Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East & Central London and Kent.

Week 380, Saturday 25^th September until Friday 1st October 2021.

Since March 2020 I have taken part in a number of Zoom calls with usually 3 or 4 others.  That changed this week when I was part of a huge celebration from all over the world.  On 28th September my cousin Bevo celebrated a special B’day, because family and friends are scattered around the world a virtual meeting was arranged.  At 11am I clicked on the link and was presented with faces I knew and others I didn’t.  Of course I knew my camera was live all the time and because I desperately did not want to look a plonker, I smiled all the time as I watched and listened to others with interest.  If I needed to pick my nose, blow it or something else that wouldn’t look good on camera, I ensured that I leant out of shot.

I said a few words because I sort of (very unofficially) representing the family here in the UK.  When a chorus of “Happy B’day” was sung of course I left my mic muted, and mimed like I was on “Top Of The Pops” in the 70s and 80s.  Bevo was genuinely happy to see all these faces; I don’t think she knew quite who would be appearing, there really were a number of surprises.

This really was a wonderful way to spent 30 to 40 minutes.  As I have said I am not an experienced user of this system / platform / application (whatever it’s called) and didn’t consider or think about what was in view behind me.  Before the celebrations commenced another cousin said “You are still in to that?”, she was talking about the “Doctor Who” posters on the wall.  I have to remember I am not a teenager anymore and think more carefully in future.

It felt so nice to have been invited and included in this special occasion for my dear cuz who I last saw in person two years ago when my sisters and I visited her and other family  in Sri Lanka.  Hopefully if all goes to plan I will see her once again face to face in 2022.

 And Now For Something Completely Different……

Petrol or lack of it has been the number one story this last week.  I don’t think I have ever seen fuel panic buying or queues outside petrol stations like this before.  On Sunday I needed to top up because during this week there were a number of journeys I needed (wanted) to do.

After passing a number of empty petrol stations I found one near the M25, which of course charged more than normal.  I had heard that many people had to queue for a long time to reach the forecourt; my wait was 20 minutes which really was not that bad.  The only problem I encountered was when a car slowed in the next lane indicating it wanted to park.  This of course caused a small tail back of annoyed drivers, I couldn’t move out of the way and had to wait for a gap in front.  Once this happened the car slipped in and parked, I assumed it was a resident coming home, I was wrong; it was in fact a take-a-way delivery.  Sure enough within 30 seconds the driver wanted to leave and re-joined the busy carriageway.  Once again I had to make a space which annoyed the people behind me, what did they really think I could do about the situation, lift off, and hover a few metres above the tarmac.

Once at the pump I filled up with what I needed, I wasn’t greedy and I made sure that I gave Mr. Grumpy behind me a big smile.  I really enjoy driving, these next few days I will be careful and not waste a drop of that precious go faster juice.  I genuinely look forward to the day that I have an electric vehicle, but that’s for another ramble. 

And Finally……

Noticed a couple on a busy train looking lovingly at baby scans.

In a shop a small, a child was going round showing anyone he came across including me, his large “Oaker” action figure in a colourful box.  What I saw was “The Joker” from Batman.  Later he could be heard asking his mummy for an Alien.  I wonder if he went home with both.

Walking down a road I saw a cyclist pass slowly past a parked white van.  As the driver got out, this was genuinely what I heard.

Cyclists: “Hello, Sam”.

White Van Man: “Hello Sun”.  After a pause, “Who are you?”.

Cyclists: (shouting behind him), “John”.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have watched:

“Blake’s 7”, (SB, ep 9 & ep 10).  “Chris And Meg’s Wild Summer, (S1, ep 5, TX: 26/09/21).  “Click”, (TX: 25/09/21).  “Entourage”, (S6, ep 1 to ep 12).  “Gunpowder Milkshake”, (2021).  “Late Night Mash”, (S1, ep 5, TX: 30/09/21).  “Looking For Mr Bond: 007 At The BBC – Timeshift”, (TX: 28/10/15).  “Measuring Mass: The Last Artefact”, (TX: 15/09/21).  “Monsters At Work”, (S1, ep 7 & ep 8).  “Mortimer And Whitehouse Gone Fishing”, (S4, ep 5, TX: 26/09/21).  “Only Murders In The Building”, (S1, ep 6).  “RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021”, (ep 1, TX: 19/09/21)(ep 14, TX: 24/09/21).  “Spitting Image”, (Britbox)(S2, ep 3, TX: 25/09/21).  “Stargate Atlantis”, (S2, ep 16 & ep 17).  “Star Trek (Original Series)”, (S3, ep 15).  “Taskmaster”, (S12 (S3 on C4), ep 1, TX: 23/09/21)(ep 2, TX: 30/09/21).  “The Bureau Of Magical Things “, (S1, ep 13).  “The Graham Norton Show”, (S29, ep 2, TX: 01/10/21).  “The Great British Bake Off”, (S12 (S5 on C4), ep 2, TX: 30/09/21).  “The Great Britain Bake Off – An Extra Slice”, (S7 (S5 on C4), ep 2, TX: 01/10/21).  “The Goes Wrong Show”, (S2, ep 1 to ep 3).  “The Golden Girls”, (S4, ep 16 to ep 26).  “The Guilty”, (2021).  “The Last Leg”, (S23, ep 1, TX: 24/09/21).   “The Orville”, (S1, ep 7 to ep 9).  “The Umbrella Academy”, (S2, ep 9).  “The Walking Dead”, (S11, ep 6).

“Doctor Who watched this week”……

“Evil Of The Daleks”, (BBC DVD)(animated ep 1, ep 3 to 7)(ep 2 original B&W, S4, TX: 27/05/67)(Prod code LL).

“Demons Of The Punjab”, (S11, ep 6, TX: 11/11/18).

“Kerblam!”, (S11, ep 7, TX: 18/11/18). 

This week I watched live on stage…..

“Hairspray”, (London Coliseum, ENO)(29/09/21).

This week I have listening to:

“30 Animals That Made Us Smarter”, (BBC World Service)(S2, ep 14, 27/09/21).  “Betamax Video Club”, (ep 49, 30/05/19).  “Brian & Roger”, (29/09/21).  “Clinton Baptiste’s Paranormal Podcast”, S4 – Coming Soon, (30/09/21).  “Coronavirus Global Update”, (BBC World Service)(25/09/21)(26/09/21) (27/09/21)(28/09/21)(29/09/21)(30/09/21) (01/10/21).  “Doctor Who”, (The Incomparable/TeeVee)(S11, ep 10, 10/12/18) (02/01/19).  “Don’t You Want Me”, (ep 2, 30/09/21).  “Full Disclosure With James O’Brien”, (S2, ep 16, “Kathy Burke”, 05/06/20).  “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha”, (ep 40, 29/09/21).  “Maximum Power: A Blake’s 7 Podcast”, (S1, ep 2, 26/09/21).  “NASA Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 215, 01/10/21).  “Nick Abbot Whole Show”, (25/09/22) (26/09/21).  “Radio Astronomy (The Sky At Night Magazine)”, (29/09/21).  “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe Parenting Hell”, (S3, ep 23, 28/09/21)(ep 24, 01/10/21).  “Smersh Pod – Goldfinger”, (Pt 1, 13/04/20)(Pt 2, 14/04/20).  “Space And Things”, (STP11, 12/11/20)(STP57, 30/09/21).  “Space Soldiers Podcast – Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe”, (Chapter One, “The Purple Death”, 25/09/21).  “Star Trek Universe”, (24/08/21) (27/09/21).  “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 162, 26/09/21).  “The Audio Guide To Babylon 5”, (The Incomparable)(ep 47, 21/02/16).  “The Friendship Onion”, (S1, ep 20, 28/09/21).  “The Froth”, (S4, ep 1 (ep 37), 28/09/21).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (27/09/21).  “The Old Doctor Who Podcast”, (ep 118, 29/09/21).  “The Space Above Us”, (143, 30/09/21).  “This Week In Time Travel”, (The Incomparable) (10/12/18) (02/01/19).  “Toby Hadoke’s Happy Times And Places’, (23.3, “Nightmare Of Eden”, 27/09/21)(23.4, 01/10/21).  “WTB”, (S3, ep 7 (ep 50), 01/10/21).  “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (27/09/22).  “Wolf And Owl”, (S1, ep 65, 29/09/21). 

Songs I enjoyed this week, were by:

“Morrissey”,  “ABBA (Classic and New)”,  “Bikini Kill”,  “Dr Feelgood”,  “First Aid Kit”,  “Hole”,  “Ian Dury And The Blockheads”,  “Lush”,  “Muse”,  “Shed Seven”,  “Shania Twain”,  “Scissor Sisters”,  “Sneaker Pimps”,  “The Automatic”,  “The Clash”,  “The Cure”,  “The Stone Roses”.