non blog

Things going on but can't really post about just yet. Believe it or not - in real life - I'm not the world's most discreet person in regard to writerly goings-on but ho hmmm - deep breath.

Maybe I should go back to talking about my toes which actually have been playing up something rotten. I took to sandpapering them (had two types of sandpaper in the tool box - fine grain and a coarser version) so I started with the fine and then moved on to the rougher one. As a result I now seem to have purply-black blisters all over my toes, cracked toe knuckle-backs and peeling soles. Looks a bit like this here.

So now I know how that lone googler felt a while back. I've tried witch hazel, arnica, athlete's foot creams, silica and (since dock leaf doesn't seem to grow round here) aloe vera from the front garden.

Now I'm leaving off all medications and going transcendental - rising above the itching through sheer will power. Easy peasy.

toes

The toes on my left foot have been plaguing me lately and I feel like cutting them off. I used to get chillblains in the UK a lot especially in winter time, but it's hot over here now and what I have now is fairly similar; itchy but burning and more like water blisters. I thought it might be the pool but can't see why really. Then I thought it could possibly be gout (there's a lot of it about over here) but a quick surf indicated that it probably wasn't (the internet really is a hypochondriac's paradise) Anyway gout sounds far more painful - and affects the joints - apparently you can't even bear to have a bed sheet lightly pressing upon a gouty toe - they get that sensitive. Plus gout seems to be affected by diet. I only eat two-legged meat for a start (bar the odd rasher) and I don't drink red wine or spirits only pinot. Maybe it is the swimming. Hmmm. I should try lavender water tinged with pink - but that didn't do the Pobble much good...