Nine Feet Underground

Starting the day with a walk and a chat with Q. This is a good way to start a day. In fact it's better than that. There are two main themes to today, work and also the roof. The team are back again to finish repairing the roof and it looks like the weather will let them do that. Apart from a few breaks to view the work being done and also the newly discovered faults needing fixing, work was the focus of the day. After the roofers left, vowing to return tomorrow for final checks etc, a nurse arrived to change E's PEG balloon water and a general health check. These are the exciting things that litter my day. Now that work is over, Q and I have a chat before I start on tonight's dinner. After dinner we watch more MAFSA and another episode of 'Blue Lights', which is a really good and different cop series set in Belfast.  TFBSZ, by way of 'Cyclops'. Tricky / 'Aftermath' / 'Maxinquaye' [['Maxinquaye' is such a superlative album and it still...

Another of those 'not much to say, it's a working day' days.  Owing to some new research that has found it's better to walk briskly for 10 minutes (or a bit more) three times a day rather than a single 30 minute brisk walk, I'm trying to change my day to incorporate that. First thing is to find a 10 minute route - I have an idea which I'll try, so let's see how long it takes. Not a bad guess: I've done my first walk on my proposed route and it takes between 12 and 13 minutes at speed. Perfect. Now I just need to fit two more walks into my day, which is going to be a little challenging, owing to the fact that I have a contact lens appointment at 9:15 and an Idler rogues Zoom call bookending my day. Prior to my contact lens appointment I have to pick up my wife's monthly carrier bag full of meds from Boots and also pick up some essentials from the supermarket. My Boots visit was made better by a chat with a friend who is one of the pharmacists there. I...

Back to work!  Started the day with my walk, as has almost become a habit by now. I'll probably not have time to write much today as I'll be catching up with what's happened whilst I've been on leave, especially the email backlog, but let's see. At the back of my mind I've been thinking about a couple of things the counsellor said at yesterday's session. I'm trying to work out if she's uncovered something that has been holding me back and that I need to change. On the one hand if you do something new, like for example salsa dancing, primarily with the intention of meeting someone rather than because you like it or are interested in it, is this just asking for trouble?  If you meet someone who's really into it, but you find you don't enjoy it, then you'll either have to stick at it or accept that it's an interest you don't share, which may have negative consequences. On the other hand, if you don't try it, you won't know. I...

Slow start to the day as I don't think I'm going to do yoga this morning, however my back is feeling better and I'm going to attempt press ups and, if they are OK, then do my normal bicep curls/weights.  I've also invested in some resistance bands, and no, I don't mean the latest albums by 'Rock In Opposition' groups, so I will do the back exercises throughout the day and maybe start to incorporate resistance. First carer of the day arrives after a week off work. Apparently she had covid but has been told by the NHS she is now free to work as normal.  I note she is being especially careful about keeping her distance - I have to trust that the NHS are giving out good advice.  None of the rest of her family - husband snf two children - caught it, so I'm taking this as a good sign. Roll on the vaccine, at least for my wife, if not me. After she leaves I go and attempt the press ups - manage to do 100 and so also attempt bicep curls - also manage 100.  There...