27 June 2017 (Tuesday) - After the Night Shift

The works car park empties onto a short stretch of dual carriageway leading to some traffic lights. I had been sitting on that stretch of dual carriageway for ages this morning going nowhere when a bus driver walked over to the police car which was in the queue in front of me. Being a naturally nosey person, I turned the radio off and wound down the window to see if I could hear what was being said. (Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same!) Apparently the traffic lights just ahead of us were broken. Every direction had the traffic light stuck on red, and the junction was in a state of mayhem with everyone taking pot luck on going through the red lights.

If nothing else that explained why we were moving so slowly.

We eventually got to the traffic lights and got through. And the police car kept going. I would have thought that this was somewhere that the police should have got involved and taken charge. Obviously these Boys in Blue thought differently.

I came home to dog mayhem. All three were running riot. I suppose it was a good sign that Fudge wasn’t sulking. I eventually managed to get him to roll over, and with the help of "er indoors ^TM" I washed and cleaned his tummy which was looking rather red.

"er indoors ^TM" set off to work; I set off to B&Q where I met Sam. As I’ve mentioned I needed a new fence panel. A fence panel costs nineteen quid. B&Q want twenty-five quid to deliver the thing. It took us ten minutes to carry it home. "Daddy’s Little Angel ^TM", Sid and Pogo met us outside B&Q, having just delivered "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction ^TM" to nursery school.

My arm was rather numb by the time we’d carried the fence panel home, so "Daddy’s Little Angel ^TM" made a cuppa and I explained my plans for the garden before they went off on their way and I went to bed for a couple of hours.

I woke, and had some strawberry conserve on my toast for brekkie. I got the strawberry conserve from Aldi last night before work. It is basically jam for people who like paying twice the price. I’ve often wondered what strawberry conserve is; now I know.

I put on some old clothes and had a look in the garden. One thing rather led to another. Having planned to do the landscaping work on Thursday I thought I might save a little time by raking back the shingle in readiness. That only took a few minutes so I thought I might lift the membranes too. And then I thought I might shift some of the soil. And then I thought I might as well see if I couldn’t dig out that old fence post that was supposed to be Thursday’s project.

As I started digging I found an old met-post sunk in the ground. Regular readers might recall that I put this met-post into place on 8 October 2006. The post was still perfectly functional, and it took me about two hours to get out. But I got it out. Eventually.

I then turned my attention to the post I actually wanted to remove. I spent about an hour before giving up. There is a problem getting this post out in that once I’d dug sown some eighteen inches I saw some obstacles in the way of removing the post. On one side is a tree root about as thick as my arm. Of the other is the concrete pillar holding in the fence post that I don’t want to damage.

I gave up. Sam’s going to fight with it tomorrow. If he draws a blank I shall take a hacksaw to it, and if that fails Gordon has an angle-grinder.

Whilst I was in a working mood (don’t happen often) I thought I’d paint the fence panel we got this morning. If all goes to plan I shall be putting that into place later this week. I got it half done when the rain started.

With "er indoors ^TM" off out this evening I had been left to my own devices. I fed the dogs, then foraged for my dinner in the general direction of KFC. As I scoffed my KFC I watched the film “Platoon”. An odd film; I had to read Wikipedia to see what the plot was (if indeed it had one). Rather than having a plot the film seemed to rely on explosions and swearing to entertain.

I turned it off half way through.

I think I need an early night. A night shift last night and an afternoon’s hard labour… I’m worn out.

26 June 2017 (Monday) - Sore Bits

For all that I slept well I woke with quite a bit of pain in my dodgy elbow. I lay in bed hurting for a bit, but soon gave up sulking and came downstairs. I had a little look-see on Facebook and saw I’d upset someone last night. Yesterday evening I read a post about “the 2017 British & Irish National Geocaching Awards”. Personally I’m against this sort of thing. You could make a case for local awards because it would be reasonable to expect people to have seen everything locally that was to be judged. But how can anyone realistically vote on stuff spread all over the country. I doubt anyone would have first-hand experience of that about which they are being asked to vote. It is not fair for me to try to form a considered judgement on 30+ people, things and places when I only have any first-hand experience of only two of them (I counted).

And singling out half a dozen people’s efforts automatically dismisses everyone else’s efforts. Last year I must have organised thirty (or more) caching events, and over the last few years I’ve created over twenty Wherigos (and made some for other people). I bet this committee has never even heard of me.

I said as much yesterday when I was asked to vote on things about which I have no experience whatsoever, and this morning. I think I hit a nerve…

Mind you as the day wore on I had several messages telling me that I was right to have taken a stand against these awards. I didn’t realise that “the 2017 British & Irish National Geocaching Awards” have been a bone of contention for some time. Among the messages sent to me were the following questions:

Who are the committee who drew up the short list, let alone the categories?

What were the criteria for shortlisting?

Are all regions represented on their committee?

Who selected them?

Can they be called representative when only 800 out of 160,000 UK cachers have voted?

I asked; basically it seems to be the pet project of three self-appointed people. I suppose I should wish them luck; they are trying to do something constructive. I decided not to get more involved than I was already. Life is already one big fight.

I also sent out a message to several people about this Friday’s proposed geo-mission to London. Several people had said to me that they were going but never replied to the invite. Others said they weren’t going but had said “yes” to the invite. Most had said nothing… I shall be going to London anyway (I expect) but it would be nice to know if I should be waiting for anyone.

I got the strimmer out and then the lawnmower, and sorted out the lawn. Our lawn is in a terrible state; I blame the puppy. As well as holes where she digs there are bald spots which (I think)  is where she tiddles; I can remember reading somewhere that there is something in girl dog wee that kills grass.

I then spent ten minutes cutting back not-so-nice-next-door’s jungle and took Fudge to the vet’s.

The vet’s surgery has had a make-over. There are now two distinct waiting areas; one for dogs and one for animals that are scared of dogs. A good idea; there has always been an aura of incipient fight about the vet’s waiting area in the past.

We soon got in to see the vet. Fudge has a habit of dragging himself along the floor and he’s made the area around his “thingy” rather sore. The vet shaved the fur around the area. The sore bit was far more extensive than I thought. He cleaned it up and put some anti-inflammatory on it. We’ve now got to wash the area every morning and apply cream twice a day.

I then took all three dogs for a walk. We went to the co-op field where we met OrangeHead. She was on her own, and was as nice as pie with us. I must admit I found three dogs hard work.

Once home I cleaned up the back yard somewhat. I bagged up loads of rubbish then had a go at the fence. The panel I painted had been painted a light yellow before. It didn’t paint up as well as it might have done so I gave it a second coat. It looked better for that. I might go back and do some of the other panels.

As I painted my idiot hound carried on dragging himself around the grass on his stomach. I can see some enforced cage rest being necessary to heal his sore bits.

I had some lunch, and went to bed for the afternoon. I got three hours sleep with my puppy asleep on top of me. I got more fence painted, and "er indoors ^TM" boiled up some tea.

I’m off to the night shift now… probably via McDonalds. I hope it’s not as busy as last time…

25 June 2017 (Sunday) - Rather Busy

The puppy woke with one loud woof at 6am. I wonder what had bothered her. I dozed fitfully for a while, and finally gave up trying to get back to sleep just after half past seven. Over brekkie I stared into cyber-space with a bit of a sulk. I’d had a *really* good evening yesterday, but it seemed that ninety per cent of the universe that hadn’t been in the pub with me had been to the Electric Light Orchestra concert in Wembley. Would I have wanted to go? At two hundred quid a ticket... probably not.

I expect the DVD will be released soon…

I drove down to Folkestone; Steve and Trudy were in the throes of moving. My elbow really stops me doing much in the way of heavy work these days, but I got a couple of tip runs done. I can take stuff to the tip. I’m not sure what I was expecting to do, but I had been expecting to have done more. I was on my way home by 11am.

I came home to find "er indoors ^TM" washing the carpets. I took a few minutes to fix the front fence. Clouting it with a hammer worked wonders. I then got another fence panel painted before lunch.

After a bit of cheese on toast we went on a little shopping mission. First of all to B&M bargains where I got more fence paint at half the price that Tesco sells it for. I also got some weed resistant membrane, and I looked at the price of planks of decking. I want a humungous flower pot but the ones I have in mind cost hundreds of pounds. If I saw up some lengths of decking I can make a wooden planter for about fifty quid. That might be a way forward.

We then drove round to Bybrook Barn garden centre where I got a couple of large-ish plastic flower pots. If nothing else they will act as soil storage whilst I’m landscaping over the next week or so.

And we stopped off at B&Q on the way home too,

Once home we took the dogs round the park where "er indoors ^TM" met OrangeHead and her Chunky Little Friend. I say “met”; Chunky Little Friend was civil enough but OrangeHead looked down her nose at us as she usually does.

I was amazed that "er indoors ^TM" had never met the Queen Bee of the Viccie Park dog walking clique before.

With walk done I got my paint brush out and set about the fence. As far as painting it, the end is in sight. Not counting the panel I want to replace I have three and a bit panels left to do. But they are big ones, and inaccessible too. With those painted I really need to paint the shed, then look to re-landscape the end of the garden with a view to digging a fence panel out. With that panel dug out I need to replace it. Then I’ve got to make good all the digging and do something with the displaced soil.

And I want to build a pergola over the pond too. Never a dull moment.

Over dinner we watched yesterday’s episode of Doctor Who. It was rather good. And with "er indoors ^TM" off bowling I watched the last episode of “Jamestown”. The story has been left wide open for a second season.

I then spent an hour or so working on my work-related blog. I really should keep that up to date more than I do…

We didn’t go for our usual big Sunday walk today. I quite missed it…