Having got the garden knocked into shape I am having another day off to let my aches and pains subside a little and hopefully get back the use of my arms. The sun's shining, the temperatures good and it's one of those days when it seems good to be retired.


Christine is going off to do the food shopping which is an excellent result for 'I's and 'We's. This has now definitely stopped being a 'We' thing. My constant wittering and comparing prices finally wore her down. I am no longer asked to help. But I am going into Beverley so how do we keep in touch with only one mobile phone?


If you are keeping up you will know that my company mobile was confiscated when I retired from work. So that left us with just Christine's which she maintained was hers and wasn't becoming an ours so the plan was to get a second one.
Well things became a rush and we went off to see our family in the Bahamas for three months and we said we would get a phone when we came back. It is important to know that at work I was on the phone all day, at my desk, in the car, walking outside, all the time. So a new phone was essential. Or maybe not.....!

We have used Christine's phone five times in the last four months. But this is not the point of the tale.


There is speculation about use of mobiles and health problems or whatever but I think it's worse than that. Because it's always in your pocket you become obsessed with answering it wherever you are or whatever you are doing. I have two examples and believe me both these did happen exactly as I describe. One is described below but the second one deserves a full story of it's own so that will be published here tomorrow. So to the first example:-


We were implementation new hand held computer terminals across the country and as leader of the implementation team I would get the calls if there were any problems at anytime. So there I was Saturday afternoon up a ladder painting the front of our cottage. I have got the paint on a hook over a rung in the ladder, brush in hand and mobile in pocket, when it rings.


It's Cliff calling from London, I balance the brush on the paint pot and still up the ladder answer the call. Now Cliff never has a problem only a challenge and this one is certainly a challenge and will need some thought so I decide to come down the ladder. The ladder is secured at the bottom against a low hedge which means I have to step off the second to bottom rung over the hedge onto the ground,
Easy enough, I have done it lots of times, but probably not while holding the phone and talking. I trip, grab the ladder to stop myself falling the painpot dislodges from the ladder and hits me on the side of my head and of course it's upside down. I now have Weathershield Cream paint dripping down my head, shoulder and side and the paint pot is upside down in my lap. I don't think Weathshield Cream is my colour really, a pale blue would have suited me better,


Good news though, I caught the brush in my hand that wasn't holding the phone! What I don't really understand looking back is that I continued talking to Cliff. There I was sat on the ground in the front street, paint dripping all over me, discussing with Cliff if a Four Key Reset is the best way forward or do we need to reload the software. It really happened!


Of course it could just be me but hold the judgement until after tomorrow's story.