Today is a rainy windy Sunday morning. An easier way to water the garden in rain and cool off after such a lovely hot sunny week. In normal times we would perhaps be commuting to work, driving with ac on full blast and shedding clothes as fast as possible. Instead of which, zooming into France, Birmingham, London and Bristol from the comfort of my dyson fan desk is actually an unexpected improvement . My scruffy shorts hiding below the camera angle.

On the medical front, my long awaited Endodontist appointment was now possible due to lifting of restrictions. I drove up to the postcode I had been sent and found myself outside a vet’s. As instructed I rang reception and they suggested I go through an unmarked door beside the vet and approach the dentist office backwards as it were. It worked! The coolest grooviest dentist I have ever been to. Stickers marking where to stand. Hand sanitiser masks and wipes in abundance. The dentist himself is absolutely lovely. Telling me how he had enjoyed being at home in March. By April he was getting anxious about his business and by May seriously stressed. He checked the tooth-with-a-drill-still-in-it. He did an x-ray and discussed it with me on his great big screen. ( No waiting days, weeks, months for a bloody report). 

It was, he said, extremely difficult. He would not be able to do anything himself. In fact he needed to refer me to an oral surgeon. #UhOh-story of my life!  £80 poorer and no further forward I went home. 
Next on the medical list was my GP who rang one evening. I am sure he only does that to check I really am shielding. We chatted away for ages. He told me how he cannot get his covid test until the end of July. He cannot do face to face until the results of that. How utterly ridiculous I exploded. He agreed. After putting the world to rights, he also sorted more anti sickness stuff,  more antibiotics and more msu forms for me. Phew. In addition I told him about my ‘trigger finger’. Weirdly one of my fingers keeps locking and so that is another referral pending. No rush. 
One thing I keep forgetting to write about is our ‘pool’. Youngest son, BFG, empathy in bucketfuls, decided to surprise me with a giant paddling pool complete with filter pump, chlorine and cover. It is utterly brilliant. The testing of the water is actually akin to a urine dipstick. Chlorine bright purple…too much chlorine. Alkalinity. Orange. PH green. Dose up or down accordingly and the water goes from cloudy to clear in no time. If only we could do that with bladders. Cloudy pee? Dipstick. Add a bit of chlorine. All sorted. As for swimming lengths. BFG found a facebook site for triathletes in lockdown. Following their example I have rigged up a leash from a surfboard, tied it to the side. Hooking an ankle through the handle and swim like crazy going absolutely no-where!   God only knows what the neighbours think.

Talking of neighbours…. our new neighbours are fantastic. They moved in just before lock down. Chattering over the wall clutching a glass we exchange news carefully observing the 2m rule. Three children to teach at home, two lawyers working their socks off and a new house with plumbing to be sorted. They are so very calm. Their young children playing basketball outside are the best noises of the day. The youngest told me she was doing her online lesson outside. Ah said I . What lesson would that be? ‘Wellbeing’ she said. Erm not knowing quite how to answer I sort mumbled….sensing my confusion she helped me out. ‘ Technically, if I take a photo of a flower, that is my well being done”!

I have been talking to Cornwall Council. The most lovely people ever. Chatting away, working from home they tell me all the updates. The Noise abatement department was redeployed to deal with Covid stuff. But they have had to pass on the Covid baton to the Food Safety inspectors. The latter having few if any pubs and restaurants to inspect, the former having so many reports of neighbours falling out they have never been so busy! So the Cornish not only protest they do not want visitors spreading germs. Fair enough. But also cannot stand each other. Their economy may well suffer. 
Have a good week.