Having a few hours shopping time at The Galleria worked quite well, although there wasn't much for C to drool over at the Apple reseller, and CPW was a bit busy though! Still, think I've got just about all that I need now. Then, we went out to meet some new friends in St Albans.

Further to my earlier post about problems with Lush Mail Order, yesterday I put in an order with Boots.com instead, for delivery today. Well, guess what? It’s not here either!

I got an email from them today saying it had been despatched this afternoon (they’ve put it as three parcels) at 1548ish. The delivery company show one as being out for delivery since early this morning (how???) and the other two currently sat in Lichfield. Yet again, more questioning and apologies and part refund etc.etc.etc. I’m going to clear my mind of it now to prepare for new stuff tomorrow, but whatever way you look at it, it’s yet another problem, where it’s not been sent out in enough time.

If you are planning on ordering from any of these between now and the end of the year, it might be advisable not to expect it before the holidays.

Next year when Caroline says she’d be happy with another iTunes gift card, I might just take her up on it.

This morning is going well. After a visit to the docs for flu jab and de-catheter-ising, all is working well. Have now got most of the gifts for the rest of this year sorted… and later, about to work on some boxes that are leaving here soon. In the meantime, C is due home for lunch soon!

Following a Thursday of travels, Friday 30th was to be my outpatient stay at Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.

( Cut for length and medical talk  )

To precede my hospital stay, I decided to have a day out around London, for a number of reasons. We were both well enough (lurgy more or less gone) and C was working the morning, so I decided to do part of the trip by public transport, using a Travelcard from Royston, with full Zones 1-6 validity [plus train to/from Royston], in and around the capital. After purchasing the ticket (with Station Cat behind the ticket window on the chair!), it was onto…

First Capital Connect train Royston – London Kings Cross

Underground Victoria Line Kings Cross St Pancras – Victoria

London General Dart/Plaxton LDP4 C10 Victoria – Victoria Coach Station

Walk back via Greenline Coach Station and the back of the rail station

Arriva London Mercedes Citaro MA33 73 Victoria – Euston

Met Malc McD here to handover a couple of bags of timetables etc. as well as meeting for lunch at the restaurant in the Quaker’s building opposite Euston Station. This is a really different place – not as busy as some as the others in town at lunchtime, cheap enough etc. Anyway, after about an hour of talk, we both had to be on our ways…

Underground Victoria Line Euston – Vauxhall

First time changing here since Millennium Eve! Pictures of the new bus station snapped as I walked by, but not in the direction of the ambulances that were on scene.

South West Trains Vauxhall – Kingston

Transdev London United Trident/ALX400 TA318 Kingston Cromwell Rd Bus Stn – Kingston University & [Surrey County Council] County Hall

Quality Line [Epsom Buses] ALX400 DD10 418 Kingston University & County Hall – Kingston Cromwell Rd Bus Stn

Metrobus Scania [single deck] 538 X26 Kingston Cromwell Rd Bus Stn – Croydon, stop behind West Croydon bus station

Very busy journey on this recently doubled in service route, had to stand all the way from Kingston to Wallington Green, but did manage a seat for the last 10 mins or so!

Metrobus Scania [double deck] 947 405 West Croydon Bus Station – Redhill, Bus Station

This last journey took me down the A23 into Surrey, and is the limit to the TfL network on this direction. Caroline picked me up in the car, and we continued to Travelodge at Hickstead, where we spent the night. Even though I only travelled in one direction, this still remained the cheapest option of the day.

On the photo front, did really well – snaps of one of the new Oxford Tube coaches, the ex-Armchair Kingston University Tridents now working the KU routes with Tellings Golden Miller, a Mercedes Citaro bendi or two on the 38 (before the conversion back to double deckers, scheduled for mid-November now), and more besides. You can see all the pictures here.

Yesterday, C had a half-day at work, and in the meantime, I travelled from Royston via London Kings Cross, Victoria, Euston (met Malc McD for lunch!), Vauxhall, Kingston, West Croydon, Redhill, where C picked me up, and we’ve driven to Hickstead, staying the night in the Travelodge. Not too special, but it’s the nearest we could find near the hospital in Haywards Heath.

 

In 45 minutes I can have nothing to eat until after this afternoon’s op, which is why I’m up now, eating.

 

Thoughts right now are partially taken away by hearing the sad news of the passing of labrat78 (our thoughts are with her friends who reported this), but also my mind is stuck on thinking about this surgical follow-up. It’s been close to one year, end to end. It was after our previous doc sat on the case for a while that we found the services of another in the same practice. I’ve been to hospitals in Cambridge, Saffron Walden, Brighton and a telephone consultation with Lewes, and now, Haywards Heath.

 

It may seem like a lot of work for a simple little cyst. Now it’s starting to get less solid, but it has also stopped growing. I’m hoping that is a good sign, not a bad one.

 

Normal blogging service will resume another day. In the meantime, I have to go in at 1130, and I am down as an afternoon appointment. It’s general anaesthetic, and I’m down to have this done, then back out to recover. All going well, they will ensure I am good to go, before C drives me back to the hotel. If I need to stay overnight, well, I shall pack an overnight bag/change of clothes, just in case.

 

Yes, I hope this goes smoothly, and that nothing like it reoccurs again.

1. Forgot to say it's been a couple of weeks since I wound down the Amitriptyline (pills), and I've noticed an improvement, not so tired all the time!

2. As I wind down study for now, best of luck to thermalsatsuma, who has been for his M150 induction today!

Thanks to shullie for passing on a voucher web link earlier on in the week, we've just been out to Toby Carvery at Stevenage for a lovely lunch (and some grocery shopping on the journey home.) Farmfoods FTW, where else would you find authentic Scotch Pies in Stevenage?

Also had a delivery of one or two clothing items, and finally found a few items of underwear that fit - not sure why it's been such a problem recently, maybe I've just been delusional over sizes...

Now working on another web project...

It’s been a busy bank holiday weekend. I’ve got TMA04 for M150 OU course to go in by Tuesday night – but I’ve done 50%, so (a) I’m not ignoring you lot, and (b) it’s now time for a break.

We were out yesterday, intending to do other things, but made it as far as Cambridge Retail Park, where Caroline invested in some more shiny gadgets. My spending excess was on a Cupertino Mousepad – not the heaviest of upgrades, but a very smooth surface. Every time I spill something on a cloth one, the optical mouse goes wonky… anyway, Caroline mentioned that Cupertino is where Apple are based. Maybe that’s why the silver and white design came from.

The subject line came from a T-shirt I spotted in Homebase yesterday, which was immediately texted to thebustocrookes  – Dougie seemed to approve! Having said that, ideal book title? London Cheesecake/Apple Danish/Mexican Lattice is not quite the same!

What else? Well, hello to chancernw  on LJ, and everyone that I’ve added (or who has also added me) via Facebook in the last few weeks.

Caroline & I had an afternoon in London yesterday, visiting Jade W at Charing Cross Hospital. Train from Royston to London Kings Cross, then Piccadilly Line, then the bus (295) to the hospital. On the way back, we wanted to do something a bit different… so, 295 to Fulham Broadway, 391 to Chelsea Harbour, walk around to the pier, boat back to Blackfriars Pier. Here’s the boat as it approached….



We then followed that with a 63 to The Sir John Oldcastle (2nd visit of the year to this Wetherspoon’s near Farringdon Station) before another 63 back to Kings Cross, for the train home. See the rest of the pictures here – they are mostly pics of what we saw off the river, but quite a few wonderful pics, so well worth a look! These were mostly taken as the boat sped along the Thames.

OK, so I’ve been running around a little this week, but I was exceptionally tired on Friday and Saturday. I had feelings before of hoping and getting out of the slump, but unfortunately not.

Highlights of the week…
* Getting 82% on TMA02 on Open Uni course M150. This was especially good, as the evening of the deadline saw a number of problems, including me inadvertently destroying the USB drive with the work on it, after I raised my knee into the edge of Caroline’s Mac PowerBook. Then, losing the pictures and formatting from within the document… anyway, as can be seen, a good recovery was made!
* Some good and bad moments. Lack of energy and pain is affecting my mood, as well as other issues. I’ve been trying not to get too badly upset.
* Appointment confirmed with the GIC in west London in little over four weeks time. It did look like it was going to be in the same week as my next genetics appointment, but the latter has been brought forward at my request (she said that they would if they had a cancellation). Thankfully not the same week, but also, it’s the same week at Caroline’s two appointments in the same morning at Addenbrooke’s, the cut-off date for the second CMA for T175, the BABUS AGM, as well as Fathers Day, which I have a gift to parcel up and send off in due course.
* Friday, oh dear. After getting the letter re the GIC appointment, was about ready to go out for the train to Cambridge. No, someone was on the track at London Kings Cross, so everything on the way out was at a standstill. So, I went for the bus… had to get cash, did so, managed to make it around, and it was a unexpected surprise, Stagecoach Trident 17078 on the 26! Took that into Cambridge, then onto work. After work, on the way home, my shoes managed to split at the top (canvas summer type that C somehow didn’t like after all…) and as a result, it came off my foot in the middle of Cambridge Emmanuel Street, with just a few minutes to go before the bus back to Royston. So, limped around to Drummer Street with one shoe on…
* Saturday, almost equal fun. After getting a forwarded election communication that Scottish Labour sent to my old address, asking locals not to vote SNP (not long after they’ve taken control of the City Council), I wondered what chance a Scottish Nationalist would stand if up for election in North Hertfordshire… not me, but just the chances of… anyway, we went out to Cambridge to the Lucky Star buffet followed by the cinema next door, C wanted to watch Angels And Demons, which she had also been reading. More shoe problems… mind you, following the previous day’s incident, purchase of a book on the history of footwear was an inspired purchase (perhaps) at the booksale earlier – along with a large Spanish dictionary, with attached USB drive. We’ll see.
* About to make lunch for the both of us – it is our 26 month anniversary today.

In the responses to this post, carolinetoo said “your snaps appear to be inspired by the work of William Eggleston at the moment.” I’d never heard of the person till I saw the story on Wikipedia. Then, in a later comment, carolinetoo marvels at my work, and questions if I’d ever got any wrong. Loads of them… so I’ve put some of my favourite examples of bus photography into a post of their own.

( Cut for ten images )

While Caroline has been recovering at home, I’d agreed some time ago to go off to Lowestoft for a few days with David and Jacqueline. The travelling for those days is getting to me, but I said I’d come from Friday to Sunday – as David was paying for the hotel room for me, as well as their own! Anyway, a nice weekend occurred – used the opportunity to get some new summer clothing too. David had also offered to purchase a new mobile for me, so I’ve now got a white & purple Nokia 5000 (plus an o2 USB modem as an upsell!) It was a nice weekend away, and I got back here early lunchtime, where C came out of the house for the first time in a few days!

My thumb is somewhat sore as I type this (to add to that I’ve also somehow managed to take the skin off one of the healing blisters on my right knee with the bed night before last) so you can have a look at the pictures taken over the weekend.

It’s been a busy week, dear reader. If you think I’ve been haring about up and down the A14, well, not yet. There will be time to try out the new high specification (it says here) buses on the 15/45/55. Seeing everyone else’s pictures, hopefully they will turn out to be better (or just as good) in the flesh! I’ve already seen several posts via Facebook “trying the WiFi on the 55”… well, it happened when it was new on the X5, Edinburgh routes, 900, etc. so why not!

You see, I’ve very busy this week, working on the 2009 edition of the Dundee Area Bus Fleetbook – the printed list of stuff for the Dundee Area Bus Forum coverage area. It’s going to be almost 50% bigger than last year, as I’ve included a lot of stuff that was asked for. The price has to go up, but not by 50% - jus enough to cover costs, and leave a little towards paying for the Forums for a few months. It doesn’t make me rich, and it is as much a reference for me, as everyone else! It’s almost ready to upload to Lulu, then get one printed off to check, before opening them for sale to the public in the next few weeks.

I’ve got Uni stuff to return to, and two more assessments before the end of this month, before I start dusting off the picture submissions for an Anglia Bus Fleetbook – new for 2009, but already going to be much bigger than everything else!

Speaking of things to do, I was approached a few weeks ago about looking after a website and a forum board, for a group. Going to their committee meetings tomorrow, and if all that is sealed, then I should be able to talk about it. I did notice that their website hadn’t been updated for some time… but they asked, I didn’t even have the chance to offer. Apparently the guy had heard of the work I did on the Anglia Bus Forum, and was rather happy with the way I operate it.

I’m getting a reputation – and a good one! It’s not going to make me rich, but as long as I’m comfortable, in more ways than one…

… and there is something else that I will come back to in due course (hopefully) as something else has caught my eye.

I’m asked often how I got into public transport, and the truth is, I just don’t know for certain. My dad was a conductor with Dundee Corporation Transport, but only for two weeks, before returning to his own trade as a baker. We always used public transport, as no one in our family could drive. I remember vaguely spotting a service change poster or something, and it went from there. Just like the transition thing, it was always the right thing to do – just, like so many other things in life, I was unable to pin it down to one specific incident or moment in my life. With transition, I just knew by the age of six that I could/should/would change. As for everything else that comes with it – well, that comes and goes. I hoped that one day, I would have changed, and be comfortable, enjoying what I was doing, but not necessarily working in transport. Health has been a problem, but we’re now happy and comfortable. Yes, sometimes things get in the way, and I am in no way rich…. But getting along.

Anyway, soon off to work, where I can swap typing about places such as Rottal (a village in the Angus Glens, served by two school buses) for talking about ROTL…

It’s been a week of swings and roundabouts – ups and downs. The main bit of the week has been keeping exceptionally busy, with OU work, book projects, and other things besides.

Monday, printer repair guy came, and finally resolved the issue after many attempts – put it down to a stiff hinge! Never mind, all is well now, it’s printing away happily once more. Monday night and an appointment at the doc turned out to be a waste of about an hour and a half – as he’d not called us in – and several of his other regulars said they’d had calls to come in too, but didn’t know why. His overtime payments form was top of the pile, so it’s nice to see priorities are in order! That night, naturally, I was a bit upset, as I felt I was still no further forward, and I feel that, maybe, we’re being lead up a blind alley here. Time will tell.

Tuesday, called Sandyford, to see if I could speak to someone (did get the timetables out to do a Tuesday morning journey to Glasgow at short notice, but I was tired enough, say nothing of the journey!) At the end of the afternoon, I spoke to Dr Ewan, who is willing to put together a letter for the surgeon, and ask them to look at it. Also had an unsolicited email of praise from the office, and the bit that caught my eye was;
“Positive feedback for you - I had a lady on Monday who said she had spoken with a very helpful friendly lady called Suzy on Fri ...and then went on to the next part of the problem - well done, she obviously appreciated your gentle caring approach with her and the clear explanations etc you gave her ...so all your efforts are paying off.”

Wednesday, and C’s mailbox has been hijacked! I also had to fax a hell of a lot of stuff around to Sandyford once more, asking them to add a bit more to the letter, after a response from the surgeon’s PA saying that wasn’t what she needed. I’ve given them permission to speak to each other – and I hope they do. Maybe slightly quicker than my own GP – but we shall see. I know that I am very lucky that I’ve got the alternative option. Anyway, in the afternoon, we had a grocery delivery due, and the guy arrived a little before the 1700-1900 slot requested. However, this meant I cook C a surprise from what was delivered, rather than using the existing contents.

Thursday was my 5 years tranniversary – five years to the day I transitioned, 9th April 2004 (Good Friday, ironically). Since then they’ve mostly been apart – the 9th of April and Good Friday – but this year, just the one day! Anyway, busy morning catching up on stuff, and out to London and Milton Keynes for the afternoon. Stopped in London first, picked up some stuff that Malc had left for me (exchange of packages at reception in his absence!) before continuing to Victoria. At Victoria, tripped and fell forward at the top of the stairs – in front of some tourists, commuters, and a couple of blokes at the hotel kiosk, who just happened to be not doing anything…

… Anyway, after a look round Victoria, back to Euston, for a train to MKC. However, not straight forward as I’d hoped. I left the northbound Victoria line train, and started walking along the passageway to the escalators. Fell forward, straight down. Again. This caused a little more panic with the passengers, but I thanked them, picked myself up, and carried on. Was a bit weird to see a large section of escalator in front, and behind, me, empty. Guess it was for the best. Anyway, carried onto Euston for a train to Milton Keynes Central (well, a London Midland Siemens Desiro to Northampton), and pulled up my skirt to reveal the two big chunks out of my right knee. For a journey of about 50 minutes that only stopped at Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley, I got out, and up the stairs at MKC. It was at this point that I found out my knee had swollen, and walking and climbing the stairs was exceptionally painful. I had to stop again, but soon carried on, limping on. Went into Subway for a snack, took some painkillers, before getting MK Metro’s 22 to the Open University at Walton Hall…

… where I’d volunteered to go for a Focus Group on the new Student Induction Web resources. It was good to see the buildings for the first time – and, paying the travel costs meant I got an afternoon out of it too. Early evening, back by taxi to MKC (keep the receipt etc… LOL!) and then via Euston and Kings Cross again back to Royston, where C was waiting to pick me up at 2150, after almost nine and a half hours away. The pain to my knee was very unusual – having two falls and several near things in one day probably didn’t help.

Today (Friday) it’s been resting my right knee initially, but I’m up and about now. Still hurting quite badly, and it’s raining out there right now. Hopefully it will not snow as it did last Easter!

It’s been a good little while, but very busy.  Some medical news to come on Monday, after we see the doc – he’s been busy working on his own, but he’s called us in, and given us his email address. I am sure we will then know why.

In the meantime, lots done. C was working from home (we were waiting on a printer repair man coming, but he’s here on Monday… we got a call from him in Chelmsford, think he got us confused with Roydon?) Work on Friday was my first day since the new regime started three days earlier (was us and one other group, but from 1st April, just us, all the time, for the next year). The helpline is closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but is open on the Easter Saturday (closed every Sunday), so I’ll be back two weeks later. C picked me up from the station, and we went for a takeaway – and the place has changed hands for the second time in two years. Food is a little different, time will tell. Busiest I’ve seen it in quite a while though.

Today I offered to take C out, but we had a quiet day, and out tomorrow. In the meantime, Caroline asked me to nab this picture last night, as I’d moved our soft toy collection to the top of a longer a set of drawers, as we were running out of room on top of the narrow one... so, here’s a picture of the new-look menagerie!


p.s. Further to previous posts, industrial action is postponed (at Travel Dundee, pending a vote of members tomorrow night), defiantly on (at London Midland), and seems to be resolved (at First Capital Connect and National Express East Midland – I’ve had no word about further action).

p.p.s. Oh yeah, and good luck to the_local_echo  and auntysarah for tomorrow!

We’ve just had a weekend to Kings Lynn, for the first time in a while – to celebrate our two year anniversary, almost! Plans to go further up the coast were put off by wet and windy weather, and C felt a little unwell so we stayed around the town. Had a look around the Lynn Museum (adjacent to the bus station) before returning to the Globe Hotel via the shops. Oh yeah, and another bear from Tchibo, which C has dubbed Bertie!

We got home on Sunday, unpacked, and I’ve since been working on my first complete TMA (assessment) for M150. I’ve now finished this, so I can upload it later. (Cut off tomorrow, so not quite last minute... yet!)

So now, relax and catch up with things in the next hour, before making dinner for C in a couple of hours. You can see a handful of pics from the Lynn Museum here.

It's been a busy little while, and I'm trying to catch up, certainly showing off all my hats that I wear this week!

Yesterday, myself and seven of my colleagues attended a wonderful meeting/training day (whatever you want to call it) organised by Action for Prisoners Families at Peterborough Cathedral. Wonderful venue, interesting talks, and some interesting facts and discussions came out of it. Interestingly, in addition to providing us with the Benedict Rooms, the Cathedral provided each of us with a 15% Discount card for the adjoining Gift Shop - so, a little bear in a Friar's black robe came home with me, with a couple of other items! (Caroline has already named him Rasputin...)

Anyway, today, I was hoping to see the doc, but he's the only one in, and it is emergencies only. Never mind, I shall have a "quiet" day! We are going away for a couple of days tomoorrow to celebrate our forthcoming 2 year anniversary, it's not long till my 5 years of transition anniversary, plus, I've got a TMA to put in by the 31st. So, the latter is taking priority later today and tomorrow, but I am catching up with other things today, as much as I can. Additionally, my eBay purchase from shullie  has not long turned up!