Thursday 29 March 2012

Sunshine Superman

Another glorious day in this weird run of March summer heat. In the morning I found myself trimming hedges and pruning trees in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Then I sat on the decking out the back reading a book and drinking tea. These are my favourite sort of sunny days, with kids at school and most people at work. There's no escaping the traffic that runs up and down the back road but you forget it after awhile. I watched the delicate buds begin to emerge on the birch saplings outside and listened to the crows bicker and squabble as they build nests on the big fir trees across the road. Even the old cat, who rarely emerges from his spot on the settee these days, was content to warm himself in the sun for awhile and doze in his favourite pot of bamboo. As I write he's just come in the back door, looking at me and grumbling for food as always.

Quite the lazy summers day all told, even if it actually happens to be March, but you can feel a hint of chill when out of the sun and some high white clouds have started to intrude on the clear blue skies of the last week. By Saturday we're supposed to be back to the seasonal norm of 10 degrees, but really why complain as its been such a bonus. What retirement is supossed to be all about really.

Yesterday I renewed my membership up at Jim's Gym for another year. In fact for 13 months as I managed to talk the lad Graham into giving me an additional month as if I was a new member. He told me a lot of people let there membership run out and then, a few weeks later re-apply for a new one so that they get the extra month. Worth remembering for next year. Cost me £475, including an additional 10% discount, but that works out only £36 quid a month for 13 months, so no complaints.

Wednesday 28 March 2012

The Spring that Summer forgot

What an amazing few days its been. On the first day of Spring, 25 March, Summer just decided to muscle straight in and give us an unexpected, not to say surreal, treat. I mean there's still barely a leaf on the trees for gods sake, with just a few buds disobeying their own body-clocks and peeking out in blinking surprise. Not a cloud in the sky, temperatures nearing 70 and shorts and tee-shirts dragged smelly and sleepy from the bottom of drawers. Four days later and its still with us, Trust me, we'll be lucky to see this in high summer, when one fine day is usually followed by a dreadful other.

Had my usual post-budget conflab with my financial adviser Keli at Nationwide. Sorted out ISA's, making sure that almost all my portfolio savings are now free of corporation tax. Was prepared to invest further but she told me I should use an upcoming bond closure to pay off my share of the mortgage. I've thought of this many times before but always backed away from it because I simply don't want to blow nearly £20k. But she's made me think about it again. Why spend over £1500 a year on a mortgage if I don't have to basically. Then again, why blow nearly £20k?

The next day I was in Edinburger again to get my teeth sorted. Had thought this would be a final treatment for the time being, but not a bit of it. Mr Anderson (I always think of him like Agent Smith's pronounciation from The Matrix: 'Mrrr Andersooon....') wants to fight to keep a tooth and this will require two further sessions in May. Still, saved from paying the bill.

Wandered around the sun-baked, skimpy-dressed streets after that, all flesh and sunglasses, still shaking my head at the weirdness of it all.

Thursday 22 March 2012

The heart of the matter

Went for my first post-angioplasty check-up to the cardiologist today up at the Queen Margaret hospital. Its a long walk from our house, but it was such a beautiful early spring day - cloudless, windless and mildly warm - that I decided to walk it. Anyway, I'm so tight I'll basically walk anywhere just to save a few quid. Must admit I was pretty tired by the time I'd hoofed it up that final hill into the hospital grounds, so much so that I sat on a step in the car park for about ten minutes to get my breath back. I finally went in to see the consultant and really needn't have bothered. He didn't even test me other than to take my blood pressure after I'd told him it seemed a bit low. As I suspected, this was because of the post-operation Bisoprolol tablets I've been on and he told me I can stop taking them immediately. And that was that! Honestly, we could have done it by phone or even email. Reminds me of my old job, trying to get hospitals to change their outdated consultation practices.

Anyway I walked all the way home too, though via a shorter route and then sat out on the lower decking for awhile enjoying the evening sunshine. This decking, which has been largely useless up to now because of the trees that used to screen it from sunshine, will really come in to its own now. It even stops us being on display from the back road (once we sit down that is).

Two days and not a penny spent! music to a misers ears!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

Long hybernation from this blog. Why am I back to it? Maybe its because I'm looking out on a sunlit back garden, the feel of spring is in the air with that unmistakable feel of renewal and I'm about to give the gardens their first cut of the year. The view down Castle Hill is now unimpaired since the great trees that backed onto our rear garden have been cut down after storms rendered them a danger. Some sapling silver birches have been planted in their place but they offer little screening as yet and it still leaves our raised garden in something of an exposed spot. Won't compromise the levels of sunlight the garden gets any more though.

What else has happened to me since last blogged? Had two angioplasties to relieve what was becoming quite a serious heart problem. Curtailed planned holidays in the latter part of last year but already been to Dubai/Emirates this January (well done Trailfinders) with trips to Verona, London and Lisbon already planned for this year.

Budget later on today. Hoping that good news on tax thresholds will help my modest pension!

POSTSCRIPT: Well a decent rise in the tax treshold did come through, but not until April 2013. Oh well, at least it guarantees I'll get a semi-decent rise next year as well, even if inflation does fall.