Good morning Michael and all GN's from a very dark and still morning in North Yorkshire. Have been awake since before 4am and am utterly exhausted from a tough day yesterday. I havent even read yesterdays posts, but todays plan - if there is even a point of making one - is to recuperate, catch up with all necessary jobs and contacts and try to at least pretend that I have some control over my day!!
Yesterday , I was in a lot of pain, and the worst thing was that the cellulitis which had been improving very slightly, was worse. More swollen, redder and if I pressed the skin it took a while for the skin to even out. The worst thing was that I only had one tablet left and again being bank holiday, doctors would be shut, and the chemist unavailable. So yet again, I had to shoot off on the yellow peril, and queue up to ask for another emergency appointment. I was feeling ill, slightly sick, and whilst being prepared to wait my turn, be courteaus to the receptionist etc., underneath I was both miserable and ready to rage. It was the same person I had seen previously. But ah ha , I have registered with her now! I fixed her with an icy stare and quietly said "I need an emergency appointment today, am prepared to wait or come back , but MUST be seen.
The message has got through , and she quite meekly said " one moment" perused her list and offered me an appointment at 10.30, so I was able to smile slightly, and in a pleasant tone , thanked her and said I would be back. Well I was actually on the yp and can take it in the surgery, so carefully turned round to go out , but inside I wished I could have done a wheelie and yelled Ye Ha!! So my back and leg were so painful and the appalling state of roads and paths did not make it any easier, but I was able to get my fresh bread and then went back. I was very pleased to be seeing the doctor I had seen previously and so didnt have to go through the whole rigmarole from the start. She looked at it carefully and said yes I needed to have a further course of antibiotics and continue taking them without a break, that if it didnt at least stay the same or improve, I would need to go to the hospital. So then it was off to the chemist, where again I had to wait, but not the length of time from the previous week. ( I am now thinking of getting a metal plaque to go on one of the seats with my name on, as I seem to have spent more time sat on that hard thing this last couple of weeks than anywhere else.) They sorted out my meds and I was thankful to get out and escape, and had planned to go to Cafe Nero, and have a well deserved coffee, but had a text from the cleaners, asking if it was ok to come early, so abandoned that and shot off home.
I had put washing in before I went to the doctors, and so just unlocked the door dumped stuff down and got the washing out from the washer and went down on the buggy to hang it out on the washing lines. Was glad to get it out in the fresh air, but by this time I was really feeling physically exhausted and mentally in need of a rest and some Bach to calm down and listen to , whilst I had my coffee.
As I came back up the path on the yp I saw a man walking away from my door and called out and asked if he was looking for me. He pointed to my car and said is this yours, and when I replied yes, said that he had just put a letter through my door and I needed to read it and contact him quickly regarding the situation with the car. I had no idea what he was on about and on asking him. he informed me that there was a judgement from a magistrate and I needed to pay this immediately or they would be coming to clamp the car and could remove it if I didnt pay!!!! I asked what this was about, and this goes right back to last january when I received 3 letters all about different incidents, which said that my car was seen and photographed parking or whatever illegally in Enfield on various dates. That the fines were outstanding and would be increasing etc etc.
As I havent been to Enfield for probably 20 years, I thought it was a scam, but it was on Enfield councils paper, so I took the letters to upfront to seek help from the people there. I knew if I just rang up about it they would be unlikely to believe me, but fortunately on one of the dates quoted I was in a meeting here, and for fire risks etc , we all have to sign in, so I could actually prove that I was not in Enfield and had witnesses. But what worried me was if some criminals had cloned my number plate and that there would be further problems and difficulties. So at that time Nichola was brilliant and we went through things and she had also had another person with the same thing happening to them. So besides sorting things out she had informed the police etc etc. There was much to ing and fro ing but then she said that enfield had cancelled it all etc., and of course as she is with a council run support group, her word carried more weight than if I had just tried to deal with it myself. So after all the hassle we thought it was sorted.
However for no understandable reason it turned out that for 2 of the 3 occasions these letters referred to , they had been cancelled and made sure that there was no connection with me. BUT the third letter had not been cancelled, and so the fine had risen to £539, and nothing of course had happened ,hence the arrival of the bailiff etc. Well I immediately rang Nichola, and she was working from home, so I had to collect up what paperwork I had and the offensive red edged letter from this man and again on the yellow peril went up to her house. She was busy toing other work , but had to put that to one side whilst we went through stuff and she got the lap top sorted and then rang this horrible man, who stated that , they did not get involved with the concerns, and we needed to get in touch with the appeal people etc etc, or he would be coming to clamp the car or take it away. Despite Nichola explaining her role and what had previously happened , he said that made no difference and that I could pay the amount and then IF!! the appeal went through I would get the money back!!!!!!!
But I was not in frightened or bewildered mode!!! I was in icy fury mode. I said to him that I was a pensioner on a fixed income, and if I paid this fine - that I did not owe - in the meantime what was I meant to use to buy food or heating until they deigned to give me my money back. To which he replied that it was not their concern etc. and he was empowered to take the car or put a clamp on that day. Well as at the moment I have all this added hassle with the cellulitis , and might need to go to the hospital etc, that it was a bank holiday coming up and life was bad enough right now , I then thought I might have to dash back to the flat, get the car and go and hide it somewhere that they could not find i! I do have a garage here, but it is very old and no electricity in it and was there from something like 40 years ago and my car wont fit into it. All this was going on and I hadnt even got to lunch time yet!! I then had to get back as the cleaners were going to come early.
I was so glad to see them and they were their usual efficient people and besides all the usual efforts had also been able to pick up all the pens , knives etc etc that I had dropped in different places but couldnt bend down to pick up.
So eventually I went and picked up a friend in the car and we went for a little drive up onto the moors, to calm down and let the sounds of the country, the water and the trees and hardly anyone else about, but the heather beautifully purple, the partridges wandering about and the rabbits in and out of the ferns. I needed that to recover from the day from hell, and so today I will be contacting Nichola to see what is going on with the saga of the car .
You see how I like to be special? Why should I only cope with a bad back and cellulitis , when I can add more excitement and hassle for my day. So my original plan, when I had hung out the washing, had been to make a coffee and read all the posts, but the day ran away with me.
I feel as though I have done 7 rounds with Muhammed Ali, need to now go through all the jobs that got left from yesterday, catch up with what is happening re this fine etc. Well I have to say at 81 years old this is the very first red letter I have received, couched in aggressive terms etc. The further worry for me, is that because I have always been on limited means, I have been extremely careful to pay bills, keep in the black and have a good credit rating. This hassle could blow my good name sky high, and if this misinformation goes to banks etc it could affect things in the future. I know that man is only doing his job, but it really grates that I KNOW that I dont owe anything and I have been put through all this stress anxiety and worry and it isnt even sorted out yet. When I have done nothing wrong it makes me furious.
Ah well I am getting a bit stressed up writing about it, and so I am going to take a break, and as it is just gone 6am now will get some breakfast and a much needed coffee and come back for part 2 and to read all your posts. Hoping that you all have NOT been having a similar day! Be back later
