There's nothing like starting the day with a cotton bud on steroids shoved down your throat and up your nose, but it's done now, and I have to sit at home and wait for the results. I am not unduly concerned, just being overcautious due to the vulnerability of some of my patients (Friday's is recovering from a transplant so it now going with someone else).

It is many a long year since I had my nostrils cauterised to stop nosebleeds, but it feels just like I still have the cauterising agent up there - I expect it will be fine tomorrow.

The trip down and back was uneventful, quite a nice sunny day, then driving through the ghost-town that is Salamanca Place to a series of tents, barriers, guards, stop points, people in PPE like you see on telly and a line up of vehicles approaching each group of staff to be subjected to pain.

Then home. And frankly that was all I have done all day. Yesterday was not terribly much more productive but did at least involve getting a bit more progress in the kitchen.

EMW the fireplace in the front room will eventually be sorted out, probably best to do that before I invest in any heating options - no point having it disappear up the chimney. It's also not that noticeable as I had a heavy curtain over the doorway. The main problem is the spare room off the lounge as the cats can open the door to it, and that leaves drafts from an unsealed window and the other side of the same chimney - that can be a bit wearing. Being able to close the laundry door makes a huge difference, and having a heater also makes a difference I discovered last winter. Blinds over the kitchen windows would be helpful too along with some of those sealing strips you plan to use. It all takes time, and I am used to the peccadillos of the house and relieved to be making progress once more.