Weekly update – the honeymoon is over

My second weekly update – the honeymoon is over for newly married Becky and David.  First of all, I am feeling very chuffed I have remembered to do this update and also managed to squeeze a couple of other posts in! Here goes with my update:

The highlight of the week has been visiting the Shotter family.  Becky and David were collected from the airport by Jamie on Tuesday night and we went over to see them on Wednesday. It was lovely hearing about their honeymoon and their adventures in finding David’s wedding ring once he’d lost it in the sea.  Amazingly they managed to find it once the tide had retreated.

Having Hannah home

It is great having Hannah home with us; she has finished her water sports job ahead of returning to college later in September.   We enjoyed a stroll in the late summer glowing light over the Downs during the week and this brought back so many memories.

At the dentist

Having switched across to the NHS dental treatment in order to save some money, I booked an appointment with my new dentist.  I explained how the tooth in front of a wisdom tooth is problematic. To cut a long story short, the solution is to either have it extracted on the NHS or to have root canal treatment which I will still have to pay privately for – I’m looking at spending £400.  I’m not happy about that!

Having spoken to a friend who is a retired dentist and who has looked closely at the X-ray he suggests keeping to tooth ultra clean, ensure there is plenty of toothpaste in my saliva after brushing and it will probably be okay.

More expenses!

Having had my car’s air conditioning looked at, it needs a new part and will cost me about £400.  This it seems is worth paying in order to:

• keep us cool in the summer
• allow an condensation to disappear within seconds
• be an incentive for me to keep the car in good nick generally. By this I mean not neglecting the car so it gradually falls to pieces; it’s a good strong car with nothing otherwise wrong with it, so let’s keep it in good working order
• prevents frayed, fractious nerves which could lead to awkward journeys

We have spent more money than originally anticipated in the last year or so, I think we need to trim back a little or to start taking my occupational pension a little sooner than expected.  I just don’t want our savings to drop too far.

If anyone wanted to hire me, as a fresh pair of fair-minded eyes for a concise piece of work, just let me know.

Parkrun

Yesterday I went to the Millennium Park near Marston Moretaine for a Parkrun.  As usual my friends Dave, Rosie and her son Damon came along.

Unfortunately I had a tumble by tripping on a little stone or perhaps simply a bit of rough ground and I went flying.  I landed on my front with my hand, elbow and knee taking the impact.  The camaraderie from the other runners who stopped to pick me up and check I was okay was greatly appreciated, along with the marshals at the finish line who patched me up.

I have been left feeling achy and stiff all over from having had a real jolt, not to mention feeling a tad injured with raw skin.

On the plus side, my pace averaged 8:40mins/mile which is an improvement for me.  It is about the same pace as my last marathon when I managed to maintain it pretty consistently. I long to do that again, one day!

Although I have been in pain for the last 36 hours, I loved that run.  I have never, ever, regretted going for a run.  Even in those other times when I have fallen over, or got thoroughly wet or even run into a blizzard with my face stinging from being blasted by sleet, I have loved running and it seems to be priceless.  I really would sacrifice so much just to continue enjoying the liberating feeling of having a good run.

Finally, Brexit

These days are extraordinary. We see a Prime Minister who behaves in such a reckless way and how many of his fellow MPs have either deserted him or been sacked.  I think he must have lost about 24 this week.

If ever there was a time, in modern times at least, when the country needed a strong, wise leader, this must be it.  Party politics aside for a moment, we need someone who is truthful,  with integrity, wise, able to command support, bring people together, act for the good of the country with our neighbours in mind over the long term, create a sense of unity and common purpose for the greater good.  This is NOT Boris Johnson by a long shot.

I have toyed with the idea of becoming more immersed in politics, especially now I’m retired but I think I have lost my edge on things.  Perhaps my role is to continue writing to my MP and to try and reason with him.  He writes back in such a disappointing way; he knows I don’t support him and he probably thinks I’m a lost cause.

As a little “experiment” I have expressed my political views to a few others at church.  Their response is one of wanting to immediately distance themselves from me.  I conclude many in the church support my local MP who is a Conservative who, like Boris Johnson, is a former Eton pupil  and subsequently supports the Prime Minister. Sure my MP is a Christian but surely that can’t lead to blind support in him?

Perhaps it might be to join a political party (Liberal Democrats or the Change Party are the most attractive).

I would certainly like to express my anger against the Government in a march or something – those dignified, peaceful and completely silent marches seem strangely attractive nowadays.  Now that would be something.