Early Risers.

[iL Dottore]

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Hope that everything goes well Brian.  I learned that trying to do any serious modelling or anything that required concentration when Beth was in theatre, was pointless.  I usually packed some sarnies, took a good book and sat by a railway line watching trains. It wasn't that I was sitting worrying but thoughts must have been there in my subconscious

 

Jamie

Strangely enough, I’ve never had that problem with Mrs iD (when she was hospitalised after bashing her head [thanks to Schotty pulling her off her feet on an icy road]) or with any of my family. I think it’s due to the fact that I know exactly what is going on, what to be concerned about and what not. I guess I’m able to be clinically objective even with family.

 

Paradoxically, I do worry about Lucy and Schotty - probably, I would imagine, because veterinary medicine is close enough to human medicine for significant overlap in signs, symptoms, diagnoses and treatments, yet different enough that I cannot be certain my assessment is correct - and that causes the worry.

 

Once I have a definitive diagnosis from the vet, then I no longer worry but just “get on with it”.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Slept well.

 

Her indoors had bottle green stockings to wear post op.

 

Yes @iL Dottoredoctors have little clue on how to communicate with patients. Indeed some see a patient as having less intelligence than a piece of wood.

 

Today sees "tidy up" duties including removal of a large green tree ready for recycling. Obviously this may take some time.. pine needles get everywhere.

 

It may also be dry enough to include a genteel amble around the North West Leeds Highlands  later. Bread buns are required.

 

A chat with my retired GP explain3d why the junior doctors have an "hourly rate". As salaried staff I never received any extra payment for out of hours work... they do.. perhaps I should have been a doctor??.. on second thoughts nope.. me and the sight of blood from others doesn't mix.

 

Time to finish my tea and extract the shark!

 

Have a good day!

 

Baz

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A Quick Look in before I head off to the Christie for my latest consultation. I don’t expect much to be done, it’s more discussing my latest PSA results, which has once again risen, but not to the point (20) where they will take further action. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian

Edited January 3 by BSW01

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

The storm seems to have passed, blue sky has appeared but according to the forecast there will be variable cloud interspersed with bright spells and blustery scattered showers which could be heavy at times.  9°C rising to 11°C.

Slow start today, so slow in fact that The Boss was up before me and made me a muggatea which was a pleasant change.

Today's agenda will see me taking a short drive to the nearest bank with free parking (about 2.4 miles away) to deposit some cash, extra funds I'd drawn out for Christmas "just in case"  but not needed.  After that I will be climbing into the loft to retrieve the Christmas decoration boxes so that The Boss can start packing away the stuff she's taken down.  Then it will be my turn to sort out all the lights but that may take me a day or two....not because there is such a huge amount but more a case of GDB taking his time about it.  I could probably do it in two to three hours if I gottamoveon but it's more fun making a meal of it and winding The Boss up.  😁

Time for some breakfast.

Have a good one,  

Bob.

Edited January 3 by grandadbob

[DaveF]

I had a peaceful evening reading, attempting a crossword and watching an old Maigret in French.  Earlier I watched Robson Green's new series about weekends with his friends in Northumberland (later in the series he goes further afield).  It is enjoyable but the roads used in the continuity shots are sometimes a bit out of sequence - or the landscape has changed recently.

 

I slept better and woke about 07.30.  There was no wind here last night, when I went to bed the Newcastle Untited flag on the flagpole in the garden behind mine was hanging limply so I was quite surprised when I heard the news about the gales and rain this morning.  I hope everyone is OK.

 

I now have a large pile of "things" and "stuff" to be bagged up to go to the tip - I think there is too much to put into the bins.  However the first task is to go and look at towels and rugs - having started the job I am noticing all the things which look a bit shabby.  If it is fine I may look at trains on the way back as I go past a station.

 

David

 

Edited January 3 by DaveF

[jjb1970]

Whenever I have been hospitalised it's been interesting to observe different bedside manners of doctors. Some are so busy and stressed they don't say anything much. Others are down to earth and to the point but informative (my preference) and some quite chatty (interestingly,  often from doctors just as busy as the first category but better able to manage pressure and stress). I think it's something that modern society has lost sight of, suitability for a role includes being able to manage high pressure and stress levels for some roles. 

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Yes @iL Dottore SOME doctors have little clue on how to communicate with patients. Indeed some see a patient as having less intelligence than a piece of wood.

I've updated your statement as not all doctors are poor communicators and, yes, there ARE some patients who meet the latter description....

[southern42]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

A chat with my retired GP explain3d why the junior doctors have an "hourly rate". As salaried staff I never received any extra payment for out of hours work... they do.. perhaps I should have been a doctor??.. on second thoughts nope.. me and the sight of blood from others doesn't mix.

 

In my last job I worked from 08:45 to 17:00  with, thankfully(!), no option for working late due to the building being closed. However, I was dropped off at work at 08:30 at which time I would normally go grab a coffee and have a natter with staff members present but I could easily get caught in the office (before I even had my coat off) by staff members I worked directly for and get involved in jobs pre my working hours. To my advantage, though, they introduced flexi working whereby I could log the hours pre start time and/or during my lunch break which worked out nicely for me in the accumulation of a day off per month when I went to meet up with Mum usually by way of Euston (WCML) and Kew Gardens (Victoria Line then District Line). OK, I had to work twice as fast the next day to catch up, sometimes, but it was worth it.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I've updated your statement as not all doctors are poor communicators and, yes, there ARE some patients who meet the latter description....

As with e most things you get a variety of abilities and as has been pointed out some doctors cope better than others. One thing that I have noted is that elderly people are talked 'at' rather than 'to' and this is not just doctors.

 

I think I've cited before how two doctors virtually ignored my mother and looked to me, even though my mother was quite lucid and perfectly able to converse with them. 

 

There is also almost ubiquitous tendency for doctors to only want to treat 'there' thing rather than look at the person. This made it very difficult with my mother as she had a thing called a Nissan's box. This meant she couldn't always consume her food. As a result if she went into hospital she would effectively be 'starving' herself for four days, because that was the soonest a dietician could get to her.  Despite this being repeated explained to doctors they didn't take it into account. This happened every time and on one occasion she had to discharge herself it was so bad. Then of course it was point the finger time- something which happened when she died as well.

Edited January 3 by Winslow Boy

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright and sunny this morning, for now anyway as a few showers are predicted. Not certain what I will be doing today apart from finishing sorting out the utility room so I better getonwithit.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Pine cone predictors changing their minds every five minutes! Dry, blobs, double blobs, no blobs, sun, blobs...

<<Make your mind up or look out the window! You might be right!>>

<<OK! 10% chance it might be dry. How about that?>>

Weather aside, we spent a few days with family for the New Year. New Years Day we all went for a walk along the canal in Wigan, @The Q passing Wigan and St Helen' (WiSH) Sailing Club* in the distance.

*Some views here: https://www.wish-sc.co.uk

 

We parked in the small carpark at Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve, https://www.lancswt.org.uk/nature-reserves/wigan-flashes-local-nature-reserve, with a short walk across the reedbeds to the canal between the lakes - Scotmans Flash and Pearson's Flash. It was a bit chilly at 4C but, walking back into the low sun (I had my sunglasses on 😎), it warmed up.

 

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wigan+and+St.Helens+Sailing+Club/@53.5282772,-2.6306136,1091m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x487b057ec0d5521d:0x3193e753f291f4f6!8m2!3d53.5288225!4d-2.6408704!16s%2Fg%2F11f42v89c5?entry=ttu

 

Apologies for the lack of photos - I forgot to take my 'phone! <<Rats!>>

 

ION

Toot on the flute making gradual progress. Now playing up a notch ping at 30bpm so pleased about that - plenty fast enough for me at present. Now working on the bits that do not come out consistently well - amounting to getting a combination of blowing and fingering methods right. I want to get these few things sorted before I attempt to add the twiddly bits to the next part of the song. It may take awhile.

 

Past elevenses so time to put kettle on.

Take care. Be good. Keep dry.

Polly

 

Edited January 3 by southern42

[Grizz]

Number one cub is back home up in Nordjylland for his rest week. Unlike in subtropical Sussex, which is fast turning into a wind blown swamp, it is snowing hard up on the northeast coast of DK. Cold and below freezing with lots of lovely powder snow blowing around the forest and drifting everywhere in the strong wind. All he has to do today at some point is cycle 5km into Hals and back for supplies. It is forecast to dump +300mm of snow later today or over night. 
 

 

 

[Grizz]

Hard as Hell Viking folk. Check this out. This is a photo from BBC News showing commuters in our nearby city of Aalborg. 
 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-67871751

 

I do object to the bbc wokerati refering to their pc books and calling them Nordic countries…. We call it Scandinavia. 

[jjb1970]

On old people, unfortunately the tendency to see the elderly as being a bit dim and to either talk past them or shout loudly and slowly is much too prevalent in society. 

 

It's one of my pet hates, not just for the old but the way so many dismiss others as stupid or dim witted. People talk down to both the young and old, dismiss those without much of an education, many of those we rely on for society to function are all but invisible to many etc etc.

[Grizz]

9 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

On old people, unfortunately the tendency to see the elderly as being a bit dim and to either talk past them or shout loudly and slowly is much too prevalent in society. 

 

It's one of my pet hates, not just for the old but the way so many dismiss others as stupid or dim witted. People talk down to both the young and old, dismiss those without much of an education, many of those we rely on for society to function are all but invisible to many etc etc.

Erm with out wanting to sound picky and definitely not wanting fall into the wokerati camp…IIRC I think the current term is apparently ‘Older People’ or ‘Older Persons’…..I had this informed at me by a MK1 feisty ‘Older Lady….female (other terms are available)….who informed me in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t old and asked me what I thought old meant? After around 7 minutes of being ‘re-educated’ I now have a much clearer understanding of what this ‘Older Persons’ definition of it was. She told me that she walked up to 7km a day and drank a schnapps with her breakfast every morning. As yet she hasn’t invited me to join her for a liquid morgenmad.  

[RobAllen]

The whole speaking loudly and slowly to perceived older people irritates me. My dad had a stroke which has affected his ability to speak, not his ability to hear or understand. However people in his life who should know better talk to him as if he's lost all his faculties and use a really loud voice with him. It's disrespectful.

[jjb1970]

Things aren't helped by TV presenters speaking to old people in a most patronising manner, setting a tone. My wife had some BBC morning program on in our hotel in Carlisle and a presenter was talking to a war veteran as if they were a deaf two years old with learning difficulties.  I was quite impressed the chap in question took it without comment (he was clearly in command of his faculties).

 

The worst is how some address those with dementia. In my experience those suffering dementia are generally still erudite and aware of the world around them but within a much smaller bubble, they don't become stupid.

[Grizz]

Probs the best example to the world of talking with older people I’ve ever seen was with a friend’s 4 year old grandson. On a family visit he spoke with one his grandpa’s older friends as if he was talking to another 4 year old. The innocent, non judgemental ease with which this young boy asked him to ‘would you please come and play trains with me on the floor’ was beautiful. He even gave him his favourite Thomas loco and made sure that he shared his cucumber sticks and juice. He asked questions and talked like he was just talking to one of his friends. It was mesmerising, they just chatted about stuff so naturally. After a few hours grandpa’s bud finally said that he had to go home, the young boy asked him if he’d like to take a train home with him and he could bring it back next time he came over to play. Totally no preconceived idea about age, no change in his speech or language or behaviour. The world should take note. 

[Hroth]

Once idiots start speaking to me like that, I think I would take a leaf out of the Granny Weatherwax playbook...

 

A card with "I ain't deaf/thick yet" printed on it.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Catching up a bit....dry and dull (outside and in) 9c but feels like half that.

 

Many Deltics spent this morning on a new chair, that fact it is for me does not make this any easier.  Many O Gauge locos could have been bought.... 🤧

 

STILL awaiting the one last, really important test result - assuming now its OK as otherwise the phone wold have rung.

 

@The Lurker I can just about see Mrs NHN's old office in the first shot of Newcastle!  with the rive being in a steep sided valley there, it can be very still, and frosty down there - or absolutely wild.  One winter evening on my way home from work at Newcastle General I was convinced my car was going to be blown over on the Tyne Bridge, I have never before or since experienced such a gust.

 

 

[tigerburnie]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I've updated your statement as not all doctors are poor communicators and, yes, there ARE some patients who meet the latter description....

There are sadly some Doctors who are liars and will tell you anything to either get themselves out of the room or in the case of one of our GP's to get us out of the room, we see a different GP now, one who actually told us the the other one was "economic with the truth".

[New Haven Neil]

@iL Dottore

 

Who he then?  'Welding' day, 1984!

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just put the washing out to dry on the racks and there's another lot of washing to go in the machine waiting in the wings. That will have to wait until tomorrow night once the current lot is dry.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Grizz said:

Hard as Hell Viking folk. Check this out. This is a photo from BBC News showing commuters in our nearby city of Aalborg. 
 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-67871751

 

I do object to the bbc wokerati refering to their pc books and calling them Nordic countries…. We call it Scandinavia. 

The article used Nordic as it is referring to Sweden and Finland. Finland is not Scandinavian, so not BBC woke at all. 

[TheQ]

7 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Catching up a bit....dry and dull (outside and in) 9c but feels like half that.

 

Many Deltics spent this morning on a new chair, that fact it is for me does not make this any easier.  Many O Gauge locos could have been bought.... 🤧

 

STILL awaiting the one last, really important test result - assuming now its OK as otherwise the phone wold have rung.

 

@The Lurker I can just about see Mrs NHN's old office in the first shot of Newcastle!  with the rive being in a steep sided valley there, it can be very still, and frosty down there - or absolutely wild.  One winter evening on my way home from work at Newcastle General I was convinced my car was going to be blown over on the Tyne Bridge, I have never before or since experienced such a gust.

 

 

Reclining , electric? 

 

Afternoon Awl,

One session of putting second coat of antifouling on one side of the Rudder,

One session of cutting parallel bits of metal across joins, then ensuring they stayed aligned.

One session of paddling with Ben down roads then squelching across muddy foot paths.

One session of pouring Mr Poly's filla around parallel bits of metal.

Now having a muggacoffee before getting 25kg of coal in.