Thu 280722 Sign on/Shopping Aldi

 Thu 280722 11:59 AM GMT Had to walk all the way into Streatham/and, then, back...a journey of about a mile/then, another mile long return back journey

-----

Well, most unfortunately, my bike front wheel tyre had gone completely dead 'flat'...; so, I haven't been able to use it for travel purposes, anymore.

However, today, I was due to 'sign on' to receive some benefits money from Streatham job centre...which is around 1 mile away from where it is I'm living in West Norwood; so, I had no other choice except to walk both there and back.

Because, there is an early morning appointment at 10 AM...; therefore, I decided to leave the bike behind...; I can drag it over to Brixton Halford's bike shop to be 'fixed', later.../(Brixton, being situated 3 whole miles away...; so, I really wasn't in no hurry to get over there.)

-----

As usual, I tend to get everywhere extremely 'late'...read: ADD/Attention Deficit Disorder strikes, again...meaning there are loads of 'distractions' galore...why on earth am I taking so long to do this/do that...when I 'know' I have a very important appointment to go, and, face...?!

So, although I was meant to leave the house at 9:30 AM...giving me, at least, half-an-hour to walk all the way over there; but, I found myself leaving home at around: 9:45 AM, instead; thus, allowing me just 15 minutes to arrive at my appointment on time.

At first, I 'imagined' myself running off straight to the very top of the hill. Only because I didn't practice doing any walking/nevermind, doing any running...therefore, I can only describe my own behaviour at age 59+...as merely very weakly 'hobbling' along...; because there was no way I could maintain doing a constant run...so, I sort of ran in very short bursts, one might say...and, then, slowed down to go and walk. In all I must have done 90% walking/and, maybe, just 10% running, in actual fact.

-----

-(When I was years 'younger'...say, half my current age...I would have run there all the way non-stop. Having that thought, alone...does NOT make me feel particularly good; realising just how much my own health has, seriously, deteriorated...almost completely collapsed!

Luckily, though, I'm not having a heart attack, yet...; but, I really 'need' to get those legs moving/and, the heart beating 'fast', a least, once per day...meaning, got to go 'walking/running' around the block/or, skip rope/practice doing some 'shadow boxing/or, kick boxing'/even, dance/-etc.)-

-----

When I did arrive for my 10 AM morning appointment...the 'sign on' person called: Richard...said, I had arrived there not too late; but, as there was another person before me...; thus, I had to wait for them to finish, first.

I signed on...; said my goodbyes to Richard; then, very quickly, left....happy to get out of that place. To have to go visit places where people are 'unemployed' is something I find rather deeply depressing.

-----

I walked into Aldi food store...; where I decided to buy some shopping...as my current food stocks are low...with the fridge very nearly 'empty'.

I brought...

- 4 x packs tinned corn (4 to a pack) @ £1.39 each.

- 20 x tins of sardines @ £0.36p each.

- 2 x bags of brown rice @ £1.00 each

- 4 x plastic bags to go carry it all home with.

All of a sudden, I realised...if the journey coming here was hard...without having to carry 2 heavy shopping bags in either hand; then, the return journey home was going to be even that much harder still...!

----

The thing that helped me coming back home...was I saw a young girl walking in front of me -(she had been doing shopping inside of the same Aldi supermarket store; because, I noticed her at the payment checkout)- wearing short pants due to it being a fairly hot day...only wore a t-shirt, myself/didn't bother with no coat(too heavy)... and, she had a pair of really cute long legs.

At first, she was behind me...; but, then, on seeing her coming...and, noting just how 'slow' my own pace was...having to carry along 2 rather 'heavy' shopping bags; I decided to stop...and, let her pass in front.

Much to my surprise...she seems to live going along my own route home...so, all of the 'short cut' paths I took...she took exactly the same.

What I did was, simply, follow...; hoping not to let her get too far completely out of sight...?! Immediately, straight away...I realised because she was 'young'...and, I was getting 'old'...there was no way in a straight forwards race between us...that I would win...most definitely, she'd win/I'd lose. (That thought, alone...also, very deeply disturbs and scares me...; how could I let myself become so totally 'out of shape'...?!)

And, so we both continued...walking along...going all the way up hill. Eventually, we had both climbed to the top of the hill; and, now, we were on a 'flat' section...which is when I had managed to catch her up...and, then, walked flying past her. Being on a flat seems to give me more strength...as I don't wish to 'stop'/nor, give in.

So, now, I cross over the road; and, am going downhill...2 streets away from where I live. I look backwards...and, there she is...still going in my direction...only, now, she's on the other side of the street. Well, anyway, I just looked ahead, and, kept going...walking fairly fast...after all, we are going downhill, now...; get to the intersection which leads into my own street...take one more look behind me...; and, she has continued walking on the other side of the road...going all in a straight line, down hill...; while I myself have now turned right. So, it would appear the young girl lives...somewhere here in West Norwood, too; but, not on my street, exactly; maybe, a few streets away...; who knows, maybe, I'll get to see her another day.

Anyway, got my pair of shopping bags, now, fully delivered straight up to my door...; and, was very happy, indeed, to find a walking partner to go follow home...as being a form of pleasant 'distraction'; though, I have to admit, I was definitely 'huffing and puffing', most embarassingly, out loud all throughout the journey.

-----

Came in...made myself some tea/together with some 'heated up' sardines...onto which I sprinkled salt/pepper/and, diced some onions...; together with a tin of sweet corn/(was feeling far too 'lazy' to go butter any bread to go eat it all with). Eat whilst lying down in bed. Sooner or later, fell asleep; awoke somewhere around 5 PM(let out the cat for a quick run inside of the back garden).

-----

CONCLUSION

Very unfit, quite alarmingly so, in fact!

Must go struggle to take some exercise.

I was thinking to myself...a part of it might also be to do with my having an ineffective diet. Should be eating more eggs/cheese...drinking more milk...plus, eating more rice/carrots/cabbage/potatoes.

The business of eating just pure sweets: sweet biscuits...because it's just 'fast' food...no need to go prepare anything...is a very bad habit, indeed. Sweet biscuits...cookies/chocolate digestives...will NOT make one 'strong'...; instead, it's likely to have the exact opposite effect of making one 'weak'.

The body needs to get a certain amount of proper food nutrients...: fruit/veg/proper breakfast/dinner/-etc.; and, honestly, I think, I been neglecting doing that...; and, furthermore, it sure 'feels' that way...when one tries to push oneself...and, then, discover you just can't, anymore...all because you've gone and lost it...through, not being in any proper shape...!

Tue 190722 Bike puncture/Collected mini-PC box/Shopped: cat food/bananas...

 Tue 190722 A bit of a strange day...

-----

I started the day off with 4 things on my mind...

1> The 'heatwave'...lasting, at least, a week or two...; so damn hot...that I totally refused to go out, anywhere...; not even to go visit seeing my favorite public galleries/museums; not even to go down the road to do any shopping. I just stayed inside of the house...feeling sort of 'roasted'...!

Normal temperatures in England...low, single digit figures...usually, wind/cold/rain...; or, under 20 degrees, at least; now, that same temperature figure has just gone and shot up to over 40+ degrees...which is just totally ridiculous...quite simply, because we in England are NOT used to having to go deal with anything like it...?!

2> I need to dump some smelly food...half-way down the road where the public dumpsters are. (If the food remains inside of the house...it just goes off more and more...; so, I had to get rid of it.)

3> I wanted to give up 2 x large glass/wooden frames/plus, 2 drawings I did...to the local second hand shop. (Don't really know if they will accept these totally 'amateur' drawings/or, not...?)

4> It was important to go and collect my computer from West Norwood high street electrical shop(located next to, Iceland supermarket store).

The current old computer I have runs really 'slow'...; the new computer was 'fast'...but, the 2TB/Terrabyte SSD/Solid State Disk HDD/Hard Disk Drive I'd ordered through eBay -coming all the way from China- had stopped working...?! So, the guy at the electrical store said he would fix it for me...by sticking in there a new SSD HDD...albeit of much smaller capacity.

Last week I recall asking him when can I come in and collect it...; and, he replied, during the weekend; but, I was far too 'lazy' to have gone out during the weekend...'heatwave' being far too much. But, this time I firmly made up my mind...heatwave or not...I'm going out to collect my computer...as I need to work so much faster...than, using the old computer.

------

GOING OUT/EXPERIENCING THE HEATWAVE AS SOON AS I WALKED OUT THE DOOR

The first really odd thing I experienced going out...even as soon as I'd opened up my front door...was the sheer strength of the really bright sunshine....it was around 11 AM almost midday...and, 'baking'; I was surprised...as it felt quite as 'hot and uncomfortable' going out/as it was staying in.

You see, the problem over here in England is...there is very little 'breeze/wind' blowing...; and, this fact makes experiencing really high temperatures feel even 10 times far worse...!

BIKE, FLAT FRONT TYRE

As I'm riding my bike going off down the road...then, all of a sudden, I heard a 'wind whistling' noise...; and, I'm thinking to myself what sort of noise is that...; and, where the hell is it coming from...?!

Pretty soon, I managed to figure out why...; my bike's front tyre had been severely 'punctured'...possibly, be either glass/or, a nail...I didn't actually see anything; and, the noise was all of the air very slowly come 'rushing' out of it...; until when I looked down and saw the bottom of tyre had gone down totally 'flat'...! Now, rather than quite happily riding my bike going off down the street...I had to, very sadly, get off and 'push' it, instead.

My original thought being...if I take it down the street...to get as far as the electrical store...I might be able to push/drag it all the way over to Brixton Halford's bike shop...where they can fix a punctured tyre...albeit for a price.

(The thought that Brixton is a whole entire 3 miles away...when we are in the middle of having 'a heatwave'...didn't exactly sit too very well inside of my mind...?!)

REACHED THE DUMPSTER

I dumped the smelly food waste inside of the public dumpster; at least, that was a feeling of some relief.

SECOND HAND STORE: EMMAEUS/HOMELESS CHARITY

Some weeks back, travelling half way down the road...to where the public dumpsters were...to go dump some smelly food waste; I had found 2 large sized glass/and, wooden frames...which contained somebody else's photo's.

Normally, I wouldn't bother...as I don't usually go down to the dumpster to find frames; ordinarily, 99 times out of 100...I would buy my frames from second hand shops, instead; but, as these frames were both large/heavy/made from good 'quality' wood/glass...and, otherwise, I'm sure, would have been rather costly to 'buy'; therefore, I was really quite happy to get them entirely for FREE.

So, I went off home...; and, washed the frames really very carefully...; after all, we are living in a time period where Covid still remains extant; and, of course, I left the frames to dry out, properly, for some days.

I didn't actually throw away the persons photo pictures being inside of the frame...; instead, out of respect for the original property owner, I left their pictures being still in there...just turned over showing only the white part at the back, instead; then, I included my own drawings inside there going on top of the white.

Eventually, I took both frames/drawings off to my local Emmaeus second hand store to give away. (Keeping the frames inside of the house somehow didn't quite feel right..; therefore, I had wanted to...and, was happy to get rid of them both.

I think, what made me feel it was 'jinxed' somehow...was the thought that somebody might have died; and, that was why they had turned the frames over to go leave it at the dumpster; otherwise, why not just re-use it, instead...?!)

Another troubling thought I had was...I really don't think my own drawings were good enough to be truly worthwhile selling. So, although the lady at the second hand store, very kindly and politely, accepted the offer of 2 drawings/plus, frames...I really don't know if she will actually choose to either sell it/or, throw it away...?!

I said to her...one of the drawings is rather 'raunchy'...to which she just chuckled; showing the upper torso of a naked lady having an orgasm on her face/also, with one breast exposed. The other drawing was a copy of a Da Vinci painting...which was meant to be a well rounded female head...; but, actually, came out looking -(I'd drawn the head far too narrow)- rather like a man!

Anyway, at the end of the day, I don't care less, anymore...; as both frames/drawings/photos are, now, all gone. (And, that makes my mind feel a lot more at peace.)

I COLLECTED MY COMPUTER FROM THE ELECTRICAL SHOP

I continued walking going straight down the road...past West Norwood train station...; and, down towards the main high street shops.

I tied up my bike just outside of the electrical store(located next to Iceland super market)...where there is a metal bike stand post you can latch/tie your bike onto.

Walked into the the electrical shop. -(I do remember promising the guy behind the counter...I would buy a second computer from him...costing £130.00; but, I was just far too broke...had around just £100.00 being left inside of my account. So, I told him I would need to go off the the bank, first...; before I can collect the second computer.)- For, now, thought, I just came to collect the first computer which he'd already gone and repaired. (All the time, going through my mind...is it going to work when I return back home...?)

SHOPPED AT COOP SUPERSTORE ACROSS THE ROAD

After collecting the computer, a mini-PC box...which I placed inside of 2 plastic shopping carrier bags. I walked across the road to buy some food: mostly, bananas (3 x bunches)/and, the rest being cat food (the cat food was fast running out). I brought...

24 x Sheba cat food pouches/fish
2 x boxes of meat pouches (each box contains 12 pouches)

Now, both my hands were really full...with 2 plastic bags filled with shopping/plus, the computer box...; only as my bike ain't working properly -(I would normally place either plastic bag on either side of the bikes handle bars; and, then, have a leisurely ride off back home)- I realized I now have to walk back home in the 'heatwave'...a very long/slow journey home...with two heavy bags to carry...certainly, being 'out of shape' -I haven't practiced walking anywhere in ages- I didn't hurry walking it all the way up the hill. My walking pace must have been somewhere around: 2-5 mph.

TESTING OUT IF THE COMPUTER WORKS/CONFIGURING IT/DOWNLOADING, AND, THEN, SETTING UP SOFTWARE

Luckily, the computer did work when I returned home...; I basically stuck into the back of it 5 separate leads.../2 spare, and, 3 transferred from out of the old computer...

(...spare leads...)
- power leads
- HDMI monitor leads

(...leads transferred from out of the old computer...)
- mouse leads/

- keyboard leads
- internet leads

...turned it on...; the HP logo appeared on screen; and, being SSD HDD...Windows 10 Pro operating system loaded up really fast...within only just a matter of seconds.

One major problem I found was...the SSD HDD drive the guy installed was so incredibly 'small': 118 GB...; that when I'd gone and downloaded just a few programs...it already said 3/4's of the HDD is full...33.4 GB FREE of 118 GB; and, this is after using it for just 'one' single evening; nevermind, what's going to happen after say a month/3 months/6 months/a year...the HDD won't have any space left available on it at all, of this I'm sure...?!

Luckily, I have 2 x other external drives that I can plug in...which are large 16 TB capacity each. But, I prefer having a large internal HDD instead; (will have to find where I can acquire an internal 2TB SSD HDD going on the 'cheap').

Continued testing...speed works well even when I have multiple web browser windows all opened and running together, at once. I must have opened 50+ browser windows...including YouTube/live streaming content/-etc.

I spent most of rest to the day...both configuring, and, setting up my new computer to work, properly. Downloading/and, setting up different software:

(...web browers...)
- Microsoft Edge

-  Google Chrome

- Opera

- Vivaldi

- Brave

(...programming languages...)

- Scratch 3

- Python 3

- Visual Studio code

- Visual Studio 2022

/-etc.

(...configuring...)
Created both folders/and, then, sub-folders...to store work: files/graphics/programs/creating, and, running 'test' programs in order to make sure that certain programming languages are fully up and working/-etc.

WALKED BACK DOWN THE ROAD TO COLLECT MY BIKE

I believe the time was around 8 or 9 PM...when I finally decided it's time to go and collect my bike from being left outside of the computer shop down the road; I'm not going to leave it there overnight...after all, I didn't want anybody to steal it...by using wire cutters(they did do that already to, at least, one of my bikes before); £180.00 is not something I can afford to replace very easily.

Luckily, as soon as I stepped outside...I noticed the sky looked rather bleak/dark...; and, then, all of a sudden, 'rain'...lol...it was no huge amount of rain/as in a downpour...but, more of a slight drizzle...which made my walk down the road to collect my bike a hell of a lot easier. I never thought I'd so look forwards to seeing rain...; until when I encountered being in a 'heatwave'...lasting whole weeks long.

My conclusion is, 'global warming' is, certainly, no joke...instead, it's something to be taken, very seriously, indeed.