Friday 30 October 2009 20:45

It's weird how, with a week of 11-12 hour days at work, with the exception of my brief dental holiday yesterday, the week's gone so quickly. It's been a routine of work, food, bath, slump on the sofa, then sleep. I'd thought about buying beer on my way home tonight, but I just couldn't be bothered.

While I'm in happy mode, after my expensive visit to the optician yesterday, I came home tonight to a mailshot-type letter from the Newcastle branch, advising me Your next eye examination is now due. As it is nearly three years since your last test, please make an appointment soon. Call us on ..... for a thorough, professional eye test from the UK's most trusted optician. And if you contact us now, your eye examination will cost just £10 ...

A day late. Great.



Thursday 29 October 2009 23:24

I know I'm biased, but my new grandchild is a handsome little man. I called off to see him this evening after the dentist/optician and actually saw him awake. He wasn't doing anything special, because at six days old babies generally don't, but he was still cool.

Today's dental experience wasn't too bad. Good, even, in that it was free since it happened so soon after my last visit. I wasn't aware it worked that was, but I'm not complaining since it saved me £44.

Regrettably, though, my eye test didn't go so well. Although there's barely any change in my prescription, I needed new lenses to fit the frame I'd bought from ebay. And the cost is £175, though that includes an extra charge for using my own frames. What a rip-off. If I'd not used my own frames, I'd have saved money. But I couldn't.

I thought it was all about recycling nowadays.



 

Wednesday 28 October 2009 23:44

For the benefit of anyone who doesn't know, I work in a pretty large office, which belongs to a bigger organisation. Think of it as a national company (I won't mention how I think of it). Anyway, there's an old tradition that, when someone who works there has a baby, they inflict the office on the child for an hour or two. The child is invariably fussed over and, usually, ends up in tears.

It seems like no time at all since my ex-spouse dragged our first grandchild into the office (yes, she works there too). People still talk about Sophie's bouncing blonde curls years later. She's eight now.

And it doesn't seem long at all since my own kids were paraded around the office (well, it wasn't the same office; that one was demolished nearly a decade ago). I was talking to Nic at work today about such things when I realised that there'd be people at work who'd remember my kids coming into the office as babies.

And Lucy now works there too (although i did advise her against it). And it was her turn today to bring a baby into the office.  Although I barely saw Owen, I noticed my ex-spouse showing him to people who made strange noises when they saw him. Why do people do that?

Anyway, he'd been well behaved and only cried when he had to leave the building. Or maybe the office had the same effect as it does on me and drove him to tears. If anyone's curious, he's doing fine though.

I may have mentioned a few weeks ago that I had flu. It wasn't the kind of cold that most people claim to be flu; it was flu. While feeling particularly unwell one evening, I decided to go to bed around six since I was hot, feeling sick and the TV was hurting my head. I only made it as far as the bathroom, where I sat on the floor. The floor seemed so inviting, and the bedroom so far away, that I lay down (it all felt so logical at the time). When I woke up, my glasses were a bit squashed and kind of wrapped around my head. I straightened them out a little, grateful for the fact that they were 90-year-old wire framed, then made my way to bed.

On recovery, I became aware that I couldn't quite see properly. Since I'm the sort of bloke who plods along sometimes until something niggles me enough, it was a little while before I had a close look at my glasses. Until then, I'd just fiddled with them a bit. I found a small crack in the bridge and realised that probably wasn't a good thing, so i began searching ebay for another pair of frames. I should explain that I really don't want to go back to wearing modern frames.

I found some nice frames, around the same age as my existing glasses, although very slightly larger. Realising that I'd need new lenses too, I thought I may as well book an eye test. Now this part may seem unrelated, but bear with me a minute. A couple of days after having some fillings replaced, I lost another filling. It's not really a filling, just a prexaution against chipping a front tooth (apparently I bite too hard). I had two of these fillings on my front teeth. Anyway, after having everything fixed, one of the 'fillings' fell off. Remembering my (quite attractive) dentist's advice that fillings can be replaced easily but teeth can't, I made an appointment to have it replaced.

Since my appointment is tomorrow, in Sunderland, I thought I'd try to get an eye test the same day. I looked up an optician's number for Sunderland, and also one for Newcastle in case I couldn't get an appointment tomorrow. I rang the optician and, fortunately, managed to get a late appointment, just after my visit to the dentist. When asked if I'd had an eye test there before, I replied that I usually go to the Newcastle branch, but that I'd be in Sunderland tomorrow. I was a little confused when the girl replied but this is the Newcastle branch. After making my apologies, I rang the other number I'd written down and made an appointment for pretty much the same time.

I'm getting to the point now, honest. As I was walking through the front door tonight, I pushed my glasses up my nose (as people who wear glasses occasionally do) and there was a click and everything went blurry. I wasn't too bothered, since I knew my glasses were going to expire and I've an eye test tomorrow anyway. After eventually finding my spare glasses, which isn't easy when you're ridiculously short-sighted, I remembered that I really don't like them. But I'd no alternative, so resigned myself to wearing them for a week or so (my degree of short-sightedness  prevents me from receiving a same day service).

However, when putting my broken glasses into my box of spare old glasses parts, I found a pair I'd forgotten I'd bought. They're pretty much identical to the new frame I'd bought and my newly broken ones, although the eyepieces are slightly smaller. Not wanting to endure my disliked spare pair for more than a few hours, I wondered whether it would be possible to fit the lenses from my broken glasses into the frame I'd forgotten I'd bought.

A few years ago I bought one of those Dremil hobby tool things for an important project I never started, although it's sat in a cupboard after being used once. I retrieved it and the box of attachments (most of which I couldn't imagine a use) from the cupboard and (very slowly) ground down the lenses. To be honest I was surprised that I managed to do this, but the lenses actually do fit.

Although I may as well still have an eye test, and have new lenses fitted into the frames I've just bought, at least I don't need to wear my spare pair. Of course I'll have to carry them with me in case my newly dremiled lenses fall out. I'm feeling quite pleased with myself though.

Since I'll be in Sunderland tomorrow, with an early finish from work, I'll call in to see my new grandchild I think. Well, best see as much of him as I can while he still sleeps a lot!



Saturday 24 October 2009 16:20

Introducing my new grandchild; Owen James Lanaghan ...

                                   



Saturday 24 October 2009 15:05

Well, Ritchie Kotzen was as dreadful as I'd expected last Sunday, although Peter was very excited. It could be me, but it every song sounded the same and the (overly long) guitar solos were very 70s. At least Peter enjoyed it.

Monday night was much better; I saw Franz Ferdinand in Wolverhampton. I've seen them four times before, but only at festivals, so it was great to see them at a gig of their own. The crowd was very bouncy and the music loud; a good night.



Saturday 17 October 2009 22:10

It's been a bit of a nothing kind of day today. Probably a reslt of a lie-in this morning and an acute case of hangover induced lethargy. I've not done a thing all day. Well, not unless you count tidying my toolbox. I'm doing some decorating round my mother's tomorrow, so i hope I've more energy than today.

Oh, I've just remembered that I'm supposed to be going to Trillians tomorrow night to see Ritchie Kotzen. Who, you may ask? Well, apparently he used to be with Poison. Hmmm ... it's not going to be fun is it.


Saturday 17 October 2009 01:11

I'm waiting. My youngest child hasn't given birth yet. She's a week and a day overdue. She could be induced in a week, but I'm sure stuff will happen before then. Possibly.

I'm not long home from a night out with work people. It wasn't a bad night, although my mind was on my new grandchild's impending birth and my poor current state of relations with my spouse. It was good to get away for an evening though.

I'm home now. Coffee and sleep are in order.  Oh, I broke my glasses today. I'm not quite happy about that.




Saturday 3 October 2009 23:30

It's that time of year again ...



Perhaps the Brothers festival strength cider (7%) that I've consumed this evening is in keeping with the occasion, but I may have regrets when I need to get out of bed early to try to buy tickets.

Oh, doesn't the screenshot look beautiful? I think I'm falling in love with Ubuntu.






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