What are you all up to

2 great pieces of news from Helen and Robsail, both amazingly posted at exactly the same time. 

Let's hope it stays that way.

Glad folks have had some good news on the health front, now fully recovered from the effects of having the Shingles/covid/flu jab within 3 days of each other, wont be doing that again.

drained down the caravan yesterday and put the battery on trickle charge, was considering going on another trip, but we seem to have the best of the weather at home so we have been topping up the vitimin D whilst we can.

Got to start preparing for Christmas now, Spanish daughter is coming home on the 6th of December for a few days so we will have to have an early Christmas, she is off to bonnie Scotland for Christmas/New Year.

Beautiful morning so going to have a quick spin on my bike before breakfast, hope the sun is shinning whereever you are

OH has just booked our Covid jabs this coming Thursday at a Pharmacie in Villefrance as we are shopping there  so the jabs will be at end of day then straight home, as he has doctors this Tuesday he will check with our local Pharmacie re Flu jabs as we do not want them together as last time I had two different jabs I fainted on the floor of my doctors surgery many years ago and OH had to come and pick me up as I had gone on my bike heyho.

Gone cooler again tonight  better for sleeping.

We’ve had a non-caravan weekend away meeting up with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Our planned routes mostly worked out - down the M6, across to Matlock (via Cat and Fiddle) for our first stop,  then down to south Leicester. The last section was “interesting” as part of the M1 was closed overnight and we were diverted off the motorway. I felt rather squashed in by very large lorries on smaller urban roads. 

I must have looked a bit stressed when we arrived at our hotel as they upgraded us to a rather nice large room. We had a lovely time with our great granddaughters - once they realised these two wrinklies

were OK really.

Then an earlyish start this morning to get home as our son had started mowing for 3rd cut silage.

CS

I have tried that webpage but I ticked the box saying I wanted a car park and it came up with places in Northamptonshire. Obvious not so much as the difference between the NE and Kent! We know that Boots in CMK will do them. We have always had our Flu vaccinations at our surgery and this the first time they have been cancelled. I don't really mind waiting a week or so, just a little surprised the surgery had not put in any contingency plans.

David

Must admit we have given up on our local surgery, when we moved here 12 years ago now it was such an efficient setting for all our needs, now, and since Covid, it does not seem to be focused on customer care and attention any more, and as for efficiency, just dont go there, thankfully the Village pharmacy just 10 mins walk away has filled the void especially when it comes to giving jabs for Covid, Flu etc, book online, walk in, only ever a less than 5 minutes wait, give your date of birth, tick in the box on the computer and off you go, plenty of free parking within very easy walking distance if you need it.

A little dull today, and only 10degsC, but pleasant breeze so got some washing out. Now having to choose our times for running washing machine etc, solar panels this time of year only generating max 10kws per day and only between 0900 hrs and 1600 hrs, still got a tad over 12 months left to run on our 3 year fixed deal for gas & electricity our costs are quite small 22 pence per kw for the lecce and 5 pence for gas with a standing charge of 24 pence, just hoping prices will have come down by Nov 24, or me thinks we will get a big shock.

" Our annual bill will be around £3000, but £2000 of that will be covered by our FIT payments and £300-600 by the winter fuel payment."

Wow!! £2k of FIT payments, we only get approx £1k but we jumped into the scheme right at the last knockings when the Gov was paying approx 14p per kw, i think now we are getting approx 18p per kw, but the apex of the bungalow is west/east facing so we never achieve max power, however, our front lounge that is double aspect is south facing so toasty when the sun is shining, could do with moving the bed into there , as i type we have only generated 3.7kw today so will be lucky to make 5kw by end of day, dont expect you are doing much more this time of year, when we lived north of Aberdeen it was dark by 1600 hrs, currently 13degs C outside,

think maybe done the last of my sea swimming for this year Spanish daughter says sea temp in mid 20's, maybe i should spend some time with her

Rufs

I wonder if the same thing has happened to lots on doctors surgeries since covid? Like you we were always pleased with the excellent service we got from our surgery up until covid but during and since it has never been the same. During covid what irked me was the, almost, total lack of communication especially when there was this question mark about whether you were considered vulnerable as that in turn often decided what help, if any, you got. Perhaps we weren't considered vulnerable, despite our age and medical conditions but it would have been nice to know that. Since covid you seem to have to jump through hoops to get a face to face appointment with a doctor, easy enough to get a telephone appointment I should add. Don't know if this is a  CCG requirement or a decision by the surgery. As its so widespread now perhaps not the surgery? The staff we do come in contact are all still lovely.

David

Busy few days since returning home.

We had our covid jabs on Saturday morning. We were actually first in so no delay.

Had an appointment and check up at Opticians today. Have to return on Wednesday for a further test.

We have a decent e consult usually on the day and I have seen a doctor since covid but it's difficult to get an appointment for one. Haven't got the energy for a rant.