4.10.2022 Pardon?

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 Tuesday 4th 52F. Grey overcast and breezy. Up at 6.30. 64F upstairs. 62F downstairs. 

I have another appointment in town this morning. So no time for my usual morning walk. A quick shower and then I'm off.

 10.15 55F. Brighter overcast. Enjoying a belated morning coffee. 

 I have been to have another hearing test. This time at a private hearing aid chain. This was after my appointment for hearing aids was put off for yet another three months at the city hospital. It has been difficult to hear in noisy conditions for years. My recent socialising at the museum and cooking classes has proved to be a severe challenge to hear conversations. Masking of voices by background noise is a common problem for the deaf.

 Now I discover I cannot afford commercial hearing aids. So it is back to waiting patiently. It is interesting how those last two words go together so often. With hospital hearing tests in January it will be February before I am fitted with hearing aids. I had my initial hearing test back in June. 

 Had a chat with my ear doctor while I was in town. It was suggested that I leave my telephone number with the hospital hearing clinic. Then they can ring me if they have a cancellation that I could fill. Duly done and fingers crossed. I can probably get there within an a hour and half of any of my normal commitments.

 12.00 57F. Just back from the drop-in, vaccine clinic at the doctors surgery. Went for the Covid booster shot and influenza. The lung infection jab wasn't available for the moment. When I look at the state of some of the patients in the waiting room I consider myself extremely lucky for my continuing health and fitness. I should be a physical wreck by now. Given the extremely hard work I have done over the years. 

 To which end I really ought to have another cycle ride. It is grey and quite windy today. With occasional sunny periods. I have ridden my trike in vastly worse conditions than this. When it suited me. Back when I was still obsessed with cycling.

 I decided to be good instead and do something useful. First I had to tidy up some very ugly wiring. Put there by a local electrical installer. Otherwise I could not fix architrave around the bathroom door. I used double wire terminals to push the wiring safely back into the wall receptacle. Then on went the architrave. Job done. 

 Another twisted beam just above. Three inches [75mm] out of square with the building over the length of the hall. Same both sides. Both are out of level too. I need to touch up the paint on the beam above the door, The door needs painting too.

 Talking of which: I might get some self-levelling compound for the entrance hall. Or, I could lay suitable tiles. Something hard wearing. Which would stand muddy boots traipsing in and out. Quarry tiles? Though they'd want to be fairly light coloured to avoid darkening the hall.

15.15 Sunny but windy. The greenhouse door to the front hall has been open for a couple of hours now. 70F/21C indoors. Upstairs and down. That will put of needing to light the stove for another night. 

Picture of the sewn grass on the greatly expanded parking space. The grass flourishes best where the compost is thickest. Though it is spreading. I am hoping the grass will lock the rather soft compost together over time.

 17.25. I have mown all the grass. Then distributed a dozen, large, barrow loads of self-compacting gravel. Just to level things out a bit. Low spots tend to collect soft mud when it rains. Brought in the washing and hung it on the greenhouse clothes horse.

 I bought some diced chicken breast at half price this morning. So I can make Ben's Medium curry. I bought some different rice too. The organic Basmati was a bit odd. Not awful but not very tasty either. I didn't like the smell when it was cooking. I bought some organic brown rice instead. 

 I used to cycle 34 miles, round trip, to a health shop. Just to fetch the organic Basmati rice my wife liked. The shop is still there. I just checked. Decades of taking vitamins and eating organic foods, fruit and veg. All that exercise. It didn't do my wife much good. 

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