The weather chart was quite correct this morning when it said it would only be 10° C at 7am. I can't be sure, but I think it may have been just 9° C earlier than 7am. There was clear blue sky at 7am, and the sky should stay like that all day as we are bathed in pure, warm, sunshine. The single hour of 21° C at 4pm has been removed in the latest revision to the forecast, but it will still be 20° C all afternoon. Tomorrow may be like previous days - a cloudy morning and very sunny afternoon. Once again the temperature could be quite chilly at daybreak, but the afternoon should see 20° C again.

  I don't think I was in a very bright mood yesterday. I didn't feel much get-up-and-go, or maybe I should say less than usual. As I mentioned yesterday morning, I seemed to have more of a desire to play with computers than do anything else. On the other hand, the sort of thing I was doing with computers was akin to a voyage of discovery, and was a learning experience. Maybe it was not a bad thing to do.

  I must admit that I did almost nothing in the morning, although reading a few pages from a book, and then having a short snooze was "something". I am sure I wrote that I had a good night's sleep yesterday morning, and so I shouldn't have needed a snooze, but it seemed so easy to close my eyes, let my mind go blank, and fall asleep. I don't know why it is not that simple most nights. I am unsure how long I slept for, but it was probably no more than 10 minutes. Maybe it was a wake up reminder to start doing something (if you'll excuse the mixed and twisted metaphors).

  The first bit of "playing with computers" (or computer singular) was to put all the bits down on the kitchen table - all except a keyboard. I needed a keyboard with a USB connection. I was sure I had a spare or even two somewhere, but I couldn't find one anywhere. I eventually decided to use a wireless keyboard. I have had problems with that in the past when installing operating systems - mysterious wireless disconnections at crucial times. Yesterday it behaved perfectly.

  Having got all the bits together I gave them all a good hard stare, and then, because it was around 1pm I decided to make some lunch. It was a thin slice of ready sliced mature cheddar on a spoonful of "Rainbow, yoghurt based, Coleslaw" on chilli flavoured rice cakes (four of them). They were nice, but I didn't enjoy them.  I probably decided to break for lunch because I was just delaying taking the first hard step of playing with the computer.

  The computer was the Dell Optiplex PC I had originally bight as a possible replacement for my main PC. I don't think I had ever even turned it on before, and the first thing it did when powered one was to go into panic mode, and start bleeping. I suspected it was something to do with the memory. I had taken both memory sticks out when I was contemplating installing twice the memory size in it, but I changed my mind and put the two memory sticks back in. I don't know if they were seated properly, or if one of them was faulty. I took the two sticks out, and put in the two sticks I had taken out my current PC when I upgraded it. It started up with no problem then.

  The first job was to use gParted to partition the 2GB hard disk I had fitted. I allowed a 500Gb partition for what I hope will be Windows 7, and then three partitions for Linux Mint, Mate desktop, Linux (30gb for a root partition, 8GB for a swap area, and the rest for a home partition). I then tried to install Windows 7.

  Now I must admit I don't think I have an official Windows 7 installer disk, with an official serial number. The first Windows 7 disk I had seemed to install OK, but it would not accept the serial number I offered it.  I scrubbed that, and tried an alternative installer disk. That had apparently been "fixed" so it didn't need a serial number, and was also pre-activated. Unfortunately it seems it had been so mucked about with so much that it couldn't seem to install the drivers for a network adapter, and many other things. I tried many things, but I got frustrated, and started the Linux install.

  As expected, the Linux installation went without a single hitch. The Linux Mint, Mate edition, like most Linux distributions, comes with a rich variety of common applications, but my preferences mean I had to add more. I also like to customise the desktop. Doing all that, plus having another go at the Windows 7 installation, took all afternoon. Some other day, maybe even today, I will try other Windows 7 installers, and if they don't work I will fall back onto Windows XP.

  The Windows installation is just a matter of convenience for a few rare things that will only work with Windows, and as such, Windows XP would be fine for that - and I know I have a problemless Windows XP installer. The Linux installation (the default option on the boot menu) still need some customisation. Silly things like the mouse pointer look a bit clunky to my eyes, but otherwise it is fully usable now.

  My dinner was quite a large salad. It was mostly mixed salad leaves, but I added quite a few baby tomatoes to try and use them up before they are past their best. I also added some croutons. The second large part was a whole pack of "tikka flavoured" sliced chicken breast. On reflection, it would have been better of I had only used half the pack, but it was on it's use by date, and best got rid off. I don't think I can recall anything contentious apart from what I have already listed.

  I half watch a bit of TV last night, but it was mostly so drab that I was easily distracted and went and looked at the internet now and then. I remember it was still light when I started going to bed, but it was dark when I fell asleep. I seemed to sleep OK until 1am when I got up to go for a pee. As I walked to the bathroom my mouth and throat felt dry, and I started coughing. After my pee I had many sips of my bedside drink, and still I couldn't stop coughing.

  I think I may have tried inhaling some of my own drool while asleep, or something like that. After 5 minutes or more of almost non stop coughing I got up and say at my PC. I poured myself a small whisky. I don't know if it really did any good, but I did stop coughing soon after, andI went back to bed. I haven't coughed at all since then - maybe apart from a quick and instant throat clearing.

  The rest of my sleep was almost OK. I did do my usual of turning on the heater, just on low, not long after 3am. At 5am I woke up with cramp in my right calf. Walking to the toilet for a quick pee straightened out the cramped muscle. I eventually woke up a bit later than usual, but still before 7am. This morning my first-thing-in-the-morning blood glucose check gave a happier figure of 8.7mmol/l. That is only a bit above my typical end of month average. Lower would have been good to help get this months average a bit lower.

  After 2 days of rail strikes the trains through Catford Bridge station are running again, although engineering works means only a rail replacement bus service for Catford station. This means Jodie could be over this afternoon, although I doubt it. On Friday she was having a birthday celebration with a gig in Reading, and was going to stay over in a hotel with Alan (who was driving because of the rail strike). She should have been home last night, but could have been so knackered, and possibly/probably had such a hangover, that she will not want to come out today.

  It could be sometime before I will know if she is coming over. In practice that probably means I shouldn't go out. Maybe that is just a convenient excuse for not going out to enjoy the hot sunshine. I must admit my legs do feel quite stiff this morning. I know it is from lack of walking, but it makes walking seem like it would be too hard to do. I seem to be on a downward spiral ! I can imagine playing with computers again today.