20.12.2024 Heart monitor.

 ~o~ 

Friday 20th Early appointment at the distant hospital. UP at 6am on the alarm. Breakfast, shower dress and leave in the Morris. I arrived much too early. So wandered around a supermarket before going to the hospital. Handed the heart monitor by the heart department receptionist and left again. Still far too early for the shops to be open. So I walked around another supermarket before finding a baker and heading south to see my friend. Straight into the low, blinding sun for a while. The the road curved and the sun was off to my left.

 12.00 Returning from my visit. It rained briefly on the car while I was shopping in the village on the way home. 

 I haven't mentioned that the Monstera has responded well to the overhead LED work light and staking. The large, variegated and red leaved rubber plant beside it enjoys the light too. It too was leaning heavily towards the nearest small window before the light was added.  

 I have sought three more bids for the drainage and plumbing to the washing machine. From another building trades website. The first website produced no responses. 

 I have realised that a connection could be made to the large PVC drainpipe. Which exits the bathroom exterior wall from the toilet. Just the other side of the interior wall between the kitchen and bathroom. Likewise, a connection could be made to the water supply to the toilet flush. Again, just the other side of the wall behind the washing machine.

 So it could all be very compact. With no need to dig up the lawn. I wonder if it is worth my digging down to the toilet drainpipe to simplify things. Perhaps save on labour costs and avoid the need for a mini-excavator altogether. 

 15.00 Sunshine and showers. I managed to dig down about 60cm. Then I had to start working my way backwards. To allow the shovels to scoop out the soil I had loosened. I can hear something hollow down there but haven't reached the 110mm PVC drainpipe yet.

 The heart monitor was effortless to employ. Stick the contacts on my chest and attach the colour coded leads. Switch on. Green screen is okay. Insert in handbag with shoulder trap. Press the button to check functioning. Relax.

 I am taking a chance and making chips with fish fingers for dinner. In the new oven. I am disappointed to discover no timer. I had completely overlooked this in my choice. Though seeing the food in a bright light is rather entertaining. I didn't preheat the oven. As suggested on the oven chips' packaging. So, now I need a kitchen timer. Even if I can easily see the food being burnt. The mini oven had a clockwork timer but no internal light. So I used an LED torch. And kept resetting the timer when the food wasn't cooked!      

 The story of my culinary life it seems. I put the chips and fish fingers in the same baking tray on baking paper. The fish fingers now have little aliens in them and are oozing. The chips remain stoically white. This is after 40 minutes! I have moved the fish fingers onto another tray. Nearer the bottom of the oven. The chips have gone on the top rail to be grilled. The oven has a small hidden fan as well as the big one at the back. The little fan rattle and buzzes. Warm air is being blown into my face as I watch the food sizzle.

 The chips were too hard but still not brown. It was impossible to stab the chips with a fork. The fish fingers breadcrumbs were crisp, probably overdone, but tasted fine. Lessons learned: Preheat the oven. Separate the fish fingers from the chips. Chips on the top rail to be grilled. The fish fingers can go lower down and could easily go in 10 minutes later. Buy a kitchen timer.

I need more logs! Tomorrow morning. In the rain!

 ~o~