Thursday and I wake as the household goes out to work, yep actual out in the real world work. So I check my mail and messages then do my vitals. These are all in order of course. Breakfast follows and then I spring (more lope) into action. My drugs have to be organised for the next two weeks and beyond. My wallets are filled adn extra supplies packed in case we need to stop off to visit the expected new grandson. I take the car to the petrol station and fill it up. Of course I check the tyres. I stock up on wine gums, essential driving aid, and fresh bottles of water. I remember to buy a new flagon of windscreen wash. When home I check the oil and that to is tickity boo. As I am feeling pleased with myself I step out to the village shop to get some holiday cash and find the machine stares blank screenedly at me. I buy treats and a paper then head for the village café .I happily sat doing the crosswords and munching my way through a sausage and bacon baguette. I take my time thinking I am cruising toward my holiday tomorrow.

I get home and settle down to take stock of what needs doing. I gather together some more items to pack and on a visit to the toilet note that it appears not to be flushing at the rate it should. I am a suspicious sort so I get my manhole cover keys and lift the lid. My heart sinks, it is blocked which means I am going to be rodding my drains once again. I gather together my rods, gloves and put on my work gear. I set to rodding with vigour and I pleased that I am able to clear the blockage quite quickly. In doing so I note that the inner seating of the manhole is eroded away and is no longer water tight. So I set about re cementing the affected area. This was the last thing I expected to be doing the day before holiday. I am on my knee trying to apply a new filler layer whilst stuffing old tea towels up one of the inlet pipes to keep things as dry as possible. Once the filler is in place I spend quite some time leaning into the manhole with my partners hair dryer trying to speed up the setting time of the filler. It comes to the point where I just have to leave it for a while.

My attention turns to the garden, in particular the green house where there are some very leggy seedlings. I get to work putting them in to the garden and potting up others. All the time I am conscious that there is a manhole drying, hopefully. Seedlings in I water the garden using my water butt water to ensure there is room in it while I am away. The bird feeders get filled and the squirrel feeder gets topped up. Finally the garden is done so I take a couple of pictures of the new flowers that have come out over the last couple of days.

With the garden sorted as much as it can be I now sort out the car ready for loading. With the wine gums and water stowed and the loading space readied there is no more to be done. The last thing I can do now is check my manhole and remove the tea towel plug from one of the drain pipes. I sense I am running out of spoons so get a move on. I inspect and judge I cannot do any more, so remove my tea towel plug and pop the lid back on.

At last I get to get my work kit off and settle down to tea with the family. I draft the blog knowing I have packing to do to night. My traveling “office” contains all the techno stuff I need to keep going and my journals to record what I do and need, so it is a crucial bag to me. By the end of the evening everything will be ready to be stowed and I shall do my meds and hopefully get an early night as tomorrow I have to be at the GP surgery for bloods, only then can I go on holiday. I hope to be able to keep the blog going.