19 June 2015 (Friday) - News, Ultrasound, Walk

After a restless night I watched the second episode of the current documentary about the life of Bob Monkhouse. "er indoors ^TM" had put it on the telly on Wednesday night and I'd slept through it.

Sometimes I wish I'd been a TV celebrity. With no disrespect to the epically famous there's no denying that they've all been incredibly lucky in their careers.

I then checked out social media. Not much had happened overnight really.

And so to work. The radio fizzled a bit but the news worried me. The Prime Minister is being seen to be very brave in asking (telling?) the Muslim community to take the lead in sorting out the problems which are being laid at their door. Has anyone else noticed that decent hard-working people of that persuasion are described as "Muslims" but the loony-terrorists are now referred to as "Islamists"? I suppose the media has to make the distinction before the rest of society decides to take matters in their own hands and tar anyone of non-white-caucasian heritage with the same brush.

Eurozone leaders are apparently laying eggs over the Greek debt crisis. With only a week to go till the Greek government formally refuses to pay back billions the rest of the Eurozone are looking at seeing Greece leave the union.

It's no secret that he average Brit is stupid enough to vote for Brexit and I worry for the future. As I was bouncing my grandson about yesterday I told his mum that he's got about a one in two to one in three chance of living to be a hundred years old. What kind of future will he see?

It won't be high-tech like Star Trek. Desperately hoping the religious crackpots don't blast us back to the stone age it will be at best much the same as today with internecine petty international squabbling preventing any real social advancement. As a child I had expected so much more.

I got to work, I did the bare minimum (as I am told is usual for me). I spent a little while looking up the finer details of ultrasound guided aspirations. I've got an appointment to have my lump ultrasonically aspirated next Wednesday; the boss has given me the day as sick leave.

I spoke with one of the radiology nurses who assured me that I can just eat and drink before the appointment like I would on any other day, that I shall get a local anaesthetic and that I will be fit to drive home immediately after the procedure.

Wikipedia says I should fast from the night before and I should prepare for major surgery; also I will get valium and will be as high as a kite for the rest of the day.

I wonder how it will turn out. Either way it will be something of an adventure.

Over lunch I checked my emails. I had a few this morning since I'd left home. Another invitation to work on the island of Saint Helena; this time for only three months. If I didn't have a neck lump I'd be tempted.

The first newsletter came from the GPS training school; unfortunately it seemed to be little more than trying to sell me stuff.

And an interesting email... Yesterday I went out on a geo-mission before work and found a cache which the owner thought had been personally inspected by the geo-feds. Yesterday I blogged my thought that the reviewer hadn't been within fifty miles of the thing. Today I got a little message from the cache owner telling me she really thinks he did go have a look-see. So I sent a little message back; I also invited her to join the Kent geo-Facebook brigade and to come to the geo-meet I'm staging in August.

I hope she takes it in the spirit in which it was intended....

Talking of things geo we went for a little walk this evening. Four target geocaches; we found three of them. Despite risking life and limb on barbed wire we didn't find one of them.

Again I used "Hannah" (my GPS unit) and... I think it is fair to say I've given the thing a fair trial. I've come to the conclusion that I don't like it. With the sole exception of haiving Ordnance Survey maps it really is inferior to my phone in every single respect. I am now *utterly* convinced there is some big secret about hand-held GPS units that the rest of the tupperware-hunters aren't telling me. Why am I the only one who can see how rubbish they are?

I shall phone the Ordnance Survey company on Monday and see if I can get some sort of a subscription for their maps and see if I can sell this GPS unit. It might pay for a new lap-top...

18 June 2015 (Thursday) - On Mars

After yet another evening spent mostly asleep on the sofa I had an early night.I slept reasonably well despite a few nightmares about what might have been in a previous life. I was again wide awake before 6am (and feeling rough). My little dog was awake this morning and very thirsty. I don't think we shall allow him too many gammon bones in future; they are too salty for him.

Over brekkie we (me and pup) both watched "Secret Diary of a Call Girl". On the one had Billie Piper's stunt double isn't averse to flopping "them" out. On the other hand does fifty per cent of the dialogue really have to be the "F" word?

I then had a look on-line. I had a Facebook friend request from Joan Carbon. "Joan Carbon" (if that is her real name) would seem to live in the Philippinnes and from what I saw it doesn't look as though English is her principle language. Much as I dislike being anti-social (even though I'm a mardy old git) I've already got enough people I don't know on my Facebook list. With absolutely no connection at all to "Joan Carbon" I gave her request the thumbs down.

I had a look at the Facebook Event page for the weekend's astro club stall. After my little rant I see that I prompted a total of six people to respond and answer the invitation. However the "plum" who lives in Spain who says he will come has not removed his "will attend". I remember this twit; he said he was coming to something I once organised and when I messaged him to assign him some duties on that event he said he never goes to any Facebook Event; but he always clicks the "will attend" to show his support (!)

This morning's installment of total nonsense from MessageToEagle dot com was rather entertaining. Today they were punting the theory that there was once two races of ancient Martians (on Mars) both with a level of technology consistent with that in ancient Egypt who managed to obliterate themselves in a nuclear war.

Now I'm no historian, and much as I admire the Pyramids, I don't think the Pharoahs has atomic weapons. I can vaguely remember something about at Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulators on Mars, but (as always) I am in thrall to the superior wisdom of the crackpot fringe.

I took "Furry Face ^TM" for a walk. Beaver Road was rather congested. There is a barrier up the road which only opens for buses, taxis and emergency vehicles. A juggernaut was trying and failing to get through much to the consternation of all the taxis queueing behind.

We walked on through the park past the Ghurka who was doing press-up on the park bench until we saw OrangeHead's dog. But no OrangeHead. The dog was under the supervision of a rather foxy-looking hippie. "Daughter of OrangeHead" perhaps?

With a couple of hours before I was due on duty I set off to Folkestone. I had birthday pressies to deliver and was under orders to bring milk.

The radio reception was a little better as I drove today and Christians were in the news. Starving Iraqui refugees have been supplied with Bibles. I would have thought the money would have been better spent on food. I can't help but cynically wonder how tasty a Bible might be. Closer to home a supposedly Christian person is ruthlessly haranging his neighbour because their garden lanterns are too gay for an area in which children abound. Having been an active Christian myself once, I find myself looking back at the stark nonsense I once espouced. At the time it seemed quite sensible.

That is the trouble with religion...

I got to Folkestone; littlun was well. As well as pulling himself up and being very mobile, he's learned how to kiss, and he kissed his old Grandad.

I spent half an hour with him and his mum putting the world to rights before setting off to work.

I've seen a dozen or so geocaches marked on the geo-map between Folkestone and work, and when on the late shifts I've taken to picking off the odd one before work. It's something to do on an otherwise dull journey. Today's target cache was in Barham and was one I'd had my eye on for a little while. The previous logs read as though previous finders had destroyed the thing beyond redemption. The most recent maintenance log would lead one to beleive the geo-feds had actually been out to give the thing their regal seal of approval (something they do *not* do).

I went along and... what can I say? It's a small geocache; a good hide, but not one I hadn't seen before. Co-ords were about three to five yards out; but realistically that's about as good as you're ever going to get. It took me a few minutes to locate it; I did the secret geo-ritual known only to the select few, and then carried on to work.

And as is usually the case when on the late shift, my day was effectively done by mid day...

17 June 2015 (Wednesday) - Still Dull

Yesterday evening I had a minor rant at the astro club membership. This Saturday is the Shadoxhurst Fun Dog Show and Fete. It is usually a really good event. The astro club puts on a stall; those of us manning the event have a good time. Helping out is open to all.... if only for a few minutes. Every little helps. Some of us are going to the event, others might be, some can't make it, some say they will be there but have no intention of turning up because they don't live in England (I've told them off about that before but still they persist...).

With just four days to go just over eighty-five per cent of those invited haven't even replied to the invite. Are we going to be snowed out with helpers? Will it be just half a dozen of us (because some who've clicked "Going" don't live in England!)?

Setting up this sort of thing as a Facebook Event only works if people actually respond to them (and respond properly).

I woke up wondering what (if any response) my little rant had provoked. I found it had elicited very little.

Whilst having a working lap-top I had a look round the rest of Facebook and I found my piss boiling over trivia. Someone had asked on the "Geocaching in Kent" page about the best way to play Wherigos. Having planned, designed, built and tested the seventeen local ones I offered my sage advice. Someone with a proven track record of preferring his own opinion to reality (and having only done one of the Ashford ones) had posted contrary (and wrong) advice.

The things are not devised to be played on Garmin GPS units. I wish people wouldn't keep recommending that my ones should be done on them; it doesn't show them in a good light.

It was only when I'd finished cyber-ranting that I realised that my little dog was still asleep. He seemed very subdued this morning. Perhaps (like me) he finds the Tuesday late finish rather tiring, or perhaps he's sickening for something.

Bearing in mind there's been a spate of friends loosing their pets recently I spent much of the day worrying about the little pup.

As I drove to work the radio kept cutting out. I wonder if the fault was with the BBC or my car radio. I hope it was with the BBC; I don't need the expense of a new car radio at the moment.

As always the weather forecast amazed me. They start the forecast by describing the current weather. They waffled on about the dismal overcast morning. I was driving through glorious sunshine. If they can't get the weather of the moment right (and you can get that by sticking your head out of the window) what hope have they of getting any forecasts right?

To work. Just lately I've taken to going for a little walk at lunch time. I didn't today as the new shoes are still being run in. Instead I fell asleep whilst reading my Kindle app. I am *so* tired at the moment.

Once home I saw the postman had been. I'd ordered leather insoles for my new shoes. What arrived wasn't what I'd ordered. And what had arrived had been delilberately folded in half by the sender. I've put in a formal complaint but I doubt anything will come of it.

I again checked out the Facebook Event page for this weekend's astro club stall. Yesterday's rant had encouraged a grand total of three people to answer the invitation.... so I'm left wondering whether people aren't actually seeing the invitation or whether they can't be bothered to respond.

Either way Facebook Events aren't working as a way to publicise. I wonder what effect Twitter might have...

16 June 2015 (Tuesday) - Bit Dull

Last night I had a reasonable kip; the first for a while. Mind you I was still wide awake at 5am. Over brekkie I watched "Are You Being Served" which the SkyPlus box had recorded for me. I think I'm now on the last season which is probably for the best.

Being on the early shift I set off a little earlier than usual; the news had its usual blend of irritation. Having spent some months saying that they will abide with the public's decision after the loss of the independence referendum it now seems the Scottish Nationalist *are* pushing for another one.

The Greeks are causing concern. Apparently having up so much debt they owe everyone everything, they've now decided to solve their debt problems by not actually paying anything back. Apparently their major creditors are up in arms wanting their money. It strikes me that our Prime Minister could learn a lot from the Greek attitude.

I got to work, did some, and came home. The plan was to make the most of the early finish; instead I got stuck in a queue of traffic and didn't really get home that early at all.

We had out customary walk round the park. The walk itself was pretty much uneventful, but there was an interesting sight as we left the co-op field. The nice lady in William Road had clearly forgotten to close the curtains. Or perhaps she didn't care. Or perhaps she was deliberately waggling her ample charms on purpose. Either way it brightened up what had (till then) been a dull day.

Once home I had a look on-line. I did laugh at "MessageToEagle dot com". Billed as "thought provoking news for open-minded people who can think outside the box" a more accurate description would be "utter drivel which is clearly laughable to all but the most feeble-minded simpleton". Today's installment featured a message to humanity which aliens had left (some time ago) which they had coded into our DNA. I did think about sending them a message to say that I'd already seen this idea on "Star Trek" but I've always thought it bad form to enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

Perhaps more useful was finding a bunch who give lessons in the use of GPS units. They aren't cheap but I've registered with them. Apparently there is a monthly newsletter which might give me some pointers in how best to use "Hannah"

Being Tuesday the clans gathered. "Furry Face ^TM" liked the attention, and after finding myself stuck on the floor we eventually managed to watch an episode of "The Flash". The telly didn't recognise the USB stick, but transmission via ChromeCast saved the day.

Oh - I nearly forgot... my new Doc Martens have arrived; they seem to be OK. We shall find out tomorrow.

15 June 2015 (Monday) - Telly

A very young Barbara Windsor guest-starred in this morning's episode of "Dad's Army". Another black-and-white one; another one I'd not seen before. I then watched teh end of an episode of "Smallville". I've only ever seen snippets of that show. With ten seasons of it, I sometimes wonder if its something I might like. I wonder if I can download it all from somewhere.

My piss then boiled as I checked my emails. Having spent sixty quid on new shoes over the weekend, today eBay send me a voucher for twenty per cent off of all purchases over twenty quid. They *could* have sent that email two days ago...

I set off for work, got to the car and realised I'd left my wallet behind. So I came home and once I was in and had collected my wallet I went and woke up my dog. He goes mental when someone visits a house over the road, but was completely oblivious to someone coming into the one house he is supposed to be guarding.

I drove to work; the radio played its usual mix of trivia. I stopped off at Morrisons for supplies, then did some work.

At lunchtime I popped out on a geo-mission. A new cache had gone live within walking distance of work. It didn't take me long to get there; didn't take long at all to find it.

It was a tad obvious. It's been there a week, and from reading the logs it looks like the local kids have already discovered it. I hid it slightly better than it was (not at all) hidden when I found it, and I took the liberty to throw away the sweeties which were inside it. Rules is rules - there should never have been sweeties in the thing in the first place.

I hope a few more of these caches go out near work; it made for a pleasent diversion at lunchtime today. Mind you, at the risk of appearing negative, Canterbury is notorious for people discovering the geo-hobby, rushing out hiding new caches, losing interest and then leaving their caches to decay.

I must admit that geo-alarm bellls are ringing; here's (yet) another Canterbury cache hidden by someone with a total find-count of six (including having cheekily logged this one of his own). Let's hope this new hider of tupperware don't give up too.

Once home I took "Furry Face ^TM" for a walk round the park where he got rather carnally involved with a chihuahua and a spaniel. Not at the same time (I hasten to add) but on reflection I'm wondering whether that was a good or bad thing.

Over tea we watched something new on telly which reminded me of something I'd heard on the radio this morning. There had been an interview with Dan Postgate. Son of Oliver Postgate; he's brought his father's "The Clangers" back to our TV screens. I quite liked "The Clangers", and this re-boot was good fun.

"er indoors ^TM" went bowling and I watched another new TV show. "Dark Matter" was rather reminiscent of "FireFly". I quite liked tonight's first episode even if the same story was done much better in Star Trek: The Next Generation's episode "Conundrum".

And then it was time for the last in the current season of "Game of Thrones". Can't say I've liked it as much as I liked the earlier seasons. When the show started there were beleiveable characters and nudey-dragon-girl flopped them out with entertaining regularity. Those few beleivable characters that are left haven't been developed at all in this last season, nudey-dragon-girl had kept the puppies on a tight leash, and any sort of plot has been abandoned in favour of gratuitous mindless violence. I've seen that in "Football Factory", "Essex Boys" and the like. Has "Game of Thrones" run out of ideas? Certainly looks like it...

Yesterday I mentioned that "Humans" was a story which had been done to death by sci-fi writers fifty years ago. Just recently we've been watched the CGI-ed "Thunderbirds". "Poldark" (which I liked immensely) was a re-make. Now it's "Clangers - The Next Generation".

There's nothing original on the telly any more.

14 June 2015 (Sunday) - 5000

I was fast asleep when "er indoors ^TM" alarm went off. She'd set it for 3am for no reason that either of us could determine. I struggled to get back to sleep after that. I finally dozed off only to be woken by "Furry Face ^TM" who had a woofing fit when the neighbours we like went out at 5am. I gave up trying to sleep at that point, got up and had a bit of brekkie. I programmed "Hannah" for the day's upcoming geo-event, had a shave, and went back to bed.

After laying there wide awake for an hour I gave up, got up and thought I might use the time semi-constructively. I put a load of washing into scrub and mowed the lawn. I then strimmed the edges and cut back the overgrowth pouring over the fence from next door. Whilst then hanging out the laundry on the line I saw I'd somehow got a rather nasty blood blister whilst doing the gardening.

I then emptied one of the lock-ups to get the astro club's event shelter out. And having emptied it I realised I'd emptied the wrong one, so I put it all back and emptied the correct one. I then got out my clippers and gave myself a haircut.

By then it seemed like I'd done a day's work but it was only just gone eight o'clock. I popped the lead onto "Furry Face ^TM" and we went for a little walk. We met a new dog walker today. A nice lady who is very heavily pregnant; in all honesty she looks like she's got a football team in there (poor girl).

And as we came home through the co-op field so my dog found the fox poo. He ate those bits that he didn't roll in. Foul creature.

I then spent a few minutes fighting with the recalcitrant lap-top. I've registered for Windows 10; desperate times call for desperate measures.

We then set off to Maidstone where we picked up Aleta. She seems to be doing really well after her recent knee replacement operation. We then went up to Rochester for the monthly cacher's meeting. Bearing in mind the weather did't look too good we'd left Fudge on guard duty at home as the pub wasn't dog-friendly. But the pub was wasn't bad at all; they did a rather good roast dinner. We met up with the other hunters of tupperware, and had a really good jabber about all things tupperware-hunting-related. And I got my five thousandth geo-smiley-face too...

We didn't then go for a geo-wander. We had a mooch round Toys-R-Us as it was over the road, then came home. Having been up most of the night I dozed pretty much all of the way home, and after a little visit to the outlet centre I spent a little while fighting with maps. It is apparently possible to get Ordnance Survey maps onto the geo-apps on my phone. I *really* can't do it.

I then had a look at a Facebook group which was claiming to be able to allow me to do so, but it lied.

"My Boy ^TM" came to visit in the evening. He was wondering what DVDs he'd left behind in what was once his room. I must admit that it seems a shame having spent twenty thousand pounds on a loft conversion only to have the loft room not being used.

Mind you it makes a good guest suite on the rare occassion we have people staying over.

This evening saw the start of a new TV show. "Humans" is set in the near future when human-like robots are commonplace. On the one hand I quite like it because it's not yet another American police show; set in the UK it's been filmed on some of the places I've been. On the other hand it's tackling topics that decent sci-fi dealt with in the 1950s.

The first episode was quite good; but I think the show is going to take the direction that Isaac Asimov took in 1974 when he wrote the short story "...that thou art mindful of him"

Mind you I will watch the next episodes having recorded them first. I can't be doing with all the adverts.

13 June 2015 (Saturday) - Deal

Yesterday I mentioned how I'd cunningly calculated value in footware. A decent pair of Doctor Marten shoes lasts me two years (on average) and when I last looked they cost about one hundred pounds. So (roughly) that's a quid a week. In order for a pair of cheapo-bargain shoes to actually be a bargain they have to work out cheaper than a quid a week. Or so I worked out in February.

The same pair of Doc Martens which was just over a hundred quid on eBay then now only costs sixty quid. So much for the official UK inflation figures which would have us all beleive differently. It didn't take a genius to work out the cheapest move; the new Doctor Marten sixty quid shoes should arrive on Wednesday.

I took "Furry Face ^TM" for a walk round the park. At one point I lost him, but he soon came to light when I saw the amount of birds that were flying out of a hedge that seemed to be shaking in a very un-natural fashion.

We came home via the bakery; can't beat a Belgian bun. Once home "Furry Face ^TM" got his monthly flea treatment. I really should have mowed the lawn this morning, but it was still wet from the overnight rain so instead I again wrestled with the lap-top. Despite AVG-1 click maintenance's best efforts the thing is becoming effectively unusable with the various applications all freezing for no apparent reason.

I've given up with FireFox and taken to using Chrome as a browser; that seems to freeze up less. Interestingly the moment I activated Chrome it suggested downloading the MicroSoft Malicious Software Removal Tool which I did. It did a "quick scan" of the most likely places it might find any malware. After five minutes it announced it hadn't found anything. After ten minutes Chrome started freezing up as well.

Mind you I do intermittently see an icon telling me that WIndows is downloading updates. Perhaps the's either the problem or (will be) the cure. I also see another icon has appeared saying I can get Windows 10 for free when it becomes available. I wonder if I should get it? Perhaps a new lap-top might be a better idea?

The plan for the afternoon had been a garden party. But I was in a bit of a sulk. I suppose it's the disappointing outcome of yesterday's out-patients appointment. Is this lump "something to worry about" (and if it is, then in all honesty I'm not really *that* worried) or is it not? Either way it hurts, and I'm just a little fed up with the uncertainty.

I wasn't in the best frame of mind to be making polite conversation so I took the train to Deal to be with people with whom I could have a sulk (and they wouldn't mind).

Surprsingly we had a pint or two.... but it's not easy to stage a booze-up when it hurts to swallow.