Journal Entries
Summer 09
Posted Aug 10, 2009
So far it's been pretty good - the weather - apart from an invasion of ladybirds and a couple of days where, if you opened your mouth incautiously you'd get a mouthful of flying ants - has been great, and I'm nicely tanned without having to have tried.
The lads are working all hours - Son no 1 is saving madly to emigrate to Australlia next spring - or at least go there for 6 months for a Walkabout with a view to emigrating, anyway, and Son no 2 is just saving madly because he likes money. Both are doing Alright with a capital A.
I've had more visitors than I can count. Big Jan - not so big now, she's dropped 3 dress sizes from last year and still decreasing stayed most of last week, managing yet again to inadvertantly time her stay to see the local Summer Carnival on Saturday. The last few have been absolutely dire, but this year I think the organisers took the hint and the participants really got into the swing of things a lot more this time and it actually *was* well worth having a few friends (and a few contributory bottles of vino) around to hang out of my living room window and hurl pennies at the floats.
And this year, Wendy and I *didn't get a Talking to by the local constabulory for being rottern aims
Well... if I'd have aimed for his silly hat I'd never have hit it; it was Just One Of Those Things.
We went to Howletts Zoo last week - it really is a great place for a good day out
(note to self: see if H2's got an entry on it; if it hasn't, have a think about doing one)
Of course, my favourites, the Tigers were what I really went to see, and they've got several varieties there - Siberian, Sumatrian and Bengali, and boy, they are HUGE. They're such magnificent creatures, I could spend a day watching them lounge around and remain entranced...
but I must admit, I was well impressed when the big black rhino trotted over to the front of his enclosure and I really was within 10 feet of him - I never thought the word "cute" could ever be applied to something that has 2 whacking great kerotine horns on its face,and weighs in excess of a ton but... he was a real cutie. I swear he winked at me!
There was loads to see and to do - we "Walked with Lemurs" and the temptation to pick one and stroke it was immense - they've got such a wonderful thick, fluffly coat and they're beautiful; they also have nice long claws, so I resisted temptation. There were Bison and Buffaloes, Kudus and Bongos, any amount of deer... oh, all sorts.
Snakes...pythons and boas and other long thin wriggly lads. I can't get excited about snakes. I've held a baby boa constrictor before now and that was enough for me, thank you soo much
And then there was the Ape Houses. Howletts primary aim is to increase the animal population to prevent exinction, and they have a fair population of apes, including a silver back Gorilla. Great big placid old boy he was, wearing his big black biker gloves on hands and feet.
Spent ages watching them play - I think it would be a long time before I tired of watching the youngsters and the adolescent apes play and torment and lollop around before swinging from bar to bar and pole dance down the rope swings.
Add to that a nice picnic lunch, warm, but not scorching weather and it was one of the most pleasant days of the year so far.
Well; it was until we got back home - there was a message on the house phone; it was mum's neighbours. Apparently she'd fainted whilst she was talking to them in her garden. Fortunately, they're really good neighbours, and have her door key, so whilst the husband went in to see to mum, his wife called an ambulance, which came quite promptly. The paramedics checked her over - all systems working fine, and she refused to go to hospital.
Obviously, I rang her as soon as I'd learnt all this, and she reckons she didn't faint, just stumbled a bit and the neighbours were making too much of a fuss
I offered to go up, but again, I got a "no thanks"
(apparently I wasn't being terribly comforting asking her questions and I didn't really care about her anyway - look at the time it had taken me to phone her! Typical! I'm never in anyway, etc etc)
.... but I will go up this week and see what she's doing that might have caused her to faint. Frankly, I don't think she drinks enough - well, *some liquids she drinks far too much of, but I'm talking about nice cool, clear, water. In this hot weather, 2 cups of tea and a mug of coffee in 24 hours just isn't enough! (It's not enough even when the weather's cold) - the only water she drinks is if it's diluting her whiskey!
But you didn't hear me say that
It's so vexing though - I've done all I can to get a local support system for her - Jan lives locally and had volunteered ages ago to take mum food shopping and give her a hand in the house, but mum conveniently forgets that. The local vicar is (apparently) keeping an eye on her, and her local GP is aware of her situation and reluctance to go and visit him. Short of moving in with her (which I really couldn't cope with) there is little I *can do - the offer of help and support is there, but she won't accept it from me.
I should add she's lost over a stone in the last 6 months without any intention, and she really does look like a sad old lizard lately; that probably sounds quite cruel, but that's what comes to mind - she looks desicated and scaley and somehow grubby lately. It's a worry.
Ah well.
And finally.....
I finally collected something called a CPAP machine to try out to help me with the Sleep Apnoea - you have to velcro a mask, which covers the nose and mouth, onto the head, and then plug in a corrugated hose pipe into the machine, which blows a continuous stream of nice cool air into the nose and mouth, thus keeping the airways either completely clear, or at least *sort of* clearer.
I look like a cybermnan and feel like a monster, and I scared the life out of the lads when they came into the living room to check their e mails, and saw "this weird silhouette and blue lights flashing and that snorkel things gurgling and bubbling" whilst I was sleeping in the spare bed last week.
(Me? I was utterly sparko asleep, so it didn't bother me!)
The difference was absolutely amazing - I now wake refreshed, cheerful and best of all, on the planet.
I'd almost claim to be alert first thing - and that's something that hasn't happened much in the last few years I can tell you
I'm not sure how it's going to affect my private life; it's hardly condusive to romance, but it may well raise a few laughs. We'll have to see, won't we? If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined!
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Latest reply: Aug 10, 2009
All packed and ready
Posted Jun 19, 2009
for an early start driving up to Newark, in Nottinghamshire, on Sunday morning. Its a long time since I've driven such a long way - (small, I suppose in the scheme of things, but just under 300 miles, nevertheless)
I'm hopeful that if I can save up on sleep a bit I'll be able to do it with just a couple of breaks.
I'm getting very feeble lately, and am constantly tired; I really don't fancy dozing off on the motorway and being rudely awoken by the Hard Shoulder rising up to meet me, thanks. There'd be no chance of hitting the Central Reservation, as the Outside Lane(s) are for Other People, as far as I'm concerned. I'm quite content to trundle along at a steady 60 or 70mph and let them waste petrol.
So - Newark for a couple of days, then up to Worksop (the name always gives me the giggles, it's as silly a name as Penge) from Tuesday evening thru till early Friday morning to visit relatives; I haven't spent this much time with them since I was very small, and it'll be good to get to know them properly at last. Maybe I will find out why my small familly became split in two. Maybe I won't; we'll see.
Then back to Newark for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, leaving on Monday morning for Kent and home. I may be dutiful and call into The Mothers; it rather depends on how tired I get - and also how well I can avoid mentioning that I've visited the Sister in Law she cordially loathes. She'll find out eventually, because I 'm too open and will probably mention it in passing sometime in the future without thinking; but sure as eggs are eggs it'll cause a row if she's in Viper Mode.
Prior to my jaunt up North - well, North-ish, anyway, I'm off to the local theatre Saturday evening to see a production of "Hot Mikado", which will be a nice feel-good thing to do; a bit of fun and nothing too intellectual to enjoy in the company of my friend from Broardstairs. I'm looking forward to it.
So; see you all at the start of July, once I've unpacked and resurrected the flat. 9 days away is going to give the lads plenty of time and opportunity to make a right stig of the place. And there's no illusions that they won't. I thought *I* was untidy until they arrived on the scene, and they make me look like Mrs House Perfect.
Bless their off white cotton socks..............
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Latest reply: Jun 19, 2009
A Strange Day
Posted Jun 13, 2009
...yesterday, but not unpleasantly so.
I mentioned last year that my ex husband of over 25 years ago had sent me a birthday card via The Mother and had asked me to get in touch; being a curious 
I did. At first I assumed it was probably something to do with Pension Rights.
After all, he'd remarried, had 2 daughters roughly around the same age as my own two sons, and from what I could gather he'd carved out quite an interesting (and well paid) career - I couldn't see him wanting to support me in my old age! And I don't expect him to, either.
Anyway, we swapped a couple of phone conversations and I replied to the e mails he sent, and his work took him to my part of the world yesterday - since he was in the area, how about meeting up for a coffee?
So at the appointed time I put on my 2nd best frock and polished up my nice new metallic blue-and-purple swirly striped stick
(the one that clashes with absolutely everything which endears it to me even more than any sensible coloured stick could)
and lurched down to the appointed cafe, hoping that time had been kinder to me than it had been to him appearance wise.
I recognised him by the way he walked; I was certain it was him when he spoke.
He's grown up into a decent man who works far too many hours and has no hobbies or passtimes. Some people work to live, he said, others live to work.
It was a very pleasant afternoon in all; we skirted around our miserable marriage and all the stupid vitriolic rows we'd had and caught up with each others' doings to begin with.
I'd not realised how much he had influenced my phraseology, and indeed the rather sharp part of my sense of humour; I'd forgotten how funny he could be with his observations.
I was surprised how laid back and emotionally mature he'd become.
Am I attracted to him?
As a man, no. I don't regret leaving him, and don't begrudge that he found happiness with a new partner and I've made poor choices thru out my life instead.
And he'll never be a "confidante" sort of friend.
But I'm happy enough being friendly and keeping in touch occaisionally.
I'm not sure how he feels; I assumed until the last ten minutes of our meeting he just saw me as an old friend from the past. I dropped him back to his car park, and as he was dragging his rucksack out of the back seat, I saw him pull a carrier bag out of it and leave it there.
"I brought you this" he said rather gruffly
"Can I look now?" I asked
"Naw... leave it till you get home"
"Well, whatever it is, thank you very much - I didn't expect a present"
I waved him off, went back to the car, decanted the carrier and lurched the 300yds home. Got in, opened it.
A really fancy box of Designer Chocolates....and a bottle of screamingly expensive Cava. The lads told me the price of it and I damned near fell over. All I know is Cava is pretty fancy; I'm no connassiour.
In the conventional scheme of things I suppose I could be judged a failiure, technically; - no career structure as such, very little in the bank, a fairly unconventional life style with a lot packed into it and currently going thru an arty farty arts-and-crafts stage. And not awfully worldly really. I tried visiting it once, decided I didn't like it much and went my own route after that.
But it's very flattering to know that I can still inspire a chap to flatter me a bit with such an extravigant gift.
And a little worrying, too, when I consider the source.
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Latest reply: Jun 13, 2009
New PC
Posted May 27, 2009
Today the new all singing all dancing Computor arrives
As is normal nowadays, (or so I'm told) it's been custom built according to Son Number 2's particular specifications, with lots of RAM and gigglebytes and all the other stuff that - apparently - is going to make this s PC to be envied thru out the civilised wesetern world 
, or at least, in Herne Bay.
Just as long as I have enough space for my poems and photoes to be stored on it and I have the ability to get into H2 and check my e mails I'll be quite happy. The lads can have the rest of it for their 'orrible music and Facebook Walls and all the other stuff that they can't seem to live without.
The three of us at home are all about as good as each other when it comes to Things Technical, so if I appear to have fallen off the earth for a while, 
I'll still be around; it's just that we'll be hunting for technical things like plug sockets and on switches; not to mention trying to find that little silver disc that has the Dial Up Details on it....
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Latest reply: May 27, 2009
Throats
Posted May 12, 2009
Just got back from Day Surgery
It's getting to the point where I not only know all the nursing staff's names I really *do* know their birthdays, as well.
ANYWAY...I had a small group of surgeons having a damned good rummage with what feels like it must have been a small armoured truck around my throat, taking in a guided tour of the Larynx, the Pharynx and the osegosaphus (sp?)
(one day I will learn to spell that word. But not today)
and nipping off to gather various bits of tissue samples for autospy or biopsy ... or maybe just because they felt like it.
Took about half an hour, apparently (I was out with the 
s and therefore not aware), a further 20 minutes in recovery and around a quarter of an hour in Ward before I managed to blag a wonderful cuppa
- I was parched and desperate for tannin, despite being all nicely rehydrated intraveniously.
It's just not the same, somehow
About an hour later Son number one turned up to take me home. He's a good lad
He's cooked me a rather excellent ommlette I'm restricted to "soft foods" pro tem.
And there's 
no nicotine or alcohol for the next 24 hours either.
Just for once I think I'll obey the suggestion, too. No alcohol doesn't present a problem, I drink a lot less often than I used to; it just got boring and expensive and pointless; it was becoming a habit rather than a pleasure so I just stopped for a while until I stopped thinking of it as Something To Do When Bored.
But even a hardened smoker like me couldn't bear the thought of putting any more effort onto my throat than is absolutely needed right this moment. It really is jolly sore.
Compared to the absolute Pigs Ear of an Appointment I had with the Other Consultant at the Other Hospital, today was pretty smooth and efficent and drama free.
And the Nurses explained very carefully to Son No 1 that Mum is to work absolutely NO machinery whatsoever for the next 48 hours.
Pcs don't count, of course...... but kettles do, as do hoovers, washing machines, dishwashers and irons.....
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Latest reply: May 12, 2009
Moving On
Researcher U226093
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