Friday 14th February 2020

Georgian: პარასკევი, 2020 წლის 14 თებერვალი

02:05hrs: I stirred, glad to be free of the nightmare I was having, it was all ackamarackus. For a few moments, the brains thoughts were fissiparous, and it took a while to gather them into a semi-coherent order. There was no thought-storm as such, just that I had difficulty in controlling the little wandering demurral blighters.

The need for a wee-wee emerged. I removed my morbidly-obese, flabby bellied body from the £300, second-hand, c1968 recliner, with ease. Other than Arthur Itis’s knees complaining. Wandered precariously without the walking stick for two paces, wobbled, back to pick up the walking stick, and off to the GPWWB (Grey-Plastic-Wee-Wee-Bucket). For a sadly ineffective and hurtful WUPT (Weak-Unwilling-Painful-Trickling) style evacuation. That tended to, I took the bucket to be cleaned, and hands washed.

Got the kettle on, (I very nearly had an Accifauxpas when the neurotransmitters failed while I was filling the pot), took the medications and made a brew. The knees were most bothersome this morning, so I nipped to the wet room and gave them a good massaging with the Phorpain Gel.

A close inspection of the pins (legs), surprisingly revealed that they, (apart from the paleness and worryingly anaemic appearance) were looking far better than they have for ages. They had both gone thin again?

I was miffed with myself when I realised that I had done a stupid thing! Even after so many warnings from the clinic staff, I had fallen asleep with the Bamboo diabetic socks on! A definite No-No that! Humph! What an imbecile, nebekh, and dunderhead! No wonder I was in such pain. Grumph! I still can’t understand why leaving them on overnight bothers the knees so much? They did explain ut to me, but things that happened in the stroke ward, are getting blurred now.

Ah, well, am I ever going to get owt right again?

After a smidge of verbal self-flagellation, and adopting a Shame & Disgust mode, I got the computer on. But concentration was hard to find. Mind you, Saccades Sandra was in an excellent mood with me so far, no vision warping or loss whatsoever! (Huh, typing this, and she kicked-off again! Am I naturally lucky or what?

I got a graphic made for today.s diary. Then, I did some TFZer Facebooking, then onto the WordPress Reader. Finally, I got on with this blog.

Again, like yesterday, it dawned on me that I hadn’t updated the day before’s post yet! So, I got on with it. I took a shot of the morning sky first.

The updating finished, some stuff sent to Pinterest, then I started on this blog again. After an hour or so, I had to stop.

Ablutions to do, so off I trotted off to the wet room.

Multiple  The story of this session really deserves a blog of its own! After the showering, even I found it hard to believe the things that had all gone awry!

Not necessarily in order, but as best I can recall:

1. Got in the wet room, took off the dressing gown, and cleared the standing floor cabinet of every single item, no, I tell a lie, everything bar the crossword book and pen, onto the floor! Cleaning-Up-Session!
   
2. Cleaning teeth, the brush snapped in two, gums bleeding and I have had toothache ever since! Medicating-Session!
3. Shaving, I avoided any cuts whatsoever! But had about ten dropsies. Resulting in one of the new razors breaking as it slipped-out of my dodgy fingers, hit my little toe, bounced off and smashed against the porcelain sink pedestal! Moment of-Frustration- Session
4. I then moved the chair and sock-glide out of the way, and stubbed my middle right toe in doing so, against the metal chair leg! Well-Chosen-Curse -Word-Session!
   
5. I had a cracking visit from Dizzy Dennis. I was incapacitated for a minute or two, had I got my alarm wristlet on, I would have pressed it! Like turning on a light switch, Dennis had gone, and I was so glad the wristlet was on the tray to keep it dry. Phew! Close call that one!
   
6. I let the carbolic soak go through my fingers again – Guess where it landed? Go on, have a guesstimate! No need, it landed on my right middle toe! With this current run of unfortunate events, should I risk going out to get the long-picker-upperer? I decided I will anyway, a long picker can come in so handy! Although the short one Jenny gave me is a life-saver!
   
7. Getting the medicationalisationing done after the shower, I picked up the Care Haemorrhoid cream and the cap shot-off of the tube! I then had a cleaning-up session again, to get the cream off of the floor, and my stomach and legs!
   
8. Arthur Itis did not like all this bending as I did my best to put some Savlon on the toe.
9. The final Whoopsie of this session, was as I was putting the towel back on the stand-up airer, it slipped off of it straight away. But somehow or other I managed to turn back take a pace, and caught it before it fell on the floor… no smugness though, I cracked my left knee on the edge of the doorframe! At least it was easy enough to get to for putting some Phorpain gel on it! Frogglemoths!

Well, I was in a right foul mood now! But I soon cheered up after realising that the nerves on the right side of my body, (Those I have Christened, as, Neurotransmitter-Nicodemus), were not getting messages through to the brain, so I had virtually no pain! Hahaha! Of course, when they come back on-line, so’s to speak, I’ll know about it.

I merrily got the handwashing done, wrung and hung to dry. Then made up some bags for the waste bin, and put the cleaned empty jars in a bag, to take with me on the way out.

I took three photos of the reddish morning sky. You know they say about a red sky in the morning. Storm Dennis? Haha!

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I faffled about, my OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not getting any better! Eventually, I set off. As I opened the flat door, a voice, that sounded like it really meant to say “Christ! another one wants to come out!” Muttered, “Are you coming out?” ‘Yes!’ I replied. It was the Fire Sprinkler fitters. Obviously, Josie and Malcolm must have already gone out. Grumpily, they had to get down off of their ladders to tackle out of the way for me to get through to the lift lobby. I didn’t improve things by telling them that the 0930hrs bus is the most popular with us tenants! No, response! Hahaha! But, they are a grand bunch of lads. One took the bags off of me and put them down the chute for me.

Down in the lift, Welsh (The Put-Downer) William got in the elevator on the way down. He also went to the bins. And had to point out that the glass now goes into the big skip with the other bags. Pointing out the new signs on the side of the refuse to me. I did feel a fool having not noticed them before!

To keep out of the wind, I went back inside and walked along the link passage.

I called into the ILC’s Holding Cell and Interrogation Office, dropped off the weekend treats. Through the Social area and in the link-route to Winchester Court. I spotted this through the window, and thought of a funny! I thought, ah, they are growing Tubers? Hahaha! Well, I thought it was hilarious! All around the site, a lot of the delicate flowers and plants have been destroyed by last weekend’s Storm, Ciara. Which reminded me, there is a new Storm Dennis yellow warning going about now.

I got into the lobby and sat down to read the Nottingham City Homes monthly magazine while I waited for the bus to arrive. I went out to the bus shelter. Arthur Itis was not pleased with having to get up again. Hehe!

I got the bus next to last, allowed to by Malcolm. Most folks got off in Sherwood, I stayed on until Daybrook, where Malcolm also got off. We both went to the Sainsbury’s store. He left for dead as he shot off. Well, he’s younger, fitter, more prosperous, more intelligent and better looking than wot I am. Gawd, I hate him! Not really, only joking.

The Sainsbury experience had its moment too! I struggled a bit with their high shelves. But got some of the beautiful tasting black tomatoes with some other stuff. Storm Dennis is not going to make me starve!

At the checkout, it was rather busy, as I was moving along with my purchases on the belt, a bloke behind shoulder-charged me to get to grab the next customer sign. At first, I turned, stared him in the face, and asked him if  I was in his way! But got no reply, just a vague not interested stare! I soon calmed down when I realised he was about my age and I understood that perhaps he lost his own balance in overreaching? He might be as senile as I am? Or as deaf as me? Or, even was not even aware that he had banged into me? Phwert! I paid for my things, instant mash, chestnuts, BBQ sauce, Hoisin sauce, cheapo tinned potatoes, lemon curd yoghourts, bavarian sliced ham, lemon yoghourts, the Ledicia tomatoes, sliced fresh mushrooms and some vine tomatoes. £14.65 spent

I checked the time as I left. I’d just missed the L9 bus. So I hobbled into Arnold, intent on checking if Iceland had any tins of potatoes back in stock. (Although I had just bought some from Sansbury’s, I expected Iceland would not have any – I was wrong!), then call at the Mobility Store to see if they had got any of the extended foldable picker-uppers in stock yet. I thought I might call in a shop on Front Street, to see if he had any dark brown throws in, however. All planned out, it shook me as well. Har-har!

I got in the Arnold proper and called first at the haberdashery shop. But he had no brown throws available but said he will have next week. (As the disabled-shop told me two weeks ago about the picker-uppers, but they didn’t).

I plodded on towards Iceland. I spotted these ‘Yankee Candles’ in a shop window. I put the photo on here, to show my beloved Troll Free Zone cyber friends, and hope they can tell me about them.

I got to the Iceland store, and it was mayhem in there! I thought about not bothering to go in but carried on wearily. I selected wholemeal sliced rolls, yoghourt and chocolate-covered peanuts, and pork & pickle mini-pork-pies. Blow me down; they had some of the wonderful Batchelor’s canned potatoes in stock, not many left mind you. For they are popular while on special offer. I bought six cans, aware that getting home safely carrying them may prove fatal. Hahaha!

The lady ahead of me in the queue spent £264 on her shopping! Blimey! I was in no rush, but those around me and in the waiting line were, though! A fourth till was opened to the left of this one. But by the time I’d positioned myself and convinced Arthur Itis to let me move, no less than four people, all blokes incidentally, had pushed by me and got served! The lady in the photo expressed her disgust at this to the woman on our checkout! Bless her cotton socks! I did not have a very good shopping trip, was I? I got to be served, the lady on the till was charming with me. I paid up my £7.19 and got outside to toy with the two shopping bags and trolley holder, to make them as easily distributed as I could, for an optimum balancing act, so I could get them home.

I was almost excited at the thought of getting the fold-up picker-upperer from the mobility shop. I hastened carefully over the road and down to the store, to find they still didn’t have any in stock.

This has been the most hapless, grimmest, lamentable, infelicitous and disheartening shopping trip I’ve had for a long time! But there were few welcome highlights mixed in, and from kind tellurians as well! So many stores have run out of stock! Brexit to blame, already?

I made my way with some haste, such as was available with the over-burdened trolley full and bags hanging on the handles of the three-wheeler. Which wasn’t too keen on going up or downhill, without wanting to topple over!

The bus arrived, and I had a chinwag with some unknown folks, a laugh, and we considered what to expect from Storm Dennis. That’s a thing, I thought they named the storms with female names only?

The bus driver got a move on and my staying in the side-saddle seat, and keeping the trolley from rolling away, was a work of art, en route.

Back home at last! I got off of the bus after the others, only two of them this time. No one to chase after for a chinwag. I turned back and took a picture of the L9 at the stop. The cars parked all around half on the pavement. But this problem will not go away until the poor devils get more parking spaces, but there is no room to put any? One day someone will get their vehicle hit by a bus, fire-engine or another car. Maybe someone will get knocked over because of having to go in the roadway to get around the vehicles with the trolleys, disable scooter or shopping trolley. It’s a problem!

As I ambled along, it was sad to see the plants outside Winwood Court, already destroyed by Storm Ciara, and now having to face Storm Dennis tomorrow!

I entered Winwood Court and walked through the link passage back to my beloved Woodthorpe Court, with its illusions, delusions, hallucinations, Three years of upgradings, infestations, Fire Sprinkler works, Whoopsiedangleplops, Accifauxpas and manic machinations that thrive here freely, and are so bountiful. Haha!

The lads who had been working on the 12th-floor lobby were either on their lunch break or on strike! Hehehe!

I had a tussle to get the overfilled unbalance trolley-guide through both doors but got myself into the flat eventually. Tsk!

I was so glad to get back, it’s been a frustrating trip out. I found myself singing when I got inside?

I got the shopping put away, and got the kettle on, made a brew of Thompson Pujana tea, and got on with updating this blog. By the time I’d finished it, I was all-in! Weary, and ready for something to eat. So, I was going to get the meal sorted out.

Aha, a parcel arrived. This was a present from Tim Price in New Mexico, my cyber-buddy. It cost him a fortune to make and send. I will email him later in the morning, with thanks!

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Absolutely over the moon with it! Tim is a Genius! For sure as apples are apples when I was taking out of the package, Neurotransmitters-Nicodemus failed on me, and it slid out of my hand. I was devastated at first, thinking I’d broken it, and could have died! But my cyber-mate had made sure it was unbreakable, and in a perfect frame for me! Phew! He spent a fortune on it, and took all that bother and further cost and time of getting it to me, all that way from America! Thanks, Tim, it’s perfect!

A reet-feast was made. Smoked Haddock, whiting in batter, cheap new canned potatoes, garden peas, tomatoes, a Marmite and Baby-Bell cheese disc. Wholemeal bread flaps. And fresh orange juice and Lemon Curd yoghourt to follow. I ate it all up, thought it worth a taste-rating of 7/10.

Off to wash the pots, thought about doing the handwashing, but chicken-out. Took a photo of the sky.

Then settled in the £300, second-hand, c1968, recliner. Put the TV on, and saw that a film was on Channel 81, a 1964 comedy. With Harry H. Corbett, Hugh Griffith & Ronnie Barker. But it was late, but I tried to stay awake to watch it. Failing miserably to do so, and missing the last half-hour or so.

But, I slept for around six-hours! That was good for me!