Lexin

Today aunty_marion and I went to Caernarfon Castle, which was lovely, and we bought fudge, then we ransacked a couple of charity shops, where I bought knitting yarn and a cross stitch kit. We also saw some sweet dogs.

Opal (the tabby cat) is worrying me.

She has scabs on her rump, and on her leg, and more rough bits on her tummy. A footle through the internet makes me think it’s allergy to fleas, though there are other things it could be, some of them nasty.

I tried to get her a vet appointment today, but they are busy and offered me one tomorrow. So she’s going to the vet at Llandygai tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I will give her cuddles. Poor kitty, being itchy is horrible, as I know only too well.

Me

My injuries from the scalds are mostly healed except for the one on my tummy. That one is lingering like an unwanted guest.

A few weeks ago I managed to scald myself.

I made a nice fresh cup of tea, and was crossing the living room when I tripped over my cat, Opal, and tangled the teapot up in my cardigan. Result was some very nasty burns down my legs, plus one on my tummy.

I rang the non-emergency helpline NHS Wales 111. They said, “Go to Ysbyty Gwynedd.” They didn’t add ‘you muppet’ which they might as well have done. So I went and spent a couple of hours in A&E, leaving with bandaged legs around lunchtime.

Since then the burns are mostly healed except for the one on the back of my right leg, and the one on my tummy. Both of those still bleed and/or weep. Still, as the nurse said, a diabetic will take longer to heal.

In case you were wondering, Opal was unharmed. Though I screamed and she hid for a few hours. Had Opal been hurt, I would have taken her to the vet before taking myself to A&E.

The area I live in is covered by an “amber” warning for rain and wind. It’s not currently raining, but the wind is howling round the house, and whipping up the waves in the bay. Opal is cuddling up to me - I don’t think she likes the noise.

I would like to knit or play Baldur’s Gate 3, but Opal won’t tolerate me not cuddling her. Ho hum.

Well, the New Year is here.

Our dinner is in the oven, and I am playing Baldur’s Gate III. aunty_marion is helping with suggestions.

Nadolig Llawen or Happy Christmas to those who celebrate, and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate something else.

We have just put our three bird roast in the oven. Looking forward to finding out what it is like.

Yesterday was an expensive day.

About two months ago I left my distance vision glasses on a bus. Or in the hospital. I don’t know which and neither organization has found them.

So I finally gave up and went to the optometrist. My glasses are always expensive, this time £200. Ker-ching! They will be ready in two weeks time. Meanwhile I am struggling on with my intermediate (computer) specs.

Then when I got home, I thought I would watch TV. April Fool, no you won’t. Your Freesat box has gone belly up, and needs replacing. So that’s another chunk of change.

Meanwhile, at least the cats are cuddly. So there is that.

We visited four exciting places: Beaumaris Castle, Penrhyn Castle, the Welsh National Slate Museum and we went up Yr Wyddfa on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.  They were all quite good in their different ways.

The first was Beaumaris Castle, which is across the Menai Strait. We went by bus, which was quite exciting in itself because of the narrow roads, and the cheapest way to travel. The castle is a genuine 11th century castle, though it is unfinished due to the king at the time (whose name I have forgotten) running out of money because he was engaged in fighting the Scots. As you do, clearly.

It has a nice gift shop, but no café. The town of Beaumaris (pop 1200) has lots of tea shops and things. We found a rather good tea shop who did us an excellent sandwich, but only just in time for us to catch our bus back, which gave aunty_marion and I a bit of a turn.

Penrhyn Castle is the nearest to me, and you get there by taxi if you have no transport. There is a bus stop, but it is a long walk (too long for me) to get to the Visitor Centre on foot from the bus stop. Once you get to the Visitor Centre if you have any sense you wait for a golf buggy, and get a lift to the castle entrance. The driver of the buggy told us that the castle is, in his words, 'Smoke and mirrors.'

It was built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a copy of an 11th century castle. The family who built it were (I hesitate to say 'are' because I don't know them) horrible. The castle itself was built on the work of West Indian slaves on plantations and by exploiting local slate miners. Penrhyn had the nicest food in the café. The Wikipedia entry is interesting.

I thought the Slate Museum was a bit dull. Lots of walking, too much for me, and I have but a slight interest in slate, if you see what I mean. Even the food in the café was boring. The sandwiches only had white bread. Plus, it's £40 in a taxi to get there and £40 in a taxi to get back.

Actually worth the £40 each way in a taxi is the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Great views. The steam train to the summit is £55 return. If you ever get the chance to go, don't book just on the feeling that you might want to do it - there are no refunds if you change your mind. The café at the top has an odd choice of food - burgers and hot dogs. Go figure. And it may be cloudy at the top, as it was for us.

I’m having one of “those” months.

I have had to replace:
My doorbell,
My upstairs toilet, and now
My dishwasher.

Delivery of the dishwasher is Monday, and I’m hoping they don’t have trouble with my stairlift or my curvy stairs.

In other news

I had to go to Ysbyty Gwynedd to have an MRI and it took much longer than my previous experience of one. Still, now done and I may get a result before the symptoms return.

Plus

This morning my sweet Opal was twisting round my ankles, and I nearly trod on her. She’s forgiven me as long as I keep the cuddles and treats coming.

Plus

Mild excitement: my Auntie Peggy has published a slim volume of her poetry, all about her life as a Yorkshire woman. In case you’re interested in reading it, her name is Peggy Mortimer. I do warn you that many of the poems are in Yorkshire dialect. I can just pick my way through some of them.

Thanks to the poems I discovered that I had three Great Uncles, who died in WW1. Their names were Ralph, Fred and John. Why did no-one mention it before?

I feel like shit.

The doctor and the pharmacy between them have messed up my prescription for antidepressants, and I haven’t had any since last Wednesday. You are not supposed to come off antidepressants cold turkey. It is a bad plan. I feel sick, dizzy and exhausted. I can’t sleep, I can’t concentrate and I’m getting brain zaps.

I have a doctors appointment today and I may well cry.

[Later]
I managed to show the pharmacy they had to be wrong. I keep a careful record of what meds I take and when.

I was able to demonstrate that I had last taken my antidepressant on 22 June. They are issued in 28 day packages, one per day. So the last pack must have been from a date in May, not from 4 June as they claimed. So I was due more from 23 June.

This finally convinced the pharmacist to pop next door to the doctor and get a new prescription.

Success!

So I hope the brain zaps will stop soon.