It's like living with Alf Garnett

 Ever since the election Steve has been in full on rant mode.

He is driving me mad, yes I know it's annoying that he will lose his winter fuel payment but yelling at me isn't going to help.

I'm horrified by the amount he spends on Tesco every week, especially on beer but if I can save money from my pension then it's his choice to spend all of his and then some.

Steve wants lamb chops for tea, he bought a pack of eight and froze them without splitting them. I managed to split the pack, otherwise he'd ha e eaten all eight. He doesn't eat veg so he eats large portions of meat.

Oodles and Poos

On every dog walk Beano and I meet many dogs, especially Oodles and Poos. 

I have a neighbour who has a Maltipoo and a Cockerpoo. She paid thousands for the pair of them. 

There are numerous similar dogs around, there are many Labradoodles and my personal favourite which the owner tells me it is a Dalmadoodle.

Another neighbour had visitors yesterday, they brought their dog with them. It's a Cavapoo  and boy was it noisy. It barked non-stop from the moment it arrived until it left. My poor neighbour was exhausted.  She was full of apologies when I saw her afterwards. Though what she could do about it I'm not sure.

My daughter visited last week to collect our TV, she brought her dog with her. He almost filled the flat, he is a Boxer/Staffy cross, he's huge but daft as a brush. Beano grumbles at him all the time.

Still here!

Still buggering on.

Steve decided to buy a humongous TV it's a 50 inch, allegedly he bought it so I could watch TV but when his friend Bob did the set up he's done it without subtitles. So although I can watch the TV I can't hear what people are saying so I can't follow what's happening. Nemmind, worse things happen at sea.

The weather is getting warmer for the next few days, Beano will not be happy. He prefers the cooler weather.

I'm trying to improve my diet but mainly failing. I did make some roasted cauliflower and red pepper y'day that was delicious.

Today I'm going to cook some chicken drumsticks on a bed of green beans and cabbage. Steve is going out with one of his brothers so I will cook it then. Steve doesn't like me using the oven, he wants everything cooked in the air fryer.

Two days!

Two fecking days!

I have a Henry hoover, it's very efficient but it's heavy and as Steve insists that it must be kept on the top shelf of one of our cupboards. It's extremely inconvenient and difficult to lift from the shelf to the floor.

I've been lifting Henry down from the shelf since we moved here. This week I decided  enough was enough and I told Steve he was to lift it down. This he did for two days, he then decided that it was too inconvenient and ordered a new lightweight stick vacuum cleaner!

New clothes.

I bought a new summer dress this year, same style as my other dresses and I threw one dress away as the skirt had developed holes..

Then last week, Betty had a clear out and gifted me two more summer dresses. They are too long as Betty is considerably taller than me.

This morning, once Steve has gone out with Harry to collect his washing I shall get my good scissors out and cut a few inches of the bottom of each dress.

I'm don't think I'll be able to take them up myself but another resident may do them for me. I can but ask.

A busy week.

It's all go this week, my daughter is collecting me this morning. We will go into town, she wants her face threading and we will probably have lunch.

I've not been out with Betty for a while, she's been busy with her bowls. She has played almost every day for two weeks .

Y'day I went for a stroll with another neighbour, we are not exactly a match made in heaven. She has aphasia, she struggles to find the words, and I'm deaf and going blind. Still we had a pleasant stroll.

Another funeral.

Another resident has died, she had a stroke, she was 92.

So that's another empty flat that will need to be sold.

There are quite a few now and because they are not being updated they are difficult to sell.

We also have a couple of residents who like to keep their property on the market but expect far too much money.

Our flats are dated, there are many newer and more luxurious flats around.

Our call service is being removed, the argument is that everyone has a mobile phone so if they need assistance they can call a family member.

We only have a visiting manager a couple of times a week.

None of this bothers me, we bought this place as we could afford it and it was convenient. But many of the residents bought here because there was a live in manager and other facilities to help them.

Aargh.

Beano and I went to join some other residents in the garden this afternoon. I didn't stay long as Steve came to join us. He never joins in anything unless I'm there. I find it a bit inhibiting as I know there will be a post mortem when we return home.

Every comment mulled over and found wanting.

It's tedious.

I've shrunk.

I've always been short, 4'11 in my youth and I've shrunk as I've aged.

I met up with my oldest grandson on Thursday, he was highly amused when he realised I only came half way up his chest!

I'm also losing my sight along with my hearing. I wear hearing aids but nothing can be done about my eyesight. I had surgery but it failed, in fact it made it worse.

 I'm having to give up my kindle as I can no longer see stuff on it, so I decided to fire up my laptop to see if I can use that.

The problem with the laptop is that it's big and heavy, I can't sit with it on my knee as it soon gets too hot.

I decided to look into buying a small table, one where the legs will go under the sofa. At this point Steve decided to take over the buying decision.

He decided to fit wooden blocks to lift the sofa so the large castors on the table he chose will slide under the sofa. He did this before the table arrived and once it did arrive he realised the blocks supporting the table need to be bigger!

The second blocks have now been made and fitted, the sofa is raised up and the table slides underneath.

Steve's next job is to make a ladder so Beano and I  can access the sofa!

Thats the election done.

My children all vote, I have very strong views on voting and they probably don't feel they have a choice.

As for which party they vote for, that's up to them. I don't feel it is any of my business.

Some of them tell me, some of them don't, I don't mind either way. 

It's the voting that is important, not the who for.

I've voted

Voting is something I feel strongly about but I sometimes wonder why.

My neighbour on one side insists that Labour will win and everything will improve.

My neighbour the other side claims the Conservatives are doing well and everything will improve soon.

I don't think there will be any improvement whoever wins. The politicians are all only interested in lining their own pockets.

Changes

Our site has a new owner, the previous company decided they wanted to concentrate on their rental portfolio.

So we are now owned by a company that only deals with owned properties.

There has been much excitement amongst the residents here, many expecting a return to having a full time manager on-site. An on-site cafeteria and laundrette were also hoped for. Some were hoping to have the call system updated. One resident wanted me removed as she feels the flats should be for Christians only. The mad cat lady wants all pet owners apart from herself removed as her cat doesn't like having other pets on-site. Some people are worried that the bills will treble overnight.

Steve is again pushing to move as he believes the costs will soar.

What we have been told so far is that we will share a manager with eight other sites, the manager will visit occasionally but will not live on-site. The call system is being removed completely as most residents have a mobile phones. There will be much muttering on-site as people realise their wishes are of no interest to the new owners.