Another Flu Jab

Those fun-filled-frolickers who forecast the weather have delighted us by threatening snow for the morrow!  This appears to be funny in their eyes.  Now while snow can offer decent photographs it comes with other disadvantages, cold for a start slippy for another, dangerous for roads, old people, and me!  Brats throw snowballs at you, people spend their time grumbling about snow,(and I hate that) and buses and railways grind to a halt.  Cars that are driven are either slow or driven by untrained jet pilots with a death wish, and don't get me started on the slush that is left behind!

This also means that with a temperature of 2% tonight, thats 34% in English, the heating must be made to work, all this costs money!  I know this as I sit here now with my feet on the heater!  At gas central office they are breaking out the Bubbly already, just wait until January!

 

I was back this morning, in spite of the rain, to the surgery.  This time it was the Flu Jab.  The queue of aged people was long, but quickly parted to let me in to the Stasi.  She, I must say, was very cool in the heated atmosphere, lots of folks stumbling aroung hither and thither, some knowing where they were going, some not.  I, the youngest among them, was treated well by the Stasi, she even helpfully gave me the Blood Test result, nothing changed there, and sent me round to the old folks queue.   Five people were before me, except I was the only one on time!  I joked with the crew there before a nurse approached, called my name and off I went.  I must say these two nurses while efficient were not the cheeriest.  I suspect they have come in for the day to jab the Flu queue and then hop off to collect the kids.  Their men, if they have them, are welcome to their cheerless faces.   

All done I retreated to Sainsburys and Tesco, changed the bed, (it is nearly the end off the month) and set the washing machine going.  The day has been filled, or at least it has passed by quickly.  Now the darkness falls, the rush hour stumbles by slowly, the chill deepens and I am left wondering just how much snow will actually arrive tomorrow, if indeed it does. 

Because of an outcry in the past, by the grubby right-wing media, those weathermen are likely to 'Cry Wolf' to often these days just to avoid blame if it all goes wrong.  However, I will be residing indoors if the sun does not shine, the cupboards are full enough, the temptation to walk the chilly streets is not strong, and football might arrive.

 

Ancient & Medieval Worlds lecture 1: Mesopotamia part 1

 

Thought some of you might like this.  This is the first in a series of short lectures about the distant past, which some of you may remember...   

There are about a dozen or so in the list.  I have watched this one and found it quite easy to listen to.  Putting it on YouTube allows you to see what the others in line are.

Sun, Sky and NHS

The sun was up, the sky was blue, an ideal time to walk round the corner and have the first off three visits to the NHS.  Get them in now folks before Boris sells the NHS off it to his donors.  Today was a blood test.  This meant being first in the queue of old men at ten this morning to have the delightful, efficient nurse struggle to get blood out of this stone.  She tried the left arm unsuccessfully leaving me with the conclusion that I was dead.  She smiled gently and thrust the needle willingly into the other arm in a fashion that disproved my conclusion.  Blood flowed!  

 

 

After this I wandered round Sainsburys seeking meat, some fool had forgotten to raid the freezer last night.  Thus I encountered several people of my acquaintance, including two who could not avoid me no matter how they tried, and headed home rejoicing.  Those two did not.  Thus encouraged I once again took my weary body, very weary this past week, across the park.  

There is something very enlightening and enjoyable found in crossing even a small area of green, especially when the sun is up, the sky blue, the air filled with light, and dogs taking their owners for walks wish to meet you.  It was indeed chilly however, when I first left the house the air that we breathe out was like a steam engine, but within an hour it had warmed up to freezing.  

And Winter has not started yet!

I ended up in Tesco for the things not available in Sainsburys.  They were not available in Tesco either.  However, I managed to spend money and hobble back home, clamber up the stairs for the second time, grateful I need not do this again today.

 

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

'Hermes' at the door.  Packet collected for next door, I indicated the way around the back to Number 2 with a second.  Back up the stairs a third time after all.

It was as I laid the large red, plastic bag down I noticed the name.  

It was incorrect.  

This packet was for Number 2, not Number 5.  How stupid of me not to check the name.  Anyway, off I go, downstairs, round the back, knock on the door, and am glad that he indoors was as dumb as myself.  He never looked at the name either. His wife also spends too much online.  

Upstairs for the fourth time!  How happy I am!  My routine shattered I have lingered all day after this trying to catch up with things I keep forgetting to catch up with.

I anticipate tomorrow with great pleasure...

 

Fungi, Tardis and Sweets

 

So far, it has been the usual confused day for me.  

Last night the laptop would not switch off.  So, after several late night attempts I left it to switch off by itself.  This morning it was still on, the sleep mode had come on, but now it would not connect to the WiFi. 

Troubleshooters were aroused, the yellow ethernet cable advised and once employed this worked well, but the thing was not connected properly.  

Then followed many attempts with troubleshooter and a restart.  Once restarted it now works fine, without ethernet cable filling the desk.  All appears back to normal.

Why?  Why does it do this to me?  There is no reason for this?   Grrrrrrrrr....   

The fungi pictured I found growing on a grassy patch behind the old Registery office.  Now being run as a kindergarden no-one bothers to cut the grass.  I guess Dave could identify these specimens but to me they are just Toadstools.  I agreed with a passing woman that we would not be eating these any time soon.

 

A late afternoon wander around town where the crowds gather for the 'Xmas Lights' being switched on.  Every child in the town was here, far too many people, and a few perplexed dogs.  I pushed, and was pushed about by the crowds, willing to mix it as not long after leaving home an Audi driver came close to hitting me.  I wished I had said more at the time but he kept moving.  Thus Irked, I wandered about.

 

Sweets abound here.  This stall is a regular who offers bags of teeth destroyer.  He remains considerably cheaper than the fancy stalls found today.  Candles, cakes and things I canny afford nor indeed desire.  Many have been before so must have made money, and Xmas arriving will do them some good.

 

Being FREE entry I popped into the museum for a peek.  I have not wandered about there for some time.  The space exhibition looked good, including this Tardis.  I refrained from opening the door as I was not sure where I would end up.  There used to be lots of these around Edinburgh, now almost all that remain have been turned onto coffee stalls!

Nothing to Say Friday

 

Nothing much happened again today.

Housework, searching the web for xmas gifts, searching online for packets that have not arrived, and changing passwords for some sites.  Not very exciting today.

Not a day for arguments on Twitter or newspaper pages, everyone appears quiet.  However, I see Lord Frost is claiming now there could be a breakthrough on Northern Ireland.  How come?  Well Boris has lost the support of his backbenchers and cannot guarantee they would support using Article 16.  Boris, as always, looks after Boris.  

Andrew Marr, a Labour man who has, for £400,000 a year, refused to attack the Tories is now leaving the BBC so he can 'Get his own voice back.'  To do this he is moving to Murdoch's LBC and Classic FM for a bit more than £400,000!  He will speak freely there?  I expect a female Tory lackey to take his place.  Nadine Dorries is also claiming people are afraid to speak on social media for fear of being 'cancelled.'  This from a woman who abuses others and blocks those who respond?  

Friday, when parliament shuts down, people head for home, some rejoice in a weekend of fun and gaiety, others in DIY and shopping.  Sensible people watch football.

That's a good idea.  I see there is a game on tonight, I think I had better check it out, don't you...?

 

Stasi at the Surgery

 

 

I awoke after 6 am this morning and lay there full of fear and ire.  I had to phone the Stasi at the surgery to arrange a blood test ordered by the doctor.  My mind filled, as it does when still asleep, with imagined fears, arguments, responses and abuse.  I attempted to get this out of my mind by listening to the wireless but for an hour I wrote and re-wrote imagined complaints. 

At 7:30 I awoke peaceful.

I forgot to phone at 8 am and remembered after the half hour.  I then called, endured the corporal's long intro and pressed 'Number 2' as ordered.  She repeated the same words needlessly thus increasing the costs to me.  After the overture to an opera a gentler voice informed me I was 18th in the queue.  I put down the phone.  

Some time later I tried again, this time when answered I jumped straight to 'Number 2,' and then the opera overture.  Eventually the music stopped and the gentle voice informed me I was 13th, 13th!!!  "How long do they take to make appointments?" I wondered," I bet it is all those old people at fault."  

Later, I tried again, three times I have called at the most expensive time, at least now I was second in the queue.  Almost 25 minutes had gone by since I first dialed. (Do we still say 'dialed?')  At last the phone rang, and rang...and rang ...and rang...and rang...and a female voice kindly answered as I was muttering things down the line.  

I stated my case and was cheerily fixed up immediatley!  Shocked, I mentioned the Flu Jab I had not been offered.  "Right," she says, "Friday 26th?"  Shocked again I grasped the chance and the morning time offered.  

Isn't it just typical that when you fear something will be a struggle against the powers of evil the reality is very different?  I spent a few minutes checking to see if I was still asleep and dreaming, once convinced I was awake I also checked for bite marks.  None found, I had called reception and lived!  And you say prayer does not work?

I got out no further than Tesco today.  I had to go for those forgotten things yesterday, bread I am not supposed to have, chocolate I must avoid, wine which should not be taken and yoghurt which can be.  I also stocked up on 'Waterstones Voucher Cards.'  You see Amazon, whom you may have heard off, are having problems with 'Visa.'  Visa charges have increased from, if I remember right, 0.3 to 1.5 after Brexit.  The EU had a cap on these costs which we lost with Brexit so the price shot up.  This is now costing the UK £35 billion a year.  Amazon, those friendly staff-oriented people, are not happy and are ending UK Visa cards at the end of January (ensuring they get this Xmas in first).  So Waterstones it is then, which will surprise the members of my family who find reading a problem.  So, happily paying the young lady at the checkout I hobbled back the pretty way, avoiding buses, lorries at the building site, reversing vans up the side road and people attempting to keep a social distance away from me.  I think that was the reason.  Home to cogitate on the work to do tomorrow and wonder if it will get done?  

Hospital Helicopter, NHS and Flanders Stew.

Another day of nothingness I am glad to say.  The excitement of watching Scotland win and therefore make it to the play-off last night meant I required a peaceful morning.  There was no disturbance, bar the Air Rescue Helicopter buzzing over my head several times while he attempted to get into position to land opposite.  Twice in a month I think, once again I have no idea where they went but it departed shortly afterwards and headed of in the London Hospital direction.  Quicker than waiting for an ambulance these days I suspect.

This graph tells us how governments spend cash on the NHS.  It is clear why the NHS has a bed, doctor and nurse shortage, and people are dying in ambulances outside of hospitals because of government cutbacks.  This is a deliberate policy of selling the NHS to their US friends and it may well go through before the next election.  Add a pandemic, send all the EU staff back home, do not employ new staff, and before you know it there is a shortage and Boris is at the root of this.  With NHS mask providers not being allowed to sell to the NHS while Tory donors make big money for providing too much or the wrong thing while making millions we must ask "Who voted for this?"

Being reduced, I bought some casserole meat, not the healthy stuff pictured sadly.  This I cooked for over three hours this morning, adding the usual tins of 'whateversinthecupboard' along with 'whateverfoodislyingaround.'  Thus I made the first 'Flanders Stew' I have made for some time.   This concoction, as you know, is called thus because once cooked it looks like and tastes like the sticky, thick mud that lies all around Ypres in Flanders.  The first dollop, and that has to be the correct term, was as expected full of strange tastes, hidden behind curry powder, with meat containing no flavour whatsoever.  This will not surpise anyone.  Now, I have three more 'dollops' of this life giving nourishment to go through. 

That reminds me, I must make out my Will tonight...

 

Mope Monday

 

 

Nothing to do today but recover from weeks of hobbling around too much.

The knees were so painful yesterday I almost went flat on my face when coming down from the heights after taking fotos.  It was easy going up but the camber of the wee hill nearly killed me.  A young lass caught me and the many serving and ex-servingmen looking on kept their contempt to a mere glare.

So tired today, I have done nothing.  No effort was made, no exercise of any sort bar getting up and eating, and that badly, and what requires doing was ignored.  A blissful day, unlike any I have had recently.  

The news appears to revolve around Boris lying about Cop 26, his men lining their pockets or fiddling with the secretaries, and corruption abounding but few care as either they are 'at it' or nothing can be done.  

The bomb blast in Liverpool has heightened expectations of more such atta
cks.  The innocent taxi driver was extremely lucky to escape, the bomb going off while he was inside.  I suspect it was a poor home made device which possibly went off by accident.  Only the Bomber was killed, even the driver was sent home after first treatment.  Four others arrested.  The man in the Hi-Vis jacket who rushed to aid or capture the driver needs commendations also.   

Oh, Shell are moving HQ from the Netherlands to London in a 'show of faith in the UK,' say's the government.  Actually the Netherlands were going to limit their operation due to climate change and increase their taxes, so they ran to where the government cares not about the climate but does care about backhanders.  

Must be bed time...

 

 

 

Braintree & Bocking Remembrance Service 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This man serves in Helicopters, Puma's and Chinooks.