17 August 2023 (Thursday) - Late Shift

 

This morning as I scoffed toast I read a rather amusing argument on the Facebook “Ridgeway and Ancient Tracks of Britain and Ireland” page in which people were arguing about the maximum length permissible for a dog to walk. Someone (who didn’t have a dog) had unilaterally decreed that fifteen miles was too much, and others who also didn’t have dogs were backing him up. Those who did have dogs (or experience of them) were being shouted down.
I can’t help but think that the dog himself is the best judge. My Fudge used to walk for miles – he did over twenty miles round Sussex with me once, and at the sixteen miles stage ran off (like a bullet from a gun) chasing pheasants. At the other extreme on a couple of occasions dear old Sid stopped after four miles and would not walk another step and had to be carried. Mind you I wasn’t going to tell the Facebook “Ridgeway and Ancient Tracks of Britain and Ireland” page that though.
I also had some issues with the graphics package I use to create the piccies I use on these blog entries. I’ve always used Paint Shop Pro, and while the thing can be downloaded in “trial” mode, after a month I have to pay for it. I’m quite happy to pay for it, but when I try to do so I get a rather unhelpful Windows “help” screen.
If any of my loyal readers can recommend a decent graphics package…
 
I took the dogs down to the woods. As we drove the pundits on the radio were talking about the England women’s football team who won some big competition or other yesterday. Mind you when I say “talking about”, the one being interviewed was “hysterically shrieking”. I wish they would just speak rationally rather than be so over-excited. It just makes me turn the radio off.
In any event I thought the England women’s football team won whatever it was last year?
We got to the woods; again we had a good walk round. But a short walk compared to the walks in Kings Wood. When he’s not been walked enough Morgan is very reluctant to come back to have his lead put on, and he wasn’t at all keen on the idea this morning.
 
We came home. I got pastries from the corner shop and had a look at MP3s on the Amazon store. I eventually downloaded Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” but it took some doing. I then wrote up some CPD and set off to work.
I'd had a message saying that some chap wanted to buy the spare bits for the old pond filter, but he'd not shown by the time I had to set off, so I left instructions for him with “er indoors TM and set off listening to my downloaded "Bat Out Of Hell"; I've not listened to that album for years. It was (and is) rather good. I played it one and a half times on my way to Pembury.
 
I stopped off on my way at Singleton Post Office as I had a letter to post. Over the years I've built up a mental map of Ashford but over the years pretty much every post box I've noted has since been removed. I suppose we have to wonder who actually posts letters any more when an email can do in seconds what a letter takes a week to do. Eventually I hit on the idea of handing the letter over the counter of a post office. The nice lady behind the counter agreed that was probably the best way to post a letter these days.
I also stopped off at Tesco in Pembury to get a sandwich. There was a new chap on the tills. Smiling and cheeky; I actually walked out of the place with a smile on my face rather than (as I usually do) mumbling under my breath about how unhelpful the staff are. I hope I see this chap again... Mind you I suspect he won't last.
 
I got to work for the late shift and did my bit (as I do). I sulked a little looking at the glorious day outside; I don't dislike my job, but it's no secret that after nearly forty-two years I'd rather not be inside doing it any more. But I did, and eventually the night shift arrived and I left them to it, and listened to "Bat Out Of Hell" one and a half times as I drove home.

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