Sickness Benefit

Apart from the obvious disadvantages of not feeling well, there are worse things in life than being laid up at home for a few days.

I'm not one for lying on the sofa all day, watching daytime TV, so I sniffled and sweated and sneezed and coughed around again today, after having had to decamp to the spare room some time in the middle of the night. G must have got up and left very quietly, because I didn't hear a thing and slept soundly - eventually - until 10.30am.

Once I was up I got a phone-call from the engineer who services my boiler, saying he noted I had a job booked in for January ( the soonest I could get, I was told) but he was in my area today and could come to do it. Hurrah! If I'd been at work that wouldn't have happened, and without a doubt my boiler would have broken down on Christmas Day.

I gave the bathroom a good clean, vacuumed all round, walked the dog (not very far though), and have now got a huge pot of lentil soup on the go, potatoes are peeled and in the pan, and as a special treat for G, a tasty liver casserole. I've also organised a pick up of a parcel he is returning.

All in all, apart from feeling crap, I've had a really good day.

Now, at 4.35pm, I think it is acceptable that I go and snuggle down on the sofa with a throw over my legs, a dog tucked under the throw, and a mug of coffee in my hand, to watch Monday's 'The Walking Dead'.

Hope I'm still ill tomorrow!