Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London.

Week 359, Saturday 1^st until Friday 7^th May 2021.

Even though the lockdown here is opening up more and more, I haven’t been out of the house very often.  There are three very simple reasons.  One, I really don’t need to due to home working.  Two, the bad foot just slows me down.  And finally three, over the last 14 or so months I have realised that I just don’t want to go anywhere and be around others.

All over the UK this week there were elections, on Thursday I popped out to place my “X” on a ballot paper.  What I have noticed while out and about is how nice people are generally to a temporarily disabled person.  Not only do drivers stop at crossings instead of carrying on, I have had a number of cars slow and stop well before the crossing.  They then wait patiently while I cross a lot slower than normal.  London drivers are really not known for their patients.  Doors have been opened so that I can pass, and have been ushered to the front of queues.  This is the kind of treatment I could get used to.

At the polling station, I was treated like I have never before.  Due to Co-vid the process was slower than normal.  I have never had to queue up outside, but this occasion there was a long line of people all masked clutching their polling cards.  My time in the queue didn’t last long because a polling clerk who was offering a squirt of hand sanitiser to everyone passing the threshold noticed me.  I didn’t really need a seat in the doorway, but didn’t feel I could turn it down.

I sat watching each person approach the main desk one at a time.  When it was my turn, I felt like Charlton Heston as Moses because the red sea of voters parted allowing me to hobble over to state my name and address.  My special treatment didn’t end there as a women from behind the desk offered to carry my voting papers, all three of them to the booth.  This I did turn down politely because I could control the crutches and carry the papers at the same time, plus there were a line of people behind all waiting their turn.  Maybe if she had offered a piggy back for the five metre journey then maybe I would have accepted.

Due to the foot and the above treatment, this is an election I won’t forget.  Another reason is the person (I am not sure they could be called a person.  If you don’t understand, have a look at the London Mayoral Candidates) I wanted to win probably won’t (at the time of writing, no results have been posted).

I visit the hospital next Tuesday, I am hoping that the foot has healed and I am told to go away and never return.  I must remember to take an extra shoe, if they do say the boot can come off for good.  I will need the left shoe to travel home on the bus.  Better write a list so I don’t forget, otherwise things could be difficult.

And Now For Something Completely Different……

Last week I mentioned how I had been contacted by a TV documentary producer/director. This week I had a lovely zoom chat with Rachel Tracy, who has been involved with a number of well-known documentaries such as “Who Dares Wins”, “Hospital”, “One Born Every Minute” and many more, reached out as she had read the blog.  Rachel is making a new documentary about women turning 40 next year (Rachel is celebrating her 40th in 2022).  Even though I am a lot older, I was able to chat about how I felt at that age and beyond.

 If you are a lady who will be 40 on 27 April 2022, then get in touch with Rachel, who would really love to chat about this milestone age.  I want to thank Rachel for contacting me and listening to my pointless ramblings.

And Finally……

Sent myself an email, because I need to remember something important.  I signed it as if I was writing to someone else, D xx.  What an idiot, I really need a holiday.

While looking round a local gym, I had to concentrate and be very careful beside the pool.  In my mind I saw myself slipping because of the boot and crutches falling in fully clothed.  I am pleased to announce I remained calm and didn’t become an accident statistic.  A funny story the guide told us, she recently discovered a women lying on a toning table eating from a bag of Doritos.  What I really wanted to know, is what flavour were the tasty snacks.  That’s an exercise programme I could do.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have watched:

“Breeders”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 10).  “Click”, (TX: 01/05/21).  “Colony”, (s1, ep 4).  “Could You Make A Space Suit From Duct Tape?”, (YouTube)(02/05/21).  “Farscape”, (S4, ep 7).  “Father Ted”, (“A Christmassy Ted”, TX: 24/12/96) (S3, ep 1 to ep 8).  “Fringe”, (S3, ep 1 to ep 3).  “Have I Got News For You”, (S61, ep 5, TX: 07/05/21).  “How Toilet Paper Is Made”, (YouTube)(TX: 27/03/07).  “Intergalactic”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Maggie Simpson In The Force Awakens From Its Nap”, (2021).  “Mike Skipper Coming Out Of Lockdown Quiz”, (FaceBook) (TX: 01/05/21).  “Moonbase 8”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 5).  “Nomadland”, (2021).  “Qi XL”, (Series R, ep 2, TX: 05/09/20).  “Revenge”, (S4, ep 13 to ep 23). “Stargate Atlantis”, (S1, ep 1 pt 1 & pt 2)(ep 2 to ep 5).  “Star Trek (Original Series)”, (S2, ep 11 & ep 12).  “Solo: A Star Wars Story”, (2018). “Taskmaster “, (S11 (S2 on C4), TX: 06/05/21).  “The Creation Of The Doctor Who Title Sequence “, (YouTube) (06/05/21).  “The Great British Sewing Bee”, (S7, ep 4, 05/05/21).  “The Man In The High Castle”, (S1, ep 4).  “This Time With Alan Partridge “, (S2, ep 2, TX: 07/05/21).  “V Wars”, (S1, ep 5).  “Van Helsing, (S1, ep 6 & ep 7).  “What.If. Could We Build A Dyson Sphere”, (FaceBook)(TX: 12/10/18).  “What.If. What If you Were The Last Human And Trapped In Space?”, (FaceBook)(TX: 16/05/20).  “What.If. What Would You Do To Survive If You Were On Mars?”, (FaceBook)(TX: 29/04/20).  “Z Nation”, (s4, ep 6 to ep 8).

Gerry Anderson Watched This Week:

“Space 1999”, (S2, ep 22, TX: 01/09/77). 

This week I have listening to:

“13 minutes to the moon”, (BBC World Service)(S1 trailer T- minus 4, 12/04/19)(trailer T- minus 3, 22/04/19)(trailer T- minus 2, 26/04/19)(trailer T- minus 1, 29/04/19)(ep 1, 13/05/19). “Anglophilia”, (S1, ep 4, 2/07/18).  “Anti Social Show”, (ep 92 Which Is Really ep 100, 01/05/21).  “Box of delights”, (S1, ep 14, 04/10/19)(ep 15, 08/10/19(ep 16, 11/10/19). “Braving Babylon 5”, (ep 6, 16/04/14)(ep 7, 01/05/14).  “Coronavirus Global Update”, (BBC World Service) (01/05/21) (02/05/21)(03/05/21)(04/05/21) (05/05/21) (06/05/21) (07/05/21). “Doctor Who”, (TeeVee / The Incomparable)(S10, ep 2, 23/04/17).  “Game Of Thrones”, (TeeVee)(S5, ep 9, 08/06/15).  “Griefcast”, (ep 140, 05/05/21).  “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha”, (ep 34 , 05/05/21).  “Mystery Hour”, (06/05/21).  “NASA- Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 195, 07/05/21).  “Nick Abbott Whole Show”, (01/05/21)(02/05/21).  “Rob Beckett and Josh Widdecombe Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (S2, ep 30 (ep 101), 04/05/21) (ep 31 (ep 102) 07/05/21).  “The 99p challenge”, (S3, ep 1, 19/07/01).  “Taskmaster The Podcast”, (ep 31, 06/05/21).  “The Froth With Rhod Gilbert And Sain Harris”, (S3 ep 12, (ep 36) 04/05/21).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (04/05/21).  “The Old Doctor Who Show”, (ep 111, 05/05/21).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels”, (S2, Preview, 07/05/21).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels- Too Much Information”, (1.4, 03/05/21).  “Space Soldiers Podcast”, (Chapter Eight “Tournament Of Doom”, 01/05/21).  “Vulcan Hello”, (The Incomparable)(11/01/20).  “WTB”, (S2, ep 13 (ep 35) 7/05/21).  “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (03/05/21).  “Wolf And Owl”, (ep 22, 05/05/21)(bonus #12, 07/05/21).

Songs I enjoyed this week, were by:

“Morrissey”,  “ABC”,  “Bananarama”,  “Bastille”,  “Buzzcocks”,  “Dee-Lite”,  “Echo And The Bunnymen”,  “Green Day”,  “Jeff Buckley”,  “Ladyhawke”,  “M.I.A”,  “Muse”,  “SIA”,  “Spin Docotrs”,  “T’Pau”,  “The Housmartins”,  “The Bangles”,  “The Smashing Pumpkins”,  “Travis”.