It seems a very long time since we went to Ragdale Hall. It is, in fact, a very long time, so I am in need of some pampering. The bones are creaking and the muscles are tying themselves into knots. My friend, Margaret, recommended the local salon as a good place to go for a massage, so I booked in and this morning was the morning.
Oh, what bliss. I had quite forgotten how wonderful it is to be massaged. The masseuse did a grand job of smoothing and soothing. I felt like a different woman when I came out of the salon and I decided there and then, that I’m going to try and pamper myself a bit more. Booked in for another one in month’s time – heh, heh, heh. I reckon I deserve it.
John was just about to get up when I got back, so we had a cuppa and then I fiddled and faddled about for the rest of the day. John is still coughing and struggling to breath, so he’s keen to do most things sitting down if he can. His job for the day? Clear out his ‘man-drawer’.
Gosh, it’s amazing just how much stuff you can get into a drawer, isn’t it? Anyway, he did a good job and didn’t leave too many things out on the work surface in the ‘to be decided’ pile.
The main thing that bothered John was the volume of pens and pencils we’ve got. We still keep them in Michael’s old pencil case and it was full to overflowing. Some of the pens and pencils date back to Michael’s school days, but the marker pens (which took up a lot of room) are mostly remnants from John’s business. “Don’t worry,” I said, “we’ll put back a few pens that we actually need, and I’ll take the others upstairs.” John was relieved – and I have now squirrelled them all away elsewhere. And, before you say it…. we will need to fish them out again if we have a Christmas Quiz……
My main achievement for the day was to get my passport application done and sent. But what a kerfuffle. I’d have liked to have done it online, but the photos that John took of me on my phone were the ugliest of the uglies, and probably not passport-friendly in any case.
I toddled up to the Post Office and proceeded to have my photo taken in the booth there. The government website said that the booths would do me an e-photo, but I couldn’t find a button to click for that, so I ended up with the standard photos and had to fill in the paper form at vaster cost than it would have been online…….. ah, well, it’s only money, isn’t it? Gulp.
While I think about money, there will be NO BLOG TOMORROW because we are babysitting over the weekend at the Sutton Sleaths. It is Michael’s birthday, and they are off to Cambridge for a fancy meal at Midsummer House, the restaurant Andrew works in, and then it’s the Cambridge half-marathon on Sunday. There is still time to sponsor Michael and Andrew if anyone is so inclined, in aid of a charity that supported John and me a few years ago. Here is the link to Andrew’s fund raising page:
https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/cambridge-half-marathon-andrew-sleath
On the COVID front, there are still an inordinate amount of people infected. 44,932 today. 145 deaths in the community. 40 deaths in hospitals in the previous 48 hours. We are waaaay ahead of any other country in Europe. Well, I suppose we’d like to be first at something, wouldn’t we?
This is the latest graph from Independent SAGE. Spot a trend, anyone?
Do take care, as best you can. Not sure how COVID-friendly the half-marathon in Cambridge is going to be, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes well and there are no ill-effects in any way from the event.
God bless.