under another sun

A bit of a lie in with Lorraine sipping tea and reading the paper. Then off to Choice Cuts to pick up some sliced chewy brown. Had to queue outside and enjoy the spelling on the chalkboard: Due to current Restrichons we are being careful ... etc. I like the idea that if you are not certain about how to spell a word, simply capitalise it.  Up and took another couple of hours work on the website copy I had been writing yesterday for the new client. Lorraine happily sorting through clothes and also listening to a talk about education.  Eventually sent this off, and Lorraine and I played MarioKarts, and then had a short walk. In the evening we zoomed with Beth and James and played an epic game of Linkee with them in my study. In a lockdown world, this almost felt like a night out. Good to chat to them. They seem happy, which is heartwarming.  Calliope getting involved on my desk in the evening. 

Halloween. Offensive weather this morning. The news buzzing with rumours of a English lockdown next week. We set off to see Mum and Mas, and at one point even considered turning back as the motorway just north of Brighton. The wind was very strong, the road surface running with water, the air full of spray and rain.  Stressful driving for Lorraine, and the rain causing delays on the M25 so we were delayed. Mum and Mas in a little corner by the fire away from everyone, and we joined them for lunch and a couple of drinks. Lovely to see them. Mas rather sleepy after eating and in the warm, and not getting on particularly with his hearing aids.  Food better today, and the pints of Guinness I drank were nice. Lorraine enjoyed chatting with Mum and Mas. Mum saying about trying on her auntie Kay's clothes when she was a kid and they all lived in Ridge Road. Soon after we had arrived, I was sent a photo from Toby of him and Romy. I sent him ones back of us, which was nice. In contrast...

Grey misty rain in Brighton today. I walked out to get bread this morning, passing a father and his young son mooching along symbolically with a spent Christmas tree, although someone in Choice Cuts was buying a goose. Woke up late, having had another poor sleep. In desperation I arranged a chiropractor appointment in Kemptown. Saw a very thorough back cracker called Amy who and said I had damaged and inflamed the gap between two vertebrae in my upper back, and did lots of stretching, adjusting, and even some kind of treatment with a laser, and said it would take some time to settle down. Unfortunately lying down, in any configuration, is still excruciating but I felt she had at least released some of the pain and made my neck freer. Lorraine and I drove off to Hove in search of bolts and screws. Lorraine later assembled the spare bed, with only some last-minute screwdriver work needed from me.  We also went to Sainsburys and settled in for a pleasant evening watching movies on...