Good morning Mick and all GN's on a cold and dark morning here in Yorkshire. I am very cautionsly sitting here and taking care with my movements. Had a horrible waking with rotten cramp in my leg , so been sat on the edge of the bed trying to cope with the pain, couldnt stand up even for quite a while, so cold, hungry and fed up, until at last I have been able to put a dressing gown on and gingerly move about, but it is so infuriating, as have to think before any move at all at the moment, as my leg is painful and sort of on the brink of starting again. Maddening not to be in charge of your own body, but have to creep about to just not be in pain!! Well the plan for this morning had been much sorting out and ironing, but as I am right now that will not be a good idea! So once there is any daylight to see by, I think that I am going to see how the weather is, ring up Harlow Carr and ask if there is a buggy free at this last minute and go and look round there. The autumn colours are coming through now, and today is meant to be the best day this week for weather. Also think the half term begins next week so it will be busy. There are plenty of garden jobs that I want to get done but no chance with that either today. Infuriating. Ah well yesterday we went to Ripon and after going round and round for a while managed to get parked in the centre. The market square there has a lot of shops in close proximity which is useful, but I was struggling to walk about, so my plan to walk up the road to the cathedral and to look in all the little shops had to be abandoned, and only really able to get round the square, before retreating to the car. One funny thing was we went to the cafe Nero, conveniently on the square and as usual I took my china mug with me. Never been in that one before but moving along in the queue, the lady behind the counter said, "Your usual americano and do you have your cup with you?" I looked and she had previously been in Thirsk Nero and so of course knew me of old!! How well I am training all the staff to know what suits me!! Anyway got back home and did a small amount of sorting out, and I was able to get a new magnetic grabber stick in Yorkshire trading, so have been trying it out of course. So far a bit stiff to handle but the grabber bit is of course much tighter than the old one, and it was a lot cheaper buying it from there than from a disabled caterlog or shop. The manufacturers seem to think you are a captive market and can charge whatever they feel like. Well I look around for other places and look in charity shops as dont want to pay their price and also great believer in using whatever is available without starting a new one.
Then it was time to go to the games night. Very dark on the way there and had the lights on, so have to accept that we now need to be in winter mode. Not yet got into the habit of having a torch in my bag at the ready. Another new game to learn, but with less complicated layers. Also it was a very spatial kind of quiz, where you had to put pieces into a landscape but each edge had to match perfectly to the next piece, a bit like a jigsaw for the first part. I am quite good at spatial puzzles , and can look at a piece and without actually putting it next to another can visualize how it will fit etc. So still the beginner but did quite well and towards the end there was a piece that the other 3 players had picked up and tried to place and not been able to and returned it to the pile. I could see exactly where and how to put it and fingers crossed that I got the chance to use it, was a small triumph to go home with. One man said , he could see that once I had got the idea of the game I could be a challenging player to go against. Very cheering to leave on that note as I usually leave with spinning head and wondering why I bother going!! But it is actually a great thing for me, pleasant company, a chance to get the brain going, and last night I bought one half pint of cider and that was the total outlay so all very well worth doing. I find with complicated puzzles to work out, other worries and niggles that I find difficult to put to one side are given a rest as my brain needs to be fully concentrating. Then today I shall be going all being well to the whist drive. That is where I have played for years, can relax and be one of the more experienced player so cheer myself up with feeling less of a dunce with this game. I had planned to get more sorting and ironing done and keep away from the market place, but the cramp is a game changer, as I will have to think for at least all this morning how to move and how to avoid it gripping me again.
I must make sure that my car is back to normal mode, and check all the box of tricks in the boot . Also make sure that my disabled badges and driving glasses all in their proper place, especially my prescription sunglasses. At this time of year in the afternoon the sun is very low. We have also been told that the police are having a blitz on stopping people and checking eyesight and ability to read number plates etc at the correct distance. I hope that this is not going to be yet another blame the older driver. Have no worries about them stopping people, this does need to be checked, but hope that they are now not going to just constantly check up on older drivers. The assumption that because someone is young they have no problems is wrong, and there could be the occasional person who has not realized the problems with their eyesight. Anyway I keep both clear and sunglass prescription glasses in the car , so should be no problem if I get stopped.
Honestly , just looked outside and it is still very cold and dark , cant even see the tree outline. Ah well it will be my most cheering moment shortly with J S Bach to listen to and much needed coffee to enjoy before I gingerly get into the shower and hope the cramp doesnt grab me again!
Mick I hope all goes well with your digital reorganisation, and you meet some friends in Bicester today. GrandMattie, you have done such a lot that I hope you can have a bit of time for yourself. I hope that the FAB cafe goes well and that there is time to firmly remind people that they could all take a few t towels home to wash or your could have a rota for doing it. You do so much, and if they look to you for all the work you do, they should acknowledge you as the FAB cafe leader and organiser and I think you might think of a set of rules or ideas that will help the cafe to work well, which I think should include a more organised arrangement for who does what, and another scheme , where if you are meant to be going and cannot for some reason such as illness, that it is your job to find someone else to fill your place on that day and not leave you stranded and trying to do everything. Bellasnana, sounds as though things are going well for you at the moment. When I was living abroad so many people wanted to learn and practise their english that I used to suggest that we spoke english and portuguese or whatever on alternate days, which used to work quite well and we all got a chance at some practise and some laughs at the mistakes we made. I dont know if for some reason I dont see posts from FGT or because I have been away I have missed some and when the laptop was playing up might be why I dont seem to know what has happened etc. Well I hope, fingers crossed, to get rid of lots of spam sort of stuff, see my techy brilliant man to check up on a few things, and work out if and how I may have to move to windows 11, which had loads of teething troubles, so I stayed with 10, but apparently the support for 10 is going. another way the hope to force you to move to something they want you too and notby your choice. I will be avoiding AI at all costs and do not accept any cookies if I have a choice. I need to speak to Archie, as he has no hidden agenda, and what he tells you is correct and he is able to tell you whether it is good or important to change something , or how safe your laptop is etc.
Well folks, I have heard Bach, it is still very dark outside, so into the breach now. I am going to risk going to make some breakfast and a much needed cup of coffee and see how the morning turns out. Hope everyone has a good day today
