That's those out of the way

 Husband's 2 medical appointments went off without a hitch, thankfully, we got to both in plenty of time.  The first one, the echocardiogram which was in an NHS building on an industrial estate, was done quite quickly, leaving us more than enough time to get across Taunton (which is extremely busy with traffic) to the hospital.  Husband drank his pint of water in the car park and then we made our way to the urology testing department, which is the other end of the hospital to the car park - it's a huge general hospital with very long corridors and loads of departments and wards.  My hips were protesting by the time we reached where we had to go.  As husband's tests were going to take up to 2 hours, I opted to sit in the hospital M&S cafe which is near where he was going, rather than the corridor outside the test place.

The cafe was busy with loads of people, staff and patients, coming and going all the time.  I'd taken a book with me and thought I'd be happy to sit with a large latte and read or people watch.  Well, it was the noisiest place I'd been in a long time - as well as the constant chatter from everyone in the cafe, and people's phones going off all the time, there were the catering sounds from the cafe staff, and quite loud piano music.  I thought it was being played from a sound system, but it turned out to be an actual pianist, sitting partly hidden behind a screen.  But the noisiest thing of all was the constant back and forth of hospital staff pushing noisy rattling trolleys, equipment and patients along the corridors (the cafe is in a big open [indoors] space with a wide corridor alongside, you go inside the cafe to get your drinks and food and then come back out to the tables and chairs in the open concourse bit).  It was just one big cacophony of very loud sound - and I'm partially deaf!  By the time husband was finished and came to meet me, 1.5 hours later, I felt like my ears had been assaulted and my head was spinning....my ears were still ringing hours later.  Mind you, poor husband had worse stuff going on, having to drink an extra 2 jugs(!!) of water - with a break in between - and have his bladder scanned whilst full, and then pee it out, have the amount measured and then his bladder scanned again once empty.  Twice.  On the way home, he said he felt like he didn't want another drink for 2 or 3 days 😂

Betty was so pleased to see us when we got home, we'd been out for nearly 6 hours, we don't normally leave her home alone for more than 4 hours.  She's absolutely fine left home alone, I always leave the radio on for her, she sleeps most of the time (I've asked our next door neighbour if she hears her at all and she always says nope).  I left her some food for her lunch, she'd eaten that.  And of course she has a bowl of fresh water all the time.

Both husband and I felt really tired by early evening, so we both had an early night.  I did attempt to read for a while, as I always do when I go to bed, but gave up after only a short while when my book fell off the bed and woke me (and Betty) up.

We're all having a quiet day today.  I think I'll put a veggie stew and dumplings in the slow cooker, I have washing to do and dog food to make, and my shopping list to finish.  Then this afternoon I'll go upstairs and make the last of the Christmas cards and write out those that need posting.