Rocks, feeling old and The Champions

I spent the day today removing rocks from the back garden before the local farmer delivers a few tons of top soil, and boy am I feeling sore right now! Physically I feel shattered ! and coupled with those early morning dog walks, my fatigue is at an all time high!
My middle aged body craves a hot bath, a gin and tonic and an early night.

Ned's arch looks grand! The neighbours have all commented on how low it is ! (including an elderly welsh farmer who asked me if the Hobbit arch was my idea), but it is exactly what I wanted . My idea was to downsize everything slightly to give the feel of a bigger space! The idea has worked inside the cottage well as many pieces of furniture are just on the small size in scale and seem to fit the space better! well that's the idea


Another thing that made me feel old today was seeing The Champions on tv gold. I had forgotton how trendy this programme was in 1968 or so. Typical formula I guess for a hybrid detective/superhero show, ie Sexy American 007 type (Stuart Damon), slightly geeky but smoldering English man (William Gaunt) and no nonsense new-age girl heroine (Alexandra Bastedo) combat terrorism, world domination and supernatural foes. I always liked Bastedo as a child , as I thought she was tough and extremely exotic!

On a geeky level, got my carpet vax cleaner delivered today! can't belive I actually got excited about it!

The sad Lady in Bishop's Wood

Have had a pottering morning today. Chris is still over in Broadstairs with the family, so I have had to get up at six to sort the animals out.Since then I Posted Mike Kilner's 40th Birthday DVDs ( the postmistress in the village was greatly intrigued!!), bought Tim's birthday pressie ( I am going to the family meal tonight), got a mass of Violas to plant out and took the dogs to the beach. Prestatyn beach was busy with Mancunians on holiday, (most of them had bull terriers) so we retired to Bishops wood for our usual round robin walk.

When we got to Meliden quarry we started to cross the fields down to the railway line when I saw a woman of around 70. She was leaning on the field gate and made a fuss of the dogs as they passed. Finlay loves all attention and went into his usual bouncy greetings, as Meg and Maddie shyly stood behind. The woman looked miserable and said "I just don't know what to do with myself, I almost threw myself under a bus a while ago".
What do you say to that?! .... I just managed to say rather lamely "Oh Dear", and allowed her to carry on. In way of explanation she said that her dog, an Airedale had recently been put down, after battling Oesophageal cancer. I felt awful as Welsh terriers actually look like small airedales, but she seemed to enjoy making a fuss of Finlay, saying that her dog had had a similar bouncy gentle nature.

We chatted a while, and she became quite animated when she explained that she was a dog fanatic, and hadn't had a holiday in 30 years as she could not bear to be parted from her animals for even a weekend. But looked sad when I gathered up the dogs to go. "You know what I miss the most?" she said, "Just walking with him in the afternoons........", She added "I wish I didn't feel anything, you know?".

I understood what she meant , but I felt there was nothing I could say to help. Sadly we said our goodbyes.

The Sackler Crossing, dinosaurs,The Electric and Nu!

Met Nu in London Thursday night, and had a few wines at a wine bar on the canal near the Hospital she works at St Mary's. Lovely to catch up, and as Chris would say , had a good gossip and "emotional Jacuzzi". She's had a hard time over the last year or so, what with family ill health and the like, but she attacks life with a gusto that if bottled could run Battersea power station!



Friday Night after a wander in Notting Hill, Nu took me to to the "Electric Cinema". We have been meaning to go for ages but just didn't get round to it!! The cinema is a cross between arthouse and mainstream and all the seats are leather armchairs, complete with footstools,and tables ( with winebuckets!!) Nu is having a quick bounce on one of the two beds in the cinema!!
Lovely time, pity we had to sit through Miami Vice...2/10

Saw the Dinosaur Exhibition at the Natural History Museum which was lovely! However I did forget that it was the childrens holidays! and my idea of fun was not standing nose to nipple with the familys of London with a toddler next to me shouting "dinosaur!!!dinosaur!!!! dinosaur!!!!dinosaur!!!dinosaur!!!!! dinosaur!!!! etc etc etc



Saturday morning we went to Kew Gardens, a favourite place to visit when I am over. It was a glorious day and I was thrilled to see the lake refilled since my last visit and the New Sackler Crossing built. Its a lovely bridge made up of hundreds of uprights of copper, and although "new" in appearance , fits in perfectly.
We spent a few hours having a good wander and loved reading the memorials on the hundreds of benches dotted around. Nu, wants at least three benches when she dies, one at Kew, one at the Beach at Crosby and one at St Mary's. Mine will be in Central Park!

The nicest memorial we agreed is the following

"If Tears could be a highway,
Or memories a lane
I'd walk right up to heaven
and bring you home again"

.........beat that!

Hummmmmm....!

am on night shift at the present moment and things for a change are quiet on Intensive care. Spoke to Kathryn today who mentioned that my blog spelling was awful! I am truly ashamed! Spelling is not my strong point, as I type as I speak. When I read wonderfully composed blogs such as those penned by the likes of Nigel, I realize that my effort looks rather teenage. But hey ho! I guess I prefer the more "relaxed" type of blog! or am I just lazy?

Looking forward in seeing Nuala on Thursday in London. Just a quick visit but we hope to have a few wines, big girly chats AND a trip to the dinosaur exhibition at the Natural History museum!!
let it never be said that I don't live life in the fast lane....... Next week I am planning to sort out the back garden, be all macho and design and sort out a path and a few tons of top soil. Robina and Sarah can then be moved from the front lawn, which is now deceidedly moth eaten, and at least allow me a proper front garden again!

The ARCHERS

Well I have been an Archers fan for several years and listen every evening if I can......certainly I try to listen uninterupted on a Sunday morning.

I love the history and normality of it all ( and tend not to participate in storylines like the Ed, Will, and Emma triangle)........some of the fun is recognizing storylines months before they actually arrive ( ie. Usha & The Rev) and (Ruth and Sam's unrequited love!!!)

My favourite characters are Jill ( a voice like chocolate),Clarrie ( you can't put a good farmer's wife down),Phil (In our day we did..................), Brian ( sooo bad tempered)and Nigel (twit) , but my all time favourite is that fag hag, with a laugh that can cut bread, Lilian!!!

It took a while to work out Caroline, from Janet ( the previous vicar),and from Shula, but got there in the end................

Characters which I dont like are Kirsty ( b o r i n g), Tom Archer ( whining git--sorry Nigel), Kate Aldridge (brat) and Elizabeth ( I could smack the pompous cow).

The writing can be transparant at times but little gems of brilliant and often moving scenes shine through ( when Phil Archer breaks down with a sick Elizabeth). It is the only soap I enjoy

AN UNHEALTHY OBSESSION?

Hummm , I guess you are wondering what this pile of old tripe is all about? Well I have realised that I am getting a tad obsessional about keeping the cottage tidy. It is a bone of contension between Chris and I as he subscribes to a somewhat more relaxed attitude about how the house is run and kept. That is all well and good, but it is me that does all the housekeeping!......... ok ok, I WANT to do it, ( probably a control freak thing), and to be honest I am at home more than he is , so I see the clutter and dirt more than he does, as well as the fact he commutes for at least a few hours a day, so I have the opportunity to actually do it.....even then I would appreciate that he actually tidies up after himself a little more, well at least puts things away!. I have got to the stage where I am wanting to do all the cooking as in good bloke style, he will use every plate, pan and utensil in the kitchen and leave it unwashed in a pile to be attacked my me later on in the evening!

Ok , I am obsesional, ( we have all seen the three jugs under the dresser in the top picture!!) and I am the only one stressed with all this. But living in a small cottage with three dogs (even gay owned dogs are mucky!) an elderly cat and a somewhat relaxed partner, means that someone has to keep on top of the battle with the dirt ( my god I do sound like Joan Crawford!!)
and I guess I have to realise I have to put up and shut up.........hummm I little help here though would be apprecited.

A nice man

09:30 RADIO 4
Sentimental Journey
29 July 2006
Arthur Smith accompanies Tony Benn on a trip back to the place where he was born, grew up and spent most of his political life - the 'Village of Westminster'

Heard this by accident and I really enjoyed it. Tony Benn came over as an old fashoned articulate, genuine, talented and charismatic communicator and gentleman. I could have listened to him all day.

The Bone Collector and knowing what you are talking about

We watched a film tonight called The Bone Collector , a ho-hum thriller from 1999, starring Denzel Wahington and Angeline Joline. He an ex-cop and C4 qudraplegic, and she a rookie cop with a tragic past, and both chasing a serial thriller!!!.Obviously there was more holes in the portrayal of a quadraplegic than your average slab of Swiss Cheese, but it did get me thinking of my time on The Princess Royal Spinal Injury Unit. (above)

As a nurse manager there I was an expert on Spinal Injury care, and I do miss being a practicing expert at something! I enjoy,Work on ITU can be interesting enough, but generally the patients come in, they die(more then I expected) or they get better and get farmed off quickly to the wards. Very few stay any length of time. In spines, admissions of many months were common, and as a good nurse you seem to know the patient and their significent others like the back of you hand. The care and philisophy of the unit was/is very psychologically based and I miss that part of the job. The truth is that I am just not suited to, or indeed like ITU work! Sure I know I excell at aspects of the job , ie support of relatives, or withdrawl of care to a dying patient, but generally the protocols and structured "physical" nature of ITU leaves me a bit cold.

In September I start on a full time Psychology course , and although aspects of it ( ie research!) will I am sure, bore me , my pragmatic and psychologically biased "upbringing" on Spines has given me a head start to develop in an area which I am more suited in....