Back on form

Time to test out if all my repair work on the snow blower had worked. They had. Although we have had a little snow the last few days, it has been so warm that all paved areas were quickly free. However, yesterday evening as I went out for the dog walk, the temperature plummeted within an hour by about 8°C. The road was treacherous driving out for the walk & while we were in the forest heard several village's fire brigade sirens go off. It had caused numerous accidents in the entire area. Driving home I had to take a detour as I couldn't get up a hill  - there wasn't more than a centimetre of two of snow, but it was on top of pure ice.

I couldn't sleep last night & saw at some unearthly hour with the temperature at -9°C that it was snowing well. Did manage four hours sleep before getting up, downing a cup of coffee and setting off with the blower to clear the snow. It wasn't a great deal, perhaps 10 cm but given the forecast freezing temperatures and the sunshine, not clearing it would cause real slippery conditions.

No sooner was I finished than I had another of my kidney stone attacks, no doubt dislodged by the physical effort. I'm lucky I don't have any of the normal dreadful back pains - I get stomach ache & feel like a damp sponge. All I can do is lie down & sleep. Normally takes 24 hours or so before with luck the stone(s) appear.

Sadly it had to happen as Angie got the news her father had finally died after weeks or dreadful pain. She has been working 24/7 on trying to get him as comfortable as possible but for the most part that means getting very aggressive on the phone with people to get something done. The whole situation is a mess & complicated, not just by Corona restrictions.

It is sad to see anyone go. Sepp had a good innings, born in October 1934. He has been very kind to me in several matters, we always had a tense relationship but sadly when Angie saved his life a few years ago, and he blamed her for the operations he then had to go through to become well again, well as the Germans say "The oven was out" for me. He blamed her to my face when we were alone the day he came off ICU. Since then, I haven't seen or spoken to him again. There is more  though and mainly connected with how a father can consider daughters to be worthless. Any person, body or religion which in this day and age considers this to be correct, gets no respect from me.