This morning has started fairly sunny with long sunny spells. There could be a small splash of rain very late in the afternoon at 4 and 5pm, but with only a 35% of it happening it is most likely to stay dry. The afternoon should see 21° C. Unfortunately a lot of the day will be dull. Once again, CORRECTION: The latest revision to the forecast shows light rain, or drizzle, from midday to 6pm, but once again the highest chance is only 41% at 4pm. That probably means most of that time will be dry. The headline figure for tomorrow looks good, but the afternoon will still only see 21° C. Tomorrow morning may be bright for a while, but then there will only be occasional sunny spells in a mostly dull day.

  Yesterday was another mostly OK, but not very exciting day. There was no beer drinking, but I did wash 6 pairs of underpants, and a t-shirt. Unusually I finished the whole job, and had them hanging on the big clothes horse in the front room to dry by mid afternoon.

  I think I have just described much of yesterday in three sentences, but there is a bit more to say. Jodie decided messing about on rail replacement services was no fun, and with no trains through Catford Bridge she decided to cancel any beer tasting yesterday. However, today is different. On this bank holiday Monday the engineer works has moved down the line, and today we have a train service that uses the rarely used link that allows trains to terminate at Beckenham Junction station. That is a short ride on a bus (possibly more than one route) for Jodie, and the beer tasting should happen today.

  One thing I did yesterday was to plan out the start of next month. The main thing next month is my gastroscopy and colonoscopy - one after the other. It may not be so unpleasant itself if I get the sedation I hope to get, but the preparation for it is quite a pain in the backside even if the colonoscopy isn't (although I doubt it will actually be comfortable, but mild compared to the gastroscopy). If you click on the picture above you will see the full sized screenshot of this bit of my diary.

  The appointment with Jane is just my monthly visit to the diabetes nurse, and is usually pleasant. The trouble starts on Saturday 5th when I have to start a low fibre diet. If I could be bothered to get the ingredients and do the cooking, it could be quite varied, but for simplicity it is going to be just cheese sandwiches on white bread, and plain vanilla ice cream for 4 days running. On the 8th I can eat up to 1pm, and then at 7pm I take my first does of Plenvu - the rocket powered laxative and bowel cleanser.

  On Wednesday 9th I take my second dose at 6am. By then my bowel movements will be mainly water ! Until 1pm I can drink clear liquids, which in my case will be chilled water, and at 3pm I will be orally and anally raped by a long knobbly tube with a camera in the end.  The final entry for this challenge to my sanity is truncated, but it says "Celebrate with loads of beer !!!".

  I think yesterday's lunch was two packs of sandwiches that I had bought in Aldi. My dinner was a bit more exciting, or maybe very mildly exciting. I had a small pack of ready to grill/roast (or even fry for those who have the equipment, but the instruction do suggest oven cooking) southern fried style bits of chicken. I ate them with just a puddle of ketchup as a dip. They were nice, but not wonderful.

   I followed the chicken up with two big plums, and a not very ripe nectarine. Apart from the fruit being nice, I thought that lot, particularly the two plums, would have a beneficial effect on my bowel movements this morning.

  The rest of my day was spent reading and snoozing, plus doing the laundry I have already mentioned. I also started some more laundry. It was two hand towels. One of them was heavily stained with sweat where I was using it as a pillow protector during the hottest days of June, and maybe some of July. I am hoping that an overnight soak using plenty of "Vanish" powder and Bio detergent, will bring the towel up nice and white again (but past experience suggests it might need several attempts to get it brilliant white.

  My evening was mostly spent watching some assorted TV, but I did give up earlier than usual. I think I was in bed reading soon after 9pm. I am fairly sure I was fast asleep before midnight. I may have got up for a pee at least once, but I barely remember it. I did remember more about some dreams I had, but since first getting up most of the details of those dreams have faded to nothing. All I remember was one dream was set in a telephone exchange, and it seemed like it was probably Forest Hill exchange. All I remember is that in the test area was a TV, and than some of us were watching something on TV. All I can remember is like seeing through fog - very vague and indistinct.

  I expect the fruit I had with my dinner would make my morning poo a bit exciting. It wasn't, and was actually very disappointing. I did pass a poo, but it was very small. Maybe because of that I seemed to have gained 400gm this morning, and I am now back to where I was a week ago. However, my blood glucose was not too bad. The average of all three readings was 7.63mmol/l. That is quite good and slightly better than the day before, which was 7.73mmol/l.

  This morning my blood pressure was slightly high, but a few breathing exercises, and another check showed the new systolic pressure was a possibly just very slightly too low 119. The diastolic went up a couple of points to 80, and I think that is slightly high. My pulse rate was 81 and I am very sure that is too high for when I am supposed to be at rest.

  Today's plans seem to be falling by the wayside as it gets later and later. I will definitely find time to wash my hair and have a shower, but I doubt I will have time to go for a joy ride on a train to Beckenham Junction and back. It wouldn't even really be much of a novelty because I have travelled to Beckenham Junction from Catford Bridge, and the reverse, quite a few times. On the other hand, it does seem a shame to waste the chance of doing it again.

  Later this afternoon, at approximately 3pm (but I would not be surprised if it was closer to 4pm) Jodie should pop over for some beer tasting. It will be a replacement date for yesterday when there were no trains (and the weather forecast predicted rain that never actually fell).