Wednesday 31st March 2021

Woke around 0400 with waves of stabbing pain in my right testicle...a bit perturbing! Eventually  managed to get back to sleep, and no recurrence this morning. Very odd! Aki up early, this time shooting off to the rowing club, now that Coronavirus restrictions have been lifted a bit. She couldn't get out of the front door fast enough! Spent the morning killing ants and gouging more plaster out of the bedroom ceiling prior to effecting some repair. Nipped out to TescoExpress for some odds and ends, and got some tiramisu for Saturday, from Girasole. The sun didn't really come out today, after all, but I ventured out back to assist Margaret with cutting away some creeper that grows over the church hall roof...should guarantee me a hot-cross-bun come Friday! Cooked a rather bland aubergine biryani with a lentil dahl. Watched the England v Poland World Cup qualifier. A nervy 2-1 win. Nodded off on the sofa...

Tuesday 30th March 2021

Aki up and about early, as she had work to do. I eventually got up for breakfast, and did some sanding of the plasterwork repairs I'd done yesterday. Tried painting over it with what was left of the touch up paint, but it is too old and viscous, and full of flakey bits of hardened paint that's fallen off the inside of the lid. Gave up, and walked up to Chris Stevens' to buy a fresh pot. Took delivery of Aki's birthday present...wrapped it up while she was on site in the afternoon; also took delivery of some replacement attachments for my CPAP machine...the DPD delivery guy took a photo on the doorstep, which popped up with a text later to confirm delivery. Pan fried duck breast for dinner, and tried fondant celeriac...wasn't particularly flavoursome, but will give it a go with potatoes for Aki's birthday meal on Saturday. Watched some telly. Aki happened upon a massing of black ants near the dishwasher as she made for the bathroom...they looked freaky against the white floorboards. I sprayed them with mint-flavoured rodent repellent, which sent them scurrying off in all directions...managed to kill a few. Not sure exactly where they are coming in from...looked under the dishwasher, and under the step down into the 'office' lobby area. It'll be the moths next, as they all start gadding about once the temperatures begin to rise...it's going to be 25C tomorrow!

Monday 29th March 2021

Slow start...read a bit more of "Girl, Woman, Other" in bed this morning, before getting up and having some porridge. Pottered about in the back bedroom making more holes in the plasterwork. Nice day...brightening up outside...looking forward to temperatures in the mid-20s tomorrow! Aki went off on her bike and came back with the remains of a plastic bag woven into the bike chain gearing cassette...took her about an hour to pick it all out. Beef ragu and pasta for dinner. Watched "Fawlty Towers", followed by MasterChef. Aki needed an early night, as she has another site meeting tomorrow morning...

Sunday 28th March 2021

Made croque madame for brunch. Kath FaceTimed us just as we started eating...we had a quick chat about possible dates for a late June meet up in Ponteland. I did some more plasterwork in the back bedroom, while Aki went off for a bike ride, and came home with some rhubarb. Zoom bombed Jim's mum and dad's 90th birthday celebrations in Southwell, and sang my song. Went down very well. Aki cooked baked trout for dinner, and I did a rhubarb crumble with star anise and almonds. Watched a bit of telly. Jim sent me the video his niece had recorded of the zoom party...I was mortified to discover she had recorded the meet, but on her iphone rather than directly from the zoom meet...as a result you can't see people's reactions to the gags, most importantly, no Bri and Barb in shot! Very disappointing indeed...can't quite believe it! 

Saturday 27th March 2021

Aki up early, as she had planned another site meeting this morning. The smell of her frying the bacon and eggs got me out of bed. As it happened, the meet was cancelled until next week. I decided to try and fill the holes I'd made in our bedroom wall with patch repair plaster. Took ages! Professionals can plaster whole rooms in the time it took me to fill these holes! It's a very frustrating process, as the filler knife keeps ruining the nice smooth finish you got on the previous pass! A lot of swearing emanating from the back bedroom!!! Aki went out for an afternoon cycle ride to get away from it all. I cooked Pommes Anna to go with the chicken tonight, and a kumquat sauce. Watched "County Lines", a new British movie following a young lad as he gets drawn into the mire of the County Lines drug gangs. It was a tough watch. Early to bed, as the clocks go forward at midnight!

Friday 26th March 2021

Aki left for a site visit before I'd managed to get out of bed. No work to do today, so took up a chisel and made holes in the bedroom wall plaster where the former kitchen window had been filled in by the cowboy builders. Patch up plasterwork to commence over the weekend! Spoke to Tony McB on the phone. He is keeping sane by volunteering to deliver food parcels to struggling families in and around Hastings. I asked him where he was investing his monies, and he revealed he had been recommended a SIPP through a company called Vanguard. He seems to be getting a good return on his investments to date! I decided to close my Halifax ISA and transfer the funds directly into my pension pot, so spent several hours organising that! May go for a SIPP next financial year...need to buy a new car first, and maybe the freehold of our flat, so don't want to tie everything up in any investments for the present. After dinner it was a date with the Pandemic Playhouse Players, and a reading of Harold Pinter's "A Kind of Alaska"...a suitably timely piece about a woman coming out of a virally induced coma! 

Thursday 25th March 2021

Aki up early to chat to her mum in Tokyo. Slow start for me...I was still in bed when Aki cycled off to the fishmonger! Had to visit Hornsey Rise Health Centre to see my ENT specialist. Walked up there for 1300. I was pretty much in and out, as my ears were clear of wax, and the swab she had sent off last month came back negative, my ears being clear of infection. Walked back down the hill to Big Jo's bakery and bought a fresh loaf; we had a couple of slices with our lunch...smashin'! Aki cooked scallops and clams with peas for dinner, then we watched MasterChef...yum yum! Jim Lister phoned on his way back from visiting his mum to mark her 90th birthday. He's commissioned me to write a song, which I'm to deliver via zoom on Sunday afternoon!