Have any of you come across this yet? Rather addictive I'm afraid. I've posted a new link at the bottom of the sidebar so I can bore you with the minutiae of my life. (When I remember...) If it feels like it's working, I may promote it up the order a bit. Or if not, just drop it.
Let me know if you sign up. Hey - we could be Friends!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Alfie Break!
It's OK - I promise not to turn this into a Dog Blog!
In the middle of a long work day I took a short break to pop over to the kennels and see him.
Looking good eh?
In the middle of a long work day I took a short break to pop over to the kennels and see him.
Looking good eh?
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Wreath
Long term readers will remember that I do this every year - take my Christmas wreath to my mum's house in let it float away down the canal. It always feels like a peaceful, connected thing to do...
I stayed with her and G while I was working in Birmingham on Thursday and Friday. Lovely see them - and a nice canalside walk with G on Saturday morning.
Called in to see J on the way home and went out for a meal and a catch up. We're both really stressed with work at the moment but it's great to talk about that stuff with someone who understands the weirdness of the jobs we both do. Home this afternoon and trying to relax before the fray starts again tomorrow!
I'm still rather sore. It's beareable but I'd hate to think that it was long term thing.
I stayed with her and G while I was working in Birmingham on Thursday and Friday. Lovely see them - and a nice canalside walk with G on Saturday morning.
Called in to see J on the way home and went out for a meal and a catch up. We're both really stressed with work at the moment but it's great to talk about that stuff with someone who understands the weirdness of the jobs we both do. Home this afternoon and trying to relax before the fray starts again tomorrow!
I'm still rather sore. It's beareable but I'd hate to think that it was long term thing.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Anniversary
I'm going to have to decide what to do about the various anniversaries related to my cancer. Some are more significant than others I'm sure - but I don't know which ones yet! And even if I did, all I'd want to do is acknowledge and move on...
So that's what I'll do now.
It's a year ago today that I had the major surgery that removed my tumour - oh and of course, left me with The Bag for 10 months!
So that's what I'll do now.
It's a year ago today that I had the major surgery that removed my tumour - oh and of course, left me with The Bag for 10 months!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Alfie
Meet Alfie -my Special Project.
A Border Terrier/Labrador Cross ( I know - it doesn't bear thinking about...) from the RSPCA.
I've been thinking about getting a dog for a while and the time just feels right. He feels just right.
He's three years old ( and - like me, an Aquarius) and his previous owners had to let him go because of a marital split. A nice temperament and no bad habits as far as they know.
I'm talking to various kennels about putting him up while I have to be away with work ( Old friends will know that that's what I used to do with my last dog Thistle when I first came up to the North East) but I'm also hoping that having him will mean that I gain a bit more control of when ( and how much) I'm away anyway.
I'm not taking him immediately. He'll stay in the kennels until February 10th when I'm planning to take a mixture of leave and Working At Home for a fortnight so I can settle him in properly. But I plan to visit him a lot in the meantime.
It's a big commitment but it's something I've thought about a lot and really want to do.
And yes, it's about getting on with life.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunday Update
I rang Mr Bain's secretary on Friday. I've got a new appointment for er.. February 14th. Not SO long to wait eh? I'm glad actually - for the last couple of days things have been good but today I've got sore again. Things are definitely better - but still not right.
A fairly quiet weeekend - I met J off the train after her trip to Bulgaria on Friday. Lovely to catch up with her.
Saturday - some important movement on The Special Project I spoke about last week - more on that soon... ( Go -on - guess what it is! I've left clues you know... )
A fairly quiet weeekend - I met J off the train after her trip to Bulgaria on Friday. Lovely to catch up with her.
Saturday - some important movement on The Special Project I spoke about last week - more on that soon... ( Go -on - guess what it is! I've left clues you know... )
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A Day From Hell!
Up early this morning for a day trip down to Surrey for an important work meeting. A bit of snow had fallen in the night but nothing of concern. I got the train - about 10 minutes late - and the journey began.
About two hours into it they announced that the train would be two hours late arriving in London because of a speed restriction due to bad weather! No chance at all of getting to my meeting in time so hurried mobile phone conversations with my team and the client - off at the next station and onto a delayed train back North.
An hour into that journey that train broke down! Complete loss of power. Then a 3 hour wait just North of Doncaster for a rescue train. No food - and few toilets (the doors are mostly electric) - fortunately in my current state the one triggers the other - so I was hungry but not horrible. Some entertainment during the ( inceasingly cold) stop provided by the unmistakeable ecologist and TV personality Dr David Bellamy (he lives in Durham so I see him quite often) - at least he was a distraction from the mobile phonebabble.
A change of train at York - and then, just as I thought nothing more could go wrong there was a problem with the signals and the train zoomed through Durham without stopping! So - up to Newcastle and back again at the end of a long long day.
Eventually home 12 hours (11 of them on a train) after leaving home- and food at last!
The only positive thing about today was a phone message from my consultant Mr Bain apologising for yesterday and wanting to know how I am. He asked me to ring his secretary and make a new appointment - isn't that nice?
Or should I be worried about that...?
About two hours into it they announced that the train would be two hours late arriving in London because of a speed restriction due to bad weather! No chance at all of getting to my meeting in time so hurried mobile phone conversations with my team and the client - off at the next station and onto a delayed train back North.
An hour into that journey that train broke down! Complete loss of power. Then a 3 hour wait just North of Doncaster for a rescue train. No food - and few toilets (the doors are mostly electric) - fortunately in my current state the one triggers the other - so I was hungry but not horrible. Some entertainment during the ( inceasingly cold) stop provided by the unmistakeable ecologist and TV personality Dr David Bellamy (he lives in Durham so I see him quite often) - at least he was a distraction from the mobile phonebabble.
A change of train at York - and then, just as I thought nothing more could go wrong there was a problem with the signals and the train zoomed through Durham without stopping! So - up to Newcastle and back again at the end of a long long day.
Eventually home 12 hours (11 of them on a train) after leaving home- and food at last!
The only positive thing about today was a phone message from my consultant Mr Bain apologising for yesterday and wanting to know how I am. He asked me to ring his secretary and make a new appointment - isn't that nice?
Or should I be worried about that...?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Deflated!
Although I wasn't exactly looking forward to the appointment with Mr Bain the consultant today, I was keen for it to happen so that I could get some answers.
But it was cancelled! I turned up in plenty of time to a waiting area full of people. As mine was the last appointment of the day, I knew something was up. The receptionist said that he had had to go to theatre for an emergency and although I was welcome to wait er... - at that point she just looked at all the people and raised her eyebrows...
A new appointment - April! I can't (and won't) wait that long so I'll give Alison the ColoRectal Nurse a call tomorrow and see what she can do for me. I should be able to get something sooner than that.
So now I'm home, I just feel deflated. It's like I just begin to feel I have some control over my life and then it's snapped away. All in their good time - not mine....
It's like I haven't been signed off yet.
But it was cancelled! I turned up in plenty of time to a waiting area full of people. As mine was the last appointment of the day, I knew something was up. The receptionist said that he had had to go to theatre for an emergency and although I was welcome to wait er... - at that point she just looked at all the people and raised her eyebrows...
A new appointment - April! I can't (and won't) wait that long so I'll give Alison the ColoRectal Nurse a call tomorrow and see what she can do for me. I should be able to get something sooner than that.
So now I'm home, I just feel deflated. It's like I just begin to feel I have some control over my life and then it's snapped away. All in their good time - not mine....
It's like I haven't been signed off yet.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Peter Porter
J and I went to hear PP read at Colpitts on Friday night. He was very good - as was John Lucas who read with him.
And a nice day with J on Saturday - the highlight was a trip out er..somehwere. ( I've got a Special Project on at the moment and so I don't want to say anymore for the moment in case it goes awry.) J went home at teatime to prepare for a trip to Bulgaria next week.
Healthwise things have been reasonably OK in the last few days - I'm still getting some soreness though. I'm seeing Mr Bain on Wednesday for my post-op check up though so hopefully he'll be able to help me get that sorted.
And a nice day with J on Saturday - the highlight was a trip out er..somehwere. ( I've got a Special Project on at the moment and so I don't want to say anymore for the moment in case it goes awry.) J went home at teatime to prepare for a trip to Bulgaria next week.
Healthwise things have been reasonably OK in the last few days - I'm still getting some soreness though. I'm seeing Mr Bain on Wednesday for my post-op check up though so hopefully he'll be able to help me get that sorted.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Birmingham
Wednesday night in the Jury's Hotel. My second night here - down to Woking tomorrow and then home in the evening. A long week but it feels like the old me doing it - a bit manic, a lot sharp - and feeling quite good healthwise.Be glad to be home though...
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Ease and DisEase
A slow and low weekend - for a variety of reasons - but I think mostly to do with getting grips with a new year - a post-cancer treatment year. It's not going to be as simple as A Single Bad Year is it? Of course, I really knew that - but it was a way to get me through the treatment. But actually nothing changed on 1 January - life continued is all.
As I've said before, I just want get on with the rest of that life - to feel properly post-cancer. It's a life that's changed though - I'm only just beginning the process of finding out how.
Anyway - on the physical side, the latest treatment seems to have worked - I feel so much more comfortable now. Normally I'd spare the general blog reader this kind of detail - but someone out there might find this useful sometime - and some relief!
As I've said before, I just want get on with the rest of that life - to feel properly post-cancer. It's a life that's changed though - I'm only just beginning the process of finding out how.
Anyway - on the physical side, the latest treatment seems to have worked - I feel so much more comfortable now. Normally I'd spare the general blog reader this kind of detail - but someone out there might find this useful sometime - and some relief!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Big In Byker
Topsy has used two of my photos for an installation that's going up at Byker Metro Station in a few weeks. How about that eh?
(Click the photo and then see under Menage A Moi)
I went to see the doctor again this morning to try and get the discomfort sorted - when I eventually got a new prescription I discovered from the chemist that it was out of stock! Back to the doc to get a different one on the recommendation of the pharmacist this time. I'll see how it goes tonight.
(Click the photo and then see under Menage A Moi)
I went to see the doctor again this morning to try and get the discomfort sorted - when I eventually got a new prescription I discovered from the chemist that it was out of stock! Back to the doc to get a different one on the recommendation of the pharmacist this time. I'll see how it goes tonight.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Back to Work...
....and a quiet day spent at home just catching up with the pre-Christmas panics.
I'm glad not to be away this week as I'm still in some discomfort. I've stopped using the latest stuff the doctor gave me - mainly because it's so painful to er.., apply - but also because I'm pretty sure that this isn't thrush. I've made another appointment to see him later in the week.
I'm glad not to be away this week as I'm still in some discomfort. I've stopped using the latest stuff the doctor gave me - mainly because it's so painful to er.., apply - but also because I'm pretty sure that this isn't thrush. I've made another appointment to see him later in the week.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
I meant to say that in the morning - but it's morning now and I appear to still be up!
I hope that 2007 is happy and healthy and that what you seek, you find.
I've decided that I'm going to keep this blog going for a while longer - maybe just not quite so regularly. But who knows really …?
If things seem quiet here and you just want to get in touch, please email me. Close friends know my private email adress(es) anyway but I've set this one up for contacts via the blog. (You know how it is…) :
moi@menage.me.uk
I hope that 2007 is happy and healthy and that what you seek, you find.
I've decided that I'm going to keep this blog going for a while longer - maybe just not quite so regularly. But who knows really …?
If things seem quiet here and you just want to get in touch, please email me. Close friends know my private email adress(es) anyway but I've set this one up for contacts via the blog. (You know how it is…) :
moi@menage.me.uk
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