17 January 2025 (Friday) - Early Shift

With an alarm set I woke about three hours earlier today than I did yesterday. I lay awake for a while, then gave up and got up. This morning’s average blood pressure was 152/89 which is about average. Average for me; far from good for anyone else.

I watched “Poldark” in which it would seem that Verity’s estrangement was at an end, but Elizabeth was up for a portion and made no secret to Ross about it.

 

I had a quick look at the Internet. It was still there. Unlike yesterday (which was a tad dull) there were a few squabbles kicking off this morning. Antibiotics for a fungal infection… anyone with the slightest medical knowledge would understand why that wouldn’t work, but those who actually knew nothing about it wouldn’t be told, and made great show of demonstrating that they knew nothing. And pension provision… the Facebook Retirement UK page is always good for bitterness. This morning some very silly fellow (in his late fifties) was asking how much his pension would be each week. He was rather dismayed to find that his future pension bore no relation to his current mammoth salary and everything to do with how little (i.e. nothing) he’d paid in to a pension fund.

 

It was very dark as I set off to work, but not foggy as it had been on Wednesday. I popped to the Sainsbury's petrol station on the way. As well as having petrol, they have sandwiches early in the morning. For some reason the Aylesford filling station never has sandwiches before mid-morning. The miserable old bat I've met before was on duty, but she was happy and cheerful for once. That made a change.

 

I drove off up the motor way listening to the pundits on the radio. Global warming is getting worse with carbon dioxide levels going through the roof. The world will (probably) see me out, but I despair for what Lacey, Jake and Darcie will have to contend with.

And there's been a cease-fire declared in the ongoing conflict in Gaza... But some of the head honchos of the Israeli government have resigned in disgust, openly saying they want the war to continue.

Apparently making any concessions at all to the other side is a bad thing, and these resigning ministers feel that any concessions should be made by their opponents and certainly not by them. However they've agreed not to try to bring the Israeli government down *if* war resumes at the end of the cease-fire in six weeks time. They really want the war to continue.

I can vividly remember an interview with people on both sides of a previous iteration of this conflict a few years ago when neither side were prepared to budge an inch and both sides were harping back to perceived insults from over fifty years ago.

I've said before that the war in the Middle East will run and run, and it is the poor innocents on the ground who suffer.

 

I got to work and cracked on with the early shift. As I did my bit the boss confirmed that I won't be doing night shifts until my blood pressure is sorted. A minor result I suppose. I've only got one night in the next couple of months but being a Friday night it would have made for a tricky time getting to Dog Club.

 

With my bit done I came home. This evening’s blood pressure was exactly the same as this morning’s; 152/89. And with that done we scoffed dinner whilst watching more of “The Traitors” and “Junior Bake Off”.

 

Today has been… rather frustrating really. We’ve got the windows being done next week. Once that’s done we can look to getting the electrical issue sorted. I’ve still got a couple more days of blood pressure monitoring to do before the doc tells me about a lifetime on tablets and the need to diet. So much to get done, but nothing I can do right now.

There’s an awful lot in my life that’s pending at the moment; I just wish we could get on with it.

16 January 2025 (Thursday) - Undercrackers

I got up and after I’d had a shave I had my usual rummage round the Internet. It was still there. No one was squabbling about anything which was rather remarkable.

I Munzed, got Wordle on the fourth go, measured blood pressure (144/88 this morning), then got ready for the off.

 

We had a minor contretemps on the way to the woods. Some idiot in a black Toyota Yaris had been tail-ending me from half-way up Brookfield road to the motorway roundabout (about a mile) where he dangerously overtook. I slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting him, and then I followed him as he drove not two yards from the car in front of him all the way to Boughton Aluph (two more miles). The car he’d been following turned off there and I then followed him to the turn-off to the woods which he reached about five seconds before I did.

 

The woods were busy today – not with walkers but with vans. We see a van driving round the woods about once a month or so. Today we saw three different ones. Two from Forestry England; one unmarked.

We also found a pair of pants. Nice pants. We’ve found a pair of freshly shitted pants before, but these were clean. How on Earth does anyone lose a set of undercrackers in the woods? I suspect unmoral activity.

It was warmer today than it has been so Bailey didn’t wear her coat. I’m not sure if that was good or bad; when I wasn’t looking she got herself a serious smearing of fox poo on her back, so once home it was into the bath.

 

With dogs scrubbed I made myself a cuppa, then did some housework. I put washing in. I ran round with the Hoover. And I cleaned out the fridge. I’ve been threatening to clean out the fridge for some time, and it was quite the adventure. There were two almost (but not quite) empty jars of wholegrain mustard. There were two almost (but not quite) empty Jif lemons. There was a lump of Stilton (fortunately wrapped) that I’d forgotten about from Christmas. There were two three-quarter empty pots of cream that I’d been keeping for no apparent reason. There were two opened jars of Branston pickle. And I found a jar of piccalilli; I was sure we had some.

I won’t mention best before dates… I’ll just say that quite a bit went down the chodbin, and the winner was some ground coffee powder that went out five years ago.

I’d actually cleaned out the fridge to find out what the whiff was. Amazingly it wasn’t any of the contents that were smelling; the drain at the back was rather grim. It’s sorted now.

The fridge is remarkably empty right now… let’s keep it that way.

 

I wrote up some CPD, I watched some telly, and then I heard something. The local Green party had stuffed the local county councilor’s newsletter through the letterbox. I read it, and quite liked his honesty; he admitted that there is a lot that he can’t do, but said that he was sharing his email address in case anyone had any issues. I sent him an email about the railway underpass by Asda which floods whenever we get heavy rain. I mentioned it the other day. Last year I emailed the local councilor about it. All she did was email me a link to report a flood. Let’s see if the county councilor will do anything.

Whilst I was at it I emailed my MP about it as well.

And then my phone rang. The Occupational Health people from work have advised me to come off night shifts until my blood pressure stabilizes. They’ve also told me to lose weight. That’s easier said than done.

 

I made a point of sitting and taking it easy whilst watching the telly for a while, then took my evening blood pressure measurement. I did it three times as per instructions; the average was 160/98 which is still firmly in the stage two hypertension category. I always think of stage two hypertensives as breathless fat old sods gasping for air; not sprightly fat old sods who regularly walk the dogs four miles round the woods.

 

“er indoors ^TM” boiled up dinner which we scoffed whilst watching another episode of “The Traitors” which is a strangely captivating show. Most of the contestants (the Faithful) have to guess who are the traitors. With absolutely no clues or evidence whatsoever, the whole thing just becomes one big popularity contest.

It’s rather amusing… 

 

15 January 2025 (Wednesday) - More Self-Indulgent Whinging

Well, there’s no denying I’ve got the arse. Last night I got “er indoors ^TM” to stick her arm in my new blood pressure machine. I won’t say what her numbers were, but I will say that according to official figures she is rather normal, whilst I would seem to have stage two hypertension.

 

It is all rather funny really; having been reasonably healthy for years, now that I know I have high blood pressure I’m feeling all sorts of twinges in my chest. I’m sure it is entirely psychosomatic, but it goes to show, doesn’t it? Mind you I have no idea what it goes to show, but it must go to show something.

According to heart.org  if the measurements carry on as they are at the moment, the quack will probably prescribe blood pressure medication and lifestyle changes. I suppose I’m long overdue to start on the statins; so many people that I know are on them. And as for lifestyle changes… another diet in the first instance. More exercise? How many four-mile dog walks can I do? But maybe this might be a way of getting out of night shifts?

 

This morning I had granola for brekkie rather than toast, but that did nothing for my blood pressure which was slightly up on yesterday evening’s reading.

I watched an episode of “Poldark”, then had a little look at the Internet as I do. It was still there. Amazingly it isn’t filled with adverts about blood pressure yet.

 

It was very dark and foggy as I set off to work, but having no ice to scrape from the car was something of a result. I stopped off at the co-op for a sandwich then headed off west-wards through the -hursts and the -dens to Pembury.  As I drove I listened to the pundits on the radio spouting their drivel. There was quite a bit of coverage of "Yesterday in Parliament" which spoke volumes about our parliamentary democracy. Quite a few matters were supposedly under discussion, but each so-called debate went the same way. Someone would make a point, and having made that point someone else would launch a personal attack on them. A pal of the first speaker would then slag off whoever had made that attack, and so it continued. Not a bad way to pass your time; especially when you're getting ninety grand a year (plus expenses) for doing so.

There was also talk with some emeritus professor of medicine who felt that BMI was a rather crap way to measure obesity, as all it does is compare weight and height and according to BMI, many top athletes would seem to be porkers. The chap then went on to say that fat people should be on weight loss medication for life. That might be me in a week or so.

 

I got to work for the early and had a chat with the boss about blood pressure and night work. I've been referred to the occupational health people.

I then I had a Red Alert. They are far more nerve-wracking and far less exciting than watching Star Trek might have you believe. And if that wasn't enough to put my blood pressure through the roof, the insurance company phoned and said that our ongoing electrical issue isn't covered in the policy and that we will have to pay for having the ongoing problems repaired ourselves.

 

Being on an early I got out early. Being at Pembury I didn’t get home that early. Interestingly despite a rather stressful day my evening systolic blood pressure was fifteen wotsits less than my morning one had been. A shame I couldn’t say the same about the diastolic, but such is life.

 

“er indoors ^TM” boiled up fajitas which we washed down with a bottle of merlot. Red wine is good for your blood pressure apparently.

14 January 2025 (Tuesday) - Walk, Woodwork, Blood Pressure

As I scoffed toast I had my usual root around the Internet. There’s a new goat at the goat sanctuary. “Gregory” was found wandering around Birling; a village not far from junction four of the M20. Presumably an unwanted pet? You wouldn’t lose a goat and not realise, would you? But why abandon the poor thing. Why not just take him straight to the goat sanctuary and say that you can’t cope with him?

I munzed and wordled and got ready for the off.

 

With dogs on leads (and small one in a coat) we set off. As we drove to the woods there was an interview on the radio with Sara Pascoe who was being asked what advice she’d give her younger self.  It was rather interesting, and made me think. What advice would I give to me back in the seventies?

Work harder at school and give the church a lot less priority I think. For all that I met “er indoors ^TM” through the church, looking back had I not flunked out of school half way through A-levels with an end of year average of twenty-eight per cent I could have been a doctor or solicitor. But when all my mates (who went on to be doctors and solicitors and incredibly rich) were doing their studying I was doing Boys Brigade and bible study classes.

 

With reports of one of my geocaches having gone missing I wanted to check it, so we parked in the lower car park at Kings Wood... eventually. Some idiot had parked right across the entrance. But once parked we had a good walk. We stayed to the wider paths and were soon where the missing geocache was supposed to be. It was missing. The entire area had been flailed flat and the cache and its hide had been destroyed. I popped a new cache out, and we continued our walk. We had a good walk. We avoided the worst of the mud, I found yet another sink hole. We met another group of one woman and six dogs. That seemed rather keen.

After three and a half miles we were back at the car. Parked next to us was a van of a dog-walking firm. Presumably that was the woman with the six dogs? Could I jack it all in at work and become a professional dog walker? I probably could, but being lazy suits me in that tomorrow I shall just turn up at work and do my thing then go home again. I always remember an uncle who was self-employed who spent all day working doing the actual job, and then spent several hours every evening doing all the admin and paperwork for the business.

 

We came home and I sorted a cuppa, then went into the garden and pootled. Last week “er indoors ^TM” spotted a rat on the bird feeder. The rat trap was an abject failure, so I had this idea of building some sort of thingy to hold the bird feeder where the rat can’t get to it. It didn’t take long to build – let’s see if it works. If it doesn’t collapse by the weekend I’ll dob a coat of paint on it.

 

I came in and had a stroke of genius concerning the pi function of prime numbers and solved a geo-puzzle, then using the vignerre cipher solved another. I had a little aggro with the third geo-puzzle. Once I’d de-ciphered (using pigpen) I was left with what I could only describe as utter gibberish. But I got there eventually.

 

“er indoors ^TM” set off babysitting. I settled down watching more “Poldark” in which George told Elizabeth his intentions. And they were rather beastly.

And then my blood pressure monitor arrived. In a novel break with tradition I read the instructions and sat quietly for a few minutes before having a go. I came in with the same diastolic as the doctor’s machine said last week, but the systolic came in ten units lower.

 

“er indoors ^TM” returned from babysitting and boiled up lamb chops and chips. That’ll put those ten points back on the blood pressure…

13 January 2025 (Monday) - FTF in Perry Wood

“er indoors ^TM” woke me shortly after eight o’clock this morning; I was mumbling in my sleep apparently.

I got up, made toast and had my usual root around the Internet. Last night someone had posted to Facebook openly saying that the entire COVID pandemic was one big hoax staged in order to inject the masses with the vaccines for no reason that they were prepared to divulge. I squealed the comment to Facebook; they said it didn’t go against their community standards. I asked for a review. This morning they confirmed that posting factually incorrect anti-vax propaganda doesn’t go against their community standards.

Ho hum…

And then I had a text from the doctor who wants me to monitor my blood pressure at home. How am I supposed to do that? I went on Amazon and ordered up a home-testing device which should arrive tomorrow.

 

I was just about to take the dogs to Kings Wood for our morning walk when I had an email about a new geocache in the car park at Perry Woods. So we went to Perry Woods instead where after a quick First to Find we had a little walk round the woods. I must admit I’m not overly keen on Perry Woods for a walk. From experience it is rather up hill and down hill. The car park is in the middle of the woods so you are never really very far from a road. There are pheasants all over the place. And it seems to be rather muddy at this time of year too.

But we had a good walk. The dogs came back when called… far more promptly than they did the last time we were there.

As we got back to the car park so a car pulled up with some familiar faces inside. The chap who is usually First to Find on all local geocaches had taken his time today. We had a little chat, then came home where the dogs had a tummy wash and went to sleep. I sorted a cuppa for me and “er indoors ^TM”.

I eventually got Wordle right, then had a look in the garden

 

Over the spring, summer and autumn I spent a lot of my spare time pootling in the garden. It is a tad too cold to pootle now, and I don’t want to fiddle about too much in case I disturb hibernating bugs. But I harvested dog dung then gently broke up the ice on the ponds. Then I went round harvesting the dog turds I’d missed earlier before trimming back the overgrowth from next door’s rose bushes. Now that it is winter I could get to the thicker branches to hack them back. I don’t like hacking her overgrowth as relations aren’t peachy at the best of times, but last summer their roses reached half-way across our garden.

I went round with the dog dung bucket a third time; you’d never believe how many turds three small dogs produce. And then I pulled the off stones which were glued to the little membranes which I bought last summer.

 

Having spent a couple of hours pootling I came in, scoffed a crumpet for lunch, then sent out over fifty invites to next month’s geo-event. We’re having an afternoon at the scout hut playing board games.

I wrote up some CPD and struggled with geo-puzzles until my phone beeped. I had a friend request on Facebook… apparently from “er indoors ^TM”. Someone had set up a fake account in her name. And then my phone beeped again. Gordon had also had a similar friend request on Facebook. We both reported the fake profile, and the Facebook feds deleted the account in minutes. I’ve seen quite a few of these fake accounts; someone once even set one up in my name. I suppose people create these accounts to get access to other people who are their friends, and can try to scam them from a position of supposed trust.

 

“er indoors ^TM” boiled up dinner then went bowling. I watched more “Poldark” in which Verity was giving the sea captain the come-on, and Elizabeth wasn’t saying no to George quite as forcefully as she might.

Meanwhile Dr Ennis  was confronted with a heaving chest…

I might watch another episode in a minute…

 

12 January 2025 (Sunday) - Bit Dull

I slept like a log last night and woke after nine hours asleep, then lay there not so much worrying about Friday’s session on the doctor’s scales as pondering about it. I can’t claim I’m not overweight or that I eat particularly healthily, but I do exercise quite a bit; certainly more than people I know who are half my age.

So I got up and dusted off our bathroom scales which said I was pretty much the weight I’ve been for ages, and nearly a full stone under what the doctor’s scales said I was.

With minor panic over I made some toast and looked at the Internet. Last night I posted something on Facebook which had received quite a few comments; the Google Street View car had found a fat bloke in the nip in Kentucky. Click here and try Google Street View on that parked car. This morning the bloke was brandishing his chopper; it has now been censored.

And again people were showing off how stupid they were on Facebook. One bloke was ranting about how science had actually proved that the universe was only a few thousand years old, and another bloke was insistent that water flowed from north to south, *not* downhill. There were quite a few arguments going on. I find it best not to try to reason with the idiot brigade. But it does bother me that these people are allowed to vote and do jury service.

 

I boiled a kettle of water and went out to the ponds. I soon melted a hole in the big pond from which I could then break the ice to allow oxygen to get in, but the ice on the little pond took some melting. It was about an inch thick.

Whilst I was at it I harvested a bumper crop of frozen dog turds, but I’d watched Morgan emptying out by the Monkey Puzzle tree last night and that turd was gone this morning. Does that explain why Bailey was sick this morning, and count as a failure for the pro-biotics which are supposed to stop her scoffing dung?

 

“er indoors ^TM” set about repairing the poggered cabinet in the bedroom. I left her to it and made a start solving a series of geo-puzzles. Eventually “er indoors ^TM” then went off round to see ”Auntie Chel ^TM” who was staging a film afternoon. I called a halt on puzzle solving as my brain was hurting, and I put some washing in to scrub.

I then watched more “Poldark” in which Mr. Ross did the dirty deed on Demelza and had to marry her, and in which the sea captain (him who’d plighted his troth) returned. I then had a little doze, and wrote up some CPD until “er indoors ^TM” returned.

 

She boiled up a rather good dinner which we washed down with a bottle of merlot whilst watching the next episode of “The Traitors” in which everyone believed everything that a vicar had to say purely because she was a vicar… even though she was openly telling porkies. And then an episode of “Junior Bake Off”. I felt sorry for the kid that got voted out; she was up against some serious competition…

 

Yesterday was a rather good day. Today was on the dull side.

11 January 2025 (Saturday) - Dog Club and Edenbridge

I was sleeping rather well until the bin men came up the road at half past six this morning. You never see bin lorries out in the afternoons, do you? Do they have to start quite so early?

I got up, made toast and prepared “Hannah” for the day then had a look at the Internet. It was still there. People were all too quick to show off their ignorance on social media. People usually are. Why do they do that?

I munzed, wordled, and got we got ready for the off.

 

It took a surprisingly long time to scrape the ice from the “er indoors ^TM” – mobile, and with ice scraped we followed a car with a seriously flat tyre to the Repton estate. What with all the delays from ice and slow cars there was quite the queue at the gate for Dog Club when we got there. How embarrassing.

But despite the cold day we had a very good Dog Club. The temperature stayed cold enough to keep the mud frozen, and having two coats on Bailey meant she didn’t shiver like she had done last week

 

With Dog Club done we set off for Edenbridge. As we drove we caught the last part of Steve’s Mystery Year competition on the radio – Shine by Take That? 2006, or so I thought. It was 2007.

We listened to Steve as we drove up the motorway. And as we drove Steve gave the lie to anyone who claims the Saturday morning radio show is pre-recorded. The gizmo which does the music started jumping and repeating itself. I did chuckle when Steve told listeners to talk amongst themselves whilst he sorted the issue.

As it does, the radio signal gave out round about Harrietsham. Heart FM isn’t the same.

 

We got to Edenbridge where together with Karl and Tracey we had a little wander round the streets following a smaller geocache series. There’s plenty of geo-series over that way, but at this time of year the countryside is one huge swamp. I don’t mind going into the swamps, but we did have plans to go to the geo-meet after our walk, and there is only so much mud you can take into a pub.

The geo-meet was rather good. Karl stood us all dinner; cheeseburger with stilton was rather good. We met up with old friends we caught up on gossip. The dogs were rather well-behaved. I miss the old geo-meets.  

I took a few photos whilst we were out.

 

I managed to stay awake for most of the journey home. We had a pizza for tea and watched another episode of “The Traitors” in which the contestants were getting particularly stressy with each other. And then an episode of “Junior Bake Off” – those kids are rather talented.

 

Today was a rather good one. The dogs have been snoring ever since we got home.