Journal Entries
Frenchbean update
Posted May 24, 2009
My time on hootoo has been sporadic and half-hearted since I returned home from Scotland three weeks ago. I've been very taken up with far-flung considerations as Mum has returned home and got to grips with her life once more. I've also been quite occupied in the house and garden here, as well as having a new manager starting at work.
House - I got home to find Winter 
had snuck up and settled on the Canterbury Plains when I wasn't looking. One of the first jobs was to make a front door curtain to keep out the chilly southerly blasts that come straight from the Scott Base. And an additional sausage to block the draughts at the bottom of the door.
I discovered early on that my much-anticipated woodburner was useless 
Wood didn't actually burn very well at all and the house filled up with billowing smoke every time the door was opened. Heat output was minimal. It took two weeks for Lord and Lady Land to realise that this was a Serious State of Affairs (
I suggested I might withold rent) and to my joy I now have a woodburner which won't go out 
It was fixed four days ago and has burned ever since. The house is now warm, dry and a pleasure to be in. Garden - Most of my veggies were lightly frosted while I was away, so there was a mass of dead and dying vegetation to be tidied up, as well as the normal amount of hidden food that I'd failed to harvest: a pumpkin beneath leaves, a couple of dozen beans deep in the wigwams. Weekends have been spent (keeping warm) clearing, weeding, digging, manuring, putting down weedmat and finally planting the garlic 
Oh, and sweeping/raking up leaves and mulching the shrub beds 
Work - To my delight the new manager started two weeks ago 
It's early days yet, but so far he is asking the right questions and saying the right things. I'm treating him gently, but have been speaking my mind to his manager.
My trip back to GB - and the inevitable re-balanced perspective on life that resulted from it - has led me to start being quite vocal 
about the appalling state of affairs in my bit of the office. I have made no bones about the fact that I am underemployed, unmotivated, have no direction, have no idea what the office priorities are and will be leaving here in 16 months' time unless things take a turn for the better 
Suddenly I have a lot of friends here: all folk who feel the same but who have been too fed up, demotivated and scared speak out 
Hurrah! 
There is a growing groundswell of a desire for real change and for the first time I feel part of the place 
- albeit for unexpected reasons.
So h2g2 has suffered from some neglect I'm afraid. And will probably continue to do so until I have a bit more time. I haven't forgotten you all though 
Fb
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Latest reply: May 24, 2009
Jetlagged Frenchbean is home
Posted May 5, 2009
Home
Long flight (32 hours, four planes).
11 hours time difference to train my body to deal with.
Mum still in the Cottage Hospital but improving.
No real rest for the last four weeks.
Back to work tomorrow 
Fb
Discuss this Journal entry [10]
Latest reply: May 5, 2009
Frenchbean comes from fighting stock.
Posted Apr 13, 2009
In haste on a friend of a friend's computer....
Thank you for your words and thoughts over the last few days.
Mum is showing extraordinary fortitude and not allowing a little thing like a t-bone car crash to knock her for six. She came round on Friday morning. By yesterday afternoon - appropriately enough - she was wolfing down chocolate to make up for lost time! It is a joy to see her laughing and full of spirit again. Her body is distressingly bruised and battered from the crash and her legs are in a poor state: not holding her up and agonisingly painful. But other than that she appears to be on the mend, albeit it very tired and still a wee bit confused.
She's seeing the prof (in charge of meds wards) and the physio today, so we'll have a clearer idea of what lies in the immediate future. We're hoping she'll be moved to the cottage hosp soonish. It's a lovely wee place with fabulous nursing care, excellent food and her favourite GP on 24 hour call. And of course all her friends can visit her there much more easily.
To say it's a miracle would be stretching it a wee bit, but nobody in the hospital ever expected to see her eyes open again. And of course nor did we. It seems she had a seizure of some sort 36 hours after the accident, then 'slept' for 48 hours. Fb
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Latest reply: Apr 13, 2009
Waiting for news
Posted Apr 8, 2009
I'm having an exhausted sleepless night waiting for news from Scotland.
Mum was taken to hospital this morning (UK time) unconcious. They think she had a serious stroke during the night. She remains in a coma and is unlikely to come out of it.
As she has a Living Will, which is admirably specific about what treatment she does and does not want in these circumstances, she is receiving palliative care only. One of my brothers is sitting holding her hand. Another is working and can't be reached. The other is on holiday and can't be contacted for another three hours. I am waiting for Thursday to start so that I can begin to organise a flight to UK. I doubt I'll see her before she dies, but at least I'll be there to help with the burden of grief and organising her ceremony (no funeral - a humanist ceremony).
So you will understand that I may not be around for a while. Real life is sometimes very much more important than hootoo...
Fb
Discuss this Journal entry [26]
Latest reply: Apr 8, 2009
It's just a job
Posted Apr 2, 2009
It's just a job is today's mantra.
I have been royally messed around by my manager who can't communicate what it is she wants me to do. Then when I produce something that isn't what she had in mind, I'm told I'm not getting to grips with the job 
So far I've had no explanation of how I can change what I thought was the right thing to what she thinks is the right thing and I'm left dangling 
Fortunately this is only one of my projects (I have five others) so my sanity is only slightly tested....
Fb
Discuss this Journal entry [42]
Latest reply: Apr 2, 2009
frenchbean
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