There is a song that has the title Mad dogs and Englishmen. Apparently satirising our unwillingness to take a siesta during the heat of the day. Well, Monday I tried to take a siesta. It was d*mn hot here, and very airless so after lunch I escaped to my bedroom where I listened to the dog pacing downstairs, blaring music, drilling, and some a-hole revving his engine in the street. The final straw was the dog barking at the person who delivered yet more junk mail to our house. After 35 minutes of the above, I gave in and vegged out in front of the TV with the curtains closed instead. I’ve always stopped the dog from lying in the sun, however I’ve read that for a little while at least, it’s good for them as they absorb vitamin D that way just like people except it remains on their fur and is ingested when they groom themselves. Who knew?

After a brief and uneventful visit to the dentist on Monday, I popped by the GP surgery to see if my blood results were back. They were, and everything is normal including my blood sugar level and the GP left a message that she doesn’t need to see me. From what I’ve read, a blood sugar level of 42 or below is normal, mine is 43 which has dropped from previous so that’s great news. I just need to keep on top of it. I admit, I’ve been really good; I’ve cut right back on what little sugar/honey I use and I’m paying more attention to the carb values and their sugars on what I eat and drink. As a family we seem predisposed to diabetes so extra care is needed as I do not want to join the ranks of diabetics.

It’s been quite hot here, getting up to 20C the past few days though we have had a nice breeze today. What little rain we had recently was nice, but it really wasn’t enough to cool things down for long. I know compared to some our temperatures aren’t that high, but for the UK, they’re high enough bearing in mind we don’t have AC in our homes unless you’re very well off. I don’t even have it in my car! The night-time temperature in my bedroom isn’t getting below 24C which makes for very uncomfortable sleep. Sleeping with the windows open would help I’m sure, but we can’t do it; after a bug marathon in one house, and bats in 2 different houses, neither my son nor I can sleep with a window open. Now, if we had bug screens here it would be a different matter.

Saturday, the landlord’s Dad is coming by with a contractor to look at the front window which is rotting, and the back door too which is warped with a rotting frame. I hope they can repair them both rather than replace; this would be a big deal, expensive, and I’m concerned they’d put up the rent to try recoup the costs. Frankly, I could kick in the back door quite easily though hopefully the dog barking his head off deters any would-be burglars. Ostensibly, they’re only here to look at the one window and door, but I feel I’ll need to ensure the whole downstairs is clean and tidy, again, as if for an inspection. Great…

In many ways I’m glad I left the previous house though it did have much better windows and doors with 100% of them being double-glazed with 5-point locks on the front and back doors. The garden was nicer too, and the area quieter. Still, all in all, I have no regrets and doubt I’d ever move back to that area; far too built-up with little access to green spaces though I do miss the peace and quiet.

Not much else going on; keeping hydrated, staying indoors, yawning. Enjoy the rest of the week.