Peter's Hospital Diary

Just off to a party, but…

Happy New Year!

Onwards and Upwards!

See you in 2009!

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I hope you all had a very Happy and peaceful Christmas, as indeed did we – albeit rather busy and with lots of people here!

I finished work on Tuesday afternoon and drove back home and then met up for “the Planning Committee” AGM at “The Rising Sun” for lunch and to discuss the main agenda item – the date of the next meeting! A very pleasant afternoon, followed by a carvery at another local hostelry, then off to the Midnight Service.
Christmas Day was frosty, although warm in the conservatory in the morning. We had twelve people round the table for lunch, before gathering round the tree for present distribution – the conservatory had cooled off a bit too much by then! Olivia (who has grown a little since she last featured here!) was in her element!

Boxing day saw us out for a walk, followed by cold meats etc – a calmer day than Christmas Day, and then over the next few days guests departed. Sunday saw us travelling up to Bristol for the day for another family re-union on Felicity’s side – the occasion being a Ruby Wedding Anniversary. At the moment I am working on some more coursework (it arrived just before Christmas!) and enjoying the break.

Before I finish, a quick word about our Christmas cards. We used to send Charity Affinity cards, but it seemed silly sending something that was thrown away afdter a few days, and from which the charity only received a small amount, so again this year we are donating what we would have spent on cards directly to a charity – LeukaemiaCARE. However we have sent out newsletters by a variety of means – post, e-mail, hand, but for anyone who hasn’t received one, I have placed it in the ‘About’ section. On the subject of Charitable giving, for personal reasons can I commend The Anthony Nolan Trust, Cancer backup, and Macmillan Cancer Care, as well as other cancer related charities I have listed in the sidebar.

Happy New Year – Onwards and Upwards!

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A very Merry, Happy and Peaceful Christmas to everyone!

Onwards and Upwards…

Peter

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I arrived home on Friday evening to lots of hustle and bustle for the first family event of the season, with the children’s cousins coming to visit yesterday. They duly turned up for lunch (14 round the table!) and the family “Secret Santa” event afterwards. Those that stayed went out into town later and had a leisurely start this morning!

Meanwhile other Christmas preparations continue – the gammon is cooked, and Felicity has gone to a Carol service – I would have gone too, but it is outside and I am still feeling a bit suffily. However I did get my bit of outside activity this morning, washing the cars.

I have brought out the Christmas decorations for the blog and updated them a little.

I am working for two days this week – off tomorrow morning and returning Tuesday afternoon, then that is it until the New Year!

Onwards and Upwards!

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I am back at work (a silly o’clock start this morning) after my two days of ECP, and a not particularly brilliant weekend suffering from snuffles, headaches etc – which thankfully seem to be getting better! However Felicity did sterling work in getting the Christmas tree up and decorated.

ECP itself was uneventful in the process, but the procedure was enhanced because of some staff training, carried out by Claire (a representative from the manufacturer Therakos) who was training two new staff to the dermatology day unit. I now know more about ‘buffy coats’ and psoralens (the UV activated drug that does the work) than I thought possible! Still, I have always tried to find out about my treatments, so it was another educational experience! The girls were all going out in the evening (an educational seminar?) so I hope you all had a good evening, and I suppose now is the time to wish Ian, Suki, Dawn, Emma and all the other staff (too many names to remember – sorry) who have looked after me for the last six months a happy Christmas!

London itself was cold – and the accommodation wasn’t much better – I don’t know if it was me, or the heating system, but the radiator didn’t seem to get above luke warm!

Rachael picked me up at Winchester on my way back – in her replacement car, a Fiat Punto. A “tidy motor” is probably as good a description as any – although that is probably doing it an injustice, as it seems to run well, and is a bit bigger than the Saxo – and lower insurance. But at least she is mobile again, and as Gill said in a comment, most importantly, no-one was hurt.

I am working for the rest of this week and a couple of days next, then I’m off for Christmas and the New Year.

So – Onwards and Upwards!

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Prophetic words last week, as youngest daughter hit a patch of black ice, skidded into a field and hit a tree a glancing blow. Fortunately she was unhurt, and the car was drivable, but although there was no structural damage, investigation showed that it would need even more work (in addition to the repairs) to get it through its MoT, so she cut her losses and replaced it. It has been cold all week, and I was glad of the de-icer on several mornings!

Meanwhile I had a sociable week, going out for dinner (a Thai Restaurant in Limpley Stoke) with middle daughter on Tuesday, a visit to my sister on Wednesday, and out with a group from work for a Chinese meal – an “all you can eat” extravaganza in Chippenham on Thursday. (and for those that were asking about last week’s Indian restaurant, it was this one The Rajpoot in Bath.)

I came home on Friday to go to a Christmas do where I used to work in Portsmouth, but I seem to have developed another cold, so today I have a bit of a sore throat and some snuffles!

This week is ECP week on Monday and Tuesday, then back to work on Wednesday – finally finishing for Christmas on 23rd!

So… Onwards and Upwards!

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I am slowly getting back into the week ending routine! I was able to leave work relatively early on Friday, so I was home by 5:30 – on with the washing machine and unwind! Yesterday morning was spent doing some of the admin stuff followed by a trip to the shops to do those things that couldn’t be done during the week. One of the purchases was a DAB alarm radio for use in the hotel – the radio they provide is pretty poor and doesn’t have an alarm function, so I hope this will be better.

last night I was out for a beer or two, and I woke up this morning to a heavy frost – just the sort of weather to encourage the setting of a fire, which is now burning merrily in the grate as I speak!

So it will be a quiet afternoon, and then back on the road first thing tomorrow for another four nights away.

I am being careful not to ‘overdo things’ – my evenings are failrly quiet, although this week I am taking Katie (middle daughter) out for dinner (she is working in Bristol on her placement year).

So – Onwards and Upwards!

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I’m still having difficulties with e-mail at the hotel – partly because the room this week is further from the Wi-Fi access point – so I will have to go to the bar (!) to pick them up! However I have got the IT system at work working – hence the update! Last night was a social evening – out with the group from work for a beer or two and a curry. I’m pleased to say that the curry was fine – although I did choose a fairly mild one! The restaurant was in Bath, and some distance from the hotel, so it was time to investigate local bus services – which were fine! It is the first time I have been on a bus for a few years! The restaurant turned out to be one I last visited over 30 years ago – when it was in Italian hands, on Poultney Bridge.

So all going well – and in traditional form – onwards and upwards!

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