Welcome to December 2011 Diary

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Thursday, 1st December 2011.

I rose this morning after a shower and then got stripped the bed ready for Steve to help me turn the mattress when he arrived at 1030. I made all my laundry ready and put that in at 1015. Steve arrived and did the cleaning.

Ironing done I put the sheets and pillow slips away. The rest of the day was spent doing emailand then 2 hours chatting to Mike in Chana who now expects to get his ticket to UK next week.

When Mike went offf line I ate part of the mousaka that I'd made earlier and then returned to my emal.

Friday 2nd December 2011

It was 0300 when I went to bed . It woke up again at 0410 and knowing I'dnoy get back to sleep I came watch a TV program I'd recorded earlier.

I have been up all day long and chatted with Mike for a while on Yahoo I mostly spent the day around my computer that I also went to the shops at this morning where I bought a concertina box file to give to John for his paperwork. I wrapped it up in some gift paper and made the telephone that I'm no longer going to use ready for him also so I'll take them down to him tomorrow. I also purchased an ironing board cover. When I went to put it on my underlined it with a couple of layers of black serge over the cardboard. I've had a few very short Maps and I'm going to bed at 2230 and I'm sure that I'll sleep well after having been.

Richmond came online at 2220 and I gave him a good dressing down for he has not been in touch with me for seven weeks. He has been a big disappointment to me. I have done everything I can for the boy yet he abuses me so by his neglect.

I went to bed but woke up again at 0210 with very painful cramp in my right leg so I got up and came here.

Saturday 3rd December 2011

I found this waiting for me.

richmond_gelli: and come and stay with you for all my life
richmond_gelli: BUT you can buy the ticket, for Mike
richmond_gelli: if he have got the visa

I replied:
Richmond I had wondered if you are stupid or just have a bad memory?

I told you I do NOT gamble and that is why I would not buy your ticket. There is no guarantee that a visa and a ticket will get you entry into the UK. With both of those they can still decline your entry at the border. It is up to the border agency to ask questions of you and decide if you can come in.
The same applies to him.

richmond_gelli: i love you, and please don't let me down

I replied:
Why not? You have let me down.

richmond_gelli: have a good nighht and a sound sleep Iain
richmond_gelli: Much love from your boy Richmond. XX

I replied:
Do not call me your boy because MY BOY would have already understood that I don’t spend hundreds of pounds gambling on the decisions of a border agency official. MY BOY would have learned and remembered this when he was told as many times as I have told you.

How could I live with someone who can’t remember what I say when I say it several times? I would just get annoyed at having to tell you the same thing over and over again. If Your bad memory is a result of an illness like my friend John has -cerebral palsy- then it is different as it would not be your fault but you have no such illness that makes you forget you just do not think before you speak or write.

If a couple of cap naps at the computer was what I had overnight it served me for the rest of the day. During the morning I tried to put my hair in a ponytail to check if it was yet long enough. A substantial amount of it holds but the sides need a considerable amount yet before they will engage and file save be contained within the holding ring. I spent the night and morning making a calendar online. In late morning John came around. I was just finishing and purchasing my calendar from Photobox at the time. Each year they are underway went round to call Sean so that I could buy a smoke.

We parked up at the local shopping Square around the corner built and discussed what to do. I decided that we'd go down to Swanley and take a look around as I wanted to see the green countryside. It was a beautiful sunny day the temperature was only around 7° so it was quite cold. After motoring to Swanley I pushed on into the countryside as there was nothing much there to do and no reason to stop. I passed a sign that said Hoxton Kirby, I knew that I'd been there before with a coach party so decided to go into the pub and have a beer as well as show John the garden.

Having had nothing to eat all day I felt peckish by the time I'd ordered a pint of Hophead for myself and Stella for him. After chatting with the barman about the wooden framed glass structure where there used to be a canvas marquee I was informed that they'd made the change three years ago I asked for a menu then went and sat down with John to drink beer. He ordered a tumour in the potato and I order scampi and chips. Which of their beers outside to a smoking shelter which had not been there the last time I visited. This was well situated and we had a view of the garden as we sat in the shelter. We decided to eat our lunch out there. When the food came on square plates I told John Michael in and bring out the necessary condiments. The food was exceedingly enjoyable and we arrive back home just as darkness was falling at four o'clock. I dropped John off at his home and carried his cardboard box-file, which I'd given him as a birthday present and he'd opened at my home earlier, together with the telephone which I hadn't replaced and was now his property at the top of the steps for him.

I had intended to go to bed on my return home but instead I changed into tracksuit bottoms from my black jeans, put on my slippers and sat in my chair. I began by building them watching some television and in the end I slept on and off in my chair until about 0400 which is when I came to my computer 35 minutes ago.

Sunday, 4th December 2011.

I poured a Spitfire beer and came here to do my e-mail was listening to Smooth Radio. TV, Smoke, John popped round. I went to bed at 0500 on Monday morning.

It was 0930 when I woke up. I rose and then I ate mixed cereal followed by two slices of gallery bread toasted with butter and marmalade together with a cup of tea. I blend my own tea by mixing three parts Twining's 'breakfast' or 'afternoon' with one part of Twinings or other Earl Gray blend. This gives a taste that I enjoy. I then showered and dressed in pink jeans multicoloured top with a longsleeved T-shirt underneath black baseball boots and my leather jacket completed the outfit.

I saw Mike pop upon yahoo at 1200 but he was gone before I answered him.

I picked up the keys and the two bags of rubbish that I had to put in the shoot, locked my apartment and walked out. It was windy when I got to the garden and the temperature was about 6°C. I went to look in the garden shed and found everything to be in order. On my return after walking round the garden I sat on a chair, just outside on the patio having put the black umbrella up behind me to act as a windbreak. Feeling comfortable and enjoying the fresh air with the occasional sunshine between a fairly heavily clouded sky lit the smoke that I built before leaving, opened my book, put on my spectacles and sat back to enjoy the cool winter weather. Due to the temperature I didn't stay outside for very long. I watered ther plants in the sun lounge then came back downstairs and spent the rest of the day between the computer and my television with several cap naps in between. After watching the news and on Newsnight I went to bed before midnight

Tuesday, 6th December 2011.

I slept until 0340 then woke up and rose and came to my computer where I started to put upsome more of my photo albums on the website. Haven'y been online with mike for a while.

Wednesday 7th Decenber 2011

I rose and computed from 0030 til 0430. I returned to bed and slept till 0920. Called John for tea and a smoke at 1000 but when he said he was going to buy a laptop and I asked if he had money to pay for it he left in a huff saying it was none of my business. Of course it was none of my business but ordinarily he has discussed the matter with me and he has asked me to keep his card for him to prevent him taking what money he needed out of his account before he was due to do so. So why he got so uptight at my mentioning his finances today I don't know. The fruit pies, mince pies, Christmas pudding and carrot cake that I ordered from Lime Tree Pantry arrived today. I scanned and packed them away in the freezer leaving out one raspberry pie to meet over the next couple of days. I have been allocated 12 Christmas turkey hampers for theresidents in the block. Unfortunately I am finding it difficult to get people who wish to have one. Each chapter contains a 5 kg turkey which is worth £30 plus at least another £20 worth of bits and pieces to make a full Christmas dinner. I put the numbers on the notice board days ago and I am well surprised at the slow uptake.

Chatted to Mike in the afternoon and he told me that he'd now managed to get £430 so I said Iwill send the £350 he needs and not smoke for 70 days after he arrives to pay fior it.

Went to bed at 2200 after having a sore side most of the day. They were really sharp and sometimes excruciating pains. I had truly believe that having had the nerve is blocked I was unlikely to suffer this kind of discomfort again.

Thursday 8th Decenber 2011

I rose at 0430. I was suffering from Intense pain in my left hand side. It was difficult not to shout about as the spasms jabbed into me and persistent for many seconds as I tried to move my body into different positions to relieve the agony. At nine o'clock I went down street to send the money that I'd promised Michael but the first Western Union office was closed until 10 o'clock and the one at the far end of the street still had the shutters down so I don't know when it was going to open. At 1015 I put my laundry into the machine which was shortly after Stephen arrived. I left him to continue with his chores whilst I went down to the Western Union and posted the money that Michael was short of and needed to buy his flight ticket to London.

On my return I called him and gave him the necessary information for him to collect it and told him I had sent it for same-day collection as the difference in price between today and tomorrow's collection was only £2. I told him it would save the money that he already had from going missing as he could go and pay it to the airline today. He told me he would go and collect the money and get in touch with me later. Whilst I was talking to him on the phone the postman arrived with my calendar which I'd ordereda couple of days ago. Its entitlement Magnificent Men and contains pictures of guys that I have partnered and pictures of guys from the web.

I discovered that Steve will drink wine with a meal but doesn't drink beer or spirits when out and about he prefers orange or soft drinks. I spent the rest of the day on the computer and suffered shooting pains of agony not infrequently. At 1800 I took a break to go and cook some Indian food from the freezer and to watch the six o'clock News.

Scotland had it's worst storm for a decade. Snow and heavy winds struck from the River Clyde to the Highlands. Many schools were closed all day and some closed for the afternoon. One school bus was grown on its side as it travelled along the road but fortunately it was empty other than the driver. Gusts on some mountaintops reached 165 mph

I have had lots of incidents of pain in my left side today, far more than what his usual and much more painful than usual. I wonder if it is to do with anything I am smoking? I ran out of wrappers this evening at 2215. I searched everywhere including the car but there wasn't a spare packet anywhere so it'll have to wait until morning now. Emptying and refilling cigarette I may do before I go to bed then I will smoke and read until I fall asleep. It is now 0200.

Friday 9th Decenber 2011

I purchased a new Sharp 900 white Microwave oven and it arriived at 1700. yesterday. That is large enough to microwave a 1.8 kg chicken or Roast of 3.8 kg chicken or meat. when I saw the box I realised there was larger than the other and it was replacing and it only just fits into the space available. I unpacked it, plug it in and set it up then I took the old microwave and put it outside by the trash so that eventually it will be taken away. Tomorrow I might put out the other microwave is in my covered. So too is broken and there is little point chance that I will find someone to repair it. But now it's 0600 so I went to bed. This morning that and reading the instruction book took much longer than I had anticipated.

Went out to Bluewater Shopping centre with John to buy a new keyboard for my PC as the spacebar on my current one is fucked and it takes ages to make corrections.

Indoors on Pc for rest of day. Went to bed at midnight to read. Slight headache and pain in my side is frequent and severe.

Saturday 10th December

After watching question Time on the Tv at 0100 -0200 I fell asleep. I woke up at 0405 with the TV still running and pain in my side. I tried to get up and the shooting pain was so bad that I shouted out but tried to keep my voice down as I did not want to waken Sylvia whose apartment is above mine and with the same layout so she'd also be in bed. I plugged in the laptop and went to get the keyboard that I had replaced as I will use that with a laptop from now on.

I also collected the mouse from the desktop computer and then came back to download e-mail. Of course there was a few hundred to download that I hadn't been online with this machine for several days. I then tried Dreamweaver but that seemed not to be picking up the page correctly from the host so I came on trips to PC on. to check the settings which a new work properly. Whilst it was booting up I built myself a smoke. I updated all my diary webpages with a link and now I'm going back to bed and my laptop with the correct data which I have written down. It is 0540. At the pain that considerably worse and was persistent. By 0700 I couldn't stand it any more and decided to go to the hospital.

I didn't call an ambulance but decided to go by bus. I put a week's supply of medicine into my bag added my phone, cigarettes and my wallet. I picked up my keys and left my apartment. The sun was low in the sky behind the buildings as I walked down Herbert Road. There was hardly a cloud to see none the morning air was crisp and fresh; every motorcar and white roof where the condensation had frozen into water crystals... I did not have to wait, for the bus arrived and I had to increase my gait in order to catch it at the stop. Fortunately the driver waited for me as there were no other passengers embarking and 10 minutes later I jumped off and went into the hospital. I later learned that their computer clocked me in at 0740. I explained my predicament to the receptionist at the Accident & Emergency (A&E) entrance. Took my details and family on the computer. I sat in the waiting area and read my book for about 20 minutes.

A nurse called me to come and she wanted to take my blood pressure. I completed that and then had a blood sample was drawn for testing before I went to the x-ray department. There I had my chest x-rayed, I had a look at the x-ray on the computer but I could see that there were no ribs broken and as far as I could see none were cracked. I could see nothing in the area where the pain is that would indicate a cause.

I waited for another 15 minutes or so then I saw a doctor approaching me wearing his uniform of deep blue grey cotton trousers and shirt sleeved top. He introduced himself as Hassan we shook hands and he pulled the curtain round and asked me to take my jacket and pullover off. I opened my shirt wide and he examined me with his stethoscope and then poked and prodded around the area where I feel the pain. We then went and looked at the x-ray, and disgusted. It was as I had first assumed. He told me that he would wait for the results from my blood test which would take about 30 minutes and then prescribe some painkillers. After that I could go home. After 10 minutes he came back and asked me, “Since you’ve had no breakfast would you like a cup of tea or coffee?”
"Yes I certainly would." I replied.
"Follow me then there is a machine just round the corner here." he instructed and set off walking past the treatment area reception desk. When we reached the machine I got a cup of coffee and he told me he was going to do is ward rounds then he would come back and discuss my blood as the result will be back and prescribe painkillers. I thanked him and he disappeared around the corner.

On his return he told me that my blood was fine there was no problems with it.
"So it's fresh and clear?" I suggested
Hassan laughed, “Yes fresh and clear." he repeated.
"That's okay then." I said then added, "so if you can prescribe some painkillers for me I think the woman had some breakfast but I have been here nearly 3 hours now."
"Well I cannot give you any painkillers that are stronger than what you have already I can offer you..." he reeled off a list of analgesics.
I chose 50 mg capsules of Tramadol, Hassan went away and returned with a bubble pack containing 20 pills. I asked for a prescription to give to my chemist to get some more; he told me that I would have enough there until Monday and that I should go and see my GP (doctor) who would prescribe either that or something stronger. I thanked him and walked out into the sunshine where I didn't have long to wait for the bus to take me home.

Once home I decided to cook breakfast. Incidentally I am very pleased with my new combination microwave oven. However I changed my mind about doing it immediately as John phoned to say he wanted to come round. He came and I built a smoke for us.

I went to bed at 2230 and I began watching a movie on television but I fell asleep before it finished.

Sunday 11th December 2011

I woke up at 0130 with pain in my side so I spilled into a sitting position and then I got up, made a cup of tea and came to sit here. I have been here for four have done very little. Even sitting at my computer there is pain in my side.

John came round at 1100 and family still wearing my house robe. We sat down and I built then chatted whilst we smoked.. I told him it may be the smoking that is causing the pain in my side. It's possible that the chemicals in the smoke are working on the nerves and so I told him that when what he has now is finished and I definitely want to go without for a while to see if it makes any difference.

It was after he left that I showered and dressed. I delivered the two Christmas cards that I'd made whilst I'd been up all night and made three boiled eggs and toast for my breakfast in the afternoon I computed and snoozed. I have heard nothing from Michaels since I sent the money so perhaps I am just too trusting and this was another scam. Oh well I can get no reply from his phone nor is he online replying to his e-mail so it is all highly suspicious. Anyway it is 2000 and I went to make some supper for myself before I watch some of the snooker tournament on the television.

Friday 16th December 2011

My next problem was that my new combination microwave stopped working. I was programming it to do some food when suddenly the lights went off and there was no power. I checked the fuse and found that was okay so it is definitely a faultMy next problem was that my new combination microwave stopped working. I was programming it to do some food when suddenly the lights went off and there was no power. I checked the fuse and found that was okay so it is definitely a fault. I tried telephoning Sharp the manufacturer that they told me that since it was less than one week old and must take up the issue with the vendor. I had been looking at so many websites that I couldn't remember from whom I had purchased the machine.

Looking back through the history on Firefox I discovered that I'd bought it from Amazon.com so I called the Sharp offices again and they told me that since I have purchased it from Amazon that they had also taken over the guarantee facility entirely and that I would have had to return it to them. I checked the Amazon website which took ages to find the proper way to deal with returns because I couldn't find anything about returning it for repair and a guarantee. in the end I selected the option is not fit for purpose and use that this required me to print out a label and to send an e-mail. This turned out that it could be collected on Monday the 19th, this same day that I was due to have my toenails the same day that I was due to go to pick up the Christmas hampers for the residents. I called ace concern and ask them to make a different appointment for my toenails and the scheme manager agreed that she would deal with the collection of the microwave if it happened that they came when I was collecting the hampers.

around midday John came to visit me and we black coffee and had a chat. He told me that he would be willing to come round on Monday to stay here while I went to collect the hampers so that if the Amazon people came to collect the microwave he would be able to attend to it. I was very grateful for that so I hope that he will be as good as his word.

Saturday 17th December 2011

I went to bed at 0750 and rose again at 0915. I sat in my dressing robefor a while then showered and dressed in my read that Ross kilt, white shirt, red bowtie, and black dinner jacket. I then went to see Adrian where I exchanged the ink cartridge that was not being recognised by the printer for a replacement. When I brought that home I found that it was not being recognised either although it was in perfect condition so I was feeling pissed off by this time.

PamelaYoung invited me to Christmas lands at the Glyndon Community Centre. Initially I was going to drive around but then I decided that since there would be wine served at lunch it would be better to go on the culture that was picking some others up so that I wouldn't have to drive home as I was sure I would drink more than the small amount that would allow me to stay within the 80 mL legal limit. I helped some of the older ladies down the steps onto the coach and we arrived at 1230.

The tables were led with red paper tablecloths and festooned with Christmas crackers and an oblong parcel beside each place setting. I sat with and looked after Pat Bennett for she is easily confused. At 1300 lunch was served, a combination of turkey, ham and sausages rolled in bacon with carrots, peas, parsnips, bed sores and gravy. All was served on breakfast plates rather than the dinner plates that they were heaped. Pat didn't want any wine so I had her red wine and my own white wine while she drank Coca-Cola. We pulled our crackers, read the jokes and wore the paper hats contained within. After lunch we played three games of bingo before taking the coach back to Cooper court at 1500.

I then went down the street to the chemist when I picked up medicines that had been on order and posted a Christmas card to Sarah Cully. Sarah invited Pat Bennett on myself to join her for Christmas lunch on Christmas Day. I haven't decided whether or not I will attend.

On leaving the chemist I walked up toward the pound shop where I wanted to buy batteries for my flashgun.

I was spoken to by a stranger whom I later learned was Peter Joseph Townsend, a 39 years old sodier. The pic on this link shows him second from left standing in the back row, wearing army fatigues and camouflaged paint on his face with B Company in Bosnia, battle training for deployment in Kosovo in 1999. I saw him picking up cigarette ends from th pavement near Meetal Family News in Herbert Road at 1555 this afternoon. He spoke to me because I was wearing my Ross tartan kilt and black dinner jacket which attracted his attention all because he had been with a Scottish regiment, the Royal Highland Fusiliers soldiers in Bosnia. He turned out to be homeless so we got chatting and I told him to pop round later and he could have a shower as he was using the public toilets for washing facilities and sleeping in an electrical cupboard in a block of flats.

He arrived at 1615 and I took him into the communal lounge where I asked him to take a couple of photographs of me as I was still wearing my Ross tartan kilt and DJ with a red bowtie. I later discovered the pictures were reasonable though I should pay more attention to the camera settings for they were a little underexposed even though I had used a flash.

I then took him up to the shower room as he had brought his own toiletries and a change of underwear with him and left him to do his ablutions. I returned to my apartment where I changed into a pair of blue jeans and hung my kilt and jacket etc in the wardrobe. He came and knocked on my door some 10 minutes later looking clean and refreshed.

I discovered that he had been homeless for the last three years and had moved around different areas of London during this time. He had been staying with a girl for a short while but that had not worked out. He seemed nice enough fellow that of course I have no way of knowing whether he is honest and whether I am walking into trouble by knowing him. We smoked a cigarette and ihe told me how difficult it was being homeless and I really felt sorry for the fellow. He left shortly before five o'clock to go to Woolwich Arsenal station where he intended to spend the evening begging. I told him it was unlikely that I would be in bed before midnight so that he should pop round later when he finished his stint at the station. We'll see what will happen if he shows up.

Sunday 18th December 2011

Joseph it did not come back last night which was a bit disappointing for me because I was hoping that he might become a friend. I had a good night's sleep and woke up this morning at 0900. I watched the Andrew Marr show then there was little else on television so I spent most of today attending to yahoogroups e-mail is. I am spending too much time doing this I must cut down because I have work to do on my webpages. I didn't go to bed because even in bed when I am lying down the pain in my side can be quite intense and woke up several times during the night recently. I'm not sure whether I was awakened by a need to go to for at pee or whether it was the pain that woke me up and I then needed to go to the toilet. I have not built any smoke for some considerable time in case that is what was aggravating the pain that I don't think it was now that I have spent several days without. I am of course smoking far too many cigarettes, a minimum of one packet every day.

After breakfast I took a shower and then and tried to see if my hair was long enough to stay in a ponytail. I am delighted to say that with the help of a substantial spray of lacquer to keep the sides in place it has stayed up and the ponytail is about 3 inches long the length of my forefinger. Because it is pulled fairly tight and it is clear of my ears it is my image of a very different look from the wild man type of look that I have been wearing recently was my hair just hanging down over my ears.

The replacement ink cartridge that I got from Adrian it's not been recognised by the printer so it is not working. That is bloody annoying and I don't know what to do about it. I decided that I would use the old Lexmark printer so I switched it on and checked it out as I hadn't used it for some months. It required ain't so I went down to PC World as I wanted to buy the Lexmark brand rather than a generic ink although it would cost more I was sure that it would work better and that will give me fresh cartridges to refill at cartridge world when they become empty. The colour cartridge cost me £31.99 and the black one cost £26.99. That is a horrendous price for a small amount of ink.

On my return I tested it and the test page printed out alright so I think everything should be functional for the moment.I spent the rest of the day on my computer dealing with Yahoo groups of mail. There is a lot of it at the moment so it is taking some considerable time. In fact I am spending too long doing this and not enough time doing more important things. For example my Nepal webpages are still not finished.

.Thinking of my Nepal webpages reminded me that I should write to Pranesh for it is my intention to go and spend a holiday with him after he finishes his exams in February. in his last letter he told me that he is longing for me to come to see him again. It is a great pity that he lives in Nepal for there is not a lot that I am interested in doing in the country that I don't know anyone else in the world that I would rather spend some time with.

Again I have been up all night although I did doze off and on from time to time so although it is now 0610 I don't feel tired so there is little point in going to bed. I have just had a cup of coffee and a slice of cake so I am going to do some more work on updating my Nepal webpages because I want to get that site finished. Next year I am not going to put my diary online. I only did it for Richmond's benefit in the first place this year as I fully expected him to be able to come to England before the year ended. Clearly that is not going to happen now and I have no reason to keep an online diary if I make a diary at all. For the last few years I haven't bothered to do a diary.

Life is full of disappointments which strike randomly across the human population of the globe. We have to learn to live with them and move on.

When one is presented with some surprise information one is usually readily aware of whether it is an asset or a liability and is likely to create a problem. If it was the former there is no need to discuss it here. However if it was the latter I would look at it to understand whether or not I could easily solve it in my mind there would go through all possible solutions and select my course of action. That maybe something I can put into motion immediately it may be something that is dependent upon another person. Assuming it is the former, perhaps one has tried the latter and found that the other person is unable to be of assistance, which in this case is the inability to access my funds. I would immediately know of any way that I could access my funds from my store of knowledge in my head. It is exactly the problem I had when I last left in Ghana.

Whilst there I had thought that I might do some business with a Ghanaian when I came back to the UK. To that end they opened a bank account with Barclays in Ghana. I placed 100 Cedis ($61 US) in the account as an opening balance. I gave the bank card to my partner together with the Pin Number. Now with hindsight I realise I made one mistake at this point. I should have asked the bank for a second bank card and given that to my partner thus's allowing me ATM access to my account. This was an oversight I lived to regret but at that time I had no notion of having that need . Later events led me to know that I would no longer need the bank account. About a fortnight later my partner went to the ATM, intending to draw out the money. Then he put in number wrongly and after his third attempt to enter the correct number it gobbled up his card as all ATMs are programmed to do. This always happens when the number is entered wrongly three times.

Since I didn't have a card to send him there was no point in either finding out how he managed to forgot or reminding him of the number over the telephone. Okay so that was one solution gone through my own lack of foresight. I faxed to the bank manager explaining the situation and authorising my partner to be issued with a replacement card. I sent my partner a letter giving him authorisation to receive a card, effectively he was a second user, to my bank account. I told him to print it out and put a specimen signature where I had indicated then take it to the bank. He assures me he did all that but the bank said that they needed a document from me. He pointed out that I had faxed the document twice and as far as my machine was concerned the fax had come through, it had been transmitted successfully. I had an acknowledgement of the fax having gone through.

At this point we wese powerless. I telephoned to the bank I explained that I had sent a fax to them containing authorisation and with my signature appended authorising my partner to be issued with a card for my account. I told them I would send a fax again. I did so. He was again told that the fax did not arrive I told him to leave it for a couple of hours and go back again which he did with the same result. Now I was both powerless and furious because I didn't believe the bank, neither do I like people to disobey instructions that I give them.

I told my partner that I would continue to work on the problem. It was fortunate that at this time I knew my erstwhile shagging partner, a Ghanaian student named Dan, was here visiting his aunt and was due to go back to Accra in about a week. Based on previous experience mail to Ghana takes longer than that. I made arrangements by telephone with Dan to meet up with him before he was due to leave. It was my intention to find out if Dan could take a letter to my bank at the Legon campus of the Ghana University which was the nearest landmark that I can think of to my branch of the bank. I did not know at which part of the university campuses Dan does his studies. He told me that he would come over and spend the afternoon with me on his penultimate day.

I prepared a suitable letter at the bottom of which I wrote that my signature was written in front of and verified by Dan. I wrote the necessary legal jargon, printed his full name and leaving room for his signature I printed it out. Six days later I was awoken at five o'clock in the morning by the telephone ringing. I picked it up and sleepily said, "Good morning."
Dan was on may other end of the line, "Good morning Iain. I'm sorry to be waking you up so early." "Yes it's five past five and I guess it's a morning or evening." I put my head on the pillow and put the telephone on the loudspeaker rather than holding it against my ear. "I'm so sexy that you're hungering for me and want me to come over straight away." I laughed.
"I wish." he told me. "I mean yes I'm hungering after your body that I'm calling to tell you that I need to cancel our appointment for tomorrow."
I was immediately disappointed to hear this news and asked him, "Why? What happened my friend? Of course I'm really disappointed in less you staying in the UK for longer?"
"No not longer. Shorter in fact. I have an emergency and I need to go back to Ghana today. I've just booked a flight leaving around 1030 this morning. So I need to leave here practically straight away. Iain am really sorry but shit happens." he didn't sound very cheerful but added, "with any luck I'll be back for Christmas and we can meet then."
"Okay Dan. I'm disappointed too, of course. But if you have to go you have to go..." I left the sentence hanging so that he could tell me the reason if he wanted to do so. We were not such close friends that he was under any obligation to tell me why he was going back to Ghana prematurely. He didn't.

Continuing with my problem-solving I posted the letter that I was going to go to Dan directly to the bank. I want for you with further details Lovell that I still have 100 Cedis in a bank account in Ghana AFAIK. Since I have no intention of ever returning to Ghana it is not worth wasting any more time on it.

Sunday 25th December 2011,

The day passed uneventually. I didn't cross over my doorstep and I didn't see anyone. Sarah wasn't able to do Christmas lunch for more than her immediate family and when I toyed with the idea of going to Nola's at 1700, they usually eat at 1800, I decided that I didn't feel like driving out anywhere in the evening. I knew there would be plenty company, in food, drink, fun and smoke at her home but with what I had drunk already I would have to stay overnight if I had only one drink and I didn't really want to do that. I am writing this on 27 December at 0445. 10 minutes ago I felt nauseous and I have just been to the toilet where I vomited what tasted like my Christmas pudding and brandy cream come up again. It must have been eight hours ago that I last ate. When I finish this diary I am going to bed.

I know that I have been remiss in keeping my diary entries recently and that there is a gap of at least a week in it. However it is not my intention to write any more in my diary this year and I've not decided what to do about next year's diary yet. Nevertheless anybody that wants to keep in touch with me can e-mail me. Keeping my diary onlline had been an example in discipline. Happy New Year to All.

Today's entry begins above.