Saturday, February 28, 2026
or fold back an area of carpet
And then use a sponge or something to mop up the water under the carpet.
M
syphon out the water?
In the car, could I syphon or wick the wayer out?
A wick might be easier to organise. Cut a slit in the carpet, stuff one end into the whole and the other in the air, and or out in of the car door?
Where to find material? Top kitchen?
M
exercises to get off catheter
Regrets the day after
T has routine of loving one day, such as our visit to Penshurst with Katherine plus 2, and then having deep regret the next day.
i put forward the idea that this was natural, and overall a good indicator not a bad one. This was dismissed of course, and that the correct thing was not to over enjoy the main day in the first place.
I still stand by my theory and will show how the maths work. It is important to take the two days together as a whole.
Say we score out of ten, day one positive, day two negative.
A great day might have scores
9 - 5 = 4
A poor day
4 - 1 = 3
So the agony on the good day is terrible, but overall still better than playing ultra safe.
M
T's exercises
T has restarted some of her exercise routines. I think this is a very good idea.
M
tonbridge security
What a laugh. The school has activated a plan to have every visitor registered with at leasat a daily neck tag.
this includes photo, and details.
It is largely showcase stuff, in that security in the grounds is pretty well impossible.
I showed how I could easily break the code to the squash courts, just with a mobile phone taking photos, since users hands could easily be seen and photoed, and the codes were all the same. Ah well, it is just advertising.
M
waitrose
Discussed issue that local tesco is too small, and a large waitrose would be a useful add on.
Note that the Tonbridge waitrose is easy to get to from the 7 bus stop at the castle.
Will give this a try next week. For things like flour, bread, veg, prepared meals, offal, spuds, cheese, decaf tea, loo's
Not for milk, cheddar, some soup, apples, bananas, pears, olive oil, detergent own brands, grapes, some bread, butter, marg, live pickles, pates, and tesco own brands generally.
Waitrose will be good for all things bread, offal, prepared meals, all things health, fermented things, pates, tea, coffee, household goods such as bags,
We will find out how it splits, but aim is to be able to carry everything fron tescos plus bus stop.
M
M
boot locked
Now that all the door locks work as expected, i still have the boot locked for no apparent reason.
I dont understand fully
I think that on the way back from crowborough I must have skidded off the road, giving the car a knock that jambed some of the lock mechanisms. Hence when home I found myself rather locked in. Hence the struggle to get out, and to keep the contents safe. Etc, etc.
Actually once I understood, recently, that the door locks could reset quite easily in fact, the only difficulty left is the boot lock.
M
honda boot lock
This seems completely stuck, and cannot see anyway to proceed.
But utube seem to think this is fun, and there are lots of options
Watch this space.
M
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
cathetor on leg
When doing my first replacement of the new supply of surgery's bags, I attached it to my left leg as opposed to my pants.
So far much more comfy and practical.
M
drying out the car
Good progress on this front, with use of paper tissue used to absorb water squeezed from the sloping carpet material.
Weather is also helping the whole interior.
Did quite a bit of pruning in the street frontage.
M
car locks
Finally realised that all the locks on the car doors can be used without difficulty. For some strange reason, I thought one of them was impossible to open.
I just opened it without difficulty after my realisation.
Some of the foundations of things I thought true, were clearly barmy.
I also can now remember some strange images of Tricia's old bedroom or maybe the playroom, which i would visit after my bad sleep and bladder leakages. Very grand.
M
better understanding of my illness
Had a good discussion withT about my illness. Clearly I was very protective of my independent thoughts, and not able to see the bigger picture.
Hence my locking into theory about an accident at the maths confrence, which was grossly exaggerated. Also my errors on the timings, thinking it started much earlier in September.
I was clearly trying to solve things myself, rather than seeing the wider picture.
Still not sure where tamsulosin fits into the starting picture, and what its dates were. I am guessing that I need to establish the dates of this which should be in the anima database.
M
forgot card
I forgot to take my card to tescos.
They were very good at dealing with my plight. I had of course to go home and return, but everything else dealt with brilliantly
M
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Time for tea.
Using cards at tesco checkout
The first success came with a passkey from NW.
Then it seems to skip the bother of a passkey and just use the card.
Since I will be walking to Tesco for most day to day shoppibg, I may nwver be asked again for the key. But I hope I remember it.
M
Printer on the blink
Serious problems with the printer. No idea about the problems yet.
Seems to think it has two interfaces, rather than one, and it is always trying to use the wrong one.
I think I will have to start with the pc/ microsoft links first.
M
played fives
Gareth picked ne up for regular tuesdays fives.
A good turnout, welcoming me back from the,dead. Played probably one and a half games, playing my full quotient. This was more than I expected, and left me tired but pleased.
Won the games, if I remember correctly.
Watch the rest of the e vening and gareth returned me home.
Thanks to all for a wonderful welcome back.
M
orientation of garden scene
Continuing the corner building saga, the buildings are significantly taller than the features along the joint boundary, and dominate as seen from our house. This actally makes more sense of the boundary than previously.
But it was not allowed for when the neighbour's garden was designed, and it unbalances its whole design. They should have had a line of orchard trees generously in from the fence. Instead it is a concrete path with small plants eithwr side.
No wnonder they detest the new building. Where as we think it completes the original georgian/ Edwardian design.
M
new houses at the corner
The junction ar the end of the road, originally had four massive buildings, one at each corner. One was bpmbed and destroyed in ww11.
They foolishly allowed a bungallow to be built in its place, which completely unbalanced the junction's appearance.
The new replacement for the bungallow is another large three storey block of flates with an elaborate edwardian style roof. Much better.
The junction is beginning to look sane again, after 70 odd years.
M
Next door hedge cutting
Next door like prunning neighbours hedges and trees right up to the boundary.
Now I think this is counter productive. It stimulates vertical growth over the years, producing tall thick trunks on the boundary, of considerable height. Surely this is not what they want to achieve.
It is better to let these shoots woth branches get to a height, where they naturally bend over, and that allows you to better control the height with judicial pruning, taking out the most vertical growths. This will make for a much more attractive lower bushy growth.
Ah well, if they want to be foolish, let them be.
M
End of driving
I think it is time to stop driving, and using taxis and public transport.
Of course, I could still drive if I wanted to, but in reality nobody should be driving in a few years time. The final automisation of driving must be soon. Particularly for taxi services.
Since the honda is worth nothing, it seems right to get rid of it now, and not replace it.
It will be interesting what happens to the driving test ultimately. I guess that there may be automatic liciences for those using automatic cars, ie no test. And a variety of tests above that for partucular driving features.
So I may yet have a driver's licience, but only for totally automatic driving. I guess one may even have these for driving your taxi where you want it to go.
Food for thought.
M
tired out
Very slow getting awake this morning, and rest on bed after lunch.
Hope I can manage lamb's liver for supper.
M
penshurst place
No maize maze any longer. Not seen as paying its way.
Just opened for the year. Samuel and Isabel seemed to appreciate it.
I still expect the prices from forty years ago, so surprised quite how much a vist costs nowadays. But very enjoyable.
Isabel and I talked about the amazing pruning operation they do every spring.
Nice skoda drive, and the map chose the right route.
M
Friday, February 20, 2026
Katherine and children are here tomorrow
I must get some large round potatos tomorrow morning, if there are none in the fridge at the moment.
Damn, only small ones.
Weather is horid now so will try in the morning.
M
printer problems
Struggling with this. I am not sure what went wrong, but i am failing to print anything.
Watch this space
M
tesco passkey not requested
Despite lots of beeps, which i failed to understand, I did use the machine checkout successfully. It did not request my passkey.
So presumably, using the passkey yesterday gives me a free run for a bit.
Found some of the rarities in store, such as lambs liver, non- cheddar cheese.
Not sure if using the nat west card to pay automatically assumes visa, which I then clear at the end of the month. Will need to check.
M
Thursday, February 19, 2026
reading glasses.
Does anyone buy the expensive ones? The dirt cheap ones from china seem to be everywhere.
I bought 3 for 5pounds. And they are fine for close up work, such as typing this.
The ones from opticians cost the earth, and the online opticians, I am finding difficult to find nowadays.
M
new bread maker
The old one kicked the bucked in brutal fashion. Basically the drive shaft and paddles self destructed. The machine was ancient, getting on for 20 years perhaps, with only minor replacements.
Bought a new version from same model from Amazon, which was delivered within 24hours at no cost, and bread made the next day. Only problem was that the flour was a bit old and kept on the small side.
M
good shopping etc
Had a good time, getting trained by NAT west, and reading glasses from the shop opposite the old baths next to the library. The latter were 5 pounds for three, so spectacular value.
Stopped on a high
M
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
missing glasses
Could not locate my reading glasses. They were in plain sight, but difficult to see, through a number of factors.
How do you avoid this.
.. garish colours
.. build special home
.. have a spare pair
M
who is your doctor?
I really do not understand the NHS system. It looks as if doctors who at some stage officially became your doctor can continue dishing out prescriptions if they decide to. That is effectively they can assume the paperwork is always lagging, and it is safer for the patient, to continue supplying if they request things.
I just had delivery from two stages in the past.
Looks as if the system could be misused, and it should be monitored
M
BT beeping
Finally solved this problem. Turns out that top kitchen machine, which did not beep, was the problem. I deleted a couple of items the looked vaguely unnecessary, and all was sweetness and light on the other two phones. The surprise was that the top kitchen phone itself was happy with these items.
Not helpful. No helpful messages. Poor design
M
Monday, February 16, 2026
cleaned up tablet
Not many changes
Still uncertain about charging. I get to 20, and it goes down even if still plugged in. Must leave overnight.
M
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Tesco morals
When paying at a till, I had to use cash, as I did not have a pin number for any credit card. I did fumble a bit getting some small change out of my purse, but I was not aware of any falling to the hard floor. But then I noticed a couple of two pound coins on the floor, and wondered if they might be mine. The cashier insisted that they should be considered mine. Then I found even more coins on the floor, and again the instruction. I think I would have heard if they had all fallen. Anyway, I took them. I think they should have a charity box at hand to deal with this.
I should point out the thinness of the staffing, given the number of customers. But I still prefer my solution.
Martin
Saturday, February 14, 2026
driver's licence to the rescue
Gosh, the security in the banks seem to increased dramatically, and not very intelligently. They must have been hit hard by something.
Just to fix a future meeting, I had to identify myself. All bank cards ignored. Bus pass and library cards ignored. But a driver's licence was ok. How about a little sheet saying what you need to bring to the arranged meeting.
Madness
M
lots of nasty spam
Not quite sure why this is happening now. I also seem to be having network issues. Could be unrelated.
M
WiFi on the blink
Not sure what the problem is. Seems to affect iPad and tablet, but have not tried others.
M
m and s
Just found out that I already had an m and s account, together with strong password.
A bit confused as to when I constructed this. But it may be useful.
Tesco's next.
M
ordering a matrix of folders on android
On very recent Android version, I got stuck trying to arrange a rectangle of folders on the screen. It kept on moving folders that I did not want to move, and other quirks. I slowly realise the moving more than one position up or down was fraught with issues.
Only regained control by
- creating a hole
- swapping neighbours only.
This worked well.
M
First bath since September
Going to have a proper bath for the first time in about six months.
Yes, I did get the odd shower with a nurse or two, but this will be a blissful laze.
M
look and feel of current apps on portable devices
I am realising quite how much some of the standard applications have changed recently. It is all so much more hand gestures, rather than mouse / keyboard control. I like it, but sometimes am at a loss to know what I should do next. The integration with things like PayPal are now massively better.
Running a historic series of devices, is getting increasingly problematic. But that is progress.
I feel Microsoft has lost it completely. Apple are ok in their chunky of the market.
M
found scandals
I am blind as a bat.
It is now the muddy old shoes that I have to find.
M
Thursday, February 12, 2026
fives was likely off anyway
Turns out that Gareth had check likely players and none could make it. And I would not have been up to serious singles. So nothing lost in this
Martin
stopped the beep
The phone was not helpful.
The beeps were indicating there had been calls diverted to the BT message recording service. I think I had assumed that they would be deleted automatically once you had heard them. Anyway delete 2 and the beeping stopped. The phone in the top kitchen did not beep because it is an older handset. This was an added issue in diagnosis.
Peace at last.
The beep is a little cheapskate. Why not a voice saying ' you have new voice messages '? And why so rapid?
M
.
finally got passwords
I have been having difficulty with getting to my passwords, but managed today.
Interestingly I guessed one of them pretty correctly.
It reminded me how it was catastrophic when the phone and keypad layouts were constructed differently. I could not remember which was which.
M
central heating
Slowly getting to grips with central heating.
Reset all timing things. Highlighted the override buttons with red stars on the controllers that matter.
Reorganised the thermostats back to original positions, in study in right hand bookcase, and the landing upstairs.
It may be worth reducing the max temperature on the landing.
I have shut the air control on the stove in the garage, as this is not of use and may have strange effects.
Apparantly the thermostats were found without batteries in the airing cupboard, when I went into hospital. I guess I was in process of changing batteries. I do no know what batteries are in them now, but everything seems to work fine, with screen and communications.
Dont know whatever happened with the strange issues of starting the central heating at the end of four weeks, which I think was last March. Maybe that was hallucinations.
M
abandoned fives coaching
But I got two doses of tamulosin.
Will go to the doctors tomorrow, and ask for a prescription for the local chemist on the ground floor.
M
phone beeping and won't stop
The BT phone thinks the I have something to do. And beeps me every 7 seconds. Only way to stop is basically to take it off charging stand and switch off.
Ok, fine, but what if I have very little battery left.
This is bad design in my books. So I will charge it when I am out of earshot. Brilliant.
M
Password not memorable
In my taxi problem, the passwords on these 'touch and go' cards are by choice impossible to remember, being long, random, and full character set. It would take an age even if you had it written on a piece of paper.
That is the whole point. It can be killed stone dead in an instance.
I had a look at the entry, and was glad to see that I had got it right.
M
M
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
did not get to fives
Due to me not checking my email, I failed to get to fives tonight.
Better luck next week.
Martin
Monday, February 09, 2026
Fives and Old Lodge tomorrow
Looks as if I am blessed with luck. Keith and Gareth are fulfilling my dreams.
M
Left Care Home
Katherine and I went to staplehurst care home for last time and cleared out all my things. Also handed over 20 pounds cash, as repaying the 16 pounds taxi fare, and a bonus, that I had to leave as a charitable donation. What strange strict rules they have.
It feels good to have left, and to be able to help Tricia through a tough stretch.
Quite difficult to clear everything, and we still found things in our final search. Mostly computer leads behind beds. Hope we have not nicked anything of theirs.
M
Bank suggested cash
Went to the bank with Katherine.
Explained my problem with taxi, and basically was told to always have enough cash on one. Not helpful.
My solution of paying when you have good reception is better.
M
Old Lodge
Going up with Keith tomorrow.
Gosh, it seems ages since I went up there.
M
Sunday, February 08, 2026
cannot start my apple mac mini for some reason
as if no power is getting to it. Totally unresponsive
May have to take to apple shop in arcade.
M
visit to care home this afternoon
Objective is mostly to get some supplies of tamulosin, and to pay back the 16 pounds loan for taxi fare.
But will also bring some more stuff home, since I dont think I will be returning to residence.
Tricia seems to be coping with me being around, and that is truely wonderful.
Katherine was delayed and went there directly, so no stuff brought home.
M
fiddled with Central heating
Tried to get the CH timings better. Maybe others have tried to change it when I was in hospital. Anyway it was a bit of a mess.
Summer time and winter time do not help. And the kit has changed a bit, and the controls for the ground floor are different from the upstairs.
Anyway all changed I think. Basically the assumption is that the ground floor needs central heating for breakfast and supper. While upstairs needs heating for waking up, and going to bed.
So mid day is the bit where an override may be needed. The study at the top has gas fires in two rooms always ticking over very gentle, and that can be switch up if needed. On the ground floor, the stove in the garage is ticking over and can be changed. The drawing room and playrooms are more difficult and only the playroom can be bolstered with a fire in the stove.
The boiler is set pretty low, partly for better efficiency, but also to prolong its life.
Stoves in dining room and play room are optional, of course.
I am not quite sure what the problems were when I came back, but the shift from summer time to winter time did not help.
The 10 oclock off for the bedrooms is perhaps generous, and that could be reduced if we get up earlier.
M
Saturday, February 07, 2026
pay at start of journey
I got caught out pasying at the care home for a taxi, as the wireless reception is poor or non existant. So I could not pay by card and had no cash.
Answer either to drive to a place where there is reception, and pay for that journey and the journey back to the original destination
Or the pay, at the starting point, assuming that has good reception.
M
Friday, February 06, 2026
paying by card
Seems that paying by tapping a card on a small payment device does depend on a wireless connection, from device to the internet.
At the care home the signal failed. And it was difficult to pay by cash.
At home it has never been a problem.
Once it's panicked, all cards are deemed dead unless you have a code, but I suspect that it may be more complicated.
M
Thursday, February 05, 2026
repercussions of recovery
Clearly not remembering one illness is helpful when you have recovered. You have no memories to worry about.
But for some close to you, when you were ill, they used up lots of energy etc, keeping a brave face etc. It is vital to them to show some strength. But when you get better, the dam can break and all the accumulated fears and worries can be an emotional ticking bomb. As you recover, they may be the ones that need the most support.
M
lunch at home
It really is surprising how little food is served up or eaten at the care homes.
Now often this is because the residents are not active physically or mentally. They basically don't need much. But their reserves seem to be very low as well.
Difficult to know what to do. Other than to make sure they cater for the odd exception.
You could weigh them and put the charts up for family to see. Have more meals, over a longer time period, though zoe would consider unhealthy.
Best is probably to make them hungry, with some compulsary exercise regimes. Rewards for using up energy.
M
at home
Back in Somerville gardens, and going to spend the night here as a trial. Got my pills for tomorrow morning.
It is wonderful having a speedy internet, with few if any problems.
Paid the taxi with a visa card. No problems.
M
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
modern cars
I was driven in two cars today, both very new.
I was amazed how big they seemed. And one was a mini. The other was a Merc, and felt about the same size. The insides were almost unrecognisable to me, and very flashy.
All rather grotesque
M
got asked by a young master what I was doing in the quad.
It was as if I was trespassing, and certainly should not be using a school toilet.
I was rather taken back, and explained that I had been coaching fives there for over twenty years.
Given his age, he might be just have been one of the novi when I started. Silly twat.
M
big floods on the park
I thought the days of flooding in the Tonbridge park were over. But today there were sheets of water on the land near the river.
The town itself was dry, but it shows that there could be trouble coming again.
M
Forgot the Tonbridge schedule
For some strange reason I thought the boys played their ladder games on Thursdays, thereby making wednesday and Friday training days. Tuesdays were not training days, as I would remember being exhausted if it was so.
But of course it is Tuesdays that is the ladder day.
Silly me. Anyway I had a restful time today watching the military mess around. One of the instructors was an attractive young lady, in uniform. Wonderful how things change.
M
taking a taxi
It really is yonks since I took a taxi. What with a car, free buses and lifts with friends, I find it difficult to remember when I last took a taxi.
Back then taxi drivers probably preferred to take cash, as it made handling tips easier.
But now I guess it is the reverse.
What with 6 months out of circulation, with cards I hardly recognise, and no understanding of cabby's behaviour, I feel very exposed.
M
passed on the river plate trophy
Left the trophy with the porters etc to give to Henry.
Rather glad to not have it any longer.
I am proud of rescuing it, and identifying it. But it needs to do some work for its living.
Not worried what they call it.
My biggest thrill was coaching fives players for twenty odd years.
M
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
fives things
Monday, February 02, 2026
probably no laundry at weekends
Sunday, February 01, 2026
cleared car
Quite an effort.
Lots of condensation inside the car. Needs a good blow through. Front left back right. Dificult to leave windows open, but one might leave the heater/demister controls open at max.
M
securing browsers
Various bits of software now can get a foothold into browsers. It is best to lock the browsers down as much as you can.
It is really a pain when these creeps get a foothold
M
taxi day
Going to hail my first taxi here, taking me for a visit home.
M
