Aubrey

[excoriator]

Corn flakes??? Sorry it's gull wing sandwiches only, containing ....something.

One morning one of the other patients on the ward I was on came in saying it was founders day and we were going to be given a full English breakfast. He listed the delicious ingredients, and I fell for it, only to get the usual stale butty, to everyone's vast amusement.

He got his comeuppance though. They woke him at 2 a.m. for a scan! As they wheeled him past my bed I called out "Waterboard him whilst you're at it!"

Have you tried restarting the ipad Aubrey? If that doesn't help, you can reset it to factory settings, but you need to backup to the cloud first. Let me know when you're up to it. and I'll send you instructions.

No pressure to reply. Take it easy and get better first.

[aubrey]

I'm now allowed soft fool and liquid, my swallow apparently being strong enough to cope with these. Biscuits are out, and probably cornflakes are as well. I've had a few spoons full of mushy veg and two cups of industrial tea.

Next week I'm being transferred to another rehab place, more long term rehab than the acute treatment we get here. It's further away, so visiting will be more difficult - here, it's a ten minute walk - but otherwise it seems ok.

[jonjel]

Good to see you back Aubs.

[excoriator]

Good news that you are clearly showing signs of improvement. You'll be onto corn flakes before you know it, and even shredded wheat. Tastier than a Brillo pad!

A Russian in the Kremlin stood
Chewing his beard for lack of food
He said "This stuff is tough to eat
But a damn sight better than shredded wheat"

We are fighting an infestation of mice here. We stockpiled some food with the virus and brexit and Mrs E. put some in the junk room and forgot it. A mouse found it and we now have a family of them. I've put down traps and I think we've caught the adults. We are now catching smaller and smaller ones. Today we found two dead in the same trap. One small and one tiny one, both tucking into the Nutella. They are such pretty things. The thought of a small sibling with a big brother or sister being killed whilst companionably dining together on Nutella
- their favourite food, seems heartbreaking, but they have to go. I've tried humane traps but they are less effective.

We could do with a cat, but the ones we've had before have all vanished, either falling into the water, or poisoned by a local pigeon fancier so we don't really want to lose another the same way.

Otherwise, not much doing here. I am still spending a lot of time on the piano, and gratifyingly I can feel the improvement. One interesting development is that my sight reading has improved. Or at least my confidence in doing it has. I have never been brilliant at it and avoided doing too much of it, but now feel confident in doing it more. Ironic that it has improved after losing the use of an eye! I feel I have Bach on the ropes, at least as far as the 48 preludes and fugues are concerned. Some way to go before the Goldberg variations however.

Anyway Aubrey. Take it easy and get well. Hopefully reading posts is not a strain for you and news of other peoples' antics are of interest. Reply when you you feel up to it. No pressure.

Exco.

[aubrey]

I had corn flakes! A bit of a disappointment. Semi skinned milk and not Kellogg's. I'll try crunchy nut tomorrow.

I used a toilet foR the first time in months this week.

I am waiting for the physio girls to come and take me for a jog. I can do 30 metres in five minutes. I have a kind of splint on my bad leg which makes it behave more or less normally, but I still use a Zimmer frame. Still, I can stand up without help, and stand without support and not fall over.

Being able to read must be wonderful. I managed it on a midi set up with a score of Spem In Alium, at quarter speed, and covering up the lines I wasn't playing with sheets of A4. So, a line and a page at a time. It took about three months to record it all, but it was exhilarating.

[jonjel]

That is good news Aubs. I am not sure if you are still in the E Surrey or not. My parents cottage was on the edge of the common, just behind the chimney stack, if that is still there.

[aubrey]

I'm still in the hospital,yes, or rather in a unit in the grounds.

[excoriator]

Sounds rather grand, Aubrey! Well away from the Hoypoloi.

They haven't mistaken you for the PM or a royal have they?

I've been toying with the thought that our esteemed Mr Javid, who has gone down with covid, might have passed it on to the rest of the cabinet including the PM. What a calamity that would be! What would we do without them?

All right!!!!

Stand up the boy who shouted "Rejoice">