Saturday 22nd December 2018

It isn't until you have a great night's sleep, you realise that you have not slept well for months.

I woke up Saturday morning after nine and a half hour's sleep. And I felt great. I mean, sleep. Deep, hours long uninterrupted sleep.

Even my back feels a little better too. Though, as it would transpire, the muscle I have injured is at the same level as the waistband of trousers or jeans are at, so putting in a belt to stop them falling down means clamping down on that muscle. And it smarts.

Anyway, I am in a good mood, and a little pain doesn't dampen my mood. Though we do have to go to Tesco, which will be hellis, but not as bad as it will be on Sunday or Monday.

So after coffee we drive off to Whitfield and see straight away that the car park that is usually three quarters empty at this time, is nearly full.

Cease fire, we're going in.

We have to buy veg ad pigs in blankets for nine, for Christmas, as well as the stuff we need for the week. This will be our only shopping trip before Christmas, so we had better not forget anything...

And inside it was madness. Even at eight in the morning. There was few sprouts left, and other veg were being snapped up quicker than staff could put fresh stuff out. Is it only UK that is like this? I know one year i was in the US, went to Walmart on Christmas Eve and it was fine. Here, its more hunting rather than gathering.

We filled up the trolley and we go to pay and load the car and go home, go home via B&Q car park where we have another breakfast at the greasy spoon there. I have a sausage baguette (no sauces) and Jools has a cheeseburger.

It is all rather unhealthy, so very nice.

Back home, pack the stuff away, and the day is now ours to do with what we want. And for me after three days away with work, then two days working hard, I felt I needed a quiet day, so that's what we decided to do: nothing.

We listen to the radio, have lunch, listen to football, have dinner.

We do go to see Jen to make the last minute plans for Christmas Day, and how things are going to be cooked. Betty is still in a poor way, sits all day in a chair, and calls out all the time when she can't see anyone. Jen has not slept in weeks. And then Sylv is going home for a few weeks on the 27th, as she misses her friends and family too much, so will only be done here 6 months out of a year from now on. And Sylv has been helping with Betty, and on her own Jen can't cope, so it looks like Betty will be going into a home.

So, Christmas is going to be a time of change, or the cusp of change for them in Whitfield.

We come home so I can listen to the football, as the seat I had been perched on played hell with my back, and I was in pain for the rest of the day.

Norwich were playing at Blackburn, a team who had lost once in 30 or so home games. And it was a close game, Rovers seem to kick anything in yellow and green, so City have to make changes, but on cue, two minutes before full time, Pukki pops up to knock the only goal in and get the three points for Norwich. Elsewhere, Palace win at Citeh, and Leicester win at Chelski while Joseless Utd trash Cardiff. All in all an enjoyable day.

In the evening we watch the reboot of The Lone Ranger, which was OK, but CGI effects dominated the final reel making it beyond the pale. And Johnny Depp with a dead crow on his head? Better than his cologne ads I suppose.

Sausage.