Thursday 7 October:

My original plan was go out ’early morning walking’, but it was pretty dull and drab, so I didn’t.
Spent the morning erecting roller blinds! Three in the living room and one in my bedroom.
John Lewis recommendations were a) only attempt if you’re reasonably proficient in DIY and b) each blind will take about an hour to fix. In the event, I’d fix them all in just over 2 hours (but I still have reservations about fixings to our walls). But, hey ho, another task completed!
It was also a washing and change the bedding day… and also trying to simplify/organise recycling.
Read some of my Bloke’s book (‘The Buried Giant’) in the afternoon on the balcony (and also enjoyed having a joss stick wafting around inside!).
Bought John Lewis armchair online (delivery 22 October… blimey!!).
Evening telly: ‘Blair+Brown’ documentary.
Image: Sketchbook scribble based on a Japanese train poster (another library trip!). 

Wednesday 6 October:

Bloke’s Prayers at The Society Café (Ed, Dru, Dave+Robin) on a lovely sunny (but extremely chilly) morning. Good to catch up (and laugh). Lovely also that Jennifer (from USk) came over to say hello.
Moira woke up feeling somewhat giddy+sick first thing, but was ok again by mid-morning.
Various deliveries scheduled for late afternoon, so I took the opportunity to go to the Farmers’ Market to buy meat, cheese and fruit. Nice people.
Asda delivery DID come today and, as usual, the delivery driver was brilliant.
In afternoon I did a quick sketch based on a Japanese railway poster of the 1930s.
John Lewis deliveries arrived just after 4pm (on schedule)… tomorrow will be a challenging day erecting roller blinds!
The sky was pretty wonderful today and now living on an upper floor (and with large windows) just enables to be conscious of the sky so much more.
I read on the balcony for a while before supper.
Evening telly: ‘Repair Shop’.
Image: view out of the living room windows. 

Tuesday 5 October:

Something of a bizarre day…
Ru texted very first thing and she came round for early morning coffee – so lovely to see her (even though much of our time together related to how Iris+Rosa opt to opt out of everything… Ru - and especially Stu – feeling very frustrated.
Bristol Flooring emailed to say they could fit on 20 October.
We were due to receive an Asda order today (after the fiasco of last week’s non-show) – but Moira received a voicemail from Asda (which she accidently deleted without being able to listen to it). After frustrated attempts to contact Asda, I ended up walking to East Street Asda to find out more – only to be told that the van had broken down and so the order wouldn’t be delivered (again)! To make matters worse, we’d also been changed for last week’s non-delivery groceries!!
When I got home, I eventually managed to phone someone at Asda… and eventually managed to get our order re-scheduled for tomorrow (despite them insisting on charging us for the new delivery… even though it was THEIR van that broke down!)… and we’ve (hopefully) managed to get a re-fund on last week’s order.
To make matters worse, we had a delivery driver ring our bell (delivering my sketchbooks perhaps?), but then not wait for me to get down stairs before driving off without delivering any package.
Somewhat ironically, I’d finished the last page of my sketchbook and so ended up walking up Park Street to buy one from Bristol Fine Art.
Spent a little time in the afternoon sketching (based on a Gaudi mosaic).
Storysmith bookgroup gathering in the evening (‘The Hare With The Amber Eyes’): Another good discussion (people generally split on views).
Managed to call in to the pharmacy on the way home and collect my medication (sadly, the statins weren’t included!).
Image: another balcony dawn. 

Monday 4 October:

Moira and I decided to go to John Lewis to look at blinds etc and so there was no early morning walk (again!).
Spent the time immediately after breakfast stacking books on the second lot of shelves (just a few left over – perhaps a dozen?)(will we be able to squeeze them into bookcase no.3?).
Bussed off to Cribbs Causeway and it ‘sort of’ served its purpose (and we were able to select food caddy and undersink bin).
Back home by 1pm.
Popped into the library again immediately after lunch (returned some books and borrowed some more).
Moira and I placed some online orders at John Lewis (ironically, some of the info we picked up this morning was wrong!).
Spoke to Robin by phone (following my various emails about the management company etc)… useful conversation (and he DIDN’T try to change my mind!).
Moira and I ended up going out to Franco Branca for pizzas for early supper.
Evening telly (after some bedroom furniture shifting in M’s bedroom): ‘Only Connect’ and ‘Challenge’’
Image: more shelves in progress. 

Sunday 3 October:

A wet old day (although it did brighten up a little during the course of the afternoon).
Fetched the newspaper first thing.
Had considered going to the service at the cathedral (it’s a Holy Trinity week), but it appeared that we needed to have registered in order to attend (was that just if you wanted to take communion or what? website very unclear)… so we didn’t.
I ended up finishing off building (and decorating) the bookshelves… and then, towards the end of the afternoon, Moira and I went about trying to sort out the ‘non-Dave’ books.
We ended up filling the left-hand bookshelf completely – with A-L authors… I just hope there’s enough space left on the right-hand shelves for M-Z!
I was feeling a little anxious about the shelf fixings but, fingers firmly crossed, they seem to be ok (but the shorter right-hand shelf brackets have fewer fixings… so I’m still feeling nervous!).
Nevertheless, it makes a HUGE difference being able to get rid of a lot (maybe a dozen?) cardboard boxes off the living room floor!
Villa lost to Spurs away from home 1-2.
Evening telly: ‘Gone Fishing’ and ‘Midsommer Murders’.
Image: Shelves in progress.

Saturday 2 October:

Moira and I had flu jab appointments at 8.20/8.21am today, so it was a relatively early start (well, for Moira at least!)… we followed this with a very welcome visit to Hugo’s (opposite Asda) – to get some ‘real fruit and veg’! I later carried on to Wilko’s to buy pins and some wood glue.
Wet weather day from start to finish.
I spent the rest of the morning fixing the lipping to the MDF shelves and painting perhaps 50% of them (juggling space and avoiding painting the walls!). Hopefully, it’ll all be completed tomorrow (well, this part of the shelving at least)… and maybe we’ll be able to store some books too over the course of the next few days (with fingers firmly crossed that the wall fixings will be adequate).
Evening Netflix: ‘Miss Potter’ film.
Image: Quick scribble of a 1920’s house made while awaiting Thursday’s Asda non-delivery. 

Friday 1 October:

Another strange (and juggling) day…
I had an appointment with Dr Adamali at Southmead Hospital first thing (which involved pre-bus pass travel cost!). He was happy to ‘sign me off’ as far as lung fibrosis was concerned, but he was a little puzzled by my heart (“there’s a rustle”!) and decided to refer me to a cardiologist as a precaution, before seeing me (hopefully for the last time) in 8 months.
Travelled back to Han+Fee’s on the bus and then Fee very kindly drove me to Bishopston Hardware (who are brilliant) to collect my cut-to-size timber. It all worked out very well and the timber seems to be the correct size!
The lift was back working at Deanery Road (thankfully)… which helped with transporting stuff to number17.
Our re-scheduled Asda order failed to turn up again (but we think we might have missed out confirming online?)… we’ve cancelled and re-ordered for next Tuesday. Moira and I went shopping to the Co-op to top up supplies in the interim.
I’d been pondering whether or not I should offer to join the Board at Deanery Road over recent days… and have eventually decided that it’s perhaps a little premature (I’m very critical of BNS’s role and the likely workload put on to Board members). I’ve ended up deciding against it and have emailed Mark (Brough), Maggie and Kevin… and also Robin. Ultimately, I’ll respond to Mark Treasure and convey my misgivings.
Evening telly: another ‘Montalbano’ episode.
Image: Luke Jerram installation, College Green.