I caved in on Monday afternoon and went home croaking at my boss that I wouldn't be in on Tuesday.  There doesn't seem to be much point in coming all the way in to work with very little voice and a mighty cough.  And my office colleagues were looking at me slightly askance when coughing fits beset me!

I really wasn't very well, though.  It was as much as I could do to wash and then boil some baby beetroots that The Builder brought back from the allotment. I had to concentrate quite hard!  And I pretty much lost my appetite (not something that happens very often to me!!!).  The Builder, who has had absolutely no voice, did not lose his appetite and had to wait patiently for food to be forthcoming. But I think he quite alarmed Freyja when she rang home and he answered the phone with what sounded like a low pitched growl :-D

I took yesterday off too and came back to work today, but I did begin to think that I really shouldn't have bothered.  The morning did not begin well.  I tried to buy a replacement monthly train ticket.  The computer whirred and groaned and pondered and did nothing.  A weekly ticket then?  Same thing.  By the time the poor man behind the counter and I had decided that my only option was going to be to buy a day return and try again tomorrow - my train had come and gone and I had a long, damp, foggy wait at the platform for the next one.  (Actually, it's less than 20 minutes but that is a long time when it's damp and dank and foggy and you are not feeling at your brightest and your best.)  Then I got to Sheffield, got off the train, and was instantly hit by a coughing fit so vigorous that I could hardly breathe. By the time I actually got into the office I could scarcely move :-S

But, as they say - tomorrow is another day and I'm sure it will all be much better.  And I hope I can buy my train ticket without such a palaver!

The car, on the other hand, has passed its MOT with flying colours (and a new set of front tyres).  It hasn't had its service yet, though. Nich the Mechanic had a bigger cough than mine, less voice than The Builder and looked Very Unhappy Indeed when he turned up to do the car.  So it went for its MOT unserviced and is going back next week in the hope that Nick is feeling much better