Good morning Michael and all GN's on an absolutely pitch black morning in North Yorkshire. Have no idea what the weather is like except no sound of wind as far as I can tell. We had some rain yesterday evening for quite a while but not very heavy, so hope that has soaked in well to get the very dry ground underneath damped down a bit.
A mixed day yesterday and very much an autumn day, as I went out on the yellow peril, with thin cotton T shirt, and linen trousers , but with jumper at the ready to put on under my fleece if needed and wearing my sunglasses against the glare of the sunlight, and over the day used all the variety of things. I had started the day struggling to move around, and it hadnt really improved, so thank goodness for the buggy, as I had quite a few things I needed to do, and the thursday meeting of the womens group to go to. It took me ages to get ready to go out and an annoying start where I seemed to drop things or they slid off to the floor and my grabber was not being very helpful in picking them up. I think I have to accept it is time to get a new one, which hopefully will be more efficient and less frustrating.
By the time I got to the meeting, having been rattled and jarred by the wretched potholes and bumps, I was in a worse state than when I got up, and had to take a few deep breaths, remind myself to get onto the council again, but not to be snappy with the group. I had made the effort as there was someone coming to talk to us about AI, and I am by nature suspicious of things until I can check them out anyway, I hoped to learn useful ways to check if something was AI generated and any useful tips . Well , that was a most boring and waste of time part of the meeting. This woman was supposed to be giving the talk and answering questions etc. She seemed very ill prepared, didnt hold the attention well of many of the group, started by supposedly showing us how useful it could be but only had her phone to use, no laptop etc. It only succeeded in showing that I could have found the information she got in less than five minutes in the library or on my laptop and she tried to show us how it could be "useful" to a group asking it to find us ideas for meetings etc. This entailed a load of very obvious boring waffle and then it asked you questions to give you replies to, which was like watching paint dry!!
To be fair to the woman, I later found out that she was a volunteer and had only been asked last minute to come to the meeting, so no time to prepare etc. but that would have been a perfect example of how not to go into a meeting, unprepared and without any aids or idea of a programmed lecture, which I used to drum into my students about not only making sure that they were properly prepared, but had back up too.
It was quite amusing for me in a way too, as part of me was sitting back observing the whole scene, and every time she was sat there waiting for the wretched thing to answer her question various people would go off at a tangent ,or check about items for other meetings or where someone who was expected was etc. At the end of the information she had gathered, it gave us not one thing that we as a group could have thought up in 10 minutes.
So a bit of a waste of my time when there is so much I need to be doing, but it got me out. I managed to do a few things before going to Nero's, to meet Heather for a quick coffee and catch up, then back home. I managed to get the washing I had put out on the line in and all nice and dry, but the cleaners hadnt been so returned to the mess that I had left of course.
At the end of the day I had managed to get quite a bit sorted out, the bed made up with fresh linen, but just no chance of hoovering or ironing or picking up bits from the floor as my back was still bad. I had spent some time looking up about the possibility of a bus trip where there was accommodation for 2 or 3 days so that I could try it out to meet my family, but with less hassle for me. However, somewhat frustratingly found that I had picked a poor time as there is a gap now until christmas outings, so it may be something to try next year, but for now need to try and organise a meet up as before, might think of Kirby Lonsdale as a possibility.
So , read more up and checked on things and today need to get in touch with the hospital and accept that I need to organise for this treatment which consists of having an injection into the eye etc. My first thing is seeing if the local hospital does this treatment, which would at least mean that all the hassle of going to James Cook could be avoided. Well I shall see how I get on with that today. Must write a letter to add to my brothers birthday card and get that sent too as he will be 71 on the 13th. Oh to be so young!! I need to see how I feel after I have had some painkillers and a shower, because today members of my old choir were meeting in Swaledale and I had planned to go to, but at the moment my back is so bad I dont think I can manage to do any walking and as yet I dont know what the weather is planning so rather undecided. I think that I will get my picnic box set up, and stick coats and macs and a variety of shoes etc all in the car. I want to go to the friday group at the library first. Hopefully he will bring the curling stuff rather than the bocca, and I hope that the pleasure I get from that will help me exercise a bit, see a lady who gave me her email address, but when I tried to use it threw it back at me, and I dont want her to think that I didnt bother to try and contact her this week,and recheck the address. So by 11am when that finishes, I will have a better idea as to whether I can make the effort to go, or have to leave it for another day. The cost of fuel also comes into it too, of course. I need to check my prescription out as well. It is very difficult to gauge and organise repeat prescriptions right now.The chemist wants about a weeks notice now, yet wont let you put it in early. At the same time they are having difficulty always getting there normal supplies and there are certain things such as my diabetic tablets that I dont want to run out of, as at the moment I am keeping that going on an even keel, so once again as the patient, it is all down to you. Put it in too early and they wont fill it, leave it a day late and they complain, and it is a constant anxiety that you could do without!
Ah well I shall pick up my local paper and discover any exciting things happening round about. If there is nothing special happening I might get round to cooking a small piece of pork that has been in the freezer for a little while. I havent made a little roast dinner for a while and if the weather is going to be chilly, it will give me a good meal and provide some cold pork to go for the first jacket potato and cold meat and salad of the season. Definitely time to think of a soup concocting session. I much prefer my own soups anyway, because firstly I know exactly what is in them, and soup and a sandwich start to become a favourite lunch when it gets cold.
I still have another back of clothes to try on and decide if they go into the wardrobe or out etc, and the ironing is still waiting for my attention, so I have plenty to do if I dont feel up to going anywhere, well not dont feel like going, but trying to work out whether it is worth attempting to do something or if I am being stupid to try. Hey ho, I shall read your posts and see if you inspire me to new ideas. Hmm must find out my swimming costumes and get organised into swimming mode, especially as I now have my new warm towel to use. Ah well I shall see what the day brings.
I hope you have a successful trip Mick and meet a few friends and enjoy our fish and chips. Hope you can smell good cooking from the kitchen whilst you tackle the ironing Ashcombe. Remembering the Sorcerers Apprentice, I would like to wish for clothes to iron themselves and fly into the wardrobe but think I shall have to make the effort myself.
Wishing everyone a good day, with planned efforts accomplished and halos shining for the weekend
