Sunday, 29 November 2009
Saturday 28th November 2009
We have fellow campervan enthusiasts Joan & Bryan this evening for food and drinks. We refer to Reena's excellent blog of recipes (www.coconutraita.blogspot.com) and cook a lamb curry which goes down very well. Lots of talk and wine drinking rounds off the evening.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Weekend of 21st/22nd November 2009
On Saturday morning, following what has become my ritual of late went walking in County Durham. This week it was a circular walk, of about 6 miles, from Cassop, via Shadforth, from the OS Map. Shadforth is an unusual village for County Durham in my experience, in that it does not appear to have been a "pit village", and has the appearance of an English rural village, complete with village green etc. It is so unusual to find this sort of thing in County Durham, that I looked up the term "green village of county durham" in google (where else?), and was rewarded with a hit from the University of Illinois and an article on the subject by H. Thorpe. Goodness knows what the connection is.
Saturday evening was spent watching a DVD, Mr and Mrs Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), what a load of rubbish.
Sunday was spent lazing about, and "playing" on the computer.
Saturday evening was spent watching a DVD, Mr and Mrs Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), what a load of rubbish.
Sunday was spent lazing about, and "playing" on the computer.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Friday 20th November 2009
This morning we must attend Kathleen's hospital appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We have to be there for 09:20, and being aware of the traffic we leave in plenty of time. Big mistake, there is no traffic. Not sure why, is everyone using the metro (given the 25% increase in the cost of petrol), or have they all been made redundant?
Net result is we arrive at 09:00. First you have to report to a reception desk, where your paper file is located and despatched via their high speed delivery system (ie an elderly lady who hand delivers the file to the clinic). I thought the NHS had recently spent several millions (or was it billions) on a "state of the art" computer system, clearly they have not heard of the paperless office and electronic transfer.
We arrive at the clinic to find about six people already waiting. By 09:20, no one has been called. It has got conversational, and we find that three people have 09:00 appointments, and three have 09:20 appointments. New people arrive as we sit there, soon there are no seats for the arriving patients. Shortly after 09:20, the first of the 09:00 appointments is called, so we start the day 20 minutes behind. Anyone there in America reading this, just note you do not want a system like this!.
Eventually Kathleen is seen and we get out at about 10:00, not too bad I suppose, at least it allowed them to charge us for an hours parking.
The good news is that they do not appear to have found anything dire wrong, but as always they do of course find something. They now say she has evidence of osteoporosis in her spine, so she must attend another appointment with a different specialist. She is not happy about this, since it probably means even more tablets, and she hates taking tablets.
After lunch I go cycling with the cycling group. Despite the dreadful weather they have been suffering in Cumbria, the afternoon here is dry and sunny and we have a very pleasant 2.5 hour ride taking in Beacon Lough and the East Gateshead Cycleway. Mark says we did approximately 15 miles, it almost all seems to have been up hill!
After my return from the cycling I decide to set up the new Digital TV Recorder I recently bought, thus bringing us more technologically upto date and making our Tape VCR redundant. It turns out to be very simple, and within half an hour (most of which was spent in waiting for it to tune itself into the available channels), we are pausing live TV, rewinding live TV, and recording whole series at least as well as the average ten year old.
The UK news today is dominated by the flooding in Cumbria, and the tragic death of a policeman when a road bridge collapsed under the weight of flood water. Plus the trend to being governed by unelected representative continues with the appointment of one of our unelected members of the House of Lords as EU Foreign Secretary. Perhaps when we have finished training the Afghan Army, they will come to Europe and restore democracy here?
Net result is we arrive at 09:00. First you have to report to a reception desk, where your paper file is located and despatched via their high speed delivery system (ie an elderly lady who hand delivers the file to the clinic). I thought the NHS had recently spent several millions (or was it billions) on a "state of the art" computer system, clearly they have not heard of the paperless office and electronic transfer.
We arrive at the clinic to find about six people already waiting. By 09:20, no one has been called. It has got conversational, and we find that three people have 09:00 appointments, and three have 09:20 appointments. New people arrive as we sit there, soon there are no seats for the arriving patients. Shortly after 09:20, the first of the 09:00 appointments is called, so we start the day 20 minutes behind. Anyone there in America reading this, just note you do not want a system like this!.
Eventually Kathleen is seen and we get out at about 10:00, not too bad I suppose, at least it allowed them to charge us for an hours parking.
The good news is that they do not appear to have found anything dire wrong, but as always they do of course find something. They now say she has evidence of osteoporosis in her spine, so she must attend another appointment with a different specialist. She is not happy about this, since it probably means even more tablets, and she hates taking tablets.
After lunch I go cycling with the cycling group. Despite the dreadful weather they have been suffering in Cumbria, the afternoon here is dry and sunny and we have a very pleasant 2.5 hour ride taking in Beacon Lough and the East Gateshead Cycleway. Mark says we did approximately 15 miles, it almost all seems to have been up hill!
After my return from the cycling I decide to set up the new Digital TV Recorder I recently bought, thus bringing us more technologically upto date and making our Tape VCR redundant. It turns out to be very simple, and within half an hour (most of which was spent in waiting for it to tune itself into the available channels), we are pausing live TV, rewinding live TV, and recording whole series at least as well as the average ten year old.
The UK news today is dominated by the flooding in Cumbria, and the tragic death of a policeman when a road bridge collapsed under the weight of flood water. Plus the trend to being governed by unelected representative continues with the appointment of one of our unelected members of the House of Lords as EU Foreign Secretary. Perhaps when we have finished training the Afghan Army, they will come to Europe and restore democracy here?
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Thursday 19th November 2009
Today should have been my Cycling Group outing ( I normally go Thursdays and Fridays), but it is cancelled because one of the leaders has hurt her back, so I suppose I will have to do jobs around the house, unless I can think of an excuse...
We are having the front drive (re)block paved on Monday. I have to do a little preparation, removing some red gravel, and peeling back the slate chippings and weed supressing liner down one side of the drive. This, plus a few interuptions from Kathleen, who is cutting the lawn, keeps me occupied until lunch time.
After lunch, we walk to the Red Lion, in West Boldon, to check out the menu, it used to be one of our regular haunts, but we have not been there for over a year and in that time it has changed Managers. We plan to go there this evening, but thought we would just check that it is still an OK place to go. They now have a "Recession" menu, in addition to their normal menu. Plenty of things which Kathleen will eat (she is the picky one), so we book ourselves a table for this evening.
Another spotlight (those little GU10 things) goes out in the bathroom, they do not appear to last five minutes even although the box says they have an "average" life of 1500 hours!
So what is happening on the domestic news front?
The Conservatives steamroller through their choice of candidate in Norfolk, by ridiculing the fact that local people thought the ability to lie and deceive were not suitable traits for an MP, given the recent expenses scandal I would have thought this is exactly what is needed?
More ranting about the Queens Speech, and the proposed laws there in, even Labour's own peers are attacking some parts of it.
The Irish are up in arms because France beat them at football knocking them out of the World Cup. The French Captain (Thierry Henry), handled the ball in the run up to the winning goal. Thierry Henry, admits he handled the ball, but said it was not deliberate, full marks for honesty, a career as a politician is obviously ruled out for Thierry.
We went for our meal at the Red Lion. Kathleen was initially disappointed because she had decided at lunch time she would have the Lamb, and they had none left, but she was happy with her Chicken Chasseur. I pigged out on all three courses (spicy meatballs; Lamb Kebab greek style; Apple pie and ice cream) and a bottle of Rioja to wash it all down, very nice.
We are home now, and I update this blog, whilst Kathleen watches Coronation Street, why do women insist on watching that crap?
We are having the front drive (re)block paved on Monday. I have to do a little preparation, removing some red gravel, and peeling back the slate chippings and weed supressing liner down one side of the drive. This, plus a few interuptions from Kathleen, who is cutting the lawn, keeps me occupied until lunch time.
After lunch, we walk to the Red Lion, in West Boldon, to check out the menu, it used to be one of our regular haunts, but we have not been there for over a year and in that time it has changed Managers. We plan to go there this evening, but thought we would just check that it is still an OK place to go. They now have a "Recession" menu, in addition to their normal menu. Plenty of things which Kathleen will eat (she is the picky one), so we book ourselves a table for this evening.
Another spotlight (those little GU10 things) goes out in the bathroom, they do not appear to last five minutes even although the box says they have an "average" life of 1500 hours!
So what is happening on the domestic news front?
The Conservatives steamroller through their choice of candidate in Norfolk, by ridiculing the fact that local people thought the ability to lie and deceive were not suitable traits for an MP, given the recent expenses scandal I would have thought this is exactly what is needed?
More ranting about the Queens Speech, and the proposed laws there in, even Labour's own peers are attacking some parts of it.
The Irish are up in arms because France beat them at football knocking them out of the World Cup. The French Captain (Thierry Henry), handled the ball in the run up to the winning goal. Thierry Henry, admits he handled the ball, but said it was not deliberate, full marks for honesty, a career as a politician is obviously ruled out for Thierry.
We went for our meal at the Red Lion. Kathleen was initially disappointed because she had decided at lunch time she would have the Lamb, and they had none left, but she was happy with her Chicken Chasseur. I pigged out on all three courses (spicy meatballs; Lamb Kebab greek style; Apple pie and ice cream) and a bottle of Rioja to wash it all down, very nice.
We are home now, and I update this blog, whilst Kathleen watches Coronation Street, why do women insist on watching that crap?
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Tuesday 17th November 2009
The weather is kind, so I go for a cycle ride.
I ring my brother-in-law (Phil), but he is busy fixing coving in one of his rooms, so it is a lone trip.
I have been examining the OS Map, and decide to explore a track running parallel to the A194M, which I was unaware of. I make my way there via a route which is described as the "Great North Forest Route" on the map, but I do not see many trees!, perhaps in 25 years time. Sure enough the track is there, it runs along the edge of the Washington Golf course, it is a "permissive footpath", and is barely passable on a bicycle, but I manage it. Then return home via a circular route which takes me from Springwell Village, to the old Bowes Railway. As is usual on the old Bowes Railway track, I encounter several dog walkers, they all keep their dogs under control to allow me to pass safely. This is a record, and I acknowledge each with a "Good Morning" and a "Thank you". A 15 mile spin in about two hours and it does not rain, great fun, and there are not too many complaints (from the boss) about my mud spattered state.
The evening news is amusing, our government telling the recently elected President Karzai of Afghanistan he must tackle corruption in his government, this, after the recent revelations of our MP's expenses, talk about the kettle calling the pot black.
I ring my brother-in-law (Phil), but he is busy fixing coving in one of his rooms, so it is a lone trip.
I have been examining the OS Map, and decide to explore a track running parallel to the A194M, which I was unaware of. I make my way there via a route which is described as the "Great North Forest Route" on the map, but I do not see many trees!, perhaps in 25 years time. Sure enough the track is there, it runs along the edge of the Washington Golf course, it is a "permissive footpath", and is barely passable on a bicycle, but I manage it. Then return home via a circular route which takes me from Springwell Village, to the old Bowes Railway. As is usual on the old Bowes Railway track, I encounter several dog walkers, they all keep their dogs under control to allow me to pass safely. This is a record, and I acknowledge each with a "Good Morning" and a "Thank you". A 15 mile spin in about two hours and it does not rain, great fun, and there are not too many complaints (from the boss) about my mud spattered state.
The evening news is amusing, our government telling the recently elected President Karzai of Afghanistan he must tackle corruption in his government, this, after the recent revelations of our MP's expenses, talk about the kettle calling the pot black.
Monday, 16 November 2009
Monday 16th November
Below is a quote from BBC News Website:
".... said she was a 22-year-old with four young children by three different fathers who had found her life "extremely difficult and distressful".
He said: "There can be no doubt that this young woman was under a great deal of stress.
"She was depressed because of the break-up of her long-term relationship with the father of the two boys."
Elsewhere in the article it states the oldest child was 4 years old, the boys were aged 1 year and three months respectively.
I must look up "relationship" and "long-term" in the dictionary.
On the local BBC news a "Night Club" (ie a pub with loud music and a dirty floor), was reported as selling drinks for 69p. The BBC named the pub, showed video of the exterior and interior, plus they interviewed the manager. Excellent nationwide advertising for free. Are these people insane?
".... said she was a 22-year-old with four young children by three different fathers who had found her life "extremely difficult and distressful".
He said: "There can be no doubt that this young woman was under a great deal of stress.
"She was depressed because of the break-up of her long-term relationship with the father of the two boys."
Elsewhere in the article it states the oldest child was 4 years old, the boys were aged 1 year and three months respectively.
I must look up "relationship" and "long-term" in the dictionary.
On the local BBC news a "Night Club" (ie a pub with loud music and a dirty floor), was reported as selling drinks for 69p. The BBC named the pub, showed video of the exterior and interior, plus they interviewed the manager. Excellent nationwide advertising for free. Are these people insane?
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