I had my booster vaccine today. It began with an M but I have forgotten its name already. Funny to think that when the vaccines first came out we learned their names overnight and compared notes on what we knew about them. Now I just want to know if I am going to have an adverse reaction.
The vaccinator – a new word to me today – asked me to expose my arm. That’s the first time I have heard that phrase. It made me laugh. He looked surprised, then laughed too. Apparently he’s been saying it for days and only when I laughed did he think it sounded odd. In future he’s going to ask people to roll up their sleeves.
In the last few days I have decided my sitting room needs redecorating. It’s not a task I relish, and I shall certainly employ someone to do it, so probably not this side of Christmas. after exposing my arm I walked to the Old Kent Road and a branch of B&Q to pick up colour samples. I had been thinking pale grey, but they all seem either too grey or too pale. My thoughts are drifting towards white. The walls are off white now, but quite which off white I don’t recall. I’ve tucked the various cards under picture frames, and lost one behind the sideboard, to stare at over the coming weeks.
Tonight, as I take things easy and hope the vaccine does not make me feel unwell, I shall watch television. Bake Off is back. I saw the first episode and a baker I liked crashed out. I think it would be better to have no one leave at the end of the first week. Let them bed in, find their way around the tent, let us the audience have a chance to know them. Wait until week two for the axe to fall for the first time. Anyway return of Bake Off also means return of An Extra Slice with Jo Brand, Tom Allen, a team of well known Bake Off aficionados and the person expelled from the tent. It features audience bakes, pictures of mainly disastrous bakes sent in by the public, often failed attempts to depict hedgehogs or family pets in cake. I love it. It’s followed by Gogglebox which I haven’t watched for ages. I am hoping it is not going to include Naked Attraction, Made in Chelsea, Love Island, or anything else of that ilk. Naked Attraction is the worst, but they all make me cringe and turn off.
I need to sort out MasterB’s 2023 calendar, so if you want one could you let me know as it will help me decide how many to print. But that can wait until tomorrow. If I am not watching television tonight I expect I’ll be reading a John Le Carré novel I borrowed from the library.
What I shan’t be doing is going a queue to file past the Queen’s coffin, watching a programme about her life, listening to anything about what sort of king Charles is going to be, or reading any of the malicious nonsense that is being written about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Have a good evening.
Isobel (and Cat)'s Blog 
Yes, as I was walking to the pharmacy on Monday I was trying and failing to remember the name of the first vaccine I had, when it had been so important at the time. This one is Moderna, tweaked for Omicron!
Re The Queue – I was amused to hear Euan Davies on Radio 4 referring to Southwark Park today as if it’s the back of beyond “ a long way from Westminster” – well, yes, but only if you’re queueing.
I am also surprised to realise it’s nearly a year since I had my third vaccination. It was such a talking point at the time. Now we have become accustomed.
I wonder if Battersea Park would have been described as so distant had the queue been routed west rather than east. And why has it been routed east?
More tunnels under roads that way?
Yes, and probably a fussier set of neighbourhoods!