WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey). SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28 2021

Pat, that's wonderful. And three cheers for your friend, who literally dropped everything to drive you. Hope your eye is recovering.

CC - What a drama it became! But its at such times we need some of life's little treasures to turn up. Glad you were saved!! Thanks for the advice. I do rotate my ankles quite often, as my mother used to. And I try & do some stretches before getting into the shower (not a pretty sight, avert your eyes).

We've been to a phone shop to get my OHs phone set up - I bought him a new smartphone instead of the old fashioned one he favoured. Watch this space to see how he gets on with things!! He's not at all techy and I can tell he's apprehensive! But everything has to be online these days, it's such a nuisance if you're not.

Mike - Yes, the good old Queen Vic. They did a splendid job and my sight is back to 20/20. It was brilliant - as soon as the treatment finished I could see clearly - a bit fuzzy for a couple of hours because of all the drops and gunk, but now I can read the sub-titles on the television, and see some awful make-up which, perhaps fortunately, was not in my range yesterday. Hooray!!

Glad all went well, Pat. Nothing so precious as your eyesight.

Its been cold here, and some of the streets had very dangerous pavements this morning as so icy.

My sis in law says she has been putting up her outside Christmas tree in her open front porch - she puts lights on it & it looks cheerful, but I still feel its too early yet for anything.

Annette, do you mean news from my niece(s) in S. Africa? If so, the answer is no, not had any reply even though I have messaged them twice. Still don't know when the funeral is/was.

I don’t remember any reaction to my shingles jab, so probably none. It was some name like zostavax.

PAT – That one early Doc appt makes up for the many hours waiting in your lifetime? Someone must have cancelled.

For OH’s medi visit this morn, we had to phone from carpark on arrival and then wait until called by phone. Alas OH still cannot ring out on his new supersmart phone – he can read messages & answer calls though. So I rang with my primitive dumb phone and had to listen to usual propaganda (If this is an emergency blah blah, then all the wonderful things they have blah blah, until finally a human answers). OH was ages as Nurse didn’t know how to remove stitches & had to wait for Doc to come back. Meanwhile he had spoken to me in waiting room to explain future care of wound. Thank goodness Doc realizes that OH’s memory is hopeless.

Next Doors providing further “entertainment” Starting at 6.30 am. By 8 am cement truck arrived. More than half of their front garden is covered in black concrete – path along front of house and wide driveway, wider than previous which was 2 cars wide. Black is going to be so hot. Only tiny patch left for garden? lawn?

Just a thought, especially for ANNETTE & CC

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Good Morning. Awoke feeling cold, and found the radiator only lukewarm & going cold, although heating should have been on already for an hour. No hot water either! Went downstairs and found my OH obliviously sitting in the cold. He then fiddled with the boiler, which is in the garage. Eventually it sprang into life - it seems to be something to do with the pressure.

AQ - Sorry to hear about the awful fence & driveway. Just so annoying! We had similar arrangements at the height of the pandemic here, where we had to wait outside the surgery. Also at the dentists. Not very convenient!

LINDY - these old farmers don't notice the cold, do they?!
Thanks to everyone for your news, much appreciated. Especially, I'm sure, by those of us who live alone :-)

Lindybird:  Sorry, I was actually referring to Awful Cousin.

AQ; See differene between shingles shots here: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/shingrix-vs-zostavax/.   That "If this is an emergency, hang up and dial WHATEVER or go straight to the nearest emergency reoom" recording drives me straight up the wall; it's becoming ubiquitous. (But I only wanted to make an appointment for a haircut.).  That, along with "We are experiencing higher than usual call volume."  Grrrr.  Black does sound an odd choice for a concrete driveway in such a warm climate.  Maybe they think it looks smart?

PatO:  What procedure did you have on eye?  Was it the membrane clean-up after cataract surgery?  

Basketball match was noisy but fun, although we had to sit through warms ups and then 6th grade matches before Ms. D's 5 grade class played.  I thought Ms D was tall - and she is - but she's definitely not the tallest kid in her class. What on earth are they feeding kids these days?  

Take care everyone.

Annette - Yes, exactly that. The other eye will need doing sometime in the not too distant future, but at least I know what it entails now and the anxiety levels will be less.

I too get infuriated by the recorded messages that tell you to go somewhere else. Or the recorded messages that tell you they have a high volume of calls, so call back later. I picture one or two people sitting at home and answering the phone - or not - and being paid for not responding to customers. Is that cynical? Probably - but that's the way it feels to me as a customer. Oh ... but I forgot ... customers are no longer valued, they are just nuisance people who want things.
Grrrr.