Saturday 15 October 2011

TODAY: WHAT A DAY!

But first, the rest of the week.

Tuesday brought a new experience for me. I received a call from an operator using a text phone. The call was from a deaf woman who typed in the words at her home which were then spoken to me by the operator. I then replied and the operator typed in what I said to appear on the screen in the woman's home. She had a mother and two kittens for me. They'd been living in her garden and in her house for a few weeks but was concerned about them and would we take them. Luckily we could and it wasn't far away so I went straight round.

The woman was in her twenties with a husband and two young (about 3 and 5) hearing children. She could lip read and signed what I said to her husband. Seemed nice people. Here are the kittens and their mother, all available for re-homing.


Don't remember doing anything animal-related on Wednesday. Went for a coffee (a weekly event) with my retired library friends Denise and Sylvia and sold them tickets for next week's fashion show. Our regular independent coffee place in The Bridges (Sunderland's indoor shopping area) had closed down. We tried a corner coffee house outside but I wasn't too keen on it and suggested we try Starbucks in The Bridges. So this was our first visit but it won't be our last.

Thursday and I had a hospital appointment in the afternoon. A couple of months ago and following an X-ray, my dentist found a black mass inside the gum on my lower jaw and referred me to the hospital so I was there for further investigations which involved more X-rays from two different axes (or, axises if you prefer). Result: I would have to come in in about 4-6 weeks for a minor operation. This involves local anaesthetic, cutting open the gum to take tissue and bone samples, and stitching back up. And a fair bit of pain later on.

Friday teatime I got a call to say the surgeon had developed a space on his list next Wednesday. Great, no waiting. Susan thought this might mean it was serious. I thought I was just lucky. Now I'm beginning to wonder myself.

Thursday morning we had to take up the living room carpet and underlay as we were wood laminate flooring installed the next day. Lot of work moving furniture, never mind the carpet. When it actually happened, poor Lotus, our new old cat, who lives in the room, ran and hid. I finally found her and put her on the bed where Little Bob was sleeping.

Thursday evening was a rehearsal for next week's fashion show which, according to Susan (I didn't go), after a shaky start went well.

Friday morning and of to see the doctor for a checkup following a chest infection which needed antibiotics and still hasn't fully cleared up and a sharp pain in my chest when I swallowed which has. I also mentioned my increasing procrastination and feelings of tiredness about which she decided to double my intake of Citalopram to 20mgs a day. I've been on this drug for about twelve years now. My weight was pretty much the same and blood pressure reasonable despite a higher than normal reading yesterday at the hospital. If you're curious, I'm also on perindopril and statins.

One o'clock and a trip to the dentists for a major filling. I've gone private because the place I went to before just couldn't fit fillings that would stay in and the one I was having done today -a molar- had caused particular problems. Needless to say, it cost a lot more than the other place, but you get what you pay for and in this case it was a completely rebuilt filling that will stay in.

Saturday morning (today) and I picked up a 4-month old grey tabby tom kitten who was just too lively for the elderly couple who'd adopted him. In the house he was friendly but got a bit of a shock when he found himself bundled into a cat carrier and taken somewhere strange.
While at Carole's I got a call from Susan to say that an ex-helper of ours, Ian F, had been taken into hospital at four in the morning and I had to go and collect his house keys as he fostered, pretty much on a permanent basis, two medium size and enthusiastically friendly dogs. Later we learned that Ian had to have an operation from which he's now recovering. No details as yet but I doubt if he'll be back home for a while. Susan and I fed the dogs and gave one his medicine but after that Phil and Andrea will be looking after them.

We've been having a promotion at Pets At Home, a pet supply shop which very kindly offered to help Animal Krackers, with a tombola and stuff like that. Susan has been ferrying people and prizes there for the last two days. We'd finished seeing to Ian's dogs and had just arrived at Phil's to drop off the keys when the van decided to conk out. It's now at a garage awaiting (I think) a new starter motor and will be effectively off the road until Thursday at the least. Bummer.

So, not the best of weeks all things considered.

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