Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London And Surrey (inc worrying about the bike on the back of the car while on the M25).

Week 313 Saturday 13^th until Friday 19^th June 2020.

Is the lockdown over?  For me I am very much still locked in, working from home only going out when I absolutely need to.  Even before this period I generally tried to keep away from people, so not having contact with others suits me fine.

 “I visited a local Hospital this week”.

On Monday I had to go out, there was a moment when I stood still on the pavement looking up wide eyed like a tiny child as a train rushed over a very busy road.  That’s the nearest I have been to a train in 3 months.  When I used to travel into the office I sat/stood in tubes and trains for more hours than comfortable every week.  Even though I enjoy a train, I definitely don’t miss being a sardine! Sorry a commuter.  I was very happy to stand on the pavement and just watch the train speed past.

 “I felt very naked for a few hours”.

The start of the last week was when all “non-essential” (I suspect that every owner/manager thinks their shop and products are essential) shops reopened.  When I parked there were already queues of people waiting for the doors to open, which must have been a welcome sight to staff inside, who had probably wondered if anyone would turn up after spending months at home on-line shopping.

 “Various DW paintings, at different stages of completion”.

As with trains I don’t particularly want to be trudging around browsing “things” either these days.  For me Lockdown is continuing, it’s my own personal hibernation.  Maybe in a couple of months’ time, I will pop my head out of the burrow and see if things have got better.

And Now For Something Completely Different.

 “Booze”.

Last Saturday my friend heard a noise behind her old heater in the living room.  In the dark of the disused chimney cavity she saw a beady eye look back at her, when she pulled the heater away from the wall.  Just like Scott and Virgil Tracy from International Rescues we sprang straight into action.  An old sheet was employed as the safety net, objects, furniture and loved knick-knacks were moved safely out of the way.  A rescue plan was hatched to set the captive free.

 “Meal of the week.  Banana and Marmite Cheddar Bagels, a great brekkie”.

As you might expect nothing went as we had planned.  The terrified Starling managed to get through a tiny gap between the sheet and the chimney edge which was uncovered for a billionth of a second.  The bird flew around the room leaving soot marks on the walls and ceiling before it had the sense to fly out of the open French windows to freedom.

 “The un-named Starlings 24hr prison”.

We suspect that the poor bird had probably been trapped for about 24hrs, the previous evenings weather had been blustery.  The reason the Starling had been so quiet (in my opinion) was because the chimney was dry and dark.  Thankfully my friend heard movement when she did.  I love to be close to nature, especially birds, but I prefer to see them in the garden/outside than panicking in the living room.  My only complaint is the Starling didn’t hang around to help with the 40 minutes clear up afterwards!

 “The clean up started”.

And Finally……

 “Brought home “Shadowfax”, we haven’t been together for years.  Needs a clean and some maintenance before i can straddle it”.

One afternoon, there appeared to be so much extra noise coming from every direction while I worked in the living room.  On one side there was the hum of the generator from a jet washer being used a few doors down.  On the other side, a neighbour continues to drill while building a shed that would withstand a direct hit by a nuclear bomb from how long it’s taken to build.  While overhead flocks of pretty green parrots flew back and forth from tree to tree squawking loudly.

 “The corner of the new Bunker shed that next door are making.  The Parrots sit in that tree, and just watch”.

I was hoping that the parrots might get bored and do something useful by dive bombing both noisy neighbours to teach them a lesson.  They didn’t, but they did shiz on my friend’s car – I’m talking about the Parrots, not the neighbours.  Bloody nature!

 “Very distracted by this classic moment, when i should have been writing this shiz”.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  

“BIG Jet TV – Red Arrows & Patrouille de France Display Team, London Fly Past”, (YouTube)(TX: 18/06/20).  “Click”, (TX: 13/06/20).  “Comedians: Home Alone”, (S1, ep 3).  “Dark Docs – The President Who Forgot Their Nuclear Launch Codes – Dropping The Nuclear Football”, (YouTube)(TX: 19/05/20).  “Death In Paradise”, (S8, ep 1 to ep 6).  “I May Destroy You”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Killing Eve”, (S3, ep 8).  “Midsommar”, (2019).  “National Theatre Live: Small IslandI”, (Original TX: 27/06/19)(Rpt TX: 18/06/20).  “Ocean Autopsy: The Secrets Of Our Seas”, (TX: 09/06/20).  “Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience”, (S1, ep 3, TX: 02/02/10)(S9, ep 2, TX: 11/06/20).  “Springwatch 2020”, (ep 12 TX: 12/06/20).  “The Mike Skipper Lockdown Saturday Quiz”, (FaceBook)(TX: 13/06/20).  “Some Like It Hot”, (1959).  “Television Centre – End Of Days”, (YouTube)(TX: 15/03/13).  “The Other One”, (S1, ep 6 &  ep 7).  “The Ranganation”, (S2, ep 6, TX: 14/06/20).  “The Sky At Night”, (ep 801, TX: 14/06/20).  “Trigonometry”, (S1, ep 3 to ep 8).  “What We Do In The Shadows”, (S2, ep 4 & ep 5).  “Yes Prime Minister”, (S1, ep 2 to ep 8)(S2, ep 1 to ep 3).                                

Doctor Who Watched This Week:

“The Destiny Of The Daleks, (S17, Prod Code 5J)(ep 1, TX: 01/09/79)(ep 2, TX: 08/09/79)(ep 3, TX: 15/09/79)(ep 4, TX: 22/09/79).

“City Of Death”, (S17, Prod Code 5H)(ep 1, TX: 29/09/79)(ep 2, TX: 06/10/79)(ep 3, TX: 13/10/79)(ep 4, TX: 20/10/79).

“The Creature From The Pit”, (S17, Prod Code 5G)(ep 1, TX: 27/10/79)(ep 2, TX: 03/11/79)(ep 3, TX: 10/11/79)(ep 4, TX: 17/11/79).

“Nightmare Of Eden”, (S17, Prod Code 5K)(ep 1, TX: 24/11/79)(ep 2, TX 01/12/79)(ep 3, TX: 08/12/79)(ep 4, TX: 15/12/79).

“The Horns Of Nimon”, (S17, Prod Code 5L)(ep 1, TX: 22/12/79)(ep 2, TX: 29/12/79)(ep 3, TX: 05/01/80)(ep 4, TX: 12/01/80).

“Shada”, (S17, Prod Code 5M)(Intended TX 19/01/80 to 23/02/80)(BBC DVD Version, 04/12/17).

This week I have mainly been listening to:  

“Coronavirus Global Daily Update”, (BBC World Service) (13/06/20) (14/06/20) (15/06/20) (16/06/20)(17/06/20)(18/06/20)(19/06/20).  “CNN, Coronavirus: Fact Vs Fiction”, (ep 77, 15/06/20)(ep 78, 16/06/20)(ep 79, 17/06/20)(ep 80, 18/06/20)(ep 81, 19/06/20).  “Grounded With Louis Theroux”, (BBC Radio 4)(ep 4, 18/05/20)(ep 5, 25/05/20)(ep 6, 01/06/20).  “Lazy Doctor Who”, (ep 63, 27/08/16)(ep 64, 03/09/16)(ep 65 & ep 66, 04/09/16)(ep 67, 05/09/16).  “Mystery Hour”, (18/06/20).  “NASA: Gravity Assist”, (19/06/20).  “NASA: Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 149, 19/06/20).  “Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (13/06, 19/06/20).  “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe’s Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (ep 3, 05/05/20)(ep 4, 08/05/20)(ep 5, 12/05/20)(ep 6, 15/05/20)(ep 15, 16/06/20).  “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 198, 12/06/20).  “Space Boffins”, (15/06/20).  “Strange Times”, (ep 347, 13/06/20).  “Sue Perkins An Hour Or So With…. (S2, ep 2, 17/06/20).  “The All New Angelos And Barry Podcast”, (13/06/20).  “The Late Night Alternative With Iain Lee”, (15/06/20)(16/06/20)(17/06/20)(18/06/20)(19/06/20).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”,(29/04/19)(15/06/20).  “What’s The Problem? With Nick Abbot And Carol McGiffen”, (S1, ep 21, 16/06/20).  “Morrissey”,  “Air”,  “Sideways (Original Soundtrack Score – Rolfe Kent, 12/10/04)”,  “Manic Street Preachers”,  “Suede”,  “Blondie”,  “Natalie Imbruglia”,  “The Monkees”,  “Skunk Anansie”,  “Sandie Shaw”,  “Louis Armstrong”,  “Marilyn Monroe”.