28 June 2011
Being Tuesday it was meant to be a golf day for me, but the weather forecast was unclear and following the very hot weather there was high chance of some short heavy thundery showers. I really felt I could not risk it in my electric wheelchair. I think I will ask the wheelchair people’s permission to clamp or weld a vertical, tube, onto the chair, into which I can place an umbrella. I looked out of the window, most of the morning, praying that I would see some heavy downfall but in the event it stayed dry and I could have gone after all. However, I have had quite a lot of excitement over the last few days so a quiet day at home was not going to do me any harm
I heard today, from, Patterson Medical, one of the last medical companies to which I submitted my Mitt Wipe. Sadly, it does not fall within the ‘core portfolio’. In other words yet another rejection. One more to go and I shall have to abandon the idea.
I’m still waiting to hear from my son-in-law as to whether or not I would be wise or foolish to pursue the crooked dentist by seeking a Judicial Review on behalf of all the other elderly and disabled legal that this man is cheating by claiming to have done work which she clearly is not done. It’s really all about the risk of me losing and having to pay the costs of the other side
with the heavily thundery rain, the matches at Wimbledon were curtailed and most of the action took place on the Centre Court. It was basically ladies day and it now looks as though Sharipova is favourite to win the championship. Whilst on sporting topics I should mention that England had a decisive win against Sri Lanka, at the Oval, in a rain affected One-Day International. Winning by by an impressive 110 runs in a match reduced to 32 overs per side – an impressive win. I’m looking forward to going to Lord’s , on Sunday, to see the next ODI against Sri Lanka.
Â
Â
27 June 2011
A pretty hectic day for a Monday. First thing, I had a real problem trying to publish my blog entry. I tried for around three hours and could not resolve the problem so called on the services of that ever willing Paul, who fortunately was working just across the road. It even took him about an hour and a half to find out that somehow a Table of Contents had worked its way into the formatting.
Fortunately we had put off the midday visit, from our carers to 1.30, instead of the normal midday, which was just about the time Paul finished and almost precisely when our lunch guests arrived, an hour late, having been held up in heavy traffic from London. The visitors were Monti, the popstar/ cum photographer, who came to make the DVD which will appear at the front of this blog shortly, in place of all the wordy introduction. I was amazed at the professional equipment that Monti brought with him;. light umbrellas and a great variety. .of lenses, some for his still cameras and the others for his video cameras. All for this 4/5 min long introductory DVD. I am so lucky to have such great friends with terrific skills in their particular fields who are always seemingly only too happy to do things for me however busy they are with their own affairs ..
I knew that Monti was bringing his little 22 month son, Baxter, with him with a nanny in tow, but was delighted, when the car arrived, and wife Karyl emerged. She is a very dear old friend – of Aussie origin- I have done many things over the past few years with her including the magnificent production of The Frisian Chip Case, in Budapest . Karyl is a big time international lawyer and seems to work at all hours of the day and night, particularly as a number of her cases involve American clients, however today she was just Baxter’s mum today and it was great to see her relaxing on the deck chair in the garden. ‘My lovely’sensibly did a simple picnic lunch in the garden finishing with some of Judith’s Lemon drizzle cake covered in strawberries and cream. Fortunately we were able to get our filming over quite quickly and I have no doubt that the results will be stunning as everything that Monti does is of the highest quality. Hopefully we will see the result on this blog within the next two or three weeks.
It was an extremely hot day so sensibly Karyl, Monti and co left mid-afternoon, so as not get caught up in heavy traffic going home. I had had enough of the garden by then so went in to watch Murray creaming his way through into the quarter-finals, in three straight sets over the Frenchman Gasquet.. In fact, it was quite an exciting afternoon and early evening session of tennis. First of all both of the Williams sisters were knocked out as was the women top seed, Caroline Wozniacki. I think the most exciting match of the day was between Nadal and Del Potro – the former US open tennis champion who has been out of the game for a while through injury.
It was anybody’s game right up to the last stroke, nearly 4 hours of amazing tennis with Nadal just sneaking ahead at the end of the fifth set to get into the quarter-finals yet again.
26 June 2011
As forecast today was a real heat wave. I went into the garden in my electric wheelchair wearing my shorts and even sat in the sun for half an hour without my shirt. I cannot overdo the sun these days as I find I have far less tolerance for it than I did when I was really fit. 56 years ago, when I was living in Aden -then a British Protectorate, now part of the Yemen-when all of my friends and colleagues were sleeping off the heat of the afternoon sun in their air-conditioned bedrooms, I used to lie on the flat roof of my apartment in temperatures up to 100°F, I couldn’t stand the air conditioning. Talk about ‘Mad dogs of Englishmen out in the midday sun ‘),However, a small dose of vitamins D will no doubt have done me a great deal of good.
Â
We had our good friends Lucy and Julian Critchlow to lunch. They could not have chosen a more perfect day, the hottest day of the year so far. Of course, we had lunch in the garden and then back into the shade in the afternoon. A very relaxing day for all of us, particularly Lucy and Julian who both work extremely hard and I’m sure were glad of the timeout from their daily toil. Julian, very generously bought a fine bottle of champagne. I am getting rather embarrassed by the fact that almost everyone who comes to see me seems to have to feel constrained to bring something with them. Certainly one better than the traditional bunch of grapes when one is in hospital but really unnecessarily generous in my present state. That is not to say that the odd bottle of champagne is not always a welcome gift.
Â
Today was the occasion of the annual Clavering Show and, in a last-minute rush around the garden, ‘my lovely’ found half a dozen beautiful blooms to submit in the rose category. The problem is that everything is earlier this year and most of the roses were past their best. However,. she was delighted to learn that she had, for the third year running, won second prize for her single rose. The £2 prize was, of course, offered to Peter, the gardener, who gallantly refused to take the money.
Â
I had a catch up call from my darling Chloe whilst dad and the boys were in their garden having a barbecue. She told me that little Lara had won the academic prize for her year. This means that all three of them, in their turn have achieved this degree of excellence in their primary school although, Lara actually beat the boys inasmuch as she got there in her first year. Fred, has clearly settled down in his ‘big school’, achieving all A’s or ‘starred A’s in his end of term examinations. Not to be outdone, Sebastien, the middle 10-year-old, won the mathematics prize with 27 out of a maximum of 28 marks in his end of term examination.
Â
We are extremely fortunate in having such bright little grandchildren but I put much of this down to the efforts of their parents in the early year’s helping them to get started on reading and writing but by no means pressuring them irin any way, in fact, almost the opposite. This was exactly the point I was trying to make to the Prime Minister about mentoring. Giving youngsters the right start in life is desperately important and has absolutely nothing to do with so-called poverty, just caring parents who are prepared to spend a little time with their children, in the early, days instead of plonking them down in front of the television.
25 June 2 011
Another weekend and one that the weather forecast people had promised would be a heat wave. It is also the day of Gillian Cook’s memorial service at a Clavering village church. Unfortunately, I cannot go but Alice will be representing us while Paul -Jaynes lodger -the computer geek, baby sits me. (Apparently, Gillian had a good send off at her memorial service with a fairly substantial attendance).
In the event, the sky was rather cloudy and the threatened heat wave did not materialise so I stayed in and watched the tennis on the television and the ODI cricket, between England and Sri Lanka, on my laptop. Sri Lanka won that particular 20 over match with ease. As to the tennis there were some great matches. Soderling, the fifth seed was knocked out by 17 year old, Tomic, already being optimistically described as a possible successor to Rod Laver. The second seed, Djokovic, had an epic battle with the Cypriot,,Bgdhadis, but survived to go into then next round.
We received our letter from Papworth Hospital following my recent visit. The doctor did not mention the drop in my Forced Vital Capacity but gave number of other measurements which no doubt will mean something to the medical community but nothing to me. The overall impression was that although my breathing has deteriorated slightly there was not too much to worry about but, just in case, they provided me with a second respirator to keep near me in a study. (It would take far too long to go to bedroom, dismantle the other respirator by the bed and get it set up in the study in the case of an emergency.
Here’s another politically incorrect jokes for you – apologies to the ladies.
GOLFER AT THE DENTIST
A man and his wife walked into a dentist’s office.
The man said to the dentist, “Doc, I’m in one heck of a hurry. I have two buddies sitting out in my car waiting for us to go play golf, so forget about the anaesthetic, I don’t have time for the gums to get numb. I just want you to pull the tooth, and be done with it! We have a 10:00 AM tee time at the best golf course in town and it’s 9:30 already… I don’t have time to wait for the anaesthetic to work!’
The dentist thought to himself, “My goodness, this is surely a very brave man asking to have his tooth pulled without using anything to kill the pain.”
So the dentist asks him, “Which tooth is it Sir?”
The man turned to his wife and said, “Open your mouth Honey, and show the doctor
24 June 2011
I spent most of the morning on the telephone to Nuance (the Dragon activation people, tweaking my computer in order to get the system to be more responsive to my commands). Then, in the afternoon, another hour and a half or so on the telephone to Microlink, to resolve for other small problem I had other than Dragon. Hopefully, I have now got the laptop finely tuned to my requirements will stop
In the afternoon, Judith and Barton William-Powlrtt came to tea and sit with me to watch the tennis, while Alice popped out on some mission or rather. Judith, who is undoubtedly one of the best cooks in the village, brought me a delicious lemon drizzle cake covered in strawberries and cream. Wicked for the waistline but absolutely delicious.
At Wimbledon, in yet another rain interrupted day, but with the roof on centre court we were able to watch a number of good matches. The big upset of the day was Roddick, the number 8 seed being equal in straight sets by Feliciano Lopez, the play court specialist.. We also last two English girls who both were only narrowly defeated the game and epic struggle. Our man Murray soldiers on into the next round having beaten Lubicic but not until you having lost a set to him.
.
23 June 2011
|
The Inner Temple dining hall has always been my favourite, although I am still a student member of Lincolns Inn (I should think possibly the oldest). I used to enjoy lunching at the various Chambers as a member of one you were entitled to dine in any of the others. I remember taking my dear mother-in-law there on one occasion and she was so impressed that she insisted on meeting the chef. They were not used to such approbation that they all came out and lined up in a row and my dear mother-in-law went down the line shaking their hands and speaking to each of them in the manner of the Queen Mother. I think they were tickled pink. Another joke for you, not particularly funny except perhaps to golfers! Here is a sign at a golf club in Scotland 2. FORM A LOOSE GRIP. 3. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN! 4. AVOID A QUICK BACK SWING. 5. STAY OUT OF THE WATER. 6. TRY NOT TO HIT ANYONE. 7. IF YOU ARE TAKING TOO LONG, LET OTHERS GO AHEAD OF YOU. 8. DON’T STAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS. 9. QUIET PLEASE…WHILE OTHERS ARE PREPARING. 10. DON’T TAKE EXTRA STROKES.
————–FORE—————j |
Â
Going in front of document
22 June 2011
I think it’s about time I tackled another subject other than myself and the matter which is at the forefront of many people’s minds at the moment is our national debt and the state of our economy. As few, if any, countries of the world can isolate themselves from the global market. Even Australia would be in trouble if it wasn’t for the massive exports of iro ore and other minerals to China – the state of our economy affects every one of us. As we can see, at this very moment, Greece is in serious trouble and faces years of financial restraint in order to achieve economic equilibrium. Our own government is bravely tackling our debt and, as a result, tightening up on manpower in every aspect of society. This inevitably means more unemployment and strikes particularly hard at this generation of young people leaving school or university. Our problem is that we spend £81 billion annually on benefits or income support of one sort or another. We also have today the highest level of youth unemployment for very many years. There was a programme on television last evening called the Fairy Job Mother where this lady selected four young people are you are in their early 20’s, who were unemployed and felt they were unable to get work or alternatively were content to live on benefits. Her task was to find them a job, but first of all she had to change their whole mind set towards work. The UK has not made it easier for itself by allowing any one from the EU to come to this country, as of right, and to work. (I seem to recall that France and Germany opted out of this at least for some period after new countries joined the EU) As a result there are hundreds of thousands of young people here from that part of the Eastern Bloc, which is now part of the EU, who are happy to work here for the minimum wage, whereas, it seems that our own youngsters are not. As I say this government is tackling this problem but they should make it more attractive to work began to be on benefits or follow Australia’s line of stopping unemployment benefit if an unemployed person has been offered three jobs, which they are deemed capable of doing, and refuse them all. I have certainly met one or two young people who boastfully admit they are self unemployed. There are quite happy to collect their unemployment benefit, or even a disability allowances if they’ve managed to convince their local doctor they have a bad back or something similar. They will then be able to top up their benefit with a little bit of black market working on the side for cash and never need to seek gainful employment. Presumably, if they drift through life like this when they get to pensionable age they become a heavy charge on the state having contributed nothing during their lifetime. This attitude must stop and we can only do it through education and tinkering with the benefit system. It should always be more attractive financially to work then to rely on benefits. Quite apart from the person’s self-esteem and the psychological effect on the individual who spent their life, living on state. . |
I know there are jobs out there. As I have heard more than one farmer complain that as he can no longer obtain local labour to pick fruit or vegetables, he has is fly in a workflow force from Eastern Europe. As a young man I certainly spent time, in the holidays, doing such backbreaking work as picking up potatoes, or on another occasion, working as a skivvy in the kitchen at Butlins holiday camp and I am certainly none the worse for such experience. So I say to the young, get out there and be prepared to work for the minimum wage, if necessary, and start living properly. In due course, something better will come along.
Whilst I’m banging on about this subject may I say that I disagree with the government policy of sending as many young people as possible to university. It really is unnecessary. A number of young people are simply not suited for a university education. Many of them end up with some sort of Mickey Mouse degree , which is of little or no benefit to them in future life.
Far better that we emphasise the importance of learning a trade. What more satisfying way of spending your life than that of being a carpenter and joiner and seeing the end result of your physical labour. Of course, you need training for that, or any other trade, so there should be as much emphasis on trade teaching as there is on getting a university degree, which will be no value, in terms of employment, A person with a university degree is no more superior than a good workman who should not in any way feel inferior. We all have a job to do and some ot us use our brains and some our hands, both are equally important and necessary for a balanced society
At Wimbledon, when most of the outside courts were out of service due to heavy rain, the diminutive 40-year-old Japanese girl Kiimoko Date-Krumm, (can one still call a vetron of 40, a girl?) on the covered centre court after a 12 year layoff,, gave the number two seed, Venus Williams, a real fright in her first round match by winning the first set after breaking Venus’s service twice. Inevitably, Venus won the next two sets, but not without a brave struggle from the Japanese girl taking Venus to 8-6 in the final set
21 June 2011
The following demonstrates the wonderful care that I receive under the NHS. Mid-morning, after the two carers and showered and dressed me, Ellen, our district nurse visited to check up on one or two small problems. Hard on her heels came Jenny Buckley, who works with Dr Margaret Saunders on the Rank Hospice in Cambridge. She came to talk about different mattresses and ways of reducing the amount of night pain. When Jenny left the midday carer came in to massage my tummy. Then, at 9.30 the carer came in to put me to bed. Tomorrow morning Lucy Pinner, from Papworth Hospital, is coming to instruct us in the use of the new ‘nose only’ respirator before Karen, the aromatherapist comes to do her stuff.. How good is that!
In between all these visits,writing up my blog my blog and dealing with the mouse. I watched the odd match at Wimbledon. No shock defeats yet.
Here’s another little joke for you. I hope it is not one I’ve . I have used before. I am onlysorry that the picture does not come out on the blog.
With  that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, “Leroy,  what do you want me to pray about for you?” After  a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, “Leroy,  how is your hearing now?”
|
P
20 June 2011
It is one of those rare days in the golf calendar when Monday is Tuesday. As my regular readers will know Tuesday is geriatric-golf day – incidentally we have three new octogenarians. this year, making around seven who play regularly on Tuesdays-I suspect the average age of the Tuesday rollup is now over 70. Anyway we had to play our Tuesday game today because tomorrow the club is playing The Lucifer’s.. As usual a good number of the Tuesday club obviously didn’t look at their fixture list and will undoubtedly turn up tomorrow, making it very difficult for the poor secretary, Scott, somehow to fit them in between the large number of match players. I know this to be the case because only eight people turned up today out of the usual 30+.
Anyway, from my point of view the day was a great success. It was the most beautiful sunny morning and I did my usual trip around the golf course avoiding the rough, as far as possible, Fortunately, Guy Hipkin (The Major) and ex-captain David Robson were on parade to help me when it came to lunch.
I got back in time to watch some of the centre court matches at Wimbledon, including our man Murray.
I think he went on centre court expecting to the his virtually unknown opponent so easily that he actually lost the first set. Not a good beginning, although he did     pull himself together and won the next three sets very comfortably
I was remiss in yesterday’s entry and for mentioning that Sunday was Father’s Day and both children sent me lovely cards with extremely complimentary and kind messages. Smiler, came down the day before Father’s Day, because of the German family coming on Sunday and dear Chloe found time to ring me on the way to granddaughter Lara’s first stage appearance at school to wish me a happy Father’s Day
For a bit of Fun I have reproduced below the AUSTRALIAN LETTER OF THE YEAR
|
This is an actual letter sent to the DFAT (Department of Foreign You will have to excuse the bad language, but haven’t we all felt like this more than once when we are walking through treacle dealing with some government bureaucrat or other! Dear Mr. Minister, I’m in the process of renewing my passport, and still cannot believe this. How is it that K-Mart has my address and telephone number, and knows My birth date you have in my Medicare information, and it is on all the income tax forms I’ve filed for the past 40 years. It is also on my driver’s licence, on the last eight passports I’ve ever had, on all those Also… would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother’s name is SHIT! What do you people do with all this information we keep having to provide?? I apologise, Mr. Minister. But I’m really pissed off this morning. Between you and me, I’vehad enough of all this bullshit!
Well, I have to go now, ’cause I have to go to the other end of the city, and get another fucking copy of my birth certificate – and to part with another $80 for the privilege accessing MY OWN INFORMATION!    Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot, to assist in the Signed – An Irate Australian Citizen. P.S. Remember what I said above about the picture, and getting someone in ‘high-society’ to confirm that it’s me? Well, my famhas been in this country since before 1850! In 1856, one of my forefathers took up arms with Peter Lalor. (You do remember the Eureka Stockade!!) I have also served in both the CMF and regular Army for something You are all fucking idiots! |
,
19 June 2011
Thank heavens the weather has taken a turn for the better as we had Andy and Delia Schneider from Coburg in Germany, to lunch. They are old friends of Dr Michael, right don’t get many other cases in Sweden in August. Andy is a leading anaesthetist and Delia a talented musician, in fact, she very kindly brought me a copy of her first CD. They brought with them two of their five children, the boys ,Nils and Adrian. Although changeable and threatening to rain from time to time we did manage to brave it out for lunch in the garden.
Â
Nils, who likes, grandson Sebastien, shares a love of the drums and both are taking lessons, tore around like a caged animal that had been left out after a long period of inactivity. He handled the croquet hoops, somersaulted and tumbled about on the grass, and despite the rather cool weather, having removed most of his clothes and his shoes and socks. Wake up, he likes to feel the grass between his toes.. He contented himself with messing about with the football and tennis balls. In other words the activities of a very normal, healthy little boy. Adrian, in the meantime, played a more singular game hidden deep into the jungle of bushes and trees. We could hear the breaking of branches and twigs from time to time apparently he was making some sort of tree house. Although we were never invited to see it. I had been able to go out in my electric wheelchair and move around the garden with them which was so much more satisfactory than the mobile chair. I suppose the only snag is that is I have to stay in until the six o’clock carers come to voicemail into my study chair.
Â
It was great to catch up with this lovely family. having last seen them in August, in Loa in Sweden complete with the three girls,, on what, I suppose I must accept, will be the last of my overseas travels. I know that I am just too much of a liability even for the good Dr Michael. We really cannot now manage without a hoist.
   Â
‘My lovely/excelled herself over lunch, which we washed down with a bottle of champagne and some white wine. The Schneiders, like all good guests, did not linger too long, in fact, they left a little earlier than I would have liked, but then they are only in England for three days and it was the first time for the boys. I hope they’ll come again when Chloe and family are here as the three children, including theit little girl Laura, pretty well match the ages of our three grandchildren..
D. Mark Cato
D. Mark Cato