Nardo's Journal

10:22am: The Incompetence Continues
( In short...home again... back to hospital on Tuesday )

11:08pm: I knew it was too good to be true
I went along at 7:30 this morning to be admitted. They even had a bed waiting for me.( From there it all went downhill (rant warning- cut for those who don't want to read) )

10:04pm: Impressed with the NHS
As part of my sporadic (and far too frequent) perchant for breaking bones I slipped and caught my pinkie between two paving slabs on Tuesday afternoon. One visit to Casualty later showed that I had a dislocated and broken finger. It was realigned by rotation under local anesthetic and an appointment made for fracture clinic today.

The realignment didn't really work (finger still wants to meet my thumb across all the others) and I half anticipated the doc's comment that I would need to have a general anesthetic and have the finger re-broken, set in the correct position and pinned (I'll be able to set off metal detectors in airports around the world!:)

What I didn't expect though was the next sentence "So I'll try and fit you in my surgery as an emergency tomorrow". Tomorrow!!

My first coherent thought was "but I don't even OWN a nightdress" (sorted out by brief spree in lingerie store)... closely followed by "but this is the NHS...don't you have to send me an appointment in 18 months or so, only to be followed by three cancellations?". Apparently not... if I can't be operated on as an emergency tomorrow then I have to be done on Wednesday.

I'm amazed, and impressed, if a little apprehensive - despite appearances I really don't like pain.

1:59pm: Let's hear it for the Doc
Fracture clinic today and the doc agrees with me that I don’t need a plaster to take with me to Amsterdam in just over a week’s time. Well done doc!

6:24pm: Oops, I did it again (refrain)
Broke my scaphoid bone that is...yup, slipped again. They're not prepared to rule out a hairline fracture aroundabouts the ankle either, although a sufficient amount of begging, tears and pleading avoided a plastercast though I do have a splint for my wrist, which is not supposed to be taken off - no prizes for guessing how long it lasted once I started typing :)

5:31pm: Ah, that would explain it then
A little while ago I went for a Dexa Scan. After much hassling of my GP for the results I'm told I've got osteoporosis. That would explain the sudden perchant for breaking bones over the last year :S

Apparently it is particularly evident in my spine, which the docs aren't happy about so they've added a new daily pill to the cornucopia I'm taking atm, this one for life apparently....does anyone know of a pharmacy that runs a loyalty card scheme?!

Donations of bubble wrap gratefully received :)

On a lighter note.. I'm off to Salzburg on Friday for 5 days. Anyone got any "don't miss" sights they'd like to point me in the direction of?

10:47am: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

10:21am: Is this a record?
Christmas shopping start to finish in 3 hours - including my own pressie (well ok, so officially from my beloved but let's face it he wouldn't have a clue!).

I just love that foreign designer guy - Ar-goosse!


Now I just have a mountain of wrapping to do - sigh.

6:13pm: Fun For Friday
Medical terms and definitions by medical students

( I wouldn't let this lot near me! )

11:54am: Oops!...I did it again
Not, not sung a Brittany Spears song (though that would be bad enough, as anyone who has heard me sing will testify).

Remember my jaunt to Cologne which resulted in a broken wrist/thumb diagnosed a week later? Well just to prove I don't have to go anywhere to do things like that I slipped on Thursday which produced an interesting assortment of bruises but it was only when my nearest and dearest realised that I was in pain last night that he extracted a promise to go to the emergency clinic today.

A rather wasted morning resulted in a diagnosis of badly bruised or cracked ribs..luckily they decided not to bandage me up (it's a little too late for a halloween mummy costume) but did prescribe some stronger painkillers which means I can't drink..boo!, though I'm told they may produce some interesting side effects of their own :-P

(coxtrill, if you see this and I'm not at work in the morning can you let KS know please - I'll probably ring in anyway)

4:05pm: Look I know I keep complaining about feeling old, but....
I'm still waaayyy too young to be a granny!

For those of you who didn't know, no it's not coxtrill but my stepdaughter who had a 8lb 6oz bouncing baby boy late last night. His name is Justin.

Ok, ok.... I'm quite excited really (shhhhh...don't tell anyone!)

10:33pm: Playing Hookey
Well, having decided to take the day off work I went up to London and experienced a gastromone's delight.... started off with dim sum at the "New World Restaurant" in Chinatown (at 6 floors, reputed to be the largest chinese restaurant outside of Asia)... and it certainly was very good. We strolled to "Cafe Nero" in Old Compton Street where some serious people watching took place. Our stroll up to Picadilly Circus was interspaced with some shopping and an icecream in the Trocadero. A visit to Planet Hollywood later...we found ourselves outside the "Cork & Bottle" - luckily although "the cob" was booked we managed to sneak in for a quick glass or two (well... ok three, but who's counting). More walking (my poor feet!) took us to Covent Garden where we sampled the 1983 Vintage rustic port in "The Crusting Pipe" where there were vouchers for 10% off at Moshulu.... well, I ask you, how could any self-respecting woman resist that temptation? Strolling up to Trafalgar Square in the early evening was very pleasant and a brief stroll through St James' Park (it was getting dark by then) rounded off the day nicely.

Altogether much more satisfying than work!

6:41pm: WHAT A PARENT HAS TO DO TO GET A LITTLE PEACE!
coxtrill was lamenting about not being able to find an image
(see http://www.livejournal.com/users/coxtrill/43490.html). Calling on friends from different continents did help ....as well as salmond in Canada I had friends WANOLJ from the US, South Africa and Germany all on their search engines.

WE FOUND IT.....yayness!

5:09pm: WARSAW #5
( more tourism )

Homeward bound tomorrow - I shall be sorry to leave.

6:00pm: AM CONFUSED
How come the post I did on the 28th (Warsaw #2) looks as tho it was posted on the 30th? Answers on a postcard please (actually a comment will do!)

Anyway on with Warsaw #4 ( Under here )

5:09pm: Warsaw #3
Right, where did we get to... oh yes, Friday. ( more sightseeing )

We're off to bathe change and then out for the evening. Catch y'all later!

5:05pm: Warsaw #2
( The next part of the saga is under here )

Oh I looked at my mobile today and I'd missed a call.. if it's any of you lot either send e-mail or leave comment if not urgent, but if urgent please try again... I do have the phone with me, I'm just deaf is all!

3:29pm: Phew!
One of the partners I was covering for is now back and, bless him, he's pleased with what I've done on his files whilst he was away - including the £900k exchange of contracts which I did on Friday (I was terrified that there was an error on the file). Wow. Now all I have to do is survive another week with my own workload and part of one of the other partner's.

In other news, my tickets for Warsaw have arrived YAY!

9:52am: Ah... the sweet smell of success
A secretary has just accepted the offer of employment made yesterday evening after I interviewed her!

YAY!

4:12pm: Having just been researching legislation I feel obliged to inform everyone that there is a UK Statutory Instrument entitled "The Food (Pistachios from Iran) (Emergency Control) (Wales) Regulations 2003"

2:38pm: And suddenly it is almost over...
So, following a 'last holiday-day' tradition ( I adopted the predator mode and... )

( In chat I was asked to identify the best and worst of... )

11:38pm: Oh. So it rains here too, then?
Ok to be fair the rain was overnight last night, but with a cloudy sky threatening this morning I decided that it was time to do one of the two large museums here... ( so which one? )

( Wait a minute...did you say 'searching out criminal activity'? )

9:26pm: Wednesday's Events
Prods slightly sunburned portion of neck…. Prods sunburned arm…. Thinks I really should have put on some factor 40 before going on Riverboat yesterday ( Nevertheless, I went and…. )

( really Nicki, I knew you were careless but a whole LAN/ISP? )

BTW coxtrill Last night, I got the photo you requested … it’s safely in camera!

5:47pm: Shameless tourism continues....
( So what have you been doing today, Nicki? )

9:58am: A Spooky End to a Relaxed Day
( Detail cut to avoid jamming friends lists )

I suppose the thing that is becoming most apparent is just how much of a dirty word "service" is back home… everyone from the tour guides to the waiter/ess really does care that you enjoy… it’s quite a refreshing change.