16/03/2007 by PeterJohnson.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16TH.  PETER WENT UP TO MILLOM, ARRIVING THERE AT ABOUT 10.00am. HE FOUND MUM AND TED IN FAIRLY GOOD SPIRITS,  MUM  ATE MUSHROOM SOUP AND FISH AND CHIPS THEN THEN THE DOCTOR ARRIVED. (DON’T THEY PICK THEIR MOMENTS!). AFTER SHE HAD GONE MUM ATE PEAR SPONGE AND CUSTARD.

THE DOCTORS REPORT WAS THAT MUM WAS DOING WELL, AND SHE HAS HAD HER EYE TABLETS DISCONTINUED. THE NURSE WILL COME NEXT WEEK TO TAKE BLOOD FOR ROUTINE ANALYSIS. PETER SAYS THAT MUM LOOKS WELL, BUT TIRES VERY EASILY, AND NEEDS LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SLEEP AND REST.

PETER LEFT TO GET HIS LUNCH GIVING MUM THE CHANCE OF SOME PEACE AND QUIET AND HER SLEEP.  WHEN HE ARRIVED BACK MUM WAS AWAKE AND SAID SHE FELT WELL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES SHE FELT WEARY. (DO YOU THINK PETER’S TO BLAME? AGREE WITH ME AT YOUR PERIL!).

TED ARRIVED SOON AFTER.   I WILL BE CARING FOR MUM TOMORROW, SO I’LL TAKE A BOTTLE OF SHERRY! THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MUM’S PHONE, MUMS PHONE GIVES THE NORMAL RINGING TONE WHEN YOU DIAL HER NUMBER, SO IF NO-ONE ANSWERS, DO NOT FRET. IT APPEARS THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE SHE WILL BE CONNECTED.

MUM, PETER,TED AND I SEND YOU OUR LOVE AS ALWAYS.

BYE FOR NOW.

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16/03/2007 by Ted.

FRIDAY 16TH MARCH 2007. PETER VISITED MUM TODAY AND WILL, I THINK, BE DOING THE MUM’S UPDATE BLOG. I THOUGHT I WOULD UPDATE YOU ON THE TELEPHONE LINE INSTALLATION.

AS REQUESTED BY THE TELEPHONE ENGINEER ON MY VOICEMAIL (READ YESTERDAY’S BLOG!) I TELEPHONED 150 TO MAKE A NEW DATE FOR MUM’S TELEPHONE TO BE INSTALLED.  I WAS GREETED BY “GOOD MORNING, THIS IS RICHARD. HOW MAY I HELP?” I EXPLAINED THE VOICEMAIL MESSAGE AND WHY I WAS TELEPHONING WHEREUPON HE SAID, “I’LL TRANSFER YOU TO MY COLLEAGUE WHO WILL DEAL WITH THIS”. A CLICK LATER AND THE PIPED MUSIC STARTED AND I WAITED. SUDDENLY A VERY FOREIGN SOUNDING VOICE - HARD TO MAKE OUT - SAID (I THINK!), “GOOD MORNING. HOW CAN I HELP?” ON A HUNCH I ASKED, “WHERE ARE YOU SPEAKING FROM?” WHEREUPON THE VOICE ANSWERED “INDIA”.  I SAID THAT I THOUGHT WE MUST HAVE A CROSSED LINE AS I WAS IN ENGLAND AND HAD BEEN SPEAKING TO AN ENGLISH TELEPHONE ENGINEER ABOUT A JOB IN ENGLAND - HOW HAD I GOT TO INDIA? SHE THEREUPON ASKED ME FOR MY TELEPHONE NUMBER - WHICH I HAD ALREADY GIVEN TO VARIOUS PEOPLE TWICE ALREADY - AND I BECAME SUSPICIOUS AND ASKED HER PROOF THAT SHE WAS A BT EMPLOYEE, SHE BEING IN INDIA. SHE SAID (I THINK!) THAT SHE COULDN’T PRODUCE ANY AND I ASKED HER IF SHE COULD RETURN ME TO ENGLAND AS I DID NOT KNOW WHO SHE REALLY WAS.  SHE SAID (I THINK!)  THAT THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS WAS FOR ME TO DISCONNECT AND START AGAIN - WHICH I DID - ONLY TO BE TOLD INCESSANTLY BY ENGLISH BT THAT THEY WERE VERY BUSY AND THANK YOU FOR HOLDING. SO I DISCONNECTED THAT CALL TOO AND DETERMINED TO LET BT STEW IN THEIR OWN JUICE FOR A BIT.

THIS AFTERNOON MY TELEPHONE RANG AND A VERY FOREIGN SOUNDING AND HARD TO MAKE OUT VOICE SAID THE CALL WAS IN CONNECTION WITH A LINE INSTALLED AT ST. GEORGE’S RESIDENTIAL HOME, AND WAS EVERYTHING WORKING ALRIGHT.  I ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS SPEAKING FROM AND HE SAID - GUESS WHERE? I EXPLAINED THAT THE WORK OF INSTALLING MUM’S LINE HAD NOT HAPPENED WHEREUPON HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO RE-BOOK THE JOB WITH HIM - IN INDIA - FOR 20TH MARCH. WHICH I DID - I THINK! UNLESS THERE IS A SAINT GEORGE’S RESIDENTIAL HOME IN BANGALORE IN WHICH CASE I DIDN’T.

SO A NEAR ROUND THE WORLD TRIP TWICE IN ONE DAY.  NOT BAD, EH? AND, PRESUMABLY, AN ENGINEER FLYING IN FROM BANGALORE TO INSTALL MUM’S PHONE ON 20TH MARCH - MAYBE! OR MAYBE HE’LL BE INSTALLING IT AT ST. GEORGE’S RESIDENTIAL HOME, BANGALORE AFTER ALL!

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