..it's been a quiet week really....

Greetings Worlds !!

How have you all been in my time away from the computer screen ? I hope all of you are doing well - I'm not so bad... more of that later... first The Family !!

As it's a Monday - B has gone to the 2nd part of her carer's training thingy... she went last week & seemed to enjoy herself... tho' she did say she would stay at home with me, today, if I wanted her to - but.... in the end, she went !!

ME has just gone out, to visit a friend.... she has had a 3 day break from work... so, she is making the best of it. Yesterday, she was here with her boyfriend (M) and had a "fry up" for their supper.... such fun, tho' I found it kind of hard doing the washing up !! Ho-hum...

That just leaves J - who is still enjoying himself at Uni.... I've had a couple of e-mails from him....so, that was good - I enjoyed hearing from him !! I'm not sure what Christmas holds, if he is going to come home or not, time will tell on that one !!

As for me - well....... I've had some fun !!

If you've read my words before - you will know that, last week, I had to go back into hospital - on Wednesday - for my 7th surgery of the year !! It meant getting up really early - for me at least - and heading down to Exeter for 7.30am.... that was a waste of time........

.... I got there on time, but just sat there, for hour after hour !!

It was gone 2pm, before I actually went down to the operating
room !! The bad part of all of that was - well  I think it was - I didn't have any of my regular pain med's, for the whole of the morning !! Because I didn't want to travel on an empty stomach, I didn't take my morning pills... which meant, I missed my lunch time "ration" as well.... by 2pm, i was hurting sooooo much, it was stupid !!

Anyhoo - the surgery..... well, it took about 90 minutes & so, that wasn't so bad. I spent quite a bit of time in the recovery room - while they brought the pain under control.... and eventually landed up on one of the wards.... where, if you ever land up in hospital, in Exeter, I cannot fault them !! They were really brilliant... looking after me !!

I had to spend the night, just staying on my side.... mainly so (I think) I didn't do any damage to the spinal part of the surgery.... and - I guess - to give the skin graft chance to hold fast, for a while.

I'm thinking it would of been a bit awkward, if I was moving around all the time.... the new skin would of been moving around with me !! Anyways... the night went pretty well.....

.....I slept like a log - I really did !!

The next day, at about 9.30 I was told that I could go home, if I promised to behave myself - no running around or what have you.... so, B came down to get me. She got there quite early - but, then we had to sit around again !!

This time - because we were in Devon, the Somerset health authority had to agree to take on the cost of my treatment - mainly the cost of looking after my new toy !! Yep folks.... I have another vac pump attached to me .... Such fun !!

This new toy - who I'm calling "Curiosity" - in keeping with the whole Mars thing - (the last one was called "Rover")...... well, this one is, I hope, only staying with me, until Wednesday..... when I have to go back to Exeter, to have the dressings changed. If all goes well - I'll lose my new friend then.... and just a regular dressing will go on, in it's place !! Time will tell on that...

I was told to expect a lot of problems, pain wise, with my leg.... where the skin graft was taken from. Luckily, as my legs are pretty numb, I've felt very little from that area !! There are times when having a pair of "useless" legs comes in handy !! Oh well... enough of all of that....

On to the music of the moment !!

As I type, I've been playing the new Nightwish 'Showtime, Storytime' live set... well, the DVD of the show. It came with 2 Cd's & 2 DVD's... so, I'm just listening to the DVD at the moment - it's well fun !!

It was recorded at the 'Wacken Open Air Live Show'... I don't know the exact date - I'll have to look into that - but... it has the "new" vocalist Floor Jansen doing the honours on the mic - so, it has to be from this past Summer, I guess !! The tracks are:

  1) Dark Chest Of Wonders
  2) Wish I Had An Angel
  3) She Is My Sin
  4) Ghost River
  5) Ever Dream
  6) Story Time
  7) I want My Tears Back
  8) Nemo
  9) Last Of The Wilds
10) Bless The Child
11) Romanticide
12) Amaranth
13) Ghost Love Score
14) Song Of Myself
15) Last Ride Of The Day

Now then, I'm only up to track 11 - but, so far... I've really enjoyed listening to this !! The old & new tracks work well, with the new vocals - in the past, some of the older tracks fell a little "flat" with Anette Olzon's vocals...... I did enjoy her live sets - but, Floor's voice seems better suited to the old & new stuff !!

'Ghost Love Score' is playing as I type... and Floor's vocals are the middle ground, between Tarja Turunen's & Anette's .... this is a good concert - lets hope she stays with the band & their next album will be even better than the last two !! I'm going to enjoy listening to this - over & over again !!

I was let down - again - by Play.com.... or whatever they call themselves these days !! I ordered this live set, to reach me over night... but, once again, it arrived a couple of days late !! The people who sent it - wanted to charge me 50% of the cost - as it was late... "No way"... in the end, they have agreed to return the whole cost of mailing it !! Honestly - they mess up & then expect me to cover the cost...... !!

I also have had a mix up with a lady who I ordered the soundtrack to 'Apocalypse Now' from. I ordered the 2 Cd set & she only sent me the old single Cd.... I have had an e-mail from her, saying a "sorry" and she will sort out the mix up..... I'll see what happens on that one !! I didn't really want the 1979 version - I needed the newer set !!

Oh well - what else has been happening this week...... apart from spinal surgery, a skin graft, some new Cd's to listen to... well - it's been a quiet week really !! So... I think I will be on my ways..

I thank you all for taking the time to log in & read my words - I thank you all for your time.... as always, it's good to know you are "out there" in the Universe, someplace...... until next time

Bye Bye