All ready for the off, in more ways than one too. I’m now in my hospital bed waiting for sleep to overwhelm me so that I can have a comfortable night. I doubt if my next sleep will be anything like as comfortable.
Last night’s was, though. I actually had a night last night where I didn’t have to leave the comfort and safety of my stinking pit
Cécile’s mother came to join me last night on my nocturnal rambles – without Cécile! Cécile’s mother is well into her 80s – 86 or 87 I think, and yet there she was on the outskirts of Crewe going up Gresty Bank near Dubberley’s Farm (where we were the other night if you remember) waiting for a bus, all on her own, which considering that she has dementia issues, is a rather outstanding feat. She was having to travel to the Doctors’surgery in Shavington, which involves taking the bus to Goodall’s Corner and walking back 200 yards. Onto the bus she clambered when it stopped for her, but we ended up at a motorcycle sales office which was full of mopeds and scooters, inside as well as outside. Cécile’s mother had a little moped that was painted all yellow, even the chain, and there was rust breaking through the paintwork. I was looking at the other vehicles which were on sale but there was nothing that interested me of course – I wanted a real, proper motorbike. One of the salesmen took me through to the back and there were about 10 or 12 motorbikes from the 1960s and 70s – much more like it. What caught my eye (from a technical point of view) was a kind-of Triumph scooter. Not a Triumph Tina, but something that doesn’t exist in the real world and based on a T50 or T65. I was giving this a good look over, from a point of view of pure curiosity, and the salesman asked me if I was interested in it. It wasn’t at all the thing for me, as I explained to the salesman. I wanted a real motorbike.
At that moment, Liz’s alarm went off in the next bedroom and it woke me up too. 06:45 which, considering that my alarm was set for 07:00, it wasn’t worth going back to sleep so I went downstairs for breakfast too.
By 07:20 we were on the road and by 08:00 we were having a coffee at the café where I had a coffee yesterday lunchtime. And then we came up here. I’m all installed now for the foreseeable future in room 360. The fridge is full of chocolate, soya yoghurt and vitamin B12 drink and the cupboard is full of crisps, biscuits and so on, and I’m in the comfy chair in the corner with my feet on the footstool. I’m prepared for a long siege in here.
First thing that happened to me was that I had a shave. A nurse came along and did it for me. And I’m not talking about my face either. I have to clean my belly-button too and I’ll be given a special disinfecting soap with which I need to wash myself in the shower, tonight and tomorrow. I have to be really clean, apparently – a hopeless task as far as I’m concerned.
Second thing was to have a drain fitted in my arm. The nurse who did that was quite careful which made a very nice change. And, to my surprise, the nurse has a daughter who is vegetarian and so she’s well aware of my diet and the kitchen staff is expecting me, as my meals to date have shown. Not very exciting, but vegan nevertheless.
But all of these exertions this morning deserved a coffee, I reckoned. And much to my surprise, one was produced. I’m not used to this.
The blood transfusion took ages too. Two pochettes but there was a big delay in swapping them over. It could have been done in half the time. But then I’m not the only patient here and there are others in a worse position than me.
I’ve spent most of the day reading books on the laptop and listening to the radio programmes that I’ve downloaded from www.archive.org. But now, the special soap has appeared and I’ve already been reminded once about the shower. I suppose that I’d better go and do the business and I’ll hopefully see you all tomorrow.
