Day 14 Thursday November 24.

That’s better, third attempt to type out today’s blog, Julie just phoned and before I tried to set the default spellchecker from English (US), (that’s not even a proper language, more of a bastardisation) to English (UK). As I was scrolling up and down the list to find English (UK) I inadvertently closed the box and accidentally set the default language to French (Mali), okay I have a certain command of the French language but not the particular dialect spoken in Bamako or Timbuktu so the spellchecker automatically inserted those annoying red squiggly lines underneath every time I typed an English word and it took me 10 -15 minutes to figure out how to reset the damn thing to the correct language.

As today’s cleaning rota says Kitchen and I’m already on top of that having just washed up and cleaned one of the freezer drawers I thought I would save myself a job tomorrow by vacuuming the extra bit of carpet I can now see in the living room thus leaving tomorrow completely free so I can do, anything I want basically. One thing I did think about late last night that is on the “To Do” database is joining the Tamworth Credit Union, I did make some enquiries about three weeks ago, but as cash is really tight at the moment I haven’t done anything about it just yet. Let’s face it, the rip off banks aren’t going to give me a loan in the current economic climate and even if they did it would be at an extortionate A.P.R whereas a credit union will give a good loan with a good interest rate and no more than can reasonably be paid back. I was also considering doing some volunteer work for them which is one thing they suggested to me, it seems though they are crying out for volunteers and I could acquire a few new skills whilst I am doing it.

Well it has just turned midnight so officially I’m 47 years old. Dad phoned me when I was on my way into town to wish me happy birthday for well today now, £1.25 a pint on Thursdays at Bond’s, you can’t beat that price. I had a few drinks with friends and told them I will see them tonight. I’m now just going to find something to eat, probably just a cup-a-soup, text Julie and open the two cards I have had. I’m actually so tired that I think I will be in bed and in the arms of Morpheus before 1:30 am today. EDIT: forget that, it is almost 3:30 in the morning, I was buzzing and tinkering around, I’m watching another episode of The Walking dead, making a concoction of Minestrone and mushroom cup a soups then going to bed.

Definition for the day:
Curry favour: Buying a take away for a friend in the hope of receiving something in return.

Day 15 Friday November 25.

Of all the days that I didn’t want my insides to start turning somersaults today would be that day, I woke up feeling absolutely awful, like a great rock was on my chest, which would be indigestion, dyspepsia, liverishness whichever you wish to call it. The last drop of milk I was saving for this mornings mug of tea had gone of so it’s black coffee from now until I get some money next Wednesday. I had three texts wishing me happy birthday, thanks to Rose, Steve and Julie, no last minute birthday cards or any post whatsoever but on the plus side the electric meter reads £5.69 so that would be less than £1 since yesterday, I will check it around the same time tomorrow afternoon to see how that is progressing, if I’m back to using just 80p per day then I won’t have to put to much in next week, £11.20 plus £7 to cover the emergency credit a round £20 should be sufficient next Wednesday now I’m getting used to these panel heaters and the water heater.

I was going to write this birthday off as a bit of a disaster, Julie phoned me from the Coach House in Eastville, Bristol and was having a nice time, then Cliff phoned me to wish me happy birthday and tell me what a horrendous day he had, Don’t ever change baby bro, lol. Loz texted me back and said she and Craig weren’t coming out as they were skint and it was too cold, okay fair enough but my mind went back to those horrible birthdays when no one turned up. I worked out how to use the shower after scolding myself then freezing after 10 minutes but it still beats washing in the sink as I have been doing because the shower wasn’t clean enough, got into my leather’s and met Steve at Bond’s, we had a good natter for a couple of hours and after Steve left I met a few old customers from when I was the bar manager at Rockwell’s (Happy days). I got back home around 2am and thought, that birthday ended a lot better than it started. I made myself a cup a soup and thought about something to else whilst thinking about what I need to do tomorrow but until I can get my broadband back and access to my Amazon vouchers I’m a little stuck, I think it will be a long seven days next week.

Quote for the Day:
(Whilst waiting in traffic once when another driver sped past) “Tut, tut. Better to be a few minutes late in this life than a few years early in the next.” Rosemary Snelson (neé Reid) Miss you mum XXX

Day 16 Saturday November 26.

I have just checked the electric meter at the same time as yesterday whilst checking for any post and it now reads £4.60 ergo, £1.09 used in 24 hours and that was with having the heater on in the bathroom whilst I took a shower and the panel heater on in the living room to take the chill off the room, so not to bad As for mail, one letter from those crooks at South Staffs water. They have sent me a bill for £46.89 payment due on or before… wait for it, November 23rd three days before I got the bill. Now, take into account that I paid the full annual charge on my previous property in full back in April this year and this one is a third smaller it is a mystery to me as to why I owe them anything at all, if anything I believe they owe me money. There is a contact number and yes it is yet another 0845 one but as I don’t have a telephone until next Friday I can’t do much about it. There is a box on the bill entitled “Nominating a contact” where I can nominate someone to speak on my behalf all I have to do is call them on the same 0845 number and request a form to be sent out in the post or alternatively visit their website and download one, again, no telephone line and no internet connection. This is the foremost reason I want a water meter, I went on a few sites a few weeks back such as U Switch and fill out a questionnaire as honestly and as accurately as I could and basically they all came up with similar results i.e. having a water meter on my mains supply could save me in the region of 66% annually! I shudder to think out much profit they squeezed out of me in the 9 years and 4 months I was at Orchard Street.

As I said before this is going to be a long week, four days before I get paid and pay any bills, minus the water rates and council tax until I have had chance to query them and before I do any of that I have to sit in the dentist’s chair and have a cap fitted and that rotten gnarled old molar extracted, what fun. At least when I get next Wednesday, (St Andrew’s Say out of the way, public holiday in Scotland by the way, has been since it was passed in a bill by the Scottish Parliament in 1997, Any sign of a public holiday for St George’s Day? I think not. Not in these days of work until you drop because of the failure of successive governments to address the pensions time bomb.) I should only have a couple of days before Virgin arrive and connect my services.

It was one of those afternoons and evening where you wish something, anything would happen or someone would call even if they were the most boring person you know. I have been so bored today just doing crosswords and waiting for the phone to ring or a knock on the door. I cooked a quiche Lorraine, chips, and beans for supper and it was quite nice, must get hold of a fridge soon though, I can’t keep half portions in a cool bag for much longer.

Thought For the day: If privatisation was supposed to give customers more options, why can you not change your water supplier?

Day 17 Sunday November 27

A quick pop down to Morrison’s for a pint of milk and a check on my lottery ticket, not a winner but it was a nice thought, thank you Rose, I don’t see why the sales assistant had to be so terse though, it’s not the customers fault she has to work on a Sunday, as the old adage goes if you can’t take a joke you shouldn’t have taken the job. I decided to do some laundry because with less than four weeks now to the start of winter (December 22nd this year) there won’t be many good sunny autumnal days left, problem is, I can’t seem to get the washing machine to work properly it only wants to run part of a cycle then just stop. Also, the door mechanism got broke during the move so that will be a game from now on to open that. I got everything out of the bathroom and calculated I have two loads of whites and one of coloureds to do, I just hope it doesn’t use to much electric. I was just mopping the wet room floor (must stop referring to it as a bathroom seeing as there is no bath in there) when Cliff rang and asked me if I wanted anything from Bookers, nothing I could think of at that moment well nothing that can’t wait until Wednesday after I’ve been to the dentists. He said that the girls were dyeing to see Uncle Dave’s new flat and could they pop round after they’ve been shopping, of course you can I said, I just hope no one wants the toilet or at least the wet room floor has dried by then. I hope to have all three loads done all the floors mopped and the bed linen changed by the end of the afternoon so that I can relax in the evening with… well nothing to do as usual, so bored.

Cliff, Sarah and there two eldest just popped round for a chat and a look, they seem quite impressed with how clean it is they just caught me cleaning so everything was all over the place and there isn’t anywhere to sit down at the moment with the two armchairs with stuff on them to be packed away eventually. I showed cliff the camera and took a photo of Emmie to see if it was just the screen and fortunately it is. Well the bathroom floor is dry and the washing machine seems to be working so I’d better put everything back in the bathroom and move on to the next job. Rose just texted to ask if I wanted any washing done but I told her the washer is fine, it just sounds different hear with no other sound, I’ve gone from being driven mad by perpetual noise to be driven mad by dead silence and I still have another two days of it. I don’t believe I am actually looking forward to having a tooth pulled and paying bills. I can’t do the kitchen floor while the second load of whites are doing and I still have half a load of colours to do but on the plus side, I’ve swept and mopped the floors and the laminate floor dries a lot quicker than the tiles in the bathroom.

Well that is it for today the colours will have to wait until tomorrow, the kitchen is on the cleaning rota for tomorrow anyway I just hope the electric lasts another 48 hours. Getting the laundry done wasn’t a problem, getting it dry, now there’s a different story. It is all drooping outside and I could really do with finding a long piece of timber to make a line prop, I did buy one from Wilkinson’s a few years ago but broke it banging on the ceiling to shut upstairs dogs up.

I don’t know what to do about my indigestion; I’ve had the same feeling since last Thursday now, like a heavy weight pushing in on my chest even deep breaths are painful. I went for a little walk to see if I could walk it off and it did help a little. I walked up past the tennis club then down to the local hostelry The Riftswood which is closed for refurbishment until December 14th, I shall probably give it a try when it reopens I haven’t been in there for about four years. On the way back through all the tree debris from storm damage I went passed the white fence on the corner of Hillcrest Avenue where back in 1991 Michelle Reeves and I stopped for a snog whilst a mutual friend was dropping off his girlfriend. Oh happy times, I wonder what she’s doing nowadays. Anyway, I’m currently wrestling with the DVD player that has decided to pack in, probably the heads need cleaning or something so I’m going to watch Alien on the PC.

Slinky: A boring person, especially a work colleague who has no raison d,être that you are aware of but does provide a brief source of amusement when pushed down a flight of stairs.

Day 18 Monday November 28.

A bit of a rough night last night, I think I will go to the medical practice and ask to see a nurse, there is no way this indigestion should still be bothering me five days on. First up though washing on the line, most of it is dry but a good old fashioned line prop will facilitate things. I will do the coloured load on Wednesday as I haven’t been able to get through the side door and check the electric meter; I am waiting for the postman to come so that I can kill two birds with one stone. I’m still going to sweep and mop the floor though and get it as near pristine as I can. I’m just going to finish my mug of tea and get the feeling back in my fingers after spending twenty minutes outside in the bitter cold checking the washing and then walk down to the medical practice.

Well that killed ten minutes, they are fully booked and I can’t see the duty doctor unless it is an emergency and I believe this constitutes one, all they could suggest is ringing up at 8:30 tomorrow morning, again with the telephone, it’s an 0844 number also so that is why I signed up for booking appointments online three weeks ago however, again, no internet connection. In another place at another time this would be funny but it falls under what I personally refer to as “spaghetti humour” (See definition for the day below). I’ve checked the post, the Frozen Planet poster that was free from the Open University via the Offers Oasis website that I sent off for Cliff’s kids has come, I shall send him a text shortly. The electric meter read £1.40 which, though wasn’t as bad as I thought is still going to mean things are going to be tight, I still need to make it through to at least 8pm tomorrow night to ensure the supply remains on until the following morning, it’s a case of using the bare minimum so laundry and hot water will have to wait now and I will wear a couple of extra layers tonight. Wednesday is a consolidation day as far as cleaning is concerned and as I’m on top of every thing I can mop the kitchen floor, do the laundry and vacuum the living room floor then, it shouldn’t take more than an hour and I’ll try and get it done before my dentist’s appointment.

I’ve asked a few friends and family if they know where I can get a sturdy old wooden line prop from, you know, the one your mother used to use not these rubbish modern, extendable ones they sell nowadays or even a good length piece of seasoned timber I can cut a V-notch in. My whites were sagging on the line and would have dried a lot quicker with a good prop. No joy yet, I’ll just have to keep asking, I have plenty of friends and acquaintances who knows someone who knows some one etc. I texted Rose earlier to ask her and see if she had a good antacid as it feels like someone is constantly pushing against my diaphragm every time I eat something. She suggested warm boiled water and I will give it a try before bedtime.

Definition for the day:
Spaghetti humour: A funny remark that has been overused or a situation that has now become tedious that it is “Pasta joke”. Ouch! Yes I know sorry.

I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I appreciate everything that every one has done for me especially recently and to make clear that I’m not looking for a “free ride.” Far from it, where I’m going I want to get there by myself. Okay things are tough at the moment but as the adage goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I just need a fillip now and then. Okay, I will make mistakes on the way and I know from experience past and recent that there are a few curmudgeonly individuals who would take great shadenfreude in seeing me fall flat on my @rse but I will learn from my mistakes e.g. In the case of the electric I used unnecessarily in the last fortnight and wasting money trying to contact rip off utility companies on 0845 numbers but I will get there and it will be a greater feeling of triumph when I do. I know that family members especially want me to do it this way and are waiting in the wings for when I do to say well done. I think if mum was still with us on this earthly plain (<< Agnostic, covering all bets) She would be teary eyed right now, in private of course, in person it would be “About bloody time too” I jest she wasn’t that cold, underneath that hard prickly shell was a heart of pure gold who would move mountains for those she cared for. I remember when she first started working as a Home Help for Staffordshire Social Services way back in the early 1970’s when I was only about seven and the first person she was assigned to help, a Mrs Wood on the Tamworth Road died she was heartbroken, I remember the tears in her eyes when she got the news and this was an elderly woman who she cleaned for and had only known for a short while. That was mum. I would like to believe she is looking down right now and saying “Well done son, keep going.”

Day 19 Tuesday November 29.

Last night I was in excruciating pain, I’d often what the term doubled over actually meant well last night I found out. Just turning over in bed produced sharp pains, there was no way I was going to make it to the doctor’s surgery at 8:30 this morning in fact I was still in pain when the council rent assessment officer came to view the flat just before midday. It was I new from my late teens and early twenties, Chris Grocott, well he’s done well for himself I’m pleased for him. He said he knew me but for official reports he would have to see some form of identification so I showed him where to find the kitchen and wet room whilst I got my passport out of my jacket. Just my John Hancock on the form and he said he would leave me in peace. I was going to get up and make a start on the day but after retching in the wet room I decided bed was the better option. As I was going back to bed I noticed a slime trail by the door in the living room, another slug problem, I had this in the old place and it took months of setting beer pub traps and flushing them down the toilet in the middle of the night before I finally eradicated them.

It was around 3pm before I felt well enough to get out of bed though I was still in some discomfort, I will have to see what Dr Bruce makes of it when see him on Thursday night. I’m dreading eating anything later but must have something before I visit the dentist tomorrow. That is if he will perform surgery on me in the condition I’m in well maybe he can fit the cap and we can put off the extraction yet again, we shall see.

It was throwing it down outside, good job I got my whites laundered and dry yesterday and I didn’t risk doing my coloureds last night I don’t know when I will get another good drying day. The long trek up the fire escape and back down the inside of the building only revealed junk mail, leaflets from Aldi’s and Farmfoods plus a charity appeal for the Royal British Legion which carried the message “YOUR FREE GIFTS ENCLOSED.” Why people and organisations still use the term free gifts is a mystery to me as all gifts are free, a classic example of tautology. With apprehension I checked the electric meter and found still 46p emergency credit left that is just 94p less than yesterday, I’m finally figuring out how to get the most from it and it only has to last until 8pm tonight then if it does go into the red it won’t cut out before 8am in the morning, Okay, ideally I would like it to last until I have to make my way down to the dentist around 1:50pm so that I can be finished there, collect my money from the Post Office, visit the Nationwide, pay a couple of bills, get some electric and get a few bare essential food items but again we shall have to wait and see.

Well it started, I knew it would at some stage, that inner voice that niggles at you and says, “You know that would look better over there” and “you would be better off if that was nearer to that” etc. We’ve all had those annoying voices and so I decided to act on one just to shut it up. I shut down the PC as I knew from experience that moving it while it is still on is a very bad idea, trust me, and don’t try this at home. I pulled it over 18” give or take messing up the cables that I had diligently taped up to stop them getting tangled up then dragged the desk up to the power sockets before dragging the set of drawers with the printer/scanner on top from the left to the right of the desk. That inner voice said “see. That’s better when Virgin come on Friday they can put the cable and phone jack right where they need to be and you will be able to get a clear view of the TV after manoeuvring it back into place after the engineers have connected the cable to the set top box and modem.” “Simples” as that meerkat on TV keeps saying.

Thought for the day:
A dog is truly man’s best friend… He will never tell the wife where you were when you were supposed to be taking him for a walk.

Day 20 Wednesday November 30.

I don’t know what time the electric cut out I only knew it had by the sporadic beeping of the smoke alarm in the bedroom. I was getting ready for my dentist’s appointment at the time. It was then that I got a phone call on my mobile from E.ON with reference to the terse letter I sent them a few days ago. They were very apologetic and in addition to the credit on my old meter they are going to send me a cheque for £10 to cover my phone expenses for all the time I was kept on hold so it does pay to complain in a constructive manner, I doubt I would have got such a warm response had my letter been a litany of diatribe. I also mentioned that at least two other residents that I am aware of have accounts with E.ON so it would seem NPower have been telling porkies, I will make some enquiries, and if that is the case I will switch back to E.ON. I don’t like to be messed around or lied to by these big companies, British Telecom found that out when I moved to Orchard Street in 2002. I’d been with them for a while but they wanted £75 just to put a landline in plus an extra £20 for the modem. It was then I went with Virgin, NTL as it was back then. They came in, fitted a cable exactly where I wanted it and provided me with a modem both for free and they were done and I was ready to start surfing in a matter of ten minutes.

I got to the dentist bang on 2:10pm and didn’t have to wait to long. The nurse told me that they hadn’t got a contact number for me as the crown I was to have fitted wasn’t arriving until tomorrow, they do have my mobile number because they’ve sent me text reminders before, just because I change address doesn’t mean I change mobile numbers too, daft buggers. I just had the extraction done today and will have to go back for the crown on Monday afternoon.

With the right side of my face numb I took a steady walk into town to draw my money from the Post Office, had a quick browse in Poundland, and bought a pack of three scissors whilst resisting the urge to ask a sales assistant “How much is this.” Next stop Nationwide to deposit £100 a quick look in Brighthouse at a fridge/freezer on sale at £303 then to Wilkinson’s. I only wanted a tube of leather glue for the sleeve of my jacket but I did get a few ideas. I resisted the urge to make any purchases thinking to myself, well okay it’s nice or I could do with one but do I desperately need one? Not at the moment. So I backtracked and bought some leather glue from Tamworth Toolbox, paid my TV license payment, put £25 on my electric key, bought a lottery ticket then parked my backside in Bond’s for a drink. After around two hours I noticed the feeling coming back in my face and a pain in the right side of my mouth as the anaesthetic began to wear off I was in quite a bit of discomfort and only had the two pints, Steve managed to knock back three in the hour from when he got in from work and the time he left leaving me to struggle on my second. It was cold and miserable and that was just the bar. The cheapskate won’t put the heating on, so I made the long trek home freezing cold and in pain. Up the fire escape and back down inside the building again to load up the electric meter which now reads £17.01 after the debt from the emergency credit was taken off and then back into the warm which I have no intention of leaving until my appointment with Dr Bruce tomorrow evening.

Feeling tired and with my gum still hurting I cooked myself a steak pie with chips peas and gravy took a couple of Co-Dydramol tablets and was in bed for just after 10:30, first time that has happened in a long time. I could feel the effects of the analgesics after only ten minutes and soon after fell asleep.

I woke up around 4am and finally gave in and got up no doubt I will need to go back to bed even just for a couple of hours a bit later it’s 05:30 now and I have just turned the calendar over to December, pity those parents who are now to be pestered by their kids about opening their advent calendars over the next month, filled my water bottles up and stuck them in the freezer to chill for twenty minutes, I have been drinking quite a lot of water recently in fact, I rarely leave home without a small bottle of tap water. What I am doing now is adding those things I would like to the database so I remember them, I have no problem with that as each thing has a priority number assigned to it, 1 for desperate for down to 5 for be nice, understandably the fridge is still number one. With Virgin coming on Friday, (there will be hell to pay if they don’t) I want to get into my various survey accounts and get the Amazon voucher codes sent to me by email, £50 worth would be very handy right now.

Quote for the Day”:
“You must call again when you have less time.” Oscar Wilde.