Interview with the Vampire

Yes - the vampires got me. Before you start running over with stakes and holy water (you can bring the garlic - I love it!), the vampires is what I call the staff at Blood Donors. So I am an armful down and taking it easy.

Dad is now out of hospital and in a nursing home. Social Services are now questioning if he needs a nursing bed (this is important as if he does need one, then they will contribute towards his care). This is despite him arriving on a stretcher and being unable to walk - the parsimony of local government! Mum is going round and round in circles, so I hope I can slow her down a bit when I am over there. She admitted on the phone that she is not cooking, so I am hoping a few days with me as officer i/c catering will help her. My worries are now for her not him.

And the decision has been made - I think I am going to go and see him. I am torn both ways - but I think I have to go and see. Pray for me - this will be hard! I am taking my black suit over to elave it there - I think it will be needed there soon.

What else is new? Not a lot really. I am between the evening and the day (shift). The new car is going well (which is good as I am taking it away next week) I found out that it was registered in the same town that I grew up in - talk about the circles of the world!

And for those of you who look at my webpage - I have added a bit of fanciness. If you want to look, go here, and click on the link to see what has been updated.

And now, the end is nigh...

Dad is in hospital.

He was taken in last week. All mum could tell me is that he had 'something nasty' inside. It turns out that he has a bad infection, but they will not operate because he is so frail. He is on antibiotics and a drip, ands spends most of his time asleep. The latest reports from the hospital is that he poorly but comfortable.

My brother went to see him. He was lying there - almost lifeless. He does not respond and does not know anyone. Mum said it was lamost like he has given up.

I am on standby for a phone-call. I will be over there as soon as it comes. I asked if mum wanted me to go voer there, she said no. I don't think I can face seeing him. He would not know me - he does not know his wife. I don;t want to see him lying there bewteen life and death. He used to be such a dynamic person - taking life and making it fit around him. I was never close to him but I admired him so much. And to see him so helpless - I just could not face it.

This is incoherent rambling - sorry. I will delete it if you like.

The Most Expensive Lightbulb in the World?

Well, maybe...

Driving back from St Luke's eysterday, I thought there was something wrong with the headlights on the car. So, being the good motorist I am, I stopped to check, and sure enough, one of the bulbs was out. At least the sidelight was still working, and so was main beam, but the one I use most had gone. So I drove home in the gloom, hoping that there were no police around to stop me (and there weren't).

So off this morning into Douglas. I knew of a car spares place in upper Douglas, so there I went. Next door is a car showroom, so I had a quick glance through what was in the second-hand section. There was nothing that really caught my eye, so I went in to have a skeet (skeet : n a useful Manx word meaning either gossip (as in "what's the skeet?") or to have a look (as in "to have a skeet")). The salesman tried to sell me a new car, but after a test drive over my usual; route, I was not sure if my internal organs were still in their proper places as the ride was so bumpy! Imagine cycling over corrugated iron.

So I handed the keys back without too much regret, but there was a car that had just arrived, and was not even on the forecourt. 18 months old and only 6,000 miles on the clock. A little bit more than I intended to pay and a little bit more powerful, but it was just what I was looking for. So on Saturday, my poor faithful car goes away and I collect my new one.

Oh by the way - I didn't buy the headlight bulb!