Thursday 16 January

Mike went to work. My car picked up at 8 for service and mot. Took suki round Acton park - nice and sunny ( didn't last).  First day for a long time where no deadlines. No cross stitch deadline, no method to be practiced on Abel for a while and no music to be urgently learned. Did lots of email admin.  Tried to remove smell from bedroom carpet by using febreeze floor liquid and steam cleaner.  Steam cleaner initially wouldn't work but found some liquid des calmer and put some in the tank and that did the trick. Nearly gassed myself with steam from neat descaler. Changed the sheets on the bed. Had shower after walking suki in the afternoon and got ready to go out for supper with Pru and Caroline. Waited for car to be returned until 5.30 and then gave up and set off. Saw it go past as I was going up Dordrecht so ran back and got keys. Very crowded on tube and bus. Got to restaurant 20 mins late but they knew I would be. Had lovely meal with a couple of new dishes - pacanga and bamya. Lashing with rain when I emerged from tube station. Got in about 8.30 and went to bed with hot drink and last of coffee brandy and watched silent witness in iPad. Went to sleep at 10.

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