Round

I give tremendous amounts of thanks for being back home. It's been a bit of a God give me strength day so I give thanks either a deity or something else entirely did - perhaps clean blood and a shot of iron helped.

I give thanks for last night's all around Britain Clap for Carers, very moving to feel the appreciation and the sense of community, seeing neighbours in flats across the street at their windows and hearing the applause, whoops and whistles. Also I'm grateful I've met a few dialysis nurses and hospital cab drivers now and could confidently predict the conversations I would have today. It didn't make them any more enjoyable for either party as I'm so bad at responding to banalities, formulaic grumbles or 'Aren't I amazing?' monologues, but at least I didn't imagine there would be any real communication or connection involved. That's the hard part of having to move...sometimes before there was a little here and there. On the other hand it's always interesting to study human nature, as if you do you realise there are certain personality traits and behaviours you encounter over and over again...

I give thanks for remembering there was no WiFi signal there and downloading some entertainment. Also that eventually a tea trolley did arrive. Volunteers womanned this service before and, as they've had to stop, our much valued cuppa and biscuits relies on busy support staff being free. For being allowed to choose the first taxi journey (coast road, please) as the return was predictably by the bypass so I got a visually pleasing round trip, plus a few minutes waiting in the previous fresh air at each end!