Friday 16th July 2021

We have made it to Friday, we just have to get through this day and then it am the weekend.

Not only that, Jools was on her last day doing the work of two, and she felt that she might just deflate like a balloon come knocking off time at two.

I woke up after a restless night, gout had grown worse over night meaning I couldn't sleep in most positions die to the painful bit pressing dwon on the matress.

Sigh and double sigh.

I can trace this back to Wednesday, and while I admit to not taking a drink when I went butterfly chasing, I had drunk enough in the morning and for lunch not for it to be a probem, so I thought. Maybe the gout is a symptom of the thirst I felt. I even stopped for drinks on the way home, but that wasn't enough it seems.

So, a day of drinking and working ahead.

Jools left for work and I put the bins out, my left foot barely fitting in a croc. But I did it in time, time to get back inside to make another coffee before work. And my main task was finding hotel accommodation for the two external auditors, as that's my job as we employ them, or something. As you can imagine, hotel rooms are at a premium on the Isle of Wight during the second week of August.

I could be doing somthing useful, like working.

At eight, we had the weekly COVID meeting, where all around the world, there is good news. And then it came to me to report on the new daily spikes and the giving up of the UK Government to surpress the infection.

They have no words. I don't, but just report the facts.

Two more meetings, one I'm asked to report on my meeting the day before.

And before I know it, it was half eleven and time for lunch. More cheese on toast, made with the bread i made. Yummy.

Outside, the clouds cleared and the sun began to shine. This was the start of an extended heatwave, apparently, I would have gone out, but I have gout again and need to rest. So, set up on the sofa with my foot on a dining room chair, work laptop with me, and eyes down for the last "proper" stage of Le Tour. And 160 or so km of racing on the flat. Still, the scenery was wonderful, and I have a few more ideas of places to visit/live.

Jools comes home with the shopping. We put that away then sit on the patio with an ice cream. It has been a long two weeks for Jools, and no rest for her, as we are off on a day out Saturday.

I watch the end of the race, then make chorizo hash for dinner, with double the vegetables, so to be healthy. Bad news was that the gout got worse through the day, so I hobbled about, in a foul mood.

And thanks to the Open Golf at nearby Sandwich, there was no Monty to watch, so we listen to music, have another ice cream in the garden, and head to bed at nine, me hopeful of some sleep, gout and all.