A Quick Exit

Sunday saw us make a quick exit from church as Jo was in pain from a nasty tummy bug.  I don't remember much about the morning before that.  The rest of the day was very busy.  I managed to cook lunch and clear up.  Then almost immediately prepare for our visitors - my sister, my nephew and his girl friend coming to tea to mark Andy's birthday.

Monday, I made emergency arrangements to work from home.  Jo was still unwell. With the loft now cleared - well tidy anyway, it was time for the insulation to be installed.
Here you can see the before and after images part of the front of the house above our bedroom.   The before image is really a 'half-way' image.  The before image would have shown the area packed with old cardboard boxes.

 This is how it happens.  When you buy something you are told you must keep the box, if you need to return it.  The box goes in the loft.  You buy something else.  The new box goes in front of the old.  Repeat the process every few months for 23 years or so.  It makes good insulation.  Lets hope the new stuff is as good.  It bedroom was certainly cold after the boxes had gone!

There are lots of new series on TV at the moment.  CSI, CSI New York, and Hustle are the ones I watch.  I have seen the first episode of each.  The CSI stories are good, but Hustle was streets ahead as a story, for its characterisations and for raising your spirits.

Refreshing

Surprise! When Jo came to pick me up from work today she told me that we have a new shower.
After 3 or 4 goes at contacting our plumber, we finally agreed a time for him to come round and take a look. That was Saturday. Today, he just turned up and fitted it. So its back to showering tomorrow and I won't have to give up washing for Lent.

Meanwhile the exercises that I have been given do seem to be making some difference to the strength and reach of the right arm. I sat in the drivers seat of the car today and checked out the movement around the steering wheel. Driving looks a distinct possibility now, whereas on Saturday I definitely could not get my arm high enough under its own power.

The journey to work is about 90% by car, and the rest is a short walk. This is to ensure that I get at least some basic exercise, other than the recovery requirement. I was reminded on my walk in that a few years ago we did a map of our walk to work for Lent - as part of our training. The objective was to help us reflect on the different people and places we passed. Their significance for us and for others and whether there was anything we should do - like get involved with the people inside one of the buildings in some way. Tonight I read the Lent entry 'Coming up for Air', and thought how nice it would be to breath fresh air, instead of the exhaust fumes I get on my journey.

A shower is refreshing in the morning, so is my walk once I get past the worst of the traffic. They (and coffee) set me up for the mornings work on MS-SQL and VB 2005. Then at lunch time I go down for air, and take a short walk to set myself up for the afternoon.

Our home is turned into a Pub

OK, I exaggerate, but its a headline, and that's what all the newspapers do! Worse than that though is that it only serves cold Carlseberg. Lager! Real Ale should not be served freezing cold, not should it have a half inch head. It arrived yesterday, and was sat on the dinning table with a notice that said:

"DO NOT SWITCH OFF"

The boys have found new ways of getting supplies while they watch the important football games. I believe it holds 9 pints. So it stayed on all night, and most of today. It is now switched off and removed from the table, as we have home group in a little under an hour.

Now, I don't mind, really I don't, but the noise from it is horrible, like malfunctioning air conditioning. Have a listen to the video.

Snow in Essex

There is a 2cm covering of snow in some parts of Essex and London. Snow at this time of year has become rarer and when it occurs is usually in February.

The road, before too many cars have taken most of the snow away

The back garden

A view of the church from the back window.