Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London (10 days in plaster).

Week 356 Saturday 10^th until Friday 16^thApril 2021.

On 12^th April, I celebrated the 60^th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first orbit.  And the 40^th of the launch of the first Space Shuttle Columbia’s (STS1), by painting this.

Wednesday started out very normal and boring.  Everything changed late morning when I received a call from the fracture clinic to inform me of my appointment with them next week. Just before the call ended I asked about the blood thinning injections I am taking daily.  The very nice lady went to check and on her return confirmed that I did need to keep jabbing myself.  The problem was the initial prescription was due to run out the next day.  After putting me on pause a second time the receptionist returned saying I needed to speak to my GP.

This is when the day started to unravel.  My local surgery said they couldn’t give me the meds, I needed to speak to the A&E.  At this point I thought I would ring A&E for advice, it’s a good thing I did as they informed me I should go back to the hospital/medical centre that saw me originally.

After emailing my boss, saying that even though we were extremely busy I had to stop work immediately, my friend and I left the house.  I have only used the crutches in and around the house and the garden.  The outside world is a different matter.  Every five to 10 metre I would stop to have a breather then move on.  Walking the bus stop is only a couple of minutes away; on the sticks it took ten minute.  The walk to the hospital after the quarter of an hour bus journey was just so painful, the closer I got to the medical centre the more I wanted to just sit on the floor and cry.  Once inside and finally getting the attention of a receptionist I was told to sit down and wait.  What made the two hour wait painful was the communal TV showing nothing but soap after soap episodes (boring continuing dramas made here in the UK, not the classic US sitcom which ran from 1977 until 1981).  I suspect that channel is deliberately on to placate all the patients waiting.

Eventually my name was called; I sat and explained to the Dr, who really was not happy or impressed with my story.  It turns out both the GP and the A&E could have helped me, it’s possible that they just didn’t like the sound of my voice.  However the real problem is the fracture clinic, who she said was supposed to have seen me in a week.  Instead of ringing a week later, to book an appointment in another seven day’s time.  This is why I had only nine days medication.

Getting home was slow, after another bus ride that final hobble towards the house really was so painful.  Have you ever needed the loo, the closer you get the more you just need to pee.  That’s sort of how I felt, the closer I got, I could see the house the more painful my hands, arms, right leg and hip felt.  The closer I got the slower I became; it was almost after every step I had to stop for a few seconds.  I have never been happier to be working from home, if I wasn’t of course I would have travelled to and from work, I wouldn’t have had a choice.  I am genuinely thankful that I am homeworking at the moment.

I did get the medication, but it wasn’t easy.  My poor friend had to visit the chemist three days running, to put in the prescription, collect part of the amount due, then pick up the rest on the third day.  Thank you so much MOZ for doing that and generally helping me at the moment.  The last few days have been a little stressful, but all is ok.  Next week I will get to the clinic, hopefully I will leave with a better idea of how long I will be hopping around on sticks.  Fingers crossed next week is better and a little more stressful.

And Now For Something Completely Different……

Feeding the birds has helped keep me sane (or what’s left of my sanity) these last 12 months. Afterwards I would enjoy watching the regular customers hop out of the bushes to enjoy the grub.

At the moment with one foot in plaster everything is taking so much longer.  One occasion this week I listened to an entire 30 min podcast while hobbling, hopping back and forth, huffing and puffing and generally trying not to fall over as I filled everything up.  This week it felt like the birds were getting impatient over how long it was taking for me to dish out there food, from the noise coming from the bushes.  Of course what I need to remember is the customer is always right.

And Finally……

If you thought that the world had been turned upside enough during this last year.  It’s about to get worse. This week on a number of news reports I heard that there is a terrible shortage of garden gnomes to buy.  Please look after your small friends in the garden, there difficult to replace.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  

“Alien Covenant”, (2017).  “Blockaboots”, (YouTube)(TX: 09/04/07).  “Colony”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Entertainment Insider: The Anatomy And History Of A Car Chase”, (FaceBook)(TX: 06/04/21).  “Farscape”, (S4, ep 1 to ep 5).  “Frank Of Ireland”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Jo Brands: Britain’s Fave TV Of The 70s”, (TX: 09/04/21).  “Have I Got News For You”, (S61, ep 2, TX: 16/04/21).  “Have I Got A Bit More News For You”, (S61, ep 1, TX: 09/04/21).  “Identity”, (2003).  “Mike Skipper Coming Out Of Lockdown Quiz”, (FaceBook)(TX: 10/04/21).  “Not Going Out”, (S10, ep 1 to ep 3).  “Revenge”, (S1, ep 14 to ep 22)(S2, ep 1 to ep 8).  “Sound Of Metal”, (2019).  “Star Trek (The Original Series)”, (S2, ep 1 to ep 5).  “Taskmaster”, (S11 (S2 on C4), ep 5, TX: 15/04/21).  “The Electric Mist”, (2009).  “The Great British Sewing Bee”, (S7, ep 1, TX: 14/04/21).  “The Man In The Castle”, (S1, ep 3).  “The Nun”, (2005).  “The Sky At Night”, (TX: 11/04/21).  “Thunder Force”, (2021).  “Total Recall”, (2012).  “Trip Hazard: My Great British Adventure”, (S1, ep 1, TX: 09/04/21)(ep 2 to ep 4, TX on All4, 09/04/21).  “V Wars”, (S1, ep 4).  “Van Helsing”, (S1, ep 2 to ep 4).  “What Did Jack Do?”, (2017).  “Z Nation”, (S4, ep 1 to ep 4).

Gerry Anderson Watched This Week:

“Space 1999”, (S2, ep 18, TX: 04/08/77)(ep 19, TX: 11/08/77).

This week I have mainly been listening to:  

“A legitimate Salvage”, (ep 23,11/02/20).  “Betamax Video Club”, (ep 26, 29/08/18).  “Box Of Delights”, (Trailer)(S1, ep 1, 20/08/19)(ep 2, 23/08/19)(ep 3, 27/09/19)(ep 4, 30/08/19)(ep 5, 03/08/19)(ep 6, 06/09/19)(ep 7, 10/09/19).  “Braving Babylon 5”, (ep 5,6/03/14).  “Coronavirus Global Update”, (BBC World Service) (10/04/21) (11/04/21) (12/04/21) (13/04/21) (14/04/21) (15/04/21) (16/04/21).  “Doctor Who”, (TeeVee)(The Husbands Of River Song)(26/12/15).  “Griefcast”, (ep 137, 14/04/21).  “NASA: Gravity Assist”, (S5, ep 1,16/04/21).  “NASA: Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 191,16/04/21).  “Nick Abbot Whole Show”, (11/04/21)(16/04/21).  “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha”, (S1, ep 31, 14/04/21).  “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (S2, ep 24, 13/04/21).  “Smersh Pod”, (26/04/17)(30/06/17)(24/08/17)(30/08/17).  “Space Soldiers Podcast”, (Chapter Five, “The Destroying Ray”, 10/04/21).  “Star Trek Discovery”, (TeeVee)(S2, ep 14, 19/04/19).  “Star Trek universe Podcast”, (25/10/18).  “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 156,14/04/21).  “The Audio Guide To Babylon 5”, (S1, ep 21, 23/02/15)(ep 22, 08/03/15).  “The Froth With Rhod Gilbert And Sian Harris”, (S3, ep 9 (ep 34) 13/04/21).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (12/04/21).  “The Old Doctor Who Show”, (ep 110, 14/04/21).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Happy Times And Places”, (13.3, “The Chase”, 12/04/21)(13.4, 16/04/21).  “Vulcan Hello”, (The Incomparable)(Trailer, 25/01/20)(ep 1, 14/11/19)(ep 2, 14/12/19).  “WTB”, (S2, ep 10 (ep 32) 16/04/21).  “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (12/04/21).  “Wolf And Owl”, (S1, ep 20, 14/04/21)(Bonus #10, 16/04/21).  “Morrissey”,  “Seal” ,  “Sophie B. Hawkins”,  “Manic Street Preachers”,  “Pulp”,  “The Cranberries”,  “ABC”,  “Smiths”,  “Eurythmics”,  “World Party”,  “Suede”,  “EMF”,  “Edwyn Collins” ,  “Black Grape”,  “Republica”,  “David Bowie”,  “Aerosmith”,  “Shed Seven”,  “Dario G”, “INXS”,  “Blur”,  “Stone Temple Pilots”,  “Groove Armada”.