28 May 2020 (Thursday) - 5G Bio Shield (!)

I slept for a good eight hours last night – not surprising really. Night shifts do that to most people. I scoffed a bowl of granola whilst watching an episode of “Schitts Creek” then sparked up the internet.

A row was kicking off on the work-related Facebook page. The Prime Minister is blaming NHS laboratories for delays in testing for corona virus. His criticism is unfounded, the NHS laboratories are providing results within hours. But historically the medical laboratory has always been someone to blame. Consider a visit the GP for example. They will take a blood sample and tell you to come back for the result in a month. The result will be available the next day but they say to come back in a month because they don’t have any earlier appointments. But the implication is clearly made that the delay is because of the laboratory. The Prime Minister is doing the same over corona virus testing…

As Oliver Hardy one remarked “twas ever thus”.

I checked my emails. The Bricklink site (it’s a Lego thing) I found for those last two base plates had sent me their invoice. LinkedIn had suggested that I chum up with someone with whom I had absolutely nothing at all in common.

I quickly Munzee-ed from the sofa (capturing a leprechaun and a banshee as one does) then got myself ready for work.

I set off to work on a bright morning up a rather busy motorway. As I drove the pundits on the radio were talking rubbish as they usually do. I didn't really take much notice of what they were saying; it was mostly blah blah blah; pretty much repeating the same old stuff. We are in a pandemic the likes of which we've not seen for a century. What does the future hold? No one knows, but everyone speculates.

Mind you the "Thought for the Day" bit was laughable. Some Rabbi was banging on about how people are looking out for each other during the pandemic, and because some people are being nice to each other, this proves that his God exists. The reasoning went along the lines of God had said for people to be nice to each other - people are being nice to each other - people are being nice to each other because God said so - therefore God exists. Usually the Rabbis on the "Thought for the Day" don't talk such utter claptrap. Personally I prefer to think that people are being nice to each other because it is the decent thing to do, rather than for fear of being zapped by a thunderbolt.

As we did our bit at work we had a chuckle. Someone somewhere is taking advantage of the gullible. There is a growing concern (amongst those who don't actually know anything about it) about how dangerous 5G technology is (even though it isn't). Some chap has been selling anti-5G devices which will protect you from their supposedly insidious emissions. An electronics engineer took one of these things apart and found that it is no more than a five-quid USB memory stick with a blue sticker on it.

Mind you all the time people are paying over three hundred quid for rubbish, other people are going to sell them rubbish (for over three hundred quid). If any of my loyal readers would like to get themselves s a 5GBioShield I can supply them at a bargain mates-rates price of only two hundred and fifty quid – and I’ll throw in a free tin-foil helmet too.

I got home and found "er indoors ^TM" bathing Treacle and Pogo who had both stomped in stagnant mud on their walk, and we then joined in the weekly geo-Zoom meeting in which I could hardly hear a word that was said.

I wonder what’s for dinner…

27 May 2020 (Wednesday) - After the Night Shift

As I was walking out of work this morning my phone beeped. Over forty new geocaches had gone live including a rather large series of the things not five miles from where I was. I looked on the map to find one which I could get to in the car and do as a drive-by, and I thought I might try for a First to Find. Less than half an hour after my phone beeped I was driving home having done the Happy Dance for my first FTF for some time.

As I drove home the pundits on the radio were talking about how Twitter is cleaning up its act. Facing quite a lot of criticism for their website being used to peddle lies and inaccuracies, they’ve taken the bull by the horns and labelled the tweets of their biggest problem-client as “unsubstantiated” and “false”. Needless to say, Donald Trump is furious about having his output described this way, but surely there is something wrong with the world when the President of the United States really is making “unsubstantiated” and “false” tweets.

There was also talk of how today NASA is sending two astronauts up to the International Space Station having paid a private company to take them there. I can’t see why NASA can’t spend the money building the rocket themselves rather than paying Elon Musk to do so and allowing him to make a profit on top. But them I’ve never really understood capitalism… Well… let me clarify that. I understand it all too well. I’m just not sure that I agree with it.

I got home, and together with "er indoors ^TM" took the dogs to Orlestone Woods. It wasn’t as busy as yesterday, but we did have an “episode”. I’m not saying Pogo is completely blameless, but he doesn’t like other dogs on leads. And the idiot taking his pampered princess round the woods on a lead (who does that? – really?) just fuelled the flames by picking the dog up and waving it round like a toy.

But other than that, the walk went well. Fudge kept up far better for "er indoors ^TM" than he ever does for me.

I made myself some toast and had a look at the Internet. It was much the same as ever it was. I captured a polar bear in the Skyland (as one does) and went off to bed where I slept for a lot longer than I usually do on a hot day after a night shift.

Feeling rather tired I went up to the attic room and unpacked those new base plates. I spent a little while fiddling about. After an hour or so I made a short video of my Lego world. You can see it by clicking here.

There is still a lot to do in Lego world - I need to:

·         Make platform 2 smaller to install a car park

·         Do more with the park (where the fun-run is happening)

·         Extend the pond

·         Change the train’s couplings (magnets aren’t strong enough)

·         Put passengers into the train and bus

·         Swap out the two light grey plates (that’ll cost over £30!)

·         Get Lego Treacle, Pogo and Rolo (on order)

·         Find some panoramic backdrop

"er indoors ^TM" boiled up a very good bit of dinner which we scoffed whilst watching the last episode of “Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins”.

I’m told that the ISS and the Space X will be visible from the back garden in a bit. I might go have a look, or I might just go to bed.

26 May 2020 (Tuesday) - Before the Night Shift

I was rather disappointed as I peered into Facebook this morning. Being a nosey sort of person I had been hoping for photos of what people might have been up to at the weekend. But I suppose lock-down has put the tin lid on doing most things. There was pretty much nothing but adverts for stuff for sale on Facebook this morning.

I had a few emails this morning; several more geocaches had gone live overnight. Some near work – had I been working this morning I could have chased a First to Find. But I wasn’t, and so I didn’t.

Instead I leaded up the dogs and took them down to Orlestone Woods. Usually we have the place to ourselves; today was the busiest I’ve ever seen the place. We must have met a dozen other dog walkers; all of whom commented on how busy the place was.

We came home, and I then spent half an hour cataloguing my souvenir beer glasses. Over the years I’ve amassed quite a few, and they just sit on shelves gathering dust. I advertised the lot for sale before Christmas, and I’ve had someone express interest in some of them. I put the lot through the dishwasher (in two loads) whilst doing a little more admin on my new geo-series which will go live in Kings Wood at some point over the next few weeks.

I took myself to bed for the afternoon. I slept reasonably well apart from a rather vivid dream un which a rather surly Prime Minister invited me to a formal dinner at which we ate rather bad fish and chips. What was that all about?

I got up, and spent an hour and a half struggling with the geo-admin for the four new Wherigoes I have in the pipeline. As I got more and more angry with the recalcitrant software so the doorbell rang. Those Lego plates I’ve been waiting for have finally arrived. Having ordered them originally on 18 March I received a refund for their non-arrival six days ago. I promptly ordered others from somewhere in darkest Europe, and they arrived today.

I shall fiddle about with them when I have more time.

I’m hoping "er indoors ^TM" will boil up some dinner soon – then I’m off to the night shift…