David Gillon

Looks like I've got another blasted sinus infection - that makes at least 4 so far this year (plus several bugs which didn't hit my sinuses). Which is a bit worrying as my sister tends to get them near constantly through the winter and I'd prefer not to go the same way, thank you!

I initially thought it was just the weather had turned cold on Friday, but mid-afternoon I turned really feverish and ended up sleeping under the quilt on the couch from 4 through to 11 (on the plus side, 7 hours sleep is as much as I've had at one time in the last fortnight, so unexpected bonus).

I thought I'd kicked it when I woke up feeling okay, but it was just lulling me into a false sense of security and the sinus headache kicked in once I left the house. I had planned to get lunch over in Rochester, but the parking was abysmal. On the two streets I favour for giving me reasonable access to the high street in the chair there were probably five spaces, two thirds of one here, half of one there. Some of it was probably just circumstances, but at least one guy was deliberately taking up two spaces (parked outside the private school - sense of entitlement in action?) There probably wasn't any point in checking the actual pay car parks for spaces at that time of day (plus the traffic to them is regularly a nightmare), but I might have found somewhere a little further out, however I was feeling decidedly cranky by that point, so I gave up on lunch and went to grab some shopping from Asda.

On reflection I should have realised Asda was going to be irritating. It was mid-afternoon on Saturday and everyone was out doing their weekend shop. Plus the wheelchair shopping trolley isn't nearly as manouverable as the standard versions*, which means people are constantly in my way. But I couldn't help noticing that it was the same three people who kept getting in my way - especially a woman who was wandering around with a phone glued to her ear and paying no attention to anyone else whatsoever. This was not a good combination with cranky, headachey me.

I survived and got home again, and promptly fell asleep on the couch once more. I've been awake since midnight, playing XCom to occupy myself. I'm feeling (very) mildly headachey, and now I think of it I notice it there's a bit of tinnitus going on as well

Dear Sinus Bug, Bugger Off!!

* 4 casters means a standard trolley can move on the diagonal to move around people. The wheelchair trolley-wheelchair has six casters between chair and trolley, and two non-castering main wheels on the chair, which means you have to turn 4 times to get around people, pivoting the trolley about the chair, and with a full trolley that's quite hard work.

So I drove over to Rochester for my normal Saturday lunch date, and as I got to the Star Hill roundabout noticed out of the corner of my eye a sign saying 'Santa Fun Run".

'Must be weeks away', I thought to myself.

No, bits of various roads taped off, and as I'm trying to cross the High Street, I see 200+ Santas streaming towards me... Barely got out of the way in time.

Aaaiiieee, make it stop, my brain still thinks it's September.