Periodic Taxi

What a day!

It started very early because I had to go into Oxford for a medical appointment to be assessed by a strange doctor for the benefits people. Since it was something so new and unknown I was extremely stressed about it, and the start of the day was very difficult. However, with the Wonderspouse's help and with a LOT of CBT skills, I made it in, and managed not to either break down in tears and go silent OR turn into a babbling madwoman - although I did get an obsessive desire to rearrange the chairs in the waiting room before I went in - they were three different sorts and randomly arranged.

I continued to be very tense and was still shaking when I left the appointment and sought solace in a discount bookstore where I bought, er, 23 books! I then had to carry them the half-hour walk back to the car, which I'd left outside the Wonderspouse's office. I stopped for coffee at my favourite Costa, but by the time I got to the north of Oxford the adrenalin that had been keeping me going left me. Carrying 23 books, and, now, being 5 stone overweight with, according to my GP, a wrecked sacroiliac joint, I collapsed in a heap, literally.

A couple of attempts to stand up and carry on walking made me almost shreik with pain in my lower back and hip, so I eventually gave up and just sat on the slightly damp pavement. I rang the Wonderspouse who came out of his office and picked me up, carrying the books and helping me get back to the car.

I then came home and spent the afternoon under a blanket on the sofa. We did have tickets to go to the Barbican to a concert tonight but I was in no condition to go out again, so this evening will be spent at home, gently recovering from the day. I did post the tickets through Scharwenka's door in case he and Mrs Scharwenka wanted to go, but he called this afternoon to say they had other plans. Now I ache all over, partly from the walk, and partly from being so tense all day.

As to the picture, I've been hoping to photograph one of these fabulous taxis for a while now. I just love them and would really like to have the periodic table on my car one day! I saw this one just after coming out of the appointment and am surprised I managed to hold the camera steady enough to take the picture. The building behind it is the Music Faculty in Oxford, where I used to spend a lot of time when I was doing my DPhil there (researching the String Quartets of Mendelssohn). That all seems a long time ago now!

Glad today's appointment is done. Need to rest now.