Tuesday 7th April 2020
Malagasy: Alatsinainy 7 April 2020
01:10hrs: I awoke, unmoving I lay there, distorted, half-hanging out of the £300, c1968, rickety-recliner, and recognised that I seemed to be in an accepting, open-minded, philosophical frame of mine. There was no defeatist, wallowing in self-pity, or even a sign of depression? Mind you, I wasn’t exactly cheerful, either. I moved my humungous-bellied body into a safe position to clamber out of the recliner, I caught my balance, grabbed the wooden stick, and made my way to the wet room for a wee-wee. Which was one of the reluctant USBUYWS (Ultra-Slow-But-Uncontrollable-Yet-Weak-Sprinkly) ones?
It took me so long, I needed the Porcelain Throne half-way through. And it was no mean-feat to reposition things to do that, without having an Accifauxpas! But I managed it, with the minimum soupçon of wayward sprinkling. The mystery bruise in the leg is lingering.
The evacuation was not an easy one. Thankfully a swift effort, that was hurtful, aromatically challenged and bloody! Little Inchies fungal lesion had been leaking a bit too. A good clean up and a spot of medicalisationing here and there, and I was off to the kitchen! Olive-oiled the ear-holes
Got the kettle on, took the medications and took an extra pain-killer because the toothache was kicking off again. Made a brew. I noticed the moon was out and took these shots with the Sony camera, I did take others, but they didn’t come out too well.
The last shot was taking in Nightime Panorama mode. Thus, the plane’s trail and clouds can be seen. I liked that one. Smug Mode Adopted!
I got onto the computer. An Email from Iceland confirmed the arrival of some food this morning.
No substitutes at all. But the Shortbread Fingers, Cheese & Onion Smash, 1-litre full milk, leeks, Cheese, and Bread Thins were cancelled. But I expected things to be worse. So, well done Iceland!
I was about to make a start on the blog updating for yesterday, and I had a coughing bout like never before. But it was a short-lived event, so I don’t think it was connected to the damned Coronavirus. A bit of a sore throat is developing too.
I had a look to see if Amazon had any of the Leicester or STiltom mini-cheddars on offer fro me to buy. Ha! Packets of 5-Stilton and Leicester flavours were nearly £7 for three! A bit too steep that price, even if I do like them, but not that much! However, with the Warfarin alert wristlet breaking yesterday, I ordered another one.
I got the post updated at last and went to get the ablutions tended to, not realising how late it was. It was a rushed half-hearted affair, no shaving, as I had to get it done before the Iceland delivery arrived. I’m glad that I did now cause the delivery man comes within minutes. He left them outside the door, sensibly!
I was getting then inside, when the two, I say Two, Phlebotomy nurses arrived. Hristina and a trainee nurse who had been transferred from another section.
I found myself struggling to breathe correctly. Now that can be put down to Coronavirus! Worried me a bit. The ladies soon got me done and were shooting off to their next patient, in a hurray!
I forgot all about the delivery I’d had delivered, and I got the handwashing done, wrung and hung. Humph!
Before sorting things out, I took a moment to think through how things were going. The coughing. Breathing in a laboured fashion. The toothache getting no easier. Stuttering Stephany whenever I spoke to anyone? Headache coming on. I felt, well, I knew that Shaking Shaun was beginning to develop. A feeling forboding frequented the brain? It looks like being another busy day.
I got the Iceland delivery sorted out and the things I’d got in thanks for Jenny, were put in a bag, other than those that I needed to remember from the fridge.
I made a brew of Glengettie Gold tea, then back on the computer. For about ten minutes, then the intercom buzzed again. It was the Amazon man with some of the outstanding delivery items for me. Two cartons worth!
I carried the bag of nuts into the kitchen, to get them in pots with lids… and left a trail of nuts on the carpet behind me! Yes, the bag had a hole in it! Mostest agravannoying. Well, that, changed me back into the feeling sorry myself, the wingeing old fart I was yesterday, in an instant! 
Neuroticisms!
I got things sorted out, but not very willingly or pleasantly! It took all of my spare lidded storage pots to get all the nuts packed away. Still, I must ask Jenny if she’s like any. They were bought to share, after all!
I emailed Jenny. She came down to collect the treats, but I forgot to mention the cashew nuts.
Jenny Emailed back mentioning the nuts. I asked her if she fancied a pot. But she didn’t. Humph! She told me to Email her if I wanted anything adding to her Sunday delivery from Sainsbury’s. That was kind. She also gave me her telephone number that I had lost. Along with all the others, when I swapped the sim into the old phone mobile) that I now use.
I rang her and asked if she would put some items that Iceland had not got on her order. Despite my not paying her yet for the last one, she agreed. She also said I should get a taxi into Sherwood, and tell the driver to wait for me, while I get some money from the ATM, and perhaps I can do some shopping at the Co-op. Then come straight back to the flats. I think she noted a certain reluctance in my stuttering voice. She offered to arrange a taxi for me when I get over this week and all the deliveries I have to wait in for. Bless her cotton socks.
There are few I’m waiting for this week. But of course, the dates keep changing. And I am getting more and more confused. Haha!
But and however, I pressed on with this post. In the knowledge that I now have some smoked bacon to eat, with bread and baked beans! Mmm!
I realised that the Golden Volunteer and the Nottingham City Council helpers, who said they would get in touch had not done so. Just like yesterday. Best if I give up on their kind help, it’s not coming methinks. They must be up to their eyeholes-busy anyway. And with my getting an order in, and with Jenny’s help, I can manage for a while. So much for the emergency food package. They need details anyway that I can’t give. Because getting an order in for delivery, doesn’t always mature. The Morrison order I got in three weeks ago, is not due for a fortnight yet! And then, there are missing items and substitutes. A good job I’m on the ‘At-Risk register’, or I’d get no help at all. Mind you, I’m not getting any anyway, come think of it! Hahaha!
I got the bacon pack split, into the oven, and warmed the baked beans up. Thinking I’d try some of the Hickory in the haricots… Oh, dearie me! The inner sealer in the bottle cap came out and stuck on the bottle-top, so unthinkingly I tapped the bottle, and a third of the hickory shot into the beans before I could stop it! Ah, well! I’ll soon find out if this hickory is stronger than the last one. Hahaha!
Another daft idea. I thought I’d but what few mini-cheese biscuits I had left, in a pot. I opened the individual packets, and while I was pouring them in, Nicodemus’s Neurotransmitters failed! I had crumbs all over the kitchen floor to painfully clean up! Inchyangulations! Time was lost, and the bacon was ready!
I turned down the oven heat and got the pot filled. I put some of the medications on top of it, intending to add the others later, and got the meal served up.
I tried some of the beans while getting them in the dish. I can assure you, this ‘Stubbs’ brand of hickory, is no stronger than the other one. Despite my accidentally pouring about a pound’s worth; a third of a bottle of the cat-wazz sauce, I could barely taste it! Grumpworthinesses! I washed the Hickory-sticky covered saucepan straight after emptying it.
That really put the mockers on the meal! The Iceland brand so-called smoked back bacon was so chewy, bland, watery and tasteless. What I thought was going to be a right-good-treat of a meal, was insipid and disappointing! So very Agravannoying! It looked super as well! Humph!
I took the tray and things to the kitchen, thinking I might get the handwashing done. But No! Which pillock had left the hot water tap running to get cold? I good job I washed the saucepan earlier! Schlub!
Another bad end-of-day for me. I should have known, with my waking up in such… well, an almost contented mood! No promised calls or contact from the Golden Volunteers or the Nottingham City Council about any help. Nicodemus’s timings do deactivate the nerve ends were all timed to cause me grief and bother. A continual string of information advice and details ensured I spent the day confused. I’m not coping very well. Thank heavens for Jenny’s input.
A highly-strung, frustrated and dithering Inchcock settled in his recliner, but an old DVD on, ‘Taken’ to watch. The thought storms tool over the brain. The unwatched film came to an end, and the storming was still there. Sleep was out of the question for hours. Well after the mind had settled, and went into a sort of vaguing session.
Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit! I certainly ain’t! Grobblecurses!
02:50hrs: Grumpily, I stirred into semi-consciousness. And waited for the brain to do its best to catch up. It took a while. 
Anyroad, I went to get the ablutions done. A decent session overall. 
A shame really, cause I’d been doing so well. I leant against the sink with my back, heaved up the tree-trunk, fluid-filled left leg, reached down, Neuropathic Nigel decided to give me a wobble of the right leg, and over I went. But not straight onto the floor, oh, no, that would be too simple for me! I fell on the bowl of water I’d washed the feet in earlier! It’s not often I want to cry, but this was such an occasion! 
I went and got the veg prepared and in the saucepan on low heat. Only parsnips, onion and mushrooms left now. I put the last two tomatoes in and made some gravy and added it. This way, the last boil-in-the bag onion gravy braised beef can be had later and mixed in together. 
Even betterer, it was the Vampiress, blood nurse Hristina! (It’s spelt that way in Polish, but sounds as Christina) She will be calling in the morning to take my blood and get my BP up! Hahaha! 
03:10hrs: A late awakening (for me), again. My mood was made up of, self-contempt, depression and acute dysphoria. The mind-storms began, just what I didn’t want. They only made me sink further into the dark abyss. 
Washed and exited to the kitchen. Taking a picture as I went through the door, that I thought might come out alright and of interest. (It didn’t! But that was no surprise, to me) 
While I was in there, I took another shot of the moon. In fact, I took several, but they all came out terrible and blurred, this is the only half-decent one on the right, I managed to get. 
the latest news on the Nottinghams Coronavirus progress. It was not good. An otherwise healthy eighteen-year-old had died with it. 
I got the things out ready for doing the meal. 
Glengettie tea bags and other stuff, got carried away a bit, but I need all I’ve ordered, cause I can’t get out to the shops who sell them, well, not any shop at all! 
Hahahaha! I did feel a clot! This is not a photo of the happening, I put the broken band back as near as I could remember it falling down to, to take this photo. 
Got Josie’s nosh done. I put the rest of the potatoes in the oven for me to keep warm and have later, then off the deliver the nosh on the wheeled server. 
I had a search for the Golden Volunteers suggested Thompson Bros. shop to use for online delivered fodder. 
01:30hrs: The Saccades-Sandra affected eyes opened, the body teased and tested for signs of which other ailments might be bothersome this morning, and I awaited the brain to join me. It slowly engaged gear, and the Thought Storm that came with it, had me fretting, worrying and trying to make sense of the emotions, mainly taciturnity, self-hate and criticisms. Then, I had a few moments of uhtceare fretting, over just about everything that it was possible to vex about. They were soon lost to the ether, as the sudden urgent need for a wee-wee joined in the mind-confusion. 
I struggled and grappled my way free of the £300, second-hand, c1968, broken-down, rickety recliner, and up onto my plates-of-meat. So quickly, I caught my balance, then limped to the GPWWB (Grey-Plastic-Wee-Wee-Bucket). There I stood, without the stick, thinking things were about to burst forth… but no! Things were resistant to flow! Had I been nearer the bookshelves, I think I could have read War and Peace all the way through, before anything activity in the wee-wee stakes had started! 
I got it right on the third attempt. Tsk! Then, in between several more slow hurtful WUP wee-wees, I took my medications, made a brew, and took some pictures of the moon smiling at me, from the dark sky.
Over I went, and now I have a twisted right patella and a new bruise on the left elbow. To make things really teeth-grinding and extra-vexing, I had to do battle with the Sock-Glide again! This time, I got the second sock on! Cleaned up and medicated the injuries. Applied the pile cream, oiled the ear-holes, cream Little Inchies lesion, and got the PPs on, and used the sprays to freshen up. I left the wet room with a tick in my eye, and a nervous twitch on my lips! 
Black bags (8) taken to the waste chute. I got in a fumble getting into the chute room with all the bags and stick, but did it injury-free! 
I got the meal sorted out. It looked a little threadbare compared to how one would usually look for me. No fresh orange juice, no lemon yoghourt or mousse, Tsk! Still, I mustn’t complain, bet there are lots of folks worse off than I am. The mushrooms I would not have had was it not for Jenny’s help. The can of chilli-con-carne, and last of the tasty Piccolo tomatoes, all seasoned with, balsamic vinegar (¼ of a bottle left), Light Soy sauce (half a bottle left), and some beef gravy powder (Two tins and a bit, left), tasted more than fine top me. I had the last three slices of bread thins with it. I’ve got a sourdough part-baked baguette for tomorrow, so no problems there. 
Sad, how I’ve ended up. Even making sense of these guidelines had me a tad confused. To think. I used to manage Tesco and Co-op stores all those years ago. Piteous, it is. Hoggledruids! 
03:00hrs: I woke, and immediately started trying to solve the issues of the lost end of yesterday. I got nowhere, and am still none the wiser as to any actions for about a four hour period of Thursday evening. I spent a good while attempting to glean some memory, but no! The toothache began to come on, then.
As I made my way to the kitchen, the demand for the Porcelain Throne came, so I diverted to the wet room. A contrary session compared to the last few; Not much input needed from me, very swiftly evacuated, no overly putrid pongs, far less painful, but messy in the extreme. A lot of the preciously-short supply of toilet paper had to be used. Much cleaning and medicating and the PPs changed. Oh, and the bleeding from Little Inchies fungal lesion and Harolds Haemorrhoids was minuscule. 
But, foolishly I thought if I take care, it should be safe enough. (Klutz!) I got the steps from the balcony without any bother, set them in position. And climbed up just two of the runs, and took the second picture on the way down. (Talk about bad timing!) Nicodemus’s Neurotransmitters failed, and an unintended no-control-over right-leg Neuropathic Schuhplattler Dance routine from the right leg for a few seconds only was enough to have me over on my back on the floor! Frumpworthy Grobblecurses! Still, it could have been worse. The tumble and landing were not too bad, but the getting back up again was painful and farcical. Good job I had the four-Pronger-stick with me at the time. Hey-ho!
It was getting light already. I went to make another brew, of Thompsons Punjana. And I decided to get some mushrooms sliced and into the slow cooker for later in the day. I used the last of the light soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar to flavour the fungi. I might use the tin of minced beef with it, or I have one of the cook-in-the-bag braised beef I could use. Then again, I have a can of chilli baked beans and potato wedges in the cupboard… Mmm? My shilly-shallying, indecisiveness, and mental-stammering, really wee’s me off! Oh, I don’t know! 
I took a break and went to make yet another brew, this time Glengettie. But I’m glad I did at that time. For outside, down on the bottom field, I saw a human being! Yes! Hehehe! 
I tried to get an Iceland delivery slot again. Fool!
One letter was about the apartment’s rent.
higher than usual, though. 
I got the washing in the sink done, wrung and hung. Got the veg and potatoes into a normal saucepan, tasted it, and added a little more light soy sauce, it was a bit bland. 
I got the meal served up and turned on the TV, anything with subtitles, so I don’t need the headphones on and fail to hear the door-chimes, intercom or telephone. 
I fou
01:00hrs: I woketh up, and soon realised, the moment I straightened the legs to move, that Rheumatoid Arthur Itis was back with a vengeance! Still, he has been very kind to me lately, now it’s payback time! The need for a wee-wee encouraged me to put up with the pain and remove my over-heavily stomach-burdened body from the second-hand, c1968 recliner. The GPWWB (Grey-Plastic-Wee-Wee-Bucket) was utilised, for a ferocious, vindicative HDTBS (Heavy-Duty-Torrential-But-Short) wee-wee. Again, oddly, stomach pains started after the release? 
T’was then that I felt the wet warm trickling on my leg! Little Inchies fungal lesion was bleeding again, but not too much. A cleaning up and medicationalisationing session was carried out in the wet room. 
Off to the kitchen, and got the kettle on. I took a blind shot of Chestnut Walk below. It had to be blind, thanks to the new kitchen windows fitted in the upgrading of the flats. That the Coronavirus has now put a stop to. The thick-framed, rain-letting in, light & view-blocking windows, with the ledge that sticks out too far 
for me to see what is below, Fire engines etc. or see anything to photograph without using the step-ladders, which usually ends up with an Accifauxpas and personal injury! But, still, it came out alright. 
Not even taking this photo of the fodder, nor eating it. So, I have no taste rating or comments to make on what it was like. And, how come I took such a decent photo if I was not in control of the brain-box at the time?
02:10ish hrs: I woke-up, passed wind from the rear-end. Then struggled to get out of the chair. The one that xyrophobia-suffering Brother-in-Law Pete damaged. While he was flat-sitting when I was in the Stroke Ward, and he fitted new CCTC cameras and searched for my valuables, which he found and took. The £300, second-hand, near-dilapidated, gungy-beige coloured, c1968, sometimes working – but not today, uncomfortable, rickety, ready-for-recycling, rinky-dinked, rattling, resurrected, reconditioned, recalcitrant, recidivating and rotting-away rusty recliner. 
Where I noticed I had not cleaned up the area around where I knocked stuff over last night in my rushes to get to answer the phone. So a little clean up was performed, not a proper one, cause it was far too early to use the noisy hoover yet, and being as I didn’t have a quiet one, I didn’t. Hehe!
Got the oven on and nosh started. A chance to use up some dated items from the freezer. The fish fingers in breadcrumbs, substituted for battered ones by Iceland. Not very tasty, I think they may have been made with pond sticklebacks? The well-out-of-date Twiglets, the donated by a resident for me tomatoes were grand. The Halloumi sticks passable, and the beetroot, perfect! Overall, a Taste-Rating of 5/10. 
As expected, Sainsbury’s were out of stock of some things, some substituted. The caramelised biscuits with Caramel wafers, but at least I can hand them back for Jenny to use, or share later with the Wednesday gang when, if, it ever gets back online. No bread or cobs substituted. As to be expected, in the current climate. 
I put the things away, and spotted another tin in the tea cupboard! Of Pork Knuckle, Great! And, it’s still in date, only just, but still. Hehe! 
As per usual it started with my just getting there in time, but things needed some input from me to get moving… “Eurgh! Argh! Oooh! I got things flowing, and it did the stopping again part-way, and needing even more painful pushing to finish it off. 
Got on the computer and got the updating finished for the Monday post. And with little hassle from Nicodemus’s Neurotransmitters, Shaking-Shoulder-Shirley or Dizzy Dennis! So I got the job done in a reasonable time. Posted it off and sent Emails. 
I make two more waste black-bags up, and took them with the others to the chute and deposited them all down the shaft. No signs of anyone about. 
Well, off to the wet room, to do the ablutions and have another fight with the sock-glide. 
The latest UK Coronavirus update looked bleak. There is a larger number in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Oh, dear!
One piece of mail was a load of can-we-sell-you bumph, the other confirmation of my rent being paid at the new increased rate. 
Also, as well as, I took something of a rarity today; a wee-wee! But it as a good one, of the TTSLTATO (Torrential-Throughout-Stopped-Like-Turning -A-Tap-Off) mode.
Finished of this blog up to here, but let the beans burn and chips over-cooked! Humph! But this did not stop the pleasure in the deglutition of the meal. The pork knuckle was so delicious tasting! The beans seasoned just right! The chips were crispy! And the mini-tomatoes, donated by a kind lady resident tomatoes were excellent! The Jenny-supplied apple rounded off a treat of a feast. Flavour-rating: 9.25/10!
00:10hrs: Woke, throne needed, struggled out of the recliner to the wet room. Things went a little easier today, but still messy. Little bleeding. No toe stubbing. But I managed to give the humerus and ulnar nerves a clouting on the corner of the door frame, as I came out of the door. When I temporarily lost control of the walking stick. It was the least I could do. After all, the ailments were being so kind to me this morning! Hehehe!
I got the kettle on, then decided to get the vegetables prepared, to marinate in the seasoning in the crockpot. I tried to recall the seasoning I used last week. Beef stock, hickory, and Sharwoods black bean sauce. I’ve not many tins of garden peas left now, so I’ll miss them off this time. No mushrooms to use either. Dangwangles!
I caught mt thumb on the bottom of the hot saucepan. Hard to believe that I could do something like that, I know. Hehehe! I put some vaseline on it, and it bubbled! 
By which time the appetite had returned, at the smell and sight of the bowlful of stew I’d cooked! The so-called braised beef in onion gravy just may have weighed 3-4 ounces at most! But, this did not fuss me too much, all the more onion gravy in the bag! Along with my (for once) successfully seasoned and cooked vegetables, they created a meal I gave an overall flavour rating of 9/10, too! 
When I did finally get settled to watch some TV, Law & Order episodes, (they usually send me to sleep at the first set of commercials), I got the feeling that the phone or mobile would go off and wake me. 
02:30hrs: I stirred into mock-life, and realised that just about everything attached to my wobbly-overweight stomach, was shaking to varying degrees. Shoulder-Shaking-Shirley was so bad, she was hitting my elbow on the recliner arm! Shaking Shaun had taken a fancy to the head and neck this morning. Worst perhaps, was Nicodemus’s Neurotransmitters failures were making it so difficult to sense anything hard, and getting up to respond to the urgent call to the Porcelain Throne was not easy! (The bonus, was, that there was no Neuropathic Schuhplattler dancing from the right leg) 
After much faffling-about, I got on my feet, caught my balance, grabbed at the four-pronged walking stick, dropped it, bent down to pick it up and ‘Klunk’ down on my knees I went! Bearing in mind, the imperativeness of my getting to the Throne in time was increasing! Humph! I actually appreciated having the shakes from Nicodemus at the time, because there was hardly any pain at all when Arthur Itis’s patelas hit the floor! That usually come later, when the transmitter nerves start working again. Unnerving getting pains and you can’t see or remember why! 
The veins in the pins had started to protrude again. The varicose were not too bad, mind. The spider and 
While in there, I did the teggies and had a shave. And very pleased with how it went, considering that Shirley didn’t ever stop shaking, although she kept altering the rate of power. And I only had two tiny cuts after the session! Smug Mode Adopted! 
To the kitchen, and put some bits in a carrier, to give to Jenny when she comes. As a thank you for helping me out again. 
I dug out some chips from the bottom of the freezer. Got a pate and a few tomatoes left to have with them. 
The landline flashed, it was the Chemist, telling me the prescriptions would be at the door in a few minutes. I waited five or six minutes, not wanting to make social-contact with the lady, and carefully opened the door, making sure she had gone first and collected the pack from where she had left it for me.