2nd December 2022 A visit to the boffin.

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  Friday 2nd 38F. The grey sky continues to blanket as temperatures slowly fall. Up at 6.40. That "Somebody" forgot to buy raisins for my porridge oats with cold milk!

 7.45 and I can now see the tops of the garden trees silhouetted against the grey clag. No sign of the light winds from the east and north east.

 17C/63F upstairs. 13C/56F in the lounge. 14C/57F in the kitchen, 8C/47F in the bathroom.

 The last remnants of the logs in the stove were still glowing red at bedtime. 11.45pm. You can see why we lived upstairs. It was always more comfortable. Except during heatwaves! 

 8.15 Time for my walk. I'll light the stove when I get back.

 9.00 Back from my walk. Going the wrong way. Just for a change of scenery. Though this was rather spoilt by the endless prairies of dark, bare soil. Three geese crossing towards the NE do not make a migration. 

 I have found my winter clothes buried amongst the assorted clothing tubs. So I could wear a fleece hat today. To keep my ears warm in the cold, easterly wind. I ought to have these tubs on the bedroom rack. Instead of the present mixed stuff. So I would have easier access to my largely recycled wardrobe. I keep seeing open rails, with clothing on hangers, in films on TV. The question is: Why doesn't my clothes rail look as smart as theirs? 

 Netflix is regularly dealing with death and bereavement. I find the nuances of attitudes and behaviour, in these series and films, valuable in my recovery. Humour is almost always therapeutic. As yet another facet of coping with loss. There is a sense of safety in watching these secondhand emotions. Removed from reality by a script, fiction and actors but fascinating none the less. 

 Stove lit. Second roller blind put up. This time in the new bedroom window. I chose a white blackout blind for this window. No direct light comes through but it leaks light on either side when closed. Handy to know if it is daylight. Without being "blinded" by low sunshine when I am in bed. Nobody can see through this window. I just felt a bit exposed by the dark square of naked glass after dusk. 

 I spent a good couple of hours with my British friend. He showed me how best to use the calendar on the computer. I have been really struggling to keep track of appointments and repeated events with pen and paper. His knowledge of computers is proving invaluable. I was given a doggy bag of home made biscuits. They are delicious! And too irresistible! 😋

 16.00 It has been so dark all day I have needed lights on indoors. I relit the stove on my return.

 18.50 I have just finished having a [typed] chat on Skype and have eaten all the biscuits. 😇

 Dinner will be chips and a salmon pasty. Simultaneously mini-oven baked. Probably throw on a few tomatoes too. Just to show how daring I am in the kitchen. Oddly enough the pasty didn't go brown like it usually does. I put it on the same tray at the chips. At the usual temperature 200C and 25 minutes, middle shelf.

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