Sarah's Transition Diary .. weeks 369 - 372

.... is for those who might want to contact me about my diary.

Day 2577. Thursday 29th December 2011.

Memory Joggers ...

08.10 .. I’m awake, listening to Karen purr beside me ..

08.25.. ish .. Karen is awake .. she’s soon out of bed for a comfort break and returns with a cup of tea ..

08.55 .. Up and at it .. I need to go down, boot the company laptop and take myself off call.

09.05.. ish .. I phone boss David whose carrying the can for today, just to let him know I’m around if he wants to check anything with me .. while one of my bosses, his main area is all our overseas facilities, not the UK ones.

10.45 .. I head for a shower ..

11.41 .. I call Mandy, she’d forgotten about today ..

I phone Chiswick Honda to try and get a price on what is commonly known as a “Head Set” gasket set. To my amazement, while 3rd party suppliers do them, Honda don’t for my bike, but does for others .. so they are going to send me some parts lists so I can do an order for the parts I need, as individual items.

12.20 .. I head for Mandy’s on my bike.

12.33 .. I’m parked adjacent to Mandy’s house in Bracknell, I go knock on her door, she sends me round to her garage block where we meet. After a bit of rearranging things in her garage she’s able to squeeze my Deauville into her garage with her two bikes.

12.45 .. ish .. After a quick look see inside the ground floor of her house, which is much modified, she drives me home. It’s rather odd being inside her house, which is less than a 100 metres from the house Karen and I owned for 2 years when we first got married .. it’s a mirror image of our old house, feels very strange << grins >>.

In the village we stop briefly to buy some bread, but the baker doesn’t have much left .. I buy 3 white “torpedos” ..

13.00 .. ish .. I’m home, Mandy comes in for some lunch ..

Lunch is rolls and nibbles produced by Karen . .and we chat a lot about all sorts ..

15.15 .. ish .. Mandy heads for home ..

I check my company e-mails .. Chiswick Honda have sent me 3 different e-mails with a multipage PDF .. after forwarding them home, I discover they are all the same .. DOH.

18.55 .. Dinner .. Turkey with Pasta in a tomato and chilli sauce .. dessert is a slice of Christmas pudding with Cornish ice cream.

20.33 .. Kirsti pops up for a brief chat on Yahoo .. she’s off out for an Indian.

20.47 .. Kirsti says goodbye .. heading for her meal.

21.10 .. Karen makes the tea ..

22.05 .. I head for bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2578. Friday 30th December 2011.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

18.01 .. We are in the Indian restaurant in Chobham ..

20.12 .. We are home ..

20.40 .. I head for Mandy’s with the manual for my bike ..

21.50 .. ish .. I leave Mandy’s and head for home, via a little loop to top Violet up with Shell @ 130.9 a litre .. for Shell .. just goes to show what the petrol companies can do if they have competition from Sainsbury’s just ½ a mile away.

22.18 .. I’m home ..

00.10 .. I climb into bed ..
 
More to come ...

Day 2579. Saturday 31st December  2011.
                           
Memory Joggers ...

07.10 .. I’m awake, Karen is purring loud enough to wake the dead .. I lay there listening till I can’t take anymore and need the loo.

08.20 .. ish .. I get up and head for the loo .. it’s the Saturday morning weigh in .. 15st 3lb .. it’s the Christmas effect and last nights Indian.

08.35 .. I sort my self out in the kitchen and boil the kettle ..

08.52 .. I’m back in the bedroom with cups of tea ..

10.05 .. I’m in the bathroom .. preen and shower time ..

11.20 .. I’m downstairs ..

13.08 .. Lunch is served ..

13.40 .. We head for Waitrose ..

18.50 .. I order the Chinese .. with an extra .. 1/4 crispy duck.

19.22 .. I’m back with the food .. except we’ve got an extra box .. which turns out to be lemon chicken that I didn’t order .. so I won’t be taking it back.

I flit between PC and the settee all night ..

00.00 .. Happy New Year .. yeah right.

01.50 .. I’ve finished the revamp of my telling folks document and try to print a colour copy .. printer says no .. three cartridges later .. and some nozzle cleaning cycles, it’s starting to print acceptably. 

03.05 .. I head for bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2580. Sunday 1st January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

Happy New Year ..

More to come ...                                   

Day 2581. Monday 2nd January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

From my Facebook status ..

15.02 .. is due to drive to the Lady Bee Marina, Shoreham, Sussex tomorrow to look at some wiring on a Westerly Yacht .. but the weather forecast is terrible .. just wondering if I should cancel on the guy, or go get a fix of at least being on board a Yacht that is afloat .. 8-/

16.00 .. Has just discovered that Waitrose's Heston Blumenthal "whole hidden orange" Christmas puddings have been swapping hands for £100 on EBay .. that means the last little slice I had last night was worth a £10 .. next year if I'm in the right place at right time I'll buy a couple, missed out in 2010. Must say it was delicious cold too !!!!!

More to come ...

Day 2582. Tuesday 3rd January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

10.25 .. I’m on the road for Shoreham in Sussex, to the Lady Bee Marina to look at a yacht.

11.48 .. David, the boat owner, calls me, questioning if I should continue .. conditions are so bad he thinks it’s too dangerous for me to get on board.

12.20 .. I arrive .. horizontal rain and the wind is rocking my car .. I call David. He still thinks it’s too dangerous for me to get aboard, and the stern line has broken from the pontoon. I put mu oilies on and go help him get an extra line onto the pontoon .. gosh it’s hell out there.

After a struggle I succeed on getting a line secured, and I go for crawling up the plank to get on board the neighbouring boat before crossing onto his.

14.05 .. We leave the boat to go and eat ..

After two turn downs, we drive into Shoreham seeking food .. David leaves me in the car while he checks with a restaurant, then beckons me in ..

16.15 .. We attempt to leave the boat, I’m struggling my legs are like jelly .. having got onto the neighbouring boat, I stumble off the boarding plank onto the pontoon .. that was close. The walk back to the car totally exhausts me .. it takes me ten minutes to get my oilies and boots off .. the effort has me gasping, I’m perspiring excessively ..

The drive home is a struggle .. not only the conditions, I’m feeling bad ..

18.10 .. I’m home .. I feel terrible .. any sort of exertion, like climbing the stairs has me panting and feeling faint. 

More to come ...

Day 2583. Wednesday 4th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

08.40 .. I’m in the doctors surgery, he has a trainee GP with him.

It soon becomes clear he’s worried about my symptoms, he puts an O2 meter on my finger and it’s reading 90% .. he’s thinking blood clots on my lungs.

He asks how I got here, at this time he’s saying he’s going to get me transported to hospital ..

08.50 .. I’m back in reception waiting for an ECG ..

09.10 .. I’m with a nurse who does the ECG .. she’s worried my implants might be effecting the result .. and goes and checks with the GP ..

09.30 .. I’m back in with the GP ..

11.20 .. Karen drops me off at the hospital .. I book in with A&E reception and hand my GP’s info and letter to them ..

11.35 .. I’m called in to be assessed. An O2 test now says 98% .. but the nurse is still worried, I’m a “Serious Major”, and will be seen as soon as a doctor is free.

11.45 .. An A&E doctor calls me in and I’m walked past several ambulance trolleys waiting and straight into a room, the doctor apologises for not having a bed cubicle for me but says they need to access me now.

Blood taken ..

The A&E doctor has me walking up and down the 4 metres of cubicle with the O2 meter attached, by lap 6 my level is 89% and I’m told to sit down ..

A very painful Warphine injection in my stomach.

A Chest x-ray ..

An Echo ECG ..

I’m examined by a junior from the medical investigations department .. who then calls his consultant ..

17.20 .. Karen picks me up ..

More to come ...

Day 2584. Thursday 5th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

08.15 .. I arrive at the doctors for my nurses appointment for my routine blood test ..

08.20 .. I’m called in for my routine blood test .. it’s the usual vampire .. she’s reading the GP’s notes from yesterday and asks how I feel. She does the blood tests, including the one for Ms Hutt the gynae, and is asking me a lot of questions about how I’m feeling .. she says I must see a GP today.

I leave the nurse and get given an appointment for 11.30 to see a GP. I head home ..

11.20 .. With plenty of time, I head back to the doctors. However, the bin men have been around, the now empty green bins are getting blown everywhere in the strong winds .. I’m delayed ..

11.31 .. I arrive back at the doctors ..

11.42 .. I’m called into see the GP, a different one from yesterday .. he’s still concerned when I hand over copies of  yesterdays discharge papers from the hospital. He examines me, I’ve been sitting for a couple of minutes when he puts the O2 clip on me .. 96, 97, 98 .. where would it have started if I’d had it on when I walked in. He’s going along with the hospitals verdict of a viral infection .. he wants me to go home and lay up and do the absolute minimum till Monday. If no improvement I’ve got to report back.

12.02 .. I’m home ..

More to come ...

Day 2585. Friday 6th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.20 .. The alarm .. it was set later by Karen cause I’m not going anywhere ..

I dose off for a while ..

07.45 .. Karen brings me a cup of tea then heads off to work ..

08.15 .. I need to sort my breakfast routine .. so I get up, a quicky tour through the bathroom and head down ..

08.30 .. I’m in the kitchen .. and sort myself out ..

08.45 .. I’m laid out on the settee .. with my laptop .. doing as the doctor said .. relaxing and minimal activity ..

11.30 .. I need the loo .. gosh my legs are so stiff ..

13.30 .. I get up briefly to prepare my fruit .. I return to the settee to consume it.

16.10 .. Karen is home ..

00.03 .. I’m in bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2586. Saturday 7th December  2011.

Memory Joggers ...

It’s the Saturday morning weigh in .. 14st 11lb ...

07.20 .. The alarm .. I cuddle up to Karen ..

09.55 .. Claire’s not coming home, she’s clearly unhappy at the moment, still with a water infection .. it’s a relief to me ..

I take my position on the settee with the laptop ..

13.10 .. Karen’s made some lunch ..

16.40 .. We head for my mum’s .. via Lightwater to get her some banana’s

17.15 .. We arrive at my mum’s ..

18.40 .. We leave my mum’s and head up the A30 to Bagshot to get a Chinese takeaway, it takes a couple of attempts to get through. Karen dawdles along and gets us caught by the level crossing in Sunningdale .. DOH.

19.02 .. I’m in the Chinese .. the food is ready ..

19.14 .. We are home .. a bottle of Pouilly Sur Loire helps it down.

My fortune cookies .. “YOU ARE DESTINED FOR THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE” followed by “GOOD NEWS WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU BY TEXT” .. hmmmm .. the first one would be nice .. I’ll dream on.

More to come ...

Day 2587. Sunday 8th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

07.16 .. I’m awake .. I lay listening to Karen purr ..

08.22 .. I’ve not slept in the last hour .. I get up for a comfort break ..

08.42 .. I snap awake, Karen’s gone .. I can hear her in the bathroom ..

08.55 .. Karen returns with the tea ..

11.18 .. I head north and start my dilation prep .. cleaning the sink and bath.

11.45 .. I lay on the bed and try a dilation ..

I’m so nervous, I’m only using number one and plenty of lube .. I go so slow and gentle .. working at the entrance, pushing more lube inside .. a couple of minutes later, I’ve not got the dilator past the 4" mark when I feel a sharp sting .. aargh .. I know I’ve just torn again .. << sobbing >>.

12.05 .. I’ve got to 5" static after 15 minutes, but at what cost ..

12.10 .. Time to give up .. I go do a basic cleanse, clear up and shower ..

12.55 .. I’m back down stairs ..

13.15 .. Karen goes and showers ..

14.15 .. Lunch ..

15.15 .. Karen and I get close on the settee and watch “The Kings Speech” from BluRay on the main PC through our TV .. it’s a really nice film ..

16.30 .. ish .. I pause the film, so Karen can refill the tumble dryer .. and we have a cup of tea and  biscuit ( or 2 ) and restart the film.

17.30 .. ish .. The film is over ..

19.10 .. Dinner is served .. a French “Confit du Canard”  canned duck “Maison du Castelnaudary” “Cassoulet” .. Karen did the roast potatoes in the duck fat .. OMG .. delicious along with honey roast carrots and parsnips and boiled peas .. best meal for a while. Dessert was a portion of Waitrose French Brandy ice cream .. lovely.

23.20 .. I’m in bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2588. Monday 9th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

06.25 .. Up and at it ..

08.00 .. I call the doctors ..

08.44 .. I’m in the doctors surgery .. he’d caught me coughing in the waiting room so he knows how it is. He’s going to make me an urgent appointment with the “Chest Clinic” in Frimley ..

08.58 .. I’m home waiting for a call ..

09.50 .. I head for work .. later I realise, sans laptop.

10.48 .. I’m in the office, but the walk from the car park has exhausted me ..

I do a sick note for the company and go see my boss, he’d not realised I was in, but several others had wagered I’d been in due to boredom .. correct.

Aware I’m finding walking a round tiring, especially the haul from the office, he says I can park my car for a while by our box store, about 7 metres from the office door.

13.15 .. Lunch ..

My expenses for Brunei and November / December are now sorted .. phew.

17.33 .. I head for home, I get 10 yards from the office door before I realise .. wrong shoes.

I get to the car, I’m light headed and not feeling good, I rig the TomTom, it fails to tell me it’s found my phone .. good reason .. I’ve left both of my phones in the office. I drive back and collect them.

18.29 .. I’m home ..

17.12 .. Dinner is served .. jacket potato with sausages and baked beans .. dessert comes in two halves, a small pot of strawberry yogurt followed by the pot topped up with French Brandy ice cream.

23.10 .. I’m heading for bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2589. Tuesday 10th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

06.26 .. Up and at it ..

08.18 .. A little late .. I head for work .. but there’s trouble a head. The A30 Egham byepass is bad enough for the TomTom to divert me through Egham .. then the M25 & M40 get me and I end up driving to J17 and turning off across country and back to Chalfont St Peters ..

09.21 .. I finally park my car up, but in boss Goeff’s place, he’s poorly and has been signed off for 3 weeks.

The morning doesn’t go well, I have to back pedal a couple of times to recover silly mistakes I’ve made in a document, or two .. ho hum.

13.15 .. Lunch .. PAB ..

15.03 .. Melanie and I are standing outside Studio 3 waiting to get in .. somebody is over running into our time slot.

A problem has developed since I sorted out a big issue in here before Christmas .. and we do go one step backwards before we move forward again .. Melanie managed to dislodge a temporary jumper I’d put in .. but that’s soon sorted, and we are soon hunting the new problem ..

17.40 .. We have to pack up .. Jessie will be in soon to do her show .. we’ll be back !!

17.50 .. I call home to let Karen know I’m late ..

17.56 .. I’m on my way ..

18.47 .. I’m home ..

19.17 .. Dinner is served .. it’s multi sausage salad !! .. Dessert is a portion of Waitrose Christmas pudding ice cream.

21.25 .. I head for bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2590. Wednesday 11th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

09.15 .. I’m in the office ..

I crack on with a user guide for Powerlog .. I delay lunch to finish it.

13.45 .. Lunch .. PAB ..

17.45 .. I head for Tesco’s ..

18.25 .. Back in the car, gosh I’m exhausted .. I head for my mum’s via the Esso garage to refill Red ..

18.57 .. I’m at my mum’s ..

19.15 .. I head for home ..

19.32 .. I’m home, Karen has gone out .. I pack the shopping into the fridge then study the bill .. WHAT !?! .. the Tesco meal deal has gone through at full price, I’ve spent about £10 to much !!!!

19.45 .. Dinner .. it’s me with an M&S microwave chargrilled chicken and asparagus risotto .. dessert is natural yoghurt with oat granola and honey.

21.13 .. Karen is home ..

More to come ...

Day 2591. Thursday 12th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

20.01 .. Karen and I walk into the Pub, Mandy is at the bar ..

22.40 .. Bill paid .. we head for home ..

I try to top up my lottery account .. and fail .. grrrrr.

More to come ...

Day 2592. Friday 13th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

06.26 .. Up and at it ..

06.55 .. After a difficult time on the loo, I abandon the bathroom to Karen pre shower .. I’ll return.

07.03 .. I’m in the Kitchen getting myself sorted ..

07.35 .. I can have a shower .. so I do ..

08.12 .. I’m on the road for work ..

09.05 .. I’m the first in from my department ..

Ruddy Audionics monitoring panels .. grrrrr

13.15 .. I stop for lunch ..

13.35 .. I head out to Gerrards Cross for a little light shopping .. my only worry is parking to far away.

13.45 .. I’m parked up quite close to the lighting shop .. maybe 60 - 70 metres. I go get my mum a couple of 60W “daylight” ES lamps .. so hard to get now. I get brave and walk about 8 shops further away from the car into Boots for a couple of items .. including some Scholl anti fungal treatment for toe nails .. £19.99 .. this better work.

Post Boots, I decide to go another couple of units to be able to use the pedestrian crossing, and check my debit card that the Lottery sight refused yesterday, works fine and no shortage of funds still.

Cash in purse again, I use the crossing and head back to the car. I’m only half way back to the car when I start to pant and my legs get a bit jelly like. I make it back to the car with a struggle.

14.30 .. I’m back in the office ..

More Audionics monitor panel work ..

16.30 .. Jon collars me in the corridor near his office, saying Dave wants to call it a day so we can all go home ..

17.05 .. I’m in the car ready to go ..

17.47 .. I’m home ..

While waiting for dinner I get the instructions out of the Scholl box and read them. This treatment needs 9 months to work, and no nail polish .. what’s more I’ll be needing to buy a few more packs of this too to do nine months.

18.35 .. Dinner is served .. a M&S “Count on us” ready meal .. “smoky Cajun chicken jambalaya” .. it’s nice .. only 360 calories. The glass of wine with it probably added a few calories .. as did the cheese and biscuits washed down with a little more wine .. ho hum.

22.35 .. I call the Lottery help line .. 8 minutes to get an answer .. the issue is sorted, I pay some more money in and renew my tickets for 4 weeks ..

More to come ...

Day 2593. Saturday 14th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

09.22 .. Karen gets up and returns with tea ..

10.05 .. Up and at it ..

10.15 .. ish .. I’m in the kitchen, I do the Saturday morning weigh in .. 14st 13lb .. sighs ..

11.10 .. I’m in the bathroom .. trying to get the nail polish off that was put on in Thailand .. it’s a struggle with Acetone free remover .. I give up after 2 nails ..

13.10 .. I head to Lightwater to see if I can get the part for the kitchen tap .. Lightwater Homecare has only got loads of bath tap size ones.

I head for the Boots chemist to see if they can suggest something to remove the residue left by HRT patches .. They sell me a box of ZOFF wipes that can be got on prescription apparently .. I’ll have to try to get that added next month.

Across the road to another chemists in search of Acetone .. success. Then into Budgen’s to get mum a couple more balls of “double knit” wool ..

14.15 .. Lunch is served .. bread, cheese and honey, a little Malt loaf.

14.45 .. Karen heads off to see a friend .. I head for the bathroom armed with the acetone .. I put a rubber glove on and attack my toe nails .. that is a lot easier .. and soon my toe nails are clean ready to start the Scholl anti fungal toenail treatment .. I seem to have two nails that aren’t good.

16.45 .. I sit and use mothers foot massaging machine again .. 20 minutes worth.

17.15 .. We finally head of for Egham, to fill Sparkle and visit Homebase for the tap part we need ..

We stop at the Shell garage in Egham, Sparkle takes 40.5 litres .. close to vapours then ..

In Homebase, I manage to get the parts we need .. plus a couple of ice scrapers for the cars and a torch for mum. 

18.35 .. We are in my mum’s ..

19.55 .. We are home with the Chinese ..

23.15 .. I head to bed ..

In the bathroom I try the wipes I was sold earlier .. to try and remove the 6 patch rings that spread across my stomach .. hey .. they work. However, they also soften nail polish .. I’ll remember to use a glove next time !!

23.50 .. I’m in bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2594. Sunday 15th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

08.55 .. I wake up as Karen gets up ..

09.10 .. Karen returns with a cup of tea .. post T we get up close to each other for a while ..

09.55 .. Up and at it .. I need the loo .. before I can get back, Karen gets up ..

11.20 .. I head for a shower .. and do a little personal grooming .. out with the

13.10 .. I head for Waitrose ..

14.18 .. I’m home ..

14.38 .. Lunch .. bread, cheese, pate, olives, apple juice .. and some malt loaf washed down with a cup of tea.

19.15 .. Dinner is served .. chicken kiev with roast carrots and dauphinoise potatoes .. dessert is chopped up fresh pineapple.

More to come ...

Day 2595. Monday 16th January 2012. ( GRS 4th Anniversary )

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

A very odd day .. a lot of memories of 4 years ago ..

More to come ...

Day 2596. Tuesday 17th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

17.58 .. I’m finally on my way home ..

18.15 .. I’m just dropping down the hill into Denham when my phone rings, it’s Karen .. can I drop in on my mother

18.32 .. I’m in my mothers ..

More to come ...

Day 2597. Wednesday 18th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

17.32 .. I’m on my way home .. got a mission tonight.

20.02 .. I arrive at the pub in Theale .. another appointment with a dodgy stomach no doubt, but at least it’s a chance to meet some old friends.

22.35 .. A little earlier than usual .. I head for home.

23.08 .. After a steady drive, I’m home.

More to come ...

Day 2598. Thursday 19th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

It’s IT’s Antony’s birthday in work today, it’s a biggy for him, 40 .. and he’s bought so many different cakes in Tom’s desk is the serving area .. sadly this will be the day my will power gives again.

More to come ...

Day 2599. Friday 20th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

07.35 .. I’m on the road to work .. I mistakenly opt for the “fast route” only to find that the M3 is backed up .. but not for long.

08.20 .. I’m in work .. two of the IT bods are already in.

08.32 .. I wander around to Studio 1 to go sit in on Mike’s show and watch the telephone call he wants to do take place .. as I enter the studio he says “seen my email” .. no. The call is not put off till 10.00 .. DOH.

10.00 .. Back to the studio .. I make some interesting discoveries .. one is that Mike’s not wearing his headphones properly, in that the headband has been set to short and the muffs are sitting on his ear lobes, and not sealing.

11.30 .. Back into Studio 1 with Phil and Melanie .. more investigations into odd microphone artifacts in this studio. We make some interesting discoveries .. 

17.53 .. I head for home .. late.

18.45 .. I’m home ..

19.40 .. We are in the Indian in our village ..

21.35 .. We are home ..

01.05 .. I climb into bed .. what no hot water bottle ..

More to come ...

Day 2600. Saturday 21st December  2011.

Memory Joggers ...

It’s the Saturday morning weigh in .. 15st  01/4lb .. sob, sob.

09.20 .. I call Claire’s home, on our 4th attempt we get an answer .. to discover Claire and her staff left the home 20 minutes ago .. and nobodies told us .. grrrrrr. They’ll be very early ..

09.23 .. We leave home and get 10 yards .. stop and reverse .. where’s the TomTom .. DOH.

09.45 .. We join the M25,  .. it’s running well .. Mrs Schumacher

10.02 .. We join the M1, after a rather nervous exit from the M25 .. it soon starts to rain .. 

10.38 .. Sarah from Claire’s home .. she’s seen the missed call on her mobile, they’ve obviously arrived at Northampton ..

10.50 .. We arrive at a dank and windy M1 Northampton services .. Claire’s smiling .. great ..

10.52 .. Claire’s loaded .. and we are off ..

11.25 .. We stop at Toddington services, Karen nips in to M&S to get some lunch time bits ..

11.35 .. Karen returns with goodies, and we are soon off. Claire keeps taking a peak in the bag to see what is there.

11.53 .. We rejoin the M25 .. 45 minutes to go 33.5 miles home allegedly .. says the TomTom.

12.17 .. We leave the M25 ..

12.33 .. We are home ..

13.05 .. Lunch .. a ham roll, some crisps .. a slice of just opened Christmas cake ..

14.30 .. We head for my mum’s via Waitrose ..

16.50 .. We give into Claire’s demands to go home .. 

17.08 .. We are home .. I put Claire off the get Pizza line by saying it’s “too early”

17.33 .. I give up .. and order the Pizza’s ..

17.58 .. I’m home with the food ..

18.30 .. ish .. to the PC ..

23.10 .. I head north .. meant to an hour ago ..

More to come ...

Day 2601. Sunday 22nd January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

07.45 .. I’m woken by Claire’s voice and Karen leaping out of bed ..

08.10 .. We give up, and get up and head downstairs with Claire.

I opened a 12 pack of Actimel this morning to find a special offer “Helping Hand” .. so went on line to see what I could get .. and opted for a 2 for 1 treatment offer at Spa.kle in Sunninghill .. I’ve offered it to Karen to go use.

12.15 .. I head for the shower ..

13.20 .. I’m back downstairs, just ready for lunch .. except my hair is still in the towel.

13.23 .. Lunch, a repeat of yesterdays, except the roll is a sandwich today.

Post lunch I dry my hair and get the laptop ready to roll.

14.14 .. We’re on our way in Sparkle to drop Claire off .. via a fill up at the Shell in Egham .. 135.9 .. disgusting really. I do the minimum 30 litre fill up to keep our Shell points offer going .. sorted for January now .. so back to cheaper petrol from Esso at Denham.

14.34 .. Back on the road .. next stop Northampton with luck.

14.39 .. We join the M25 .. it’s running well.

14.50 .. We’re doing 70mph in lane 3 of 4 when a typical mindless moron driving a black Range Rover shoots up the inside in lane 1 doing a good 90mph, then starts weaving between lanes ahead of us .. never a traffic car when one is needed.

As we approach the M1 the traffic slows .. “Animals in road” the sign said .. we saw none .. then we sped up again.

15.00 .. We join the M1 .. it’s moving well ..

15.48 .. We arrive at a windy cold Northampton services .. we are early .. so is the homes car. A kiss and a hug with Claire.

15.51 .. Claire is away .. and so are we.

16.37 .. We join the M25 again .. it’s moving well .. the dusk sky is so pretty tonight, even if the clouds towards home are threatening.

17.00 .. We leave the M25 .. the sky is threatening but beautiful ..

17.20 .. We’re home .. time for a cup of tea ..

18.50 .. We need to eat, to be honest I’m feeling a bit off. I order a Chinese ..

19.30 .. I’m back with the food ..

19.50 .. I open my fortune cookies .. “COMPETENCE LIKE YOURS IS UNDERRATED” followed by “THIS IS THE MONTH WHEN INGENUITY STANDS HIGH ON THE LIST” .. hmmmm .. I’m on call for the next week starting tomorrow at 09.00 .. I’m starting to worry !!!

20.00 .. a quick return to the computer ..

20.41 .. I make a cup of tea ..

20.55 .. ish .. I need to sort my toe nail treatment .. Sunday night is file the top surface night .. then I spend 30 minutes with mothers machine. The BBC are showing “Birdsong” .. a WW1 drama in France .. its brilliant.

22.40 .. Time to head north ..
                   
More to come ...

Day 2602. Monday 23rd January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

08.11 .. I’m on the road ..

08.53 .. I’m in the car park at work .. the walk from there to the office humping my laptop takes it’s toll .. I’m panting when I get to the office, and my right big toe is killing me .. I’m falling apart for sure.

08.57 .. I’m first in the office ..

Callum has bought his Christmas excess chocolates in to work to keep us all fat .. blighter.

13.25 .. I finally stop for lunch .. PAB.

17.31 .. I’m on call, so I head for home .. the walk back to the car park is exhausting ..

18.22 .. I’m home ..

One of my letters today is from the Trauma and Orthopaedic department at Fleet Hospital. It’s a 14.00 appointment .. I’ll have to call them tomorrow to see if I can get a later appointment so as not to wreck my working day .. Chalfont St Peters to Fleet is one hell of a drive .. must be 40 miles ..

A second letter is from BT .. seems they have, a better improved modem to go on my Infinity broadband .. better performance is promised, just need to arrange a mutually convenient appointment with the company who BT are using to do it.

18.55 .. Dinner is served .. a really odd mix, with some wraps with a bowl of butternut squash soup, some cheese and biscuits and then the Lychees we didn’t have yesterday.

19.45 .. Back to the PC ..

20.50 .. I paint my toe nails then sit for 30 minutes with mothers machine .. I use my laptop to remote into the main PC to carry on chatting with Jenelle on Yahoo ..

22.25 .. I head north ..
More to come ...

Day 2603. Tuesday 24th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

08.13 .. I’m on the road .. the traffic is terrible ..

09.15 .. I’m in work ..

13.25 .. Melanie and I call a halt on what we are doing so we can eat ..

Melanie has one of those found it moments .. this rings a bell from my days in my last job .. had a similar problem.

There follows a bit of walking around and I’m soon feeling faint and short of breath ..

17.35 .. I head for home .. 

18.28 .. I’m home ..

18.55 .. Dinner is served .. pasta with mushrooms followed by yoghurt with oat granola and honey.

19.45 .. Time to attack my tax return ..

01.35 .. I finally climb into bed ..

More to come ...

Day 2604. Wednesday 25th January 2012.

Memory Joggers ...

06.10 .. The alarm ..

06.28 .. Up and at it ..

08.13 .. I’m on the road .. the traffic is better today ..

09.02 .. I follow Mark up the drive to the office and park up.

12.30 .. Lunch .. PAB

17.34 .. I’m on my way home.

18.22 .. I arrive at Waitrose in Sunningdale to get some soup and stuff ..

18.48 .. I’m home ..

When I check my “office Facebook” Mark has left a status .. he dropped his Honda Fireblade bike as he left work .. luckily he’s only hurt his pride, and possible gained a bit of damage to the bike.

20.10 .. Dinner is served .. a duck leg with roast ganocci, carrots and boiled peas .. lovely .. my dessert is the last of the Waitrose Christmas pudding ice cream ..

20.55 .. I start on my feet .. One born every Minute comes on .. I’m wheeping at times .. it’s what seeing new born’s does to me ..

21.35 .. Feet are cooked .. TV’s getting intense ..

22.00 .. I head for bed ..

22.50 .. I’m in bed .. waiting for Karen ..

More to come ...