General Chat

Ann, patients register the pharmacy they wish to use with the surgery and then everything is dealt with electronically between the surgery and the pharmacy. I don't have to order the 3 items I have every month, it's done on an automatic system. The other thing on my script that I only need at irregular intervals is ordered for me by the pharmacist when I say I need it. It's worked beautifully for the 10 years we have lived here. It's just the last couple of months that I have had problems. About a year ago the system was changed in that you could only have 6 scripts and then it had to be reviewed by the doctor. The idea was to stop people stockpiling meds that they no longer needed. People like myself who they know are on the medication permanently just have to ring up every 6 months and ask for the scripts to be reissued. I just don't know what has gone wrong this time. I have wondered if the system is overloaded. The practice is a very large one and covers a wide area with 5 surgeries and many, many thousands of patients.

As to OH and his breakages, I have wondered about his vision but he doesn't seem to have problems seeing generally and his eyes are tested annually so I don't know what the problem is. Sometimes I think he's just not watching what he is doing. He'll be gazing out of the window at the garden while putting something down on the work surface and he'll put it too close to the edge. I am keeping an eye on him in case there's something not quite right but he doesn't seem to drop tools or his book or his phone. It's just crockery and glassware.

Vera I assume you have checked the surgery have the correct email address.

How does your OH manage to break things. Does he lose his grip and is his eyesight ok? Must be annoying for both of you.

Good evening

It's certainly been a better day than yesterday. Earlier it was chilly but quite sunny and dry, though we did get caught in the rain at about 3 pm.

We went to Freeport, near Braintree. It's an outlet village. I was hoping to get some new boots. The Hotter shop where I have often bought shoes in the past has closed but there are a few other shoe shops including a Clarks. Just my luck, I couldn't find a pair that I liked and was available in my size so I ended up with nothing. On the other hand OH got 2 new jumpers from M & S and in other shops I got a white china jug, 2 sets of 5 storage containers and 2 of the 3 Secret Santa gits I will need for Clubs we belong to.

OH didn't really deserve anything. He's got very clumsy lately and managed to rip 2 good jumpers by gardening in them, catching them on bushes and stepping back without realising. He has a large bag of old "working" clothes so why doesn't he put them on while gardening? He's also broken a glass, 3 mugs and a jug recently. As I usually buy milk in 6 pint containers I pour about a pint at a time into a jug. It looks better on the table and is easier to pour just a little in a cup. I have 2 suitable jugs, one in use and one being washed, and of course it was one of these that he broke.

At least it was a nice little shopping trip out and I've made a slight start on bits for Christmas. Best of all I saved about £50 over the High Street prices :-D

A while ago I was given a voucher for a meal at Zizzi and there is a branch right by Freeport so we had lunch there. We shared a big platter of garlic bread with mozzarella, then I had chicken Milanese and OH had herb rolled pork belly, and we each had a glass of wine and a coffee and all we had to add to the voucher was £7. We have eaten there before and the staff are so pleasant and obliging. When you go in you are asked if you have any allergies. If, like me, you say yes when they bring the menu they also bring a large ring binder with everything on the menu listed together with any allergens contained in each dish so you can easily check yourself and don't have to rely on a waiter having the right information. I think that's a great feature.

I am glad you got your script easily AnnG. Would you believe I am still having problems getting mine? When I went to the pharmacy AGAIN, the young lady checked and told me they still haven't received my script from the surgery, even though they had emailed the surgery at 12 o'clock on Wednesday and I had rung them on Wednesday afternoon. The girl emailed them again while I was there and told me to ring the pharmacy tomorrow morning to check if the surgery have responded. I don't know what is going on but I've emphasised to both the pharmacy and the surgery that I am about to run out of pills, particularly the blood pressure ones, and I am going away next week so need them urgently. It's enough to send my blood pressure sky high. When others on here were complaining about not getting their meds I used to brag about our wonderful system. Well, it was wonderful till some bright spark decided it needed to be made more "efficient"!

That's enough of my ranting and raving. I hope you've all had a good day and you all sleep well tonight.

Walked to the chemist, sun was bright in my eyes in one direction which makes safe walking a bit difficult but the sun was also warm so a pleasant walk. Got my prescription, no trouble, pleasant new pharmacist who told me that was the last prescription for now. I knew he was wrong and after he had moved I got one of the long time lady assistants to check. she came back to me, grinned, and said it's ok you have got loads on there.
It is also book stall weekend so I was able to combine the two as I passed it on my way home and had a good look for books.

good morning all sun shining 8 degrees and a pity it was not like this yesterday to get to the hairdressers. Good job it was cut shorter than usual last time and well thinned out. Hopefully will get to the chemist to get my prescription this morning.

Up late as went back to sleep at 6am.

I've made my coffee too hot!!!!!

Morning all,

8 degrees but a much better day this morning than yesterday hardly a breath of wind and some sunshineout the back and a bit cloudy out front.

I shall try to get to the post van this morning and hope the rivers arn't out so he can get through safely.

Mine says 9 degrees and heavy rain.

Sorry the backs bad again Vera but yu got a lot done today and an outing too.

Time to pput the lights on here. Winds dropped a bit. I so feel for the poor peope on Jersey they had it really bad and lots of homeless people now.

What a shame you had to cancel your hair appointment AnnG and have to wait quite a while to get rebooked, but I am sure it was a wise decision. It's not the weather for being out and about, particularly for those of us who are not as young as we used to be. I'm sure your lunch friends will just be pleased to see you and not even notice bushy hair.

I am glad you got some milk Mel. I usually have some in the freezer but that can take quite a while to defrost so I also keep a carton of long life milk in the cupboard for emergencies. I don't like it much in tea but it's fine for cereals, milk puddings, sauces and so on.

The wind has dropped quite a lot now but we are still having bouts of heavy rain and the lights have had to be on all day. The drains at the end of our road are not good enough for the job and overflow whenever there is any rain. When we went out at 10.30 we had to drive through a large puddle of water right across the road. When we came back at 12.30 it was more like a lake.

There were 9 of us meeting for coffee today - the 2 men were a bit outnumbered so they sat at a little table next to our big one and chatted about men's things. Of the 7 ladies only 2 of us are married. There are 3 widows, 1 divorcee and 1 lady who never married. There is another couple who come now and then so sometimes there are 3 men. My back was so bad this morning that I didn't want to go but I was glad I made the effort as chatting and laughing with the others helped me to forget the pain for a while.

Since lunch OH has cleaned the downstairs loo for me. I've prepared our dinner for tonight, just got to put it all in the oven, prepared and frozen a load of parsnips, done a bit of ironing that got missed the other day and cleaned the sinks in the kitchen and the uti, and paid the paper bill online. I'm thinking of cancelling the weekly local paper. Not long ago it was quite a thick paper for 90p, now it seems to go up 10p or 20p every month and have fewer and fewer pages each month. It's currently £1.70.

At the moment OH is reading though I suspect he has dozed off over his book. I'm going to sit on the bed with a pillow and a wheat bag behind my back (I'm already wearing a heat pad). I'll either read or watch something on the iPad. I fancy a coffee so perhaps I'll take one to bed with me.

Computer is telling me it's 10 degrees and drizzling and there's more rain coming shortly. Oh good :-| :-| Stay warm and dry everyone.

I ventured up the post van this morning when the rain stopped a bit and the wind died down a bit too. I had to get some milk but ont he way there I met the post van leaving. He stopped and told me he had been called back to the post office as the weather conditions were so bad. I think they get worried the rivers will be out and maybe some trees down across the roads.

Anyway I got my milk and the drive there was'nt too bad.

Done some varnishing nd painting this morning and I had to message the lady who bought my things on Ebay that I would try and get down the post van tomorrow. She said thats fine. She is doing a castle diorama for the school so she bought my job lot of Tudor kitchen things.

Feeling a bit disgruntled now as I have had to cancel my hair appointment. The wind is very strong and we have had very heavy showers. I didn't feel it was safe to walk round there as it is about a mile each way. Unfortunately she can't fit me in now until tuesday 14th. Annoying as I have two lunches out in that time. They will have to put up with me with bushy hair.

Morning all

I can’t imagine what the conditions in the south have been like as I think they were on an amber warning. We had a yellow warning here and the wind and heavy rain kept me awake for a lot of the night. The force of the wind kept bringing our outside security lights on so it was a bit like Blackpool illuminations here. In the garden we have a bird bath that has a blue light above it. When I was wandering about at 3 am I could see this light flashing on and off. It was like having a police car in the garden.

I haven’t any plans for today apart from meeting friends for coffee in Starbucks above Sainsbury’s. That’s only 3 or 4 minutes by car.

AnnG, I hope you don’t get blown to the hairdresser today and don’t get soaked. Take care.

EDIT. I missed you there Mandy. I think we’ve got your share of wind as well as our own!

Morning all,

Dull here this morning with a little light rain at times but there not a breath of wind here yet ,I quite expected to see the trees really blowing about but nothing .

Hope it keeps dry for your walk to the hairdresser Anng ,I have the hairdresser coming next Thursday for my cut and blow dry.

Mel thats a nuisance missing the milk off your shopping maybe you should have a list of those things you get each week so you can check them off each weeks shopping order.

Vera thats good news about your eyes and not having to have any more injections.

Phones ringing .

Morning all,

Very wet very dull and dark and very windy here. I have a parcel to post today but don't think I will get up there to post it and he may not be able to get through anyway and I forgot to order milk this week. Thats always the first thing to go on the list so heavens knows how I missed that. I have about a cup full, should have gone up there when I realised it did'nt come with the order on Tuesday.

Its so dark here I really need the light on.

Yes I did get the cooking instructions thank you Anng.

Not many leaves left on the trees round here and bits keep hitting the kitchen windows. Em's boys hav'nt had to go to school today because of the weather.

good morning all. not raining here yet but very overcast and dull, breezy but not yet a strong wind. My fingers are crossed (difficult when typing!) that the winds don't get too strong as at 12 I set out for the hairdresser.

Vera it is so frustrating when you know a previous method worked with things like pharmacies, doctors and scripts. Have you noticed that the 'improvements' that they put in always benefit themselves not their customers?

Mel did you see the meat recipes for the air frier. Anything that you like there?
I heated up a defrosted cottage pie (frozen by me when I last did cottage pie). It took 15 minutes on 180 in the air frier. There was melted cheese on top that I freshly sprinkled on after it defrosted. It was delicious. Just as if I had just cooked it. I transferred it first from the plastic container to a small oven proof one.
I wouldn't cook bacon in it though as it spits more and smokes.

If you don't like reading instructions how do you ever get things right? :-) :-) :-S

I saw one flash of lightening tonight and it did rain a bit but the winds dropped now for the moment. Had a hail shower just as I went to corn the girls.

I like the sound of your air fried meals AnnG. I hope you don’t get blown over or soaked getting to your hairdresser tomorrow. I had a little walk in the rain from the car park to my hairdresser but luckily it had stopped before I had to walk back.

I had a frustrating time with my script. The system used to work perfectly. I never saw my script. I just picked my meds up every 4 weeks. Then the doctors surgery changed it and nothing has gone right since. I went to the pharmacy and asked for my meds only to be told they hadn’t received a script from the surgery. So I had to go back home and phone the dispenser at the surgery who insisted it had been sent to the pharmacy on 18th October. After a lot of argy-bargy I had to get a bit stroppy and point out that while they were arguing about who was at fault I was left with no medication which I needed. The surgery dispenser eventually agreed to reissue the script and get one of the doctors to sign it off today. But I have to make another trip to town in the next couple of days to pick the meds up. Why, oh why, did they need to change a perfectly good system? I’m not a happy bunny.

I’m typing this on the iPad and I’ve just noticed it’s very low on charge so I had better post this and plug the iPad in to charge up or I won’t be able to read my library book on it when I go to bed. Sleep well everyone. I hope the wind and rain don’t keep you awake.

Always some way of making you wait Vera!!! glad it was all good though. I suppose it is a good thing that they want to keep an eye on it, even if an inconvenience. Hope you didn;t get too wet. Our hair appointments seem to run neck and neck!!

Mel a few non fish recipes.

Roast chicken etc.
Drawer 1 Whole Chicken 1.3kg air fry 180, 30 mins breast down, turn then another 30 mins. check internal temp 75 degrees centigrade….another 5-10 mins if necessary. Then rest 15 mins.
For 1.8 kg chicken, 70 mins AF 180, max crisp 5 mins. Rest 15 mins
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In drawer 2 Roasties. In advance Par boil 6 mins, drain, put back in saucepan, add carrot and parsnips, Toss in oil or goose fat. Leave for at least 15-30 mins.
air fry 180 for 30 mins. (Add chipolatas, onion, pepper after 15 mins).
Toss at 15 mins.
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frozen uncooked Yorkshires, 210, 12 mins

Chicken breast. chicken wrapped in bacon, onions, mushrooms , peppers on roast 180 25 mins

Pork belly slices 200C, 22 mins

Tesco quiche 170 15 mins

Frozen chicken wings 170C 25 mins

Morning all

Wet and windy here. I’m just off to the hairdresser and pharmacy for my meds. We’re not going on to Freeport to shop and have lunch out. Don’t feel like traipsing round in this weather.

I got seen dead on time for all the tests and scans at the eye hospital and then had to wait over an hour to see the doctor. He was pleased and I hoped he would discharge me but no such luck. He wants to see me again in a couple of months.

Better get going if I’m going to be on time for my haircut. Might bbl.

Morning girls,

Thanks for the cooking times and I know its all trial and error but I hate reading instructions. I have watched a lot on Youtube re the air fryer. Thing is I don't eat fish much. Hate peppers and shell fish. the only thing I will eat is thee cod fish fingers, smoked haddock and tinned salmon and pilchards.

Anyway another new month and I really don't know where this year has gone its passed so quickly. Its one of those days when its bright oiut the back to the south and grey to the north out the front. Pc says cloudy and 10 degrees.