Post 328: Please Let Me Be Well Enough for Dorset
After getting to bed at 9pm (but with the last alarm for pills is at 10pm) and waking at 6am you’d have thought I’d be fighting fit and top of the parade — but I didn’t feel great this morning.
I got out of bed and put my dressing gown on at 9:15am for two reasons.
One, because I’ll have a shower later. I don’t always have a shower as sometimes I’m not confident or strong enough.
And two, because I need to feed the cat and leave my Darling in bed for as long as possible on a Friday morning.
So I sat on the stairlift and slowly went downstairs.
After feeding Mr Vicious I fed myself.
A few too many Crunchy Nuts out of a new giant box was the first ingredient in the bowl, followed by some muesli and real milk.
While I was crunching the cereal I heard a noise from upstairs and wondered if I’d be joined by my sleeping beauty.
I was right.
Indeed it was unusual, but while the kettle started to growl in the corner — obviously upset that another half jug of water was needed to be boiled for drinks — my Darling made herself a coffee and I started chatting about the solar panel meter reading I had just taken.
We’ve had solar panels for eleven years in June and they have paid for themselves handsomely.
But the thing is, like the other day when I rang up EDF Energy to change my Darling’s bank details for mine on the gas and electric bill, I had hoped there was enough time to change where the Feed-In Tariff credits are deposited — from my account to my Darling’s.
These prudent rearrangements are so that when the time comes and I’m taken off for a direct cremation I’ll be happy in the knowledge that most of the utilities and other bills will already be paid by her and ease her burden in what will otherwise be a sad and painful time rearranging her live without the grumpy git in the dressing gown pitching in his two-penneth.
So I rang Justin while my Darling sat beside me waiting for her moment to add what she had to say to EDF.
In the end we had a few hiccups along the way and eventually received an email which we have to administer to which will make her the new recipient of the solar panel power-credits.
However I was disappointed that I couldn’t make her the new power generation owner. I hoped it was clean and simple but it required us filling in many more forms than we’d like to.
After a long chat trying to make this action as easy as possible it became obvious that changing the recipient of funds now was best — and then waiting for the eventual day of my demise when a death certificate can easily change the generator’s name to hers.
It wasn’t quite what I wanted but it did the job with only one page of new instructions emailed back to HQ.
Fabulous.
My Darling listened, agreed with the plan and finished her coffee too.
She went back upstairs for a shower and I followed slowly on the stairlift, leaving the notes and the EDF solar paperwork in the office for another day, after arriving upstairs safely.
Today was a busy Friday for both of us so we’ll sign that form soon enough.
———
My Darling kissed me on the cheek as she headed back downstairs and out the door for the usual meeting at the café in town.
She has another cold sore on her lips so the kiss on the lips was out in favour of a kiss on my cheek, that was close enough.
It’s funny that after knowing my Darling for forty years this December I have never had a cold sore (touch wood) while she’s had hundreds.
It’s a strange and annoying pimple that she’s also passed on to one of the boys.
Very strange.
⸻
But while I did plan on having a shower and could have done with warming up, I shivered my way back onto the bed, pulled the covers over my dressing gown, laid the bed-head down comfortably, well before midday — and woke up with the doorbell going off.
A parcel delivery for the neighbours I expect, damn them. Why can’t they be in for a change!
I didn’t want to miss the delivery so in stocking feet, without my phone or glasses, I went downstairs under my own steam as quick as I could.
When I opened the massive red front door to the cold miserable day I was greeted by my sister — not an annoying parcel delivery.
The big hugs followed.
Then I said, “Why are you so early today?” and Big Sis replied, “It’s half past one and I’m on time thank you very much.”
Crikey.
Where did the time go?
After a big night’s sleep of eight hours I had managed some more just now.
Before she sat down for her lunchtime picnic she galloped upstairs like a Cheltenham Festival favourite and gathered my glasses, slippers and phone, while the grumpy kettle was set off boiling again.
Cheers Sis.
Once I’d made up a big roll for myself we sat and chatted about all the things that were happening, had happened and the gossip about relatives and friends.
I couldn’t explain the reason for my back pain and was fidgeting all the while but it wasn’t too bad for me.
Worse things happen at sea.
⸻
My Darling came back with shopping and more good news from the Friday scales — another pound off and apparently slimmer of the month, or something like that.
She was full of it and so happy.
And so she should be.
She’s now getting into dresses that haven’t been worn for ages, so she’s proud of herself — as I am of her too.
Five pounds to target.
Wow.
That’ll be two stone off.
Before Big Sis went home she gave me the reusable bag of treats.
Among the wonders today was a waist-expanding vegan orange Tesco Finest Easter egg.
It looks fantastic.
There were also dark chocolate biscuits, chocolate-covered cookies with orange peel inside, Merchant’s savoury rice with red peppers and lime, and lots of other ingredients I’ve forgotten — together with more sweet and savoury treats.
The goodbye hugs were longer than usual because we won’t see Big Sis now until after Easter — a few weeks away.
That will give me time to slim down that ever-increasing waistband. Or not.
⸻
My Darling and I retired to the lounge and the huge television.
Nice.
I sat uncomfortably while the TV entertained us until bedtime at nine again.
Is this my life?
I hope not.
I want to be more comfortable.
I need to be well for this holiday in six more sleeps.
I’m otherwise okay but my back remains a problem.
Darn it.
Good luck.
