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5 January 2012

Posted by DMC on 6 January 2012 in Diary |

The early morning pretty well followed the one we established yesterday. So after breakfast I completed the blog entries for the last two days while Mick had a shower, etc and then we were able to finish of the exam marking with me typing in the final marks obtained by each candidate on my pre-prepared schedule. There were only 6 papers to mark in the end which was just as well. If I had had 24 like last, year it would not have possible to finish them during Mick’s visit. I must say I was very grateful to make handling the paper and making a note of my marks as I could not possibly have managed without him. I made it clear in the Examiner’s Report, which I wrote later, that I would not take on this task again.

Although we had finished all the marking yesterday there was still the adding up to do and entering the figures onto my pre-prepared schedule and again, this took most of the morning.

The nurse arrived at lunchtime and got me into my electric wheelchair.as we had prearranged to go to lunch at the Cricketers and I then drove it to the pub in a howling gale. The problem was the very strong wind, and at one stage on the journey the wheelchair was actually moved sideways by a strong gust of wind. However, we arrived safely and were seated at our usual round table adjacent to the restaurant. We both opted for the ‘credit crunch lunch’ (£8.95!) which today was Haddock, chips and peas. The fish had clearly been cooked for us and the very light batter made it quite delicious. I was quite abstemious and had no pudding but Mick got stuck into a rather delicious looking home-made Bakewell tart with a scoop of ice cream which I could not immediately identify.

On our return, I still had a little work to do in connection with the paperwork for the examination, in particular the examiner’s report and Mick therefore was able to relax and read for most of the afternoon .

The six o’clock carer from Ross nursing was Catherine Penny, who had only been once before. She reminded me that they lived in France (she reminded me that she only works occasionally, for Ross nursing when she is over in this part of the world) quite close to Guy and Judy Kent. (Guy is Jane Orde-Powlette’s brother and Jane is the mother of Rosamund who, with her first novel,’ Sister’ caused a bit of a sensation, topping the bestsellers lists several weeks). Anyway, it was nice to see Catherine and to hear news of my friends in France.

To be honest, when Catherine arrived to prepare me for bed. I really didn’t feel to be fit. We had already decided to skip a champagne tonight and substitute it with whisky. Also, I would not go to the trouble of hoisting me into the wheelchair going into the breakfast room, so no cigar tonight. It is a rigid house rule that there is to be no smoking in the house other than on rare occasions when ‘herself’ gives permission for me to smoke in the breakfast room. Usually in the dead of winter weather window open, so that one doesn’t get too comfortable in their own want to prolong the agony for ‘my lovely’. In the end I even skipped my whisky and had nothing to eat and, as a result, went to bed only slightly off colour.

As far as I was concerned the evening was a bit of a disaster. Normally, Alice has scanned the TV Times and worked out a schedule for us but with me unable to turn the pages of the Radio Times and not having enough strength to press the buttons on the remote control. The whole business was in Mick’s hands who wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about watching the box anyway. With unfamiliar equipment and controls to handle we watched mishmash of bits and pieces before Sally arrived to put it to bed. Unfortunately it was right in the middle of the only program that I had enjoyed all evening. It was about the restoration of the Georgian mill by a young couple who discovered that wives cervical cancer had returned and it was touch and go as to whether she would get in to the house before she died. A sad note on which to go to bed.

Mick had done a really great job in Alice’s absence, but I was pleased when she returned from Cornwall, around 11 o’clock, to the takeover as she has the whole process down to a fine art and the show runs like a well oiled machine. Apparently she came in on her arrival, but I was dead to the world, so she did not disturb me but came back, an hour or so later, just to let me know that she was back safely, and once more in charge.

Click here for today’s joke.

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