Friday 29 May 2026: Proofreading

Normally, today’s post would be the monthly wrap-up, as it’s the last working day of the month. But there are 2 days left in the month including the weekend, plus today, and I decided last month to do the wrap-up on the first working day of the new month so I could add a more accurate monthly wordcount. There might be a book review on here on Monday, though. So the wrap-up might not be until Tuesday and the month ahead will be on Wednesday, meaning the weekend catch up will be on Thursday. Then again, if there’s no review, everything will be a day earlier.

I had another good night’s sleep and think it’s probably down to the drugs I’m taking at night to combat this cold. I’m a firm believer that sleep is a good healer, and these painkillers (to reduce my temperature) knock me out for the full 8 hours. Then again, we went out on Sunday and bought new pillows for the bed and I’ve been using one of those instead of 2, using the other one for if I’m sitting up in bed reading. And I’ve not had my hip pain either. Perhaps the single, new pillow is helping, or perhaps it’s the painkillers. Either way, I’m sleeping all the way through, even in this hot weather, and I’ll take that any day of the week.

I was up early yesterday, thanks to the dog wanting his breakfast and a bit of noise next door. So I fed him and I had my cup of tea while I read another chapter of the current book. I fed the birds, I emptied the dishwasher, I changed the kitchen towels (2 tea towels and a hand towel), and I put a washload through. That’s the most I’ve done in the house for a few days. I also did some of the exercises I’ve been neglecting due to the intense heat.

Saying that, it was cooler again yesterday, and breezy. I had to get up at stupid o’clock to close the living room windows as the breeze was making the living room door rattle, and about 10 minutes later, the biggest, loudest clap of thunder woke us all up again. I’d just dozed back off when we all jumped out of our skins, dog included, but he didn’t bark or fret. It was only the one thunderbolt too. Very strange.

The poet was up early and off to another site for the morning and I’d just settled the dog down again when 10 minutes later (again) workmen arrived next door to dismantle a load of scaffolding they’ve had up for a couple of weeks. I mean, they were very early for a start, but why start hurling scaffolding poles and planks around? But that was it, the dog was awake and there was no going back to sleep for me.

As the day progressed, the temperature gradually increased again. I had the industrial fan running in the hallway, pointing at the open office door. But after a while it gave me a stiff neck (I have my back to the door so I can see out of the window) and I had to turn it off.

The dog spent much of the morning in the garden with half a shrub wrapped around him as he munched happily on the branches, or he was at my feet, under my desk. And I used the time to go through all 10 documents the conveyancing solicitor had sent us while drafting my query email to him. We have to sign 2 of them, I believe, one with witnesses present. When my draft query email was done, I ran it by the poet over the phone, and sent it off.

I did some emailing for work (editing client), I wrote and published yesterday’s blog post, and I started today’s. And then it was back to that proofreading. I spent a lot of time again on the proofreading, but it looks as though I’m working into next week after all when I wanted the whole of June off. I have this proofreading job to finish plus another one. But as we don’t yet have any idea of a moving date, I’ll just carry on filling a box or a rubbish bag at a time.

I finished work a bit early as I wanted to make a pudding for tea and we still had to walk the dog. It was too warm to walk him during the day and I thought after 6pm would be fine. But when we looked at the temperatures, it was still going to be around the 28℃ mark (apx. 84℉ ) until about 9pm, which is still at least 4 degrees too warm. Not just for him walking around in heat with a fur coat on, but the pavements are hot. While the poet boiled some eggs and made us a chicken caesar salad, I made an apple crumble.

We walked the dog, watched some telly, and had a later than usual night.

Today I’m still catching up with the proofreading. If I get that to a place I feel I can leave it, I’ll catch up on the republishing too. I’m leaving all the books on D2D until the end of October and monitor where the sales are coming from, then I’ll start to delist them from there. Over the weekend, I may get some reading done.

Whatever you’re up to, have a good one!