Pre

Well I've just packed a bag with stuff to keep me occupied while not moving on the hospital bed today. Just as a precaution, no contact lenses, which is just a little annoying but means if I decide to sleep it's easier.

I finished Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" which I found a fairly hefty novel, and very readable but at times seemed to be a couple of books that had got mixed up with each other, but a good read and I did keep seeing Ian McShane as Wednesday (which only makes sense if you have read the book or seen the TV serieas on Amazon Prime if you have it).

Next up, which is in my bag, is Matt Haig's "How To Stop Time" which has a very intriguing concept, so I think I have a hell of a lot to keep me occupied today. I may Instagram and post on Facebook during  the day.

I've done various other posts about the Liver Biopsy and Cirrhosis of The Liver so if you follow the tags you can chanck out what this is all about, and why it's actually happening.

Weatherwise it looks like another hot day but I know it will be cool enough in the Freeman today.

The first song related to today was "Lady Godiva's Operation" by The Velvet Undergoundso I will leave you with that while I get ready to wander off to the Freeman.

August Like February

Well it is for me. Today I start with a trip to the Freeman to give a lot of blood, probably have an ECG to make sure I am fit for a Liver Biopsy at the same place tomorrow.  This means at least two days of rest, and a week of no strenuous stuff, which probably will affect the number of steps that I do. This means I'll probably have about 27/28 days to get my steps in (like February) instead of August's 31.

Really I should do a load today but I have to go to work, although I could walk for a couple of hours after work assuming no Biblical deluges

The NHS are brilliant at looking after you and making sure they get it right. I do find it amusing the number of people who complain about it but refuse to actually fit in with their recommendations. There are good and bad bits but the NHS is good for you.

For the first time in a long time the heating came on this morning so I don't know whether the temperatures are dropping slightly.

So we shall she if I can hit my August target, although I think I've been signed up for a couple of longish walks later in the month so really that shouldn't be a problem.

So basically I'll leave you with "The Walk" by The Cure as I run off and make my way to the Freeman, and I suppose The Cure are an appropriate band for this post.

Walk #TenAlbumsInTenDays #2- #9 - Camper Van Beethoven - Tusk

This morning I have a routine hospital appointment at The Freeman and the weather is still good so I am going to walk it. The problem is that the route doesn't really have any buses so if I am running behind time I haveto walk faster, and that's not really a bad thing as I do want to keep my steps up and this will definitely do that.

I was discussing the best Fleetwood Mac album and a lot of people go for "Rumours" but mine is "Tusk". When it came out in the middle of the seventies punk explosion an AOR "dinosaur" releasing a double album (the ultimate self indulgence) did not bode well for a good response from critics. The NME made it album of the week and it was noted that the Warner executives probably saw their bonusses going up in smoke when they heard it. The songs are all killiers and Lindsey Buckingham's out there genius along with the songwriting and voices of Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks backed my the rock solid musicianship delivered an indespinsible brilliant album.

The songs are so go good that when Camper Van Beethoven were stuck in a remote cabin, they recorded and released their take on "Tusk" and, while not as polished it is still an outstanding album with a mad ten minute take on the title track which is what I will leave you with.

One song "Honey Hi" has a lot of car horns and shouting and this was very disconcerting as I was trying to cross a four lane road intersection while listening to it. Who knows what will happen today.

Right off on my walk to the hospital, have a great day everybody.

Sweat, Sweat and Sweat

No blood, no tears but a lot of sweat. Due to one thing and another the lawn has not been mowed. It needed doing on Sunday when I got back but I was too lazy, and then yesterday there was rain. The nights are drawing in , but tonight was very muggy, but I forced myself to do it and ended up very hot and very sweaty and therefore no one would want to be withing a million miles of me tonight. It is strange how you never want to do this things, but you do get a sense of small accomplishment when they are done.

As I've said I doubt I will hit #August50 but this edges me a little closer. I would have to average about four posts a day , which is easily do-able , and I have about four things lined up to write about, and as I only tend to write about 250 words , that would be a thousand words a day , and proper writers do that ten times over.

So tomorrow I have a hospital check up so fasting from eight o'clock tonight I think, then I am not sure if I should take drugs or not, so I will bag them up and sally along to the Freeman, though it means I need to leave the house about seven as I am not sure what time I am supposed to be there. It's a flexible arrangement.

A song for this , well it could have been something by Lawnmower Deth,  but I willl go for the more sedat but no less eerie "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe" by Genesis. You know why.

"When The Sun Beats Down

And I Lie On The Bench

I Can Always Hear Them Talk.

Me?

I'm Just A Lawnmower.

You Can Tell Me By The Way I Walk"

The Day After

Yesterday was spent in the Freeman Hospital for a Liver Biopsy. This is something the NHS lets us take for granted but successive governments since Margaret Thatcher bought herself into power have certainly not helped the NHS.

Everyone I spoke with was positive , pleasant , helpful and did a great job. They told me what would happen, what the possible side effects were , what the side effects probably would be, and this is what we pay for with out National Insurance and Taxes. The last three governments have made life difficult by siphoning that money off to private corporations and consultancies, the most high profile corporate leech being Richard Branson.

Anyway today I am recuperating, not supposed to be doing anything at all, and supposed to be enjoying taking the time to read and catch up TV and be in a fit state for work tomorrow. I should be thinking positive thoughts and enjoying a day to actually rest , although I naturally feel like I should be doing something (I have done washing up and cooked an omelette for lunch and eaten it)  so I haven't been completely idle.

Anyway I thought we'd have one of my favourite singers covering one of my favourite songs. Bryan Ferry covering The Velvet Underground's "What Goes On".

Have a great afternoon, even if you are still at work.

Still Tired

Well the biopsy has really taken it out of me, along with a lot of blood. I'm still feeling run down, want to just get into bed and sleep for about sixteen hours. Unfortunately there's work needs doing and the next two weekends are going to be rammed as well so it's unlikely I'll get any respite.

I feel I am improving , but not as fast as I would like.

The staff at the Freeman have been brilliant, and I know I can drop by any time I want. Work have been extremely supportive, so I'm not under any unnecessary pressure.

Anyway that's the boring stuff out the way. The weather is still excellent although it's been a bit gray today. I do have a lot of great stuff coming up , just need to rest when I can so I can be 100% when I need to be. I have recieved encouragement from around the world , and that's one of the great things about the internet, a few words from someone can really lift your spirits, and ever you can say and share something nice you should do, because it lifts both of you.

I do like positive stuff, and positive attitudes, that show that people care for each other , and sometimes that can be as little as saying hello.

The River

Anyway tomorrow is the 4th of July, American Independence Day , and that means I have a song for this post from one the many Bruce Springsteen albums I love , The River.

I really didn't know what I was going to put in this post, and thought I might get ten words out, but was also thinking that I hadn't done a post this month. Well now I have, and I'm feeling good , but I will be in bed soon. Hope you have all had a great day and are looking forward to an even better weekend.

Where Am I?

Kazakhstan

This week has been manic since  coming back from holiday leaving the house at seven and not getting back til eight at night and I noticed a couple of oddities. We tend to trust the GPS on our digital devices (in this case my Samsung Note), but when in Whitby a couple of the photo locations reckoned I was in Kazakhstan and Речная ул (which I assume is in Russia or east of the UK anyway.

Речная ул

But anyway on Tuesday I used Facebook to check in at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle , and I didn't notice I'd selected the Montreal version!

While this doesn't create a problem as such it is quite amusing , turning me into to a globe trotter withing a radius of less than a hundred miles.

Also a thing about this blog , for some reason the word TED doesn't turn up in the tag cloud even though I tag this post. Click on the tag below and it will bring back all my TED related posts.

This morning I have a fleeting visit to the Freeman Hospital (another part of NUTH)  before going to Darlington so we shall see where it says I am then!

Anyway I hope that tonight I will be back at a reasonable time and I can make my own tea!