Up early, I've finished the Zyban course now (Wow! that's 6 weeks now without a ciggy, I am impressed with myself), so should be getting back to a regular sleep pattern very soon I hope, so God only knows why I was up so early. Anyway, it was the last day of the long weekend and the weather is keeping up. Took a drive to Roehampton, my favourite Asda (mainly because the clientele isn't as chavvy as the Isle of Dogs branch). Got a few bits and pieces then came back via the Kings Road blasting Scissor Sisters at top volume on the car stereo. The more I listen to that album, the more I love it. Got home, Leigh came round for a while, not seen him since last July, how time flies. Took a quick trip afterwards down to Effluent & Castle, then went for a nice long walk along the south bank, taking pics as I went, watching the buskers, admiring the talent, watching the London Eye and stopping for coffee in Somerset House before coming home and getting myself ready for another week at work.
The laundry is now on the drying cycle so I'm still stuck here for another hour until I have something to wear outside. Meanwhile have found another online quiz, (there are soo many of them) this one tells me how masculine I am. Or not as seems to be the result!
Having got back from Greenwich I decided it was time to run a pile of laundry through the machine, damn, just realised I'd put all my trousers in at once so therefore I can't go out until they're done. So what shall I do meantime, while I'm trouserless??? I know. I'll check out how compatible I am with David Beckham. Hmm, not what I was expecting, I might be overall 67% compatible with him, but I think 100% compatible on the intellectual scale could be considered an insult. An insult to me I mean!!!
Brain Lateralization Test Results |
| Right Brain (46%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (52%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain |
Ok, so I touched on it briefly a few days ago that I was going for a brain scan. Well today was the day, and yes, you'll be pleased to hear, I hope, that I do have one. To cut a long story short, to save you the tedium of reading it all, for the last 5 years or so I have been having some severe migraines at night time. I will wake up in a cold sweat, yet feeling like I am burning up inside my head. I'm unable to stand up properly or to put on the lights as it increases the blinding pain. Several visits to the GP and at last I was eventually sent to see a consultant at the Nuerology hospital in Queen Square, which leads onto todays scan. Due to the usual NHS money problems etc etc they are now scanning patients in carparks. Not as bad as it sounds, but it's been farmed out to a private company on an NHS contract, so I found myself this afternoon in the carpark of the North Middlesex Hospital, just off the North Circular!
One hell of a drive to get there, one hell of a time trying to get parked, one hell of a time trying to find a pay and display machine that worked, and one hell of a time running round most of the hospital buildings to find the pathology reception to eventually find it right next to the car park, it just hadn't been signposted.
Anyway, it's all very quick, in the back of the van, remove all metal objects and then lay down with some headphones on and off it goes. Very strange feeling as the bed is pulled back into the machine, then the noises start. And my God it is noisy. I have to keep totally still, typical that my nose should start to itch the second the machine starts! Twenty minutes later and I'm out, looking at my brain on a laptop. I asked if they could email it but they had their email cut due to checking their Hotmail when working, however the best I could do was to get a pic of the scanning unit. Not very exciting I guess. So, my scans are sent halfway round the world to be analysed then the results come back in a few days. I just have to wait now to hear from the consultant and see what happens next. Meanwhile, I am safe in the knowledge that I have seen my brain, even if it's only in black and white!
An email was sent this morning to all the males in the company (for some reason I got left off the list) informing us that the mens toilets had rather unceremoniously, 'backed-up' and were not suitable for use. After much tooing and froing of emails, each blaming each other, the bearded one, (often seen hunching over his desk in a darkened office lit only by an anglepoise lamp) decided that all males would be allowed use today of "The Secret Lovely Toilet"!!!
This is no ordinary toilet, this is a tardis of a toilet. A humble little doorway on a rear staircase, by the tradesmen's entrance, opens to reveal a wonderful room, bigger than you could think possible for a toilet, but a toilet it is, with a radiator and it's own little sink and hot water system. A toilet of luxury. A toilet that is now being used by all and sundry, a secret that is now shared amongst the masses. My only hope is that the missing ceiling tile will scare them from future use. If you sit on the pan, you can see quite clearly above the door is a ceiling tile that has always been missing. This leads to a dark void, a void that holds the toilet monster, or perhaps a hidden camera, who knows. If the newbies see this, they might too be frightened and will not want to use our hidden space again. Meanwhile the normal loos seem to have righted themselves, blotting paper is currently soaking up the oversplill. Meanwhile the scousey one is organising toilet training for this afternoon.
It's been threatening it all week. We've had a few occasions where it's started to snow then it stopped. It hasn't really settled at all though, at least not in the centre of town. One only has to watch the news reports though to know that it's coming. When I woke this am, I looked out at around 7ish and it was a clear as anything. An hour later I opened my front door and there it was, settling on the ground like candy floss. It made this mornings trip to work quite delightful, memories of Christmasses as a kid, sledging with my Dad and sister on the slopes of Outwood Lane by Banstead Woods. I got to work, dried off and took this pic from the tearoom window.
It didn't last, half an hour later it stopped, rained and it all was gone. Maybe it will snow again over the weekend. On the one hand I hope so because it makes London look so pretty and I want to go and take some more pics of nice things, but on the other hand, it's gonna make driving around a real bastard so not looking forward to that.
Do you sometimes have one of those "I Hate My Job" days?
When you do, try this:
On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand.
When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favourite chair, open the package and remove the thermometer.
Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.
Now the fun part begins.
Take out the literature and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement, "Every rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested".
Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do not work in thermometer quality control at Johnson & Johnson."
HAVE A NICE DAY AND REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS WORSE THAN YOURS.
I often try to remind myself of the advantages of living in the middle of London's West End district. Ok, so I have to deal with congestion charge, but I don't usually drive in the week time. I have to deal with the noise, pollution levels, abundent tourists asking daft questions etc. But this is all outweighed by my morning commute to work. This pic wasn't a one off, it's like this every day. I only have a couple of miles to travel by bus, but I'm going against the grain, so to speak, and therefore I don't have to deal with the cattle truck experience of most commuters. I never thought I'd call a 55 bus luxury, but in comparison to what I could be travelling on - it is!
