Things that bumped

I am flummoxed

I am stumped

Should I talk about Miss Oswin

Or things that bumped

in the night?

I am off

I am free

Just for a day

Just to see

the sea.

I had some breakfast

Of bread and mice

Pink and white

They were nice

but crunchy.

It's only an attempt

At being like the bard

I don't know how he did it

Because I find it hard

to do.

This post is prompted by Spin Cycle. Thank you Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie

The joy of it all

As you may know if you've read this blog for more than one year, I have a guilty pleasure regarding the Eurovision Song Contest. I love it. I have all the songs since it first started in 1956. One of the main reasons I bought my iPod was to be able to have all my Eurovision songs together with all my other songs in one place.

Last week this year's cd arrived. On first hearing some of the numbers my heart sank. They all sounded the same. Not an original thought between them. Boring boring boring. And then I listened properly and found there were definitely some blergh numbers, but there were some really good and some very catchy numbers in there as well! I have now listened to them all and I have several favourites: Armenia, the Czech Republic, Italy. My two biggest favourites however are France with a very thoughtful number and Israel which has a silly but extremely catchy number. 

Of course me having favourites doesn't mean a thing. The contest is a live contest and people can mess it up big time! Case in point the number above, which was the British entry from a few years back. It sounds fine on the cd. Not winner material, but fine enough. And then they took to the stage and absolutely butchered it. Needless to say it ended last with 0 points!

Another doctor's visit

Some time last week I got a letter. From the hospital in Bergen, yet on the backside it was stamped with a hospital I have never been to. On opening the letter I found out it was sort of a follow-up. It basically dealt with any infections I might have had after the operation.

I had to answer several questions and if I answered any of them with yes, I had to contact my gp so she/he could fill out the rest. Well, since I had had an infection, been to see a doctor about it and had antibiotics to fight said infection, I had to answer yes to already half of the questions. Whether or not I have had a fever along with the infection is not known to me: I took so many painkillers and fever suppressants (paracetamol), that I might have had, but never knew. I will have to ask my mum about that. She is clever like that.

Anyway, today was the appointment with the doctor. Since my own (female) doctor is on leave, there was a replacement, a nice young man. He put three crosses on the letter, wrote his name and the date and then picked up the phone. 'Was he supposed to let me pay for something that I was ordered to do by a follow-up check by the hospital?' 

I left shortly after, without having to pay (thank you doc) and feeling like I had just wasted his and my own time. Three crosses indeed! Taking up valuable time he could have used on another patient. However, I did get the chance to ask him about the occasional stings, pangs and aches that still happen in my lower abdomen. A colleague had said that it was the remaining organs settling and such and it was confirmed by the doctor. Plus the inside scars (like the outside one) might on occasion be pulled and then give off a pang or stitch. 

So, nothing to worry about!

Before you ask however: no, I didn't ride my bike to the gp. 

Happy birthday!

As we were chatting on Saturday morning (she demanded food, I talked about lots of things), I realised it has nearly been a year that Miss Oswin has been part of my home. Or made my place a home I should say! As she demanded and then wolfed down her food, I continued realising things. Not only has she been with me for nearly a year, she turns/turned 2 as well. 

Because she was a found cat, her exact age is unknown, but the guess when I got her was about a year old. Which means that she would now be about two years old. That's how things work in life. But having a birthday 'sometime' in April is not good. It's sloppy and very disrespectful. And if any creature demands respect (as well as food), it is Miss Oswin. 

Ooooh, belly rub!

We had to come up with a date. And I think I found the perfect one as well. Today is a Royal birthday: the King of the Netherlands is celebrating his! Well, Miss Oswin has now joined him in celebrations. From now on, her birthday will be celebrated on April 27th.

Happy birthday Miss Oswin (oh, and King Willem Alexander as well of course, but he is not nearly as important as Miss Oswin)!

18-45-3

1990 in Yugoslavia

I had a health check yesterday. Nothing major since it was at work, yet still more than enough to tell me several things. Of course I knew I was healthy. After all, I have been in the hospital lately and they would have told me if there were something wrong with me. Well, that is the hope anyway, since I didn't find out about possibly having cancer until the day before the operation! To only be told the day after the operation that I didn't have it. 

But back to this health check. A lovely lady pricked my finger and whoosh: a whole lot of blood started flooding out. It was red, which was good to start with and after some tests, she found out that the blood sugar level was good. Especially since I had just eaten a big dinner. My cholesterol was good as well, right where it ought to be. My blood pressure had gone up since the lows in the hospital (79 over 42) and was now around my usual at 131 over 86. 

And then came the bad part. Which I know all about, since it was exactly the same only two years ago! The weight. Still too much of it. Still 'must loose or face the consequences'. So the numbers at the top? Well, it's only 18 kilos I have to get rid of to get within a safe(ish) region weight wise. And that sort of equates to 45 pounds or 3 stone. 

Better get dancing. Or walking. Or both!!

Absolute rubbish

There is a program on British television that I love watching. I loved it in the early days when it was broadcast on Dutch television and I still love it today. It's called Time Team and it is basically a show about archeaology. Some random person digs a hole to bury a cat and finds a wall. A farmer plows his field and all of a sudden Roman coins come to the surface. They call in the Time Team and they come and dig the site for three days. Completely ruining the garden, but usually finding a lot. Roman temples, Iron Age villages, medieaval castles, Victorian factories, WWII bunkers. And everything in between. 

One way of finding out who lived/worked there and when is looking at what is left in the ground. A bit of pottery, a coin, perhaps a bit of glass. Sometimes they find a midden (or dump to you and me) and lots of animal bones and other bits of rubbish are found. They always get so excited when they do. People lived here, they ate here, they slept here! All to be told by that one piece of pottery.

Our rubbish is different. If we were to throw out all of our rubbish in our backyards, we wouldn't be able to see the grass before long. Because where our ancestors had to deal with fresh food and perhaps a stone pot or two, we not only deal with fresh food, but also with its packaging, usually plastic. The other day when I bought a tiny little thing, the packaging was three times as much as the actual thing I bought! But most countries nowadays have come up with a solution: collect the waste and take it away. 

I wonder what archeaologist will find in 1000 years time in our backyards. A piece of pottery? A plastic label to say what plant it is? A few bones of a favourite pet? A lost diamond wedding ring? A coin or two? Or perhaps a Visa Card? Or won't there be any archeaologists in a 1000 years' time to find anything because we have ruined our planet with all our rubbish way before then?

This post is prompted by Spin Cycle. Thank you Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie.

PS: for you Dutch and Norwegians out there: spot the mistake in the photos! Look closely now!

Too much or not enough?

Isn't it strange how some months there aren't enough days to post the stories you want to tell, yet other months are the complete opposite. Too many days for the two tiny stories that don't interest anybody but me. April turns out to be of the latter variety. 

I mean, it started off well: back at work, back in the full swing of things. Plenty of things to say about that. Like being tired, so incredibly tired. Then the fact that my aches and pains had dwindled down to basically nothing. Until I overdid it on the chocolate mousse on Friday that is and I had a minor headache yesterday. 

The weather then? It hasn't disappointed too much lately. It's fine and pretty, the daffodils are finally in full bloom and if only the temperature would cooperate somewhat, it would be fantastic. They have only now come up to just into double figures. Twelve/thirteen degrees. Norwegian spring. 

And what about Miss Oswin? Always good for a photo opportunity or two. And she always cooperates as well. Being a very beautiful and photogenic cat, she always tries to look her best. Even if I then go and spoil her prettiness by putting the anti flea and tick stuff in her neck. 

So, there were plenty of stories to tell apparently this month. Yet, there were still too many days. And the month is not over yet either! 

Ah well, a post filled today at least. Oh, and if you are wondering what is happening in the photo. Before being able to drink the water, I need to boil it and then I need to filter it. Or I can just buy water and drink that!

Photo on Sunday 2015-14

I wanted something different, so I sat in the chair for a long time and paid a huge amount of money. But I am very happy with the result!

Television

As you know I like my television. And over the past two months I have had plenty of time to enjoy a lot of it. The old Doctor Who, Time Team (archeological digs all over Britain) and lots more. During the first few weeks there was Hogan's Heroes. A show I had never heard about, but I thought it was funny and loved it when it was on telly every day. And then, after three out of six seasons, they stopped. Not a clue why, they just stopped. Which was annoying, since I hadn't seen them all yet.

Then a few weeks ago, another channel started with Hi-de-Hi. And 'Allo 'Allo. And Are You Being Served. Which are all series I love watching (again and again). But when Hi-de-Hi was finished, they started with a new series: Just Good Friends, which I had never seen before. But, four episodes in and nothing! They stopped! Why???

Now, I hope that after all that ball banging with sticks (otherwise known as snooker) is finished, they will go back to airing that show. Because it is a fun show to watch and the leads aren't bad to look at either!

Fortunately they will not be stopping with Doctor Who anytime soon. At least I don't think so.

A day of work?

I had a day off yesterday. A very much needed day off. I slept late, had a lazy breakfast, watched a bit of television and then took the car out to get its tyres changed. Then I watched some more television, made dinner and went to bed early, so I would be okay this morning when I had to work early. After all, my energy levels are still quite low. 

We have this thing at work that tells you when to work. It only needs me to log in and of course I didn't do that, since I also have a piece of paper telling me when to work. I followed the piece of paper. So, when I got to work this morning at around 6.15am, I found out I wasn't on the list. I wasn't in the computer either. Basically I wasn't set up to work!

This was a bit of a conundrum, but I realised I didn't really want to sit at work for nothing so went home again. Once home I logged in and found out I have a team leader day today. A day set aside to spend on whatever I want or on team leader stuff. 

Now, I have been back at work for two weeks now. The first week was in the middle of the Easter holiday and there was hardly anybody at work. The second week was so tiring, I could deal with me and not much else! So, for the past two weeks I haven't been doing much team leading. In fact, not at all! I sat down and looked through the emails to see what I should do. Well, plenty of chats have to be had and some text messages have to be sent out. 

Mind you, today I will take it easy. I have a short shift tomorrow and split shifts on Thursday and Friday, so plenty of time to meet people and chat with them. And get back into being a team leader. 

Photo on Sunday 2015-13

The result

The last time I had a headache? Not self-induced? Two days after the operation. Probably due to the heat, the epidural and the operation. And perhaps some residual hormones (I was due to have my period that week). Which means that I have been without a headache, not counting the chocolate one, for two months! TWO MONTHS!!!!! I can't remember the last time that happened!

Not only have I not had any headaches, I have been drinking a lot. Something I never used to do. Before the operation I would perhaps drink about half a liter a day. Sometimes more, often less. Which meant several problems that came from that. Let's call them blockages. However, the lack of fluid didn't mean I never went to the toilet. I would actually go often. Very often. I was known as the person who always had to go. Well, since the operation, I have been drinking three to four times as much, but I now have to remind myself: I have to do another bout of driving, perhaps it might be wise to 'go' before that. 

In other news: the last week has been hard on me. I never thought it would be this hard to actually get back to work. Being off work for 8 weeks (one week's holiday and seven weeks' sick leave), meant that I have lost a lot of energy. And when you are thrown into work fully again, with early starts, lots of driving, long shifts and busy routes, it makes one tired. It makes me tired. Although that might be the wrong word. The better word is probably weary. Down to the bone. And then when I got home, I wanted food. Fatty or sugary would be best. Although yesterday I did eat proper food. Sad to say it was double portion. Big portions at that! Anyway, one more day at work and then a day off. I will need it. 

The most important thing though: NO HEADACHES IN TWO MONTHS!!

Photo on Sunday 2015-12

When in need, use Oswin! Now, you know of course that the structure in the photo is the chicken coop. Not in use as such and slowly disintegrating. As you can see in the photo one plank is missing. A perfect way of getting into the chicken coop. And hiding from whatever. 

Which is exactly what Oswin does on occasion. Not quite sure why she did on that particular day, since the weather was fine enough! Perhaps there was a mouse hiding in there! Click on the first photo and you can see Oswin getting out!

At a loss

I must admit I am at a bit of a loss. I was planning to write a whole post about apple juice, but it was boring and was not good enough to be posted. Then I thought about a post about headaches, but I've written more than enough about headaches, you don't need me to write another one. Although you might like to know I only had one since coming out of the hospital and that was self-inflicted (too much chocolate). 

I could write about work, which will start at half past four today for me. Which will actually mean I will miss the Best of Eurovision concert on the BBC, but I will tape it and see it tomorrow. Speaking of Eurovision: I ordered the latest cd of this year's Eurovision, which for the very first time will include an Australian entry! They got a wildcard to enter. Eurovision just got even bigger. 

Anyway, this was a post about being at a loss. I wonder whether I have any photos of mazes or labyrinths...

George

He is bound to be there somewhere!

When I grew up, I wasn't invited to many birthday parties. Most of the people inviting me were girls who lived on the same street. There was however one exception and that was George. A boy in my class. He was not one of the popular, although I think that everybody remembers him, since he could throw massive temper tantrums. He once even tried to reconfigurate a whole classroom holding on to desks and chairs, while a teacher was trying to get him out of said classroom! 

George was a nice boy though. And he always invited me over for his birthday parties. There would be several other boys and girls there and we would usually have a nice time. Even if his little brother would also be there, which was not to his or our liking. 

We would have cake, we would have lemonade. We would play games and we would tell jokes. The worst kind. The 'your shoe lace is loose' kind of joke. Which isn't really a joke at all, but hey, we were about 10! The main reason for those type of jokes was the fact that George celebrated his birthday on April 1st. April Fool's. And silly jokes were part and parcel of every single birthday party he had. 

After primary school we both went to the same high school. We were in the same class and quite often we would cycle at least part of the way to school together (there were about five or six different locations). But then I left that school because we moved to another town. And I lost touch. When we had a reunion 15 years later he didn't come, although with great difficulties I did manage to get him on the phone at some point to ask questions about his time at school.

It's been 32 years since the last time I was invited to his birthday party. But his parties will always stand out to me. So, happy birthday George. Hope you have a great day!

This post is prompted by Spin Cycle. Thank you Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie.

PS: your blouse is buttoned the wrong way!