vyvyanx

We no longer have a cat.

There always seems to be some excitement when I donate blood. The first time, last December, was exciting just because it was new - and also because I felt faint and dizzy afterwards and everyone rushed to look after me. The second time, in July, the session was interrupted when a fire alarm went off and we all had to go out into the car park, which meant that people who'd been in the middle of donating couldn't have their donations used (not me, fortunately). Today, at the end of my third donation, a special alarm went off because the machine hadn't automatically cut off when the target weight was reached, and it took a bit extra :-) The nurses said this hardly ever happens.

I got a letter from the hospital today, apologising that my follow-up appointment had had to be cancelled. The date of this appointment? Monday 27 November 2023.

My toaster died today.  It was given to me by my parents as a leaving-home present when I went up to Trinity in 1992, along with a kettle (which only lasted about a decade, I think).  It has therefore been successfully making toast for me, virtually every day, for more than 30 years.  RIP, faithful toaster.

Last night, my last lurking wisdom tooth finally decided to come in, breaking painfully through my gum while I tried to sleep.  The NHS says they're supposed to come in during the late teens or early 20s.  I'm 47!

Well, I had my second Covid jab yesterday afternoon, 12 weeks after the first.  I tried to rebook for a week earlier when I was notified that that was a thing, but it turned out there weren't any available slots any sooner, so I was relieved I hadn't taken the risk of cancelling my original appointment first.  Also I learnt there were some walk-in centres open last weekend, but when I checked the details, all the centres in Northampton itself were only offering Moderna or Pfizer to young people, so that wouldn't have been any use to me.

Very different experience this time; no queue to speak of, and virtually no side effects (I felt unusually tired for about three hours yesterday evening, and my arm hurts a little bit where I was injected, but it's a totally different sort of pain from the first jab, and entirely ignorable).  Incidentally, the muscle/tendon pain from my first jab took about ten weeks to go away, and I still get twinges if I move it the wrong way.  I can't help feeling something weird happened with that injection.  Anyway, never mind, it's all fine now.

Excellent - being of an appropriate age, I was able to book both my Covid vaccinations on the NHS website today.  The first will be this Saturday, at a gurdwara in central Northampton, and the second in early July, at a pharmacy.

If you're feeling short of things to occupy you in these strange times, here's a delightful podcast about Fighting Fantasy gamebooks made by my beloved husband:
https://www.hauntedphonograph.com/fantastic-fights-and-where-to-find-them/

I've been called to do jury service next month. Have any of you done that? I have to say, I'm quite excited about it.

I'm in Leuven, Belgium at the moment for a massive stars conference (that's a conference about massive stars, not a massive conference...). It seems remarkably civilised - it's cheaper to get to Leuven from Northampton by train than to Edinburgh, everyone cycles everywhere (but not on the pavement, which is nice for an obligate pedestrian like me), solar panels on roofs are as common as satellite dishes in England, and there are three vegan restaurants, one of which made me the best salad I've even eaten in my life this evening.