Edited by Geoff Cooper, Sunday, 17 Nov 2019, 22:16
Its been a funny old weekend. With Jeanie away, I’ve ben left to my own devices. Or should that be vices. I’ve done a lot of things that I should have done. And a great many that could have been left undone. Even things left undone.
On Friday, there was the surprise email from my Open University tutor saying that all posts now needed to be posted to the tutor forum to be read by her for assessment. I’ve counted up the number of posts I’ve made, of my own work, of my response to the work of others and the posts on my blog. There are more than eighty in total, most of which can be classified as creative non fiction, my area of study. I had intended to go to Alicante on Friday morning to ride on the tram system to Benidorm. I delayed, trying to respond to my tutor and trying to begin to transfer files from one place to another but finally went off about noon.
It had been my plan to leave early, drive to Alicante airport, leave the car there and take the airport bus to the city. Then get the tram at Luceros to Benidorm. In the end, having sent an email to the tutor asking for clarification, I did that journey. I made copious study notes on the outward journey. It was very interesting and picturesque, all along the coast. My arrangements, including a light lunch in a cafe at Luceros, went well. I had not intended to stop long in Benidorm. Its a place usually full of stags and hens and frequently over-inebriated Englishmen. Checking on the timetable, I had time for coffee before taking the tram back to Alicante city. It was as I was checking the timetable, that a very large man walked two paces backwards and accidentally gave me a hefty shoulder charge on the left hand side. My head jerked violently and I had to hold on to the wall to prevent myself from falling. At 81, I am not wonderfully steady on my feet at the best of times. Very shaken, the man and his wife comforted me, checked that I was not particularly damaged and I went for a recuperative cup of coffee just around the corner. The tram left about 15 minutes later.
It was only on the tram back to the city, looking into the setting sun, that I was aware of lots of spots on my spectacles. So I removed them and found the spots were still there. Some time passed before I realised that the spots were not on my spectacles but in my eye. Later still, I was aware that it was only my left eye that was affected, the side where I had been bumped. Then I became aware of a transparent shadow moving in the eye as I looked from side to side. Other than that, apart from being shaken by the impact, there were no other side effects. The spots and the shadow are still there. I believe that I now have a detached retina. I’ve checked on the National Health Service website on the internet, and on an American Mayo Clinic site. The symptoms of detached retina appear to be what I am experiencing. My eyes are still in focus. There is no pain. With Jeanie away and as it is the weekend, I’ve done nothing about this. My daughters, one in York and one in California tell me I should be checking into emergency at the local hospital. I’ve ignored their advice, probably wrongly, but Jeanie is away, I don’t want to be admitted to hospital, I have many other things to do before she returns and she needs to be picked up at the airport on Monday evening. If I’m told not to drive (and at present I can see normally to drive), that will be a great inconvenience. So I’ve delayed any action.
I got home very late after my ‘adventure’ and went straight to bed, promising myself a visit to the market Saturday morning. When I got up, I felt extremely lazy and spent most of the day, doing this and that but not going to the market. I had an evening date for a meal out with friends. I kept that date and enjoyed the occasion. A visit to a previously unvisited restaurant in Quesada, a Thai restaurant. The food was good, spicy, different and the company was good. Returning I checked my email and there was a similar query to mine about the forum work but no tutor response. Indulgently, I ate sour gummy sweets which should be an absolute ‘no, no’ for a diabetic. During the eating of sweets, rather absentmindedly, I began copying the link references for al my posts. Getting confused after a while and finding myself missing some posts and duplicating others, I went to bed early, knowing that I had to be up early in the morning for church. This was a service at 9.30 a.m. some distance drive away. I set my alarm for the appropriate time. I did sleep, intermittently, but wide awake at 5 a.m. I got up and made tea. As the alarm was set for 8.15 a.m. going to bed at 6 a.m. for a couple more hours of sleep seemed to be a good idea.
At 7.15 a.m. the alarm went. I had neglected to reset the clock in the alarm to wintertime. I turned the alarm off, knowing that I would now be able to get up and go through the process of preparing for church in a leisurely manner. I next awoke at 8.50 a.m. with very little time to get ready and get to church on time. I did get there on time but it was a rather harum scarum process. I was glad I got there on time. The preacher, a friend who had been at the Thai restaurant, had even been very apprehensive the night before. He was good. Following church, it was our usual coffee time in a local cafe, always a pleasant occurrence.
Spanish lesson is on Monday morning and I had not done my homework. After Sunday morning coffee, I came straight home with an hour or so to spare to do the homework. I hope I’ve got it right. I’ve checked it against Jeanie’s homework and some of mine is quite different. Then to Baybrooks just across the road for Sunday lunch, again with friends. Another very sociable and enjoyable event. With coffee and no pudding. That brought me to siesta time which I’d planned for by getting the Spanish homework out of the way. I did sleep for a while but woke up with intense cramp, a frequent occurrence these days. I wasted a good bit more valuable time, not doing the tasks I should have done, like tidying up, putting away the washed dishes (I have done that chore). But the food waste and the waste paper basket will need to be emptied before Jeanie gets back tomorrow. This waste of time brought me, inevitably, to Sunday evening sports time, with both an England soccer match and the Brazilian Grand Prix happening side by side.
What to watch was solved by walking down to the hotel to watch the soccer, while taking my iPad to keep a close check on the Grand Prix. England won comfortably and Lewis Hamilton came third, rather than his usual first. I enjoyed my two gin and tonics and some mild flirting with Kata, the proprietors daughter. Once home, wrongly, I ate a few more sour gummy drops and felt quite ill as a result. Probably on the edge of a diabetic hyper so I did my evening insulin injection rather earlier than usual. Normally, Jeanie prepares the insulin pen for me and disposes of the used needle. I can manage by myself but find myself rather more clumsy when she is not there to help me. I have felt better and did a little bit on the Open University course. Not reading or writing, but responding to other students. Then watching ‘His Dark Materials’ next episode. I read the trilogy some time ago and was fascinated at Phillip Pullman’s inventiveness and imagination. Oh! to have similar powers.
Tomorrow, Spanish lesson is only one hour long because there will only be two of us. After that, I must try to see the local doctor to see what he thinks about my eye. I don’t want to go to hospital immediately, if that is what he recommends, as I must be available to pick Jeanie up at the airport at 9.30 p.m. Hospital, if it is necessary, can wait until Tuesday, although there is a complication there, as Tuesday morning is Jeanie’s Bible study session and we can’t do any hospital arrangements before that.
So now, another indulgence: my evening brandy before bed. Just as I am reminding myself that in my morning haste, my bed is not made. Too many indulgences and not enough seeing to responsibilities.
Funny old weekend
Its been a funny old weekend. With Jeanie away, I’ve ben left to my own devices. Or should that be vices. I’ve done a lot of things that I should have done. And a great many that could have been left undone. Even things left undone.
On Friday, there was the surprise email from my Open University tutor saying that all posts now needed to be posted to the tutor forum to be read by her for assessment. I’ve counted up the number of posts I’ve made, of my own work, of my response to the work of others and the posts on my blog. There are more than eighty in total, most of which can be classified as creative non fiction, my area of study. I had intended to go to Alicante on Friday morning to ride on the tram system to Benidorm. I delayed, trying to respond to my tutor and trying to begin to transfer files from one place to another but finally went off about noon.
It had been my plan to leave early, drive to Alicante airport, leave the car there and take the airport bus to the city. Then get the tram at Luceros to Benidorm. In the end, having sent an email to the tutor asking for clarification, I did that journey. I made copious study notes on the outward journey. It was very interesting and picturesque, all along the coast. My arrangements, including a light lunch in a cafe at Luceros, went well. I had not intended to stop long in Benidorm. Its a place usually full of stags and hens and frequently over-inebriated Englishmen. Checking on the timetable, I had time for coffee before taking the tram back to Alicante city. It was as I was checking the timetable, that a very large man walked two paces backwards and accidentally gave me a hefty shoulder charge on the left hand side. My head jerked violently and I had to hold on to the wall to prevent myself from falling. At 81, I am not wonderfully steady on my feet at the best of times. Very shaken, the man and his wife comforted me, checked that I was not particularly damaged and I went for a recuperative cup of coffee just around the corner. The tram left about 15 minutes later.
It was only on the tram back to the city, looking into the setting sun, that I was aware of lots of spots on my spectacles. So I removed them and found the spots were still there. Some time passed before I realised that the spots were not on my spectacles but in my eye. Later still, I was aware that it was only my left eye that was affected, the side where I had been bumped. Then I became aware of a transparent shadow moving in the eye as I looked from side to side. Other than that, apart from being shaken by the impact, there were no other side effects. The spots and the shadow are still there. I believe that I now have a detached retina. I’ve checked on the National Health Service website on the internet, and on an American Mayo Clinic site. The symptoms of detached retina appear to be what I am experiencing. My eyes are still in focus. There is no pain. With Jeanie away and as it is the weekend, I’ve done nothing about this. My daughters, one in York and one in California tell me I should be checking into emergency at the local hospital. I’ve ignored their advice, probably wrongly, but Jeanie is away, I don’t want to be admitted to hospital, I have many other things to do before she returns and she needs to be picked up at the airport on Monday evening. If I’m told not to drive (and at present I can see normally to drive), that will be a great inconvenience. So I’ve delayed any action.
I got home very late after my ‘adventure’ and went straight to bed, promising myself a visit to the market Saturday morning. When I got up, I felt extremely lazy and spent most of the day, doing this and that but not going to the market. I had an evening date for a meal out with friends. I kept that date and enjoyed the occasion. A visit to a previously unvisited restaurant in Quesada, a Thai restaurant. The food was good, spicy, different and the company was good. Returning I checked my email and there was a similar query to mine about the forum work but no tutor response. Indulgently, I ate sour gummy sweets which should be an absolute ‘no, no’ for a diabetic. During the eating of sweets, rather absentmindedly, I began copying the link references for al my posts. Getting confused after a while and finding myself missing some posts and duplicating others, I went to bed early, knowing that I had to be up early in the morning for church. This was a service at 9.30 a.m. some distance drive away. I set my alarm for the appropriate time. I did sleep, intermittently, but wide awake at 5 a.m. I got up and made tea. As the alarm was set for 8.15 a.m. going to bed at 6 a.m. for a couple more hours of sleep seemed to be a good idea.
At 7.15 a.m. the alarm went. I had neglected to reset the clock in the alarm to wintertime. I turned the alarm off, knowing that I would now be able to get up and go through the process of preparing for church in a leisurely manner. I next awoke at 8.50 a.m. with very little time to get ready and get to church on time. I did get there on time but it was a rather harum scarum process. I was glad I got there on time. The preacher, a friend who had been at the Thai restaurant, had even been very apprehensive the night before. He was good. Following church, it was our usual coffee time in a local cafe, always a pleasant occurrence.
Spanish lesson is on Monday morning and I had not done my homework. After Sunday morning coffee, I came straight home with an hour or so to spare to do the homework. I hope I’ve got it right. I’ve checked it against Jeanie’s homework and some of mine is quite different. Then to Baybrooks just across the road for Sunday lunch, again with friends. Another very sociable and enjoyable event. With coffee and no pudding. That brought me to siesta time which I’d planned for by getting the Spanish homework out of the way. I did sleep for a while but woke up with intense cramp, a frequent occurrence these days. I wasted a good bit more valuable time, not doing the tasks I should have done, like tidying up, putting away the washed dishes (I have done that chore). But the food waste and the waste paper basket will need to be emptied before Jeanie gets back tomorrow. This waste of time brought me, inevitably, to Sunday evening sports time, with both an England soccer match and the Brazilian Grand Prix happening side by side.
What to watch was solved by walking down to the hotel to watch the soccer, while taking my iPad to keep a close check on the Grand Prix. England won comfortably and Lewis Hamilton came third, rather than his usual first. I enjoyed my two gin and tonics and some mild flirting with Kata, the proprietors daughter. Once home, wrongly, I ate a few more sour gummy drops and felt quite ill as a result. Probably on the edge of a diabetic hyper so I did my evening insulin injection rather earlier than usual. Normally, Jeanie prepares the insulin pen for me and disposes of the used needle. I can manage by myself but find myself rather more clumsy when she is not there to help me. I have felt better and did a little bit on the Open University course. Not reading or writing, but responding to other students. Then watching ‘His Dark Materials’ next episode. I read the trilogy some time ago and was fascinated at Phillip Pullman’s inventiveness and imagination. Oh! to have similar powers.
Tomorrow, Spanish lesson is only one hour long because there will only be two of us. After that, I must try to see the local doctor to see what he thinks about my eye. I don’t want to go to hospital immediately, if that is what he recommends, as I must be available to pick Jeanie up at the airport at 9.30 p.m. Hospital, if it is necessary, can wait until Tuesday, although there is a complication there, as Tuesday morning is Jeanie’s Bible study session and we can’t do any hospital arrangements before that.
So now, another indulgence: my evening brandy before bed. Just as I am reminding myself that in my morning haste, my bed is not made. Too many indulgences and not enough seeing to responsibilities.