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Tuesday 16th 65F [at 4.40am] The heatwave has triggered thunderstorms with cloudbursts. Yet again they seem to be passing on either side of my location. Though a really big blob of nasty looking storms is moving slowly north from Germany.
Up at 3.45 with a burning gnat bite on my hand. I was far too hot at 76F/24C even under a single sheet on the lounge floor. It is still a sweaty 80F upstairs. Where I am at the PC.
I have a head scan appointment at a hospital some 35km/22 miles away. It will mean driving there in the rush hour. I think I shall follow my usual cycling route via minor roads and lanes. It is very pretty until I get to the outskirts of the major town.
The doctor who supervised my hearing tests was concerned at the huge difference between my ear's sensitivity. I am all but deaf in the left ear. So must rely entirely on my right ear. Not ideal for location of sound sources. Though I can still hear the whine of gnats in my right ear. I am not sure what they are expecting to find from the scan. I don't have any other discernible symptoms. A hospital hearing aid test and fitting are still some months away.
I have to get back home afterwards for another chat with the county council's old farts & bereavement councillor. It was she who got me involved with the museum. She has lots of contacts to smooth the way into my re-socialisation. I am still hoping for the promised cooking classes for men.
The lounge floor is a mess again. Boxes of stuff to be donated to charity. Or dumped at the recycling yard. It would be prudent to do some serious tidying while I am waiting to leave for the hospital. I have to clear away my temporary [heatwave] bed anyway. Though that takes only seconds thanks to the folding foam mattress. Three large squares, in fitted cloth bags are simply hinged between the squares. Once folded, it is in a manageable form and can be hidden away.
At least she will have a real chair to sit on this time. A choice of three! 😄 Not to mention a coffee table for her laptop and briefcase.
7.15. 66F/19C. I have cleared the lounge as well as I can. Then cleaned the kitchen. It is hot and stuffy indoors despite all the windows being open. I am sweating like a pig at 80F/27C. Time for a shower.
10.30 71F outside. 79F indoors. Safely returned and enjoying morning coffee, As expected, it was enjoyable drive to the hospital through beautiful countryside. I was accustomed to the route from my frequent cycle rides there. Though it was overcast and a bit misty today. I had the rural lanes almost to myself. There were signs of torrential rain. The roads were wet. With countless drifts of gravel washed out of private drives and off the verge.
The scan was very odd. The headphones hugely amplified the sound of the scanner. If I wasn't deaf beforehand, I am now! I just kept my eyes tightly closed and counted... one thousand,. two... Fortunately none of the scans was longer than three minutes. The scanner technician [?] spoke excellent English. He was an expert at providing a calm and friendly atmosphere. He had visited the UK on cycling holidays. So we chatted about where he had been and where it matched where I had lived.
We talked for over three quarters of an hour. I find it extremely valuable to be able to discuss anything, face to face, in a safe environment. Even in the medium of Danish. I was really out of practise. There is still the hope of cooking classes. We agreed to meet for a chat once a month. Or, until I no longer need her personal support. The more I put myself about socially, the less dependent I will be on her alone.
Now I can't stay awake!
Dinner was experimental and using up stuff I had. Fried chicken pieces on a bed of cauliflower and pasta. With tinned chopped tomatoes. It was fine.
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