Monday 23^rd March, 2020 1400

Once again plans have changed. No shopping today. After I called Brenda the mob arrived. I showed them the toilet was terrific and the only problem was the shower. They plugged an extension in and ran it outside for their portable pump and have done nothing in here, no sani-snake, nothing.

They went around all the manholes again and the one I believe to be the problem child was pumped out, with a hose relocating the contents to another sewer. After some time I heard the unmistakeable sound of the reversing beeper of a sixteen tonne truck, not something that comes up our narrow road often.

It was a dedicated drain clearing truck. The trouble I had caused!

However, the fact everything that was done was done outside must mean the fault cannot be laid at my door. They have all cluttered off now although they have left both the extension plugged in here and the manhole off the offending outside drain. That of course means I daren't take a shower because Sod's Law states that as soon as I shampoo my hair someone will knock on the door wanting their extension back. I've put some laundry on instead.

So this evening we are going for a hotpot around the corner. I've never been there, in fact I thought it was a cafe or club of some sort. It might be good, if so then at least it will be another place nearby where I can eat when I don't have the time or inclination to cook. Jody will be in clover, like many Chinese, a hotpot is her favouritest dish in the whole world. I hope they have the usual meatballs and fishballs. I am dreadful at hotpots, for me it is an almost exclusively carnivorous affair, the only nod I give to my “Five A Day” is chucking some mushrooms in!

Being Monday I have been twiddling my thumbs so far, waiting for some assignments to land in my inbox, hence the original plan to go shopping and make some meatballs tonight. I will do that tomorrow. It shouldn't create too much of a backlog as from now on I have asked them to shorten their essays and recordings, the workload was too onerous.

Anyway the good news is that for now the temperatures are good. Yesterday I went out sans jacket, coat or jumper, first time this year.