On solvents

Full disclosure, this entry was written after some of the later entries but was moved up in the chronology to better reflect when it happened.

Ever since I have been at the General, there was a piece of surgical tape stuck to the upper right hand plastic guardrail. At some last week, I removed it as it annoyed me. Unfortunately, it left behind some adhesive which was even more annoying. When Philip phoned to see if he and Dominique might visit today, I asked him to bring in some solvent to remove the goo.

When they arrived, Philip came around the bed to my right side, opened his backpack and said: “I brought you two solvents. First, the more expensive kind from Scotland.” I was somewhat confused by this, and it was only when he produce a very small Mason jar with a light brown liquid it and a Glencairn glass that I tumbled to it: he was offering me a wee dram of what turned out to be Springbank single malt. I accepted. Dominique suggested getting some ice. I made a cross with my arms and cheerfully said: “Retro vadis, Satanico!” A back of water, yes. Ice, never.*

The single malt was drunk, the goo removed and news exchanged. Eventually, it was time for them to leave.

Not too long later, my cousin Michel arrived. We had a good chat before he left.

* My uncle Donald is reputed to have said that there is an exception to this rule, namely when are in Hong Kong in summer without air conditioning. My response to that is that you need to find a tipple better suited to the circumstances. A Singapore sling for example.