When the doorbell rang at eight thirty, I wasn't long out of bed and Clare hadn't yet surfaced. The engineer from OpenReach had come to install our new fast fibre broadband. I sped downstairs to acknowledge his arrival and ask a few questions. Most importantly, the location of the new fibre optic network socket.
I was bemused to learn that the existing hole in the wall drilled by NTLWorld at the turn of the century for their first generation fibre-optic cable installation couldn't be used by another service provider, obliging OpenReach to drill their own. I've never imagined a defunct cable network provider owning a hole in our wall!
Anyway the fibre optic broadband line came in from the same pole in the street as the landline - set to be abandoned for no good reason in two years time in favour of an all digital system that doesn't work if there's a power outage. The broadband line is strapped with cable ties to the back of the drainpipe - fine as long as we don't have a drainpipe disaster! A hole was drilled through into the corner of the front room just above the abandoned NTLWorld socket to accomodate the new fibre optic line.
A new improved router attaches to the fibre optic socket and all works just fine. The only flaws in the grand scheme of things are 1) the distance from the nearest electrical socket and 2) a standard two metre network cable, which isn't long enough to reach the wall socket for attaching to a powerline adaptor, essential for equal internet access around the house in places not reachable by wi-fi. Domestic power extensions needed juggling with to get everything neat and tidy.
I walked over to Wilson's Electrical Wholesaler's store the other end of the parish and bought a five metre network cable to use for £3.20. All works perfectly, and we have a download speed of 75mbps and upload of 20mbps. This will make a real difference to uploading pictures, as well as having a dozen devices at a time attached to our router. Best of all, it'll cost us less, for the next 18 months at least, but worthwhile in any case to have high quality connectivity.
I had a call from Pidgeon's about a funeral in early January, the first I've done that I can recall since being in Cardiff of Social Services making the arrangements as the man and his next of kin couldn't afford to pay - what used to be referred to when I was young as 'a funeral on the rates' rather than a pauper's funeral. I recall doing several when I was in St Paul's Bristol forty years ago, when there were no next of kin and the deceased was old and poor. Sometimes there would only be me and the funeral director out of respect there in attendance, but we still gave the person a full service.
After lunch, I drove to Llandough Hospital for an ultrasound scan. I arrived on time and within fifteen minutes I was on my way back to the car, and free to call in to Lidl's for some wine on my way home. No change in the 400mm gallstone, and the gall bladder shows no sign of inflammation. It functions but at a low level of efficiency, as it can never produce enough bile to deal with dairy fats. It would be better to have the gall bladder extracted, in case some random or accidental factor caused it to go out of control. As it's not critical, I suspect there'll be a long queue, but there's no harm in getting my name on the list.
By the time I got back, it was dark, which meant that I had to walk for an hour in the dark before supper. Preparation for the scan meant I had to fast for six hours, but I waited until after my walk to eat what had been cooked for lunch by Clare - it was most welcome indeed. I didn't have much to do in the evening and ended up sleeping in the chair in front of the telly although I had no reason to feel extra tired.
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