Saturday 30 June 2012

Raffle tickect, pappers and OUCH!

30 June 2012

Nearly July already; where has this year gone?  It seems to be flying by to us.  It won't be long and we'll be looking at buying Crimble cake again.

Yesterday afternoon I visited every news agent in our new area and not one of them delivers newspapers.  I've never heard of that before.  There is apparently a young girl who buys the papers from one agent and then resells them on to residents.  But at what sort of mark-up?  I've left our address with the newsagent who supplies her but Lord knows when she will come and see us.  For today I've actually bought the Coventry Telegraph while I was out but it will become a tad pricey if I had to go out every day to buy one.

May I ask you how you pay your utility bills please?  It's really just a 'setting up' question really.  All of ours are paid by direct debit from our bank account and been paid like that for at least ten years.  The result is that we don't get monthly or quarterly bills any more.  So when I sat down to fill in the form for a mail redirection I was stumped by the demand for at least two utility bills from the past three months.  How many people actually do have utility bills these days I wonder?  I should think that in this day and age most folk will be paying by direct debit too and would be in the same position as we were.  As it was Jan had a letter from Severn Trent this morning with both our address on it, and I had one about my pension credit sent to the old address.  Otherwise we would be having a problem methinks.  Thing is, someone is paid to sit and think up these silly buggerences.  I wish I could find how to apply!

Yesterday was an 'OUCH!' day.  I made my way down the stairs in Bracebridge Street and as I got the bottom my right foot went into a dip on the boards there.  Over went my right angle (nothing new there - it's always been weak), and my right knee went the opposite way it should have done - OUCH!!!  Today was meant to be a rest day.  Fine, no probs ... until I came to take my morning pills and found that I was missing one.  So I had to go out today and collect them from the house.  But my knees was kicking up badly and I didn't feel safe trying to drive with it kicking up as it was.  So Jan had drive me.  Now instead of a rest day we are having a rest half-day.  Ah well ... ... ...

I'm going back to Ballycastle in County Antrim for today's photo ...   

It's a large piece of seaweed stranded on the beach but I thought it looked like some dead animal when I saw it.   

And another good funny ...

A woman arrives home from work and her husband notices she's wearing a
diamond necklace. He asks his wife, "Where did you get that necklace?"
She replies, "I won it in a raffle at work. Go get my bath ready while I start dinner."
The next day, the women arrives home from work wearing a diamond
bracelet. Her husband asks, "Where did you get the bracelet?"
She replies, "I won it in a raffle at work. Go get my bath ready while I
start dinner."
The next day, her husband notices she arrives home from work wearing a
mink coat. He says, "I suppose you won that in a raffle at work?" She
replies, "Yeah I did! How did you guess? Go get my bath ready while I
start supper."
Later after supper, she goes to take her bath and she notices there is
only one inch of water in the tub. She yells to her husband, "HEY!
There's only an inch of water in the tub."
He replies, "I didn't want you to get your raffle ticket wet."             

Friday 29 June 2012

Water, papers and history

29 June 2012

Our second full day begins.  Yesterday we just about knackered ourselves with unpacking too many boxes in one go.  Yes, I know we have to get it done and yes, I know the sooner it's done the better.  But in reality we are not in that much of a rush.  One thing we hadn't thought of is that there is no recycling provision here our block.  We have a large communal bin into which we throw everything.  I'm sure there must be a way for the Council to arrange for us to recycle just as we did in Bracebridge Street.  

Another good night's sleep for both of us.  It's so quiet here.  In Bracebridge Street we regularly got disturbed by people walking up the street turned midnight and much the worse for booze.  For a long time we all complained that the street should be a one way street for traffic.  Well, they did what we asked at long last with our street taking traffic off the main Queens Road for access to both street either side of us.  The increase in traffic was high and they didn't seem to care about they drove up there.  Swings and round abouts I suppose.

The day we moved I woke up and sat on the end of the bed and didn't move for some time.  The removers were soon and it suddenly struck me that I was giving up what was in actual fact my family home.  My parents bought that house in 1969 and move in on January 2 1970.  That was 42 years ago.  For a short time as I sat there on the bed I was feeling that I was letting mam and dad down by selling up.  But reality soon struck and I remembered that we were moving because we were really finding the stairs a had struggle.  Added to which Jan's health seems to be heading south yet again.  It's just strange how such thoughts could strike so quickly.  As it is we're in here and happy, the house sale to on-going at a goodly pace.  Now I'm happy with selling.     

I'm now feeling totally out of touch with what is happening here in Dorktown just now.  So when we go out soon we will be arranging for the Dorktown News to be delivered here.  Not sure I shall go for the Sunday Express though.  I only order it because Stewart Winter writes a birding column in there.  What I have found though is that most of what he writes I can get off Bird Forum or one of the other sites I read.  I do like the Telegraph (the national one not the local one), but it's still a broadsheet.  If it went tabloid as The Times and the Independent has done, I would be having that every day too.

Yesterday's photo of Jan went down well so today's photo is another of her ...

taken beside the Med while we were on a day coach trip on holiday in Mallorca.

And today's funny is a real cracker ...

A lady goes to the bar on a cruise ship and orders a Scotch with two drops of water. As the bartender gives her the drink she says, "I'm on this cruise to celebrate my 80th birthday and it's today."
The bartender says "Well, since it's your birthday, I'll buy you a drink. In fact, this one is on me."
As the woman finishes her drink, the woman to her right says, "I would like to buy you a drink, too." The old woman says, "Thank you. Bartender, I want a Scotch with two drops of water."
"Coming up," says the bartender.
As she finishes that drink, the man to her left says, "I would like to buy you one, too." The old woman says, "Thank you. Bartender, I want another Scotch with two drops of water."
"Coming right up," the bartender says.
As he gives her the drink, he says, "Ma'am, I'm dying of curiosity. Why the Scotch with only two drops of water?"
The old woman replies, "Sonny, when you're my age, you've learned how to hold your liquor. Holding your water, however, is a whole other issue!    

Thursday 28 June 2012

Two days, bankers, and a pile of 'you know what!'

28June 2012

So now its Thursday - as if you didn't know!  Whatever,  I ended up doing just a small bit yesterday before we went off back to the house to pick up a few items and to have look around now that it is nearly empty.  From there we headed off to the Felix Holt for a pint and meal seeing as we were both very hungry and very thirsty at that point.  We were staggered at just how much mess the birds had made since Jan last cleaned up after them.  It's all adding to the work we have do there now. 

We got back to the flat and sat watching the news on telly when we had our first visitor.  An old friend Andrew came around.  Andrew lives in the same block of flats but we were not sure which one he lived in.  Now we know.  So far we have met a number of the neighbours and they have all been very nice and friendly but it was good to have a welcome from a familiar friendly face.
While Andrew was here I heard the letter box but didn't do anything about it seeing he was here.  As I saw him out I found a copy of yesterday's Dorktown News on the floor.  Apparently we get a free copy every Wednesday.  We never got it in Bracebridge Street.  It's making me wonder if we should have been getting one and didn't.  Too late now of course.

Jan got up early this morning and headed up to the Hussy Hospital for a fasting blood test.  I found out about it when I woke up at 9.15.  While she was there she met her surgeon and he was pleased to see how well she is doing.  That sounds good then.  What's not so good is that Jan also found out that every ward there is closed to visitors because of the Norvo virus.  It's one that they just don't seem able to get on top of with a regular outbreaks every few months.  It makes me wonder if they have a carrier on the staff somewhere.  That would partly answer why it keeps happening.

And so we know find out that bankers are still up to twisting and fiddling the markets to their own ends.  They are the ones who caused the current world-wide monetary problems and have yet to be held fully responsible.  The Westminster Muppets are frightened when the bankers say, "If you come down to hard us then a lot of us will have to move abroad because we wouldn't be able to work here."  So what?  What the muppets should be doing is calling their bluff and offering to call them a taxi to Heathrow.  They would soon back down then, and even more quickly if it was done on a live TV interview!

Today then you shall have today's entry as well as yesterday smidgen but you will only get one photo and one funny, both after the 27ths bit.

27 June 2012

Well, we’re in, just.  Now all we have to do is to unpack all the boxes, around 25 of them.  That is going to be great fun.  Of course we won’t be rushing to do that but will do the odd one or two each day.  Right now the two guys who did the move are still sorting stuff out and carrying in to here.  I bet they will be pleased to be done with this job too.

Part of the problem they have had is down to me about two years ago having the boxed in ceiling on the stairway redone and it seems that it is now a good deal lower than before.  The bed bases were too long and it took ages to get them down.  Oh dear … … …

Last night was not a good night really.  I went out to the Felix Holt in town and had a couple of beers.  I was hoping it would help me to have a decent night’s sleep – no hope.  My CPAP mask leaded worse last night than it has ever done.  I did manage to drop off at about 5 o’clock – not much seeing as we were up at 7am anyway.     

I wanted a really good mind blowing photo for today and here it is ... 

What better photo can there but one the girl of my dreams.

And here's the funny ...

A stranger was seated next to Little Tommy on the plane when the stranger turned to the boy and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

Little Tommy, who had just opened his book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, "What would you like to discuss?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "How about nuclear power?"
"OK," said Little Tommy. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat grass, the same stuff. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"
"Jeez," said the stranger. "I have no idea."
"Well, then," said Little Tommy, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit?"

Sunday 24 June 2012

Busy, busy and a little screw

24 June 2012

We are so busy right now.  At least this will be our last move.  We have friends across the street who have been living in that house for nearly 40 years too.  If they were to move I should hate to try to sort out what they have.  It’s bad enough after just the 3 years we’ve been here.  Most of what are taking with us is now packed and ready, it’s mostly just the last minute stuff that needs doing.   Sometime between 8am and 1pm tomorrow we shall be losing our broadband connection when Mr Virgin-man sets up our new connection in the flat.  Our modem and so on will be there waiting for him to arrive to set it up.  So this will be the last Dorktown  musing entry for a few days.  Sorry folks, not a lot I can do about right now.

It wasn’t a bad day yesterday and I managed to get out for a few hours.  Riding home at just after 4pm though and it was starting to get a wee bit cold then.  Mind you, the two pints of heater fluid in the Willy White did it’s job well ;-)))

On yesterday’s Dorktown Telegraph front page was a photo of a 23 three year old rapist thug.  He has now been sent down for 13 years and will have to serve at least 6 ½ years but will only be released with the agreement of the parole board and the Home Secretary.  That may seem harsh to some people, but we know him of old.  At one time when he was around 15 he was accused of raping 4 underage girls making one of them pregnant in the process.  At the time we all thought that we were going to be rid of him at long last.  We hadn’t taken his thuggish nature into account though.  He threatened the girls into withdrawing their complaints; the result was he got to walk off yet again with no action being taken against him.  At least now young women and girls are safe from him!

Back to the move … I’ve decided that it’s all off!  As I said I went off down town.  It was Market Day of course and as I pulled up at the stall that sells beck issues of magazines the stall holder came up to me with a copy a Practical Photographer and handed it to me.  “It’s the only photo mag I have today,” he said as he gave it me.  That’s it!  Time to leave town when even the market stall owners get to know me and what I want ;-)))

Right now I’m using my netbook to write this and because of it I’m fairly limited on what photos I have access to.  I saw sort that out later by buying a larger USB thingy and copy all my photos to it and update it regularly.  So with that in mind I have looked at what photos I do have on here and found this one …   

While we lived in Atherton we went for a ride out one Sunday to the Wirral and found that the Wirral County show was on.  This was part of it.  It was a great day out too.

A ‘small’ funny today …

The Seven Dwarfs had an audience with the pope it was all going really well.  Doc had a question he wanted to ask the pope "Excuse me sir but are there any dwarf nuns in Rome?"
The pope looked confused "No there are no dwarf nuns in Rome"  Dopey looked a bit iffy
Bashful asked " well are there any dwarf nuns in Italy?"
"No there are no dwarf nuns in Italy" Said the pope.  Dopey was starting to look rather huffy
Grumpy asked " Are you sure there isn’t any dwarf nuns in Europe?"
"No I am sorry there aren’t no dwarf nuns in Europe" said the pope.  Dopey was now looking angry
Sneezy said " Well Mr pope are there any dwarf nuns in the world?"
The Pope said "I’m sorry Sneezy no there are no dwarf nuns in the world...why?"  The rest of the dwarfs were rolling on the floor with laughter
" DOPEY SCREWED A PENGUIN, DOPEY SCREWED A PENGUIN"