I think this morning could be described as cold. The forecast predicted just 12° C at 6am, but it was closer to 14° C when I checked at about 8am. That still seems a bit chilly to me, and also seems rather less than I would expect in August - one of the summer months in my book. It is nice and sunny right now, and warming up indoors probably faster than outside. At 11am the full sunshine gives way to sunny spells, but the temperature should continue to rise, and by 3pm it should reach 21° C. After dark the temperature will fall quite low again. Tomorrow may only see 13° C at 6am, but once again there may be full sunshine followed by sunny spells, and tomorrow afternoon may see 23° C.

  Yesterday was only good in so much as I got my beer delivery. Apart from that it was not a very exciting day, but it did provide clues that today could be a bit more satisfying.

  There were things I could have, and should have done yesterday.  Probably the most important was to finish washing the laundry that I had temporarily got out out of the bath (in it's big bucket), and have a shower. I didn't because I didn't want to be wet and dripping when the door bell rung to announce the courier with my beers. It was all a bit silly because I knew in plenty of time that it would not arrive until late afternoon, and in fact it was just gone 4pm when it arrived. I could have washed and gone to Tesco by then, but I chose to be lazy.

  One thing I was trying to do yesterday morning was to fast. My blood glucose was far too high, and the only cure was to starve myself. I didn't really fast, but my lunch was just rice crackers with corned beef and lime pickle. The pickle is oil based, rather than like sugary jam, and I assumed (but didn't check - I should have done !) that it had a low sugar content. I spent more of the morning and afternoon laying on my bed reading, and while I knew I was safe for at least several hours, I had a snooze, but I think it was only a short snooze.
  At about 4pm the APC van drew up outside, and my beer were delivered. I thought it looked quite small, but I counted all the bottles and cans, and it came to 21. That sounded about right. I managed to cram about half of them in the beer fridges, and then (probably tomorrow - the Sunday beer tasting session) it will be one out and one in. The two small boxes in the picture were in a bigger box. Rather than clutter up the place with more cardboard boxes, I took them outside to cut them into smaller pieces for the recycling bin.

  While I was out the front by the bins along came Cous Cous (the fluffy cat) and he invited himself in. I stopped cutting up the final box and followed him in. He just wanted to say hello, and eat any food he was offered. I gave him one treat stick, and then a handful of cat nip Dreamies. After that I assumed he was settling down, possibly for a snooze, in his favourite box. I left him to it, and went out to cut up the last box. I was only out there for a minute or so before Cous Cous came out. The last I saw of him was walking up the road looking for invisible mice in his cat nip stoned state.

  I still had not been to Tesco, although I could have done if so inclined, but I devised an alternative plan for dinner. I would order a takeaway. I had not treated myself to one for ages (probably back in January after arriving home from my last short stay in hospital. I strongly fancied a kebab, and I think it was because my brain knew a shish kebab - just grilled meat with salad - can be a very healthy option. I actually ordered two kebabs plus some grilled wings with salad.

  My dinner last night was just the chicken shish kebab followed by some plain vanilla ice cream. It was quite delicious, and I was convinced it would be good for me. It seemed it was and it wasn't ! Explanation coming in a paragraph or three. I will be having the lamb shish kebab for dinner today, and possibly some of the chicken wings for lunch. I might just have the salad that came with the wings, but maybe with some grated cheese, but I'll decide all that later.

  My evening was just the typical watching TV, but I seem to have got into the habit of finishing TV a bit earlier so I can read in bed for a short while - or after over an hour last night. I hadn't intended it, but I think it might have been only a short while before midnight when I fell into a fairly deep sleep. I definitely got up to pee at about 3am (or was it 4am ?).

  I felt no great rush to get up this morning. I got up to pee just before 6am, and apart from stopping to take screen shots of the weather forecasts, I was back in bed 10 minutes later. I don't think I got back into a deep sleep, and although it might have just been dreaming, it seemed like I was half awake a lot of the time until I finally got up around 8am. I still felt tired, and I did not feel that good. One problem was that I felt cold. I wondered if I had a fever, but my clinical thermometer read 35.1° C - a long way from a fever !

  Another visit to the toilet produced a decent poo, and a bit of pee. I then weighed myself. I was not happy ! I had put on 400gm, and that was on top of a few other small increases lately. It made me worry what my blood glucose was doing. It was actually doing really well. The kebab dinner had kept that part of the bargain, and the average of all three readings was a very good 7.23mmol/l, and only one average this month was slightly lower at 7.17mmol/l (almost the same).

  This morning brings some excitement, and possibly two lots of excitement. My new 500mm lens is due to be delivered by Royal Mail (which I think will be my regular postman) between 10 and 4pm - my regular postman tends to be here around midday.

  It is possible my Hydrogen light lens filter may be delivered today as well. It is now reported to be at the delivery depot, and "they will let me know when it is out for delivery". I am unsure if they deliver on Saturday's so I am trying to prepare myself for a long wait until Monday. I may also be in for another long wait. The filter I am expecting is for my 300mm lens, and a could be for a few other lenses I have that use a 58mm filter. My new 500mm lens would seem to need a 82mm filter. I may need to order another Hydrogen Light filter, plus a neutral density filter for the new lens - the extra zoom would make it worthwhile to get a bigger image of the sun. The 500mm lens is starting to get into small telescope territory.

  Apart from waiting for deliveries I need to finish the laundry today, and then if I time it right I could wash my hair and have a shower. Maybe I could go to Tesco after that, or maybe I could take a walk in the park (with my camera and new lens), and try and get a bit of strength back in my legs. Although I will be getting a lift home, my appointment with the man with a camera at the end of a long tube, who wants to stick in down my throat, and then up my bottom, is getting close, and a bit of extra practice walking through the park to the hospital would be useful.