Wednesday 1st August 2018

Dutch: Woensdag 1 Augustus 2018

0425hrs: Woke up, but wasn’t entirely sure if I had woken up or was I still dreaming. I’d had a bad night, couldn’t get to sleep at first, then when I did drop-off, I had persistent nightmares and dreams.

In one of them, the only one I can recall anything concrete from the memory banks about, I was on stage doing a stand-up comedy routine. The laughter from the auditorium seemed long and loud, and I was delighted at this. When they started to throw eggs and Molotov cocktails at me, then started shooting at me, I found myself suddenly in a dark confined space. I realised where it was, as I was shot-out of the torpedo tube! Not sure what happened next, but I ended up on a beach, unable to move with holidaymakers amazed and studying me like they would a beached whale?

For some reason, the scribbled notes that I can’t remember writing on the notepad were mostly legible for once.

 It came to me; that I have to get to the hospital for the blood tests today. This prompted me to get my body-mass out of the £300 second-hand recliner and go to the Porcelain Throne and do the ablutions.

As I settled on the Throne, to find that things had gone all soft and runny again (Tsk!), it dawned on me; I do not have a blood test this week!

I cleaned up after the uncomfortably messy evacuation, washed my hands and went to the kitchen to get the Health Checks done.

The results looked alright.

Apart from the weight that had shot up. Humph!

Took the medications, with a Dia-Limit capsule.

Started to make up a black waste bag, and found a few (around ten) of the black iron-clad biting beetles were in the bin I’d taken the bag out of.

The nippy little buggers dispersed at high speed, and I could only get to catch one of them. I sprayed the bins with antiseptic disinfectant. By gum, they are quick movers!

It felt so cold this morning suddenly.

I got on with finishing off yesterday’s post.

With a lack of happening on Tuesday and the rain keeping me indoors, there was not much time needed to do the job of finalising and getting the diary posted off to the WordPress site.

Then I began to make up this blog page.

Went to make a brew of tea.

As I did so, the innards began to rumble a bit?

The skyline looked a tad threatening, so I had a look at the weather forecast for Nottingham on Google.

Not much chance of any precipitation until this evening according to this graph.

Suddenly the innards started to brew, and I had to hasten back to the Porcelain Throne again. Another messy evacuation. Huh! Still, it gave me time to consider whether I should have a walk into town or not. For Dizzy Dennis was starting to get at me now, and I couldn’t see why, or if he will let up later, as he usually does.

Decisions, decisions! In psychology, decision-making is regarded as the cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several alternative possibilities, often misread or incalculable. At least that what found as I looked it up on the web when trying to find a cause of my hesitancy, irresoluteness, and pendulous shilly-shallying. I tentatively decided I would go out, and have a good long walk to help counter my increasing weight, and feed the mallards in the Nottingham Arboretum.

I went onto the WordPress Reader.

Then got myself ready and took the black bags to the chute on the way out.

I went back to the flat to put my hearing aids in. Schlemiel!

Out and onto Chestnut Walk.

Another fear-making take-your-life-in-your-hands job getting along the now pavementless road. The builders were very busy again.

The plates-of-meat soon started aching and hurting, before I even got half the way down Winchester Street. But this was expected with my not getting much activity in lately.

I plodded on resolutely.

And was so amazed at the progress I was making.

And, not a single Nottinghamian Pavement Cyclist on the two-mile hike as far as the Rock Cemetry. Where, I thought about going in to view my Architectural hero’s grave, that of Fothergill Watson. By the time I got to the gate, I had realised I could not remember where it was located. Klutz!

I Carrington I called on the Sherrington Park Medical Practice to ask if the doctor could add some haemorrhoid cream to my prescription.

But she was not there.

I left and went further down Mansfield Road and crossed over to go to the Carrington Chemist shop.

The pharmacist spotted me going up to counter,  and hid. Hehe! I asked the young lady about there being no haemorrhoid cream in last months prescriptions. She said, after looking into the computer, the Doctor had stopped prescribing them now, and I would have to buy some over the counter. Part of the Governments cut-backs to save the NHS money. I was Gobsmacked!

I departed and crossed the road and continued my, by now hobbling progress toward the Arboretum.

Near the Clarendon College, I spotted this BigBoy Waste bin as I passed a bus stop. Blimey, the stink coming from it! Haha!

Up the hill and noticed the time on the bus shelter display.

I cut through to South Sherwood Street

An area inundated with student residences, ladies of the night and drug gangs.

It doesn’t matter what time of day it is when I walk down this street, I’m always on alert for muggers, pickpockets, druggies, alcoholics etc. None today, though. Phew!

As I entered the grounds and walked under the MPB (Muggers Paradise Bridge), it was apparent that some kids play organisation had taken over the bottom area of Arboretum.

Much to the chagrin of some of the organisers, I took some photographs of how far they had got with play areas, bouncy castles, playground games for the kids.

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No one else about apart from the veggie-folk and me. I image the show will start later on today. Bet the kids who go enjoy themselves.

I got to the pond. Only one or two Nottinghamians were about there too.

Only the pigeons showed any interest in the mealworm pellets and sunflower hearts I was dishing out, at first.

Later my favourite mallards came over and joined in the feast. But not many of them, and they all appeared so young?

I love the way that the pigeons and mallards seem to get on with each other.

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I came out with a good bit of weight in the bags and only £8.03 lighter in the pockets. With; Choc bars for the Social Hour nibble box, 1×6 500g spring water, a drink of fresh orange juice, 2 rolls of black refuse sacks, balsamic vinegar (At only 57p a bottle!), oven bottom muffins and some cocktail sausages.

Paid the bloke, packed the bags to even the weight balance and out and back over the road to go through the Victoria Mall again.

I spotted this bit of Nottinghamian Street Art on the way. Hehe!

As I came out onto Milton Street. Now this is true, not a made-up photographicalisation, the real deal, genuine and honestly I took this snap in the front of the mall door.

Yes, two, I say two imitation police officeresses, making their way into the Victoria Centre, as the giggled together.

The uniforms looked bright and new?

So, that is three pretend officers of the law I’ve seen in town in the last six weeks now. Things are looking up. Humph!

I made my weary way through Trinity Square, down Trinity Walk onto Upper Parliament Street and down King Street into the slab square, to have a look around the Nottingham Beach.

Not many people on the beach though. But today there were three kids having fun in the paddling pool, mind.

On the ‘broad-walk’, a Nottingham PAvement Cyclist was riding through the few folks there were.

His head swaggered ass he stopped to chat-up some young Nottingham girls.

Naturally, I was not jealous, at all. Haha!

I made my way up Queen Street to the L9 bus stop and found Mary sat at the shelter. (I think that is her name anyway).

We had a little natter en route back to the flats. I’d nodded off by the time the bus arrived at the Winwood building site. I was a bit surprised that Mary did not wake me up, a complete stranger lady did, though. I gave her thanks. What a plonka!

Our getting back to Woodthorpe Court from the bus stop was bit hazzardous again.

Deliveries coming into the Willmott-Dixon lads, forklifts, tractors, and general traffic had to be navigated through.

Got in the lift and gave Mary a nibble. That’s sounds bad, dunnnit? Haha!

We said out cheerios, and I carried on up in the lift and got to the flat.

Had a much needed wee-wee.

Put the fodder away and put the oven on to warm up for the seasoned chops to cook later.

Got the computer on and made up a map of this mornings hobble.

Cor blimey, the plates-of-meat were giving me some Michael Caine after the mini-marathon trek I’d taken.

Cost me three hours to update this blog.

Then I went on TFZer Facebook to add some of these photos for the clan.

Put some picture in the albums, too.

Got the meal, such as it is cooking. Well, the seasoned potato slices in the oven.

Unfortunately, I forgot about the beans simmering in the saucepan, and when I went to check the potatoes progress, I found a semi-burnt tough congealed mass of leathery almost black baked beans!

Cunningly, I removed the pan from the heat, and stirred in some tomato and basil cooking sauce, and remained in the kitchen stirring it, while the potatoes cooked.

As it happens, apart from the cleaning up of the burnt saucepan afterwards, the beans tasted marvellous! In fact, everything on the plate tasted good. A taste Rating of 9.45/10!

The washing up took a record amount of time, though. Tsk!

While putting the pots away, I missed a phone call. Too slow to get to the other room. Humph!

When I got settled down, I put the TV on after planning what to watch tonight. There was an old film on I fancied seeing. But I nodded off and woke up when the credits were rolling on the screen. Hehe! At least I got some kip in for a change. Add this to the falling asleep on the bus, I did rather well. Even had a kind lady to wake me up at the bus stop.

Some exercise got in, saw and fed the mallards, saw police persons in town… Not a sad day for me!