21 April 2014 (Monday) - Cuxton

Being wide awake at 3am I wondered if I did something then I might then get back to sleep agan afterwards. So I had my morning shave rather earlier than might be considered usual, and then went back to bed where I lay dozing fitfully until 6am. I then got up and deleted a whole load of stuff that I am never going to watch from the SkyPlus box.

By the time "er indoors ^TM" got up (which was probably rather early for most people on a Bank Holiday) I was bored senseless.

After a minor contretemps with a GPS unit we were on our way to Cuxton for a day's hunting sandwich boxes. As we found the first cache we got a message; friends had already done the first part of our walk, but would meet us for the second part. And they did. And six of us (with two small dogs) walked around somewhere I'd never been for a walk before. There were some wonderful views to be had across and around the Medway valley. I got to collect six more letterbox stamps (it's a geocaching thing), "er indoors ^TM" got to go up a tree. I got to go into a tunnel; I wasn't expecting to go tunnel-ratting today, but I wasn't going to turn down the chance when it arose.

And (having been given just the teensiest of hints) we even picked up a puzzle cache which has been bothering me for a little while.

As always I took a few photos whilst we were out

And so home where the less agreeable of our neighbours was practicing piano. I practiced my sax for half an hour in protest, but to no avail. She continued clanging her piano for a good two hours.

I must admit to some amazement about her piano-ing. A month or so ago my sax playing was just a dreadful noise. I've still got a long way to go, but (even if I do say so myself) I think there has been a marked improvement in my sax-ing over that month. Next door's piano-ing isn't as bad as my sax-ing, but in the years she's been clanging that piano (and they've had it some years) she only plays the same few tunes, and has shown absolutely no improvement in them whatsoever.

Whilst next door strangled their violin I spent a little while this evening looking at puzzle geocaches in the north Kent area. Feeling flushed with success after having puzzled this afternoon I tried to puzzle out some more caches. I've found a series based on astronomy. It's a shame that I've had to put incorrect information into some of the sums to get the correct answers, but what is a puzzle cache for if not to haggle about what constitutes a correct answer. If only I could solve this one...

20 April 2014 (Sunday) - Herne Hill

After a rather restless night I came down to find three dog turds on the carpet. "Furry Face ^TM" knew he'd done wrong and was very subdued for the rest of the morning. I was watching Ricky Gervais in "Extras" by 6am. I checked out social media and saw not a lot had happened overnight. As I checked I saw a new geocache went live; not far from where we were yesterday. Ho hum...

The original plan for today was to go to Essex for a spot of watching banger racing. I've never been banger racing before; it might have been fun. But in the same way that Friday's beer festival was abandoned for reasons of economy, prudence dictated that today's banger racing had to go the same way.

I've estimated that by having abandoned the beer festival and the banger racing I can (hopefully) afford the next two weekends' plans.

So in an economical frame of mind we set off to Herne Hill for a day's hunting tupperware. Six of us (and two small dogs) met up at Herne Hill and having solved a clue in the graveyard we set off round the Herne Hill Hike. The weather forecast for the day wasn't good, but it turned out to be pretty much right. A damp start followed by a relatively dry few hours and then torrential rain just after the sort of time I estimated that we'd finish walking.

We had a really good walk; the views would have been better had there been clear skies rather than very low cloud and fog. But it was a good day to be out. And once we'd walked seven miles we had a crafty half in the beer garden of the Red Lion.

I took a few photos whilst we were out

We finished at just the right time; we finished our walk, we enjoyed a pint of ale, and just as we got into the car so torrential rain hit. We abandoned plans for a drive-by puzzle cache and went home with Kim and Andy. Andy had been telling me about Manchester Star ale; a rather good dark ale. I had a bottle. At 7.3% it's not something you mess with. We spent a very enjoyable hour or so chatting and drinking. Must do that more often.

And so home. A rather good bit of tea, and as "er indoors ^TM" set off bowling I curled up in front of the telly. You can't beat hours and hours of "Only Fools and Horses".

19 April 2014 (Saturday) - Busy, Busy

As I went to kip last night the clock on my bedside table read 12.34am. I woke (feeling rough) at 3.33am. Just under three hours sleep (!)

I then lay trying to get back to sleep until 5.30am when I finally got up and watched Family Guy for a while whilst waiting for the time to pass; effectively wasting three hours waiting until the bank would be open.

I then went to said bank to cash a cheque for the asro club. As I was in the area I went into the mobile phone shop to have a whinge. I've been suspecting that my monthly bills have been wrong for some time. It turned out I was wrong; the billing was correct. It's amazing the difference that dealing with someone who speaks English makes.

I then came back home, and whilst "er indoors ^TM" fiddled about "My Boy ^TM" came to visit. He was less than respectful about my musical endeavours so I had a quick sax practice for his benefit. H|e was suitably impessed. However once he'd gone, for some inexplicable reason I seem to be going squawky on D and B. I wonder if these new cheap reeds I bought are a load of rubbish.

We then drove out to Smarden to collect some camping gear for the upcoming expedition. As we were half way to Wychling (or so I thought) I had a look-see at what was going on with a Wychling-based geocache. It had gone live on Thursday evening but still no one had found it yet. I thought we might chase the FTF.

It was at this point that I found out how far away Wychling is. I thought it was only just up the road. But we got there, found the cache, got the FTF (happy dance) and even met an old friend from the arky-ologee club too.

Home via a spot of McLunch. It was there that I realised that I am the posh one in the family. I was whinging about the pikey children. "er indoors ^TM" claimed she couldn't see any pikey children, and therefore I had to be posh.

We then picked up the old tent poles and drove out to the camping shop to get new poles. We picked up a couple of geocaches on the way. I did get a bit wound up as we did one of them. Why do people insist on cluttering up the geo-maps with unnecessary markings for parking points when the obvious parking place is only ten yards from where the geocache is?

From there we drove to Folkestone to take stuff to the Rear Admiral (who'd gone to Maidstone) and to "Daddies Little Angel ^TM" who'd gone to Ashford. Oh how we laughed.

And with "er indoors ^TM" off out on the sauce I found myself home alone. Rather than dozing in front of the telly (as I do all too often) I ironed shirts and sorted undercrackers whilst watching forty-year old episodes of Doctor Who.

Dull, but if I can stay awake in the evening I am less likely to spend the night wide awake...

18 April 2014 (Friday) - Back to the Marsh

"Furry Face ^TM" had a barking fit at 2am. After that rude awakening I dozed fitfully for the rest of the night. I got up shortly before 6am and watched drivel on the telly before getting on with the main business of the day.

Originally I had planned to go down to Folkestone to Chambers Bar for the Easter beer festival. But in a novel break with tradition, common sense came into play. Much as I like a booze up, I have one or two major booze-ups planned over the next couple of months. And I know from previous experience that the Good Friday Chambers Bar beer festival ends up costing about a hundred pounds. I've already overspent this month, so an economy had to be made.

Regular readers of this drivel may recall I went on a rather epic geo-walk last Sunday round the Romney Marsh. Although we did all that we had intended last Sunday, there was still a lot of that geo-series left undone. Today was the day to finish it. I put out the word, but due to one thing and another not everyone could make it. But half of last Sunday's attendees were there, and logging geoacaches as "H.O.T.M.M." (half of the Marsh Massive) we walked thirteen miles over six hours. We enjoyed beautiful scenery, and had a good gossip as we went.

"Furry Face ^TM" seemed to recognise electric fences and pulled away from them whenever he saw any. He also pulled away from the sound of any sheep; I think he associates the sound of sheep bleating with the zap he got from the leccie fence.

I had intended for us to stop for a pint with our picnic half way round at the Rose and Crown in Old Romney. I phoned them last night to see if they were happy with us to do so. They were not. They told me that we could forget about a picnic; we could buy our lunch from them. They told me that rather rudely, so we didn't buy anything from them, and I'd suggest that anyone else in the area doesn't buy anything from them either.

We stopped off along a farm track half way round our walk and we enjoyed our lunch al-fresco; and after the thirteen miles had been walked we had a pint of Early Bird in the Woolpack in Brenzett. They'd been quite happy for us to use their car park whilst we walked and were generally far more welcoming. I even blagged scraps of steak to feed to "Furry Face ^TM".

And, as usual, I took some photos whilst we were out walking. It was a good walk; this part was more on roads than last week's was. But if anyone wants a guided walk across some rather flat land through some of the most scenic parts of Kent, then the Marsh Mosh is the walk to do.

Home; and over a rather good bit of tea we watched a film. "Wedding Crashers" was something I recorded onto the SkyPlus box shortly before Christmas. It's a film I've been intending to watch for years.

It was a disappointment...

17 April 2014 (Thursday) - Having a Whinge

I woke at 3am to hear my dog whimpering and crying. I had no idea what had upset him, but having settled him I then lay awake for the rest of the night wondering what had been wrong. I wonder if he had lost his bone in the dark; in the two days since he was given that bone he has become inseparable from it.

Perhaps it is now time to take that bone away.

Brekkie was shared with "Furry Face ^TM" today. He sat on my lap to be combed; he doesn't have fleas but likes to have a good going-over with the flea comb. Whenever I stopped combing him, he squeaked in complaint and carried on squeaking until I continued combing.

Whilst grooming the pup I watched this week's episode of The Tomorrow People. Another good episode. I then checked my emails. I saw a new geocache had gone live in Folkestone. A bit too far away to chase, but I didn't like what I read in the cache description "Why not check out the near by adventure playground."

I've had caches turned down because they are within a hundred yards of a playground, and here's one actively advertising to go bother the kiddies.

As I drove to work the radio was again wittering on about Scottish independence. But not the usual kilted "we hate the English" arrogance. The radio presenter has dug a bit deeper for once. An interview with the English in the North East (Newcastle and environs) shows the average Geordie feels he has more in common with Edinburgh than London. The implication was that should Scotland go independent then the entire Tyneside area would want to go with them.

However opinion isn't entirely in favour of those who would run Scotland from Edinburgh. The denizens of the Orkney and Shetland Isles apparently feel that the politicians in Edinburgh have no understanding of thier concerns and problems and are demanding greater autonomy regardless of whether they are ruled from Edinburgh or London. There was even talk of their wanting to abandon affiliation with any part of the UK and to be lumped in with some form of Scandinavian union.

I had an irate phone call from the hospital's complaints department. Regular reader of this drivel may recall that on Monday I went to the sleep clinic to get the results of the previous week's sleep tests only to be told these tests take six weeks to come through. So I contacted the hospital's "patient experience team" (or "complaints department" in English) to suggest they might make appointments at such a time when test results would be available (as I thought this would be a sensible idea).

The rather stroppy lady form the complaints department phoned back and demanded to know who lied to me; any fool knows these tests don't take six weeks, and that the doctor I saw on Monday had already received the results (even though he said he hadn't). During the course of the conversation it became clear th at this woman from the complaints department had access to my medical records. I feel that is a matter for complaint in itself.

Shortly after this I received a call from the hospital's respiratory people to let me know that I had another appointment at the sleep clinic in a couple of weeks time. That seemed rather soon to me; I asked if I'd got an early appointment because I'd had a whinge. The nice lady laughed and said that everyone who contacts the patient experience department gets bumped up the queue.

Sax practice; last week I ordered some new reeds for my sax. They've arrived. I tried one out today. I think the thing sounds better for the new reed. Mind you it's all relative; the sound is still far from good, just better than it was.

Once home I took "Furry Face ^TM" round the park and on to visit "My Boy ^TM". With the first fruit of my loin visited I drove round to get an astro club cheque signed. "er indoors ^TM" was off on a works outing so I foraged for tea. I'm quite good at foraging; today I foraged in the general direction of the KFC.

I like KFC...

16 April 2014 (Wednesday) - Beards, Stuff...

After yet another terrible night's (so-called) sleep I was up and watching "Family Guy" before 6am. "Furry Face ^TM" was also up, but for once he showed absolutely no interest in having the crusts off of my toast; he was still chomping on the huge bone he'd been given last night.

With brekkie scoffed I put washing on the line and set off to work on what turned out to be a rather cold morning. But the boiling of my piss warmed me as I listened to the radio. The late Cyril Smith, ex-MP for Rochdale is the latest to be accused of paedophilia. Was he guilty? Some say he was; those who knew him and worked with him said he wasn't. Now that he's been safely dead for four years he has no way to defend himself.

For myself I can't help but think that any accusers should have said something whilst the chap was alive rather than waiting till four years after his death.

There was also something of a rather pointless squabble on that same radio show about the attractiveness of beards. Advocates of beards were claiming that the ladies prefer a bearded man; the clean shaven were insisting that women prefer no facial hair. Having wasted quite a lot of valuable radio air time on such a trivial matter the experts then announced that research has shown that the ladies actually prefer whatever is in the minority at the time; if there's loads of beardies about then I am in with a good chance. If there are very few beardies on the scene, then I don't have a hope.

Surely there must have been something more relevant to waste air time on.

I stopped off at the Park & Ride on my way to work. Some time ago I hid a geocache there. It gets found from time to time. Yesterday I received a curt message about the thing; the message simply read "not there". So I went along with a replacement cache (and apparatus to secure the new one in place) only to find the old one was fine and was exactly where it was supposed to be.

I wonder what that message was all about.

Once at work I did my bit; pausing only for lunchtime sax practice. The Egyptian dance still eludes me, but I have now got to grips with "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "London Bridge is Falling Down". Whilst today's practice went off without incident I did get one or two pointed stares from other people who clearly had planned to have their lunches in their cars and didn't like the noise I was making in the car park.

If anyone could suggest somewhere else I might go then I'm open to suggestions. In the meantime those who don't appreciate good music are free to drive their cars elsewhere for half an hour.

Quite a few philistines are doing so.

Home where after I'd taken "Furry Face ^TM" round the park I did't do any of the tings I had planned for the evening. I'm feling increasingly tired in the evenings.

If only I could sleep at night...

15 April 2014 (Tuesday) - Dull

Up with the lark, and I was watching Ronnie Corbett guest-starring in "Extras" as the washing machine did its thing with my smalls. With brekkie scoffed I hung laundry on the line and then set off to work. With nothing of note on the radio my blood pressure remained constant.

Being at the blood test department befor anyone else I got my "blood test for thyroid" done shortly after 8am. Work was unremarkable, and at lunchtime sax practice I finally got to grips with those marching saints.

Mind you the traditional Egyptian dance is still giving me some gyp.

I came home to find Andy waiting on the doorstep; I'd forgotten he was coming round. Regular readers of this drrivel may recall that I had a clear out at the weekend, and Andy wanted one or two bits that I would otherwise have dinged out. He then came with me and "Furry Face ^TM" on our walk round the park.

Tea, and then leaving "Furry Face ^TM" chewing on his present from Andy we set off to the weekly gathering of the tribe; this time in Somerset Road. Insults were bandied, choccie biccies scoffed, Merlin was watched, and I stayed awake the whole time.

Not a lot really happened in my life today...