15 January 2022 (Saturday) - Overdoing It In Badlesmere

I scoffed toast as my one hundred and fifth negative COVID test incubated and as I had my usual rummage round the Internet.

Last night someone had posted a picture of several boxed Lego sets to one of the vintage Lego Facebook groups that I follow. All but one of the sets were the models that I have on display on a shelf above the telly so I put up a photo of my shelf. A few people commented overnight that they liked my photo and felt that the figures (and the Lego Pugs) all added to the display. But the chap who’d posted up the first picture didn’t seem impressed. For him Lego is all about getting the set still unopened in its box and keeping it that way. I didn’t comment any more – each to their own.

As I peered into the Internet go Pogo came and sat with me and started a little fight as he does. Somehow or other he’s acquired a rather nasty scratch on his belly over the last few days. I wonder how he did that? I don’t remember him going anywhere where he might have got scratched.

 

We got the dogs organised, and went on a little outing. Rather than overdoing it today we had a plan for a shortish walk where it wouldn’t be too windy, and Badlesmere fitted the bill nicely. We met up with Karl, Tracey and Charlotte and walked a little route we’ve walked a few times recently. In a novel break with tradition I wore wellies rather than my walking boots, and I was right to have done so. Although we started off with frozen mud, the mud soon melted and was quite deep toward the end of the walk.

Usually when we walk we take a picnic lunch with us. And a load of water. And tons of supplies for the dogs. We didn’t take luggage today which made for a much easier walk, but even so, I did feel that I was struggling somewhat toward the end. And at the end we stopped off in the Red Lion for a couple of pints and a rather good bit of dinner.

Much as I did overdo it today, it was good to get out of the house and spend some time with friends. I took a few photos whilst we were out. Today was good.

 

We came home, and once I’d emptied my sinuses of gunk and blood clots (yuk!) I spent a couple of hours fast asleep on the sofa with Treacle curled up net to me. I don’t know who was the most worn out today; the dogs or me.

I woke to find “er indoors ^TM” was watching a rather odd TV show about a young lad who wanted to be a drag queen. A strange program – it was rather predictable but still entertaining. 

We then cracked out the post and cheese and had a rather good evening scoffing them and watching episodes of “The Great Pottery Throw Down”. Together with the various incarnations of “Bake Off”, “Sewing Bee” and “Lego Masters” we seem to be watching a lot of shows featuring the normal people doing all sorts of things that we could never do… though it has to be said I’d have a fair go at the Lego if I had access to the Brick Room with three million Lego pieces…

14 January 2022 (Friday) - Disappointment in Lenham

I slept for ten hours last night… I have a problem in that after eight or so hours asleep I just get backache and so staying in bed is somewhat counterproductive. I hurt this morning.

I got up, sloshed out sinuses (yuk!), made toast and had a look at the Internet. It was still there. With pretty much nothing at all happening I got dressed and got on with what I had planned. My car hadn’t been started in a week. I’ve got a series of Adventure Lab caches to set up. I needed a venue for the February geo-meet. And the dogs needed a walk.

 

The car started which was something of a result, but we drove out to Lenham to be faced with utter disappointment. My idea for a series of Adventure Lab caches there involved finding five reasonably spaced places of local interest. Each would have a plaque or a sign or something from which I could set up a straightforward question. I knew that the church would be out of bounds – I’ve already set one up round the church. But sadly the village was nowhere near as historic as I thought it might be. Half an hour’s searching found a derelict hovel that claimed to have once been a village gaol, and there was absolutely sod-all else of note. Bearing in mind that the Adventure Lab series would be the “thing” for the geo-meet I’m planning and that it had fallen at the first hurdle, I didn’t bother asking in either of the pubs about using them as a venue.

The dogs had a walk… I suppose. Both were pulling with all their might, and both were pulling in different directions, crapping like things possessed and spraying copious amounts of pee in every direction.

It was something of a relief to give up and go home.

 

Once home the dogs were soon snoring, and I got on with Coursera for an hour or so. Pogo snuggled up with me, and I dozed for a couple of hours. As I so often do, I spent the afternoon watching episodes of “Four In A Bed”; one of the competing guest houses had set themselves up running a course in how to run a Bed & Breakfast establishment. The chap who prided himself in (supposedly) knowing all about the hospitality industry really couldn’t understand why everyone else felt he as wrong to wear a rather ratty moth-eaten jumper full of holes when welcoming people to his hotel. As is so typical of our times this fellow knew all the catch phrases and buzz words but nothing of any practical use, and I rather sniggered as he came last by a clear margin.

I did some more Coursera until “er indoors ^TM” came home. She came via “My Boy ^TM”’s house where favourite oldest granddaughter Lacey had made far too much pudding. We got a rather good kiwi-fruit and lemon pie.
It was rather good…

13 January 2022 (Thursday) - Feeling Grim

I didn’t spend pretty much all night downstairs last night which was a great improvement on the night before. In fact apart from a trip to the loo I slept for nine hours and was still fast asleep when Pogo started screaming for no apparent reason. I wish he wouldn’t do that. Most dogs bark when they feel they need to alert the humans to something or other. Pogo really does scream. Like a starlet in a horror movie.

I lay still trying to persuade myself it was all a dream, but it wasn’t. Treacle started dabbing my head to tell me to leap into action, and “er indoors ^TM” had long since departed the scene.

 

I got up, squirted saline up my nose to dislodge all the scabbing (yuk!), made toast and had a look-see at the internet just in case it was any different to how I’d left it last night. Eventually I got in by re-setting the browser which is simple enough if you know what you are doing…. But I’m not sure that I am. Mind you the thing kept on freezing. Has the browser had it? Has Firefox had its day?

Yesterday I’d set up a poll on the local geocaching Facebook page asking for what people wanted in the February meet-up that I’m hoping to run. I must admit I was a tad disappointed at the lack of response, but very few people do commit themselves to the meets; preferring to just turn up on the day if they can.

There was a lot of consternation being expressed at the revelations that whilst pretty much everyone was obeying the lock-down rules of the pandemic there *had* been an epic piss-up staged in Downing Street. But for every person who was expressing dismay there were plenty more cheering on “Good Old Boris”. Despite the chap being demonstrably well out of his depth as Prime Minister, the masses love him.

Have I ever mentioned that democracy is a silly idea?

And I saw that it is now six months since Terry died. Six months…

 

I took  the dogs for a little walk. We took the same route we took yesterday and had a good (uneventful) outing, which is always a good thing. Mind you it was cold this morning, but I used this to my advantage. With walk walked I had a quick once-round the garden gathering up dog dung; dog dung always gathers better when frozen.

Just as I was loading the washing machine so postie arrived with stuff. That set the dogs off. One of the parcels was the job lot of Lego bricks I’d ordered. I had a little look, and wasn’t impressed to see the first brick out of the packet was fake Lego. So I went through all two hundred and fifty bricks. Four weren’t genuine Lego. The fake stuff doesn’t have “Lego” printed on it. There are those who don’t mind the fake stuff… I’m not keen on it.

I made a cuppa and then watched an episode of “The Witcher” and made myself feel quick sick through scoffing the tub of Quality Street that “er indoors ^TM” had got me as a “get well soon” pressie. I then tuned in to some of my Coursera course, but I struggled to pay attention to it. Too many sweeties, too much dog walk, or the after-effects of Tuesday’s operation? I felt rather grim today compared to yesterday. I suppose this is why I’ve been told to take two weeks off work.

I gave up and instead of trying to learn something I just slobbed in front of the telly and slept for most of the afternoon as the dogs snored around me.

 

“er indoors ^TM” came home and boiled up dinner which we scoffed whilst watching the last episodes of “Landscapers”.

I’m feeling like death warmed up now…