Deja vu once more

Not quite what it seems

So here I am sitting at my computer wondering what to write. I've been here before. I know I have. There are a million things twirling around in my head that are totally disconnected and that really doesn't make for good reading.

So for starters, this week I have been scammed and my credit card and account are now blocked. That is an inconvenience I really don't need. It happened when I spent an age trying to book my train to Hampton Court and then, what I thought was Trainline, wanted me to pay £1 to set up my credit card. I should have been suspicious but as I have a new phone, I have had to reset every other app and many of them are now updated on a newer system and operate differently, it didn't seem wrong at the time. 

My credit card company instantly wanted to talk to me. I spent a long, long hour on the phone talking to the fraud people and had to go through my credit card habits and exactly what I did. Apparently there were four attempts to use my credit card details after I gave up getting my ticket. I now have a plethora of very rude words for those scammers. D*****h*****ds to a man.

I have also stayed at home for two days this week waiting for my very thorough but unreliable handyman to turn up. He has finally arrived and all will be well in his own good time. Meanwhile I missed a trip to the orchard and two swims. These swims are very important as I am now on my second round of swimming the Thames. I have 58 miles to swim in about 10 weeks... I have been here before and 58 miles doesn't seem so bad once you have swam it - honestly.

To counter all my exertions, I am drinking loads.... water that is. I fill my old fancy gin bottles with water and cool them in the fridge. They hold about two glasses of water and they look nice.  Funny thing is, I walk into the living room in the morning and there is an empty gin bottle and one empty glass on my coffee table. This looks very suspicious indeed. Even Ezra-Mae asks for more gin when she comes over. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I have been walking Lucky round the village twice a day. There are a limited number of options regarding routes and I have done all of them more than once both ways. Sometimes I collect blackberries and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I pop out for a quickie and other times I am out for an hour. Inevitably, I have to go through the horse tunnel. Lucky doesn't like this and nearly knocks me off my feet so he can get though as quickly as possible. I now know to race through there as well, just so I don't get barged into the wall. 

Manikin on barge and interested dog

Walkies 

I have picked more blackberries than I know what to do with. My last bit of cooking was blackberry muffins. With the impending rains, I am guarenteed to find kilos more. I can easily make some more and you are welcome to try one or two. I have even picked plump beans from my veggie patch and not for the first time this summer.

So I have managed to cobble together some stream of consciousness. More Cock and Bull next time!