Tales From The Crypt - Friday 26th , Saturday 27th, and Sunday 28th November 2021

Fresh from the introduction of two-day posts, I'm now in a position where a three day post is necessary.  Consequently this will be very much a case of 'edited highlights', though probably for more than one reason.

[Friday]

Friday was a normal(-ish) day of work punctuated by calls to the hospital and related interested parties. E won't be coming out of hospital before Monday at the earliest, which is probably a good thing, I guess. I'm picking up a friend from the station tonight after two flights back to the UK and will visit E in hospital before going to meet at the station.

Bloody cold evening! Visited E and she slept the whole time I was there: still on oxygen and antibiotics. I spoke to the nurse and she said they'd been try to use suction to clear the stuff from her throat, but E was resisting.  After my visit I headed for the station, to pick up a friend and go to a nearby hotel.

Unpacked at hotel and heading down to the bar for food, before retiring.  

[Saturday]

Having checked out of the hotel we went to Costa for breakfast before heading to Oxfordshire for a walk on the ridgeway encompassing Wayland's Smithy and Uffington Hill Fort and White Horse, via Waitrose to pick up essential supplies in case the weather gets even worse.

Driving west on the M4 the weather took a turn for the worse, rain, then sleet, then snow, blown horizontally towards us by a strong wind.  First stop the White Horse pub in Woolstone to meet a group of school friends for lunch then a walk.  We were the first to arrive and so settled at our table to await the others.

After enjoying a great lunch and drinks in the warm we prepared to venture outside, even though the woman who took our money looked at us as if we were insane when we said we were going for a walk.

Whilst we were out walking son #2 visited E in hospital and updated us on the latest news.  E is still on oxygen but they are going to try and wean her off it starting on Monday.

After a wind-blasted and freezing but dry walk a few of us returned to the pub for a hot drink, and some more chat before splitting up and heading in different directions - a friend and I heading for Southsea in the encroaching darkness.  After a bit of food shopping in Southsea we headed home for a curry delivery and a some wine.

[Sunday]

Sunday was a relatively chilled day with a trip on the ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Gosport and back on an urgent postal mission.  A coffee and outrageous chocolate and orange cake-type thing at Gunwharf before heading home, out of the cold to watch a couple of episodes of 'Derry Girls'.  As the afternoon wore on it became time for me to head home, reluctantly, until the next time.

Arrived home in snow and was glad to get indoors. Back to life. Back to reality. Son #2 and I made dinner and I watched more of the OGWT documentary before a call with a friend, jet lagged.  Call over it was time to wash up and clear up before heading for bed myself.

Martina Topley-Bird / 'Wanted' / 'Forever I Wait'

[[ ]]