. After having done that and because the box was now empty I got the meds drawer out and started to refill it for the week.After I’d finished I put the drugs away and made myself a coffee.

As I came back from having my morning fix I found more post had come so I cleared that before opening the second  mail  box and getting stuck in. At 9.00 am I still hadn’t finished there but I had to break off to make Mike a coffee which I took through and gently woke him with a bellow in minor key. I left him to it and returned to my room to get dressed ready to go out. 15 minutes later there was no movement to I went back and called to him in major key. He moved and apologised. I could return to getting my shoes and coat on and popping to Pauline’s for my lottery tickets. Tonight might be the night. When I got back Mike had been in the lounge as I could see his mug but he was in the loo. I got my coat and shoes off and waited for him in the lounge. Unthinking, I put Undercover Boss on while I waited and when Mike came back he started watching too. My Postie delivered while that was on and really confused me. I got the letter with the new calculation of benefit which clearly showed heir mistake but also another letter which told me since they’d asked for proof of my income in early May but not received anything they were asking again. So if they haven’t received the proofs they requested, what information have they used to recalculate the benefit? It’s idiotic, and that’s what Mike and I agreed on. That meant it was 10.25 am before he went to get dressed and then left to go to Manchester. Once he’d gone I emptied the kitchen bin, washed up the mugs and then turned back to my mail.

More post had arrived in both boxes of course so I worked steadily until 11.50 to clear it. Then time for lunch which I enjoyed while watching a Bargain Hunt filmed in the snow in Yorkshire. Naturally I saw it right up to the point where I decided my eye lids needed examining from the inside and I  missed the final auction. I’m not sure it was worth the bother since I only slept examined a little over 10 minutes. I returned to work to find lunchtime had been kind to me and there was enough to keep me going without actually pushing me. I worked through until 4.45 am then went to have a spot of tea before my quiz starts. It’s doubtful Mike will be back before about 7.00 pm so I sneaked a rhubarb crumble and custard for my tea.After the first two programmes (both quizzes) I went and had a shower so I’d be back to watch the Antiques Road Show as it was in North Wales this time and I know most of the shops they were due to visit. Mike arrived back at 7.58 pm just after it had finished. I would normally have come back through at that time but there was a programme advertised I really wanted to see. I started Mike’s coffee off and left it up to him to finish it. As it happened he was happy to watch the programme with me. It was about one woman’s belief that Mary Magdalene was the wife of J.C. and her search for proof . She started in France where Mary was supposed to have escaped to after his death on the cross. Much like the story that Dan Browne told about Mary having brought the sang raal or  Blood Royal with her rather than the San graal or Holy Grail. There is a place in France that has celebrated Mary arriving there centuries ago at the end of her journey for a long time and claims to have the skull of Mary behind a mask on a figure they transport through the streets every year. There were certainly signs of belief in the story there. It became more interesting to me when the seeker travelled to an area where the Cathars once lived and found that the Cathar faith is actually still alive though still virtually in hiding. Strangely they celebrate their services from a bible which includes one ( or more ) of the gnostic gospels which also carries the belief that Mary and J.C. were married. There were remnants of a 1st C carpet that you could say depicted a Holy woman and possibly a Holy child travelling by boat which would also support the story and also the mosaic floor of the oldest church ever found which oddly enough is inside a Israeli maximum security prison. It was a beautiful floor and complete which bore an inscription which unfortunately I can’t remember  but was translated by a Professor out there and also helped to bear out the theory.

Like many others I’ve maintained for years that some of the gnostic gospels weren’t used because they were written by women and the early church wanted to downplay any importance that women had in the movement. It seems very unlikely that Mary Magdalene was unimportant after being with the other disciples for so long and indeed one of the gospels mentions how Mary was the best loved of them ( by Jesus). Yet her part was ignored and it was only ( I think) in the late 60’s that the Catholic Church apologised for having labelled her a prostitute or sinner. I often wonder how different both The Catholic Church and the world in general would have been had women been high in the councils of the church or even Popes ( and I don’t mean Pope Joan). Maybe we wouldn’t have had the Crusades and been on good terms with Moslems.

Anyway, at 9.00 pm I finally returned to work and had to bite my knuckle to stop from screaming when I saw the post you delightful people had sent. That means the rest of the night in here. But at 10.30 pm I stopped and made a start on the blog instead and I’ll just have to hope I’m up in time to catch up in the morning unlike last week.

Saturday.

I didn’t really read last night and my light was out at just gone midnight. I know it took a while to get my leg into  a comfortable position before sleep so I resembled a gyroscope in bed. Had it been anything but a single quilt I’d have been shouting for Mike to come and free me. I daresay he would have done eventually, after his laughter had subsided a bit and he’d taken a picture on his phone or tablet.I woke at 2.26 am and wasn’t best pleased about it but in fairness I did say I’d want to wake up early to catch up with the mail so I suppose I can’t complain. It seems Somnos takes early very literally. I was almost up to date on both mail boxes at 4.00 am when I heard mumbles from Mike and it seemed, some movement. I had to go check he was OK. The bathroom door was wide open but it was pitch black in there. I could see past the door into his bedroom and the bed was empty. He wasn’t in the lounge or the kitchen which just left the bathroom. I had to strain to see anything but there he was sitting on the loo. Having heard the mumbles I thought he was awake so asked “Are you OK?” He almost jumped from the seat in shock and told me he was asleep then. Oops, but perhaps not the best place to sleep in the dark, especially if I’d needed to go as we’d both have got a shock. I went back to my room and the post and moments later the loo flushed and Mike came into my room to make sure I was OK too. He asked if it was still the middle of the night and I confirmed that as it wasn’t yet lunchtime, for him it was. He went back to bed.

By 4.25 am I was clear and decided to go to the lounge and see if I could maybe steal another hours sleep. It took a while but I did drop off again. When I woke up it was quite light and I glanced at the clock and panicked. 6.30 am. I dashed (ha ha) to the kitchen and turned the kettle on. Mike’s alarm would be due to go off and I’d no chance of getting him up without his coffee. I started on my sprays and wondered if there was time for breakfast today before going out. I glanced at my watch 5.35 am. I could have kicked myself, should have kicked myself. I’ve been telling the time long enough now to get it right. I turned the kettle off though continued to take my meds. Back to work I went as there’s be time to get up to date again. I did manage it though I saved one of the messages until the end. At 6.15 am I put two pieces of bread in the toaster and came back to read the message properly which said records of BMD for County Monaghan in Ireland were now available.  I know some other Counties have also been added recently and wondered whether it was time to go do another search for the missing parents of my ancestor who fought in the Peninsular War and was wounded at Badajoz. The one who became a Chelsea Pensioner. Looking at the details of the records showed that mainly they went from 1812 onwards rather than before which I needed. Since it costs £18 a month to view the records I decided to wait a bit longer to get as many records as possible on the Irish database before spending the money. Money I might not have if the Pensions Service don’t correct their piggin’ error over my private pension. Such a big difference between a rise of less than £2 per week and the £35 per week they’re calculating on.

At 6.30 Mike’s alarm went off so I made his coffee and took it through before eating my toast. Naturally the response was as minimal as usual. Once I’d eaten my breakfast I needed to get dressed to take the bins out so I shouted to Mike as I passed his room to remind him the coffee was going cold. As I was entering my room I heard him move. It was a 1 A 2 C day and I didn’t feel bad at not letting his second alarm go off. After the bins were sorted and outside I washed my hands and went in to sit with Mike while we decided a plan of action for the day. Before anything though he has to be dressed, a point I reminded him of. He went. We were out of the house at 7.28 am and he made sure I knew it by pointing to his wristwatch and the clock on the car dashboard. Always been Mr Subtle our Mike has. When we reached the Supermarket I raided the cash point while Mike got the trolley. Battle hardened we started our quest and actually did quite well this morning and I kept within the budget I’d mentally set. I say mentally because I’m mental to have set it so low. Mice eat better . We still went for coffee though. Coming out we had the pleasure of seeing someone either very, very drunk or high on drugs screaming down the phone at someone by the car. He moved off as we approached. I don’t blame him, one scratch on Mike’s car and he’s have gone medieval all over the fella. They’d have been scraping up body parts for weeks.

From one Supermarket to another so that Mike didn’t miss a teasted toecake on the way to our destination. We had a look round first so Mike could find a couple of birthday cards and I could pick up a small pad and pen. While he had his teacake I enjoyed another coffee, now my third of the morning. Then it was back to the car to head off to Broughton Park Shopping Centre. It’s grown since I was last there and now has a multiplex cinema and 5 new eateries. We visited 2 more Supermarkets and were  lucky in finding some more jumpers for Mike that he needed.  Then a very swift look round a shop that sells beautiful items, from gifts to houseware and they’re very unusual. We didn’t have long there as it was approaching 12.30 pm when we were due to meet the girls. We were leaving the shop when there was a call to Mike to say Yvonne would be a bit late, luckily we still made it and found Karen and Jo waiting for us by the pub we were eating in. A friend of theirs was with them too as she was going out with them for the evening after they left us. We went in and found a table big enough for us all and waited for Yvonne and Reuben to arrive. It was only about 15 minutes.

Once the chaos of hellos was done we ordered drinks and set too looking at the menus. I found my choice easy, 3 Cumberland sausages with mashed potatoes and peas. A little word in  the ear of the young lady who came to take the orders ensured the bill would come to me. I took my pre-foodie and waited. Almost dead on the quarter hour the meal arrived. Good service. We had a fine time and enjoyed our meals though Reuben is still of the opinion that food is a decorating option and he doesn’t mind if the plates follow too though that didn’t happen today.Karen accused me of being Pinocchio when I said I preferred savoury things to puddings. I’m hurt.  Once the time came to say goodbye we all went our separate ways. Karen, Jo  and Amy to the Wirral to see a comedy show which was Karen’s birthday gift from Jo. Yvonne and Reuben headed home as she needed a shop in Chester. Mike and I set off to try and deliver Lee’s birthday prezzie to him. I texted to see if they were in but got no answer before we arrived. I’d intended to drop the gift off and leave but was easily persuaded to go in and even have a drink. I got to hold the baby again, still Nathan at the moment, while Mike enjoyed saying hello to Wilson the dog. We were there quite a while and to watch Lee with his son was wonderful.

Finally we got home. It was 3.30 pm and I had to wait an agonising time unpacking bags and putting stuff away before I could come through to work. Both boxes were horrendous. I could only work until 6.30 pm though as I’d promised to spend less time here and more time there. When I went through the beggar was dead to the world. I turned over from the Grand Prix to a film. When he woke up he didn’t even know it had been on but he thought he’s dreamed about it. I stayed until 9.00 pm then had to come back.Things were bad again. I hammered away until 10.30 pm then had to break to do the blog. Maybe I’ll get back rhewre afterwards, if not there’s always tomorrow while Mike has a lie in.

Have a Wonderful Week all.

The Doorbell Didn’t Ring & Struck by The Light

Sunday 10th May 2015.
I woke at 5.00 am when the heating turned itself on. As I swung my legs out of bed I could understand why. A definite nip in the air this morning that decries Spring. I know I needn’t have got up but I was ready too and I certainly didn’t feel like wetting the bed either since the water rushing through the pipes ( the heating pipes, not mine) brought on the urge to pee. To pee or not to pee, that is the question and my bladder was anxious to give the answer. When I got back to the bedroom I powered up the computer and logged on. I was mentally spending my lottery win before I checked  the numbers, sure today was going to be the day. It wasn’t. Not even the bus fare to Blackpool never mind the yacht in the Bahamas. I got stuck into my post and the great comments on this weeks blog. At 6.00 am I broke off for long enough to take my meds to calm my frazzled nerves after the disappointment of the lottery loss, and make myself a coffee to set me buzzin’. I was up to date at 8.40 am so took myself off to the lounge .

I read a magazine for a while then decided to catch 40 winks. That didn’t work as there was a fight between a wounded buffalo and a warthog in Mike’s room. A real snorting session.  As it finished I stretched my legs out and lay back ready to try again but Somnos hadn’t done with me yet, at 9.00 am on a Sunday morning, completely unaided by man or contraption, Mike got up and came through. I almost died of shock. Last week if you remember it was a struggle at 11.00 am. He even made his own coffee while I recovered. Of course when I asked him whether he’d woken himself up with his snoring earlier, he retaliated unkindly by suggesting he was lucky to have got to sleep at all because of my snoring. He asked what time I got up and I told him “Dead on 5.00 am” to which he responded “Unfortunately untrue.” Naturally I was heartbroken and couldn’t respond. At about 10.00 am I went through to get dressed and we started talking about what to do today. Since Mike is the driver I usually say the choice should be his. In the end we listed a few places we like where we haven’t been for a long time. We decided upon Betws y Coed. We set off about 10.30 am  and talking in the car the subject of fish came up. I remembered on our way we could cross over the River Conwy and head towards Rowen to the Conwy Water Gardens. I’d only been there once a very long time ago but remembered enjoying them. We took the detour and found them quite easily. Quite a transformation. They have a nature trail and some capybaras, otters and lots of fancy ducks. They have a small reptile house as well as the fish tanks. And they have a Dutch Pancake House and Restaurant.

When we got there the large car park was hosting a car rally for Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Beamers, and other very flash sports cars. I was a bit surprised that Mike walked through them without stopping. We had a look at the menu at the pancake house to be sure it wasn’t all sweet pancakes and then headed inside the aquatic centre. It took us some time to walk round and admire all the various set ups before reaching a point where we were both with tongues hanging out. There were some beautiful fish. We have different tastes in many we like but a good few we both like a lot. Today here was a fish neither of us had ever seen before called a whiptail catfish. There were also some beautiful big catfish nearly full grown but with many years left in them. One, a featherback caught our attention. By the time we’d done, Mike had reserved £70 worth of fish until the afternoon. We went and had lunch. There were omelettes on the menu and for future reference I’d have one of those but today not knowing exactly what the Dutch pancakes were, we both settled for those. I had a breakfast one and Mike something different. When it arrived I was reminded of a pizza. All the items had been cooked as part of the pancake. Can you imagine a fried egg in a pancake, also smoked bacon, smoked sliced sausage and smoked ham with mushrooms? Every mouthful of lunch consisted of thick pancake plus something smoked ( except maybe the egg). Definitely omelette next time.

After lunch we took the nature trail which wound round some fishing lakes to smaller areas where the hens and cockerels were penned, or where the ducks and some remarkable looking pheasants were. We didn’t see the otters but we did see one capybara which surprised Mike with it’s size. He thought they were just like big rats so nothing prepares you for the very big beaver lookalike animal you see. Eventually we were back at the start and went to get the fish put into bags, have the bags filled with oxygen for the journey and then the bags put in a polystyrene box for support and cushioning. The fish were glorious close too but they put a lid on the box for us and it went in the car. Mike ran me home again then put his suitcases in the car and left. I came in to work. Mike let me know he was home safely about 6.30 pm and the fish were doing OK. I think they’ll thrive in his big tank. At 7.00 pm I stopped work and had  break for a sandwich and then at 8.00 pm a film until 10.00 pm. I’ve tried to catch up since then but had to stop at 11.00 pm to do the blog.

Whiptail Catfish.

Monday.

The doorbell rang at 4.28am this morning. I got out of bed cursing, “Who the hell…. ” and thinking it’s only the police who would call at a time like this. It wasn’t until I reached the door I remembered I don’r have a doorbell.  Neither do I have any clocks with very short alarms and no call signal like that on my phone. I did check the phone in case it had rung and then cut off but there was no indication of any calls received. It could only have been my imagination creating a dream where that sound was made though I don’t recall having any dreams last night. I was awake now so no use holding a post mortem into why. It was only as I mentally shrugged my shoulders to just accept and get on with it that I wondered if it was Somnos’s way of reminding me the fight wasn’t over yet. And as I thought it, so I heard a throaty chuckle and the voice of Porcinus telling me to give them form.”Only by numbers do we grow.”

I was awake,for whatever reason, and since there was nothing I could do about it I’d better grin and bear it. I walked to the loo, went and walked back again to power up the computer and log on. By 6.00 am I was a good halfway into the mail having seen last night’s off first.  I decided o do one more and then go and get my tablets.  This was what I came across.
Dear friend,

For your kind attention, I will be very glad if you do assist me to
relocate a sum of (US$6,500,000.00Million) to your personal bank
account for the benefit of both of us.

This is a genuine business transaction, only that I can not operate it
alone without using a Foreigner as required in my bank law, therefore
I am contacting you to stand before my bank as the beneficiary next of
kin of this fund, that is my reason of contacting you in this manner
to assist me actualize this better opportunity, also to share the
benefit together with me Insha’Allah.

You will be entitled to have 40% of this fund as a foreign partner,
since you will provide a bank account where this money will be
transferred to, while 60%will be for me, by indicating your interest
on assurance of trust, I will send you the full details and how this
business will be executed.

Please keep this proposal as a top secret between both of us because
the secret of this transaction is as well as the success of it, and if
you are really sure of your integrity, trustworthy and confidentiality
reply back to me immediately to prove your integrity, And if you are
not interested about this business delete it immediately in your email
box.

I will be looking forward for your urgent response.

Here is My Email address;   (fred.martins67@gmail.com)

Regards, in sincerity,
Mr. Fred Martins

Obviously these make my blood boil. Not because they waste so much of my time or because I’m likely to fall for them, but because there’s still the chance that someone else will. OK, you might say that greed alone would motivate a response, but it’s not true. They’re designed to catch those most vulnerable amongst us. The desperate, those with a low IQ or even the elderly and confused. Report them if you see them so their ISP can close them down.

After taking my tablets and making a coffee I came back to work until 8.12 am which is when I finished the first batch. I went to sit in the lounge for a while with a fresh drink and then got dressed. At 9.00 am I went out to deliver my new prescription request to the chemist’s. The sun was shining but it was still a bit cool and blowy here. It still put smiles on people’s faces though. I resisted the urge to pop into Pauline’s for either chocolate or chips with curry sauce, I’ll probably be in there for bread tomorrow. I came back home and divested myself of shoes and coat. In the lounge I cleared the top of the coffee table , sprayed polish and gave it a good dusting. This was repeated with the chests in there and the TV table though as that’s glass I did remember to change polish. Then I sprayed the rug with some carpet freshener and got out my hoover and started work on the floor and the rug. I swear I could have done just as good a job walking round sucking. I don’t know what it is with hoovers and me but they soon cease working in this house. I make sure they’re not clogged and emptied regularly but they just make a token effort which belies their supposed power.

After putting everything back where it belonged there was a knock at the door and the Warden arrived for a chat. She was here a good while and tested the intercom too. I got caught not wearing the portable one I’m supposed to have round my neck. Oops. After she left I worked until lunchtime and then enjoyed a cottage pie while I watched Bargain Hunt. I thought I saw all the programme but I’m none too sure as I woke up at almost 2.00 pm and realised I’d nodded off. All the rest of the afternoon until 5.15 pm was work and more work as I was reading blogs, commenting and of course answering the comments on my own blog posts. From 5.15 pm until 7.00 pm I let the TV entertain me with quizzes. A good way to train your brain if there’s sufficient to remember they’re on in the first place. I decided to watch a film from 9.00 pm to 11.00 pm so I’ll have to blog then. That means I need to be as up to date as possible before 9.00 pm so there isn’t too much in the morning before I go out to meet Reuben and Yvonne.It wasn’t too bad  concentrating on just the emails as I have nothing coming up on ebay until tomorrow afternoon. I managed to get the mailboxes clear just before 9.00 pm so fingers crossed not too much mail.

Tuesday.

It was 3.48 am today. You’d be proud of me if you’d seen that I didn’t immediately fly to the loo but instead logged onto the computer and checked my bank before opening my home mail address. I spoke yesterday of annoying emails that come and are an attempt to con you. Today I had another annoying mail. This time annoying because sometimes they come with a virus attached (this one didn’t), sometimes they’re an attempt to con you with the sob story of untold millions sitting in the bank that need you to access them and sometimes they’re just purporting to be women in need of a man ( I don’t know if they have them vice versa but I suppose so) which if you respond can then either try to get money from you for fares to your country or may supply pictures of busty women and suggest you send them money to buy a property in their country you can live in. In any case, these messages need to go straight to your bin for no other reason than crimes against grammar.

I guess you are finemy name is miss Sandra i found your email when iwas browsing on your profile page on facebook, and become interested inyou i we also like to know you the more if you dont mind in contactingme on my email ( sandralarry@yahoo.com ) i will give you my picturesfor you to know whom i am, i also have a reason why i contacted youthanks, please contact me on email address for more introduction andcommunications thanks

I worked on messages until 6.00 am then went to get some breakfast and take some meds. I almost took  my 2 post-food tablets before I’d eaten instead of my painkillers through lack of concentration. I was listening to a blackbird outside singing like it was a competition. It was a glorious sound. Then along came a crow and it’s raucous cawing was not at all musical. A case of ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you’. I enjoyed my breakfast took the tabs I was meant to and came back to my room with the rest of my coffee. I could only work until 7.20 am as I had to leave the house at 7.30 am for the bus. But during that time I received two more messages.

I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, my family and I came down here to  Kiev, Ukraine  for a short vacation,unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed all cash,credit card and mobile phone were stolen off us but luckily we still have our passports with us.

We’ve been to the Embassy and the Police here but they’re not helping issues at all the bad news is our flight will be leaving in less than 8-hrs from now but we’re having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let us leave until we settle the bills.

I’ll need your help (LOAN) financially of £2,300. I promise to make the refund once we get back home. Please let me know if i can count on you and i need you to keep checking your email because it’s the only way i can reach

June

I don’t know how to take this one. It’s obviously a con playing on your sympathies but if it is, it’s off to a slow start by not telling you how to make this loan. I recommend sending this to the sin bin with a block on the address if your ISP allows.

We sent you an email sometime ago asking for your help to resolve an issue with your PayPal account.

Since we haven’t heard back from you and we need you to provide some informations,

your account is temporarily limited :

– Some informations on your account appears to be missing or incorrect.

Please update your account promptly so that you can continue using all the benefits of your PayPal account.

1- Download the attached document and open it in a secure browser.2- Follow the verification process and give us your correct information.Our new verification measures have been put in place in May 2015 to protect our customers.

 

Kind regards

This one is an out and out con. If Paypal,wrote to you they’d use your name. They’re too professional to have spelling mistakes and if you checked the address it came from you’d see it’s a private account. Bin this without going further as they are either after your bank details or loading the attachment will unleash a virus. Either way you don’t want it.

At 7.30 am I left the house and walked to the bus stop. I got there before the bus but not by much. I got on and settled in my favourite seat. The driver set off and I shut my eyes and followed the route in my mind. I could tell when we’d reached Holywell as it was a long stop as a few people got on for work. I kept my eyes closed and nodded off but not for long. As we went round a corner I was sent to one side and my chin slipped off the stick. I was jerked awake. Lucky for me I was sitting at the front so no-one noticed. I settled again and just kept my eyes closed. I’d just started to nod again when my phone beeped with a message. Yvonne was running a little late so wouldn’t be waiting at the stop. When we arrived I thanked the driver, got off and started walking in the direction Yvonne would arrive. I soon saw her and she waved but no response from Reuben today. She said he was tired and grumpy.

We had a walk round a shop to look for a card and then moved on to the clothes shop with a Costa we usually go to. I needed some gifts. I was lucky there and found some gifts as well as finding myself some jumpers in the sale. We had a coffee but Reuben was in a ‘Throw his food on the floor’ mood which earned him two tellings off. We left there and went to a Supermarket where I found a birthday card I needed and Yvonne was able to do some shopping. And from there to a £ shop to look around and pick up some Smarties for Reuben. He liked them. Then it was a newsagents where I bought a couple of books. We had to head for the bus stop then to catch my bus home. I was hoping for less of a nightmare journey this week. I waved at Yvonne and Reuben as my bus pulled out.

At the Bus depot a young lady with a baby got on and sat in the seat opposite me pulling the pram in without mashing my toes. I felt able to shut my eyes without watching who else got on. I knew something was wrong when the headache came on. The same girl, baby and pram as last week had got on and sat close by. This week instead of the constant request for fweeties the child just screamed constantly. Not the kind from discomfort, just ear piercing screams that said “You will pay attention” and believe me we had no choice. They got off at Flint, three quarters of the way into the journey and for a minute I thought I’d gone deaf. At my destination I struggled off with my bags and walked down the road to Pauline’s. I wanted my new TV magazine,some bread, some cigarettes and a box of the chips with curry sauce which I took home and had for my lunch as soon as I had my coat off and bags unpacked. I had an hour in the company of a mummy found in the Alps above the treeline who appeared to be a sacrifice to the gods.

Once back at work there was enough to keep me going until my 5.15 pm quiz and I stayed away until 7.00 pm. I decided to work until 9.00 pm then watch a film but when it came down to it I just didn’t like the choices enough so I watched a detective series with Grace from Will and Grace as the detective. It was passable though there were a few signs of Grace Adler there which led me to believe maybe she doesn’t have the skills to make me believe in the part. True acting skills will make me believe the part no matter what it is and Katie Hepburn had those skills in spades. So, I decided to wrap a few presents and then came back to the grindstone about 10.15 pm. I started the blog about 11.00 pm and as it’s almost the witching hour now I’m going to bed.

Wednesday.

I was tired last night and the light went out at 12.30 am Don’t laugh but I was rather hoping for at least a 6.00 am start to the day. It was a little disappointing therefore to find it was a 3.39 am start. In an effort to get a decent night tonight I’m asking everyone to very quickly worship Somnos so that he knows I’m doing my job as his  promotions man. Just don’t go overboard or you might be his next choice. I was further pisaddointed to go to the loo only to find I didn’t want to yet. I came back and as the computer warmed up I had a drink. I’d just signed in and was ready to go when the urge came upon me and I had to go after all. My third disappointment of the early morning was when I found the end had fallen off my cigarette ( Damn the Government and their enforced changes to cigarettes) and was merrily burning a huge hole in the list of music suggestions I keep handy. I suppose it was lucky that I caught it before the flames arrived and that it only affected songs I’d already played and crossed out.

It took me to 5.40 am to empty the first mailbox and I chose this time as perfect to go and have breakfast. I didn’t return to the post until 6.20 am. Not because I fell asleep you cynics but because I’d read a friends blog yesterday ( http://paulaacton.com/2015/05/12/tellybox-tuesday-car-crash-tv/ ) and she’s mentioned the Jeremy Kyle show. I’d noticed it was on until 6.00 am and decided to watch the last bit of it. I may just have lost a few of my remaining brain cells in doing so but I know there’s a market for this kind of TV. Confrontational TV with the language of the gutter thrown in but in actual fact he did do some good. Through a lie detector test he showed it unlikely a girl had stolen £500 from a bride while she was attending a hen party as a bridesmaid. I’m not going to say she did or didn’t steal the money as I know these detectors can be beaten. I will say though that there were 8 people at the party so why weren’t the rest of them on? The last item was a woman who’d been on before to do with the way people were about the state of her teeth. It seems afterwards she underwent a huge backlash on Social media calling her ugly etc. The Kyle show paid for dental treatment and brought her back for all to see the change and she admitted herself her life has changed so much as she feels happy to leave the house now. It seems that these shows can actually do some good, though it could be said of course they could still do some good without subjecting us to the type of programme they’ve chosen to use if they wanted.I also wrapped the last of my presents and wrote the last card.

So at 6.20 am I returned to work. Emptying first one mail box and then the other I was clear to go to ebay and see if I could chase down another ottoman for Muriel since she didn’t have me bid on the one that was sold last night. They’re coming this morning so I must find out why. I’ll bet they want to go round the showroom of the seller though which I discovered is local and Mike and I visited on Saturday. While on ebay I found another jacket that would fit John so I’ll keep an eye on the price. I also put in a claim for the second of my parcels that didn’t arrive from China- not that they were ever sent I’m sure. It’s very little money so that’s not important but if they had come I would have been able to give two people I care about a nice gift. I’m cross that if they had no intention of sending the items that they accepted the money, unless it was a big con of course which is possible. The items were way underpriced but that sometimes happens out there. It does make me wary of using the Chinese market though I have received items from there in the past, as well as not receiving them. They can take an age to come too, sometimes 6 weeks or more. I think I’ll give up trying there.At 9.00 am I finally got dressed. I had returned to work when Darren knocked on the door and delivered two parcels I’d been waiting for. A game of Boggle that Matt said he wanted to play and I can’t find my original  one and Yvonne’s coat I bought. It feels really nice and I think is fairly soft leather. At least I know it’s going to be more weatherproof than her faux leather one.

MuJo arrived at 10.30 am and I got their drinks and sat chatting with them. We didn’t leave the house today until nearly 11.30 am and only went as far as John’s favourite chippie.  I had savoury mince with mushrooms, chips and peas today and enjoyed it. Washed down with a mug of tea which I used to take my tablets, almost scorching my mouth in the process. Afterwards we set off for Flint. Muriel wanted the Aldi Supermarket so I bought some chocolates there for Temptations and two special  beers I thought Dil might like to turn into shandies if the weather turns hot. If not, I’m sure Matt will find a good home for them now he’s 18. I know it’s been a long time since Dil has had a drink. From there we went straight to Temptations. Helen and Sian were serving and it was pretty busy so I didn’t get chance to say much more than hello. I’m telling youi that so Mike doesn’t get jealous that I’ve spoken to Sian without him. We went round one shop after there as there were a few things John said he wanted. Then I took them round to the furniture warehouses Mike and I had visited on Saturday. I showed Muriel the ottoman she’d missed last night buy it was OK as she found two she preferred for size. They didn’t like the price though so decided to carry on looking. We came home. They stayed with me until 4.00 pm and then I waved them off and rushed through to catch up on a little work before the second visitors descended.

I was just preparing to down tools at 5.00 pm when I hear a ‘pop’ sound and my light went out. Then I was smacked on the head by something moving at the speed of a bullet and very hot. I have no idea how it happened but the bulb had undone from a bayonet fitting and clobbered me. I’m lucky my noggin didn’t break it. I had to find a fresh bulb to put in as that one was really hot. I too it through to the kitchen to throw away and while I was there the door opened and I heard calls of Hello. The cast was gathered and in a short while the die would be cast. In the meantime, I put the usual quiz on while I went and made drinks for them both. Obviously I don’t expect Lee now the new baby is here. As soon as the quiz was over Dil got the table out and I brought the games over. The first game was Yahtzee. Don’t bother asking it was a foregone conclusion that it wouldn’t be me. There was a weeping and wailing and a rending of cloth but they told me to pull myself together. Dil won with 3 games, Me 2 Matt 1. We got the Boggle out for Matt  The news was worse. I’ve forgotten that adding an ‘s’ pluralizes things and increases score and these days my brain doesn’t see round corners too well. Though I got words no-one else got I was slaughtered and came 3rd. Dil won again.I’m starting to get the feeling anything dice shaped hates me. At least when we got the cards out things improved. I beat them both hollow at Crazy 8’s , thank heavens for long sleeves. They left just after 9.30 pm and Dil took Jess’s birthday gift and card with him as it’s her birthday on Tuesday and I won’t see them again until the Wednesday evening. I tidied round, washed the pots, had my meds and came through.

I worked from 9.50 pm to 10.30 pm on mail then started the blog. It’s 11.20 pm now so I have time for a few more emails before bed time.

Thursday.

I woke at 3.36 am and it was black and cool. I nipped to the loo and came back to put my dressing gown on before powering up the computer. The first job was to check the bank which meant going through all the new verification processes to get in there. I swear it’s easier to rob a bank than access your account. That done, I checked ebay to  see whather I wanted to bid today and if so at what time. If so I’d o at 3.40 pm and one at 11.30 pm, plenty of time. I logged into my main mail account. No problem ones today and by 5.55 am I’d cleared the first batch but not refreshed. I thought it might be easier to have breakfast and take my tablets then. I went through and put bread in the toaster and took my pre-foodie. I poured milk into my mug and took my meds following up with the sprays today. Then I lit a cigarette and retired to the lounge to wait. I got involved in an episode of Will and Grace so when the adverts came I went and buttered my toast and ate it as the programme started again. Then there was a second episode which was followed by two episodes of another US comedy show so it was 8.00 pm before I reappeared from the lounge to start work. I got dressed first and the day still looked gloomy and felt cold. So much for Spring.

At 9.00 am I went out to the chemist to ask about my prescription which I may have missed delivery of having been MuJo’s yesterday. But no, thy hadn’t tried to deliver it. Aftera long search it was found in a box waiting for a missing item. You may remember I asked them not to do that but to deliver what they had and deliver the missing item separately. If it takes a week for a drug to come in I’d be without all the others until then. Shows you how much attention someone pays. I took what they had there and was told the rest would be dropped off for me today.Then I called at Pauline’s for my lottery, a local paper and some ciggies to last me until Saturday. I hadn’t been home long when the postman called. One begging later regarding the awful conditions in Nepal which because of the second earthquake I shall donate to again. The other letter was a statement of private pension paid and tax paid last year. It leaves me very hopeful of a tax rebate this year. I had to copy it to send it off to the State Pensions Service so they could see that only Income Tax was deducted from private pension which is an allowed expense. I’d finished copying and writing an accompanying letter when there was a knock at the door. It was the delivery from the chemist so I was expecting nothing else. On went my shoes and coat again out into the grey and windy day and up to the Post Office to send this letter off by recorded delivery. It was oppressive outside and you could feel the rain wasn’t to far away.

Back home,coat and shoes off for what I hope will be the final time today. I refreshed my page and started answering mail again. Then I opened the second email address and started working my way up the list. Lunch interrupted my progress .I was watching a Time Team project and when the adverts game I washed the pots and settled down to watch the end of the programme. I’m not even sure I watched the end of the adverts. I was away and didn’t wake until 1.50 pm which is about an hour. I forced myself to get out of the chair but I was still woozy and ready to sleep on. Unfortunately this week body suffers a conscience that overruled the side of me that said “Go on, sleep a bit longer, you know you want to.” Heck, that was said in a very creepy voice. Betweeen the two email boxes I spent a very productive afternoon before breaking off at 5.15 pm for my first quiz, the second being at 6.00 pm and then I had a big decision to make, another quiz, return to work or Big Bang Theory. I’ll let you decide which I did but I was still in the lounge at 7.00 pm when Mike walked in so my chances or returning to work then were nil. I couldn’t possible leave a guest on his own when he’s just arrived, could I.

Since he’s a very slow talker and I don’t listen very fast, by the time he’d got a coffee in his hand and then later had something to eat it was 9.30 pm before I came back to my room. As you can imagine there was standing room only in my mail boxes. I waited until 10.30 pm before starting on the blog so there was still mail needing my attention, it will have to wait until I’ve finished. I’m also watching something on ebay for 11.30 pm and I want to keep an eye on Mike as he may fall asleep watching TV as he’s taken a sleeping pill tonight. I’m so dreading trying to get him up in the morning. Remind me will you, no TV or I’ll never get him out of the house.

Friday.

Whoa, that was a strange night. My light went of at 12.30 am and then I remember being awake about 1.45 am but not for long I think. Then I was properly awake at 2.27 am and quite uncomfortable with an itchy ankle. I ended up sitting in the lounge in the dark attempting to go back to sleep. I felt ready to try at 3.18 am and went back to bed where I dropped off again until 5.49 am. My maths may not be up to scratch but I reckon that’s a maximum of about four and a half hours so compared to usual maybe I should be pleased. By 6.00 am I’d got my dressing gown on, managed to go to the loo , wash my hands, all without getting too confused, and arrived in the kitchen. I had my sprays and my tabs, prepared my mug for coffee and brought through the meds drawer to renew the medicine tray for the next week. By 6.40 am I was done and taking a drink back to my room where I logged on and started on my mail. Everything seemed to be easy going this morning and at 8.50 am. I took my empty mug back to the kitchen and put the kettle on. As soon as it boiled I made Mike a coffee and took it through to him, telling him just the once it was there. Then perhaps because no-one reminded me I went back to the lounge and turned the TV on to Frasier. I didn’t have the volume on loud but within a couple of minutes Mike was there in his chair next to mine. One call, no alarms. Amazing. The problem was at 9.25 am Frasier ended and a new show came on I haven’t ever watched, Undercover Boss. I was fascinated by it. It wasn’t new to Mike who’s even seen the U.S. version and proceeded to tell me about them. What he didn’t do was get washed and dressed ready to go to his Dads as I’d got him up for. Knowing he had a lunchtime meeting especially. He didn’t make a move until 10.25 am when it ended and then had to rush.

When Mike was dressed I’d gone back to work so he came through to say goodbye. I know he’s due in Manchester again tomorrow afternoon so I reminded him he needn’t come back here tonight if it suited him to stay there. He said he’d be here for the shopping tomorrow. He left, I worked. First on anything that had come while I was away before finally opening my second address and starting there. I was answering a slightly longer piece so didn’t break for lunch until 11.50 am. I had my foodie tab and gave myself 15 minutes before eating. In the meantime I put on a Time Team. When I had my lunch while watching Time Team’s progress on a dig I thought I’d be awake to watch the end. In the adverts I washed my pots and went back. I didn’t see the programme out and not most of the next one about ice mummies either. I caught the last ten minutes of that and then came though at 2.00 pm when it was over.3.00 pm saw me at play on ebay. Nothing on today but it didn’t stop me searching. I’ve given up on the idea of finding John a suitable coat but I’m still searching for another one.

I pulled up a few coats I’m interested in though none are due today except for one in my size but I’m not really in the market for anything for myself. I could wear a coat a day from now until doomsday and never duplicate. Ha, that makes it sound like I know something about doomsday coming doesn’t it. Well I don’t though I do think mankind is stupid enough to start it at any time.One day there will be someone with their finger hovering over a button and they’ll have a shakier hand than me. We really don’t seem to care about each other that much and we’re pretty lousy custodians of our planet. I was reading about the red squirrel in Scotland this morning. It survived there because the food was more suitable than for the grey squirrel that’s replaced the native red in the rest of the UK. And now they’re chopping down swathes of the trees that feed the red squirrel. Endangered as it is, we have to make the situation worse. There are generations o follow us who aren’t going to get much of a legacy with our denuded planet and will have to enjoy pictures of animals they’ll never see because we destroyed their habitat in the name of progress. Shame on us.

At 4.45 pm I gave up and went through to the lounge ready for my quiz and to see where in the evening would be best for my shower. I don’t want to miss my Big Bang Theory tonight after missing it last night. I left a cheeky bid on that coat just in case.  The early part of the evening went antiques, quiz, quiz, Big Bang Theory, antiques. Mike had texted me about 5.30 pm to say he was on his way so I expected him in time for the last antiques.At 6.30 pm came a text to say he was stuck in traffic and could be another hour. At 7.15 pm came on to say he’d made it to the chippy would I like anything. I put the kettle on ready. When he got in a few minutes later it was ready. He’d brought me two sausages to eat while he had his tea. Once the last antique one was over at 8.00 pm I went for a shower. Mike had so much of his tea left I was quite sure he wouldn’t be doing my hair. But, we’d got a new shower stool last weekend so I sat and did the head between the legs trick. I didn’t bend over too far in case I disappeared completely. When I got back through to the lounge he still hadn’t finished eating. I was in time for my previously missed Big Bang Theory but after that at 9.00 pm I came through to try and catch up. Mike came through to look at a few jackets I’d found he might like and found the cheeky bid I’d made on ebay had won because no-one bid against me. Of he three jackets I’d found for Mike the first two had been dismissed with “I would if I’d been younger.” But the third one he liked so as it was a buy now, I got it. He stayed with me chatting for a while so it took longer to catch up, so what. He is more important.

Eventually I was there and at 10.45 started the blog. I’ll be in bed before midnight with luck. It’s 11.40 pm now.

Car 67 and Driver 67?

R.I.P  B.B.King  a master of the Blues died 14th May 2015

Saturday.

I didn’t read much last night so my light went out at about 12.30 am. Actually it was like someone punched my lights out because I didn’t stir again until 6.19 am this morning and disaster was only narrowly averted. I had to fly to the loo, wash hands, gallop to the kitchen and get the kettle on to be there with a drink when Mike’s alarm went off. If he thought I couldn’t be up in time he’d stop setting his alarm for 6.30 am and go back to 7.00 am. I made it, just. So while he ignored his first alarm and me I was able to take my meds and then make my own drink. As I passed by his bedroom door on the way to my room I called him not to forget his drink and got the usual agreement and assorted mumbles. So far 1 alarm and 2 calls. Moments later I heard his alarm go off for the second time and get turned off. I wasn’t going to go back at that stage as I wanted to get dressed. By the time I’d done that I heard the alarm go off again and his shuffling which meant he’d finally moved. A 3A  2C day. I went back through and wished him good morning as I went to start on the bins. I did get three grunts which I took to be the three syllables of good morn-ing. I’m choosing that rather than a three word sentence that ends with …off!

Once the bins and bags were outside I came in and paid him a little attention. He was much more awake by then so very sharp. Eventually he went off to get dressed and I went to look at the Euro Lottery results, crapola! and The Thunderball results Crapola 2! So I checked the mail and did a few messages while I waited. We were outside the house and on our way by 7.30 am. Wonderful. I was aware that as Mike was meeting his sister at 1.00 pm there was limited time today and he’d have to leave by 11.30 am. There was a miracle. Despite there being a sale on we were out of the store by 9.10 am even though we’d stopped for coffee. Next stop was Flint where we visited two shops though the second one was very brief due to someone’s stomach being out of sorts and walking round in a permanent self-generated fog which was killing people like flies. It wasn’t me I hasten to add. As I slowed and stopped at the counter in Temptations to place the order and hand over their sweets someone else accelerated past to their loo. The coffee and his teasted toecake were ready on his return but he still asked about the biscotti we usually get with the coffee which was missing this time. With a stomach like that he should have been eating charcoal, a forest’s worth.

We were home for 10.30 am and it didn’t take long to put the shopping away.Mike was good enough to do Ju’s flowers while I answered some texts. My nieces are asking whether I know of a new name for PJ yet. No final decision but it looks like the leading contended is Nathan. A nice name but my fingers are still crossed for a Welsh name to follow if it stays at Nathan. At 11.30 am Mike left to meet his family for a birthday meal for his sister over from Canada. That gave me the chance to come through and try to make some progress with the mail. I was only able to work  until 1.00 pm before my stomach started complaining it needed food so I had to break away and put the nose bag on. As usual I watched TV while I ate and saw some outstanding athletics today. Then it was back into battle, being a weekend both email boxes had loads of work pouring in. I worked it so that every time I caught up I’d take a break for at least an hour then back to the grindstone to catch up again. So far it’s worked pretty well and I even saw the start and the end of a film so it was only the middle I had to guess. No problem, I’m a writer, I have imagination. At 7.00 pm I had some tea then at half past got a message from Mike to say he was on his way back.

Mike walked in at 8.55 pm and I made him a coffee. He nearly wore it when he suggested I looked fatter than I had this morning. Who ate all the do-nuts ?” was the cry. It’s fairly obvious he must have had a migraine affecting his eyes ( or soon would have) and anyway, there were only two in the bag. I admit the chocolate eclairs may have done a little damage but no way am I fatter as I jogged up and down on the spot as I ate them. I sat with him for a while to see how his day had been. Far too good as far as I’m concerned. Then it was time to head back for my last big catch up and to do the blog.

Have a Wonderful New Week Everyone. A worldful of Hugs to you all.

 

Alternate Title & I want to be a Great, Great Uncle.

It’s taken me until late this evening to realise that last week’s blog went out under the title of Sunday. It’s not the first time it’s happened that I’ve forgotten to change the title in line with whatever occurs during the week. But I’ve been looking at posts all day which said ‘so and so’ likes your blog Sunday. You’d think I would have got the hint from that wouldn’t you.

I got to bed about midnight last night and read part of a Pratchett novel. I’m determined to re-read them all again though I’ve lost count of the number of times already. I woke around 3.00 am and paid a trip to the loo but decided I wasn’t ready to give up sleep just yet so snuggled down again until 5.09 am which suited me much better. There may have been a clap of thunder at the earlier mark but I’d like to believe it was Somnos stamping his foot. There was absolutely no way Mike would ever get up at this time so I could dance naked amongst the daffodils and he wouldn’t know the difference but I’m afraid of someone walking past and wishing I’d iron my coat so I’ll stick with going on the blog. I engaged my brain in a few ebay searches first to see if there was anything exciting coming up this morning but nothing inspired me. Time to turn to the emails.Well, there were a lot and that was just last night’s. I think Santa had dropped his sack on me because he couldn’t be bothered trailing round more houses. Still, I was undaunted as I guess I’m officially back from holiday today. lol. From last night’s messages I had two telling me I needed to download an ASDA voucher I’d won and yet when you see the address they’ve come from, you can see they’re not from ASDA and if you open them they’re blank apart from an attachment. NOT TO BE OPENED FOLKS. Someone told me they leave the errors , spelling, bad addresses etc in on purpose so that educated people will see them and ignore them. Anyone who doesn’t notice the errors is much more likely to fall for their scams. Not very nice.

I went through to the kitchen at 7.05 am to take my meds and make a coffee. There was a light drizzle outside but the birds were still giving it some welly. Their singing was awesome. Unlike some people they were happy to get up in a morning. Last night before going to bed I’d gone to the loo and found someone fast asleep so I’d turned his TV off and crept quietly away. Let’s face it the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band playing the Floral Dance could have marched through with me without disturbing him. I sometimes call him Lazarus as it’s like raising the dead. Once I’d got my coffee I returned to the computer and began dealing with today’s mail. There was a lot of that too but I expect that on a Sunday as some people comment on the blog. As always there was a lot of kindness there in the main saying don’t give up on the blog , hey, don’t blame me, they said it, and some also suggested I should get back to writing. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s that I don’t seem able to which is why I was hoping to perhaps find a collaborator somewhere local. If they can’t write with me maybe they could just wear winklepickers (I think you need to be born before 1970 to understand that) to prompt me. I do enjoy the Sunday morning conversations and I usually have opportunity to visit lots of blogs.

9.00 am came and went without any movement. He hadn’t been feeling too well for past of yesterday so a lie-in was excusable, it was starting to look like Mike was going to abuse the term. By 10.00 am I’d actually caught up on mail from both email addresses, bought a new suit and attended a wedding, he snored happily on. At 11.00 am I took a coffee through and woke him. When I mentioned the time it was a case of “Oh heck I’ll move” so I left him to it. He did move, straight into a different position. At 11.20 am it was “Don’t forget your coffee Mike, it’s going cold”. I actually saw him roll out of bed then. At least he beat midday. I’d turned the TV on while I was waiting so when he got up we were both caught up in that. At noon we were still watching as a really good serial came on. Mike made himself another coffee and we just watched it. When it ended at 1.00 am he hadn’t moved to get dressed. It was getting on for bedtime again. Eventually we were about ready to go out for lunch, then it was the where? I told him to surprise me. We ended up at the Dragon’s Rest where he’d fancied yesterday. He had a lamb dinner while I had a lighter ham, egg and chips then after a little discussion we had pudding as well. He had bread and butter pudding while I had rhubarb crumble and custard.

From the Dragon’s Rest we turned right through the village of Caerwys that we’d come through in the other direction yesterday, down onto the Mold/Denbigh Road at the bottom and a very short distance to Afonwen Antique Centre ( www.afonwen.co.uk ) where we stayed until 4.00 pm before heading home again along a new road we took by accident. It was a lovely run and brought us a different way into Holywell. Mike put the TV on and I joined him as soon as I’d got rid of my coat and sticks. It was a film. I watched a bit with him then nodded off. The next thing I knew he was waking me up to say goodbye. It was almost 6.00 pm. As soon as I’d waved him off  I headed for the computer to assess the damage. There was a lot. It took me until almost 11.00 pm to clear up and before I could start this As soon as I finish  which will be just a couple of minutes shy of midnight, I’ll be going to bed.

Monday.

4.33 am today. I was OK but knew I’d feel it later ( my excuse for a power nap). As soon as I returned from the loo I logged on and headed straight for the messages. during the course of trying to clear last night’s stuff I’d come across a couple of annoying ones I wanted to mention, a quick glance through this morning’s stuff shows they’re here again. The first purports to be from my ISP Talktalk.net telling me they’re going to implement some changes and want to be sure my current information is carried over correctly. Please complete and return the attached form. Please don’t open the form it carries a virus. Why some malicious armpit would want to infect the computers of so many people I have no idea.I suppose the answer is as usual ‘ Because I can’. The other most annoying one usually starts ‘ You have an hour before someone claims your voucher’ or just maybe ‘Congratulations you’ve won a voucher’. This one does not seem to be infected but still asks you to open an attachment. You might be directed to a site where you might enter to win a voucher but this is another advert for a gaming site. Since it tells you you’ve won and changes to you may win it’s clearly false advertising and should be shut down. But do yourself a favour and just send the whole thing to your waste bin.

I worked on that portion of my emails that weren’t cons and was making some headway when I decided to have breakfast. Of course my OCD brain decided on cold toast again ( I’m thinking of eviction), so at 7.0 am I put some bread in the toaster, took my sprays and my tablets then went to sit in the lounge with a cigarette. When the time was up I cut and buttered my toast and made a coffee. I sat in the lounge and ate it listening to the constant chatter of the birds and no, I’m not as mean as they say but there’s no shortage of berries for them whereas if I share my bread I have to go out. Once I’d done I sat there for a while just putting my life into perspective which in reality means daydreaming and avoiding the emails. I returned to work about 8.00 am not knowing what significance that time held today. By 9.45 am I’d finished the first batch of emails but rather than refresh I went over to ebay where a jacket was about to come to an end. I hoped to get it for Mike if I was lucky. I was lucky, by pouncing in the last 10 seconds it didn’t give anyone chance to outbid me and I got it for less than £15 including postage. I was watching a few things today so ebay would have to stay open.

I opened my second email address to find some more personal correspondence which gave me a laugh and lifted my mood. 8 One line messages from the same person in response to one line from me in response to one line from her and so it goes on. I think she has me on the ropes far more often than I do her but occasionally I have a winner and I love the reactions. I had to return to my normal emails and refresh the page eventually, As expected quite a few but I don’t mind because my relationship with the senders is good. Coming up for lunchtime I broke away but before making anything I decided to text my nephew for any news. It appears his wife went into labour at 8.00 pm last night and gave birth this morning at 8.00 am. A little boy at 7lb 8oz as yet unnamed. My fingers are crossed that there will be a Welsh name in there somewhere. I couldn’t be more pleased for them. They’ll be awesome parents.                                                                                                                                                                                               I had a cottage pie for lunch but couldn’t quite finish it because of an awful taste in one corner of it. Straight in the bin it went and I finished off with a yoghurt. It was time for a power nap but what became a full charge I think. I was there for an hour and a half. Lucky for me when I returned to the computer I was in time for the next auction. I employed exactly the same tactic on something that was currently at £3.50 with postage of £4.90. I knew my top bid would be £11.10 to make the package £15.00. I decided someone else may want the same thing as me, quite a few someones probably and thought they may go up to £10.00 but in the last ten seconds as I bid £11.10 it became clear someone else employed the same tactic with the same price. They lost because I got there first but it was a close call.

I worked only until 4.30 pm as the bank holiday meant some programmes were on at different times. I had a short gap back at work between 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm then I went to watch some more TV with the last programme being the first of the most recent Sherlock Holmes stories. That took me up to 10.00 pm when I needed to come back and catch up again. It was a close call. It’s almost midnight but I have time to add the music for today. I hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday.

I’m none too sure what time I first came round this morning but it was to the sound of whispered conversation. The thought that sprang to mind was ‘Burglars, where’s my stick’ but I heard “Ah look, he’s with us now” and opened my eyes. Arrayed on the footboard of my bed, which is clever since it’s a divan and doesn’t have one, were Somnos and his two brothers. I wanted to suggest they looked like the three wise monkeys but remembered I was quite happy with my head currently fitting all my hats and not relishing the thought that even a bottle cap could prove too large if I parted my jaws in anything but a smile. I’ve found Somnos to be a little short on humour unless he’s the one telling the joke.There was a lot of godly finger wagging in my direction and recriminations about me not keeping to my side of the bargain as his promotions man. Mind you Porcinus and My Brother Jake came in for a little telling off too as they’re supposed to be in post to remind me. It seems Porcinus has taken to the pastoral life with his pigs and goats and spends a lot of time in meditation whereas Jake is out partying till all hours with the younger small gods. No doubt that’s where he is when I’m wishing for a lottery win, collapsed under a table in a nightclub somewhere. His voice suddenly started booming and he faded away saying “Remember I’m counting on you…..” All of a sudden there was no-one on my bed but me and I was waking up again. It was 3.55 am. I had quite a tight feeling round my forehead, like a headache.

After my visit to the loo I signed on and logged into my mail. There was a fair bit of it but I thought I’d cope. Between then and 5.30 am when I went to get breakfast I caught 3 annoying emails Two don’t forget to download your voucher’s and one Hello My Dear Beloved In Christ. It was bin, bin, bin straight away. Breakfast was lovely even though I had to scrub the butter out of my moustache afterwards. I came back to the bedroom and got dressed. I’d washed my brown jeans yesterday and even ironed them last night ready for today so I could wear my comfortable brown shoes, the only problem with which is they’re lace ups. I put them on and spent about 20 minutes trying to reach them to fasten them. When 7.30 came round I was not only up to date on the post I was ready to go. I was approaching the bus stop when what looked like my bus sailed past. I was ready to text Yvonne and say I’d be late as I’d have to go by another route when the proper bus arrived. That was a trainee driver going out before him. As always I closed my eyes and concentrated on the various bus stops between me and Chester until I was ready to open them and get off……almost at the wrong stop. I think the potholes in the road had fooled me as to where I was. either that or I’d actually nodded off and had no idea where I was. At the correct stop I finally got off. Yvonne and Reuben were waiting and such delight in Reuben’s eyes as he saw me and pointed.

Hello hugs and kisses out of the way we wandered down the street.Yvonne asked if we could start the other end of town today and I agreed. First though a coffee. We visited the Costa we used to go to when I got off the bus in the bus station figuring they would have forgotten us and Reuben’s saucer smashing antics of a year ago. It seemed OK and they had breakfast there without Reuben trying to repeat the trick. From there we walked up to the Market and the gallery where we’d been visited by the butterfly last year, I think this could be our first visit since then. So many of the shops have changed it’s almost unrecognisable. We went round the big B & M store that Yvonne had even forgotten was there. Though she did suggest it we didn’t go to visit the pet shop with the budgies. Instead we walked back into town to see if the new TKMAXX was open yet only to find it’s mid-June before it’s due. No matter we got to look at the children’s clothes in H & M, remarkably I bought nothing and Yvonne says she’s getting worried. I’d told her all about my nephew’s new baby and she was delighted, her brother who never was, she’s very fond of Lee. All the wandering had taken some time and I needed to go for my bus. We were a little way away when Yvonne noticed it was already in so we had to speed up. I caught it and my seat was vacant so I was able to sit and wave through the window until we pulled away.

As always I closed my eyes. We pulled in at the main bus station and people got on and got off. I was startled when someone ran over my toe and then neatly parked on it. I had to open my eyes to find it was a woman with a young child in a buggy. I extricated my foot and shut my eyes again looking forward to a peaceful journey.                              “Mummy , want f’weeties, Mummy, want f’weeties” I heard. It was a whiny voice getting louder as it headed toward tearful. The mother explained she didn’t have any but they could get some when they got off. Explanation or not the voice went on and on repeating it “Mummy. want f’weeties” for an hour and a half of my one hour journey. When they got off in Holywell, 3 stops before me, running over my foot again in the process, I could still hear the voice. I couldn’t help but hope that whatever f’weetie the mother bought was a large one. When I got off the bus I went straight to Pauline’s to pick up some cigarettes, bread and my TV magazine. I also found she had some curry and chips in the freezer so I bought one for my lunch. At 1.15 pm I was home, took a pre-food tablet and bunged the meal in the microwave. As soon as I’d eaten I went to see how the post was doing. D’you ever know you’ve made a mistake? Looking at the mail was mine. My nephew had sent me some pictures of his new son though.

Prosser Jnr. No name chosen yet.

I worked on and on until 6.00 pm then left for a break. But only until 7.00 pm because I notice a film due on at 9.00 pm I intended to see. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I don’t usually watch late films in fact I rarely watch films at all. But. his was recommended. So, I worked up to 8.00 pm and saw a programme on bog bodies which actually came to some good conclusions and then sat and watched my film. I won’t say I wasn’t conscious of work as I watched it but have to admit it was worth the hassle. An excellent film. Back here afterward I had to do the blog which has meant not being free until 12.35 am and have had to leave the post until the morning. I have some photos I’m going to share over two days.

At the whipping post.

Going to the zoo joy.

Wednesday.

It was almost 1.00 am before I got to bed last night so I restricted myself to a half hour read. Somnos must have been happy at yesterday’s mention ( here’s hoping he never reads things too closely and that his brother’s can’t read at all), because he didn’t wake me until 4.53 am. Though it’s only a little over 3 hours it’s better than some of his timings, especially when he’s not happy. I had a visit free-dream free sleep. I had a nightmare awakening though. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and suddenly my bladder went into action. It was screaming for attention and for a moment I thought I might have to grab a slipper to use. I did however get to my feet and get the slippers on and with a curious hop skip movement managed to get to the bathroom. Then I had to stand there for twenty minutes waiting for something to come. Talk about awkward.

Coming back from the smallest room I powered up the computer and logged on. First glance was at the Eurolottery where I could see that ‘Jake’ hadn’t been listening yet again. Next was ebay but I have nothing today though I may do a couple of fun searches later. When it could no longer be avoided I signed into my mail. I wanted to sign right out again but my hand wouldn’t move. I’m charging it with insubordination later. I could see there were 4 items with a virus removed. I just hate it that there are such talented people out there who’d rather perform a nasty deed than put their talents to good use. Anyhoo,I’d got up so late that I couldn’t break off for breakfast too soon so I waited until 7.00 am. After I’d taken the foodie and dealt with all other meds I lit a cigarette and sat in front of the TV with Will and Grace until it was time to eat.Once I’d eaten I returned to work straight away. It took me until 9.20 am to catch up on the mail and I thought I’d better get dressed. At 10.00 am I thought I’d better check in with Somnos to see if he was OK so I sat in my chair and nodded off. It took an hour to find out the answer,

Up to lunchtime I was back with the mail again, still on my main address. I was able to stop at 11.45 am. I made goulash for lunch and ate during a Time Team programme then stayed put for another history show that was very good. That kept me away from the computer until 2.00 pm. That gap came at a price however as I saw when I refreshed my page and opened my second mail account. That strangled sound you heard was me with my nuts in a nutcracker. I was hard at it until gone 4.00 pm and I hadn’t even revisited ebay yet. I decided to do so then. I did all the searches that I used to enjoy but nothing caught my eye today, I stayed away from coins as that could turn out to be quite expensive. Mind you , so can everything else if you get carried away. John came through on skype to say he and Mu would be here tomorrow. At 4.35 pm I  gave up and went through to the kitchen so that if Dil turned up at 4.40 pm as he had last week I wouldn’t be caught on the hop. As it happened I needn’t have rushed as he and Matt walked in at 5.05 pm. I wished Matt a Penblwydd Hapus for yesterday, pointed out his card  with money in and his cigarettes then went to do the drinks before Dil complained at the delay. We sat and watched the quiz till 6.00 pm with Matt reading the questions out to Dil who has to squint at my measly 32″ screen.

At 6.00 pm we set up the table and started. First came my humiliation at Yahtzee when Matt and I won just one each and Dil won four. We followed that up with Chase the Lady. It was a very hard fought battle but in the end Matt and I ensured Dil lost while I pipped him to the value of five points, just one card. Finally we set up for Nomination Whist and I started well but by the end it was anyone’s game. My name just happened to be anyone so I won, ahead of Dil by just one point. I herded them out before they started breaking things. I tidied up and washed the pots then took my meds before coming back through here to gloat while I did the mail and the blog. I seem to have done something to my mail accounts so that they’re no duplicating everything so it’s taking longer to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R.I.P Errol Brown. Lead singer of Hot Chocolate. 1943 to 6th May 2015.  A nice man.

Thursday.

It was a 3.58 am start this morning and I’m pretty sure it was a 3.57 am end to last night. It felt like it anyway though I was most definitely awake. An email yesterday had warned that the next time I signed into the bank I’d be asked to create a password to go along with the generated number code I already have. I hate all this messing about but thought I’d better bite the bullet and take a look. As soon as I came back from playing will I, won’t I at the loo I logged on. Creating a new password wasn’t too difficult it’s the remembering them that causes all the problems. Anyway I came out of there and started on the mail. Whether it’s my imagination or not but the con trick emails are getting more frequent. It feels like every other one. Some are groan inducing like that Christ The Story Reading Ape who tricks me into believing he has a joke to tell.

I had breakfast at 5.45 am because I knew MuJo would be here during the day and wasn’t sure at that point when Dil would be picking me up to meet his new grandson. I hoped they’d decide on a name soon or I’d not be able to think of him as anything but PJ. I ate breakfast watching some of the Homes under the Hammer series. I enjoy seeing how people can turn a property round whether it’s to live in, rent out or sell. They all made excellent jobs  of what they did today, especially the two who were going to use the places for themselves. One person bought a piece of land for £50,000 and then sold it for £75,000 a few weeks later without doing anything except get some plans drawn up. At 7.00 am I went back through and carried on working. At 9.00 am I stopped, got dressed and went out to get my lottery tickets ready for tomorrow . As I came back the post van was getting close. I was back inside with my coat off when the knock came. The postman (Darren) passed over one and said “Jacket”, a second with “Trousers” and a third with ” and two handkerchiefs”. Funnily enough he was right on the first one, it was a jacket. The second was a robe for the Templars and the third was 2 packets of sweets from my wonderful niece Karen as she’d found dark chocolate Rolo’s. I think I need to hide them.

I spent so much time unpacking them and leaving feedback that time was getting on and MuJo arrived. I went through to see to drinks. We were talking about what we’d been up to and they were asking about the ‘little man’, I always have to ask if they mean Reuben or Mike. But when they couple it with mention of Tuesday I know it can only be Reuben. We left at 11.15 am as Muriel needed the Post Office which I knew meant we were going to the chippy again. Heaven help my arteries. We arrived in town at 11.3 am and John headed straight for the food rather than do the Post Office and visit his charity shops. I had liver and onions today as Thursday is the only day they seem to have that on the menu. That’s cos they wash them on a Friday no doubt. After eating we had a wander round the shops John likes and I could feel a slight discomfort at the waistline. Once we’d exhausted the Holywell shops we took to the open road for Flint. A minor hiccup while we found a good place to park and we were our usual carefree selves. I was allowed one shop to get chocolates before we went for a coffee. Temptations was heaving but that was probably because it was only 1.30 pm and the local workforce were on a break. We did manage to find seats though and I almost enjoyed a drink but the pressures against my belt were growing. I finished the drink as quickly as I could and said I’d be outside having a cigarette in the sunshine. It was quite difficult leaving the place with the phut, phut of a little lawnmower following me so closely. I managed to get outside to the open air without either catching anyone’s attention or killing them.

We had a few more shops to go before Muriel did the ice lolly run and I could eat mine before getting in the car. By now the belt was cutting me in half but I didn’t want trousers round the ankles so I bore it with dignity and a very red face. We were pulling out of the car park ready to hit the main road when I saw a feral cat sitting on the verge looking disinterested inn the world in such a way you knew the world was getting it’s full attention. As we came to a halt beside it I saw it flex the claws on one paw and look over. I told everyone not to look at it because I knew if we did hat claw would be held against the side of the car as we drove off. There would be a set of marks running front to back and the cat would just congratulate itself on a manicure. Getting out of the car at home presented it’s own problems and instead of handing my key to John as usual so he could visit the loo I set off at the gallop. I opened the door, threw everything into the bedroom, ( the 16 piece teaset is now a 64 piece) , and dove into the bathroom. It was some time before I was able to come out. When I vacated I had been considerate with the spray and the news was calling it a low lying fog bank.

At 4.30 pm MuJo started heading for the car. I carried the bag of little gifts I’d gathered during the week for them and waved them off. As soon as they were out of sight it was back to the loo. And after I’d started work, a third visit. I had to hope there wasn’t a major problem or I’d be unable to meet my great nephew tonight. I worked until 6.15 pm as Dil was picking me up at 6.30 pm. He was nicely on time and I’d had no further problems by then. When I got out to the car his wife was in the back, leaving me the front seat. I asked about her broken wrist and was told it was on the mend. Lee lives in a delightful little village called Penymynydd but the route is really convoluted to the house. It was lovely to get there and meet the newest member of the family. He’s lovely. Poor Jen looked a little tired and poor Wilson the golden labrador didn’t enjoy not getting his usual fuss. We stayed well over two hours and all got to hold PJ, I even enjoyed it without being scared of dropping him. Eventually though we had to leave and Dil and Lynn dropped me off at home where my bro- wife Mike was waiting for me with “And where the hell have you been eyes”. The answer was “What the hall are you doing here, you weren’t due until very late.” We went through the process of describing our week to each other before I had to drag myself away to work on this. It’s almost midnight and I need my bed regardless of how much work will be there in the morning.

Friday.

Well, I only dared read until 1.00 am but I managed to finish my book and start another one. One of the drawbacks of reading a Terry Pratchett book is him not having chapters. That natural break where you stop reading. Of course the fact he’s so damned hard to put down doesn’t help. I don’t suppose it was long before I dropped off once that light was out as I was nicely relaxed. I got up at 4.46 am I could see it was getting lighter outside and the birds seemed OK at being woken so the world was fairly tranquil. I headed for the loo for the Charge of the Water Brigade and you can keep jokes about lengths of hoses to yourself thank you. I came back and worked till 6.00 am on the mail then headed for the kitchen to start my breakfast going while I took my meds and then filled the post with the next week’s supply.  It was past 7.00 am before I’d finished and was able to come back to work. Well, I say work but what I really mean is ebay. I wanted to see what was due today and it turns out it’s a jacket I want for my nephew but I couldn’t bid too early as it wasn’t due until nearer 5 pm. Nothing else was important before then.

I started concentrating on work and trying to get into a good position with it. By 8.30 am I was pretty well caught up and in need of a numb bum break. I went through to the lounge and plonked myself down in the chair. I contemplated putting the TV on to see the news with the election results but was afraid either my cheers or my tears would wake Mike. I just sat contemplating my navel for a while which naturally started to drift towards 40 winks. My eyes must only just have shut when this almighty racket broke out. Mike had put his alarm on for 9.00 am on full volume. The town didn’t stand a chance and started running for old air raid shelters and outside loos. I ran to turn the kettle on and make him a drink. However loud the volume though it didn’t get him up though he did turn it off at least. As soon as the kettle boiled I took the coffee through. Now bear in mind that I have the shakes and carrying a coffee is difficult, for some wazzock to suddenly say “Thank you” when you think he’s asleep is quite a shock. He nearly wore the coffee. I went back to work to calm down.

I heard Mike get up and go through to the lounge. I finished off the last couple of messages before joining him. Once there I was able to turn the TV on to get the election results. I even got them in stereo. Whatever we saw on screen Mike repeated like I hadn’t seen it and then when told one party was on 112 seats said one more and it’ll be 113. As soon as it happened I got “I  told you so”. I’d have killed for a gag. We’re on opposite sides of the political divide. Somehow the Conservative Party won a majority so that despite all the pundits saying there would have to be a coalition whoever got in, they were wrong. Mike voiced his opinions that the fools had got in while I voiced mine that I was glad they’d be able to form their own Government without having to barter favours with another political group. This time thy can be judged on their policies and promises kept. It was a major annoyance of mine that at the last election we’d been promised a referendum on Europe in the campaigns, but which was lost as the price of co-operation from the Liberal Democrats as the coalition partner. This time round, that had better be honoured or I’ll campaign myself for the anti-liars party. So Mike was disappointed Labour didn’t win but which pleased me as they’ve always been a financial liability to the country and kept taxation up. John will no doubt be unhappy that his UKIP party did so badly and I’m pleased with the results but waiting to see just how much they care about the people they represent this time.

All this electioneering meant Mike didn’t leave the house until about 11.10 am which makes it slightly difficult to get to his Dad’s for 11.0 am. I was really pleased to see he was wearing the new leather jacket I got and seems to like it. It does suit him. I got dressed and went to Pauline’s for some milk and I bought some microchips to have with some corned beef at lunchtime. And by the time I got back it was lunchtime. I turned Bargain Hunt on and watched that as I ate then went and washed my pots and went to watch the end of the programme. One team did quite well. So I managed to see the auctions stage before I fell asleep but fall asleep I did for an hour and a quarter. I didn’t get back tot he computer until 2.15 pm.. That meant a lot of catching up with post having come in to both addresses. It was 4.55 pm before I finished and that seemed an appropriate time to break for my quiz. I had a text from Mike at just gone 6.00 pm so I decided not to return to work. I had a shower at 7.00pm and then Mike arrived at half past with food because he hadn’t eaten with his Dad. He brought some back for me si I was filled a second time today. By 8.00 pm we’d seen Question of Sport and washed the dishes. I wanted to see the Big Bang I’d missed last night  so in between political arguments we watched that and another episode. At 9.00 pm I was going to return to work but was conveniently ill I thought, until a Question Time panel came on to dissect the elections and the disagreements started again. About the only thing we have in common is our dislike of the EU.

I came through and started on the rapidly mounting emails until 10.30 pm which is as late as I dared leave the blog.

That squiggle stole my nut.

See what happens if you try it again, you get my fist.

Here I am with PJ.

Saturday.

I got to bed a little earlier (11.45 pm), read a little less (12.30 am) and probably slept a little sounder too. There was a period of dreaming I remember where there was a chant racing round my head, ‘All hail Somnos small god of your sleep, Porcinus will help you to count all his sheep, Your wishes will be heard by My Brother Jake, If only you cause worshiper records to break.’  It got quite annoying after a while. I think I was very glad to wake up at 4.57 am. I visited Piddletown then came back and logged on. Just the one email address for now,I thought, well that and ebay in case there’s something due. Ebay is clear until almost 8.00 pm. I started on the mail, I knew it was going to take a while. At 6.00 am I thought I’d have some breakfast but when I got through to the kitchen I’d changed my mind again. I started with my sprays and taking my meds then got the mug ready for coffee. Before having coffee though I thought maybe it would be a good idea to see to the rubbish and the recycling. I started with the food recycling which I’m quite sure they don’t do, they just dispose in a different place top general household rubbish. Then it was the large kitchen rubbish bin. I emptied the ash trays into that then added Ju’s flowers which were looking a bit careworn today. Lastly I emptied the little rubbish bins from around the house into it. Naturally the stalks from some of the flowers created holes in the bag which were stabbing me as I walked it to the bin. I was trying not to let it leave a trail of rubbish behind me. Once the 2 bins were out I concentrated on the recycling bags, plastic, tins, glass and paper/cardboard. I got those out by the bins and came back in to wash my hands.

I made myself a coffee and was going to go through and work a little more but the time had slipped round to 6.30 am and I was shocked to hear Mike’s alarm go off. I didn’t think he’s do it 2 weeks on the trot. I’d turned the kettle on as I heard it start and it had boiled before it stopped ringing. Mike turned it off and turned over. I made a coffee for him and took it through. “Coffee’s up bro” I called, coughed and repeated it. There was a garbled response. I left him to it and came back to work. At 6.45 am the alarm went off a second time and I was a bit astounded that he actually got up. That’s 2 A and 1 C , excellent. I finished a few messages and went through to sit with him. I’m not entirely sure what happened next but one moment he was there in pyjamas drinking and the next he was dressed and telling me to get a move on. We were out of the house by 7.10 am and at the Supermarket for 7.30 am. I could hear constant mumbling about “Bloody middle of the night” but it’s best to ignore that and pretend you hear nothing. By the time we’d shopped and reached the tills we were running half an hour ahead of our usual time. We had our usual coffee then Mike decided he felt sick probably due to getting up in the middle of the night. When he returned from the bathroom we started to head for Flint but managed 2 detours. One to Lidl to get a brochure showing next week’s specials and one to a firm called Flintshire Refurbs to see if they had the kind of table Mike wanted. They didn’t, but they did have an ottoman like Muriel wanted so I had to text her.

From there we went to our usual shops and bought some chocolates for Temptations staff, then took them in and ordered drinks. There were only 3 of them in at that time so  we gave them an individual box of sweets each. Mike teased Ceri and demanded a kiss, which he got.On our way out he clicked his fingers at Sian and made the same demand He got the kiss but almost got more than he bargained for because of the clicked fingers. We headed for home to unpack and put away the shopping then paused for breath. we wasted time deciding where to go for lunch before we actually left, neither one of us prepared to make a decision. In the end it was rock, paper, scissors with winner decides. You’ve never seen two people try so hard to lose the game. Unfortunately I lost because I made my play with a pair of scissors and someone cheated by playing paper way behind my go. I decided on the Bells of St Mary’s so I could have roast beef under a mound of potatoes the size of Mt. Vesuvius. Both of us came out of there groaning. In my case it was of a reluctance to loosen my belt a notch in case when lifting my jumper the pressure burst the belt and shot someone.

Mike had a while before the football started so we took a cross country trip to Jackson’s for a wander round and once the stomach aches had gone, a coffee. Mike asked for two Americanos. One two shot and one a single. Such a simple thing but the waitress couldn’t tell us which was which. Mike put his superior nose to the job and decided which was which. He added his usual 6 sugars to his and I added two sweeteners to mine. It took one taste to see Mike’s nose needs retraining (with a whip and a chair I think). His coffee lined my throat, it clung to my vocal chords and refused to budge. Despite telling me he’d hate my coffee with sweeteners and not many of them at that, he seemed happy enough to drink it while I struggled to get breath past the treacle in my throat. Eventually he got up and thumped me on the back causing a chunk of this stuff to fly out, ping of the light fitting and black the eye of a waitress. We came home. It was 4.00 pm before we got in and we each retired to opposite corners to ,in my case work and in his chase a table and chairs on ebay.  When the football match came on at 5.30 pm Mike sat with his tablet in the lounge to watch it while I fought the tide of emails threatening to engulf me. I had to rush as the match would end by 7.30 pm and he wanted my company. I rushed but still 7.30 pm came.

I went through to the lounge and he was hiding behind the door and jumped me. I was tied to a chair in the kitchen and scalped. Then I was forced to the bathroom where my beard disappeared. I’m sure he’s deluded enough to think Summer is coming. Personally I think he just wanted to spoil my chances with the laydeez by making sure they saw more of my face. He’s an evil man. After that I stayed to watch an episode of Big Bang and then a film which ended at 11.00 pm. Imagine if you can the sheer panic of getting the blog out tonight after that. I wish you all a wonderful new week.

 

 

Sunday

Sunday 26.04.2015

I wonder if life is returning a little more towards normality ( the start of my comic routine Ha!) today. I woke up at 5.24 am after turning my light off about 1.00 am, it felt much more right. Naturally my first port of call was the loo but then I was able to come and turn the infernal machine one. This is day one of my holiday from blogging and dealing with post and already I’m desperate to sign on. Be fair, it’s Sunday, whet’re the chances of Mike getting up and catching me? Oh, you think as high as one in a hundred, ha ha ha. At 7.00 am I took my morning meds and made a coffee then came back to work, by 9.15 am I’d more or less caught up so had a play with ebay. That’s always fun and I found an eyeglass repair kit that Muriel’s looking for. As I’m supposed to be on holiday and taking a week away from the computer I went to sit in the lounge to glance through a magazine but I was twitchy within minutes. I thought there’s a chance he might rise about 10.00 am so I risked until then and went back to the lounge to act innocent. I even turned a youngsters film on part way through to pretend I’d been watching from the beginning. A few twitches and snores but no movement. By 11.00 am I thought he might be dead so I turned the TV up a bit so any haunting wouldn’t disturb me. Bang on cue this apparition appeared. There were moans and groans but no chains.Eventually it spoke ” Mornin’ bro” it said in a voice approaching human.

By the time he’s had a second intravenous coffee he was a little more alert and because his team were p;laying this afternoon we thought we’d get out for lunch and back ASAP so he didn’t miss all the match. We left the house at 12.30 pm and went to the Ivy. Angie was the first one to greet us then Rob and a new youngster called Matt. We were sitting at the table when we saw Tariq for the first time and he was flying through doing some work on some frames.Angie did the drinks while we checked the menu. Mike was dithering between two specials as soon as I’d taken my pre foodie we ordered and went out for a cigarette. When we came back in we say Shirley who we haven’t seen for a long time and then even Shella was out and said hello in passing. We caught everyone today. Once lunch was over Mike had a conversation with Rob about fish and tanks while I paid then we left. He remembered I wanted something from town yesterday and went straight up there instead of going home and I wish we’d been out longer. We got home and he allowed me on the computer ( ebay only, yeah like that’s going to happen) while he watched what was left of the match. The news went from bad to worse as I could tell from the volume of his shouts about the ref being blind. His team lost 3-0 at the end, ouch. I sat with him for a while and fell asleep.

A little after 4.00 pm he decided to go home and woke me up to say goodbye and tell me to go back to sleep again. I said my goodbyes and offered my thanks and the moment he was out of the house I was back on the computer. There were little periods of guilt when I went back to my chair and there were moments of intense tiredness when I struggled to keep my eyes open. I was following a couple of things on ebay though so didn’t want to risk it. I won the one I really wanted. I even watched an Indiana Jones movie on TV till 10.00 pm before coming through for the night. I’ve done the blog as a reserve in case I can’t resist putting one out. But I’m going to get an early night anyway .

Monday.

Well here we are on day 2 of the non-computer holiday. A  3.53 am wake up and get up. A slow amble to the loo as being on holiday means I have all the time in the world. Of course that’s not such a great idea if you really need to go as the latter part of the journey really needs speeding up. That means stubbed toes and phone knocked off console table plus assorted debris from all the local takeaways by which I mean menus and not bits of food. I got back to my room eventually and booted up the computer.It was just for the sake of looking at ebay of course. For some reason there was much less post than usual and that was rattled of by 6.15 am so I went to take my meds and make a coffee.I sat in the lounge and enjoyed watching it get lighter and listening to the birds sing. They could do with a little more emphasis on the bass and maybe follow the conductor a little more closely. They are in the Land of Song after all.

By 7.30 am I was getting twitchy so went and got dressed then sat down at the computer again and read some more of a book I’ve been sent. I had to knock off at 9.00 am to go out. I really needed to get my prescription request in if I’m to stand any chance of getting the drugs tomorrow, even then it’s not a sure thing. I saw my young delivery lady in there while I was dropping the scrip off but we only got to say hello. I dawdled on the way back as the sun was out and it was pleasantly warm. When I got back of course I shut myself away in my room with no natural light to see to whatever messages had come in since I finished earlier. It seemed like a chore and not the usual pleasure so once I’d finished I got very daring and made myself a second coffee and did a little more reading. There was a knock at the door which I assumed was the postman but it was the warden come to give me time off for good behaviour. Don’t worry though, I only got 15 minutes. She was dressed for the sun and I hoped her shift would be over before the rain came. As she departed the postman arrived with a medal I’d ordered for John last week. That’ll please him. I’d much rather it was the leather jacket from China that I ordered for his birthday though.

I stopped for lunch at 11.30 am and put the TV on. I was shocked to find there was no Murder She Wrote, ah well there’s always my Bargain Hunt which I haven’t seen for a while. I took my pre-food tablet and made myself busy doing some bread and butter before I put my cottage pie in the microwave. I was a bit early and saw the end of the last programme as well when lunch was ready. I took the pots through and then settled to watch the auction part of the programme but didn’t get too far before Somnos visited. It was getting on for 2.00 pm when I came too again. Instead of going straight back as usual I checked the other channels and stayed another half an hour. When I finally got my act together it took a while to clear the post that had come in and that from the second email address too. I remembered something I was watching on ebay and wasn’t pleased to see it had ended when the warden had come. If I’d been in here I could have had it for £2.50. Still, no-one else bid on it and it’s gone back on so I hope it gets ignored again and I’m more alert next time. It’s very often the luck of the draw.

I stopped work completely at 5.00 pm and wandered back through to the lounge. I put my quiz on but where I’d normally come back at 6.30 pm I indulged myself and stayed away till 9.00 pm after another Indiana Jones film. Mail till 10.30 pm then the blog after which I’m off to bed to read no matter what the backlog is.I wonder if I can avoid going near it in the morning.

Tuesday.

I was in bed at 11.40 pm last night and stayed away from the backlog as I’d promised. I only read until 12.30 am and then put out my light. I was soon asleep. It may have been a prompt from my bladder or equally some other reason but I was up again at 3.15 am. After a visit to the loo I could have gone back to bed but the chances are I would not have slept. I checked out ebay and also made some changes on Ancestry.com before I could wait no longer and signed into my mail account. The backlog from last night turned out to be no more than a dozen pieces and they were soon dispensed with. Even doing the normal day’s mail I managed to clear it by 6.15 am and went straight to the kitchen to have something to eat. I was tempted by some Rice Crispies  but after taking my tablets with milk I didn’t want to drink even more and I couldn’t trust myself to stay away from jokes about cereal killers. I stuck with my cold toast- boring. By the time it was done I’d taken my tablets and it was 6.30 am, I had it in the lounge and having disposed of my plate turned the TV onto an old episode of Will and Grace before nodding off for almost an hour.

At 7.25 am I made my way back to the bedroom and got dressed. The sun was shining but it was cold with a breeze. Rain would come. I dealt with some more mail then decided to start reading the next section of the book I’ve been sent. It’s marvelous and despite mentioning a gaming world is not in the least boring, what’s more I found myself not questioning it at all despite it currently being beyond our capabilities. At 9.00 pm I got myself ready to go out. Firstly to the Post Office to send off some information to the DWP (Dept. of Works and Pensions) via recorded delivery so they can’t claim not to have received it as they did twice last year. I had a prepaid envelope and was surprised o see they reduced the cost of my recorded delivery by the amount of the prepay. That I thought was good. Then it was a walk down to Pauline’s. I got my new TV magazine and some fresh bread and a day’s worth of cigarettes as they didn’t have enough of my brand in. I did get an extra 10 for Matt on Wednesday evening. There were still no chips in curry sauce so I’ll have to remember of Saturday to go to the frozen foods place.

I came back home and was disappointed to see there was still no package from China. No tracking number for my misdirected parcel either that went back to the Herpes courier yesterday.Let’s see if they can find me this time. The postman didn’t call at all today so I concentrated on getting my mail up to date and then reading until lunch time. I had to time the lunch right today as there was a programme advertised on Carcasonne and region. Giving the history of the castles as they stand and then a fascinating piece about a village that was found which was certainly Cathar and which had been pulled to the ground after all the residents had been removed. Nothing and no-one had lived there since the Cathars which gave great insight into their way of living. There was also a castle built at the start of the Cathar presence in the Languedoc which only lasted until the Cathars were ousted. I know not what happened to the residents in either place but for the Cathars the choice was usually either recant the faith (Christianity) or be burned. Many chose the latter. The Catholics in some cases just burned whole towns without asking who was what so they may well have killed their own and maybe even Jews and Moors since the Cathars were known to deal with them and share information. The Catholic Church even called this a Crusade.

After lunch I had a little snooze as I’m on holiday. It only lasted 45 minutes but was welcome nonetheless. I came back to start doing some searching on ebay for a few different things. Ebay fascinates me. I sent some more money as a donation to the earthquake appeal in Nepal though I usually prefer to do it through paypal it wasn’t an option with this particular group. That unnerves me a bit sometimes but it seemed OK today. Finally I settled down to do a bit of work and answer the posts made today where possible. It may be that I was a little choosy but that’s not to denigrate any of the posts, it’s merely in the spirit of not spending all my time online. At 5.00 pm I felt peckish and went to have a bag of crisps. I settled down with my quiz, then with a little Big Bang until finally I settled on a horror film to watch from 7.00 pm. Yes, you can tell the quality from the time it was shown and to be honest I wouldn’t have classed it in the horror genre either. It was more a warlock coming of age movie. I did manage to glance through a few magazines while it was on. At 9.00 pm I turned off and came through. I even brought my meds with me to take a little later rather than walk back for them.

There as very little in my secondary post address for some reason, everything seems to be going to the primary one and not transferring. That’s OK as it saves me looking at the same ones twice even if I don’t action them more than once. But there are people who only use the second one and they need answers too. I dealt with those then went to the primary site to respond which included a process of changing a password to  access a site but first I had to allow them to create a password and then I could change it. I have no idea why I couldn’t have stuck with my original one. By 10.30 I was up to date and could come straight to the blog. I’m for bed after that. I need my energy tomorrow with a MuJo day then games night. I hope no-one expects any responses tomorrow or I’ll be up all night.

Wednesday.

Of necessity this is a very short post. I have been very busy all day and evening and it’s left me very little time.

I was in bed for 11.45 pm  last night and the light went off at about 12.30 am. I woke up as 1.56 am then 2.18 am before finally getting up at 3.15 am. Thinking I had all the time in then world I visited the loo then signed on. If I hadn’t been sitting down I would have had too. I even had palpitations. Thanks folks ! I don’t know where all the mail comes from unless I’m getting someone else’s in error as well. It was a serious session that was only halted at 6.00 am for my breakfast and my meds. As usual I went for my cold, buttered, toast. At some stage I’ll have to start eating my way through the gargantuan box of Rice Krispies I bought.

It was 9.25 am when I finished the post and got dressed. I’m glad I did because it was only just gone 10.00 am when MuJo arrived. I passed John the medal he’d asked me to order last week while I busied myself with drinks.We chatted for a while and in all honesty I admit I dragged it out as much as possible so we didn’t go out too early. In the end it was almost 11.30 am when we did. We ended up in Holywell so I knew it would be the chippy today. Mu wanted the Post Office but John insisted on eating first. Just as well I’d delayed things. It was only 11.45 am at that point. We ate and as usual it was a nice though large and not very healthy meal, then we had a look round a couple of shops while Mu did what she needed to do.

We drove to Flint but Muriel said she’d go to Lidl rather than Aldi this week. We’d just left Lidl behind in Holywell!!!! I got chocolates for the girls in Temptations then we went for coffee and in John’s case a very big cake. In his haste to go to the loo he didn’t take much care and spilled both his drink and Muriel’s getting up which of course went all over me as then the floor. My trousers and a shoe were drenched and It looked like I’d wet myself. Incident 1. We left here to take a look at the new £ shop they wanted to see so incident 2 followed soon after when John tugged something off a shelf and brought the whole lot down. All he said was “It’s OK, I’m fine,don’t worry about me” before walking on and leaving Mu and myself to pick up after him. He thinks it’s the job of the staff. Incident 3 almost duplicated Incident 2. Incident 4 was when he picked up some crisps then moments later decided he wanted something different so just dumped the original crisps where he was. I picked them up and put them back where they belonged. He checked to see whether I was wearing a coat that said ‘Staff’ on the back.

When we finally left (Yay) we headed back up to Holywell to Lidl where Mu was able to buy John’s pop and a few other items including another big cake for him, and I mean BIG. Finally we went home. John wanted to see a figurine on ebay and Muriel went out to Pauline’s to buy her lottery tickets. It was 4.40 pm when Dil walked in very early. MuJo left at 4.50 pm and I was able to say a proper Hi to Dil and make him a cuppa. Matt had made a mistake last week over his driving lesson and it was in fact this week so Dil had come early and alone as he hadn’t had to pick Matt up. He said Matt was quite peeved at his mistake. We chatted, we watched the quiz and we played. For once the Yahtzee went to me 4-2 but Chase the Lady went to Dil. Horror of horrors Nomination also went Dil’s way. Fortunately the cribbage came back in my direction so we ended up honours even. I had a text from Lee partway through the evening to say Jen is late but the baby is expected anytime. I just asked for news. I also had a text from Karen telling me to look at a local paper online but giving no clues. neither Dil nor I could find anything. After he’d gone and I’d done the usual tidying and washing of pots I returned to my bedroom and looked again.Eventually I found a nice write up and a photograph of my niece Joanne doing her Hugathon in Llandudno. I did a little post with links to the article.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     At 10.30 pm after doing a little mail I stopped to do the blog. I may do some more mail before bed but midnight is my deadline this week.

Thursday.

As I didn’t stop reading until 1.00 am last night I was pleased that it was 5.52 am before I got up this morning. After a desperate dash to the loo I was able to boot up and log on. If I had palpitations yesterday at he sight of what was in my inbox, today was a full blown heart attack. 187 since last night. Cruel people, very cruel. I worked until 7.00 pm then stopped to take my meds, I couldn’t be bothered with breakfast today. Back to work with a coffee and I carried in until 9.00 am when I decided to get dressed. I wrote out a message for the Pensions Agency to let them know I have a whole 1.2% increase in my private pension. I hope this year they work on it before June or July before deciding they’ve overpaid me and start clawing it back. I decided to go and see my friend in the Post Office to send this new information by recorded delivery as I had the ones I sent yesterday. I took her favourite chocolates with me. Since I was last in the queue we were able to have quite a conversation, mainly based around politics as she’s a local councillor. Between us we put the world to rights. I did learn something there. Young Shawn who was drowned last week had been skinny dipping on the spur of the moment, having drunk alcohol it would have reduced his body temperature. At 2.00 am it’s not warm even though it is Spring. The person with him thought he was messing about when he got into difficulties. From the post Office I made my way to Pauline’s for micro chips. She didn’t have any with the curry sauce on but she did have some packets of the microwaveable sauce there so I got one of those.

Back at home I put the stuff in the freezer and then instead of returning to work I changed the big bed and set the bedding to wash. Then the postman called and brought my brown jacket. That pleased me. I did return to work until lunchtime as I’ll change my bed tomorrow. I had some corned beef and some of the micro chips and covered them in the new sachet of Chinese curry sauce, it was really nice. I’d happily buy that again. Whereas I’d normally have 40 winks after I’d eaten I decided to have a burst at the post again before it got too bad. It had just turned 3.00 pm when I came close to being up to date when someone knocked at the door. It was a huge YAY when I saw it was the driver from Herpes with the missing jacket. It fitted fine and again I was very pleased.I checked my phone which I’d left on charge in the kitchen wondering if there was any news on the birth of my new Great Nephew. Nope, but there was one I’d missed from Mike to say he was on his way. I realised that would be about 5.00 pm arrival and the only way he’s believe I’m not doing emails and/or the blog is if I’m able to spend time sitting with him. I returned to work immediately.

I stopped work and came out of the bedroom at 4.50 pm giving myself a little leeway. I prepared his mug and put the kettle on. It had just boiled and clicked off when he walked in. He found me, a picture of innocence, pouring his coffee out. We were able to sit and natter for a while and then during the quiz I must have zonked. It wasn’t for long but when I came to about 6.30 pm Mike asked me if I wanted something to eat as he was going to the chippy. I did have meals to offer but he wanted some fish. I asked about bread and butter and said I’d do some while he was out and that I’d have a small sausage. (Oi, you at the back, stop sniggering). The moment he left I must have gone straight back to sleep as the next thing I knew was ten minutes later he was waking me up to give me a tray. I felt awful, but I still ate the sausage , chips and curry sauce he’d got me. I did make sure I did the washing up afterwards though. Mike enjoys a comedy called Two Broke Girls which came on at 8.00 pm so I was able to slip away to do some mail while he had his half hour with them. Then I went back through to watch the new Big Bang Theory  followed by a documentary we both fancied about the Illuminati. At 10.00 pm I put another comedy show on for him and slipped away to work. So much comes when my back is turned. It was 11.00 pm before I could start the blog and at that time he thought I’d finished and was in bed. I was tapping very quietly. It’s 11.45 and I soon shall be in bed with my book. The work will have to wait until the morning before he gets up and after I’ve kicked him out to go to his Dad’s.

Friday.

Well, I made bed by midnight, read my book until 1.00 am then settled down. When my internal ( or infernal) alarm went off I was ready to get up. It was 3.03 am so I shot to the loo as quick as a bullet.( Sorry,  I know it wasn’t very punny but it’s all I had). Coming back I booted up the computer and logged into my mail. Not as many as yesterday but still almost 100. Of course in the time it took me to deal with one, two more would come in because there are people who just won’t go to sleep at night mainly in the U.S. or the land of Oz. I’ve heard all this mumbo-jumbo about different time zones but night is night so there. In truth of course I actually found it funny that whatever time I’m on the computer there would be someone I could contact somewhere if I wanted to talk, or could. I worked till 5.30 am. I’d sort of made myself a promise today that I’d look at my WIP, only there hasn’t been any progress in such a long time. I sat in the lounge with it in my hand ( stop it back there, no tittering allowed) and tried to think of what came next. After half an hour I gave up and went through to take my meds including a pre-foodie. I put two slices of bread in the toaster and set to refilling the tablet box. This job always takes a while because I have to refill the tablet drawer from new stocks as I go along. Next Friday I’ll do the same but also make out a prescription request for some more. I do half every two weeks.

Once that job was out of the way I buttered my toast, made a coffee and went to sit in the lounge. I was thinking about the book as I ate. Part of the problem may be the way I was writing this one using real people and their towns/cities as a backdrop and using their skills as an aid to solving problems. In the previous Queen’s Envoy I’d made up the characters and chosen a location to suit me. Of course I know it isn’t the only problem and I know what stopped me writing in the first place so this may be a psychological problem I need to overcome. The other option is that my muse has done a runner and I just have no more stories in me. If anyone knows of an author in North Wales or within reach of North Wales who’d be willing to come kick me up the proverbial or even co-write the book with me I’d be pleased to hear about them.      Alternately if someone just wants to say “Give up you talentless hack”maybe I should just look in that direction.

I decided to put the TV on and watch some American sitcoms starting with Will and Grace, but about 7.50 am I decided to go through and get dressed. At 8.05 am I’d just fastened my shirt when I heard a voice ” Want a cuppa” it said. I went through and it really was him. Not only up but unfortunately awake too. I was shocked. No alarm, no calls, it’s never been known. I sat down next to him for a while to study and see if the real Mike had been abducted by aliens who left a simulacrum in his place. No, it was him alright and the more his bottom spoke the more convinced I was. I’m sure no alien could have recreated that. I disappeared to make my bed. When I came back Mike was also watching US comedies so I stayed in the kitchen to regain my breath and put the washing machine on, then sat with him for an hour. Knowing the Mother’s Mafia would have left Pauline’s by now, I went to get my lottery tickets. (I know none of you will read this for two days but I still hope you had your fingers crossed for my lottery win for tonight.) I’m avoiding looking at the results until the last minute. I’m sure I’ll stay awake all night planning how to spend it.

Mike finally left to go to see his Dad in Manchester. His sister from Canada is over so he’ll see her too and perhaps spend a bit extra time there in her company. As soon as he was out of the door I came back through to work on incoming mail and also checking my ebay account. I spent my holiday watching a house buying programme at 10.00 am for an hour.Then went back and started on Ancestry.com hints.It would be easy to get carried away with all the hints they send but the family tree just gets spread so much thinner and the relationships to me more and more distant that sometimes it isn’t worth carrying on until you forget the next time. At 11.30am I was going to break form lunch but I found some mail I consider important in my other mail address and started doing that. So, it was 12.05 pm before I stopped and made my to the kitchen to take a tablet, stick something in the microwave and go put Bargain Hunt on screen. Both teams made a loss. At 1.00 pm I returned to work on a catch up mission but I knew it was only for an hour as I was departing again at 2.00 pm to see an episode of ‘Who do you think you are’ featuring a UK newsreader called Natasha Kaplinsky. It was a sad story where some of her family escaped to S.Africa as the war began but most of the rest were murdered by the Nazi’s in Belarus. One son, a doctor did get away and fought with the partisans. His son came over from Australia to help his cousin piece together as much of the family history as she could. Very very sad.

Then back to playing catch-up again until 4.10 pm when I went on holiday again for a while. Get out my sunglasses and the lotion please. I was channel hopping to find the funniest things or quizzes, I found both and stayed watching the box until 6.30 pm when I decided to go for a shower. Let’s just say I managed and I’m temporarily clean. I took my dirty clothes through to put them in the washing machine even though I wouldn’t start it tonight. I found I’d forgotten to unload this morning’s lot so did so then and put it to air. I grabbed a bag of crisps and some dark chocolate biscuits and went back to my TV watching. There was a film on I actually found quite good. Mike arrived back about 9.15 pm as I was watching a satire programme we both like so I made him keep schtum till it was over. He was able to talk again when it was over and one of his favourite programmes came on. When he told me all about his day I left him to come through just before 10.00 pm. I managed to clear most of the post before doing the blog. I shall just see if I can clear what’s left before midnight

Saturday.

3.22 am on the last day of my holiday. I had no problem getting up despite having less than 3 hours sleep. No pressure from the bladder means I can take my time this morning though when I get there I know my bladder will take it’s own sweet time anyway and try to fool me with it’s stop-starting so I’m not sure if I’m finished or about to water my feet. My feet were safe. I ambled back to the bedroom and powered up the computer and logged on. My mind is going ten to the dozen trying to decide if today will be the last post on my last blog. I could in fact be playing the Last Post as my last featured piece of music. The problem is, aside from the feeling of deep sadness in my soul, I find I enjoy the blogging and can’t be trusted to keep away from it even when I’m only supposed to be away for a week. I can’t help but answer mail and comment on blogs or twitter when I’m supposed to use the computer for ebay and little else. There should be an AA of some kind. My name is David and I’m an Internet Cheat. I open my email and start work on last night’s stuff which takes until just 4.33 am. A short break to enjoy a cigarette and a drink like post coitus then into today’s mail. That takes until almost 6.30 am when I get dressed while listening out for Mike’s alarm which he tells me he’s reset for 6.30 am now to try and get out of the house by 7.30 am. I’m really grateful that he’s trying to please me and keep me away from shopping crowds but I do wonder what it’s going to be like trying to get him up this first time. Having said that, look how the so-and-so surprised me yesterday. Maybe he’s trying to kill me with kindness. I find I don’t mind.

This was not a successful action. It was an A 3 C2 day. That’s 3 rings of his alarm and 2 calls from me before he shifted himself. At least he was up for 7.00 am and with a couple of sledgehammer hints about me putting my coat on while he was still in his night attire we actually got out of the house at 7.35 am and reached the supermarket at 7.50 am. It’s funny what a few minutes difference getting there early makes. The car park was emptier, no queue for the cash machines, and there was still money in them. On the negative side the staff were still filling shelves and there were no small peeled new potatoes in herb butter for me. We got Ju’s flowers though and wended our way round the shop as usual. Once we’d been through the tills we went to get our cup of coffee and that was very welcome. We decided on no detours this morning but made one anyway to let Mike find a 40th birthday card for his son. We just had to nip into another shop while we were there- Home Bargains. It was a partly successful side trip. We got back aboard his chariot and made our way to Flint. The first stop was -Home Bargains where we actually got what we needed. One more detour through another shop then over the road to Temptations for coffee and Mike’s teasted toecake. The was no Ceri this morning so poor Sian got the teasing instead. Before we left Kyle got  bit too for saying his favourite sweets were Ferraro Rocher. I don’t know how we’ve never been banned.

We left there and Mike asked where we were going, the onus was on me to make the decision as it’s my day. Normally I’d argue the day belongs to both of us and he should go where he likes. Instead I just asked him how he felt about the Tweed Mill  expecting him to say he hates it and lets go to A or B instead. He caught me out by saying “Fine, let’s go there.” To be fair we have made some good purchases there in the past, shoes at a humongous discount or a sports jacket from £290 to £29 plus various gifts for others. There was no intention today other than to look round. The next question was where to eat. Mike said we could go to the Dragon’s Rest and down the expressway so I countered with an alternative of going to the Bells of St Mary’s, going through Prestatyn to St Asaph and then on to the mill. The distances seemed the same so I left the option to Mike. We went to the Bells and had a great carvery. I ate a week’s worth just in case I don’t get the chance to eat next week. Well you never know, I might forget. Afterwards we drove on to the Tweed Mill. The weather is typical Bank Holiday weekend fare, rain interspersed with more rain or possibly sleet. Naturally all the parking spaces nearest the door had gone so it was a bit of a trek but we made it. I’m sure some of you will remember from previous posts that The Tweed Mill is like a clearance village but under one roof and much smaller. Often the heavily discounted stuff is still four times the price of what you’d normally buy elsewhere but you do see things you don’t usually see in local shops. For instance they have a selection of cummerbunds with bowties in harlequin like colours or the old striped boating blazers you’d expect to see in Victorian films where the men wore straw boaters when messing about on the river. Mike loves those blazers and would love one but he can’t quite bring himself to spend that kind of money.

We had a really good look round all the different sections and then ended up at a little coffee bar upstairs.I wasn’t really paying much attention when Mike asked what I wanted so I just answered I’s have the same as him instead of my usual latte. Mike had an Americano so that’s what I got. Small cup, double shot. It was thick enough to chew and strong enough to coat my vocal chords before taking an hour to slide down them and Arnie would have lost out in a strongman competition.talk about strong. We should have gone to the cafe downstairs and had a coffee from the machine. Neither of us actually bought anything on this outing which is unusual but I enjoyed it nonetheless for the change. We went home via Trefnant and then up to Caerwys, along to Holywell and down again to Greenfield and got back about 4.30 pm. Mike made himself a drink while I came through to answer some mail and then let him watch his beloved Manchester United in peace. There wasn’t much peace really as they last again.He came through at 6.30 pm to check out some things on ebay then I went through at 7.00 pm with him to watch some TV. I gave that up at 9.40 pm and came back through. There’s obviously been plenty of mail to go through as well as the blog to do. I started the blog at 11.00 pm and intend to go to bed once I’ve published it

R I P Ben E King died 01.04 2015 aged 76  Another great lost to that party in the stars.

My thanks to you all. Have a wonderful New Week.

 

 

Famous Five Depart & The Butter Magnet

Sunday 19th April 2015

Lights off before 1.00 am this morning and I think I was quick to sleep. All the more astounding then that when I  woke and saw it was just 2.26 am, I could not get back to sleep despite trying. When I gave up, I got up. With Mike here fast asleep in bed there was no way I could practice for my role in Sound of Music, though I still think I make a terrible Maria. Instead I had to allow that all I could do was creep to the loo and back and log on. I thought that things were going well for me, I had almost finished the rest of last nights and it wasn’t quite 4.30 am. I glanced again and I’d almost finished last night’s but now it was 6.05 am. Wha? I’d completely zonked. Why it hadn’t let me do that at half past two I don’t know. I could have saved myself a stiff neck and a puzzled look.

I had considered not feeding the Famous Five this morning and leaving their light off too but I thought that might make catching them much worse than it could do as we all know how good they are at hiding,especially Harold. So, I went through for the last time and flicked the light switch. Harold was out of sight  just then but Pepper was lurking near the food flap. First in the queue again. I opened the flap and like a miracle Little Al and Bonzo emerged before any food went in. Big Al brought up the rear throwing the odd dirty look my way. The food went in and they started grazing. Harold appeared from nowhere at the back of the tank. I turned away to take a pre food tab. I needed breakfast as I had no idea how long this operation would take today or what time I’d get lunch. I put bread in the toaster, took my other meds and made myself a drink. Then I lit a cigarette and turned back to the tank to tell the guys I was going to miss them. They must be nice for the new owner as he’d look after them and I needed to explain why I was doing this, because I wouldn’t restock the tank for fear of losing more fish which might include some of them, but the tank needed to be brought back to life with some more companions. I think even Big Al looked kindly on me for a mo. I had my breakfast and left them.

I started back where I’d left off and carried on until 9.00 am when I got dressed then at half past I made a coffee and took it through to Mike. I just had to remind him ( with a megaphone) that the new owner would be here at 10.30 am and he got up all on his own. I joined him in the lounge. Last night Mike had helped me put a new keyboard on ( he did the bending for me to the base unit) as my fingernails had removed all the letters again despite the nail varnish I’d painted on. The keyboard that was on was a usb fitting whereas the one we put on was the old type. I started having problems soon after where if my computer went into rest mode I couldn’t wake it and a message appeared on screen to say no info coming through. I had to reboot the whole thing to get it going. I asked Mike to help me get a new keyboard  with a usb fitting today . He said he would. He was dressed before 10.30 am and on time I had a text to say Dai was here, what number was I. Mike went out to get him and his sin who the tank was actually for. Mike emptied the tank of all the wood and the ornaments and we bagged them for Dai and his son to run to the car then Mike caught the fish who weren’t being very helpful and I bagged and tied them. The bags went intoi a large bucket for support and Dai had brought a very large brewers bucket to take some of the original tank water back. That was good. After we’;d filled that we emptied a lot of the tank leaving a safe level ( we hoped) in the bottom of the tank covering the sand and grit. Everything went to the car and all of a sudden they were gone.

I took a little time cleaning the area where the tank had sat then moved some things around in the new found space. Mike’s watch said it had taken us an hour from start to finish. He had a coffee  and at about 12.45 pm we decided to go for lunch. The Ivy wasn’t too crowded so we got to speak to Angie and Rob before Tariq appeared and came for a hug. Even Shella made an effort to come out and see Mike. We passed over the chocolates and ordered our drinks. Sitting down we could see the specials board and both made up our minds quite quickly so that we could order as soon as the drinks came. I took my pre-food and we went out in the sunshine for a cigarette. Almost perfect timing as the meals arrived not long after we’d gone back in. After lunch we got into a conversation with Rob about fish tanks and fish as he had a few of both, but we didn’t stay much after that. A goodbye hug from Tariq and we left. Mike ran me up to Holywell and the local supermarket where I got the last keyboard, expensive but a good make. We went home and attached this one hoping the problems would go away. It seemed to have done at first so Mike felt OK about going home. I waved him off and came through to work. The computer had gone to sleep while I was outside and again I had to reboot to get it going. Still, at least I can see what I’m typing now when it is working.

At 6.00 pm I went through to turn the tank off. Oops, but I stayed there to watch Ice Age 3 , some of it behind closed eyelids. When I went back through at 8.00 pm I had to reboot again but I’ve been here ever since so it hasn’t happened again. At 10.30 I broke off to do the blog and even though I know there’s a lot of mail left it can wait till morning. It’s now 11.49 pm.

Monday.

I just made it to bed before midnight. There was time for a read and the light went out about 12.55 am. I was up again at 2.12 am but didn’t feel ready for work so lay back down and tried again. The second time was a much more acceptable 4.31 am. It was also much more necessary as I think my bladder was close to pressing against every major organ including the brain. Going to the loo brought a big smile to my face. I came back and logged on, which took so,me time while it made up it’s mind if it was going to, but eventually I was able to open my mail. It was just as well I was sitting down or I might have had to. It was 6.49 am before I did the last of Sunday’s messages. No point in starting today’s straight away I thought, as I might as well see to the fish first and maybe have breakfast. I reached the kitchen before I remembered.  I just took my meds, made a coffee and came away.

I got dressed when I came back through in case the postman knocked with a delivery outstanding from the end of last week. Also the warden is due to call. After that I faced the mail and there was a lot to face, it looks like you’re all making up for a lazy week last week. Over 100 emails between midnight and 7.00 am and I’d just got through 60+ from last night alone. I worked until 9.30 am then went to put my washing in the machine. It’s an hour and a half cycle then three hours in the drier. Once I’d loaded up I turned it on and came back. The postman brought a letter but no parcel so I’d have to query that with ebay later. Somehow I was finished at 10.38 and opened my other mail box to find a friend worried because she found her book as a download on a site she doesn’t know. It offers a choice of downloads but each one I tried just took me to a different advert for gambling or coaching you on earning your first million, and you were expected to sign up which I wouldn’t do. I’ve advised her to see if she can find out who the host is and have it taken down. That was from a simple search of her book title. I hope all yours are safe.

At 11.00 am there was a knock at the door. Logic tells me it’s the warden since the postman has already been. I opened the door to be greeted by bright sunshine and the warden in a short sleeved blouse enjoying the warmth. I hadn’t given a thought as to what kind of day it was. I had just been going to start gift wrapping so when she came in it was a welcome escape. We had a little natter about nothing of real interest but she was assured I am OK and in need of nothing. As she started to leave I passed her the usual chocolates as a thank you for her time and patience. Though I haven’t actually needed the wardens, it’s nice to know they’re there and ready to help if the need arises. In other words, probably able to tittle tattle to then doctor if she doesn’t think I’m well or ready to rat on me to Yvonne. After she’d left I only had time to wrap a couple of gifts before lunch time, shame. ( Oh pass a tissue, the sarcasm is dripping from my chin). Lunch was a fairly easy affair of cottage pie while I sat watching Murder She Wrote. Typically the sound of my snoring drowned out the exposure of whodunit. When I came to it was 1.45 pm and I still had to return to the wrapping as I hadn’t been overrun by prezzie fairies as I slept.

In the end it was getting on for 3.00 pm when I returned to work. It’s possible some of the things I said on seeing my mail boxes, had their roots in Anglo Saxon. There may have been a blue tinge to the air that wasn’t from cigarette smoke though ultimately that’s what I’d blame. It’s like everyone has something to prove today and is in direct competition with all comers. It was hard going. By the time my quiz came round at 5.15 pm I debated whether to carry on working or to take the chance on catching up later. I took the chance. I watched the first quiz then made some tea and watched the end of a second quiz. Instead of  returning to work I gifted myself with an episode of the Big Bang Theory only I nodded off before the end. Sacrilege ! And slept right past the end until  7.35 pm. I knew there would be a price to pay and refreshed the mail. No America, that wasn’t the wind you heard howling past your doors, that was me.I’m sure even Australia would have felt the vibrations of that scream. So, I’ve been trapped in this chair since that time and haven’t yet taken my meds. I made good headway but started this blog at 10.40 pm and it’s just approaching 11.30 pm. I shall have to return to the post for a while afterwards but will be sending out a plea for mercy tomorrow. Don’t make me grovel. I shall be leaving the house at 7.30 am to go see my daughter and grandson. I shall return about 2.00 pm. If you work this hard tomorrow you’ll make it impossible for me to leave the house ever again in case I hit a big backlog. Take a break, relax, sleep or enjoy some sunshine but try not to blog too much please.

I’m not always very keen on cover versions of people’s records but sometimes the versions really do complement and compliment the originals  Few people could equal Paul Young’s version of Wherever I lay my hat which was a Marvin Gaye song. Here is a song by the group Black done by Zucchero. I think it excellent. I hope you agree.

Tuesday.

I swung my legs out of bed at 4.10 am but something didn’t feel right. I’d turned my light out at 12.47 am but didn’t feel I’d slept that long. On went my glasses for a second look at the clock, 1.16 am. Beggar that for a game of soldiers, back went my legs and I slept some more. So much more in fact that I next woke at 6.16 am. I can’t remember the last time I slept this late nor the last time it was so bloody inconvenient to do so. Somnos is sniggering somewhere. I have to be out of the house at 7.30 am, preferably fully dressed and need to clear my backlog from last night and this morning by then. Not a cat in Hells chance. It pained me to do so but I concentrated on dressing first then going through to the kitchen to take my meds and get a drink. It was almost 6.50 am before I returned to my room and turned the computer on. Another quick laugh for the gods as the system wouldn’t boot up, just a message on the screen to say no info coming through. Three times I had to turn off and try again before it deigned to work. I went straight to mail and started work. In no time at all it was 7.25 am and time to get my coat on, making sure I had my bus pass this time and out the door. Then in the door because my cigarettes were lying by the computer. Then out again and up the road. One thing the gods could not control was the bus driver who stopped to pick me up well before the stop.

I scanned my pass, thanked him and took a seat to get my breath back. As soon as I knew I wasn’t about to expire I rested my chin on the arm part of my crutch, closed my eyes and avoided the world for an hour.Yvonne and Reuben weren’t at the bus stop so I lit a cigarette and waited. Moments later they appeared out of the shop behind me where they’d gone to wait for the bus ( no, they couldn’t catch one in there ). The took me back in to see something Yvonne wanted an opinion on for Reuben. I liked it. We came back out and as it was 9.00 am by then we walked over the road to the big clothes store which has a Costa coffee shop inside.I had a latte and a toasted sausage and red onion sandwich which was nice. Once we’d all finished I wanted to buy something for my next great nephew and something for my niece who’s birthday is tomorrow, the same one who will be hugging in Llandudno on Saturday.I picked up something for Reuben, Yvonne and Ugo at the same time. Yvonne says Ugo will be cross as though I care- I won’t be there. It’s her ears will suffer not mine. That took a while and once we’d paid for our purchases we headed for a supermarket to get some shopping. Yvonne wanted a birthday cake for her uncle John who’s birthday is on Friday. I needed bread a swell. Then to a £ shop where I know I spent some money but I’ve no idea what on and a card shop so I could get a card and gift wrap and Yvonne could get a card to send back with me.

Coming out of the card shop Yvonne say my bus approach so we walked a bit quicker and she asked how long we had before he left as she wanted to write the card. He waited for her. She tucked the card in my bag with the birthday cake and other bits of shopping and I boarded the bus. Magic, my seat was vacant.I waved to them both and saw Reuben waving in the vague direction off where I might be but without exactly knowing. At least there weren’t tears today. They left and started walking towards home. A minute later the bus set off and as we turned a corner I got another wave at Yvonne and Roobs, standing at the curb waiting to cross. It was time to shut the world out. When I rested my chin on the crutches I fell asleep. It didn’t help that I woke whenever we stopped and started but the journey was still over a lot sooner than usual. Coming home I was pleased to see a badge I’d,ordered late Sunday night had arrived but disappointed that my parcel from last week is still missing. My next job is to send them a message to ask about proof of postage. I unpacked and put away the shopping and came through. There were 184 messages. I started work.

It was a hard, uphill slog, no hang on, that’s the treadmill. It was a hard job. At 5.00 pm I was distracted when my brother in law, the Jo half of MuJo, skyped me to see if they could come tomorrow. It took 45 mins to ask. I knew it would throw me out tomorrow with having my games but I said OK. since they said the forecast was for a change in the weather on Thursday and it’s nicer to walk round in the sunshine. So, another day with a big backlog. I thought I’d better eat so I walked into the kitchen, fully intending to turn the tank light off. I glanced at the calendar and saw I’ve a diabetic review at 10.40 am. Bollards! I sent a text to Mu to say came a little later or I’ll meet you in town at 11.00 am. While waiting for a response I sat and ate liver and onions ( yes, and bacon too) with mashed potatoes, watching a quiz. When I got up to wash the pots I saw a response though I hadn’t heard a thing. Pardon? They’ve changed it back to Thursday again now so that should be OK.

At 6.30 pm I came back through and had another attempt at whittling things down. I’m in trouble if they ever catch me with this knife. The more I answered , the more came through. I wonder if I unanswer some, others will disappear? I think not. By 9.00 pm there were signs of daylight which were in direct contradiction to the growing dark outside. With the amount of mail I had it was a major surprise not to have any proposals  but there were 4 messages of a type today. All 4 had similar messages in the subject line to draw you in. You have won £250 of Tesco Vouchers or You’re today’s winner. They may even include your email name in that field. But when you open the message it’s blank apart from a link. Be warned this is for a variety of gaming or Bingo sites and any prize which you will only be entered for is reliant on you signing up. Unless you specifically know you’ve entered a certain competition treat these as a virus which will bring in plenty more.

At 10.00 pm I finished early to do the blog as I have no idea how much more mail will arrive. So rather than take chances, I’ll do the blog and when I finish about 11.00 pm I’ll go back and try to clear up what’s left. So, It’s on to the musical interlude. Tonight I’m going to give you the same song twice as a treat ( I hope).

Wednesday.

I stopped work around 11.30 am and for some reason went to Ancestry.com where I dealt with a couple of hints but it didn’t take me anywhere I wanted to be with a particular part of the family. I have two problems, the lack of records of a birth in Ireland, thus the lack of information on parents of that child. The second one is his wife who was born on ‘The Rock’ of Gibraltar ( I think) and was probably an army brat but I can’t access any records on her. I’m stumped. By midnight I’d had enough and gone to bed to read. My light went out about 1.00 am. It was a pretty short sleep whatever it was because I woke at 1.54 am. There seemed to be no reason as the bladder wasn’t pushing but I went anyway before trying again. It worked. I slept until 3.59 am and I knew then it was time to get up. I had to go to the loo again to pee into my little bottle for the diabetic review.Thinking about it later while down on my hands and knees, perhaps I shouldn’t have tried to do it from 6 feet away after all.

I came back and started work. The computer booted up properly this morning so no steam coming out of my ears today. Five minutes later they got a steam clean when I opened an email from Felicia    hey hey.. i kept ur email from google member a while back are you still available? lets meet up 848-two two eight-eight 3 zero 6 text me!          Where are they all finding me? Don’t tell me I have to break off the latest engagement because of another better offer. People will think I’m flighty. I worked through ll last nights remains which took until 6.20 am then decided to go and have breakfast. I can’t get used to this big fish tank shaped hole in my life which is currently filled by a wine rack which in itself is pretty weird since I don’t drink. I got through all the tablet taking etc and had a couple of rounds of toast. I didn’t even wait for it to go cold this morning. Then I went back to work. I remember seeing 7.12 am on the clock then the next thing I knew I was awake and it was 7.55 am. It was so black though, not like being asleep. Nothing I could do but shake my head and work on. By 8.50 I’d cleared quite a bit and stopped to get dressed. I needed Pauline’s for some milk and my TV mag as well as a new cigarette supply. But I had to move fast as I’d need to leave the house at 9.30 am to catch the bus to town. I did Pauline’s with time to spare.

I’m not used to going out and travelling when there ate so many people about so I had to force myself a bit but I made it. I caught the bus and was in town by 9.45 am. I took a couple of minutes to walk round the supermarket that had defeated me last week to see what specials they had and to pick up brochures ready for the next batch tomorrow. I was able to have a cigarette and take a slow walk towards the surgery then though my appointment wasn’t until 10.40 am. I made every effort to bend my body towards the ciggie today so it didn’t look like I was waving my stick at anyone. I popped a cough sweet in my mouth and went to log in. That bloody machine hates me, yet again it said there was a problem with my appointment, please report to reception. That meant either 15 minutes stuttering or, if you;re a genius like wot I am, I stuck my appointment letter over the counter and said I’m here. I was logged in. I was called at 10.30 am so it was good I was there, no change in medication which I know isn’t good. My blood test last week showed I’m still 59 (points not years) and my range is 49 to 59 so I’m still on the top despite my fantastic diet. This Sister S ( sorry, a different one) checked my feet and was even kind enough to trim my toe nails despite the risks to her health. I was just about out of there when I was due in. Time enough for a cigarette as I walked into town to the bus stop.

I was home for 11.15 am so there was chance to do a little more work before lunch. The first one I opened started “My Dear Beloved in Christ” nothing is more likely to turn my stomach than something like this where someone would take for granted her beliefs matter and so I must follow them. Her message was tucked up as a  link and since I didn’t want to open a virus it went straight in the bin. Even if this was a genuine message I’d say a religious opening like that is most inappropriate unless you know the recipient is a Christian. What happens if it’s a Jew, Muslim or even a Buddhist that opens it? A couple more messages brought me close enough to lunch time that I could happily break off and eat. I really fancied my chips in curry sauce but Pauline hadn’t got any in this morning so I settled for a lamb hot pot. I think I’d have settled for anything as long as it involved bread and butter. As usual I watched an episode of Murder She Wrote or truth to tell, that was my intent. I saw the murder, I saw the Indian take the blame and that was it until 1.35 pm. That hour seemed to make me worse rather than better so I went back through to my room before I nodded off again. I really worked hard all afternoon and even stayed awake.I contacted the seller of my last ebay item to let him know it hadn’t arrived and he promised to sort it with the delivery people. He uses a private courier firm. I intended to knock off at 5.00 pm in time for my fellow gamers arriving. I actually finished at 4.55 pm as in I caught up with myself. I had a wander through to get the mugs ready.

I’d just put sugar inn the mugs when I heard an Hello and in walked Dil sans son. It seems Matt had forgotten and had booked himself a driving lesson. We knew Lee wouldn’t be coming because of the impending birth though he still sent me a text. So it was to be just Dil and I. I put the TV on so we could watch the quiz that’s usually on when they arrive only this week he’d see it from the start. He made me laugh that he has problems seeing the questions on my 32″ screen in a small room because he has a 55″ one in his that’s all singing all dancing. Once it was over Dil got then table out and I got the games. We played Yahtzee first and I was lucky if I threw a pair never mind anything else. It was almost a whitewash with Dil winning 5-1. We played Nomination Whist next which has always been my game- until tonight, nuff said. Battered and bruised I opted for Chase the Lady next ( Hearts of a computer) and played with a dead hand. That at least went my way and I had the joy of ‘Lotting’ twice thus dumping 300 points on his score which ended up with me on about 120 to Dil’s 560. I started to feel a bit better, especially when I won two games of Cribbage and then I beat him in the last game of Crazy 8’s as well. I have to say that winning aside I had a fantastic evening. Though we play to win it’s never taken seriously and there’s banter throughout. He’s quite a funny fella my brother and he does make me laugh which is good because I’m probably far too serious most of the time when I’m here alone.

Dil left at 9.35 pm I had he usual tidy up and washed the pots then took my evening meds and came through. Like last night I didn’t want to spend to long on mail and miss the blog so I worked till 10.30 pm, did the blog and am about to return to the post a little after 11.30 pm.

 

Thursday.

I probably gave up a bit before I should have done last night but I was in bed by 12.05 am. I wanted to read but not for too long so the light went out (years ago) at about 12.45 am. That was it until 4.34 am when I woke ready to go. Naturally I visited Piddletown before booting up and for the second day in succession it came on no problem at all. I hope it’s cured itself of the hiccups it’s been having. Working through last night’s stuff I came across a message like the ones from yesterday but with a notice from TalkTalk to say a virus had been removed. I still can’t get my head round why someone would want to deliberately infect someone’s system. Naturally I didn’t even read it, just binned it. As I started today’s mail one of the first ones was yet another of those with a file attached you have to open to read the message. ‘Hi’ is all you get otherwise. I think my bin must be pretty full by now.

At 6.10 am I went for breakfast and consciously tried not to look at the space in the corner. It was no good, my eyes are drawn to it after so long. Dai, the new owner has actually posted a thank you to Mike and myself on Freecycle and said the fish are doing well. I’m pleased. I put bread in the toaster but what a struggle to get in in. I should have cut the top off it first. Then it was sprays and tabs before going through to the lounge with a cigarette. As soon as I finished smoking I went back to butter the very creased toast and eat it. I have to have a tissue handy as my moustache seems to be a butter magnet. If I try to kiss anyone I just slip off now so the tissue is needed to get rid of the excess. I brought my coffee and the after meal tabs back through to take. I was liking a photograph of my eldest grandson on Facebook and decided to print it off but my fingers were crossed the yellow ink would last out- it did. By 8.50 am I was actually up to date and decided to get dressed if I could first decide what to get dressed in. I settled for  brown slacks ( with a natural shine ) and a brown/white striped shirt. I can wear my brown bomber jacket on top when I go out. I’m looking forward to the arrival of MuJo today as I want to see his face as he opens his birthday gifts. John is like a child, full of excitement and really effusive in his gratitude. It makes all the work worthwhile.

Once I was dressed I sat back at the computer to check the lottery- really, why bother? To see if anything important is coming up on ebay I want to bid on and generally to make sure you sneaky beggars don’t pile up the post unnoticed. I stayed there until 10.30 am  then knowing they’d be there before long I set some drinks out so I didn’t have to faff when they arrived. About ten minutes later they arrived. I pulled the kitchen door too so they wouldn’t see the fish had gone. Once settled I brought the cake Yvonne had bought through for him. His face lit up. Mmmm , cake. Then I brought the basic gifts and let him open them, a badge, some of his favourite sweets and two teeshirts. When I thought he was bored enough I got the main gifts. He opened the walking stick and really liked it. I had to explain how it had arrived broken and I repaired it as no replacement was possible, as neither of them could see the break in the carving he didn’t mind and at least wouldn’t feel guilty if it happened again. Next I gave him a small parcel to open and he found the hand painted Napoleon I’d sent to France for. That was another hit, I was so pleased. Lastly the bigger parcel opened to reveal the tall, antique Nelson toby jug. I’d been so pleased to win that on ebay and was even more so when I saw his face. Finding the right thing for someone for a birthday is important to me. I’m not always this lucky.

By the time I’d got rid of all the scrap paper it was time to go out. We settled on going to The Bells of St Mary’s and the run wasn’t too bad. Windows open because of the heat of the day. Ha, I can never get used to  saying that in April. We were a few minutes early arriving which meant no queues. I paid for the drinks and the carvery tickets and we put the drinks on out table and went to collect the food. Needless to say I had roast beef. John wouldn’t have a pudding as he was the only one wanting a bottomless ice-cream. But he said he’s have a cake when we went for coffee and then some of his birthday cake when we got back. Once we finished there Muriel drove to Flint managing to find every pot hole in the road so my attempts at nodding off weren’t successful. We went to ALDI for some shopping and I managed to get some chocolates for Temptations and a strawberry and rhubarb tart for myself for later. Temptations was next where Muriel got me a latte and I handed over the chocolates and blew Ceri a kiss. It was nice and cool in there but the need for a cigarette sent me out into the sunshine soon enough.

When MuJo joined me outside we took a walk round the usual shops to pick up a few items. Mu bought us an iced lolly each which we ate before leaving. Then back home again, John demolished a big wedge of his cake with his afternoon tablets, he said it was lovely, before they decided it was time to go. If not, I risked John falling asleep on the sofa . Once they’d gone I flew through here to work, it was already 4.05 pm. I worked till almost 5.30 pm then went through to prepare Mike’s mug and to have a piece of my now defrosted strawberry and rhubarb tart. I turned the TV onto a quiz and sat back to wait for Mike who arrived not too much later. We watched the show together, talked for a while then I came back through admonishing him not to let me miss my 8.30 pm Big Bang Theory. He forgot but luckily I didn’t. I stayed in the lounge until 9.30 pm before heading back here for the last time with just a minor detour to the kitchen to take my meds. I was getting fairly close to catching up when I broke off at 10.40 pm to do the blog. An hour and I’m ready to call it a night and maybe leave the rest till tomorrow morning.I ‘ll just see how bad it’s got first.

Serenade on a Bus.

The Bus Ride

For my friend and author Mary J McCoy-Dressel

Friday.

Well, I might have had a look last night t how bad the mail was after doing the blog but it made no difference. I decided to leave it anyway. So I was in bed by 11.45 pm and only read until 12.15 am. I was tired and sleep came easily but not rest as my brain decided to start showing dream on a loop like my thoughts sometimes go. At 2.04 am I was up again but still tired so I sat with a cigarette in my chair in the lounge. Once the ciggie was done I nestled in and tried for sleep. I was there till an amazing 6.43 am. As far as I know no dreams just a wonderful sleep. Of course by then my bladder was suggesting if could hold yacht races so I paid a visit. There was no point in going to the computer afterwards to read all your work as on Fridays I have to do my weekly drugs and prepare a new prescription request for next week. Taking my morning meds and then replacing everything in the trays for the week takes some time so it was almost 7.30 am before I could grab a coffee and bring it through to my room.

I booted up and signed in. By 8.40 am I’d stopped crying and started work. I’d finished with last night’s work and started on today’s. I paused long enough to get dressed. At 9.00 am I went through to make Mike a coffee which I took through and woke him for long enough to acknowledge the drink was there. I did a couple more messages and then ignored one with a business opportunity ‘Just for me’ that needed an attachment opening for further details. Nope, just not that daft, in the bin it went. It was now 9.15 am and I thought I’d left it long enough for the Mother’s Mafia to have departed Pauline’s. I woke Mike again to tell him I was leaving the house and not to worry if I wasn’t there when he got up. He told me he understood and I left. MuJo had made mention of a murder locally which I hadn’t heard about ( how would I?) so I decided to buy a paper for once. Pauline wasn’t there but her husband Jim did my lottery tickets, sorted some cigarettes for me as well as selling me the paper and some Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles ( bet you can’t just suck them either ). I came home, dropped one of my crutches on the floor saw Mike shoot out of bed, took my coat off and joined him in the lounge. The paper said nothing about a murder at all.

I came through tot he bedroom to run a search as I was puzzled and actually found a piece about a bod being found but there was no mention of a murder. It did say that a second person was taken to hospital to be checked out. Since an ambulance was called at 2.30 am in connection with this I’m guessing it will be drug related. I shall have to keep my ear to the ground for more news. I let Mike know as he was checking the paper to see if I’d missed anything then went back to work. Mike came through at 10.20 am to say goodbye as he was leaving to see his father. From then on I worked and worked a bit more but only until 11.50 am when I stopped for lunch. That was a fine affair with my cottage pie and bread and butter. Naturally while I ate Jessica Fletcher was solving a crime in the background but after I’d washed my fork in the adverts I came back and missed the ending as I slept. I was asleep until 1.15 pm which wasn’t long.It’s surprising how tired I’ve been today given the sleep I had last night. But I shifted my bum back to work before I nodded again.. As always a fair bit had accrued while I was away, when I added it to the outstanding ones from the morning I started looking round for a suitcase to pack. Conscience got the better of me and I started trying to whittle it down instead.

It was a very long afternoon but the promise of quitting about 6.00 pm when Mike returned kept me going. The more the afternoon wore on,   the less well I felt so that when Mike walked in at 5.20 pm I was really glad. Maybe the change of position would improve things. As I joined him in the lounge I noticed my stomach appeared to have grown and was definitely uncomfortable, painful even. I always took precautions so pregnancy shouldn’t be an option. I began feeling sick but was pretty sure  almost 7.00 pm didn’t count as morning sickness. I thought maybe a shower would help but Mike thought I was a bit wobbly and helped me towards the bathroom where I promptly started throwing up.

I suppose that hour was in reality a couple of minutes. When it seemed to have settled I prepared for the shower but this time Mike made me sit on the shower stool while he washed my hair  and then proceeded to wash everything except the family jewels. ( probably because they’re in hock). He helped me into clean tee shirt and lounge pants, Minions this time, and I went back through to the lounge. At some point I fell asleep in my chair waking at what I thought was about 3.00 am but which Mike explained away by saying he wouldn’t be watching Persons of Interest at that time of the morning. Things began to clear a bit and I noticed it was 11.15 pm on my watch so I said I needed to do the blog before bed. “Just the blog” he said. It was only when I got in here and noticed the clock said 10.15 pm that I realised what a lemon I am, unable to tell the time at my age. My watch was in agreement with the clock. There might be time to do a few messages when I finish here. I needed a puff of my inhalor and saw it was on the red line so went to get a new one from the kitchen only to find I don’t have one and can only order it on Monday for Tuesday unless the chemist is in a good mood and lets me have it on Monday. Mike reminded me to take my meds while I was in there which I did before coming through again.

At the request of my friend Suzanne Joshi, something from the late 50’s early 60’s when she had such a great time.

        From 1960

       From 1960

Saturday.

I got to bed at about 11.45 pm last night which as pretty good. I knew I was tired but I couldn’t sleep straight away as I had the sneezes and Mike kept shouting Bless You. The light went off about 12.30 am though I think before that it was a case of the lights are on but no-one’s home. I got up to go for a pee at 6.51 am and can’t understand what’s happening. That’s two days on the trot now where I’ve slept like a normal human being. It’s also the one day I didn’t want to as I have to start getting Mike up at 7.00 am heaven help me. I went through to the kitchen and put the kettle on. While it was boiling I took my meds and prepared to make my own drink. The kettle boiled just as Mike’s alarm went off. Naturally he ignored it but maybe, just maybe it had brought him to the surface enough to make it easy for me. I called “Coo-ee, coffee’s up. Yes, it’s here, finally arrived on a table near you. Can you hear me Mike”? There were enough jungle sounds to make me believe he had. I went back tot he kitchen and set the Tassimo to make my drink. While that was happening I took the waste food bag to the bin and ran both bins down the path to then front. The Minions lounge pants hiding this sylph like figure from the world. The pert bottom and nice pins kept away from a possible legion of female fans. ( If I find out who shouted Dream On then you’re in trouble Michael).

I came in and saw Mike still in his pit so called him ever so gently to remind him his coffee was going cold.( Shift yo ass unless you want iced coffee). The alarm went again. As I took the recycling bags out he was moving. A=2 C=2. I washed my hands, picked up my drink and went to join him. Eventually it was time to get dressed. Mike suggested I put my dressing gown in the wash which meant I had to find the new one I bought a few weeks ago. By the time I’d done that some sneaky article was already dressed and came to my room to ask why he was still waiting. Some deep breathing exercises stopped me from hitting him, well that and the fact he moved out of reach. I dressed quickly and we left.It was 7.55 am. At the supermarket Mike got a trolley while I got some cash from the machine then off we set. I was lucky enough to find a coat for Reuben in the sale and a really nice tee shirt. While we were going round I also got some newborn nappies for my soon to be great nephew. Eventually we worked our was round to getting some food too so I’m OK for next week and 30 cans of Pepsi Max because they were a real bargain, only about £1 more than 16 can’s in 8 packs. We went through the tills and stopped for a coffee. I nipped to get my cigs and made the woman on the till’s day when I noticed a change of hairstyle. Mike said I probably stunned her.

We left there with the intent of going straight to Flint but ended up with a detour to another Surpermarket to try and get some Ferrero Rocher at a bargain price. That special was over but I did get other sweets. We headed for Flint. When we arrived and parked up I wanted to go to my favourite shop first then have a coffee, a bit of a foot stamping tantrum and a quivering bottom lip got me my own way. Mind you, I was told I’d have to have an early night and miss telly for that. I got what I needed, looked in another shop for something but didn’t find it and then agreed a coffee would be nice. I put in our order than moved away so Mike could trade insults with Ceri and then get a welcome home kiss. I think I saw his tongue in her mouth checking she didn’t have appendicitis as well. We left and had a look round the new £ shop which opened this morning. Mean beggar wouldn’t let the lady give me a balloon. I found I didn’t have my food tablets with me so we had to go home to collect them. Didn’t stay long enough to unpack the car. As soon as I had the tablets we headed for lunch. Unusually we headed for the Bells today for a proper Sunday dinner and yes, we did know it’s only Saturday. It was lovely but very filling.

We needed to be home as Yvonne had said they may visit this afternoon to return my laminator and pick up some gifts for tomorrow. Something My sister in law and brother in law have bought for Reuben and also my birthday present for niece Jo as well as Jo’s and Karen’s Easter eggs as they’ll see them tomorrow and I won’t. We got home and unpacked the car. Almost before we’d had chance to put anything away Yvonne sent a text asking if we could meet them in Temptations at about 2.30 pm. It was 2.00 pm then. We flew round the kitchen putting food away and I packed Reuben’s coat etc and some new books in a bag, grabbed the gifts and set off again. Just as we arrived there another text from Yvonne, delayed because of Reuben’s need for the loo. We went inside and ordered and just waited. Two visits in one day but not two sets of chocolates for the girls I’m afraid. We were forgiven. Yvonne arrived and hugs all round then a few minutes later Ugo and Reuben joined us. I was hugged and kissed again. I passed Reuben one of his books to read while we sorted a drink (and cake) for Ugo and a drink for Reuben. Yvonne didn’t want one at that point. She was pleased with the bag of goodies I think. Eventually we had to go our separate ways as they were expecting guests tonight.Hugs all round and Mike and I came home.

Back at home it was about 4.00 pm and Mike let me come on the computer to answer certain emails with a promise I wouldn’t stay too long. I knocked off at 6.00 pm and stayed there to make something to eat and watch a bit of TV including a film which finished 11.00 am. Quite bloodthirsty too about a young Columbian girl who loses her parents to the mob and becomes an assassin to avenge them. Not my usual cup of tea, though anything longer than about 15 minutes fits into that category, but not the worst film I’ve ever seen.So I had to come through to do the blog hen with the promise that’s all I’ll do. The way I feel at the moment that promise will be easy to keep.

I hope you’ll all forgive me but next week I think I shan’t be around to deal with messages, retweets  or any queries. I’m also not sure about a Blog next week either as I may be on holiday or something. I hope to see you all soon.

How to look suspicious Lesson 1

Solving the mysteries of life.

 

 

Give My Liver to the Haruspex & Who’s Stealing the Car?

Sunday 12th April.

I’m not sure what time I woke but I was conscious of being awake and not moving. Eventually I couldn’t stand it any longer and I looked at the clock as I swung my legs out of bed. 4.38 am, not too bad at all. It was cold and I could hear the wind whistling outside, Roger Whittaker it was not. Totally tuneless but powerful enough to be giving my hefty wheelie bin a bad time of it. I wondered how many streets away it would be later on.

I paid my visit to the kingdom of Loo and came back to log onto the computer. Not too many left from last night, about twenty I think, but quite a few new ones. Not too many for the blog though so far.That didn’t worry me too much as I knew you’d all need sleep after slaving over a hot keyboard just to keep me going. No attempts to have me pull tarot cards  from a virtual deck or have me extract my liver so it could be read by the nearest Haruspex. Maybe not too many Etruscans read my blog.                       At 6.30 am I took a walk to the kitchen, it still seemed dark this morning.I turned the tank light on and was greeted by….no-one. Maybe the weather was affecting them. I opened the flap and sprinkled a little food in and Bonzo was there before any had sunk to the bottom. Positive the others hadn’t organised a new escape committee I scoured the tank looking for them. I eventually found all but Harold and if he’d squeezed himself behind the pump again I’d never see him from this angle. It waas easier to let them come and feed in their own time so I left them to it.

I got myself some milk and headed for my meds only to find I’d forgotten last night’s again. That’s three times this week. I shall have to set an alarm to go off. I took the morning stuff but didn’t bother with breakfast today knowing I could have tea.I was later to wish I had. I returned to my bedroom with a coffee and set to work on the mail. At the same time I was following a bid on ebay an while there found two of my books advertised for sale as new. Fame at last I thought. I’d considered being a slob today and not getting dressed but it’s not a state of mind I needed so I sent an email to Yvonne to see if they fancied lunch out somewhere.The eventual answer was yes but they wouldn’t be with me until about 2.00 pm. That’s why I regretted not having breakfast earlier. Anyhoo, I went and had a shower and got dressed so I’d be ready (4 hours early) for when they came. I also needed to dig out my laminator for Yvonne who’s blown hers up.

I continued working until about 1.45 pm when I heard my phone  let me know I had a text. I expected Yvonne to say they were at the top of the hill which is usually when  start to get my coat on. I got my coat on and then looked only to find she was telling me they’d only just set off. My stomach thought my throat had been cut at that point. I sat back down to work a little more but kept my eye on the time   and allowed half an hour. At 2.15 pm I was raring to go. The text warning went again while I was in the kitchen and then the phone started ringing. I’d left my phone on charge in here. I came back through. Text 1 said they were at the top of the hill. Then the phone had rung and it was Yvonne but I thought she was just making sure I was warned. I thought it quicker to wait outside. I waited, then I waited some more and some more. Finally I heard a clunking sound approach and they came into view. As they got close Ugo said they needed to pull up at the front and effect some repairs as part of his bumper had dropped and was obstructing a tyre. He asked for a tool. I went back inside to check and passed it to him via Yvonne. It was then I found another text to say they’d broken down at the top of the hill. Oops, I hadn’t taken my phone out.He managed to do the job and we set off. I’d brought chocolates as Yvonne had said the Ivy. It was approaching 3.00 pm before we got there and they closed at 4.00 pm.It was fantastic to see Tariq again and I got a huge hug as soon as he saw me. I also had one from Angie. She started making my drink and I sorted what everyone wanted and told her. They’d obviously been quite busy despite the weather or perhaps because of the weather, and both my usual seats were taken. That will have to change when Mike gets back. Lunch came and we ate and enjoyed except Reuben who for some reason was in siren mode again until he got a whiff of my bacon. I think he didn’t like being restricted to a high chair instead of having the freedom to roam at will. It was almost like old times as Tariq and I argued about the bill at the end and had to compromise very much in my favour though I didn’t want to. It was better than having the free meal he was trying for. One final hug and we left. It was 4.15 pm. I’m surprised he hadn’t thrown us out.

They dropped me at my home and left to travel on to Chester on the wrong side of the border. Once my coat and shoes were off I got straight down to work. Suffice it to say I had some catching up to do. I took a break at 8.00 pm for some tea and my second set of diabetic tablets and had a half hour of some rom-com on TV starring J-Lo. At 10.30 pm I remembered to take my evening meds and came back to start the blog. I won’t be going back to emails afterwards. Early morning out for bloods and a chest clinic tomorrow. I do hope the rain has stopped by then.

I’ve played this one before but it’s so worth a second play, not least because of the weather here.

Monday.

I turned my light out at 12.50 am at an appropriate place in my book. I settled down but for the life of me the only way I could have dropped off was by rolling too near the side of the bed. Sleep would not come and the bloody leg was itching so it became even more bloody. At 1.45 am I gave up and went through to my chair in the lounge. I had a cigarette and watched some of the local wildlife, though perhaps I shouldn’t call people that, going home from a party. I nodded off at last. It was 4.38 am when I woke again and since it was too early to tease the fish I went straight to my bedroom and turned the darned machine on.  Actually, you couldn’t see where the darn had been done, it was good work. I signed in and started on the rest of last night’s messages. That took me until 6.35 am so I broke off and headed towards the kitchen. I know this next piece should be entitled ‘Confessions of a Pet Lover’ but I didn’t even  look for them this morning. It was light on, food out, food in and close. For all I know the Famous Five could have been the Previous Posse. Heartless I am.

I put some bread in the toaster and flipped the switch. I took all the meds I needed to, ate my heavilly buttered cold toast, took more meds and made a coffee to take back with me. It was 7.00 am. Since I intended to be out of the house by 8.00 am and I was determined to do it alone, I got dressed. A little more work, shoes on , jacket on and I left. I was at the bus stop in time and even had two minutes breathing space not that I was doing much actual breathing with a hoard of Genghis Khan’s finest waiting for the school bus. My bus pulled up behind. It was obvious the driver was a fan of the Boomtown Rats  judging by his face and I barely had time to reach a seat before he was pulling away. Had I fallen I think I’d have needed help to extract my stick from where I’d have put it. Anyway, we reached town without an accident and the time was just 8.20 am. Since the first appointment wasn’t until 9.00 am, I had time to walk round the supermarket. Only when I got there I couldn’t so I stood and read the specials board outside and promised myself maybe some other  day. I walked to the hospital and was there for 8.35 am but it didn’t do much good, it was still almost 9.00 am before I was called. Lying beggar caught me with “It’ll just be a little scratch” again.

From there I walked over to my surgery. It was a very slow walk as I tried to smoke a cigarette as I walked. Every time I raised my arm to get the cigarette to my mouth up came the crutch and it must have looked like I was a crazy guy making threatening gestures. I put it out and went in. The box on the wall wasn’t being very good and wouldn’t let me complete my info. It said there may be a problem with the appointment and to go to reception. I joined the queue. Someone else went to the machine and I watched as it worked perfectly so I left  the queue and tried again. Doh! It still said the same thing and now the queue was longer. Mind you, when I got to the front it was piling up behind me as I tried to stutter out what I wanted. I’d have been better with sign language. We got there in the end and I went to sit down. Wow, all those sick people. Eventually I was called. Sister S is gorgeous, not just in figure but in personality too and as I know her reasonable well the stutter was on minimum power.  We did the usual BP and it was fine, oxygen levels in blood fine, breathing tests, WHAT!! I couldn’t even get to point 2 on the scale which was what she expected from someone my age and dashing good looks, health. She went over the charts with me but I just suggested it was maybe because I still have phlegm from the last bout of bronchitis (ongoing). She’s organised a chest x-ray for tomorrow.

In an attempt at distraction I asked about my leg and whether the swelling might be retained fluid. She agreed it was but wasn’t too chuffed about the state of the skin round my ankle and the ongoing heat.She wants me to see a doctor. “OK” I agreed “maybe next week when I come for the diabetic clinic?”  The smile said it all, “No, now”. She disappeared for a few  minutes so I got my cardigan and coat back on ready. If I waited the doctor would see me as soon as she was free. I took a seat outside her room away from the crowd. It was about 15 minutes before I was called and it turned out to be my own doctor who for some reason looked about as pleased as Sister S once she saw the leg. To be honest she didn’t even  have to say ” And you wanted to wait another week with THIS”, before I cringed. I came away with a pack of antibiotics and a pack of steroids to hold as an emergency for my chest and a pack of Super dooper strong antibiotics for my leg plus a cream plus a steroid ointment described as potent that I must use twice a day but for no longer than a week. I reckon after that my leg must get incredibly hairy or something. I must have said Thank you about twenty times as I backed out of the room with my balls intact.

I walked to the bus stop and saw a dinky little bus with Greenfield on the side. I asked if he allowed the use of passes and he did. He asked where I wanted and I said the shops and was told he stopped by them. Great., He didn’t say it went all round the houses first dropping off people who live on top of the surrounding hills and the bottom of the deepest valleys. Eventually we reached the shops by home. I was grateful they were still open. I took my prescription request to the chemist and handed over the sheaf of new prescriptions from this morning. I waited. The Post Mistress ( I still laugh at that) waved to me and mouthed she hoped I was OK. I waved back. My stuff came except the new cream which they said would be tonight or tomorrow. It didn’t come tonight. When I got home it was almost lunchtime.That meant another 4 hour backlog but it would have to wait until after lunch and another episode of Murder She Wrote.

I returned to my machine at 1.00 pm and sat crying, working without a break until 6.00 pm. I made a sandwich and watched a quiz on TV before going back. I took the steroid ointment with me as I reckon the two 7 o’clocks are the ideal time to use it. I started chipping away at the work again. At 7.00 pm I broke off to apply the ointment. It was miraculous, within moments the itching seemed to have stopped. Either that or I just couldn’t feel it between the stinging on this stuff on all the patches of broken skin. The air around me turned a definite shade of blue. Eventually it eased enough for me to stop skipping on the spot and I restarted work until 9.30 pm. I saw the last half of a very emotional DIY SOS then took my evening tablets and came back. At 10.30 I wasn’t too far from being caught up but I still broke off to do the blog. I may go back to the post later.

Reuben leads Pops to Sunday lunch.

I think Reuben is reluctant to let the chocolates in my other hand out of his sight. Made using the crutches very difficult.

I was told today I don’t play enough Dusty.So, here’s another gem from her. I hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday.

Another bad night. Light off by 1.00 am and tried to settle down. Unfortunately the effects of the ointment had worn off and the pain, the incessant itching and the twitching began. There was nowhere to put the leg that seemed comfortable, it generated heat both inside and outside the quilt. I gave up at 1.45 am, lit a cigarette and went through to the lounge. It didn’t seem much better but with my foot on the ground there was some improvement so that eventually I fell asleep. I woke at 6.20 am back in bed where I’d gone when I woke at 3.12 am with a great need to lie on my side and take the pressure off. It was so close to fish time that I just turned the computer on and walked to the kitchen. Bonzo, Pepper and Little Al were all in a corner looking like it was a meeting of the Red Fin Gang. I could see Big Al hanging back and keeping a weather eye on the food hatch. Just then Harold swam into view, The Gang’s all Here, Yay. I fed them and watched as their attention was suddenly focused food wise. I left them to it.

I decided against breakfast this morning. I didn’t want the x-ray to pick up a stray corner of undigested toast and wonder what it was. That made taking the meds a lot easier so I concentrated on that then took a coffee back to my room. First job was to check the bank to see if any money has gone in. I’m interested as I had a notice of a pending payment from Amazon. Not much but still nice to know people are looking at my books or in this case probably just the one, The Queen’s Envoy which I featured not too long ago. It wasn’t in yet so I was able to go straight to my emails. Amazing, only 4 left from last night. Such a pit that of the 4 one was to tell me my tax information wasn’t up to date, please use this link to update it, yeah right! And another was from someone making a fortune from working from the internet and was now ready to help me do the same. Very noble of them but I declined nonetheless. The other two were dispatched very quickly and I was able to start today’s work.                                                      At 8.00 am I stopped and got dressed and went out to catch the 8.45 am bus to town. No kids at the bus stop was great but though I was there first, four women and two men joined the queue and all just walked on the bus before me when it appeared. I could have sworn I’d left the cloak of invisibility at home today. However, my seat was free so no having to climb a step to find one. We were in town by 8.50 am and  a walk meant I was back at the hospital by 9.05 am. I handed my form in to the x-ray reception not really wanting to interrupt the conversation the two staff behind the desk were having. I was told to take a seat, I did. It must have been 15 minutes later when one of the two came round and told me to come through. it turned out she was the radiologist. Before I even go to the room she stopped me, thrust a garment at me and suggested I undress my top half and put this backless thing on. I did so but as I went through I had to ask her to remove my chain because my hands shake too much. She did so. The x-ray was taken and checked. It was OK and the results would be sent to the doctor in 5 days. I could walk it over the road in 5 minutes but hey………

Before getting dressed again I asked for some help to get my chain back on. The radiologist couldn’t do it and the receptionist with her talons couldn’t manage it either. They supplied an envelope for the chain and I took it away and got dressed again. I haven’t taken the chain off in about 5 years and felt naked without it but it did set me off thinking about Ju who bought it for me. There’s a little Welsh dragon on the chain made from Clogau gold which is the Welsh gold the Royal Wedding rings are always made out of. I was out of there by 9.35 am and on my way back to the bus stop. For some reason I avoided going into the Supermarket again and luckily there was a bus in. After a walk from the bus stop I was home again for 10.00 am. Everything had gone right and I was able to restart work on the emails including those sent while I was out. Between then and lunch time I did quite a few responses excluding  another one from the phony tax service asking me to update my details and a very disappointing one from Ghana where a young 32(?) lady had befriended me on Google + and seems to think we should spend our lives together and I should start by sending money to invest in property for our future- as she’s a very poor girl. Oops, quick block as spam and taken off Google +. I’m not vain enough to think a young girl could fall for my charms, or for that matter an old girl- I don’t have any charms, but is there anything wrong with friendship pure and simple? Must everything be about money? She’s not really looking for a husband, she wants a sugar daddy. My missing cream from yesterday was delivered just before lunch by my friend who seemed happy with the chocolates I had ready to say thanks.

I enjoyed my lunch today and was ready for it. I didn’t manage to enjoy all of   Murder She Wrote or the next programme which I woke up halfway through. I wonder if I was bitten by a Tsetse  fly again. I’m sure they were  swarming round the hospital. I managed to stay awake while I worked afterwards so no damage to my desk from my forehead. There was almost damage to the screen though when yet another con letter arrived from Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Office to remind me they still need my updated information. I only wish the real  tax office were this prompt. I’m hoping to hear before mid June this year that I’ve got a tax rebate again. I knocked off at 4.30 pm to watch an antique sow as I’m having withdrawal symptoms. I didn’t return for 2 hours  having found a quiz to watch a well as a Big Bang Theory.  OK so maybe I lied, 2 and a half ours when I saw there was an antique related investigation programme on. It was during that I got emotional after events sent someone investigating a medal for bravery awarded by a Trades Union run Newspaper in the 20’s to the area where my father was born in the Rhymney Valley.They paid  a visit to a coal mine or  ‘pit’ where the act of bravery took place and which may have been where my grandfather worked and then had a Welsh choir singing Myfanwy. It was worth getting shouted at by you for taking too long.

I finally came back to work and started the big catch up again. At least there was noting terrible to deal with unless you count my having to hang my head low after reading an excellent post by Roughseasinthemed on https://cloudsmovingin.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/sexism-tips-feminism/ that proves I’m basically sexist having retained some of the things I was taught as a child, opening doors for ladies, calling ladies, ladies and addressing any woman by the epithet ‘Baby’ though I dispute the use of that one really. It is funny though that what was acceptable years ago by women no longer is. I’m happy to have worked for some women bosses but like the men, not all of them. I’m happy to see a woman doing the same job as me receive the same pay and have the same prospects for advancement. Heck, I’ll accept women can be the better man. One thing that might have some bile thrown at me though is maternity leave. We all want our children to be cared for at home after birth, but 26 weeks on full pay can put an awful strain on an employer if he/she has to hire someone to fill that place, or a major strain on other employees if he/she doesn’t.  I personally would prefer to see the woman leave work and open a position up for someone unemployed. And I know that’s not always a financial possibility but maybe having a baby could be delayed until it’s less of a financial strain. I know women who’ve returned to work only to use most of their wages on child care places.I don’t believe it’s the same as being at home and interacting with your child. My daughter knows this is not aimed at her as I have always believed this  and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me.                                        I was a bit late remembering the antibiotic (2 hours) an I missed the 11.00 am one. I did however remember to use the ointment on my leg and follow it up 10 mins later with some of the cream.

By 10.00 pm the backlog was caught up and I was just doing post as it came in. It was fairly easy then to stop the mail at 10.30 pm to concentrate on writing the blog. I may not need to go back to the mail afterwards but can just leave it till the morning and hope I don’t regret it. It’s 11.35 pm so I wish you goodnight.

Give us a twirl.

New Superhero Pigeon Boy !!

 Please avoid this if you’re very sensetive or don’t have a box of tissues handy. This includes Aberfan.

Short and not upsetting version 

Wednesday.

Light out last night at 12.30 am and  no itching or twitching leg. No, not an amputation, the leg is still here but this steroid ointment in combination with the cream seems to be doing a great job. I’m impressed. Perhaps I’m underestimating the effect of these antibiotics too, I don’t know. Anyhoo, it was 3.36 am when I got up so not too bad. My bladder was holding a conversation I didn’t want to hear which went along the lines of,” I need to go”, “I know I’m walking there now”, “Don’t walk, RUN”. When I came   back I booted up the PC and got ready to go. A quick and very disappointing look at the Euro lottery told me I was out of luck again. A look at  ebay told me I had nothing up today and finally I could avoid it no longer, my mail. Ah, not as bad as I feared, not as good as I wanted. I finished last night’s remnants by 5.15 am and started today’s stuff until 6.00 am when it was fish time. They were all present and correct when I turner their light on and Bonzo was obviously hungry the way he was hovering ready for hoovering under the hatch. When I dropped some food in his little tail almost whipped him to death. Everyone else moved in very cautiously. I laughed and left them to it, no trouble from Big Al today, magic.

I slipped some bread in the toaster and took a pre- food tablet. Sprays next then the rest of my meds leaving enough milk in the mug for my coffee.A quick cigarette to help time the gap between tablet and food and I was away.As soon as I’d eaten I took the post-food tablets with my coffee and returned to my room with the rest. I worked till 9.30 am when it was time to visit Pauline to restock my cigs, bread, TV mag and today I treated myself to a large Calippo (kind of an ice lolly in a tube that you eat by squeezing the bottom end so the top comes up) I couldn’t wait to get home to eat it but she insisted I paid first. It was fairly nice out this morning. Not a lot of sunshine but certainly not cool. When I got home I put my shopping away and opened the lolly. It was delish, so welcome from this feeling of constant dryness. Then I could no longer avoid the work and started again. Quite a lot more had come in. Fortunately not all of it was bad news. I’m afraid I had to  break my engagement to the  Ghanaian woman despite our great affection for each other, but she wasted no time in asking me to invest in property for our future together in Ghana. But, swings and roundabouts, I may have had a better offer.

Hello
I am happy to see you on line my name is Rita ,i am a single honest woman , i need a good honest man to spend rest of my life with, if you are interested this is my email address, (
ritapaull@yahoo.com   ), i will send you some of my photo when you reply,am not here for game either to waste any time my dream this year is to settle down with my soul mate that is why i send you this mail to found a honest man to start a good life together, mind you age, color,distance,religion is not barrier to relationship what most important is love that we will build together /////     ritapaull@yahoo.com
thanks and God blesss us
Ms Rita

It remains to be seen where I shall be moving to this time. I spent some time daydreaming about that but realised I haven’t responded to her before some other lucky man does, and find out where she is. Still, I can hear wedding bells in my future, or are those alarm bells? At 11.30 am I broke off to do my lunch, or at least to get things ready and to take my pre-food tablet. I sat own to eat at the start of Jessica Fletcher’s latest ( well, 20 years old at least) adventure. I didn’t reach the end. I took my tray through at one of the ad breaks, sat down and was gone, just like that. I didn’t wake up until almost 2.00 pm. I washed the pots and came back through again. The post was mounting higher by the minute. I got a grip on myself to stop me running out the door and started. It was very slow going even though I worked right up till 5.00  pm. I knew in advance Lee wouldn’t be joining us but I needed to get the TV on for the quiz and get the cups ready.

Dil and Matt arrived around 5.10 pm and I was prepared. I’d started making the drinks before they set foot over the threshold and we sat down together to see who could answer most questions, though using the word see and Dil in the same sentence is a bit inaccurate.A 32″ TV about 8 feet away and he can’t read the questions. At least if gives Matt and I the advantage. I keep wondering how he sees to drive here. Once the quiz was over I turned the TV off and Dil st the table up and brought out the Yahtzee and the cards. I’d like to skim over the Yahtzee, but when you do some smart Alec always asks so suffice it to say Dil won. I’m sure he cheats but I can’t work out how yet. When I do, I’ll copy him. After that we went back to cards as we always used to and I  drew up for Nomination Whist. For the 1o-1 section I was untouchable, a golden boy hardly missing a trick. My score was around the hundred mark. For the 1-10 section I won less as they concentrated on trying to force me into tricks I didn’t want. It was a skin of the teeth job but I hung on to my lead. As there as still a bit of time left we played Chase the Lady with all the venom of which we are able, except me of course who just played my own game. It didn’t work, I still got caught and ended up in the middle score wise while Matt won and poor Dil lost. Matt’s venom is considerable for a young man.

They left just after 9.30 pm laughing at the fact I had to tidy up. Well at least I didn’t have to drive with Mr Magoo. Once that was done and the pots had been washed I took  my tabs and came through. It has been four and a half hours so I shouldn’t be surprised to find over 100 more emails waiting. I hadn’t managed half before I had to break off at 10.30 pm to do the blog. I may get another 15 mind or so at the end before bed. But MuJo are due tomorrow so I’ll never catch up.

Posing.

Smelling more of the park

Percy Sledge R.I.P died 14.04.2015 aged 73.  Another legend lost.

Thursday.

I did n’t read for long so the light went off at  12.30 am and I went off soon after. I woke at 1.55 am quite sure that getting up wasn’t on the cards  but unable to find a reason for having woken. My bladder was content and it wasn’t because I’d wet the bed. A quick smoke and a sort drink and I went back to bed and buried myself. Time to get up was 3.36 am by which time my bladder was grumbling, I moved just to prevent it reaching scream mode again. Coming  back I booted up and logged on. There was a heck of a lot from last night but for some reason I wasn’t too worried. I managed a few before coming across one I flt needed a better comment than usual. After a little thought about my wording I’d started and was now almost at the end of what I wanted to say. Suddenly my screen started to shut down. Why, what had I done. Aaargghh. It reached the stage where it told me this was a Microsoft update but I’d not been warned or anything. I was peeved. Eventually it  brought me back to my sign in and once in it took me automatically to where I had been. Phew, it had saved the work. I quickly finished and saved it before something else happened.

I worked until 6.00 am and walked through to get breakfast. The tank light went on and a usual I could see 4 of them but I hoped No 5 would be within earshot when I told them they were going on holiday. Forever. I hate to admit it but I could do with the space and not have to clamber about to clean the tank, change filters etc. I know the tank could be moved but after having lost so many special fish recently I know I can’t go through building up again and perhaps losing more. The UK has a service called Freecycle which I’m sure other countries may have where people can advertise for things they need or get rid of things they have no longer needed. I saw an advert for someone who wanted a 40 gallon tank with as many extras as possible. I told him about the Famous Five’s Worldwide renown and said he cold have my tank if he took the fish. He was over the moon and is coming for it on Sunday morning. On the next blogpost you’ll know how that went and how I really feel about it. Anyway, back to today. When I got back from breakfast with my coffee I  restarted work and at 8.52 am I caught up. The timing was perfect as I was able to dress and go out to the Chemist and to Pauline’s. At the Chemist I was asking about my repeat prescription that I’d asked for on Monday. The girl looked puzzled and said it should have been delivered yesterday. After a good look round they found it, waiting for a missing item due today. I’ve asked them not to do that, but to send me what they have and follow on with anything that’s missing. It prevents problems like this where I have to walk to the shop. They don’t listen sometimes. From there I went to Pauline’s and got my lottery tickets before heading home again. I took my gloves off and heard a clunk but didn’t associate it with anything and saw nothing. It was only later I found I was missing a ring. I could not find it.

I worked until 10.30 am and then packed up before MuJo arrived which they did not long after. The day was so nice I knew it would be cold drinks so I had them ready on the table as they walked in and I was actually having a cigarette in the kitchen with the extractor fan on since neither of them smoke. After hellos we sat gassing about who’d seen or heard what this week , a competition I was bound to lose as I don’t watch the news these days nor read a newspaper. The fish don’t feed me titbits of gossip anymore either. John wanted to have a battery put in another watch and perhaps ind a leather strap so it was town again today.We left about 11.15 pm so I could pop into the bank, Muriel into the Post Office and John into his beloved charity shops. He bought a display plate today though I didn’t see it. In the chippy, as that was part of his cunning plan, I had a mince and mushrooms deal with peas and chips which I wasn’t quite able to finish. (Who was that asked if I was ill? How rude.)(and before anyone asks, YES , I remembered my tablets this week thank you). After lunch we drove to Flint and the Aldi supermarket for Muriel where I managed to pick p a couple of things including chocolates for Temptations if we go there ha,ha,ha. Guess where we went next. It was quite busy and I got little chance to speak to the girls though I did manage to say hello to Ceri and answer her question about when Mike was back. She thinks his time away has passed quickly. Said probably not for me though.

I had a cigarette outside while MuJo finished their drinks then we headed for Homies where I got a plug-in air freshener. Then down to a shop called Peacocks so Mu could have a look at some clothes and I got a big angina attack. Lucky for me all it did was slow me up a lot and they didn’t notice. One last shop very slowly then we headed back to the car picking up ice lollies to eat on the way. Though it was a bit breezy ( sorry, it’s the mushy peas) it was still warm in the sun. We had the lollies in the car  before coming home. John and I went indoors while Muriel went for her lottery tickets. While John had another drink of pop I had another quick scour of the floor in my bedroom and in the hall  for the missing ring. No dice. Mu came back and I gave her some chocolates and a frozen strawberry and rhubarb tart I’d bought. John decided to have a slice of tart there and then to take with his afternoon tablets. It wasn’t even defrosted. It didn’t flippin’ stop him though. They left a few minutes before five and I flew to the bedroom to start work again. There was tons of it but things seemed to be going OK if a little slow when I was hit by waves of tiredness. They were humongous and I’n sure at one point a couple of surfboards clipped my ear. I had to go through to the lounge. I fell asleep in my chair until 6.06  pm. ( I didn’t use the bed as there were things on it and it would have taken time to move them). I came back and started again, there were bigger tons now.

Disaster struck. I think this was a steel clad HMS Disaster surging up though those waves from earlier. I was dazed, or to be more accurate I was unconscious until just gone 7.00 pm. When I woke, came to there was a lot less in my main mailbox than there had been, including some I’d answered but saved for future reference. I’d say roughly 95%  less working on the premise I had about 100 before the ship hit me and about 5 now. I daren’t look in my sent box. Before this cataclysmic event I know I’d had four things open. My 2 mail addresses, my Barsetshire Diaries site (this blog)  and ebay. There was a huge sigh of relief when I found this sit hadn’t had anything added. Another sigh when I saw I hadn’t bought (and paid) for anything on ebay. With trepidation I opened my other mailbox and………………………………… DAMN they were all still there. So, I’ve spent the evening trying to clear the mail by legitimate methods, if anyone like my Darling Friend in Australia finds a rather odd message from me, please be understanding and don’t com back with WHA??????? in the subject box. I stopped just after 10.30 pm so I could do the blog but I must go back to do a tidy up of any strays before heading to my pit.

I got one foot bigger than the other

Marathon Man.

Friday.

It was a 1.00 am lights out and a 1.56 am lights on. I’m all set to blame a wonky bladder for that one as I managed to go back to sleep after a loo visit and a cigarette.        3.41 am saw me up and about without the need to visit the loo straight away  so I was able to log on and assess the damage. So far no complaints so I felt brave enough to       a) Visit my sent list to check and see what I’d done. And                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             b) Visit my trash to see if I’d disposed of anything important. In both cases the answer was looking pretty positive so I started on the rest of last night stuff. That kept me going till just before 5.00 am when I decided the time was close enough for me to take my antibiotic. That done I had to pay a visit to the loo because the sips I’d taken constituted a drink to my bladder’s mind. I came back and started today’s mail a little later than expected. I’d forgotten it was Friday so there was a huge pause at 6.00 am as I went through to then kitchen. As I turned the tank light on, those new bosom buddies Pepper and Bonzo  came over together to be fed. That means Pepper has in turn been very matey with Big Al, Little Al and now Bonzo who are all the same species if not all the same size. I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t a lot of bonking going on and I’m not sure which one is the bonkee. Big Al and Little Al drifted over as the food went in and good old Harold waited to make a big entrance all on his own. Harold is really good natured but every time I see him and his funny moustache I’m reminded of  the villain in a silent movie who always rolls the ‘tash’ while giving an evil chuckle. There’s no doubt I am going to miss them.

After feeding the gang I thought feeding me was a good idea so I took my pre-food tablet and put some bread in the toaster. I had the sprays and the rest of my meds next before putting my mug in the machine ready to make a drink. The toast popped up and was left to cool. I lit a cigarette and started refilling my tablet tray for the next week.In some instances I had to get a new stock for the drawer from the prescription I picked up yesterday. The cigarette was done before I’d finished and my stomach was starting to growl from the effect of the pre-foodie I think. I picked up my pace a bit which wasn’t a good idea as I kept dropping tablets in the wrong compartments. I slowed down again and eventually finished. I returned the drawer, threw the empty packs away (except the recyclable cardboard of course) grabbed the butter from the fridge made sure I covered my hands with it as I usually manage, just to save time and started buttering my toast. I set the  machine going on my coffee at the same time just to show I can multi -task. I finished the toast, took my after food tabs and washed the pots. The coffee came back with me to my bedroom.

I started work again and just kept going till I finished at 9.08 am, refreshed and worked on until 9.38 am . Then as brave as I am , I dithered about opening my second mail box before doing so and starting again there. That was enough to keep me going until 10.47 am. Time for a little play on ebay then.That was a disappointing session with no inspiration at all. The postman called and I was really disappointed not to get a knock and be handed a parcel I was expecting today. The chemist called with the missing drug and I was a little cross because there was an ample supply in the bag, it was just enough tablets to complete the order I was missing. They could have been here on Wednesday.Still, not the fault of the person who delivered so I was gracious to a fault, and didn’t mention it. It was 11.20 am before I remembered my antibiotic which means I couldn’t eat until 12.20 then so I worked until 11.50 am then went through to butter some bread. I’d settled on a lamb hotpot today which I actually sat down with at 12.15 pm so I could see the start of bargain hunt.

After I’d washed the pot ( 1 bread plate, 1 butter knife and 1 spoon)   I decided I  needed an hour in my chair before going back into battle. Not too bad a guess but it was  minutes over the hour before I returned to work. The first damn thing I went for sent my computer into panic mode with a phishing alert asking me if I wanted to return to safety. I ask you, who is going to say “No Thanks” and carry on. Of course I want to return to safety you idiot, get me back there NOW!! I worked the rest of the afternoon without a break but at 5.00 pm it was down pens whether finished or not. I’d promised myself a break then an another at 8.30 pm for the Big Bang Theory if I could remember tonight. I had a text off Mike to let me know he’s back and had just walked into his flat. If he can be in Manchester for is father before midday tomorrow he may come here tomorrow night, if he can’t make his Dad’s, it may be next weekend before I see him. I don’t want to tell him I was hoping he’d be here on Sunday morning to be me. I might have to be myself after all. At 5.00 pm I downed tools and went through ready to enjoy the quiz. I’m afraid I stayed there until 7.00 pm as there was an investigative programme about a ring from the execution of Charles I. To be fair I did work hard when I got back i n case you said I couldn’t skive off again at 8.30 pm. As it happens I actually caught up on one address at 7.20 pm and thought it a good time to break off and have a sandwich. I turned TV on in readiness and was devastated to see the end of a Big Bang episode I  haven’t seen before. I’ll have to watch out for it now. I was in time to sit down to watch the new one though which had the usual moments of high comedy but also moments of real pathos. I was genuinely touched when Mrs Walowitz died. Even though I’ve never seen the actress who plays her appear on screen in the part, the character, or rather her voice, has been an integral part of the show. My shoulders were slumped as I returned to work for the final time.

I took my evening meds at 9.30 am so there’s just the antibiotic to go at 11.00 pm. I’ve managed to remember everything today. Not necessarily dead on time but not too bad. I stopped work at 10.30 pm tom do the blog and things seemed to be going great until I found a point at which the caps lock had come on one letter too late so the first letter was lower case and the rest of the paragraph in upper case. I invented some new swear words. I remembered to take that last capsule at 11.00 pm o now I just need to apply some cream to my leg as I go to bed. I may have just 15 minutes on either mail or maybe even ebay when I finish here. I t should be about 11.35 pm tonight.

Swinging with glee.

Spring Sunshine

Saturday.

I’m sure by now most of you could write the next bit on your own. Shall we go for bare bone? Light off ,slept, woke,wee’d,  smoked, slept again, woke at 3.52 am and wee’d yet again. There, that feels better doesn’t it ? So much more succinct. Sometimes it would be good if the whole day went like that.How much less boring if I wrote……….. Woke, ate, nodded off , woke, ate, slept. And you have my whole day done and dusted, ready to move on to, your next blog to read something interesting, social obligations fulfilled. Maybe in view of my unending  burbling some of you actually read the blog like that. Good for you, life is too short to have me waste it for you.

I returned from the loo visitation to boot up and log on. Last night’s message from Yvonne telling me Ugo and the little man would be here to take me shopping after they’d dropped her at work said that there was no argument.on the subject. I would remember to get dressed. Ugo may remember the trauma of having to take me shopping for years, it can’t be easy for him. I wonder if he plots his revenge as he walks round. At 5.00 am I took my first antibiotic of the day then as usual I worked till around 6.00 am having decided to have breakfast but the first stop was the fish tank. Pepper was waiting for me as I turned the light on. He must like being first at the breakfast table. Harold made his way over, his shyness seemingly at an end these days while the other three were having a little union meeting in a corner. The shop steward called a break to that the minute the food went in. They rushed over to make sure it was fair shares for all. Their behaviour can really make me smile.

I placed some bread in the toaster and took my pre-food tab before getting milk out to swallow the rest. I had a wander round the lounge to make sure I had everything I needed for the paper recycling then I took the waste food bag out and all then recycling bags too. I was wearing lounge pants covered in Animal from the Muppets, not really much chance of me ‘pulling a bird’ dressed like that.( Or any other way really, maybe I should have kept up the engagement this week?). Mind you, what chance was there at 6.30 am anyway? Disconsolate and blue I went back inside and ate my way into a further two inches on my waist, washed up, grabbed a drink and went back to work. I knew I had until about 9.30 am before Ugo arrived but I needed to get dressed so I set myself an 8.30 deadline. I creamed my leg ( I know I should rephrase that ) so that it would have soaked in before my clothes hit it and sat with my right lounge pant leg rolled up like a Mason ( assuming Masons wear lounge pants). I was actually making better progress than I’d hoped so the 8.30 am stop didn’t leave me panicking. I washed and dressed, got my shoes on and bags at the ready before picking up where I left off. At 9.20 am he caught me unawares with two honks on the car horn and I had to dash a bit.

I said good morning to them both but Reuben was enthralled with The Gruffalo on dvd, I don’t know why I don’t sit in the back and watch with him. I told Ugo I’d be happy just to go local and save him time but he wouldn’t hear of it and drove out to the supermarket he’d taken me to last week. I think it’s the thought of having afternoon tea for his breakfast makes him feel like a rebel. Yet again no money in the cash machine but I could cope. The shopping itself didn’t take too long as I didn’t want much but this week I bought two plants as well as some flowers for Ju. While Ugo had his afternoon tea someone slipped me a toasted bacon sandwich which I was enjoying until Reuben saw it. He tried pushing me off my chair first thinking I’f leave it behind but no way was that going to work. In the end he applied the extended bottom lip with a touch of quiver. I was aghast, using my own speciality against me . Under the gaze of all the blue rinsed grannies I didn’t dare refuse. I tore off a few little bits and swear I saw him smirk. When we left, I went to get a couple of plant pots from a nearby shop. I came back and started to get into the car much to the dismay of the woman about to drive it away. Ugo had moved his car closer tom where I was but hadn’t warned me he would. I had to apologise profusely (I’m not sure she believed me) and walk back the way I’d just come. We had another stop on the way at a cash machine for me.

Back at home Ugo was in a rush and dropped my bags inside the door for me.I said my goodbye’s but had to compete with the dvd again though I did get a little wave. I spent some time unpacking and storing everything before returning to my room. First job was to take the antibiotic I was due at 11.00 am, it was now 12.50 pm. Couldn’t be helped. At 2.00 pm I stopped for some lunch but things were going quite well and I was still calm. I had my lunch, a quick steak slice, and then after washing the plate decided to have a little nap. I hadn’t got as far as the first wink of 40 when Mike walked in. I wasn’t expecting him so early. Once I’d seen identification and was sure it was him, the urine sample wasn’t clear, we sat and talked about his holiday. He said he’d come early this afternoon 3.00 pm in case I needed any shopping. At first I refused but eventually after he’d asked a few times I agree I could use a couple of things I hadn’t been able to get this morning. Namely biscuits for Matt , tea pods for my machine and some ice lollies for me. It was just like old times again. We didn’t stay out too long though as Mike’s team were playing today and he wanted to see the match.

At home he settled in front of his tablet and I settled in front of the computer. It was almost time for the next antibiotic. I worked until 8.00 pm when I decided to go for a shower and the next treatment of my leg. The football being over my personal hairwasher came and helped. I went back through to the lounge afterwards to make something to eat but also to watch the episode of Big Bang theory that I realised I hadn’t seen before when I caught the end last night. It was absolutely hilarious, real laugh making. There was no avoiding coming back after that so I took my tablets and came through. It was only then I remembered to do my leg.  I saw to that ,then allowed myself until 10.30 pm to do the mail before coming on to do the blog. I want to get it out around midnight and don’t want to be late to bed if I can help it. The man is coming to collect the tank and the Famous Five tomorrow and I have to get back into the habit of getting Mike up.

 

A Bony Fido Human & The Siren Sounds

Sunday April 5th 2015 Easter Sunday.

This morning’s time is so close to yesterday’s I can ‘t help wonder whether there is significance to them. They are 7 minutes apart and it could easily have taken me that much longer to get to sleep.The one thing I do note is that it’s less than an hour and a half since I turned my light out ergo Naff all sleep again. I know some people would suggest I just stayed in bed. But, I had woken before that time as I had yesterday, and had stayed in bed at that point, still tired. When I woke up his time, I was wide awake and wouldn’t have got back to sleep staying in bed. There’s nothing to say I won’t have to indulge myself in 50 winks later though. That’s allowing for inflation and a cost of living rise.

Obviously there is a benefit to being up and about so early, apart from messing with Big Al’s mind by making him think it’s daylight of course. That benefit is that I can attack my post early. I did that this morning and was surprised to see only one message left from last night, amazing, and even more amazing was that I’d deal with that and those of today ( so far) by 5.14 am. I needed a drink so I went in to turn the kitchen light on ( Sorry Al) and open a new 2 litre bottle of my Pepsi Max. Rather than take it through with me, I decided to fill some 500 ml and 600 ml bottles I had ready to go in the recycling bag. I filled three and my shaky hands took care of another couple of hundred ml down the sink.The smaller bottles are much easier to manage at the computer or in bed at night. There was enough left in the big bottle for a small drink before the bottle goes in the bag.I turned the light off and made it another very short day for Big Al. More confusing than ever for him I decided while I was in this direction I might as well feed them. On went the light again and this time the tank light was added.Harold and Pepper approached and as the food was added they sped up. Big Al had disappeared.naturally and I reckon he was sulking in a very Queen Victoria “We are not amused” kind of way.I wasn’t worried about the other two, they’d smell the food.

Having dealt with the Divas I concentrated on taking my meds. I’d used my sprays and put the first batch of tablets in my mouth. I took a drink of milk to help get rid of them and then part way, for some reason, the thought had occurred to me that the milk was off. If Mike was here he’d tell you how much entertainment he gets from watching me try to swallow tablets. I have to get my frame of mind just right, take a few tentative goes at it then throwing my head back, swallow. Now I was in a quandry. I could bob my head back and forth but dare I swallow anyway since if the milk is off they’ll be straight back out anyway.And, if the milk is OK and I keep doing this, the tablets will dissolve in my mouth and I’m likely to pebbledash the wall again in an effort to get rid. Oh Dammit! In the end I had to force myself to swallow and the milk was fine but my nerves were shredded.I think Big Al sniggered. With all the dignity I could muster I made a coffee and departed the kitchen.

By the time 9.00 am rolled round I was up to date and having a whale of a time ordering birthday presents from ebay. I probably spent a lot longer there than I should but I was having a whale of a time. When  came out the mail was back up again.  You lot are really sly waiting till my back is turned to start writing. I only worked till 11.40 am then went through to check on what I was having for lunch and make a start on it. My intention was to return to work straight afterwards, honestly it was. I had brisket which was supposed to be in a bourbon BBQ sauce but since the sauce was in a separate sachet I did without, much preferring to have onion gravy. I had boiled baby potatoes in herbs and some petit pois.The gravy brought it all together nicely for me. I bought another one of these joints for John ,so he can have the extra sachet of BBQ sauce. Five minutes into my lunch the programme that was on ended. That didn’t bother me too much as I’d be going back to work soon. Then a film came on. Patch Adams which stared Robin Williams and was based on a true story. Sorry folks, I did my washing up in the commercial break and decided to ignore you all and keep watching. I have seen it before many moons ago and can’t help wondering if the hospital ‘Gesundheit’ still survives and is doing well. It was getting on for 2.30 pm before I actually returned to work. Typically it seems a lot of you have ignored both the Christian ethos of not working on the 7th day and the rest ignore the fact it’s a holiday. Whatd’ye mean so am I, did I claim Sainthood? Anyway it’s supposed to be do as I say not as I do. Not that it’s ever worked before. I mean how could it, I had a wife and daughter which means I was beaten from the off.

There was a lot of post but at least the spammers seem to have taken the hint about Easter. Everything was clear cut and generated by a ‘bony fido’ human being. Most was a pleasure to read if not comment on. Chris, the story reading ape even brought a smile to my face with a real groaner of a joke, but at least he admitted it. I worked through the afternoon until 6.00 pm when it seemed a good idea to stop for tea and my second batch of food related tablets. A nice salted beef sandwich with a bag of crisps and a yoghurt was nice. Two of my dark chocolate ginger biscuits was nicer still. I stayed to watch a couple of old episodes of The Big Bang Theory before coming back to see how I was doing on ebay. Not a successful day today having lost 3 items. All of them by not very much but I stuck to my upper limits today so the bank manager didn’t get annoyed. Actually it was because while the objects were nice and would have been good gifts they just weren’t that nice. There are other things that would mean more to me or to put it another way which I think will mean more to the recipient.

I kept pretty much up to date until 10.30 pm and only had a break to take my meds. Then I started the blog post hoping if it took less than an hour I could go back to the mail. It’s actually taken an hour and I’ve decided to leave the mail till the morning now.

I think it’s a pangolin or a banjo or guitar ???

Monday.

Well, that was a failure of sorts. I put my light out at 1.00 am as usual but despite lack of sleep I couldn’t drop off. I ended up going through to the lounge where I found a Queen Concert on TV. I turned off after about half an hour or so and nodded off in my chair. I didn’t wake until 4.57 am so every chance of three hours sleep. I didn’t bother with the kitchen when I first woke, I headed for a Loo Bloo view and then went and logged on the computer. I wanted to be as clear as possible this morning before they come to take me out. There was still a fair bit of last night’s to do so obviously that was my first target. I don’t know how but I managed to clear the last of those at 6.50 am so before starting again, I went to feed the fish. It was actually Pepper in sight when I first turned the light on but it wasn’t long before Little Al made an appearance. I put some food in and rewarded by a visit from Harold up and about early for a change. Little Bonzo zoomed in next on case none was left for him. Time had to be spent looking for Big Al. When I found where he was hiding I greeted him to show I’d seen him. He looked round with displeasure and moved away. I can see if the fish ever get religion it depends whether Big Al becomes High Priest or not as to whether I’m termed the devil.

I stayed in the kitchen for some breakfast this morning. Heavily buttered cold toast. It always reminds m of being on holiday in an hotel. When I finally returned to work I set too on today’s mail. At about 9.40 am I got a message to say they’d left so at 10.00 am I stopped work ready for the arrival. It seems the holiday traffic wasn’t playing ball with me, it was approaching 10.30 am when they arrived. I went out when they arrived and got into the newly warmed and vacated front seat ( passenger side for the sake of the nervous amongst you) and said my hellos. Reuben was effusive with his hiya bobs which is what his gruff, growly Pops sounds like. We set off. It took a little over half an hour to get there and there was a little excitement as none of us had been before and in fact I’d only told them about it a week or so ago. Greenacres, a petting zoo on 60 acres of farmland with a few fairground rides is what we expected.We couldn’t complain about the £7 for adults £6 for children (free if under 2 ) as we didn’t know what it entailed.We started up the path and toour left was a little pond with one solitary duck. Reuben threw a tantrum when we’d looked as he didn’t want to depart but we had no idea what was in store so in the end Ugo carried him as we talked to him suggesting we went to see the piggies. Before we reached the piggies however there was a cafe. Since the morning was cook due to both fog and mist we had a drink to warm us. Then it was into battle.

There were donkey rides which Reuben enjoyed and some Peacocks and peahens close by. But as we moved a little deeper wonders appeared ( sorry donkeys, I think you’re wonderful too) Skunks to stroke, snakes to touch, pigs to feed and if times right, baby lambs to feed by bottle. There were fantastic owls brought out to meet you, alpacas, capybaras, rabbits, guinea pigs, degus and their big bro’s the chinchilla.  shire horses, shetland ponies and so much more. At about 1.00 pm we decided on lunch. I wasn’t expecting too much but  to be honest I found it disappointing, very basic something and chips and I swear I could have redone my shoe with the burger and sold the bun as swimming floats. Why do people always do the bun dry? and I may be no salad lover but a bit of tomato and greenery would make a big difference. We could feed it to the giant rabbits for a start. Still, it was there, it was warm, we were peckish. Yet again I forgot my tablets so I’d need teas when I was home later. After the meal we headed for the junior fairground, the fog and mist had gone and the sun was glorious. Reuben had a great time on a ride called the caterpillar then we saw a road train coming i and Yvonne took him for a tour on that. He really enjoyed it. A roped off section that looked like an old Western Town held a model of a horse(?) and a very laid back rabbit that looked big enough to have played Harvey in the James Stewart film but more importantly there was face painting. Reuben reappeared as one of the Super Hero Ninja Turtles and looked very pleased with himself. There was still more to see like Rheas and water fowl and wallabies but Roobs was showing signs of being tired. There was one more thingbefore we left though, Ugo wanted to take him on the tractor ride as I’d bought him a tractor in the gift shop. I’m not sure who enjoyed it most but lots of photographs came back from Ugo. It was a good length ride too and just £1.00.

Roobs watched the SHNTurtles dvd in the car driving back to my place and it kept him quiet. When they dropped me off it was about 4.00 pm. Shoes and coat off, slippers on and tissues in my pocket just in case. Damn, tissues back out of my pocket and get a refill pack too. Lots and lots of messages. It took me till 8.00 pm to clear the first batch-less 30 minutes for a sandwich. I had to stop the second batch at 10.30 pm so I could write this and now I’m going back to it again. It’s been a Grand Day.

Reuben’s First Donkey Ride.

No way was he putting down the tractor I’d bought him. Ugo walked beside him to make sure he didn’t fall off.

Pops is Capricorn so he gets to feed the goat.

Excitement on the caterpillar

Tuesday.

The fresh air must have tired me yesterday, I had my light off by 12.30 am and don’t think I had any problem dropping off. I slept through until 4.24 am and didn’t feel bad at all. Since I wanted to put out an interview on the blog this morning, the time was pretty good too. Most of the UK and Europe would wake up to it and most of the US would see it when they woke on the right date, rather than when they went to bed on the date before. So, I paid my visit to the loo, came back and signed in. First things first, the release. That done I was able to get to my mail. I was really pleased to find there were only 6 messages I’d missed from last night. Those were cleared in double quick time and I was able to move onto today’s mail. There was a fair bit of it but not enough to worry me and by 6.45 am I was up to date though I hadn’t refreshed. It was time to Face the Fish which sounds like it should be a game show and often feels like it is only I never win any of the prizes on offer.

I turned the kitchen light on and a white flash told me one of the Al’s was near the front. I went over and turned on the tank light. Oddly enough it was Big Al at the front and as I lowered my head to the level if the tank, he turned round to face me. “Uh oh” I thought. but if it was possible those gimlet eyes of  his seemed to widen and he looked like a sad little puppy. For a moment I actually thought he was looking at me with affection but I woke up before the dream finished disastrously. But, there he was still looking at me. I always talk nicely to the fish which is why I can’t understand the animosity. After all, I haven’t dropped many things on his head, and that wouldn’t have happened had he been less of a nosy tyke. But no animosity this morning. Is this the start of the big thaw or will I be thawwy later. I opened the flap to drop some food in and like magic the others appeared. Whoever decided that fish have a 3 second memory forgot to tell the fish. Little Al made it first, closely followed by Pepper with Bonzo trailing behind. I was about to ask them where Harold was when blow me, he actually appeared  at a very regal speed, almost as though he’s stopping to wave at his public which in this tank would be the multitude of snails. With all five together and the food in I was able to leave them to enjoy breakfast in peace.

I slipped two pieces of bread in the toaster and turned it on before doing anything else. I wanted it to be nicely cold. Then I took my pre-food tablet, my sprays and followed up with the morning tablets in 3 lots before using what was left of the milk for my coffee. I lit a cigarette and wandered through to the lounge to flick through my TV mag in case anything of interest stuck out. All I could see was an Antique Detectives at 6.30 pm which I might try. My cigarette finished I went back through and buttered my cold toast, and ate it. I took my after food tabs with my coffee and retreated to the bedroom again to work. The interview was getting great responses which was good so I was able to respond to a few of those as well as try to keep up with the incoming mail which seemed to be flowing fiercely this morning.                                              As the schools are off I don’t have to worry about the Mother’s Mafia in Pauline’s so at 8.30 am I got dressed and went out. I needed some bread and some more micro chips but was disappointed to find she had none in curry sauce still. I also got my next TV mag and some cigarettes to keep me going now till Thursday with luck. Then I was home again by 9.00 am. I hadn’t long restarted work when a knock at the door left a stain on my chair. I just was not expecting it. There was Darren my postman with three packages for me. One was the leather jacket I won last week which I had to try on straight away to get over any disappointment early. It fitted . YAY! Another was a gift for John’s birthday later this month which I hope he’s going to like. The third isn’t important but I’m pleased to have got it nonetheless.

As the morning wore on to about 11.00 am I had a text from Charlie to see if she could drop in before returning back to South Wales. I didn’t hesitate Both she and her mother Lis are great friends, beautiful women and beautiful people too.  I had another text a little later to say she was in town picking up some shopping, could she get me anything. Normally I’d say no, but I wanted some specific cigarettes for Matt I hadn’t been able to get at Pauline’s. I don’t like asking non-smokers to buy ciggies but I caved in and when she came ten minutes later she’d managed to get them. I almost fainted when I found out the price though. I think I shrieked and Charlie’s head whipped round “What’s that”?  “Sorry it was my foot on the wooden floor” I replied hoping she wouldn’t notice I was standing on the mat. Tomorrow night I’ll be standing on the Matt ! Charlie stayed for an hour or so nattering and she told me how much she liked the gift for her 40th. Not for the whole hour obviously but I let her carry on for about 55 minutes. When she left and gave me a huge hug I knew I didn’t see enough of her.

It was time for lunch and I couldn’t be bothered with anything that took time so I bunged a box in the microwave. Once I’d eaten I needed to return to work. It was just as well I did as it was catch up time again. I don’t know what was wrong though because I wasn’t able to. At 6.00 pm when I needed a break I was still struggling. I’m afraid I was away till 7.30 pm so I’ve only myself to blame for a difficult evening. The phone has been driving me to distraction today too, and my mobile. They’re always unknown callers and some leave voice mails which I’ve learned not to open as it’s always for Improperly sold insurance, free boilers or something like that.

Getting on for 10.30 I started this blog with a big decision that when I finished I’d go to bed early. It didn’t take as long as expected , only 11.10 pm so I shall have to carry on a bit longer or suffer a guilty conscience.

Wednesday.

I called a halt at 11.55 pm last night and was in bed reading by midnight. I only made i until 12.45 am before he book had to go down and light went out though. It must have been a bit of a restless night though as I was up again for a while at 2.10 am. It wasn’t bad enough to abandon bed for my chair and I did get back to sleep again. It was 4.29 am when the internal alarm woke me with indications that if I didn’t get a move on I’d be swimming my way out of bed. I turned the computer on as I passed by so it was ready for sign in as I got back. The post was quite heavy but hardly a problem as I’m in all day, except for my games night tonight which I’m looking forward to.

One of the posts I saw was from my great friend AC Flory, or Meeks who has a warning for a new scam which I admit looks quite real at first glance. It may be you’ll want to go and take a look at this.  https://acflory.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/phishing-scam-apple-itunes/                                                                                                                                           Not much later was a message from Createspace that they had held money from Amazon as my bank details aren’t correct. I went into Createspace not using the link but couldn’t find an outstanding amount bar money for the current month where the figures don’t tally. I also checked my bank details though this seemed silly as I get payments from Amazon anyway. I’m still trying to work out if this one is a scam or not though I don’t think so. I’m still not chancing their links though. I worked till 7.00 am and then went to feed the fish. I turned the tank light on and today it was Pepper and Little Al to have the starring role as they chased each other round in circles. I wasn’t sure whether they were enjoying themselves or doing it for my benefit. Either way it was entertaining. I dropped some food in and the roundabout gradually slowed down. Not quickly enough to stop Bonzo nipping in for the first course though. Those two started grazing and slowly Big Al made his way over. I caught a movement on my left and was surprised to see the fifth member of thegang drift over from that direction. Most strange, out of bed and out and about at this time. Before anyone tried an ‘Oliver’ and started calling for more I left them to it.

I decided on breakfast again today in case I didn’t get chance this evening. I took my pre-foodie and stuck some bread in the toaster. After taking my sprays, the milk came out to fill my mug which I then used to take my tablets, saving enough for my coffee of course. I went and had a cigarette to pass the waiting time and once finished , buttered and ate my now cold toast. Two more tabs and finished. I washed the pots and returned to my room.Since it was almost 8.00 am I got dressed before returning to the computer, after all I didn’t want to off end any of my female friends with my state of undress. I even combed my hair, then made an effort and combed a second one too. The post was incoming all  morning and kept me going slow and steady. I stopped at 11.30 am to prepare lunch then watched an episode of Murder She Wrote while I ate. I found I really wanted to close my eyes for a while afterwards but was scared of letting a backlog build up. I washed the pots and returned to my room. I must have done no more than half a dozen messages before I found myself nodding off over a hot keyboard. There didn’t seem to be an option so at 1.30 pm I let myself sleep. At 2.15 pm I was back in the game. I’m not sure which game, and it was possibly not the one everyone else was playing but I was there. By 5.00 pm I hadn’t hard from Lee so it seemed likely he was coming. I knocked off and made myself a drink. As I was doing it Lee arrived. We only had a few minutes to chat and say this is possibly his last forseeable games night as Jen could have the baby at any time now. I gave him the Easter eggs he hadn’t been here to take last week. At 5.12 pm Dil and Matt arrived. I sorted drinks while Matt found and opened the super slim cigarettes he’d asked me about and Charlie had got for me on Tuesday.

Once the usual TV quiz show was over we got to it. Lee wanted to be back home early understandably so we elected to go for Yahtzee first. It went ( along with a lot of shouting and cursing) First game to Matt, Second to Lee, Third to Me.Fourth to Dil then Lee left to go home. We finished off with one more game to Matt and one to Dil which left them as honours even and me languishing behind.  Matt asked to play the updated Balderdash next because it breaks down into categories and he likes some of them.The board is about 48 squares and can take some time to play. I fairly romped up the board to the halfway point leaving Matt on the first board and Dil on about the sixteenth. A few more goes and Matt had doubled to square 2, Dil as about 36 and I was on 47. And that’s where I stayed. I could not convince either of them with a lie and either they chose the correct answer on my go or on Dil’s go, no-one got it right giving him 4 points. When he won I was still there waiting. I felt I’d been savaged by a big dog. As time a now galloped on Dil suggested a few hands of Crazy 8’s. I should have known this wasn’t my lucky night. We only managed 3 hands and Matt was already past the 300 mark. I was on about 120 and Dil moaning because his score was 25 but would only have been 24 if he hadn’t taken pity on his son and played a 3 instead of a 2 on him. One very pleased person and one quite dejected one left for home leaving this defeated one to tidy up and wash the pots.

I went back through to my room and suffered a very sharp intake of breath when I saw the mail. I dared only work on it till 10.30 pm before doing this post but I still have a fair way to go. Some may have to be left for the morning but it’s a MuJo day tomorrow so I can’t leave too much for myself then either. Something has to go, either my work life or my social life.

Thursday.

For all my moaning, in a sudden burst of activity last night I managed to make a huge dent in the post before knocking off at 12.15 am. I still had time for a read too so I can’t even sound too deprived this morning. Damn ! There goes the sympathy vote. I was up and on my way to widdletown at  3.38 am. A whole four minutes passed  before I was able to return and power up the computer. The mail didn’t look to bad at all though I knew it would obviously build up more as I worked. Last night’s stuff was finished by 5.35 though so I was quite pleased. I carried on working until 6.00 am when I decided that I’d have breakfast today so might as well feed the Famous Five while I was there. The occasional early morning wake up call doesn’t hurt and keep them on their toes flippers. On my way to the kitchen I had a bet with myself about who’d have the starring role at the front of the tank today. The only one I could rule out was Harold so I had a 25% chance of getting it right. I settled on Little Al. It’s as well I didn’t bet serious money as I was wrong and would have had to welch on the bet anyway. It was Pepper. By the time I’d finished putting the food in, talking to Pepper, being distracted by the birdsong outside, they’d all appeared, even Harold. There was a bit of tapping impatiently on the glass as if to say, “OK, that’ll do, Close that hatch and go away, let us eat in peace.” I went away and took my morning meds and had some breakfast, a very small packet of cornflakes and a round of toast. If I forget my tablets at lunchtime at least I can take them at teatime and know I’ve had both lots. I put a load of washing in the machine, made myself a coffee and came back to my room.

I was just slogging away at the posts trying to get the levels down when I heard the wash cycle end. As I finished the message I was one I had chance to nip though and set the drier going. That would be ready for folding about 10.00 pm. About 8.45 am I took a walk to Pauline’s in my dark brown jeans with my new leather jacket that was such a bargain on ebay. I haven’t really worn a bomber jacket before. I quite liked it. After getting my new lottery tickets and having found some micro chips with curry sauce I came back home. I sent Mujo a text to remind them to bring leather food for my hat which will go well with the jacket once it’s been fed, I just hope it’s more polite than Big Al. At 10.00 am I was standing by the drier as it finished so I took things out, folder them and hung them over a set of bars attached to the radiator so they could air properly. I managed another half hour’s work before MuJo arrived. It was like a Summer’s day outside, sunny and quite warm so I did cold drinks and we sat down to chat for a while. At about 11.15 am we left to go to town so Muriel cold go to the Post Office before lunch and John could take another watch to have the battery changed. I put  note on the front door for deliveries to go to Bert’s.I was expecting one of John’s birthday gifts to be delivered today.

In town we were lucky with a parking space and took a slow walk to the Post Office and the shops. John wanted the charity shops while Mu conducted her business so I lit a cigarette and walked with him. When we all congregated together again we walked down the market with John’s watch. It was a waste of energy as the stall wasn’t there this week, so we just went to lunch. Whether it was the heat or not, I wasn’t able to finish my lunch. Neither was John but you could tell he wasn’t very well. The likely culprit was angina and as we stepped outside afterwards so it proved to be. He refused to let it stop us carrying on though, so piling in the car with the windows open, we headed for Flint. Muriel needed Aldi so I took the opportunity to pick up some chocolates for the girls in Temptations. John stayed in the car. When we left there we went straight to Temptations for a drink. Ceri was busy so I missed my chance of a hug today. I confused matters by having a cold drink for a change but John confused matters back by having a coffee.  It was cooler in there but I was glad I’d left my jacket in the car. When we finished, we took a slow walk round the usual shops so John could get some cough sweets ( and me) and a few other little odds and sods.I did actually only spend in the one shop, my favourite Homies (Home Bargains) while John bought some bedding from his favourite shop. We ate an iced lolly then got back in the car and came home.

At home John had a drink and took some of his tablets. It was just gone 4.00 pm. They didn’t stay much longer before setting off on the journey home. When I’d waved them off I came back into the bedroom and checked my messages. I almost fainted. Luckily there was a knock at the door (so I can’t say saved by the bell) and Bert was there with two parcels. I was only expecting one so was surprised. I opened the one I wasn’t expecting first and found two gifts I’d had made for my nieces respective birthdays. I didn’t know they’d been despatched. When I opened the other, I was really upset to see it was broken. Not beyond repair but I don’t really want to do that. I got in touch with the seller and he said he’s send me a label for return but didn’t tell me if there was another one in stock to send me. Or, he offered a partial refund which I assume means I keep the item and do the repairs. I’ve emailed back again to see whether he does have another one in before making the decision. Then I got stuck into my messages. I was tired and probably a bit cranky too after being up since 3.30 am   with no catnap but was trying to stay awake. I also wanted to see my Big Bang Theory at 8.30 pm. I stayed here over a smoking hot keyboard until that time, sat in from the of the TV and nodded off. I was lucky only to miss about 5   minutes but the context was gone so I’ll have to look for a repeat. I had a sandwich and came back through. It’s now 11.50 pm and I need to clear a few more messages before bed o excuse me please.

Friday.

When I woke this morning I saw angels dancing on the head of a pin.  I  would have had some sympathy If I hadn’t needed to go so much and been forced to jump the queue. Heck , if they’d got to the loo before me I could have had an accident. It was 4.06 am and there was no doubt at all why I’d woken at that time today. My bladder spake. and it was brooking no argument. Nor was it waiting in turn behind a queue of desperate angels. At least I apologised when I came out, the waves off relief emanating from me.  At that point I was suddenly feeling goodwill to all. There was a song running round my head from 1970, ‘Good Morning Freedom’ by Blue Mink, but I stopped at that point as I wasn’t packing my bags and going away. Still, I could go with, ‘It’s a better day, It’s a better day, It’s a better day , hey, hey’ and I dare say the fish felt a bit better knowing that too. By the time I reached the part about ‘A bee bom bom  baba bababom’ I was really quite happy and ready to take on anything so I returned to my room and logged on.

I tried to keep the sobbing to a minimum when I saw how much mail was left from last night as well as this morning’s offerings. It was difficult but I managed to choke most of them. I made a start. By 6.15 am  I’d got a fair way down the list but needed to break off to feed the fish and to see to my drugs. Though the kitchen was fairly light I still needed to turn the tank on and when I did so found Harold waiting for me. I wonder if they’ve decided to take it in turns. I chatted to him as I tipped his food in and suddenly both the Al’s arrived from opposite directions and took up positions like bodyguards, bodyguards who ate mind  you. Pepper and Bonzo weren’t far behind as neither was prepared to take a chance on missing a meal. With five faces down to the floor and tails in the air I left them to it. I had my sprays then took my Friday dtugs leaving the container empty, well, apart from those I’d forgotten to take again last night. I got my drug drawer from the lounge and started to refill the boxes for the next week. Once that was done the drawer went away and I was able to make a drink. I went back through.

Accidentally I refreshed the mail box and brought on a new pile of mail and the tears appropriate to them. Drying my eyes I forged ahead. At 9.00 am I checked with ebay and found my trader had come back with a response. He’s kindly offered to send a Hermes label and suggested the parcel is taken to a local drop off point. Once he receives confirmation, he’ll send out a new stick. It sounds good except I’ve no idea whether there is a Hermes drop off point locally and if so where it is. I’d also have problems carrying such a big parcel when I’m using my sticks. Therefore I’ve suggested I accept the partial refund and attempt the repairs myself. I  can use the refund to get another extra little gift for John. Again I’ll await a response. Actually, there are some Toby Jugs on ebay I’m looking at for today that would be ideal if they don’t go for too much. By 10.15 am I was up to date on the first email address though I’d been careful not to refresh again yet. I opened the second one. I was amazed to find when I got rid of duplicates I was left with three to do which were out of the way fairly quickly. I went through to the lounge for a break and within minutes was asleep. It only lasted until 11.25 am when I was awoken by a hammering on the door. My postie was delivering another parcel, I think he must have seen me asleep in my chair. There was no point in going back through  to the computer now as lunchtime was so close.

After a lunchtime session of Jessica Fletcher I realised I had to face the music and went back to rouse my computer from it’s rest. As soon as I opened I knew it had been revenged upon me. There was a message to say a very arbitrary sum had been refunded but in fairness I still had the stick to repair, but I’d forgotten about te Toby Jugs and missed them completely and they’d gone for virtually nothing. I did have another idea which when I checked was still viable so I bought that. Being anxious to see whether the stick would mend and not be too bed I went to find my superglue.  With a little effort it seems to have worked without showing too badly but I did have to unstick my thumb and a finger later. Back to work with my tips unglued but still solid I find it puts great pressure on the keys. Maybe I should do them all. I emailed my niece with some news then concentrated on work until 5.00 pm when I knocked off for tea. It might sound like a long tea but I’m a slow eater and stayed knocked off until 6.30 pm when a Big Bang Theory that just happened to be on was over. When I finally returned to work it didn’t take long to catch up. I refreshed the screens and was astounded to find I was able to keep pace, in fact I even took a few minutes to take my rubbish to the bins tonight instead of the morning in case I get a lie in.  Ha Ha.

I managed to keep fairly up to date during the evening and stopped to do the blog just after 10.30 pm. It’s now 11.40 pm and I’m knocking off till the morning. Hopefully I won’t be out as long tomorrow so the backlog may be manageable.

Here’s a real blast from the past from 1964 for all you oldies.

Saturday.

Whilst accepting that I was tired and turned my light out at 12.30 am  last night. I still feel it’s a little mean to have me up again at 2.13 am. Even worse, my stick is feeling very put out at the thought of no action ( I feel I should point out at this juncture, we are talking walking stick here. Anyone with alternate thoughts , go write your own book) not a burglar in sight.The damned thing starts twitching in my hand whenever I head in the direction of the lounge, and the loo is in that direction though my bladder wasn’t screaming this morning. I did pay a visit just to be on the safe side. I also took some delight in confusing the fish by turning on the kitchen light long enough to fill two small, empty Pepsi bottles from a big one. I think they were just beginning to stir when the light went out again.

I started on my mail and judging by the amount I’d guess you lot don’r get out much. Whatever happened to Friday night at the pictures, with a fish supper on the way home? It took until almost 5.15 am before I cleared the remainder of last night’s then I started straight in on today’s.  Of course some of you try to confuse me by living in outlandish places where it’s still Friday when I’m, on a Saturday so my mail say’s I’m still working on Friday’s stuff even though my ISP says it was received on a Saturday. New rules peeps, no writing after 6.00 pm from now on please. For Australians, please label all your work as the day before you actually post it if it’s done after midday then hopefully it looks like it’s getting to me on the day I actually think it is. All clear now? Good. At 6.30 am I broke off to go and feed the monsters and while I was there I included myself in that, only not fish food. Bonzo was all alone at the front of the tank but Pepper came over the moment the food flap was lifted. I shovelled food in then waited to see who’d appear next. It was Little Al. I saw Big Al move at the back of the tank and start to feed on bits that were drifting over on the current (no jokes about raisin my hopes of seeing him in a good mood please). All of a sudden Harold appeared but I was surprised as he came from above, from behind the water pump and not from his barrel as I expected.  I wonder if that’s why I’ve missed seeing him a few times recently.He’s getting as good at hiding as my budgie Josephus II (Joey)  used to and he was a bloody champion.

I left them to it and went to place some bread in the toaster, take my pre-food tablet and have my sprays. I got some milk out to take the other tablets saving some of the milk for my coffee. Time for a cigarette so I sat in the lounge for a few minutes and drooled over a picture of Katharine Hepburn in  my TV mag. She was in a film this afternoon. Cigarette duly smoked I went into the kitchen again and buttered the now cold toast. I did enjoy it. I took the two after food tabs, made myself a coffee and returned to work.As it was now almost 7.30 am I got dressed first as I didn’t want to get carried away and be rushing at the last minute. When I finally did sit down again and bring my screen to life I was greeted with a worrying message.

Hi David Prosser,I have just had flashes about you.Follow this link and and pull 3 tarot cards. If what I have “seen” is confirmed, I can tell you that I have some startling revelations to make to you.Have no fear, I do it completely free and you will understand very quicklywhy here.

Your contact information are not been communicated to the announcers.Best Wishes Shopping is recorded at the Informatic and Freedom National Commission under the number of 1821998.To unsubscribe, click on this link If this message disturb you, declare it as undesirable

It’s so worrying I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to get a reputation as a flasher, I mean what would the neighbours think? Much as I hate to do so with anything that’s to do with shopping, I declared it undesirable. At least it’s not the usual fare from the usual fortune teller. I was delighted to hear she does it for free though since only ladies of ill repute charge don’t they. I stopped work at just gone 9.00 am as I had no idea what time Ugo would arrive. I put all the bins out for collection. My bags and my shopping list were ready, all I needed to do was slip my coat on. I saw the car arrive at 9.30 am and heard a little honk on the horn. I was out within a minute or so. Since I know he hates shopping I offered to stay local but he wouldn’t hear of it. Reuben was in the back in his seat watching a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD but I did get a big grin and he held my finger for an age when I put my arm  back between the seats to squeeze his knee. About 20 minutes later we drew up outside a big Morrison’s supermarket I haven’t been to in ages. I had my first crisis when there was no money in the cash machine. Fancy not saving me some. I grabbed a trolley and went back to the car where Ugo had just got Reuben out. He plonked him in the trolley and our expedition started.

My next crisis was to find that I no longer knew where anything was. All the shelves had changed due to a clothes section being added. It was like shopping by good luck alone as I couldn’t follow my list. Still I did manage to get everything I wanted, plus a big yellow truck for Reuben. Trouble was he didn’t seem to understand that I needed to pay for it so after Ugo gave it to him we had to ask for it back. The siren started. I think it was a major disaster as the siren kept going and going while we were in the queue. I made sure when it was my turn that the truck went through first so Ugo could return it. We went for a drink and in Ugo’s case an afternoon tea with giant scone and cream. He took the truck out of it’s box and handed it to Reuben who then played with the box for a few minutes leaving me with the truck at the till.  When w were sat at the table Reuben started playing with the truck on the floor. He was so engrossed I managed a bacon bap with no help. Once we’d finished, I went to buy my cigarettes and asked about some ultra slim ones- not More. They came up with some where I couldn’t believe they had 20 in the packet and they were only the ordinary length. They were £9.20, just 20p less than the super length More brand. Matt will have to go back to his normal style 10 a week I think. Sorry Matt. We went outside where I had a cigarette while Ugo loaded  Reuben and the shopping into the car then set off home. I asked if he’s stop off on the way at a cash machine since I’d had to use my card in the store. He agreed and we stopped at a cash machine in Flint which still had some in.

At home is was getting on for 12.30 pm and Ugo helped me unload, waited for me to supply the siren with some chocolate lollies then departed with a hug to collect Yvonne from work. I waved them off then started unpacking the bags and putting the food away. First job when that was done was to arrange Ju’s flowers in a vase. I think I made a reasonable job of it, be fair, Ju didn’t complain.

Once that was done I made myself some lunch, had the tablets and came back through to work. I was determined to take a break at 2.15 pm to watch the Katie Hepburn film so didn’t need any encouragement to work. Lucky for me that though there was a  lot of post in the 4 hours I was out, none of it was problematical. I actually zipped through a fair bit of it before it was time to go. I had to keep slapping myself around the face to make sure I stayed awake but the bruises are so worth it. It’s just as well Ju had a crush on Tom Selleck  and Sam Elliott so she was very forgiving when my tongue used to hang out if the fantastic Ms Hepburn came on screen. Anyone else and the tongue might have ended up a lot shorter. Once it was over I told myself that 40 winks wasn’t a good idea but promised myself I’d see what could be done later. I just didn’t say how much later to avoid disappointments.

Like a certain brand of batteries I just kept going and going.  The yawns were nearly wide enough to take the keyboard but I remembered I’d already eaten.  At 6.00 pm I stretched my legs by going to turn of the light in the tank and say goodnight to the fish. There were some chocolate jaffa cake rolls near the microwave so I ate two in case they melted. Microwave = heat, see how logical I can be even when I’m tired. Then it was back to work again. As usual I knocked off at 10.30 to see to the blog and  iot’s 11.40 pm now. I think I’ll have to just pop back and try to finish a few more before calling it a night. Which it is, a night I mean. So I couldn’t call it much else.

I wish you all a Great New Week full of joy and Hugs.

 

 

 

 

The Houdini Files & Tempted in Temptations.

Sunday 29th March 2015.

There were a few wake-ups last night but I wasn’t ready. Finally it was 5.08 when I got up so I’d had the benefit of four hours sleep.  I wonder if Somnos is on holiday again or i this really is a show of his generosity. After my trip to the loo I came back and prepared to work. In a later message this morning a friend mentioned Mailnos, god of emails and suggested I entreat him to lighten my load of conmail. I’ve been bragging recently that it’s slackened off somewhat and others must be getting it. Waiting for me this morning was a treat.

From The Desk of the Information Officer,
Compensation Payment Department,
United Nations Headquarters.
New York, USA.

Dear Beneficiary,
                                     NOTICE OF YOUR PAYMENT

I write to notify you of the payment of your compensation fund to this office as 
one those that has been Scammed through African countries mainly from Nigeria. 
You only have to re-verify your data such as your full name, your address, your 
phone number and your occupation so it can be used to authenticate you as the 
legal owner of this fund. Immediately this is done successfully, you will be 
given every details of your compensation fund and the amount accrue to you.

However, you are to contact the Supervising Agent in charge of this payment; his 
name is Mr. Smith Brad. He has been given the full mandate to get your fund paid 
to you, so kindly send the required information through his email address at ( 
smith_brad2@aol.com ) for immediate processing of your compensation sum.

Your immediate response to this email will be fully appreciated.

Yours Faithfully,
For: UNITED NATIONS

Mrs. Joyce Savage

It's strange that I'm supposed to have reported this crime and yet they don't know my name. I gave it a great deal of attention on it's way to the bin. I worked through till 7.00 am before going through to see to the fish. As it was yesterday and the day before I received instant attention from four of the five and I'll leave you to guess which on couldn't be bothered making an appearance. After not having seen him at all yesterday it was more worrying today but two tings became plain. The little so and so is a magician. A very careful study of the tank provided no proof of either a corpse nor a live fish and yet when we did the tank I had all the hiding places turned towards me so I could see at a glance if they were occupied.. I'm thinking of changing his name from Harold Hoplo to Harry Houdini if he ever shows up again.

I left them eating and went to take my morning meds. It was a little like trying to swallow a mouthful of sawdust each time I thought about him. When I’d finished I made myself a coffee and just sat in the lounge to drink it. Eventually I decided to go back to work and took my mug through to the kitchen. Mr Houdini was out looking for breakfast. I hoped he really was magic because the others had done a pretty good clean up job. There was a fair bit of mail as is usual on a Sunday so I just took them in my stride, dealing with them slowly in their turn. The morning passed quite quickly until I realised it was time to think of lunch. I took my pre-foodie, turned the TV to an Al Pacino film I thought sounded interesting about the American War of independence and put my meal in the micro.There was a choice between braised beef or a new one Ham hock in parsley sauce with mash. It sounded OK. The first problem when I got it out of the packet was in much smaller writing it said cheesy mash (abomination). Oh well, no doubt the parsley sauce would mask it. I can’t remember struggling so much with a meal in a long time. Not pleasant eating at all though the veg an the parsley sauce were OK. I struggled and won.

When the film started there were some very good names there and quite a few British actors I knew. Before long I had to turn it off. If you’re going to have an Irish accent, why not have it delivered by an Irishman. There are plenty of great Irish actors around, Liam Neeson, Gabriele Byrne. The only acting I saw was from Lady Olivier or Dame Joan Plowright as she is in her own right. Uppercrust British, she can do the job blindfolded. The film was a torment. On top of that lunch it was nauseating. I came back to work. The afternoon was just a steady progression from one post to the next between the two addresses, nothing strenuous, nothing odd and nothing else remotely crooked. At 6.00 pm I broke off to have some tea and noticed a film at 9.00 pm that looked appealing. It’s rare for me to spend time with a full film, indeed it’s rare to be able to prise me away from the computer for that long but I’ve booked myself a seat mail permitting. So straight after tea back I came, and on I went.I knocked off again at 8.55 pm and took my seat in the auditorium ready for the curtains to open. I’m not going to show my age by mentioning an organ that came up from the depths and played us in.

The film was called Hansel and Gretel. OK, I wasn’t expecting a fairy story at this time of night but it sort of started off like that with the kids being abandoned in the forest. I’m no prude but I was jarred a bit at the ‘F’ word as it seemed inappropriate given the times and the costumes. Having said that, I wonder if this is the steampunk. I hear about after seeing the weaponry. There was no holding back on the violence or the gore though one scene brightened when a woman walked into a pool naked as a jay bird, naturally I didn’t look. Well. not after the first couple of times anyway. In the end maybe I should have shown a bit more patience as I turned off at 10.00 pm. It just didn’t grip me, hold my interest, make me smile or laugh.Frankly I was bored. It gave me chance to come and catch up further on my mail.

Tomorrow is an anniversary for me and I may need to take the day off. There’s no point really in my telling you this a week late but if anyone was affected and found me rude, perhaps you’ll understand now.

Monday.

In memory of my beautiful wife who left this life 2 years ago today I decided to take a day off. I did still want to leave you with some music though. So……..

Tuesday.

I got to bed by 11.15 pm last night.I’d done nothing but was exhausted anyway. So, I read until 12.10 am and at the end of a chapter turned the light out. I should really have been reading a ‘Hornblower’  book as the storm was raging and a gale was blowing outside. I’m not sure how long it took me to get to sleep but when I awoke ‘hours’ later it was 12.50 am. No way did I intend to get up but my bladder said I should so I nipped to the loo and back and tried again. Still nothing doing so I sat on the edge of the bed enjoying a cigarette and rubbing cream into my ankle to try and make it feel less like rhino skin. Once again I tried but still no joy.  Eventually at 2.00 am I put my dressing gown on and went to sit in my chair in the lounge. I didn’t turn the light on as there’s a street lamp not too far from the window that just allows enough diffused light in to make things out without seeing them clearly. Not enough to disturb me should I nod off. And in Ju’s company nod off I did. It must have been for about ten minutes until the click of the timer turned a lamp on to discourage burglars. I tried again and managed to fall asleep once more. At some point I woke up and went back to bed where I found myself when I awoke for the last time at 5.28 am. The rain was still coming down and the wind still howling.

There was a small temptation to stay where I was and enjoy another day of freedom but I persuaded myself not to be lazy and got up to turn the computer on. While it powered up I went to the tinkle factory. I won’t be winning awards anytime soon unless it’s for the person who takes the longest. By the time I got back they’d just announced Windows 23. I signed in and started on the mail. I was doing really well with it before I came across a friend’s latest post where it seems some parts of her beliefs were very relevant to my Buthidars site. I started pinching bits to share in a new post. There seemed to be plenty of things to comment on today as well. at 7.15 am knowing I was late I went through to the kitchen. The morning was so grim and dull I had to turn the main light on as well as the tank lights. At the first sign of movement Big Al was there casting dirty looks in my direction. I know he disapproved of my tardiness and I’m sure he may have been a Victorian schoolmaster in a previous life and still wishes he had a cane. Anyhoo, Pepper came up to join him in the queue for food and was gently barging him in what seemed like play. As I opened he feeding flap I saw Bonzo arrive, little Al heading my direction and Harold was speeding in from the other side. As he came, a complete stem of weed floated up from where he’d just been and joined 2 others at the top of the tank. At least I now know  who’s responsible for all the uprooting I’m seeing. I’m going to get a wet and cold arm replacing the plants for him to do it again. I fed them, listened to the faint cheers (sarcastic and derisory) and left to take my meds.

After the meds were taken I had a cigarette to time things and then had some breakfast. A little grapefruit and some cold toast slathered in butter. I washed the pots, made a coffee and took it back to my room. Something started buzzing in the back of my mind to do with grapefruit. I carried on working in the hopes it would come to me naturally. It did. Something to do with my drugs. I had to check and found two of my tabs have grapefruit as contra-indications, stay away from grapefruit as one put it. Just an Oops warning I think, I wasn’t about to explode and neither were my bowels which was something that worried me. I was safe. I had no need to go out today and indeed the new warden may call, so I was able to carry on working most of the morning. I knocked off at about 11.00 am and returned to my chair in the lounge. The gale outside was playing games with a wheelie bin so the constant banging of the lid on the base made sure I couldn’t sleep but at least I lay here relaxed until 11.45 am when I went through to see about lunch. pre-foodie tab, butter some bread, work hard at perforating the plastic lid then bung my masterpiece in the micro to cook. Cottage pie today. I ate my meal while watching Bargain Hunt today and then washed up for the second time today.

Back to work and a bit of catch up to be done since I’d been away two hours.  There’s nothing specific I think on TV today so I can stay where I am until this pressure sore bursts out. Sometime I’ll have to find a suitable song for tonight. Maybe I’ll have youtube on while I’m working soon and look or inspiration.  I was concentrating on a comment someone had made on my blog this afternoon when I could hear this faint sound in the background. Musical but in a bing-bong kind of way I looked up and saw a message on screen saying my Brother in Law (half of Mujo) was ringing me on Skype. Neither of us have been able to get the other for a long time but this morning I’d had an incoming call from someone I didn’t know and while I was in blocking it I’d done a search and found John was on 3 times. I got rid of the one I had and chose the last one. That seems to have done the trick. Yesterday I’d had a text letting me know they were both ill, and to hear him cough there was no doubting it. They hope to be well enough to be through on Thursday but if not then next week. Usually I’m invisible on Skype and John is the only person I’ve spoken to on it in years. Well, about 3 years anyway. I least I don’t stutter talking to him. We were chatting about antiques but I couldn’t say much as his birthday is approaching and he almost is one. Once the call was over I reinstated my cloak of invisibility and worked on until 5.15 pm when I went to have a look at Pointless and what should have been two episodes of Big Bang Theory but was only one and a bit Zzzzzzz. I came back through after the music at the end credits woke me up and started again. I have something finishing on bay at 11.36 pm so I thought I might as well be here till then and lessen the load for the morning. I won the ebay lot so time was getting on by the time I paid for it. Bed at midnight.

Wednesday.

Moan, moan, groan. What a night again. To bed at midnight. Light off at 12.45 am(ish) an up again at 1.50 am.A trip to the loo in case my bladder’s squawking woke me but no, it hadn’t. A cigarette to relax and back into bed. Sleep comes eventually but awake again at 3.20 am. I went to sit in my chair in the lounge to see if I’d be more comfortable and woke at 4.51 am. It was time to get up as there was no more sleep in me. I wandered back through to the  bedroom and fired up the computer.                          No big win on the Eurolottery despite convincing myself that it was my turn this week. I blame the small gods and their sense of direction for this since it was someone in the UK who won £53m  Good luck to them.

I turned to my emails. Not too many left from last night but they took a little time to deal with . I was on today’s messages a little after 6.00 am and working my way through them steadily. There were three people who liked my last blog who I don’t know so I had to check their blogs and posts out. I felt really sorry for one person who is a committed Christian and gay since his Church have tried to exclude him and his family, the ones you rely on for love and support have also excluded him. How he kept his faith I’ll never know. From my own point of view, Why he kept his faith I’ll never know since it seems that acceptance of his sexual orientation or preferences is much more likely to happen in the world of those who don’t believe in god but do believe in the tolerance of others. There was also an email from the amazing Chris, The Story Reading Ape with a series of Did You Know facts that was really entertaining. I have to say that some of my friends, colleagues, acquaintances and Who did you say? Are some of the most amazing, selfless people in the world. Chris, Sally,Olga,Kim, Jo,Ailsa, Colleen,Viv, Suzanne, Rosie and many others, spend so much time supporting authors in one way or another with interview, guest posts or just cover reveals as well as dealing with their own books , blogs and promotions. Thank you kind people on behalf of us all. If there’s anyone whose name I didn’t include, it isn’t because I don’t love you or haven’t noticed what you do, it’s just that I could fill a blog with thanks if I didn’t draw the line at some point.

At 7.00 am I went through to the kitchen and turned on the tank light. I saw Harold before he had chance to disappear so was happy about that. On April 1st you don’t want to be fooled again.I fed them some of their older treats this morning but Big Al turned his back and went off to a corner. Pepper had a good chomp before he went too. Little Al and his midget pal Bonzo carried on grazing. Those two also seem to react a bit to my voice, coming closer when I speak but maybe I speak about the wrong things as they soon beggar off again. I took a pre -foodie tab and put some bread in the toaster which I could allow to go cold. Then I took my sprays and the rest of the morning meds before smoking a ‘Timer’ ( a cigarette is about the right length of time to wait between pre-foodie tab and actually eating, not that I need an excuse to smoke). Slathering butter on my toast and eating it was wonderful. I like my slightly salted butter too which gives it all more flavour.                                                                                                 The wind/gale seems to have dropped this morning and it looks dry outside so I dressed just before 9.00 am and took a birthday card to be posted before calling in at Pauline’s for my TV magazine and some fresh bread plus a birthday card for one coming up this month. Back at home I unpacked then started back on the mail. It kept me going through the morning until 11.30 am when I broke off ready to get lunch.

I ate while watching Murder She Wrote. Screaming “Look out behind you” with a mouthful of corned beef hash is not a great idea. Anyway she never listens. I really wanted to nod off afterwards but didn’t as I needed to be as clear as possible before games night. I came back to my room and caught up with my main address ( without refreshing) then signed into my gmail address to find 163. Ouch. I was answering some mail from a friend who gave me a probably well deserved telling off after a remark about the play being improved if I walked off the stage. I did say it was just my opinion but she sent a virtual Australian clout in my direction. I’m chastened. It stung.I read a post that took me in about fox cubs being trained as guide dogs and fell for it hook line and sinker. I only hoped as it was after noon, the ‘Fool’ bit wouldn’t count though I did feel a right prat. I’d have felt the left one too if it had been there. Thanks Sally, I owe you !!!! I just took it easy all afternoon until 5.00 pm when I knocked off to answer the door to the chemist’s delivery man. His timing was perfect as I’d just noticed one of my sprays in the red zone. I really felt sorry for him too as he’d been caught in yet another very heavy shower. As he left there was a text from Lee to say he couldn’t make it tonight which was a real shame. I’d just sat down in the lounge after answering and I saw Dil and Matt coming along the path. It was just 5.10 pm , they’re getting earlier every week trying to catch me kipping so they can complain I’m not in the kitchen doing their drinks. They were actually able to see the quiz they like all the way through.

At 6.00 pm as the TV went off  Dil unfolded the games table and I brought over some games. We ended up playing Yahtzee first. I think least said, soonest mended as far as that goes. I was humiliated enough then without repeating it now. Then we had two games of Balderdash. My skills were to the fore in the first game and I romped home. In the second game I started well and had a decent lead so I was lulled into a false sense of security. All of a sudden Dil was past me and home. He couldn’t get one wrong. I think even Matt ended up ahead of me. Finally we had time for a game of Crazy 8’s, I don’t know why I bothered. They were on form and had me for a 14 card pick-up twice. In the last hand alone I was caught with 140 points which took me way over. It’ll b days before I can hold my head up and that’s when I’ve forgotten I lost and start thinking I had a good night. After they left at 9.30pm in the pouring rain, and I locked the front door, I tidied up and washed the pots then took my meds before coming through. It was almost 10.00 pm and you’d all been far too busy. I’m sure you increase pace when you know I’m out of the way. Anyway there’s a lot so I’ve started the blog at 10.30 pm and it’s almost 11.30 pm now so I can probably manage another half hour with the mail.

     Classic Motown from 1971.

Thursday.

Things went to pot last night but I’m sort of glad. I did my usual of recent times and worked till just midnight to allow myself time for a read. Lights off at 1.00 pm or Matron comes round and tells me off ( I wish). Sleep didn’t come easy because my damned ankle was itching like mad so I had to get up and apply some cream. Eventually it cooled enough for me to nod off but I woke again just after 2.00 am then again at almost 3.30 am. I almost gave up but being perverse I decided to try in the front room. For a change I thought I’d try the chair I normally sit in to play cards which is Mike’s chair when he’s here.( No Mike. I’m not paying rent since when you’re here I don’t touch it). This clever move on my part ( pre-planned of course) must have bamboozled the small gods- especially Porcinus bless him, it doesn’t take much- since I woke up in place at 7.34 am. That’s almost like a normal night’s sleep for most people. I can’t remember such a late start. Unfortunately Big Al can and he was most definitely dischuffed with me this morning. The evil eye was in play and followed me round the room even when I didn’t move. I was so nervous I just dropped half a tub of food in and ran. Then I came back to take the lid off in case he cursed me. Once I’d counted my fingers I wished them all good morning and left to take my meds.

After the meds I made a coffee to take back with me and sat making a start on last night’s emails of which there were still a few. When I next looked at the clock it was 9.25 am and since I had no idea what time MuJo were arriving I stopped work to get washed and dressed. I even slapped a bit of water on my bonce to see if I could get rid of bedhead where one side lies down and the other sticks up. Once done I returned to work and started on today’s mail. I was able to work until 10.45 am when MuJo arrived. I sorted drinks and we sat and chatted a while, well Mu and I chatted while John coughed. Nope, no gold watches. For once the day was pretty much decided. They wanted the chippy in town and a couple of shops John likes. I also reminded him it was Market Day and he could have batteries put in the two watches he’s had in the car since before Christmas. When we arrived in town that was the first thing we did followed by lunch where I found I’d come out without any tabs. Never mind, I said I’d have some at tea time about 6.00 pm. After lunch we visited John’s shops without buying anything this visit then we had a ride to Flint. Muriel wanted Aldi so I used the opportunity to get some flowers for Ju and some chocolates for Temptations. Mu got what she needed and the next stop was Temptations which was good since I think I swallowed the contents of the budgie’s cage and I don’t even have a budgie. Mu and John both wanted a cold drink from the cool shelves and what a nice surprise when I got there than to find Ceri on her knees. ( Behave now!) I gave in to the temptation to give her a sws (kiss) on her forehead and help her up.

Wiping the drool from my chin and remembering I’m nearly twice her age I went to order my coffee and hand over the chocolates. I think coffee was an error considering I was thirsty but in the next shop I was able to get a small bottle of Pepsi Max to keep in my pocket. MuJo were searching for something special in material to run down behind and above he four poster. Unsuccessful we did one more shop together to try but without any luck. John went to sit on the car while Mu and I looked in one more place where I thought I’d found the ideal thing but Mu’s eyes just told me I have no taste. We drove back to my place and arrived there just after 4.30 pm. John needed a drink and Mu went out for lottery tickets. It was just before 5.00 pm when I waved them off. As I got in the house I was opening my mail page as I was trying to get my shoes off with the other hand. Six and a quarter hours without a computer, OMG How much mail can com through in that time? Aaaarrrggghhhh, I just found out. I need two computers so I can answer double the mails in the same time. They won’t make sense but really, this is me so who’ll notice? They will think I’m asleep again. I could only work until 6.15 pm before going to take a pre- foodie and get something to eat. Pork pie, bread and butter and a slice of strawberry and rhubarb tart that must have jumped into my basket at Aldi. Unfortunately the Big Bang Theory was on while I ate and it would have been rude not to stay to the end so I didn’t resume work until 7.00 pm. Then I remembered it’s Thursday and the new episode is on at 8.30 pm followed by a new episode of a police comedy I like. I just had to…….

At half past eight I slunk guiltily out of my room and went to the lounge, sank into my chair and turned TV back on. Both episodes were fantastic and I was glad I hadn’t missed them. At half past nine I slunk even more guiltily back into my room an tried to resume work a though I’d never been away. My computer wasn’t having any of that and automatically refreshed with a snigger. By the time I came round again…….                                                                                                                                                                                           ! “Come on, you can do this” I tried telling myself, and I tried, but between distractions like thinking spiders were crawling up my leg and countless typos I was just getting further behind. At 10.30 pm I excused myself and started on this blog as any excess mail could wait until tomorrow morning but I need to try and get out tomorrow for a while and then Saturday is like today-BAD. So it’s 11.25 pm now and maybe I’d better try for a little bit longer.                                                                                                                               Tonight a real blast from the past, hope you know it.

or

Friday.

I only survived until 12.15 am before I had to go to bed. Naturally I had to read for a while to refocus the grasshoprer brain but I shut the book and turned the light off at 1.00 am. The brain started up straight away, and no matter how much I thought about something the brain insisted on returning to it. Even now I’m not sure if my subconscious was giving me the chance to correct an error or whether I was just stuck on repeat like the old record players used to do. I remember driving my parents crazy by lifting the arm so ‘I got you babe’ by Sonny and Cher would repeat. At some stage I dropped of only to wake up or be woken up at 2.10 am. After a cigarette I was able to relax back into sleep again until 2.52 am. I refused to give in and achieved sleep again without having to first get out of bed. When I next woke at 3.47 am I knew it was time to get up. I couldn’t really object as I’d been given a treat yesterday morning. The small gods must get their way sometimes. Well most all the time actually.

I paid a visit to the country of the Loo Bloo Waterfall then came back and signed on. I was rather horrified when I saw how many emails I’d left from yesterday. Still, I had no choice but to start working to clear them though there was a temptation to ring in sick. I worked until I’d finished yesterday’s which was almost 6.15 am then decided it was a natural break to go feed the fish. I put the kitchen light on and then the tank light. Only Little Al was there ready for breakfast.I was a little earlier than usual. But something was wrong with the tank and I couldn’t figure out what. I combined trying to find the others with trying to see what was jarring me. I was halfway along the tank when my heart sunk, an angel fish dead behind the bubble wall, no it looked like 2. Just a bloody minute, I don’t have any angel fish I don’t like the nasty little beggars. I worked it out at last. The Loki half of MuJo had been at the tank while I was out of the room yesterday. He’d added to the tank three plastic fish from his old bubble tube. He must have delighted in the fact I hadn’t seen them yesterday.

 

Once I’d recovered, I left Big Al, Little Al and Pepper enjoying breakfast and went to take my meds. I thought I’d have breakfast this morning so once I’d taken a pre-foodie  I put two slices of bread in the toaster and took my other tabs. Then being Friday and the day I need to do my meds for the week again so I went through to the lounge for my meds drawer. Once done I took the now cold toast from the toaster , cut it and buttered it. As I stood eating, the machine was making me a latte. Once I’d finished I took my post-foodie tablets and made my way my room.  A few days ago I’d had a google+ message that someone had followed me. Let’s call her Marie (cos’ that’s her name). As I always do I went through to see if it was a fellow author, though obviously I’m slightly more flexible than only to join up with you reprobates. There was nothing to indicate what she did or any posts but there was a picture of a woman in be with an oxygen mask on. My immediate thought was that she may be lonely (and desperate) if she was long term ill so I followed her back. Today there was a message from google + that she had started a conversation with me, would I like to see. ( Obviously) so I took a look. What appeared was one of those rambling letters from a woman in Africa (where else) whose husband had died 2 years ago in a helicopter crash in France ( link supplied). Never had children, she’s dying from cancer, £6m+ in a bank which I can have 40% of if I make sure the other 60% is used for charitable purposes as they want. I wold normally laugh this off as I tell you what an obvious con it is but this time I thought how nasty these people are, using the picture of an obviously ill woman, and giving a link to an obvious tragedy which then impinges on someone’s grief. These individuals are not funny at all to do this.

I carried on working all morning with just a break to get washed and dressed and pay a visit to Pauline’s to renew my lottery tickets. I wasn’t out for long and was soon back behind my desk working. Towards the end of the session before I broke off for lunch I received another email, this time one of my old favourites. Notice the similarity in helicopter crashes?

Dear Sir/ Madam

My name is Mr. Phalli Sang Sotoku a Business Manager with Mega International commercial bank here in Asia. As the accounts officer to late Mr. Lam Kok who died in a helicopter crash in France while inspecting one of the new acquisition.

You can follow the link to know more about our deceased customer: www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25476662

In accordance with the es-cheat laws as a kingdom nation, the Board of Directors of the bank met forth night ago and resolved to turn the estate of the deceased over to Government pause having waited for too long without the deceased relatives/next of kin surfacing property and if this is done, invariably, the funds will end up to become Government property.

I have the opportunity of making you the beneficiary to the deposited funds with our bank, i have all the details and required information to make you the beneficiary to the funds, get back to me with your intent consideration to handle this project on my behalf

Looking forward to hear from you. You can also feel free to reach me on my private mail box[PhallaSS@outlook.com].

Yours Sincerely

Mr. Phalli Sang Sotoku

I’m hoping that no-one sees either of today’s cons and thinks there’s anything in it for them. I made myself a shepherd’s pie for lunch, had a piece of suicidal strawberry and rhubarb tart and made my way back to work. I was running approximately 4 hours behind all the time and couldn’t seem to catch up. Oh how I cursed you all so if you wake up with furry feet tomorrow you know whose fault it is and maybe you won’t spend tomorrow writing while I’m out, thus saving me a headache when I get back Despite the backlog I had to stop at 5.00 pm for a break or I may just have nodded off. The TV schedule has changed a lot for the holiday weekend so I found a quiz to watch while I sat with another piece of my pie. Once I’d washed up I didn’t fancy much of what was on and didn’t want to start a film so I watched a couple of Big Bang Theory repeats so I returned to work smiling.

It took a while before I thought I was gaining on the backlog but bit by bit I clawed my way up the ladder. When I got there I knew it would be “Look at me Ma, I’m on top of the World Ma.” At least until some sneaky beggar writes another post. Bu at least I was feeling  a little more confident about tomorrow now, and with luck I won’t be out too long. As they can’t take me next week maybe I should buy extra tomorrow so I don’t have to leave the house except to get milk and bread at Pauline’s. I want to be one of those hermits where they drop food off outside my cave though I would pay for it. But, if I wasn’t going out, I couldn’t get cash so everything would have to be paid by cheque. Oh well, I could always claim I’d been asked for an autograph. By 11.00 pm I was up to date woo hoo, and rather than tempt myself later I closed the email down to concentrate on this. It’s now 12.02 pm and I’m off to bed.

Most countries will have had a version of this song but I’m going for the home version rather than the International one. I hope you enjoy it.

Saturday.

Well , I was in bed ‘toot sweet’ last night whn I closed the computer and ready for a couple of chapters of my book. I think once I finish this I may re-read all my early Pratchett’s again. My light went off just before 1.00 am and since I’d paid a visit before climbing into bed there should be no excuse to wake for that. Despite that I still woke at 1.40 pm and struggled to get off again. When I woke the next time I felt I’d had a good sleep and was ready to start work so I was more than a little surprised to find it was 2.22 am. Oh well, I thought, there’s plenty of time to go back to bed if I get tired and virtually all I have to do is fall off my chair. Had any of you been listening closely though I may have been heard muttering about the legitimacy of a certain 3 brothers. If one of the small gods decides to furnish me with copies of birth certificates next visit I could have some apologising to do. I’ve said it before that getting up this early can be a pain but can also be a great help on a Saturday in making sure I’m more or less up to date before going out. Today I logged in and found an early start maybe wasn’t too bad, not that I’ll ever repeat that to Somnos of course.

It took me until 6.00 am to clear up till 4.30 am’s post and then I could see a few deletions were coming my way so I took it as a natural break. I’m not sure why I chose to go at that moment as I wasn’t due to be screaming down Mike’s  ear that his coffee was ready. Since he’s still in Canada I’d need lungs like Dolly Parton’s. As I turned the tank light on in he kitchen Little Al was circling in place below the hatch like he’d not been fed this week. Fortunately my memory is better than his. I was in the process of sprinkling some food in when Bonzo and Pepper swam in. Almost a minute later Big Al appeared, taking his time and looking quite cross at me as though I ”d disturbed his sleep. Considering it’ s the same place Pepper came from I’m wondering what I had disturbed. Since they’re both Corys it wouldn’t surprise me but my friend Andrea (sigh) wondered what the combination might be as in Ligers/Tigons so my choices are either Pepals or Alpeps. No sign of Harold but he’s probably having a lie-in again. Leaving the fish I went to take my tabs. This week they changed the size of one from miniscule to horse tablet size so I’ve no idea whether it can go down with the bulk as usual or whether it’s another I need to take solo. As it happened it went down in bulk still so I have only two solo’s to take. I did that then made a coffee to bring back. I left kt on the desk while I concentrated on getting dressed.

When I was ready, I had my coffee, checked my ebay and then sis a little more work. At about 8.00 am I had a text from Yvonne to say they hoped to be leaving in about 15 minutes to pick me up but to remember traffic problems with road repairs. At 8.15 am another text to say ‘Left on time, Yay.” Knowing I had until about 9.00 pm I got the rubbish ready to put out and did so. Now I was free to work again. I was really doing quite well but time was getting on, a third text to tell me they were at the top of the hill came as a surprise. I left everything and got my coat on with bags at the ready. A few minutes later at 8.55 am they arrived. I was outside waiting. Firstly I had to listen to Reuben say ham and cheese….about 200 times before he said Hi Pops. Yvonne and Ugo ignored me as usual. They took me to Asda to do the bulk of my shopping. For the second week running I forgot my disabled parking card but Ugo managed to park quite close by so not too bad. I got my cash from the machine wile Yvonne grabbed a trolley and we went in. Ugo was going to follow behind us with Reuben. Potatoes first today and then because I bought flowers with MuJo on Thursday I didn’t need more today. It was straight on with the shopping. We were sharing the trolley again so I was trying to keep my stuff together out of their way. Every once in a while she would put something in her half and I’d decide I’d treat them to it and sneak it over. My daughter is a very argumentative person I find. We heard the sound of a siren, Oops, No. That was Reuben not wanting to let go of a toy.Yvonne decided he should have it for Easter instead of yet more chocolate and he was quiet again.That may need to be nipped in the bud though before he becomes a master manipulator. I don’t want the competition.

We finally finished going round and went for a coffee in MaDonald’s where Ugo demolished a couple of burgers and fries and even Reuben had a bit.When we’d done there they took me to Lidl to see if there was a special still available which was on just Yesterday and today. I was lucky , there were some left. Yvonne did  her main shop there and I managed to get them a few more treats.  I was thinking of putting them kin her trolley when we reached the till for a joke but I know she’d never let me pay for them so I didn’t. The moaning wasn’t any less but at least it was fait accompli. All done they ran me home and I made sure she had a tassimo cleaning tablet and their Easter eggs before they left. She left me loads of sweets for Easter from them all. Once they’d gone I started unpacking. The air was blue. My fridge is so small as to be fairly useless and I was using a show horn to lever things in. Finally it was done. Now it was lunch time and I had to see that through before anything else. It was nearly 2.00 pm before I was finally able to come through to work. By which time I was almost too scared to bother. With very good reason too. But, I girded my lions ( I used brasso and their manes came up a lovely colour) and put my grind to the nose stone and soon enough I could see results. One thing I noticed early on. While you lot were staying in and writing instead of enjoying the sunshine, all the women who propose to me have gone on holiday. Either that or it’s time for a bath. That in itself presents a problem as I only have a shower here though I could have a strip wash in the sink if Mike hadn’t told me I’d fall out. He said I should never have taken up tap dancing. Boom Boom.

Time just passed in a flash so I got dressed again and at 6.00 pm went through to turn the tank light off and to have some tea. I confess I couldn’t be bothered making anything so I had two doughnuts , it tasted like diabetic jam so I didn’t feel too bad.I watched TV for half n hour but had to stop because my eyes were getting ready to close. I don’t mind them doing that but I’d rather it was after I catch up. By 8.15 pm I had caught up and was so relieved. I could keep pace with things as they came in now, and then a little later could concentrate on the blog so it was ready for midnight. And that’s what I did.And now I’m off to bed. I have a treat for you all on Tuesday.

By special request of Suzanne Joshi another Cole Porter song but this time by a much more recognisable name.

The Easter Bunny?

Music Maestro