It’s been one of those days! You know, where all sorts of things have gone on and, crikey, whatever next?
John had to take himself across to Heartlands Hospital today for his immunoglobulin treatment, ‘cos I was glued to the ‘puter screen for my Stress Management Course.
“How have you all got on with your homework this week?” the facilitator asked. I texted into the Chat Room: ‘I didn’t do anything’. And it was true. I hadn’t really found a trigger to get me going at all last week, despite the great advice on offer.
“OK, so how do we break the cycle?” she asked next. I felt like those vultures in The Jungle Book, sitting on a branch: ‘Dunno’ I thought to my self, and inwardly shrugged my shoulders – but I said nothing this time. In the end, although the advice was none I hadn’t heard before, there was a repeated Mantra of to just do something. Even for five minutes. Hmmm. OK.
I’ll try.
John arrived home at lunchtime after a successful infusion, declaring that he wasn’t going to have a nap this afternoon. “Neither am I!” I also declared.
After lunch, we watched a spot of TV, each keeping an eye on the other in case the Sandman came. Just after two o’clock, John leapt up and said he was going to get on. I nodded. “Me, too.” He went to his computer to do more fiddling with figures on our utility bills. I went to my computer to sort out why some of the orders I’d made hadn’t actually arrived.
It transpired that my credit card had been rejecting my orders. I phoned the bank. It only took just over half an hour to establish that one transaction I’d made for abroad had triggered a fraud alert. Well, that was OK, but why didn’t they tell me? It was only after three more transactions had been rejected that I was actually made aware, by Amazon, who kept telling me that my card had been declined. Anyway, all sorted now and, to be fair, I am rather pleased that the bank is making the effort to keep our money safe, despite the inconvenience.
Meanwhile, John had finished tinkering with his spreadsheet and said he was going up to the shops to get some spark plugs for the Lotus and, while he was there, he’d call in at the pharmacy to see if we could book in for flu shots.
My phone rang. “Come now,” he said, “they can fit us in. And bring our NHS numbers.” I scrambled myself together and looked out the NHS numbers, carefully writing them on a piece of paper. Left the room to get something and promptly set off for the pharmacy without them.
Ah, well, never mind, the pharmacist wasn’t in the least bothered. He grabbed the pieces of paper we were supposed to be filling in and said, “I can do that for you,” before ushering us into the little room they have there. He rapidly got the vaccination kit together, we dropped our sleeves, and it was jab, jab and away you go. Boom!
We tottered home.
John said, “When we get home, I’m going for a nap…..”
John went to bed and I went back to the computer to carry on faffing about with purchases. Gosh, it’s an expensive time of year. Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!
About four o’clock, I started getting my kit bag ready. I had decided to do something. I was going for an open water swim at Dosthill Quarry.
John had said he was going to come with me to satisfy his curiosity and get a picture in his head of what open water swimming is all about. He was still snoozing. Should I wake him? I pondered. I wasn’t sure. And then, I decided I would wake him. If he didn’t want to to come, that would be his choice rather than mine. Groggily, he said ‘yes’ he was coming.
I planned to meet up with a group of swimmers called ‘The Blue Tits’. Hehehe!
Anna, the leader, said she’d lend me some neoprene gloves and shoes as mine had been held back by Amazon. What a difference they made! Gonna get meself some!
John was on Chief Photographer duty, plotting my progress round the lake, and here I am, looking chirpy as I puffed my way to the steps to get out after a circuit. My new-found friend, Elaine, who is alongside me here, opted to do two more circuits…… phew!
I am not at all sure what temperature the water was. However, suffice to say, that the air temperature, at 14°, and the water temperature weren’t very different, which made it much easier to actually get into the lake!!
Here I am, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, as I hauled myself back onto land…..
“You know what to do when you get out, don’t you?” Elaine asked, as we swam. “You’ve heard about The Drop?” Erm…. I wasn’t sure I remembered that from the lesson we’d had at Cliff Lakes. “Your body temperature continues to drop for 15 minutes after you’ve got out. So you need to get dressed quickly and wear warm clothes.”
What good advice. As it happened, I had thought about the cold before we’d set off so I was fully prepared. And you betcha, I certainly put everything I’d got on to keep me warm, including bobble hat and woolly gloves. Looked a bit of a sight when I got to the fish and chip shop though……
And tonight was Quiz Night. Great, great fun – as always – with lovely friends. And it was good to see Nigel looking pretty well and recovering nicely from his operation. He and Hazel were Quiz Masters and did a super job. Nigel, apparently, had had painkillers before he sat in hot seat to ask the questions and so was on top form. I bet he’s exhausted now though.
What a day!
Take care everyone. God bless.