Tuesday 16th November 2021

Last night, I spent an hour when I should have been watching the Wales game on the telly box, reading my posts for April from the onset of gout it its fading away, although there were two more slight returns in May and in July, but since then, things have returned to normal.

Anyway, my memory tells me I was laid up six weeks, when in fact it was just about three. I did start to go out, and it was painful at times, but the desire for photography overode the pain and meant I pushed myself.

Which is good.

I think about those days when I pull on the pink crocs to go into the garden, as for six weeks my foot was too swollen to get the left one fully on. It now just slips on without any trouble.

In one of the first posts with gout I wrote that we had pasta for dinner, and pasta demanded wine. Demanded I said.

Within three days, I had changed my tune and was off the sauce, even for Easter Sunday dinner when Jen came round, they had wine, I didn't.

Getting out was more important that wine or beer with dinner.

Quite right too.

I have wine and beer now, mainly at weekends. I did go to meet my mate, Pete for a few sherberts one Friday afternoon, and on Thursday this week I am going on a beer and food sampling/tasting evening in Walmer. I will drink plenty of water and squash during the afternoon, and take some extra drugs.

Just in case.

I do get a twinge from time to time, and I feel it and worry, but it usually passes, ahem, with the course of nature.

As it was.

Anyway, to Tuesday.

Another cool and grey day, and one filled with an audit. So I had to be hydrated and have breakfast by half seven.

But the auditee wasn't there.

Nor at eight.

Nor at half past.

I was going to give him to nine and then cancel it and do something else.

Not sure what, though.

Just as I was about to ring off, Matthew logs on, explaining he had been expecting me at the factory, but wasn't there.

No, due to a number of factors I decided not to travel, so I explain that, we have introductions and start.

All done by half two, even with the late start. We covered all areas and I found some gaps, but all in all, pretty good.

Too late and too dark to go out. There are cats to wait on and serve.

So I do.

I pack away work stuff, and prepare fritters for dinner.

I take my time and they come out pretty good. I mean, I measure nothing, so every time they're different, sometimes very different.

They are all cooked by the time Jools comes home, so we eat and drink.

Of course, its been dark for two hours by then, but away to the south east, the moon, over half full rises cold and white into a jet black sky.

Brr.

And I start to watch the football, but get distracted. As I said. But Wales drew 1-1 with Belguim and so are seeded in the play-offs.

There's tidy.