Dog and Sick Woman

Here we are, halfway through another week and still nothing has happened.

Well, nothing much has happened to me, but it has happened to others.  Another aged friend decided to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary by falling over and breaking something.  Having carried various sicknesses for most of her life, now being on dialysis, and as we speak going through that while awaiting an operation tomorrow for the break, I remember how lucky I am.  I worry that the tough old bird will struggle with the anaesthetic afterwards, it does take it out of you, and she has little to take out.  Clearly this has occurred just to upset the family, women are like that.

The call informing me came early in the morning, a time always likely to engender thoughts of the worst outcome.  However, while all appears under control, in spite of Tory assaults on the NHS, ambulances, beds, doctors and nurses, and other staff, she has been well looked after, though it has taken time.

Nothing exciting happened for me today except talking to a dog or two as I crossed the park.  I enjoy it when dogs approach looking for friends.  This is not that they care for you, they just wish to see what they can get out of you!   This one, seen in a stolen picture, belong to my niece, though it spends most time with her daughter when she gets home from work.  He too is unwell.  Indeed the vet told them he ought to be put down, it was the best thing.  They considered this, however, he mentioned a treatment involving a series of very expensive injections that may give him another year or so, and they opted for that.  Having dad working as a builder, and daughter on good money, and desperate to keep the dog alive they are paying out large sums for him.  

Dogs do this to people.

Nothing Happened Again

 

A Boring, Nothing Happened Day

 

Greeted this morning by glimpses of vaguely pink tinted, yellow sunlight, attempting to break through the cloud cover.  This looked destined to fail.  The chill in the air forces the heating on, the few dog walkers wrapped up in heavy winter outfits, occasional dogs wear bright coloured and soundly disliked outfits, it is obvious their owner is female.  A car or two passes slowly as the day begins and Christmas wears off the populace.    

Naturally, as I coughed my way around to a very quiet Tesco the cloud cover had disappeared.  Instead the rising sun hovered just above the rooftops, forcing the cloud towards the south.  The quietness allowed the birds to freely roam in the trees and front gardens.  Robins bounced, a Magpie fluttered and even a Jay was spotted above me in the tree.  Each flew swiftly away from the few pedestrians, keen to end their hunger, the birds that is, not the pedestrians.  If people are out it probably means they have been fed, unlike myself who was surviving on instant cappuccino coffee and one old banana.

However, I obtained a Persimmon, whatever that is, at Tesco and have just enjoyed one.  It looks like, apart from the price, these may be coming here more often.

Like everywhere else little has occurred today.  I fell asleep watching the football, nothing to do with the Brandy, and have done little bar scribbling a card or two, mostly to use up all the 2nd Class stamps I still possess.  The old stamps run out at the end of January and I may not have enough demand to use up the 10 I have left!  

Nothing Happened -Again

Nothing happened.

Since Friday I have just watched the football.

Occasionaly I watched the rain.

Once I went quickly round Tesco.

Once I popped into the museum shop.

I say 'popped in' I meant 'dragged in there' by the girl on duty as she had sold nothing that day.

She could not have sold anything as she had just opened!

Never trust a woman, it cost me a fortune.

I watched poor football.

I watched quite good football.

I ate lots of veg.

Veg is becoming a habit this week.

I never went out anywhere else.

Nothing was happening.

Except for a loud argument downstairs between the lassie and her visitor.

Just before bedtime.

Today, even less happened, unless you count hailstorms as a happening.

I am not sure if I can handle such excitement these days...

 

 

Nothing Happened, Again...

 

There is Nothing to Say

There is nothing to say, as Lock Down continues, I am following that Sturgeon woman not Boris, I find little to excite my writing fingers.  Wednesday followed Tuesday and little changed between them, except that I realised early on it was Wednesday by looking at the calendar.  Otherwise the grey clouds have obscured much of the sky with glimpses of sun shining through.  The northern wind has whistled through the cracks in my window frames happily freezing my fingers.  The wind has also limited the numbers who would otherwise be filling the park opposite today, Boris allowing them out encouraging them to flock to such places.  The traffic certainly appeared busier today, though it is Market Day, and the English being patriotic enough when crowded around a VE Day celebration are also stupid enough to crowd into a Market even if only three stalls will be there.  I suspect 'social distancing' was only observed by the queues at Supermarkets, the Post Office and the Banks.  

  
On Saturday I noticed some ignoring the 'advice' by settling down in the park, imagine what that would have been like today?  The Blackbirds, the Thrush's, Wood pigeons and the Crows would be happy for them to all remain indoors, only the lack of left over 'takeaways' would upset the Crows as that has become an important part of their diet.  
The council men cut the grass the other day leaving behind that sweet aroma that enlivens a sunny day.  Quite why cut grass has such a fragrance I know not but there is little beat it.  There was a plant, name unknown, that stood across from me that also offered sweet fragrance but the council took that away earlier this year, clearly something was amiss there.  It has as yet not been replaced which is a pity. 

Routines here can be boring to outsiders, rise slowly, breakfast and then study scripture to my own satisfaction, except that is when it tells me to change my ways or do something.  At my pace that brings me to 11 am at least!  Thus it is too late to start doing those urgent 'Big Jobs' and too early to look at the small ones.  So, let us gaze at the joggers slowly crossing the park, some getting much faster than they were a week or too ago.  Interesting to watch old men, unknown until now, who regularly wander the park paths.  These men have not exercised before but being trapped indoors has brought them out to their own benefit.  Naturally they ignore one another!  

   
With long queues at the big shops the man on the corner has made the most of the time.  Offering foodstuffs eggs, tins and whatever he can obtain, he has made a killing, mostly on the plants he sells. Business has been god, queues as long as the ones at the big shops can be found daily.  They park their cars at our door and care not about the locals, however I did manage to obtain a tray of eggs, 30 for £6 a go.  This of course means far too many cheese omelettes early in the day and I suspect before long I will die of cholesterol poisoning!  The price works out about normal round here.  Had I been using the bike there are many houses just outside the town which sell eggs, often on an honesty basis, take and pay in box.  Some do Honey also this way.  There has it appears been a rise in the sale of chickens in recent days so it may be urban houses may soon do similar.

Today I managed to avoid both the 'Big Jobs' as well as the small ones, then I realised the milk would not last so now I am preparing to visit Sainsburys at 7:30, the best time to go there. 
A friend has been told, by doctors letter, to remain indoors until June.  She is allowed out in a car however and he and her will take advantage of this and drive into the country for a change of scenery.  The country being five minutes drive from their door that will be easy.  
The change of scenery from indoors to out is great when it happens rarely.  I have been watching those 'Cab Rides' videos from the drivers seat in railway engines and wandering about the country.  Today I crossed the Forth Bridge, bringing back memories, and then the Tay Bridge also.  The video may be ten years old but it was a bright interlude in the day.  For the men driving such engines it must make their day when they can cross such constructions and get paid for this.  A skilled job, good pay and being outside with any troubles being the problem for the guard and not yourself is a great thing.  While delays occur rarely are drivers to blame and always they have the luxury of the view.  Much better than an office life. 
Having broken my leg in 1986 I was moved into an office.  One thing that bugged me was the constant dream of being outside in the van once again delivering across the city.  The nearest I got to this was being a Postman.  Half the day indoors the rest wandering the streets.  An enjoyable job when I began, not so enjoyable now.  Too busy, bad management and too many drops for each man.

Another quick wander about a near deserted Sainsburys.  Few about, mostly male, mostly buying beer, wine an spirits plus bacon and bread.  Clearly getting the breakfast stuff in!  A quick chat to all the attractive young ladies, why do they call me 'Granddad?'  Then saunter home in the chill breeze, blue sky appearing between puffy clouds, a Crow half way up the Police Radio Mast and a silent town lying round about.
Then I realised there were no Starlings on the mast.  In times past there have been thousands of the things.  Possibly they are Murmuring somewhere but at this time there is usually a host to be seen.  The Crow is not enough to put them off, I wonder if the numbers have dwindled?  Only one or two Swifts seen so far also.  I could go on Twitter and er, 'Tweet' about this...?

     

Thursday Baloney

A nothing day again, too chilly to wander about, once Tesco had been attended to ("Here it comes again," I heard the checkout girl say to her mate.  She not being my favourite) and buying yet more seed for the greedy Starlings!  I need to feed myself also as I just failed to remember the name 'Starlings.' I could name many birds but this one would not come, the mind blocked it.  This happens all too often nowadays.  It is part of my mind and it runs through the family this inability to remember names but when tired or sick it shows up and nothing comes that is relevant when looking for something.  I hope its just age.

A nice email from one of the museum girls today, that worried me also as it meant she wanted something.  Indeed she did and my nothing day was at the end filled with searching for a man I canny find.  He is there, I found him 5 years before I want him, but otherwise he has run away. He did reappear and die rich and happy in 1950, but it is his earlier experience I seek!  Bah!

Now I retire exhausted, strained and forgetting what I was going to do....

Nothing Happened

Nothing has happened since I got the new mattress as I have suffered ever since.
Working the next day, hard work even though not one visitor entered, running around sorting others mess before I even started.  Getting milk to discover it was already there and since then suffering aches in my knees that will not leave. 
Therefore I have gone no further than Tesco.
This is made worse as the sun has shone, in spite of strong winds which must have done Wales no good as they got the rain that goes with it, and I was stuck in here.
Worse also was Scotland's ignoble defeat from Israel, my inability to see it as I don't have SKY TV and no football on worth watching until Friday night and tonight.  
However I did meet the new Landlord on Wednesday.  By new I mean the daughter of my deceased Landlord who alongside her husband has taken over the running of the shop.  This went reasonably well and indicates good things especially as I dropped a note to her mum after dad died and it appears mum remembered me and liked the note.  I will not get evicted for a wee while then?
I wish I had invited her in for a cup of cheap tea, the place was tidy and it might not be so for a while again! Tsk!

There was a royal wedding this week, it took up most of the media for a not important royal and cost millions of public money.  Her father may be pleased but public money has never meant much to him, he ought to be a Tory MP, he has the makings.
But I ask, who are the folks that queue up all night to be there when it happens?  I understand women watching strangers weddings, questioning her choice of dress, bridesmaids and husband but why follow minor royals as if this was important?  What do people get out of following the royals?
Crowds gather wherever they appear, the event I understand, but those who are always there I don't?

Autumn

Autumn has definitely arrived.  The leaves are yellowing, many falling, the rain ensures many more will fall and bring delight to those who have the job of clearing them from paths, roads, pavements and so on.  I remember that job well, finish one day and start again the next.  
Not that the rest of the weather has varied much, darkness falls earlier, the rain comes and goes, and people pass smiling and happy - yeah right!

 
Nothing else happened.
Politics is still sick.
The loss of William G Stewart who's death was announced today is a sad one.  Producer of many programmes and presenter of 'Fifteen to One,' an excellent quiz show now ruined by the presence of a failed 'celeb' as presenter.  He was excellent in this show and this became one of my favourites when he presented it.  It ran for a long time but now hides away in one of the obscure channels.  No wonder!
Nothing else happened again...

Nothing Happened

All day Saturday nothing happened again.
I mean I bought bread and cheap soggy fruit but that's not exciting is it?
So I sat in the park and awaited six O'clock so I could watch the rerun of the football.
Nothing happened in the park.
Not a thing.
The weekend holiday may have taken many away, it may be their shopping was done, it may be nothing was happening but nothing happened.
And my dinner was lousy...

So I mused.
Why, thought I, why has Donald Trump not been shot yet?
He lives in the USA where thousand shave already been gunned down, many fatally, so why has this notorious man not been shot?  The population of the USA contains more headbangers per square in than anywhere else on earth and all are armed to the teeth so how come no-one has tried this yet?
I can understand normal enemies not killing him, you know, North Korea, Russia, China etc, as he is doing more for them being alive than he would dead.  It is well known that British intelligence had been working on ways to kill Adolf Hitler when it was realised it was better to keep him alive as he was as his decisions were working in the allies favour.  So also with Trump.
But surely there is one nutter there who might try?

Books: I thought of a book that might benefit another and ordered it!  I think I have become obsessed!  At one point today I accidentally found myself in a charity shop looking at books.  'Go home' said a voice in my head but my feet remained there until I had searched all shelves.  That reminds me I must look up Amazon to see if they ha...

Worryingly the first sign of Autumn has been sighted, in that there tree.  The leaves are losing their colour and beginning to fall.  Certainly it gets darker earlier, though the clouds don't help, and already people whisper the 'Christmas' word to much chagrin all around.
Did summer happen this year?  I suppose it happened like it always did but I may have been sitting in here watching football that day.

I asked Bert here how things were going, and he was going before he bothered answering. Tsk!

Nothing Happened

Almost caught a bee!  This wee camera canny cope with close ups and I have to enlarge the picture yet it takes much enlarging and only then I find it's not sharp.  Why do bees move about so much?  It's not fair.
Another museum trip even though I ought to be sleeping off the last one. Little happened there as they are preparing for the next exhibition and it is all routine boring things today.

Look, still not sharp!  These bees keep moving around the Lavender and will not stop to pose.  It is becoming annoying.  I was only doing this as there was nothing else to do, Thursdays being the day many shops take the day off and remain shut so few people come into town.  Once the routine stuff was done and I had no computer to play on I was desperate for something interesting to do. 

I look forward to tomorrow when I can catch up on the excitement I missed today....

Nothing Happened...

Boxing Day Two

Nothing happened again today, it was an extra days holiday for the masses and while shops opened and some worked most sat at home on the laptop searching for bargains.  I sat at home searching for dead soldiers, I found lots.
The streets were very quiet this morning, the normal throb of traffic was but a murmur until the shops opened about ten in the morning.  It took folks until that time to realise they were starving and had to rush out to buy more of the food they had overeaten for the last few days.
I went out cat like to peruse my land about three in the afternoon.  It was like a Sunday out there but even quieter.  I passed a woman taking a shot of a tree, the light behind it was good, and thought to myself "What sort of person does that?"  This after taking several shots of the sun going down behind trees.  The colour is somewhat like the actual scene, bright sun and blue sky, lovely at this time.  Tomorrow fog once again the say, hooray!

No news to speak off just more space filling regarding George Michael, his boyfriend, his drugs, his money.  I ignore it all, he was not my kind of music and poor lad probably killed himself through drug abuse, very sad.  
Many are crying the year has been bad because such as he has died during the year, indeed many famous faces have departed but in truth no more than ever leave, it may be some were favourites of the social media crowd and they notice it more.  Us older folks notice famous faces but from the distant past and as such beyond the notice of the social media whores.  Life changes little in this regard, a hundred celebs of one sort or another die each year and the normal total of non celebs also, it may not vary much from year to year.  I do not see it as unusual however a younger crowd may find it something new to cope with.  Maybe it will show them they are not mortal after all.

Oh look, football time....

Nothing Happened Again

Nothing happened today.  
This is good.  I did walk all the way to the Post Office to post a small packet but nothing else.
The packet contained a small gift for a baby who weighed between 11 and 12 pounds when born.
I enclosed a small cuddly elephant.
Mum and dad are slim and this is the result of allowing a 17 year old to go to Spain with her boyfriend.  Hmmm is it just me that wonders how fat the postman is around there...?
Anyway I slowly pottered my way home via the grassy bits and took in some sunshine.  I am not too keen on this as the day I sat in the sun, shirt wide open to attract women, has left me with a blotched red facade which itches, hurts and reminds me of what a stupid man I can be.  Hot sun is a good idea but not when you are imitating Moby Dick!
Nothing happened on the way back.
Traffic past hastening to important events.  A woman trailed across the field behind a dog, a youth passed stuck to a pink iphone (pink!), and a couple of men in a parked car laughed nearby giving the impression they were coppers watching someones house very badly indeed.  It is no fun being a copper in such situations.  Years back my brother ran a newsagent shop until it nearly killed him and his wife forced him to forget it.  The normal procedure for him was to leave the house at four in the morning where a police car ending his evening shift would almost always collect him and run him down to the shop.  One chilly day this did not happen.  He wandered on down and as he turned the key in the shop door several men flung themselves at him and barged him into the shop.  They were frozen policemen who had been spending the night in the cars watching for an event that did not occur.  Instead of opening the shop my brother was forced to make breakfast for several half dead bored officers.   
The sun shone on the way home, the large clouds gathered and threatened yet more short lived downpours, yesterday the museums lights dimmed and the alarm system went mad as thunder rolled and possibly a lightning flash hit the building.  It took three hours to put that right, I watched.
Nothing continued to happen here however.
I ate an early lunch, around 10:30 and by eleven I was asleep, a point I have since indicated to all those hard at work at that time.
Their replies I do not publish.
Nothing has happened since because the Euro games continued.
Slovenia swept aside Russia, although they almost through it away at the end and another game is about to begin soon, Romania and Switzerland, how wonderful!  I feel sympathetic to those in Aussieland who have to get up in the middle of the night to watch these games I really do, however I suspect none of my friends are among them!
How lucky for the Americans who in between local shootings can watch these games early in the morning while having breakfast!

Rain Stopped Play

Nothing happened.

Nothing Happened

Nothing happened today as I was busy watching several football matches and doing nothing else.
Nothing else happened.
No news.
No nothing.
Nothing.

Nothing Friday

Nothing happened.
I dreampt I was being besieged by an angry Boxer dog last night and was pleased to escape it by waking.  I failed to waken after this until almost 8:30.  That shows how hard I worked yesterday.  Having looked for people who leave only a badly spelt name and finding little about them I have done nothing else all day.
A wander a couple of times through the town, no fotos to be seen, and a wander back again disappointed was my lot.  Had it not been for the chatting up the lass in Tesco the whole day would have been wasted.  
Now I look to blog when nothing has happened, the town is the same as always, darkness falls early, I have no energy to go anywhere, and life continues in the mundane mould?  Where is there inspiration in this?  
I could discuss the two up and two down little houses that were erected around the late 1870's up 'Sunnyside' and let you know that the first dwellers therein could male use of the water pump found next to Number One, but that may not interest you.  Having been inside one some time back I can tell you the walls are too thin, not a problem then although most contained families of six or seven plus occasional lodgers!  I suspect noise was a problem even then.  One has a deep hole in the back garden this the remains of an 'Anderson Shelter' built during the war.  It had been covered up and was found by accident by one of the people renting there.  There must be many such holes across the nation like this.
Holes in the ground was a war happening.  It was Spike Milligan in his book 'Rommell, Gunner Who?' In which he tells of his experiences during the war as he raced slowly across North Africa chasing Germans.  He mentions standing in a hole on guard one night pondering the vast number of men also sitting or standing in holes in the ground all across Europe, Africa and the Far East.  Millions of men like he were doing their duty although he was possibly the only one having officers point and laugh at him as they left the mess late at night.  How lucky we are to no longer send young men into holes in the ground so we can sleep in peace.
There are holes in my teeth also and the dentist was champing at the bit to extract the big wisdom tooth at the back that broke up some years ago.  The NHS must pay him a decent amount for that!  However it bothers me not, all the nerves were bust long years ago by an Aussie dentist, and I am content with it at the moment.  Such a good dentist but he might not sleep if it does not get done next year.  
Local papers are often full of holes.  Small meaningless stories made to be great headlines.  This week however we saw a good one.  A woman received a letter from the DWP informing her that she was not sick enough to receive benefits.  On the day the letter arrived she died.
This has happened so often under this Tory government, it is difficult to know how many times as correct figures are hushed up but possibly up to twelve thousand people have lost their benefits because they are not 'ill enough' and been dead within a week or two.  If you are Amazon or Starbucks or Vodafone you can dodge billions in tax revenue but if you are just another cog in the wheel this government will chase you to death.  Soldiers die from abuse and lack of care as well as faulty or inefficient equipment, patients are allowed to die slowly in hospitals, social workers fail to care for so many needy who are injured or die and yet nobody cares.  The secular money chasing world has lost compassion, only politically correct ideas can be cared for and if you don't fit then it is not good for you.  We kill children in abortion and hate migrants flooding the land, we can hate paedos and Muslims but so many other wrongs are not just accepted they are positively encouraged. No wonder people are confused about life.
The weekend is here, I can tell by the long line of cars outside my window.  Rush hour on Friday begins about 2:30 as folks race slowly for home, to the supermarket, to collect the kids, to beat the rush and find themselves in the rush.  A weekend of bad television, good cup action and drinks all round for some.   Hopefully your weekend will be worthwhile, enjoyable and make you happy.

Still Nothing Happened

Quite why people make resolutions which they are not going to keep amazes me.  Those who decide to diet and succeed do so by great effort of willpower and we know how easily that is lost.  The decision not to decide on a resolution is however one I have managed to keep year after year.

Wandering down the road this morning I was concentration on avoiding the puddles as the rain began once again and failed to notice the bog police dog handlers van I was walking in front off.  I kept going but his face expressed a degree of surprise I thought. 
Soaked by the time I reached the church I was glad the heating was on to dry me out.  I am getting to like this strange Anglican Kirk, in spite of their foibles and the many mistakes that routinely occur.  In fact it seems to my way of thinking to make the place more homely rather than inept.  These are everyday human beings who have been found by Jesus not the perfect kinds who sometime appear on the screen.  I am beginning to like them and developing some things about me that need improvement.  I think however the 'Wee Frees' will never let me through their door if I am ever back up in the rain soaked land.
Talking of which I hurried home in the downpour to see the St Johnstone v Aberdeen game - this was postponed - the pitch was waterlogged!!!!

As is normal Scotland takes two days at New Year, with Friday being the first that means Monday is a day off for the majority of people.  Here in the soft south they do not do this and tomorrow, the fourth, is for the peoples around me a 'back to work' experience.
Groans can be heard from neighbours, screams emit from houses around the place as recognition of the end of the week long break has ended comes home to roost.  Alarm clocks are being set alongside some words best kept from children, and work outfits are being laid out in places where they can be found in the early morning darkness.  
I however will be remaining at home.  (Insert smug grin here)
Now I have nothing against work, I was involved in one way or another in such activity for around forty years, and take pleasure in watching others perform such work always willing to offer advice on how the job should be done exactly.  Such aid is not always considered helpful I note, still it's a giggle innit?
If the weather is good I might cycle past the industrial estate and wave cheerily at anyone I know.  If not I will just stand at the window early on and wave my coffee cup at passersby, that usually brings a response, especially when it's raining.
"Ah well," said Zebedee, "time for bed."