The minutiae of daily life


OK, I know I have been neglecting this blog for a while now, but I've been doing things, you know, and it is a recognised scientific fact that, as one gets older, time goes more quickly, so while it might be two weeks since my last post, to me it seems like only two days. Well, that's my excuse anyway.
So, during the last few weeks, while I have been neglecting the blog, the dogs have been walked, the shopping and housework done and life has meandered on. Welsh lessons have started again (good) and autumn has arrived in all its damp greyness to take the place of the summer that never was (not good). No magnificent Indian summer for us this year, then.
As clients for counselling continue to be rather conspicuous by their absence, I have cast around for other useful things to do and have come up with Pets as Therapy. The idea is for people to take their dogs, and in some cases cats, into old people's homes, special schools and sometimes hospitals, to provide contact and stimulation to the inhabitants. There have been studies which have concluded that contact with animals can help lower blood pressure and be beneficial for those suffering from depression and dementia. So, in a few weeks, Paddy and Jake could be hard at it therupping any poor unfortunates that we happen to descend on. Now, isn't that a thought to dwell on!
Then I decided that perhaps I would like to be a 'lady who wheels the sweets and newspapers trolley round hospital wards' and I applied forthwith. You see, I am going to great lengths to keep myself out of trouble. Within a week, I was invited to the local hospital for what I thought would be a brief interview.
"Just put your coat and bag over here," said the man, when I arrived.
"Oh, I didn't think I was coming to work straight away," I said.
"Oh, I thought you were," he said.
The upshot of this brief conversation was that I did the shift with a very nice lady and, by the time I had finished, the man was gone, so I left my phone number for him to contact me.
But he didn't, so that one's on the back burner for now.
But in between, I have been spending many hours researching how to root a tablet and flash a phone, both of which I have now done. Clever, eh?
And so much more interesting than the housework.


10 comments:

Helsie said...

The nursing home where my MIL lives has a resident dog that visits each wing several times a day. The oldies love him and he is a calm and gentle Springer Spaniel. It's hard to stop them slipping him food though.
Cheers

Yorkshire Pudding said...

You have researched how to "root a tablet and flash a phone"? Eh? What sort of lingo is that? I have no idea what you are going on about. You mean you plant aspirin tablets in the garden and wait to see roots form while you use your mobile phone to reflect sun-rays to your rescuers? I think some self-counselling is in order.

Cro Magnon said...

Therupping? Contact the OED.

I also like the idea of replacement grannies and granddads. For children who are unlucky enough not to have either, a faux-granny could be therupping (you see, it's already caught on) for both parties.

Jennytc said...

A resident dog in a nursing home would be even better, of course, Helsie. That probably happens in some homes.

Jennytc said...

'going on about' always seems to have very dismissive overtones, YP. I'm surprised at you, an erstwhile teacher of english, employing such slang. Maybe it indicates a despairing outpouring of jealousy at my obviously superior technical expertise....??? ;)

Jennytc said...

There are such schemes, Cro but I'm not sure that they are very widespread.

Shooting Parrots said...

Yes, but what does it mean? I'm equally baffled! Flaunting your brand new iPhone? Researching the family history of paracetamol?

Jennytc said...

I recently bought a 2nd hand HTC Excalibur (looks rather like a Blackberry)with Windows 5 mobile on it- PAYG to use as counselling work phone. Although the model is only 6 years old, there is very little support for it and I thought if I flashed it to Windows 6.5, it might work better. It does, but good old O2 seem to block the SMS and MMS settings, so I have changed to Orange and it now works fine.
Tablet is an android that Keith bought me but didn't have Google Play on it, so I rooted it (similar to gaining administrator rights on a pc) so that I could install Play and access more apps.

ZACL said...

Root a tablet and flash a phone....this is deserving of further detail....please.

Pets are great in visits providing no-one is allergic to anything to do with them. I borrowed a friend's rabbit once for a very, very, good cause, and it did do the trick, like magic. However, me, the carrier of said vital pet, was left with all sorts of discomforts.

Jennytc said...

A good point, ZACL and I shall have to be careful that Jake is kept away from anyone with an allergy although, the advantage a bichons frise, is that they are supposed to be good for people who are normally allergic to animal hair as they don't moult.

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...