01 Mar 2010
Posted in Life, Self-indulgence at 5:20 pm by alby
If it is then it’s a bloomin good one.
I went to work this morning feeling good and happy despite the early hour.
First patient was dutifully waiting for me as I arrived at 5 to 8. I need those 5 minutes to get changed from the cycle ride there and set up the clinic and get the computer on etc.
Called him in and started work. Halfway through the session I started to feel very dizzy. I carried on and just got more and more dizzy.
Colleagues came to my rescue just after I ushered this guy out. I ended up lying on a treatment couch with my legs up and a BP monitor on me. My BP was fine but my heart rate was up in the 90’s.
One of the benefits of working at a GP place is that there are doctors around so I went to see one.
Verdict: viral labyrinthitis.
She sent me home for a week but cautioned that it might take longer. The web sites I’ve briefly looked at say anything from 1-6 weeks. And I don’t want to look into the longer term possibilities that some of them mention.
I’ve been having a bit of dull hearing on my left side for a few days and I wonder if that was the initial notice I had of this. I thought it was just a bit of wax which I couldn’t shift.
So now I’m in bed. Movement makes me nauseous, standing isn’t the nicest way to be and I’ve been told I shouldn’t drive. My bike’s at work (boss gave me a lift home) so that leaves me walking everywhere for a while.
Luckily I actually have some food in at the mo (gasps from many).
Bleurgh.
Oh and the mild blessing in disguise is that I am actually going to be at home now so this useless delivery company can finally get my radio to me with a fair chance that I’ll be in.
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05 Feb 2010
Posted in Life, Self-indulgence at 4:28 pm by alby
Two things occurred today.
Firstly I did an on-line “Are You Autistic?” quiz. Apparently scoring 32 or higher is very common in those we see as autistic. I scored a worryingly close 28.
And secondly, after lots of hassle with crap internet support from my ISP I changed it today. The lady on the phone was very nice and had a lovely Welsh accent and things went smoothly and I’ve now switched providers for both phone and broadband. Got my confirmation email and it was addressed to a “Mr Williams”. I thought this was a little odd. For 2 reasons – 1 I hadn’t used that name at any point in the conversation and nor had she, and 2 the dDebit details were for my account and with the correct name and my email address has my correct name before the @.
Weird.
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09 Aug 2009
Posted in People, Self-indulgence, Travel at 9:33 pm by alby
Hi all
Most of the locals know by now but I’d like to make a welcome to the woman who shall be known as R on here now and again. She lovely and I’m happy.
[edit: just spotted that this pic looks rubbish in IE. You should be using a decent browser anyway but there's a better version of this pic in the weekend photos, link at end of post]
Anyways we went away this weekend. We ended up camping near Edale in the Peak District. Beautiful place and we had stunning weather.
The field we were in had rather more than the average amount of sheep poo but was well located near an ice-cream shop and some wonderful scenery.
The owner seemed to be an very old man who lived in a decrepit farmhouse. The house itself didn’t look too habitable but he seemed to manage.
On Saturday we walked and walked. We started going up from the site to Edale and then up Mam Tor and along Rushup Edge before getting lost and finally making our way back to the campsite.
We’d bought barbecue stuff and a crappy portable BBQ. We managed adequately with food but that was enough for us.
Sunday was spent de-camping (slowly) and then more walking, including a trip down Blue John Cavern. Nice guide by the name of Brian and worth a look.
Then it was back home via rellies (hers) and more food.
Photos here.
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19 May 2009
Posted in Self-indulgence, Work at 8:35 pm by alby
Well what a day!
Tuesdays are a long day for me at work. Start at 8 and finish at 5.30 with 30mins for lunch. Doesn’t sound too bad but when the diary is full it makes for a hectic time.
More so today as I’ve loads to do before tomorrow. Student diary to organise. Work out who’s going to have to have time booked off when for student supervision purposes. Letters that need to go out today, referrals to go through (which ones need to be urgent etc), dealing with late patients and problems of other staff. Oh yes and there was no receptionist today either. This means that if a patient is late then there’s no-one handy to let me know. This means multiple trips to the waiting area, just to check they’re not late.
Patients are allowed 10 mins before we can say we’re not going to see them.
So why, on the busiest days, does everyone show up 9 mins late?
It means there’s less time to see them, because of the 3 or so trips to the waiting area there’s been no time to do any of the other jobs I need to do either.
And that was me today. All day! Just hectic.
Failed to get a load of letters done and no time tomorrow either. Grr, they’ll have to wait until Tuesday (when naturally I have a full diary again so still may not have any time).
So that was the “fall”.
Got home to find that my dad has decided to get a new car; which means I get first dibs on his old one. Newer and comfier and more reliable than my current one. Huzzah.
Oh and I got my certificate from the Pilates people. I am now a qualified Pilates trainer. Whoot!
And an 80% on the exam (a mainly subjective exam it should be noted) and my droppy area was “you need to practice the movements a little more” so I can demo them better. But I sort of knew that one. Oh and apparently I “need to highlight positives as well as negatives”. Me negative and picky? As if.
A better end than beginning to the day.
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10 Apr 2009
Posted in Life, People, Self-indulgence at 6:47 pm by alby
I’ve recently had a semi-distant elderly relative die. I didn’t really know the lady too well but I’ve currently visiting my parents and they have a bunch of her belongings at home so I’ve been having a bit of a troll through and finding out some more.
One of the wotsits is a long letter from someone to her. This someone was in the army with her husband and the second part of the letter is his description of an action they both took part in (her husband is the “Tony Plumb” mentioned). I believe the letter was received after his death in 1986.
It does give quite a human face to having to do something risky and it being something that just had to be done.
Anyway if you’re interested I’ve copied it, word for word beyond the clicky. Action takes place in the Reichswald battle.
Read the rest of this entry »
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31 Mar 2009
Posted in Self-indulgence, Travel at 4:51 pm by alby
After spending a week with D and his swanky iPhone I’m getting to think that I may like an iPod Touch. Would be useful for the long Australia flight and other travels.
Help required:
Are they worth the money? Are there any other options that do the same job but aren’t so tied to the DRM and Apple brand?
Would be most interested in hearing opinions.
Ta.
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23 Jan 2009
Posted in Juggling, Self-indulgence, Work at 1:36 pm by alby
…we’ve got bee..yer…
I had a couple of guests on Wednesday. Ruth and John popped over for food and chats.
I cooked a rather nice baked hodgepodge of veg ‘n’ rice ‘n’ trout. I thought I’d done enough for us 3 plus the following day’s dinner but we all wanted seconds so none left for Thursday sadly. Very nice indeed.
Ruth rather sweetly brought me a couple of beers over. One’s Kwak and the other’s some Kenyan lager – new to me that one.
This weekend should be fun. I have to miss a fun event (BoB) to go and sit in a lecture theatre and physio room for 2 days (again) on yet another course. Thankfully work are actually paying for this one and I even get an extra day time off for using 2 weekend days to go a work course. Will still be dead by the end of it tho.
But if it’s not tipping it down I think I may well be requiring beer of a Sunday evening.
Oh and do tell me lots of tales of BoB. I will be missing seeing folk.
Have fun.
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16 Jan 2009
Posted in Life, Self-indulgence, Travel, Work at 4:01 pm by alby
Things seem to have a habit of getting in the way of plans.
Work has just, literally today, got quite a lot more interesting. There will be stuff that needs a lot of work on. This work will be interesting, testing and one hell of a good thing for me to try and get done for personal as well as career reasons.
So what does this mean for my “going somewhere foreign” plans?
Well it’s going to sound like a bit of a cop-out but I am going to stay and see what happens with work.
In addition I’m down to start learning to teach Pilates properly (starting tomorrow), there’s more teaching coming up soon that I’m right keen on too. To get to the end of those plans will take at least a year. Oh and I’m going to try and get some english teaching experience too. It’s going to be a busy year.
In other news it looks like the EJC isn’t going to be on my list of events this year as I doubt I’ll have the annual leave to enable it. But it does look like I may be attending the Melbourne Juggling Convention instead. Wahoo!
Have fun.
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11 Jan 2009
Posted in Self-indulgence at 1:07 pm by alby
As I’ve been off work for ages I’ve been avoiding shaving too often (dull and uncomfortable). The last time before today was the 1st of Jan. So I had a bit of a beard for the first time in an awfy long while.
But it’s gone now.
For the record tho:
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16 Dec 2008
Posted in Life, Self-indulgence, Work at 11:35 pm by alby
Got a call from my boss this afternoon. It seems that I can’t go back until after I’ve been cleared a: by the fracture clinic and subsequently by b: the occy health dept.
My fracture clinic appointment is at 3pm on the 31st December (aarggh!) so I can’t inform my boss until the 2nd which means I might get the occy health appointment at some point the week beginning the 5th.
So hopefully I’ll be back at work on or around the 12th Jan.
Problem is what to do in the meantime.
Christmas Day is pretty sorted but the rest of this week will be a pain as I’m still not able to manage basic jobs, such as washing up, with any real success.
Oh and the other depressing thing about today was seeing an entire section in WHSmith this afternoon with book covers depicting faces of misery. Looking up I saw that the section was entitled “Tragic life stories”. Blimey. I didn’t think there was quite that appetite for unrelenting misery. Maybe I should try and get Lilya 4-Ever in that section. It might shift a copy or so more.
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