Being some notes on things (all too personal as usual) I haven’t otherwise written about this month.
Monday 3
Is anything happening out there? One way and another I just cannot keep up with anything, let alone what the world is doing. To the extent that I missed this evening’s Reading Group call, almost without realising it.
Wednesday 5
I was awake just after 04:00 this morning, to a very pretty moon veiled in some “lumpy” cloud. Difficult to photograph without crashing around to get my big camera, but here’s what I got with my phone through the bedroom window – the double glazing probably accounts for some of the refraction patterns. It was actually a lot more stunning than the photo gives the impression.
I also wasted five minutes playing around to see what my phone would make of a selfie in the dark – but that will make this month’s self-portrait!
Friday 7
Another trip to the osteopath. Back still isn’t right, but is improving very slowly.
Monday 10
And still the work piles up faster than I can clear it, which means this week is going to be a horror as I also have four medical appointments and an evening meeting over the next 3 days, and thus also 3 early mornings. I just feel swamped; totally submerged.
Wednesday 12
Phew! What a day – well morning really. First thing a check-up with the tooth surgeon; as predicted it took 5 minutes to say all OK, go home. After which I spent an hour sitting reading in the hospital before being picked up and whisked off to an osteopath appointment. Different, recommended, osteopath. Very efficient. In fact at one point I had two of them working on me! They do seem to have crunched my back and so far it feels much better. Another appointment next week, and then maybe regular massage. Home for lunch and went to sleep in the afternoon, while N went for an eye appointment. But hey! We’ve made some progress today, which feels good.
Thursday 13
And there’s more medical stuff! Excellent review of everything this morning with my GP. Never let it be said that most GPs won’t give you the time if you need it. I’d asked several weeks ago that we review everything, including starting to discuss care plans. My young lady GP scheduled us 30 minutes, and we actually had 45 minutes. And yes, we did cover everything. I’m going to get a couple of precautionary referrals (6 month waits, here we come); and I have a couple of things to action as well. So another day with a result!
Friday 14
Why is it that no-one can explain why there are days when everything conspires against one? Nothing is straightforward or easy; if something can screw up, fall apart, or drop on your toe, it does!
Wednesday 19
So I looked up at about 08:30 this morning to see large lumps of snow falling, which was rather unexpected. It was however disappearing as soon as it made contact with the ground. Within an hour it had turned to rain, which then stopped by lunchtime; and there was actually some sunshine during the afternoon.
Thursday 20
Blimey it’s been cold today. The cab driver earlier was complaining of the cold, and I struggled to get warm this afternoon. Although our postman said he thought it was warmer this morning, mainly as yesterday’s wind had died down. And it looks tonight we’re in for the first frost of the winter.
Friday 21
As predicted there was a good frost last night, around -2°C, followed by a clear sunny morning.
As often on a Friday evening the pussys got fresh cooked cod for tea. Boy Cat appeared in the kitchen about 17:00 singing for his cod – he only does it for cod – long before it was going to be cooked (we were getting our tea in the oven). How does he know there’s cod for tea this week? One can only think he must hear it arrive through the front door!
Monday 24
There’s something odd happening. I’m growing horns! Arrowed in the photo. (Click the image if you really want a larger view.)
Tuesday 25
Another of those days where anything that can be unobliging is so.
Thursday 27
So what we had yesterday was a budget was it? From a purely parochial point of view one is not impressed. We get shafted. Income tax thresholds not increasing until 2031! Well I shall get stung for higher rate next year, if not this year! Plus increased rates on share dividend income (although that’s scarcely even chicken feed for us) and savings income. OK, so state pension goes up, but I’ll lose all of that, and more, in tax. Alcohol will cost more, but (at least in theory) energy bills might come down marginally. I get the feeling (I’ve not had the wherewithal to calculate it yet) that from April my net annual take-home will go down fairly sharply; and certainly, given that bills keep escalating, disposable income will take a hit. Moreover I’m already having horrors at the thought of what my medical insurance is going to cost; it’s already astronomical! Yet I shouldn’t really be complaining (except maybe about the medical insurance); after all we can actually afford to pay a bit more tax. But not impressed. Bah! Humbug!
Saturday 29
I keep thinking of little snippets to write here – and then forgetting them!
One nice thing at sunset today was a gorgeous fiery pink layer of cloud making a line right along the eastern sky, with above it a misty quarter moon. Rather stunning.
Sunday 30
It’s the first Sunday in Advent. Just where has that year gone?