Festive Season

This morning I went to the Post office to get some money and pay some out all in one go. I paid most of my Pension on my credit card payment. It is ideal for me because I have a post office credit card and I can pay by cash or cheque at my local Post Office. After collecting the rest of my money I went to the Co-op in Mablethorpe to get some milk, enough to see me through Christmas and into the New year. I do also have some long life skimmed milk so I will be alright if the weather turns nasty.
 I went to call on the warehouse to see a colleague who is retiring at Christmas, I managed to catch him in and asked him if he would like my telephone number so that he could call me if he wished us to meet and have a coffee sometime. He welcomed that and took my number. I then went round and noticed a nice cauliflower amongst other vegetables. I took a cauliflower, a savoy cabbage some carrots and a few brussel sprouts. So now I will have enough vegetables to see me over the festive period.
 I got back home and decided to have bacon, sausage and some of my tomatoes for my dinner. I don't know if I will be eating any tomatoes into the New Year but I will definitely be close to that. As in other years I try to be able to eat my home grown tomatoes into the next year. This is also the fact I try to eat my runner beans into November which I have had 4 of the last 5 years.
 I was just about to take up my dinner which I was grilling when the phone rang. It was Sky. It is several months since I cancelled my contract with them because of the lack of support from their back up team. Namely the Service Engineer, I had a service contract but he wasn't really bothered. He told me that I had trouble with my Sky Box but was it working alright. I told him I didn't use it as I had no need to do so. I told him that football didn't interest me and the only thing I would miss was Rugby League which didn't start until around March next year. He then asked me if the price was too high, I told him it was too high for what I wanted to watch. He then offered me a deal. IT was a New Box and a Free Years subscription to the basic access to Sky. I think he said it was a saving of around £37 a month but as I never watch most on the family package it was no use to me. I told him I wished to have at least 6 months free of Sky and as I was interested in Rugby League it was no use to me. He then told me he understood and would probably contact me again in the  Spring. We will wait and see. To be honest the only thing I miss is I have no way to record anything at all so I can't select what I will want to see and what I wish to record. Still it is saving me around £50 a month so I just think that it is well worth going without the record system for when you cancel Sky the Sky Box does not work only with the selection of programmes, most are scrambled but those on Freeview are free on Sky including the main BBC and ITV channels.
Whether I write another blog before Christmas is doubtful so may I take this opportunity to thank those who have read this blog and wish all A happy Christmas and a successful New Year. Not forgetting a Healthy New year too. More soonish!!

Fuel

When I came back from having my haircut I decided to have my block paving cleaned and I must admit it does look a lot better. Different to the weather as it is dull and dark for most of the day.

This morning I ran out of LPG so I called Calor, the regular Lady answered the phone after wishing her Seasonal Greetings I told her I had a Christmas present from Calor, namely a letter informing of a price increase. It surprised me for she knew nothing about it but as she went on I wasn't at all surprised. She told me that 3 female workers had notification that 2 were being made redundant and one was going to be offered part time and that she was one of those who was finishing at Christmas. She added that Boston depot had been closed completely  and that they seemed to be consolidating.

I then reminded her that I had intimated to her that this might happen as they had refurbished all and it seemed to be the way, spend lots on refurbishing then watch out. It took me a little by surprise by what she said next. She told me that she took note of my comments and immediately started to apply for other jobs but so far she had had no joy, but she was still trying. I told her I would get to know the latest when the delivery man came tomorrow. She told me that if one wished to know anything just ask a delivery man or the Postman as they seem to know everything. I readily agreed with her and we had a few more minutes talk then I wished her well with the job applications and bade farewell. 

So tomorrow I will get to know the latest about the direction Calor is going. More soon.

Weather

I decided to do my washing last week end but drying it was a no go outside, I managed to get them all dried and aired over a day. This included my bedding which surprisingly dried rather well.
 Yesterday I decided to go to have my haircut, I was surprised to find several folks, most of them Pensioners like me so it took well over an hour before I managed to have mine cut, still it didn't matter a lot.
 Today the lad from next door came to have a meal, he chose Roast Pork and his usual sweet Blackberry and Apple Crumble. We had the odd job to do but for most of the time he was talking. I think he talks to me quite a lot because he spends a lot of time in his room playing on his XBox. He did mention that he couldn.
,t wait for Christmas because his first job was to play on his XBox a game called Farm Simulator 17. He also mentioned that he would be glad when he could use his tablet I think it is called Ipad 4. I don't know how long his batteries will last as he is extravagant on his batteries. He is always telling me that he runs out of power and he is charging his machines.
 He did tell me that all of them are going to a party tomorrow, I think it is for those with learning difficulties and of course their carers. He also told me that a couple of Managers had visited him and asked him to write down his moods at certain times. I asked him if he told them he didn't like working at a Recycling place and he told me he did tell them. By the way he is not going to work there tomorrow. Last Friday he went for a flu jab so he didn't gop to work last Wednesday he also had a day off from there. He works there twice a week when he normally goes the other couple of days he goes to Butlin's which he likes. I don't think they will ever make a lot of him although he is such a pleasant lad.
 My Best Pal rang up last night, the hour seemed to fly by, he like me is feeling his age, mind you he is 2.1/2 years older than me. He told me he is having a new Central Heating boiler, he tells me he will spend his money but I know him well. He will tell what how will do, looks at his money then get the cheaper model. To be honest I don't think with mains gas. He got all ready for the new boiler to be fitted. The engineer who will be doing the work told him to purchase the boiler and it would be delivered on Friday and he would be there on Monday to do the work. The boiler duly arrived on Friday, he waited for most of the day on Monday then rung up to see where he was. He apologised  and said that unfortunately he had a couple of men off work ill and it would be next Thursday before he could get there  so he is cluttered up with boiler parts. Still as I told him it will be well installed before Christmas. The most disappointing thing is that the engineer has serviced his boiler ever since he has been there and it was him that told him to change the boiler as it was getting old. That is typical of this day and age. More soon.

Wrong

Yesterday I had everything organised, first to get my 3 monthly blood test but when I went to double check the time, incidentally I don't think I have ever done before. I noticed that the day was Friday. I even got mt magnifying glass to double check. It was there in black and white on my appointment card. Friday  9th. December but I managed to get the time correct.
 Anyway I decided to go to get some money from the Post office and also get my T.V book for the week also getting a double weeks holiday T.V. programme. So off I went to the Post Office.
 I arrived and went straight to the card selection, there were so many to chose from but there was a fellow looking like me and we seemed to walk to each department so I asked him if he was like me struggling to find what we both were looking for. He told me he wanted a Christmas card without any Christmas message as it was for a Jehovah's Witness, with that the Proprietor came round and gave a lady just what she had been looking for after satisfying the lady he asked me if he could help. I said I didn't suppose they had a 2 in one card as it was for an American friend whose Birthday was near Christmas. As soon as I had told him he reached up and produced 2 different cards, I picked the best one, well I thought it was the best then turned to him and told him that the Gentleman next to me also had a problem but before he could turn to him I asked him if there was somewhere where I could write a message also the address, he told me to use the Counter. So off I went but to be honest it was busy and I had great difficulty in writing, to add to the pressure the envelope was red. As I do not have perfect vision I find it hard to write on anything except white. In between being moved the lady at the Counter saw I was struggling so I told her that my sight was not as good as I would like. She looked at me and just said "Cataracts" I nodded then she told me something that I know, she said she had worked in an Optician's in Nottingham and many were sent the Opthalmist for referral and nearly all had left feeling disappointed because they had been sent a directive many months before instructing the Opthalmist only to refer them to have the operation when they were very ripe so she told me I had no chance unless I went private and then she told me it would happen very quickly.
 So obviously I have no chance for when I went to have my eyes examined for glaucoma the man who tested them told me that the cataracts were not that bad. It reminded me of my new dentures that are hopeless, the Dental Surgeon does not have to wear them and the man who tested my eyes has no idea how well or poor I can see.  So much for the NHS.
 So it is off to the Surgery tomorrow morning to have my blood test. More soon.

Electric

I am in the process of changing my Electricity Supplier, not that I have any problems with my current supplier which incidentally is First Utility. I am changing to Isupplyenergy which is a new Company. The main difference is that with whom I am with at the moment the deal will run out in April next year. This new Supplier have had on offer a deal which is very similar to First Utility but is a price held until December 2019. The night rate is almost the same as the current rate just a fraction cheaper the day rate is about 1/2p dearer but the standing charge more than compensates the price difference. With the £30 exit charge I will be about £10 out of pocket the first year but around  £40 in pocket the 2 subsequent years and to be honest I expect a price increase in general next year. Of course if all goes well I will be protected from this until december 2019. Remember though one small Company has gone bust. Let's hope this one is O.K.
 The lad came round for a few minutes today, he went to see his Parents on Saturday so I didn't see him over the week end, not that I see him that often at the week ends. I asked hi if he would like to come and have a meal helping me with    a few jobs, he told me he would and that next Tuesday would be fine if it suited me. While he was here the telephone rang and I was on the computer trying to get an e-mail which had my log in details on a shortcut. I just told him to go Online but when I had finished the call he told me he had managed to get it to happen. To be honest I had tried before and all I got was a load of computer literature with numbers and letters, Of course I told him he was much better than me on the computer which he definitely is.
 Tomorrow morning I go to the Surgery for my 3 monthly blood test, I hope the weather is a lot better than today which is foggy, cold and very dull. The forecast is for an improving day, let us hope so. More soon.

Bank etc.

I went to the Bank on  Monday to pay in a cheque for my Solar, I had it planned to then go to the local Warehouse to get a Cauliflower especially for my mate who was visiting me on Wednesday. Of course the best laid plans don't always to go to plan. Unfortunately for me they had sold out of cauliflowers.
 I went to the bank around 1.30.pm. expecting to be able to get served almost immediately but no such joy. The place was nearly full and since the reorganisation there are only 2 windows open for business, however I was fortunate for as I walked in a couple who had been to see the Manager walked out. As the Manager could see the queue waiting she started to ask the first if she could help, with a negative response she gradually worked her way to me. As I told her I was paying cash and cheque in my account she immediately ushered me in to her small office. She asked me if I had my card, I told her I never carried it on me and then mentioned that an employee who I hadn't seen for ages was one of the 2 tellers. I told the Manager I was going to pull her leg suggesting that I thought she had won the lottery and retired, laughing the Manger told me as things were hectic she probably wished she had won the lottery. She soon conducted the transaction then looked at me and told me that I could now get back to work. As is my norm, during the Winter months I generally wear overalls she naturally though I was doing some work. I looked at her and just said."At my time of life?  She just smiled and I left.
 Yesterday my mate eventually arrived, I had some Maggi soups for him but suggested that his Partner would not be having any because she is funny what she will eat. Mind you he later told me that she had asked him if he was making any mince pies, earlier he told me he had a jar of Morrison's
mincemeat from last year. I immediately mentioned to hm that mincemeat has suet in and that is from an animal so perhaps she will have a taste of some of the 7 different varieties of soup.
 It was nice to see him without having any jobs for him to do, he certainly has enough work on his home, it will certainly be a cracking home when it completed.
 Later in the afternoon the lad from next door came to see me, mainly to tell me he hadn't been to work as he had his flu jab. Naturally I asked him if it had hurt him and he told me it had. He will not be going to work tomorrow and told me that he was going to visit his Family in Lincoln on Saturday so he will not see me until next week.
 I caught him getting off the bus today and gave him a couple of warm mince pies. He asked me how I got on at my Sisters in Grantham, I told him I had spent well over £100 on food and filling up with petrol. At ASDA the pump price was £1.09.7 here it is anything from 1.13p upwards so I was well pleased with the cost.
 I am worn out so will have a rest soon. More soon.