It’s been a Funny Old Week

Computers. How I hate them.

My ancient machine (I have been reliably informed that three years old is positively geriatric) has decided to play silly beggars again, with photographs and texts looking stretched and distorted.

It has done this before; it starts without warning, then quite suddenly, days or weeks later, it reverts back to normal mode.

When this first occurred I telephoned my local IT centre, Nerds World, and was informed that it was a mystery and to take the offending instrument in.

Of course when I did, the darn thing behaved itself impeccably and not for the first time, I slunk out of the shop totally humiliated and cursing Bill Gates to high heaven.

So I’ll just keep taking the blood pressure tablets and wait it out.

*
In September I decided it was time to get my eyes tested.
I was having a bit of trouble with my Pound Shop specs and thought it was about time to invest in a decent pair.

‘You have macular degeneration’, the bloke at the well known establishment, told me. Just like that, no preamble and no letting me down gently. ‘You need to see your doctor’.
Disturbing news for me, another day at the office for him.

I knew very little about this disease, except that it is progressive and irreversible.

This week I saw a specialist who after extensive tests, informed me that it was not in fact the dreaded condition, but a problem with my retina.
‘It may require surgery’ she told me. ‘But don’t worry, it’s not urgent.’ She could not have been nicer or more reassuring.
What a difference from my original experience.

*
A regular face at a local shopping centre is a lady who holds her hand out for loose change as you leave the supermarket.
Whether she is genuine or not is anybody’s guess but sometimes I drop a euro into her plastic cup.

Yesterday, being s soft touch, I presented her with two cast-off cardigans that the Princess simply did not wear any more, and which were destined for the charity shop.

I really should tell my wife – it might come as a bit of a surprise if she sees a familiar looking M&S cardy on the local beggar at the weekend.

All in all it’s been a funny old week.