The screenshot above is of the early morning version of the weather forecast. It shows sunshine and sunny spells this morning, but the last bit of sunshine I saw was around 7am, and even then it had only been sunny spells. The latest revision doesn't show those early hours, but what is shown is the same as above until the evening when only sunny spells for 8pm, just before sunset are predicted - 6 and 7pm are now shown as heavy clouds. With the temperature only reaching 18° C, it is going to feel a bit cool today.  Tomorrow may be dry, and at 20° C, a bit warmer, but most of the day may be very dull.

  Two main things happened yesterday, and the second would cause small happenings of it's own. The first thing was that I hand washed a double duvet cover, and dried it in warm sunshine on the washing line. After getting the duvet cover on the washing line I couldn't really think of anything exciting to do, and I was almost prepared for another very boring day, but then I had an idea. I would take a short walk (although it was nearly a one mile round trip) to the Sainsbury's Local shop by Catford station.
  As I walked down the road I passed one of those annoying planters that is part of a road block. I am pretty certain it has a tomato plant growing in it. I feel sure it was not part of the original seeds planted in it. My guess is that someone, maybe a kid having a tantrum, threw a tomato containing sandwich, or just picked out a slice of tomato and threw it in the planter. After that mother nature took over.

  I principally wanted just two things - some of their ready made salads, and some wholemeal (and hopefully sugar free) bread rolls. Apart from some of the very long walks, when I would be in a lot of discomfort as I approached home, I have always regarded the walk to Catford station as being the worst bit of the walk. There is nothing special about that bit of a walk, but until my legs warm up it feels like hard work. This was true even in, for instance, 2009 when I was doing some long coastal walks.

  Before going in Sainsbury's I used the cash machine next door to withdraw some cash. That was something I have been meaning to do for a few weeks now. Once inside the store I found some salads, and I found a 6 pack of wholemeal rolls. That was fine, but I also found some stuff that had some big price reductions on it, and some stuff that had some longer term price reductions. The only trouble with a lot of one off price reduction stickers is that they were things I really shouldn't be eating. The chicken tortilla wraps had an obscene amount of sugar in them !

  The walk back home felt a lot easier than the walk to the Sainsbury's Local store. I was possibly walking faster, but then again, walking home always feels good. Once i got home I started slowly demolishing some of the things I had bought. I used a load of rice crackers to scoop up and eat the little tub of seafood spread (half price), and the tub of premium coleslaw (reduced to about a third of the price). I also ate that three pack of chicken tortilla, and too much sugar, wraps.

  I'm sure I ate other stuff too, but I did try and keep dinner simple. It was a ready made "simple" salad from Tesco with added tomatoes, basil leaves, and diced cheeses. I'm also sure I ate something after it too, but I can't think what it was unless it was just another chunk of cheese. I don't think I had any beer yesterday, but I did have a few whiskies - one in the afternoon, and a couple in the evening.

  There were a few things on TV last night that were worth watching, but there were problems...On Sky Arts there was a documentary about Jimi Hendrix, but I didn't realise until it was almost over. That was followed by a documentary about The Doors, but right in the middle of it The Talking Pictures channel was showing that classic railway/General Post Office film "Night Mail". It has been ages and ages since I saw Night Mail, and even then I am not sure I saw all of it. I decided to not only turn over to watch it, but to make a digital copy of it.

  My sleep was fairly good - I think - but I do seem to recall having lots of dreams, and most of them were about travel, as in walking to places. Most walks seemed to be within big buildings. In one peculiar sequence was with several people, and we were going to take a short cut that we seemed to have used often in the past, but maybe something had changed to stop it being usable. It involved walking through a pub, and out through a back window onto a roof, across the roof, and down through a skylight into another bar. We got as far as the skylight and realised we couldn't get through it. The dream faded out at that point.

  Another dream was partly dreamed in the third person. I remember walking through a big building until I got to an escalator, but then the view changed to something like a computer map. It seems I was trying to avoid some people for some unknown reason, and the computer display showed them at the bottom of the escalator. I turned around, or somehow crossed to the up escalator, and went to the top again. I could see on the display that I could walk to the end of another corridor, and exit the building at ground level. With most of the action as just markers on a computer display it wasn't the most exciting of dreams. I guess it was interesting on other levels though.

  I knew I had to expect trouble after eating all the junk I ate yesterday, but instead of my blood glucose being well above the danger line, it was only 9.0mmol/l. That is much too high, but in intent. In reality it is under the danger line of 10.0mmol/l, and not that much above my apparently well controlled average of about 8.5mmol/l. I should be taking steps to try and get it lower tomorrow, but there is a problem that I shall come to soon.

  This morning I dared to go shopping in Aldi. I say dared to go because of the stupid situation of the installation of loads of self checkouts to replace the staff operated checkouts. I bought less than usual, partly as a way of not tempting myself to eat too much, but I still had a fair amount of shopping in my trolley when I approached the checkouts. The remaining two were not staffed, and I was getting ready, and almost looking forward to, dumping my trolley in the middle of the aisle in protest.

  I noticed there was just one member of staff rushing round like a blue arsed fly trying to help several people at once at the self service checkouts. I called her over and asked if the staffed checkouts were now permanently closed. She said no, but they had two people call in sick this morning. My observation was that they needed another two just to help people at the self service checkouts. I said, oh well, I'll give up, but she said she could get someone to open a checkout out if only that would satisfy me - and she did. It was one of the multi skilled shelf stackers. I get the impression that many staff have been laid off before they have even trialled the self service checkouts. I expect they will find the losses from theft are going to sky rocket now.
  Self service checkouts are not the only madness in Aldi. What sort of person would get excited about Marmalade flavoured sausages ? Maybe I should have bought some. They couldn't be that bad, could they ? Actually they probably could be truly awful for someone like me who really doesn't like Marmalade (although I used to like lime marmalade).

 A more sane thing is flavoured rum, and I bought these two small 35cl, bottles this morning for just over £7 each. I have already had a very small taster of the coconut and lime, and I liked it. It doesn't even seem sugary - which is good. It reminds me of something else that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it was something edible rather than sun cream !

  All my plans, as vague as they were, are in disarray this morning after I took a better look at the weather forecast. For some reason I expected sunny spells this afternoon, but maybe that was how it was forecast 24 hours ago. The biggest fly in the ointment is the predicted rain for 2pm...on the other hand that has now disappeared, and the latest revision has reduced the chance of rain to just 10%.

  It will probably stay dry now, and that is good because one positive thing I will be doing today, because I started it after I got out of my shower early this morning, is to do some hand laundry. I have 2 or three t-shirts, and some underwear soaking, and once I have finished the job I am rather hoping they can dry on the washing line - sadly not in sunshine though.

  I did have some fanciful ideas of going out today. Last night, while waiting to fall asleep, I was even thinking of going to the coast. All such desires seem to have evaporated under today's grey skies. Having said that, it does seem to be bright as I am typing this. Maybe not bright enough to cast an obvious shadow, but it can't be far off. What's the chance of the weather forecast, made by humungous super computers, staffed by the finest in the land, being wrong ? I think we all know the answer to that !