Mate called

This morning my mate called to see me, it was nice to see hi once more. I had owed him some money for he had ordered and paid for some wood and also he bought some other things for me which I was grateful.
 the first thing I asked him was to do me a favour. Last thursday I received a phone call inviting me to Skegness Hospital on Monday July 9th. at 3.40.pm. with confirmation in a letter. saturday I received a letter with a different date and time, this was also confirmed on Monday this week. The new time is 9.00.am and the date is now Tuesday 10.th of July. So I asked my mate if I drove to his home in Skegness and ask him to take me to the Hospital and drop me off. naturally he readily agreed adding that he could park in Morrison's for there is a 2 hour free parking there and as I had an appointment at 9.00.am. he would expect me to be there no longer than an hour at most. Anyway we will see.
 After a mug of tea I asked him to look at my Shower unit, he immediately told me that he would take the handle off and asked me for a couple of screwdrivers one of each. He mended that in no time. I must admit that I would have had no idea on how to start, the outcome is that I can use my Shower once again.
 The next thing was to install a replacement black cartridge in my printer, the old one had dried out through lack of use. He did that easily and then I gave him a few leeks to plant in his garden a couple of very small lettuce plants and a swede.
 It was then dinner, naturally I have had new potatoes for several weeks but it was the first new potatoes he had for his dinner this season. We had chicken with cauliflower and cabbage. He thoroughly enjoyed his potatoes. The cauliflower was tasty but it had began to get past it's very best..
It was soon time to go back to Skegness and the time had flown by so quickly.  I did give him a tray for his george Foreman Grill which he had to remind me. I had told him ages ago that I did have a spare one, I also managed to dig out a larges sheet of sort of plastic to catch the hedge trimmings. I guess that his Partner will have that job.
 I did ask him if he had any runner bean seeds which he told me he did so I suggested that he sow a few because they are the best value for money vegetables.
 I went out and showed him my runner beans in the polytunnel, I hope to get my first feed before the end of this month. The photo shows there are many forming well.

More soon.

Appointment.

On Wednesday afternoon I returned to the Opticians to have drops put into my right eye to enlarge to pupil. All went according to plan you have the drops then wait for your eye to dilute sufficiently for the Optometrist to examine the rear of your eye. After she had finished she asked me if I had read the leaflet she had given to me the week before and I told her that I had read it. She then let me know that she would be writing to the Hospital so that a further examination of my right eye to see if I was able to have the cataract removed.
 To my surprise the next day. yesterday I had a telephone call inviting me to have my eye examined in Skegness Hospital in early July, so now when I ring my mate up tomorrow I will ask him where the Hospital is.
 I was laying in bed a couple of days ago when I remembered this story. It is true.
 I guess it was early 1973 ish for I was open until 10.00.pm each day. I was standing outside waiting for the floor which I had mopped to dry so that I could put the chairs down prior to going to bed.
 It was in early July and as I stood this old Man came up to me, I guess he was in his 80s. I was still in my 30s. He asked me if I sold any pie tobacco. I replied unfortunately I did not but I sold cigarettes and if he wanted any I would sell him some. He declined then as we stood he started to talk about his life. The first thing he told me was that he worked in London for a wealthy Gentleman who had a car. He went on to say that he was the first person to drive a car in mablethorpe. I guess this was in the first decade in the 20th. century. He told me that his Boss had given him permission to travel from london to Mablethorpe which is about 120 miles. He told me that it was a risky journey but he was young. He added that there were very few petrol stations selling fuel but he managed to find sufficient for him to get to Mablethorpe and eventually back to London. He also told me that many folks came out to see a motor car for the first time.
 He told me a few other things most of which I have forgot but this stayed in my mind. He mentioned as a young boy the telephone was just in it's infancy. He said that he told his Mother that one day people will not only talk to one another over vast distance but they would also see each other. This he told me cause his Mother to clip him around the ear and told him not to talk such rot. He was certainly ahead of his time. I was pleased that I had met him, I never saw him again. More soon.

B.G.

The end of May I received a letter from British Gas with an urgent printed on the front for my attention. I opened it and it informed me that I was due for a service on my Central Heating Boiler and timer. As I had this done in early October last year i did not immediately give it much attention. However about 2 weeks later I read the letter once more and found that I could go Online and book an appointment to suit me which I thought was good. Naturally they gave me security numbers and told me where to book Online. Naturally it was not that easy. Anyone who has used any system with security will know just how difficult it is to do. I did eventually find the right page and after a couple of times they accepted my security number and I clicked on to choose a time and date.
 To my amazement I was given 2 dates the first was an AM. appointment in early August and the second was the following day at a PM. appointment the early appointment is for between 8.oo.am. and Noon. which I did accept the other was from Noon to 5.00pm.
 As I have several Surgery appointments, a Hospital appointment which I expect within the next month it is far from certain that I will be able to keep that appointment, I hope so.
 I am getting sufficient strawberries out of the garden now to keep the lad happy. I will only have the odd strawberry for firstly if I eat too many it starts my Colitis off and secondly the small seeds get under my denture plate. To be honest it doesn't bother me much not eating them. I don't think I will even make any strawberry jam as the seeds in the jam are like a brick in my mouth.
 Just had a phone call from my Best Pal he will call on me later today, on Saturday I managed to catch my mate in and hopefully he will be visiting me next week, it will be nice to see him.
 I asked him about his cauliflowers that I gave him months ago, he let me know that he will be eating one over the week end and is happy although they make huge leaves. This is the norm for growing anything under glass or the polytunnel. My broad beans have produced enough for about 6 meals so I can't grumble. They are The Sutton broad beans, they are supposed to be dwarf so that in windy conditions that thrive, some of mine in the polytunnel are well over 5' tall. My runner beans in the polytunnel are producing plenty of flowers but I noticed that the greenfly had attacked them. After spraying them I have noticed that the odd flower had set, so keeping my fingers crossed I will have a taste of runner beans towards the end of the month. More soon.

Opticians

The photos I have taken a few days ago show the potatoes in my polytunnel are more than ready it also shows just how large the plants grow. The cauliflowers are massive, the leaves grow very large but do not have many small leaves on them. The cauliflower on the plate is the same one that I took a photo when it was in the ground. Whether I have any left for when my mate calls is a guess.
 This morning I went to the Opticians in Mablethorpe, I was surprised because each time I passed the place I could see nobody inside. I must admit that I don't go by often, however this morning I went in and there was a guy being served and I waited to be booked in. Whilst I was waiting a lady came out of the examining room followed by the Optician. After she had seen to the patient she asked if I was the one who was waiting, I did concur stating that although I had been there for 10 minutes I had not been booked in so she booked me in and led me to the examining room.
 She gave me a good exam and when she finished she let me know that I had cataracts, I informed her that I already knew and I had them confirmed several years ago. She told me that my right eye was worse than my left eye, something that I knew but at least she told me so. After the thorough examination she then told me that she wished me to return making another appointment for she could not see the back of the eye because of the cataracts, she also added that she could improve my sight but it would be a fraction and suggested that I do not change my spectacles for I would notice no difference. She ten told me that if I wished she would contact the place where the decision to have a cataract operation is performed because she thought my right eye was sufficiently ripe for surgery.
 The outcome is that I have an appointment for next Wednesday for a retinopathy examination, this is where they dilute your eyes and take photographs of them. I did mention that I had this done annually for my Diabetes but she wished to see for herself. Anyway she has done something that I have not done, firstly suggesting that I do NOT spend any money on new spectacles and secondly will after the next appointment write to the powers to be about my cataracts. She did admit that my eyes were good enough to continue driving for now. More soon.

Health.

I had a little disturbing news the other day concerning my eldest sisters Husband. My youngest Sister rung me up to inform me that he had prostate cancer and it had spread to his bones and was in Hospital having tests. since then he has been discharged but the prognosis is not good. The Doctors could not understand it because he has no pain at all which baffles them. My eldest Sister had only 1 boy and he married a Nurse. She is in a Private practice and is quite by chance a cancer Specialist and according to my youngest Sister she has told my eldest sister that her Husband, her Father-in Law will not suffer at all. She will make sure of that adding that they have special drugs which are not prescribed on the NHS. As she works for a private Hospital and is a cancer Specialist she has access to all drugs.
 The local Doctors has told him to eat and drink plenty and if he feels like going on Holiday then he should go, so now we wait and see what happens.
 As for me, I have no worries prepared to my Brother-in-Law. I went to see the Nurse and booked in but added that I was due to have a 3 monthly Blood tests this month and as I was also due for my annual diabetes check I wished if possible to have them both at the same time to save money. As I explained the senior receptionist butted in to inform me that I was having a diabetes check. I told her that I was only having a BP check this morning but she insisted that it had been booked for my Diabetes check and extra time had been booked. I then let her know that had I known I would have bought a urine sample. She asked me if I could give one now but I told her I had had my breakfast. She also told me that if I wished to book an appointment for a Hospital Blood test I could book it later after I had my appointment.
 In I went to the Nurse and she explained what she had done, gave me a small urine bottle and told me to take a sample in within a week. In fact I took it in yesterday. She also told me that last time she gave me a complete Blood test that the Hospital could look and see the results adding that she wished to see me in August but it was too soon to make an appointment, this would also do for the Hospital. I left thinking that the next appointment would be for Blood test and BP in August.
 I went to make an appointment in Mablethorpe to have my eyes tested, I was not too happy for either my eyes are getting very poor or the strength of glasses are not strong enough.
 I went in and to be honest the shop was not open until 9.s0.am. but the lady was displaying the spectacles so I knocked on the window, she beckoned me to enter and the first thing I asked was how much was the cheapest varifocals. Once she told me I booked an appointment for next Wednesday. This was far quicker than British Gas, they sent me a letter informing me that my annual boiler service was due and I should go Online and book the appointment. After several attempts I was offered a slot, believe it or not in August, still it has been confirmed it is an AM appointment.
I heard the Met. Office confirm that May was the warmest month on record. naturally that doesn't include the East Coast which has been rather cold and dull for ages. Yesterday we had some sun but today and the preceding 3 days has been misty very windy and cod. so much so my Central Heating has been on. More soon.