Kitchen is coming along

After three weeks the kitchen is beging to look like well - a kichen. Having lost a wall and replaced two windows, what was two rooms, now looks like a nice long area stuffed full of kitchen cupboards. Plenty of down lights mean that there is no shadowing anymore and lots of under cupboard lights gives us enough illumination of the surfaces - it is amazing, we can actually see what we are doing now!
Not quite finished yet as we don't have a proper floor and of course the walls need painting. Try not leave it for more than 5 years this time.

Here is the half way stage showing where the wall used to be and the old windows still in place.

dear me - jimmy's sore knee

I've been playing at silly buggers and came off me bike on Tuesday morning (30th Jan). I was carrying the works laptop in my pannier which was placed on the left hand side of the pannier rack and hence the bag was a little bit heavier than usual. So, just as I was heading down to the bottom of our estate, for the left hand corner that I take every morning, the day took a most unexpected turn. Well not so much as a turn as a thumping great crash to the ground. Would not have been so bad if I had just skittered along the road but when I went the down, the front of my left knee took the full impact of the blow. Just like being winded I just could not move for the shocking pain in my leg. A kind man driving past stopped to check I was okay and was keen to phone for an ambulance as I lay there trying to work out how bad the injury was. All seemed to be in place so he was able to pull me to my feet and assured that I was relatively okay he went on his way – people really are kind. Trying to walk with the bike was too painful so it was time to practice for the "Olympics" 2012 one legged cycle race as this was the most convenient way to get home. Gill was still in the kitchen as I came hopping through the door with this painful, guilty/embarrassed, feeling sorry for myself look on my face. Whilst I took to the sofa Gill went off to retrieve some ice from the freezer and wrapped it round my knee and then set about finding some pain killers. As the computer was needed for presentations that morning I had to contact work and have them make alternative arrangements - the computer was fine and came in handy to get some work done later in the day.
By the following morning the knee still looked like a small football and I decided to pack myself off the A&E. Impressive service indeed! Arrival 10:10h and out by 11.30h – and it looked busy. The x-ray (all digitalised and accessible from a range of computers on site) had shown that the knee and all associated bones were still in tact – I nearly jumped (well more like hopped really) for joy. The nurse and consultant prodded and probed and decided that as I could lift the leg (only by an inch) that all tendons were still attached. Although not ruling out internal surface damage they were satisfied that with painkillers, crutches and physiotherapy that I should make a recovery, however they did say that it may take two weeks to be able to walk without crutches and 4-6weeks before getting back to normal.

Anyway it is now the end of the week and I can walk and put some weight on the knee - which is great progress.