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Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Old Boiler

After the usual start to the day, we headed for Sainsbury's. Shopping on Wednesday could be viewed as a tear in the time-space continuum, but we were willing to take the chance. Sainsbury's seemed busy but in reality, it was full of people faffing around, blocking aisles and moving as slowly as they could. One such shopper nearly had a seizure as a snail raced past her. (Not to self: tell Zoe about the snail).

The heavens opened as we finished unloading the car and shut the front door. We had timed it to perfection.

After some lunch, I headed out for a walk. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining. There was a cool breeze but it was pleasant walking conditions. Bosch continued to play in my ears - the book is nearly finished. It has been a cracking story, helped by the fact it is narrated by Titus Welliver who plays Bosch in the TV Series. Once home, I managed an hour or so in the Orangery with the Kindle (a totally different book). We collected Ellie from the dance class and took her straight home to Darren.

At lunchtime, I contacted 3 companies (through BAXI) regarding advice and quotes for a replacement boiler. Two have already responded and the first came to see me late in the afternoon. I explained that our current boiler was 10 years old and felt sure there must be more efficient models on the market. He did a survey of what we have and took some pictures. He also took the existing boiler apart and was appalled to see that, despite British Gas servicing it every year (or when they felt like it) it was suffering from quite evident leaks and corrosion. I look forward to his quote for a replacement. The second company to respond is due to visit tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Shrinking

 The rain that had been forecast for first thing hadn't materialised. This was good as it meant a dry walk to school with Ellie. Once home, breakfasted and caffeinated, I got on with the day.

Over the last year, I have put on some weight. This was partly due to the absence from football while we were preparing for and recovering from Diane's operation. Then when I did restart I had some trouble with my knee that kept me out again. Slowly my waistline grew to the point that I had to go to the next size in trousers. I wasn't happy about this but recent minor tweaks to my diet and more exercise have seen a gradual reversal. Today I was pleased to be able to retrieve all my "old" trousers from their vacuum-packed bag. They fit me comfortably again. The larger trousers were folded and stored in the bag. The air was sucked out and they were stored under the bed, hopefully not to be used again. I'm feeling smug.

The rain arrived late morning. Diane took the car to Chichester for her scheduled dental check. I stayed put and spent the time clearing some of the garden furniture out of the garage. We are expecting a new bed to be delivered for Ellie, but we will store it in the garage until after Easter. I also looked into options for a replacement gas boiler. Ours is now 10 years old and there are much more efficient models on the market now. As they are talking about banning the sale of new boilers in the next couple of years, this seems like the ideal time to consider it.

After lunch, I had a quiet hour with the Kindle before venturing out into the deluge to collect Ellie from school. She was with us for longer than planned. Zoe and Darren are looking after Steffie's dog, Lucy, for the next couple of weeks. When Darren got home he found the dog had located a chocolate min-roll and consumed it along with a couple of Ellie's hairbands. Panic ensued along with a trip to the emergency Vet. All is now well and Ellie is now back home and ready to take charge!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Buzzing

 I feel as if I have been buzzing around today. By most people's standards, I have done very little, but as an idle retiree, it seemed busy.

I started with the traditional walk to Zoe's so that I could escort Ellie to school and then headed home for breakfast and a second coffee. As the caffeine coursed through my veins I moved the furniture into the Orangery and vacuumed all of the hard floors downstairs before steam cleaning them. Then there was a quick update to the accounting spreadsheet before I headed out for a walk. The walk was bisected by a stop at the barber's shop for a hunt and cull mission on my head. Finally, it was the walk home, a spot of lunch and then some quiet time with the Kindle.

I picked Ellie up from school but no sooner were we back than Darren messaged me to say he was home and could collect her. As they are currently looking after a little dog, Ellie was eager to get back. Once she had left we returned to our Kindles until dinner.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Recuperating

We had another disturbed night. Diane was feeling rough and decided to pop downstairs for a glass of milk. That didn't do the trick, but it did open the floodgates. She is looking very pale and washed out today and has spent much of it sitting in the Orangery, making the most of the warm sun and absence of any commitments.

I stayed close by in case anything was needed. Another book disappeared while she was recuperating. She insisted that she was well enough for me to take a walk, so I headed out on a slightly shorter route so that I wouldn't be gone for too long.

The planned roast pork dinner was cancelled and I put some butterflied chicken breasts on the griddle and served them with some new potatoes. This was simple and plain, but easily digested. She's feeling better than she was, but hopefully, a good night's sleep will settle things. 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Spa

 Ellie woke during the night. She had had a bad dream and toddled into our room. A quick cuddle with Grandpa and being tucked back into her own bed put everything right. That should have been it until the morning. Jasper, however, decided he wouldn't be upstaged so just as we were settling back to sleep, he started his choir practice and, when finally silent again, started to charge around the house to get fit for the Paris Olympics.

Zoe came around to collect Ellie just before 09:00. There was a lot to prepare. Today was the day of her "Spa Party" to celebrate her upcoming Birthday with some school friends. The lady who set this up was due to arrive mid-morning and Ellie wanted to be there to supervise.

We stayed at home. I had the call with the cousins and Di pottered around. Rain came and went throughout the morning and, while doing some ironing, I watched the cloud radar to try and find a dry slot for a walk. There was nothing during the morning. 


After lunch, Di went to help supervise the Spa Party. Boys were not permitted so I did some reading until I detected a window in the weather. Jacket on, I headed out for a walk with Bosch playing through the AirPods. As I looped clockwise around my route I hadn't realised that, creeping up from behind, was a filthy black cloud. It was only as I started the return leg that I saw the clouds of Modor ahead and realised I was likely to get soaked. Despite the threat, I stuck with my planned route and felt the first huge drops of rain just as I was approaching the front door. I had timed it to perfection. As I walked in the door, the heavens opened and we had a torrential burst of rain and hail.

Di arrived back from the party just before 18:00. Photos trickled through and it was clear that it had been a great success.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Another Quiet Day

 It was another quiet day. Ellie had stayed with us overnight but was still fast asleep when I got up. We went through the usual procedure and Zoe arrived at the door to join us on the walk to school.

When I get back Diane was just about to leave to Cardioc Rehab. I finished my breakfast and then followed her out the door. She drove to the Community Centre and I started my walk. Bosch was playing in my ears as I zigged and zagged around the local area for an hour or so. By sticking to a single cup of tea before the walk, I was not under any (bladder) pressure to cut things short.

We both got home at the same time and the rest of the day was quite relaxed. After lunch we had the Kindle hour (or two) then I went to collect Ellie from school. She has been working on another project (a diorama of the Arctic) with Nana this afternoon. It is beginning to come together well.

Ellie is staying with us overnight again. This is to allow Zoe time to shop for the food she will need for tomorrow's "Spa Party" for Ellie's forthecoming birthday.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Water park

Diane and Kim had a wonderful evening with Graziano from "Strictly". In fact, they managed to have their photos taken with him and his wife after the VIP Q&A. I was in bed, reading, by the time she arrived home.

It was 07:30 before I awoke this morning. After a coffee, I wandered around to Zoe's for the long march to school (ok, it was a couple of hundred yards). Back home for breakfast, I finished the shopping list for today and when Diane was ready, we headed for Sainsbury's.

Once home, unloaded, and squared away we settled down to catch up on the news and then had some lunch. We had the usual post-prandial Kindle session (I finished another book), making the most of the Orangery's warmth in the weak Spring sunshine.

I went to collect Ellie and took her to the park on the way back from school.  The lads from her class had decided it would be sensible to turn the park into a water park. Water was poured, liberally, over the swings and roundabouts. The boys were soaked. Ellie and her friends stood by and ignored the mayhem.

Ellie is staying with us overnight as Zoe is working late.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Twinkle Toes

 Zoe had the day off so I walked around to her house to join the daily march to school. It was a little different today as we were invited into the class to see Ellie's coursework. This was interesting as it showed she was applying herself in class as well as at home.

After breakfast and some initial admin and chores, I headed off for a walk - with Titus Welliver narrating Harry Bosch in my ears. Had I not needed a wee, I would probably have done another loop. Meanwhile, Di had some planting she wanted to complete in the front garden and also took delivery of an artificial laurel bush that would stand by the front door. It's frost-proof, so appears to be a Laurel that's Hardy!

The afternoon saw a switch from audiobook to Kindle while enjoying the afternoon sun in the Orangery.

We have had a very early dinner as Di is picking Kim up, and they are off to Southsea to see one of the stars from "Strictly" this evening. They have been informed that their tickets have been upgraded to VIP status allowing them to stay for a private Q&A and drinks after the show. 

I'm not sure what I will do this evening, but Jasper is in charge and I'm sure I will get my instructions.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Patron Saint

 I was up early again today so that Ellie could be dropped off. She was very bouncy and bubbly and brightened up the rather grey and wet morning. After the normal morning workflow, we dropped her off at school and returned home for breakfast.

Today is the feast of St Joseph the Worker. This got me thinking. Who is the patron saint of retired people? I asked Google's AI Engine (Gemini) who informed me "There isn't a universally recognized saint specifically for retirees". Well, that's a blow. There is no specific Saint in the firmament that gives a flying fig for us retirees. I guess we'll have to make do with Saint Dymphna who is associated with mental clarity and peace, or St Jude who looks after lost causes.

It has been raining gently all day. This was not conducive to a walk by the time I waited for some deliveries from DPD and Royal Mail and some pick-ups by Royal Mail. I did, however, manage to remove one of the shrubs from the front garden (under supervision) so that it can catch the green waste collection tomorrow.

The rest of the day followed the usual schedule - Kindle, fetch Ellie, homework with Ellie, say goodbye as she is collected, then dinner.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Just Stuff

 The alarm was set, and I had to be up in time for Ellie to be dropped off soon after 07:00. She seemed a bit grumpy when she first arrived, but a cuddle with Grandpa and then with Nana snapped her out of it. After eating, washing and dressing, she came downstairs to sit with me and practice her handwriting. She will need to improve how she holds the pencil and places the paper. At the moment she is blocking her view of the words as she writes. This will need some attention but I have no doubt she will get it.

After we dropped Ellie at school, we returned home for breakfast before getting on with our various domestic chores. I also had to order some more coffee and arrange for the collection and recycling of the used pods. This latter task took an inordinate amount of time as Nespresso had outsourced the pod collection to Royal Mail and each bag of pods needed to be separately entered into the system. It was a salutary lesson in how not to design a user interface.

I stuck my Airpods in my ears and headed off for a walk, listening to Bosch as I looped around through the village. The book already has me hooked and I was tempted to walk another complete circuit so that I could listen to more. I resisted. It is an incentive for my next walk.

After lunch, we had our Kindle hour before collecting Ellie from school. She did some more handwriting practice and some work on the times tables before running out of steam. We'll pick it up again when she is dropped off tomorrow morning.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Multi-tasking

 I was very slow to get going this morning. It was wet and miserable and did not endow me with a spring in my step. By mid-morning the rain had died away. By lunchtime, the sun was peeping through the clouds.

I did venture out, briefly. The car would need petrol this week, so I sorted that out rather than wait until it was too low. I should have gone for a walk but kept finding excuses to do something else instead. After a light lunch, I settled down with my Kindle in the Orangery. Another book bit the dust and yet another was started.

When it came time to start on dinner, I switched off the Kindle, inserted my Airpods and fired up a |Harry Bosch" book on Audible. True multi-tasking. One book and one audiobook on the go while preparing dinner.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Crew

 There was a gentle start to the day. Caffeine was absorbed and porridge was consumed. I settled in the study for my call with the cousins. The call seemed less boisterous than many, but it was fun to chat and to stay in touch.

I spent some time looking at specifications for various new cars. I'm not seriously considering a purchase but I'm aware that the road tax changes for April 2025 will impose Tax on EVs. Now, currently, there is a luxury vehicle tax on any car over 40K and this is payable for years 2-5 after purchase. Most EV's that we would consider cost well over 40K - but as long as we get one before April 2025 we can avoid these taxes. As I said, I'm not seriously considering a purchase, but I thought I'd do the research. (If you are interested, the two cars that I configured were the Skoda Enyaq 85 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5).

What we didn't know, at this point, was the total meltdown that was underway at Sainsbury's. IT systems had failed, taking out the online deliveries, the tills, the Smartshop, the headsets, and everything else that makes the stores tick. Zoe was at the heart of this in her store, trying to keep the place running. She phoned us in the early evening and was still on an adrenalin high as she related the story.

Oblivious to the drama at Sainsbury's (not that we could have done anything to help) we went into Chichester with Chris and Maureen. We met up with Ian and Trudy at The Giggling Squid for a long-awaited Sonning Crew lunch. It was ostensibly to celebrate Maureen's birthday (last week) but really was just a long-missed get-together. We had a lovely meal, though Ian was suffering a bit from colitis which rather stymied his choices. We sat and chatted for several hours before paying the bill and heading home.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Stab Vest

Being the Ides of March, I have been wearing my stab vest all day. I may not be Emperor of Rome, but I am not going to take any chances.


There had been rain overnight, but it was drying out by the time I walked to Zoe's for the school run.  Being "Red Nose Day" Ellie could wear her own clothes but despite having a themed t-shirt, she decided to wear her own gear, rather than submit to the peer pressure for Red Nose regalia. That's my girl!

It brightened up during the morning and I took the opportunity to have a swift walk around the area. I ventured down North Bersted Street and saw that the flooding had not yet subsided. I trust the homeowners of these last two houses have big 4x4s or their own kayaks.

Back home, I got on with some admin and then settled with the Kindle for a while. Zoe had forgotten to pack Ellie's laptop with her stuff for the weekend with Pete, so I wandered around the corner (between showers) to grab the technology and thus allow her to stay on top of any homework that may be assigned.

Pete has just collected Ellie and we have finished dinner. A quiet evening is planned.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Update

 It was mild and dry when I got up this morning. The usual coffee jump-started the day and at the appropriate time, I went to provide the school escort service. Back home, a second coffee was required, along with a bowl of porridge before we started the day.

We had the usual Sainsbury's trip. For some reason, we spent far more than usual, and I'll bet there were things we forgot (despite maintaining a shopping list throughout the week). Once everything was packed away, I had to make a second run to the shops to get the cat litter that wouldn't fit in the boot after the Sainsbury's raid. When I got back, I did manage to complete the online forms that allowed me to update my Will.

The afternoon saw us enjoying the Spring warmth of the Orangery while reading our Kindles. Di headed off to join Zoe and collect Ellie. They were caught in the one and only shower we saw all day... and it was torrential (but fortunately short).

Di's been on the phone with Denise while I prepared dinner. I have also tentatively booked a hotel in Stowmarket for Di's cousin's (once removed) wedding. We are not sure we will be able to make it, but can cancel the room if necessary.