Blackberry's journal

Well here I am once again posting to LJ in the middle of the night because I can't sleep, even though I'm desperately tired.

I can't imagine why this horrible cough disappears for most of the day, except for the odd coughing fit, but as soon as I go to bed, returns and makes me cough non-stop, even if I'm not actually lying down. It's a really embarrassing cough, too; it sounds like something you'd expect from an old tramp who'd been living rough for years, not something a nice little old lady would produce.

I did feel a lot better today, well enough, in fact to give the bathroom a thorough clean, but after Charles and I had a long walk around Lidl, Arthur returned with a vengeance. And now this dreadful graveyard cough has manifested itself. And just explain to me - why didn't I cough like this while exerting myself cleaning the bathroom?

Christopher came this morning and was surprised to see that the TV aerial cable has somehow been cut in two by the wind. He's coming back on Sunday to fix it, although I've told him not to come if the weather is bad. I'd never be able to face David and Alison again if he fell off my roof!

So that just leaves the boiler to sort out, although it's been behaving itself again now that the weather isn't so cold. Strange that over the last very cold weekend it kept cutting out and refusing to relight the pilot light, but now is meekly obeying my every whim! Sod's Law in operation again, I suppose.

Yesterday I ordered Charles a couple of pairs of jeans online because he's lost so much weight his existing pairs are falling down. Tonight I went to order a bathroom fitting I'd had on my Amazon wish list for ages, namely a stainless steel towel ring, only to find it's been discontinued, buggrit. I did manage to track down a very similar item from the same manufacturers at an online bathroom store, so I ordered it immediately plus a very useful-looking liquid soap dispenser from the same manufacturer which fits into a special bracket on the wall. So we shall soon have a lovely clutter-free wash basin. It will be so much easier to keep clean.

I've noticed that since we put up the magnetic soap holder, the soap is lasting longer. I suppose it seems silly to have both liquid soap and hard soap, but I find the liquid soap dries out my hands too much whereas John and Charles prefer it.

I must remember to go to Lidl again on Monday because they're having very cheap bath grab handles on special offer.  I still haven't had my ceremonial first bath in the new bathroom, because I'm not confident of my ability to drag myself out of the bath without one, so I hope to have a long relaxing soak some time next week.

Charles cooked us a lovely Chile con carne for dinner and I made some guacamole, which for some reason turned out even better than usual. It may have been because the avocados were in perfect condition, so much so that I rather begrudged turning them into guacamole; I like to have avocado for lunch sometimes, but usually they're too hard or over-ripe.  These were perfect;  good old Lidl!

Sadly I've decided that I'm not really well enough to go to Mashrufa's wedding on Sunday, although I've been looking forward to it.  The thought of being trapped in an uncomfortable chair for hours while in agony with my knee is alone enough to prevent me going, but the additional embarrassment of the likelihood of coughing like a tramp at any specially tender or religious moment has reinforced my decision to reluctantly forgo the pleasure.  I'm hoping that John will go with Adrian and Sandra.  When we came home from Lidl this afternoon I noticed that they had already put up the wedding arch over the front gate;  such a shame that it was pouring with rain.

I'm rather cross as I was looking forward to a new experience;  life has been a bit boring here lately.