Plague Bay

It’s a bit of a standing joke with Mr K and the Little Misses that I have a bit of a thing about parking. If I think there’ll be any issue I like to leave early “to make sure we can park”. Especially in Marshall. I just get really stressed at thought of driving around car parks, unable to park, getting wedged in, not able to go forwards or backwards and basically spending the rest of our lives in the car park. A bit ridiculous I know but I can’t help it.
Parking at the JR is literally my worst nightmare bought to life!!!!
Last night I had a recurring loopy dream about driving round and round and round looking for a space, telling myself to leave earlier to find a space, trying to park in spaces that then disappeared, not able to drive round the car park because of all the abandoned cars, finding a space and then finding out it’s the ambulance bay. And all while more and more cars pile in and join the hunt…….. On and on and on. All night it felt like. Uuuggghhhhh.
I could feel myself getting more and more anxious as I got to the hospital this morning and kept telling myself not to be so ridiculous. Just stop somewhere and wait for someone to leave. It doesn’t matter how long it takes!!
It used to be that you queued at the barrier and it was ‘one out, one in’. That was much better because at least you knew there was a space, you just had to find it.
After all my stress I was lucky this morning. I chose a place to stop, waited for about five minutes and a woman came back to her car right in front of me. Whoop whoop!!!!
Anyway, that’s probably enough about parking!!!
I called into mum’s house on the way to Oxford this morning. There’s been no contact from my dad since he messaged me yesterday morning to say he wasn’t coming. I thought I’d better check he wasn’t laying on the floor being eaten by the dogs. He wasn’t. He was in bed and breathing and there was a negative Covid test on the table which is a good sign.
Everyone in mum’s bay has tested positive for Covid now. Mum’s still negative so fingers crossed the guardian angels that have seen us through the last three years will stick with us and we’ll continue to avoid it!
Physio went well today. Mum walked about on crutches rather than the frame which was a bit scary for her but she did really well.
The lovely consultant - Mr D - is so lovely and really reassuring. And, as far as I can tell under his mask, fairly dishy!!
There was a bit of a chaotic half hour in the afternoon when everyone bustled in and said they were moving mum to another bay further down the ward. Keeping all the Covid people together they said. Then it was a scramble moving beds and chairs and tables up and down the corridor, swapping patients around.
When we got to the new bay it too had the Red Bay sign and when I asked the nurse what was the point she just shrugged.
Mum’s old bay was nice, and quiet, and opposite the loos. God, you get so institutionalised don’t you?!
It was very disorientating. But she does have a window which is great. The views are fabulous from the seventh floor - across Oxford and the surrounding countryside, Red Kites at eye level. Lovely!
The carpet fitters came this morning and fitted Miss L’s new carpet. It looks fab! I had a walk on it when I got home tonight and it feels so lovely. Makes me want to sort the stairs, landing, stairs and our bedroom which haven’t seen new carpets for at least twenty years!!
Miss L is giddy - it’s painted and carpeted and just needs the furniture building. That’ll be fun for Mr K this weekend!!
A message from mum tonight saying she hadn’t got the dinner she ordered but some slop left on the trolley til last. And the woman in the next bed has just tested positive. FFS!