This is my boring page

Today may have been the last warm day of the year here in the UK (Sunday 6th October 2013). Three football teams were playing football in Dundonald Park. By Wimbledon Pond was a tent hosting various authors - it was Wimbledon book festival. I happened upon the Diary of a Wimpy Kid with which I was unfamiliar, but bought the first book from Wimbledon Books and began to read it in the Pub. After lunch at home I went out again for photographs - and another read in another pub. Home again and, still sunshining, out to read again to another pub. By now it was a little repetitive (the book, not my visiting pubs) so I don't think I'll get another. Anne Fine is better.

It was a lovely starlit morning as I left my house. But I soon hit a light mist nearing the M25. (Why is it that people put on their rear foglights as soon as an atom of moisture appears in the air? It just dazzles everybody behind them - and distorts their judgement of distance.) Did nothing at work all day.

Amazing. I had an appointment at the passport office at Victoria. It was for 7:45 and I was out by five to eight! (Admittedly I was queuing at 7:20 - they let us in at 7:30 and it took 10 minutes through security and reception. But all in all a delightful experience. Nice toilets.)
Bought a pair of shoes.
Coming home a car was stranded on the A3. Just where it gets restricted to two lanes (London bound). So it took 2 hours to get back home (instead of one).

Even more amazing. Home after work, on the doormat was my new passport!

And today my original passport came in a separate and different envelope. (It had it's corners, front and back, neatly cut off.)

Today at work the top bosses of the company who just bought us talked to us for 3½ hours. Apart from being surprised that I could last that long without a visit to the loo, I was impressed by the enthusiasm they showed - I also understood the presentations which was unusual for me as they generally go over my head. This one spoke my language.
Coming home on the M3 approaching the Lightwater turn-off I saw lots of slow traffic further on the M3 so I took the turning via Lightwater, Chobham, West Byfleet, Silvermere, A3. The Roads were slow and also, from the very outset, I saw more traffic in the opposite direction. Going over the M25 I saw the anticlockwise at a stand-still. So I was glad I took the detour as joining the M25 would have been bad due to the clockwise merge affecting my anti-clockwise joining.

Saturday was wasted

Sunday was wet.

Stayed at home on Monday

On Tuesday I learned I was to go to India on Saturday - must plough through the torture of applying for an Indian visa again.

Coming in on Wednesday (apart from noticing the red sky in the morning - well orange really - but I haven't seen one of those for a long while) the concrete surface of the M25 (J10-11) made an unusual noise, and I noticed it seemed different - cleaner - than before. That would explain yesterday's strange thing. It was slightly misty, but the mist seemed to cling to the road surface in swirls. I thought it was an unusual atmospheric happening, but obviously it was just dust left over from some sort of road cleaning/scraping. Which is unusual in itself.
I spent most of today trying to finish off the visa application. A worse system cannot have been invented. It's all back to front! You have to fill it up online - which is the first warning that you are in for something horrible. And when the page is down, unreachable, or unfound, and time is of the essence, things get difficult. You cannot book an appointment until the form is completed (one part of which requires details of references from UK and India which require dates of travel) and you do not know what other things you have to fill in until you get there (which means you have to come out and go back in several times for things such as previous visa numbers, which in my case exist only in an old passport which I do not carry with me, dates of last visits - again having to look at different places from the location where you are filling up the form!) at the end of which I discovered that appointments were not available until the next month. Frustrating and absurd. I don't even want to GO to this country, I am doing it out of consideration, and at some inconvenience to myself; to train someone in India to do my job. So to put obstacles in my way seems counter-productive - but what can one expect from such a process-bound, unthinking country. (Can you detect a certain anger and frustration in my tone?)

Thursday was all a kafuffle trying to see if an earlier appointment can be got by paying money to a middle man. Has this kind of corrupt behaviour wended its way into this country?

Friday: a two and three quarter hour meeting about what I do. Two quick pints at the clubhouse and a booster injection at the doctors. At 7:55 my passport was delivered to me with a visa. Very grumpy that money can persuade the Indian high commision to give me a visa whereas I, in person, was unregarded.

Saturday: Fed up.

Sunday: Fed up.

Monday: Fly to Bangalore. It went quite quickly and I managed an hour's sleep -- 3 little bottles of red wine and 4 little whisky bottles. Arrived Tuesday and after an hour's freshening up and some breakfast I felt much worse. 9-4 at the office but did good stuff there. Nice curry in the evening and now to bed.

Wednesday: Busy. Two Kingfishers back at the hotel (beers not birds). Got lots to do still this evening. (I wonder if many people in my position would do as much as I am doing -- for an employer they are about to leave because they were made redundant by them.)

Thursday (24th Ocober 2013 by the way): Busy again. Why does everyone start so late in India? By the time you start you spend the rest of the day doing catch-up! Again some stuff to do this evening. I'll go to the "global cuisine" restaurant this evening.

Friday: Why does nothing go smoothly. My sandwich (which I asked to contain only chicken, no bacon) seems to have turned into a large box of something; and chips. Yesterdays global pizza was curious. (Last time here I had a lasagne which had vast amounts of meat but hardly any pasta.)
Well the sandwich (it was a small sandwich in a large box) was fine. There were also chips (cold by now) strangely.

Saturday: 5 hours on the computer. Managed a few hours crashed out on the bed after lunch. Did an "ethics and code of conduct" and "relations" presentation as required by my company. Mostly irrelevant to me. (I dare not indicate my true feelings.)

Sunday and (because the UK went back 1 hour) my phone woke me up 1 hour too late - but it mattered not as I was early. Into work for a 4 hour catch up session. Useful I hope. Now for a pause before supper - a nice small curry I hope.

Not a nice curry I fear
Monday: last day in India. Had some digestive (well that's a politeness) problem this morning but all seems calm now. It looks as though the weather (predicted high winds in the south east) will not disrupt my flight, as the day there seems quite balmy from over here. I'll try for another good curry and then bed and leave at 03:30.

Plane was only 1/4 full so excellent flight back with nice bacon and eggs. Six little bottles of whisky saw me get half an hours sleep. Finished Cat Among the Pigeons.

Wednesday: Had a lovely bath. Back to work for a day and started expenses.

Thursday and Friday was spent learning about Excel in Basingstoke. Very useful.

Just about got back to normal after my trip.

Sunday: Out for my usual walk round Wimbledon pond & shopping. Slept in the afternoon and went to bed early.

Monday: Threw a lot of stuff away in preparation - getting ready for leaving.

Tuesday: Threw a lot more stuff away.

Wednesday,Thursday,Friday: Back to Basingstoke. A 5 day course in Health and Social Care. Compared to the Web and Excel courses it seems to go very slowly and is quite exhausting. I find the pace a little slow, basic and the teacher, though very nice and covers a lot (perhaps more than she needs), goes a little too slowly and repetitiously for me. Though of course she has to cater for a vast range of people - so it is quite understandable. I am enjoying it - it is quite an eye-opener. I normally go by train but on Thursday I went by car as I needed to drop into work to progress my expenses under the new system; also to take more stuff of mine away.

Saturday: Started the central heating (the latest we have done it) as it's getting chilly at night. It's raining.

Sunday: Too boring to remember.

Monday, Tuesday: Finished the health course and had an exam. (The first of 4 parts seemed to be questions from a completely different course!) We get our results in 2 weeks.

Wednesday: Was given a release to do! I would not have minded if it had not been passed to someone else when I said, on Sunday, I would stand in from my replacement who had a family emergency to attend to. But to be surprised to be given actual work three days before being made redundant, and in the light of my India visit etc. Anyway I did it. Went to clubhouse at lunchtime - only 2 pints.

Thursday: Finished the releasings. Went to Plough and Horses. Also came unexpectedly people from the project side who re-arranged their do to be with me which was very nice. Had a long time there; and 4 pints. My fellow build managers did not come.

Friday: Last day and did nothing except to ensure my leaving was proper. To the clubhouse with Amarjit, Rob and Danny. Very pleasant.

Saturday: tidied kitchen and bought things for a stew.

Sunday: Ate stew

Monday first day of unemployment: unemployed.html)

Tuesday 24th December 2013:
Still unemployed but no new experiences nowadays so returning to this page.
No serious damage by recent winds - only one fence post at a slight angle (the metal holding thing needs re-bedding).

Wednesday 25th December 2013:
Up at 4:20. Out at 5:30 destination Nantwich. Good cooked breakfast at Corley services on the M6.
Excellent meal at the Nags Head. Then leave at 3:30ish. Two large whiskeys and a mince pie for supper on the sofa back home at 7ish.

Thursday 26th December 2013:
Slothful.

Friday 27th December 2013:
Phoned uncle who said his plant was dying. Walked to Morden garden centre (where I bought it) and they said they could (after I'd described its position & watering) that I'd have to bring it in. Bought cards from the shop, two beers from the pub, a plate from Sainsburys and walked back.

Saturday 28th December 2013:

Sunday 29th December 2013:

Monday 30th December 2013:
To Kingston to discuss my nursing CV.

Tuesday 31st December 2013:
To a friend for lunch (from Waterloo by the 171). Then on to Dame Edna at the Palladium. Managed to escape London before it closed down for the new year's conglomeration.

Wednesday 1st January 2014:
?

Thursday 2nd January 2014:
Phoned around to follow up Job applications. The Deer Park nursing home asked to see me so by 12 o'clock I was there and they offered me a job pending references!

Friday 3rd January 2014:
To Kingston to see my Job "advisor" at the jobcentre. Don't think I should have told them about the offer in case I turn it down and my £68.25 a week is stopped.

Saturday 4th January 2014:
Out several times. One to the library to see if they have access to EEBO (Early English Books Online) as the Bodleian had come back to me about Bright's and Willis's books. But they did not. I'll try the British Library on Monday.

Sunday 5th January 2014:
Up late after a bad night (had some Benelin to try to get back to sleep).

Monday 6th January 2014:
Cooked the mince.
Joined British Library and printed Bright's and Willis's online books from EEBO.
Saw my uncle and gave him the money from his PC.

Tuesday 7th January 2014:
Got email from Sharon with her email address so wrote a letter to the care home, but decided to take it by hand. Bus to Kingston, walk to Home, (they took the letter but had already done a letter to use her postal address - so I was too late) and saw the same little lady sat on the same seat in the hall as had been there last Thursday. I could not quite catch what she asked, but I think she may have thought I was her lawyer.
Then walked on to Teddington (a dustman pointed me up one road as the way - it got me to one end but I think the other would heve been more central). Had a Wimpy and then a pint. Caught the 218 to Tolworth. Via Kingston (I am beginning to tire of Kingston!). I was going to walk back to Wimbledon from there but my nerve failed me so I caught the train (£3:20!). But these stations on the line to Chessington are really lovely - though a bit desolate. All 1920s/1930s. Tried to decipher what Bright meant as his shorthand.

Wednesday 8th January 2014:
Why do I forget what I do on Wednesdays?

Thursday 9th January 2014:
I think I drank a little too much today.

Friday 10th January 2014:
Recovering, forced myself to walk to Wimbledon Village. Don't think I've been down Marryat Road. Large suburban homes. Back via St Mary's church and Waitrose.

Saturday 11th January 2014:
To Emsworth to visit an old friend and colleague. Through the Hindhead tunnel for the first time.

Sunday 12th January 2014:
Saw Countryfile who showed that the old A3 via Hindhead (around the devil's punch bowl) is now covered over. This was quite an ancient road and I think that sad.

Monday 13th January 2014:
Catching up with my job-seeker's obligations. Will have to visit two shops today to complete my duties.

Tuesday 14th January 2014
Wednesday 15th January 2014
Thursday 16th January 2014

Friday 17th January 2014:
To Kingston Job Centre. Must have had too much to drink after, as Mark noticed me behaving strangely in the evening.

Saturday 18th January 2014:
To Morden shopping. Two notebooks. Two pints. And a book - I am getting a bit fed up with the shock of the fall: I had high expectations but it is jumping about too much for me and I'm losing sympathy with the child narrator.

Sunday 19th January 2014:
A wonderful evening with Patricia Routledge in the Players (Charing Cross) Theatre. Excellent seats looking directly at her. She knows how to hold us in her thrall. As said after (as given the living comedy award) why was she not made a dame in the honours list.

Monday 20th January 2014:
Tuesday 21st January 2014:
Wednesday 22nd January 2014:
Thursday 23rd January 2014:
Friday 24th January 2014:
This week, with the prospect of actually working, I have been celebrating with rather too much wine and beer, not to mention whisky.

Saturday 25th January 2014:
Visited 4 shops in Colliers Wood. Luckily no jobs.

Sunday 26th January 2014:
Walked to Cannizaro House and booked a meal for next weekend with Mark.
Fell asleep after Sunday lunch (ham sandwich + tomato + celery). Lovely ham I cooked from Sainsbury's - plenty of surrounding fat.

Tuesday 28th January 2014:
I was phoned up by the care home and asked to come to an induction day tomorrow
I wonder how things will turn out.
I'll start up another page here: nursing.html

Wednesday 12th March 2014:
Made the fence better.

Friday 28th March 2014:
Been painting the kitchen. I seem to sand, fill, sand, fill and still the walls are a bit poxy. I was told that pollyfiller was hard to sand, so why is it it that I can sand it with my thumb. Started awkward bits of wall in the terracotta emulsion. Feeling rather achey today and yesterday afternoon.



(I wonder how I can make this even more boring.)