The Sturdy Soapbox

Home run

Well that went unexpectedly smoothly, new hard drive, windows install and update plus put all his pictures back on in an afternoon.

Don't tell the welder though, I told him I want a pint for doing all this so quickly.

 

Can ya fix me puter

Look who's been by with his RAM chips and hard drive in hand, looking like a lost puppy...  Can ya fix me puter  ?  AGAIN !

That was a long day

Got back in to Walsall just after five o clock.  I'm in a lot of discomfort with my spine, Amy did warn me and I wasn't to know I was going to be subjected to that amount of workover, or else I would have chosen another day for that and deal with it as a separate issue to the three things I had to do at the QE.

The ultrasound and X ray were simple enough, a lot of waiting, but the staff as usual were well organised. 

The doctor I saw last year gave me a form which I have nursed through the move without losing, for a blood test.  I went to the new area where these things are conducted and it was mayhem.  One person conducting all required blood tests and she was visibly stressed.

The trip home was littered with idiots, a combination of thick strudents (if they are our future, we're fucked) and of course chavs.  I am certain I will be convicted of chavicide before much longer, hateful, useless scum that they are.

Doors open on a trainload of people, but the chavs have to get on before anyone gets off, ditto when lift doors open. 

What's the similarity between a chav and a slinky ? Neither has any useful purpose, but it is fun to watch one fall downstairs.

 

Ouch

I'd got some discomfort in both neck and spine this morning, which I told Amy the physio about.

She went to work, said breathe out as hard as you can (this was to stop me from being able to scream) as she pushed and my spine made about five loud cracks.  She also did an exercise with my neck which was quite nice, but left me very light headed.

By the time I got home, I needed this samosa as reward for being a brave little soldier.  She did warn me I might ache afterwards and I do.  WIsh I didn't have to travel to the hospital.

Got time to bolster myself with a couple of cappuccinos then it's into the fray.

A busy day of walking and prodding beckons

First thing I have physio at 9:30 which is a three mile round walk but it does mean I have to pass the samosa shop.

Then it's a ride on a train (well two actually) to the hospital where I was cut open, for a scan on my kidney or what's left of it and a chest X ray and a blood test.  I have to return next Tuesday to discuss the results with the surgeon.

So, I shall walk approaching 5 miles today and I am going to reduce my calories between now and my Dec 13th meeting with Jenny, cos despite all my hard work, I am not shifting an ounce. Exect the grumps, as it will mean a reduction in cappuccinos and the likes, Grrr.

Not a pot washed or a sausage pricked

Usually by half twelve on a Sunday (as it is now), my lunch is well under way.

I've only just put it in, thanks to the welder who rang me mid-morning.

He's decided to take my advice after I mended his laptop in the week for the same fault that is now recurring. I suggested he puts in a new hard drive and at the same time upgrade the RAM from 512 Mb to 2 Gig.

I will spare you the hour's painful step by step instruction to assist him in doing a simple transaction on E Bay "address, there's where I live ay it"...

We had to repeat this for the transaction to buy RAM.  I was on the phone for well over an hour, in parts huffing and puffing in frustration.  He tried to assert himself as alpha male during this  period with "I'd like to see yo with a sponner".

Meaning just because he's not as experienced as I am on a computer.  Later I spoke with Pat and she told me he will never admit he's in the wrong.  She also stated that if she hadn't got him, he'd be in a home somewhere by now, which amused me enough to repeat it here.

She's took him into Wolverhampton shopping now.  I can imagine it now, announcement over the tannoy "We've a lost welder here, could someone come and collect him from the managers office.

Or maybe "pat, can I have a donut" ? " Pat can we go in McDonalds" ?  "Pat do you fancy I pint, I do"...

So, after all that I was an hour and a half late peeling my potatoes and putting my lunch in the oven and I've had to have two cappuccinos to get over the experience before reporting it in on here.

Also, he sent me this picture he took of me last week post curry, in my socks n sandals !

 

Yes, I have saveloys again

I passed on the pigs tails though.

Fortunately, the saveloys were frozen, so I have put the majority of the bag in the freezer and taken out a calorie controlled two  (you're still talking round 450 calories), for today.

Both buses late this morning.  Tried to take some pics of the Christmas lights in town, but the night setting on the phone cam is too sensitive and the shutter speed too low.  Will try again on normal setting next time I am down there. They're not that exciting to be honest.

The wild mushroom chase

One of my Flickr pals Beasty, took this in the arboretum yesterday.  He told me whereabouts to look and at first light, I scoured the sodding arboretum looking for red musrooms to photograph, seeing how I have never seen one of these in the flesh, only on telly and in books about fairies.

This is all I found and this was nowhere near where Beasty said the fairytale ones were.  In fact if I hadn't stopped to look at a cheeky squirrel who was givin me evils, I would never have seen these.

Of course, the welder has to go one better every time.  Out on his romp with Roger over Himley, he found this.

Always has to go one better doesn't he ?

All that aside, it's another display of nature reflecting the cold dampness of late November that suddenly all these rarely seen mushrooms should suddenly appear.

If Beasty sends me a map, I will go have another look on Sunday.

Sunset over Birchills and the lights go on

Lee who lives about a quarter of a mile away, just sent me a tweet to say he can see my Christmas balcony lights.  Has he made my day or what, as I didn't think they were bright enough to be seen.

Colours three

My plant which fruited, is now sporting chillies of three differerent colours. Deep purple, red and cream (plus the pasty green they all start out at).