Consultant visit

Today I met a new consultant about a long-standing health issue. Unlike my GP (all three GPs from the surgery in the village), the consultant examined me, went through my medical history with a fine tooth comb and listened when I told him of the side-effects I experience with the drugs prescribed by my GP. Immediately, he offered other alternatives and didn’t try to convince me to go down the drugs route.

The end result is surgery. No, don’t frown. It’s not unexpected. In fact, I kind of thought it would be the option he proposed. I’m not worried by it, in fact, last time I had surgery ‘things’ were a lot easier and more acceptible to live with for quite a while.

The thing that made me frown was around the subject of conception. Babies. Specifically – me having children. Apparently, it is still an option – despite being told years ago that the window for me was a narrow window (and would have closed years ago).

Dazed, confused, shocked, stunned, emotional and numb.

Where to now?

Help! My computer is broken

That’s how my conversations with Mum often start. This week is no exception.

Mum has an old laptop of mine, which had been set up for ‘minimum fuss usage’ – i.e. switch on, hit dial, download email, then disconnect. Nothing complicated. No fuss. Sunday she called (left a message) to tell me she’s getting error 756 every time she hits dial.

Today, she told me that when she get’s the ‘dial box’ it doesn’t go away, so she keeps clicking it and then gets error 756. Bless.

I don’t know what’s happened, but I’m supposed to fix it, so just one dial box appears for her. I can’t do the remote PC support thing, because she’s on dial up – there’s still no broadband in the glen. But, I’m supposed to ‘cure’ the problem by magic.

Error 756 this week. Next week, it will be something different. I’d never paid attention to the error codes, but Mum does. It’s not always a good thing, but this week was kind of funny.

Summer holiday? What’s that then?

This year, BF and I have struggled to find ‘us’ time. Or rather a good time to take a break together. Work gets in the way frequently – for a variety of reasons including confusing quarter end rulings, amd the sheer number of product launches we’re doing before the end of the year. So, our Summer holiday is turning into Winter sun or would, if we could find somewhere to go.

We both need to get away. We both need a break. We need ‘us’ time away from home.

Requirements:

Beach, sailing, golf, sunshine, good food, cocktails, and no mobile signal and absolutely no Internet access whatsoever.

You’d think it would be easy.

Taking stock

My ‘day-to-day’ DVD player is on its last legs. It only occassionally spits out the disks after they’ve been played – not ideal. So, Amazon Prime to the rescue for a next day delivery of the new version. In the process of removing the old one, I had to laugh at the sheer number of pieces of equipment i have in the house:

two DVD players downstairs (one on its last legs, one shiny & new)
three DVD players upstairs (one is a recorder, one just plays and the other is so old, I’m not even sure it works)
one video recorder (and over 100 videos)
a Wii
a PS2
a PS1 (though I can’t remember the last time I took it out of the box)
a PSP
a Sky HD box
a Sky box (also no longer used)
three printers (one multi function not used, one multi function used, and a photo printer, not used)
two laptops (one work, one personal)
and a desktop
three TVs (one not used)

How did I accumulate so much stuff?
It’s time for a clear out.

Some of the items will be recycled some will go to new homes. One of the girls from work is moving into her own place and is ’starting from scratch’ – she’s offered homes to some of the items. But the rest? What to do?

Reunion & things

Working for my previous company, and then myself for a while, I didn’t really appreciate how much free time I had. Now, my day starts early, I drive for an hour, spend a few too many hours at the office, drive for an hour – workout, cook, and then, if I’m lucky, do some housework/watch tv/read a couple of emails before I collapse into bed. And then the whole routine starts again.

Where do i find time for email, friends, socialising, decorating, proper housework, let alone gardening, ironing, washing or just chilling out?

Good question.

I have been fortunate enough to take a day off recently to meet up with some friends from uni days. What a fantastic ‘reunion’. Only a few of us – but great nonetheless. Some other halves missing, for various reasons, including an impending arrival (Good luck D & G), step kids weekends, and it being simply too far to travel. The day included four of the next generation – who in most cases just entertained us all. Though there were tears.

thanks to B’ski & B for putting me up and hosting the bash on Sunday! Much appreciated!

In one weekend I drove 1200 miles – to see my parents, to the reunion, and back to Stirling for lunch with G & L. In some ways it was a bit of a nostalgia trip – driving by the Meadow Park, which is now called ‘the Med’ according to a sign outside, past the University, and around the old haunts. How it’s changed. We went to the Birds and Bees for lunch. 20 years ago, it was a bit of a student haunt – a bit dark and not the type of place you would take your kids for lunch. Today, it’s got a bit of an upmarket feel with a menu to reflect that. I was impressed. I even got chatted up at the bar until the guy jumped to the conclusion that G’s daughter was mine… You gotta laugh at that.   As G approached me ready to leave – the poor chap then asked whether I knew of places he could take his wife for their anniversary. Bless.

So, life is busy. But, life is generally good. I think.

Back to reality

My last entry was July – an awful long time ago… The trip to New Orleans went well. A week of hard work, lots of drinking, live music, but very little sleep.

Back to the office for a week or two and then some vacation time. North Yorkshire with the boys. Fantastic cliffs, caves, rock pools and beaches. Take one funny ‘Vicar of Dibley’ moment (think puddle) mix with two little boys and the North sea and let the giggles begin.

I managed to run along the cliff tops without too much in the way of asthma and we all caught up on some much needed sleep.

We also had an averted emergency after I got dive-bombed and stung by a wasp while walking at the end of Filey Brigg. Thankfully, quick-thinking, inhalers and antihistamines prevented a trip in a coast guard helicopter to the nearest A &E…though I think the boys were disappointed.

Back to work and reality with a bump. After my promotion in July I am busy re cruiting another member for my team. I have redone the corporate budget for FY10. We are planning for last quarter of this year and I have remained diplomatic despite trying people, time, and situations.

Reality. Bump. Ouch.

Business travel

I am currently sitting on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to New Orleans, where I will spend six days. I left my house in Surrey at 0740 this morning for T3.

I have never been a fan of British Airways, preferring Virgin Atlantic for transatlantic flights, but today’s travel with American changed my opinion. my colleague RP and I had opted for the cheap ticket option – American – and about 20 mins into the flight regretted the decision.

Maybe it is just us, spoiled by years of flying BA or Virgin, but with a ticket costing over £700 I don’t expect to have to pay for my G & T. Or wine with ‘dinner’. But American flights are different.

I won’t do this in a hurry again. Why would you?

Film Review: The Reader

I have ‘read’ the book. I have seen the film.

Do either, do both, but, get involved.

I saw the movie on my flight back from Seattle. It’s possibly not as great as the book, but still a very good film. Kate Winslet is compelling as Hannah. The book had more of an impact on me, but the film left me realing.

4/5 – well worth it.

Asthma worsens

I’ve had asthma for years. I spent many years believing I was just fat and unfit, and that was the reason I couldn’t keep up. Every year after we graduated from uni, at least twice a year, a group of my friends and I would go  away to the lakes – to talk, to walk, to party, to catch up. I was always the butt of the jokes because I huffed and puffed my way to the top of the hills we walked. I couldn’t keep up. I laughed at myself, but secretly, got more and more annoyed that I was so unfit. At home in London, I worked out 3-5 times a week and still I couldn’t improve my ‘fitness’.

In 1995 at a wedding with a friend, his father, a GP, explained my ‘unfit’ condition was actually asthma. Peak flow, something I’d never heard of, was 275 which was apparently quite bad.

For many years I battled with inhalers, telling myself I could control it. In recent years, I haven’t been able to. And more recently, it’s gotten really bad – again. Last week, I got a new inhaler – that’s three in total. This new one gives me palpitations for about 4-5 hours after I take it. I start shaking on the inside and then it reaches my extremities and continues. It’s pretty freaky. The good news is that my peak flow is 400 – for the first time in 13 years. Does that mean I’ve been on the wrong inhalers for all this time?

I can’t believe

It’s been almost a month since my last blog…hmmm, why does that feel like it should be a confession?

It’s been an interesting month, to say the least.

My sister got a new job and now lives in Bermuda. Yes. Bermuda. She’s working and partying hard. It’s great news. I really miss her…really.

My job is going well. I’m enjoying it, but it’s not without issues.

I was at a lunch with the CEO recently who commented on “there are no politics in my company. anyone playing the politics game, I will find out and they will be out”. Less than two weeks later and I’m stuck in the biggest political game I’ve ever known. I’m dealing with several seriously negative people, who squeal to the people above them that will listen and then bleat they are not being heard at all. Oh, and did I mention negative? It’s all been very enlightening.

I’m not a political player, I’m just me. I want to do my job and I want to do it well. I don’t want to massage anyone’s ego. I don’t have time to carry anyone. I don’t have energy to waste on people who think they deserve my time, my trust, or my loyalty. You have to earn all of those things.