Sunday 24th January, 2016               1520

Firstly, although my readers are scattered across the globe and don’t know my family, I would like to send a message to my Mother which I am sure one of my siblings will ensure she gets.

I am glad that after a month she has finally been released on parole from somewhere she is now a frequent flyer - the hospital, Wexham Park in Slough. The most God-awful, depressing and dilapidated place anyone could be sent (apart from Slough itself) when they are ill. Having spent three weeks here in the local hospital I would say the only thing Wexham does better is that they actually provide some sort of food to the patients and probably TV and internet for a fee. If Chizhou hospital offered the aforementioned even for a price, it would win hands down in every respect. My mum even had all her belongings “misplaced” and the staff apparently were not very interested. Do we blame them or Cameron with his cuts?

The bad news is my sister has now reprogrammed Mum’s phone so she can call me again. And I’m only half joking! Not that I don’t enjoy the occasional hour and a half chat but I swear she has secret CCTV installed watching me because she phones at the most inopportune times!

The chicken and chips last night was lovely once I realised the breast I had cooked still had skin on it and removed same. Had I realised before I would have ensured it was brown and crispy. One potato made far too many chips and Good Samaritan that I am, I slung my leftovers just outside our entrance, to be immediately gobbled up by the pups. Quite what they made of the Linghams chilli sauce I know not.

Well today my fears never materialised. The melt had evaporated and whilst there is still snow on the less travelled avenues, apart from the odd patch that never gets the sun (my parking space in particular) it was clear to go but proceed with caution when approaching shiny patches.

So I went shopping yet again. Well, it’s that or get cabin fever!

For a Sunday the buses were very sparsely populated, my precaution of taking an extra 2y in case I needed to cheat being entirely unnecessary. Those that WERE on the buses were mostly geriatrics and some of them simply aren’t normal. Many were taking produce to town to sell and so were humping heavy sacks of vegetables and fruit but they weren’t wearing gloves! The internet tells me it is -5 at present and certainly when I rode the bike it stung my face. How they do it is beyond me.

As for the shop, the only food I bought was a single, solitary potato. The rest was liquid, plus I caved in and bought a ten-pack of loo rolls. The latter will probably last me almost until the end of next term. It’s funny but in the old flat I used to buy the cheaper, very wide kitchen roll type that had no inner tube and used them very quickly. Since moving here and Kevin installing an enclosed roll holder I have bought the more expensive “proper” rolls everyone out there is used to and they last for ages. A bit like shop’s own brand and Fairy Liquid I suppose……

Yesterday the water remained on until 1800 and so when I returned just after three I thought I would wash last night’s dishes. There was next to no pressure and I realised I was getting the last of the supplies from the roof. I could have boiled the kettle but got just enough to do the job. I shall not make the same mistake tomorrow. The buckets in the bathroom are only good for toilet flushes because the cats keep sticking litter wood chips in the water, it is at a time like this that I am heartily glad I bought so many cooking pots!

As for the forecast, the -17 has completely disappeared now with the lowest night time temperature being tomorrow at -7 with daytimes after that above freezing. So much for the apocalypse eh? Maybe Beijing worked their magic and sent it to the east coast of the US! Hopefully it means we will only have to “endure” another day or two of water rationing. It’s amazing how much we rely on our water supply - you can’t do an awful lot without it. You don’t want to get your hands dirty because you need water to cook, you have to time the laundry just right etc. It reminds me of being at sea when the reverse osmosis water purification plant (the rainmaker) sometimes packed in. Carrying only 100 tonnes of fresh water and using about 25 tonnes a day it had to be rationed but that meant it was on for half an hour in the morning and again in the evening before dinner. Toilets were turned off and 45 gallon drums were put on each deck and filled with seawater so you could fill your bucket for a flush! And if you wanted your clothes washed you stuck them on a line and tossed them over the stern - if you left them too long being dragged behind at 15 knots all you retrieved were ribbons. Ah, the good old days!

So at the moment my life revolves around a three hour round trip to the supermarket. I haven’t even stopped for lunch in town since coming back from Wuhu. I am however seriously considering a train to Tongling (20 mins now on the fast train) and a visit to Tesco for some cheddar. Knowing my luck (as evidenced in Nanjing and Wuhu) they probably wouldn’t have any either.