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30 January 2024 (Tuesday) - A Day Off

I was rather glad when “er indoors TM”’s alarm went off. I was embroiled in a rather vivid dream in which the local geocaching community had decided to resurrect the snake club, but not knowing the first thing about reptiles were trying to muddle through with film pots and sandwich boxes.
 
I had a quick bit of toast, then got the leads onto the dogs and set off rather quickly as I had a busy morning. As we drove the pundits on the radio were talking about the government’s latest announcement about social housing. Back in the day you either lived in the house you owned, or rented one from the local council, and everyone was happy. Or if not happy, not excessively morose. These days you either live in your own house which you either bought years ago or inherited, or you live in a house rented from a private landlord (and which costs more than actually buying a house). Pretty much all the council houses are reserved for illegal immigrants and those seeking asylum (or so it would seem).
The government has announced that it is changing the rules, and the minister for something-or-other was wheeled on and presented a load of rubbish which was factually inadequate about the public sector’s provision of housing, but he did admit that the authorities are going to start providing “social housing” for locals, and will chuck out the scumbag element which gives some council estates a bad name. I wonder if this means that the local authorities will put illegal immigrants and those seeking asylum into privately rented accommodation and the cost will soar.
 
We got to Kings Wood and had a very good walk. A bit shorter than usual; only two and a half miles. But the dogs were well behaved and came back when called. And no episodes at all. Something of a result.
We came home, had bellies and paws washed, and once brekkie was scoffed the dogs were soon snoring.
 
Leaving them with “er indoors TM I set off on a little mission. First of all to Timpson’s where I got some more keys cut for the lock of the paddock in which we have Dog Club. It is daft only having one key. As I paid (with my card) I thought about something my cousin had posted to Facebook earlier. Less than a month ago a shop opened in Hastings making great show of only taking cash payments. It didn’t take long at all for them to abandon that policy. Back in the day shops that took credit cards had signs in the window saying they took cards. Nowadays no one puts up the sign as everyone pays with cards. The chap in Timpson said that he goes days between anyone paying with cash, and that he leaves the till open so that potential robbers can see he’s got nothing to take.
 
From there I went up to the hospital. There was mayhem in the car park; having parked my car easily some way from the hospital I then watched a swarm of normal people arguing about who could have the space closest to the entrance. If they could, they really would have driven into the place and leaned out of the window to have their appointments.
I didn’t have to wait long before I saw my ENT specialist. I told him I thought those polyps up my nose had returned. He shoved an endoscope up my beak. He showed me my clear and healthy left nostril, and then the two huge polys up the right one. Each looked to be the size of a small grape. Bearing in mind I’ve had polyps cut out three times before and they just came back, he’s suggesting something a tad more radical this time. He wants to do a Caldwell-Luc incision. In the past he’s gone in from the front and carved polyps out. This time he plans to drill through the bone in my upper jaw and come in from behind, which has a ninety-two per cent success rate.
That’ll be something to look forward to; he assures me it is good for three weeks’ sick leave afterwards.
 
I then went on to the bank to talk to them about the old reptile club’s bank account. They were very polite, but weren’t much help really.
Pausing only briefly to go to Repton to check the new keys worked I came home via the co-op and Belgian buns for lunch. And with those scoffed I cracked on with the ironing. No day off work is complete without doing the ironing. It only took an hour, and with ironing ironed I set about geo-puzzling with varying degrees of success.
 
“er indoors TM boiled up a very good bit of dinner which we washed down with a bottle of rioja whilst watching telly. As well as Junior Bake Offwe watched the episode of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badlyfor which “er indoors TM and Treacle had been filmed as extras. We were rather disappointed to see they didn’t get onto the telly…

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