Cold

Since last entry I have been laid out by a cold. Its a dry, rasping cough that leaves my throat sensitive to the air. There was a bit of a fever, which has died down now, and I am loaded with cough suppressants.

The main trouble has been difficulty sleeping at night. During the day is fine - the air is warmer - but there is a particularly cruel drop in the wee small hours which I am always awake through.

This house is always a pain to heat in winter - high, exposed-beam ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows are great for the space and view in summer but a total mess in winter. I really need to double-glaze the windows - real double (or triple) glazing, not the erzats kind advertised on the telly these days. Heat pump looks attractive too - though, by the coast as we are, the guarantees don't mean much. The famous HRV system is totally pointless: no loft space. So I can see my savings targets for next year. Meantime, I'm wrapped up and watching a lot of TV - all the time conscious of those two papers that are due next month.