Tuesday

Spain, November 2016

It's getting ridiculous how I spend my Tuesday off running around like a mad thing Getting Stuff Done rather than enjoying some time to myself with a book and a cup of tea. Not that there aren't plentiful cups of tea, but usually accompanying at least one other activity. Unlike Saturdays, when I try to have at least a bit of a break.

Last Tuesday felt particularly hectic:

• Set the alarm to wake up, because...
• Dropped the car off for an oil change and service, highlighting problem with tracking and/or steering
• Bought some milk and posted a letter on the way home
• Cooked mushroom and egg on toast for breakfast (this is a treat for a day off)
• Made four lunches for the rest of the week from interesting buckwheat pasta bought on holiday
• Contacted AEG customer support to enquire about certain operations of new microwave oven - did it over the web but should have phoned because response has not been forthcoming
• Phoned chimney sweeps and then realised this would have to wait because...
• Planning how to buy ski boots and this is more urgent than chimney sweeping
• Arranged to meet friend in Birmingham for lunch (less urgent than ski boots)
• Ordered ski helmet for collection at the weekend
• Lunch consisting of leftover soup and salads
• Garage called to inform me that one tyre was damaged to the point that I was fortunate it hadn't exploded
• Three more phone calls for various enquiries and appointments
• Started writing blog about insulin pump training day
• Cleared utility room ready for disassembly of cupboard in order to enable fitting of stopcock push-button valve
• Changed keysafe combination for kitchen fitters (I have a different combination when I'm expecting tradesmen)
• Scheduled future plans for replacing bathroom radiator
• Shopped for plastic tubs on the way to collect the car
• Came home and organised more kitchen stuff into new plastic tubs
• Drove to B&Q to buy a shelf for the kitchen
• Drove on to work in order to attend meeting for patients on insulin pumps who are not achieving their aims, but the time had been changed so I missed the first two hours
• Drove on to meditation with Buddhists. We are looking at the archetypes who comprise the Mandala of the Five Buddhas, and to be honest the discussion is not doing much for me, but the meditation is good and it's nice to have company for some of the day.

Not every Tuesday is this busy, but most of them are. I used to wonder how I managed to work full time, but I must have done all this stuff at the weekends. Since that Tuesday I've had a whole week followed by another Tuesday. Plumber Ulf came to sort out the stop tap business and while he was here he changed my bathroom taps and pipes so that it now takes less than a day to fill the bath. There's been badminton, I collected the ski helmet, and I've also done a lot of floor waxing and polishing so the living room is lethal when wearing socks. And at the weekend the soul of the television was stolen with a quiet 'pop' and faint smell of burning. It was about 15 years old, so fair enough.

In between all this I've still been going to work, but there's very little new to report on that front. Patients continue to be interesting but impossible to write about, I enjoy delivering the group education as well as the one-to-one consultations, but I'm always happy to go home at the end of the day.