New Haven Neil

Well Rick's trains may not have run, but the Manx Electric ran to time, and plans were fulfilled. Better say no more. Mrs NHN now at neighbours having her hair done, and then I must remember to say how wonderful it is. Or I may not be on tomorrow. I won't be on in the morning anyway, mucho to do early doors.

Morning all. Windy (outside) once again, 16c first thing though, and dry. Bike club later, I'm 'tour leader' so better get my thinking cap on for the days route. iD, as a regular attendee at our surgery, basically bar taking blood, nothing is done in house. The second of the island's two hospitals is in the next street (Ramsey Cottage Hospital) so X-ray facilities are available there (and an MIU) and things like bursa injections, but for anything more I have to go to the Big City (24 miles) and Noble's Hospital, effectively a General Hospital. Podiatry and my orthotics are dealt with (when ever it may happen again - covid delays) are at clinics once again in the Big City. I have never yet been to the diabetic clinic in Noble's grounds, presumably as my condition was diagnosed not too long before covid, but my optician (Big City again) takes care of her side of things, and as I see the Podiatrist as a result of my foot Lisfranc injury that is covered. It was no different back in North-East England in terms of services provided at the GP surgery, on fact less even though the population of my home town was greater than that of Fraggle Rock.

Yeah, the Burgen is the only one of those available here, so can't compare the taste! The local artisan bread I used to eat is 30g per slice.....eek!

Morning, a rather disappointing 15c, strong wind and patchy sun here. The foreguess isn't great for most of the island, except our bit on the northern plain where sunshine is predicted. I was going to go to Laxey for lunch, maybe not now as mist and cloud is to be their lot. EV's will be an issue here, if they need anything like 80 amps.....not many domestic installations have that kind of excess current (over normal load) available. Also as new gas boilers etc are being banned, then heating will also need electricity in large lumps of current. I see massive increases in electricity prices, it's already much more expensive here than in the UK. Mostly gas turbine and combined cycle generation here (with a diesel plant in Peel), with a bit of 2.5 twin-and-earth connected to the UK for when we need a bit extra, but it is more usually the other way, we send excess to the UK. EV range isn't a problem for us on a rock 32 miles by 12, but access to charging facility in the small villages with no parking by houses and densely populated town centre of Douglas will be. We'll buy a new diesel when Debs retires, and that'll see us out. Both our current cars are diesel, we like the torque and economy, my last car (Ford B-Max) was the first petrol I had had for years, in this very hilly island it was.....crepe. Gutless thing, all revs and fluster, no oomph unless you revved the taters off it.

Mmm, similar experience but with 120c hot heavy fuel oil, on a Doxford opposed piston ship engine that had a 10,000 psi common rail fuel system - fitting blew out of the end of an accumulator bottle, oh what a mess.....and only some of it was over me. had better days.

Just had a delivery of two more of Mr H's LMS Locomotive Profiles, from the superbly helpful Simon Castens at Titfield - next day delivery. And I'm not even an LMS modeller. They're just so interesting and complete, in fact are more detailed and informative than some of the 'real' engineering text books I have from my oily past. No oral and written exams at the end of the year on these ones though! You're a star, Dave, together with your fellow authors.

I'm not sure at all that 10000 would have 8 beats per revolution - as it was a compound, only the low pressure cylinders would exhaust to atmosphere, making 4 beats from the two low pressure cylinders. The only explanation would be that when working simple engine to start, the high pressure cylinders exhausted to atmosphere - I find that hard to believe as it would really complicate matters. Castle and Kings etc didn't have 8 beats either - the cylinders exhausted together . The Nelsons did have 8 though!

My last Flawed Ford had 'mood' lighting that was also red - seems an odd choice other than I suppose it is supposed to not destroy night vision as they didn't go out. Mrs NHN's Citroen has sort of vanilla coloured lights in footwells (warm white?) which go out after a few seconds after embarking. More sensible? My i30 doesn't have any that I have noticed, nor do I miss them. We didn't know we 'needed' them I suppose. Now i get into rant mode, it seems to me cars have all sorts of things you only seem to 'need' for the week after you buy it, and never touch again. As a forinstance, mine has adjustable weight power steering, which...I fiddled with once out of curiosity and never again in three years!

Did the washing, two big loads. Strung out on the lines as it isn't a bad day for drying, being now 21c and breezy to windy. Did some other work for an hour, went to check washing. Line pole snapped off at the base (rusted through) and washing all over the lawn and the garden railway (oily rails from running session the other day). Do washing again......pah. Actually I said something else but there are ladies present.

Just finally managed to catch up with ChrisF's presentation, really informative and well delivered - it's not easy to do these things if you're not practiced and familiar with doing so. I once had to be trained to do such things as part of my HR qualifications, and the first time is terrifying. Cracking photo of the GW railcar towing no less than four wagons as tail traffic, hopefully the route didn't have any notable gradients. Nice to see Tim too.

Morning, rather grey and windy, inside and out. 15c to start but it looks and feels a lot colder. Washing today, I think - pah. Awaiting parts for both the workbench jobs currently, so stuck on both with bits everywhere, both bike (for me) and steam locomotive (job for a pal).

I have to agree - I have that particular T shirt. Before I discovered Narrow Planet (actually I think before they started) she did some for me, she's God-mother to a friend so that's how I got put on to her, but...eeek, the cost.

I really can't remember for sure but it might have been Woolies, it's now called 'Dealz' but is Poundland in disguise. I shall ask the Oracle when she returns from work!

Morning, from a warm 18c but overcast small rock. Happy birthday Flavio, enjoy your shopping for toys day. I first retired from a civil service post (CS here is rather different to the UK, basically any 'Government' admin job is CS - I worked for the police, and NHS admin is CS here too, one of my previous roles) at 55 when managerial changes really peed me off, the second retirement wasn't planned, COVID stock shortages made it just not worth continuing with Trackshack. So at 62, with little chance of suitable work here for someone of my age with a knackered foot and a dicky hip, I consider myself retired once more. Pah. You don't get paid as a house-husband! Mention of pound shops brings a wry grin to NHN, there is one (a UK chain) in the Big City, but it's..... £1.20. A reflection of the cost of living on a small island. Seize the day, not the engine.

Apols for the brutal snip. A lot of good comment in your post. Research I have read has disproven this long term belief above, what in fact happens is that the body detects the reduction in input and slows its metabolic rate to compensate, a sort of automatic survival technique. Incredible really how clever the whole body is. This bolsters the second part of your statement though, which was your point and is the important bit - there is indeed a lot more to it than just decreasing calorie input! This isn't the place to get into details, but if anyone really wants I can find the reference, it was a while ago I read it but I do have the relevant book still so should be able to dig it out. We're all in basic agreement though, exercise and a sensible and appropriate diet are what we need. Apols again for banging on about this, but there is so much good experience and knowledge on here form T2's and some clinicians it really is worth wading through. No connection, just a satisfied diabetic! https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/type-2-diabetes.25/

The national trait of response to shame is likely the reason for that - far eastern cultures are very different to those in Europe. I used to visit Japan regularly, and found them a friendly people. It is a shame that the lessons of the past aren't taught though.

On the subject of bread, I eat Burgen, a soy and linseed loaf, which is 11g (IIRC) of carbs per slice, I only have 2 a day so it isn't too bad and helps with lunch - a sandwich! Some breads have over twice this amount.

Morning, at least it really is this time! A slow start to the warm (23c) day due to being simply shattered after yesterday's exertions. The off to the vet in a little while for the latest non-news on knackered hip and foot, followed by a walk in the sun, and lunch somewhere. The hard bit is afterwards trying to decide what to cook for dinner, the hardest part of being a house-husband.

Spotted a car on a trailer around the corner in the village this morning, but it had gone before i got a chance to photograph it - now I'm not a car guy, but it looking at interwebs it was either a Bristol 405 or an AC Aceca......sort of thing. Looked like an actual, real barn find, dirty, tatty but not really all that rough. Someone's a lucky lad or lass. Annoyed I didn't get a shot. Still, on the way home from archery we followed a very nice Hillman Minx, series V ish. Interwebs again.

Morning. Umm..... Just one of those weekends. Brunch out with Mrs NHN, a brew watching some of those 550v things go by, then archery. We had a disturbed night so tiredness was ruining Mrs NHN's aim, but then she got stroppy with herself and had a great second part (we have a break) to make third from eight archers. The winner made the course record of 400, conditions were just about perfect, warm but not too hot, sunny, a slight breeze, and he even almost smiled - miserable sort of bloke.

Pah. 3rd rail section of our tour cancelled - the OLE wire was down on the mountain railway. No, it's not Hornby-Dublo, it has a third Fell rail. Which is (mostly, bar one unfortunate incident) used for braking, not adhesion.

Rushing again due to the need to ride trains on rails, two and three. Anyone awake enough to sus that? iD's comments leave NHN wondering where he features in the list of three.....but in terms of trying to bring about change and efficiency in his own little bit of the NHS, he tried, not always successfully. Robert/Eric - we are listening, my friend. This is a supportive place.

A'noon. Had to rush this morning as friend Jayne was taking her car to the car vets in the Big City at 0830, in fact the other side of the seething metropolis, for expensive gearbox work - and had requested a lift back. Can't say no, especially as it was 7 years yesterday her Gary was killed. Tough week for her. Then back home and it was on to a bike and off to the old farts club for brunch at 10 and a trundle out, which became a longer ride due to the sun and pleasant temperatures, only got back in at 1550hrs. Knackered now, it was really too far for my aching bits, luckily we had several stops. Now I have to cook dinner, and of course haven't defrosted any meat because I was playing out on the bike. I'm in for it. No F n C as that's Tuesdays here. Oh well, better see what I can rustle up. Looks like the bottom of the freezer drawer will get a raid!

Rushing. Laters.

Hi Mark I think we're in agreement! I'm not trying to teach you to suck eggs, I acknowledge your professionalism. I'm T2 managed on diet alone - my GP wanted to start me on Metformin but after some research and discussion with a T2 colleague at the time, I asked for a moratorium on that while I tried low carbing - quite strictly at first but less so now I have stabilised. No need for metformin now, A1c last 2 years 54, 42, 36, 38, 37, 37. diabetes.co.uk was a great help with diets, menus, and moral support as I worked through it all, and Dr Jason Fung's book 'The Diabetes Code' as I mentioned earlier. Despite some mobility issues myself (hip arthritis and a foot destroyed by a Lisfranc fracture) I am able to exercise by walking, I can manage about 8k paces on a good day - this does reduce BG in my case, I'm lucky in that way. The reactive hypoglycaemia was a royal pain until I realised what was going on just as I was diagnosed T2, previous GP (now retired - was not up to speed on diabetes) was not convinced about it but the glucose tolerance test revealed it toute de suite. My message, is low carbing (not keto levels) can make a hell of a difference to a not-too-ill T2.