My thermometers said it was still 19° C at about 6am. I think that still means last night could be called a tropical night, although it didn't seem to feel hot and sweaty like most tropical nights. The earlier sunny spells have now given away to full, non stop sunshine, but cooler winds from the east mean this afternoon may only see a high of 27° C. As I write this (10:41am) it is already 25° C, and so only 2° to go. The full sunshine should continue until sunset, and then clear skies may allow the temperature to drop fairly fast to 19° C by 2am tomorrow morning. It looks like it may feel quite fresh tonight. Only a few hours tomorrow afternoon will feature just sunny spells, and the rest of tomorrow will see full, non stop sunshine. The afternoon may only reach 27° C - the same as today.

  Yesterday featured another bad disappointment, but was mostly a quiet day. I had two plans for yesterday that never happened, and they were because of a mix of waiting for a parcel/packet delivery (which did arrive this time) and some ongoing aftershocks from my stomach upset. In fact it was the latter that stopped me feeling "dynamic" and set the tone for the whole day.

  By 1pm I was informed my parcel/packet delivery would be between 13:30 and 15:30, and so I did have time to wash my hair and have a shower, but being unable to make use of being clean and fragrant until mid afternoon, it gave me little inspiration to get clean and fragrant (although I was so smelly that I would be doomed if I had an unexpected visitor). So mostly I just waited until my package arrived.

  It was three more Sony style Memory Sticks, and unfortunately none of them was in perfect condition. I am unsure if these fairly old memory sticks are still made. Most things used the standard, mini, micro or nano SD card these days. Even my lower resolution, and I think slightly newer, Sony Camcorder has the option to use a standard SD card (high speed version recommended). What I don't know is if Sony Play Stations are still made, and what they use for removable memory. The portable versions definitely used to use (Sony style) Memory Sticks, and maybe that has left a legacy problem.

  When I checked the small print (or scrolled a bit down the page) I saw that the Memory Sticks I bought were "customised" for use on the PSP (Play Station Portable) and had had a pirated game burnt into the memory. Apparently there is firmware, not generally available to the public, that can set some of the memory to "Read Only", and the Memory Sticks I had bought had some, or a lot  of the capacity set to Read Only for a pirated game. I suspect that many of the Memory Sticks this is done to are second hand, and when starting to fail with age.

  I feel sure I am throwing more good money after bad by ordering two more Memory Sticks which appear to be what I need, but I will only believe that when I get them in my grubby hands and test them. All this leads to a sort of dilemma that didn't exist until I blew the dust off the high resolution camcorder, and thought I ought to start using it. My low resolution (as in "standard definition" - for 625 line TV) camcorder seem a bit low resolution for display on PC screens and big TVs. I don't really have plans to use it when my mobile phone can do far better. Fortunately it can use standard SD memory cards, and I don't need Sony style Memory Sticks for it.

  The High Definition camcorder can take lovely video (or still pictures) that look fine of a high definition computer screen, and large/wide screen TV. I would like to use it now and then rather than it gathering dust. It had a small (40GB ?) hard disk built in, and doesn't need Memory Sticks, but what happens if the hard disk fails - they do not last for ever, and it would tricky and expensive, possibly very expensive to replace it - hence my desire to have a small stock of good (Sony style) Memory Sticks for it.

  Playing around with those Memory Sticks, seeing which would work, half work*, and which (including a few I already had) were beyond redemption, allowed a fair bit of time to go almost unnoticed except for frustration or annoyance. I can imagine going through the same thing when the next, and probably last ever two I have ordered** arrive.

         * If the high definition camcorder finds enough space on the Memory Stick, it will actually record video and still pictures, but throws up a warning screen for about 30 seconds that warns that "this memory stick may not be able to record and play back correctly". It triggered by the camcorder finding a non standard file layout (probably), but it does try and use what space it can find, and that always seems to work - at least for a few minutes of video.

           ** I have ordered two more that might be OK, and I am wondering if I should take a chance on Ebay. I have heard of terrible things being passed off as memory on Ebay. The most common thing is standard SD cards marked as having ten times the real capacity, and with the firmware inside tweaked so they show electronically that they are far bigger than they really are. I suspect that may not be done to Sony Style Memory Sticks, but they could be worn out second hand sticks, or like the ones I got from Aliexpress, have parts of the memory marked as "Read Only". I have to admit I have/had a very low opinion of Ebay, but apart from accidently ordering a camera lens from Japan, and getting stitched up with input duty, the other lenses I have bought from Ebay (in a little spree a few months ago) were all in good order.

  The one thing I didn't do yesterday, which while not essential, would have been of some importance, was to go shopping in Tesco. I am now down to one unopened bottle of Diet Coke left in the house, and as well as more bottles of Diet Coke, I was hoping to get more Twiglets and "Wotsits" for very low sugar snacks (or even a full meal if I could manage such a small meal). It meant I had limited choices for very low sugar food yesterday, and this morning's blood glucose readings reflected that.

  By 6pm I settled down into the usual "sitting in front of the TV" slob mode. I had a couple of semi low sugar instant noodles while watching TV, and a couple of not so low sugar snacks while watching my typical evening TV programmes. By 9pm I found myself feeling sleepy, and I watched one more programme. I think it was Have I Got News For You, and then I went to bed. I don't know why I felt so sleepy, but I gave up trying to read after looking at a single page of blurred print (well, not actually blurred, but my eyes kept closing, and I couldn't keep track of all the words).

  I think I was asleep not long after 10pm - late by my old standards, although maybe a bit more typical these days. I don't remember any more until I awake at about 3.30am for a pee. I think I may have had another earlier than that, but the memory is so insubstantial that it might have been a dream, or even part of a dream. I can't seem to recall any dreams, although as sometime happens, I feel sure I did have one that has complete faded from any memory.

  This morning is one of those mornings when I seem to be easily distracted. I got up at around 7am and went to the toilet before weighing myself. It felt like I needed a poo, but that didn't happen (and as I sit here typing I seem to be getting a bit uncomfortable, but it may be just wind). I was not happy with my weight, and I am unsure what I ate to blame on it rising by 600gm - unless it is just that I will sooner or later be passing a large poo (although that feels unlikely to make that much difference to my weight).

  As well as my weight rising, it seems my blood glucose has risen again. Fortunately it is teetering on the edge of the danger zone, but only because one reading was just enough to drag the average down a tiny bit. I got readings of 9.2, 9.1 and 10.2mmol/l. The latter reading is just in the danger zone, but the average of all three is 9.5mmol/l (just under the red line at 10.0mmol/l). Looking at it in a positive light, that average is lower than all but three better readings so far this month.

  The is other good and bad news this month - mostly good ! First of all, during the last paragraph I was feeling something akin to constipated. That is not the case now. If anything I am a bit "loose" and I predict another visit to the toilet soon. One other bit of good news is that my repair to the toilet seat hinge is still holding well. The toilet has seen a lot of use recently, and although I would prefer not have done it, it was a good test of my repair.

  My intentions for today have just changed following a phone call from Jodie. I intended to wash my hair, and have a shower (I desperately need both), and for a while it seemed time was escaping from me. After I was clean I was hoping to go to Tesco, and then go to The Jolly Farmers. I doubt Ayse (my favourite barmaid) would be there again, and I'll be annoyed if I find she was there and I missed her. The new plan is for a mid afternoon (3 to 4pm start) beer tasting session. I shall let Michael know we are not drinking Tomorrow, but he can join us this afternoon if he wants.

.......10 minutes passes.....My prediction about a possible second visit to the toilet came true far faster than I predicted. I wouldn't rule out another in the near future. What ever did I eat yesterday ???

  My revised plan is to have a quick lie down, and then a shower. Maybe my hair is not too bad and doesn't need washing. Once showered I should have enough time to get to Tesco, then prepare the dining room and kitchen for beer tasting. Then I just have to try and avoid beers with lots of sugar in them, and then try and eat sensibly when I have my dinner afterwards.

......another 10 minutes has passed, and I have now made three visits to the toilet. What ever I ate seems to have the same potency as the super laxative I had to take before the colonoscopy I was supposed to have until my super high blood pressure ruled it out. I have some doubts that I am completely cleared out yet, and I think I'll have my lie down next, and the shower a bit later.