28/09/22 100!

My first perfect CPAP score of 100 last night:

There's a bit of a story to this. I found the mask a bit uncomfortable at first, so bought some liners which I've used ever since. But yesterday one of them vanished in thewash, leaving me without a clean one to put on the mask. I found the liner-less mask more comfortable than I remembered, and the 100 score was the result. Will be interesting to see what happens tonight.

In other medical news, after my complaints of various aches and pains, neurosurgeon Dr.Ib ordered neck x-rays, which were 100% ok. He's now ordered a full spinal MRI which will be done locally at Springfield. No date yet. I think I can see more surgery in my future...

I had an eye test this morning, which I asked for because I have become sure that my cataracts are getting worse. That was confirmed, so the next step is going to be cataract surgery. NHS waiting time is now over two years so I'm gong to go private (also because that will give access to the more modern varifocal and accommodating lenses, which the NHS doesn't offer.) I've started talks with my insurers AXA who say they may cover depending on the optician's report and etc. Certainly it's outside their normal processes and trying to start a new claim online as advised ran into a problem when I had to choose whether my consultant was NHS or private. There's no honest answer to that one at this stage, so back on the phone in the morning.

24/09/22 Maldon

 Went to Maldon for lunch and a walk/scoot along the Promenade and the Quay. It was both high tide (for once) and market day with various entertainments on the Quay:

And us:

Lunch was vegan sausage rolls. Very nearly but not quite like the real thing.

Got home and made my signature beetroot and goat cheese risotto accompanied by a tomato and mushroom salad. Delicious as usual!

Mourning the death of Pharoah Sanders, R.I.P.  The Creator has a Master Plan, Peace and Happiness for Every Man. If only...

21/09/22 Dragons, Rings, and Dreams

Now we're a few episodes into both The House of the Dragon and The  Rings of Power it's time to attempt a comparison. Dragon was a little slow getting started but has gradually shown all the strengths of Game of Thrones apart, perhaps, from the leavening of humour provided by Tyrion and Bronn. Its strength is that the large cast of characters and their various intertwined story lines are held together by the single issue of the successor to King Viserys. Rings, by contrast, has an even larger cast and more storylines but lacks - so far at least - any coherent focus to hold them all together. You can see where all the money went, but to what purpose? Much tighter scriptwriting needed.

Dragon has one stand-out performance in Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra. For me she just beats Morfydd Clark's feisty warrior Galadriel, and not least because her part is much better written. Not only does Galadriel have some pretty awful dialogue to deliver, but it's also a bit too much of a stretch to see her as the same character as the Galadriel of LOTR

So far, Dragon is well in the lead. I look forward to watching a new episode, but I'm already feeling that keeping up with Ring is more of a duty than a pleasure. Tempting to turn to The Sandman on Netflix instead...

Good boules at Tower last night. Played one very long game and lost it 11 - 13. The heated gloves are back!

18/09/22 Poachers

 I like to think I mastered the art of poaching eggs the traditional "cheffy" way years ago. Drain off the watery part of the white, enough salt in the water to make the eggs float so they don't catch on the bottom of the pan, 2mins 50 seconds for room-temperature eggs, and drain off on kitchen towel. But despite doing all of that, yesterday evening's poached eggs on toast were a complete disaster. 

The first one somehow retained far too much water so the toast turned disgustingly soggy, the second one for some reason split into two, giving me an overdone yolk quite separate from a blob of white.

Nobody's perfect...

17/09/22 Breakfast

Still no reaction to the Covid shot apart from very slight soreness at the injection site, also still no symptoms from last Sunday.

Full English breakfast at the Horse and Groom followed by a short walk in Tower Gardens which I did with just one stick.It might have been longer but a chilly wind cut it short. Much colder this evening, and heating on for the first time this year. It's going to be a bitter night for all those people in the queue  for Westminster Hall. I can't imagine doing that at any time in my life, certainly not now.

16/09/22 #6

I had my sixth Covid vaccination this morning - the new "bivalent" Moderna  which is effective against Omicron. No side-effects, as usual.

Also no undesirable consequences from four hours of Wagner without a facemask at Saffron Hall last Sunday. That gives me confidence to return to more live music.

12/09/22 (2) Mist

Forgot to post yesterday morning's photo of the first of the autumn mists. The first I've been awake early enough to see, anyway: