tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73264675943821125442024-02-07T02:49:48.588+00:00Neither here nor thereThoughts, opinions, moans, rants, you name it, its here...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-45343718817773349102013-04-28T06:56:00.000+01:002013-04-28T07:11:10.891+01:00A wet walk along the canal.<p><font color="#000000" size="5" face="Corbel"></font> </p> <p><font color="#000000" size="5" face="Corbel"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dy_oZfrZoHU/UXy9RR97BII/AAAAAAAALnc/j8Y3PoalKhc/s1600-h/Horses%252520and%252520Canal%252520stitch%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img title="Horses and Canal stitch" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Horses and Canal stitch" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispQNJtjWFqEhN039TxULJJIrDg7jZttIF41bit9kw8AOyk2txqGDeJjKytc1vSueVFG34PLxqxfQTMU-63HYGWZw6_sghZ_WgsP-XrGB-Z5XAV7wREqgSwPUAqF5JRbUWsl7B1KV3sSnd/?imgmax=800" width="609" height="240"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Yesterday, we set off with the heartbeat gang</font><font color="#000000"><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"> on a walk along the canal at Mirfield. Because of my illness and also the rotten weather, we haven’t been on one of these walks for ages, and it certainly showed! The others left us for standing, and as usual the weather spoiled itself by throwing it down! Luckily I had had the foresight to take my brolly along, as a second sense told me that as soon as he who is in charge of the weather knew I was out and about, he’d send the rain. Happens every time! (somebody up there doesn’t like me!) Kerri fell further and further behind, but T said he would stay with her and encouraged me to catch up to the others but I couldn’t do it.</font> </font></p> <p><font color="#000000" face="Segoe UI">We three turned around at the ford across the canal, and then slowly made our return. By this time, the rain cloud had disappeared, and the sun came out amongst the fluffy clouds. It was perfect apart from all the puddles and mud that was now adorning the towpath. Nevertheless, it was lovely to be with the gang again, and we eventually arrived at one of our favourite lunch venues, the Railway Inn, where we enjoyed a very tasty lunch. I had a Turkey dinner and Kerri had a burger meal. All for £4.99 each. We swilled that down with an Appletizer and Soda with ice. </font></p> <p><font color="#000000" face="Segoe UI">Some of our walking friends who live not far from us offered to give us a lift home which we very gratefully accepted.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000"><font face="Segoe UI">Here are the pictures</font> taken on our walk along the canal. Hope that you enjoy them. </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:d425164a-c975-4765-88f7-4b76a9dc0b80" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 560px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:550px;border-collapse:collapse;' > <tr> <td colspan=2 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:5px 0px 5px 5px;width:217px;vertical-align:bottom;' > <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!14269&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!14262&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank" border="0" style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;"> <img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" alt="View album" title="View album" width="217" height="217" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TucMlCnhB5I/UXy9Us6rnvI/AAAAAAAALns/nCbOJeo_2tA/-11512645514BF2DF54.png?imgmax=800" /></a> </td> <td colspan=3 style='vertical-align:middle;margin:0px;padding:5px 5px 5px 0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:313px' > <div style="margin-left:10px;top:-3%;" > <div style='width:313px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!14262&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:313px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">A wet walk along the canal</span></a></div> <div style="padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;width:auto;"> <tr> <td 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href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!14265&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!14262&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="106" alt="View album" title="View album" height="106" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0BQDaAAeXNM/UXy9fGqFLfI/AAAAAAAALos/xCIedanlZwA/-19546048395069601B.png?imgmax=800" /></a></td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:106px;height:106px;' > </td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:106px;height:106px;' > </td></tr></table></div> <h1><font color="#000000" size="4" face="Segoe Print"></font> </h1> <h1><font color="#000000" size="4" face="Segoe Print">TG</font></h1> <p><em>This blog post created solely with Live Writer, the best blogging editor you can get bar none! Save our Writer!</em></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:16d8a319-8bff-4964-9971-bfdf034703f0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/walk" rel="tag">walk</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/canal" rel="tag">canal</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Mirfield" rel="tag">Mirfield</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rain" rel="tag">rain</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heartbeat" rel="tag">heartbeat</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-66503887760008419782013-02-25T06:44:00.000+00:002013-02-25T06:53:01.022+00:00The door lock Saga.<p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font size="2">Following being instructed by my Oncologist to ‘sort something out for Kerri’ and following some intense consultations with her social worker, it was decided by all concerned that</font> the best plan was to look at Kerri living in a supported living house with three other tenants who have varying special needs. The only venue with a vacancy was fairly close to where she goes for day care services, and as an added bonus she knows one of the tenants already living there. </font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">We visited to look around. The room that was chosen as her bedroom needed lot’s of work doing to it such as decorating to her taste, new carpet, new furniture etc, and she and I began saving like mad, not an easy task over the Christmas period! Slowly Kerri was introduced to the other tenants and support staff via various ‘tea visits’ and a sleepover which ended up being a complete shambles, where because she couldn’t lock her bedroom door from the inside in order for some privacy and to feel safe, she ended up spending the night sleeping in her friends bed!</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">So we obviously insisted on a ‘privacy lock’ being fitted to the door before she was prepared to sleep over again. Time went by and eventually a lock (actually an old toilet lock judging by the fact that it stated on the outside of the door ‘Vacant’ when unlocked and ‘Engaged’ when locked!). Whilst up there delivering some bedding for her new bed, we tried the lock out just to make sure that Kerri could move the bolt on from her side at night. All seemed well and although it was a trifle stiff to move, needing a lean against the door to fully lock, she managed to move the bolt fully home. A sleepover was arranged for Tuesday of this week. I envisaged no problems now that her bedroom was looking attractive and she could lock the door.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jvpgUCWjiEY/USsKO7SxYkI/AAAAAAAALlo/fow_OJ1pA0E/s1600-h/WP_20130213_001%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130213_001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130213_001" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-p3V0OKVeID4/USsKQOIPAnI/AAAAAAAALlw/4waGn926-DA/WP_20130213_001_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" height="338"></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">How wrong did that prove to be! Apparently following tea and a bath, she decided to go and lay down on her bed for a nap. Of course this entailed locking her door, when horrors of horrors, the knob on the bolt came off in her hand! She was locked in! Shouting out “Help!” to the staff soon brought assistance and they sent for the fire brigade to come and break down the door so that she could get out! I could see it all in my minds eye, the fire truck lights ablazing screeching up outside, several burly firemen rushing in to rescue Kerri from her predicament! And this is only her second sleep over!</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-O4WWup44bjo/USsKQ8rw67I/AAAAAAAALl0/MXFqVKKRru8/s1600-h/WP_20130215_001%25255B18%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130215_001" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 12px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130215_001" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RKTlEuCxG64/USsKRhtk2gI/AAAAAAAALmA/bgg7leGfutw/WP_20130215_001_thumb%25255B26%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="171"></a>Needless to say that a new lock has now been put on her bedroom door that seems much more suitable and really should have been installed in the first place. Where the joiner had got the previous one from I dread to think! A job lot from demolished toilets? To be honest with you all, I’ve actually been having nightmares about this blasted bedroom lock, and doing some internet homework (entailing scouring Amazon and also visiting our local Wicks) I found some really good one’s for just £10 and was actually tempted at one point to buy one and employ my own joiner to fit it to the door!</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FzbUL6gl3AE/USsKSUDkMQI/AAAAAAAALmI/i75E9x80LDo/s1600-h/Photo%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="Photo" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Photo" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dn7B1fTN1Ek/USsKTMYCQ6I/AAAAAAAALmQ/rs_8Yxfreoc/Photo_thumb%25255B17%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="170"></a>I laughed so much about this incident and my thoughts on how the support staff up there are going to have to adjust to my daughter and her needs (and frequent ‘incidents'!). The other residents have never asked for a ‘privacy lock’ to be fitted to their doors, she has insisted, she knows what she wants, she has demands and voices them in no uncertain terms (though she still uses me far too much as her spokesperson) but little do they know this is probably just the tip of the iceberg. There will never be a dull moment, that I can promise! </font></p> <p><font face="Segoe Print"><font face="Segoe UI">Wonder what's next?</font> </font></p> <p><font size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5f0ddbf4-5384-4947-95c8-49993b524f20" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bedroom" rel="tag">bedroom</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lock" rel="tag">lock</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/privacy" rel="tag">privacy</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-66076557306354209342013-01-24T08:03:00.000+00:002013-01-24T08:07:58.002+00:00The Blue Hood.<p> </p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">The most annoying aspect of the whole scenario I am about to tell was that I wasn’t looking up when the blue hood boarded the bus. Instead, I was probably staring at my phone like the rest of the human race seem to do these days and so I missed seeing the contents of the blue hood. Had it not ended up sitting in the seat immediately in front of me, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it and this blog post would not be being written. Instead, I looked up to see a huge blue hood, complete with arms issuing forth from it, one of those huge hoods where the occupant cannot be seen from the side view at all. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Who or what was inside that hood? A girl? A boy? An alien? I had no way of knowing. Judging by the arm casually draped over the back of the seat, it was probably fairly young of age, we oldies don’t tend to sit arms akimbo in our bus seats as a general rule. The more I looked at the back of the blue hood, the more curious I became. There was just a shape hidden underneath that hood, head shaped yes but that meant nothing. Oh how I wished the object under the hood would turn around! I was almost tempted to prod the shape in the back in order to cause it to do so, but managed to stop myself in time. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">It could be anything inside there! I couldn’t even tell if it was male or female. Hmm. Perhaps I would eventually have my curiosity sated and be able to see the occupant of the blue hood when they alighted from the bus! Keeping my fingers crossed that it would alight from the bus before me, I continued to sit there staring at the back of the hood hoping against hope for clues. Ahh! The bell rang, the blue hood arose from its seat in front of me, and much to my annoyance without so much as a glance back down the bus, got off and walked away, blue hooded top covering the whole contents apart from some legs which protruded from underneath. Drat! </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">So next time your busy on the bus or train, gazing down intently at your mobile screen, do remember the strange creature I encountered inside the blue hood won’t you? You never know what your missing!</font></p> <p><font color="#73bfd2" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:49b42f69-a9eb-4463-b618-fe07ade99182" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hood" rel="tag">hood</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/seat" rel="tag">seat</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/curiousity" rel="tag">curiousity</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-48309670538598174832013-01-22T05:12:00.000+00:002013-01-22T05:17:25.066+00:00A few flakes.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#333333">Just a few flakes of snow. That’s all it seems to take to bring the whole country to its knees. When will the United Kingdom ever be able to cope with a few flakes of snow and not grind to a standstill? Because winters were far harsher when I was a girl, with snow that fell for days, blew into drifts sometimes six feet deep, and necessitated everyone having to ‘dig’ their paths in order to even leave their premises to get to work or school, its so amazing to see how a few inches of snow can devastate a country as it tends to do today.</font> </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IfdtGgHvTF8/UP4g4EnvDnI/AAAAAAAALk4/Fz83tl9kdYs/s1600-h/WP_20130121_002%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_20130121_002" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_20130121_002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qlkeFNv9RWU/UP4g5OPUhkI/AAAAAAAALlA/-zIM-rNsbmw/WP_20130121_002_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" height="341"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">The difference is of course that way back then, we didn’t rely on cars, nor was the whole country planned around car owners. Our place of work was usually a walk away from where you lived, there were no ‘out of town’ industrial sites miles away from any residential area in those days! The same applied to shopping, your local shop catered for all of your needs and was usually again just a short walk away, not incorporated in some ‘vast shopping centre’ miles out of town. </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">It’s our reliance on the car to get us anywhere these days that is the real problem, not the few inches of snow that has fallen. I watched a car owner spend half an hour yesterday clearing his car of snow, he could have walked to town in the time it took to scrape the snow from his vehicle and been far healthier for it into the bargain! </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#333333">Moan over.</font> </font></p> <p><strong><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Segoe Print">TG</font></strong></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:06c13b4b-2ee0-4573-bef4-78ae834ff1fb" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/snow" rel="tag">snow</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/shopping" rel="tag">shopping</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cars" rel="tag">cars</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/work" rel="tag">work</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-2159622018973605602013-01-07T14:59:00.000+00:002013-01-07T15:19:49.683+00:002013, A new start!<p><font size="6" face="Segoe UI"><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I’ve been badly neglecting my blogs of late, in fact I haven’t posted since my trip up to see my eldest son in Scotland which seems an age ago! My readers have no doubt abandoned me, and I don’t blame them in the slightest, but in my defence, I have been ill and my blogs have suffered in the meantime. But now its 2013! A brand new start! A new year in which to blog till I drop!</font></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Much has passed during my blogging lull, we spent a long weekend in York, luckily my health stayed fairly stable whilst there, but if we had gone for Christmas as I originally planned, I would have been ill whilst there, and I dread to think how that would have panned out! I’m including a Photo Album of our weekend in York which I hope you all enjoy looking at. We were there for the ice festival, which is an event in itself, but the highlight for me was the carol service on Friday night in the Minster, where I sang my heart out despite my wracking cough, as did Kerri. </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:accb3fdd-c26e-4cd3-936e-e653f3d02849" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 600px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:600px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13841&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW7nNzCCzlXCF6Ucf7fpJIMdtDy4b4z9CvlfbB9XVKWvou4NDUkFyacXrn1iX0Gp5pWIs7HczfghuT95_jMR3ei84Km7Z7ojBuTQmRORRAfFk6Cgsr1gvH6LBaajc3zZjPNu5-MxSm8IH/?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:600px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:600px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13841&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:600px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">York at Christmas time</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13841&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13841&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"></font> </p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Christmas day was eventful in that I did manage to make it through the Christmas dinner at our usual venue the Lane Head Hotel, only to find myself transported to hospital as soon as I arrived back home, with a high temperature. Kerri had to pack and head to respite. Luckily they keep an empty room for emergencies such as Mum’s being ill etc. I felt terrible, and although I hate it in Huddersfield hospital, for once I was glad to be there! I’m back home now, still complete with wracking cough which I can’t seem to get rid of, and I am feeling really tired all the time. I’m probably anaemic as I have been expecting the announcement that I needed some blood for some time, the amount I’ve lost via the Fragmin injections and frequent bleeds from cannula’s, blood taken etc. It’s a wonder that there’s any left to take! </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">At our last chemo session, which seems eon’s ago, Kerri and I tried to enter into the Christmas spirit, and at least someone had made an effort to decorate the place to cheer everyone up. </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:c80ad467-d15f-41a2-a101-54547e97eecc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 559px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:559px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13972&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BfUJmzfSVsw/UOrnjOAO0-I/AAAAAAAALjs/iXMKunkToRM/McMillan%252520Unit%252520at%252520Christmas%252520time%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:559px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:559px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13972&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:559px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">McMillan Unit at Christmas time.</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13972&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13972&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">So that’s what has been happening during the last few months that I haven’t been blogging, now its a brand new year, and I intend to write one blog post every week from now on, no matter how boring or uninteresting! </font></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">Happy New Year to all my readers who have stuck with me through the silence!</font> </font></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong><font size="4"><font size="3" face="Segoe Print">TG</font> </font><img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Open-mouthed smile" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ir1thZ0K-P8/UOrnk9TovwI/AAAAAAAALj0/aXRRnW2Xa5o/wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a4b0a9f6-9008-4ccd-a791-3c5406fa62f0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/apologies" rel="tag">apologies</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/christmas" rel="tag">christmas</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ill" rel="tag">ill</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-17892866822919571812012-10-31T08:57:00.000+00:002012-10-31T09:06:20.746+00:00Up to Scotland. Kelvingrove Art Museum.<p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#000000">On the Saturday, we all set off to the </font><a href="http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/kelvingrove/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank"><font color="#000000">Kelvingrove Art Museum</font></a><font color="#000000"> in Glasgow. I was very excited about our day there, but my youngest grandson was none too keen, as apparently he had visited many times with school, so was a reluctant participant. On arrival, as is usual with this type of venue, we parked up and then my son had to go and buy a permit to display on his car. I didn’t take much notice of whereabouts on the car he attached said permit, as a none car owner, I don’t really notice such things.</font> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-i4O064b_Uk8/UJDpoUSd7YI/AAAAAAAALgE/GF8Ew-1WKnU/s1600-h/SAM_0295%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_0295" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SAM_0295" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mRStys6TYv8/UJDprgvb0WI/AAAAAAAALgM/eoqUiuHleQc/SAM_0295_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="630" height="478"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#000000">The building itself was a sight to behold, with ornate statues and carvings above the entrance door. Inside, it was even more elaborately decorated, and it took a while to take the carvings etc in without actually looking at the exhibits on display! Above the entrance hall as you entered was a full sized organ which was being played by someone who was out of sight as you gazed upwards. The whole place was huge, with countless corridors and exhibit rooms leading off the entrance hall, plus flights of steps taking you to other floors above and below. </font></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Un5T1zWTxFE/UJDpuRn-OpI/AAAAAAAALgU/Q65sABcMnfo/s1600-h/SAM_0298%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Entrance Hall" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="The Entrance Hall" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoNs4P7CYZI0s89hN1_URBiGr1NbqIku0foc21-443r5hl8zZP85M5IK69Ft04s_Am07nyp0pAJzzgIWG1_uNQP3VzGsRnsLHI12zFDO4iqoN-FUoFMOEVDqE_cOPaEO9qLsYvogdK7Qm/?imgmax=800" width="600" height="450"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lae5XsaFR0U/UJDpy2x-DQI/AAAAAAAALgk/QkumegsQn0E/s1600-h/SAM_0301%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="The organ in the entrance hall" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="The massive organ was playing " src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-el45IIG-_tU/UJDp0ZQI6HI/AAAAAAAALgs/FAN_tUsP7AM/SAM_0301_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="450"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#333333">As you can see from the shots above, the place was packed with visitors, and in the entrance hall, there were lot’s of information available about each exhibit room included in the Museum. It was vast, and it would take easily a full day (or probably more) to see everything.</font> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ntSE3W9-KhI/UJDp2X2IXkI/AAAAAAAALg0/I2hCLC8GBbg/s1600-h/SAM_0304%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_0304" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="SAM_0304" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2ATP9giYQww/UJDp4TV95FI/AAAAAAAALg8/sCQau9Low00/SAM_0304_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="610" height="458"></a></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Each separate room seemed to have a different theme attached to it, this room, called ‘Scotland’s Wildlife’ was dedicated to all of the animal species that used to live or reside in Scotland over the centuries. </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Segoe UI"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6Z8XXDb0Jww/UJDp6vXU39I/AAAAAAAALhE/vS3-ivCYIjc/s1600-h/SAM_0316%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="Heads full of expression" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="Heads full of expression" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-H8CZjCP6FTE/UJDp821F4BI/AAAAAAAALhM/FCNpt04NeTk/SAM_0316_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="450"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Another area was dedicated to ‘Expressions’ and was adored with loads of ‘heads’ hung above the staircases showing different human expressions. I loved it! </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-z9b1ESWr9tU/UJDp_SRaGnI/AAAAAAAALhU/KBQHxEiXeqo/s1600-h/SAM_0325%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_0325" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="SAM_0325" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wkRG38aElhQ/UJDqBDELYtI/AAAAAAAALhc/hyYJQfUp0jA/SAM_0325_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="450"></a></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Yet another area was dedicated to ‘Conflict and Consequence’ and was full of armour and weapons of every description. It would have taken a far longer time than we had available to enjoy every aspect of the Museum, we only had time to have a quick glance at the Art Exhibition for example. I did take other photos and they are available in the following photo album. Just click on it to view them all.</font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:2e502336-ac04-4747-85a7-93c55cb0e7c7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 624px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:624px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13492&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pYR8UunSgdc/UJDqCjdFbgI/AAAAAAAALhk/VlLgphczUNA/Scotland.%252520The%252520Kelvingrove%252520Art%252520Museum%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:624px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:624px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13492&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:624px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">Scotland. The Kelvingrove Art Museum.</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13492&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13492&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#333333">However, our visit was spoiled somewhat when exiting the museum, to find a parking ticket had been slapped onto the front of my son’s car, despite the fact that he had paid for a display. He dashed off to find the parking attendants and returned fuming with the knowledge that they had given him a parking ticket simply because he wasn’t displaying the paid for ticket on his front windscreen! He had placed it on the back window instead! This incident rather took the enjoyment of the rest of the Museum away from all of us, so if you find yourself in Glasgow anytime, do pay the Museum a visit but remember! Only place your parking permit on your front windscreen!</font></font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG</strong></font> </font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a17fcb18-b654-4f15-8a5b-c61ee250e8f5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/scotland" rel="tag">scotland</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/glasgow" rel="tag">glasgow</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/art+museum" rel="tag">art museum</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/kelvingrove" rel="tag">kelvingrove</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-88225060627971396412012-10-27T07:31:00.000+01:002012-10-27T07:54:03.906+01:00Up to Scotland. The journey there.<p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">Sorry I’m late with this post everyone, haven’t been feeling up to blogging much of late, anyway, here it is! </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">I set off on Friday morning to our local train station to catch the 10.58 to Leeds. Kerri had been despatched to respite the day before, complete with huge hefty case. Train arrived dead on time, and I landed in Leeds station with just under half an hour to wait for the Cross Country train to Glasgow Central. I spent the waiting time taking a shot of a Battle of Britain train stood at the opposite platform. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-reo398g1ARQ/UIuEzkmhsdI/AAAAAAAALeM/IIsmli5oQ3k/s1600-h/battle%252520of%252520britain%252520train%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="Battle of Britain train" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Battle of Britain train" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KDzLG91DegE/UIuE1LrE_EI/AAAAAAAALeU/xHIhs3aB7Ks/battle%252520of%252520britain%252520train_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="622" height="247"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">Our train arrived right on time, and after spending a lot of energy pelting down the platform in the wrong direction looking for coach F, I finally boarded, stashed my suitcase in the rack and settled down into my reserved seat. Lot’s of lovely leg room to stretch my legs, and no one sat beside me! Yippee!</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8jdyb5tJie4/UIuE2yYr3aI/AAAAAAAALec/kB-OosuAExI/s1600-h/WP_000490%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_000490" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 7px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_000490" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oI5KGtEGfFg/UIuE4ewfEVI/AAAAAAAALek/YYupWnnHCuc/WP_000490_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="176"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xWPe1rmPYErkdcfDC2K01K6SzeznqfbEi8wFlohuI5te1OcBJwPDtdtEGBbvJdBtPkdU9ZzbQcZoLEhOzDNU_5R6phAYuHNTsuuzQhNymCykGnsc9lQDRyo0Ch3fXDvgo4AMPY2ksZbJ/s1600-h/WP_000491%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_000491" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_000491" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xuCNb7lpQEQ/UIuE7J1YjAI/AAAAAAAALe0/SwdlnlTNfhw/WP_000491_thumb%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="171"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">For my lunch on the train I had taken a McDonalds Chicken Caesar salad and I could also plug my phone into the provided socket and enjoy the free Cross Country wi-fi all the way to Glasgow! How’s that for travelling in style? The journey up the east coast mainline is always enjoyable, especially when you begin to travel alongside the sea. I was lucky that I was sitting on the side next to the coast, and managed (though at the speed we were travelling it wasn’t easy!) to get some shots as we flew past which I’m including below as part of a photo album. </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:fe71c8d8-a3e4-4800-a533-e45c18114c1a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 615px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:605px;border-collapse:collapse;' > <tr> <td colspan=2 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:5px 0px 5px 5px;width:239px;vertical-align:bottom;' > <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13483&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank" border="0" style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;"> <img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" alt="View album" title="View album" width="239" height="239" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AZR8Gor6uyI/UIuE86qLTII/AAAAAAAALe8/uchXW7QfyPc/-17676557721B516C0E.png?imgmax=800" /></a> </td> <td colspan=3 style='vertical-align:middle;margin:0px;padding:5px 5px 5px 0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:346px' > <div style="margin-left:10px;top:-3%;" > <div style='width:346px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:346px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">View from the train window</span></a></div> <div style="padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;width:auto;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:10px 15px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 5px;margin:0px;width:117px;height:117px;' ><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13478&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="117" alt="View album" title="View album" height="117" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-e81J-BEGGoA/UIuE97x2SYI/AAAAAAAALfE/xCZKZfiTYRA/-175736662049AAF1BB.png?imgmax=800" /></a></td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:117px;height:117px;' ><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13482&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="117" alt="View album" title="View album" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlOUGWFDziKiCF3GwiHqse60y2eCwVwjDyIDPfS1aMsdf7PjxOfboxSD0urpXz1Sgd9J-1YK2eVIRtrzkdNIKq_4elWpdm-9vtIKG9R4YzOs2PqNa4N59xlzQRqj1OZMdpeFLjOOf-H62/?imgmax=800" /></a></td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:117px;height:117px;' ><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13480&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="117" alt="View album" title="View album" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgW5e7TU7wRgkBmuohRfq9lYUNN8fPrzCEL0qUqb5jA7guz1hYU7dlLJAzrAcNdBBUv4c2tvGjxp_UzRn5_R43kWf_mQLJhkOXM_PWZJJrGHGrgLFmhfuuxr6NFiiASmLyrl3z0eJP6mb/?imgmax=800" /></a></td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:117px;height:117px;' ><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13481&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="117" alt="View album" title="View album" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwR6W9kuoU-AbadzchAGzsWaZYk85WJQDOIi52K7VpNeud3GzNM3wgQOOklc2w1WOpsAFU5xw7GTTL9aj3TH6wac_yqo4Lf6Ha7VKd4HZ0JDKI0gx8_mVJMrUObMINTcJWwNfd4McgQaH/?imgmax=800" /></a></td><td style='vertical-align:bottom;outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px 5px 5px 0px;margin:0px;width:117px;height:117px;' ><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13479&parid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13477&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" border="0" width="117" alt="View album" title="View album" height="117" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1Y89EeWmgdo/UIuFCR0DCHI/AAAAAAAALfg/-oA7UNj82jg/-17595293087BA29245.png?imgmax=800" /></a></td></tr></table></div> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"></font> <font size="2" face="Segoe UI">We absolutely seemed to fly all the way up to Glasgow, changing crew along the way. This is necessary because this train has journeyed all the way from Plymouth, and its quite a journey! We arrived in Glasgow Central early and my eldest son and his family were waiting on the platform. It was a tearful reunion for me, I knew it would be! I haven’t seen my two grandchildren for two years in the flesh, and they had both grown so much and are both far taller than me. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">My eldest informed me that they had had to park the car some distance away from the station as a fish and chip shop outside had burned down, so there was no access for cars at that time as the fire brigade had closed off all the street. There had also been a big water leak nearby as well, so it was a bit chaotic to say the least. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">We all had lot’s to talk about and before I knew it, I was being greeted at the door by Sandi the dog and all the cats! A welcome cup of tea, then we set off to the supermarket so that I could buy some bits and pieces in, such as my gluten free bread and cereals etc, then we all spent the night watching Prometheus on Blue Ray which I had taken there with me so that they could watch it. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">Tomorrow, they planned to take me to the <a href="http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/kelvingrove/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>Kelvingrove Art Museum</strong></a>, so I was really looking forward to that!</font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG</strong></font></p> <p><strong><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Segoe UI">This blog post created solely with Windows Live Writer, the best free blogging editor bar none!</font></strong></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:c208b326-9045-4881-bca7-b0520fbabef3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/scotland" rel="tag">scotland</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/glasgow" rel="tag">glasgow</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/train" rel="tag">train</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cross+country" rel="tag">cross country</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-10911522957951156812012-09-24T11:23:00.000+01:002012-09-24T11:33:59.840+01:00The best laid plans.<p><font color="#666666" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sDaChRHuQbE/UGA3Aq7XpHI/AAAAAAAALdE/1Ge9C7jqTco/s1600-h/WP_000456%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="Wiping the seat " style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_000456" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tWVZDFxeYLg/UGA3BJ3WpDI/AAAAAAAALdM/cLl74YxEyVY/WP_000456_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="236"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Xybrrzh7ntk/UGA3Cig7wNI/AAAAAAAALdU/xxqRju9hUsk/s1600-h/WP_000455%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="Under the bridge" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="WP_000455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JFgjy9jUbKI/UGA3DfzqAFI/AAAAAAAALdc/3JauTnmymvU/WP_000455_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="236"></a></font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2"><font color="#666666">We had one of those days on Saturday. A day where none of my plans came to fruition and it was all my own fault.. The initial plan was to walk down to our local train station, catch a train to Leeds, buy my train tickets for my forthcoming trip up to Scotland to visit my eldest son and his family, then another train to Huddersfield and from there the last leg home. That was the plan. We did arrive at our local train station where unfortunately I began to suffer from griping stomach pains, no doubt caused by eating lot’s of soft liquorice the day before.</font> </font></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9CxPgx7Tys4/UGA3E0Of3XI/AAAAAAAALdk/DsVGSUmKhA0/s1600-h/WP_000457%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="WP_000457" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="WP_000457" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pv_xui7x9uA/UGA3Fq5ARuI/AAAAAAAALds/ZnzsmIIZUC4/WP_000457_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" height="465"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Panic set in, and we ended up dashing down the road to Sainsbury’s for a toilet instead of clambering aboard the Leeds train. At this point, we did discuss abandoning the whole trip and going back home, but eventually deciding that the risk was worth it we caught the bus to Huddersfield, thereby completely cutting out Leeds altogether. It was a beautiful day, with a cloudless sky and far too good to waste, even if I was in some discomfort and having to keep my shop browsing to shops which I knew contained a loo. How embarrassing I thought and completely self inflicted as well! What idiot eats a ton of soft liquorice when they are planning to venture out on a run-around the following day? You all know the answer to that one!</font></p> <p><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#666666">Needless to say, I did make it home without having any mishaps or embarrassments and can assure my readers that I won’t be so foolish ever again. So remember everyone, if your planning a day out the following day, keep off the liquorice!</font> </font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:75fa35aa-ea10-4b8c-8b9f-f4ac47d2cc6f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Saturday" rel="tag">Saturday</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/liquorice" rel="tag">liquorice</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/train" rel="tag">train</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/huddersfield" rel="tag">huddersfield</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/shops" rel="tag">shops</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-40621484963468736312012-09-19T12:02:00.000+01:002012-09-19T12:09:48.608+01:00Facing reality.<p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">It has taken me a full week of indecision, of toying with ‘should I compose a post or shouldn’t I?’ questions. How to word it? How to explain how I feel about my current situation? Should I just keep quiet and keep it to myself? As I’m am a great believer in the old saying, ‘A trouble shared is a trouble halved’ and although I don’t know most of you personally, I am also sure that putting it all down ‘on paper’ as it were, might help to clear my thoughts and my mind, so here goes. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">You see, the last three sessions of <a href="http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Chemotherapy/Individualdrugs/Carboplatin.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>Carboplatin</strong></a> I have received have not worked. Not only that, the cancer is now spreading into my bones in my spine. I never do anything by halves, and this particular cancer is a swine. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uterine_serous_carcinoma" target="_blank"><strong>Serous Carcinoma</strong></a>. You can Google it if you want to know more about it. It’s quite rare and a sneaky little so and so, wandering around via your blood stream or lymph nodes into other areas, and is seemingly immune to anything you throw at it. I was told the news last week by my Oncologist, and although I have insisted on trying another type of chemo before throwing in the towel in defeat, she also advised me that I really needed to sort out Kerri’s future. We had a heart to heart chat about how it may ‘pan out’ and she warned me that although I might be feeling okay now, once my liver begins to pack up, my deterioration will be fairly swift. Not painful she assured me, but occurring rather quickly, hence the advice that I must sort out arrangements for Kerri’s future.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">It is this aspect that fills me with dread. We have been inseparable she and I, for so long and the thoughts of her leaving to go and live somewhere else fills me with a sadness I cannot explain to anyone. I don’t fear dying, its something that we all have to face sooner or later, its a part of living and will occur to us all as sure as eggs are eggs, but the thought of seeing my sidekick leave, knowing I face it all on my own without her is almost too much to bear. Yet, I have to do it, I must know she is settled and happy somewhere before I leave. Truth be known, I’ve been putting it off for so long, I should have encouraged her to move to a shared house years ago but she didn’t want to go, and I secretly didn’t want her to go either. We’re never apart, so much so that people in town who know us both pass me by without recognising me if I’m by myself. It’s come to the point these last few years, as I have begun to have health problems, that I need her as much as she needs me. But I have to be strong and unselfish and think of her and her future needs, not mine. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">In the meantime, if the<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Chemotherapy/Individualdrugs/Paclitaxel.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>Taxol</strong></a> I am to be given in the next few weeks, doesn’t begin to shrink the little blighter, I will then continue fighting by myself by keeping myself fit till I drop with exercise and walking, and by eating a cancer busting diet. I won’t give in until my last breath, its not in my nature to do so. I shall also keep smiling and making the best of each day as it comes, although without my trusty sidekick that will be more difficult to do. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">I will also keep blogging as long as I feel up to it, and as long as I feel the subject matter is interesting enough to write about. </font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran </strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5dfae843-a1b3-469c-9e4b-5ab1094fc5fd" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chemo" rel="tag">chemo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/serous+carcinoma" rel="tag">serous carcinoma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/taxol" rel="tag">taxol</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/carboplatin" rel="tag">carboplatin</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kerri" rel="tag">Kerri</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-64687635578060385562012-09-08T14:28:00.000+01:002012-09-08T14:29:33.920+01:00Thoughts from the corner seat.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"></font> </p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://technogran1.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/apple-pie.jpg" width="600" height="450"></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I don’t want to give the impression that I tend to spend a lot of time whiling away the hours sat in the <a href="http://merrie-england.com/" target="_blank">Merrie England</a> coffee bar, but I did find myself sitting in my usual favourite corner seat on Tuesday, contemplating some of the other patrons as I did so. It wasn’t planned at all to even pay a visit, but suddenly I was overcome by an urge to sample a piece of their delicious home cooked apple pie, an experience that I wish you could all try out. Oozing with apple and surrounded by melt in the mouth pastry, its to die for, and this Granny shouldn’t even eat it! Knowing full well that in all probability, I’d be wracked with tummy ache afterwards, I decided to risk it and found myself standing at the counter ordering a piece of apple pie (without ice cream or cream though!) and a small latte coffee. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Peering down the room as I waited, I noted that my favourite corner spot was currently occupied by a lady known to me. I made my way down the aisle towards her just as she was just about to leave. We made polite conversation and I then took her place in the corner to enjoy my treat. Glancing around from my vantage point, I couldn’t see anyone that I recognised. As I sat there observing everyone, I noticed a lady trying to find somewhere to sit. As most of the tables already had at least one occupant, she eventually ended up asking another lady who was sat at a table in the middle row if it was okay to sit at her table. She sat down. They obviously did not know one another. After a few minutes of sitting opposite each other in silence, they eventually began a polite conversation, such as the one that took place between myself and the man with a Kindle on my previous visit to Merrie England, when I ended up sitting at his table. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">As I watched between these two ladies who had previously been strangers to one another, it did made me wonder how many people had become friends simply by sitting at the same table and striking up a conversation with each other. It would be very interesting to be able to find out wouldn’t it?</font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:9625ad56-f0ef-41c1-94c7-a0df19641a0c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/merrie+england" rel="tag">merrie england</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/apple+pie" rel="tag">apple pie</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/latte" rel="tag">latte</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/corner" rel="tag">corner</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lady" rel="tag">lady</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/table" rel="tag">table</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/conversation" rel="tag">conversation</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-8903478679136994012012-09-05T13:25:00.001+01:002012-09-05T13:25:42.786+01:00An eventful day at Chemo.<p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">It began like any other day, wake up, shower, get dressed, wake my sidekick up, breakfast then a hasty walk down to catch the bus to take us to the hospital. The weather was sunny and warm, the journey there uneventful and we arrived at the main entrance in good time. First a visit to see my sister who is currently in hospital in the ward above the McMillan unit where my chemo is administered.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Later we journeyed down the talking lift (<em>she who talks to all who board her as if they are simple, you know “Doors closing, Going Up!” etc.) </em>and duly arrived at the restaurant. There wasn’t much choice for me (<em>as usual</em>) so I plumped for the fish with Tomato Provençale whilst she chose Beef Lasagne. After our dinner, we found ourselves killing time until my chemo appointment so did our usual circuit of the hospital, finally ending up at the now familiar McMillan entrance. My sister and niece were stood above us <em>(the Ward where she is directly above the McMillan unit</em>) waiving frantically. My first job was to profusely apologise to Tom who man’s the desk for continuously insisting on calling him Bob. (<em>near enough for me as its the same amount of letters</em>) but he dismissed it and kindly forgave my lack of memory in being able to remember names. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">We were still a good hour too soon, and the chair I was booked in was currently occupied, or I could have gone in to wile away the time in there. A cappuccino coffee and hot chocolate later we were at last called in and I took my seat ready for the inevitable heating of veins, pricking of veins, filling up of drugs and chemo that was to follow. After impatiently waiting another twenty or so minutes, where myself and another lady observed that they were short staffed, one of the chemo nurses finally approached me with the news that my bloods were too low. She decided to take some more bloods to test and after warming up the veins on the back of my hands, proceeded to attempt to insert a cannula. Unfortunately I had a bleed, (<em>first time that has occurred!)</em> and blood spurted out all over the newly changed pillow cover and splattered onto my jeans. Kerri nearly fainted but in her typical fashion,didn’t look away. Then strangely enough, the nurse had a devil of a job extracting enough blood to test. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">Later (<em>by now I had told Kerri to prepare to sleep here overnight</em>) she returned with the news that my blood count was too low for Chemo. Reacting I suppose to my downfallen face, she stated that she would go and consult with my Oncologist, who was in clinic today. Following anther wait, she returned stating that my Oncologist had decided that as I looked so well (<em>she had passed me on the corridor earlier, when I said ‘good afternoon Dr …………’ and thought that she hadn’t recognised me, but she does always seem to have her mind elsewhere</em>) However, she must have noticed me, and because I looked so well had decided that my chemo could go ahead. So Steroids and Anti-sickness in whist my Chemo was sent for, and off we went! Meanwhile the time was a ticking, and it was easily four o’clock before my Chemo arrived and began dripping into my veins. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#666666">She had it set too fast (<em>I have really narrow veins</em>) and it began to hurt as it went in, but we solved it by placing another hot bag over my cannula to warm my veins up. I shall have to remember this strategy for the future. Kerri was nodding off, and as there was a spare chemo chair (<em>they are relaxer chairs</em>) I told her to sit in one put her feet up and go to sleep, which she promptly did. I do envy this ability she had to practically sleep on a clothes line, it takes me all my time to sleep in my own bed. Finally at about 5.15pm, my flush had finished, I was uncoupled from the pump machine and after some great care and hard pressing on a dressing by me, my cannula was removed. I kept it pressed down for ages, as I could visualise arriving in town with blood oozing out of the back of my hand, and shoppers staring and panicking (<em>although these days, they would probably have completely ignored it all, or not even noticed</em>) </font></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Segoe UI"><font color="#666666">At last our bus arrived and we journeyed home. Next job I will be under the spinning doughnut again, having a CT scan to check on whether this strategy of just giving my Citoplatin has worked or not, and then I suppose we will take it from there. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#d16349" size="5" face="Gabriola"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:250a7f2e-e4af-46dc-97df-1c7022221e27" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/McMillan" rel="tag">McMillan</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/restaurant" rel="tag">restaurant</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chemo" rel="tag">chemo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/nurse" rel="tag">nurse</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-87112572877775605432012-09-03T08:51:00.000+01:002012-09-10T09:09:21.512+01:00A Day out in Carlisle<p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Yesterday, we set off on one of our day excursions along the fantastic <a href="http://www.visitcumbria.com/carlset/index.htm" target="_blank"><strong>Settle/Carlisle railway line</strong></a> and pulled by a steam engine. The train arrived at Leeds on time and we set off on one of the most picturesque train rides in the entire country, which takes in some breathtaking views of the<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.yorkshire-dales.com/welcome.html" target="_blank"><strong>Yorkshire Dales</strong></a> and crosses the famous <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/yorkshire/ribbleshead_mm/index.shtml" target="_blank"><strong>Ribblevalley Viaduct</strong></a>. We were being pulled by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_5_4-6-0" target="_blank"><strong>Black number 44932</strong></a> an engine that we have never travelled behind previously. My brother (who is as enthusiastic about trains as I am) and my sister in law were travelling with us as they have never been on an excursion before. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rlVN3hZQb50/UERkC3-mVxI/AAAAAAAALPg/UhyJiY6cCeY/s1600-h/IMG_0001%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="Waiting for the train on Platform 12" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 9px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Waiting for the train on Platform 12" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wrNgpIobvDc/UERkEbmer6I/AAAAAAAALPo/KMK2pvEvQb8/IMG_0001_thumb%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="375" height="248"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAwtRV1Hwkcmb1_H1c7-tOHM55ONSwqRnn3dwsXOdRg4NO9pmiXgvxHSbwGeOiCg07DKvZdxYJZXZKI1i3fUysbBJHxaGurFM8ze9f-VwlT3ticIeb46n60Px6-aGfoGp_GiYLo2H4nsa/s1600-h/IMG_0003%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="Smiley" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Smiley" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9wOnfAjBpKA/UERkG0eAeEI/AAAAAAAALP0/wAOP3v9fy6Q/IMG_0003_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="236" height="248"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TfHaB1y2ggc/UERkI780MgI/AAAAAAAALQA/9tqoGoRneOU/s1600-h/IMG_0004%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="Where is the train?" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Where is the train?" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2wCYnUIwk1s/UERkKAdxZcI/AAAAAAAALQI/E9G416I5rB4/IMG_0004_thumb%25255B19%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" height="391"></a></p> <p align="center"><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Here we are all patiently waiting on Platform 12 for our excursion train to arrive.</font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mcroXL_noOM/UERkL9ai0AI/AAAAAAAALQQ/vo6RC9A1elU/s1600-h/IMG_0006%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img title="Stretching our legs at Appleby" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Stretching our legs at Appleby" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Wr1PW_qkVR0/UERkMze2SDI/AAAAAAAALQY/2JaitK7ypt8/IMG_0006_thumb%25255B19%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="310" height="234"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NFAvwO_FGeY/UERkOqztkeI/AAAAAAAALQg/Hvc4K7foIzo/s1600-h/IMG_0010%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_0010" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_0010" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hoM23WL8lC4/UERkPuNyRVI/AAAAAAAALQo/267gdaQqyjw/IMG_0010_thumb%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" height="234"></a></p> <p align="center"><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Steam trains have to take on water, and our first water stop was at Appleby.</font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-c_xqhQ3mWIA/UERkRCt0sBI/AAAAAAAALQw/tblVzzTiNUk/s1600-h/IMG_0018%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Enjoying ice cream" style="display: inline" alt="Enjoying ice cream" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yvrnJHDlHPw/UERkSuXYasI/AAAAAAAALQ4/56FjKt6R4qU/IMG_0018_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" height="349"></a></p> <p align="center"><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Here we had a good fifteen minutes to stretch our legs and enjoy an ice cream from a lady who was selling them on the platform. </font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8B3y73kF79g/UERkUvURN9I/AAAAAAAALRA/33h9_pVXQlY/s1600-h/IMG_0022%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Black no 44932 in Carlisle" style="display: inline" alt="Black no 44932 in Carlisle" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lG7OB9l2hBE/UERkWCdqYtI/AAAAAAAALRI/MPjwpofborY/IMG_0022_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="637" height="480"></a></p> <p align="center"><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">The first chance I had to take a good shot of the engine was when we finally arrived in <a href="http://www.discovercarlisle.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Carlisle</strong></a> and all the other passengers had departed! Everyone wants to take a good photo of the engine, everyone wants their photo taken in the cab, its not easy to get a clear shot of a steam engine with no one else on it. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Unfortunately we didn’t have long in Carlisle and so couldn’t visit the castle, so we had a walk around the shopping precinct there, we were shot at by two storm troopers on the way, and then we sat out in the glorious sunshine and enjoyed a Costa coffee (and some hot chocolate with marshmallows in Kerri’s case and Terry’s case.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AuR1Q0oPh-M/UERkX_CM0EI/AAAAAAAALRQ/C56htd53tNE/s1600-h/IMG_0028%25255B26%25255D.jpg"><img title="Stormtroopers in Carlisle" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 7px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Stormtroopers in Carlisle" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-YxdKE-QO5Ok/UERkZvLfI3I/AAAAAAAALRY/x0UE1mIQJ0g/IMG_0028_thumb%25255B41%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="220" height="240"></a></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TPEc-V-wNeY/UERkcOj76iI/AAAAAAAALRg/zHCUXFMWkUc/s1600-h/IMG_0027%25255B26%25255D.jpg"><img title="Carlisle" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Carlisle" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P3WZ98nV3HU/UERkdJzL3mI/AAAAAAAALRo/9bTIwkg4dj8/IMG_0027_thumb%25255B34%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="410" height="240"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jEEVW_f-Ln0/UERkerkPU7I/AAAAAAAALRw/hkcuE96t8kM/s1600-h/IMG_0029%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img title="Heading our way!" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Heading our way!" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWNXP3FmhB8-8UNb3if2GgQzvsjE91QVshC1E3vCJd0db-c51_ZFJDmpqurjFlGma37VSedpVJfX3SDGQOb32ydQDvOJFTopEfIJvNDkiSgqNBTkcpDV9aBxqB4SM5MrzL7i2p1fOhIkf/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="702"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Kerri happily joined in with all the theatricals by getting out her invisible lightsaber and attacking them both. (Always the actress!) </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">We made our way to the Lane’s Shopping Centre where I took a shot of these attractive coloured lights in the roof, and also one of a very interesting statue at one of the shopping junctions. Shopping centre’s like this one will in my view be the only savour of our towns to counteract the threat from out of town supermarkets, plus they are ideal if the weather is bad as they are covered. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WG85pKfFYVA/UERkilB2jLI/AAAAAAAALSA/OEaoQALtWGw/s1600-h/IMG_0030%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="Shopping Centre in Carlisle" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Shopping Centre in Carlisle" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dEdbRbhvg5I/UERkjqbCqDI/AAAAAAAALSI/K33aWhvMrmE/IMG_0030_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="380" height="279"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dZZwh1cwTnE/UERklS8_7uI/AAAAAAAALSQ/n03Wa3mYw6Q/s1600-h/IMG_0032%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_0032" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_0032" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DzsN4YcfDF0/UERkmGvQg6I/AAAAAAAALSY/J09tqMCfiRw/IMG_0032_thumb%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="247" height="278"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">It was a real pity that we hadn’t time to take in the Castle but we made up for it by sitting outside a Costa coffee shop and enjoying both a cappuccino (in my case) and the gorgeous warm sunshine.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Here for your enjoyment I’ve placed all of the shots I took with my camera and phone into a photo album. Click on it to view it as a slideshow. </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:09ea3433-4e72-4b6a-99a2-7bd4f5a30201" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 621px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:621px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13242&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1dQngXjfKrk/UE2gL3El5FI/AAAAAAAALck/f-LpIOq8g0I/A%252520visit%252520to%252520Carlisle%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:621px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:621px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13242&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:621px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">A visit to Carlisle</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13242&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13242&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Enjoy.</font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:c6e2a1ef-8d3d-4af8-bfe3-ea6cb8e1ba8e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/excursion" rel="tag">excursion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/carlisle" rel="tag">carlisle</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/steam" rel="tag">steam</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/appleby" rel="tag">appleby</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/centre" rel="tag">centre</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/statue" rel="tag">statue</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/stormtroopers" rel="tag">stormtroopers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/square" rel="tag">square</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/station" rel="tag">station</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-21637435846914338592012-08-30T08:19:00.000+01:002012-09-05T13:35:43.346+01:00A little time to kill.<p><font size="2"><font color="#666666"></font></font><font face="Arial"><font size="2"> <font color="#666666">My hair appointment was not until 12.30pm. It was only 11.30am, and I had already been loitering in several shops to the obvious annoyance of the staff. No one wants a customer who has no intentions of buying. I had a good hour to wait, and in our small town, there’s only one place to do that when your alone and in dire need of somewhere to wile away an hour or two, the <a href="http://merrie-england.com/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Merrie England</em></strong></a> coffee shop. I’ve blogged about our Merrie England coffee shops before, they attract a varied age group, some young mothers with their offspring, some older patrons who frequent the tables to meet up and enjoy a good natter, some lone patrons such as myself, who maybe just fancy a coffee and a sit down before going on their way to elsewhere.</font></font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">As you walk in, the counter, always filled with appetizing goodies such as their delicious home made apple pie to give just one example, is on your left. The Merrie England staff are always attentative and I was served immediately. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“<em>Tea and a Gluten free Turkey salad sandwich please</em>.”</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">The sandwich has to be made to order, so I was instructed to go and sit down and one of the staff would bring my sandwich to me once made, and so armed with my cup of tea I looked around for an empty table. No luck, but I noticed that my favourite place had one man sat in it, engrossed in looking down at something in front of him on the table. Carefully navigating my way down the aisle between the tables, cup and saucer perched precariously in my hand, I made my way to the right hand corner at the back. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>Is it okay if I sit here?”</em> I asked the man. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>Yes, of course! I’m going soon anyway!”</em> he replied. Sitting down opposite him, with my back to the rest of the other tables, I placed my shopping bag on the empty seat beside me, noting as I did so that the item he was engrossed in on the table was a Kindle. Hmm. That peaked my interest immediately because as I’m such an avid reader, I’ve been considering getting one myself. Always strapped for storage space in our tiny flat, I’m constantly having to recycle my books practically as soon as I have read them. But how to open the conversation about his Kindle? I decided to act dumb. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>Is that a Kindle your using?”</em> I asked. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>Yes it is!”</em> came the reply. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>I’m considering buying one myself, as I love reading. Have you found yourself reading more since you bought it?”</em> I enquired, genuinely interested in the answer. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">“ <em>Yes, I think I have. It’s the convenience I suppose</em>.” he replied. I then asked him if you could now get most books on the Kindle to which he replied the affirmative. Shortly after, he rose and left and I hoped that I hadn’t made much of a nuisance of myself, asking my questions of a stranger, but I simply couldn’t sit at a table with someone and not make polite conversation, its not in my nature to do so. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial">As soon as he had vacated the corner seat, I moved into it, finding it still nice and warm. People were still leaving and arriving, as soon as one table became vacant it was quickly filled with new faces, all earnestly engaged in conversation with each other. Deciding to do an experiment of sorts, I took out my phone, and took a picture of them all, enjoying a tea or coffee and a good natter. Would anyone notice? </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2"><font face="Arial"><font size="2">I think I already knew the answer, and its why I prefer to sit tucked away in the corner seat.</font> </font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Arial"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3a-jxEyvO-s/UEdHFmFwRWI/AAAAAAAALWk/Ekjqq1kgWFA/s1600-h/1-WP_00029925.jpg"><img title="It's always crowded." style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="It's always crowded." src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-U4vG-9pdU18/UEdHHQyF6EI/AAAAAAAALWs/vUTVyMiEfh4/1-WP_000299_thumb27.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" height="399"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#d16349"><strong> <font size="3" face="Segoe Print">Technogran</font></strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:7765306c-360d-44bf-8cb9-00c1e09fe42f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hairdresser" rel="tag">hairdresser</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/merrie+england" rel="tag">merrie england</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sandwich" rel="tag">sandwich</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tea" rel="tag">tea</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/coffee" rel="tag">coffee</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/kindle" rel="tag">kindle</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-92094541620253986272012-08-27T06:40:00.000+01:002012-09-05T13:30:22.299+01:00Rain.<p><font size="2" face="Corbel"><font color="#666666" size="3"><font size="2" face="Arial"><font face="Segoe UI">I can’t remember when I began to hate the rain, probably because I can’t remember ever feeling good about it either. I have no memories of splashing happily in puddles as a child in brightly coloured wellington’s, all my childhood memories consist entirely of summer days filled with lovely warm sunshine or days of having fun in the winter throwing snowballs and making snowmen. Not one memory involves rain. It’s to be expected though I suppose. It’s hardly likely to be retained in my long term memory, walking through rain sodden paths on my way to school, or unable to play out because of the wet conditions. Perhaps its all been blotted out like some ink stain and I remember only the glorious warm sunshine and fun packed snow days where we tested our mothers wrath by jumping into a six foot high snowdrift from a wall, arriving home wet through from head to foot. </font></font></font></font><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">I can’t even remember owning a pair of wellingtons, and my mother is no longer here for me to ask. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">So quite when my hatred of rain began is a mystery, but it is loosely coupled with my love for walking, and to a certain extent, to my bouts of depression during the winter months that have plagued me on and off as I have aged. Rain depresses me. It adds to that overall state of greyness and dullness, it makes everything look dismal. The noise of it hammering on the roof, the sight of everyone scurrying along covered in raincoats, holding aloft umbrellas, usually black, with no time to greet or meet in the rain, we need to hurry along, too busy trying to exit the wet conditions and anxious to get wherever we are going, out of the rain. And once we arrive, we all look bedraggled, shaking out umbrellas in a vain attempt to rid ourselves of every last drop, rain dripping from ourselves onto the floor, as we leave our wet footprints wherever we walk. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe UI">I’d rather stay in bed all day whilst its raining, at least one can take some comfort from hearing it beat against the window whilst being snug, warm and dry. That’s the only time I can gain some enjoyment from the rain. </font></p> <p><font color="#d16349" size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:bbc089b5-ac44-4d4b-bfd4-2d4ff3f6473d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rain" rel="tag">rain</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/wellingtons" rel="tag">wellingtons</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sunshine" rel="tag">sunshine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/snow" rel="tag">snow</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/depression" rel="tag">depression</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-80710847676651141842012-08-19T06:49:00.000+01:002012-08-19T07:03:32.498+01:00A Day out in Scarborough.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-g5HwAlUke-k/UDCBbmTQXmI/AAAAAAAALIA/SmKaZSuBzKw/s1600-h/SAM_0186%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="Here she comes!" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="Here she comes!" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-816N332YT10/UDCBc9YV7jI/AAAAAAAALII/1oq_eAMjaFU/SAM_0186_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" height="375"></a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">On Friday we enjoyed a day out to <a href="http://www.scarborough.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Scarborough</strong></a> and travelled there on the <a href="http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/sse/overview.html" target="_blank"><strong>Scarborough Flyer</strong></a> pulled by the <a href="http://www.prclt.co.uk/New_6233_preservation.htm" target="_blank"><strong>Duchess of Sutherland</strong></a>. We have done this excursion in the past, setting off from Huddersfield, but as the route has been altered due to works on the line causing the excursion to be diverted through our little station, it was a forgone conclusion that we would take advantage of the situation. The train was roughly half an hour late arriving at Brighouse, but she soon caught up so that by the time we arrived at York we were on time. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_LGioYAA0Jw/UDCBehoPijI/AAAAAAAALIQ/FChtdVxquqY/s1600-h/SAM_0193%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_0193" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SAM_0193" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fl_5InEGun0/UDCBgMhWfBI/AAAAAAAALIY/uBepJ4P8U9I/SAM_0193_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="460" height="351"></a></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">The weather was fairly cloudy and we had endured some rain whilst waiting for the train to arrive, but as we arrived at Scarborough it had brightened up somewhat, although it was still overcast. After taking some shots of the Duchess (which isn’t easy to do as everyone else is busy doing the same thing) we made our way down through the main shopping street to the front. I always like to go down to the front at Scarborough via the steps, as you get a lovely vista of the whole bay, the Castle on top of the hill, the harbour and of course the beach and shops.</font> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QGHr1w8DW5s/UDCBhZrPOvI/AAAAAAAALIg/0jp5KFDn17o/s1600-h/Scarborough%252520from%252520the%252520steps%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Scarborough from the steps" style="display: inline" alt="Scarborough from the steps" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yIwwG-KIssw/UDCBjGOAoeI/AAAAAAAALIo/NY4rKqqpRgw/Scarborough%252520from%252520the%252520steps_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="580" height="196"></a><font face="Comic Sans MS"></font></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">Scarborough tends to be one of those seaside towns that I have often spent a day in, yet never stayed for any longer. It’s a bustling fishing port as well as a holiday destination. We walked around the harbour, taking in all the sights and sounds and taking photos along the way, ending our journey by walking along the walkway to the lighthouse building where the statue of the diving girl stands facing the harbour entrance out to sea. There are lot’s of boat rides to take, one on a small version of a pirate ship, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take so we didn’t bother. Besides, Kerri was on the hunt for a t-shirt to add to her now not inconsiderable collection, and I intended to get yet another fridge magnet for my own collection.</font> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-q8FZly0rCo0/UDCBlLNc1KI/AAAAAAAALIw/YXv2TGXf9is/s1600-h/Scarborough%252520Harbour%252520stitch%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Scarborough Harbour stitch" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Scarborough Harbour stitch" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5Hnfs7QwbS0/UDCBmRdPGSI/AAAAAAAALI4/HRrgWiRW6Ts/Scarborough%252520Harbour%252520stitch_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="197"></a></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">Following a short gaze out over the choppy sea towards Cayton Bay, we made our way back along the walkway to the shops along the seafront in search of some t-shirts. We eventually found some and she bought two, one white and one black. If there’s one treat I never miss whenever I’m in Scarborough is to visit </font><a href="http://www.qype.co.uk/place/262685-G-C-Pacitto-Scarborough" target="_blank"><strong><font size="2">Pacitto’s Ice Cream Parlour</font></strong></a><font size="2"> on the seafront for a Knickerbocker Glory. You simply haven’t lived until you’ve tried one! Kerri had a chocolate milk shake. We then decided to return to the shopping area above via a very steep narrow street which was quite a climb! After taking a well earned breather at the top, we made our way slowly along the shopping area, paying a visit to the </font><a href="http://www.brunswickshopping.com/" target="_blank"><strong><font size="2">Brunswick Shopping Centre</font></strong></a><font size="2">, where Kerri took a look at the mobile phone shops to admire a Nokia Lumia 710 that she wants for her next phone.</font> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z62-fLG9WBo/UDCBpLMW2aI/AAAAAAAALJA/2ZlVW3dEdU4/s1600-h/SAM_0248%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_0248" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="SAM_0248" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mGVYe2OVZIA/UDCBrC_5ivI/AAAAAAAALJI/kZWbEjA9aeg/SAM_0248_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="550" height="410"></a></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">As it was now raining, we quickly made our way to the railway station and enjoyed a decaff cappuccino and a hot chocolate apiece in the station cafe, and then once the rain had stopped we ventured along the platform so that we could take some more photos of the Duchess as she patiently waited for us passengers to return and climb on board. We departed Scarborough dead on time, but we were again held up during the return journey owning to signalling problems along the way, and we arrived back at Brighouse about ten minutes late. We’d enjoyed a wonderful excursion to Scarborough pulled by one of my favourite steam engines, and as always on these day trips, we’d also made some new friends who were sat at our table during the journey.</font> </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:89434b18-dcdf-437d-98f6-37800387f567" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 519px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:519px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13124&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-z-F39vnN1R8/UDCBsnjbMNI/AAAAAAAALJQ/lF1Iv2wYfus/A%252520Day%252520out%252520in%252520Scarborough%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:519px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:519px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13124&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:519px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">A Day out in Scarborough</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13124&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13124&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2">I am hoping we get the chance to go on the Leeds to Carlisle excursion this year before it ends, as for me it’s the ultimate steam engine excursion to be on, with those spectacular views of the North Yorkshire moors and the breathtaking journey over the </font><a href="http://www.visitcumbria.com/carlset/ribblehead-viaduct.htm" target="_blank"><strong><font size="2">Ribblehead</font></strong></a><font size="2"> viaduct. Enjoy my photos taken during our day.</font> </font></p> <p><font color="#5ac9bb" size="4" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran.</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1bae36c3-b78e-4de5-98af-a8f55777c468" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/duchess" rel="tag">duchess</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/scarborough" rel="tag">scarborough</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/harbour" rel="tag">harbour</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/boats" rel="tag">boats</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ice+cream" rel="tag">ice cream</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/excursion" rel="tag">excursion</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-51153637302065887332012-08-12T06:59:00.000+01:002012-08-12T07:10:27.903+01:00Downhill all the way.<p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Yesterdays walk was not really all that enjoyable as far as I was concerned. We all met up in the<strong> </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighouse_bus_station" target="_blank"><strong>bus station</strong></a> as we so often do, and from therein there was a lot of confusion as to exactly which bus we were supposed to be catching in order to arrive at the start of the walk. S was supposedly our walk leader but he didn’t seem to be too sure about the bus either, and the fact that our departure displays are all incorrect (see my previous post) didn’t exactly help matters. As most of the other walkers are car owners and don’t frequent the bus station as I do, I had to keep warning them that the information via the displays was wrong. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b-xgRs3hyYk/UCdIsBL0VNI/AAAAAAAALCo/5z_N3rAYqCA/s1600-h/WP_000196%25255B19%25255D.jpg"><img title="Watch your step!" style="display: inline" alt="Watch your step!" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rRIg-f1BTEI/UCdItxr2sdI/AAAAAAAALCw/W3e2qjSybVU/WP_000196_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="450"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Worse was to come when the bus actually pulled into the stand and we asked the driver. He didn’t seem to have a clue where he was going, but despite this we all took fate into our hands and clambered on board. I had to laugh to myself, imagining us ending up anywhere where we would be doing a sort of ‘mystery walk.’ As it turned out, the bus was the correct one, and we set off in good spirits only to end up turning round when it was decided that the walk leader was leading us all up an hill that was far too steep for some of the members to tackle. I quietly sighed to myself. Recrossing the road, we then set off down a lane and at last seemed to be on our way. Trouble was, the route wasn’t really all that picturesque, having a large estate on the right hand side and not much of a view on the other. I hadn’t taken my camera with me (must have had a foretaste that there wouldn’t be all that much in the way of spectacular views to warrant it.) </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">The walk leader had on top of his head, one of those straw boaters which looked a little ridiculous to be honest with you, seeing as the sky was overcast and grey. We also had to watch our step walking along the path as there were many loose stones to trip up the unwary. The lady in front of me very nearly fell over one such loose stone. The only thing of note worthy of a quick photo was two horses who were resting in one of the fields as we walked past. One of them had a hood over its head for some reason. I took the shot because I knew that Kerri would love to see it. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Rl1LMgiwLCY/UCdIvgY5TBI/AAAAAAAALC4/Jl1s8E7W7_8/s1600-h/WP_000198%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="Hooded and not" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="Hooded and not" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tzPAsZV9OZ4/UCdIxGMR44I/AAAAAAAALDA/2PnQmBztHE8/WP_000198_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="550" height="412"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Eventually, the vista in front of us opened out somewhat to allow a view right across the valley towards Southowram and we could see as far as Clifton and even Scholes from there. It was still overcast but it was beginning to brighten up somewhat. We all took a breather half way so that some of the walkers could have a sit and a rest for a few moments, then we continued onwards down into town. After arriving back in town, three of us, myself included decided to lunch at the <a href="http://www.theoldshipinn.t83.net/#/menu-specials/4533323863" target="_blank"><strong>Ship Inn</strong></a><strong>,</strong> whilst the others went to <a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-richard-oastler" target="_blank"><strong>Wetherspoons</strong></a> for their meal. For me, it had been a rather disappointing walk on the whole, and I don’t think I will go on another walk around Rastrick again. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bNbfCjQqVKI/UCdIyU7o2aI/AAAAAAAALDI/PyrmKNjUePQ/s1600-h/View%252520over%252520the%252520valley%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="View from the top of Rastrick" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="View from the top of Rastrick" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GVuQcl3Pvjo/UCdI0lIXDcI/AAAAAAAALDQ/yGO3qLysFo0/View%252520over%252520the%252520valley_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="210"></a></p> <p><font color="#3da6c0" size="4" face="Viner Hand ITC"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ef3498cc-abdf-491d-88b1-710eda53a1c8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rastrick" rel="tag">rastrick</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lane" rel="tag">lane</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/horses" rel="tag">horses</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/vista" rel="tag">vista</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ship+inn" rel="tag">ship inn</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/wetherspoons" rel="tag">wetherspoons</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-88050154755705850742012-08-09T06:46:00.000+01:002012-08-09T06:48:56.819+01:00Bus Station Woes.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"></font> </p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-49nfsMDfrQY/UCNPN3uKmMI/AAAAAAAALB8/pPltoXA_Prc/s1600-h/brighouse1%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="brighouse1" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="brighouse1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rJzWAj09roc/UCNPOwk8XoI/AAAAAAAALCE/GKKoHeIfEec/brighouse1_thumb%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="290"></a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I’ve blogged about our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighouse_bus_station" target="_blank"><strong>bus station</strong></a> in the past. It’s not all that old and is supposed to be a shining example of bus station design, with its unusual ‘big dipper’ shaped roof. It’s certainly something you can’t ignore if you happened to be driving past our little town on your way to Halifax. We passengers who have to use it have been less impressed. When it was first completed there simply weren’t enough seats. They provided just four seats to every stand, with the result that waiting for your bus became almost a scrum to the death if you needed to sit down for any reason. Many of the younger passengers had to resort to sitting on the low windowsills which wasn’t ideal or comfortable, not that the provided seats were any more so. You have to be near fainting with the cold or heat, or loaded up with a huge amount of shopping before resorting to actually sitting down on one of the seats. After some vigorous complaints from those hardy passengers with bottoms like steel who can endure sitting down, our seat tally has since been doubled and we have been generously provided with eight to every stand.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I have concluded long ago that whoever designs bus stations never actually use them themselves. The seats are made of metal and are not shaped for comfortable sitting, so they are freezing in winter and akin to sitting down in molten lava in summer. The ambient temperature of the bus station itself is not helped by the fact that it consists of windows from ceiling height to nearly floor level, none of which are double glazed. In winter you daren’t sit down for more than a few moments for fear of freezing to one of the seats, you have to keep walking up and down the long concourse just to keep yourself moving. In summer, someone could make a roaring trade growing tomatoes seeing as the station so resembles a huge green house. As I sat baking yesterday waiting for my bus, it was 72% outside the bus station and roughly 90% inside. I had to keep my eye on my sandwich which was in my bag in case it began to toast. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vkCemo9TIuk/UCNPQgIT3uI/AAAAAAAALCM/x-eIfUtFHiI/s1600-h/5-bus-station-display%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="5-bus-station-display" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="5-bus-station-display" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXwACRPaWGIvYwsRrfYwA-Qvl2DhxsFrNo1euDzv4x-2HU_UmumtBzSIJRwwZUl_P8URw5V6rgt_Ti8RMs8UAW2AYhIt1tarvZlbmYymmya_g-5peAiCeWXPkwFXq1JVsIYX-snKclpuk/?imgmax=800" width="480" height="360"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">In order to avoid the pitfalls of our bus station, we local passengers have, over the length of time that we have had to use it, learned to try and time our entrance to just before our bus is due to arrive to avoid freezing to death or being cooked. And mentioning time brings me to the latest saga which has been taking place for at least the last few months with little sign of anyone from Metro bothering to put it right. Our bus timetable displays are constantly wrong. Not only wrong, but to confuse the unwary passenger, they contradict each other. We have two types of information displays in the bus station, the two largest one’s are hung from the ceiling, one at either end of the station, and the other smaller displays are sited just above each stand door, and only show the arrival and departure times for that particular stand. In order to try and send every passenger who uses the bus station stark raving bonkers, the large displays tell an entirely different time to the one’s above your stand and neither are correct. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">You enter the bus station, firstly gazing hopefully at one of the larger timetable displays with the vain hope that someone from Metro has paid the station a visit since your last attempt to catch a bus in order to fix the wrong displays. The large stand might state that your bus is due in 20 minutes from stand D. You make your way down to stand D and look up at the timetable display above your stand only to note to your horror that your bus is due in 10 minutes. Either that, or its not even up there. Which one is correct? Have you time to dash off to the shops for that item you’ve just remembered or not? It must be a worse situation for anyone who hasn’t used our bus station before and is not aware that Metro are on a ‘drive every passenger in Brighouse insane’ campaign. They must think they are hallucinating and probably if they have any sense, will find another route to get from A to B that doesn’t necessitate using our confusing bus station at all. Meanwhile the rest of us who have little choice but to endure every trick in the book that Metro can devise to thwart our journeys, are beginning to compensate for the wrong times stated by the displays, by simply ignoring them completely. We arrive at the bus station looking as carefree as possible ( for the cameras and to annoy Metro) and make our way to our stands with the vain hope that we have managed to time it right. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">They won’t get us down or turn us into gibbering idiots with all this confusion, no matter how hard they try! </font></p> <p><font color="#d16349" size="4" face="Viner Hand ITC">Technogran</font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:cc48cdfe-52db-4289-abc4-c16a31642e4e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/station" rel="tag">station</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/seats" rel="tag">seats</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/freezing" rel="tag">freezing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/windows" rel="tag">windows</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/displays" rel="tag">displays</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/metro" rel="tag">metro</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-40446677200504376282012-08-03T15:37:00.000+01:002012-08-03T15:41:30.851+01:00A visit by a Duchess.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Kerri and I have had a hectic morning this morning. Up at the crack of dawn, showered, dressed, we hadn’t time for a lavish breakfast, a small bowl of Fruit and Fibre for me with a glass of orange juice, and a breakfast bar and orange juice for her, backpack added and following a quick wash of the dishes, my bag complete with camera for me. We were out of the door for 09.00am precisely and as the sky was a gorgeous unbroken blue, we bravely had only our thin raincoats with us. Setting off down to town at a fairly brisk walking pace, we made good time. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“We won’t get a good spot to see her if we aren’t fairly early.” I reasoned with her as she grumbled to herself walking down, trailing behind me some several paces at least. As is usual, I ended up nearly breaking my arm by having to hold her hand and gently ease her along at a more steady pace than she takes under her own steam. Finally we are through town and walking up to the station. As I thought! There are already plenty of others with exactly the same idea as us! Ahh! Two are stood in a very well chosen spot at the very end of platform 2. I shout out to them from the walkway. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“ Which platform is she arriving on?” </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“ Platform 1 but you won’t be able to budge on there as it’ll be packed, and you won’t get a good shot, that’s why were over here!” </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Good thinking, so we continue on around the road and join the other platform on the other side. Kerri plonks herself down immediately on a seat whereas I saunter up to the two men in the advantageous position at the edge of the platform, and as is usual in these situations, we swop stories of our journeys, sightings, love of all things steam etc. Apparently they have been coming down here to get shots of the Duchess every week for the last three weeks. Not only on a morning such as today, but also at night when she returns. In fact, they are planning on returning tonight at 21.30pm. Of course it will be coming dark by then, but they both have expensive SLR’s that put my little point and shoot to shame, so I would imagine that they will still get some good shots. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">The platform opposite where the Duchess is to pull in is now packed with people, not only the photo enthusiasts, but also all those who are boarding the ‘Scarborough Flyer’ for it is this excursion train that the Duchess is so ably pulling. Some of you may remember Kerri and I also going on this excursion ourselves a few years ago, setting off from Huddersfield. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“Why is she coming through Brighouse anyway?” I ask my two new friends. (Kerri is still sitting on the bench fiddling about with something, probably texting on her phone.) </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“ Because They’ve been doing work to the line and so she’s been diverted through here instead.” Hmm. Wish I’d have known all of this. Kerri and I had planned to do this excursion again to Scarborough and we could have boarded here in our little home town! And what a wonderful day weather-wise for a trip to the seaside! As its turned out, I’m feeling fine following my chemo yesterday. Isn’t hindsight wonderful! I would have been fine for a day trip today to lift my spirits! </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">At last we see her coming round the bend in the far distance, a thin plume of steam issuing straight up into the blue air from her chimney. Camera’s begin to snap, people lean forward at angles to try and get a better shot or glimpse of her as she arrives, now decked in green livery, which personally I am not all that keen on, I preferred her in that gorgeous maroon when we road behind her a few years back. She zooms past me and I forget to move my camera at the same speed as I take the shot, so its all blurry. Sigh. As is usual with these excursions, she’s pulling behind her some nine to ten carriages, the middle one’s are Pullman dining carriages for those who are travelling first class and will have had a cooked breakfast since boarding and will also be getting a three course dinner on the return journey. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KkBtoGWviiw/UBvjC7CB-HI/AAAAAAAAK14/D-DZv7w8HYo/s1600-h/3780944247_a7870ee7fc_b%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Duchess in Scarborough" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Note here she is decked in Maroon livery which I think suits her better." src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CDUCvHyXkB8/UBvjECzH5tI/AAAAAAAAK2A/kWWp7o8-x0M/3780944247_a7870ee7fc_b_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" height="453"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">We dash up to the other end of the platform in order to get some close ups as she waits for all the passengers to board and gets some steam up for the off. In the cab, a young lad is looking out of our side. It gladdens my heart to see the youngsters getting involved with steam train driving, or the mechanical side of it all, we need to keep all of our old skills alive or who will carry it all on when the drivers and engineers who have worked so tirelessly on keeping this part of our heritage going, are no longer around? </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">She begins to pull away, a short whistle and she’s off! How I wish we were on board! We wave to all those lucky enough to be peering at us from their comfortable seats in the carriages and I silently wish them luck with the weather when they land in Scarborough for their day out. We all begin to disperse, in our particular case, now off to do some shopping whilst we’re in town, others to wherever. It’s not often our small station see’s the sight of a steam engine, its a big event and one that I am so glad I didn’t miss. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Here’s a photo album for you to see the shots we took, as always, Kerri has managed to pull of a much better shot of the Duchess as she passed under the bridge than I could muster, despite getting my arm in it. I could crop it out of course, but hey! Its part and parcel of our natural amateur photos! </font></p> <div id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:24d5bda7-a33f-4bf0-9e88-9ea9d7b49fbe" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; width: 602px"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:602px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13057&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-x4RwlM1CpeQ/UBvjF_M25WI/AAAAAAAAK2I/H6cLnVQMsSA/A%252520visit%252520by%252520a%252520Duchess%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:602px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:602px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=browse&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13057&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:602px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here">A visit by a Duchess.</span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=play&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13057&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2418d1cd90c52c20&page=downloadphotos&resid=2418D1CD90C52C20!13057&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Enjoy.</font></p> <p><font color="#3da6c0" size="4" face="Viner Hand ITC"><strong>Technogran </strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:961f3819-ff83-43e5-bf3b-d2903c708a0d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/duchess" rel="tag">duchess</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/station" rel="tag">station</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/excursion" rel="tag">excursion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sunshine" rel="tag">sunshine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/photos" rel="tag">photos</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-8039811532336617712012-07-30T10:23:00.000+01:002012-07-30T10:40:31.113+01:00Ticket to Ride.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"></font> </p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--kwxWTrTUUQ/UBZWbfPcknI/AAAAAAAAKyg/pyEbPHZDDts/s1600-h/09-WP_0001036.jpg"><img title="New ticket machine" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="New ticket machine" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RBA_P7SNizo/UBZWcYm1enI/AAAAAAAAKyo/JzbWhwEZss4/09-WP_000103_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="302" height="227"></a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Well over a year ago, our local buses began introducing new ticket machines. As with anything new, it all began rather badly. The bus drivers didn’t seem to have a clue, we passengers were just as clueless and for quite a while, it tended to be a case of ‘get on the bus’, listen to the driver state </font><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>We don’t have any tickets!”</em> as you vainly flashed your bus pass in his general direction. </font><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I couldn’t quite make out what you were supposed to do with these new fangled ticket machines, and if they didn’t have any tickets, hadn’t installing them on every bus been rather a waste of time? </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Kerri in the meantime seemed to have picked up the idea behind them straight away, as she held her pass directly in front of the small window, albeit with no response from the machine for her efforts. All I kept thinking to myself as we journeyed along ticketless was, what if an inspector boarded before realising that I hadn’t actually seen an inspector get on a bus for years. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zznO_hljCSw/UBZWdjQ7ohI/AAAAAAAAKyw/Di1RwXsI9as/s1600-h/SAM_015910.jpg"><img title="SAM_0159" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="SAM_0159" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wPdU5b62p_s/UBZWe2IMuJI/AAAAAAAAKy4/Wx5kurVmECw/SAM_0159_thumb16.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" height="175"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Slowly over time, the new ticket machines have begun to work as they should. At least I think that they began to work as they should. Firstly, tickets were actually being given in response to you flashing your pass in front of them as you boarded. However, I was bitterly disappointed when at last I was handed one of the new tickets. They are simply a thin squarish waxed piece of paper, with little to commend them. Boring was my initial thought. As a passenger, there’s very little you can do with them once they are in your hand. Compared to their rather colourful predecessors, they are rubbish. How many hours have I happily whiled away my time during my bus journey, absent mindedly rolling those wonderful tickets up into a tight roll between thumb and forefinger in one direction, and then reversing the whole procedure? Or forming them into a smiley or talking mouth for the amusement of my children when they were younger? I can’t possibly do any of that with the new boring bus tickets. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xY8-n5l2sE8/UBZWgUVaRLI/AAAAAAAAKzA/dylfuythKYE/s1600-h/SAM_01627.jpg"><img title="SAM_0162" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SAM_0162" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwViVivMcwATHLaMLUzTlYH4UVe1uV0MIyY-4zzbLa7rRV2FAXoX9dKJoRzsMlp7QU8zxzncj9MGefqtS9EJaSyCKTK1ZaNfDHmpEUFCe0aOKaS86-Bl-ar3lmkXP_7Lc2EsijN_HUlzAo/?imgmax=800" width="283" height="288"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Not that your actually given one every time you board a bus. It’s often the way that you ‘scan’ your pass, only to receive a curt nod from the driver (and a green light from the new ticket machine, that is if its working of course) to indicate that your allowed to continue up the aisle and sit down. Ticketless of course. So, its still all rather confusing, sometimes a ticket is handed over, other times not. Sometimes your pass causes some response from the machine, sometimes not. How are they supposed to work? There has been no information provided about their usage whatsoever for passengers, we’re all obviously supposed to be mind readers or Einstein's, and immediately know exactly what to do. Some drivers have vainly tried to help of course in their own way, though I suspect that most of them haven’t a clue either.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“ Place your pass in front of the machine (or on top as it seems as if, depending on which bus company <font color="#666666">you board, these new ticket machines are all very different to each other in layout) and it will register it.”</font></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#666666">Ahh! Register it! Now the penny begins to drop! Sifting out types of users! Paying and none paying! Pass and none pass! Will it eventually come to pass (pun intended) where we pass holders are only allowed on certain buses at certain times because we don’t add to the bus company’s profits? Will we be relegated to old rusty buses that crawl along at a snails pace to cut costs? Will we be banned from peak time buses, relegated to (what will probably become known as) The Oldies Bus? I know this, there’s always a reason why new gadgets such as these new ticket machines are introduced, and I have that horrible gut feeling that for us pass waving passengers, none of it </font><font color="#666666">is good news. We may even arrive at a time when trying to board vainly waving our passes at the driver, all we hear are those well known words uttered by another senior in a land far away….</font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“You shall not Pass!” </font></p> <p><font color="#3da6c0" size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>Technogran <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sadsmile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Sad smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0TDS3YnrJmCr_i-eEHaT8LhoflMLVNEDZ1_Dap2C5ju3rD9v7kqsn5WRn87Ca-wKGymhTq3ga0hI_BcfLf5cO-kPhKHX17SUb7vTI_PLHi7xnOhID_K9bA0GnOsn_MdCm4E_MCxwwy3H/?imgmax=800"></strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:59ab18fa-c045-4658-8545-2e48673e7ed3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ticket" rel="tag">ticket</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/machine" rel="tag">machine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pass" rel="tag">pass</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/driver" rel="tag">driver</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-73951938297863700172012-07-24T15:43:00.000+01:002012-07-24T15:46:25.182+01:00Throwing caution to the winds.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Is anyone else diving out the door at the first opportunity whenever the sun peers through the clouds or is it just me? Following the lousy summer we’ve had so far, I simply can’t bear to waste a moment of it. Throwing caution to the winds and not caring if I looked like mutton dressed as lamb, I even went as far as donning my pedal pusher trousers and my open toed sandals. Even the raincoat and umbrella were left at home! Foolhardy? Tempting fate? Once again my destination was the doctors and I had allowed a good half hour for my walk down. I can walk a lot faster when K is not with me. She is going swimming this morning with Day Care and I confess that I really envied her as she set off. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">For once I had remembered to grab my watch but a quick glance reminded me that I hadn’t made allowances for the frequent stops along the way I was tend to make these days taking snaps with my phone. I had to adjust my walking speed accordingly and although my doctor is always running late, the one time that I risk it and arrive late will probably be the one time that she is running to time. It’s a gorgeous day. Everyone I pass seem so cheerful. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>Good morning! Isn’t it lovely to be out in the sunshine?”</em> </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>Yes, and not before time!”</em> I reply. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Following my stint at the doctors, I pick up my prescription and saunter down to town, no longer having to rush. Nearly every person I encounter is dressed either in shorts or cool summer clothes. Its so colourful after the dingy sight we’ve all become used to of raincoats, umbrellas and the like. I linger outside<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.websters-furniture.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Websters</strong></a> furniture shop, peering in the windows at their recliner suites and chairs. I ponder for what must be the hundredth time on how they manage to be about the only shop in Brighouse that has survived. I have yet to see any customers in the shop purchasing anything. Most of their stock is very expensive and yes, okay, the best quality, but this is hardly what I would consider an affluent area. Yet I reason to myself, someone must be buying it for whilst other shops have died a death in our town, Websters marches on. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dbz9Xw-PPSA/UA61OIp2S9I/AAAAAAAAKjU/7h8csQnDqOc/s1600-h/Apple%252520Pie.%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="Apple Pie." style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Merrie England scrumptious home made apple pie." align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBbX5WsczHhkavDdwcqqDYWR07t01E2qpPdJsnWJFk2lzxgjyxqbMpuFfBWXDQ3iAq3ov4Ma6YpfFyBTeShNHrXKKg7OU-AuwW2DP_m3cKKC5m6-xAIItlhaWmnqVIMu7VDUVxit2r7gg/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="480"></a></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I enter <a href="http://merrie-england.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Merrie England</strong></a> and stand at the ‘take away’ part of the counter to order a Turkey Salad on Gluten free bread. As usual, its quite full and there are probably as many customers sat outside in the back area enjoying the sunshine. I was tempted to linger myself and have one of their delicious decaff cappuccino's but had second thoughts, seeing as I intend to walk home and not waste any of this glorious sunshine. Trouble is, I am stood directly opposite the display of their fantastic home made apple pies, which are sorely testing my willpower. At last she hands me my sandwich, I pay and saunter on to Hartley’s bread shop for K’s order of a Chicken Tikka and onion sandwich with salad cream on white bread. (Yes, she has strange tastes, my daughter.) I also purchase a side salad for my lunch and a piece of Quiche. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">My walk home is very enjoyable, I’m in no hurry and anyway, its slightly uphill with some steep bits, so I take my time, greeting people who are busy in their gardens as I pass. We’re all mostly a friendly bunch, its one of the reason’s I like living here, practically everyone knows everyone else and that’s the way I like it. By the time I arrive back home, I’m lathered and have to open most of the windows to compensate. I’d much rather be too hot than cold though, and I quickly set too making my Quiche and salad lunch. It’s been so enjoyable, being able to throw caution to the winds for once and leave that blasted umbrella at home!</font></p> <p><font color="#c0504d" size="4" face="Lucida Handwriting"><strong>Technogran</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4b10d753-7c2f-45bc-8c69-783e2e2e9165" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sandals" rel="tag">sandals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sunshine" rel="tag">sunshine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/walk" rel="tag">walk</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sandwich" rel="tag">sandwich</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/salad" rel="tag">salad</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/apple+pie" rel="tag">apple pie</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-24201339645613331422012-07-22T07:34:00.001+01:002012-07-22T08:04:36.370+01:00Down the Tube….again.<p><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#666666">Our transport is late. Eventually I have to resort to ringing the ward to find out where it is. K has spent a fruitless watch at her bedroom window for what has seemed like hours, her coat already on, knelt up scanning the cul de sac outside for signs of our transport. Finally it arrives and we make the journey to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and my eventual venue, Ward 3. It’s not a Ward in the true sense of the word, and seems to be divided into two entirely separate parts by a door half way along the corridor, the first part is the Oncology area and the other is for Haematology. A reception desk greets you as you enter staffed by a friendly receptionist who ushers me into a side room filled with comfortable looking recliner chairs, two of which are currently occupied a lady and a gentleman who, judging by the colour of the contents of the bags slung atop the pumping equipment are both receiving some blood. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#666666">We sit down to wait for one of the nurses to fit me with a cannula. I am already late. I note that these particular chairs are actually superior to the one’s in the McMillan unit’s chemo ward, they are higher backed and much larger. Trying out the controls, I am horrified when the chair begins to rise up in the air. It turns out after trying out the controls, that they ‘tip up to help you stand’ as well as reclining. S comes into the room and asks me to place both of my hands in a bowl of hot water in order to bring my veins to the fore. <em>She’ll be lucky!</em> I think silently to myself. An attempt has been made to make the room look more attractive to be spending time in by the inclusion of two large prints on the wall, the right side has a poppy’s in a field print, and the other a very large map of the world which K is very interested in, spending her time asking me ‘<em>Where’s Spain,</em> or <em>where’s Australia?”</em> as we wait. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">A lady of American origin complete with an enthusiastic smile comes bustling in to ask us if we would like a drink. </font> </p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>“Coffee? Tea? Orange Juice?”</em> she asks, and goes bustling out of the door to a trolley parked outside in the corridor. When our drinks arrive, K has to resort to holding my cup to my mouth seeing as both my hands are otherwise occupied soaking in the bowl of hot water. At last S returns and pulls up a stool to sit in front of me, and after placing my left arm on top of a bleached white pillow, she begins inspecting my veins in the back of my left hand. She seems to be taking her time, tapping each one carefully as she goes.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>“Its a large needle.”</em> she offers in way of explanation, <em>“and I need the best vein</em>.” </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>“S, you shouldn’t have told me that!”</em> I reply. Eventually she chooses to try a vein which runs along the side of my wrist, stating that it looks the best out of the bunch. I am left handed, but the veins in the back of my right hand went AWOL last year in protest at all of the cannula fitting they had to endure. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">In order to take my mind off the ‘big needle’ I ponder to myself how we have become a like a kind of big happy family during the course of last year and this. The staff have become so familiar because they work here at the Huddersfield Royal Chemo department as well as at the McMillan unit, spending their time toing and froing between both, and their days are filled with fitting cannulas in various veins, supervising chemotherapy or blood transfusions for patients who are anaemic, and occasionally dashing to the aid of a patient who has had a bad reaction. At last the cannula is fitted and the bustling American tea lady escorts us down to the CT department waiting room. (<em>I am not familiar with this hospital, and certainly not this area we are currently in.)</em></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I try not to move my hand because it hurts at the wrist bone where the cannula is inserted. There are a few other patients sat waiting along the sides of the small waiting area, a woman and her husband over in the far corner whispering quietly to each other, and an older black man. They are both having to drink the aniseed tasting liquid that I have also usually had to drink on my previous visits to have a CT Scan. I wonder if I will also have to drink some as I contemplate the old gentleman sat across from me. He is so thin that his skin looks like tanned leather stretched across his skeletal frame, his fingers as they hold the cup are more like long thin claws, and his legs look to be merely bone through his trousers. Atop his head he wears a flat cap with small tufts of curly grey hair peeking out at each side, and because his face is so thin and skeletal, his eyes seem to be popping out as he gazes around him. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I am called in by one of the CT staff. They always wear maroon overalls. I don’t really notice much about this scanner, I don’t notice which make, or anything much about the room as I am ushered onto the bed. By now its an all too familiar routine. Head on the raised pillow. Arms placed behind your head. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>I’m just attaching the contrast dye</em>” she states “<em>Let us know if it feels uncomfortable</em>.” </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">The table containing my now prone body complete with hands stretched out above my head, moves backward and through the doughnut shaped contraption. It begins to hum and spin around. A familiar female voice states</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“ <em>Breath in and hold.”</em> I comply. “<em>Breath normally.”</em> I comply. The table and I go forwards. The spinning slows. The hum lowers. The table and I again reverse through the doughnut. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>“Breath in and hold”</em> Again I comply. <em>That’s strange! </em>I think to myself, I haven’t experienced the awful metallic taste in my mouth and the feeling that my whole body is on fire when the dye is injected. Perhaps they use a different one here! <em>“ Breath normally.”</em> I also ponder why these machines always use a female voice and why its the same voice no matter which make of scanner you happen to be under. Must be the same actress used by them all, or perhaps its a certain member of the medical profession? My heart sinks as one of the staff states over the tannoy, </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>I’m injecting the dye now Mrs L, so let me know if it feels uncomfortable won’t you?”</em> I wonder to myself what they would do if I began screaming at the top of my voice. They would have to come dashing out of the room that they always retire to. I feel a cold sensation running past my wrist, a horrid metallic taste in my mouth and suddenly my whole body feels as if I’m stood in the middle of a fire. Its a good job that it only lasts a moment or two.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>“ Breath in and hold”</em> the machine instructs. I and the table move backward. A whirring sound and the doughnut is spinning above my head. The whirring stops slowly. The spinning stops. My table containing me moves forward and out from under the machine. A member of staff helps me to get off the table and I re-join K outside. Although we are supposed to wait for the American tea lady to escort us back to Ward 3, my cannula is hurting and I need the toilet. We decide to throw caution to the winds and find our own way back. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZlWdBhT7SMw/UAukY_-AAoI/AAAAAAAAKeA/fmmM7wnlgeY/s1600-h/Ct%252520Scanner%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="SOMATOM Perspective " style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="SOMATOM Perspective " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95ZAUWXHVi59GYv2VjoI39NxElmtccG6Bm5xkPIl2hGJ_e08bH1NPi-Fmzh3SGHneq6csom32DXC4WdE_PPJjeWxdjNTjfp4Vt7Fd1G7UT3g8k5UBBnEAprBNm1aPghIx-YrH-HyQN2r3/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="462"></a></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">On our return to the ward, the lovely American tea lady bustles around our chairs, asking which sandwiches we would like for lunch, and which pudding, a jelly or a yoghurt? We choose a sandwich apiece, K chooses one of the jellies and I choose a yoghurt. She also brings us a drink in the form of tea. No one arrives to take my cannula out. No one seems in any hurry to see the back of both of us. We both eat our lunch, by now K has adjusted the chemo chair that she is sitting in so that the leg rest is up and I am pretty sure that once she had finished her lunch, she’ll be asleep. The lovely American tea lady is so helpful to everyone, I tell her that she can transfer to the McMillan unit. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I am thinking to myself that the reason why no one is in any hurry to remove my cannula is probably because they are waiting for the CT results to come through before allowing me home, and I prove to be right. Some time after lunch, the registrar visits me and informs me that he has got the CT result and yes, it shows blood clots on my lungs. I have therefore to continue with the daily <a href="http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/heart-and-blood/medicines/fragmin.html" target="_blank"><strong>Fragmin</strong></a> injections (sigh) until further notice and that he has given me a months supply, and also that he will inform my GP that I will need the injections in the future on repeat prescription. As is usual, I tell him that I am not keen on this make of injections, not that I had any love for last years<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/heart-and-blood/medicines/clexane.html" target="_blank"><strong>Clexane</strong></a>, but these are not as easy to administer yourself seeing as the needle does not auto retract inside the casing, and I am going to have to be careful not to accidentally touch it when placing it in the sharps tub, and anyway, why have they changed it? (This is why medical staff aren’t keen on me, because I speak my mind on every occasion and ask endless questions about everything.) </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">“<em>It’s exactly the same thing, just a different make we have decided to use, that’s all</em>.” he reassures me, probably silently thinking that he hopes to never have to deal with me again. He also informs me that because this is the second time I have had blood clots, when my chemo is completed I will have to take Warfarin for the rest of my life. Sigh. As soon as he has been to talk to me, S suddenly appears and promptly removes the cannula from my hand, and at last I am free to take a toilet break! We can now wait for our transport back home, and the receptionist kindly escorts us to the waiting area below. Eventually our transport arrives and we are taken home. That’s most of the day gone and I am back jabbing myself in the stomach every day for the foreseeable future. </font></p> <p><font color="#4da9c8" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">(P.S. I am not really keen on doing blog posts about my cancer treatment etc, as I am pretty sure that some won’t be keen or interested to read about any of it. However, because its become such an integral part of my life at present, it equally seems silly not to mention it, and besides, some who might be having to begin the same fight might find it useful. I am willing however, that if my readers don’t particularly want to read about any of my treatment, to post all of my Cancer related stuff in a separate blog that you could go to and read if you wanted to, or ignore if not. Please can you all let me know, and then I will keep this blog for my other light-hearted moans and groans about other subjects? Thanks.)</font></p> <p><font color="#63acd8" size="4" face="Viner Hand ITC"><strong>TG</strong></font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-28819170757031270752012-07-17T07:25:00.000+01:002012-07-17T07:36:18.231+01:00Calling people names.<p><font color="#333333" face="Bradley Hand ITC"><font size="3"><font size="2" face="Kristen ITC"></font></font></font> </p> <p><font color="#333333" face="Bradley Hand ITC"><font size="3"><font size="2" face="Kristen ITC"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bmqtFtTXQLk/UAUH1qCIoFI/AAAAAAAAKX8/V_B1Wq_DqG8/s1600-h/butterfly%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="butterfly" border="0" alt="butterfly" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Mwmp61BrXQg/UAUH3G7wMLI/AAAAAAAAKYA/pDT1lQN_SIU/butterfly_thumb%25255B18%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" height="159"></a></font></font></font></p> <p><font color="#333333" face="Bradley Hand ITC"><font size="3"><font size="2" face="Kristen ITC">I’m not quite sure how the conversation turned to the subject of people’s names as we all sat enjoying the welcome sunshine and our lunch outside the <a href="http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/openspaces/parks/manorheath/flutter-bites.html" target="_blank"><strong>Flutterbites Cafe</strong></a> after our walk on Saturday. I suppose it could have been me who stated that I was, and always had been, useless at remembering peoples names, or there again, it could have been her. However the subject was broached, I had to confess that I was terrible with names and recalled to her how it had taken me ages to ‘get a hold’ of her particular name. </font></font></font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC">“<em>You don’t look a Gerry</em>” I offered in way of explanation for the many countless times I used to refer to her as Gillian. I also confessed how I kept insisting that Paule was Paula and calling her by that name, but we both agreed that particular faux pas was in all probability because Paule was a male name, and would explain why I kept insisting on adding on the ‘a’ to convert it into the feminine. It does tend to annoy people when you can’t get a handle on their name, especially as time goes by and the first few weeks of acquaintance turn into years and your STILL getting it wrong. They don’t usually confront you with it of course, tending in my particular case to just avoid talking to you as much as possible, or scowling at your constant inability to get their name right. Rather like Pat. </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC">We both decided that in my defence, Pat is one of those people who quite simply doesn’t suit her name. She doesn’t LOOK like a Pat. It’s probably why I continually insist on calling her Margaret. She looks more like a Margaret. It suits her. As we discussed the ‘Pat’ problem, I glanced over to her, sat as she was as far away from me as possible, and mentally filed away the fact that she was called Pat, therefore I should try my best to ignore the fact that she didn’t LOOK like a Pat and get the name firmly fixed in my mind, if only so that she would perhaps converse with me more or at least give a greeting whenever we all met up on our Saturday walks. </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC">I’ve been often embarrassed by my lack of being able to remember or recall someone’s name, but our lunch time conversation at least confirmed that I wasn’t alone and that she had also found it difficult to associate some people with their given name. </font><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC">The conversion moved on to other subjects but as I pondered over it later, I realised that I must ‘LOOK’ my name because its </font><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC">fairly rare that others have called me Sheila or Anne. </font></p> <p><font color="#333333" size="2" face="Kristen ITC"><font size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG </strong></font><img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-confusedsmile" alt="Confused smile" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-N7eFlF6CAxQ/UAUH4Pj3XJI/AAAAAAAAKYI/PZyICEy8w5o/wlEmoticon-confusedsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></font></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6ae811e6-c721-4a81-aa68-cd9d89b215c4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cafe" rel="tag">cafe</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lunch" rel="tag">lunch</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/names" rel="tag">names</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/flutterbites" rel="tag">flutterbites</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-2629242820899031702012-07-14T16:13:00.000+01:002012-07-14T16:15:16.878+01:00I should have stayed in bed.<p> </p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#a5a5a5"><font color="#666666">She want’s to go to Halifax to sell some of her old DVD’s so that she can trade them for another. I’m not happy about going anywhere, but as usual I allow her to talk me into setting off to catch the bus. It’s already beginning to spit with rain as we set off and I am sorely tempted to turn around and go back home. Seeing as the bus is late at least we use our passes and by the time we reach town the rain is absolutely pouring down. Being ruled by the weather mood wise is one of my many Achilles heels. I can feel myself sinking into resentment and ill temper as we struggle to put the umbrella up and make our way through the puddles to the shop. She trades in her few wares but she hasn’t made enough vouchers and so I have to make up the difference by giving her money towards her longed for purchase. </font></font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">As I wait outside the shop others quickly pass by clasping their umbrellas or huddled under hoods. No one is loitering, all are hurrying and scurrying past on their way to wherever they must be, dripping raincoats, scowling faces, black looks. I decide that my ordeal should be rewarded with a purchase for myself, a new pair of jeans from Bon Marche and maybe some new pyjamas, so when she emerges triumphant from the shop clutching her precious prize, we brave the wet cobbles and motor onwards and upwards to my chosen store. After finding some attractive pyjamas, we discover that they don’t have my size in my chosen jeans but hey! all is not lost as they have two pairs in stock in their Huddersfield branch! </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">We decide to cock a snook at this ill fated day and continue onto Huddersfield. After all I reason to myself, it surely can’t get any worse can it? Arriving in the bus station, we see that the bus to Huddersfield is just pulling out of the stand, but he is having to wait to depart because other buses are in front of him. Looking like two demented idiots, we gesture and wave to attract the drivers attention, hoping that he will open the doors and let us on, but…… he casually ignores us and drives off. Steam is literally coming out of my ears. We now have nine minutes to wait for the next one. Leaving her waiting at the bus stand, I stomp off to the shop for some sweets to calm my tattered nerves and a drink for us both whilst we wait. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">During the journey to Huddersfield, the rain really belts down in bucketful's so that by the time we arrive at Huddersfield bus station, there are rivers of it running down everywhere and you have to take extra care where to walk. Jeans finally purchased, we quickly find a cafe for some lunch and a welcome shelter from the rain. Even she looks ready to burst into tears, and nothing ever fazes her. I feel like death. I ache from head to foot and feel so tired. As soon as we have finished our lunch, we return to the bus station for our bus home. I look around at the other people waiting for the bus at our stand. They all look so forlorn and fed up, blank dismal faces peering out from hooded raincoats which are dripping with raindrops onto the already puddled floor. We would all have been much wiser to remain this day tucked up in our warm beds, listening to the rain as it beat against our windows outside. We should have all had more sense than to venture out on this particular day of all days seeing as it was Friday the 13th. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG </strong></font></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:27139bba-b515-4f2d-b27c-905b5f529e22" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/dvd" rel="tag">dvd</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/halifax" rel="tag">halifax</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rain" rel="tag">rain</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/umbrella" rel="tag">umbrella</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bus" rel="tag">bus</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/station" rel="tag">station</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/huddersfield" rel="tag">huddersfield</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-59101719859504595572012-07-11T11:28:00.000+01:002012-07-11T17:50:16.830+01:00A Chance Encounter.<p><font size="3"><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#666666">As I stroll along the road towards the supermarket, she is coming towards me accompanied by a man that I presume is her husband. I haven’t seen her for an age. How long? I can’t remember but its a long time. She recognises me despite the fact that I have changed so much. She hasn’t changed at all. Not one iota. In fact, it takes not a smattering of imagination to see her still walking backwards at the side of the traveller, needle in hand, stitching the ends of a rug as it emerges from my machine. She was one of my ‘sewers off’ (<em>our description</em>) or assistant, and we worked together for a while until she received the calling to be a nurse. I recall that time vividly because she wasn’t the only one who decided to enter the nursing profession. It was as if the finishing department had been visited by some nurse recruitment officer with a very persuasive tongue, and she wasn’t the only friend of mine to leave and take up nursing, though she was the only one who became a state registered nurse. I can also recall at the time wondering if I wasn’t being prompted to take up nursing, seeing as everyone else seemed to be getting the calling, perhaps I reasoned it was a hint that I should also consider a change of profession? </font></font></font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I knew the question would come. After all, she was a nurse. I didn’t want to answer it. It’s strange how none of us like to admit that we aren’t well health wise, and as it was unlikely that I would see her again, I did toy with stating the usual. ‘Oh, I’m fine!’ or some such and moving the conversation sharply onto other topics. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">‘<em>How are you?</em>’ she asked. <em>‘Last time I saw you was in the Cardiac Unit, do you remember?</em>’ Ahh, yes of course!</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I told her the truth about my current battle. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">‘<em>Oh, I am sorry!</em>’ How I hate it all. I don’t want any pity. Its why its so tempting to lie and say your feeling on top of the world. Inwardly I grimace, but thankfully she asks about Kerri and how she is coping with it all. I relate about how she ended up nursing me last year and how she comes into her own if I am not feeling well. How suddenly she becomes a different person, in her element with the tables turned. </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS"><em>‘I’m pretty certain that she would have been a nurse Kath if she hadn’t had special needs, its sort of there inside her, a built in desire to care and I have been so grateful for her being there this last year</em>.’ </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">‘ <em>I know exactly what you mean! I always say, there’s always a reason why things happen. My Mum was in her early 40’s when she had me, and yet when she got older, she realised that if I hadn’t been born, there would have been no one to look after her when she became ill, and its the same thing with you. Kerri was born to you for a reason, and now you are finding out why.</em>’ </font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">All those years that I had known her, I had never heard her say anything as profound as the statement she had just made. We parted company wishing each other the best, as she is now due to retire and I hoped that she would enjoy it all more than I have enjoyed retirement. Will I see her again in the future? It all depends. She has promised to stay in touch and visit in the future so who knows? But that chance encounter really gave me food for thought as I continued on my way.</font></p> <p><font color="#666666" size="2" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG </strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ed12ac3a-554b-496c-a030-99be6f4675f7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/encounter" rel="tag">encounter</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/nurse" rel="tag">nurse</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/assistant" rel="tag">assistant</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/retire" rel="tag">retire</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326467594382112544.post-87339145607197818542012-07-08T11:22:00.000+01:002012-07-08T11:23:35.089+01:00A Picture says a thousand words.<p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">I read lot’s of blogs where the author can write interesting stories that grip you, and that you just can’t resist reading without the need for the inclusion of a picture or photo with which to illustrate their subject matter. I have never tried to compose a blog post without a picture, in fact looking back, it was blogging that really encouraged me to never leave my humble abode without a camera stashed about my person ‘just in case’ an incident occurred that might be the prompt for an interesting blog post. Some bloggers are capable enough to be able to ‘paint a picture’ to their readers without feeling the need to include the subject matter pictorially. I find that I seem to need the extra impetus of a picture of my subject matter in order to spur me into writing or to give me ideas for a blog post but I do wish my words stood on their own. I can enjoy reading someone’s blog post who relies entirely on words contained within simply because as a reader, I then have to use my imagination to visualise the scene or the incident that the writer is describing without the visual prompt of a picture to guide me, I can let my own imagination run riot, fully imagining the people featured in the post, how they look and appear and this is of course usually made easier to do when the author make ample use of descriptive words in order to describe the scene and the persons appearing in it, and this is especially true if I have had personal experience of similar incidents in my life. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">Could I do the same? Could I write a post consisting of just words that held my readers interest without a pictorial ‘clue’ or intro? Can I be descriptive enough without using a ‘trigger’ to entice my readers to stay awhile and linger? Indeed, would it be true to myself to use only words and not to rely on a pictorial clue as to the content? Trouble is, I need to illustrate, not only the post itself, but also my thoughts and feelings. </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS">What do you all think? Do you always feel the need to include a picture or photo to help convey your story?</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe Print"><strong>TG </strong></font></p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2c6f46f5-7ebc-4981-b5ae-876609c6be2d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/picture" rel="tag">picture</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/photo" rel="tag">photo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/illustration" rel="tag">illustration</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/blog" rel="tag">blog</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/story" rel="tag">story</a></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03565202952790011951noreply@blogger.com2