Bloody hell. A date at last...

I'm speechless.  Not something that happens very often, I freely admit.  But I finally have a date to get my back sorted out.

I have to have the covid swab test on the Sunday, then isolate until I have the jab (that's a day patient).

So all I have to do now is get myself mentally ready.  And I don't mind admitting I'm scared.  I hate needles, and will be bereft of my beloved kindle, simply because I don't want to risk losing it.

I also have to sort out time off with the office...  But that shouldn't be too difficult as they knew that I was waiting for the jab when I started my 

 role.  

I freely admit I wasn't expecting this, but it's such a relief knowing that I finally have a date and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

I just hope that is doesn't turn out the way the late Sir Terry Prattchet used to say...

He’d been wrong, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and it was a flamethrower.

Time to call this quits - I'm starting to shake.

Back when I can think /  type straight.

Karen

Hold on there's a new way a comin'

Looks like it's arriving tonight

There's no more hiding or running

There's no more walking on ice

The dread battery issue rises from the dead

Yep.  You guessed it.  That sodding battery issue on the monster has reared its ugly head.  Again.  Thankfully, my superstar co-workers at my new company helped me out and jump started the little horror last night, and I have the car booked in with Arbury Peugeot next week.  

But, to be on the safe side, I have the little kick starter kit in the car, in case the little horror decides to repeat the incident from last night.

So this now leaves me with a dilemma..  Do I stick with my little monster (which in fairness to the car, is 6½ years old) and has less than 60k on the trip, or do I let myself be swayed and take the plunge with a new 208.  

Which has more features (I know - more to go wrong) and has updated / better fuel economy, or do I stick with the known car, that is aging, and starting to become unreliable and starting to land me with large garage bills.

And yes - I am getting a feeling of DeJa'Vu with this.  It was the same situation with the 207, and it was the gearbox having major (and expensive) issues that pushed me to go to the 208.  

In fairness, the gearbox is excellent on the 208, but this time, it's the electrical issues that are starting to be annoying (not to mention expensive - the last repair was the main engine fan management control unit that cost me £230!)

There is another fly in the ointment with this as well..  I've changed jobs, and it's a pain in the neck to get to Arbury Leamington, to get the car serviced and MOT'd.  In the past, I would get the car into them for about 08:30 and then walk into work and collect the little monster when I finished at 17:30.  

But now I am working away from the Leamington area, it means that I have to get the car picked up from home and get a lift into work.  Now that might not sound like a major issue, but to me, it is. 

Simply because I am a control freak when it comes to knowing who has driven my little monster - and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who have driven it.  So relinquishing the keys to an unknown driver (ok - they work for Arbury, but that's not the point) is hard for me.

So, do I stick with Arbury (who I have dealt with for the past 18 years), or do I look for a dealership nearer my workplace, as it would be easier to drop the car off and arrange a lift into the office.  Again, it's something that I need to consider. This weekend, there will be a lot of hard thinking about the options - especially the possible change of car (and possibly the dealership).

Ah well, nearly end of lunch, so guess I'd better drag myself into working mode.

Back whenever.

Karen

Search all day, search all night

 for the answers that never betray

Answers that seem to be right

Today's Minion

Karen

Search all day, search all night

Look for the answers that never betray

Answers that seem to be right

Cancelling a concert

And this time, it’s not the dread COVID-19 doing this.  It’s me.  Simply because I cannot guarantee that my back will be sorted, and I have no intention of putting it under anymore stress that it is at the moment.

As it is, it’s already managed to go into spasm this year (ok – Monday) and the language was almost as bad as it was when I suffered the initial injury – in June 2021.

Plus, as I am currently “banned” from driving by the GP and the spinal surgeon, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to go to the Town Hall in Birmingham the end of March to watch Magnum rocking their home town.  Which would mean me standing (and badly dancing) for a minimum of two hours, plus all the travelling.  Which is a damned shame, as they always put on a good gig.  And they will have two new albums to pull onto the playlist – the excellent The Serpent Rings:

  as well as the new album – The Monster Roars:

Hopefully I will be fit enough to see them in Nottingham at Rock City on 14/09/22 and enjoy the concert in a city (and a venue) that has quite a few good (and definitely drunken) memories.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits - my poor little phone is bleeping at me.  Again.

Back when I get the chance.

Karen

It's another rainy day

Talk of freedom got away

Time to get the message right

It's never black or white

So I'm walking in the rain

Found a reason to explain

No excuses, no regret

We all deserve respect

Getting somewhere at last - and not just the booster...

Well, it's been nearly a week since I started taking the Amitriptyline tablets.  These were originally designed to be an anti-depressant, but as so often happens, they (the pharmaceutical companies) found that it was not very good for the original issue, but it is really good for treating pain.  Specifically neuralgia (nerve pain) as well as migraine.

Now comes the "fun" part.  Like all prescription medication, there are side effects...  And the most common ones are some crackers...  Things like...

Feeling sleepy

Headache

Dry mouth

Nausea

And guess what - I got the lot.  The sleepy part isn't an issue (now) - but for the first few days, all it took was for me to get too comfortable in the bean bag, and bang.  Out cold.  I also found that I was waking up with a headache / dry mouth in the morning, but a bottle of water on my bedside table soon sorted that out.

The worst one was the nausea.  I felt like I'd eaten something (or someone) I didn't agree with, and it was quite unpleasant.  Luckily for me, it was only the one day (and that was the day after my COVID-19 booster - more on that later) but it did knock me for six.

So, at the moment, I won't say I am pain free - far from it.  This dratted medication can take upto 6 weeks to take effect - as my GP said - "don't expect this to work instantly".  I'm not that daft, but have to admit that things are getting slightly easier...  Especially when I use my Smokin' Joints Warming Shea Butter Skin Balm.  

This little miracle pot has really helped me, and I know when I haven't used it.  My back hurts (ok - more than it does normally with the slipped disc) and it seems to help with the pain in my leg.  I don't know if it was because I gave the leg a damned good massage rubbing this stuff in (my thigh muscles were twitching like they were wired to the mains) but it seemed to help and allowed me to get some sleep.

Now onto the booster.  I had already got this booked for January 6th at Walsgrave Hospital...  Ok, not an issue.  Then my GP practise sends me a text message to say that I can get jabbed closer to home - and a lot sooner.  Like a month earlier.  

Needless to say that was a no brainer - of course I was going to take the jab.  This new COVID-19 variant is scary, and blazing a trail through the population.  

So, Mum kindly took me to what I jokingly referred to as "jab central" on Saturday afternoon for my appointment with the needle.  Now my appointment was 15:40 - I was jabbed and escaped by then.

How did I manage?  Simple.  I got to the clinic early, and was pulled in early.  Medical history checked ("Are you allergic to anything?  Yes - work and injections")  Being serious though, I showed the team my medic alert and clarified that I knew what I was allergic to as I carried the epi-pen.  

I was then given the Pfizer jab as my first two jabs were the Astra-Zenica.  20 minutes later, and I am escaping for home, with a slightly sore arm.

As I write (ok type this) my arm still feels sore / slight lump where I had the jab, but to be honest, I am glad I had this done early, as it will hopefully reduce the severity of any infection...

Ah well, my kindle is calling me - I want to see what happens to Edwin Winthrop in Kim Newman's book  - The Bloody Red Baron 

Back when I get chance...

Karen

The future was planned and now we must crawl

Let justice be damned, they've taken it all

Now things that you read, you've seen it before

Like brothers we stand, they've fooled us once more