Monday 29^th December 2014

Up at 0015hrs.

WC.

When I kept waking up before I actually got up – I recall telling myself several times to remember the dreams, but didn’t write anything down on me pad. So nothing at all is left of the dreams in my mind this morning.

Bother!

Went down and made a cuppa then returned to get the laptop going to do me posts for ‘The League of Mental Men’ and start this diary.

After a few hours when I was creating the Letter to LOMM post – the damned vacillating, fly-by-night, untrustworthy conning BT Internet went down again – lost the lot and had to redo it all.

May BT rot in hell and their top boss Chief executive Gavin Patterson who will be able to earn a maximum of £7m a year in the top job under a revamped pay policy at the telecoms company die a slow painful death with customers present and having a bloody good cheer and laugh! – Nothing personal like, just venting my frustration you see. I wouldn’t like to see the pompous silver-spoon fed chap die slowly over two days really… over five days perhaps! Bitter? Me? Gits!

Up and down resetting the hub repeatedly, closing internet down and opening, turning off and resetting the laptop for a second time seemed to get it back on. Grrrr!

Made another cuppa and created some very pretty tea stain patterns on the stair carpet and me dressing gown on me way back up em. My fingers were sticking a bit this morning, damnable Arthur Itis again.

Biggest fret bothering me now is if I’ll be able to get to the bus stop safely to get into town (Where I hope the ice on the pavements will have been treated) to get me glasses from the opticians and bus to the hospital for me INR Warfarin level tests.

WC.

Cuppa and took me medications. Angina not bad at all, piles hurting but not bleeding, Arthritis hands and knees I must say are not good, ulcer no bother and the turmoil for me innards seems to be easing nicely.

Got myself abluted – struggled a bit with taking the socks off and clean ones on, always thinking about the ice that I’ve got to walk on later.

WC’d. Stomach rumbling a bit…

Set out very gingerly into the Arctic looking street and perambulated my worn knees and overweight body along with the bags down to the end of the street. As I turned right that bit of road and pavement was worse than the one I’d just come off of!

Felt a right fool creeping along nervously trying to avoid the worst of the ice – took me yonks to get to the cut-through to Mansfield Road, and that was a bit dodgy as well.

Even Mansfield Road’s pavements were still dangerous to walk on for an old twit like wot I am.

I got to the bus-stop and as one pulled up I suddenly realised it might not be 0930hrs yet for me to use me bus-pass? The kind driver told me and the lady behind me were a little early, but we can take a seat if we swipe our bus-passes as we get off the bus. That was nice of him. Thank you Sir!

So we did.

Swiped the bus-pass and got off and went into Tesco in Victoria Centre… my weakness for their fresh cream French Horns had taken me over again. Tsk! Of course I got a four cake box mix for the nurses at the Haematology department and told myself that was why I went into Tesco.

Hardly any snow in the City Centre.

Then popped into the cheapo shop and got 4 more Lion bars at 4 for a quid. (Another weakness but hey-ho!).

Then off to catch the Y36 bus to the Queens Medical Centre for my INR blood tests. Another good chappy driver, a rarity for that bus company, very smooth ride. Thank him too!

When I got to the entrance of the hospital the ice again became a problem that needed careful thought and manoeuvring like. Not many people about.

I got in and took me ticket and joined the waiting queue.

Got me Operation Sea-Lion book out and read some of it.

As my number came closer to being called I thought I’d get me Anticoagulation form out and fill it in… but could I find it? I’d got me Opticians letter…

My number was called and I went in and told the nurse that I could not find me form but was sure I picked it up… A loud (probably the loudest I’ve ever heard) Tut, and I could see the look on her face meant she was not going to phone them up on the 4th floor for me – so I tended ‘I’ll go up the Anticoagulation and get a copy shall I?’ ‘You’d better!’

I gave them their nibbles and treats to make the bag lighter on me way up to get a copy of me record.

The lifts had massive queues so I walked up the stairs to the clinic (Painfully).

I think the lady on reception is getting used to my forgetting or losing me record card. She gave me a look of resignation along with her well perfected ‘Silly old sod’ stare and got me a copy straight away bless her.

I limped down back to the haematology and they took me blood and I was off back outside. In the hour and a half I was in the hospital, the snow had actually started to thaw… just a tad mind.

 Caught a bus back into town and made me way to the opticians. Got me googles fitted and walked up to the NHS Audiology Centre on the Ropewalk for me hearing-aid batteries – it was closed.

So I walked down to Specsavers (All this walking carrying me bags should be getting me fit… or something) where I got some for £2.99 a pack two years ago when the same thing happened and the NHS clinic was closed. They are now £4.99 a pack!

I thought it best if I got some bread in to freeze in case the weather stops me awandering like. I called at the Pound shop but they didn’t have any in, well they did but it only had one day left on its sell-by date.

Then I walked through the slab suare on me way to Poundland to look for bread.

There’s a take-away stall I’d not noticed before next to the ice-rink. Busy it was too, and the chips customers were eating smelt and looked nice too. Having a will of steel like wot I have (Lie mode engaged) I was not tempted in the least to get any cause me GP told me not to eat em. 

I got to the Poundland shop and they didn’t have any bread in at all.

As I came to the crossing near the Victoria centre mall again the pedestrians were not in the least bit interested in whatever the crossing lights were indicating. There’s been a few accidents if that’s the word on this corner in the past, I’ve seen two and the pedestrians were at fault each time, yet still they plod over the road using their mobile phones or ipods whatever against the lights. Tsk!

Luckily I only saw a few mobility scooters around today – perhaps the maniac drivers are still sozzled from Christmas?

I decided not to get any bread in town, but call at the Co-op in Carrington on the way back to the dump.

As I turned the corner towards the bus-stop, I thought how nice it was that they had kept the old Victoria train station clock and tower when they built the shopping centre.

They are making many hanges to modernise it now – I hope the clock and tower don’t get pulled down.

Got the bus and dropped off on Mansfield road, the pavements were not as bad as earlier, but not good either yet. I called in the Co-op and they had no bread.

Carefully once more to obviate any accidents I took me time nervously manoeuvring over the ice and got to the flea-pit – WC’d.

As I emptied the bag I found the INR record sheet that I’d used as a page marker in me book! Well blow me down with a feather duster, fancy me doing that!

Tsk! Nothing from the mail-man.

Made me sandwiches ready for later and did a bit of facebooking.

Prayed for Frankie in America who has had massive surgery. A grand chap and battler.

Patti Bekert a friend of both me and Frankie is not too well herself and she’s had surgery recently, but she is supporting Frankie… two great cyber pals.

Tried to watch a DVD but could not concentrate.