Hurry up and Wait

The weather has been pants since I don't know when, but probably not as long as I think.

I know it is only 16 days since David had his first appointment with Pete Shah back on 29 May, and such a lot has happened since then!

I seem to remember that the rain had started in earnest last Saturday when Mick and Julia had hoped to get to the Stockton Flight before we arrived back from our latest trip to BMI Priory Hospital and the overnight stay after it. I am SO pleased we didn't drive back on the Friday night as it was raining hard then, but it didn't interfere with boating at that point.

It seems to me that it has persisted down interminably forever, but that is clearly not true. It may not be true, but it felt true enough to lower my spirits considerably - I love being on the boat, but feeling trapped inside a small space is horrid.

Yesterday we walked into the village between showers and I saw this community garden near the Coop

A bit hard to read, but here's the rationale. A cool idea.

After feeling very down yesterday, even though we'd had a walk into the village, this morning I looked at what movies were on in Redditch which is a 4 minute train ride away. Rocketman (about Elton John) was showing, so tickets were purchased online for a 3.05pm showing.

At the station - the trip is a bargain at £6 return in total - £3 each!

There was also shopping to be done:

• safety glasses to prevent dust and grit getting at David's eyes pre- and post-surgery. Screwfix had some sporty looking ones that got excellent reviews, so that was the first stop. We travelled there by bus as it was raining on arrival in Redditch. Would have to say that the bus driver was not a happy puppy in his work ...
• I also purchased some waterproof over-trousers - shield your eyes for the photos ...

  

  Some people don't deserve the lovely wives they have ... Only a mean husband would take photos of me trying these on in the shop!  I think I am going to need a pink hi-viz jacket to set off these waterproofs. Otherwise I need to get them dirty very fast ...

  
  

  

  So I didn't have to sit down to remove them, I asked for help. I also requested that no photos be taken of this process. That worked then, didn't it?

• we needed fruit and veges plus teabags, butter and a couple of other bits - we aimed for Asda, but found an Aldi closer. 
• Did you know Aldi doesn't sell butter? Why on earth not, I wonder? 
• We did find a chicken, ham hock and leek pie though ...
• we found a Polish grocery across the road so bought a cabbage there
• then back to the open market for some fruit
• it was curry day today at the local Wetherspoons so we had a late lunch there. Not bad, but nowhere near the nicest curry we've had.
• then off to Boots in the shopping centre - David had to rush back to a shop where he'd left one of the shopping bags ...
• off to the movie theatre in a rush as we were a bit late. We needn't have worried - they had 38 minutes of ads and trailers - wtf?!?!?!
• the movie was excellent - David stayed awake and that is always an indicator of quality, or at least, engagement.
• A stop in at Wilko for keyboard cleaner and a large dark grey bathmat that I will use as a stern door mat (easy to shake out and easy to wash).

When we got to the station for a train back to the marina, it was fine - not sunny, but not raining.

We were going to have breakfast for dinner (fruit, yoghurt, muesli) but I'm not hungry and David has made a pita bread with hummus, tomato and ham.

 So that is one more day done on the countdown to operation day. This hurrying up and waiting requires planning and fortitude!

Tomorrow we have guests coming for morning tea - coffee and cheese scones have been promised. So it'll be an early start making sure the boat is clean and scones are ready to fortify the visitors for their Tardebigge descent!