Low said:

Phew. Honestly thought that was it gone for good there.

I did too.  I have often felt that Alison has been the force that keeps this board above water.  If so, thank you, Alison.

^ Yes, love it or hate it, surely this is our last chance to enjoy this version of the forum before the site goes all Silver Eye.

Meanwhile, my new meds have had 0 effect, so I am binge-watching comfort programmes all day.

Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed "School for Scoundrels" on the iplayer. This afternoon I plan running through Detectorists again -  probably the most heart-warming but unsentimental comedy ever made.

Thank you, WW. I have a supply of ginger root for just that. Glad you reminded me, though - I'm going to make myself a cup right now. Cheers!

I'm very happy to send you a bottle of my home-made ache and pain remedy Whispered- it's arnica oil with orange, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh and ginger. It's very warming and smells nice. Just IM me with your address if you want some!

Yes, I've heard pineapple offers some anti-inflammatory assistance. Seriously, go for the turmeric though. I swear it's working wonders for me. I'm having a heaped teaspoon now on my evening meal. I wait till the last mouthful then add the spice and gulp it down! I'll be looking like The Annoying Orange soon!
Pineapple is also an excellent palate cleanser and breath freshener.

I take a teaspoon of turmeric, two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, and a splash of pure maple in a glass of water in the morning.

Pineapple can also be used as a politeness before oral sex. Celery too.

KatRobin said:

PS one of our gerbils died yesterday. I can't decide whether her innards ruptured or whether her best mate cannibalised her entrails. Not nice, poor thing.

Gerbils can be trickier than they appear. I had two - both females - in two large, connected, fish tanks, which I tried to make as desert-like as I could, with sand, dead branches, some xerophytes etc. So it was, as they say, "enriched".

They seemed happy for about a year, but then one started attacking the other so that when I went to speak to them, they were regularly to be found with their fur streaked with drying blood. I was told that this is quite common, and sometimes it seems to be because they have "too much" room, which triggers territorial behaviour.

The matter was resolved after one died from overweight (I dropped a 5kg carton of seedy nibbles on her head) and the other escaped the tank and was never seen again (except by the cat, possibly)
  

Tumeric, Ginger root, or niacinamide.  Niacinamide has a catalog of additional benefits, though, from repairing the telomeres, fighting viruses, adding energy, and a lot more.