Friday 4th January 2019

And just about to everyone's surprise, the weekend is nearly upon us again. Let us hope that every week this year will begin on a Wednesday. Can't see it catching on with my new boss, mind.

Jools is on her second day back at work and confirms that starting the week on a Thursday, if anything, is better. And she only has a six hour day too.

Soo you later, hun. She gives me a kiss as I am watching MOTD on the i player; yes love, see you later......

Once I had watched that, time to start work, do the weekly admin tasks to do, then the sky falls. Turns out it isn't, but it increases the blood pressure for a while.

My back is grumbling, so I take the laptop onto the sofa to work, where I can also have the TV seeing that most people are still on holiday, so mails are slow coming in. I watch Lucy telling the story of Queen Victoria's wedding; better than you would have thought, it passes and hour or so.

A plumber comes round to inspect our hot water boiler to investigate a leak, or two, and he tells us that will have to be replaced. And as they don't make that sort any more, the legislation requires this, this and that. And so on, so any hope of us saving any money this year goes up in smoke.

At half two Jools comes home, she asks, "would you like a brew?" and "would you like a slice of Christmas cake?" The answer to both was yes.

There was a pan to walk to the surgery and back, but with my back still not normal, I suggested Jools drop me off and I walk back once I pick up the tube of cream that they had to get in.

I have to admit I wanted to walk back, no only to push myself, but to check on the Winter Heliotropes outside the school. Anyway, it would result in me walking further than I had done for a month.

The surgery had the heating ramped up as they always do, so I was glad to get out and get walking, down the narrow lane to the back entrance to the school. Away to the west, the sun set behind the high wispy clouds. I pressed on, down past the village pond, the old Hope Inn, soon to be a private house, then down Station Road and up the other side to home.

I go over the road to see how Walter, who lost his wife before Christmas, was. He's fine, spent the holidays with his family in London. Turns out he was a weapons officer in the USAF, and there was me a weapons technician, so we had quite a bit in common. He has signed up for three education courses as well as volunteering at Canterbury Cathedral: I hope I am that focussed when I am his age.

I come home where we decide we didn't need a cooked meal, so instead feast on cheese and crackers. Which was nice.

I spend the evening writing, then we catch up on a TV show, "Grand Tour of Scottish Lochs", and featured areas we went to on our Scottish holiday with our NZ friend, Tony. He even cycled up the mountain pass to Applecross, which was something I could not have done.

The it was the Billy Connolly documentary, part 2 of, more Scotland, more places we have visited, and lots of Billy.