under another sun

Sam and Pat's birthday, for which a table had been booked at the Cleveland to celebrate. I wasn't able to go of course, and there was no way I could have eaten a pub lunch, as even a small breakfast had left me with sicky burps.  After a much needed shower, I popped downstairs to talk to Pat, Maureen, and Ken. Nice to see them, albeit from the other side of the room. I was joined in the singing of happy birthday. Sam and Pat both liked their presents, then they made off for the Cleveland to meet Beth and James and have a slap up feed.  I repaired back to bed with a cup of tea, and had a nice chat with Mum who showed me Felix who was sitting nearby, and said that she had a long and friendly talk with the evil neighbour's daughter among other news. She was going out in the afternoon too, by car, which had been fixed again.  After chatting with Mum, I fell asleep again while roaming in the Shire.  When they all came back, I crept downstairs again, for my back after a da...

 Woke up at 5:30 drenched in sweat, convinced I had a temperature. However I took it and was actually a degree colder, i.e. the perfect temperature for someone waking up at 5:30. Felt much better as the day progressed, and began sniffing slightly this afternoon. I now believe I have had a slight coldly bug, but as the day wore on I became convinced the grim reaper was not lying in wait for me. Otherwise a Microsoft Teams meeting with Pat, Keith and Carolyn to get a briefing this morning. And spent the day chatting with Keith in a little window on my screen and coming up with concepts and having a bit of a laugh. Managed also to do several short walks too, so that I felt more alive and had reached 9k paces by the end of the day. Lorraine home late, but I had cooked. Watched some more of the Gone Fishing show with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer. Beautiful TV shot in gorgeous places, little touching essays on friendship, and full of the philosophy of clowns.  

Bloody freezing today, a cold northerly wind. It was Pat and Sam's birthdays. A cheery breakfast where Pat got several cards, and Lorraine and I had bought him a construction kit for a Lancaster bomber. Later Lorraine drove Pat and Maureen into town to do a spot of shopping, I remained at home, tidying up and tinkering with some writing. Lorraine got a text from Sam, thanking her for the money used to buy himself some new boots. In the afternoon Beth came around and Lorraine cooked one of her thali curries, and we had candles and sat up at the table for dinner, and had banana bread.  Beth left in the evening, and we all watched Death in Paradise , from the first ever series, which none of us had seen. Then the absolutely delightful, Gone Fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, which has turned into a gem of a programme, funny and touching in turn.