Second Few Days in Bloemfontein

19th January.

Spent the morning at Universitas Hospital’s cardiology clinic.
All OK: BP 120/60; BG 6.2; Pulse slightly irregular.
Kept on same muti and told to come back only in 12 months. (Used to be 6 months).

Found a splendid Spar supermarket near the hospital. Bit too far to go on a regular basis, but the one up Andries Pretorius is not so good.

Invited to bible study this evening at Pat’s.
Bible study went well. Kept a low profile.

22nd January
Went to ordination in Cathedral. An OK 3 hour service except for some incredibly slow singing.
Main reason was to catch up with old friends who had also come. Was good to see them again.

24th Jan.
Audited African Martyrs’ books for 2010.
Dentist again. Another R1,000 later was pleased with the result: 3 more broken teeth patched by Dr Marx.
Then spent a lot of time in Standard Bank trying to convince them of my new address. Failed!! The most unco-operative person in enquiries who seemed to be of the opinion that because I didn’t have an account at Edgars I wasn’t entitled to be a Standard Bank customer!! I have no accounts and owe nobody anything and so the bank isn’t interested in me. I closed my Standard Bank Card Account. Which meant that I also lost my garage card which was linked. It’s apparently impossible to unlink that card. It has to be destroyed and I have to apply for a new one. The miracles of banking IT!!

25th Jan.
Called in Diocesan Office to collect some figures for African Martyrs & some post, including a beautiful Lesotho calendar from Masite’s SPB Sisters.
Again in the bank. Applied for a new garage card and was told that the application would be declined because the destruction of the old one hadn’t yet taken effect!! My change of address also hadn’t taken effect and I had to do it again. SMSs tell me that new cards & cheque books have been sent to Harrismith. (Add your own !!). How does Standard Bank stay in business?
Spent the last of my Woolworths gift voucher (from St John’s Ladies’ Guild) on some goodies in the food line. That improved the day somewhat.
Got lost driving home again from Preller Square.
Finished audit.

26th Jan.
First day of some sunshine after what seems like forever of wet & miserable weather. So did some laundry.
Went to Pat’s Bible Study again. Colin from St Margaret’s was there and at the end asked me to take it over. I really don’t want to do that.

27th Jan.
Went nowhere and did nothing – had a day off, except for trying on the phone to get the Traffic Dept to accept my new address for car licence. Failed. I apparently have to pitch up in person to do something so very esoteric! They must have been taking lessons from Standard Bank. What happened to the good old days when you slipped someone a nip of cane spirit and everything fell into place?