Post 354: Beds, chairs and teriyaki tofu.
With tomorrow’s oncology meeting in mind I’m struggling to find anything concrete to note down to remember to say.
That’s a good problem to have but you never know what around the corner.
With the day as bright as a button I’m tempted to have my breakfast outside in the great outdoors, and but for our squadron of Hover-flies, I would.
Soon the cleaner would be here to wipe away a week’s grime. By then my Darling would be up the road for a waxing, rather her than me.
Although I’ve not ever had one I’m sure I could do without that experience.
So when he arrives I’ll make myself scarce and get some “paperwork” on my phone done.
Why do I say that, there’s no paper involved. It’s an email.
I’ve asked my Darling how she is this morning and I got a happy, more normal reply back that she’s feeling much better. I believe her.
She goes, the cleaner starts and I head upstarts to quiz my eldest what I should do about my place of work and my agreement for a phased return via a (PW1) form we are trying to fill out.
It’s not my forte, filling forms but math is. As this is basically a tax form I’m happy to find a formula or two that can help me compute in my head an answer — I wish words were as easy.
So I try my best to explain the situation to my darling son who’s going to love this extra work on a very busy schedule, but, as I complete the figures I’m bound by and the implications for the amount of money I owe the tax-man I realise I don’t need to ask for help. Well, not from my son anyway. A phone call to the DWP will sort everything out, including how much I need to grovel and scrape to the people who are in charge of who pays what, and when.
While this was going on the time flew, the wife came back from the skin-rippers & hair stealers, the cleaner was on his was and my Darling said we should be too, get on our way, that is.
“Coming” in shouted as I sent the text to my eldest telling him that by my reckoning I need to call the tax-man. Later, I had his reply. “You’re darn right you do”, (have to ring) and I left it at that.
We grabbed our coats, even though it was a sunny 21 degrees outside and the first thing going on, in the new car, was the air conditioning. However we’re were staying out late having dinner with my eldest’s wife, who was down from the north for work meetings and catch-ups.
Off we went to Care Co (other oldies and disabled’s shops are available) down a ridiculously pot-holed road to the Garden Centre turned into a mini shopping centre for beds and chairs.
My crappy mattress is the first thing that needs replacing (but it’s not my own one so I might as well buy my own one — a bed that is).
We parked up and went in the large sliding doors to the massive emporium of delights, and found a great line of chairs. We sat on each one and figured out we needed a salesman to turn the buggers on before we could test the buttons and movements.
After a few too many chairs we found the beds which became instantly more interesting.
Again there was no power on some but after seeing too many beds, chairs and other tools and accessories I was done. We took the relevant paperwork in the form of a glossy catalogue, and headed off to the next mobility centre in the big town we’d meet up with our eldest’s wife later.
We parked up and did much the same thing here as we did there (earlier) but, and it was a big but, the bed we wanted to look at particularly was dead centre between two other beds we didn’t come for.
The Opera signature profiling bed was ready and awaiting my torso. Although I was not allowed to hold the hand-held device for smooth use I was moved this was and that and realised this bed was for little people (like my Darling) not real people (like me). I was being pushed out of bed by the head-lift motion and was a bit scary and just not what I wanted.
We walked away from this possible replacement sadly but something was keeping me in this much smaller shop, and it wasn’t the range of riser recliner chairs we sat on, without finding “the” one.
I walked back to the three beds they had. This time I was looking at the profiling bed mattresses only.
They had a few posters on the wall and cut sections showing all the clear innovations inside the things. Clearly there was more to this than I initially thought.
And the I saw it.
I was leaning on the footboard of this other bed, which was as high as the head board. This wouldn’t let me be pushed out now would it? No.
Then I saw the length of the mattress, and at 88” it was 6” more than the opera bed.
We immediately called for the fairly grumpy saleswoman, again, and ask to be shown around this bed.
I really think she thought I was pulling her chain, but I maintained that this was longer and might be just what I wanted.
In short, it was.
Not short of course, but long. Ha ha.
I was pleased and found this Kennet bed much more suitable.
We left the shop happy and headed into the town centre and met up with our daughter in law at the shopping centre by the railway station she arrived at.
After a bit of shopping we strode into the nearly empty restaurant. Why I don’t know. The food is wonderful. My tofu teriyaki and rice was mouth watering and a side of kimchi was as spicy as necessary.
We all had our fills and retired back to the shopping centre where there was a desert shop we had to stop at. I had an apple crumble and both my Darling and Daughter in law a drink.
What an appetite I have sometimes, even with all the chocolate eggs at home waiting to be demolished by me.
What a great day.
I need to call the DWP tomorrow.
I must reconsider all options for beds and chairs.
I must get ready for the oncologist too.
And,
A pal of mine emailed me and I thought it was a joke. But no it seems legitimate. So I must pop down to see him. He’s retired recently and it would be good to catch up.
Till tomorrow folks.
Good luck
PS
I’ve had another AFib attack and racing heartbeat for most of last evening in to the wee small hours. 12.5 hrs in total.
There you go, I’ve now got something to say to the oncologist — even if it’s not in her domain.
Regularity check: 7 in 4 months
9 April 2026
23 March
22 February
7 February
20 January
27 December (25)
14 December (25)
PPS
Sorry for any typos.
I haven’t had time for a double check and second edit.
