This hand/that hand/no hand
Yes peeps. Do I use this hand or that hand or sit back and use no hand.
I was thinking along these lines after I came out of the operating theatre on Monday past there. I was having minor surgery done to my right hand. Nothing special, just a de-compression jobbie for carpol tunnel syndrome. Never mind the fact that from the time of going to my GP to actually getting the operation was just under the 24 month period I am glad that it is done now. I can now feel things.
I had my left hand done about 10 years ago. It was a great success. Now I have had my right hand done.
Problems.
I am left handed by nature but I do use my right hand for particular things. At the moment I don't use my right hand for anything. I did use it for my walking stick, but that is a no-no at the moment, at least until I get my stitches out next week. There are many other things that i can't do. I can't hold a knife properly. Therefore I can't cut my feckin' food up properly. That is just a couple of the things I can't do. I won't go into too much more details of the other things I can't do.
Needless to say, everybody in the house thinks this is hilarious, especially my daughter. (just wait until Xmas, then we'll see who laughs)
Anyway, it will all be back to normal soon enough.
Here's one for all you over 50's people. I was walking through a certain BIG supermarket (the one who is owned by an even bigger supermarket chain in the States) and I noticed a poster on the wall. I thought to myself at the time, I must look that up on their web site when I get home.
I did. They wouldn't. I advised them to change the wording on their posters. They said they would pass on my comments. Bye bye.
What it was. This store was offering over 50's life insurance with no need for a medical, 'GUARANTEED'. I went online and filled in the form and submitted said form. They said they would email me within minutes with a quote.
They didn't. They phoned me within minutes(maybe it was seconds)and started to try to sell me insurance. I told the nice man at the other end of the line, whoa, are you trying to sell me something? He asked me was there any medical conditions that they should be made aware of. I said yes, there was. I listed them off to him. He explained that they could do nothing for me. I explained that that was not what it stated on their instore poster. I said the words 'GUARANTEED / OVER 50'S / NO MEDICAL REQUIRED', so why could they not do anything for me. He mentioned words that meant nothing to me. I mentioned words to the effect 'CHANGE THE WORDING ON YOUR POSTERS THEN'.
I think he got the message. He was a very pleasant young man. I was very pleasant towards him.(makes a change for me!!!)
I have to go a minute to get my son out of his pit so that he can go to work. He didn't come home last night. He has turned into a party animal over the past couple of months ever since he started earning his own money. I wonder will he ever, ever learn the concept of saving some of it as well. Who knows.
OK. That's him sorted. He's awake. He will probably appear in an hour or so. It is 4.00PM now. He starts work at 6.00PM. I have told him so many times about good timekeeping at any job. Goes over the top of his head.
Every now and then I sell stuff on Ebay. I also buy an awful lot, usually to increase my Rolling Stones collection. Anyway, back to the selling. The past 10 days I had 'stuff' to sell. This is from the estate of my Uncle (see previous entry) and it was all to do with his charity work around the world. I thought that the best thing to do would be to select a specialist auction and see how things went.
Things went extremely well. In fact, the best auction that I have ever had on Ebay. The one thing that I did do with this stuff, because it was from where it was, was to put it all up in the charity auction page. I didn't sell all the items but at the end of the day I raised over £250.00 for the designated charity. The most I have ever got in an auction before on Ebay was about a tenner. I was very pleased with this. So are my cousins
I have been invited to a BBQ this afternoon. The weather is dry but it is very cold. Plus it is on the other side of town. Due to my operation I can't hold my stick properly to walk there. What to do. I know! Stay here in my nice warm house and buy stuff off Ebay for my ever expanding Stones collection. (THOUGHT. If my son or daughter move out it means that I could get a room to put my entire collection in instead of having to put this here and that there etc. Who knows)
Anyway For now
Byse byse
Posted :: Saturday 9/29/2007 8:30:00 AM
No Nee Naw Nee Naw
Yes folks. Although I was being rushed into hospital by ambulance last night, I wasn't given the nee naw effect. Maybe that's only for REAL emergencies. Like when people are dying. Last night I felt as though I was dying alright.
What happened was, I had the most gawd awful hypo. My blood sugar levels dropped so low, so quickly that I wasn't even aware of what was happening to me. According to what my wife told me afterwards what actually happened was that I more or less was totally lethargic and became very emotional and also quite violent. For that I can only apologize to my wife as it was her who had to deal with me until the ambulance arrived. I think it was my daughter who called for that. A very big thank you to you as well.
I am now back home as they didn't keep me in overnight. I am really taking things very easy today. For those diabetics out there. Have any of you been experiencing having hypos without having the usual warnings? If so, please let me know. Get in touch through the web site contact us.
One thing though. Because I arrived by ambulance I was taken straight into see the doctor. None of this 5 hours in the waiting room like last time. (see previous entry)
Today I received a package from the big music store that I refuse to buy from due to their high prices. The only reason I received this package is that I bought a CD online and literally got the CD for half the price that they are charging in their stores. And I didn't have to pay postage either. It comes from Gurnsey, therefore bypassing the tax which brings the cost down immensely. For those of you who buy a lot of music or DVD's I can only recommend this method of purchasing. Should you wish to know the name of this wonderful place, think of the little dog listening to his master.
I am already surfing for my next purchase.
Cheers for now
Posted :: Tuesday 9/18/2007 8:08:00 AM
What waiting time!!!!
Yes indeed folks. What waiting time. I happened to be in the A&E the other night. I needed to go and see that I hadn't broken any bones after my little fall (see previous entry). After waiting 5 hours, yes, 5 feckin' hours in the casualty I was at last seen by a doctor, a very nice and patient young doctor at that I may add. He was under a lot of pressure from the drunks / druggies / bullies / people who thought that they should be seen first etc. etc. Anyway, I was very relieved to find out that there was nothing broken. Although he was able to tell me that I had broken my ankle. That was 30 years ago in a roller skating accident. That's another story in my life. I might tell you about it sometime. not funny at the time but very funny now when I think back to the occasion.
Anyway, back to the A&E. While i was waiting 5 feckin' hours I noticed something that I had never noticed before. If you come into the A&E, please, please remember to bring change with you. Don't bring the folding stuff. No use whatsoever. No, no . Always bring a good supply of change. Especially £1 pound coins. Why? Because if you have children with you as most people do, you will need your money for the following reasons.
1/ £1 for the Coke / Lucozade machine
2/ £1 for the coffee / tea machine
3 50p for the chocolate bar machine
4/ 50p for the crisp packet machine
5 And finally, a lot of £'ssss for the car parking machine
Whatever happened to the good old days when if you came in to the casualty in any hospital you just went to the counter and you could buy a cup of tea / coffee and a bun or something?
I can't think of any answer that can justify this question that I can print but I do have my suspicions anyway.
Here's a thought to all hospital administrators in the health service.
If you get rid of all the coke / fanta / lucozade / coffee / crisp / chocolate machines in the A&E waiting areas you could actually crease the waiting areas quite considerably. (You could also help to keep the country more healthy by not putting the temptation there in the first place for children not to become obese!!!)
Coming back to my visit anyway. I found out that the only damage I had done (painful I might add) was to my cartilage at the side of my leg. It should heal in a couple of weeks. I thanked the young doctor very much and then went outside (without being tempted by the machines) and phoned my wife so that she could come and get me.
By the way, I went to the hospital at 7.00PM. I was getting into my bed at 1.50PM. That's VERY late for a person like me. (except when there has been a visit by Dr. Smirnoff)
Still trying to get all my bank / credit cards sorted out (also see last entry)
Cheers for now
Posted :: Saturday 9/15/2007 8:26:00 AM
How to ride a scooter
How to ride a scooter in Italy. Pt 1
Get on scooter and rev up and go no matter what.
Get as many members of your family onto the same machine that you are in control of (maybe 5)
Be able to ride as well as have a phone conversation / apply makeup / talk to pillion rider / eat your dinner.
Weave in between all other vehicles in front of you whether they are in line or oncoming.
Be able to slow down to avoid hitting the public.
Park your scooter wherever you want, regardless.
Be able to carry goods on board (eg. 3 full gas cylinders)
How to drive a car ( usually a smart car) in Italy Pt 1
Do everything as above
How to be a pedestrian in Italy Pt 1
There are no lights.
There are no green men (apart from the ones naive to think that traffic is going to stop to let them cross the road)
Run like feck!
Tell people to move (get out of the way / scuza / feck off etc if they are in front of you.
Cross the road where ever you want, whenever you want
Apply all the above and there should be no reason on earth for you not to enjoy your holiday in Italy.
My wife and i had a great time. The hotel was a small family run operation and i can only say that they made us feel most welcome. The on board entertainment was great to say the least. The tour reps were there to help with any queries or problems. Although it was only a small hotel i would give it a 5 star rating for effort.
As for the rest of the holiday. Well, where do
I start? Do I start with the 1st tour day to Vesuvious where i fell down the feckin' volcano. Not actually into the crater. I never actually made to the top. this was where we got left off by the coach to make the trek up to the crater. I got off the coach and saw how much more there was to walk up. As I am walking with a stick due to having metal plates holding me together I decided not to attempt it. so my wife and I went for a coffee and bun while most of the party went on up the mountain. After we finished we decided to go and have a look at all the wee touristy things on hand, you know, all the tack & gack sort of things that people like to buy for the next car boot sale at home. While we were walking i had noticed that the ground was covered in this fine dusty pebbly stuff. It was volcano ash. Of course it was, we were on a volcano. Anyway, whilst walking my stick gave out from under me. My leg crumpled from under me. I was down on the ground swearing my head off. (it was very painful) (it was also the feckin' volcano ash that caused it). So folks, I can now say that I fell down on Mount Vesuvious
As for the next tour, Pompei. Very interesting place. Very interesting indeed. All I can say is the following:-
May a plague of warts and pustules and diarrohea and vomit and anything else that I haven't mentioned fall upon the person who stole my wallet with all my cash and all my cards in it. You bastard you. You deserve every bit of bad luck in the world to come into your miserable puny life and your families. I hope that you go deeper than hell as a result of what you have done. That makes me feel a wee tad better getting that off my chest.
I am covered by insurance so I won't be out of pocket in any way. It is more the inconvenience that it has cost. I spent the whole of the return journey phoning banks and credit card companies to report my cards stolen and to close accounts etc. Very inconvenient indeed.
As for the rest of the holiday. It was great. The food was good. The shopping was good. The architecture was totally Italian. The entertainment was good. The weather was great.
We are already discussing where to go next, if at all, as I may, by then be too ill to travel. But I will do my damnest to battle on. In 6 weeks time a friend of mine and I are going on a trip to Toronto to see some friends out there. I am really looking forward to it.
I am now going to fill in the insurance forms for all my losses in Italy. That will take me a couple of hours no doubt as they will want to know what I had for breakfast on the day and when I showered last etc. One thing, I told them what I lost out of the wallet. I also told them that I was claiming for the wallet as well. It was a costly and unique item. They ask me:-
Do you have a photograph of the wallet , sir?
Who in their right mind would photograph their wallet?
Luck. Who needs it?
Cheers for now
Posted :: Saturday 9/8/2007 7:09:00 AM
