Bang!

Well more of loud phut, really. What a bloomin mess; white stuff everywhere and a great baked skin with a gaping tear in it lolling to the side, on its end.

My baked potato felt a bit hard when I pricked it with a knife. Easy way to deal with that one, (since the casserole was ready and waiting) stick the potato in the microwave for twenty seconds, just for starters. Five seconds in... Oh boy!

The rest is history;

Lesson: don't put baked potato in microwave sitting on the piercing and, pierce properly at least twice either side.

Better still, check baked potato more carefully, mine was perfectly baked!

This is a must see...

http://www.office-humour.co.uk/movies/5136/

It's such a shame that we don't get more pumpkins as food rather than as gargoyle potential. I managed to buy one during the week, one of a select few that hadn't been sold for Halloween lantern masks.

Pumpkin soup was called for, especially tonight. Outside the temperature is about freezing point. "Ah yes," I thought, "I know just the place to find the recipe". A few moments later I was printing off the recipe I blogged last October (2005), et voila! The soup was made and there's enough pumpkin soup remaining to go with another meal. That'll be it then till next year, when the seasonal batch returns for Halloween 2007.

I am so wound up that I am finding it difficult to blog;

A lady I know who has suffered medical complications together with kidney failure (if that's not complication enough!)has had a severe side-affect to medication prescribed for the additional complication. It has disabled her from being able to carry out her own home treatments which have to be done four times a day. She has difficulty with dressing, carrying out personal hygiene and daily tasks at the present time

There are no community nurses within 120 miles trained to support her needs; effectively she has been dumped. It is particularly noticeable when physical care and moral support are needed. She has a telephone number to speak to people far away in a specialised service unit, who in that situation are severely limited in what they can and will do for their long-distance and remotely based, patient.

She has been asked if she can get friends to assist with what are medical requirements. It brings it home to me why a number of people I know, of a certain age, have moved south, within reach of hospitals. It is the only way they can receive appropriate medical support in the community. Unlike this lady, the majority were not born and bred here. One 85 year old who was born here, finally had to uproot as she couldn't cope with the 240 miles trip four times a week.

The GP, who has now got a better idea of the situation (like most people of her age, they underplay what is happening or cannot express it 'as it is') has now contacted social services who will assess after the weekend; meantime a senior district nurse has visited, saw what needed doing and whilst with the lady, assisted. However, she offered one nurse session on Saturday as there's only one nurse on duty, two nurse sessions on Sunday (four sessions a day are needed) and someone will come and assist with showering on Monday, 72 hours' time.

The nurses 120 miles away have suggested she travels to them; (travel by coach and bus !!! as there's no straight through service after the floods we had), stay in a hostel in the hospital grounds and get assistance that way. The renal unit 20 miles away was not even considered as there is no expertise for her requirements, likewise, with the nearby satellite medical unit (it's limited with everything).

I am fizzing!

What a day it's been! It all started with an aquarobics trip to the local pool.

"Funny", I thought, as I reversed out of the drive and tootled slowly down our hill, "the road surface feels a bit odd, maybe it's icy, this car isn't handling too well." I stopped the car near the bottom of the hill, got out and inspected the road and my car. The front off-side tyre was totally flat, the outer wall had gone. I was driving on the metal !!! There were momentary awful flash backs to previous burst tyres.

At the pool, I discovered I had left my glasses case at home. I carefully placed my glasses in one of the sections of my back pack. Later, I dived into my pack to get out shampoo etc., up and out jumped my specs, falling onto the stone floor. The side arm sheared off.

I borrowed a car, drove the 40 miles round trip to my optician - using a spare pair of specs,in case you were wondering - and if I am lucky, my everday specs might be back by Friday or early next week.

Third, I lost and found my house keys.

This is my first day back from travails and travels; have I been tired! I slept in late and spent my first waking hour this morning trying to work out by a process of muddled deduction, what day of the week it was. Even the usual morning radio programmes did not clue me up. It must have been just after I polished of a bowl of porridge that realisation kicked in. I occasionaly indulge in a yellow peril and I put the inspiration down to the potassium hit from my peeled and munched banana. So, here I am blogging on Monday night the 13th November, thinking about getting an early-ish night. I am sooooo sleepy.

Night, night.

Flu jab time again for those that take them. It's all a bit late this year, even more so than last year.

Jab given.Instructions to follow:

"If hot or flu-ish take paracetamol."

"Sit outside for 10 minutes in waiting room"; didn't bother.

Local and nearby hotel reception warmer, better ambience and not full of people, some of whom may be sickening for something I prefer not to share.

Sat and had a natter with a friend and enjoyed a hot toastie and coffee: much better.D

Away on my travels again, will catch up with you all on my return. Toodlepip.