"Next-day" Delivery!

We have got so used to having stuff delivered to our door within twenty-four hours of clicking the "Buy" button that my evolving trauma with Amazon publishers seems nothing less than a catastrophe. I have been promised the delivery of books for almost a month now. I was finally given a delivery window between the 22nd and 24th October. I became hopeful - excited even. I expressed my joy of awaiting the delivery on Linkedin. That joy is yet to materialise. 

All the promises have come to nought. I attended the Milton Keynes Indie Book Fair on Saturday 25th with nothing to show off but a few bookmarks. Argh!!! I presented my book on stage reading from my laptop. I explained that "next-day" delivery and Amazon's failures have left me with no books to sell. For once, none of this has been my doing. Yet, there I was sitting next to a palm, a coffee pot and not a lot else for a whole day watching people wander through Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. Exciting!

At the book fair

Naser started off the day with me but left. Friends popped by to say hello. I popped off to the loo. One lady asked if I had Agatha Christie. I told her she's dead and the fair had live authors as of now. A few people came to tell me about their lives. One told me he went to a university with a tribal chief. As I said, Exciting!

I would like to say that other parts of my week have really been exciting in comparison. Bits haven't. I found out that my left heel must now wait until December 16th for an injection. I had the initial MRI on April 4th. The results were given to me on July 22nd. Since then I have had three cancelled appointments for a steroid injection. Thank God I don't have the same issue with my left heel that I had with my right one. It is an overuse injury. I can't help overusing it despite the pain. Ouch. 

I was told in the initial flurry of information that I needed three weeks to rest from the procedure. Each time it has been postponed, I have had to fill up my calendar. At least with an automatic car, I will still be able to drive and I'll probably be able to cycle in a low gear too. I wrote a letter to MKUH, asking them if I should book myself in for a future hip replacement, knee replacement and open heart surgery in anticipation of future needs. As of yet, I have had no reply. Perhaps that reply will arrive eight months down the road. 

Ann turns another year older

On the bright side, Ann had yet another birthday celebration and what a lovely day it was too. Time slips by so we miss each other's news and at times like this we talk non-stop to catch up. At one point I decided it would be better if I spent the night in Harpenden as I had been on the bubbly. Adrian's offer was almost too good to turn down... discretion being the better part of Valerie - or something similar - means you will never know exactly what that offer was... Needless to say, I got home safely and in time to write this.