Monthly Archives: January 2023

Apples

Back to a Version of Normality

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After packing parcels yesterday we decided to have lunch out then have soup in the evening. We have had a few meals at fast food outlets (using the drive through option) but decided to try Harvester and have a proper sit down.

Apart from the meals organised as family events (of which we have had two or three during Covid, we haven’t had a proper sit down meal for a few years. It was quite relaxing being able to turn up without booking, serve your own salad and not have to wear a mask. I’m pro-mask and wore one today in a shop, but it always seemed strange that I could eat with no mask for an hour but had to wear a mask when I came in and walked to the toilet.

The salad bar was back to pre-Covid quality (it had been a bit ropey during Covid. As a bonus, they sent Julia a message with a voucher (she is signed up to their app). The voucher allowed us to have our main courses for half price, which was handy. Half price food is an aspect of modern life I can support.

So, back to the old way of eating out – it felt much more relaxing. I’m also feeling more relaxed about eating in a room with other people. This , which isn’t bad considering that even a few months ago I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to eating in a social setting again.Looks like it is unwise to say “never”.

Today, when visiting the Pharmacy, I wore a mask – just so you know I am generally still behaving responsibly.

 

 

A New Low in Senior Moments

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I forgot to tell you, I had a new, and stunningly bad, senior moment on Wednesday night. As we left the shop after finishing our packaging marathon, the alarm wouldn’t set. I tried it the long way, with the full code (which I normally do) then the short way with the zone button and “Yes” (and then the Zone Button with “No” just in case – I never can remember, which is why I use the long way). It just wouldn’t set.

Then it occurred to me that I was using the wrong code. I don’t actually remember the numbers, just the position of the buttons and, at that point, realised I had even forgotten that.

How do you get into a shop in the morning by using the code and forget it six hours later? Easily, it would seem.

You are reading the blog of a man who stood at an ATM and forgot his PIN, so I do have form for random amnesia. The bank, at the time, told me not to worry, as dozens of people forget their PIN number every day. It’s not really a great comfort. Other people forgetting things is comedy gold, but when I do it, I find it quite worrying.

Yes, I did finally get it set, in case you are wondering.  I’m forgetful, not stupid. I rang my workmate and asked him what the code was. It’s not actually the first time I’ve forgotten it as I once came back from holiday and realised, as the alarm went off, that I’d forgotten the code, so they are used to working with a bumbling fool.

 

 

Plans, Poetry and Popes

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Two days ago, I had plans. Roast veg and gammon for tea (ensuring we had extra roasted veg for soup), a pre-prepared vegetable stew for Tuesday night, soup for tonight and Paste bake for Thursday. The beauty of winter weather is that our fridge always works better. It can chug a bit in summer and things don’t last as long. It was a brilliant idea at the time, and still seems impressive in hindsight. It would, of course, be more impressive if I’d actually done anything about it. The kitchen just seemed a bit nippy and the living room, with the fire, TV and company, seemed so much more attractive. That’s why, as mentioned in yesterday’s post, we had sausages for tea.

I’m a great planner, but I haven’t quite mastered the other bit, the part where I actually do things.

I have also failed in my plan to write three passable tanka a day (I wrote two yesterday and fell asleep in front of the TV), my plan to write my February presentation for the Numismatic Society and . . .

Sadly it’s a long list and the year is only three days old. The motivational book I just read seems to have changed nothing. With it being on Kindle, I can’t even burn it to keep warm. On the other hand, I can’t really blame the book for my lack of application.

Pope Benedict XVI – the other side of the Newman medal

It’s a coincidence that I’ve used a medal showing the late Pope, but also timely. I wanted a decent medallion picture, as I had mentioned medallions in the post. and this was the first suitable one I found. I try to avoid religion and politics as subjects, but if something like this crops up I’m happy to go along with it.

(Sorry about the erratic timing of the posts – this was planned as a second part for yesterday, but time ran away with me so I altered a few things and made it the post for Wednesday, though there may be another.

Lots and Lots of Lovely parcels

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The smell of cooking potato is wafting through the house. It will soon be followed by the scent of sizzling sausages. Tonight’s meal is not going to rate high on the sophistication scale. I briefly toyed with the idea of sausage casserole, but quickly blanked it in favour of wedges and beans. I will add one of the many relishes I currently find myself in possession of, and consider it a meal fit for a King. The new King will probably disagree, as I doubt that his minions are currently engaged in cooking anything as mundane as this.

I returned to work today, to find a list of sales on eBay. There were 25 parcels by the end of the day but all I managed was to pack & post 16 of them and the pack a couple of others ready for tomorrow. It works out at three parcels an hour, which is not impressive, though I did have to disinter some of the stock from dark recesses and use some cunning packaging on a few others, which all takes time. I really wish the owner of the shop would consider how we are going to pack some of the things we sell. Several of them required export labels too, which can be a bit like writing an essay.

Julia came with me and kept me supplied with sandwiches and coffee, before walking over to the post office with bags of packages. She is going to help tomorrow morning too, by which time we should be caught up. She truly is a jewel amongst women and deserves better than me. Those are my words, not hers, though I’m fairly sure she would be happy to agree.

We also had a number of phone calls, several starting with “Oh, good, you’re open.”

I had to disappoint those customers by telling them that we weren’t, and I was there to pack parcels. On the whole, they took it well, despite the anomaly of having someone answer the phone to say we weren’t open.

 

Love Laziness and a Lively Discussion

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It is so tempting to call this one “The Second Post of the Year”. Using numbers freed me up from thinking about titles for much of last year, but in the end it is boring and uninformative, so I have resisted temptation.

At the time of writing I have not yet decided what to call the post. It may be something side-splittingly funny. The balance of probability suggests it won’t be, but we can hope. At the moment, I can’t even think of three words that start with the same letter.

Big news of the day is that I submitted ten poems on 31st December and have just had two accepted. It’s a good start to the New Year. Even better, I can send the other eight off to one of the magazines accepting submissions this month.

Using Kindle I had another go at Charlicountryboy’s book. I bought the paperback just before Christmas but haven’t managed to read anything apart from non-fiction (which you can dip in and out off) since having Covid. I’m still not back to fiction, but that is down to old eyes, which aren’t a problem when you have an illuminated page. It’s a good book and I will be reviewing it soon.

That’s about it for now. It hasn’t been a lively day, though we did have some discussion on how lazy I was which provided a few minutes of witty cut and thrust. I ordered McDonald’s via Just Eat and this is considered to be the height of idleness by Julia. However, if I’d toasted bread and warmed up some beans that would have been industrious. I don’t see much difference. Beans on toast is cheaper and almost certainly healthier, but it’s not to much fun and we’d have missed the Festive Pies. Plus it would have made washing up. Lazy? Possibly. Efficient? Undoubtedly. A lovely festive gesture for my beloved. Apparently not.

Having failed in my attempt to attract sponsorship from Parker Pens I am trying a new target for 2023 – I’ve always like McDonald’s. . .

First Post of the New Year

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I always feel I should hit the New Year with some new and vibrant post, possible the one that establishes me as one of Britain’s premier modern philosophers and sees me offered lucrative offers to write a national column and establish myself on the reality TV circuit. After some of the cooking disasters I’ve had, a couple of weeks in the jungle eating antipodean animal genitalia wouldn’t be a problem.

Looking back, I see I have started with a variety of styles. The first post of 2022 was about twenty words long, published with four minutes to spare and was followed, a day later with a list of unrealistic tosh about reading more.

2021 started with a post which vowed to get rid of some of my irritating writing tics and Unnecessary Capital Letters. I was also going to read Waugh and Dickens. It was published 5 minutes before midnight – another rush. I have, needless to say, accumulated more annoying writing tics and not yet opened a book by either Dickens or Waugh.

That takes us back to 2020. It appears to be a review of a tea room. I’m sure we didn’t go there on 1st January. Obviously I was catching up.

I’m not doing anything so I thought I might as well start blogging for 2019.And with those words I think it can be accurately said that I didn’t exactly start 2019 with a great deal of enthusiasm.

In 2018 I made two resolutions and kept to them, which is quite unusual.

The 2017 post was published on 2nd January. Tch, tch, tch . . .

The year before that, 2016, didn’t see a post until the 4th January. Things were less well planned (or I was busier) in those days. This post has three of my favourite farm photos on it.

And that brings us to the first post of 2015, which was also the first New Year post on the blog.  It’s far from the way I do things these days, though I have to say it’s probably more interesting. It was published on the 5th.

And that’s it. The history of my recent life in 9 blog posts.

I think it’s safe to say that they are all part of a long tradition of writing posts that fail to inspire and won’t lead to the life of champagne, coke and chicks that I often claim to aspire too. I don’t really. I’m happy sitting at home in flannelette, eating chocolate and watching TV with Julia.  That’s how I am passing New Year’s Day, and how I intend passing the rest of my life. Happy New Year everybody.

And no, I’m not going to be this cheerful tomorrow, so no need to adjust your expectations.

Happy New Year!