Monday 1st July

Six thirty start and not so bad.  Another beautiful day and I was off to the pool with my ex-student's girlfriend.  So coffee for starters, a little bit of my book, noticed that Avatar was mowing her lawn hoping to have it done before the sun really came to life.  I was making my breakfast at eigh and fried off a spicy sausage, whisked up three eggs and made a very large omelette so cut it in half, walked over the road ad handed it to her. She only had about three runs to do so I left her to it and went back home.  My morning was leisurely, I ate my breakfast, tidied the kitchen, spent fifteen minutes putting clothes on, taking them off and eventually settled for jeans and a pale mauve cropped top.  As I went to move the car out little Blue was patrolling the gate so I went back to Avatar's house to see if she wanted anything from Djebel or Kardjali and she didn't.  She did ask me where I got the breakfast from and when I told her I made it she was most surprised and I'm not sure why...it was only an omelette.

In the Nipper by ten and heading for the car shop.  I hadn't seen my student's mum for over a week but the door was locked and she wasn't in the other shop. I got back in the car and was about to drive away when she opened the door, she'd been in the little girl's room.  I didn't go back to the shop, said that I was picking up her son's girlfriend, we were off to the pool for the day and that I'd see her later.  The pool was as clean as ever but unfortunately thee was a gang of about ten youths, throwing a large ball to each other and generally disturbing other people enjoying the day.  The owner came out and read them the riot act, they cooled down for a while but soon we were back to square one and when the ball came heading in out direction, I asked them to curb their behaviour and referred to them as 'boys' and others were getting equally annoyed so I left it to those who spoke their language.

I did lots of swimming, the temperature climbed to thirty four this afternoon and it was hot, hot, hot.  We stayed at the pool until five thirty this evening andon the way home Kardjali was so packed with traffic that I didn't even bother to stop at Lidl but came straight back to Djebel.  I dropped her off at the garage, carried on to the shop and had a few words with the owner's wife, drove down to the supermarket and bought a few things including a two litre carton of pineapple juice, opened it as soon as I got in the house and downed three glasses of it and had a small packet of crisps for afters for the salt content.  Home for weven thirty, shan't bother with making anything for supper, it's much too hot tonight, I'll stick to the juice and water.  LN.....Feel beautifully tired, the feeling that a day in the sun with good company gives you.......LN

Tuesday 2nd July

Seven start, out on the balcony with a coffee for a short while and knew that it was really going to be a hot one today.   I made toast for breakfast cleared the kitchen and went out to view if the fact that I'd left the hose pipe on the fading lilies had done anything for the leaves.  I only realised when I went to run the bath that I'd left the hose on so went down quickly and switched it off....doh!!  

I started to sort out the third bedroom, gave up on that and walked the garden and heard clattering coming from the low wall close to the mulberry.  I couldn't see anything initially, I know there were tortoise there so waited a short while and red was the first to emerge closely followed by Rosie and A.N. Other and as they cleared the undergrowth I could see that it was Green.  Thee was a bit of a tussle and Rosie was getting very near to scoring with Green looking on from the sidelines but suddenly Red brok free and they were on the march again.  I didn't stay around any longer, Rosie definitely has to be renamed so it might be Ron...since I didn't find out until later 'Ron'.  The one on it's own was outside the gate, definitely not one of mine so was left to its own devices and since Tempus was fugiting, I got in the Nipper and drove to my old student's house for lunch and a chat.  Lunch was being served when I arrived, father appeared and sister arrived and we had meat soup with potatoes, liver in a sauce and a desert to follow, father went back to work and so did sister and then mother arrived and was fed and she went back to her work.  We could relax, everyone fed and watered and we got round to our time together.  

First thing she did was to had me a fridge magnet that had become detached and I said that all she needed was Superglue.  She didn't know what it was, thought she could make it so I said I'd take it and glue it back together and return it at a later date.  We chatted about her holiday in Milan which she didn't really enjoy It looks like our holiday is going to be delayed, she might be starting work soon on a new project.  I left just before three to go to my other student, went in the sho and he was with his faither working in the garage.  His brother arrived and sorted me out on Netflix so I am now on his account.  We worked out the problem with the login....I have to turn off the VPN.  As for my student's lesson, I got him to tell me all about his holiday on the Black Sea with his football buddies and we sat down and discussed the pictures on his phone including a sectioned off area of English supporters watching the last match England played and managed to win in the last minutes.  Back to the shop, it was too hot to do anything else so I went back to my first student's home and returned the repaired fridge magnet and I also bought her her very own tube for future mishaps advising her how to use it.  I came home clutching tomatoes from their garden and a blouse that she said was too big for her which was perfect for me.  

I was just cooking supper when the phone went and another friend and her husband from Djebel were wanting to go down to the spring just below the next village and asked if I would go with them because they hadn't been down before.  It took about thirty minutes to fill up the bottles that they'd brought with them, I showed them the picnic area and lake and they were really impressed.  Off they went, I finished cooking my chicken sticks and put honey on them and I'm not going to have supper.  LN.....It's been a full-on yet really enjoyable day......LN

Wednesday 3rd July

So last night it suddenly struck me that I hadn't watered the garden but fortunately the gods were on my side.  It rained in the night, I'd seen the clouds last night but hoped for, but not really anticipated it happening.  The cushions were damp on the balcony so I hung them from the railings and tilted the others up.  It was a different story on the terrace, fortunately the balcony protected those cushions but I spied Cat stretched out on the sofa leaving a very wet dirty patched when I sent it on its way.  That duvet cover is going to have to be brought in but since we had more rain today and tonight, it can wait for another day.

I didn't bother with breakfast, meandered through most of the morning, managed to set myself up on Netflix so ready for the very hot or cold spells that might come about.  I watched a film on Netflix, had yogurt and honey for a late breakfast, thought about getting outside with the hedge cutter but then the thunder rolled over again and no way was I underneath a tree with an electrical appliance while that was overhead...and again, a good excuse not to start something that I might not be able to finish because of the rain.  I recharged my new tablet and updated the calendar on it and changed a few notes that I'd made on it and it's quite fun, you can draw on the screen and store it as a handwritten.  This is why I should use it more!!

I decided on an early supper and made enough for Avatar and myself.  I put a huge jacket potato in the microwave, made a big bowl of tuna mayo and that was supper.  While I was waiting for the potato I moved the honey from the jar into a tomato sauce bottle so that I could squeeze it onto yogurt etc. without bringing into play spoons, cleaning cloths tor remove the residue lingering round the top of the jar and on the work surface.  Supper was ready around half six so I took half of it over the road and her nephew and his wife were standing on the wall and removing the small pears from the tree.  I called them thieves, in jest, Avatar emerged from the house and repeated the same thing, I went into the house and left the supper on the table in the hall with the instructions to throw it if she didn't like it.  I didn't stay, she had visitors so I came back, settled on the sofa with my supper and put on Netflix and found OUtlander so started it from the beginning.  I've read all the books and watched it before but it's got six series so should do me for a while.  No garden to water since it's raining again and it really is needed.  There's been one clap of thunder but nothing to write home about and let's keep it that way.  Start of a rainbow tonight which didn't come to much and we must have had some sun today, the solar lights are all lit up.  LN.....Here's hoping for a  more productive day tomorrow....I'm feeling very lazy but perhaps it's my body telling me to slow down......LN  

Thursday 4th July

I was a little later this morning, I made coffee, went out onto the balcony and brought in the cushions and put them against the windows in my bedroom, they were only damp so I knew they wouldn't take long to dry off.  I went out and sat on the chair taking the small cushions with me and you could just feel it falling but not enough to force me to go inside.  I went in and made more coffee, put the washing away from yesterday, the swimming things are back in the bag but it doesn't look as if I shall be needing it this week.  I somehow got to looking at the music on the little machine downstairs, put some on to listen to and then started to scroll through the photos that are stored on the 'Notebook' going back to 2009 and printed off a couple of Avatar and took one over for her.  She'd been down ot the mobile shop and come back with cheesy bread buns, called me to sit in the garage with her and had my place already prepared so I gave her the photo.  It wa of her and Haciber, the second was is much better and I'll take that over tomorrow.

There was some excitement, a car was tooting its horn, we weren't sure what they were selling but the man had gotten out and was picking pears from Avatar's tree.  At that point Haciber appeared to find out what the fuss was about and the local bus driver who has now retired pulled up the middle of the road, left his car and came to join us.  Apparently he was selling watermelons, he sold three but I wasn't really interested, I would end up throwing most of it away....I'd forgotten entirely about the tortoise.  Everybody left, we went back into the garage to finish breakfast, the prices were very reasonable so I'm told so maybe they'll be round again tomorrow.

I was home for half ten, didn't really feel like doing any work in the garden but really should have taken advantage of the weather and the cool conditions...but  too late to cry over spilt milk, it's seven fifteen.  My day has been taken up with Netflix carrying on with the series I started yesterday, the books are slowly coming back to me and I'm enjoying it.  Time to go round and water the pots and fill up the tortoise bowls , it's dull and could throw it down but I think it might just blow over.  LN....Week-end is here again....this month is just flying by......LN

Friday 5th July

I went to bed early, was troubled by the high pitched screech of a mosquito around one this morning. out with the fly spray and was troubled any more.  I seemed to take ages to go off again and covered my head with the sheet and even puled up the duvet cover.  I felt hot, had a terrific headache but sleep came fortunately.  I woke up at six thirty feeling better and so a visit to the doctor was on the cards but I didn't know what I was going with.  I think this latest is a virus that has taken days to come out.  My student's family went down with it and I think I've got a milder version.  The other thing is a clicky knee that reverberates up my backbone and is more annoying than painful but perhaps the doctor can give me something to stem the rot before the pain kicks in.

Shower and hairwaash in the Nipper by nine twenty and Kardjali by ten.  I parked up at the back of the hospital for one leva an hour, registered with the receptionist who isn't frightened o the fact that I'm English anymore, one leva to register and she said that my appointment was at mid-day but I mentioned that nobody was outside my doctor's door at the end of the corridor and she told me to carry on which I did and I was soon in.  She examined my knee, I straightened it and it gave an almighty crack as it slotted into place and ten I mentioned that it rattled up my backbone so she entered the details in the computer, printed out the instructions, I walked to the hospital, second floor, registered and was directed to the x-ray department.  I handed over my document, waited ten minutes and my knee and my spine were x-rayed.  I was told that there would be a wait while the x-rays were processed and the report written and that took about thirty minutes .....and back to see my doctor.  She gave me a prescription for vitamin D and a collagen replacement for the knee and the spine and said that I was entitled to a week at a sanitorium should I decided to go......and we're the underdeveloped country.  Paid fifty leva for the tablets from the chemist, the doctor was impressed though when I told her I went swimming regularly followed by a quick 'bravo'.

I parked up and paid my phone bill, quick trip to Lidl, the bill only came to thirty so not a lot at all.  I drove home and took my tablets, let's see how good they are. I was also recommended to eat the white cheese since it's full of calcium and drink lots of yogurt. I made supper of two hamburgers from Lidl with sliced fried tomatoes, I managed the tomatoes but couldn't tackle the burgers, they're now in the fridge and will either be mine tomorrow or for the cat.  Very hot this afternoon and a lovely evening now that the sun's on its way down.  LN......First job tomorrow, water the garden, just can't get round to it tonight......LN

Saturday 6th July

Woke up this morning after quite a disturbed night.  I was awake at one, willing myself back to sleep for what seemed a long time but probably wasn't.  The middle of the night can appear that way sometimes.  I was awake at seven, took a glass of hot water which is supposedly good for you, meandered downstairs and took a blood pressure tablet, my vitamin D prescribed yesterday and one of my what I'm now going to name as horse-tablets since they're very large and difficult to swallow.  I let those move down the pipes and then made coffee and settled for natural yogurt and honey from my new squeezy bottle that stops the honey going everywhere.  I threw out almost a loaf of bread that had changed colour if you get my meaning and the cat got fed with a spicy sausage that was lingering in the fridge.  It wasn't passed it consume date but it had dried out and the cat's teeth are much better than mine.  I came in the house and sent a message to my Netflix provider apologising if I'd screwed up his viewing list since when I logged in I wasn't able to change the 'watch as' since no listings appeared.  He replied suggesting that I go to 'settings' but then I noticed another button on the remote and when I pressed that the girl with the pigtails appeared....and that was me and Outlander appeared.  It's been years since I read the books and since I've watch the series on television and a lot of it is now coming back to me.

I watered the garden and cut back the forsythia that's covering the white flowering shrub behind it and took the new growth that's sprouted on the mulberry since it's been pollarded.  I did one load of washing from the laundry basket and put that on the airer and decided to stripped the bed and got the sheet, pillow cases, top sheet and duvet cover in the machine.  Buy now the first load was dry so the sheet went on the airer, the duvet on the stairs with the top sheet and the pillowcases hanging on coat hangers.  It wasn't until I settled down to watch Outlander that I noticed that my bottom lip had swelled up so obviously something that I'd had this morning was the culprit so lots of water to flush it out.

Ar two I was feeling hungry and remembered that I'd bought taramasalata from Lidl but it wasn't like I remembered it, it tasted very plasticy and I shan't be buying any more from there.  So it was too hot to go outside and I wasn't really up to baking in the sun so I lay on the sofa and watched more Netflix....after all I've got six series to get through.  My Avatar has just appeared in the garden and was tapping on the window, she still won't let herself into the house.  She wanted me to take her blood pressure, said that she'd not been feeling well and had a bad headache but when I took her reading it was well with in the range.  I followed it by taking mine and looks like I shall be staying on my tablets for a while.  I offered to take her to the doctors on Monday but she said that her daughter is coming from Turkey on Tuesday and she will go then.  

Beautiful evening, beautiful day and enough wind to dry my washing inside .  The bed is made up with the newly washed sheets and I'm looking forward to resting my little head there tonight.  I'm not going to bother with supper, I'll take my tablets in the morning and try plain yogurt without the honey to see if I have a reaction.  I've obviously got t-cells that are reacting to something.  LN.....Time to turn detective......LN

Sunday 7th July

Was due for an early night but as it happened I didn't have one.  I've started to watch Outlander again and at one thirty I thought it was about time I switched off, it's turning into a binge-watch.  I was awake at seven, made coffee and took it out onto the balcony, beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky but as the temperature went up, I thought it was time to go inside.  Avatar came over last night and asked me to check her blood pressure so this morning I went over around eight thirty with the machine and she is still within range for her age and today, so was I.  She said her head was a little fuzzy and we joked about standing still with something in hand and wondering what you set off to do.  I think it occurs when the brain is overloaded or just old age but at least we can laugh about it.  Haciber has gone away to Asenovgrad to see her younger son and family, they are over from Sweden on holiday.  We were going to have breakfast in the garden but instead we decided to have it in the kitchen, no flies, wasps and other wee beasties to interrupt us.  We had cheesy bread and a Fanta look-alike, she offered yogurt and honey but today I have hives up my arms so I giving that up for a while and I also left off all my tablets.  I thought this nonsense had finished.

I came home around eleven, did a few chores, from the balcony I could see young people between the trees and so the camera came out to see what they were up to...and it turned out to be nothing, they were either fishing or watching the frogs. I put tomatoes out for the tortoise and filled up the watering points but didn't manage to see any of them, they were obviously deep in the shrubbery and the best place to be.  Either that or the garage,it's really pleasant in there.  The rest of my day has been sorting out my Fitbit....firstly no sign that it was charging when the charger was connected so I tried to kick start it and again no joy.This time there was nothing on the display at all, not even a glimmer of any activity or connectivity so I started looking at the Fitbit help screen but you end up in so many rabbit holes that it's really frustrating.  Eventually I logged into the application on my phone and noticed that it was still communicating with the phone and the steps and other things were being uploaded but still no display on the watch. In sheer frustration around four thirty this afternoon I plugged the watch into the computer, it buzzed and suddenly I had activity on the screen....and that's all it took.  Funny things these Fitbits.  

I went out and watered the garden early and gave everything a good soaking.  Another night without supper, cheese and crackers around six and I've finished off my evening with a quarter of a tub of ice-cream and that will suffice until morning.  The Beast has to go for its MOT this week and the insurance has to be done too.  Tomorrow means that I have to put it on charge so that at least I can get it started, take it down to the garage so that they can give it the once-over before I get the real test done on Tuesday. Lovely evening and it's a very tiny slither of crescent moon tonight, I love watching the different phases.  LN....It won't be too late tonight before I'm in my bed, but firstly a warm bath......LN

Monday 8th July

Another of those silly nights or mornings when I woke up in front of the television at two thirty and should have been in bed ages ago.  I checked the doors, went up the stairs and fell asleep immediately waking up at seven thirty this morning.  Mush better time than five thirty and I suppose it really doesn't matter which end of the day you sleep just so long as you do.  

The Fitbit went on charge again last night and I decided that this morning I would contact Fitbit helpline and ask for help....and if not available, what are they there for? I phoned the Freefone number that I'd manage to dig out after searching all sites connecting with them and ended up in the home of all help desks where they are obsessed with asking permission to call you by your first name and repeating everything that you say.  I had my customer number available, provided him with email and phone-number, explained the issues and he said that he couldn't find me on the system and the problem might be his end..He rebooted his machine and eventually I was there and have been for the last ten years or so, eventually I managed to get a Case number from him after yet more hoops but I have to go through the loop again and must get back to them again to confirm that the watch doesn't hold it's charge and the screen doesn't respond when I tap it to wakeup.  It's behaving like an errant teenager that doesn't want to get up after a night on the tiles.  As for recording sleep statistics, if it's on charge over night, what use is it when there is 'no data recorded' since it's on charge.  Grrrr.

I went out to do a few jobs but didn't stay out there long.  At ten it was thirty five degrees outside, the house was cool so where else would I be?  My suntan is adequate....I don't want to end up like a wrinkled prune, I'm all for keeping the wrinkles at bay but a pool and a super large umbrella will keep me out all day.  Netflix went on, I eventually fell asleep, had to recap and am now back with the story.  I noticed that I'd had a message from and old work colleague letting me know about someone that he thought I might know from our time in the same company.  I left in nineteen ninety eight more or less and couldn't remember him, two more companies in between before retirement but we did have a pleasant conversation about other colleagues along the way.  

I did ask Avatar if she could come over this afternoon and she like me has spent the day in the house with the television on.  I'd heard a bird rattling round in the pipework to the little wood burner in the kitchen, I'd cleared the way for it to make a swift escape leaving flyscreens open, certain door blocked and she's there if someone has to pick it up.  It can't be me....I just can't do it.  We checked the bathroom to see if it was in the flue boxes and it wasn't, definitely not in the wood burner and no more scratchings heard since she's gone home.  I'm leaving the top of the wood burner clear, the tiled surface and slow cookers can go back when I can sound the 'all clear'.  It's still thirty two degrees outside according to my thermometer so just going out to water the pots, check the Pajero since I did put the battery on charge to get the MOT done tomorrow and lock up the woodstore.  I saw the tortoise first thing but no hint of anything sauntering across the grass today...they've probably got hidey holes dug into the earth under the thickest areas of shrubs...and who could blame them.  LN....I think we've got this for the next few days.....I might be finding a pool after the MOT......LN

Tuesday 9th July

Woke up at eight this morning and this bug has really taken control of my day.  I've been coughing from my boots so it seems, hot and feverish and at nine I was on the phone to my student's mum cancelling out afternoon lesson.  She was most concerned and offered me herbal remedies including steeping plantain leaves for ten minutes in water and drinking the beverage.  It's supposed to be good for the lungs but I stuck to hot lemon juice and honey and that's been my go-to for most if the day.  I'll leave the leaves for the tortoise...don't want to deprive them.

Netflix has been my other go-to for most of the day,  Outlander series four is on its last legs and it's amazing how I think back to the books.  It's all there but this puts it back in chronological order and in some cases I was really out of step.  With regard to my Fitbit, apparently I am still sending data to my phone but there wasn't a lot of data to send,  there's not much mileage from the bathroom to the sofa, to the kitchen for more water and back to the sofa.  It was too hot to be outside, thirty five degrees today so doors and windows were open and there was quite a welcome breeze blowing through.  One thing I did do today, I heard the rattling of a bird in the little wood burner in the kitchen, Avatar had tried yesterday to no avail and I didn't want to involve her at all today.  I don't want her in contact with my germs she's got more family visiting over the coming weeks.  I opened up the window to the porch, opened the porch door and the fly-screen, took the metal from the hot rings and saw the bird in the firebox.  It sensed freedom so shot out of the wood burner, hit the window, I dived back into the winter lounge, shutting the door, the door into the porch was already shut and I viewed all this through the windows from the stairwell, Eventually it worked out the direction of 'freedom' and flew off over the little house.

Ten my time and time for bed.  It's cooled down a little outside but not a lot, we had a clear sky for the sunset but looking at the sky overhead from the stairs, there are quite a few clouds forming.  LN......With any luck, we might have rain so fingers crossed.....LN

Wednesday 10th July

Seven thirty start and I made myself useful by putting the washing away. generally tidying up. sorting out emails and watering the garden.  I heard one of the tortoise issuing baleful sighs so obviously was sniffing round a female but didn't go out into the garden to investigate who was trying to set about who.  I walked the space between the house and the front wall and saw Green straddled between the high and low levels, then change its mind and went back the way it came.  Blue was heading across the top of the Grave garden obviously looking to get in the shade andI also spotted Cat waiting for food and I remembered that I,d put ready one and a half hamburgers I'd cooked and couldn't bring myself to eat.  This summer cold or flu has played havoc me and leaving me feeling unwell.

The plans of mice and men went by the way.  I was going to get the Beast washed and cleaned up, insurance renewed and get the MOT done but that's now for another day.  I had no energy to do it and it didn't take long for the temperature to reach thirty five today but thank goodness there was a breeze wafting through the house.  All windows and doors were open so inside was a little cooler but not by much.  I'd received a second Case Number for the Fitbit so decided to phone them to see if there was any response to my email yesterday and there wasn't but I was asked to stay on the line only this time it was reconfirmed that they didn't ship to Bulgaria, that they'd looked at my case again and that the replacement watch and the original had now gone out of warranty and that the matter was ended.  I reiterated that I'd been offered a refund yesterday and was advised that the replacement should have lasted for two years minimum and now it had only last one so how had this decision been reached.  Eventually I was put on to a supervisor, the line went dead after i stated my case so obviously the call was cut from their end and nobody called me back so I put this into an email, sent it off and will never buy another tracker from them...simple.  As for customer service...forget it.

I retired to the sofa and Netflix and haven't moved very far at all today.  You're never really sure if you're running a temperature or not if it's thirty five degrees outside so I settled for a choc-ice from the freezer and  lots of water.  LN.....MOT rescheduled for tomorrow if I managed to find the energy from somewhere......LN