h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sunday 11th March, 2007

My eldest son came out yesterday. We had not seen him since the 5th of January, two days after my brother's funeral as he left for New York on that day. He works so hard and I have to savour every minute that he spends with us.

We all enjoy watching Rugby - K. was reputed to have the safest pair of hands at his school in Matabeleland. He played full back. Yesterday we had great fun. M. brought me some super flowers, and I had made a nice borsch - with beautiful young beetroot, and then the usual roast with accompaning veggies and a gratin dauphinois, and a nice M & S pudding - which was of course very bad for both K and myself as it was very sweet!! And a nice Merlot.

We all enjoyed the Rugby and were very interested to see the Italians playing such improved Rugby.

Sad to say goodbye to him because he returns to the States next week and there is little hope that we shall see him before my 79th birthday in May. Thank goodness I have K. My eldest daughter in South Africa, My second daughter in Australia and my youngest son in the States, we are really flung all around the globe.

Anyway, one must be grateful for small mercies.

I am having problems because sadly, as my flat has four outside walls, there is dreadful mould growing and at the moment I am obliged to sleep in my long chair in the living room as my bedroom is badly affected. I have had the Health authorities in to advise me,but as it seems to be recurring it would be good if anyone can give me advice as to whom to approach. I really do not want to curl up my toes for a silly thing like too much mould in my Bedroom!!

Thanks

Christiane AR1

Hi AR1, The Environmental Health department for your local council would be the people to contact with that mould problem, as the "spoors" that come from the mould can be deadly if inhaled

If they try to fob you off, get in touch with your local Citizens Advice Bureau, they will definitely help you!
Good luck

Hi AR1! Sorry to hear about your mould problem! I hope you can get someone who can get it fixed!

I'm one of the very few Afrikaans people over here who don't like rugby! Well it's not really a matter of not liking it, as not knowing much about it!

Hi, Christiane,

I would back Smudger on this. Get Environmental Health out ASAP. It is a health risk for healthy people but with the two of you much less so, you shoul get something done quickly.

It is horrible stuff and needs treating quickly. Chase them up ASAP and lay it on thick about your health and K's. I am sure it won't matter whether it is Council property or privately owned, the health risk is the same.

I am glad you have had some time with your son. It is lovely when the family gets together but yours are spread far and wide aren't they?

Take care, and chase EH up soon, please!!

Websailor

11th March.200710.45 p.m. I knew I could count on you .



Thank you all for your advice. I shall do it tomorrow as soon as they are open.

Bless you all.

Christinae AR1

How upsetting for you, Christiane. I certainly hope you get the mold taken care of soon. It's very dangerous. We once moved house because of a mold problem that we couldn't resolve. I still blame it for some of my husband's health problems.

Hi, my friends,

Well some wonderful local friends have been round to help me clear my bedroom. However I had done something really stupid and had ie error, taken the wrong medication. I really panicked and it has unfortunately done something strange to my eyes - which sadly are not operating very well due to the diabetes -I think.

The Health Aurhotities have written back asking the secretary of our local Management Committe to say what they are going to do about the mold.
Hypatia it is very obviously affecting me and I really do not want to be blown out by horrid mold.

Then the stupid medication lark - so I am feeling old, and long past my sell-by date. I hopefully will pcik up in a day or so.
I hope to be able to continue my chat with Leo on our philosophy, and also share some more Varsity tales with Phred. Hope Mrs. Phred will be well.

I am now off to rest my eyes.

Websailor, I had a visit from a blue tit this morning - so my carer said. But sadly I could not see the colour. That was the same bird - I think = that came the other morning. and I have still not had the opportunity to buy a bird table. I shall try and get K. to get me a feeder tomorrow.

With much affection to you all

Christiane Ar1

Hi, !,
I do hope your eyes improve so you can read this. Your mould needs to be cleared up ASAP, as already said, it can be dangerous.

I am glad you had a blue . It is a shame you couldn't see it properly. Perhaps it will come back tomorrow. Our birds seem to be stocking up for the coming cold spell. There was hardly anything for me to clean up tonight.

Take care, my friend,



Websailor

Oh my dear Christiane,.

I'm so sorry to hear your mould problem has come back and that you're having health problems. I remember what it was like before and how much better it was when it was dealt with.

I feel so sad that your health has suffered so. I hope your management committee will take immediate action. At one point you were considering moving somewhere else. Is that still a possibility?

Hello AR!,how nice to see a posting from you.I do hope the problem with the mold is soon cleared up....i recall Mina posting about finding out she was allergic to it...and it caused her to suffer from asthma,so do take care.
I once took the wrong medication ,at the wrong time,and i panicked too!!!I took my medication for water retention,at 11p.m!'m sure you can imagine the consequences!!
I hope your eyes feel better soon,and that next time the blue tit comes to visit you can see him properly.Do take care.

I'm joining in with what everyone else has said . I hope you're able to watch the rugby again by now.

You probably need to keep pushing through the Environmental Health people to get a permanent answer to the mould.

I met someone who had just taken her cat's medication instead of her own - it didn't seem to be having any noticeable effect. But she was a fizzy-haired, mind everywhere but on the subject in hand, academic, so maybe any effect wouldn't be noticeable .

Take care,
Waz

Very dear friends,

Wrong medication!!

Mold!!

Honestly!!.

Well, Thank goodness, today, at last my eyes are beginning to focus properly. As an optomist, I am convinced that the medication has cleared my brain!! It acutally was the new medication which had done him so much good. The biggest problem was it made my heart race like 150 which isn't exactly a good idea. The eye dysfunction was apparently to be expected and had it not cleared up, the Psychiatrist told me that I should go to see my GP. As they had already told me to phone 999 and it was from them tht I got all the information that was not much help.

The mold is getting jolly serious, particularly as I am unable to sleep in my bedroom. The Environmental Health People have given the Chairman of the Mangement Committee until the end of this week to tell them what they are prepared to do otherwise they are going to be taken to court in terms of the Housing act 2004. So hopefully I shall be able to sleep in my bed again fairly shortly.

I am now going to write about my wonderful mother's Day.
With to you all add thank youfou ofr your ocncern.

Christiane AR1

Hi Everyone I hope all the Mothers amongst you all, had a happy mothers day

We had ALL of our Grandchildren with us today, as Mk2s two sons and her daughter, came to see us with them all! It was chaos, but nice if you know what I mean
Mk2 was well chuffed to see them all, in fact it got me to wondering about my own two children (well not children a such, one is 30 and the other is 27)I have not heard from either of them in years,(since the divorce in 1990) so I could be a Grandad and not even know it
Anyway, we all had a good day, so I hope you had one as well

Smudger.

Dear Smudger,

Thank you for your good wishes,

I am glad you had a good day. if you can you should try and get hold of your two children. Divorce shold not divide the parents. There shoudld be enough to go around. You are such a super guy that I am sure that they would you to bits!!.

With affection

Christiane AR1

Afraid to say that is not the case Ar1 I really tried at the time, but it was no good? I think it was with me being away for such long periods working over seas and the like

Even my sister joined in, and cut me off as well, strange thing human nature isn't it

Mind you, I suppose that is better than them putting on a false front, besides I have got used to it now, well it has been over 14 years now.

Smudger.

'The Environmental Health People have given the Chairman of the Mangement Committee until the end of this week to tell them what they are prepared to do otherwise they are going to be taken to court in terms of the Housing act 2004. So hopefully I shall be able to sleep in my bed again fairly shortly.' I do hope your Management Committee get their act together and ... act!

Thinking of youm Christiane.

Smudger, it is so sad you have been out of touch with your family for 14 years, but you know, people change, and they are older now, perhaps with a better undestanding of why relationships break down.

I suppose the risk of rejection is too much to cope with, but I think I would have another go. They might be afraid to make the next move too?!

Thank you for your good wishes to all Mums. It was a special day and our hearts go out to anyone who missed out for whatever reason.



Websailor

Very dear Smudger,

Only you can judge what to do!!

I know that families are very strange collections of people. I envy large well adjusted (or so it seems) families.

I am fortunate in that I have a lovely group of cousins in France who have been intensely supportive of my son and I. However, my "English" family are really the pits. So much so that after my brother;s death I was obliged to "tell" my sister not to contact me as each time that she did, my heart used to go

"bom-didi-bom" and I honestly felt as if I was going to have a heart attack. In view of the fact that I have had open heart surgery I did not think that it was a very good idea!!

I have been much more composed now. I do think that when siblings are quite obviously dysfunctional, it is like flogging a dead horse to try and make them interact successfully.

Much better to accept the sad fact gracefully and be grateful that one has good friends and others who support one.

Your Mark 11 sounds great and you obviously had a great Mother's Day even if you were exhausted.

With affection

Christiane AR1

Oh, aren't friends and family interesting, Christiane

I have so little by way of family - just mum and dad and little and an uncle I've seen only once in about 20 years, and then that was only at my aunt's funeral.

Mum and dad moved away from their home town to the Isle of Wight. When asked if they would miss their friends and family, they said (well, mum said), 'We haven't many friends and we don't like our family.' Dad was an only child and I know no-one from his side of the family and mum had a brother and a sister, of whom the brother survives. Both had problems - the sister was in a mental hospital for many years, before marrying someone she met there and the brother never married. Seems their father was violent.

I wonder if we all miss what we never had. I would have liked a larger family, but if they were all dysfunctional, I wonder if I'm better off as I am. I too envy large well adjusted families. I do remember (again I think it was mum) saying, 'We can't choose our families, but we can choose our friends.'

I came across a book (I don't have it, but I have an audio of it) called Vital Friends, which suggested that there were functions that we need friends for, but that no one person could fulfill all the roles. These are:

* Builder - Motivator and Coach
* Champion - Stand up for you and show loyalty
* Collaborator - Shares a passion with you
* Companion - Always there for you
* Connector - Helps introduce you to others
* Energizer - Help motivate you and make you smile
* Mind Opener - Expand your horizons and introduce new ideas
* Navigator - Advice you on future direction

I think my best champion is probably little .

I wonder who fulfils these roles for you?

Hi ZSF

Here am I, it is 8 0'clock,(0800 GMT) yawning my head off. I wake up very early and get up. Well D.day is Monday so I hope that the MANCOM will do something about it very shortly.

Must go and have 40 winks before I have my breakfast.

Oh the joy of being aboe to "flop" whenever one wnts to/

Christiane AR1