Thursday 28th September 2023

Hauled myself out of bed this morning. Porridged. Worked at the computer for most of the morning, plodding away at the VP research for Thurrock District Council. Back in my Basildon days, I used to rehearse in Grays with my short-lived blues band...the place hasn't improved any! Had dinner for lunch...ate the tortelloni with a pizzaiola sauce and broccoli. Aki had to walk up to the Whittington for a blood test, so I accompanied her as far as the pharmacy opposite the National Youth Theatre on Holloway Road. I went in and queued for my covid jab, while Aki continued northward. Popped in to Sainsburys afterward to buy hot dog rolls for this evening's film night. The guests began arriving around 1915, first Carlos and Jane from No.36. Bumped into Lynne from upstairs, who revealed she had had a tick removed from her upper back...has no idea where she picked it up, possibly off her dog would be my guess...she has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease! George from No.127 showed up without Katherine, but with a homemade banana loaf; Dulcie turned up unexpectedly, and stayed for a quick chat, but then left; Ben and Gayu turned up with a huge bowl of popcorn. I put the sausages on, and people served themselves once they'd been cooked, then I put some 70s era Pearl & Dean ads on the big screen, that I'd found on YouTube, then we watched "Wise Blood". Really enjoyed it...John Huston did a great job of staying true to the novel, and the casting was very good, especially Ned Beatty as the huckster preacher. Picked up messages from Kath afterward saying dad wasn't feeling well, and had taken himself off to bed. It appears they forgot he was due to have his catheter removed until alerted by a call from the Freeman asking where he was! He'd driven himself across there, with mum in tow, but they decided to put the catheter back in as his bladder wasn't emptying...sounds like a prostate problem to me...hopefully all will become clearer tomorrow!