Christmas 2014

Christmas Eve

I worked briefly in the morning.  The bosses made a very brief visit to our hidden lab, pausing only long enough to kiss Jo (the one female engineer), then rushing out, saying as they did so that we didn't need to stay any longer.  It was only 9:30.  We all looked at each other, then carried on working for another hour and a half.

I took M to her six week checkup on her hip.  Everything is fine.  It is amazing she has improved in six weeks.

John picked up Mary from Cheltenham station, but there was a bit of a mix up and she ended up waiting at the station for an hour.  It was lovely to have her back.

I cooked enchiladas as quickly as possible, as Mary wanted to go out to meet her friends.  I had a short walk for exercise, then went to bed at 11PM, as I feel a little rough with the pressure at the moment.  We didn't go to church.

Christmas Day.

It was a lovely day, and I really enjoyed having the family around.

There wasn't much time to open presents before church.  As usual we attended the 10AM service.  Quite by chance Andrew Spurr quoted statistics on poverty, from the report that Mary had produced from her work at the DWP a few weeks ago.  Mary mentioned this to him as we left.

Catherine rushed down from Chester, joining us just before lunch.  

We had a lightish lunch of brie and bacon baguettes (Rachel'

s suggestion), then headed out for a walk up to Broadway Tower.  The weather was brilliant, though cold and it was an excellent walk.  It was good to have M walking with us again.

Back home we opened the rest of the presents, then had the evening meal of lasagna.  Again it was lovely to sit together at the table and talk. 


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Orienteering Training - Woodchester

Saturday 6th December 2014

I dropped M off at Moreton Hill, then went to the training event (used to be called informal) at Woodchester.  They have changed the format slightly with more emphasis on beginners and training, and less on just another event.  I did a middle distance green course, which was fun.  The idea was to have plenty of changes in direction and to stimulate fast approach and exit form controls.  It was certainly a lit of orienteering in a short space.

I managed to loose the SportIdent printout, and the are no published results.

For once I recorded my route with Strava, and tried to plot it with QuickRoute, but it wasn't very accurate and I needed to correct virtually every control.  I will try that again sometime.

Return To Normality - Three Month Checkup

Wednesday 3rd December

I took today off as leave, leaving home at 8:02 to travel via the A44 to Worcester Royal Hospital.  I was lucky and found a space in the fourth row of the main car park, but struggled to reverse in.....  No, it no good, I can't manage to write an email such as mum would write.

Suffice to say, I had my three month appointment with the cardiac consultant this morning.  First blood pressure, weight and ECG taken.  I then saw the consultant (Dr Trevelian).  His view is that everything is okay.  Blood pressure on the right side (Dr Serenyi thinks it is a hint high), medication okay, no problems showing up on ECG, statins low.  Risk factors heading in the right direction.

I asked my usual question exercise, and his response was I should be able to build up to at least what I was doing before, but build up is the key phrase.  I discussed mountain marathons to give him an idea of what I might want to do, and he thought that come next year, that would be okay if I build up to it slowly.  Don't worry, I can think of plenty of reasons for not doing a mountain marathon next year, though a short audax cycle might be nice.

I went for a cycle ride, Honeybourne route, 17.2km in 50 minutes, the furthest I have ridden since my heart attack.  It was a wonderful sunny day.  I then went to the rehab gym in the afternoon, then had a brief solo bouldering session on the indoor wall to see how I got on - okay but hard work.  At least it elicited a response from some in the rehab gym as they walked past.  Very tired now, and as always (and is common in new heart attack patients), I worry if I have done too much. 

Return To Normality - Painswick Night Orienteering

Saturday 29th November

I felt that today I took another step towards normality after my heart attack (13 weeks ago) and attended an orienteering event; the night O at Painswick Beacon.  I had hesitated, and I think M was somewhat annoyed as I couldn't decide what to do today; when to visit her mother and whether we should go to the Tantantara concert at All Saints.  In the end the orienteering won of course.

M and I to Stonehouse where M visited her mother and I had a walk in Standish Wood.  It was a lovely sunny day.


We then drove to Painswick Beacon for the night event. M sat in the car and read (thank you M).  I started early, a little before the official start, my thinking being that if I had any problems at least there would be people about.  I had no problems and loved it.  I didn't go very far, 11 controls, but found myself jogging on some sections, which came as a surprise.  I was so happy to be back. 

My actual route wasn't as neat as shown.  I tried to go from control 230 to 212, but missed it and in relocation found myself nearer to control 218, so got 212 on the way back instead.  Control 208 was missing the Sports Ident. I should have paid more attention to the time as I could have fitted in control 202 which I know from experience has a stunning nite time view of Gloucester.  And I realise that not everybody shares my view that night orienteering defines normality. 

Workshop - The Power Of Spiritual Practice

Saturday 22nd November 2014

I have long wanted to attend some of Kate Bird's meditation workshops, but it has been difficult to find the time.  When I was on the All Saints Church finance committee (which met on Saturday morning), these often clashed with the workshop, and even if they didn't then it was hard to fit it in with taking M to her mothers.  However I have now stepped down from the PCC and finance committee, partly with the aim that I would do less, and partly with the aim that I should spend time doing what I need to to do.

Kate runs workshops under her "Being Centered" title, this one on "The Power of Spiritual Practice".  The underlying principles are that we should all

Connect with something higher/greater than ourselves

Reflect on our progress, development and behavior

Be of service

To help with these aims she encourages us to take time to meditate.  This quietens the noise that the mind generates and opens us to reflection.

The course was full, with ten participants, some of whom had traveled quite some distance (Devon, London).  There was several exercises during the day, including  a guided meditation and a quiet time for thinking alone.  Both of these were very helpful for me.  The solo time was particularly useful as we didn't have to assume a set position and follow a set practice but instead could choose from a number of ideas for quieting the left brain while letting the creative brain have some space. 

Interspersed with these exercises was discussion, both in pairs and as a group. 

The day was all that I had hoped for, and I look forward to further opportunities. 

Loves Labours Lost, RSC

Friday 21st November 2014


I had an enjoyable night sitting behind a pillar and watching half of Loves Labour's Lost.  Well, it was very cheap, only £14.50 for one of the top theaters. 

 The RSC have paired Loves Labour's Lost with Much Ado About Nothing (which could also be know as Loves Labour's Won), with the same cast in both plays.  Unfortunately, due to late booking (I only booked three months ago), I saw them in the wrong order, but that didn't matter much.  I sat in the stalls, and despite the restricted vision seat, though it was good to be up close and on a level with the actors.

 

Cast and Creatives

Sam Alexander - King of Navarre
Peter Basham - Gamekeeper
William Belchambers - Longaville
Edward Bennett - Berowne
Nick Haverson - Costard
John Hodgkinson - Don Armado
David Horovitch - Holofernes
Tunji Kasim - Dumaine
Sophie Khan Levy - Housemaid
Oliver Lynes - Footman
Emma Manton - Jaquenetta
Chris McCalphy - Dull
Frances McNamee - Maria
Peter McGovern - Moth
Chris Nayak - Footman
Jamie Newall - Boyet
Roderick Smith - Marcadé
Flora Spencer-Longhurst - Katharine
Michelle Terry - Rosaline
Harry Waller - Gamekeeper
Thomas Wheatley - Sir Nathaniel
Leah Whitaker - Princess of France
Director – Christopher Luscombe
Designer – Simon Higlett
Lighting – Oliver Fenwick
Music – Nigel Hess
Sound – Jeremy Dunn
Movement - Jenny Arnold

M's Hip Operation. Day 3. Saturday

I took advantage of a quiet house to sleep late, and I needed it with all the running around the past few days.  Perhaps I am still not up to full strength after my heart attack.  Anyway I was phoned at 10AM by M, to say she could come out this afternoon once her drugs had arrived form the pharmacy.  Good news  However when I mentioned that I was still in bed, she thought I was joking, so I didn't push it.

I drove over to pick M up at 3PM.  She was looking  a lot better, and was much more mobile.  I pushed her in a wheelchair over to the car park.  There was a little bit of fiddling at the car as I had to pull out of a space and block the car park access to give her enough room to get in, then park again while I took the wheelchair back.

I am really amazed at modern healthcare and the NHS, both the technology and the skills of all levels of the staff.  Just the fact that such a major operation can be carried out is wonderful, but that M is up and walking within three days, and the pain mostly controlled really means that we risk underplaying it and taking it for granted since it no longer requires a long stay in hospital. 

It was good to have M back home.

The evening and night were a little bit troublesome, as though she wants to asset her independence.  I tried to give her space but at one point I found M trying to carry an 8 foot plank upstairs, and since she can't walk without crutches, this was proving difficult.  She wanted to put up a shelf in Mary's bedroom to hold her medicines.

Marcus Brigstocke

I had two tickets to see Marcus Brigstocke at Evesham Arts Centre, but of course M wasn't available so I went on my own.  The worst part of being on your own is waiting for the doors to open.  Everybody else in part of a couple of group.  There is just me standing around on my own.

Marcus presented a stand-up routine, very little of his usual radio four political satire.  He covered his earlier life, the weight problem that he used to have, then loosing weight and becoming a dancer (really?) then working on an oil rig.  To prove the point, his set ended with a solo dance routine.  I enjoyed it, and it certainly went down well with everybody else.

I walked to and from the Arts Centre, so a useful hours exercise as well. 

M's Hip Operation. Day 2. Friday

M has made much progress since last night.   I went to see her again today, somewhat earlier than yesterday, arriving while the ward was still in full day mode.  M was being encouraged by the occupational therapists to do a lap of the six bed ward with a zimmer frame. It was lovely to see her up and about, compared with last night when she was still in pain.  Once she passed the test on the frame, she was then taught ho to use crutches.  She says it still hurts, but only when she tries to move, not when she is sitting still, so good progress since yesterday, and I guess it won't be long till she is home.

She told me how it took ages to find the doctor yesterday, and she didn't get the morphine injection until about midnight, but it worked well and she slept.  

By 5PM, M was starting to feel sleepy, and I wondered if I had outstayed my welcome.  As I left she was fussing that she couldn't tidy up the area around her bed as she couldn't bend over.

I am now off to see Marcus Brigstock at the Arts Center tonight.  A treat for a radio 4 listener

Film - Before I Go to Sleep

This is my last week working fully half time after my heart attack.  I took M in to hospital for her hip operation for 7AM, then worked 4.25 hours.  Since I had a fully free afternoon I went to the Regal to see "Before I Go To Sleep".  I remember reading the book a couple of years ago - I was working in Italy for a week, and stayed up too late each night to get it read. 

The film was (as usual) not quite a s good as the book, but certainly worth a 2.

A word about my rating scale.

5.  Top ten read/watched.  Be careful awarding a 5, as when you do, that's it.  Game over.  And you can't downgrade a score to make more room.
4.  Top 100
3.  Very good, but not quite reaching the top 100.
2.  The standard score, and nothing to be ashamed of.  A 2 was worth the time to read/watch.
1.  Poor.  No real necessity to finish.
0.  So far only two books (out of a thosand plus books have been worth a 0, and neither was finished)

Spoilers.

It was interesting to see Colin Firth play a true baddy.  The ending was a little different to how I remember the book, but that is probably just my faulty memory.  All films seems to have to have a fight scene, and that spoilt it a little for me.  For the first few seconds, the substitution of a camera for a journal to record her life was a dissapointment, but I soon got used to it and it was fine.

And just as an aside, there is a scene set at Greenwich, when the camera pulls up to see the anticipated view; which was very nicely filmed. 

M's Hip Operation. Day 1. Thursday

M has suffered with a bad hip for quite some time.  How she has managed to struggle on with it, especially cleaning as vigorously as she does, is beyond me.  Eventually she sought medical help, but having been referred to Cheltenham, her initial appointment was cancelled five times, which more than frustrated her.  After this, her doctor suggested that she look for other hospitals on "Choose and Book", and Stratford/Warwick had much better reviews.  She was seen for an assessment relatively quickly.  Unfortunately her initial date of the operation was delay due to an urgent trauma case, but she was offered a cancellation a week later.

At last that day has come round.  I took her in to Warwick for 7AM, and she was soon admitted by friendly and efficient nurses.  She was first on the list.  I went in to see her at 5:30PM.  Unfortunately she was in some pain, and was having to wait for effective pain relief as the nurses were waiting on a busy A&E doctor to come and prescribe morphine.  I stayed until 7:15PM, but was very tired after the early start and work, so thought I had better head back.  M had managed to eat her dinner, but obviously the pain was causing quite some discomfort, as she didn't feel able to give me a run down of the day in quite her usual detail.

Later she phoned to say the doctor had   prescribed 1 to 2mg of morphine, whereas the nursing staff were expecting 10 to 20mg.  So it was back for another wait.  Poor M.  I hope she has a good night and is feeling better tomorrow.

I emailed round the family.  Mary phoned, which was nice, and I was amused by Catherine's comment by email "Haha she should be on at least 10mg every 2 to 4 hours. That's my standard just for a bit of pain!"

It was odd being at home on my own.  Spookily quiet, and would take some getting used to.  

Loves Labours Won, RSC

Thursday 7th October.

Ages ago I booked to see Loves Labour's Lost (which I am seeing in a couple of weeks time) and Loves Labour's Won, more commonly known as Much Ado About Nothing.  I went on my own as M is not so interested in rushing out on a Thursday night.  The ticket was only £14, as it was a restricted view.  When I got there I found it was because it was behind a thin steel pillar.  In the interval I moved from my restricted view seat to a spare seat in the row in front, moving from £14 to £40. 

The play was good, as always done well at Stratford.  The stage was particularly impressive, with whole rooms moving in and out, or up and down.

Cast

Sam Alexander - Don John
Peter Basham - Butler
William Belchambers - Conrade
Edward Bennett - Benedick
Nick Haverson - Dogberry
John Hodgkinson - Don Pedro
David Horovitch - Leonato
Tunji Kasim - Claudio
Sophie Khan Levy - Housemaid
Oliver Lynes - Soldier
Emma Manton - Margaret
Chris McCalphy - Sexton
Frances McNamee - Ursula
Peter McGovern - George Seacoal
Chris Nayak - Borachio
Jamie Newall - Friar Francis
Roderick Smith - Verges
Flora Spencer-Longhurst - Hero
Michelle Terry - Beatrice
Harry Waller - Balthasar
Thomas Wheatley - Antonio

Director – Christopher Luscombe
Designer – Simon Higlett
Lighting – Oliver Fenwick
Music – Nigel Hess
Sound – Jeremy Dunn

Kerley Weekend at Holmbury St Mary

Once again Elizabeth has hired Holmbury St Mary youth hostel for the Kerleys.

Friday

M, John and I drove down, leaving about 5PM and taking a bit less than three hours. 

Ted was very helpful allowing me to discuss my health with him, and advising me that it was now okay to exercise (though reiterating that I should warm up and warm down, and include stretches).

Saturday

After Ted's advice I thought it was okay to go off for a mountain bike ride.  This was both the first time that I had been on a bike (other than a stationary bike in the rehab clinic) since my heart attack and also the first time that I had ridden my new (second hand) Boardman full suspension bike.  It was a good ride.  From the top of Holmbury Hill you can see the Shard and some other tall buildings in London.  Coming back down the hill I enjoyed some single track.  To think that 10 weeks ago I wondered if I would ever mountain bike again.

On returning to the hostel, John asked if I could take him and Mary to Harrisons Rocks.  I was intrigued to see them, though was rather a long drove form the hostel.  It was a lovely sunny day, much better than we should expect for the start of November and the rocks were much better than expected. 

We had to rush back as a badminton hall had been hired at Dorking Leasure Centre.

In the evening we had chips back at the hostel.  I disappeared for wile as it got quite noisy, but enjoyed watching a challenge develop to see who could pick up a box from the floor, without putting their hands or knees on the floor.

Sunday.

I had another MTB ride, but this time in the rain. 

I dropped Mary off at Gomshall station so she could get back to London in time to see Rhys.  This meant I missed a walk with Elizabeth.  However, she was good enough to take me out and show me the rudiments of Nordic Walking.  There is something of the evangelist about her.

We left at 2PM, and were home in a little over two hours.

A slideshow of more pictures, including pictures taken by M, is here, on Flickr

Visiting Rachel in York

Saturday 25th to Tuesday 28th October 

Saturday

We took the Caravan up to the York Beechwood Grange Club Site, arriving around lunch time. The weather was beautiful for the end of October. The site is fine, nicely arranged and with good sized hard standings.  We chose this site as Rowntee Park (in the centre of York) was full, though we might try that another time.  I had motor moves fitted to the caravan and this was the first time we had tried them. 

After a quick lunch we drove over to Rachel's hall at the Helsington East campus.  Rachel's hall is fine, a newly built building.  She is on a floor with three other girls, and shares a kitchen with eight.  She seems to get on well with all of them.

Rachel quickly rushed us up to her room.  She had spent the night up; not partying, just socialising, until dawn, and then only had a little sleep, so she was rather tired (and just a hint grumpy).  We delivered Marys presents, and had a cup of coffee.  Then the highlight of the York holiday was then a trip to a large Tesco, where Rachel spent about an hour shopping.  Afterwards it was back to the caravan for an evening meal.  As soon as it was over Rachel wanted to get back to her friends.

Sunday

M suggested that we go to the 10AM Eucharist at the Minster, which turned out to be a really good idea.  It normally costs quite  a bit to get in, but not for the services of course.  And we enjoyed a traditional cathedral service.

Afterwards we wandered around York, and a had a walk on the walls.

In the afternoon we met up with Rachel.  Once again it was a lively day, but the car park at the Heslington East campus is rather exposed and it seemed really rather cold.  I am sure I saw some penguins on the distant lake.  Rachel took us to the city center again, and we went round a NT property; The Treasures House.  This was a good tick, not crowded.  We dropped Rachel back at her halls as she wanted to eat with her friends.  M and I had a long quiet night in the caravan, M catching up on the Evesham Observer papers, reading interesting snippets out to me.  Maybe we will crack and buy a TV for the caravan (for use on winter nights only) if we continue to go away.

Monday 

M and I spent the day on out own as Rachel had lectures and some work to do.  In the morning we went to the Yorkshire Air Museum (recommended by Rick).  At first M wasn't to interested looking at boys toys, but she started to spot the differences between the planes and the development that had taken place over the years and got more animated.  She even climbed into the cockpit of a trainer jet, despite her very bad hip.

I had thought to go to the Railway museum in the afternoon, but we were too lazy and had a quiet time.

In the evening we took Rachel to a local factory pub for an evening meal.  It was surprisingly busy for a Monday night.  The best thing about it was the buffet server an optional extra large meal, which suited M down to the ground.

Tuesday

We headed home getting back at about 2PM.

It had been a good four days away and lovely to see Rachel, and to see where she is living.  Rachel had appologised for not seeing much of us, but we had gone with the knowledge that we would look after ourselves and not get in Rachel's way, and it was so good to see her.  I can rest assured that she is not crying in her room every night.