Busy weekend ahead!
Posted by 5co77ie, May 1 2009, 02:14 PM
Ah happy Beltaine! Usually I'd spend it down the Double Locks in the sunshine, but instead it's going to be hectic! First up we have to prepare the field tonight for one of the highlights of the archery calendar our club hosts the prestigious Grand Day where we play host to archers from the south of the country and further afield. Hundreds of them, which means when I finish work here at eFest towers, I have to rush off and mark out the field as cricketers are using it tomorrow - they'll continue with it until they lose the light - i would be too but Z has a show on tonight a fund raiser for her performance troupe - songs from shows like Hairspray, Fame, We Will Rock You, etc - so I have to dash off to that.
With Saturday taken up trying to sort out 99 year old Gran's broken hearing aid, and then racing back to continue setting up target lines etc, I'll get no chance to try out my new hunter Elite arrows before the competition, can I get in the medals on Sunday? It lasts all day and I'll shoot over 12 dozen arrows - hard work on the back with a 50lb bow.
Monday I'm celebrating my birthday, and Tuesday is a surprise - K is arranging something and we also have to go to Torquay to get the van's roof conversion sorted and a leisure battery, ready for the summer.
Then next week it's getting used to life as a 40 year old. Bizarre if we had 12 fingers would being 48 be a big milestone instead?
Enjoy Beltaine, may light defeat darkness for a summer in the sunshine!
where's all the music gone?
Posted by 5co77ie, Feb 13 2009, 05:06 PM
Well it's about this time of year that I start to look at a few gigs to review, and get into the swing of things before the summer season. Only, this year there's absolutely nothing around to review. Thankfully Vibraphonic, is on the horizon, hopefully that is:
K went to a councillors meeting the other day, where they suggested that in order to save some money after they lost it all gambling in banks around the world, they cut the festival budgets. firstly it was suggested they just stop funding Vibraphonic, and then they decided they'd reduce the amount they give to all festivals here in Exeter! She came home very disillusioned, now I don't know about councils elsewhere but the expression 'not knowing their arse from their elbow' sprung readily to mind I believe.
This is the same council that now no longer does anything by the book where it comes to employee rights, so god knows what they're getting up to in chambers!
We've bought a campervan too, but I now have reservations about vanning at festivals, I mean the fields are always up big hills and half the fun of going is to sit around chatting until silly o'clock. does this mean we'll now be going back to the van early?
Anyway back to the original point, where have all the acts gone? Are they just not bothering to come down here? seems strange as our student neighbours have felt no credit crunch and still spending their trust funds like Nick Leeson! Now this city has so many of these well heeled children of London's elite, I'm amazed bands aren't falling over themselves to appear down here to spread the wealth!
Well at least we have Rod Stewart in Argyle's footie stadium to look forward to. Not! 
More MRI, narrowing it down
Posted by 5co77ie, Jan 15 2009, 09:28 AM
Last week I went back to the doctors for more tests - now they've really narrowed it down, and provided a few answers.
Firstly my tinnitus is not caused by exposure to rock music at festivals, it seems there's something blocking the signal that runs through the bone in my ear to my brain. This block is microscopic, non malignant (by now it should have grown through the bone it is housed in if it was) and has been growing really slowly for decades, until it bumped against the nerve.
So my problem has been solved, but as it is so tiny it was missed on the first MRI, but it being in the ear it effects balance, co-ordination, and hearing, etc. Plus provided too much 'noise' for my brain to deal with leading to some effects on the cerebellum.
But not the loss of feeling in my hands/feet - that's been put down to 'wear and tear'.
The bad news is - its effects are 'enhanced' by alcohol or changes in chemistry in the brain - so now I have to sort out what I can eat, drink, etc without worsening it and what makes it loud.
As well as this, I have to see an audio specialist about having white noise filters fitted to me ears - to aid sleeping, and during tested some long wave frequency audio really knocked me out - so I also need to wear ear plugs.
The doctor said after the latest MRI last night which zoomed in on the bones effected in my ear they will decide how to progress with three options:
1. keep an eye on it and leave it.
2. cut a 'hatch' in the back of the skull, move the brain out the way and operate 
.
3. Use a gamma knife (a fine pin point of gamma radiation) to zap it, seems there's a bloke in Bristol who is one of the best in the world at this. Too many computer games as a kid I reckon.
holidays are comin
Posted by 5co77ie, Nov 24 2008, 07:25 PM
Ah only 10 days until we set off on a bit of a trip of a lifetime! It's been 2 years in the planning.
We've got a fish/house sitter so no need to put our aquatic pets in a hotel anymore - and so we're ready for our big adventure.
We'd booked a hotel in Vila, which was the best we could afford until the other day I discovered the Australian equivalent of lastminute.com and we scored a luxury room in THE island resort - Irririki resort - on the island my sister was born on.
Check it out here -> http://www.iririki.com/
We never thought we'd be able to afford to stay there but it's actually £300 cheaper than the hotel we were going to stay on.
We're there for a week - i've contacted the old school my dad worked at, and got my plans of where I want to revisit that i remember from before we left there in 1978. So far we've got a schooner cruise to a turtle sanctuary, big barbecue, scuba dives, melanesian night, kava sessions, windsurfing, sailing, island tour, tribal dancing, cascades (waterfalls), and the visit to my old school, my old house, and my dad's work sorted. At the moment the weather has dropped to a cooler 34 degrees which is nice.
After a week there we fly to Auckland to pick up a motorhome and travel down north island to see the sights - rotarua, gloworm caves, mount doom, giant trees, new zealand rugby home, wellington, hobbiton etc. Then take the motorhome over on the ferry to south island for yule, and new year plus some hardcore sports including zoom jet boats, bungie, glaciers, and possibly a parachute drop.
Then back home in January - looking forward to it loads!
Right, I'm off to see Billy Bragg!
time wasting NHS idjuts
Posted by 5co77ie, Oct 31 2008, 03:49 PM
I've had a battery of tests today - I keep thinking this is like some Duracell test - where they will press my head and feet and a giant glowing indicator will light up my side to show how much charge i have left!
Well my appointment was for 10.45 at 11.45 the first doctor sees me - turns out the consultant isn't available (why not just cancel at this point? - I have work to do, and my spinal tap isn't until the afternoon) but he goes through the same proceedure as my own GP did - then I go to have the audio tests done - they can't do it today! - So I wait around a bit more. Then they can't book in a new appointment - although I'm stood with a nurse because the doctor needs to write a request. So the nurse says she'll get him to write one, and they'll put a letter in the post to let me know.
Next up get changed into a gown - very' 28 Days Later' and sit around in my pants in a crowded waiting room. Eventually i get a room, for no apparent reason - probably to build up my fear of hospitals - there's signs everywhere warning of vomiting and diarrhoea - nice! Then I'm led back out to another waiting room - why not just put me straight here?
Then I get sent in for the spinal tap - I'm trying to think of the band to take my mind off it - as I'm asked to put my head between my knees. The anaesthetist nurse - takes for ever to stab me with the local anaesthetic - repeatedly asking me, who hates needles, to relax. Then they wait around for a bit - I'm starting to feel like i have the vomit/diarrhoea bug when it's on to stage two - my head's still between my legs. They stab me with another bigger needle - this hurts even though it shouldn't I'm braced to stop the reflex movement - trying not to move as I feel this scraping in my spine. Then it's done - it's now about 2.15pm
so for nearly four hours I've had about half an hour of medical work - all billed back to my GP I presume. Nice! I'm supposed to be remaining flat - but it's too uncomfortable, So I'm sitting down.
No results, just a case of more waiting now.
just when I thought it was over....
Posted by 5co77ie, Oct 9 2008, 09:03 AM
Since about August I've been getting a lovely buzzing noise in my ears and a bit of disorientation - sounds like the results of a good night out? Well I thought it was hearing damage - so went to the doctors. Found out earlier this week that there's no damage to my hearing at all - the noise it seems is not coming from my ears!
So wa-hey back to the brain scan machine for me! And it seems the doctor played down the results of my previous tests!!!
Terrific! On the plus side I do get to see a tinnitus councillor about dealing with the noise 24/7
He said, "Did the specialist tell you that they confirmed your senses were weakened?" To which I replied I never heard anything, it took a part time doctor last time I was in there to tell me my results. He then said, "Well the results confirmed you have a weakened system of nerve responses, but we have no idea what's causing it. Have you tried looking it up on the internet?"
Wish I'd never gone now, K only persuaded me to go as she reckoned my ears might be blocked.
On the plus side, I'm working feverishly to get the eFest calendar finished. Got my Glasto ticket (all 3 of us have)
Oh and it's K's birthday today.
80808
Posted by 5co77ie, Aug 8 2008, 01:23 PM
been a while I think I'm number obsessed - had woman flu (it just goes on and on and on) since Guilfest, then WOMAD, and now Endorse It - weather's looking good for that - touch wood. Broken a long bow and bought a new since my last post - currently have one - Grand Master Bowman score - need three to get the classification - and going to enter the County Champs - if i do well then County Squad beckons!!! Not bad for someone doing it just over a year. Lookin' forward to Beautiful Days - Z is gonna be a teenager - so we're taking her to <s>hell on earth</s> Reading Festival as she's now a \m/ \m/ a rock chick!
right better go and pack for this weekend's festival frolics at Endorse It!
...all going swimmingly
Posted by 5co77ie, Jan 7 2008, 08:40 PM
Getting the hang of the new job, I've got a rough idea of how it works. The hard bit is working out what I've done wrong when it doesn't! Now I've got to get up to pace as rapidly as possible. Archery was hard work Friday - straight off the train into archery, Sunday's frostbite was well attended but blustery and it's the longbow league shoot this friday. If I get a good score in that I'll be rewarding myself at the beer festival mmmm 60+ Winter-only brews & Festive Cyders, a Tombola and Products stand and a sing along with Stompin' Dave Allen although CAMRA membership hasn't shown up yet, so it'll be full price entry. Grrrr!
118 118
Posted by 5co77ie, Jan 1 2008, 08:48 PM
Ah so today is the first of Jan 08 - or 118 as has been rattling about my head all day. The end of December rushed up over me and gave me little time to post. We had our work's Xmas do at the races - where I won enough to get very drunk on alcohol, but not enough to show more than a tenner to K the next morning to justify my huge hangover. Work continued a pace and I completed half my workload for January to give the lads a chance to train someone new up.
Then suddenly it was panic pressie buying and more evenings at the pub and a trip to my sister's for my niece's birthday. Xmas day was nice, we had a delicious crown of lamb, a load of food and a chance to work it off on the new Wii games. Spiced Cider (which Z liked) and spiced wine and Bucks Fizz (another winner for Z) kept us in good cheer between our journeys around the South West visiting the relatives.
The spare room has been converted into an office for the new job, you all might have guessed what it is by now - if not, you've not been paying attention!
New Year's Eve Eve - my traditional party night - involved getting a little too merry and falling asleep outside on my sister's patio while i cooked a five star meal for her, family and friends in her lovely kitchen as they all watched and was resoundingly plaudited all night - guess i still have it as a chef. The night after involved some more nice food and feet up in front of the telly watching the huge fireworks from London. Typical we stop going to the London Eye for NYE and they put on a show like that!
A few days before we managed to get organised enough for us to travel to Exmouth for their fun Xmas shoot at archery - we all came away with golds! Me for Longbow, Z for Junior Girl and K for Ladies Recurve - what a glorious end to the year. See it's worth getting off your arse and doing stuff in your spare time as it pays dividends if you apply yourself!
Anyway new job tomorrow - slightly nervous!
HNY everyone or Honey as all you internet abusers will be aware is just hilarious! 
There and back again....
Posted by 5co77ie, Dec 9 2007, 12:44 PM
Well last Friday I'd handed in my notice and had to pack up for an early plane flight - packing took a bit longer than expected and as K had to visit the Archery Club to sort out some stuff - as it was we didn't get to bed until midnighet and were up again two hours later for the trip to Bristol airport and our flight.
No problems boarding and time enough to have breakfast, my sister and her party (her daughter aged 2 and 2 additional friends of hers) cut it fine arriving literally as we were boarding. The flight was pleasant enough and before long we were flying over the west coast of Spain following the coast down to Murcia airport.
Sun and warmth greeted us as the doors opened and we diembarked with a bit of a wait for K to collect the hire car from the local town 2km away. Our little group had hired 2 cars and before long we were driving around the Mar Menor onto the sand spur of La Manga and arrived at our apartment - rooms were allocated and the refurbishment met with approval - both kitchen and lounge/dining room have been extended and new bathrooms fitted.
The early arrival meant we wandered off to Cabo De Palos for late lunch in search of the cheap restaurant we'd visited last time,it looked derelict however so instead an expensive (the most costly of the holiday) ensued at The Miramar. Once we'd paid a kitty was set up and we went to local supermarket El Arabol for our first group shop - buying our essentials for the week and a cheap cut of loin of pork for tea - cooked by yours truly on a bed of potatoes and covered with tomato and served with salad and washed down with a cheap 2 euro bottle of lovely red wine and some Don Simon Sangria to follow. K and I stuck to the red all week, along with copious litre cartons of Don Simon and mucho cervaisa, the other women preferring to knock back bottles of Jumilla Rose.
Sunday was market day at Cabo De Palos, where realisation of handling a larger party became apparent as we intended to shop and eat there, however one of our party wanted to stay in the lovely apartment - enjoying the sun and the beach. Much clothes and vegetable and nibbles buying later and after buying two spit roast chickens our plan for a meal at the restaurant (now busy after looking closed yesterday) was altered to eating at El Arabol, great choice lovely food and beer and wine and all dirt cheap.
Evening meal was prepared by me again, with ratatouille and potatoes and more wine, night temperature was a lovely 16 degrees, although one of our party crashed before dinner and the rest not long after. They all preferred early nights!
Monday involved going to the large city of Cartagena - we (K, Z and myself) know it is large because we got lost missing hours of shopping time and arriving just as siesta started. The stress tips me over the edge and I find a tobacconist and buy some cheap Spanish tobacco for around 50p. The other three women and baby were exhausted so they headed off home, we did shopping in Oysho, women's Secrets and El Corte Inglais and I could have bought lots of clothes but for the fact a Spanish XL is wayyy too small for me. We soaked in the countryside of orange trees and mountains and blue skies on the way home and another of our party took over doing the cooking highlighted the difficulty in not knowing portion controls for 5 adults and two children, there was masses left over - so i utilised it for a paella the next night.
Tuesday we took easy spending the day on the beach literally a few steps from the apartment and made sandcastles and dug out a boat on the shore of the Med. They have really small surf and hardly any tide - it felt strange to me so used to Devon's coastal surges and vitality. A cloud thought about appearing and eventually my mind had a thought and we stocked up on seafood for the paella all incredibly cheap - the total cost per head was one euro!
Wednesday and K and I leave the group looking after Z (who wants to spend time with her baby cousin) and we make the three hour drive to Javear (or Xabi) to see B and J. Stopping off for lunch at the head of the Algar river and have our photo taken at the waterfalls there. The long drive gives me a chance to read George McKay's book on Glastonbury: a very English Fair which is fascinating and I realise how lucky we are and how new the festival experience is. Much of the history of festivals is relatively recent - no older than myself, the book is fascinating as is the countryside we're travelling through.
B and J's apartment is lovely - fantastic views over a town unspoilt like it's neighbour Benidorm by high rise apartment blocks due to a height restriction. It's great to meet B and J again and for them to give us insights into Spanish life as well as introducing us to other Brits who have emigrated and interestingly we review restaurant prices on their benchmark for the rest of the week. Talking of restaurants they take us to a great cheap Chineses called Wok which offers all you can eat buffet and much wine (I get very full and slightly slurry). Both bars and restaurant despite the European smoking ban allow me to smoke indoors! Fabulous! J has work the next day but for B it's Spanish Constitution Day and a holiday so we talk about life in Spain and their festivals (didn't realise most summer festivals in Spain are night affairs - the day being too hot). By breakfast beachside at a cafe - K and I are thinking how wonderful it would be to live here in Spain with it's space, it's uncongested roads and it's friendly policy to immigrants.
We arrive back at La Manga around three pm after an aborted plan to hook up with Z and the others in Cartagena as the shops are shut. We've found out there is a Medieval Christmas market in Cartagena however and leaving Z again at the apartment with the rest of our party K and I slip back to check out Spanish nightlife (our visit to Xabi has clearly given us an appetite for it) the port city is alive! It's packed with Spanish out promenading under the wonderfully Xmas decorated streetlights. The whole place is a throng of Spanish just milling about. We join them for olives, nuts and coffee and walk down to the night clubs on the port side. They're horribly synthesised clubs (the kind you get all over Europe and we could be anywhere even the UK) so we leave and head for the port on La Manga eating at a busy (=good) Italian restaurant cheaply and it's lovely food. We arrive home before closing time but at the beachside apartment everyone has already gone to bed.
Friday is a different story, suddenly the people we are with realise they are missing out on the fact Spain sleeps in during the afternoon and comes out to play at night. We do the same looking after my niece while the others shop in Cartagena and spend our time lazing by the pool. The afternoon we eat at the boat restaurant on La Manga, overlooking the inland sea (the Mar Menor) more gorgeous seafood and delicious Postre and we're stuffed and take ourselves off to the park next door - however the weather is turning, clouds and winds rise! We return to the apartment - watching the gorgeous sunset birds migrating and the bats circling in the fading orange sky it's warm and sultry. We stock up on Don Simon and eat most of the food stocks we have left - chatting and reading and packing for the early morning return.
Saturday dawn is amazing, the (now) cloudy skies bands of red and grey and the sea like strawberry blancmange - everything is tinged in burnt gold and liquid orange. Many photos aqre taken before the bags are put in the car and the convoy leaves La Manga destined for the airport. No problems leaving apart from a small fracas over bag weight but eventually the Don Simon boards the plane! The return journey starts well enough but wind and rain rise as we head for Blighty. The landing is like something from Alton Towers and the grey vertical rain, floods on the roads and strong winds bring us back to earth with a bump.
Last night was the Archery Club's Xmas meal but unfortunately i think we were too exhausted to fully enjoy it.
on More MRI, narrowing it down