Friday, May 31, 2013

A day of Fun, Stupidity and Methotrexate.

Well Hello Baby.......... 
This is the big bopper Speaking, 
Will I What ? Do I What? 
Oh Baby,You Know what I like. 

♪ ♪ ♪Chantilly Lace, And a pretty face. ♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪And a Pony Tail, Hanging down ♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪That Wiggle in the Walk, and Giggle in the  Talk, ♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪Makes the world go round ♪ ♪ ♪

Bring back the 1950,s
 That is what was playing on the local radio when I switched it on this morning, and by Golly did that bring back memories of my youth, Those were the days. "Or were they" ?? I Was 14 years of age when that was released in the summer of 1958, I had just left school and was going to work as an apprentice butcher for Dewhurst Butcher,s in Fareham.

Oh well a little bit of Nostalgia to start the day, and now back to reality, could not "Rock around the Clock" anymore nights now. LOL.

Better Luck next time Frankie
Well last night was a good nights sleep, mind you what with the shopping yesterday I needed to take a couple of co-codamol so I think that helped with a good nights sleep as I did not wake up during the night with any discomfort in my right hip/thigh area and slept right the way through from 11.30 until 8.00 so a really good 8.5 hours sleep, but what follows co-codamol, ! Yep ! you guessed it ! Constipation ! so out with the lactulose today, still it was worth it.
Cat food for "George"
Anyway once I was awake I make a coffee and then take that into the lounge where I text  Pauline and let her know that all is Ok here, pauline text back to say that she will phone me later on, so anyway I get some Porridge for breakfast and have that before checking, out my emails, there is an email from pet Supermarket to say that the cat food that I ordered for Gervase and Leanne,s cat George is due for delivery between 11.18 and 12.18 today, I only ordered it online on Wednesday evening so excellent service as usual, I order the food for George as it is a prescription food for his condition and it is so much cheaper to order it from Pet Supermarket than it is to get it from the vet, it is the same brand "Hills Prescription c/d" and the smaller pet shops do not stock it.

Getting the morning Paper
Pauline phones back about 10.00 to say that all is Ok with them, she is out on the common with Misty and it is a nice Sunny day today with blue sky and quite warm, anyway after I have spoken to Pauline I get ready and go round to get my morning paper at about 10.45, it is very pleasant out in the sunshine today, probably the warmest it has been this year so far, so hopefully as it is officially the last day of spring today then Summer is on the way as tomorrow is the first of June.

Time for a Catnap
well once back home I settle down to read the Paper and get the crossword done, the old leg muscles are aching again today as seems to be the norm these days as I have just got down to 10 mg of Prednisolone every other day ie equivalent to 5 mg daily so just need to persevere with it, anyway as I am not going out anywhere today I can do without the paracetamol or  co-codamol today as I can put up with the aches and I will be sat in the recliner or tidying up most of the day. anyway the cat food is delivered at about 11.50 so that is OK so I go for a lie down for an hour before getting up at 1.00 and having some corned beef hash for lunch and then taking my 15 mg of Methotrexate.

Hello
Once that is all done I settle down with the laptop to check out facebook and to think about getting todays journal started when the house phone rings, and here is how Stupidity takes over "well I can't help it" I must say now that this is actually how it went, I am not in the habit of answering my phone house or mobile unless I am expecting a phone call or the caller display tells me who is calling as all my contacts are programmed in to the phone,s and I certainly do not normally answer a call when it displays as an 0845 number but for some reason I answered the phone.

As I answered the phone I had a male voice on the other end and the conversation went like This:

Him : Hello I am phoning about you recent accident.
Him : Who am I speaking to please.

Me : Sorry who are you:

Him: I am an advisor for "............" we help you claim for compensation for your recent accident.

Me: So you must know who you are speaking to then ?

Him: Yes, but we need to confirm that you are the person who had the accident. can you confirm your name.

Me : Ok, My Name is Mr Fudd.

Him: thank you sir, and can you confirm your christian name.

Me: Elmer.

Him: Thank you Mr Fudd, can you confirm your occupation.

Me: I am a pest controller and work for B. Bunny Pest control services. 

Him: That is correct sir, now how did the accident happen .

Me: The Pesky Wabbit tripped me up, 

At that that moment he must have twigged and the phone went dead. This really did happen this afternoon and it was one of the shortest phone conversations I have ever had.
So I am in need of a coffee and then I need to get a move on and finish todays journal before Pointless starts on BBC 1 at 5.15.

The Mary Rose Museum opened to the Public today and there were large Queues of people waiting outside the gates of Portsmouth Historic dockyard for the gates to open this morning.

The queues outside the dockyard this morning
Well there we are then folks, It is now 5.20 and Pointless has started so I am going to get this journal posted and then settle down for a nice peaceful evening with the TV and hopefully a couple of old movies so until tomorrow I will say Bye Bye.



Thursday, May 30, 2013

After 468 years it has arrived.

Today is the opening of the New Mary Rose Museum next to HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

The Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a Tudor Warship built in Portsmouth Dockyard in 1511 and sunk in the Solent at Portsmouth in 1545 while leading an attack on a French invasion fleet, Henry the VIII was watching the battle from Southsea Castle.

The ship was discovered on the seabed in the Solent in 1971 and was raised from the seabed in 1982. it was a section of the hull that was raised along with many thousand artifacts, and although the hull section has been on display at the Historic dockyard it has been continually sprayed with water and wax.


The water jets were turned off last month and over the years since 1982 the money has been raised and a new museum built at the Dockyard ( Next to HMS Victory) to house the hull and 19000 artifacts which were also recovered, this forms a time capsule of the tudor Navy and today has marked the official opening of the museum and it will be open to the public from tomorrow.

The New Museum and HMS Victory.
There has been many events on in Portsmouth today to mark this great achievement and this morning a wreath was laid in the Solent at the spot where the Mary Rose Sank to remember the 500 men and boys that lost there lives when it sank.

The laying of the wreath in the Solent
and on Southsea Castle where Henry the VIII watched the HMS Mary rose go down 5 archers shot a volley of flaming arrows over the Solent while a volley of cannon fire was shot from Fort Blockhouse at Gosport.

The Archers on Southsea Castle
Below are some Photographs of some of the items recovered from the sea bed along with the Mary Rose. All these were on the Mary Rose.






the First coffee of the day
So that is how most of my day was spent following the events of this historic day on Local Radio and TV. and of course going out for a couple of hours with Pauline to get the shopping and to pay some bills.

It was a good night last night apart from the fact that I was woken early this morning with bad pains in te area of my hip, anyway I took a couple of pain killers an that eased it enough for me to get back to sleep for another couple of hours before getting up at 7.30 to make a coffee and start my marathon day of radio and TV coverage.

looking Good Frankie
Once I am up I phone Pauline an she is going to book a taxi for 11.00 st collect me and then we are off down to the city centre so that I can pay a couple of bills and then off to morrisons to get the shopping, after speaking to Pauline I get some breakfast and then settle down to watch the TV coverage, Pauline then texts at about 10.15 to say that she has changed the Taxi to 11.15 but that is OK, it gives me more time to get ready as my legs are giving me a bit of trouble today, just hope my body gets used to the tapering of the prednisolone sooner than later.

Anyway Pauline arrives about 11.20 so once we have everything in the Taxi off we go down. we get the taxi driver to drop us off at the back of Boot,s in commercial road precinct and then we go into the nationwide where I pay a couple of bills and then we head off to Morrisons to get the shopping, I push the wheelchair for a short distance and then Pauline pushes me the rest of the way, as I do not want to overdo it with my leg muscles at the moment.
Nationwide Portsmouth
Once we are at Morrisons we go round and get the shopping and then once Pauline and I have what we want, we go and pay for it and then head into Morrisons cafeteria to get a snack for lunch and a coffee. We both have a Latte and Pauline has a sandwich and a portion of Chips and I have two Sausages and Chips, that does go down a treat and then once we have finished we go outside and I phone a Taxi to take us home.
Todays Lunch in Morrisons
  once we are back home, we get the shopping put away and then I phone for a Taxi to take Pauline home as she has another appointment later on , once pauline has left I go for a lie down until 3.15 when I go and make a coffee and then get on the laptop to get todays Journal written.
Having a Cat Nap 
well it is now 5.15 and time for the quiz show Pointless on BBC 1. Gervase has just phoned to say he will be coming in to see me on the way home from work and I have also had a chat on the phone with Leanne. so I am now going to get this journal posted and then watch Pointless and then after that I will get tonight,s dinner ready to have when Gervase has been, so until tomorrow I will say Cheerio.


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

and another Wednesday is upon us,

The Morning coffee
Well here we are again and this morning the Sun is shining and the Sky is blue and this is at 7.30 am and by 10.00 am the Sun has gone and the grey clouds are arriving oh well at least I had a decent nights sleep last night. Slept through from 11.30 until 7.00 this morning so pleased about that and then at 7.30 it was into the kitchen to get a coffee to take back to bed where I lazed listening to the radio until getting up and dressed and into the lounge at 9.00 to send the Morning text to Pauline.

The Flat inspection
At 9.30 I get some Breakfast and then Pauline phones to say that she is just off out with Misty for the morning walk so we have a chat and then I go round to Tesco Express to get my Morning paper, and then back home to settle down to wait for the girl from the letting agency to come round and carry out the 3 monthly inspection of the property,

Noel Coward
Anyway I have no idea what time she will be coming to carry out the inspection as it will take all of 10 minutes to do as there are only 4 rooms to check, anyway after shopping yesterday and the trip to Gunwharf on Monday I can do with a day of rest indoors today anyway It gives me a chance to indulge in some "You tube" viewing on the smart TV, so  I am watching some old "Noel Coward" clips of his songs, he was a very clever song writer and also his views were very controversial for the time, however after listening to the news the last couple of day and the proposal to "Cap the number of Visits to a GP that you can make in a year " and also the charity today who proposes "withdrawing Bus Passes to pensioners and giving them to under 25 year olds" I thought the lyrics of the Noel Coward song "There are bad times just around the corner" was applicable

After listening to some Noel Coward I decided at 1.00 to have some Gluten Free Bacon and red Lentil soup for lunch, this is one of the range of Baxters Gluten free soups and is very tasty and easy and quick to prepare, well I enjoyed that with a couple of crisp bread and then settled down to watch a George Formby movie on You tube. The movie was made in 1944 and stars "George Formby" and "Anne Firth"  it is a very funny movie in Black and White and plays full screen on the smart TV. 
Bell Bottom George 1944
well the  Girl from the Letting Agents arrives about 2.45 to carry out the property inspection and is gone by 2.50 so that is over and done with and no problems , so I finish watching the film and then go and make a coffee and then settle down to get todays Journal written.
So there we are then, it is now 4.40 and I am just about ready to settle down with a coffee to watch Pointless on  BBC1 before getting tonight,s dinner in to cook. Tonight I will be having a roast Chicken joint with a Jacket potato, so looking forward to that, I have enjoyed my restful day and tomorrow it will be a busy shopping day so I am going to get this Journal posted, so until  tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye. 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Guess What, It,s Raining "again"

Welcome to Portsmouth
And a very good day to you all, well it was confirmed on the TV this morning that it has been the coldest spring for 3 years so all this panic about "Global Warming", Climate change" , "impending doom" is in my mind totally unfounded all we are seeing is a change in the weather patterns, that occur on a regular basis and have done for many centuries it is just that people do not remember what the weather was like 30 years ago. either that or do as I do and "Blame the Government" LOL. anyway here is the next 5 day weather forecast as produced by the "Meteorological Department"



and if you do not believe me here are two screen shots from the weather forecast in May 1983 ( when my son Gervase was 2 years old)
May 1983

Tomorrow May 1983

Can you see the similarity,s to today weather forecast.
Wednesday 29th May 2013
Becoming a Grumpy o;d Man
Well so there you have it "Todays" Gripe, I really am becoming a Grumpy old man, much like my Hero "Victor Meldrew" from the Sitcom "One Foot In the Grave" anyway there we are then,and now for the rest of the daily journal for today.

well after such a really nice day down at Gunwharf supporting the UK "Myositis Support Group" with Pauline and Gordon, I got home absolutely Knackered for want of a better word, anyway got my dinner at 7.00 pm and then settled down to an evening inn front of the TV before going to bed at 10.30, after listening to the Local radio I got off to sleep at about 11.15 and had a bit of a restless night as I was all aches and Pains, which were probably the result of being pushed across the old cobbled streets of Historic Portsmouth on the way to the Gunwharf and back again. as The area leading to the Gunwharf and the spinnaker tower is the original "Portsmouth" and is full of the old Cobbled Streets some dating back to the 18th Century
Not the best surface to push a wheel chair.
Getting Dressed Ready to give  blood
anyway after a couple of Paracetamol I slept through until about 8.30 when I eventually made a coffee and then took that in to the lounge to send the morning text to Pauline before getting some "Chocolate Stars" Gluten free cereal for breakfast at 9.15. Pauline phones back about 9.00 to say that she will book a taxi for 10.15 to collect me and take me to the Eastney Health Centre to see Debbie as it is time for my Monthly Blood Tests.So at 9.45 I have a shave and get ready for when Pauline arrives and then we are off to give the Blood.

Go Gordon Go.
Once we are at the health centre we do not have long to wait and then I am in to give blood and then afterwards I phone for a taxi to take us home to collect the wheel chair and then off down to the city centre to get the shopping, we have not got to get a lot today so won't be out to long, when we get home to collect the wheelchair Gordon has arrived to get the flat cleaning done while Pauline and I are out shopping so that is Ok.
Once we are down town we go into Boots the chemist to get a couple of bits and pieces I get some tablets for "Flatulence", but they have not got any of the "Stay Dry Pants" that I need so anyway after we have been to the bank and Building Society we make our way into Tesco to get te shopping Done, we check in Tesco and they have some "Tenna Pants" so that is OK and I get them there, along with the other bits and Pieces
The affect we have on Checkout  Staff
 Once we have got what we need in Tesco we go into there cafeteria for a coffee and a snack, we both have a Latte each and Pauline has a 'Sausage Bap" and I have a "Sausage and Chips" we both enjoy our snack and then afterwards we go to the checkout to pay for the shopping and then outside where I phone Citywide for a Taxi to take us back home where gordon will hopefully be waiting for us with a clean flat and the coffee made.

Writing the daily Journal
Once we are hame Gordon makes the coffee while I put the shopping away before we settle down for a chat and then Pauline and Gordon make there way back home. Once they have left I make another coffee and then speak with Leanne on the phone before settling down to get todays Journal written, It is now 3.35 so I am going to get this journal posted and then settle down with a coffee and the Daily Paper before Pointless on BBC 1 at 5.15 and then dinner at 6.30 so until tomorrow I will say Bye Bye.












Monday, May 27, 2013

A Short Photo journal today

Well Here we are at 5.30 pm and I only arrived home about an hour ago so I am afraid todays journal is going to be a very Short Photographic journal of my trip in the wheelchair with Pauline and Gordon, down to Gunwharf Quays to see the abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in aid of the "Myositis Support group" UK. run by Irene and Les Oakley (MBE) in Southampton..

It was a very good couple of hours meeting the people involved and I think I caught some sun anyway absolutely shattered now so without further ado I will get the Photo,s of the trip on this journal then have a restful evening, after getting my dinner cooked.
On the way past Southsea Common.

Past governors green and the Garrison Church
Portsmouth Cathedral so halfway to Gunwharf
The spinnaker Tower comes into view
Approaching Gunwharf with the Isle of Wight Ferry coming into dock
A view of Gunwharf Marina
At the base of the Spinnaker Tower
Some of the Organisers
Its a long way up (300 feet)
Don't look down

Nearly at the bottom
Well done to everybody
Pauline and Gordon  with Pauline wearing her Myositis t-shirt
Well I think I caught the sun today.
well that is about it really, It was a really good trip out today and thanks to Pauline and Gordon for putting up with me. There were 25 people who abseiled  down the spinnaker and I was told that they had raised £10,000 from todays event so well done to everyone. well it is now 6.00 pm so I am going to get this Journal posted and will be back with the normal Tuesday shopping Edition tomorrow, I am now going to fall asleep in the reclinerzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz