Surprise!

This arrived in the post on Wednesday. It is an unexpected Christmas present "from" Minstrel! Brian had seen it online and thought - correctly - that I would like it! 

It's my Blip today as it is a very wet and windy Double Day. There's a rail strike today so my Dad collected me. It was drizzling steadily all the way there in the car. 

I don't think my Dad's driving is as good as it used to be. Quite often he sees things and reacts to them later than he would have done previously. Because he's reacting late, he reacts sharper - his driving is no longer as fluent. He's driven all kinds of vehicles since he was seventeen and for many years made a living as a HGV driver. He would not take kindly to being told to hang up the keys by his daughter who has never passed a driving test, so I'm hoping he will realise for himself! 

After lunch I was sent to buy a few things from the Co-op. It was still drizzling when I set out, but by the time I left the shop it had turned into a torrential downpour! I was soaked to the skin when I arrived back at the bungalow. My feet were cold and wet and my coat weighed a ton! I was cold for the rest of the afternoon!

I need the trainers for work tonight so they are now drying on the radiator.

In the night our house-phone rang in a half-hearted way. No-one was there and it stopped working altogether. Apparently there is  fault on the line...