Friday Workout

My new exercise machine has arrived!
Whereas the aged cheap imitation Hoover was noisy and simple to use my new one, which arrived via Royal Mail this morning, is very quiet, sucks powerfully and a quick hoover left me feeling like I had been through a workout!  It appears that to get fit I must hoover daily, I may wear the aged carpet out soon.  This reminded me of the time we bought my mother a new hoover some years ago.  Her old one was second hand and she had been using it for some time.  The new one, straight forward normal vacuum looked good.  She tried it in the lobby at first and we saw her shoot down the length of the lobby and crash against the main door!  It was more powerful than she expected!  That lasted a few years, I hope my expensive one last 20 years, though I doubt I will care much about such things by then. 

John came and grouted the tiles this morning.  I await his return, he has got two other jobs to do at the same time, and he will finish the seal around the kitchen and then all will be complete.  A leak or two and all this work resulted.  There again, had we not done it now it would have required doing sometime soon anyway.  

How lovely to see the West Indies Cricket Team doing well, at least when they are playing England. 
52 - 2 at lunch, good start but really more is required here.  It is only England, surely you can win this one?
Now it is lunchtime and the words flow.  When cricket stops the words begin.  These guys can talk for hours about a man's hand position.  Hos feet movement can fill many a rainy day, and the statistics re his recent games also give hours and hours of words, do they mean anything, really?

 
Boris does it well!
He 'visited' Scotland yesterday.  Note, 'visited,' as if it was a foreign country and not part of the UK! He at no time went close to Nicola Sturgeon the First Minister, he spoke to no politicians, he avoided the press, bar the lackeys.  Spouting nonsense he then toured the empty far reaches of Orkney.  Here, the small dwelling of 'Twatt' welcomed him.  They welcomed him with signs reading 'ONE TWATS ENOUGH!' He avoided them, stopped at an empty area for a press brief and ran away home again.  The Scotch Whisky people wished him to offer the help promised last time he spoke, none came, others, such as 'Baxters' the Soup people welcomed him, well known 'Tomb Tabards' they.  In short, his mission to encourage the Scots into the UK has led to many joining the SNP, support for independence growing, and another failure to add to his long list.
Stay in Britain Boris, Scotland does not want you.

Quiet Wednesday

I sit here almost content.
The place is remarkably quiet.  No workmen muttering from beneath the bunkers. No leaks to worry, no neighbours babies crying.  All is quiet contentment.  Food, such as it was, has been dealt with, dishes washed, all neat and sparkling, bar the washing machine that has been missed again.  The washing machine that works, and that without leaking anywhere!  How wonderful for all things to be in order, for the most part anyway.  Normality returns, joy, peace and blessings all around.
The quiet results from two weeks of hassle and mayhem.  Even work that still has to be done, grouting the tiles, will be little disruption.  All is peace and almost goodwill.
So, what is about to go wrong I ask...?

Ah yes, going wrong brings us to Boris.  Challenged on the Russian report he attacks 'Islingtonian Remainers,' for reasons that are unclear.  Possibly he has forgotten his trip to Moscow unattended by security, the £2 million donated recently by 4 oligarchs, the dozens of Russians given British nationality so they could donate to the Tory party Putins money, let alone the actual report that claims Cameron, May and he are at it with Russian backhanders.
All governments are corrupt, this one has gone beyond the most outlandish African tin pot dictator and will continue to act this way until someone stops them. 
  

One result of the work was the need for a decent hoover.  Today, via John Lewis no less, I ordered this one.  Hopefully, spending more will ensure a better result and a result that will last some years.
I remember my aunt having a hoover that caused us to wonder.  She bought it before the war (she worked in 'Jenners' no less and got it cheap) and was using it well into the 60s.  I expect it was never renewed and was there when she died.  I am now wondering where it went, had our side of the family cleared the house one of us would be using it still.
One day soon my floor will be cleared of dust...

Tuesday Twaddle

Another joy filled day as the washing machine pipe was fixed.  Poor Kevin spent considerable time under the bunker fiddling with it but appears to have successfully healed the problem.  A trial run satisfied him, and he knows washing machines, so hopefully when I use it again it will be successful. 
To complete our joy John spent the rest of the time attaching tiles to the kitchen wall.  This too was successful and on Friday, probably, the grout will be filling in the gaps and then I can paint over the scratches on the wall, hoover, again, over the dust they create and live happily ever after.
Another good job finished, another satisfied customer, sort off, and another landlord looking at the costs and muttering things.  With next door now empty I expect the rent there will rise to £600 a month!  This means a rich, short term occupant, or a couple, of dubious background, to welcome into our midst.  Lock down, job losses and high rents, what joy to be flat searching at this time.

Naturally nothing else has been done.  Tomorrow I once again rebuild the house, look to the 'to do' list, and hope nothing else goes wrong.
I note the 'Russian Report' has arrived and the press concentrate on one paragraph, the one in which Putin seeks Scots independence.  They ignore the Conservatives avoiding examining Russian involvement because Putin's men are giving them millions in handouts.  Cameron, May, Johnson, a long line of corruption at the highest level, and treasonable probably.  All the while Dominic is running around killing the armed forces.  Why do the media not make more inquiries abut these things I ask...?

Musings

For some reason it came to mind, late last night, something a copper had mentioned regarding young thugs.  In his patch he had set up an investigation, including all the social services, probation officers and likely groups involved etc, and looked into the backgrounds of local bad boys.
It was no surprise to discover that all violent young me came from domestic situations that were violent.  None came from a stable family background. 
Not long ago a similar statement was issued by another retired police officer.  This women claimed the lack of a father in the house led to youths with no control.  She was not listened to as this did not meet with the world view at the time.
Both are right.
Criminals have almost always come from a criminal background.  The parents outlook leads down to the child's outlook.  No father and no control.  This does not mean mothers do not control but it indicates the father figure is a must for every child, male and female.  Domestic upheaval affects children, divorce, violence and weak parents who cannot control themselves lead to trouble for the child in the future.
Now consider how we have spent 40 yeas encouraging divorce, single mothers, feckless fathers, often hiding behind 'ethnicity,' gay sex, and now the 'trans' lobby.  A world in which the real normality is replaced by fantasy will not lead to a stable society.
The stability of any society depends on families.  One man, one woman, committed for life.  We all know how hard this can be, we all know the problems, and we all know the excuses people make to either not marry, and keep moving on, or take easy divorce, and, usually, blame him!  We also are aware how many successful individuals come from broken families, look at us!  However until society secures marriage, proper marriage, we can only expect further breakdown.  Under the 'liberal,' that is 'self-seeking' political leadership we endure today, Boris Johnson is not an example of stability at any level, we cannot expect life to improve any time soon.

Having done the daily needs I find myself watching cricket!  The West Indians are not very good are they?  Looks to me like this one has gone and the poor bowling and batting has seen England, with their great New Zealander, heading for a win.  
But how can people spend all day playing this game...?  Could they not find a hobby or something?

Parkside

A week late, being five hours behind in the USA today's service begins after 2:30 pm here.  So I make use of last weeks.  Still good.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Call it all joy! Oh yeah!

Three days of hard manual work, lots of banging and crashing, much cursing, and we have a new kitchen with gleaming sink and fancy new hob.  How lovely!  Last night I hastened to Sainsburys for feed to use on it, met the same young checkout girl once again, she now thinks I'm after her, what is it about girls?  Returning to realise I had forgotten the main items!
However, life is good, the kitchen complete, the work finished. 
Waking from a dream in which crowds of attractive young women were sending their boyfriends to get me, I struggled though into my gleaming new world.  All was well, the light was bright, the day ahead was planned as a 'Chicken Soup' day, once I had gone back to get the bits I forgot, and then nothing but joy all day.
I put the washing on, secure in the new settings the boys had made and stuffed my fat face putting back the 5 pounds weight loss the bug had given me this week.
 What could possibly go wrong?

As I ate the water left the washing machine, down the waste pipe and trickled cheerily across the kitchen floor!
A mad, unfit, panic ensued, water stopped by placing bucket under leak at foot of waste pipe, cloths used to wipe floor, ensuring the floor is cleaner than it has been for years, and struggle to work out problem.  Machine off, sink also blocked, realise this is problem, make use of 'Tesco, 'Sink and Drain unblocker,' £2, which eventually unblocks whatever was the cause.  Pump sink and use second bottle of Tesco best to ensure blockage goes.  Later, with manhandling several pails and risky control of waste tube from machine, finished washing.  I did this quite well though now I have an even cleaner floor!  I just hope none went down stairs...  
At least I know where the crack in the pipe is and the boys will return, cheerfully, next week to fix.   Another, 'Tesco Sink and Drain unblocker' £2, will be obtained, the washing will wait another week now, that is not unusual in this house...
Too knackered to seek Chicken Soup material...

So now I sit here, eating my 'Ripe and Ready to eat' Bananas from Costa Rica.  However, delicious they may be but the energy is insufficient to force me to rise unless I must!  Once again I seek a new diet, to inspire energy, to lose weight, to save cash.  Bananas and chicken soup are on order, Oats in the cupboard, other things, including rice water, are being looked onto.  I may also have a word with the undertaker woman up the road, just in case...

Have you noticed that when you log in to a newspaper they demand you accept cookies.  To fulfil the Law they offer a chance to 'reject all' but this never works!  Next time you return it asks again, same choice, same failure.  This must break a law somewhere surely?  
This is either incompetence in every paper or just strange coincidence.  I do not wish to have their cookies, or indeed anything else from them.  However, the problem is how to stop this...

Intellectual Stimulaton

I received this kind email this morning.  Apparently the Nigerian government will sent me $5 million dollars to 'compensate' me.  I'm impressed!  Normally Nigerian governments are not good at giving money to any their than their family and friends.  Jolly nice of Femi to offer.  I wonder how he knew...

Mr Femi Brown

Wed 15/07/2020 07:49

This mail is been writing to you because we have come to understand that

you have lost a lot of money all because you want to receive your fund

well note that all that have been put to a stop as the federal government of

Nigeria has promised to assist you with the sum of $5million in other to

compensate you and all you have to do is fill the below information s.

1 full name

2 home phone and cell phone number

3 occupation

4 amount that was lost by you

Send this and get back at once.

Warm regards

Femi

 

Staying with reality, I usually head for the front page of the daily papers to see what lies is being shared between them all.  The only aper to ever go its own way is the 'Daily Star.'  This paper is not aimed at the chattering classes, the 'Star' aims for those who find the 'Sun' has too many big words.  Recently I note how many times they place a 'funny' in amongst the headline, often worth a look, even if it does not change the world. 
Today the front page is exceptional!  The paper has gone full 'Daily Sport!' 
I doubt whether there has been serious journalism involved in this story, possibly the 'workies' have been employed on this one, however it makes a change from the lies in all the other right wing gangs offering.

It's all Joy Here...

Over the weekend I picked up one of those stomach bugs making it impossible to eat.  Add to this muscle stiffness in my back, and elsewhere, made it impossible to sleep.  I could not lie down and so for two night have sat up in the couch occasionally dozing.  This morning I managed to eat a tasteless bite and sleep for a short while before the workmen arrived.
All was set, they were late, soon to be standing around asking "Where does that go?" "What is it?"
"I can't see..." and "Now what...?"  I slumped in the chair, more alive than I have been for a couple of days, but not really caring.
The banging commenced, things were removed, questions asked and now they wonder how to deal with all the pipes, especially the one from the boiler that the plumber put in. 
These three days might become three weeks...

I retired to the West Wing where I found a US MLS game.  This appeared to begin at 9am in Florida heat!  How different from those days of standing in the hail at Love Street, Paisley, where we lost 3-0, or a dark Dundee night at Tannidice where we lost there also.  Actually the game was not great and after my night I slept through most of it.  Naturally this allowed the men to get on with the work without any help from myself.  This did not hinder them.
While I mused as to tomorrows endeavours I glanced at the news I had missed.  Still we must wear masks, unless we are Michael Gove, still English death totals are regarded as 'UK' totals, and still MPs on committee meetings by internet have to tell the cat to "Get your tail out the way."  This never happened when Disraeli was around!
Murders, celebs, cannabis farms, the usual empty news fills the pages.  I always glance at the front page of all papers, the screaming large headlines never offer news, it sometimes makes me wonder if we have a 'free press' when no 'news' is offered bar 'Bread and Circus!'   Oh yes, Boris has dumped 'Huawei' from the 5g network, well by 2027 that is.  The Chinese are annoyed.  They of course knew this was going to happen, the were listening in on all the discussions.

Mars!

That may be a dirty blob to you, however, to those in the know that blob is my first picture of the planet Mars!  Being unable to sleep, aching from preparing the place for the workmen, my aching muscles forced me up just after one am.  In spite of a slight cloud cover it was possible to see many stars glinting above.  I was looking for the latest comet that is supposedly passing by but failed to observe it, however, it is quite wonderful to be able, even through a dirty window, to see so many stars.
While in my teens I was often able to see stars.  Having a cat meant that at unearthly hours one of us would be forced up, downstairs, through the back door, and while the cat stared suspiciously into the void I could look up into the very dark sky, well hidden from street lights, and observe Orion among others.  Always good, even if frostbite was waiting.  The cat would suddenly move, I would close back stair door, open the front door for the cat to enter halfway and glare back at his patch.  We would then return to bed, he satisfied his land was secure from threats no-one but him could see, we happy just to be warm again.
On one occasion on the north coast of Kent a crowd of us stood and stared at the Milky Way.  Vast numbers of stars, clear as can be ranged overhead.  Wonderful sight.
Last night I managed to capture Mars, not easy while holding the camera half way out the window, but another achievement to equal a similarly poor image of Venus obtained a while ago.  If I could understand half of what they say on these star maps I might find others.  Why are they so often confusing?     

OSIRIS

A wee bit better than mine.

I'm Saying Nothing but...

Haircut and Football

At last I had a haircut!
I was about to get one when Lock Down began so it brought back memories of losing the Hippy hair many years again when the Barber chopped all those lumps of grey hair from my head. Waking up with hair not indeed unlike a bad tempered used mop was becoming a bit wearing.  Now I no longer feel my hair growing into my shirt and can happily move my head almost all the way round now.  Not quite Owl like mind.
It was a while before I could find a free Barber.  All the shops I passed had people waiting or several being dealt with as I looked in.  The sight of Barbers wearing those face masks, those with glasses loose out as they steam up so wearing them appears difficult.  I was interested to hear the Barber had not been paid for 4 months.  I thought there was some money made available for businesses, though I suspect these guys work independently so miss out any cash, the boss may do well mind.
He was efficient and friendly enough, the result OK, not that I am one to fuss, and at least the hair is cut.  I need to go again, just before the next Lock Down begins in 6 months time!

Back home I have invested in NOW TV for Sky Sports once again.  I have done this a bit early, Scots football does not arrive for a few weeks yet, but already I have watched several not very good football games.  I also watched the English tedium called Cricket!  This was a bit tedium as not much happened when I watched and the 14 year old director spent far too much time making use of a moving drone and short 5 second pictures of individual players interspersed with each ball or repeats, and several of them, of incidents that for the most part need not be replayed.  Rather typical TV these days.  Then it got dark they went home, and I went back to football.

Take a Leak...

My blissful existence, which consists of staring out the window, reading things and stuffing bad food down my throat, was hindered this morning by the approach of the workmen.  The small leak under the sink required fixing, the plumber stated the sink required replacing, this requires renovating the entire kitchenette.  
I awaited their arrival with baited breath.
They came, they saw, they debated, they pointed, they measured, they cogitated, they refused, they changed their minds, they pointed once again, they remeasured, they cogitated but mostly stood staring blankly muttering "Well...maybe" and "Hmmm..."  "We could ..."  and "But what about that..." and so on.  
Eventually they decided, it all had to come out.  All required renovation.  
They stared at me.
"Everything has to be moved," they stated happily, grinning too cheerfully for my liking.  
"Where to?" enquired I.
Giggles all round from them.
"There may be dust," said one.
"With you there is always dust said I," bringing nods and agreement from both.  
Quite how the hoover has lasted so long no-one knows.    
Eventually we agreed.  Next Tuesday they will arrive, remove the entire kitchenette and replace it.  There is no other option.  The leak is one thing but underneath all is becoming rotten and requires work either now or later.  I suppose this was built in the 1970's, possibly 45 - 50 years ago so it will be getting old and as bits underneath were breaking off as they fiddled about it is probably the time for action.
The actual leak has been temporarily sealed, downstairs need worry no more, bar the noise and dust of course, but now I have to move everything into space that does not exist and continue to live.  Next week I will need to live in a workshop!
I look forward to this...!

   
During the discussion we discussed St Stephens in London where the Landlord found me all those years ago.  There I was, up there at the top, the window open as it is easier to open it than clean it, and quite happy bar the number of disturbed and disturbing tenants that were beginning to arrive.  So I moved to this wee market town full of boredom where I fitted in perfectly.  
However I did learn something I had not known before.  I was under the impression the first landlord in London had bought the house, indeed all his houses, during the war.  It appears this was wrong, he obtained these run down premises, and continued to let them be run down as much as possible,  until the council made him do them up.  He sold them!  
In fact he had obtained the building in the early 60s when Peter Rachman, a notorious landlord, had died and the buildings sold on.  Rachman had specialised in bedsit tenancies.  Usually the West Indians that came in during the 50s were his clients as he knew there were less protections for them.  He, or at least those who collected the high rents, were known to use despicable tactics on the clients.  Setting dogs on those who could not pay, acid thrown, or removing the staircase so they could not get it, or out!  In the end this led to many changes in law, though it did not help that race riots in that part of London were common at the time.  He moved himself into Winnington Road, Hampstead, and moved around in a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce.  He was done on occasions by the police, who were desperately seeking to catch him and his men, for prostitution that was taking place in his flats.  I sometimes wonder who has been sleeping in my bed there in times past!  
I had been told he was a Jew who ended up in Auschwitz but in fact he was a Polish Jew caught by the Germans who escaped in Soviet held territory.  This did him no good as he was sent to Siberia with 3 million other Polish men, women and children, and eventually they escaped when Hitler invaded Russia and these men formed the 2nd Polish Corps.  He served in the Middle East and ended his war in Italy.  From there they were moved to the UK where Rachman like so many others remained.    
Rachman died after marrying his long time girlfriend but he had many other woman at the time including Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davis, famous for other famous people they knew.  He kept them in local flats, for the use off, and his money was a major attraction for them.  However his style of record keeping, not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing, meant that at his sudden death, he took a heart attack while driving, there was insufficient paperwork to prove ownership of properties.  His friends grabbed what they could.
I need to state at this point my landlord is not like this man.  This landlord does not offer a small payment to move, insert loud, all day and night party loving types all around, or indeed do deals with the Kray twins to keep them out of his hair.  
Dealing with plumbers can of course be worse than this...

Blethering Sunday

Being the new month I had to wash today.  This is helpful as I did dust yesterday and you can imagine what stour was created by such an action!  The first free day from English Lock Down was expected to cause trouble, now news so far, and not having Facebook I now miss out on local gossip re Saturday night happenings.  For myself I made it to Tesco by 7:30 on Saturday morning to avoid the crowds and noticed a lot more stalls being slowly erected in the market.  They expected crowds I see.
It made me wonder about the stall holders.  For years now these people have had the enormous effort of erecting tables of some form, then slowly unpacking their goods for display, followed by a days trading, followed by an enormous effort to pack the leftovers into boxes and vans and going home.  Often they do this five or six days a week, I ask myself is it worth the effort?  The fish man of course has the right answer, he has a van, drops the back end into a shelf, and provides his customers with a view of the goods and an easy display and repacking and off we go.  Clearly an early start in the morning, like the fruit men at 2 am, but the van makes life so much easier.  As for the handling of several tables, dozens of boxes, often alone or just two men, to me this is hard work and much better becoming a postman.  

The sight of Boris clapping for the NHS was not one that produced a thankful response in me.  The man responsible for 25,000 deaths dumped on care homes with no PPE or testing resulting in many carers dying applauding the dead does not inspire gratitude.  It is to be hoped a proper court of law can be persuaded to inquire as to the justice or lack of it all.  Chances of that are small however the law being what it is.  'Support your NHS, Don't vote Tory.'

While some queued outside pubs many in this town were more careful how they stood in line.  People avoided one another, keeping 6ft apart whatever the PM says, and still many are very fearful of this virus.  I await the 'second wave' like many others.
Barbers shops were open, six men at least outside of those I passed later on yesterday.  I require an urgent haircut but will wait until the desperate have been attended to first.  I suspect the prices have increased to make up for 4 months lost wages.  There appears to be a Dullux dog in this house, the place is covered in white hairs that have appeared everywhere.

Worn Out Today

Rising late I expected a decent quiet day.  This was ruined by the banging of the plumber and his mate downstairs and the information that I was leaking!  It was flat Number two that reported a leak a week or two ago.  John and his mate came round attempting to locate leak.  We looked under sink, saw nothing, behind washing machine and saw nothing, concluded it was Number 5 at fault and they were out.  I heard no more until the banging today.  
In fact the plumber was at Number 1.  they had a leak also, they thought it the boiler, the plumber thought the boiler was off anyway and replaced it.  In doing so he realised I was leaking.  On inspection, much better than before, a small but persistent leak was coming from around the U-bend bits.  
Having banged and thumped at Number 1 satisfactorily he wished to check mine, then look into Number 5's bathroom.  He looked at mine, decided a refit was required, John will say rude words, I canny imagine what the landlord will say, and that is now in the process.  More next Tuesday.
Plumber goes to Number 5 who has gone out so he will be back next week also.  More banging expected.

In the midst of all this I received a new scanner.  A small device to transfer slides onto digital.  A very good idea and something I have been wanting for a long time.  The problem was they ranged between £50 to 80 and that was beyond me.  The other day however, while scanning the Online Oxfam Shop I found one for £29.  It arrived during the banging time and gave me something to annoy me all day.  
Once I had worked out how to make it work, once I discovered the lead from the plug is two feet too short, and once I had dusted down the old box of slides I discovered the colours have faded.  Whether this was because of where they have been kept or simply age, it is 30 years since I went to Jerusalem, I know not but it was time consuming beginning to put them through the scanner.  Some have been done, some are not very good, and yet I may get a couple of decent hots if I turn them into B&W when the colours do not succeed.
Interestingly, among the debris in the box was an SD card. This contained photos from years ago which a previous owner had attempted to digitalise.  Most of them are not very good, almost all upside down, reversed, but some are very good indeed and may be made use off.   
No siesta today, no decent food either, hopefully I will get a decent sleep now...

Bored

Another day of sudden downpours, thunder and lightning.  Lovely to see, from the window at least.  
Other than visiting Tesco in the bright, reasonably warm sunshine at 7:30 this morning I have avoided polluting the streets.  Instead of original thought or real purpose I have merely eased my ears - my sister phoned last night - and concentrated on staring into space.  This some appear to consider wasting time but I prefer to see it as pondering life.  
Once, full of zeal and little sense, I wished to be out there!  The world was full of adventure and excitement.  There were places to go, things to experience, action, friends and whatever.  Not now.
Much of it I have seen, the excitement has lessened, and a dog speaking to me as I made my way home is more than enough friendship that early in the day.  Much joy can be had waiting on the postman or those white vans that draw up and pull out parcels.  Never it appears for me however.  
Of course I could buy something but I would rather it just arrives as a surprise.  That would be good.
However, with everybody broke, unemployed, locked down, or merely going off their heads I suppose surprise packets will not be arriving any time soon.  Maybe I ought to send one to someone else? I wonder what item (cheap) I could go for?  Of course once I start going for something some fool will put a price tag on it (plus P&P) and put me off.  Ah well.
No football tonight either, though what has been available has mostly been poor.  OK then, back to listening to the wireless!

Walking the Streets...

At first I considered these 'walking tours' somewhat absurd.  A man carrying a camera wanders along the streets filming as he goes, revealing a city or whatever from the ground, as a tourist would see it.

Then I discovered I was hooked!

There are problems with these videos, one concerns London.  Walking around London, and there are many of those as you will guess, involves meeting Londoners.  These ignorant, rude people who walk into you as if you do not exist, cut in front of you, barge past you, and generally make me glad I am now in this wee market town, appear regularly on the videos.  One other problem, the man with the camera will insist on turning the wrong way!  I wish to turn to the left, he goes right, and there is nothing you can do about this!  

However, for someone suffering Lock Down it is a window on the world, and they do cover a good part of the world now, and while you may wish them to walk down different streets or check the notices on old building more many of these are worth a look.

This half hour one covers the city of London.  Clearly he was there on a Saturday as the place is quiet.  Masses of blue suited smart people, they say, fill the area normally, making use of the pubs and clubs, cafes and grossly overpriced restaurants while seeking to do deals and make money.  So many would be happier moving out and getting a life instead!

Once upon a time I had some knowledge of the streets, watching this glass fronted, disgusting tower block filled place all I had was neck ache!  Far too many old buildings have gone, too many disgusting ones have arrived, though many from the late 19th century were pretty drab also.  The more interesting ones, where you really have to look up to see carvings and insignia, were missed!  Bah!

Worth a look for anyone who has been there or wishes to avoid entering the den of iniquity.

 Alex

Monday Mump

It's been one of those weekends. Nothing has gone right.  Even my spelling has failed more than ever, according to all the red lines under this sentence.  Just like being back in school.  I had to buy the teacher six new red pens when I left.  Some refer to being 'Booted' out of school, my teacher took that phrase to heart.  She had a nasty streak after all.
Early this morning I headed to Tesco for bread.  I had been in Sainsburys late yesterday for bread but when I got back I discovered I had got everything but!  I knew I should not have followed that woman around the store...
Today I was in Tesco just after 8 am.  Wandering around, just for bread, I spent £7:27 on other things that I suddenly realised I required, but managed to obtain bread first.  By only shopping once a week I have spent much less money, today reminded me how I was overspending in these money grabbing places.  Of course the lovely lass at the checkout did not like me, that helped to make my day.
The list of things that did not work, was not possible, unavailable over the weekend, plus rain when I considered wandering outside, all added to a dreich weekend.  I did rejoice at the number of freely available football matches on telly but discovered most of these were dower, dreary typically English affairs.  The best part was the second half of the 3rd division German game I found, at least both tried then to play football.
However, with Craig Gordon returning to the Heart of Midlothian there was one piece of good news this morning.  Just as long as he does not injure himself going up to the press conference.
 

I suppose I could have been like the clever people and taken out insurance against my day.  Many celebrities take out such insurance in case their voice/legs/talent suddenly leaves them.  Others take out insurance for their wedding day just in case 'cold feet' appear.  Still others, while swimming in Loch Ness took out insurance in case the Loch Ness Monster bit them!  Similarly a cruise ship did likewise as they feared the monster might bite them!  Sometimes of course insurance is worth while.  The Wimbledon Tennis people took out 'Pandemic Insurance' after the 'SARS' outbreak some years ago, now it appears they may get back some of the £1.5 million they paid out annually, around £114 million expected to arrive sometime soon!
I wonder if they will allow 'Having a bad day' as an insurance request...

Nothing to Say

Thursday Rambling

Imagine my delight at 10:30 last night when outside my window a lorry, full of unknown substances, began, very loudly, to work on the road surface.  I have no idea what he was doing, I only knew I was going to  have tinnitus by morning!  I did shout at him but he could not hear me for the noise he was making.  Half an hour later he moved away down the road leaving a road surface in similar condition as to when he had started!  I fell asleep.  Just after midnight he was back, making similar noise and no effect on the other side of the road.  
Now many men had been working last night.  Other JCB like monsters moved up and down, digging here and there, spades scraping alongside, but none made a noise equal to johnny in the truck.  I thought at first he was cleaning drains, but there are none at these spots.  I thought he was washing the road but no!  He is merely employed to be a nuisance!  Grrr!
I awoke at 5, I looked out and a new road surface had appeared.  All the way down the road has been replaced with no noise whatsoever, so why did Johnny in the truck unknown have to make such a racket?  Bah!

So I crossed the road, crossed the park, stood back, as did two others and a dog, as a large jogger woman passed by.  'Joggernaught!' Thought I.  The two and myself, plus dog, decided we would not indulge in such frivolity, the dog especially pleased as he is at the granddad stage like the rest of us.
As we watched go, and she did go, I moved on, walked about the town wondering why it was 70% at this time of the morning.  I have hidden away indoors ever since.  

SKY

Bournemouth beach, one of the best in the world, has declared a 'Major Incident' as thousands of dafties headed for the seaside.  Too many people, Coronovirus still alive, and 558 parking tickets, a record, given out.  Some will not be pleased. 
Mind you Tesco was still busy, why did this lot not go there?