Sunday 4th August 2019

Croatian: Nedjelja, 4 Kolovoza 2019. Godine

I got Josie’s meal going, at least the potatoes on the boil.

Back to trying, or more like praying, the computer failings and faults will have been rectified after my bemused bumbling about not knowing what the hell I was doing or why things had gone so wrong – and ended up restarting the computer.

I noticed as I glanced down at my legs, it appeared that the Mysteries of my beloved Woodthorpe Court. They lie hidden somewhere between the twilight zone and a wormhole slipping through a tear in the fabric of space & the spacetime continuum, illusion, delusion, & hallucination, had revisited me! This time to tattoo the legs with more spider-veins, print some more blood papsule, etc. a bruise or two, a few added spots on my legs? Hehe!

I opened Firefox, and it let me get this far, anyway, without the odd not understandable to me messages about changing various drivers to continue using this computer, and self-crashing websites.

I Pray for things to stay this way – working!

I went in to check on Josie’s potatoes in the pan. The handle on the lid fell to pieces as I lifted it off the saucepan.

Then I spilt boiling water over the stove, but managed to avoid getting any on my body! Lucky, there! Got it cleaned up.

Then second the challenge of the day. I bits would not fit together again. However, I kept a lid that does not match any pan, other than one I burnt and ruined a month ago. Then I cunningly took the screw-in-handle off of that one, and put it onto the bigger lidless lid! Now my being as much use as a whipped-cream jet engine, to DIYing. This took me a while to sort out and get done.

Eventually, I partially succeeded! There wasn’t too much blood loss. I blame the wobbling shaking hand and fingers (Even though, they were not playing up at the time – Hehehe!) And the screwdrivers. Humph!

Back to the computer, which was not playing up. Thank You, God! And got on with updating this blog for a while.

Then, it was time for me to get the late ablutions done. A wee-wee beforehand proved to be of the DTAO (Dribbling-tinkling-all-over) variety. I have to remember to take two samples with me in the vials tomorrow, for two of the three nurses appointments.

I shall put the computer into sleep mode, and return later folks! (I hope).

The shave, shower, and sh… Porcelain Throne Session was not one of the easiest I’ve ever had:

• Shaving cuts.
• Dropped a disinfectant bottle, shaving-foam, razor, soap, and toilet cleaner bottle!
• Clouted head on the wall bar in the shower. As the right leg did a combined version of a one-minute waltz and Neuropathic Schuhplattler.
• Bruises from the sock-glide battle.
• Stubbed my toe.
• And got bescumbered while on the throne.

I concentrated on Josie’s meal preparation. The photo I took of it, joined the realms of the so many mysteries of my beloved Woodthorpe Court. That lies somewhere between the twilight zone and a wormhole slipping through a tear in the fabric of space & the universal continuum, illusion, delusion, & hallucination, and disappeared from the SD card, off into the ether?

I delivered the tray of fodder to Josie’s door and left her to eat it while it was still warm. Back to the flea-pit, and set about doing my nosh.

Just taking the potatoes out from the oven, and Sister Jane rang on the landline. I felt terrible having to cut her off so quickly but explained why. I was worried I might have left something in the kitchen in a dangerous state. Hot oven door open, pan of peas still in saucepan boiling, that sort of thing. I’ll try to ring her tomorrow, although it might not get done, with all the medical appointments to attend to.

 The meal ended up with mixed results.

The ham was a bit pongy when I got it near the mouth, so I threw it away. The pork pie had gone all soft and watery, so I threw it away. Those mini-tomatoes were bitter, but I ate a few of them. The apple slices were dry and bland tasting. The imitation ball-bearing-like constituency, solid-as-a-rock, beetroots were beyond tasteless!

On the plus side, the cheesy potatoes and garden peas with balsamic vinegar were delightful! Overall Flavour-Rating… 3/10, Humph!

I fell asleep after eating what bit I did of the fodder. I’d left the door unlocked in case Josie called. Which as I was waking up, she did, bless her. Josie was returning the plate and cutlery and tray: all washed up for me. I felt well-cheered up when she said how much she’d enjoyed the dinner.

The left earhole has been giving me shooting, stabbing pains all day, and they seemed to be affecting me more frequently now.

The day’s stresses got to me, and all spirit dissipated into the ether. Which was stopping me getting to sleep! I thought I’d mention this to the nurse in the morning, but they will not do anything, other than the usual unctuous, ‘Book an appointment with the Doctor.’ Which can take up to a three-week wait; by then, the stabbing pains may have stopped? Feh!

Other worries floated into the grey-cell area, everything I think. From the EU and Brexit, 1950-60s music, dream analysationing, global warming… Oh dear. What a right, Nebkh!

I ended up watching some Gordon (verbal-ventilator) Ramsay Hells Kitchen programmes. I say viewing, I spent more time nodding-off and washing up than watching. Shlimazel!

 

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Monday 5th August 2019

Lao: ວັນຈັນທີ 5 ສິງຫາ 2019

01:50hrs. When I woke up, it felt like the mind had been fretting all night, and was still in the middle of considering, fearing and without a clue of how to solve the problems. The stabbing new ear-ache, computer difficulties, four medical appointments for today, the wee-wee discolouration, samples to be taken with me to the surgery, contraindications in the prescriptions, shopping to get done, will Morrison’s have any special-offer butter on sale yet? I felt so bewildered for a moment or two. Indeed, I am a self-ructabunde, shlimazel!

But, the need for the Porcelain Throne, demolished my self-pitying and gave me an immediate challenge of a different nature. Will I get to the Throne in time?

I fumbled my way out of the £300, second-hand, horrendously depressing beige-coloured, sometimes working – others not, ramshackle, c1968, rusty, rickety, recliner; Clouting my shin as I did so on the corner of the Ottoman. The ear-ache stabbing pains giving me a savage, unsettling time, too! Notwithstanding, the Throne session, apart from a fair bit of bleeding, was the best one I’ve had in months!

To the kitchen, where I forgot all about the drinking of only cold water instructions on the CDH appointment letter. But I stopped myself just as I was about to take my first sip of the tea! Phew! But it was not easy, resisting the brew! I got the sample-tube out ready for when the next wee-wee arrives.

I got onto updating the blog. After an hour or two, the need for a wee-wee arrived. I got the sample-vial, and managed to get some urine into the tube and sealed, writing the details on it after filling it. The liquid looked a bit cloudy this morning? Back to updating this post.

I nearly forgot about the fasting and went to make a brew, I even got the kettle on and the cornflake box down from the top of the cabinet. But when I saw the vial on the counter, I stopped myself in time. So made do with the spring water bottle. It’s just not the same as a mug of tea, is it? Tsk! And why is it, I always fancy some breakfast, which I rarely have, on a fasting day? Tsk!

I visited the WordPress reader section.

Ablutions performed. Not cuts, not a single one while shaving! Only dropped one thing, the body spray can! No more new bruises from the sock-glide! Expression of Smugness Adopted!

08:00hrs, bin bags put down the chute. Then I readied tackle, paperwork, medical needs, etc. gathered. Off out to Lidl to get the shopping first, then the doctors for the appointments. I took some empty food jars with me, to be placed in the green bin.

An enforced paradigm shift in plans took place:

• I was going down in the lift when I realised I had not got the camera with me.
• Back up to the flat and collected the camera.
• Down in the lift again, and realised I still got the reading glasses on.
• Back up to the flat and swapped spectacles.
• Down to take a photograph, and outside to put the glass in the recycling bin. But the camera told me the SD card was in the locked position.
• A check of it revealed that the locking bit on the card had come off altogether!
• Back up yet again to the apartment.
• Got a spare old SD, put it in the Canon.
• Down at last with hopes of taking a photo.
  

I was well pee’d off with myself now! My planning time-wise had gone to pot, and I had to get a move-on, so as to be able to get to Lidl to get the fodder, before going to the surgery.

The recycling bags, although not having any food inside, may still tempt the rats to have a bite through to check them out? I wouldn’t have thought so, but people have told me not to put even the recyclable bags out.

I got the brolly up and started on the hobble to the surgery.

The same Mercedes van that has caused Len to come off of his Motability scooter two weeks ago. And everyone to have to go on the road to get by, because it has been parked so far on the pavement, is still in the same spot and position.

I surprised myself with the pace I was travelling. Especially with the brolly in one hand, and trying to control the downhill-hating wheel-wheeler trolley.

By gum, I was moving well!

Up and over the hill, and down into Carrington in what seemed no time.

The rain continued to pour, with the odd heavy spells.

I got into Carrington as the rain was getting more moderate and I went into the Lidl store. I had to get some help in finding the cheesy-cobs input button. I came out £12.87 lighter. With some biscuits, each one a luxury. Contrition-Mode-Adopted! Chocolate shortcake, Speculoos Biscuits, a bag of cheese curls, Yoghourt, and chocolate-covered rice cakes… Self-Condemnation-Moment-Adopted! Lemon mousses, a ready-made BLT sandwich, Mini-cucumbers, Beetroot salad. A beef pie, and the two Cheese Twists.

The rain had gone down to the sprinkling when I left the store, to walk up the hill to the Sherrington Park Surgery.

 Avoiding a Nottingham Pavement Cyclistess en route.

I logged in at the surgery reception, and the city nurse saw me straight away. It took all of five minutes at most. Just questions and answers?

 Back to the waiting area, and I saw a sign about the Cancer checks, this made me remember, I had not yet called or told anyone about my super-cock-up in posting an empty envelope and no samples back to them! I asked the receptionist, who told me to ask the nurse what to do.

I sat down and waited. Nurse Ann commanded me to follow her to the treatment room. Which, naturally, I did!

 She asked about the INR blood taking, and I told her the nurse was calling today at 10:00hrs to take it. “Why! I can take it!” She disappeared and returned to take the blood samples and do the CHD checks and questions. She’d rang whoever, to tell them to cancel the nurse’s visit. This saves us money! I was told. I bravely said to her that there were three other patients she visits in the flats on a Monday, anyway! But she just carried on asking questions. She had taken the blood from the left arm, despite my meek and weakly telling her about the right arm being the usual one. She found the vein and took the blood. She left me with my Peripheral Neuralgia affected shaking right hand, holding the cotton wool in position. We spoke (the questions) topics, included the stroke, the INR Warfarin levels not being good enough, and the Duodenal Ulcer. No mention of the neuralgia, until she asked about any falls, and I told her about the falling over when getting off of the bus in Arnold. “Why?” I told her, and the subject changed to what foods was I eating. I thanked her and departed back to the waiting area. After a while, a receptionist asked why I was waiting there, did the nurse need to see you again. No, I said, I’m waiting for the Stroke rehabilitation nurse to see me. I discovered that she had been cancelled. I thanked the lady and went out into the drizzle, slightly disoriented. Hehe!

As I hobbled up the incline on Mansfield Road, I think I may have met the World Champion Wobbly Pavement Cyclist. Hehe!

Up and over the hill, down into Sherwood.

Another Nottnghamian Pavement cyclist came from behind and received a word or two of condemnation from me, as he flew by and off down the hill!

A little further down the road, I noticed that the Fat Cat diner that had closed over a year ago, had been bought by a company called Tipu Sultan – Majestic Dining had purchased the premises. When I got home later, I looked them up. They have Indian, Afghanistani, Pakistani, Turkish and other such restaurants throughout the Midlands. Google produced some of the food meals one can get at this Indian one.

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A little further down the hill, I called in the International Food Store. To have a nosey around in search of some of the lemon cakes. But found none. I did get some lemon biscuits, asparagus, fancy tomatoes, one of each. That cheered the lady on the checkout up a lot, Not! I paid their extortionate prices, thanked her, and out on my way for a hobble up the dreaded Winchester Street Hill, to the flats.

I really did amaze myself at how I kept plodding on, up one of the steepest hills in Nottingham. I had to clean the wheels of the trolley before I could take it indoors, but I’d had taken a kitchen roll with me, for doing the job.

Within minutes of getting in the flat, the rain had cleared, and the sun came through occasionally.

Then the skies became all summery, and things brightened up in the sky.

As I got the nosh started, the feet and legs began to ache something awful. My own fault!

I stripped off down to the PP’s for comfort.

The meal was a good one. BLT sarnie, cheese twists, chips, tomatoes, mini-cucumber, garden peas, and beetroot, followed with a Scicilian lemon mousse.

As I was just about to get up to wash the pots, the door chime rang out. By the time I got stood up, there in my PP’s and nowt else, there stood Obersturmbannfhreress Warden Deana who’d walked in!

The flat below me had got water flooding through from my kitchen! Deana had a look, She found mystery build-up of water underneath the old airer cupboard.

I thought it had at one time been over the dor lip, judging by the marks on the edging?

She asked if I would be in for the rest of the day, in case plumbers need access. I told her I would be. Deana left to investigate another flat on the next floor. (Herbert’s?) I heard nothing from Deana for the rest of the day, but I hope she has got it sorted. It’s worrying having water leaks from where there are no pipes! Ah, the Mysteries of my beloved Woodthorpe Court, that lies somewhere between the twilight zone and a wormhole slipping through a tear in the fabric of space & the spacetime continuum. With illusion, delusion, & hallucination, rife!

So, I needed to try and stay awake late again, just if anyone required access.

The afternoon come evening was so bright now after the rain had stopped – after I had just got in the flat earlier! 

Just one more reason for my being such an expert Shlimazel!

The phone burst forth with its red light flashing. I was the Anticoagulation Haemostasis and Deep Vein Thrombosis Unit (what a mouthful, Hehe!), calling. The six-monthly follow-up. She asked if I am still taking the Warfarin later in the day, and I told her I was. She was pleased with how things were going in controlling the INR level. Which confused me, my being informed this was not being controlled, earlier at the surgery? She would call me again in six-months time.

I could stay awake no longer. I checked that no messages had been put through the letterbox about the water leak enigma.

Of course, as usual for recent days, sleep did not come. I thought it would with the walking and getting soaked, both ways to the surgery and up the hill. Tsk!