I had to get to the local Cottage Hospital early (for me!) this morning for some blood tests. It is a walk-in system. Take a numbered ticket and wait with all the coughers and sneezers until your number shows up on the screen.
I was 10th in the queue at 08:30 a.m. and waited for half an hour for my turn. My GP had requested quite a battery of tests so the phlebotomist filled three bottles of the red stuff. As Tony Hancock once said - "That's nearly an armful!"
It was still very icy out there so P drove me up and waited for me in the car. The main road had been gritted so we drove back the long way round to avoid the slippery patches.
On Tuesday this week we had a little staycation at the Park Hotel. Most years we try to get together with our friends for a Christmas meal out and this year they had asked me to organise a stay at our local hotel on their special Dinner, Bed & Breakfast rate so that we could all stay overnight. It is quite a comfortable little place with decent food so I booked five rooms for the ten of us. At the last minute two couples had to cancel due to testing positive for Covid so there were only six of us left. Still, we all enjoyed the evening and P paid for all the drinks as we both have birthdays coming up soon and wanted to treat our friends in lieu of having a birthday party.
I hope my blood alcohol level had returned to normal by the time my blood was taken!
Here are P and two of our friends checking out the hotel's decorations....
Looks a nice hotel.
ReplyDeleteIt is not posh but small, quiet and comfortable with good food and friendly staff. Great views too.
DeleteI looked it up on Booking.com. Very nice and not expensive at all.
DeleteBlood tests have gotten easier as the needles have gotten smaller. One hardly feels a thing when they poke it in the arm.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun gathering with friends!
It was a very enjoyable evening, although I ate far too much and drank a very strong coffee after the meal which didn't help me sleep!
DeleteSo did Elfie get his own room or was he stuffed back into the backpack after dinner? :)
ReplyDeleteHis own room?? Not likely! He spent the night sitting on the windowsill admiring the view of moonlight reflections on the lake.
DeleteThe nicest way to celebrate with friends. No hassle, no worrying about driving. Just time to enjoy each other's company. I'd like to do that on Xmas day!
ReplyDeleteIt worked really well with the weather conditions too. No skidding home in the dark on icy roads.
DeleteOh dear...elfie did not find the hotel's liquor storage did he?
ReplyDeleteFortunately there are no minibars in the rooms so no damage done there. The same cannot be said for those of us downstairs in the bar.
DeleteWhat a lovely thing to do. No late night transport required and kind of special to be "away" and yet close to home. COVID keeps cropping up as an excuse - sometimes it is the equivalent of "the dog ate my homework" but of course not in the cases of your absent friends.
ReplyDeleteThey were quite ill so we excused them. I have escaped the bug so far by some miracle.
DeleteIn France I used to have blood tests quite often. The nurse would call at the house and it was all done in a matter of minutes. Here in Brighton I've also had a few and the nurses have been hopeless; they must have been 'Work Experience' galls.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I have only had good experiences with nursing care here so far, well, except for Mrs Grumpy who was a bit rough with my flu jab.
DeleteI love that Hancock clip - it always makes me laugh no matter how often I see it
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourites.
DeleteI can remember seeing the Hancock programme years ago and it's become a classic. The hotel looks nice and sounds absolutely ideal - I love small hotels.
ReplyDeleteIt's rather nice that elfie managed to go with you - broadens his horizons and takes his mind off demon drink!
He enjoys a little jaunt. He came with us on our Christmas holiday to Lz Gomera a couple of years ago and had a great time.
DeleteHas he got one of the new Brexit blue passports?
DeleteHe was a stowaway. Naughty elf!
DeleteLa Gomera!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely to have a little getaway with friends .... what a shame a couple succumbed to Covid ! How did that naughty little elf get in there? I hope you didn't go down to dinner with glasses and a moustache drawn on you ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteHe was too busy planning which films to watch and unwrapping his chocolates xxx
DeleteThat elf definitely gets around. Does he get his own hotel breakfast - full English, or something more suave like scrambled eggs and smoked salmon....?
ReplyDeleteI shall have to ask him what he scavenged.
DeleteWhat a lovely idea.
ReplyDelete