Friday, 31 July 2009
Busy, busy
Walk the dog, read my emails, help set up the book fair for tomorrow morning, out to friends for lunch, walk the dog, another quick check on emails, feed the dog, off to the MS Centre for the official opening of the refurbished centre (a substantial donation from Brighton Lions helped pay for that). Then I can relax - or go to bed!
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Blue badge day
It's arrived at last! Sheila applied for a blue badge back in February. When we had heard nothing - not even an acknowledgment - after a couple of months, I rang the local parking office to enquire what the position was.
'We've written to the physiotherapist at the hospital, but hospitals never reply.'
'Could you not write to the GP shown on the application form?'
'Would you like us to do that? Or we could send a reminder to the hospital?'
'I think the GP shown on the form has retired now, but you could try.'
Another two months went past and I rang again.
'We've written to the physiotherapist at the hospital, but hospitals never reply.'
'Well, perhaps you could write to the GP. The one shown on the form has retired, but this is my wife's new one - Dr X'
A week later, a letter arrives from Dr X asking Sheila to make an appointment. We were just going on holiday, so left it till our return. Dr X, of course, only works two days a week, and it was another ten days before she had a spare ten minutes. 'I'll take that appointment,' said Sheila.
'Oh yes,' says Dr X, 'you should have a blue badge. I'll just complete this form and send it back... but it doesn't say where I should send it. I'll get the receptionist to ring and find out.'
Three weeks later we had still heard nothing so I rang again - that was last Monday.
'Ah, yes, we seem to have everything we need.'
'So when can my wife expect to receive the badge?'
'We just have to get it made up, we'll probably get it in the post in a day or two.'
As I say, it arrived today.
'We've written to the physiotherapist at the hospital, but hospitals never reply.'
'Could you not write to the GP shown on the application form?'
'Would you like us to do that? Or we could send a reminder to the hospital?'
'I think the GP shown on the form has retired now, but you could try.'
Another two months went past and I rang again.
'We've written to the physiotherapist at the hospital, but hospitals never reply.'
'Well, perhaps you could write to the GP. The one shown on the form has retired, but this is my wife's new one - Dr X'
A week later, a letter arrives from Dr X asking Sheila to make an appointment. We were just going on holiday, so left it till our return. Dr X, of course, only works two days a week, and it was another ten days before she had a spare ten minutes. 'I'll take that appointment,' said Sheila.
'Oh yes,' says Dr X, 'you should have a blue badge. I'll just complete this form and send it back... but it doesn't say where I should send it. I'll get the receptionist to ring and find out.'
Three weeks later we had still heard nothing so I rang again - that was last Monday.
'Ah, yes, we seem to have everything we need.'
'So when can my wife expect to receive the badge?'
'We just have to get it made up, we'll probably get it in the post in a day or two.'
As I say, it arrived today.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Political definitions
Found in a 1986 issue of JJ.
Fascism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and sells you milk.
Nazism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and shoots you.
Communism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and gives you milk.
Socialism - You have two cows, and you give one to your neighbour.
Capitalism - You have two cows, you sell one of them and buy a bull.
Bureaucracy - You have two cows, the government takes both of them, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain.
Fascism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and sells you milk.
Nazism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and shoots you.
Communism - You have two cows, the government takes both of them and gives you milk.
Socialism - You have two cows, and you give one to your neighbour.
Capitalism - You have two cows, you sell one of them and buy a bull.
Bureaucracy - You have two cows, the government takes both of them, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Is that all there is?
Having found out that the inaugural meeting of what was at first called Brighton & Hove Lions Club (later simply Brighton Lions Club) was on 18 October 1950, I thought to see what other Earth-shattering events occurred that day. And guess what? Apart from the birth of a couple of actresses so minor that nobody has ever heard of them (well - I haven't) the only thing was that Connie Mack announced that he was going to retire after 50 seasons as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. And as I have never heard of either the Philadelphia Athletics or Connie Mack, that didn't help much either!
Sunday, 26 July 2009
I should have known
The reason they had the party yesterday was because that was their wedding anniversary!
Anyway, the traffic on the way there was nowhere near as bad as I had expected. In fact, there was actually less than we normally find when we go to the farm. The party was great. The tarps weren't really needed to keep the sun off, but things broke up just before the tarps would have been needed for shelter from the rain. But it was not much more than a shower, and the evening turned out fine.
Anyway, the traffic on the way there was nowhere near as bad as I had expected. In fact, there was actually less than we normally find when we go to the farm. The party was great. The tarps weren't really needed to keep the sun off, but things broke up just before the tarps would have been needed for shelter from the rain. But it was not much more than a shower, and the evening turned out fine.
Friday, 24 July 2009
Tomorrow's weather
I just hope it is better than today's. We will be going down to the farm for a party to celebrate the centenary of the family taking over the farm and also J & L's ruby wedding. No way could everybody squeeze into the house, despite its size, so I have no doubt Julian will have done his usual for a large party. He will have cleared one of the smaller barns and whitewashed the walls; this is where the food will be laid out. There will be trestle tables and chairs in the yard, possibly with tarpaulins stretched over them to provide some shelter from the sun (!).
I've booked us in at a pub a few miles away so we don't have to drive there and back in one day, although we have done that before. But why they chose the first Saturday of the school summer holidays I really can't imagine. This will probably be the busiest weekend of the summer on the roads.
I've booked us in at a pub a few miles away so we don't have to drive there and back in one day, although we have done that before. But why they chose the first Saturday of the school summer holidays I really can't imagine. This will probably be the busiest weekend of the summer on the roads.
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