Lunchtime Review

I still don't feel hungry but ate a toasted cheese sandwich but best to keep my strength up eh?! Still got the the stomach pain and no sign, as yet, of these tablets solving it but maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning and feel better? Had a look at the BBC website but only bad news to report so can't be arsed to review it! I'm feeling a bit down but I think it is just because I feel rubbish inside. It is confusing for me as I am not sure if it is just a stomach bug or abdominal cramp or is it something more serious and I would benefit from going to A & E pronto and getting it diagnosed and sorted before anything more serious might happen? Am I being a drama queen or making a mountain out of a mole hill? Typical me, I don't want to waste anyone's time or use up valuable resources which could benefit someone else. But if I continue to feel this way I will have to get it sorted.

Yesterday revisited

Went to the doctors and saw the Locom which was quite entertaining due to the fact that when he gave his prognosis he literally turned his chair to face K and spoke to her the whole time, how bizarre when it is me with the problem. Anyway, he prescribed me Buscopan Hyoscine Butylbromide 10mg tablets which are basically for irritable Bowel Syndrome and should stop spasms in the bowel. Personally I don't think it is that but we'll wait and see and hopefully they will work. If nothing changes in a few days he suggested going to A & E. The pain woke me up in the night and I was awake for ages, and I nearly got to the point of waking K for us to go there last night but must of gone to sleep, woke up feeling just a little tender. The pain is worse than yesterday but not as bad as last night so am at work soldiering on :-)

We are trying to clear the recorded programs on our Sky box and watched an interesting program about the Revelations, I think I would actually like to read a bible starting from the beginning of the Old Testament. Never read one before and may be interesting? I love K!!!!!!

Lunchtime review

Don't feel hungry at all but made myself have a sandwich. I feel lousy and can't wait to see a doc tonight. I reckon it's just a bug but worth checking out eh? Just had a quick look at the BBC website to see lads of good news stacking up ........... not! S. Korea and N. Korea are waving their handbags at each other though I reckon this one may kick off but my reckoning is, if it doesn't then China would have put it's big boot in to calm it down rather than America. China, to me, seems to be the up and coming super super power putting the old super-powers in the shadows. Time will tell! The Conserlibs are announcing shed loads of cuts, no one seems to be that bothered at the moment but I reckon a few months down the line when it actually starts to affect the public things will start to get a bit heated! Here endeth the lunch time news < taps papers on desk, like they do on tv and pretends to move the mouse> hahaha.

My thought of the day!

Positivity is the key to happiness

Weekend Review

Had a fab weekend in Leeds :-) The weather was fantastic and eating alfresco style, playing with the G & L in the pool and chatting away was superb! On Sunday G's poem and singing was brilliant and the whole acting/singing and poems performed by all was great.

My stomach is still causing me grief and after 4 days of Gaviscon it has not improved, in fact, it has got worse. So much so we called  NHS Direct yesterday afternoon, but the best they could offer was to take pain-killers?! The one thing we think it could be, though it could be anything really, is my Appendix? I have an appointment at 17:30 so we shall see what is said then. I really want to get it sorted as I really want to get on with my keep-fit regime and go for a run but I don't think it is wise at the moment.

Lunchtime update

The weekend is nearly here TF! K is having a girlie day with J and I am at work looking forward to meeting up later. I am in 2x minds about this evening, half of me wants to get wrecked or at least have a few drinks, the other half wants to stay fit and go for a run later when we get home. AARRGGHH!!! what to do, I guess I shall wait until later to make this decision, It isn't something I have to worry about all afternoon and I will make the right decision later :-) My stomach thing is still bothering me, so staying away from alcohol < little voice in head going alcohol, mmmmmmm, go for it, you know you want to and then a phone call hehehehe> stuff would be the best option, and I have asked K to pick up some stomach acid stuff for me to give a go before heading down the docs.

We ran! Stomach pain, moan moan!

Last night K and I went for run :-) That's twice this week for me so very pleased. Only the short 2.2 mile one and walked a bit but good to get out there again.
I still have pains in my stomach, which is a bit weird, I don't suffer from bowel or stomach problems normally but it pretty constant and even woke me up in the night. So I am a bit worried about it. I haven't drank alcohol for over a week and half and I have ate healthily, it's not that my stomach muscles ache, it is deeper than that, everything seems to be working OK so may go to the doctors early next week if this continues.

We are off to Leeds tomorrow for the weekend to return on Monday, I am looking forward to seeing R, J, G and L and maybe, just maybe it won't rain, the forecast is good but it always rains when we are there, just have to wait and see :-)

My thought of the day!

You can't change the past, acknowledge it,move on.

HIPS have been abolished from today

As from today HIPS have been abolished?! There will be a lot of people with sore arms dragging their legs behind them! hehehe

Oh to travel and live elsewhere................even just for a while?

After "one of those days" (and only half way through the day) I was just thinking how great it would be if we just disappeared for a few months, rent a hut or small apartment close to a beach somewhere in the world, live cheap and just be us, sunning our bodies, swimming and strolling. Is it possible? Is it worth racking another Credit Card Up and pay for it later, probably not but ..........................

Yesterday

Met K in town after work, which was great :-) Did a bit of shopping then headed home. Decided not to go for a run as we had been walking for a few hours and that was probably enough, I was a bit achy from my run yesterday (and been getting a pain in my upper stomach which just seems to come and go, will see how i feel today but maybe go to doctors if persists) and K was shattered, big day for her, Did a great job of starting a database for my vinyl database then came to town and shopped, that's a big thing for K at the moment. Very proud of her, she looked funky with her red and white blazer, skinny grey jeans, white vest top with Converse baseball boots on and, wait for it, fake eye lashes on, always proud to be stepping out with her :-) Later that evening we watched a great film called "State of Play", brilliant film, worth a watch! Planning on a run tonight and looking forward to seeing how the database is progressing :-) Oh, had an idea last night when I went to bed for a poem, not sure if it is a poem or an observation, I shall work on it today and see where it takes me, I think it it will be called "The River of Life".

My thought of the day!

Do something you want to do, not what you think others want you to do.

I ran!

I ran last night! My motivation was low but I did it! It was more of a walk/jog/run over 2.2 miles but better than nothing. So as promised before this is going to be the start of my fitness regime again  . K wasn't feeling up for it as been very down for the last week or so but hopefully she will come out tonight :-) I really want/need to make this exercise work. To be honest I noticed that my breathing was more laboured than it had been in the past, so it is key that I keep it up for my health, surely that is motivating enough! It would be great to keep this up and go in for a 5k no, let's set our sights higher - a 10k run! I don't think that will be this summer but there is no reason I couldn't attempt one in the Autumn! <the crowd yawns, turn to each other and mutter,"yeah yeah heard it all before >

My thought of the day!

Your ego stops you from getting on with your life.

Mohawk to Nohawk

My mohawk, which reappeared last year in Ibiza after about 25 years has, again, been removed. Let's be honest to carry off a mohawk properly you have to be confident in yourself and not be intimidated by others, or be bothered by people staring at you as that's what people do. I am not feeling confident enough to wear it and I wasn't doing it justice. K was doing a fab job of cutting it in and shaving my head but for now I am sporting a shaved head, which i have had for many years before. I am sure I will be sporting my mohawk again soon :-)

Emotional Roller coaster

Today I made a personal observation, not ground breaking stuff but here goes............................. My emotions through the day are like a roller-coaster, one minute I am confident and positive and the next I am fed up and can't see the point etc. Now here it comes ..................... I reckon everybody else is the same < The crowd gasp at how long it took him to get this, then give a standing ovation>.

I can't help feeling fed up sometimes and the more I try to rectify it the more I think about it and the worse it is?! So just letting happen in the moment, acknowledge the fact that is how I am feeling and just get on with it, I reckon I should return to positive thoughts quicker that way?!

If I could just solve the work situation and be happy with what I do, I reckon I have nailed it! I have a parter I love to bits, a great daughter, fab friends, just got to be happy with my work and all will be good. K being better would be great but me walking about being fed up with work ain't helping so I shall sort myself out!

As Ronan once said...........Life is a Roller-coaster, you just got to ride it!!!!

PMA! all the way!!!!!

The Weekend Reviewed:

Had a fabulous weekend :-) From shopping on Friday with a Morissons Curry for two, gardening Saturday, Sunday and Monday (due to my 4x day week). Been knackered every night due to gardening for over 6 hours a day, but as K would say "Good, honest tiredness" due to hard labour in the garden. It was great to spend time together laughing and chatting while doing the garden. On Saturday we removed the little garden area under the kitchen window ready for grey slate to go down, tidied the garage, planted plants. K cut down the rose bush by the blossom tree and we removed the root. I also removed a big old shrub from the bottom right hand side of the garden and removed the rotten old root too! K planted some plants round in the front garden while I removed some weeds from the front path. Then, oh yes there is more, we popped round Aunty Mary's put a handle up by her back door and tidied her garden a bit too! Sunday was also spent gardening including cutting down a rotten stump from the cherry tree and screwing a corner shelf I found in the garage on it to create a "bird plateau" haha :-) Aunty Mary had a doctors visit on Monday morning, we then made a quick trip to the shops then home to continue working in the garden, don't want to waste God's good sunshine now! Really enjoyed the weekend of good times; good food and better company.There is also an important point i need to make and that is < cue fanfare from trumpts> We didn't drink any alcohol at all, in fact we haven't had any alcohol since Wednesday last week!

The need to sort my life out! PMA all the way!

I have decided this Friday lunchtime that enough is enough and a good dose of PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) is required for both me and K! We should concentrate on the positive things in life how good it is to be alive. If we want something to happen - it is up to us to change it! Don't dwell on shit - make shit better or not worry about the shit at all!!

I am really chuckling at this now, I had a moment of PMA and enlightenment, then phoned K and passed my enthusiasm on, which she embraced and is on the roller-coaster with me and and it all starts when I get home We will release the break and go on this PMA journey together!! Bring it on!! Obviously in the back of my mind there is this nagging doubt and we will slip back in to our ways, but I shall put that out of my mind again < pushes nagging doubt to side of head using special powers, out the ear and hears it go "thud" on the floor> . I can't wait to get home to the love of my life and brace for the PMA ride :-) woo hoo! Strap us in, we are going on the ride of our life!!! :-))

Feeling the need to get Inked again!

It's about time I added some colour to my last tattoo! It must be about a year since my Thai Warrior was done, means more to think it was a photo we took in Thailand :-) It will be staying mainly plain but green needs to be added to the leaves and I the national flower is pink with yellow stamens, as far as I remember! There is about 3 hours left to do in colouring but I will book in a short, cheaper session for now. So I am well on the way to completing all of my left arm now. I have Kirsten written in Thai on the inside of my left forearm and Buddha with 7x waves on my forearm. I always forget the skull tattoo on the back of my neck (which is currently my profile picture). Any way back to the subject in hand, my left arm, I want an elephants eye with a waterfall coming out of the wrinkles below the eyes and then the rest of the arm can be made up of Thai patterns!  Bring on the pain!!

Insomnia Again and the Alcohol Connection AARRGHHH!!!!

Insomnia, that bastard, came to visit me last night. Haven't suffered from it for ages but he visited last night and stayed quite a while! Soooooooooo frustrating but I think I know the reason for his visit ....... have been drinking wine and beer quite a bit over the last few weeks but stopped a few days ago as I don't want to drink all the time. Whenever I stop drinking all together I get what K calls "the terrors" which consists of the sweats and insomnia, brain going in to over-drive as soon as you turn the lights out and lay your head on the pillow - AAARRRGGHHH!!!

  It's not that i have a problem with drink but I do enjoy a drink in the evening, chillaxing and watching tv, like most people really :-) But I don't want to drink all the time as it does become habitual and I want to get fit. I am 43, smoked since I was 13 and drank from then too I guess as well as the other thing through most of my life too. It is time to realise that every thing is good in moderation but it is time to make a bit more effort in looking after myself. I enjoy running, well sometimes I do. Maybe when we have a bit more money we should buy a couple of bikes as that is my favourite method of staying fit, but money is tight, that will have to wait and make do with what we have: fully functional legs, well sort of! hehe

The Iclandic Ash Cloud.....

..... has reined havoc for a while now, personally it hasn't affected me, and I am amazed so much palaver is being made about it. It is a natural thing to occur, It comes from a volcano and there is not a lot we can do about it, I understand it's because of the weather patterns that the affect is so great. Normally we have southerly winds this time of year but they are currently northerly winds.

I am sorry that people's holidays, trips and work has been upset but that is just nature! 6 days of no flying over the UK last month and lots of disruption this month already, I guess this could go on for years! It just goes to prove how small the world is now and how much we take flying for granted!

It amazes me is that every one wants compensation, Easyjet, and I am sure other airlines,  are saying they lost £75m last month and are going to apply to the government for compensation, well where is that money going to come from, the tax payer!!!!???? If you choose to run an airline, that is the risk you take that sometimes you can't fly, and if your business goes bust because of it, oh well, another airline will come along. If you can't get insurance against volcanic ash why should the tax payer pay for your loss of revenue.

I am sure it is going to have an impact on holidays, weddings, sporting events and business (British Airways will be OK as their cabin crew are suppose to be on strike for 5 days next week anyway), that's life, get on with it and be thankful that you are not falling from the skies at break-neck speeds 'cos you have volcanic ash seizing up your aircraft.

I will find the North Star (The Pole star named Polaris)

I am starting to enjoy looking at the stars more and want to learn the names of the different constellations and see if I can locate any planets.
I would like a little telescope but for now, due to finances I shall enjoy looking at them with the naked eye :-)

I do believe that the phases of the moon affect our moods and this is something I also wish to explore. I have been more convinced of this with Aunty Mary's dementia. She certainly seems to be more confused and agitated when the moon is full, to be honest she is normally worse a few day's after.

I shall report back later to see if the diagram above and the instructions below work! I hope it will be a clear night and I remember to do it! haha

Locating the North Star is easy if you follow this simple diagram.
First, find the Big Dipper.  Draw an straight line between the two stars of the Big Dipper as shown, toward the Little Dipper.
The North Star is located at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.
The North Star always points in the direction of True North.  For this reason it has been used as and aid to navigation for many centuries.

Eco-Warriors RAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! Oh, and Dementia

As we have been doing so much work in the garden after years of just letting it look after itself maybe we should do just a lit bit more for the environment and get a compost bin and a water butt. I know money is tight but it wouldn't cost that much and the deal from the council using their website is pretty good, http://www.liverpool.getcomposting.com/  .

We have done dug over the centre rockery bit, well K has done most of the digging 'cos as she says' "I like digging, I do!". She finds it therapeutic in the fresh air and doing something physical which I think will help her recovery from depression. YEAH!!!

The garden looks better than ever since we got rid of our gardener, I have been mowing the lawn, and even out the front where our garden meets our neighbours I have been mowing right across instead of going half way. We don't talk much except for polite passing the time of the day, but Kit ha reciprocated, so that is good for neighbourly bridge-building.

I shall put some photos up to show our good work, we are both enjoying it and I am looking forward to a "sensible weekend" spending time with K and getting out in the fresh air. There are so many jobs to do but it is good to do things for the property.

Aunty Mary hasn't been so much recently but we are managing the situation differently since we came back from Feurteventura. We don't answer the door every time she knocks, she is fine and I think by pandering to her needs we are creating the problem. On Sunday just gone we didn't answer the door all day woooo hoooo! Presently there is no door knocking in the night or generally early morning so it seems the dementia tablets are working :-)

A World in Financial Crisis

I believe financial meltdown is well on the way and you just can't keep printing money to throw at the problem. People have much to many expectations and spare time and want physical things to fill that time up. We are all guilty of this, I am aware of my guilt and also aware of the problem so I guess that's a good thing and I will try not to spend money but enjoy what I have got and the time I can spend with others! 

I am particularly interested with what is happening to Euro-zone countries and the problems with Greece and the up and coming problems with Portugal and Spain, again chucking about 750 Billion Euros at the problem is not going to solve it but I don't think that any country leaders know what to do about it without really pissing their people off and are just hoping it goes away before drastic action is really required.

Hung Parliament

Well, today the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have become one and are now putting their team together. I reckon this has done Labour a favour and they were wise not to get involved in the end as I reckon after 4 years of mixed opinions and the Cons and the Libs start blaming each other, Labour will get voted in next time, not that I think that is great news but I shall just have to wait and see!

This hung-parliament is the first our generation has ever seen (well I was a small boy then anyway. It will be interesting to see if a coalition can work together to sort the mess this country is in, let alone Europe and the rest of world.

China killings WTF?!?!?!

Over the last few weeks there has been numerous children in china killed in school. What bring some one to kill innocent children? It seems that the official means to combat this is to give security people long metal pitch forks and pepper spray?!?!

1. What brings someone ot do such a cowardly act?

2. What a bizarre way to deal with it!

I shall attempt to blog more!

Looking at my google account I can see that I haven't bogged for a while. I have written some more poetry but as previously state that is at my scribd page where i have had about 1500 readers so far! I write for myself but I am pleased that some people have read them :-) http://www.scribd.com/nickbest

Things are so so at the moment, but I am feeling more positive and hopefully things are on the up :-) K is still a down but hopefully starting to feel better, she seems much better in herself which is great.

Graeme has come up with a tai chi website idea for us to explore and hopefully make us able to follow our dreams. We all have love  which many people don't have but a little financial luck wouldn't go amiss!

I am going to start a database of my vinyl as it may need extra insurance, that will be fun to do and listten to some old house tracks in the process, I wonder what the replacement value will be?

We have been enjoying the garden recently and we assumed it would be a cheap way hobby, yeah right! We keep buying stuff for it but if we just keep digging it over for a while and plant what we have it will be therapeutic, as Kirsten says: "I like digging  I do!! hahaha :-)

I love Kirsten!!!!!!