Aggravation all round

 Last night was the worst one this year, it was incredibly hot and sticky, Betty and I were both suffering.  Poor thing, she just couldn't settle, was very restless and prowling around, panting a lot, throwing herself down on her 2 beds (1 in the lounge, the other in my bedroom), her cool mat, the sofa, my bed, the floors.  I had the fan on in my bedroom but it's only a small one and not very powerful, so in the end we both went in the lounge and I switched the big fan on and opened a couple of windows.  I got out the cloths I'd earlier wrung out in cold water and put in plastic bags in the fridge, I had one round my neck, the other I spread over Betty as she was lying on her cool mat.  Trouble is, she won't stay still for long enough, she was up and down constantly, so the cloth kept falling off.  I lay in husband's recliner chair for a while, then a thunderstorm started up around midnight, which unnerved Betty even more - fortunately, it was much quieter and a lot less violent than the one the other day, just a few claps of thunder, a bit of lightning and a few showers that went on for an hour or so.  Eventually, we both went back to my bedroom and endured a very restless night.  It is a bit cooler so far this morning, although still sticky.  Betty does drink water often, I make sure of that.  She seems ok right now, she's sleeping as she's clearly very tired (I know the feeling!).  She's not eaten her breakfast but that's ok, I'm sure she doesn't feel like eating right now, nor do I.

Husband had a phone call late yesterday afternoon, offering him a cancellation appointment for podiatry for this afternoon (he's had trouble with his feet for years, it's flared up again).  Unfortunately, the appointment is at a clinic in Taunton, so a blinking 45-50 minute drive on a hot day again.  Such a blimmin nuisance, I don't know why they can't hold the clinics in the Minehead hospital, instead of forcing us to go on long journeys - which eventually we won't be able to do.

The upside of having to go out this afternoon is that it'll give us a break from the constant racket going on next door.  The builders arrived early again, there's been a cement mixer going non-stop since 7.30 this morning, along with metallic clanking noises as the scaffolding is going up.  They're not having professional scaffolders, neighbour Mr X bought a vanload of second hand scaffolding and he and his brother are erecting it themselves.  I have no idea if they're trained or experienced at it, I presume not as they took all day yesterday to erect just the gable end scaffolding, whereas professional scaffolders would have the whole lot done in a day.  Let's hope for their sakes it's safe!  And all the blokes are shouting to each other again, to be heard above all the noise.  Before anyone says it, I do know that we could report the noise and flagrant disregard for time starts to the Council, but I'm not going to do that for 2 reasons:  1)  We have to live with our neighbours in harmony for years to come, and 2)  If the Council did put a restriction on their working hours, then the work would take even longer to complete.  So we just have to put up with it, even though it means we cannot sit out in our garden for probably the whole of the summer.  And we thought we were moving to a lovely peaceful retirement community!!

We're popping out to the supermarket now for a top up shop of fresh stuff (and a bit of ear relief!).  I think I'll buy a tub of nice ice cream - not on my low Fodmap diet but I've pretty much stuck to it for more than 2 weeks now, and I think we deserve a treat!