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.
