Monday, 16. November 2009, 15:09:10
One of the things I've got to do is organise my winter travel. I wanted to get to New Zealand - my fave country, Australia and the USA. As much of this was going to be free travel, using mileage from airline's frequent traveller schemes, coupled with paid airfares, it was a little more complex than I needed. I could have achieved a simple return ticket to somewhere, without the extra legs in other countries, but I stuck it out to try to get what I wanted. As it is, I only have 4 or 5 weeks, so it wouldn't have done much justice to the trip. So I guess I'm settling for just going to the US. This won't be simple either, as it will probably include 3 or 4 cities, on various airlines. Watch this space for when it gets booked - I've been working on the trip for a month or so already, and it's now mid November, and aiming to leave in early December.
New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco at a minimum awaits.
Monday, 16. November 2009, 14:50:15
I have severe brain damage, (it was identified as very severe in hospital, but I like to look on the bright side) and one of its side effects is that I endure major fatigue. Alongside other problems from it, it's almost at the top of the list of what I hate most about my 'new' life. Our energy levels motivate and sustain so much of what we do, so when I'm constantly tired I get little accomplished, and what I do undertake can take so long - much of what I start doesn't get finished, I take a pause, stuff gets left, and I'm surrounded by stuff that I've now forgotten what I was actually doing with it. My 'new' kitchen is almost finished, that's had several restarts and, I think, just needs some tiling and re-installation of a gas cooker. I've been working on this kitchen for several years now... The fact that I have a new greenhouse, albeit with some of its own problems, shows that my priorities are perhaps more towards growing things, than having a finished kitchen
It'll be time to start a new kitchen afresh, potentially before this one's even completed.
What this does give me, apart from a little stress, is a greater ability to become more patient. I used to be incredibly charged, motivated and ambitious, liking to achieve the impossible, where others would not go. So, that's a little against the grain now, to be calmer about things, sometimes settling for second and third best, and generally having a slow time of things. I've always liked tranquility, and my slower pace of life is in harmony with this. I'm not really materialistic, so whilst many in the world struggle with desires for much more, I'm content to have less, it seems more natural.
Today Rob is tired, and I do have many things to do, but achieving little. It's often good at these points to go to do something else, so that I don't get a failure notch, or notches, from those things that I didn't get manage to do much, if anything upon.
I raised an Opera wishlists forum post for something like Sticky Notes, to supplement the Notes functionality that Opera currently has. As I'm somewhat disorganised, I wanted a more feature rich notes function, that could be a better aide memoire, potentially including time/date functionality too. It hasn't had much feedback from others, and doesn't seem to be in great demand, so I'm guessing Opera won't move much from their current notes.
Saturday, 14. November 2009, 12:29:56
After many hours spent, from childhood onwards, in greenhouses, usually helping other people, I bought a greenhouse. It's now up, just as we get gales in England, and is helping my bananas, Bird of Paradise, Palms and other tropicals, to withstand the weather.
This is to save my home from becoming a care home of tons of plants in winter, where it gets harder and harder to move around, each year, due to the extra size of the plants. I'm using some reclaimed polystyrene to help insulate it, and have toyed with the concept of having some animal manure, or compost, rotting down, to generate some extra warmth - this would ordinarily happen in the garden, and get lost to the surrounding space.
Anyone with any other ideas or who is practically inclined, I welcome your input, as I'm brain damaged, and not brilliant at putting ideas and practicality together.
Tuesday, 13. October 2009, 09:30:19
birthday
So, another year older today - well a day older than yesterday, and it's a beautiful sunny day, which makes it even better.
Funny how the path of the earth around the sun affects our self-perception, sparks anxieties, and milestones like a new decade for us - which mine isn't happily - have such an affect upon so many.
A light day today, a little partying tonight with friends, as much as a mid-week birthday affords.
Saturday, 10. October 2009, 08:26:08
An old school friend, David Manners, is involved in a charity that supports lepers in India, they're almost a forgotten people, as I hear that they are often shunned from society, and forced to become like nomads, as they may be unwanted close to others.
Their website is here, and it's worth spending a few moments learning about leprosy and some of the people being helped.
http://sarvashubhamkara.orgHe's written a book about his life and experiences helping these poor downtrodden people, details of which can be found on the site too. I greatly admire his commitment, as he spends his free time over there, at his own expense, helping to educate these people.
Leprosy is curable but, even after treatment, people who've had this disease are still often unwelcome back in their original communities. Treatment usually involves many months of drug taking, and the people, many of them banished as young children from their homes, often lack the knowledge and understanding of the need to continue treatment - often they sell their pills in order to raise money for food etc, as they typically are unable to do or find much paid work.
It's an eye opener onto another type of hidden society.
Sunday, 27. September 2009, 13:13:01
I'm unofficially joining this campaign to cut 10% of my Carbon emissions, and hope that many more will take action too.
I fly alot, so this does mean that my emissions are fairly high, though have physically planted over 100 trees, to help offset this - plenty of digging was involved, but it's great to see them flourish.
My oldest surviving tree was planted when I was 11 - a Horse Chestnut.
Really getting hot on having things turned off all the time, and aiming to minimise use at peak times, as this stimulates the creation of new power stations, which takes enormous amounts of energy. Still thinking this through, I need to cut more from my usage.
Saturday, 29. August 2009, 11:22:52
After a long week in Amsterdam, where I relaxed and took my mind of my cat's loss, I'm now back in England again.
Autumn plants are beginning to flower - my Cyclamen neapolitanum, with pink flowers, are blooming, very nice. My winter flowering Cyclamen coum have started shooting, with fresh leaves, and the promise of flowers in a couple of months time. These readily re-seed themselves, including 1 growing in a crack in some concrete, between my drive and front door, which flowers each year, despite the hardships it faces, trying to acquire nutrients from concrete. I love the strength with which wildlife will persevere to flourish.
Otherwise, bought a reddish Colocasia from Amsterdam flower market, which is now on patio, joining its 'cousin', a giant Elephant Ear, that I've grown since spring 2008, which has been battered by the winds here.
A week or so in England, before I travel abroad again.
Thursday, 20. August 2009, 07:24:13
As a way to let go of the sad news of my cat's death, I've escaped to Amsterdam, one of my favourite places in the world.
Also, seen this tool to gather stats info on page visitors -
Hello to visitors from Norway, South Africa, Germany, the UK, USA, Norway - of course
Australia, Vietnam, Belgium, Romania, Russian Federation, Italy, Iran, Bulgaria, Netherlands,
Pakistan, Ukraine, Japan and those yet to visit! Thank you. Rob
I've yet to visit Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Iran or Romania - so could learn many things about your countries.
I'm guessing that Norway is next on my list to be visited - I've wanted to go for years - when I inter-railed around Europe for a month I didn't quite make it there, after Finland and Sweden took some time in my Scandinavian section of the trip. I crammed in France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands, which took some doing in just a month.
Monday, 17. August 2009, 12:45:30
My beautiful cat died this morning, after a short problem with breathing and retching up clear liquid. The vet believed that she'd eaten some poison from somewhere.
She'd had a happy day, in the gardens of my home and my next door neighbours, where she popped in, after hearing me talking to them there. She'd lazed in the sun, came in, and curled up beside me, purring whilst being stroked.
Then she jumped off, lay on the floor, and a while later started to seem as if choking, then retching. I thought she may have been having a seizure, as she also wet herself. There was northing apparently stuck in her mouth, she sat up, walked a little, then continued. I called out the vets, as it was now past midnight, but she died just after we arrived there.
I didn't use any chemicals in my garden, so I'm assuming that maybe she caught a mouse that had been poisoned, or something similar.
Now laid to rest in my garden, at peace. A big loss, as she was such a friendly, fun companion to have shared some of my life with. She found me as a stray, and we hit it off, about 8 years ago. So sadly missed.
Saturday, 8. August 2009, 13:19:04
Just back from a almost a week in Amsterdam, and planning my next trip there in a day or so. Frequently spend much of August in Amsterdam, my old 2nd home, though falling behing the US just now.
Great weather, beating the wet of England, it was so nice to take off from rain and land, not so far away, in sunny weather
'borrowed' photo btw, it's not winter in the Dam
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