Nine Feet Underground

Another two day post, written entirely after the events! Saturday started in the usual way though with the added excitement that the rest of the day is contingent on two lateral flow test results.  Luckily both are negative and so I'm heading south as soon as I can finish packing. Arrived to a warm welcome, which begins with some lunch.  Given both of us have been a little under the weather, we're going to have a chilled day, beginning with some episodes of 'Married At First Sight - Australia'.  In particular I am suffering with a case of coleslaw, which is somewhat limiting, but hey, ho! Let's go! (With apologies to the Ramones) Q decides to make a lemon and blueberry cake so, that's next on the agenda. 'MAFS-A' is not something I would typically watch, I must confess, however it does offer some useful discussion points and conversations, as well as showing lots of scenes of Sydney and  more.  Fascinating. Dinner is Asian-themed and very enjoyable, roun...

Normal start to Saturday, which then took a different, unexpected turn... Son #2 is off to Birmingham to visit son #1 at uni and so I've been getting all geared up for an evening in (almost) alone - lazy dinner, music and a film, accompanied by lashings of ginger beer (a slight untruth, I dislike ginger beer!) until things changed when the carers visited.  One of the carers asked me what I was doing tonight (she knew son #2 was off out) and so I trotted out the story above: it turns out they're having a Korean barbecue with a few friends along with drinks and music and I'm invited. I gladly accepted their kind invitation as I know I'll be in for a great evening. Apart from getting on with chores, of which there are plenty, I also snatch a few moments to catch up with friends and get presents organised for my wife's birthday next Friday.  The mid-afternoon carer visit finalises plans for the evening - I need to get to the house before six as the road may be closed fo...

It is, of course, another working day so I'll probably not have a lot to say, at least not until later. I started the day with a visit to the opticians for a contact lens check and a full sight test.  Glasses-wise my prescription is unchanged but the contact lens specialist reckons she can improve my reading vision through the lenses without sacrificing much of my distance vision, something I don't want to impact.  Trial lenses are on order, so let's wait and see what they're like.  Comparing my reading vision between the old and the new will be easy, but I need to work out an objective test to check my distance vision is not reduced in a way I'm not happy with. After a late afternoon walk (couldn't walk in the morning due to my eye test) the last work activities of the day were completed and it was time for another 'Idler Rogues' Zoom call.  Only four of us tonight, but we don't let that stop us having lots of chats and laughs! Six of us for dinner ...

Got out of bed just as the first carer pulled up on the drive and shot downstairs to unlock the front door and let her in.  We chatted a bit, she did her tasks and then left, and, unusually, I decided to go back to bed.  It's cold, grey and there's no reason to be awake, though I'll never get back to sleep again. Got up, showered, dressed and made breakfast just as the carers arrived for the main morning call.  I'm not sure how I'm going to spend the day but I have a feeling it'll not leave me satisfied.  Tonight is book club, so I guess I have to make it to there, then the perilous journey across the rocks to the safety of sleep. Had a call with a friend mid-morning, which was a diversion, but it only served to remind me of the conversations I'm not having. Communication Breakdown (LB ZJ). Made lunch with son #3 shortly after finishing meditating.  Read a bit of 'The Observer' while I ate my lunch and then I finished reading the previous issue of Th...