Back to work

It was a good week off. I got a lot of the cleaning done that I had intended to do (but not absolutely all of it - I could do with another week to carry on and get it finished!!). I didn't get out into the garden though.  It's still too cold, although the sun came out and shone beautifully over the weekend.

We drove to Stockport on Saturday.  Some years ago both The Builder and I took part in the Biobank data collection exercise, where they measured us and asked us lots of questions and tested us and took our blood and did all sorts of health related stuff.  They followed up with a questionnaire about diet and from time to time sent emails asking questions.  Then they invited me (but not The Builder; he's fallen out of their age range) to go back for repeat testing.  In Stockport, of all places.  The Builder said he would come anyway, just for the drive.  And off we went.

It is a really lovely drive from our place to Stockport. It takes you through the Peak District and up over the Pennines and through some truly beautiful countryside. It was even nicer in the sunshine. And there was no snow at all on the Manchester side of the country!

It took not quite two hours for me to be quizzed, jabbed, checked, tested and pummelled.  In the meantime, The Builder was sat in the tea room with a sandwich and a cup of tea. I got a sandwich too when I had finished. And then we drove home again, still through glorious sunshine. I hadn't realised quite how much I had got fed up of gloom and grey and glumness until I saw the sun sparkling on the Peak District!

And I hadn't fully realised how much I had settled into nice, slow mornings with nothing much to hurry about - until I had to get up and dash about with purpose and intent this morning.

I have a feeling, too, that my poor body is going to get quite a shock when it gets home this evening and is offered tea and not wine.  I had got pleasantly used to there being lots of wine to indulge in - but we are going back on the wagon again this evening.  There is the GWT(2) to save up for!!