Day 2 started with an early rise to go and pay for parking. I didn’t mind, though – I was already awake and it was GLORIOUS out. I did the five minute walk to the car park doing deep breaths and wishing I was a runner. It was the first outing for my new pretend converse, and I’m LOVING them. I had forgotten how much I like wearing them.

new shoes!

And Ludlow was looking lovely.

Bull Ring, Ludlow

I headed back for breakfast and the first conference session – reading Lorna’s latest copy of The Knitter. the BBMR nurse (Rosie) was due to come at 10am. At 9:30 she called with the update “I’ve just gone over the bridge – how do I find you?”.

Um… you might need to narrow it down. In my world The Bridge is Runcorn Bridge over the Mersey. I’m guessing you mean a bridge closer to Ludlow. I directed her to the car park by the castle, and we found each other there. It turns out, Rosie is coming from Sutton Coldfield each day. That doesn’t seem *very* handy, but who am I to question. They’re sending me to London, after all…

I had to do a pregnancy test first, just to check that I’m not pregnant. Steve, you can relax, I’m not pregnant. Technology has totally moved on since last time I did a test, though – none of this relying on liquid soaking up the stick past the picture – DIGITAL display no less, with flashing egg timer symbol followed by a CLEAR “Not Pregnant” message on the screen. I can’t help thinking it’s over engineered and a bit wasteful… Rosie also took my blood pressure, pulse & temperature which were all normal.

This is my drugs before being mixed together.

drugs!

There are three vials which were mixed into two injections – one in each arm. The nurse went over possible side effects which apart from feeling very achey as though you’ve done a day’s gardening include headaches, stiffness, general flu-like symptoms, hot flushes, hot flushes in the night and sleeplessness.

I never signed up for sleeplessness. I’m very much hoping I don’t have that one.

Lorna, clearly in a spirit of participation, has been developing flu-like symptoms all day. I asked if the nurse minded me taking a photo for the blog of the medical stuff, and she asked if Lorna wanted to take a picture of me being injected for same.  Lorna very quickly said No as if she was made to watch, there was every chance she would hit the carpet. So we don’t have a picture of that.

Then we waited while Rosie filled in paperwork, and I failed to develop allergic symptoms. When Rosie was satisfied we weren’t going to need the oxygen she’d brought in from the car “just in case” and double-checked by BP, pulse & temperature (I was colder & more relaxed than before being injected) she headed off with the promise of coming back tomorrow. Apparently she does one of these per week, and she has colleagues who also do this. I’m wondering where the people all go for the harvesting – I only saw one machine and do they send *everyone* to London?

So, after Rosie had pottered off, we decided that some light sightseeing and lunch-buying was in order.

Lorna buying cheese

The market was in full flow outside, so we acquired a smorgasbord of loveliness. I have to take full responsibility for saving the buying of yummy cakes until cake-o’clock, rather than getting them there & then. It’s a decision which didn’t work out well.

However, look at Lunch!

lunch

We wondered how anyone who lives here isn’t the size of a house. We ate, and knitted more. I finished Steve’s first sock of a pair with kitchener bind off. We both tried the sock on to check that it will go over someone’s heel. It will. It remains to be seen whether it will go over Steve’s heel.

Before long again it was cake o’clock so we pottered out again. We went to the local yarn store and each made a bit of a purchase. Lorna got sock yarn. I got some Noro Silk Garden which I’m planning to turn into a small decorative scarf.

noro

We went back to the market and here is where my earlier decision came crashing down on me. We returned to the market, and THE CAKE STALL WAS GONE.

Oh dear.

We had to fall back on the resources of the fudge stall and a local cake shop. There was another classic moment where, junior shop assistant was half way through processing our transaction when older shop assistant barged through and took over the till. Junior was standing RIGHT THERE – it’s not even as if she had stepped away to get more cakes or hand Lorna her change. This led to another grumpy old lady conversation about how nobody has any manners any more.

For knitting variety, I cast on yet another project after cake, a lanesplitter using yarn very kindly donated by Deb. My colours are darker, but the concept remains the same.

Dinner tonight was provided by the Golden Moments curry house on Broad Street, as recommended by a random passer by who said it was better than the one 8 doors up the hill. It was indeed very tasty, and not un-bargainous.

So, we’re back knitting again with the delights of Ice Road Truckers Deadliest Roads and celebrity big brother. Here’s my progress…

Lanesplitter

…and here Lorna is approaching her second set of decreases, starting her second skein and hurtling towards being able to do exciting cabling.

Lorna, featuring Debbie Bliss

NB it’s a Debbie Bliss pattern, not Debbie Bliss yarn.After all, Lorna’s not made of money.

Symptoms so far: a little bit achey and a little bit headachey. I’ve had 1 paracetamol before tea, but I might take another couple before bedtime to try to avoid the alarming sleeplessness that’s been touted as a possibility.

Small amount more knitting for me, then some zees.