Walking in the Shadows

Random musings from Warwickshire on life in general... Things that make me laugh, make me cry, things that wind me up beyond all endurance - and everything in between.

Off to the Motorcycle Museum...

Mum and I have been on about going to the Motorcycle museum for a long time - well before Dad died! But, for whatever reason, we never managed to get around to it - until now.

So, we decided to make a trip up to the museum - and see what they had done to the museum since the devastating fire - and I was wondering if my favourite bike - Slippery Sam had survived...



The museum itself was as good (if not better) than I recalled it, and I have to say that the website doesn't really do the new displays justice... There were also little boxes attached to the wall for donations to help restore / replace some 250 bikes that were damaged or destroyed in the fire.

Whilst I was wandering around the museum, I had a message arrive on my 'phone from my daft hog riding friend..

Hi I bet you're sitting by the telly watching the GP. It's sunny here and I have a monster headache - all my own fault - too much to drink last night...

I sent a reply saying that I was at the motorcycle museum, and I got a surprise when I read the message that he'd sent back...

Oh I wanna go to the motorcyle museum. When you taking me then?

Excuse me - I didn't realise that was on the cards! But, given that he's been kind enough to invite me south again, I think it's the least that I can do is get him back up to my neck of the woods and show him around here...

Guess I should be thinking about doing some w*rk, but I'm suffering from TNFI again...

Back when I get the chance...
Karen
Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

Leaving paw prints on your heart

What is it about a cat? They’re mercenary, aloof and in the case of the Pont, a thug.

However, having said that, he’s been a big part of my life and now he’s dying. It’s not going to be a quick death, but at least it’s going to be painless, according to the vet.

He’s suffering from heart failure, and I will admit to going to pieces when I found out. Despite this, the cat is his normal thuggish self, and seems to take great delight in beating up the neighbourhood dog population.

Last night, he didn’t seem his normal self, even to the extent that he was shivering. (I didn’t even realise that a cat *could* shiver!) So, I did something that I never normally do – I let him sleep under the quilt with me. He stopped shivering, but I didn’t have the heart to turf him out, so I let him stay where he was.

He was almost the perfect bedfellow – didn’t hog the quilt and didn’t invade my space, and snored. But, given the fact that he’s not a well kitty, I guess that I can let that little gripe go.

Mama take this badge off me,
I can't use it any more,
It's getting dark, too dark to see,
Feel I'm knocking on heaven's door.


Guess I should call this quits – I’m supposed to be doing some OTR work, but I’m really not in the mood to do anything…

Back later, if I get the chance...

Karen

Learning to fly, but I don’t have wings

When a lonely heart breaks...

I sent a message to my best friend last night, and the reply I got really upset me, as I knew that there was not a damned thing I could do:

No, not at all - I can't stop crying just sitting in my car listening to my CD. Some songs **** me over tonight more than normal, due to a certain person. I'm hurting and hurting bad and it's all down to one person again. Am I such a bad person? I don't need this **** and I'm so lonely, I just want to be on my own and cry my heart out.
Sorry.


What the hell can you say to a text like that?? I sent a reply saying that I would be at the end of the 'phone if he needed to talk, and left it at that.

When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls


 
Well, he did take me up on the offer, and elaborated a bit more on the text message that he'd sent to me. It turned out that he was fed up with this one person taking him for granted all the time and that there were other things that were bothering him.

We ended the call as the pair of us needed to get some sleep, but he said that he would call me later today, and let me know that he was ok...

I will admit, hearing him so down really hurt me, and not for the first time, I wished that I was closed to him (in terms of a physical distance) so I could just say "sod it" and go and see him for a while - if only to make him realise that he's not on his own, and that there is someone out here who gives a damn about him.

Time to call this quits - I'm supposed to be working, not blogging.

Back when I get clear of all the crap (I mean work) on my desk....

Karen

Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

Post escape blues...

What is it about a great weekend that leaves you feeling so down?

I met up with my daft hog riding friend after several disasters that were beyond his control, which meant that when we did finally meet, it was a good couple hours later than we had originally planned.

He was more than a little miffed at first, but he seemed to chill out over a pint, and we got talking about various things and then we headed for our overnight stopping point.

We sat talking over dinner about various things, and I will admit wishing that I had answered one question honestly at the time of asking, instead of trying to avoid giving an honest answer, leaving me brooding over what I should have damned well said (which I think is causing me to have the post escape blues!)

Aside from that, the rest of the weekend seemed to go really well, and I know that from now on, whenever I go past a certain pub, I'll remember the weekend that I spent with someone I really care about, and would do anything to help...

Guess I should be doing some work, but to be honest, I really don't have any interest in anything at the moment...

Back when I get the chance...

Karen
Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

Planning another escape...

Well, the ball is rolling and I'm planning another escape. It's with my good friend, and if everything goes to plan, it should be a weekend to remember.

As it stands, I've got time to go and see my Godsprog and see how she's getting on with Kipper (her Shetland pony) as she keeps telling me how well she can get Kipper to do what she wants, and then go and get changed (so I don't stink of horse) and then head into Stratford to meet up with my friend...

Guess I should call this quits - I'm supposed to be working, not blogging!

Back later if I get the chance...

Karen

Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

"I'd do better if I went to see my bloody VET!"

Needless to say, after the events of yesterday, I am less than happy with the treatment I've been recieving. Ok - I admit that I probably shouldn't be so damned stubborn about having my shoulder operated on, but I get the feeling that the sawbones doesn't have the foggiest what the hell is wrong with my shoulder, or what the best way to treat it it.

I should have guessed that things were going to go wrong, when I got to the hospital yesterday morning, only to be told that the appointment had been cancelled and I was due to attend the clinic on 20/06/06.

The mere fact that I'd not had a 'phone call or a letter went down like a ton of lead bricks, but the receptionist's attitude I couldn't fault. She was disgusted with the service, and said that she would get my notes for me, and make sure that I was seen during the clinic at the time I was supposed to have attended in the first place.

So, it was a case of sit down, and try to avoid the dreaded "numb bum" syndrome. I was called through to the clinic, and a very polite young medical student started taking notes about me and the shoulder problem. It would have been better for him if he'd bothered to read my notes properly, instead of just skimming over them, and missing most of the details.

The first thing that I noticed was the fact that he'd got my age wrong, then asked when I'd had the shoulder operated on. Score 0 points to the student. Once that was sorted, the senior registrar then deemed to see me.

Ok - he was pleasant enough, but when I realised that he was going to jab my shoulder, I wasn't too happy, but agreed to have the jab... That was when the fun started, and I seem to recall feeling really faint, then trying to stand up once the jab had been done, and everything then went black.

I came to, lying on my side on the examining couch, with the clinic's staff nurse looking very concerned. She asked if I had driven to the hospital (I wasn't that dumb - I had a feeling that I might go flat on my chops!)

I then said that I was supposed to go into work after the appointment, which was immediately vetoed, and I was only allowed to call the office provided that she was standing nearby, in case I decided to go and pass out again.

Once I'd made the call, I staggered back to the clinic, and spent the next hour or so, trying to convice the staff nurse that I was fit enought to leave, and that I wasn't dumb enough to try and go into work...

So, it was a case of get home,only to find that the letter from the outpatients appointment services had been delivered! That infuriated me and I was just in the right mood to call them. I spoke to a smarmy female, who gave me no explaination or apology, and said that she would cancel the appointment for 20/06/06, but would leave the one that I had just made for 07/09/06.

After I'd done that, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep - but I wasn't on my own, as the two furry fiends decided that I needed company, and curled up on the bed with me.

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful of their company, but I got a nip from the Pont, simply because I moved him from one side of the bed to the other - I didn't really want to have to climb over the cat if I was going to head to the bathroom to throw up!

Guess I should think about loging on to the system, so I can do some work...

Back when I get the chance...

Karen

Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

Back to the sawbones... and still no joy.

As I type this, I am in agony, so it's going to be a very brief post.

Suffice to say that I've been back to the sawbones, had yet another cortisone shot in the joint, and have gone sick as I passed out.

Back tomorrow - I'm starting to feel really sick again...

Karen

Learning to fly, but I don't have wings

Worrying for a friend...

Well, my daft hog riding friend is safely back in the UK, but he seems to have draw an unlucky straw...

His Mum hasn't been too well recently, and I will admit to wondering what was wrong, until I got the following message from him:

Sorry I ain't been in touch - my Mum's not well again and back to hospital. Speak soon...

As soon as I read that, my heart sank, and I sent him a message to say that I was thinking of him, and hoped that his Mum was ok...

The reply that I got nearly caused me to burst into tears...

Just read your message - it's made me cry. It should be me that is thanking you for being my friend - I have never had a friend like you ever, and I never ever want to lose you. God bless you and thanks for the strength x

But the message I got this evening really scared me. I got a message from him, asking me to call him as soon as I could - I did so, and the news was not something I wanted to hear. His Mum had suffered a heart attack, and he was racing down the M1 to get to the hospital in north London, where she had been taken to.

I will admit it was a brief conversation, as he wanted to keep his 'phone free so that his Dad could call him if need be, and I asked him to let me know that he was at the hospital safe, and if he could, just let me know how his Mum was...

He sent me a quick message to say that he was at the hospital ok, and I will admit to not being able to sleep until I heard my 'phone chirp. I'd got a message from my friend.

It turned out that his Mum was going to have bypass surgery, and that it had been somewhat touch and go, but that she was in the best place that she could be.

Ok - I admit that at this moment in time, there's not a lot I can do, but if I can provide a shoulder to lean on, it should (I hope) make things a little easier for him to bear...

Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've witnessed all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms


Time to call this quits - I need to be seen to be doing some work - not blogging!

Back later if I get the chance...

Karen
Learning to fly, but I don't have wings