Exercise

I walk Beano 3 or 4 times a day, it's been very hot for the  last few days so  he hasn't wanted to go far apart from his early morning walk when it is cool.

Today was a cooler day, it had rained overnight so for Beano's 10 o'clock walk I decided to walk to the local pet shop. I wasn't sure Beano would manage and I was prepared to I only walk as far as he wanted.

Once he realised where we were headed he enjoyed the walk. I purchased a small box of expensive fancy dog biscuits for him along with a bag of milk bones which I know he likes.

He won't touch the fancy biscuits I bought but he does like the tiny milk bones. I shall pass the expensive fancy biscuits on to a neighbour who has two posh dogs.

After lunch Beano decided he'd like another walk so this time we headed to the nearby park.

I think rain is forecast tomorrow which means that Beano will have repeated quick trips to under the nearest tree for a quick widdle and then back indoors. 

I'm a firm believer in "There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!" Unfortunately Beano does not agree and refuses to walk in the rain.

All is revealed

As I said in my last post, when I arrived home on Tuesday after visiting the bank, Steve was in a strop about a letter.  When I pointed out that the information in the letter was ambiguous, he was most annoyed and buggered off down the pub.

Yesterday I went to the coffee morning in the summer house, a resident had opened up and was hovering in the doorway. She wanted to speak to me as she's was concerned that she may have upset Steve. She too felt the information in the letter could have more than one interpretation and said so.

I reassured her and explained that Steve was always convinced he was right and that she shouldn't worry about it. I did ask if she'd been worried that he'd be aggressive but she was merely concerned that he'd been upset.

So just for a change it wasn't me that pissed Steve off!

 

Trip into town.

I caught the bus into town y'day, the bank had blocked my account because of suspected fraud.

The fraud was me trying to withdraw money last week in the branch from my account!!

Hopefully my account is now marked with information explaining that I can neither see or hear properly.

I got lost coming home as I couldn't find the bus stop, what an idiot. I probably won't go into town alone again as it's difficult to get about. Or I'll have to get a taxi home.

Bits have started to arrive for our new shower, they are filling up the living room! It's difficult for me to climb into the bath tub despite the selection of hand rails attached to the walls. So we are having a walk in shower fitted. I know that when we sell, this could be a problem but as it is at the moment, I'm likely to break my neck, which would be even more of a problem!

The plumber was supposed to be coming on Friday but is delayed on his current job so is coming on Monday.

We received a letter from the housing association, the wording was ambiguous, Steve decided it meant one thing, some of the residents thought in meant something else.

When I arrived home Steve asked me for my opinion. I said the letter wasn't clear and we should ask for clarification. Steve immediately got into a strop and went out to a pub.

One of my favourite sayings is "When the going gets tough, the tough fcuk off down the pub!

Still here

But bored sh1tless.

It's been too darn hot to walk Beano more than once a day.

Steve is being a PITA as usual.

It's cooler today so that means more walks for me and Beano.

Now I have my new hearing aids Steve is having to whisper really quietly which is making his throat sore! He's always claimed it hurts his throat to speak loud enough for me to hear. I'm now able to hear all says which he hates!

Bleugh

There is one problem with having the fridge rammed full of Steve's preferred snacks.

The smell makes me want to puke!

I'm not really a fussy eater and will happily try most things but I like my food to be good quality.

I can't stand poor quality fillers covered in pastry.

I shall hold my breath when opening the fridge from now on.

Two fridges

We have two fridges, one in the bedroom and one, a smaller one in the kitchen. This one was here when we moved in.

The bedroom fridge is full of Fosters and coke, in the door are two small cans of lemon and ginger  kombucher these are mine. The drawer at the bottom of the fridge contains a few onions and some potatoes.

The fridge in the kitchen is full of sausage rolls, mini sausages, Scotch eggs and pork pies. There is also a dozen eggs, a sliced gammon joint and some cooked chicken drumsticks.

The drawer at the bottom contains lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions and an avocado. The door contains mayonaise, milk, OJ and some pickle.

Steve is finally satisfied with the fridge contents!

Some he made earlier

This was part of the garden area as it was first cleared.

Part of the flower bed that was just gravel when we first moved in.

Another flower bed freshly planted.

Another resident found this bench with many missing/rotten slats. She collected the pieces and asked Steve and Harry to repair it.
 

What can i do?

I was just walking Beano this morning when a neighbour turned up to speak to Steve. 

He and Harry have built a bench and she wanted to point out where it needed to be positioned.

Said neighbour had found the bench, badly damaged, she collected the bits in her car and Steve and Harry rebuilt and re-stained it.

It looks good, she has another project for Steve to do, so he and Harry visited her flat for more details. I've no idea what the next project is but she's doing her best to keep Steve busy as she knows he's not happy here. 

She has a two bedroom flat, she sleeps in the small bedroom and uses the larger one as her sewing room.

Her sewing room really got me thinking, I miss my hobbies, I wish I could still see enough to continue with them. I don't even cook anymore as Steve will only eat shop bought food. The nearest I get to cooking now is boiling hardboiled eggs for my lunch.

I will look on Amazon for a macrame kit I think and see if I can do that.

I'm hoping to get out and about more once I have my new hearing aids, it's currently very difficult to use the bus service as I can't hear what the driver is saying.

Oh bugger

We've just received a letter from the housing association telling us they are selling the lodge, along with all their other properties that contain owned homes. They want to concentrate on their rental portfolio.

Some of the residents, including Steve are bordering on hysteria at the news. I'm more pragmatic, I don't know what will happen but I'm sure there are safeguards in place.

Yes I'm sure all the bills will go up but there are limits on how much they can go up by. The current owners have not done any of the requested maintenance so I doubt that will change.

I know we could buy the leasehold but unless all the residents do the same, things can become very awkward.

Whatever happens, worrying will not change things, all I can do is wait and see.

Peace and quiet

Wednesday afternoon I had words with Steve!

I suggested he may prefer to live elsewhere as he doesn't seem happy here. He blustered briefly about having nowhere else to go. So I explained my plan of taking out a mortgage and buying him out. He drank himself into a stupor and went to bed.

Yesterday he was polite and civil.

It is now Sunday and he is still being mostly civil

It won't last but I have the mortgage details which I can show him.

He shopped yesterday with a neighbour and did a BBQ in the garden in the afternoon.

Today he is cooking a gammon joint, a piece of lamb and a chicken drumstick that was missed y'day.

Replies

Ang, I read that Richard E Grant interview about a pocketful of happiness.

Flis, I'm usually smiling when I walk Beano as I enjoy it so much. I'm dreading giving up Beano when I finally lose my sight.

Steve finds it very difficult to find happiness anywhere, he was yelling at me before he was even dressed yesterday morning, he's snapped and snarled all day! I'm wondering if he wouldn't be happier living elsewhere.

I visited the audiologist y'day I need new hearing aids, they will cost over £1500 to buy, gulp! I feel it's necessary as I won't manage if I'm deaf and blind.I

We have a sunny day here, the washing machine has finished doing it's thing, I'll hang everything on the maiden and stand it in the sun.

I'm sure you must all be bored silly with my monotonous life, but I prefer a quiet life.

Small joys

Many things I used to enjoy I can now no longer do.

I can't see well enough to knit, crochet or sew, I've never watched much tv and now only watch Sewing Bee. We probably should have purchased a large tv but as Steve never watches it, it seemed pointless. Also it would have overpowered our small living room.

So I look for small joys on a daily basis. This time of year there are many. 

Flowers in peoples gardens.

Weeds on the verges, as they weren't cut during no mow May. We have a lot of Shepherds Purse and Plantain round here.

Children on bikes or skipping along the pavement.

Dogs being walked, though we cross the road if the dogs are big or bouncy as Beano is a grumpy old man.

The view from my window of the garden where I live. There are some lovely flowers in the garden and birds visit the bird bath and feeders. One part of the garden is bedecked with fairy lights, metallic twisters and a multitude of decorations.

Housework.

 I make no secret of the fact that i hate housework and do as little as possible. That doesn't mean that we live in a tip, some days I don't have much energy and what little I have is used on walking Beano. Steve won't walk him so I have to.

I love our little flat, it is definitely compact and bijou and unlike the boat I can sit on the sofa and look out the window at the garden. I can watch the residents passing my window or doing some gardening. I can also see the birds using the bird bath, especially the crow that visits many times a day. I can watch Greebo stalking birds or sunning himself, although he is currently visiting the vet once or twice a week. There is nothing wrong with Greebo but his owner has mental health problems and is convinced he is unwell. The vet has diagnosed stress, caused by a neighbouring white cat and is making a fortune providing endless pills and potions for Greebo.

One part of the garden is decorated with metallic garden decorations and is illuminated at night by 14 sets of twinkling lights. The garden also contains innumerable stone dogs and a huge stone dragon.  I like a garden that is crammed full of plants and colour but some of the beds here have huge expanses of hard earth between the plants. This seems to me a waste of good soil.

Today is a good day energy wise so I've bottomed out the kitchen, swept and washed the floor. Emptied, washed and refilled the boxes containing stuff that won't fit in the kitchen cupboards. A box of assorted tinned food and a box containing all the herbs and spices that Steve wanted and now never used as he will only eat ready prepared, frozen meals. I used to enjoy cooking but as everything I cook is shite, I no longer bother.

I will sort the three wall cupboards next, I'm keen to find out just how many bottles of BBQ sauce we have. I loath the stuff but Steve loves it and every time he finds a new make, he buys it. I'm tempted to pour some of the half empty bottles in together to make more room.

I may leave the three floor cupboards for another day, I'm sure I'll have another energetic day soon.

Shopping

I used to do all the shopping, I used to go early in the morning at the crack of sparrowfart to avoid the crowds.

Then Steve decided he wanted to come with me, only this meant going mid morning as he doesn't like to get up early. This meant the supermarket was busy and he complained about the other shoppers.

So I suggested shopping online, he agreed and this is what we now do.

Unfortunately this went tits up y'day and this morning's delivery had many items missing. It seems Steve had noticed the website dropping out but didn't think to check if anything was missing.

I mentioned the lack of eggs but he didn't think this was important as he only eats two eggs a week and we had three in the fridge. I eat a lot of eggs, mainly hard boiled in sandwiches or with a salad.

Then he realised the cans of coke were missing along with other things he likes.

He's just set off for Aldi to purchase the missing items. I hope he remembers the eggs, they are written on the list.

Social events

I no longer attend the afternoon social events in the summer house where I live. My hearing its so poor now that I can't follow a conversation. I still go to the quiz mornings as fewer people attend and Barbara prints the questions for me.

I used to rely on lip reading to back up my lack of hearing but now I can no longer see well enough to lip read.

I can still manage one to one conversations but groups are really difficult.

I have an audiology appointment in a week, hopefully they can help improve my hearing.

On the bright side this has given Steve an excuse to have a rant about how he gave up the boat as I couldn't manage it any more. And now I'm not taking advantage of the events on offer here.

Steve had another excuse to rant today when a parcel arrived from Amazon. He stormed into the living room, " More carp you've ordered from Amazon! " 

it was something he'd ordered and nothing to do with me.