10.06.2024 Failed the exam!

 ~o~

 Monday 10th I was up at 5.15 for a 6.30 drive to the hospital. The traffic was already solid. With lots of stops and starts. So I just made it in time. I had a warm and friendly reception from all the nurses. All practicing their English and enjoying it. All incredibly professional but with excellent communication skills throughout. Which helped me to relax and reduce my fears of the unknown.

 After changing into hospital ware I was walked into the operating theater. There was little pain involved beyond the initial, local anesthesia. I survived the procedure but failed the examination. Two blocked heart arteries. So I will probably need a stent and a heart bypass. The surgical team will have a conference and decide on the best way forwards. A heart bypass involves ten days in hospital!

 After a couple of hours managing the pressure on the wound, to aid healing, they arranged a shared taxi home. So I left the Morris in a highly visible car park overnight. I can bus back tomorrow to pick it up. There is a bus from the end of the drive which goes directly to the hospital. 

 As I was excused cooking. On the grounds of being walking wounded. My guest did the honours. A spiced salad with avocado, lettuce, carrots and cucumber. Aided and abetted by fried, boiled potatoes, mushrooms and home made spicy burgers with onions. All very tasty.

~o~

9.06.2024 Gardez l'eau!

 ~o~

  Sunday 9th 50F/10C. [7am] Bright but no sunshine. A windy day with scattered showers. Some of which could be heavy and thundery with hail. That will help to wash the dust off the MM.

 Up at 6am. I think broccoli must be a diuretic. I filled one 5 gallon "fire" bucket by 2am and had to find another. It never occurred to me that I'd need a spare. 

 Staggering off to the bathroom in the middle of the night. While carrying a full bucket. Would have rather defeated the object. Of minimal disruption to my sleep patterns. Sadly, there are no handy windows. To practice my "gardez l'eau" on the Danish hedgehogs.. 😳

 Shopping again today. I need more tea. To last out Pootin's imminent invasion.  

 7.30 Still dry. I am going to risk a quick walk. Well brisk anyway. Rather than an actual trot. It may depend on the broccoli!

 8.00  I was quite breathless on the first gentle rise, but plodded on. As I settled into a pace where my breathing could remain controlled. It started raining just as I reached the lanes. The huge, leaden banks of clouds to the west were not reassuring. 

 Fortunately the light, Sunday traffic allowed me to walk back safely on the wrong side of the road. More sheltered from the driven rain, pattering on my jacket and cap, by the overhanging trees. Which roared overhead from the chilling gales. The road already carpeted in swathes of shredded, poplar leaves.

Cotoneaster Salicifolia in the foreground. Paired with a superb, black leafed elder with pink flowers. Both have been allowed to grow freely. They were once dwarfed and heavily shaded by the vast Thujopsis Dolobrata, conifer hedge. Which I removed to let the light in and to open up the views of the garden beyond.

 Lots of birds about today. With large flocks of sparrows dashing away. Angry crows sounding the alarm. For whatever their reasons. A male blackbird, with a pure white patch on its back, flew off too. A similar male blackbird, with a white patch on one wing, was once a resident of the area. Family resemblance? A solitary feline cat-walked along the edge of the road. Seemingly oblivious to the occasional, speeding car.

 10.00 56F/13C. Bright sunshine. Last bout of shopping. 

 11.15 Back from the shops. Sunshine and sometimes heavy showers. 

 14.15 I  awaiting my visitor. Who will keep an eye on me as I recover from tomorrow's procedure. There is a risk of bleeding from the artery where they fit the catheter sleeve. So patients aren't supposed to be left alone. Nor carry out any physical tasks. Which might increase the risks. I'll drive into the village to collect her from the bus stop in a while. The bus does not come this way.  

 Dinner was steak, mushrooms, peas and boiled potatoes. We shared cooking duties. An organic red wine and crême fraiche added to the glow.  

 

  ~o~

8.06.2024 Be careful what you wish for!

 ~o~

  Saturday 8th 52F/11C. Bright overcast and windy. Rain expected all day. Half a month's worth according to the weather headlines. Up at 5.45 after a reasonable night. I woke up feeling nicely warm in my jumper. 63F/17C indoors.

______________________________

 World headlines are about the Danish Prime Minister being physically attacked. Mette Frederiksen  is said to have been shoved hard by an [alleged] caveman. The [alleged] caveman is said to have deliberately approached the PM according to witnesses. This was while The Prime Minister was walking after attending an outdoor European election meeting in central Copenhagen. Two named witnesses spoke to the press about what they had seen. A private security company was supposed to be protecting the Prime Minister. No doubt backed up by official security staff behind the scenes.

 Violence against women is unforgivable. There are no valid excuses. None! Violence towards the democratically elected leader, of a peaceful country, doubly so. Anything which reduces democracy to violence from an [alleged] caveman. Is likely to cause a sea change in security. Poorer access to elected representatives. Reduced public freedom and reduced public safety. 

 Denmark was once the peaceful, democratic land. Where The Queen used to ride her bicycle around town. Alas there are far too many artificial chips. On far too many, fragile shoulders. To ever see that time again. 

 May those cowardly cavemen, who cheered on the attack, online. Rot in the hell. Of your very own making!

 _______________________________

 8.00 I had to mow the lawn, the parking space and the drive. I couldn't leave it any longer and might never have the opportunity again. A large patch of rain was approaching on the radar. Which gave me just enough time to kill myself! 

 I set the mower high and discarded the collection box/bag. In my state I wouldn't have been able to tip a full bag of wet grass anyway. My chest hurt, I was breathless and weak. Probably my last, tragic effort to make the place remotely presentable. This is a very sad joke. Modesty prevents me from sharing the hideous truth! Not for nothing have I named my home Chez Hovel!

 Based on this performance, I am not remotely optimistic about my future. Reduced to being a doddering old fart. Living out his last days in isolated squalor. Unable to lift a finger for himself. Constantly burdened by his lifetime of memories.

 Regarding my torment about the parking at the hospital: The cost of even two days of parking, beyond my free day as a patient, is relative peanuts. About the same as a trip to the supermarket. I shall park the car as visibly and as near to the correct entrance, as possible. This might even save me from having the car stolen. Or vandalized in the parking tower. It will hopefully save me a walk too.

 The parking company must have some responsibility and a lot of cameras. For the security of the parked cars. Which they are being paid so handsomely to watch over. They use automatic vehicle registration plate readers. To monitor vehicles coming and going. Using their system to confirm correct payment for time spent stationary in the hospital grounds. As such, any criminals in vehicles, ought to be picked up by the plate registration system. The protection of the medical staff's own vehicles must be considered important too.

 8.20 I nipped [slowly] outside to take a few pictures of the flowers. There are a lot of rosebuds. It has just started raining. And may never stop.

 11.10  54F/12C. Overcast, blowing hard and raining. I lit the stove. It is still the same temperature as earlier but just too cold for comfort. I don't know why I was putting it off. It takes only a few moments to fetch some kindling and a few, thin logs from the greenhouse. A firelighter block soon gets the flames dancing. 

 The living room walls are all stabilized at the depressed air temperature. So will take a while to warm up. I can easily feel the warmth of the stove on my face now from yards away. The remote reading thermometer already goes off the scale on the stove window. Above 360C!

 There are yellow irises growing beside the old pond in the corner of the garden. The entire area had been in such deep shadow that nothing grew properly. This was before I removed the vast Horse chestnut. The prostrate yews against the fence are going mad in the increased light. Warblers are foraging in the willows behind them. 

 13.30 It has brightened up a little but rather windy. The room has now reached a more comfortable 67F/19C. The walls are all reading 20C/70F. Which greatly reduces my body's radiation to formerly cold surfaces. I still need to top up the larder.

 A 39 year old [alleged] caveman is due to appear in court. Expected to be remanded in custody for the [alleged] assault on the Prime Minister, Miss Mette Frederiksen. Who is said to have suffered a minor, whiplash injury. Leaders across the world have sent messages of sympathy to the popular, lady PM. The [alleged] caveman's appearance is being delayed by a shoplifting case.

 The defense hoped the case would be heard behind closed doors. Though the judge said there was far too much public interest. So the doors would remain open. Subject to certain reporting restrictions. The entire world's press is attentive! 

 The presence of an interpreter suggests the accused is not a Danish national. He pleads not guilty. The judge has ordered the accused name be withheld from publication and will monitor violations. Speculation as to motive, online, would not be helpful and might even be unlawful. 

 It is now widely reported that the PM's "attacker." Was [simply] a drunk and drugged Pole according to the police report. He is said to have recognized the PM before his "attack" and expressed a liking for her. He was remanded into custody for ten days.

 17.00 Returned from a quick trip to the supermarket in the village. I now have enough organic broccoli to see out a Russian invasion. At least I know what is for dinner tonight. Though I am not sure this is what they meant when we were told to "prepare."

 Dinner will be mushrooms, broccoli and boiled potatoes. It made a change from fish fingers. I pretended the mushrooms were the meat. It was washed down with a small organic apple juice. A tasteless organic avocado followed.  

 

 ~o~