Thursday 28 May 2015

Left Hand / Right Hand not communicating

Tuesday 26th May to Thursday 28th May 2015

We really do love mooring at this parkland area and the new spot is even better - a feeling of seclusion and privacy.
The sun was out in full force on Tuesday and we were really basking in it literally. The solar panels were pumping the amps back into the batteries at a furious pace, so much so that the engine stayed dormant for the first time in such along time - that really is saying something as the television was on most of the day as "her indoors" was watching the French Open (and she does love her tennis).

It was unfortunate that I had to work most of the day and miss a lot of sunshine and then, yet again, I had a night shift to work - but that appears to be part of the price that I need to pay.

The night work is basically unloading parcels and packages from trucks and sorting them into the delivery runs for the local drivers, but it appears that I must be getting used to - it was a particularly busy night - after the Bank Holiday - so much more to do, and the soreness of muscles and limbs that I have usually experienced was just not there.

Diane had run the engine on Wednesday morning primarily for hot water and a bit of vacuuming but after that the sun took over again; she was lounging out on the sun chair when I arrived home - after a quick shower I was off to bed for a bit of sleep.

What a boring existence that is!

We had arranged to visit Maggie and Paddy in Watford on Thursday and as a second thought I also arranged for a delivery of our engine filters for the next 12 months as well; Diane had also done an on-line repeat for her prescriptions to collect from her doctor - so it would be killing 3 birds at the same time.
We determined that it would be a simple 30 minute trip by bus and train - and it was - very straight forward.
First calling point was the doctor - they had no prescriptions ready at all - it was on their system as being ordered but no idea where it was - they really are bloody useless with their own system; so a new printout was done and submitted to be ready to collect at 2pm.

We had some lunch with M&P and heard about their recent trip to Spain and saw the photographs - very sunny and very easy for everything - they had a truly great time there.

Before their trip, whilst getting their suitcases out for packing they stumbled across a packed bag that we had left there on our trip from 2008 - they had forgotten about and so had we - mainly clothes that we obviously had left to save on being over the luggage limit.

The filters were all there too as well as our post.

We talked about the Thames trip and before we knew it it was time to leave - Diane straight to the station and me via the doctor's surgery.
Talk about a tragic comedy - when I got there, it was a different receptionist who couldn't find the replacement prescription forms, only wanted to tell me that it was only requested that morning and they do not do it that quickly - that is until she suddenly heard and verified that it had been ordered last Saturday and that they had lost it - still a bit of stuffing around and I was anxious to catch the train.
Eventually it was found and I was on my way - all this without raising my voice to the sensitive little old dears there.
We made the train, only to have a late announcement whilst travelling that the platform at Wembley would not allow people in the last carriage to open the doors.
A frantic dash forward but we didn't make it - London Euston next stop.

A couple of Underground trains and we were on our way to the platform-sign designation of Rayner's Lane - trouble was that the internal train announcements were saying Heathrow - different track on the same Piccadilly line.

Each new station had the same information as to the destination of the train - finally at Acton Town the driver announced that it was a Heathrow train - so off we got, as well as half of the other passengers.
Next train to arrive was correct (for us), but the same thing had happened except in reverse - it had been platform-signed as Heathrow but was in reality Raynor's Lane; driver makes the announcement and half the passengers got off.

Glad to say that we eventually made it back to the boat; everything all intact and we just relaxed.

(PS. I sort of overdid it with photographs on the Thames trip so none for these few days)

4 Miles
YTD: 385 Miles, 207 Locks, 8 Tunnels, 2 Lift Bridges, 11 Swing Bridges
Totals: 3279 Miles, 2328 Locks, 106 Tunnels, 36 Lift Bridges, 162 Swing Bridges

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