14th December, 2021

632 days since our first lockdown day.

It has been a long time since my last post. My lethargy seems to have kicked in again and it’s all i can do to get out of bed. I’ve also not been motivated due to the complexities of getting Mum’s booster jab. Firstly we were told that her GP would not be doing it having outsourced to a pharmacy in Bradford. They in turn, promised to come last Monday between 10am and 6pm. I was there for 8 hours and nobody turned up. I rang the Bradford pharmacy several times and eventually got a phone number which I rang several times as a means of pressurising the person “on site”. It worked and yesterday they rang they would go to mum’s between 4.30pm and 6pm. Two nurses came at 5.30pm and duly administered the jab. All done. Phew!!

Sally came for a couple of days last week before joining Jim in Croydon. The news there is not good. Having lost his mum, Olive, Jim’s sister,Gillian is now very ill and needing a lot of care and Sally and Jim will be returning, after going back to Bucharest, before Christmas to help out. They arrive back in Doncaster tomorrow and we will be picking them up. They will be with us for a couple of days to self isolate and then they go to London. Olive’s funeral is on the 20th and we will also be going, by train.

Boris has been his usual useless self and he does not help by continuously denying that a party took place at Downing street last year. His senior ministers are lying to protect him but it just makes things worse. Everyone in the world knows the party took place whilst every one else was in lockdown. Boris and his team don’t seem to realise that people have mobile phones nowadays, that take films which will reach the media and the public. He is now so much in denial and scared of the press that last night he gave a “briefing” about Covid that was pre-recorded in order for him not to have to face any awkward questions.

There is a bye election this Thursday and all indications are that the Lib/Dems will turn over a huge majority and win the seat. Whilst I can understand that, I cannot work out why anyone who reads the papers or watches the News, would go into a polling booth and put their cross against the Tory candidate’s name. There is definitely a case for trying to get one of the opposition candidates to stand down and try to persuade the voters of the other party to go with them. In fact if there were to be a General Election, this should happen in every constituency, purely as a tactical move to get the Tories out. After all, things could not be any worse than the right wing lot we have in charge at the moment, who seem to be working towards a dictatorship.

We have seen the grandchidfen a couple of times for a meal and whilst they will eat anything, they seem to really favour our spaghetti bolognese recipe from last night. They seem to enjoy plenty of herbs. I could watch them at the table via a new security camera in the kitchen through my mobile phone. Very impressive with a very sharp picture and the facility to speak to them through the camera via the microphone in the mobile phone. I love it (£20) and may get an out door one covering the back garden. It would be good if I could get a wireless model.

Watched Ronnie play cricket once and football twice. All the players were rusty for the indoor cricket competition where Ronnie bowled really well. He was clean bowled a couple of times so some work needed there. As for the football he had two great games and scored in both. However in the second game, where he was the main striker in the first half, they put him in goal for the second half. Why? He is not a goalkeeper and duly let in two “soft” goals which could almost be classed as own goals. Ronnie was clearly upset and at the end of the game, the opposition coach went to Ronnie to sympathise with him. He was probably pleased that Ronnie’s coach had taken Ronnie off, effectively, Tickton’s best outfield player. The trouble is that David and Ronnie never complain about less good and even useless players who are sons of sponsors, regularly getting full games. Ronnie loves hi football and I am sure, would play for any team. Many would sign him up. Maybe he should move, say to a Beverley team. After all, he lives there!!

We have had every kind of weather recently. Mild and then cold air. Drizzle rain and sun. The forecast for Christmas is cloudy, cold but dry. No snow, which we had 10 days ago. It only lasted a day.

I spent a couple of days writing Christmas cards. It was quite difficult as my writing has almost become illegible and is small and tapers off at the end of each word. I usually write a message on the cards. I did this year but they were very short. Although I thought my eyesight may have improved a bit, it clearly has not. The troublesome right eye has settled a bit but the left eye is getting more blurred. I am to get my fifth injection tomorrow so we will see what the eye tst shows. Last week I had a long phone chat with the Eye Consultant who assured me that there was still time for improvement. It is early days yet and they are hoping to clear the blocked veins which are black and right in the centre of my vision. He was very encouraging. I still have not driven more than a few yards since August and will see how it goes after my 6th jab in January.

I have had my front tooth repaired. The dentist said again, that if it did not work he would have to put a crown in.The new filling has hardly any tooth to latch on to so it will inevitably fall out in due course leaving me with a Terry Thomas gap again. (Sadly, I remember him but nobody else does). That will be another £200+ thank you very much!

I had a fall outside Tesco’s in Hull last week. I was on the upward moving slope (no steps) telling a lady behind me about a short film on YouTube showing a lady falling all the way down to the bottom with her trolley. I missed the end of the stairway and fell straight down, A very nice (Eastern European) gentleman lifted me up, no bother. Although I was embarrassed I was not injured. I have clearly missed my vocation. I should have been a stuntman as I clearly know how to fall. It’s just as well as I still lose my balance a lot. The B12 supplement pills seem not to be effective. Yet.

Christmas Tree up and decorated tomorrow. Oh joy!!! It means going into the loft.