I went ice-skating with my daughter on Sunday morning. This a routine that has been going on for a while and we both enjoy our fun together. We also share ice time with one of my oldest friends and colleagues and his wife and daughters. More on the Italian clan later when I have thought up a suitable collective reference for them.
What is less routine is that when I came home I could hear the words "Oy Freak" emanating from my house in my direction.
I recognise the dulcet tones of Notoplip (most likely distinctive because of the clue in his name). What I didn't expect was to find not only him but also "Dangerous Doug" and "Bloody Nice Bloke" at work in mine and Kitten's bedroom.
At this juncture I should probably pause and point out that Kitten was at a party for one of my son's school friends, so the chaps were concentrating on the job in hand, which was lining paper all round and Kitten's choice of paper for a single wall.
Bloody good job chaps (and to Sushi for her motivating and organisational skills). I hate decorating!
Special mention must also be made of "Billy the Fish". Billy the Fish and his Mrs "Saucy Sue" have not been mentioned yet because they are standing quietly but firmly in the background. But the support is there and it is much appreciated. I am also thoroughly looking forward to inheriting "Billy's" aquarium for my newly decorated bedroom. Now I know what it is like to be a celebrity when everyone wants to give you things. It gives you a "Ready Brek" feeling.
A cryptic message must also be sent to the "Enochians" for the gift of sound. I guess that only they will understand that particular reference. Ah well, there must be some secrets between souls.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
The Power of Laughter
In case you were wondering where the Shogun was in the previous post, it was only there in spirit.
The Shogun I am referring to is the vehicle Notoplip drove back and forth to Wales.
When we met up at the start of the journey I got in the Shogun and we started to talk b*ll*cks. When I got out some 21 hours later we were still talking b*ll*cks. We had had a good laugh though and that is just what the doctor ordered.
My thanks to everyone who accommodated us on our way (especially my mam and dad) and I hope we didn't corrupt the the Serious Barman; though I think that very unlikely as he is a strong-minded young fella. If we did corrupt him with our tales of old then I am sure that "Lucky Coat" (his dad and my uncle) will be having words with me in times to come.
The Shogun I am referring to is the vehicle Notoplip drove back and forth to Wales.
When we met up at the start of the journey I got in the Shogun and we started to talk b*ll*cks. When I got out some 21 hours later we were still talking b*ll*cks. We had had a good laugh though and that is just what the doctor ordered.
My thanks to everyone who accommodated us on our way (especially my mam and dad) and I hope we didn't corrupt the the Serious Barman; though I think that very unlikely as he is a strong-minded young fella. If we did corrupt him with our tales of old then I am sure that "Lucky Coat" (his dad and my uncle) will be having words with me in times to come.
Notoplip the Shogun and the kebab frenzy
The match in Cardiff was entertaining enough and the second half atmosphere reflected a much better Welsh performance.
Notoplip is a football lad, uninitiated in the ways of the egg-chasing fraternity so I had wanted him to sample the unique dynamics of a rugby crowd and occasion.
It was frustating that the traffic we encountered on the way down curtailed the preliminaries, as we did not arrive in Cardiff town centre until one hour before kick-off.
On the way to meeting up with Lady Dai, Mrs Stockholm, the Serious Barman and friends, Notoplip was asked directions by a Welsh lady. That was the gateway for his one-night acceptance into "Welshness".
A bit of chit-chat in a Mill Lane bar then it was off for the serious business of the match. Time afforded little other than to touch base and collect tickets from Lady Dai and Mrs Stockholm (Cheers for passing them in my direction).
The thing about the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is that it really is in Cardiff. Bang slap on the river Taff and running the length of Westgate Street it strikes an impressive pose to the surrounding landscape. Inside the ground the tiers of seats are banked closely to the ground, which provides an intimate atmosphere especially when the Stadium roof is also closed.
Mixing the home and away support, who chat and banter with each other, is not something that can be seen in football at any level. The argument that alcohol is to blame for trouble at football matches doesn't gain a lot of support here either because opposing fans sit and drink alcohol in the stadium without a whiff of trouble. It pained me to have to turn down the offer of a beer from the French supporters sitting next to me. I felt it would have been rude not to take the offer so I settled for a coke.
So Notoplip broke his rugby virginity and, by the time we left the stadium, Cardiff looked a completely different place.
Rugby internationals often provide an even flow to the day in Cardiff. I can remember being on the lash at 10:30am in the capital for an afternoon clash and carrying on into the small hours, so I want to make it clear that I am not sitting in judgment of anyone in the following passage.
The town centre looked like a different landscape with a Friday night kick-off. You have to understand that a rugby day in Cardiff is very different from a rugby day in, for example, Twickenham. The day in Cardiff will have just as many women as men in the in the pubs and bars. The culture in South Wales is such that rugby internationals permeate into the overall public conciousness much more than rugby and even football do in England. In order to understand this you have to realise that there are rugby clubs in even the smallest of villages in South Wales and they often have a strong focus within the local community.
It appeared to me that Cardiff on Friday was a mixture of a match focused crowd and a Friday night going out crowd, which is entirely logical. But it is an interesting mix.
St. Mary's street in Cardiff has a reputation as being the most drunken street in the whole of the UK. You would think that people were exaggerating if they said that there are a host of first-aid portacabins and ambulance parked in the street but it is perfectly true. A quick search on Google will give you a feel for the place. There are very few perks to being sober but watching people stagger around completely paralytic from one bar to another is quite amusing in its own little way. The pinnacle for me was at the end of the night when walking back to the Serious Barman's car. We stopped off in "Chip Alley" (yes it is self-explanatory) for Notoplip to grab a kebab.
Chip Alley is a unique place after midnight. I had laughed out loud earlier in the evening when the Serious Barman had relayed an Aussie comic's comments about Cardiff to a Portsmouth crowd. He said something along the lines of
"You think you are all drinkers but you have nothing on the Welsh. In Cardiff a bloke will have a piss, order his chips and pull a bird at the same time. The women who are wearing next to nothing in the freezing cold will be impressed that he has in own bag of chips".
Now some of you may not understand that and some may not appreciate it, but when you are there in Chip Alley after midnight it carries a certain resonance with it.
The jewel of my own Friday night experience was people watching in Chip Alley. There was the bloke ordering a kebab that he was in no fit state to eat. Outside the kebab shop he made a brave attempt (with a fork from his box) but half of it was down his arm. When he noticed, he picked a bit of lettuce off without noticing half of the kebab shop sitting on the rest of his arm.
Better still was a bloke who was at least managing to get it into his mouth but he had forgotten the basic use of a fork. Most of us know that when you use a fork you put a bit of food on it and then you lift it to your mouth. This bloke was so pissed that he would get the food on his fork and then lean forward to get the food off the fork whist simultaneously moving the fork further away from himself. Part of me was inwardly praying that he would fall over. Not because I wanted any harm to come to him but because I was convinced that if he had fallen over then he would have done so face first into his kebab box and would have continued chomping on tasty donor oblivious to the world around him.
For a moment I felt like the picture of good health!
Notoplip was content with his kebab and Serious Barman and I nicked a couple of chips.
Thanks to Serious Barman for the lift home to my parents
Notoplip is a football lad, uninitiated in the ways of the egg-chasing fraternity so I had wanted him to sample the unique dynamics of a rugby crowd and occasion.
It was frustating that the traffic we encountered on the way down curtailed the preliminaries, as we did not arrive in Cardiff town centre until one hour before kick-off.
On the way to meeting up with Lady Dai, Mrs Stockholm, the Serious Barman and friends, Notoplip was asked directions by a Welsh lady. That was the gateway for his one-night acceptance into "Welshness".
A bit of chit-chat in a Mill Lane bar then it was off for the serious business of the match. Time afforded little other than to touch base and collect tickets from Lady Dai and Mrs Stockholm (Cheers for passing them in my direction).
The thing about the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is that it really is in Cardiff. Bang slap on the river Taff and running the length of Westgate Street it strikes an impressive pose to the surrounding landscape. Inside the ground the tiers of seats are banked closely to the ground, which provides an intimate atmosphere especially when the Stadium roof is also closed.
Mixing the home and away support, who chat and banter with each other, is not something that can be seen in football at any level. The argument that alcohol is to blame for trouble at football matches doesn't gain a lot of support here either because opposing fans sit and drink alcohol in the stadium without a whiff of trouble. It pained me to have to turn down the offer of a beer from the French supporters sitting next to me. I felt it would have been rude not to take the offer so I settled for a coke.
So Notoplip broke his rugby virginity and, by the time we left the stadium, Cardiff looked a completely different place.
Rugby internationals often provide an even flow to the day in Cardiff. I can remember being on the lash at 10:30am in the capital for an afternoon clash and carrying on into the small hours, so I want to make it clear that I am not sitting in judgment of anyone in the following passage.
The town centre looked like a different landscape with a Friday night kick-off. You have to understand that a rugby day in Cardiff is very different from a rugby day in, for example, Twickenham. The day in Cardiff will have just as many women as men in the in the pubs and bars. The culture in South Wales is such that rugby internationals permeate into the overall public conciousness much more than rugby and even football do in England. In order to understand this you have to realise that there are rugby clubs in even the smallest of villages in South Wales and they often have a strong focus within the local community.
It appeared to me that Cardiff on Friday was a mixture of a match focused crowd and a Friday night going out crowd, which is entirely logical. But it is an interesting mix.
St. Mary's street in Cardiff has a reputation as being the most drunken street in the whole of the UK. You would think that people were exaggerating if they said that there are a host of first-aid portacabins and ambulance parked in the street but it is perfectly true. A quick search on Google will give you a feel for the place. There are very few perks to being sober but watching people stagger around completely paralytic from one bar to another is quite amusing in its own little way. The pinnacle for me was at the end of the night when walking back to the Serious Barman's car. We stopped off in "Chip Alley" (yes it is self-explanatory) for Notoplip to grab a kebab.
Chip Alley is a unique place after midnight. I had laughed out loud earlier in the evening when the Serious Barman had relayed an Aussie comic's comments about Cardiff to a Portsmouth crowd. He said something along the lines of
"You think you are all drinkers but you have nothing on the Welsh. In Cardiff a bloke will have a piss, order his chips and pull a bird at the same time. The women who are wearing next to nothing in the freezing cold will be impressed that he has in own bag of chips".
Now some of you may not understand that and some may not appreciate it, but when you are there in Chip Alley after midnight it carries a certain resonance with it.
The jewel of my own Friday night experience was people watching in Chip Alley. There was the bloke ordering a kebab that he was in no fit state to eat. Outside the kebab shop he made a brave attempt (with a fork from his box) but half of it was down his arm. When he noticed, he picked a bit of lettuce off without noticing half of the kebab shop sitting on the rest of his arm.
Better still was a bloke who was at least managing to get it into his mouth but he had forgotten the basic use of a fork. Most of us know that when you use a fork you put a bit of food on it and then you lift it to your mouth. This bloke was so pissed that he would get the food on his fork and then lean forward to get the food off the fork whist simultaneously moving the fork further away from himself. Part of me was inwardly praying that he would fall over. Not because I wanted any harm to come to him but because I was convinced that if he had fallen over then he would have done so face first into his kebab box and would have continued chomping on tasty donor oblivious to the world around him.
For a moment I felt like the picture of good health!
Notoplip was content with his kebab and Serious Barman and I nicked a couple of chips.
Thanks to Serious Barman for the lift home to my parents
The Power of Events
Given the effort put into attending sporting events on the weekend there was little return.
A Friday night defeat for Wales, crafted by their lamentable first half performance and a handsome defeat for Chelsea on Saturday.
From my viewpoint it is often single or a cluster of closely knit events that can shape the outcome of any situation and hindsight shows them to be significant turning points. Sometimes there can also be the feeling that events are heavily influenced by past actions i.e. Karma.
If you are going to be a winner you need to have the self-belief, the ability, a good team around you and a measure of good luck.
There were pivotal events in both matches but let's start with the Karma.
A few weeks after the revelations of yet more indiscretions by the Chelsea captain Chelsea were facing Manchester City and the unfortunate Mr Bridge. If ever a script was written for "Karmic revenge" then this was it. The gods were with City and they deserved their victory.
I felt that the match turned within a minute. Chelsea 1-0 up and Joe Cole created a chance out of nothing. He failed to put the chance away and City raced up the other end and scored, helped schoolboy defending by Chelsea (guess who was culpable).
No karma in evidence at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Friday but Wales literally "threw the game away" with an error strewn performance.
At half-time I was fearing an absolute hammering but, as the Welsh often do, they rallied strongly to run the French close. There is huge talent in the Welsh but it oftens seems that it only emerges when the backs are to the wall. Almost as if there must be a drama of our own making before inspiriation can be invoked.
The French were reeling at 21-13 and Wales had two clear cut chances to level but failed to take them. You could feel the momentum start to swing and the transition was completed as the first half school boy mistakes started to creep in again. Despite being 20-0 down at half-time this will definitely go down as an opportunity missed.
The magic of Shane Williams in the dying moments of the game confirmed the disappointment of "what should have been" with a class try that is the hallmark of one of Wales greats.
Well done to the French and also to there supporters who were fantastic throughout.
A Friday night defeat for Wales, crafted by their lamentable first half performance and a handsome defeat for Chelsea on Saturday.
From my viewpoint it is often single or a cluster of closely knit events that can shape the outcome of any situation and hindsight shows them to be significant turning points. Sometimes there can also be the feeling that events are heavily influenced by past actions i.e. Karma.
If you are going to be a winner you need to have the self-belief, the ability, a good team around you and a measure of good luck.
There were pivotal events in both matches but let's start with the Karma.
A few weeks after the revelations of yet more indiscretions by the Chelsea captain Chelsea were facing Manchester City and the unfortunate Mr Bridge. If ever a script was written for "Karmic revenge" then this was it. The gods were with City and they deserved their victory.
I felt that the match turned within a minute. Chelsea 1-0 up and Joe Cole created a chance out of nothing. He failed to put the chance away and City raced up the other end and scored, helped schoolboy defending by Chelsea (guess who was culpable).
No karma in evidence at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Friday but Wales literally "threw the game away" with an error strewn performance.
At half-time I was fearing an absolute hammering but, as the Welsh often do, they rallied strongly to run the French close. There is huge talent in the Welsh but it oftens seems that it only emerges when the backs are to the wall. Almost as if there must be a drama of our own making before inspiriation can be invoked.
The French were reeling at 21-13 and Wales had two clear cut chances to level but failed to take them. You could feel the momentum start to swing and the transition was completed as the first half school boy mistakes started to creep in again. Despite being 20-0 down at half-time this will definitely go down as an opportunity missed.
The magic of Shane Williams in the dying moments of the game confirmed the disappointment of "what should have been" with a class try that is the hallmark of one of Wales greats.
Well done to the French and also to there supporters who were fantastic throughout.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
annstonefamily
Hi "annstonefamily".
I am not sure whether you saw my reply to your Friday morning post, which was buried in the comments, so I thought that I would respond directly to your generous offer of assistance.
Firstly, I would like to wish your husband a full and speedy recovery. It seems that you are coming near to the end of your journey and I hope that this year is a much better one for you and all of your family.
If I am lucky enough to come through the remaining investigations without any additional "discoveries" it would seem that your husband's situation has been very similar to the one I am facing.
I would be grateful if I could draw from your experience in what ever manner suits you. Personally, I feel that a chat would allow me to "pick your brains" and provide you with a wider arena than responding to topics that I have chosen, but I would be pleased to hear your thoughts through any medium.
Your colleagues have my contact details, so perhaps you could drop me an email and we can take it from there.
Many Thanks
I am not sure whether you saw my reply to your Friday morning post, which was buried in the comments, so I thought that I would respond directly to your generous offer of assistance.
Firstly, I would like to wish your husband a full and speedy recovery. It seems that you are coming near to the end of your journey and I hope that this year is a much better one for you and all of your family.
If I am lucky enough to come through the remaining investigations without any additional "discoveries" it would seem that your husband's situation has been very similar to the one I am facing.
I would be grateful if I could draw from your experience in what ever manner suits you. Personally, I feel that a chat would allow me to "pick your brains" and provide you with a wider arena than responding to topics that I have chosen, but I would be pleased to hear your thoughts through any medium.
Your colleagues have my contact details, so perhaps you could drop me an email and we can take it from there.
Many Thanks
Friday, 26 February 2010
Rest and Recuperation
Charging up and down motorways going to rugby and football matches is probably not the ideal physical form of rest and recuperation, but this weekend will be a useful outlet. There will be activities with all of my immediate family members and I will be stopping over tonight at my parents in South Wales.
There are a few topics that I want to write on next week as I feel that it is worth talking more about the levels of care that I am receiving and the selflessness of those around me.
The stage of the game that I am at currently is just a "phoney war" and the business end is yet to arrive, so everything is a little surreal, particularly as I look and seem reasonably healthy.
I also want to add a piece on clinical trials as, in this situation, there is a dilemma between whether you participate in an unproven treatment program or whether you go with the tried and tested. It is important to realise that your treatment program has arisen from previous clinical trials but also that you have a duty to yourself and your family to minimise risks as much as possible. I have been doing my homework and have also received some very helpful input from my GP on the current trial, so this is something for me to mull over.
Have a great weekend everyone.
There are a few topics that I want to write on next week as I feel that it is worth talking more about the levels of care that I am receiving and the selflessness of those around me.
The stage of the game that I am at currently is just a "phoney war" and the business end is yet to arrive, so everything is a little surreal, particularly as I look and seem reasonably healthy.
I also want to add a piece on clinical trials as, in this situation, there is a dilemma between whether you participate in an unproven treatment program or whether you go with the tried and tested. It is important to realise that your treatment program has arisen from previous clinical trials but also that you have a duty to yourself and your family to minimise risks as much as possible. I have been doing my homework and have also received some very helpful input from my GP on the current trial, so this is something for me to mull over.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
D.A. Decorator
Whilst I was out this morning D.A. showed up at the house in his latest incarnation as bedroom decorator. Notoplip has been organising behind the scenes!!
Nice one D.A. Help yourself to biscuits, coffee, tea and beers etc. but note that Kitten has an implanted chip and that I do a computer read out of her activity every evening :-)
Nice one D.A. Help yourself to biscuits, coffee, tea and beers etc. but note that Kitten has an implanted chip and that I do a computer read out of her activity every evening :-)
Radioactive
I've had a busy but good day (with the MRI liver news).
I started with a nuclear heart scan (MUGA) and kidney test (EDTA) which lasted from 9am to 2:30pm (Only 20 minutes in a scanner but prep and repeated blood tests). Whilst all this was going on I fitted in a visit to the psychologist with Kitten to talk about how we help the children through this difficult period (more on that another time).
I then had a dash into Central London to the Fulham Road Marsden for a prep op assessment. Thanks to SuperSal for the lift to the tube as I was running late from one appointment to another (thanks also to our local French auditor for the lift in his monster truck this morning). If only all NHS hospitals were like the Marsden. It's amazing what money can do when it is used wisely. Oh, and thanks to all of you for paying your taxes all these years - one of us had to reap the benefits :-)
My case nurse has been a star in linking together all the appointments for me.
By the time I got back I was cream crackered. I never new that lounging around having needles stuck into you could be so tiring.
Strangely though the only time recently that I have felt this tired was last Friday and on both days I have had tests which have involved the injection of radioactive dyes. I am not allowed to sit with the children for the rest of the day and it brings to mind the Jack Nicholson line from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
"The next woman who takes me on is gonna light up like a pinball machine and pay out in silver dollars"
Off to the Wales vs France rugby tomorrow with Notoplip and meeting in Cardiff with family members Lady Dai, Mrs Stockholm and the Serious Barman (there you go, I have christened you and you know who you are). It will be good to have a bit of normality though I guess that it won't be a night of beer and Jack Daniels.
Oh well, you can't have everything and I give thanks to my liver for being such a trusty companion over the years.
I started with a nuclear heart scan (MUGA) and kidney test (EDTA) which lasted from 9am to 2:30pm (Only 20 minutes in a scanner but prep and repeated blood tests). Whilst all this was going on I fitted in a visit to the psychologist with Kitten to talk about how we help the children through this difficult period (more on that another time).
I then had a dash into Central London to the Fulham Road Marsden for a prep op assessment. Thanks to SuperSal for the lift to the tube as I was running late from one appointment to another (thanks also to our local French auditor for the lift in his monster truck this morning). If only all NHS hospitals were like the Marsden. It's amazing what money can do when it is used wisely. Oh, and thanks to all of you for paying your taxes all these years - one of us had to reap the benefits :-)
My case nurse has been a star in linking together all the appointments for me.
By the time I got back I was cream crackered. I never new that lounging around having needles stuck into you could be so tiring.
Strangely though the only time recently that I have felt this tired was last Friday and on both days I have had tests which have involved the injection of radioactive dyes. I am not allowed to sit with the children for the rest of the day and it brings to mind the Jack Nicholson line from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
"The next woman who takes me on is gonna light up like a pinball machine and pay out in silver dollars"
Off to the Wales vs France rugby tomorrow with Notoplip and meeting in Cardiff with family members Lady Dai, Mrs Stockholm and the Serious Barman (there you go, I have christened you and you know who you are). It will be good to have a bit of normality though I guess that it won't be a night of beer and Jack Daniels.
Oh well, you can't have everything and I give thanks to my liver for being such a trusty companion over the years.
De"Liver" ing Good News
Good news today.
Yesterday's MRI scan showed my liver to be clear.
No secondary cancer there then.
Just the abdomen to check now in the laparoscopy next Tuesday.
Happy dayz, but feet still on the ground
Yesterday's MRI scan showed my liver to be clear.
No secondary cancer there then.
Just the abdomen to check now in the laparoscopy next Tuesday.
Happy dayz, but feet still on the ground
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Toons for the Day - "The Sun Stylee"
1. Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly
2. Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
3. Doctor Doctor - UFO
4. Don't Upset the Rhythm - The Noisettes
5. Paraniod - Black Sabbath
6. I've Got you Under my Skin - Cole Porter
7. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd
8. I Believe in Miracles - Hot Chocolate
9. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
10. If you Want Blood (You've Got It) - AC/DC
2. Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
3. Doctor Doctor - UFO
4. Don't Upset the Rhythm - The Noisettes
5. Paraniod - Black Sabbath
6. I've Got you Under my Skin - Cole Porter
7. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd
8. I Believe in Miracles - Hot Chocolate
9. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
10. If you Want Blood (You've Got It) - AC/DC
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