Monday 16th July 2018

German: Montag, 16. Juli 2018

0515hrs: Woke with a start at the bright light that filtered through the grotty plastic sealing, bird-poo, trapping dead insects in the flat, plaster, mud, bits of sealant and air-limiting windows.

Got the glasses on and checked the clock. A late time for my expergefaction. This probably due to me not being able to get to sleep for my ullagone at France winning the World Cup. I just knew they would from the start, all the luck they had with the crooked obviously bribed or incapable Argentinian so-called referee’s help. Croatia for me was the better team, but with the non-penalty being given against them, and… I’d better stop, it’s doing my health no good thinking of the crooked, bent FIFA. I shouldn’t ultracrepidate, I know.

I spotted that Belinda’s Blotches around my midriff front and back, had returned; reddened, itching, new spots and stinging the moment I moved my bulbous body.

Also, as well and besides that, the ankles had acquired some new and fresh blotches. Along with several scratch-marks and growths.

How I made the scratch marks, I don’t know. Surely I would have remembered making them?

This situation is concerning.

Indeed, I would have been left with pains from getting down from Arthur Itis, and I had no such twinges?

Still, never mind. I got out of the £300 second-hand recliner with ease, and off for a wee-wee.

Got the Health Checks done.

Then I was summoned to the wet room and the loose-lidded mini-sized, beetle ridden Porcelain Throne.

The session was a bit easier this time, so no extra medications of encouragement were needed. Hehe!

Collected a few dead beetle bodies under the sink, around the WC bowl and the shower area. The live ones were too quick for me; the bending down started Arthur Itis off. Humph! Had a rinse and made up some black rubbish bags to take to the chute when I go out later on in search of a 16″ fan.

Back to the front room, the temperature still 31°c – 88°f.

Seeing the old photograph of oneself, got me thinking back. I’ve hardly changed have I? Hahaha!

Got the computer going. Started this post up to here, and it was time to get the ablutions tended to if I am going to go to Derby’s Eagle Market to get myself a fan to keep coolish and fresh within the flat. Ah, bless the Nottingham City Council Free Bus Pass! Oh, I might be better going to Mansfield instead? Making decisions with my ambivalence is not easy, you know. Haha! I’d better go to Derby, after all, there are two stalls on the Eagle Market where I have seen bigger models of fans on sale, for me to investigate.

Got the stand-up ablutions done, got dressed, added three ice-cream cones to the bag for the gals at the Nottingham City Homes, Winwood Flats, Unterscharführeress Wardens Temporary HQ, Willmott-Dixon workers breakfast and tea-break room, Sarcasm & Insult distribution area, Tenants Socialisation Shed, NCH management telling Inchcock off Zone, Things like crockery and pottery to being stolen from, and Social Hut. I took the bags to the cute on the way.

Down, out and along to the shed. Luckily, Wardens Deana and Julie were in so I could treat them, and Cathy arrived a minute or so later, so she got the last one.

Bless them all! 

Three or four residents in there to have a chinwag with, I liked that. 

I left the hut and noticed how the cloud formations were low and particularly impressive this morning, so I took this photo of Winchester Court in the moody-weather.

Down to the bus stop, and caught the City-bound L9 bus, gossiped with Pete en route.

Got into town and made my way down Queen Street, over the Slab Square and along to Friar Lane and waited for a Y7 bus to Derby.

I got on the Maroon and was the only passenger. I could see Little Johns dome on the Council House, the flag still up to celebrate how well England did in the World Cup, and the many Nottinghamian students and shoplifters milling about.

 I had planned to take some pictures of the villages as we drove through them, but I soon fell asleep. Waking half an hour or so later with the Mercedes bus cram packed and a large lady sat next to me, also preventing me from falling off the seat. Hehe!

I got off the vehicle before the terminus and crossed over the road to have a little wander before making my way to the Eagle Centre, in search of a 16″ rotating fan. Not that I am educated in this department, it’s because Sandie of the TFZ site has explained the best ones to get. Fanking you Sandie! X

An ambulance I passed had something that we Nottinghamians have come to accept as a rarity and worth mentioning, next to it; Yes, a policeman!

I turned right and took a photo of the dilapidated shops. Unfortunately, this one did a disappearing trick into the ether. Humph!

I approached an entrance to the Eagle Centre from the South this time, and blow-me-down, another Ambulance.

Up the low hill and inside and made my way to the J Sainsbury store. Where I invested in a packet of Oven-Bottom-Muffins, Cheese Curls, Fresh pod peas, lemon and lime still water, mini potatoes and some Ruby Jewel tomatoes.

I got to the checkout and found I had not got my card with me! Luckily, I had enough money to pay the lady in cash, (But to the annoyance of the family waiting behind me in the queue. Oh Dear!).

As I made my way to the Market Place, I would not have any means of paying for a fan even if I found one suitable. Dejection overcame me. I got to where the two stalls were next to each other to see they had both shut-down, anyway.

As I meandered along to the pet stall and bought some mealworms to feed the ducks on the river Derwent with, I noticed a fan for sale in a shoe repair stall. Yes, it caught me off-guard and confused too! Hehe! He wanted £22 for it, second-hand, but I could not get it, of course, no money or card. Then the panic set-in, if the card is not where it should be in a pocket, where was it?

I ambled over to the river Derwent, via the Derby Council Offices gardens.

There were students and youths smoking cannabis, one was toying with a knife while laying on the gone yellow lawn. A few were locked in passionate embraces, and three intoxicated pupils near the bridge were having a scrap.

Just like Nottingham, I thought.

The barrier close to the bridge had been occupied by Canada Geese, white geese and a few brave mallards that were continually being bitten into moving on. Hehe!

I picked a spot where some kids and their parent were watching the wildlife and got out the large packet of mealworms. I waited until some schoolkids got nearer, and then started throwing the fodder to the geese, and the pigeons who got there first as well.

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I do love feeding the birds here in on the river Derwent. The Derby Council do not have a ban on doing so, and no signs warning of £120 on-the-spot fines like Nottingham do. I think not having had the chance to go for a long time, made it an even more of a fun visit for me.

I made my way carefully through the arguing between themselves students, into the bus station.

Luckily, a Y7 bus was in and just started loading up his passengers.

We were off in a few minutes. It must have been one of the older vehicles.

Although clean and tidy inside and out, the suspension left a lot to be desired and caused me some grief from the Blotches. Tsk!

Within minutes, we were out in the countryside, and I got the camera out to record some views through the window as we went through the villages.

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I would have taken more, but despite being thrown about by the stiff and bone-shaking bus suspension, I nodded-off again. Woke, and had to concentrate on not going off to kip still and miss the bus stop in Nottingham. Poor Old Putz!

I had plenty of time to get to the bus stop for an L9 bus.

So I had an amble around the City Centre outskirts.

I went up an alley and took a photograph of some young female students rolling suspiciously fat and long twisted en cigarettes. Hehe!

But again, the picture mysteriously disappeared from the SDH card, as did a few more.

What am I doing wrong, I thought later?

I walked down Market Street into the Slab Square and along and up Queen Street.

The sky was again looking so different from usual, pretty yet daunting at the same time, If you know what I mean?

At the bus stop, I realised I still had a long wait for the L9 bus to arrive. So, I walked down to catch a number 40 bus instead.

A piece of Nottingham Street Art on the seating metal photographed.

I pondered, is it BBQ sauce, or Chilli or Peri-peri. Surely not an escaped bodily… well, never mind.

In the seat in front of me, sat the lady (Ethel I think, but I could be wrong) from the fourth floor of Woodthorpe Court. The bus was soon jam-packed with people having to stand.

I took this picture from the bus window of Clinton Street West. I liked the black dress. Hahaha!

By the time we approached the stop we needed, the crush had lessened a little, so it was easier for us both to get up and to the door.

We alighted and the traffic on the hill with the blind bends, Ethel just wandered into the middle of the road, and a car stopped to let her go over. I took a little longer. Me being on the nervous side, like. Haha! Ethel walked really slow so I could catch her up. That was kind of her. We had a jolly good chinwag en route. I enjoyed that too!

We parted when she got out of the lift, bade our farewells and I got to the flat ASAP. Stripped off, put on a new pair of the PPs, and got some cream on the Belinda Blotches affected areas. I don’t think they are any worse than earlier on, now. Put the bits I’d bought away. Deciding on two Pork Knuckle oven-bottom-muffins with tomatoes for nosh later on.

Got the computer on and started to sort out the photos from the camera, wonder why some pictures had done a disappearing act, titivated a few for posting and had a wee-wee.

Updated the blog up to hear, here Tsk! (1700hrs now!)

Late as it was, and tired as I felt, I went on TFZer Facebook to catch up and post the photos. Got it done, and decided after all to just have two oven-bottom-muffins with sliced tomatoes for the nosh. I said that before didn’t I? What a Shnook!

Late as it as, and me feeling so weary and drained; hence the no cooking meal, I dug-in and savoured all of the fodder on the plate.

Washed the plate and fork up, and turned on the TV, assured that I woud soon be in the land of Nod.

But, no!

Nodding off was no problem, I seemed to do it every five minutes – the problem was I kept on waking up! Tsk! This process went on for hours. So long long I feared that I would be late getting up for the delivery in the morning.

I recall watching some of a Police interceptors programme that started at 2200hrs.

Been a long day, and now a long night? Hehehe!