Alt.Mustardland

Hi, Not been keeping up. Eventually got Moggy to Vet for Anual Inoculations and Check-up. Vet has a backlog since limited access since Corvid - Looks like He will sub-contract His Gingerness Dental work.
Got Corvid Inoculation application - Nearest was in Thurrock Hospital (£40 return cab fare when I had to use that Hospital pre-my Nov Local Hosp Treatment) - but it took so long to select that option that it had gone when I finalised it... So the First innoc had to be re-routed to Kent (I hope Boris can maintain buses through The Tunnel). I also invited them to give me a reminder call .... and then .... on the same evening they had changed BOTH appointments to Kent - Unfortunately, one of those is a 17:50 appoint so I'm not certain that the return bus will run that late - It is in Bluewater Shopping Centre (with very few opening shops??)... I know the Pharmacy (Boots) because I did a job for them there once.

Have you noticed as so much trivia fills any remaining discussion nowadays...

Think I'll go back to bed and catch up on sleep - Now that sundry Black & Decker Hole Drilling neighbours seen to have their various tea-breaks all at the same time....

Ring your GP and tell them you can't go that far. But wait a week and see if they ring you. They should have swept you up long since. A diabetical elderly gent of your distinguishment should get better treatment.

I had chainsaw neighbours for awhile, but they seem to have finished massacring each other now. My Gardener and his ward showed up yesterday and I had to drive them to the recycling centre with a couple of bags of garden refuse. I was able also to fill up with petrol and get a tyre replaced. The boy changed one of my brake light bulbs for me. He expressed his usual shock symptoms that the one he took out was mostly black inside. "No wonder it didn't work!" I said "Wasn't it lucky that I bought a new one the other day" (because the light on the dashboard said one of them wasn't working). I wondered why I couldn't see the repeater in the rear window, then realised that the tailgate was up at the time. Silly me.

I have cleared space to be able to get my viola out for some practice. So I'll do that at some stage soon.

I might be a "Diabolical elderly", but never Gent ... And my only distinguishments are being, Balding, irascible, truculent and Moody.

To be honest, I have Switched off Phone for the last week or so... Just too much on my mind .... My Annoying Kid Sister wanted me to find out how she could Get to A particular Hospital for an x-ray... I Did work in that area (Local Council) back in the 1960's but not the Hospital and Never had cause to go there. I have worked for NEThames Region Hospital several Times, but not for that area group.. but Kid sister on the other hand, DOES work for that Group, and any one of her colleagues would know it. - Someone has told her the Bus route ... so She wants to go a few miles away to get a Circuitous bus that passes on the other side of that Hospitals Undergound station to go through a few estates to get to the Hospital an hour or so after that... Too much to think about to go through it all over again.

I'd better get some sorting-out ... I have Nursey on a telephone consultation due in the Morning (Nothing to do with Inoccs), to see If I have roused the Consultant who should have been dealing with his mistakes... but He avoids me

One of the Best Bosses I ever worked with was with a London Teaching Hospital, and She was the trigger for setting up a Proper "Patient Services" office. - When it became Nationwide some details were changed and it became P.A.L.S (Patient Advice and Liason Services). It was changed again last year When Covid necessitated proper Medic bods to work from their homes and The PALS office was just a Phone room where they dispensed work to the Medics.. I think I'd better stir them up again - or perhaps I'd better catch up un missed phone calls???

Gotta go - I need a good SSCCRREEEAAAAAMM

I think you can switch the phone on again. You can only take one call at a time.

The PALS office was supposed to be able to sort out problems for patients afraid of revenge attacks after complaints. I know that after a long day of getting no results for enquiries, a request for directions to the PALS office brought quick relief, though the night sister was a real pain.

Isn't there a town service bus to all the hospitals? I hope your kid sister gets where she wants to go.

Patient Services was set up when Loadsa Scanning machines came into use, initially only at very few Hospitals. They were then very useful when they came into being; being overloaded with usage: Where I worked they Were Running four of them, 16 hours/day x six days a week, with a guaranteed service - especially on the seventh day. But eventually merged with more general enquiries. Then extended to the UCH, only half a mile away.. but The National one meant that same-group hospitals were tens of miles apart, so the systems were "tweaked" to P.A.L.S.

No bus Services here that include the Hospital, and certainly not the whole group. But Kid Sis lives in that there London, but to That particular hospital is also on the "Underground" (albeit a Surface line) - and That Nice Mayor of London instigated Night busses when the underground was in servicing mode. Sister' appoint was a regular Day "opening hours" dept. But for reasons that I couldn't understand, she couldn't go to a station (no need to buy a ticket - her London Buspass includes Underground, etc - even Trams - albeit nowhere near her home). All she needed to do was to ask at the card/ticket bod "What Platform for Upney" and get the next train... Thats when it got complicated... I tried to get a bus map for the route number she had heard about - it needed a first bus to another area a few miles away, then the prescribed route which drove around most estates in Rainham, then most in Dagenham, then on the Other side of the station next to the hospital, then a Tour around Barking (changed regulrly whilst work is undertaken on another proposed under/over railway line to Barking (where she could have got the Train, or same bus(?) to tour the park and bus garage to the Hospital side of the afore mentioned Upney Station.
The bus map I found extended to six x A4 sheets forb the part of the route she seemed to need. ... But I had my own problems Re my Hosp appoint and just couldn't get all that written up, stapled and posted in time to get my local bus to bost it before 16:45 last collection... And she wouldn't understand it anyway.

Caught up with Life, The universe, and (almost) everything today. Phone on again.........

I looked out this morning when I woke up properly to see the fog over the hill was gone and the fields were bathed in sunshine. The first thing I had noticed was that the flood lake had dried up. I felt cheerful enough to give a horsey snort. Some time, years ago I wondered why horses do it. The only way to find out was to try it. I loosened my bottom lip, shook my head and blew. Now I know. It is similar to riding a bike downhill with no thought of what might happen when you get to the bottom. Only sillier and a bit ridiculous. Like standing on your head and eating jelly with mandarin oranges in it. I do the snort in private for fun. It's more of a fribble really.

I'm not going to be sensible today. I'll stay indoors and then nobody will see.

I looked out of the Window (into my garden) and saw brilliant sunshine .... I decided that it might be better not to look out of the Front window...
Afraid I cannot ignore it any Longer, I'll have to go out .


If I don't come back, then send a search team out to the Post Office. No Fog, but I suspect there will be floodwater en-route to the Number 8 bus-stop. (look for the bubbles coming to the surface)
You will spot me: Best Walking boots, Brown Leather Waterproof, White Facemask, and remaining hair long, because Barber is closed

Another Monday. I was a little ahead of my cleaners. We agreed on the perfidy of some local garage mechanics, but I didn't say which I preferred. If they skip a stage you think is important like regulating power steering fluid so the bubbles stop, you don't use them for anything important. She's having her vaccination on Thursday. Hope yours went well.

I went back to be for a bit of a zizz and woke hours later feeling better. I may do some more viola practice.

Hi! Not really keeping up... Extreme toothache, then a broken tooth (different tooth). In the middle of some ... well No details, but I am a bit limited from Home with some Nursey advices/equipment that I have to use here., Still trying to find The Consultant who is avoiding me, and, and.... Well, I am somewhat pre-occupied so not much to say, or involved in, at present. Not certain if toothy problems are direct, or extra sensitivity re recent Covid inoculation.

It's sounding as though You are doing OK.. I hope so. No Viola, but it does remind me that .... On Sunday I could hear Church Bells in the Morning. Not normally heard here so I'm thinking that someone has felled (whole or part, or just thinning) of the copse/woodland betwixt me and the church, - I'm sure that's improper until the bird-nesting season is gone?

Can't hear any Viola, but whilst I'm sure it sounds wonderful, a Long-ago Lady friend of mine lived in some flats beside Wanstead Common - A large Public Meadow (with a couple of Lakes) frequented by Kite-Flyers, Model Aircraft enthusiasts, and Horse riders - all well arranged and quiet ... But in her flats was a Lady Opera Singer... Who used to Practice on what would otherwise have been on "Quiet" evenings...

Gotta go - prise Big Ginger cat off of MY bed


Oh Woe ... Tried three times to post this - Seems like some kind of Connection - Maybe whoever moved the trees have interfered with the landlines to the transmitter...

Sorry you are having problems with your consultant. Never easy to contact at the best of times. I hope your toothache has cleared up now. One toothache turned out to be sinus after an inordinate amount of pain.

I hope my insulation reduces the viola output sound. My piano tuner neighbour opposite often plays, so I needn't worry that he will object. Out shacks though small are detached so there is some distance. I'm considering playing cello music as the viola is an octave above the cello. a trial run of Saint Saens The Swan worked well. The tenor clef is very annoying and not much use to me because the notes are all well above the lines so harder to read, and can mostly be written on the treble clef anyway. When I first returned to the violin it was dreadful, but the dog likes it now so there's no embarrassment about playing.

I often wish I had allowed the dog to sleep on my bed, especially on cold nights, but I'd have to lift her on and off because of her back legs being too unreliable for jumping. I lift her in and out of the car, but she doesn't weigh much.

I hope your signal settles down soon.

I have enough trouble when 6.2 Kilo of ginger mog Jumps on me in bed (especially when he's jumped from a high bookshelf), You certainly don't need to try it with a dog........

I meant She doesn't weigh much for her size. 17 Kilos, and she's underweight, but she's very gentle and wouldn't cause any pain.

We are having gales here and because I went up to the North Hill, a spur from Exmoor for a walk with Cassie just before doing the shopping, It was more of a hurricane with lashing rain. On the car park at Tescos the sun started to come out so maybe it's getting better. The floods/puddles are diminishing anyway. My thumbnail description is that if the water is completely across the road it's a flood, but if the puddles don't meet they are still puddles.

Incredibly.. It is sunny, warm, and certainly no wind or rain. The few clouds in the sky are sparse and motionless.

It is suddenly warm at night too.

The rain stopped this morning and it turned out nice again.

It seems pretty cold standing in my doorway waiting for her maj to finish with the garden, several times a night and patrolling the estate on a whim while she expects me to be there to open the door to let her back in again.

Hello there.
Her Maj seems to behave Like a cat...
An Alsatian of my acquaintance would indicate and tardiness in feeding him, He would pick up his empty food bowl and throw it at you...
... and one night "woofed" quietly at me to awaken me to follow him ... "Intruder's" .. No, He just sat quietly in the kitchen looking at the food bowl, then looking at me, then looking at the fridge, then looking at his food bowl.., then...........

Yes, it's uncanny how they tell you what you need to know. Almost always with penetrating looks. I do go back to bed and read for a while but somehow I hear something and when I go to investigate, she's there waiting for me to let her in. Now I've spent a few hours getting up and giving up, I know when she's just outside the door, she's only just arrived but contrives to make me think she's been there for hours.

There's a glitch in the heating again, probably the time clock/temperature interface, so I'll have to get the service engineer to call. I know it isn't the trip switch, and a service is overdue. It needs some antifreeze this time.

That Alsation (My Mum's) was only a pup, but He soon learned that our Cat was in charge. As The dog grew, Mogie soon learned that laying close to the dog was warm, and comfortable, and well protected, between Dogs forepaws and rear paws.

It is now warm enough here to turn off one room's heating. Ginger Moggie has now taken to curl up in the room with heating .... on the carpet in shadow, by the door... A stripy ginger/black stripy cat is far too camouflaged on Autumn leaves Brown, black, ginger, grey pattern, especially in the evening dark.

Yes, My neighbour's two dogs, (over the road) a German Shepherd and a Border collie, also my BC soon learned that the tiny kitten growing to a pretty small moggy when adult was the boss of the place.

It's not too cold outside, but the heating isn't coming on. I had to use my little convector using 175 w and 75w but it makes a lot of difference.

I've forwarded message from Rector saying church services are back up in March. 10.30 start though. No singing until Easter.

Singing.. in March ... Does that necessitate some Keeping fit? I did a press-up once (1959), but it hasn't started working yet, so I won't do another.

I'd wait until the effect wears off before you try anything else, but press-ups have to be the silliest exercises ever. They don't improve anything and only tire you out.

Just mountaineered the heating cupboard. All the gauges are in silly places and readings are incomprehensible. Found a company to come and sort it out on Monday. They work with my normal engineer so that's a bonus.

There's a nest of shrews in my study. I hear them rustling sometimes. Pondering getting a nameplate for my shack Shrewsbury. I was at college there and it's in my home county.