The weather here has certainly been ‘exciting’ in that we’ve had high winds though not as bad as some parts of the UK (yet) and serious amounts of rain. It rained all day Thursday, in between the rain it poured it down, and over a 24-hour period, we’ve had 3 inches of rain. There are no drains in my half of the street, no idea why, and looking out of the bedroom window, it was like looking at a river running through our street. My car is partly on the kerb to allow traffic to pass easily, and I could see water gushing under the wheel on the kerb, there was that much of it. The street isn’t particularly steep, just steep enough to keep the water flowing swiftly past the houses until it reaches the drains where a different street crosses ours. I’d recently cleaned leaves from the drains in the garden, thankfully, so the back garden was also kept clear.

Thursday was the first day my son was back at Uni, just for a few hours, to discuss module options. I love him to bits, and we get on great, however it was nice to have a few hours just to myself. I vacuumed upstairs, did a small pile of ironing, cut my nails – I get so fed up of doing that – they grow so fast! I then made a coffee, and a bacon sandwich, and sat down to watch some TV. By the time I’d cleaned away, my son was back home again. Initially he’d planned to see some friends, however the weather had put off many of them and he decided to walk home in a very brief break from the rain. He got wet, nonetheless. He’s supposed to be out with friends Friday night though the weather may have some bearing on that too.

One of his friends posted some photos on FB showing how bad it was on campus. Initially we thought a water main had burst, but on reading the post, it was just rain water that the drains couldn’t cope with. As well as other cars, the photo showed a blue car up to its axles in standing water and looking at it, I doubt the engine will have stayed dry. Not good.

We’ve had advance notice that we’re having a house inspection next month. I doubt we have to stand to attention by our beds, though it does make me think that way. In the previous house, the landlord just popped over now and again for an informal check on the property and was very laid back. This feels more officious. Nothing to worry about, however I’ll be glad when it’s over. If they find any faults we have a week to rectify them before another inspection. The man coming over is nice, and we’ve met him about 4 times all in all, so I’m sure it’ll be okay though we will need to clean the oven and fridge beforehand, just to be on the safe side, as they belong to the house.

I have some meds for the dog that have a very good write up, and I’m hoping they’ll help his joints. He’s been on ‘senior’ food for some years now, but suddenly seems to be an old dog full of aches and pains. He loves his new dog bed, and spends many hours sleeping on it – more than is usual for him. Sad…

Our local surgery is weird in that they don’t seem to like talking to you. The staff, I won’t call them receptionists as they don’t seem very receptive, hide behind sliding glass doors and do seem impatient if you want to talk to them. Last time I was there for an appointment, I tried to book in, and she pointed me to an automated machine. I wasn’t feeling ‘clever’ so just asked her to book me in. This week, I walked over and tried to book my health check. She made me wait for a few minutes before finally opening the glass door. After checking my letter, she advised that they had nothing free for 2 weeks, and to call again when the diary was set up for October – this was despite a sign on the wall saying you can book appointments 4 weeks in advance. Next time I’ll phone as they are obviously allergic to talking to people in the flesh, as it were. They have a suggestions/complaints box, and I’ll definitely fill something in once I get an appointment.

Well, that was quite a ramble lol. Have a good weekend, and be safe out there especially whilst we have this inclement weather.