Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London.

Week 323 Saturday 22^nd  until Friday 28^thAugust 2020.

Before lockdown, we were constantly being encouraged to ditch plastic especially single use tatt.  A sign that things were changing just before we were all told to stay at home was the fact that the numerous coffee shops on every high street would only serve drinks in paper (that have a plastic coasting, meaning that they are not very recyclable) cups.   And refusing the expensive reusable containers/flasks that we have been “persuaded” customers to buy to help save the planet.

 “This weeks , photo update of the Testicle Brothers”.

Almost as soon as lock down stared I became aware of the amount of plastic bags being used with supermarket home deliveries.  Before end of March they (certainly the company we use) had pretty much phased out excessive plastic waste.  Once lock down was in place everything was in bags, sometimes bags with in bags containing only a couple of items.  When I attempted to give them back but the driver, he informed me he wasn’t allowed to take them.  It did cross my mind that the bags have been in the back of the van and in the depot far longer than with me unpacking the shopping out of plastic crates on the door step.  Over these last few very serious months, all the hard work of environmentalists seems to have been forgotten especially by big national companies.

“What you looking at?”.

If you have been out and about recently you can’t have failed to have seen a new waste/recycling issue.  Disused face masks and gloves littering pavements (I even saw them trodden into muddy countryside pathways while visiting my mum and sister recently).  Like most people I have been using disposable masks, the very style seen scattered on a local streets near you.  Because I don’t want to add to the environmental time bomb, I am currently looking a more environmentally friendly face covering which can be washed and reused for much longer.  Also I am hoping not to feel hot, slightly moist and uncomfortable after a few minutes wearing the mask.  When I have a new one, I’ll show it off here.  Maybe this will be the start of my future “London Fashion Week” modelling career.

 “I was not very happy when this was drawn”.

Talking about PPE, earlier this week I went for a physio session, all I could actually see of the therapist was a lot of hair and huge eyes.  He was of course covered in a thin layer of plastic/paper from head to toe.  Even the physio bed/table was covered with paper which meant that when I lay on my front and poked my masked face through the hole at the head of the bed all I could see and feel was a layer of paper.  My neck felt great afterwards, even though the session was uncomfortable because of all the protection.

 “The neighbours cat looking for a free meal in the bush in the rain.  It didn’t get one”.

I’m still trying to get used to this new world.  2020 really is not fun, I wish there was a way we could start all over again.

 “A visitor this week.  Its not Sandra the snail”.

 And Now For Something Completely Different……

 “I actually pulled a very loose tooth out of my nephews mouth.  He asked me to”.

Working from home has scattered colleagues to living rooms all over the place.  The organisation I work for has tried to keep work “friends” together by organising virtual quizzes and other online events.  All of these take place during normal office hrs.  My department is extremely busy; I assume others are as well.  Who has the time or gets permission to down tools and attend sessions like this.

 “Anoodle proudly showing me her old class room”.

This week I had to laugh, when an email came through informing me that later that afternoon there was the “1st virtual concert”.  I continued to read a list of names (none I knew, I said my department is very busy) what their job title is and what they would be doing in the name of entertainment.  Some were singing, others telling jokes, reading poetry there was even a virtual band.  I suppose there must have been some people that watched but there can’t be many.  If companies, like mine really want to get people together virtually, then surely embarrassing events like the concert should be after work (or during lunchtime).  Thinking about it, I’m glad I missed the concert because I had to take constant phone calls from people moaning.  Talking to those numpties was probably more entertaining than office workers singing show tunes musicals or attempting to tell jokes.  The world really doesn’t make sense any more (thinking about it, did it ever?).

 “There odd shapes, but all home grown”.

And Finally……

 “Hello…”

How would you say, for example £100.20p?  Personally I would say “One hundred pounds and 20p (or pence)”.  Twice this week on the phone two older sounding people said “spot” for the dot between pound and pence.  Am I behind the times?  Is this how hip and trendy pensioners are talking while queuing masked and socially distancing (of course) while waiting for their pension in the post  office.

 “One of the reasons i enjoy visiting the local dump”.

I spoke to one greedy woman this week, with two hyphens in her name (one in the first, the other in the surname).

 “Rescued from being a play thing to another neighbours cats”.

Name of week, goes to Mrs Grubb.  Silly little things like that are far more entertaining than office workers pretending to be a West End star.

 “It could be Tom Baker.  It wasn’t, but i will pretend it was”.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  

“3%”, (S1, ep 2 & ep 3).  “Click”, (TX: 22/08/20).  “Dinnerladies”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 5).  “FOX 26 Houston: News at 5pm (Central US) With Tom Zizka”, (FaceBook)(TX: 22/08/20)(23/08/20).  “Glitch”, (S1, ep 3 to ep 5).  “Guardians”, (2017).  “K-9 And Company: A Girl’s Best Friend”, (TX: 28/12/81).  “Life”, (2017).  “Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring”, (Extended Edition)(2002).  “Mike Skipper’s Coming Out Of Lockdown Quiz”, (FaceBook)(TX: 22/08/20).  “Plebs”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 3).  “October Faction”, (S1, ep 3 to ep 5).  “The Meg”, (2018).  “The Possession”, (2012).  “The Predator”, (2018).  “The Prodigy”, (2019).  “The Vatican Tapes”, (2015).  “Travel Man’s Greatest Trips”, (ep 4, TX: 21/08/20).  “Van Helsing”, (S3, ep 9 to ep 12).                                    

Doctor Who Watched This Week:

“Rose”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.1)(TX: 26/03/05).

“The End Of The World”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.2)(TX: 02/04/05).

“The Unquiet Dead”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.3)(TX: 09/04/05).

“Aliens Of London”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.4)(TX: 16/04/05).

“World War Three”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.5)(TX: 23/04/05).

“Dalek”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.6)(TX: 30/04/05).

“The Long Game”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.7)(TX:07/05/05).

“Father’s Day”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.8)(TX: 14/05/05).

“The Empty Child”, (S27 (S1), Prod Code 1.9)(TX: 21/05/05).

Gerry Anderson Watched This Week:

“Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons”, (S1, ep 1, TX: 29/04/67)(ep 2, TX: 06/10/67).

“Space 1999”, (S1, ep 1, TX: 04/09/75)(ep 2, TX: 11/09/75)(ep 3, TX: 18/09/75).

 “Thunderbirds”, (S1, ep 1, TX: 30/09/65)(ep 2, TX: 07/10/65).

“UFO”, (S1, ep 1, TX: 16/09/70)(ep 5, TX: 23/09/70 )(ep 19, TX: 30/09/70).

This week I have mainly been listening to:  

“Coronavirus Global Daily Update”, (BBC World Service)(22/08/20)(23/08/20)(24/08/20) (25/08/20)(26/08/20)(27/08/20)(28/08/20).  “CNN, Coronavirus: Fact Vs Fiction”, (ep 127, 24/08/20)(ep 128, 25/08/20)(ep 129, 26/08/20)(ep 130, 27/08/20)(ep 121, 28/08/20).  “David Tennant Does A Podcast With….”, (S2, ep 3, 25/08/20).  “In The Village”, (S1, ep 9, 24/11/170(ep 10, 01/12/17).  “Lazy Doctor Who”,(ep 194, 21/01/20)(ep 195, 25/03/20)(ep 196, 30/03/20)(ep 197, 05/04/20)(ep 198, 07/04/20)(ep 199, 13/04/20)(ep 200 & ep 201, 13/04/20)(ep 202, 17/04/20)(ep 203, 14/04/20)(ep 204, 01/07/20)(ep 205 to 207, 02/07/20).  “NASA: Gravity Assist”, (21/08/20).  “NASA: Houston WE Have A Podcast”, (ep 159, 28/08/20).  “Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (22/08/20) (23/08/20)(28/08/20).  “Poppy Hillstead Has Entered The Chat (Rave)”, (ep 6, 26/08/20).  “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe’s Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (S1, ep 35, 25/08/20).  “Something Who”, (ep 1, 01/05/19).  “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 208, 22/08/20).  “The All New Angelos And Barry Podcast”, (25/08/20).  “The Bomb”, (BBC World Service)(ep 4, 21/08/20).  “The Froth With Rhod Gilbert and Sian Harris”, (Trailer, 27/05/20)(S1, ep 1, 08/06/20)(ep 2, 15/06/20)(ep 3, 22/06/20)(ep 4, 29/06/20)(ep 5, 06/07/20)(ep 6, 13/07/20)(ep 7, 20/07/20)(ep 8, 27/07/20)(ep 9, 03/08/20)(ep 10, 10/08/20)(ep 11, 17/08/20)(ep 12, 24/08/20).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (24/08/20).  “We Will Get Passed This”, (ep 27, 04/06/20)(ep 28, 05/06/20)(ep 29, 06/06/20)(ep 30, 07/06/20)(ep 31, 08/06/20)(ep 32. 09/06/20)(ep 33, 10/06/20)(ep 34, 11/06/20)(ep 35, 12/06/20).  “What’s The Problem? With Nick Abbot And Carol McGiffen”, (S1, ep 31 24/08/20).  “Morrissey”,  “Byran Adams And Mel C”,  “Manic Street Preachers”,  “Fleetwood Mac”,  “Suede”,  “The Happy Mondays”,  “Madison Avenue”,  “Beck”,  “Shed Seven”,  “The Cranberries”.