Sunday 8th Nov.
Well, after a great night I managed to get the blog out on time and I even managed some mail. When I got to bed finally I read until just 1.00 am then turned the light off. At 2.00 am I gave up trying to sleep here and went to the loo. I spotted Mike still playing with himself ( come on girls- I mean on his tablet) then went to the lounge and sat in the magic chair.
I had my usual smoke then felt relaxed enough to try for sleep.At some point I succeeded and my eyes stayed shut until 6.04 am this morning. That was great and I came back to my room to turn the computer on. A huge disappointment (as usual now) with Talktalk letting me down. Their system is really pants since they did ‘improvements.’ Luckily gmail had plenty to keep me going.
It was 8.10 am before I went to take my meds and I decided against breakfast at that time. I’ll eat lunch and tea today instead. I opened Joey’s cage to give him freedom and hoped he’d come out so I could clean the cage later, then came back to a few more from gmail and then tried re-signing into Talktalk. This time it came on with 102 messages waiting. Some were duplicates and I managed to zip through those. It was 10.08 am before I finished there but didn’t refresh as I needed to get to Joey and his cage. Just as I went through, so did Mike. I made him a coffee then nudged him awake to drink it and to help me get Joey’s cage of the base so the base could be cleaned properly.It took a while to be thorough with all parts of the base, it’s drawer and the grill that stopped Joey walking in the grit on the base. Eventually I went back through and nudged Noddy again to help me get the base back on. While he drank his coffee I put fresh seed and water in the cage and a new piece of millet. That was Joey done and dusted. My turn next. I went to my room to get dressed and to check on mail while there. Nothing up on ebay today. Mike got himself dressed and we eventually left the house to find food at about 12.30 pm.
When we got to Prestatyn it was approaching 1.00 pm but fortunately the lousy weather must have kept some people in, there was room in the CookHouse. As always the food was nice but I cut my portion down a little as I’d eaten last night. We did a couple of shops in Prestatyn and I got a few items for Christmas stockings. Then we came home and I sat chatting with Mike in the lounge until it was time for him to go home at about 4.00 pm. His granson is in hospital with pneumonia at the moment and Mike’s son is staying there with him. Mike needs to pick his granddaughter up from a friends and look after her, making sure she gets to school tomorrow. Everyone hopes his grandson will be out of hospital tomorrow.
Once Mike had gone I attacked the mail again until almost 7.00 pm when I went through to watch a couple of programmes I enjoy. I was ready to come back through at 9.00 pm when Joey decided to come out of his cage. While waiting for him to go back again I got involved in a programme about psychopaths because it was a bout a serial killer that my brother in law John knew from childhood. Peter Moore was gay but targeted homosexuals while presenting a very different image to the public as a businessman bringing cinemas back to North Wales. The man has been behind bars for about twenty years now but MuJo still get birthday and Christmas cards from him with news about appeals he’s going to make.
Monday 9th Nov.
I read in bed last night as usual.The antics of Terry Pratchett’s witches kept me smiling but I was tired too. Lights out at 1.00 am. I tried and tried to sleep to no avail. At 2.37 am I got up and went through to the lounge. Sleep eventually arrived in my chair, I think it had missed the last bus and walked to get to me. I was up again at 5.24 am. After paying a visit so I knew my bladder was happy I went to take my meds and make some breakfast. Yes it was cold toast and butter again. I put the washing machine on before I started eating though everyone says it doesn’t suit me. I used fastwash at 15 minutes so I only had to wait a minute or so for the cycle to finish before putting the drier on. Ax that takes 3 hours there was plenty of time to come through to my room and power up.
Talktalk was still not at it’s best. Having done one page of messages I attempted to delete them only for Talktalk to log me out. Feeling a bit peeved I logges in again but it was taking so long to load I turned to gmail instead. I dealt with everything they had to throw at me though I had to throw some back and then turned to Talktalk again. It had loaded properly and I was able to work my way through the list. That took me till 9.10 am at which time I needed to dress and get my prescription request to the chemist. I called in at Pauline’s on the way back to pick up a chips in curry sauce, just in case, you understand. I didn’t want to be out too long as the new postie is a bit erratic time wise and I’m hoping for a delivery today. When I got back the postie hadn’t been. I worked on mil until 10.00 am then joined Joey for Homes Under the Hammer, me to watch it, him to chunner through it. At 11.00 am I returned to work disappointed not to have seen the postie.
At 11.35 am my warden Bev came. Last week she’d been on holiday so I was able to ask her what the weather had been like hoping to brighten my day, but it had poured down for her just like here. To be fair she did get some sunshine so it wasn’t all bad. We talked about my legs so I got them out and waved them about a bit. I have no idea why as she’s not a nurse. I hope I didn’t put her off her dinner.While she was here the postie arrived and he did have a package for me. Bev left at noon and I took my pre-foodie tab and put my lunch in the micro. Yes, it was curry sauce and chips. Just as well Bev didn’t hang around. I watched Bargain Hunt while eating and my nemesis was on again. I think they chose him as an expert not because he’s any good but because it would get up my nose. ( No comments please about how roomy this particular schnozzle is). At 1.00 am I turned the box off and settled down for what I’d been wanting all morning, 40 winks. Joey wasn’t having any of that though. The moment all was quiet he set up such a racket. I had to start telling the vain little beggar what a pretty boy he is. Just to frustrate me further there was a knock at the door and another parcel was being delivered by courier. I was so pleased to see this one as I can now pack my Christmas watches away for Temptations staff. The boxes I’d bought previously wouldn’t close with a watch inside them. Annoying as they’re far superior boxes but I’m sure they’ll do for something someday. I came back to work again until 3.00 pm even though there was a temptation to slide onto the bed and close my eyes for a minute. I went back through to Joey and watched Escape To the Country. I don’t want you to listen to him if he starts spreading rumours that I dropped off.
After the programme I went through to Mike’s room and started putting the watches in boxes ready for wrapping sometime. There were also a couple of gents watches needed boxing ( and they only just fit ) ready to go in bags which I did. After that I came back to check the mail again and started work on it . I caught up at 5.35 pm and was able to watch my quizzes. Joey came out of the cage and I noticed he’d dropped the millet again so I recovered it and put it back up for him. It reminded me I was peckish so I had a couple of mince pies. I had MASH on for a while but wasn’t really concentrating as I had a magazine. I was going to watch a film but noticed at 8.00 am there were two episodes of DIY SOS which I really enjoy ( despite the lump in the throat) so I watched those instead. When 10.00 p,m came I said goodnight to Joey, took my meds and came through. I worked on mail first and then the blog. I’ll make the midnight bed deadline but I’m going straight to my chair tonight.
The distance between feet and pedals is all wrong.
You never said it was electrified.
Tuesday 10th Nov.
After reading till almost 1.00 am I turned my light off and made my way to my chair. Sleep didn’t come easy as I was listening to the latest hit from Stormy Gale and the Flying Slates. I woke at 4.04 am and the damn record was still playing. I headed in the direction of my bedroom and detoured to prove I’m no male witch as I was able to pass water. It felt I was there a long time but I was in the bedroom logging on at ten minutes past. Talktalk more or less behaved first thing and I was soon into the swing of answering emails. I broke off at 5.00 am for breakfast and my meds. I wasn’t sure at that time if I’d be going to Chester. Even if I was prepared to venture out in it I wasn’t sure I wanted Yvonne to, if she went down in this wind we’d never get her up again. And if I rolled her home the new baby would get very dizzy. It’s just a month and a half away before there’s another new baby in my world. Things are getting scary at the moment as I realise that in just two short months I’ll be 65. Officially too old for everything. To be honest I’m surprised I made it this far and plenty of times I wished I hadn’t.
By 7.30 am the wind was still howling a bit but the rain had stopped. I started out. Unfortunately the wind was coming downhill as I was trying to get uphill. Fortunately,Howard pulled up alongside me before I’d completely run out of breath. I settled in my seat and nodded off. Though I was awake every time we pulled up at a stop the journey still went quickly. Yvonne had let me know she was determined to come so I wasn’t worried she wasn’t there waiting. I walked up the street and met them. Reuben showed enthusiasm when he saw me but Yvonne had a good grip on his reins. I got my hugs and we had a waltz round a shop while waiting for our usual cafe to open. Once it did we took the lift up to the cafe and ordered drinks. I thought I struck a deal with Yvonne that I would eat a mince pie if she let me pay this morning. I seemed to get her agreement but she seems to have inherited a sly and sneaky gene from somewhere. She waited until I ate it before telling mt she’d transferred the money direct to my account from her phone while standing at the counter. Can you believe such deviousness, why can’t I do that? I got Reuben a jumper from that store but apart from tealight candles wasn’t successful with anything else. I’ve lost my superpowers. Yvonne even stopped me getting her a long shirt she liked.
You don’t want a blow by blow account of the morning but needless to say it was spent in and out of shops.I managed to get something ready for the new baby though. We made our way back towards the bus stop in plenty of time for me to nip to the loo first. I’d be able to call in at Pauline’s. After hugs and waving to them I settle in my seat and dozed all the way home. I picked up a few things in Pauline’s and came home. After taking my coat off I opened Joey’s cage ( he wasn’t talking to me) and made some lunch. Once that was done I left the TV on for Joey and went to work. Ouch, Ouch, Ouch. It was 5.30 pm before I saw the light of day again ( metaphorically speaking ). I went through to find Joey flying round and round the room as though being chased but probably just trying to overlap his mirror image if I know him. he went back to his mirror perch when I sat down and started watching half my quiz. There was an interesting programme on the last hours of Anne Boleyn that followed and then instead of watching one on the period of Henry VIII I settled for another DIY SOS. It’s lovely to see humanity at it’s best. At 9.00 pm I came back through to play catch up and to do the blog afterwards. It’s going to be a reasonable night timewise I think.
Competition?
Quiet, artist at work.
My name is Joey, you probably won’t know me but I’m being held prisoner. It’s a small cage, which OK I admit opens into a bigger cage that I can visit to stretch my wings, but even so it’s a small world. My jailer has two legs like me (though fatter) and much of the time seems to be in the same cage. He’s OK I guess with supplying me with food and water but that’s not much of a diet is it. He jabbers at me too, saying things like Joey,Joey, Joey, best, best boy as though I can’t hold a decent conversation in linguabudgie. What astonishes me is how I see him change his feathers daily and sometimes leave the big cage often coming back hours later of his own accord. Who is this jailer that he has that doesn’t allow me the same leeway? Well, he might have more feathers than me but they’re not as pretty and he can’t use them to fly as I can. I demand a retrial or at least time off for good behaviour. Please write to the Governor and demand my release.
Wedsnesday 11th Nov.
I was in bed for 11.30 pm last night. My Dad always said is I wasn’t in bed by midnight I was to come home. Still, I did have my book to read, I’m so looking forward to the Terry Pratchett one at Christmas. I read until just before 1.00 am, paid a visit to the loo then turned my light out. I was determined to sleep in bed last night but it was quite a wait, I know I saw 1.30 am pass by before it happened. Anyway, I slept. This morning I was up at 3.52 am and just powered up the computer and logged on. The first batches of mail on both providers was easy peasy and I finished at 5.31 am. That seemed a good time to go take my meds and have breakfast. My stomach reckons I’m addicted to the cold toast routine now and is swelling in opposition, however some of the local schoolchildren are starting to look at both my beard and my girth with some wonder. Last night I’m sure I saw a red nosed reindeer at the window checking me out.
After breakfast I came back to my room but decided to create a washload of jeans before working again. 6 pairs went in, not dirty but creased. I came back to work and found the daily reports of the blogs I follow have loaded. Ah well, Into battle. That took until 9.10 am when I got up and creakingly stretched, then went to let Joey out. I could hear his plaintive cries from the lounge. As I went in there silence reigned. I talked to him but the left shoulder hunched up and he pointedly ignored me. Nor would he come out. I left and came back to work. No sooner had the lounge door shut than I heard him come out and fly circuits of the room tweeting.I guessed I was in the bad books again. I returned to the lounge at 10.00 am for Homes Under the Hammer. Naturally there was no silence from Joey then. He’s a rascal. I missed a good bit of the programme because someone delivered the new collection dates for the household rubbish but I found it to be gibberish. I spent an age trying to work out what they meant before sticking it up inside the pantry so I never forget which dare the collection of the big bin is due.
I worked again from 11.00 am to 11.45 am then decided to make my lunch. I’d just turned the microwave on when I saw the postie approaching. I was expecting a wallet and that’s what arrived. Very quickly too. I’m just waiting for a couple of hats now that might come anytime after Friday up to the end of the month. Deliveries from China are very erratic, as erratic as India it seems. After lunch and Bargain Hunt I headed back to work. I was just passing the front door when someone knocked. It was my drug courier again bringing the fortnightly supplies. I passed over the chocolates and put the meds on the side to check later. I worked till 4.20 pm which is when the door opened and in walked Dil very quietly probably expecting to find me asleep in the lounge. I made him a cup of tea and we settled to watch Flog It and Pointless. At 6.00 pm the TV went off and out came the games table.
Yahtzee was a DISASTER. The first game was 3-3, the second 4-2 against me. I lost trivia though it could have gone either way as we both had all the segments. By now Dil’s grin was like the Cheshire Cat only before he disappeared altogether he had time for a game of Cribbage. Hallelujah !!! I won one. Only slightly diminished the grin disappeared and went home. I had a quick tidy up, had a few minutes persuading Joey it was time to go in the cage so I could turn the light off and then came through to work on mail, the blog and a few answers to comments on the Buthidar Blog I did today with it being 11/11. I had a message this evening from Mike to say his grandson is home today. I’m so pleased and I look forward to seeing him tomorrow evening for all the details.
Elevensies.
Am I bigger or is the elephant smaller?
Thursday 12th November.
Light off at 12.40 am last night. I stayed in bed and for once there wasn’t too much wriggling before sleep came. Ten minutes later the clock said 3.07 am and time to get your lazy ass out of bed. Anyone who thinks that is completely wrong, I don’t own a donkey and if I did, it wouldn’t be in my bed. When I said I love donkeys, that’s not what I had in mind. It’s just as well I haven’t said I love pigs or someone might take me for a Prime Minister. I paid my usual visit to the loo then powered up the computer. It took an age this morning. When it was finally live I checked my bank and there staring me in the face was the £10 my devious daughter had transferred to me. Even worse, my bank had not retained records of our previous dealings and held her account number so I could transfer double back as threatened. For now I am stumped.
One major shock when I signed in was no mail in my Talktalk account. Hopefully that’s because I’ve received none and not another glitch on their system. My gmail account had a few to be going on with at least. At 4.55 am when I was in the clear I went for breakfast and to take my morning meds. When I got back it was 5.25 am and very worrying to find still no messages on Talktalk and no more on gmail. Normally by this time I would at least have the daily updates on everyone I follow from yesterday. I spent some time on ebay checking for fun gifts for Christmas. At 6.00 am I gave up and went through to the lounge to shut my eyes for a while. At 7.15 am I came too and felt much better. Much crosser though when I looked at Talktalk. The internet service is free so I suppose you could say I get what I pay for and maybe they’re paying the price of their own popularity. But we’re paying that price too in terms of the lousy service. Honestly it’s been so much worse since things were improved recently. Anyway,I went round everywhere I could think of changing my email address for notifications to my gmail account. Hopefully tomorrow all the messages about your blog posts will go there.
After going to Pauline’s at 9.15 am I came back and checked the post again. Still no change with Talktalk. I did a few things like peeled some sweet potatoes and changed Joey’s seed and water. I watched Homes Under the Hammer and occupied myself until 11.15 am before going to prepare my lunch. At 1.00 pm Taltalk was still giving nothing away but the flow had increased nicely on gmail. I finished what there was and then at 2.00 pm closed my eyes for 5 minutes. It was a very elastic 5 minutes because it lasted until 2.55 pm. At that time I had a healthy queue in gmail but talktalk also gave up 3 pages worth of mail- it was back, but not with a vengeance as all my overnight mail was missing. All the stuff they gave me now was new. At least they were back and giving me something. Mike sent a text to say he was on the way so I worked hard. I was clear just before 4.30 pm and went through to let Joey see the antiques programme and to keep him company while he shrieks at the screen. Definitely not because I wanted to see it anyway- or hear it. Mike arrived at about 5.15 am and after making his coffee we settled to our quiz Pointless, yes that’s the name of the quiz not a description of out actions. Then another quiz, an episode of Big Bang Theory, the real story of the Mary Celeste, two more Big Bang Theories and then what I’d waited for, The Last Kingdom. It’s brilliant. The books are excellent but this series really brings it to life. Finally it was time to come through and do some work on the mail and the blog. It shouldn’t be too hard a night as you won’t believe this but Talktalk is still playing up. It just refuses to load. They should scrap the changes and take it back to the way it was when it worked. Even if just for one person who has stayed with them through the worst.
Preparing my Xmas cards 2 years ago today. Just 3 months old.
I’m in the mood for real nostalgia tonight. A superb singer
Friday 13th November.
Lights out at 1.00 am after a few more pages of my Pratchett ‘Thief of Time’. I suppose I should have been spooked by the date but the only witches I’ve met have been white ones or sandwiches (sorry). Perhaps it was spooky that I woke at 4.13 am? My bladder started having a very one sided conversation so I made a trip to the Piddle Palazzo then came back to log on. As expected Talktalk is still as useless as a chocolate teapot so I took the last move and diverted all my twitter posts to the gmail address. I worked on mail until 5.45 am then went to take my meds, have breakfast and prepare my drugs for next week in their pots. At 6.30 am I came back to find out Twitter had delivered all my notifications of posts to the new address. Magic, now I could get on. I could only work until 9.00 am though before breaking off to do a coffee for Mike in the hopes of getting him up and out. I tried to do the same for Joey but without the coffee. Joey managed it first but to be fair Mike wasn’t too much longer. About ten minutes. I’d want to say I went to sit with them but if forced to be honest, I sat with them for about fifteen minutes before nodding. As the TV was on with Frasier, I was conscious every time Mike commented on something or when Joey tweeted. I was fully conscious when Homes Under the Hammer came on though. When that ended at 11.00 am both of us left to get dressed (at last) and then Mike said his farewells as he left to visit his Dad. I came through to finish the mail I’d started and any more that had come in. I’m beginning to think there’s a little gremlin somewhere who sticks his head round the screen to make sure I’ve gone before he dumps a couple of bags of mail then runs. It’s fantastic not having to rely on Talktalk now.
At 11.45 I stopped again though I was pretty well done, so I could prepare my lunch. I’d been fighting a battle with myself all morning as to what I should have since I’ve got bacon in as well as my chips in curry sauce. I finally settled on the latter so I could have bacon tonight with Mike if he was hungry. Erm, don’t get the idea I’ve suddenly become generous and I’m sharing, he has his own bacon which is smoked and I hate it. Following lunch I couldn’t think of anything that would please me more than to try and get into Talktalk. I wanted to put a note on their forum about the terrible service but they needed to send me an email which I couldn’t access to verify it!! When I did get in at some time after 2.00 pm it allowed me to look at one message and that was it. No deletions allowed. However at 2.45 I tried again, got in and deleted the lot. No problems there since it’s all coming to me at gmail now. Help, is there any way I can make it stop? At 3.15 pm I took a break and went back to Joey to see if Friday 13th has spooked him enough to want my company.
I stayed in the lounge and at about 5.30 got a text from Mike to say something had happened and he’d be back late tonight. I just relaxed with the TV until 6.00 pm then came back to work and have a look at ebay. I won something. At 7.00 pm I went for a shower and locked the front door. At 7.30 pm I watched an episode of MASH then Mastermind. I left a terrible stain on my chair as I suddenly glimpsed movement from the corner of my eye. As I leapt in the air I saw it was Mike who hadn’t warned me he was on his way back. He made his coffee while I watched the end of Mastermind. There was a programme about a minister on the Falklands who will be leaving soon followed by an hour of Top of the Pops 1977 which I wanted to watch as Yvonne was born in December that year. At 10.00 pm I locked Joey’s cage and wished him goodnight, took my meds, wished Mike good night and came through to attack the work. As I came through I was laughing as Joey had been very loud when the music was on and also started headbanging in much the sane way that we used to when Status Quo were playing. Funny the thoughts that come to you.
I should be OK time wise tonight I think. Not so much mail I couldn’t cope with after the blog.
Saturday 14th November.
Last night was fine and I had plenty of time for a read. Light out 12.30 am and I’m pretty sure my lights were out soon after that. Waking time was 3.23 am and even had I still been tired I wouldn’t have dared go back to sleep in case Mike woke before me and caught me sleeping when he was up. I’d never hear the end of it and he’s probably create a blog just to say how many tries it took to get me out of bed.He’d be very inventive though and people are always happy to believe the worst. I’ve woken this morning to news of the atrocities in France. Yet again an enemy too cowardly to show themselves has taken the lives of the innocent probably for no better reason than they were enjoying themselves. La Belle France, you are in my thoughts. Don’t bow down before this mindless terrorism. For anyone interested, here’s a post I did on this atrocity. lorddavidprosser1.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/mindless-terrorism/
I worked on doing the above post and on my mail from gmail until almost 5.30 am. I was actually able to get into Talktalk this morning but all I needed to do mainly was delete the post there as it was now duplicated on gmail. At 5.30 m though, I went through to the kitchen to take my meds and to have breakfast. That meant there’s just one further meal needed with tablets during the day and I could choose which one. I chose lunch. I gathered up the rest of the paper/magazines ready to go out for collection, always assuming they’d actually pick it up this week. Then it was back to work until it was time to do Mike’s coffee. His alarm went off a couple of minutes early but I wasn’t going to complain. I went to do him a coffee. As I took it through the alarm sounded again but even in combination with my dulcet tones it didn’t move his caracase. So, I determined to take out the rubbish. It was quite nippy out this morning and Mike was lying on top of the bed with no top on. A draught may have slipped through while I took the rubbish out. I came back in for the paper waste just to be sure and by the time I returned then he was sitting in the lounge, tinged with blue and sounding like a typewriter.
We were on our way at 7.30 am and had started shopping at 7.45 am. I saw some things for the baby to be and also for my great nephew for Christmas. I loaded up on selection boxes to make sure I had enough and sweets to take to the girls today. I even put a little food in this week which might be why the bill was 50% more than I expected it to be t £60.00 ( they overcharged me £1 but I had it corrected) which in turn had Mike laughing almost hard enough for apoplexy. ( Not hard enough though). We had our usual coffee and I managed to complete a card with a sticker someone had left on a cup on the next table. On the way to Flint we called in at Aldi for some waterproofing spray which I thought might be good for my hat in view of the rain we’re expecting. I managed to get a couple of things from there. We parked outside Temptations but instead of going straight in hit a couple of shops. I had a niggle that I was looking for something in particular in Homies but couldn’t remember what so didn’t get it. We had our coffee and had a slow stroll to one last shop to check something out before getting back in the car. I’d left the decision about lunch up to Mike today and he’d decided on Prestatyn. A twenty minute drive down the road and we were sitting in our favourite seats ready to get a carvery. I took my pre-foodie first. I was only given two slices of beef but they were as thick as doormats and not much smaller. The meal beat both of us and Mike said it’s a first for me ever to leave beef. I didn’t want to but had I not the explosion would have been heard from miles away.
When we left the CookHouse we headed for another branch of Homies as I now remembered what it was I needed this morning. Some of my new Aveeno but with shea butter to try. I want to find which is the best one before trying to get it from the doctor again. Eventually we came home and after unpacking and putting the shopping away I was able to come through and work while Mike watched the run up to tomorrows Grand Prix, to get the grid places today. I worked from 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm watched our usual quiz when he called me and then worked again from 6.15 pm to 8.00 pm. I didn’t manage to finish but I have an agreement which says I have to spend some time in Mike’s company so I watched two programmes with him till 10.15 pm, washed a couple of pots then came back to do the blog and any mail I had time for.
Important. If anyone receives mail supposedly from me with the email address as shown with any similar subject, Please don’t open it. I haven’t sent it. I’m very sorry but it seems I have a virus of some kind annoying people with spam.
I wish you all a Great New Week full of Dreams come true and Hugs Galore xxxx