Countdown - 5 days to go!

Less than a week now until the visitors from Outer Space - sorry, Australia and America - arrive. It's going to be a busy week. Jo's got a lunch tomorrow, then we've got my physio and Luca on Tuesday, salmon to collect on Wednesday and the surgeon to see on Thursday, amongst other things, like more trips to the tip, pictures to put up - and a letterbox too - we forgot about that when we got the new front door!

That's the week ahead, but what has this weekend brought? On Friday night, I had my first night out at the pub since early/mid October, then on Saturday, I paid my first visit to Pittodrie this season. Aberdeen won 2-0 and it wasn't too bad a game considering the windy conditions - it must have been very difficult for the players. Even more so for one poor unfortunate elderly spectator who, with the aid of some friends, managed up the steps in the Richard Donald Stand and then, thinking he was safe being back on the level, promptly put his two walking sticks down on the wet surface and they immediately skidded forward and he took a headlong tumble. I sympathised - and took this as a warning as I gingerly made my own way out of the ground.

I just had time to shower and change and then we headed next door to the Tor-na-Coille Hotel for our annual Xmas dinner with the squash/golf crowd - and very good it was too.

When we got home after the dinner, we prepared carefully in an attempt to avoid yet another sleepless night for me. We'd had lots of advice - much of it from Jo's sister Mary. Lavender oil was liberally sprinkled everywhere, all electrical stimulation and LED lights from TV's, phones etc were doused and I took all my meds, including Nytol again. I read a couple of chapters of my book and then settled down for the night. An hour and a half later and I was up and awake again. I probably spent a restless 30 - 60 minutes after that, but then I must have fallen asleep. I awoke at 6 am, but stayed in bed until Jo got up at 7 am, by which time my leg was crying out for some pain killers. I actually felt quite sleepy at this time, but I knew I had to sit up to take the pills.

Today, I've done my exercises twice, including a couple of reasonable spells on the exercise bike, and I've walked to the shops and back, but the rest of the day has been a typically lazy Sunday watching sport on TV and reading the papers.

So that's my weekend. My other blogs contain most of the photos of this weekend, but here's the selfie I took of Jo and I last night: