Tag Archives: covid booster

Covid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and not much else

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This morning I had a Covid booster.  I went to the same pharmacist I went to last time, as I find the parking convenient. The service was not as slick as last time, but it was more cheerful, and I spent my waiting time reading the packets on the shelves. It seems that patrons of the shop suffer extensively from skin problems,, indigestion, constipation and, mainly, allergies. This is a whole new world that is waiting for me. I’ve had skin problems for years, and in Mediaeval times would have , literally been treated like  leper, as it seems that in those days they would lump all skin condition into one, just to be on the safe side. However, I am rarely troubled by any of the other problems. A high fibre diet seems to work for me most of the time, and my one recent deviation from bowel health, when I was ill over Christmas, felt like a betrayal. Fortunately, my bowels have returned to the regular habits of a town hall clock and allergies are something suffered by southerners and people who read health advice on the internet.

Puffins at Bempton

The local village of Burton Lazars had a leper hospital, so at least I wouldn’t have far to go. It’s also the burial place of the famous racing driver, Count Eliot Zborowski and his son Count Louis Zborowski. They were both killed in car accidents, and I have read a story that I cannot, at the moment, trace, that Louis was killed whilst wearing tha same cufflinks that his father wore in his fatal crash. The younger man was responsible for the building of four noted race cars – two were known as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and one was the Higham Special, which broke the world land speed record when driven by Parry-Thomas in 1926. Parry-Thomas would later be killed in the Higham Special (by that time known as Babs) in 1927 – the first man to die in pursuit of the Land Speed record.

Jackdaw

I can’t help but feel, when set next to the lives of the Zborowskis and Parry-Thomas, that I haven’t really left much of a mark on the world.

Spring.

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Last night when I tried to write the blog,  I couldn’t put anything together. Once I had announced the less than enthralling news that it was unseasonably cold (or record-breakingly hot in southern Europe – they are taking all our heat) and that I have booked my Covid booster, I ran out of steam and couldn’t come up with anything else to say.

Today is little better, despite my lack of inspiration in the matter of a title. I slept for three and a half hours last night.  Then I slept for two more hours. Then one. Strangely, after getting up and having breakfast, I was able to sleep in my chair for another hour and a half.  Why am I able to sleep so easily in a chair in full daylight when I have such difficulty sleeping through the night in a bed designed for such things? It is a mystery.

It’s also a mystery why I can think of subjects for blogs and poetry when I’m sitting in the car, but all such thoughts desert me as I sit in front of the screen.  What I need is a degree in psychology and a nice big research grant. The only problem is that with my propensity for timewasting and random internet use I’d end up with one of those click-bait articles that says “Scientists Discover New Way to Brew Tea.” or even one of these. Number Seven is interesting, Number Eight is bizarre and Number Five, frankly, makes me wonder about the sort of people who take up medicine.

Meanwhile, I can reveal that there is a lot of bird activity in the garden – manly pigeons, It looks like it’s a good year for pigeons. Several times I’ve looked out to see three pairs in different parts of the garden, many of them performing impressive feats of balance whilst ensuring the continuation of the species. It is definitely Spring, despite the temperature.

Fully Boostered and Thinking of Adventure

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Today, I am going to start with booster vaccinations. I had my covid booster this morning and managed to get to work on time, so that was a good start.

I arrived ten minutes early, was vaccinated by 9.30, which was actually my appointment time, and after waiting fifteen minutes I was released. It took me 12 minutes to get to work and I actually found a parking space in front of the shop.

My arm ached for a minute or two when I first used it to change gear but that went away. It is still a bit sore to touch, so I’m just not touching it. Despite the temptation.

Julia is on her way back from visiting Number One Son, the groceries are ready to pick up from TESCO and there is a full day of untouched washing up to do. Time to start moving.

It’ frightening how quickly a married man can revert to bachelor habits. I had a takeaway curry last night, turned the fire up full, put Outback Opal Hunters on, and fell asleep for nearly three hours. Luxury.

I’d rather prospect for gold in Australia than opals, simply because a lot of opals are found in mines and I’m a bit claustrophobic. They also seem just to carve away without anything to hold the roof up. I’d like to see a lot more pit props. I like opals, but I don’t want to die a lonely underground death with several tons of Australia stacked on top of me. Much better to die from heatstroke or snake bite with my metal detector in hand. However, I can’t see any of those scenarios coming to pass, I’m too old for adventurous careers – shop work suits me just fine at the moment.