An update
For some reason I haven't posted here in ages, but I don't really want to drop out of the habit, so here's an attempt to catch up.
Not even going to try to post about World Events. Times too interesting.
I read a copy of Neil Gaiman's M is for Magic which had been hanging around, to try to decide if I wanted to keep any of my Neil Gaiman books, now that it turns out he's a creepy sexual predator. Haven't decided, but did conclude the end of M is for Magic seemed oddly cold and depressing, so I will probably get rid at least of that one.
The number of orders arriving at the Shop on the Borderlands is up considerably on last year, but the value of orders is not: we are mooching along sending out about 20% more stuff, but with about the same money coming in as last year. Unsure if this is down to what we've got in stock, macroeconomic trends, or just... randomness. We have reduced the enormous backlog of RPGs in the house but not in the Shop, however, which has to be a good thing. We might even have slain the backlog by the New Year at this rate.
We took the canoe out a couple of days ago, just a gentle paddle for half an hour. I wanted to check that she was still in good condition, thinking of probably selling her in the Spring. She's not really best adapted for the amount of wind we get here, and we haven't used her much since we got the kayaks and the boat. I will miss her but hopefully we can find a more up-river home for her where she will get further moderately-sedate adventures.
Itching things.
Theo's ears are better. I'm wiping them out with Leucillin, which is an anti-fungal, and I hope this will help control the overgrowth of yeast.
Fankil the cat has developed an itching problem. He scratched himself raw, had to go to the vet for steroids, recovered, then once the steroids wore off he began itching again.
He probably has some kind of environmental allergy,but it's difficult to work out what it could be, and the vet says that even if we found out, there's a strong chance it would be something we can't eliminate. We don't use scented candles or cleaning products or anything like that.
I had a couple of horsefly bites that developed into a nasty attack of infected eczema. I took it to the pharmacy where it was treated under the NHS Common Ailments scheme, which is very nifty and much quicker than trying to get a GP appointment. Swimming in the sea seemed to make the problem worse, so I had to drop out of swimming for a while.
THEN that was just on the point of having nearlyhealed up, when a dratted wasp stung me on the lower leg. Just randomly, through leggings! I looked dubiously at the sting, but it hurt for a day then vanished, which was fine for a week or so.
But NOW the damn thing has flared up with another burst of eczema which I have a nasty feeling is infected and will need more antibiotics. It feels rather swollen and red, drat it.
I am now feeding Theo the new insect-based dog food pellets, which he seems to like a lot, as much as almost anything apart from cheese. Cheese is his absolute favorite thing.
Nenya cat remains competent and untroubled by Woes.